cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The bacteriophage T4 middle promoter PuvsX: analysis of regions important for binding of the T4 transcriptional activator MotA and for activation of transcription

Bacteriophage T4 middle promoters, which are transcribed using phage-modified host RNA polymerase and the T4 transcriptional activator, MotA, match the host sigma 70 consensus sequence at -10, but they have a different consensus ((t/a)(t/a)TGCTT(t/c)A) (a MotA box) at -30. While the T4 middle promoter PuvsX has these -10 and -30 motifs, it also has matches to the MotA box at -35, -51, -70, and -87. We show that MotA binds to PuvsX DNA, footprinting a region that includes the MotA boxes at -30, -35, and -51. Very high levels of MotA are required for footprinting and gel-shift experiments, and protein-DNA complexes formed in the presence of both phage-modified polymerase and MotA are more resistant to HindIII cleavage than those formed with either protein alone. These results suggest that MotA-DNA interactions may be stabilized by phage-modified polymerase. Sequences between -18 and -38 are absolutely required for MotA activation of transcription, but sequences upstream of -38 are stimulatory, particularly when chloride instead of glutamate is the major anion. Our results dissect PuvsX into a core promoter, downstream of -38, which is required for MotA activation, and an upstream region that enhances transcription especially under conditions less favourable for protein-DNA interactions.
Visualization of dense cloud radiation data in modeling and simulations

Visualization technologies are improving our ability to assess the effectiveness of the warfighter on today's battlefield. Increasingly, our ability to predict the behavior and performance of competing systems is being facilitated by simulations. These predictions typically involve visual and sensor simulations, but they may also be used for mission performance generalizations. A key link in this analysis involves the assessment of real optics, ATR algorithms, and observers under the changing influence of the natural atmosphere. The effects of the atmosphere can be as diverse as target contrast degradation, dynamic range influences of light and shadows in the viewed field, cloud free lines of sight, and optical turbulence. However, in general, the modeling and simulation community has only treated limited versions of the full influences of the atmosphere. In some cases these influences have been modeled using cartoon-like emulations of reality, bereft of physical content. Physics-based solutions are usually bypassed in the drive for near-realtime results. In this paper, we discuss the need for three-dimensional (3-D) solutions to near-earth atmospheric representation, describe a set of physics-based programs designed to generate cloudy- hazy atmospheric scenarios, run a robust 3-D radiative transfer (RT) model, and present this representation for visualization by a perspective view generator of the resulting radiance fields. The cloud fields are generated with a stochastic model that uses cloud layer height information, cloud type, and vertical sounding profile data. The output from this model is coupled to standard vertical haze profiles to produce a 3-D field of atmospheric properties. The official Army Research Laboratory discrete ordinates method (DOM) RT code, contained in the WAVES modeling package, has difficulties with dense cloud conditions. Here, we discuss a recommended upgrade to WAVES in the form of a specially designed RT code that accesses these cloud/haze data and is insensitive to cloud density variations. This feature allows it to effectively simulate effects in and around natural clouds. Further processing compresses and interprets the outputs of the RT code for a given sensor spectral response. Point to point calculations can then be performed on the resulting database for path characterization, including path radiance and contrast transmission calculations. These can be used in assessing system performance for each color channel of a sensor, or in visualizing the cloud fields themselves.
Identifying and Treating Sexual Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Women: The Role of Estrogen

Abstract Sexual dysfunction is a common, but frequently overlooked, problem in postmenopausal women. At menopause, dramatic decreases in circulating estrogen concentrations cause physiologic changes that may affect sexual function, most notably the development of vulvovaginal atrophy. Vulvovaginal atrophy often leads to vaginal dryness, itching, irritation, reduced lubrication, dyspareunia, and vaginal bleeding associated with sexual activity. Estrogen deficiency also can affect other aspects of sexual function, including reduced vaginal blood flow and a reduced capacity for arousal and orgasm. As estrogen loss is a significant cause of sexual dysfunction in menopausal women, estrogen therapy is a logical treatment option in this population. Although both systemic and local estrogen therapy improve vaginal health and sexual functioning, local vaginal therapy with estrogen creams, rings, or tablets may be more appropriate for women without other indications for systemic estrogen therapy. These therapies ar...
Local public goods as indivisible commodities

Abstract A sharper version of Ellickson's (1979) result on the existence of an approximate Tichout equilibrium is shown to be true under much weaker assumptions. It is also shown that there exists a second-best policy regarding the bundle of public goods each local government offers to a resident. The existence result can also be seen as an extension of a result of Anderson, Khan and Rashid (1982) to economies with production. In this context, the main technical difficulty in that the approximate equilibrium allocation does not lie in the attainable and standard techniques of truncation are not adequate.
The effects of social media on emotions, brand relationship quality, and word of mouth: An empirical study of music festival attendees

Abstract This article focuses on two under-researched areas of tourism management – the management of music festivals, and the influence of social media on customer relationships. In the new digital era of marketing communications little is known about how social media interactions with tourism brands affect how consumers think and feel about those brands, and consequently how those interactions affect desired marketing outcomes such as word mouth. Based on the literature, a conceptual model was developed and was tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that social media does indeed have a significant influence on emotions and attachments to festival brands, and that social media-based relationships lead to desired outcomes such as positive word of mouth.
Black Women and American Social Welfare: The Life of Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry

Biographical research and the study of mutual-aid networks provide invaluable data to document the historical contributions of black women to American social welfare. The achievements of these black women role models can be an inspiration to contemporary social workers. The caregiving and community social welfare activities of one such woman, Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry, are discussed in this article.
Students and the Anti-Sweatshop Movement

The anti-sweatshop movement and related contemporary international labor solidarity efforts confront fast-moving uneven production geographies (Waterman and Wills 2001; Herod 1998, 2001a, 2001b). Global economic volatility is further exacerbated in industries like apparel production, the quintessential sweatshop sector, because of low investment thresholds (Hale and Shaw 2001; Gereffi 1999; Figueroa 1996). A predominantly female workforce in these same industries—and the complex gender and social reproduction dynamics involved—presents additional challenges to effective solidarity strategies (Hale and Shaw 2001; Bonacich et al 1994). In the recent past, international labor solidarity has been coordinated through the channels of organized labor with international confederations and international trade secretariats (ITSs) identifying pressure points through research on company assets and investors; contributing to strike funds; and pressuring officials in support of particular demands (Herod 1995; Moody 1997; Scher 1997). However, the global expansion of exportoriented industrialization, the end of the Cold War, and the increased promotion of free trade practices propelled a search for innovative strategies to achieve union goals (Alexander and Gilmore 1994; Cook 1997; Frundt 1996; Levenson-Estrada and Frundt 1995). Cultivating relationships with college students is one aspect of this wider labor strategy. The anti-sweatshop and broader global justice movements inspire me with hope for the future. In particular, I take heart in the way that student anti-sweatshop activists in the United States have forged alliances with organized labor and others in ‘‘mixed coalitions’’ with the potential to foster workplace democracy. Students on college campuses have the energy, passion, dedication, and resources to act
The Effects of Combined Marginal Tax Rates on the Working Poor: Evidence from the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation

Most works that have been done concerning the effects on work effort of the income based phase-out of assistance programs have been specific to one program or another. Most theorists believe, however, that the primary issue is the marginal tax rates faced by those facing the phase-out of several programs at once. This paper examines data from the Current Population Survey from 1993-2006 and the first four phases of the Survey of Income and Program Participation from 1993, 1996 and 2001 to study the effect on hours worked for those losing benefits from several different programs as a percentage of additional income and in particular to look for a delayed effect. It finds a small but significant effect and also finds evidence that the effect is partially delayed as recipients become aware of their own marginal tax rates slowly over time.
A test of reproducibility of blood pressure and heart rate variability using a controlled ambulatory procedure.

Objective: To determine whether the previously reported poor reproducibility of blood pressure variability measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is due to the uncontrolled nature of physical and mental activity during the monitoring period. Design: ABPM was performed on two separate days during which subjects performed identical activities, accompanied by the experimenter. Thus, activity and posture were controlled, both within and between subjects. Two measures of variability were used: SD and the root-mean-square of successive differences (RMSSD). Methods: Thirty-seven subjects participated
From the great illusion to the Great War: Military spending behaviour of the Great Powers, 1870–1913

The purpose of this article is to re-evaluate the military spending dynamics leading to the First World War, namely to explore the impact of the declining military and economic leadership of the UK and the economic emergence of the USA. Individual countries responded to threats from perceived enemies and spillovers from potential allies rationally, yet often going beyond the bounds of traditional alliances. In a sixteen-country system, the military reticence of the UK and USA encouraged higher military spending by other states, which suggests that Germany was not responsible for the arms race alone. Aggregate systemic military spending also incurred higher individual spending levels, whereas alliance impacts were not consistent.
The calcium feedback signal in the phototransduction cascade of vertebrate rods

Intracellular free Ca (Cai) was measured in functionally intact rod outer segments in darkness and during light responses using the fluorescent Ca indicator Indo-dextran. In darkness, Cai was 554 +/- 25 nM (n = 28) for -85 +/- 2 pA of circulating dark current (Id) and declined in saturating light to a minimum value of approximately 50 nM with a time course that paralleled the fall in Na:Ca,K exchange current. During a subsaturating flash response that reduced Id by 70%, Cai fell to a minimum of approximately 325 nM and recovered incompletely to a plateau of approximately 450 nM that lasted approximately 15 s after full recovery of Id. During a 60 s step that caused approximately 7-fold reduction in sensitivity of superimposed flash responses, Cai reached a steady-state level of approximately 252 nM.
A Cartel's Response to Cheating: An Empirical Investigation of the De Beers Diamond Empire

Cartel theory suggests that serious punishment in the form of price competition is the predicted response to cheating by a cartel member, but recent work on cartel operations suggests that some cartels might use a richer set of more measured responses to support their arrangements. Levenstein (1997) and Genesove and Mullin (2001) describe cartels that used limited retaliation, as well as communication, to maintain collusion. However, even these cartels reacted to massive public cheating with the retaliatory response predicted by traditional theory. The record of the diamond cartel, headed by De Beers, suggests that in some circumstances a cartel might be flexible in its response to cheating even when that cheating is massive. In this paper, we study a particular episode of such cheating by one of the diamond cartel's principal members, namely, Russia. Our findings suggest that De Beers did not respond with aggressive price com petition, but rather used a policy that combined accommodation and negotiation. Key to this result were the importance to De Beers of preventing diamond prices from falling and the firm's willingness and ability to absorb excess diamonds into inventory. De Beers, as head of the diamond cartel, influences the entire diamond trade from mining to retail. The bulk of its direct involvement, however, aside from mining, is in the purchase and sale of just-mined diamonds, or "rough." The Central Selling Organization (CSO)1 buys the rough from
Evaluation of a finite multipole expansion technique for the computation of electrostatic potentials of dibenzo- p -dioxins and related systems

The electrostatic potential V(r) that the nuclei and electrons of a molecule create in the surrounding space is well established as a guide in the study of molecular reactivity, and particularly, of biological recognition processes. Its rigorous computation is, however, very demanding of computer time for large molecules, such as those of interest in recognition interactions. We have accordingly investigated the use of an approximate finite multicenter multipole expansion technique to determine its applicability for producing reliable electrostatic potentials of dibenzo-p-dioxins and related molecules, with significantly reduced amounts of computer time, at distances of interest in recognition studies. A comparative analysis of the potentials of three dibenzo-p-dioxins and a substituted naphthalene molecule computed using both the multipole expansion technique and Gaussian 82 at the STO-5G level has been carried out. Overall we find that regions of negative and positive V(r) at 1.75 A above the molecular plane are very well reproduced by the multipole expansion technique, with up to a 20-fold improvement in computer time.
Self-efficacy and substance use outcomes for women in single gender versus mixed-gender group treatment

OBJECTIVE: This study examined baseline self-efficacy as a moderator of outcomes comparing women receiving either the Women's Recovery Group (WRG), a new manualized group treatment for substance use disorders combining single-gender group composition and women-focused content, or Group Drug Counseling (GDC), an empirically supported mixed-gender group treatment. METHODS: To understand the relationship of baseline scores of abstinence self-efficacy measured by the Drug-Taking Confidence Questionnaire (DTCQ) to outcome, we included the interaction of group by phase by continuous DTCQ scores in the outcome analyses. Women were split into groups of high versus low abstinence self-efficacy based on the clinical cutoff score of 80 on DTCQ. RESULTS: We found a significant 3-way interaction effect of treatment condition, time, and baseline DTCQ scores on drinking days and days of any substance use per month. Women in WRG had greater reduction in substance use from baseline to post-treatment than women in GDC, and women in WRG with low self-efficacy had the best outcomes overall. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that women with low self-efficacy may have enhanced treatment outcomes in a single-gender substance use treatment group.
Genetic marker determination in evidence bloodstains: the effect of classification errors on probability of non-discrimination and probability of concordance

Abstract The influence of classification errors on the probability of non-discrimination and the probability of concordance is illustrated and assessed. Laboratory errors leading to phenotype misclassification are demonstrated to have little effect on the probability of non-discrimination but are shown to have substantial and potentially misleading effects on the probability of concordance. A parity scheme for repetitive testing is introduced and discussed as a way to detect, and possibly to eliminate, errors.
Association of body mass, gender and race with heart failure primarily due to hypertension.

OBJECTIVES This study was performed to determine the association between clinical characteristics, particularly body mass and race, and the likelihood of hypertension as the primary etiology for heart failure (HTNCM). BACKGROUND Although held to be important in the development of heart failure, the clinical characteristics predictive of HTNCM have not been well delineated. METHODS The study analysis was conducted using 680 patients from the University of North Carolina Heart Failure Database. This data set is racially diverse (44% African-American) and contains data concerning baseline clinical characteristics and cardiac function in patients with and without HTNCM. Logistic regression techniques determined independent predictors of HTNCM among the entire study population as well as the subgroup of study patients with hypertension. RESULTS Hypertension was present in 51% of the study patients but was the primary etiology of heart failure in only 25%. Body mass, race, gender and baseline systolic blood pressure were identified as significant independent predictors of the likelihood of HTNCM (all p < 0.001). These characteristics were predictors in the total study population and also in the subgroup of study patients with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS Hypertension remains a common etiologic factor for the development of heart failure but was the primary cause of heart failure in a minority of study patients. However, the presence of increased body mass, female gender, African-American ethnic origin or elevated baseline systolic blood pressure significantly increased the likelihood of HTNCM.
Psychiatry's Holy Grail: The Search for the Mechanisms of Mental Diseases

A travers des theories culturelles, intellectuelles et sociales, l'A. analyse l'etiologie des maladies mentales en identifiant differentes periodes chronologiques et le developpement de differents traitements
Effect of Maturity of Corn on Silage Quality and Milk Production

Abstract Corn silage was harvested in 3 successive yr at the early dough, late dough, and mealy endosperm stages. Differences among years in date of harvest and dry matter content of the silage were due to the time at which the corn could be planted in the spring and to variability in growing seasons and moisture conditions at harvest time. When concentrates were fed at 1 kg/3 kg of fat corrected milk, no significant differences were detected in milk production of Jersey cows fed the three stages of silage. Selection of a high-grain yielding corn for silage, and harvesting the crop when the dry matter content: is between 30 and 35% to prevent seepage and spoilage losses, may be as important as the physiological stage of maturity to determine the time of harvest.
Rates of chitin degradation in an estuarine environment

In vitro chitin degradation rates in pure cultures and in mixed natural cultures have been determined and compared with those of other workers.In situ studies in the salt marsh shrimp nursery grounds along the southeastern Louisiana coast showed that chitin degradation was most rapid (118 mg d−1 g−1 chitin) when water temperature averaged 30‡C. Maximum degradation rates were noted at the water-sediment interface and when substrate particles were reduced in size (0.25 cm2). Of the several types of chitin tested, including treated and untreated, native chitin was most rapidly solubilized. Microbial populations on this substrate developed more rapidly, suggesting that chitin degradationin situ is a function of initial colonization. This is further supported by the observation that degradation rates were most rapid when total bacteria, chitinoclastic bacteria, and the ratio of chitinoclasts to total bacterial biomass (15.6 %) was greatest.
Anomalous heat capacities of supercooled water and heavy water.

Emulsification makes it possible to supercool water to the homogeneous nucleation temperature. Accordingly, the heat capacities of water and deuterium oxide have been determined from the respective equilibrium melting points to —38° and to —34°C, respectively. Two methods, drift calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, have been used. Both methods reveal a striking rise in the constant-pressure heat capacity below —20°C. This indication of an apparently cooperative behavior should serve to test current theories of water, most notably perhaps, the pair potential model of Ben-Naim and Stillinger. Some implications of possible meteorological significance are mentioned.
Learning DNF in time

Using techniques from learning theory, we show that any s-term DNF over n variables can be computed by a polynomial threshold function of degree O(n^{1/3} \log s). This upper bound matches, up to a logarithmic factor, the longstanding lower bound given by Minsky and Papert in their 1968 book {\em Perceptrons}. As a consequence of this upper bound we obtain the fastest known algorithm for learning polynomial size DNF, one of the central problems in computational learning theory.
Photovoltaic device characterization with optical second harmonic generation

Optical second harmonic generation (SHG) has a long history of being used to selectively characterize surfaces and interface in a variety of materials, including semiconductors. Here, we briefly summarize the physics of SHG and explain why it is a promising characterization technique for photovoltaics (PV), where interfaces and surfaces play critical roles in device performance. We then show experimental results of initial SHG measurements performed on silicon heterojunction solar cells as they are swept through current-voltage curves.
Law and Economics Discovers Social Norms

Abstract Although Ronald Coase, Guido Calabresi, Richard Posner, and the other founders of classical law and economics accomplished much, they exaggerated the role of law in the overall system of social control and, conversely, underestimated the importance of socialization and the informal enforcement of social norms. They also implicitly placed too much stress on individuals' hunger for material, as opposed to status, rewards. The upsurge in the 1990s of scholarly interest in socialization, norms, and status does not threaten the demise of classical law and economics but rather promises to enrich it.
Reciprocal path scattering from surfaces and turbulence in monostatic ladar theory

We present a modification to the laser radar equation (LRE) which includes the combined first-order effects of rough surface (RPS) and double passage (DP) RPS. A thin random phase screen atmospheric turbulence model is first included in the LRE. Rough surface RPS and DP- RPS are included individually, then we present the reciprocal path modified LRE (RPMLRE) for the combination of the two processes. The RPMLRE is formulated such that the predicted diffuse and coherent received power components are easily extracted from the total received power. Calculations are presented for a 1.064 micrometers ladar operating against a 1 m2 space target. A substantially increased received power is predicted by the RPMLRE over that predicted by the LRE including turbulence only.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neuronal Mechanisms of Voice Control Are Affected by Implicit Expectancy of Externally Triggered Perturbations in Auditory Feedback

Accurate vocal production relies on several factors including sensory feedback and the ability to predict future challenges to the control processes. Repetitive patterns of perturbations in sensory feedback by themselves elicit implicit expectations in the vocal control system regarding the timing, quality and direction of perturbations. In the present study, the predictability of voice pitch-shifted auditory feedback was experimentally manipulated. A block of trials where all pitch-shift stimuli were upward, and therefore predictable was contrasted against an unpredictable block of trials in which the stimulus direction was randomized between upward and downward pitch-shifts. It was found that predictable perturbations in voice auditory feedback led to a reduction in the proportion of compensatory vocal responses, which might be indicative of a reduction in vocal control. The predictable perturbations also led to a reduction in the magnitude of the N1 component of cortical Event Related Potentials (ERP) that was associated with the reflexive compensations to the perturbations. We hypothesize that formation of expectancy in our study is accompanied by involuntary allocation of attentional resources occurring as a result of habituation or learning, that in turn trigger limited and controlled exploration-related motor variability in the vocal control system.
Sevoflurane modulation of Ca2+ regulation in skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from young and mature rabbits

Summary Introduction: Developmental differences in splice variants of the two key sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium regulatory proteins, ryanodine (RyR1), and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA1) have been linked to various neuromuscular disorders, but not malignant hyperthermia (MH). However, it is unclear whether an age-related difference in volatile anesthetic-mediated SR calcium function exists that could add to our current understanding of the clinical presentation of MH syndrome and provide insight into molecular mechanisms for general anesthesia that may have other physiologic and/or pathophysiologic significance. Therefore, the effects of sevoflurane on intracellular calcium regulation in isolated SR membrane vesicles from the skeletal muscle of healthy young rabbits were compared to their adult counterpart using an established in vitro model with the assumption that exposure to sevoflurane would elicit a weaker response in the young SR. Methods: Through dual wavelength spectroscopy of Ca2+: Arsenazo III difference absorbance, the effects of sevoflurane on SR Ca2+ uptake rate and release in heavy and light fraction SR membrane vesicles isolated from the white muscle of anesthetized, postweaned (age = 6 weeks, n = 5) and adult (age = 6 months, n = 5) male New Zealand rabbits were examined. Results: The adult group showed a 50% increase in Ca2+ uptake rate from control at both subclinical and clinically relevant anesthetic concentrations, whereas in the SR from the younger animals, Ca2+ uptake rate was not altered by any concentration of sevoflurane. The sensitivity of both the low and high affinity Ca2+-binding sites on RyR1 was increased by sevoflurane to the same extent in the SR vesicles from the young and mature adult rabbits. Interestingly, a greater potency of sevoflurane for the high affinity-binding site was identified, and this was independent of age. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the sensitivity of the SR to sevoflurane-mediated Ca2+ uptake may be increased with maturity, while an analogous developmental effect on RyR1 is less probable. Nonetheless, this study shows for the first time that a potent inhalational agent such as sevoflurane can influence the high affinity SR calcium-binding site by lowering the extraluminal concentration of calcium necessary to trigger calcium release. While this may not be of consequence when inhaled anesthetics are administered to normal children or adults, it may have life-threatening consequences in carriers of RyR1 mutations.
PURE CULTIVATION IN VIVO OF VACCINE VIRUS FREE FROM BACTERIA

Vaccine virus freed from all associated bacteria by means of suitable disinfecting agents can be propagated in a pure state in the testicles of rabbits and bulls. The virus cultivated in this manner is not only devoid of all bacteria, but appears capable of indefinite transfer from one animal to another. Sixty passages in rabbits of a pure strain have been made within one year. Several transfers from testicle to testicle are required to bring about accurate adaptation of the virus to the testicular parenchyma, so that continued propagation in this way can be certainly secured. During the first transfers from testicle to testicle the activity of the virus may be less than the original skin specimen from which the pure strain was derived; but as the transfers proceed the activity rises until, when the adaptation is complete, the activity of the testicular equals that of the skin strain. The multiplication of the virus within the testicle is maximum on the fourth or fifth day after inoculation; the quantity of virus remains about stationary until the eighth day, when diminution begins. At the expiration of five weeks no more virus could be detected in the testicle. The vaccinal processes in the skin, cornea, and testicle of rabbits are practically identical whether the virus employed for the inoculation has been the original skin strain or the pure testicular strain; and the skin lesions produced in the calf with the two strains are also identical. In conformity with the finding mentioned in the last paragraph it has been found that human beings react to the pure testicular strain of vaccine virus in an entirely typical manner. In the case both of original vaccination and revaccination the vaccinal effects cannot be distinguished from those arising from uncomplicated skin virus. Pure strains of testicular virus are readily produced, and once secured they may be propagated in a pure state by the method described in rabbits or bulls without difficulty and with economy. The pure strains thus obtained should supply an ideal form of virus for employment in the vaccination of human beings.
Video Verité: Infants' manual investigation of objects on video

In two studies, 9-month-old infants were shown a video of a series of stationary and moving objects. The infants directed the same kinds of behaviors toward objects on a video monitor as children of this age in earlier research directed toward color photographs: They hit at and attempted to grasp the items depicted on the screen. As with pictures, a decline in manual behaviors and an increase in pointing and vocalizing toward the video were found with 15- and 19-month-olds. These results support the notion that very young children must learn about the dual nature of depictions (that pictures are both objects in themselves and representations of something else) and the typical ways in which adults respond to such symbols.
Neutron scattering from 90,91,92,94Zr

Abstract Neutron elastic and inelastic scattering differential cross sections from zirconium isotopes, 90,91,92,94Zr have been mesured at neutron incident energies En = 8.0, 10.0 and 24.0 MeV. The obtained neutron energy resolutions were 135, 188 and 410 keV (FWHM) for neutron scattering at 8.0, 10.0 and 24.0 MeV, respectively. The elastic scattering data are used to study the isospin dependence of the empirical OMP. The inelastic data are compared with results of DWBA calculations to obtain deformation length values, δL, for low-lying collective states. The ratio of neutron and proton transition matrix element, Mn/Mp, are deduced for those low-lying collective states in 90,92,94Zr using the present neutron data and published results of proton data DWBA analyses. An excited-core model analysis of inelastic neutron scattering data from 91Zr is presented.
Shell-model description of the interacting-boson-model parameters for two nondegenerate j shells

The interacting-boson-model parameters are examined from a shell-model viewpoint with use of the generalized seniority scheme in two nondegenerate $j$ shells. Predictions for the interacting-boson-model parameters are obtained by constructing the boson image of the corresponding fermion operator and are found to be in good overall agreement with the empirically determined values.
Allelopathy as a factor in ecological process

Allelopathie (chemische Hemmung) ist ein Faktor bei okologischen Prozessen wie Konkurrenz, Dominanz, Sukzession, Produktivitat. Es ist zu erwarten das die von Pflanzen ausgeschiedenen Chemikalien sich in der Umgebung der Pflanze ansammeln, bis sie fur andere Pflanzen, oder fur ihre eigene Entwicklung, eine hemmende Konzentration erreichen. Auch steht es fest, das manche Pflanzen sich so gegen Tierfras schutzen. Biochemische Produkte kommen weitgehend in biotischen Wechselwirkungen vor und allelopathische Effekte spielen in fast allen naturlichen oder angepflanzten Pflanzengemeinschaften eine Rolle.
Rhetorical comparatives: Polarity items, expletive negation, and subjunctive mood

While the semantic approaches differ on whether there is a negative operator (:: Jespersen, 1917; Ross, 1969; McConnell-Ginet, 1973; Seuren, 1973; Klein, 1980; Stassen, 1984; Larson, 1988) or a non-negative inequality operator (>: Von Stechow, 1984; Rullmann, 1995; Kennedy, 1997a; Beck et al., 2004) in the comparative, various issues remain unresolved surrounding the ‘‘negativity’’ of comparatives. This paper proposes a novel dichotomy of comparatives between ‘rhetorical’ comparatives (RCs) and regular ‘degree’ comparatives (DCs), and shows that only RCs convey ‘‘negativity’’ in a way parallel to negativity in rhetorical questions; while regular DCs merely establish an ordering between two objects. The variation concerning negativity in turn squares neatly with the presupposition toward the content of the standard (negative presupposition in RCs and no presupposition in DCs). In exploring the semanticopragmatic properties of RCs, it is shown that rhetorical effects can be triggered by negative polarity items, expletive negation, and the subjunctive mood. This result supports an important insight that negative polarity items and the subjunctive are of similar nature (Giannakidou, 1994, 1995, 2009; Quer, 1998; Borschev et al., 2007), and goes one step further to suggest another important link between expletive negation and the subjunctive mood. This analysis implicates that the three components are closely connected under the principle of non-veridicality. The notion of RCs in the sense that we suggest here can give us a plausible foundation
A Convenient Procedure for the Alkylation of Acetylenes

Abstract Internal acetylenes are traditionally prepared by the alkylation of terminal acetylenes in liquid ammonia using sodium amide as the base.1 Although the yields of internal acetylenes prepared in this manner are sometimes good, they are usually in the range of 30–60%. Normant has previously pointed out the efficacy of hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) as a solvent for alkylations of sodium acetylide.2 In connection with other synthetic work, we have worked out a facile procedure which allows the synthesis of certain internal acetylenes in high yield. A typical experimental procedure follows
Effect of quinidine and tetrodotoxin on the activation of non-adrenergic nerves in guinea-pig trachealis muscle.

Abstract 1. Activation of non-adrenergic neurones in guinea-pig trachealis muscle was accomplished by electrical field stimulation and by the neurotoxin aconitine, in the presence of atropine and propranolol. 2. Aconitine (10 −5 M) activated non-adrenergic neurones more slowly, but was as efficacious as supramaximal field stimulation (70V, 1 msec, 1–100 Hz), producing 70–80% of the maximal relaxation to forskolin or theophylline. 3. Quinidine(3× 10 −5 M-3 × 10 −4 M) and tetrodotoxin (5 × 10 −9 M-3 × 10 −6 M) blocked relaxations to aconitine and field stimulation, without affecting smooth muscle relaxant responses to forskolin. 4. The results suggest that the non-adrenergic inhibitory effects of quinidine are related to its presynaptic local anaesthetic actions, rather than to postsynaptic receptor blockade of the non-adrenergic inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Heat transfer in the melting of solids to non‐newtonian liquids

Relationships relevant to the design of industrial melters are developed for the case in which the molten material is a time-independent non-Newtonian fluid of the Power Law type. Expressions are derived for the local and mean values of the heat transfer coefficient in the melting of a solid slab on a hot, inclined, plane surface at constant temperature. The equations developed are restricted to laminar flow of the melt, and a criterion is therefore presented for checking that the molten film between the hot surface and the slab is actually in laminar flow throughout its entire length. Les relations concernant la conception de creusets industriels utilises pour la fusion sont developpees pour le cas ou le materiel fondu est un fluide non-newtonien repondant a la loi de puissance seule. On derive les expressions pour les valeurs moyennes et locales de coefficient de transfert de chaleur lorsqu'un bloc solide fond sur plan incline chauffe a temperature constante. Ces expressions sont limitees a l'ecoulement laminaire et on presente un critere pour verifier cette condition quant au film de materiel en fusion entre le plan et le bloc.
PUBLICATION RECORDS AND TENURE DECISIONS IN THE FIELD OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

To better define levels of accomplishment for publishing journal articles in strategic management, a bibliometric study was performed on the publication records of 96 doctorates in the field whose first post-degree job was in academics. By examining 20 journals that are outlets for research in strategic management, publication records were developed for each individual for the first 5-10 years following receipt of the doctoral degree. Two factors influenced the publication records of these new faculty. Having publications prior to receiving the doctorate and getting a first job at an institution with a graduate program in management were associated with more frequent publishing after an academic career began. As expected, the number of papers published was related to the likelihood of receiving tenure. However, despite the fact that they had produced more papers during the first 5 years than male faculty members and had higher citation rates, female faculty members were less likely to receive tenure. The findings are discussed in terms of institutional policy for hiring and evaluating new faculty.
Effect of Needle Tenderization on Salt Absorption, Yields, Composition and Palatability of Dry‐Cured Hams Produced from Packer Style and Skinned Green Hams

The effects of needle tenderization on the curing processes and final cured ham properties of packer style and skinless hams were investigated. Skinless hams absorbed salt faster and lost weight faster than packer style hams. Needle tenderized hams also absorbed salt faster and had more weight loss than nontenderized hams in both the packer style and the skinless groups. Two months'aging resulted in excess dehydration and lowered quality in the skinless tenderized group. In skinless hams, curing, salt equalization and aging times were reduced so that acceptable, though mild flavored, hams that met the USDA requirements for weight loss and salt content were produced within 5 wk.
A cost‐effective operating strategy to reduce energy consumption in a HVAC system

The operation of the building heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a critical activity in terms of optimizing the building's energy consumption, ensuring the occupants' comfort, and preserving air quality. The performance of HVAC systems can be improved through optimized supervisory control strategies. Set points can be adjusted by the optimized supervisor to improve the operating efficiency. This paper presents a cost-effective building operating strategy to reduce energy costs associated with the operation of the HVAC system. The strategy determines the set points of local-loop controllers used in a multi-zone HVAC system. The controller set points include the supply air temperature, the supply duct static pressure, and the chilled water supply temperature. The variation of zone air temperatures around the set point is also considered. The strategy provides proper set points to controllers for minimum energy use while maintaining the required thermal comfort. The proposed technology is computationally simple and suitable for online implementation; it requires access to some data that are already measured and therefore available in most existing building energy management and control systems. The strategy is evaluated for a case study in an existing variable air volume system. The results show that the proposed strategy may be an excellent means of reducing utility costs associated with maintaining or improving indoor environmental conditions. It may reduce energy consumption by about 11% when compared with the actual strategy applied on the investigated existing system. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of a food frequency instrument: ethnic differences in food sources.

Abstract Dietary intake was assessed among 431 black, white, and Mexican American men and women in southeast Texas using 24‐hour dietary recall interviews. These data were collected to provide information on ethnic‐specific food sources of selected nutrients; this information was used to construct a food frequency questionnaire for a study of nutrient intake and cancer. Nutrient content of total fat, total vitamin A, and vitamin C was determined for all foods consumed and was aggregated across unique food codes. These aggregated food codes were then ranked according to the contribution of each food to the total population intake of each nutrient. Ethnic differences existed in food sources of nutrients that would not be identified if data from only the analysis of the combined data set were used. Generally, however, the food sources identified from analyses of the combined data set included those foods that were important nutrient sources for each of the ethnic groups as well.
Electron-nuclear cross polarization.

Abstract We describe the coherent polarization transfer from an unpaired electron to neighboring nuclei via electron-nuclear cross polarization (eNCP) in a doubly, tilted rotating frame. Although the experiment superficially resembles the well-known Hartmann–Hahn cross polarization (CP) process introduced by Pines et al., that is widely used in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR), it differs in significant respects. In particular, eNCP requires an alternative treatment due to the very different sizes of the specific terms in the spin Hamiltonian. We derive analytical expressions for the matching condition for optimal polarization transfer and verify their correctness with experimental results obtained with electron detected CP experiments performed on powder samples of BDPA radical dispersed in a protonated polystyrene matrix and with numerical simulations. We use fully protonated BDPA as an example of polarization transfer to strongly coupled nuclei. In contrast, perdeuterated BDPA serves as an example of the transfer of polarization from electrons to weakly coupled nuclei. In addition, we performed CP on a paramagnetic crystal to determine the influence of resolved hyperfine structure on the CP process. It is shown that almost no structure is observed in the corresponding electron- 1 H CP matching curve. It appears that only a restricted number of hyperfine coupled 1 H's contribute to the observed signal intensities in the CP experiment.
The Chloromethylgermyl Complexes (η5-C5H5)M(CO)nGeR2CH2Cl [M = Fe (n = 2), Mo, W (n = 3)]: Rearrangements, Transformations to 1-Germa-3-metallacyclobutanes (η5-C5H4)M(CO)nCH2GeR2, and their Ring-Opening Polymerizations

The reactions between the transition metal−carbonylate salts [(η5-C5H5)M(CO)n]−Na+ (M = Fe (n = 2), Mo, W (n = 3)) and ClCH2GeR2Cl result in the high-yield formation of (η5-C5H5)M(CO)nGeR2CH2Cl (M = Fe, R = Me (1), n-Bu (2); M = Mo, R = Me (3), R = n-Bu (4); M = W, R = Me (5), R = n-Bu (6)). Complexes 1, 2, 5, and 6 are transformed into the isomers (η5-C5H5)M(CO)nCH2GeR2Cl (1a, 2a, 5a, and 6a) thermally and/or photochemically. Treatment of either type of complex and the Mo complexes 3 and 4 with lithium diisopropylamide results in the formation of the metallacycles (η5-C5H4)M(CO)nCH2GeR2 (7−12). The metallacycles of Mo and W (9 and 11) are crystalline complexes, and single-crystal X-ray analysis reveals a degree of ring strain. However, these complexes cannot be ring-opened, in contrast to the corresponding Fe complexes (7 and 8), which readily form new polymeric materials [(η5-C5H4)Fe(CO)2CH2GeR2]n.
Toxicity of sediments and pore water from Brunswick Estuary, Georgia

A chlor-alkali plant in Brunswick, Georgia, USA, discharged >2 kg mercury/d into a tributary of the Turtle River-Brunswick Estuary from 1966 to 1971. Mercury concentrations in sediments collected in 1989 along the tributary near the chlor-alkali plant ranged from 1 to 27 μg/g (dry weight), with the highest concentrations found in surface (0–8 cm) sediments of subtidal zones in the vicinity of the discharge site. Toxicity screening in 1990 using Microtox® bioassays on pore water extracted on site from sediments collected at six stations distributed along the tributary indicated that pore water was highly toxic near the plant discharge. Ten-day toxicity tests on pore water from subsequent sediment samples collected near the plant discharge confirmed high toxicity to Hyalella azteca, and feeding activity was significantly reduced in whole-sediment tests. In addition to mercury in the sediments, other metals (chromium, lead, and zinc) exceeded 50 μg/g, and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) concentrations ranged from 67 to 95 μg/g. On a molar basis, acid-volatile sulfide concentrations (20–45 μmol/g) in the sediments exceeded the metal concentrations. Because acid-volatile sulfides bind with cationic metals and form metal sulfides, which are generally not bioavailable, toxicities shown by these sediments were attributed to the high concentrations of PCBs and possibly methylmercury.