cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regression over Timescale Decompositions: A Sampling Analysis of Distributional Properties

In two previous papers, Ramsey and Lampart demonstrated that regression analyses between timescale decompositions provided important insight into the properties of economic relationships. The idea in those papers was that the relationship between any two variables, say consumption and income, was the union of the individual relationships between consumption and income at each timescale and that the regression relationship might, differ across timescales. This paper is dedicated to discovering the approximate distributional properties of the regression estimators and of the residuals in the context of such models. Sampling procedures are used to verify the distributional properties of the regression estimators at each timescale and those of the residuals. This analysis is necessary to provide the appropriate distributional information required to specify tests of hypotheses and confidence intervals.
Generalized fractional efficiency

Abstract Simple probabilistic considerations suggest that the fractional efficiency of particle separation devices is a cumulative distribution function defined over the inlet particulate mass distribution. The present article develops this idea for arbitrary univariate distribution. Some practical considerations and the implications of this formulation on similarity laws are then briefly discussed.
An Ada-like separate compilation style in C

The Ada programming language's modularity allows for stepwise refinement in software engineering. Effective separate compilation is crucial in most large systems, including those written in C. An approach to implementing effective modularity in C, modeled after Ada, is explored. The concept of language-independent modularity, and the possibility of implementing it in a given "entry level" language is introduced. An example, a simple sentence parser, is developed in C using this concept. The technique, called A/SC2, may easily be extended to other programming systems and languages. Modeling modularity is a useful design tool.
120. Epinephrine-induced DNA damage in a human epithelial breast cell line

We have previously reported that acute (30 min) or chronic (24 h) exposure of murine 3T3 cells to epinephrine results in single stranded DNA damage (alkaline comet assay), cellular transformation, and tumorigenicity. Effects on human non-tumor cell lines have not been demonstrated. Here we report on the widely used human epithelial breast cell line, MCF10A. In the first experimental approach we examined kinetics of acute effects. Cells were seeded overnight and treated the following morning with epinephrine (1 μM). At 15, 30, 45 and 75 min and 2, 4, and 8 h, cells were harvested and analyzed for DNA damage in the comet assay with percent tail intensity determined (blind) using Comet IV software. Results were analyzed by ANOVA and post hoc analyses performed by Tukey’s multiple comparison tests. In a second experimental approach, dose response was examined with MCF10A cells treated with epinephrine for 24 h (1.0, 0.1, 0.01 μM). Results showed that epinephrine treatment (1 μM) resulted in significant DNA damage within 15 min; effects were blocked by propranolol. The epinephrine-induced DNA damage was not seen at 4–8 h but was present at 24 h, suggesting a biphasic effect. The epinephrine-induced DNA damage seen at 24 h was dose-dependent and was blocked by propranolol. We confirmed the 24 h comet results with a second DNA damage assay, expression of gamma-H2AX. Together, findings suggest that sympathetic activation due to stress may cause DNA damage in humans.
Options for radionuclide therapy: from fixed activity to patient-specific treatment planning

The therapeutic use of radioisotopes in medicine as unsealed sources has a long history dating back to the 1930s. The established and continuing objectives are to provide radiation dose to the target tissue at the desired cytotoxic level while avoiding or minimizing toxic effects. Selected radionuclide therapy protocols including 32P for polycythemia vera, 131I for Graves' disease, and 131I for postsurgical ablation of thyroid remnants in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer are presented for historical review with the focus on protocols for administering the radiopharmaceuticals and the role played by dosimetry. The discussion also includes consideration of complications and the assessment of outcome for these diseases. The vista for radionuclide therapy today is reviewed along with the options for determining the administered activity. Patient specific dosimetry encompasses a number of levels ranging from basic measurement of relevant biokinetic parameters and use of standard models to calculate (and extrapolate) radiation dose to sophisticated three-dimensional techniques employing fusion of physiologic and high-resolution anatomic images coupled with advanced 3-D voxel patient representation and Monte Carlo techniques for use in radiation dose calculation. The role of patient specific dosimetry in clinical trials (Phase I, II, III trials) along with its utility in treatment planning, follow-up evaluation, and elucidation of dose-response relationships is discussed. The challenge ahead for those who advocate patient specific dosimetry is to assemble the outcome data and perform the analysis to support this contention.
Reduced mixing from the breaking of internal waves in equatorial waters

In the oceans, heat, salt and nutrients are redistributed much more easily within water masses of uniform density than across surfaces separating waters of different densities. But the magnitude and distribution of mixing across density surfaces are also important for the Earth's climate as well as the concentrations of organisms. Most of this mixing occurs where internal waves break, overturning the density stratification of the ocean and creating patches of turbulence. Predictions of the rate at which internal waves dissipate were confirmed earlier at mid-latitudes. Here we present observations of temperature and velocity fluctuations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans between 42 degrees N and 2 degrees S to extend that result to equatorial regions. We find a strong latitude dependence of dissipation in accordance with the predictions. In our observations, dissipation rates and accompanying mixing across density surfaces near the Equator are less than 10% of those at mid-latitudes for a similar background of internal waves. Reduced mixing close to the Equator will have to be taken into account in numerical simulations of ocean dynamics--for example, in climate change experiments.
Hammer Reflection Seismics in Engineering Geophysics

A major problem in exploiting the reflection method in engineering geophysics lies in the difficulty of separating the various superimposed arrivals at short record times. Velocity filtering is used in the present study as a means of identifying the reflection arrivals by removing the undesirable waves and leaving a substantially usable reflection record, even at very short record times. Special circuitry has been developed to sense the time lag of positive zero crossings of the signal at two separate geophones, and to record only those arrivals whose phase shift is smaller than an arbitrarily set amount. This circuitry has been incorporated into a standard hammer‐type engineering seismograph. Fundamentals of analysis of an expanding reflection spread are reviewed, and field examples are shown to demonstrate the abilities and limitations of the present technique.
The impact of capital gains tax exemption on housing sales

The Taxpayer Relief Act (TRA), enacted in 1997, allows tax exemption of capital gains up to $500 000 for married couples filing jointly and $250 000 for singles, on the sale of primary residence. By making it easier to sell a house that has appreciated in price, this tax exemption provides an additional incentive for purchasing a house. The study utilizes a simple regression model to demonstrate that TRA has had a statistically significant positive impact on housing sales.
JICE goes "social".

Social media is transforming health care. The Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology (JICE) has launched its own social media presence and is now on Facebook. JICE will post each issue’s table of contents, special articles, online-first publications to allow real-time notifications to JICE’s readers and fans of our Facebook page. We encourage you to take the plunge and connect to our Facebook page.
Rectification of the water permeability in COS-7 cells at 22, 10 and 0°C.

The osmotic and permeability parameters of a cell membrane are essential physico-chemical properties of a cell and particularly important with respect to cell volume changes and the regulation thereof. Here, we report the hydraulic conductivity, Lp, the non-osmotic volume, Vb, and the Arrhenius activation energy, Ea, of mammalian COS-7 cells. The ratio of Vb to the isotonic cell volume, Vc iso, was 0.29. Ea, the activation energy required for the permeation of water through the cell membrane, was 10,700, and 12,000 cal/mol under hyper- and hypotonic conditions, respectively. Average values for Lp were calculated from swell/shrink curves by using an integrated equation for Lp. The curves represented the volume changes of 358 individually measured cells, placed into solutions of nonpermeating solutes of 157 or 602 mOsm/kg (at 0, 10 or 22°C) and imaged over time. Lp estimates for all six combinations of osmolality and temperature were calculated, resulting in values of 0.11, 0.21, and 0.10 µm/min/atm for exosmotic flow and 0.79, 1.73 and 1.87 µm/min/atm for endosmotic flow (at 0, 10 and 22°C, respectively). The unexpected finding of several fold higher Lp values for endosmotic flow indicates highly asymmetric membrane permeability for water in COS-7. This phenomenon is known as rectification and has mainly been reported for plant cell, but only rarely for animal cells. Although the mechanism underlying the strong rectification found in COS-7 cells is yet unknown, it is a phenomenon of biological interest and has important practical consequences, for instance, in the development of optimal cryopreservation.
Issue in Education: Can You Imagine a World without Recess?

(2010). Issue in Education: Can You Imagine a World without Recess? Childhood Education: Vol. 87, Some Legacies of No Child Left Behind, pp. 62-63.
Ion Pairing and Electron Transfer

Several scenarios are considered for the effect of electrolytes, specifically for ion pairing, on the rates of electron transfer reactions: (i) electron transfer followed by ion transfer, (ii) ion-pair dissociation followed by electron transfer, or (iii) ion transfer accompanying the electron transfer. The latter may involve fast or slow (diffusive) ionic motion. A distinction is made between ion reorganization (case (iii)) and the formation of real chemical intermediates. The ion pairs themselves may be tight (contact) or loose (solvent separated). The discussion is illustrated with an example in the literature. Differences in degree in behavior of intramolecular and intermolecular electron transfer, due to differences in extent of ionic motion, are noted.
Adenylyl Cyclase 3 Mediates Prostaglandin E2-induced Growth Inhibition in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells

Arterial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation contributes to a number of vascular pathologies. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), produced by the endothelium and by SMCs themselves, acts as a potent SMC growth inhibitor. The growth-inhibitory effects of PGE2 are mediated through activation of G-protein-coupled membrane receptors, activation of adenylyl cyclases (ACs), formation of cAMP, and subsequent inhibition of mitogenic signal transduction pathways in SMCs. Of the 10 different mammalian AC isoforms known today, seven isoforms (AC2–7 and AC9) are expressed in SMCs from various species. We show that, despite the presence of several different AC isoforms, the principal AC isoform activated by PGE2 in human arterial SMCs is a calmodulin kinase II-inhibited AC with characteristics similar to those of AC3. AC3 is expressed in isolated human arterial SMCs and in intact aorta. We further show that arterial SMCs isolated from AC3-deficient mice are resistant to PGE2-induced growth inhibition. In summary, AC3 is the principal AC isoform activated by PGE2 in arterial SMCs, and AC3 mediates the growth-inhibitory effects of PGE2. Because AC3 activity is inhibited by intracellular calcium through calmodulin kinase II, AC3 may serve as an important integrator of growth-inhibitory signals that stimulate cAMP formation and growth factors that increase intracellular calcium.
Variations in Abundance of Young‐of‐the‐Year Channel Catfish in a Navigation Pool of the Upper Mississippi River

Abstract Spatial and temporal variations in the abundance of young-of-the-year channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were determined over 3 years based on 154 trawls taken from Navigation Pool 7 of the upper Mississippi River. No significant spatial patterns in abundance or length offish in the catch were found in seven poolwide surveys of the main channel. However, high variation among replicates existed. Temporal patterns in abundance and length-frequency distributions varied among the study years. Seasonal catch curves were similar in 1984 and 1986, although offset due to earlier spawning in 1986. Spawning appeared to have been protracted in both years, based on analyses of back-calculated dates of spawn and length-frequency patterns of young. Sixty to seventy percent more young were produced in 1985, when spawning occurred over a shorter period of time and a more uniformly sized year class was produced. These annual variations in year-class characteristics are hypothesized to have resulted in part from ...
Estimating VO2max Using a Personalized Step Test

The purpose of this study was to develop a step test with a personalized step rate and step height to predict cardiorespiratory fitness in 80 college-aged males and females using the self-reported perceived functional ability scale and data collected during the step test. Multiple linear regression analysis yielded a model (R = 0.90, SEE = 3.43 mL·kg−1·min−1) that included gender, body mass, perceived functional ability, step rate, and recovery heart rate. Based on the standardized β-weights, gender explained the largest proportion of variance in VO2max values followed by perceived functional ability. The cross validation predicted residual sum of squares statistics show minimal shrinkage (RPRESS = 0.88, SEEPRESS = 3.57 mL·kg−1·min−1) in the accuracy of the regression model. This study provides a model to predict VO2max from non-exercise data and data collected during an individualized multistage step test that is accurate, time-efficient, and easy to administer.
High-speed multiplication and multiple summand addition

The problem of high-speed multiplication is considered from the viewpoint of summand generation and summand summation. The goal is to obtain at least a 2's-complement, 32-bit floating-point (sign plus 24-bit fraction) multiplication in 10 to 20 ns using ECL LSI packages. Summand generation is implemented by mxm-bit multipliers. The optimum values for m are 9, 13, 17, or 21. Summand summation is implemented by a row of (p, 2) column-summing counters. The (3, 2), (5, 2), and (7, 2) counters are optimum choices. These counters compress p inputs into two outputs plus nonpropagating carry bits, where these bits are added to the next higher-order stage with at most two full adder delays.
Naloxone enhancement of memory processes: effects of other opiate antagonists.

Previous research has demonstrated that naloxone, an opiate antagonist, facilitates time-dependent memory processes. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the effect of naloxone on memory processes is shared by other opiate antagonists and whether this effect exhibits stereospecificity. The opiate antagonists used included naloxone, naltrexone, deprenorphine, and levallorphan. In addition, stereospecificity was evaluated by the use of dextrallorphan. The results demonstrate that increased retention of passive avoidance conditioning in rats is produced by posttraining administration of each of the opiate antagonists employed in this investigation. In addition, the effect of theopiate antagonist levallorphan was demonstrated to be stereospecific because dextrallorphan did not significantly alter retention. This experiment provides strong support for the interpretation that naloxone facilitates retention of passive avoidance conditioning as a function of its opiate antagonist properties.
Manipulation of food and photoperiod promotes out-of-season gametogenesis in the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis: implications for aquaculture

Green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis OF Muller, collected off the coast of New Hampshire, USA, in late February 1995, were brought into the laboratory and fed an artificial diet ad libitum, and subjected to a photoperiod advanced by 4 months. During this study, temperatures and salinities for experimental urchins mirrored those recorded at the collection site. We examined the effects of changes in feeding regime and photoperiod on gametogenesis and compared the experimental urchins with those from the source population. During the 7-month period, experimental urchins showed no detectable changes in mean test height or diameter. Experimental urchins had a significantly higher gonad index (GI) in March, April and May (18 ± 6%) compared with field urchins in March (11 ± 3%). Subsequently, experimental urchins had a mean monthly GI of 25 to 30%, while the mean GI for field urchins was 11 to 13%. Gonial cell mitosis and gametogenesis occurred earlier in experimental male and female urchins compared with field urchins. Stereological and histological observations and stage–frequency data showed that the ovaries of experimental urchins were large because of the accelerated development of nutritive phagocytes, the volume fraction (Vv) of which was 89 to 90% of the gonad, while new vitellogenic primary oocytes occupied <1% Vv. In males, stereological and histological observations and stage–frequency data suggested a mobilization of materials from the nutritive phagocytes beginning between June and August, i.e. earlier than in females, and, by September, new gametes occupied a Vv of 49 ± 3% of the testes. Oocyte size–frequency distributions demonstrated that most primary oocytes were <80 μm in diameter between March and September, suggesting that cold temperatures may be needed for completion of vitellogenesis. We describe changes in the two principal cell types in the germinal epithelium of urchin gonads and indicate how knowledge of their population dynamics may be useful in aquaculture applications.
The design and construction of a high-resolution velocity-map imaging apparatus for photoelectron spectroscopy studies of size-selected clusters

A new velocity-map imaging apparatus equipped with a laser-vaporization supersonic cluster source and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer is described for high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy studies of size-selected cluster anions. Vibrationally cold anion clusters are produced using a laser-vaporization supersonic cluster source, size-selected by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, and then focused co-linearly into the interaction zone of the high-resolution velocity-map imaging (VMI) system. The multilens VMI system is optimized via systematic simulations and can reach a resolution of 1.2 cm−1 (FWHM) for near threshold electrons while maintaining photoelectron kinetic energy resolutions (ΔKE/KE) of ∼0.53% for higher energy electrons. The new VMI lens has superior focusing power over a large energy range, yielding highly circular images with distortions no larger than 1.0025 between the long and short radii. The detailed design, simulation, construction, testing, and performance of the high-resolution VMI apparatus are presented.
Incentives for non-price discrimination

Abstract A regulated upstream monopolist supplies an essential input to firms in a downstream market. Non-price discrimination or sabotage becomes a concern when the upstream monopolist vertically integrates downstream. This article develops a simulation algorithm to determine the likelihood that discrimination will arise in equilibrium using data from the US long-distance market. Based on 1000 random draws of own and cross-price elasticities, the simulations reveal that discrimination arises in 934 cases at current access charges. This analysis has implications for regulatory policy, including access charge reform and entry by the Regional Bell Operating Companies into the interLATA long distance market.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN-2) is a hereditary syndrome that is transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. MEN-2A, MEN-2B, and familial medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) comprise the MEN-2 syndrome. A germline mutation in the RET proto-oncogene is responsible for the MEN-2 syndrome. Recent data indicate that in 99% of MEN-2 cases, a germline RET mutation can be identified by genetic testing. The phenotypic variation of MEN-2 is diverse and partly related to the codon and specific point mutation in the RET proto-oncogene. There are increasing data on the genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with MEN-2 and this information should be used for screening at-risk patients and treatment of RET mutation carriers. All patients (especially if young) with MTC or bilateral pheochromocytoma should have a careful family history taken and genetic screening for RET germline mutations. Patients who are RET germline mutation carriers but without clinical or biochemical evidence of MTC should have a prophylactic total thyroidectomy. The optimal age of thyroidectomy should be based on the RET genotype (eg, high-risk mutations [codons 634, 883, 918, and 922] within the first year of life, intermediate-risk mutations [codons 611, 618, and 620] by 5 years of age, and low-risk mutations [codons 609, 630, 768, 790, 791, 804, and 891] by 10 years of age). Patients who are diagnosed with clinical or biochemical evidence of MTC should have a total or a near total thyroid-ectomy and at least a central neck lymph node dissection. Patients who have pheochro-mocytoma and a unilateral adrenal tumor on a localizing study should have a unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy after preoperative α-blockade. However, patients with bilat-eral adrenal tumors on localizing studies should have bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy. A cortical-sparing (subtotal) adrenalectomy may be considered, if technically feasible, to avoid long-term steroid dependence and to reduce the risk of Addisonian crisis. Patients with biochemical evidence of primary hyperparathyroidism should have a bilateral neck exploration and total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation (30-60 mg of the most normal parathyroid tissue) to the nondominant forearm if asymmetric parathyroid hyper-plasia is present. Rarely, patients may have only single-gland disease and excision may be performed if the other parathyroid glands are not found with biopsy to be hyperplastic. All unresected parathyroid glands should be marked with a clip because patients with MEN-2A have a high risk of persistent and recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism. Patients with familial MTC may have not manifested the other features of MEN-2A, thus these patients should have continued follow-up for pheochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism.
Weierstrass preparation of quadratic differentials

Special cases or variants of the following play an important role in the asymptotic analysis of ordinary differential equations with turning points. Theorem.Let a(t, x) be a smooth complex-valued function germ at the origin in C × R m which is holomorphic in t. Suppose that a(t, 0) does not vanish identically. Then there is a smooth change of variable t = g(s, x), holomorphic in s, such that a(t, x)dt 2 =P(s, x)ds 2 where P is a monic polynomial in s.
The racial foundations of whites' support for child saving.

Scholars emphasize that attitudes toward rehabilitation and views about punitive polices are distinct phenomena with seemingly unique etiologies. However, few existing studies examine the sources of public views about juvenile rehabilitation, or "child saving," and none engage a measure of racial attitudes. At the same time, recent theoretical work implicates racial concerns as a central foundation of public opinion about youth justice. This paper thus provides the first assessment of whether whites' perceptions of the racial makeup of delinquents and animosities toward blacks are associated with their views about juvenile rehabilitation. Findings show that whites who more strongly associate delinquency with blacks and those who are racially resentful both tend to be less supportive-in absolute and relative terms-of rehabilitation. The results also suggest that contextual threat moderates the effect of racial typification of delinquency, but not that of racial resentment, on whites' views about rehabilitation. Language: en
Rural tourism and the craft beer experience: factors influencing brand loyalty in rural North Carolina, USA

Craft or “boutique” breweries are increasing in numbers in the USA, and in other parts of the developed world. Many are located in rural areas, and have become new rural tourism visitor experiences, related to wine tourism and linked to the growth in culinary tourism. This study offers a clearer understanding of what factors most influence brand loyalty to craft beer, and craft breweries, and sheds light on methodologies for assessing loyalty to other rural tourism, and culinary tourism, experiences. It is based on a survey of patrons visiting and purchasing from two micro-breweries in rural North Carolina, USA, examining concepts used in brand loyalty research including access, environmental consumption, connections with the community, satisfaction, and desire for unique consumer products. Results show that connection with the community, desire for unique consumer products, and satisfaction are the three factors that most align themselves with brand loyalty to rural brewery visits. Connection with the co...
Geometry of f-divergence

Amari's ±1-divergences and geometries provide an important description of statistical inference. The ±1-divergences are constructed so that they are compatible with a metric that is defined by the Fisher information. In many cases, the ±1-divergences are but two in a family of divergences, called the f-divergences, that are compatible with the metric. We study the geometries induced by these divergences. Minimizing the f-divergence provides geometric estimators that are naturally described using certain curvatures. These curvatures are related to asymptotic bias and efficiency loss. Under special but important restrictions, the geometry of f-divergence is closely related to the α-geometry, Amari's extension of the ±1-geometries. One application of these results is illustrated in an example.
Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of A14AlSb11 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba)

Abstract A 14 AlSb 11 ( A = Ca, Sr, Ba) is synthesized by reacting the elements in stoichiometric amounts at high temperature (1250°C). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (130 K: a = 17.493 (4) A, c = 23.480 (8) A (Sr); a = 18.293 (2) A, c = 24.222 (9) A (Ba)) were refined (tetragonal, I 4 1 / acd (142), Z = 8; R = 4.02%, R w = 4.26% (Sr); R = 3.71%, R w = 4.34% (Ba)) and showed these compounds to be isostructural to Ca 14 AlSb 11 . Single-crystal X-ray and microprobe data indicate that these compounds are slightly deficient in Al. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements show that these materials are intrinsic semiconductors with activation energies of 0.0143, 0.0667, and 0.4814 eV for the Ca, Sr, and Ba analogs, respectively.
Identity and distribution of Basidiomycotina colonizing Douglas fir poles during three years of air-seasoning

Douglas fir pole sections exposed at four air-seasoning sites in the Pacific Northwest were extensively sampled for Basidiomycotina each year for 3 yr. Poles were rapidly colonized by a variety of Basidiomycotina, but four taxa tended to dominate. Two of these, Antrodia carbonica and Postia placenta, are also important in deterioration of Douglas fir poles in service, while Stereum sanguinolentum is found in wounds on live Douglas fir trees and Peniophora (sensu stricto) spp. are colonizers of woody debris. A. carbonica and P. placenta predominantly colonized the heartwood at the ends and upper halves of the pole sections, whereas Peniophora spp. and S. sanguinolentum were uniformly distributed throughout the pole sections in the sapwood. Although the frequency of isolation of the four fungi varied among sites, colonization patterns were consistent.
Pompeiu Problem on Product of Heisenberg Groups

In this paper, we address the Pompeiu problem for a product of Heisenberg groups. We consider this problem both for cases of a ball and for a bidisk. Furthermore, we address this problem for a product of the Heisenberg group with Euclidean space.
A Recursive Blind Adaptive Equalizer for IIR Channels with Common Zeros

This paper considers the problem of blind adaptive equalization of infinite impulse response (IIR) channels without requiring the channel diversity condition. That is, the subchannels in the fractionally sampled model can have common factors. We analyze the case of two parallel channels, and develop an equalizer based on IIR prediction of the received signal. The predictor parameters are estimated by using the recursive extended least squares (RELS) algorithm. It is proved that with probability one the adaptive equalizer is globally stable, the parameter estimates are consistent, and the prediction error converges toward a scalar multiple of the input symbol sequence.
Dynorphin A-(1-13) attenuates withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats: effect of route of administration.

Rats were made tolerant to morphine by subcutaneous implantation of morphine alkaloid pellets. Three days after pellet implantation, withdrawal was induced by pellet removal and was assessed 6 h later. Immediately prior to withdrawal assessment, rats were injected with dynorphin A-(1-13) either i.th. (via a catheter), i.c.v. (via a cannula) or i.v. (via the tail vein). When administered i.th. in the dose range 1.25-5 nmol/rat, dynorphin A-(1-13) attenuated withdrawal over the 40 min observation period. Similarly, dynorphin A-(1-13) administered i.v. (37.5-150 nmol/kg) attenuated withdrawal, though only over the first 20 min following administration. Dynorphin A-(1-13) up to 10 nmol/rat had no effect on withdrawal scores. These data indicate that dynorphin acts at spinal sites to suppress withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats and may play a role in tolerance and dependence mechanisms.
Phase transformation and morphological evolution of electrospun zirconia nanofibers during thermal annealing

Abstract Pure zirconia nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning zirconia-polymer precursor and subsequent annealing. Fiber properties such as polymer decomposition, crystallization formation, phase transformation, surface morphologies, etc., were investigated by various techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), high temperature differential scanning calorimeter (HTDSC), powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), etc. It was found that the crystallization of as-spun fibers started at 450 °C and the initial crystallized zirconia phase was tetragonal (t), which began transforming to monoclinic (m) phase at 650 °C as evidenced by XRD; HTDSC showed at different thermal circles, the m-to-t transformation temperatures remained virtually unchanged while the reverse t-to-m temperatures systematically shifted from 924.9 to 978.6 °C as the progress of thermal circles; FESEM examinations revealed that fibers calcined to 1000 °C went through thermal grooving due to surface diffusion during heat treatment; fibers heated to 1370 °C formed the so-called “bamboo wires”, where volume diffusion was the dominant driving force.
Measuring Diffusion in Non-Sectioned Articular Cartilage: A FRAP Sensitivity Study

Measuring the diffusion of molecules within articular cartilage is essential in characterizing its behavior. Information about this important mechanism may be useful to understanding changes in cartilage during degeneration or osteoarthritis. One method used in quantifying diffusion is fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). The FRAP technique has been used in previous studies for cartilage [1] and various tissues [2]. In FRAP, a small region of interest (ROI) is selected within the tissue and fluorescent molecules are bleached using a higher laser power than would be used for imaging. Immediately following the ROI bleaching, bleached molecules diffuse out of the ROI as unbleached molecules diffuse into it. The average intensity data within the ROI is collected as a function of time. This data is then fit to a diffusion model usually resulting in a calculation of the diffusion constant, D (μm2/second) [3].Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Optical fluorescence spectra of porphins in organic crystalline hosts

Abstract The low temperature fluorescence spectra of Zn porphin and free base porphin in four different aromatic crystalline hosts have been observed for the first time. These hosts, anthracene, triphenylene, benzophenone and biphenyl, extend the known number of materials useful for spectroscopic studies of porphyrins. In this report the observations of sharp line fluorescence spectra is evidence that the porphin molecules were incorporated into the respective host lattices, and demonstrates the feasibility of using these materials to study porphin spectra. The spectra of porphins in these hosts indicate the presence of multiple sites. A comparison of the spectra in these hosts and in n-octane (reported by other workers) reveals small variations in the vibration frequencies with the different host materials. The variations in the relative intensities of the electronic-vibration transitions, however, are rather large.
Potentiation of cyanide neurotoxicity by blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium channels.

Abstract Exposure of primary hippocampal cultures to NaCN (2 mM) or glyburide (5 μM) alone for 3 h did not produce a rise in extracellular lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Coincubation with NaCN and glyburide produced a significant efflux of LDH from the neurons. Diazoxide or d -2-amino-5-phosphovalerate (APV) partially reversed the release of LDH by the combination of NaCN and glyburide. These observations indicate ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K ATP ) are activated by nonlethal concentrations of cyanide and their blockade with glyburide unmasks cyanide's toxicity. The cytotoxicity of cyanide appears to result from a combination of processes resulting in altered ion handling and excitotoxicity.
Spectral properties of salt crusts formed on saline soils.

Rapid identification and large-scale mapping of salt-affected lands will help improve salinity management in watersheds and ecosystems. This study was conducted to examine spectral reflectance of soils treated with saline solutions containing NaCI, NaHCO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , and CaSO 4 .2H 2 O. Spectral reflectance was measured upon salt crusts formed on two soils (Torrifluvents) subirrigated with saline solutions of 500, 1000, and 1500 mmol.L -1 with a spectroradiometer in the visible and near-infrared region (400-2500 nm). Spectral analyses revealed that samples of gypsum crusts have diagnostic absorption features near 1023, 1225, 1457, 1757, 1800, and 2336 nm, whereas halite crusts have diagnostic absorption features near 1442, 1851, 1958, and 2226 nm. Several broad absorption features were seen in the spectra of the crusts of sodium bicarbonate at 1243, 1498, 1790, 1988, and 2356 nm. The spectrum of soils treated with sodium sulfate exhibited absorption features at 1243, 1472, 1677, 1774, 1851, 1968, and 2245 nm. Crystal size or salt concentrations did not affect the positions of the absorption bands of the salt crusts. However, reflectance increased as particle sizes decreased or with increasing presence of salt crusts. Spectroscopy can be used under certain conditions to identify the presence of primary diagnostic spectral features of gypsum, nahcolite, thenardite, and halite crusts.
Examining Historical Representations

I am most interested in how particular social identities are constructed and how they make certain practices possible but others unthinkable. These “how” questions lead to investigation of structures of knowledge, such as historical representations, that produce meanings. Like Roxanne Doty (1996:4), I examine “how meanings are produced and attached to various social subjects and objects, thus constituting particular interpretive dispositions that create certain possibilities and preclude others.” I am less interested in the “what” questions because these often prompt historical narratives that mistakenly assume a simple linearity of events. In addition, I am less interested in “why” questions that tend to assume a certain set of choices exist. Rather, we should investigate how these options and the larger parameters of action become established. Because humans make sense of the world by navigating the social understandings that make reality knowable, researchers must use interpretive methods to answer these “how” questions. In carrying out my research, I focus in various ways on language, ideas, and culture, particularly as they contribute to the creation of structures of knowledge during specific historical moments. Thus, I work at a fairly macrolevel, which, admittedly, limits my ability to understand and investigate issues of agency. But because microlevel analyses usually ignore the effects of discourses as structures of meaning, I am skeptical that such attempts at causal explanation offer better analyses (see, for example, Checkel in this Forum). In this essay, I discuss the various theoretical and methodological issues I encountered while researching my dissertation on Congolese identity, which was later published as Imagining the Congo (Dunn 2003). First, I deal with two basic questions: (1) what do I mean by historical representations and (2) why is it important to study representation? The rest of the essay is dedicated to a frank discussion of how …
Stochastic stability in nonlinear oscillating systems

Abstract This paper gives an extension of the Liapunov theory to the stability study of third- and higher-order nonlinear systems with stochastic coefficients. A Liapunov function V(x) is first obtained, similar to the deterministic case. Instead of V  ( x ) = d V d t , introduce the stochastic analog AV(x), where A denotes the differential generator. Two third-order and four fourth-order examples are given. One fifth-order and one sixth-order nonlinear system are also included. Stability conditions are stated in each of the examples.
A National Radiation Oncology Medical Student Clerkship Survey: Didactic Curricular Components Increase Confidence in Clinical Competency

Purpose Students applying to radiation oncology residency programs complete 1 or more radiation oncology clerkships. This study assesses student experiences and perspectives during radiation oncology clerkships. The impact of didactic components and number of clerkship experiences in relation to confidence in clinical competency and preparation to function as a first-year radiation oncology resident are evaluated. Methods and Materials An anonymous, Internet-based survey was sent via direct e-mail to all applicants to a single radiation oncology residency program during the 2012-2013 academic year. The survey was composed of 3 main sections including questions regarding baseline demographic information and prior radiation oncology experience, rotation experiences, and ideal clerkship curriculum content. Results The survey response rate was 37% (70 of 188). Respondents reported 191 unique clerkship experiences. Of the respondents, 27% (19 of 70) completed at least 1 clerkship with a didactic component geared towards their level of training. Completing a clerkship with a didactic component was significantly associated with a respondent's confidence to function as a first-year radiation oncology resident (Wilcoxon rank–sum P =.03). However, the total number of clerkships completed did not correlate with confidence to pursue radiation oncology as a specialty (Spearman ρ P =.48) or confidence to function as a first year resident (Spearman ρ P =.43). Conclusions Based on responses to this survey, rotating students perceive that the majority of radiation oncology clerkships do not have formal didactic curricula. Survey respondents who completed a clerkship with a didactic curriculum reported feeling more prepared to function as a radiation oncology resident. However, completing an increasing number of clerkships does not appear to improve confidence in the decision to pursue radiation oncology as a career or to function as a radiation oncology resident. These results support further development of structured didactic curricula for the radiation oncology clerkship.
Diplomatic intervention and human rights: The Swiss question, 1852-1864

Europe, in the nineteenth century as well as in much of the twentieth century, was divided ideologically between East and West. States in the Eastern bloc regarded tradition, hierarchy, church, and monarchy as necessary to preserve the best of the state and society. The rights of the individual were generally subordinate to the interests of the community. Those in the West exemplified by England and the Low Countries believed that parliamentary institutions and limitations upon the power of government were necessary in order to preserve human rights. The United States, also, valued individual freedoms highly. France vacillated between the contradictory systems of the East and the West. In practice, however, human rights were not always fully observed even in those societies professing concern for their full implementation. Thus a state such as Swit zerland, that had accepted the precepts of Western Europe, vio lated some cherished ideals of civil liberties. The focus of this essay is upon a little known nineteenth-century episode in which violations of religious liberty became an important dis pute between the major Western powers and a small European state.
Hyperactive Error Responses and Altered Connectivity in Ventromedial and Frontoinsular Cortices in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show abnormal functioning in ventral frontal brain regions involved in emotional/motivational processes, including anterior insula/frontal operculum (aI/fO) and ventromedial frontal cortex (VMPFC). While OCD has been associated with an increased neural response to errors, the influence of motivational factors on this effect remains poorly understood. Methods To investigate the contribution of motivational factors to error processing in OCD and to examine functional connectivity between regions involved in the error response, functional magnetic resonance imaging data were measured in 39 OCD patients (20 unmedicated, 19 medicated) and 38 control subjects (20 unmedicated, 18 medicated) during an error-eliciting interference task where motivational context was varied using monetary incentives (null, loss, and gain). Results Across all errors, OCD patients showed reduced deactivation of VMPFC and greater activation in left aI/FO compared with control subjects. For errors specifically resulting in a loss, patients further hyperactivated VMPFC, as well as right aI/FO. Independent of activity associated with task events, OCD patients showed greater functional connectivity between VMPFC and regions of bilateral aI/FO and right thalamus. Conclusions Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients show greater activation in neural regions associated with emotion and valuation when making errors, which could be related to altered intrinsic functional connectivity between brain networks. These results highlight the importance of emotional/motivational responses to mistakes in OCD and point to the need for further study of network interactions in the disorder.
Low temperature heat capacity of bulk and nanophase ZnO and Zn1−xCoxO wurtzite phases

Abstract The low temperature heat capacity of the ZnO–CoO solid solution system was measured from 2 to 300 K using the heat capacity option of a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). The thermodynamic functions in this temperature range were derived by curve fitting. The standard entropies of bulk ZnO and bulk ZnO–CoO (wurtzite, 18 mol% CoO) at T = 298.15 K were calculated to be (43.1 ± 0.4) J · mol−1 · K−1 and (45.2 ± 0.5) J · mol−1 · K−1, respectively. The surface entropy of ZnO was evaluated to be (0.02 ± 0.01) mJ · K−1 · m−2, which is essentially zero. No sharp magnetic transitions were observed in the solid solution samples. The nanophase solid solution, 12 mol% CoO, appears to bind H2O on its surface more strongly than ZnO.
What Works in Developing Nations to Get Children into School or Keep Them There?: A Systematic Review of Rigorous Impact Studies

Due to evidence linking education and development, funding has been invested in interventions relevant to getting youth into school and keeping them there. This article reports on a systematic review of impact studies of these school enrollment interventions. Reports were identified through electronic searches of bibliographic databases and other methods. To be eligible, studies (1) assessed impact on primary or secondary school enrollment outcomes; (2) used a rigorous design; (3) were conducted in a low- or middle-income nation; (4) included at least one quantifiable measure of enrollment or related outcomes; (5) were available before December 2009; and (6) included data on participants post-1990. A coding instrument extracted data on study characteristics from each report. Standardized mean difference effect sizes were computed for the first effect reported. The sample includes 73 evaluations. The average effect size was positive across all outcomes. However, the results varied. Studies that focused on ...
Centralizing Advisory Systems: Presidential Influence and the U.S. Foreign Policy Decision‐Making Process

This study is motivated by a simple yet vitally important question for an understanding of U.S. foreign policy. Quite simply, how does a president's choice of management style influence the U.S. foreign policy decision-making process and decision outcomes? Presidents play a critical role in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy; however, the presidential studies literature and foreign policy analysis literature arrive at very different conclusions regarding how presidents influence the policy process and both are often inaccurate. This study develops an Advisory Systems Typology to address how presidents influence the decision-making process. In addressing this question, this study overcomes the deficiencies of both the presidential studies and foreign policy analysis literature. Four different types of decision-making processes are produced by a president's choice of advisory structure and level of centralization. In addition, the study identifies “unstructured solutions” that indicate how the presidential advisers and president choose to resolve policy disagreements, thereby providing an indication of the decision outcome. The identified decision-making processes and their associated decision outcomes are explored using four cases of decision making on security policy drawn from the Nixon (Vietnam War), Carter (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II), Reagan (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks I), and Clinton (Bosnia conflict) administrations. The case studies are constructed using the method of structured–focused comparisons, whereby a set of theoretically based questions and anticipated observations to those questions are made in order to guide the research and allow for comparison of decision making within and between cases.