cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Executive Compensation: The Trend Toward One Size Fits All

This paper reports the prevalence of a "one-size-fits-all" trend in the structure of executive compensation plans. The way firms distribute total compensation across different pay components -salary, bonus, stock awards, option awards, non-equity incentives, pensions, and perquisites- has become more similar since 2006. In particular, 25% of the variation across firms disappeared in the last thirteen years. Using close votes surrounding Say-on-Pay implementation, I find that shareholders' influence on management decisions causes part of this convergence. This finding is robust in both difference-in-difference and RDD estimations. Additional evidence suggests that proxy advisors play a role by pushing towards standardization. Finally, I find evidence suggesting that standardization leads to a sub-optimal design of contracts. The more similar a firm's compensation structure becomes to the others, the lower its market value. Additionally, I find a negative impact on delta and vega and a positive impact on total compensation and financial misstatements.
A multiplicity of exceptional compound plasmon-polariton waves

The propagation of compound plasmon-polariton (CPP) waves was investigated for the canonical boundary-value problem involving a metal film sandwiched between a homogeneous uniaxial dielectric mater...
Cinema and Classical Texts: The complexities of Oedipus

“The Greatest Love Story of All Time!” Anybody who comes across this tagline is likely to think of Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or some other pair of famous lovers, but an anonymous hack writing ad copy for a film about Oedipus was thinking along different lines. The single greatest impulse for Oedipus' prominence in Western culture since antiquity came with Sophocles' play Oedipus the King (or Oedipus Rex ). The story of Oedipus, if not primarily as a love story, has been a staple of cinema since 1908, when Andre Calmette directed an Oedipe roi in France. He was followed by Giuseppe de Liguoro in Italy with Edipo re (1909 or 1910). Two more versions appeared shortly afterwards: Oedipus Rex (1911) by Theo Frenkel, who also played the part of Oedipus, and Oedipus Rex (1912) by Theo Bouwmeester. La legende d'Oedipe by Gaston Roudes came in 1913. Since then, Oedipus has remained an enduring presence on screen. Filmic retellings of the Oedipus story and of related themes such as parricide, incest, and the power of fate are too numerous and varied to be dealt with in their entirety. Instead, I will attempt to demonstrate their wide range by adducing and commenting on instances that, taken together, reveal their versatility and adaptability. I omit such cases as the Italian mystery Oedipus Orca (1976) by Eriprando Visconti (nephew of Luchino), the Japanese Oedipus no yaiba (1986; roughly, “Oedipus' Sword”) by Toichiro Narushima, the American Exploding Oedipus (2001) by Mark Lafia, a modern story, and the French L'origine du monde (“The Origin of the World,” 2001; it has a Sphinx character) by Jerome Enrico.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Primate Sperm

Publisher Summary Scanning electron microscopy, used either alone or in conjunction with ancillary techniques, is a technique with considerable potential for the study of both normal and abnormal spermatozoa. Currently, it is most extensively used for investigating the normal morphology of primate spermatozoa. The results so far obtained, in addition to providing a unique record of descriptive morphology, have provided insight into the phylogenetic relationships among various primate species and have permitted the formulation of various hypotheses concerning primate evolution. There is considerable potential for development of these techniques for evaluation of abnormal sperm as a routine portion of the fertility evaluation in human males and for evaluation of males intended for breeding within zoological collections, particularly where such males belong to endangered species. Additionally, there is a vast potential, which is yet barely tapped, for the application of these techniques in basic research directed to investigation of sperm physiology and morphology with regard to alteration of fertilizing capacity.
A Model of Individual Differences in Hemispheric Functioning

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the differential functioning of the human cerebral hemispheres and reviews various models of hemispheric functioning. The Semmes model is based on the results of studies of brain function in somesthesis on patients with penetrating brain injuries. The results of these studies indicated that responses were different for the right and the left hand over several lesion locations. The model is based primarily on the high degree of cerebral lateralization characteristic of right-handed individuals who have a negative family history of left-handedness. The Levy model characterizes the left-handed as a possible evolutionary retrogression, owing to some failure to develop full lateralization. The chapter presents and evaluates a proposed model of individual differences in hemispheric functioning as related to familial handedness. The proposed model has an advantage over existing models of cerebral function. The model is consistent with the vast majority of published research on hemisphere function and specialization, including experimental work on normally functioning subjects and clinical studies of lesion damage.
Protein kinase inhibitor-(6-22)-amide peptide analogs with standard and nonstandard amino acid substitutions for phenylalanine 10. Inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Abstract The minimal structure in the heat-stable inhibitor protein of cAMP-dependent protein kinase required for a low nanomolar potency of inhibition is the peptide Thr6-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Phe-Ile-Ala-Ser-Gly-Arg-Thr-Gly-Arg-Arg-Asn-Ala-+ ++Ile22-NH2 (PKI-(6-22)-amide). While primary structural determinants for interaction with the protein kinase are distributed throughout the 17 residues of this peptide, we have previously shown that phenylalanine 10 in the NH2-terminal portion is a particularly important determinant for high affinity binding (Glass, D. B., Cheng, H.-C., Mende-Mueller, L., Reed, J., and Walsh, D. A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 8802-8810). To investigate this requirement further, peptide analogs of PKI-(6-22)-amide in which various natural and nonstandard amino acids are substituted for phenylalanine 10 have been synthesized and tested for inhibitory potency against the catalytic subunit of the protein kinase. Consistent with the importance of the hydrophobicity of phenylalanine, an alanine 10 substitution analog exhibited a 270-fold decrease in inhibitory potency, whereas the leucine 10 analog lost only 33-fold in activity as compared to the parent peptide PKI-(6-22)-amide. Peptides containing the spatial conformation analogs D-phenylalanine, homophenylalanine, or phenylglycine were 60-120-fold less potent than the parent peptide. Peptides containing various para-substituted phenylalanines at position 10 were only 5-11-fold less potent. One exception to this was (4'-azidophenylalanine 10)PKI-(6-22)-amide, which was nearly equipotent with the parent inhibitor. The most potent analogs were those peptides containing highly aromatic residues at position 10. The 2'-thienylalanine 10, tryptophan (formyl) 10, tryptophan 10, and the 1'-naphthylalanine 10 analogs were 3-fold less potent, equipotent, slightly more potent, and 4-fold more potent than the parent peptide inhibitor, respectively. We conclude that phenylalanine 10 in PKI-(6-22)-amide, and presumably in the native protein inhibitor, interacts through specific hydrophobic and/or aromatic binding to a hydrophobic pocket or cleft near the active site of the protein kinase.
An Empirical Phase Diagram–High‐Throughput Screening Approach to the Characterization and Formulation of Biopharmaceuticals

The complexity of proteins usually requires the use of multiple, moderate resolution experimental techniques to provide an information-rich picture of their structure and stability. Here we describe a technique known as the empirical phase diagram (EPD), which can be used to present such multidimensional data in picture form. Data from various spectroscopic, hydrodynamic, and calorimetric methods, among others, are created in matrix form and converted to a colored picture as a function of variables such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, etc. Additional methods such as radar charts and Chernoff faces are also discussed. The use of EPDs in the characterization and formulation of biomolecules is described. Further methods based on machine learning are also considered. A wide range of examples are employed to illustrate the power and utility of these approaches.
Legal Transplants: Slavery and the Civil Law in Louisiana

Can Louisiana tell us something about civil law vs. common law regimes of slavery? What can the Louisiana experience tell us about a civil law jurisdiction "transplanted" in a common-law country? Louisiana is unique among American states in having been governed first by France, then by Spain, before becoming a U.S. territory and state in the nineteenth century. Unlike other slave states, it operated under a civil code, first the Digest of 1808, and then the Code of 1825. With regard to the regulation of slaves, these codes also incorporated a "Black Code," first adopted in 1806, which owed a great deal to both French and Spanish law. Comparisons of Louisiana with other slave states tend to emphasize the uniqueness of New Orleans' three-tier caste system, with a significant population of gens de couleur libre (free people of color), and the ameliorative influence of Spanish law. This reflects more general assumptions about comparative race and slavery in the Americas, based on the work of Frank Tannenbaum and other historians of an earlier generation, who drew sharp contrasts between slavery in British and Spanish America. How does the comparison shift if we turn our attention away from slave codes, where Tannenbaum focused, to the "law in action"? At the local level, one can see the way slaves took advantage of the gap between rules and enforcement, and to fathom racial meanings at the level of day-to-day interactions rather than comparisions of formal rules. This essay surveys three areas of law involving slaves - manumission, racial identity, and "redhibition" (breach of warranty) - to compare Louisiana to other jurisdictions, and particularly to its common-law neighbors.
Numerical methods for handling uncertainty in microarray data: an example analyzing perturbed mitochondrial function in yeast.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methodological issues related to the processing and evaluation of numerical results from microarray experiments. It illustrates the application of microarray technology to the study of how perturbations of mitochondrial function affect gene expression in yeast. The “wet” steps in spotted DNA microarray methodology including slide washing and coating, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product manipulation and printing, and mRNA labeling and hybridization are well described. These procedures give excellent results and can be followed essentially without modification. A unique exception to this rule concerns the interval between coating slides and printing. The optimal results can be obtained using slides as soon as possible after coating with poly-L-lysine. The current procedure is to coat slides immediately prior to printing and to steam treat and UV irradiate them immediately after printing. Succinic anhydride treatment may be done shortly before the arrays are used and should be done using materials that are as fresh as possible.
Induction of ornithine decarboxylase by nerve growth factor in PC12 cells: dissection by purine analogues.

Purine analogues were used to probe the mechanism by which nerve growth factor (NGF) and other agents regulate cellular ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. Exposure of cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells to NGF causes a 10-50-fold induction of ODC activity within 4-6 h. We recently found that purine analogues block this induction as well as other, but not all, actions of NGF and have provided evidence that the inhibitory actions of the analogues may be due in part to the suppression of an NGF-activated protein kinase activity (Volonte, C., Rukenstein, A., Loeb, D. M., and Greene, L. A. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 109, 2395-2403). The present results show that the purine analogues also suppress the induction of ODC mRNA. One of the analogues used was 6-thioguanine (6-TG). Although 6-TG was effective when applied simultaneously with NGF, if NGF was administered for as little as 1-3 min before 6-TG, ODC induction was unimpaired. This suggests that 6-TG blocks an early step in the NGF mechanism, and that once this step is triggered, the ODC induction pathway is no longer sensitive to this analogue. In contrast, another purine analogue, 2-aminopurine (2-AP), effectively inhibited ODC induction even if applied only during the last hour of a 5-h exposure to NGF. It is hypothesized that this increased period of sensitivity to 2-AP may be due to its broader range (as compared to 6-TG) as an inhibitor of protein kinase activities. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and cAMP derivatives also induce ODC activity in PC12 cells, and these effects were suppressed by 6-TG and 2-AP at concentrations similar to those that affect responses to NGF. However, short term (less than 30 min) pretreatment with EGF or a cAMP derivative did not protect induction of ODC activity by these agents from inhibition by 6-TG. This suggests that there are both convergent and divergent elements in the mechanistic pathways used by NGF, cAMP analogues, and EGF to induce ODC.
The Distribution and Diversity of Bartonella Species in Rodents and Their Ectoparasites across Thailand

Our study highlights the surveillance of Bartonella species among rodents and their associated ectoparasites (ticks, fleas, lice, and mites) in several regions across Thailand. A total of 619 rodents and 554 pooled ectoparasites (287 mite pools, 62 flea pools, 35 louse pools, and 170 tick pools) were collected from 8 provinces within 4 regions of Thailand. Bandicota indica (279), Rattus rattus (163), and R. exulans (96) were the most prevalent species of rats collected in this study. Real-time PCR assay targeting Bartonella-specific ssrA gene was used for screening and each positive sample was confirmed by PCR using nuoG gene. The prevalence of Bartonella DNA in rodent (around 17%) was recorded in all regions. The highest prevalence of Bartonella species was found in B. savilei and R. rattus with the rate of 35.7% (5/14) and 32.5% (53/163), respectively. High prevalence of Bartonella-positive rodent was also found in B. indica (15.1%, 42/279), and R. norvegicus (12.5%, 5/40). In contrast, the prevalence of Bartonella species in ectoparasites collected from the rats varied significantly according to types of ectoparasites. A high prevalence of Bartonella DNA was found in louse pools (Polyplax spp. and Hoplopleura spp., 57.1%) and flea pools (Xenopsylla cheopis, 25.8%), while a low prevalence was found in pools of mites (Leptotrombidium spp. and Ascoschoengastia spp., 1.7%) and ticks (Haemaphysalis spp., 3.5%). Prevalence of Bartonella DNA in ectoparasites collected from Bartonella-positive rodents (19.4%) was significantly higher comparing to ectoparasites from Bartonella-negative rodents (8.7%). The phylogenetic analysis of 41 gltA sequences of 16 Bartonella isolates from rodent blood and 25 Bartonella-positive ectoparasites revealed a wide range of diversity among Bartonella species with a majority of sequences (61.0%) belonging to Bartonella elizabethae complex (11 rodents, 1 mite pool, and 5 louse pools), while the remaining sequences were identical to B. phoceensis (17.1%, 1 mite pool, 5 louse pools, and 1 tick pool), B. coopersplainensis (19.5%, 5 rodents, 1 louse pool, and 2 tick pools), and one previously unidentified Bartonella species (2.4%, 1 louse pool).
A Philosophical Model of the Relation between Things in Themselves and Appearances

The question of how best to understand Kant’s distinction between things in themselves and appearances is one of the central interpretive questions concerning Kant’s theoretical philosophy, as well as one of the thorniest. By and large, philosophers have approached this distinction by recasting it in terms for which they antecedently believe they have a clearer understanding. In short, these philosophers provide what we can think of as translations of Kant’s technical jargon into the jargon of contemporary philosophy. In what follows, I will propose what I will call, for want of a better name, a non-translationist approach to this distinction, which stresses a methodology I will call philosophical modeling. I will then apply this methodology to one of the thorniest questions in Kant interpretation, specifically, to the question of what the distinction between things in themselves and appearances consists in. As the name suggests, a non-translationalist approach does not attempt to recast, reconstruct, explicate, or explicitly define the Kantian technical terminology of things in themselves and appearances in terms of something we are antecedently more comfortable with. Instead, a non-translationalist approach takes these technical expressions on their own terms as it were, and attempts to provide a coherent account of how they are used in the Kantian philosophy. But of course it is hard to see how else one provides such an account without offering explicit definitions of the Kantian jargon. This is where the methodology of philosophical modeling will prove important. So let me turn to a brief discussion of the idea of philosophical modeling. Let me start with something relatively obvious. Whenever a philosopher offers a definition of a bit of jargon employed by her historical predecessor, she runs a risk of attributing to her predecessor concepts that he or she might not have possessed. Let me give a stark example of someone taking that risk. Suppose one were to offer the following account of the distinction between things in themselves and appearances; the toy account that I will offer is an instance of the so-called ‘one world’ family of views, according to which things in themselves are numerically identical with appearances. On this toy account, the distinction is a distinction between things considered with properties that are modally independent of us and things considered with properties that are modally dependent on us; a property is modally dependent on us just in case there is no possible world in which something
MIGRATION AS A SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PROCESS

ABSTRACT Within a framework of total human movement, migrations can be divided into two categories: 1) those which involve complete spatial displacement of the daily/weekly reciprocal movement patterns of the migrant (total displacement migrations), and 2) those which involve displacement of only part of the everyday reciprocal movements of migrants (partial displacement migrations). These two types of migration are related to different information-gathering processes and play different roles in the assimilation process of the migrant at his destination. They are also important as a basis for the identification of relationships between temporal and spatial dimensions of migration.
Input impedance modeling of multipulse rectifiers by double-fourier series method

Rectifier input impedance models are required for stability analysis of ac power systems with significant amount of rectification loads. Such stability analysis is particularly important for mobile and autonomous systems, such as aircraft and ship power systems, where high-power, multipulse rectifiers often dominates the loads. Averaging techniques can be applied to develop input impedance models for PWM rectifiers. To model the input impedance of line-frequency rectifiers, a direct linearization technique was developed recently and has been applied to model direct multipulse rectifiers without using inter-phase transformers. This paper extends the previous work and uses double-Fourier series method to develop describing (mapping) functions for the rectifier bridge. The double-Fourier method overcomes the limitations of conventional Fourier analysis which requires the perturbation frequency to be commensurable with the line fundamental frequency. The method is also applied to model the input impedance of multipulse rectifiers with interphase transformers. Analytical input impedance models are presented and validated by numerical simulation and experimental results.
‘Unutterable putrefaction’ and ‘foul stuff’: Two ‘obscene’ novels of the 1920s

Abstract A careful examination of the circumstances surrounding the suppression, within a few months of each other, of Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness and Norah C. James's Sleeveless Errand offers a way of reading Hall's novel as rather more than the scandalous lesbian novel or a portrait of the novelist. Studying the (disallowed) depositions of witnesses in the Well trial, and Sleeveless Errand (banned, ostensibly, for ‘excessive’ use of ‘bad language’) helps illustrate the degree to which the patriarchy felt itself threatened. The suppression of the novels suggests a paradigm for the ways in which the establishment has controlled/controls women by forcing us into a single category of ‘likeness’. A reading of the relation between the two novels involves juxtaposing contemporary accounts of the two prosecutions, legal papers, biography, diaries … and Shakespeare.
Towards a Systems Approach in the Genetic Analysis of Archaea: Accelerating Mutant Construction and Phenotypic Analysis in Haloferax volcanii

With the availability of a genome sequence and increasingly sophisticated genetic tools, Haloferax volcanii is becoming a model for both Archaea and halophiles. In order for H. volcanii to reach a status equivalent to Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a gene knockout collection needs to be constructed in order to identify the archaeal essential gene set and enable systematic phenotype screens. A streamlined gene-deletion protocol adapted for potential automation was implemented and used to generate 22 H. volcanii deletion strains and identify several potentially essential genes. These gene deletion mutants, generated in this and previous studies, were then analyzed in a high-throughput fashion to measure growth rates in different media and temperature conditions. We conclude that these high-throughput methods are suitable for a rapid investigation of an H. volcanii mutant library and suggest that they should form the basis of a larger genome-wide experiment.
Understanding immunity requires more than immunology

Acetylcholine and related neurotransmitters appeared with unicellular life forms, millions of years before innate immunity. Tools and insights are now available for understanding how the evolving nervous system influenced the development of immunity.
HYDROGENATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ON Mo (100) SINGLE CRYSTALS AND POLYCRYSTALLINE FOILS

Abstract The hydrogenation of carbon monoxide over (100)-oriented single crystals and polycrystalline molybdenum catalysts produces primarily methane, ethene, and propene. The rates of formation of all products were found to be the same for both the (100) single crystals and polycrystalline foils suggesting that the reaction is structure insensitive. The dependence of the rate of formation of methane on reactant pressure was found to be r CH 4 = KP CO +0.32 ± 0.05 P H 2 1.0 ± 0.1 The unusual positive CO pressure dependence points to a mechanism of methanation that is different from that on other transition metal methanation catalysts (Fe, Ru, Ni) although the activation energy for the reaction is similar, 24 kcal/mol. Addition of K to the surface, at coverages of less than 0.3 ML, increased the overall rate of reaction and enhanced the olefin-to-paraffin ratio. The addition of S to the surface decreases the rate of hydrogenation but, for coverages up to ~0.25 ML, increases the ratio of ethene to methane by a factor of as much as 5.
Prevention of pyrogen-induced renal hyperemia in the dog by dihydroergocornine.

SummaryPremedication with moderate doses of dihydroergocornine greatly diminished the renal hyperemia produced in the dog by a bacterial pyrogen. No significant change of glomerular filtration rate was observed following administration of either the pyrogen or the alkaloid.
Rapid spectrophotometric determination of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in urine.

Abstract A method for the quantitative determination of DTPA in urine at concentrations as low as 10 −4 m is described. The procedure involves spectrophotometric determination of Fe(III) as ferric thiocyanate after complexation of a known excess quantity of ferric ion by DTPA. The absorbance of the ferric thiocyanate complex decreases linearly with increasing DTPA concentration. Pretreatment of urine samples with excess BaCl 2 and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 removes interfering anions such as oxalate and orthophosphate without cosedimentation of DTPA. The effects of other interfering substances are discussed and a modified procedure is described for samples containing iron.
Effects of Non-Collocated Sensors and Actuators on the Controller of a Flexible Beam

The current work examines the adverse effects of non-collocated sensors and actuators on the phase characteristics of flexible structures. The sensor location is allowed to sweep the entire length of a pinned-free flexible beam while the actuator is fixed at the pinned-end. The phase angle contour of the system has been generated as a function of the normalized sensor location and the excitation frequency. It clearly reveals the minimum and non-minimum phase regions of the system and illustrates the changes in the system’s zeros induced by varying the sensor location.A basic sliding mode controller has been used to attenuate the unwanted vibrations of the beam. Based on the phase angle contours of the system, the structural controller has been modified to ensure a desirable controller performance irrespective of the sensor location with respect to the actuator. The simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the modified controller in attenuating the overall transverse deformation of the beam irrespective of its phase characteristic.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Waxes and lipids associated with the external waxy structures of nymphs and pupae of the giant whitefly, Aleurodicus dugesii.

Abstract The nymphs and pupae of the giant whitefly, Aleurodicus dugesii , produce large quantities of external lipids, both as waxy particles and as waxy filaments. The nymphs and pupae extrude filaments from two dorsal rows of five pores each. Filaments can attain lengths of 5–8 cm. The external lipids of nymphs and pupae consist largely of long-chain aldehydes, alcohols, acetate esters and wax esters. Hydrocarbons are minor components. Soon after hatching, the nymph produced an unidentified waxy fringe extruded laterally from its margin. After molting to the second instar, long, hollow, waxy filaments were produced by the immature stages. The major lipid class associated with the filaments was saturated wax esters (89%), mainly C44, C46 and C60. Associated with formation of the filaments were waxy particles in the shape of curls, which peeled off of the extruding filaments. Similar but more tubular-shaped curls were also produced by numerous lateral pores so that, eventually, the curls completely camouflaged the nymph. The major lipid class of the curls was wax esters (50%), mainly C44 and C46. The cuticular surface lipids of the nymphs were mainly long-chain aldehydes (43%) and wax esters (27%). Unsaturated fatty acid moieties constituted 2 and 19% of the wax esters of curls and nymph cuticular surface lipids, respectively. The major lipid classes of pupae and of their palisade were long-chain aldehydes and alcohols. No unsaturated wax esters were detected in the filaments, but 30% of pupal and 21% of palisade surface wax esters were unsaturated in their fatty acid moieties, 16:1, 18:1 and 20:1.
The relative efficiency of inflation indicators: A vector autoregressive study

Abstract This study examines the efficiency of several alternative indicators of inflation using a vector autogressive model that includes adjustment to the Federal Reserve's target P ∗ , the percentage growth in M2, and the percentage change in unit labor costs. The overall out-of-sample predictive ability of the model is tested, while variance decomposition and impulse analysis are used to measure the relative contribution to inflation of these three variables, and to simulate their inflation dynamics. The study finds that the price level relative to the Federal Reserve 's target P ∗ is the most efficient indicator of inflation, with the growth in unit labor costs also contributing to inflation's forecast error variance. Consistent with the theory, increases in the price level target are found to be inflationary. Increases in unit costs are found to increase the current price level, which over time reverts back to the target level.
Structural changes within unit cell subunits in crosslinked α-chymotrypsin crystals☆

Abstract The structural effects of bifunctional and polyfunctional protein crosslinking agents on protein molecules are, in principle, studied most exactly by modifying and examining a repeating ordered array of protein molecules, i.e. as in single crystals. While X-ray crystallography was possible with crosslinked carboxypeptidase A (Quiocho & Richards, 1964), with other protein crystals disorder frequently obscured any reasonably resolvable electron density map. We have examined α-chymotrypsin crystals using electron spin resonance spin labels as a probe of the active site region only, i.e. observing one local region of a protein (crystal) structure in the midst of a (potentially) overall disordered structure. The methods and techniques of handling spin-labeled protein crystals were outlined by Bauer & Berliner (1979).
Coupled production and transport of selenium vapor in unsaturated soil: evaluation by experiments and numerical simulation.

Abstract Volatilization of selenium (Se) from soil to the atmosphere involves several sequential chemical reactions that form volatile Se species, followed by transport of the gaseous Se through the soil. This paper describes a numerical model that simulates the chemical and physical processes governing the production and transport of Se vapor in unsaturated soil. The model couples the four Se species involved in the production of Se vapor through chemical reactions, and allows each to migrate through the soil by advection, liquid or vapor diffusion depending on its affinity for the dissolved or vapor phase. The coupled transformations and transport of the four Se species, i.e., selenate, selenite, elemental and organic Se, and Se vapor, were calculated based on the Crank–Nicolson finite difference method. The model was used to analyze fluxes of Se vapor measured from a soil amended with inorganic Se in the form of selenate and covered with unamended clean soil of various thicknesses. Evolution of Se vapor from the soil was very fast, with measurable amounts of Se detected within 24 h. The peak of Se volatilization, detected at the 6th day, reached 3.31 Se μg/day for the uncovered soil, but was reduced to near the detection limit (0.05 μg/day) in the presence of a 8- or 16-cm clean soil cover. With two reaction rate coefficients fitted to the data, the model described Se volatilization very well. The estimated rate coefficient of Se methylation was unexpectedly high, with a value of 0.167/day. The net volatilization of Se, however, was severely inhibited by the fast demethylation, i.e., the reverse reaction which converted volatile Se species back into nonvolatile forms. As a result, Se vapor only penetrated a few centimeters in the soil. The demethylation rate coefficient, assessed by independent transport experiments using dimethyl selenide, was estimated as 186.8/day, corresponding to a half-life of only 5.3 min for Se vapor. Results of this study indicated that rapid demethylation of Se vapor during its diffusive transport through a soil is probably an important limiting factor in the volatilization of Se under natural conditions.
Modification by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) of the response of guinea-pig isolated vasa deferentia and atria to adrenergic stimuli

Abstract 1. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) exerted positive cardiostimulant effects on isolated guinea-pig atria. The response was not altered by treatment of the animal with reserpine or by addition of propranolol to the organ bath. These results suggest that the cardiostimulatory actions of PGE2 are not mediated through the release of catecholamines or stimulation of adrenoceptors. 2. On the electrically driven atria, PGE2 consistently exerted a cardiostimulant action which was not appreciably altered by changes in calcium ion in the bathing medium. PGE2 showed no effect on the transport of calcium by the fragments of heart sarcoplasmic reticulum. 3. PGE2 reduced the responses to both noradrenaline and tyramine in the isolated atria. The shifted dose-response curve was not parallel to the original. 4. PGE2 increased the contractor response of the isolated vas deferens to nerve stimulation or to direct electrical stimulation. 5. PGE2 antagonized the increase caused by noradrenaline in contractor response of isolated vas deferens to direct electrical stimulation, whereas it affected the potentiation by noradrenaline differently when the vas deferens was contracting in response to nerve stimulation. In low concentration it inhibited and in large concentrations, it slightly enhanced the potentiation by catecholamine. 6. It is concluded that PGE2 has actions on multiple sites. It has post-junctional as well as pre-junctional effects on adrenergic neurones.
Effect of antibiotic therapy on the clinical course of streptococcal pharyngitis.

We examined the effect of antibiotic therapy on the clinical course of group A β-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis in 260 children. After a throat culture had been obtained, each child was evaluated for the presence of predetermined signs and symptoms, and was then randomized in a double-blind manner to receive penicillin V, cefadroxil, or placebo. Of the 194 children with throat cultures positive for GABHS, 68 received penicillin V, 70 received cefadroxil, and 56 received placebo. Approximately 18 to 24 hours later, each patient returned for reevaluation. Significantly fewer children who had received either penicillin or cefadroxil had persistence of each of the three objective signs and each of the three subjective symptoms than did children who had received placebo. In addition, the evaluating physician, parents, and patients all believed that significantly fewer of the patients given antibiotic failed to demonstrate overall clinical improvement.
Seaweed-herbivore-predator interactions: host-plant specialization reduces predation on small herbivores

Because feeding specialization among marine herbivores is rare, marine communities provide a simplified system for identifying factors selecting for specialization. On Australia's Great Barrier Reef, we investigated interactions among the chemically-defended seaweed Chlorodesmis fastigiata, herbivores specialized on this alga, and potential predators of these herbivores. Chlorodesmis is a low preference food for reef fishes but appears to be the only food of the crab Caphyra rotundifrons and the ascoglossan gastropods Elysia sp. and Cyerce nigricans. The crab is found only in patches of Chlorodesmis, feeds solely on the alga, and selectively shelters in it in laboratory choice experiments. Crab grazing on the red seaweed Acanthophora spicifera was stimulated when this alga was coated with increasing concentrations of the cytotoxic diterpenoid chlorodesmin, the major secondary metabolite of Chlorodesmis. Crabs did not sequester Chlorodesmis metabolites but avoided predators by sheltering in the unpalatable alga. All crabs tethered on the reef without access to Chlorodesmis patches were rapidly eaten; those with access to Chlorodesmis patches were much less susceptible to predation. The cryptic ascoglossan Elysia sp. was found exclusively in patches of Chlorodesmis and sequestered metabolites from the alga. Living Elysia were unpalatable to the common wrasse Thalassoma lunare in laboratory assays, but the crude organic extract of Elysia did not significantly deter feeding by Thalassoma. Elysia sequestered chlorodesmin, which deterred feeding by reef fishes in field assays but was ineffective against Thalassoma in laboratory assays at 5% food dry mass. Unlike Elysia, the aposematically colored ascoglossan Cyerce nigricans sequestered Chlorodesmis metabolites in relatively small amounts, but produced larger amounts of unrelated polypropionate compounds. Cyerce were never attacked by fishes and the crude organic extract of this slug strongly deterred feeding by wrasses in laboratory assays. The dorid nudibranch Gymnodoris sp. was found only in Chlorodesmis patches and appeared to be a specialized predator on Elysia; it would not prey on Cyerce. Data from this and other recent investigations demonstrate that some small marine herbivores feed selectively or exclusively on seaweeds that are chemically defended from fishes. This association reduces predation on the herbivores and suggests that escape from and deterrence of predation may be a dominant factor selecting for specialization among these herbivores.
Adaptive sparse system identification using wavelets

This paper proposes the use of wavelets for the identification of an unknown sparse system whose impulse response (IR) is rich in spectral content. The superior time localization property of wavelets allows for the identification and subsequent adaptation of only the nonzero IR regions, resulting in lower complexity and faster convergence speed. An added advantage of using wavelets is their ability to partially decorrelate the input, thereby further increasing convergence speed. Good time localization of nonzero IR regions requires high temporal resolution while good decorrelation of the input requires high spectral resolution. To this end we also propose the use of biorthogonal wavelets which fulfil both of these two requirements to provide additional gain in performance. The paper begins with the development of the wavelet-basis (WB) algorithm for sparse system identification. The WB algorithm uses the wavelet decomposition at a single scale to identify the nonzero IR regions and subsequently determines the wavelet coefficients of the unknown sparse system at other scale levels that require adaptation as well. A special implementation of the WB algorithm, the successive-selection wavelet-basis (SSWB), is then introduced to further improve performance when certain a priori knowledge of the sparse IR is available. The superior performance of the proposed methods is corroborated through simulations.
Suppurative and reactive arthritis in children

Suppurative infections of the joints in children often pose a challenge to the clinician because of difficulties in early recognition of the disease process and subsequent medical and surgical management. A prompt diagnosis is important to institute effective antibiotic therapy and to perform timely surgical procedures to prevent disabling sequelae. Reactive arthritis is a joint inflammation that develops soon after or during an infection elsewhere in the body. A strong association between development of reactive arthritis and HLA-B27 has been known for a long time, but the mechanisms by which this antigen determines the appearance of joint complications remain unclear. This article discusses the microbiological, pathophysiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of suppurative and reactive arthritis in children.
Taming the Troublesome Child: American Families, Child Guidance, and the Limits of Psychiatric Authority

When our children act up - whether they're just moody and rebellious or taking drugs and committing crimes - our solution, so often now, is to send them to a psychiatrist or developmental psychologist for help. What makes us think this will work? how did we come to rely on psychological explanations - and corrections - for juvenile misconduct? In this book, these questions lead to the complex history of "child guidance", a specialized psychological service developed early in the 20th century. Kathleen Jones puts this professional history into context of the larger culture of age, class, and gender conflict. using the records of Boston's Judge Baker Guidance Centre from 1920 to 1945, she looks at the relationships among the social activists, doctors, psychologists, social workers, parents and young people who met in the child guidance clinic, then follows the clinicians as they adapt delinquency work to the problem of nondelinquent children - an adaptation that often entailed a harsh critique of American mothers, Her book reveals the uses to which professionals and patients have put this interpretation of juvenile misbehaviour, and the conditions that mother-blaming has imposed on social policy and private child rearing to this day.
Photothermal imaging of melanin

We present photothermal images of melanin using modulation with two laser beams. Strong melanin absorption followed by efficient nonradiative relaxation caused heating and an increase in temperature. This temperature effect was used as an imaging contrast to detect melanin. Melanin from several samples including Sepia officinalis , black human hair, and live zebra fish, were imaged with a high signal-to-noise ratio. For the imaging, we focused two near infrared laser beams (pump and probe) collinearly with different wavelengths and the pump was modulated in amplitude. The thermally induced variations in the refractive index, at the modulation frequency, were detected by the scattering of the probe beam. The Photothermal method brings several imaging benefits including the lack of background interference and the possibility of imaging for an extended period of time without photodamage to the melanin. The dependence of the photothermal signal on the laser power, modulation frequency, and spatial offset of the probe is discussed. The new photothermal imaging method is promising and provides background-free and label-free imaging of melanin and can be implemented with low-cost CW lasers.
Inter-record linkage structure in a hypertext bibliographic retrieval system

The author explores inter-record linkage relationships of a bibliographic hypertext system through the use of descriptor term co-occurrences. Using term distribution and term exhaustivity data for an existing system, three models of term co-occurrence are developed and tested against the observed data. The observed distribution of term co-occurrences using term sizes follows a complex, but regular relationship. The developed models, although matching the observed behavior for much of the distribution, do not adequately model the observed co-occurrence patterns for select parts of the distribution using chi-square values. With knowledge of the structure of such a hypertext system, an appropriate model may be constructed and used as the basis for studying systems design of inter-record linkages and system navigation by users in such a hypertext system.
RANK, PERFORMANCE, AND MOBILITY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GROUPING

Because the stratified levels in schools and school systems bear widely accepted symbolic statuses, students' positions in the hierarchy may influence the pattern of their educational careers, independently of their scholastic achievement. This article measures the effects of the rank of students' reading groups in first grade and their first-grade achievement on assignment to a reading group at the beginning of second grade. Two patterns are discovered: one in which students' reading-group levels in second grade depend on their first-grade positions, and a second in which achievement appears to be the criterion used for placement. However, examination of the composition of first- and second-grade reading groups reveals that in both cases, teachers attempt to reduce the heterogeneity of low- and middle-reading groups between first and second grade.
Classical periodic orbits and quantum mechanical eigenvalues and eigenfunctions

We have calculated several families of classical periodic orbits in simple Hamiltonian systems of two degrees of freedom and the corresponding quantum mechanical eigenvalues and eigenfuctions. We have found that in most cases the eigenfunctions have their maxima and minima on some simple periodic orbits. These periodic orbits are of several resonant types and can be either stable or unstable. In the latter case the quantum Poincare surfaces of section are very different from the classical Poincare surfaces of section.
Parameters influencing the evolution and oxidation of sulfur in suspension phase coal combustion

Stoker coal-fired boiler furnaces are significant in terms of coal consumption and environmental impact; however, they have received relatively little research attention. This paper describes the results of a two-year study on the formation of sulfur oxides in the suspension phase of a coal-fired spreader-stoker system. An eight foot, drop-tube furnace with upward hot-gas flow was used to define the evolution and oxidation of fuel sulfur in the suspension phase and to establish the influence of the combustion parameters on SO 2 formation. The results indicate that coal particles greater than approximately 0.1 inch fall to the stokergrate essentially unreacted. Thus, only between 8 and 20 percent of the coal feed actually burns in the suspension phase. In general, the evolution and oxidation of sulfur lags hydrogen but leads carbon. The behavior of the organic sulfur closely follows that of carbon; however, the decomposition of the sulfate sulfur depends primarily on the local temperature and oxygen concentration. The behavior of the sulfate sulfur is of major importance because of the high sulfate content of the matural coal fines.
Relative contribution of land uses to the urban heat problem in the coastal subtropics

The microclimatic patterns in a large, metropolitan center situated in a warm and humid climatic zone have been investigated in relation to various forms of land use. The survey was conducted in Houston, Texas in the fall and summer of two consecutive years. Information on temperature and humidity obtained during the survey along with demographic and land-use data were mapped utilizing synographic computer techniques to detect anthropogenic changes in the microclimatic characteristics of the area. Results indicate that a thermal anomaly of man-made origin in this city does exist in spite of the anticipated advantages of its coastal location. Quantitative information derived from the study can be of practical value for urban development planning in areas of hot and humid climates.
Cr+(H2)n clusters: Asymmetric bonding from a symmetric ion

Abstract Equilibrium methods were used to measure ΔH T °, ΔS T ° and ΔH 0 ° for the sequential clustering of up to 6 H 2 ligands to a 3d 5 6 S Cr + core ion. The binding energies are the weakest yet measured for a d n ion, averaging 4.5 kcal mol −1 and ranging from ∼9 kcal mol −1 for n = 2 down to ∼1 kcal mol −1 for n = 6. High level density functional theory calculations were performed to provide structural information and to help analyse and interpret the data. One definite result is that detailed covalent interactions between the “spherical” 3d 5 Cr + ion and the H 2 ligands are required to explain the data. Both the vacant 4s orbital and, to a lesser extent, the high energy 4p orbitals are involved in hybridization of the 3d orbitals in order to minimize dσ repulsion, maximize σ donation by the H 2 ligands, and maximize back donation into the σ ∗ orbitals of the H 2 ligands. A stable planar D 3h ion appears for n = 3 and again as the core of a trigonal bipyramid for n = 5. Comparisons with results from other first row transition metal ions are made.