cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deflagration to detonation transition fueled by dust layers.

The roles which dust layers play in severe dust explosions were investigated in a 70 m long and 30 cm inside diameter horizontal Flame Acceleration Tube (FAT) with one end closed and the other end open to the atmosphere. A variety of dusts such as corn dust, cornstarch, Mira Gel starch, wheat dust, and wood flour were layered on the bottom half of the FAT. To initiate the combustion process, a detonation tube filled with a stoichiometric H2/O2 mixture at room temperature and 1 atm pressure was used to ignite a short presuspended dust cloud with a dust concentration of 500–600 g/m3. Combustion waves generated by this dust cloud travel toward the open end of the FAT and are continuously fueled by the dust/air mixtures. Flame propagation processes in the FAT were closely monitored by a variety of measuring instruments at different locations. The study demonstrates that stable quasi-detonation were reached in some runs, but self-sustained Chapman-Jouguet detonations were not observed possibly due to the limitation of the tube length. Attempts were made to determine the structure of dust detonations fueled by a dust layer. Preliminary evidence indicates that for Mira Gel starch the leading shock is essentially a triple shock configuration which involves a Mach stem and for wheat and wood dusts there possibly exists a multi-headed spin structure.
Oxidation of HCN on the Pt(111) and Pt(112) surfaces

Abstract The adsorption and reaction of HCN on the oxygen-precovered Pt(111) and Pt(112) surfaces have been studied with TPD, AES and LEED measurements in the temperature range from 87 to 1100 K. The adsorbed atomic oxygen was produced by dosing 18 O 2 at 300 K. Besides the usual recombination products (H 2 , HCN and C 2 N 2 ), the reaction with oxygen gives H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , N 2 on both surfaces and some NH 3 on the Pt(112) surface. The product yields were measured as a function of initial oxygen coverage, and considerable yield changes were observed as O-precover-age was increased. The HCN dissociation was favored on the Pt(112) surface resulting in more recombination and more oxidation products compared to Pt(111). The selectivity for the oxidation process was found to be higher for Pt(111) than for Pt(112). All the atomic oxygen could be consumed completely during the reaction on both surfaces. It is proposed that the oxidation of CN groups on the platinum surface is through an NCO intermediate.
Remediation, land use, and risk at Rocky Flats, and a comparison with Hanford

US Department of Energy (US DOE) responsibilities for its former national atomic weapons complex include remediation of the Rocky Flats facility near Denver, Colorado. In 1993, the site's primary mission shifted from “production'' of plutonium components for atomic weapons to cleanup of extensive radioactive and chemical contamination representing the legacy of production activities. Remediation was governed by the agreements between the US DOE as the responsible party and the US Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Colorado as joint regulators. In 1995, the Rocky Flats Future Use Working Group issued its final report, recommending among other features that long-term cleanup reduce contamination levels to background. This article describes the circumstances that led the US DOE to complete the Rocky Flats cleanup more quickly and makes comparisons to the situation at the US DOE's Hanford site. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Update on anorexia and cachexia

Declining physical, emotional, and social function as a result of anorexia and cachexia are considerable contributors to discomfort for cancer patients and their families, and they impair the patient's ability to express optimal physical and psychosocial potential as long as possible. This decline no longer has to be accepted as an indispensable sequel to advanced cancer, just as pain is no longer considered to be unavoidable. A routine screening for anorexia and cachexia and associated symptoms is necessary, as is a careful, comprehensive assessment, because the condition is not always obvious. Decisions about anorexia and cachexia treatment are guided by prioritizing the different, concurrent physical, psychosocial, and existential problems and by considering the natural course of the cancer and the effects of antineoplastic therapies. Reversible causes for anorexia and cachexia need to be identified and treated, if appropriate. Nutritional interventions are often indicated; patients with a predominant starvation component and without inflammation may profit the most. New pharmacologic therapies for primary anorexia and cachexia syndrome are expected to enter clinical practice soon; however, until then, treatment with corticosteroids, progestins, or prokinetics may be indicated for some patients. To understand a multicausal syndrome, multimodal and interdisciplinary therapy is required. Specialist palliative care services can be helpful to provide, hand-in-hand with the disease specialists [172], assessment and management of psychophysical symptoms and sociospiritual needs of patients during the course of the illness and at the end of life [173]. Research efforts aim to better characterize subgroups of patients suffering from secondary causes of anorexia and cachexia and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the primary anorexia and cachexia syndrome. Increasingly individualized treatments are expected with combination treatments that involve different mechanisms including nutrition.
Online versus Traditional Classroom Delivery of a Course in Manual Communication

Outcome measures for students enrolled in separate sections of a manual communication course taught by the same instructor were compared. One group received instruction in a traditional university classroom setting. The other group received instruction through asynchronous, videostreamed online delivery. No statistically significant differences in expressive manual communication skills, as well as content knowledge, were found. There was a significant difference in the receptive comprehension of manually communicated information, even though the difference was only 6%. Results are discussed in terms of potential for online instruction to aid in addressing the critical shortage of personnel needed to provide services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
A numerical method for the Rubinstein binary-alloy problem in the presence of an under-cooled liquid

A fixed grid solution for tracking a moving solidification front controlled by coupled heat and mass transport in the presence of an under-cooled liquid is developed. A known closed form similarity solution for the solidification of a binary alloy in a one-dimensional domain is outlined. A previously reported enthalpy based model for this problem is presented and a novel numerical solution devised. Comparisons with the analytical solution show that the proposed numerical solution can produce high-fidelity predictions across a wide range of conditions including cases where the liquid becomes under-cooled.
Free vibration of grid-stiffened plates

Abstract A closed functional solution is formulated for the expression of the steady state frequencies of vibration of a simply supported plate stiffened by a grid. The grid properties are assumed to be different in orthogonal directions. The plate-grid interactions are assumed to consist of only normal forces at the node points.
Gendered socialization with an embodied agent: Creating a social and affable mathematics learning environment for middle-grade females

This study examined whether or not embodied-agent-based learning would help middle-grade females have more positive mathematics learning experiences. The study used an explanatory mixed methods research design. First, a classroom-based experiment was conducted with one hundred twenty 9th graders learning introductory algebra (53% male and 47% female; 51% Caucasian and 49% Latino). The results revealed that learner gender was a significant factor in the learners’ evaluations of their agent (η² = .07), the learners’ task-specific attitudes (η² = .05), and their task-specific self-efficacy (η² = .06). In-depth interviews were then conducted with 22 students selected from the experiment participants. The interviews revealed that Latina and Caucasian females built a different type of relationship with their agent and reported more positive learning experiences as compared with Caucasian males. The females’ favorable view of the agent-based learning was largely influenced by their everyday classroom experiences, implying that students’ learning experience in real and virtual spaces was interconnected.
The Potential Energy Function for the X1Σ+ Ground State of CO

Abstract By means of a purely quantum mechanical method, we construct an accurate potential energy function for the X 1 Σ + ground electronic state of CO from a large set of experimental frequency data for vibration-rotational bands of several isotopic species. We use an analytical expression for the potential in the form of a Dunham series for the Born-Oppenheimer part plus mass-dependent corrections. A total of 19 parameters are necessary in order to represent the potential energy function capable of reproducing with good accuracy the set of more than 10 000 high-quality transition frequencies.
Analysis of the first night effect and sleep parameters in medically refractory epilepsy patients

Abstract Objectives To assess the first night effect (FNE) and compare sleep stage proportions to normative values in a sample of medically refractory epilepsy patients. Patients and methods Sleep parameters of 53 epilepsy patients, ages (18–56, mean: 34±12, 25 females 28 men), who underwent two consecutive nights of polysomnography (PSG) were compared. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage 3 and NREM stage 4 were combined as slow wave sleep (SWS). Sleep efficiency, sleep latency, rapid eye movement (REM) latency, number of stage shifts, total minutes and proportion of total sleep time for stage 1, stage 2, SWS, and REM sleep were compared between the 2 nights. Results SWS was the only parameter that differed between nights 1 and 2 for both total minutes ( P =0.02) and proportion of total sleep time ( P =0.01), although the means for both nights were within the normative range. Comparing sleep proportions to normative values indicates that our patients had increased NREM stage 1 and decreased REM sleep. Conclusions We observed a minimal FNE in this sample of epilepsy patients manifested by reduced SWS. Multiple PSGs to accommodate the FNE may not be necessary in this population.
Cochlear blood flow autoregulation in Wistar-Kyoto rats

Abstract Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were intra-arterially infused with angiotensin II (AII) or phenylephrine for 10 min. Both vasoactive compounds produced an initial increase in cochlear blood flow (CoBF) as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, followed by a slow steady return to baseline, despite sustained elevations in systemic blood pressure. These results suggest autoregulation of CoBF in the WKY rat. In a second experiment, All was infused directly into the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) which feeds the cochlear artery. Significant reductions in CoBF were noted without changes in systemic blood pressure. Pretreatment with the specific angiotensin-receptor antagonist, sarthran (Sar 1 , Thr 8 -AII), diminished subsequent AII-induced reductions in CoBF. These results indicate that All binding to vascular receptors may induce vasoconstriction in the supplying vessels of the cochlea, and thus, the interaction of blood-home All and vascular angiotensin receptors may participate in the autoregulation of CoBF.
Ensemble Acoustic Modeling for CD-DNN-HMM Using Random Forests of Phonetic Decision Trees

We propose a novel approach to generate an ensemble of context-dependent deep neural networks (CD-DNNs) by using random forests of phonetic decision trees (RF-PDTs) and construct an ensemble acoustic model (EAM) accordingly for speech recognition. We present evaluation results on the TIMIT dataset and a telemedicine automatic captioning dataset and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed RF-PDT+CD-DNN based EAM over the conventional CD-DNN based single acoustic model (SAM) in phone and word recognition accuracies.
Note on the velocity and temperature distributions behind a heated body of revolution

The measurements of Hall and Hislop (see the preceding paper) were made in a wind tunnel considerably less turbulent than has usually been used in such measurements.
Gait extraction from short radar dwells collected on dismounts

A technique is presented for estimating fundamental gait frequencies from a dismount observed by a radar. The proposed method differs from gait extraction schemes [1-2] that use the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to compute one fundamental gait frequency that gives rise to the dismount's stride rate. In this approach, two fundamental gait frequencies are computed via a very versatile signal processing scheme, i.e., the state space method [3]. The first fundamental gait frequency corresponds to the side to side movement of the body of the walking dismount, whereas the second gait frequency describes the shift of the body weight from one leg to the other that induces forward and vertical displacements. The radar is assumed to have a very limited time to stare at the target while maintaining wide area surveillance and performing other tasks. Range-range-rate maps formed from data collected at few coherent processing intervals (CPIs) are used to generate a spectrogram snapshot at each dwell. The spectrogram snapshot is therefore passed to a limb mitigation filter that extracts the torso motion which is fed to a one-dimensional (1-D) signal processing scheme that computes a set of state matrices to estimate the gait frequencies and other parameters associated with the dynamic of the dismount. As time evolves, more spectrogram snapshots are generated and the gait frequencies are estimated to obtain the “fingerprint” of the dismount. The effectiveness of the gait extraction algorithm is confirmed using simulated radar data from the Thalmann human motion model [4] of a six foot tall man at six different aspect angles.
Improved dynamic programming-based handwritten word recognition using optimal order statistics

Handwritten word recognition is a difficult problem. In the standard segmentation-based approach to handwritten word recognition, individual character class confidence scores are combined to estimate confidences concerning the various hypothesized identities for a word. The standard combination method is the mean. Previously, we demonstrated that the Choquet integral provided higher recognition rates than the mean. Our previous work with the Choquet integral relied on a restricted class of measures. For this class of measures, operators based on the Choquet integral are equivalent to a subset of a class of operators known as linear combinations of order statistics. In this paper, we extend our previous work to find the optimal LOS operator for combining character class confidence scores. Experimental results are provided on about 1300 word images.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Damage Detection Utilizing the Damage Index Method to a Benchmark Structure

This paper addresses the first generation benchmark problem on structural health monitoring developed by the ASCE Task Group on Structural Health Monitoring. The focus of the problem is a four-story model of an existing physical model at the University of British Columbia where simulated data are used for the system identification. Modal parameters were extracted using the frequency domain decomposition method. Rather than relying on data from the undamaged structure, a new proposed methodology based on ratios between stiffness and mass values from the eigenvalue problem is presented to identify the undamaged state of the structure. Once the structural identification is complete, the damage index method is used to detect the location and severity of damage. By not relying on undamaged structure information, this approach may be applicable to existing structures that may already incorporate some amount of damage.
SULFHYDRYL GROUPS OF EGG ALBUMIN IN DIFFERENT DENATURING AGENTS.

1. The reaction between ferricyanide and egg albumin in solutions of urea, guanidine hydrochloride, and Duponol has been investigated. 2. In neutral medium ferricyanide oxidizes all the SH groups of egg albumin that give a color reaction with nitroprusside. In neutral medium ferricyanide appears to react only with the SH groups of egg albumin. The quantity of ferrocyanide formed can accordingly be considered the equivalent of the number of SH groups in egg albumin detectable with nitroprusside. 3. In solutions of urea, guanidine hydrochloride, and Duponol sufficiently concentrated so that all the egg albumin present is denatured, the same number of SH groups are found—equivalent to a cysteine content of 0.96 per cent. 4. In denaturation of egg albumin loss of solubility (solubility not in presence of the denaturing agent, but solubility examined in water at the isoelectric point) and appearance of reactive SH groups are integral parts of the same process. As denaturation proceeds in urea, SH groups are liberated only in the egg albumin with altered solubility and in this albumin the maximum number of SH groups is liberated. In a molecule of egg albumin either all of its SH groups that give a test with nitroprusside are liberated or none of them are.
Frequency-conversion modeling with spatially and temporally varying beams

A computer model of third-harmonic conversion of Nd:glass laser radiation in KDP, including paraxial diffraction, walkoff, arbitrary temporal dependence, and B-integral effects, has been developed. The code is four-dimensional in that it includes the spatial field variations along and transverse to the propagation direction as well as temporal variations. A split-step algorithm based on the fast Fourier transform and a Runge-Kutta integrator is employed for forward stepping in space and time. The code has been benchmarked against results of simplified codes in the plane-wave or monochromatic limits, and predictions for conversion efficiencies are in good agreement with experimental results at Livermore. Spatial phase ripples and temporal bandwidth of the input wavefront are much more important in the tripling crystal(s) than in the doubler(s). Two-doubler designs allow for high tripling efficiencies over a broad range of intensities, while large bandwidths with high conversion efficiencies can be realized with two triplers.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Binding of Theophylline to Serum Proteins of Hemodialysis Patients

The binding of theophylline to serum proteins was studied by 18 hour equilibrium dialysis at 37°C in serum from 10 chronic dialysis patients and 6 healthy subjects. The healthy subjects had a mean (±S.D.) unbound fraction of 54±5% while the dialysis patients had 63±5% unbound (p<0.02). For dialysis patients to achieve the same theophylline concentration in plasma water that metabolically normal asthmatics achieve at the “therapeutic” serum theophylline levels of 10-20 μg/ml, their total serum theophylline levels should be 8.6-17.3 μg/ml
An extension of Gilbert's algorithm for computing optimal controls

Gilbert's algorithm for computing optimal controls for systems with lumped parameters is extended to a class of control problems for systems with distributed parameters. It is also shown that the algorithm can be used to solve a larger class of problems in systems with lumped parameters than was originally considered by Gilbert.
Treatment of delayed-onset neurological deficit after aortic surgery with lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage.

OBJECTIVEThe phenomenon of delayed neurological deficit after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair was first reported in the late 1980s. The mechanism may be reduced collateral circulation during periods of hypotension, cord edema, or reperfusion injury. Few patients with delayed-onset neurologic
Classroom Illustrations of Acidic Air Pollution Using Nylon Fabric

In 1970, deposition of fly ash from a coal burning power plant in downtown Peoria produced minor damage in the vicinity of its smokestack, including runs in ladies nylon stockings. In this article, we review the historical event and discuss the chemistry behind the depolymerization of the nylon, as well as laboratory experiments demonstrating how sulfur-containing acidic vapors, such as those from the combustion of sulfur compounds in coal, attack nylon fibers.
Early field experience: A question of effectiveness

Abstract This paper offers a historical perspective of field‐based experiences in teacher preparation. The literature review presents information from studies that support the educative value of early field experiences and studies reporting results that do not lend empirical support for endorsing early field experiences. Based on the information reported in the literature review, the writer offers guidelines for program development designed to increase the likelihood that an early field experience program will have the beneficial results that educators intend. The key issues for program development are: (a) determine the purpose of the experience, (b) determine the administrative feasibility of the experience, and (c) determine the method of evaluation for the experience. In summary, the writer expresses a need for congruence between the university's teacher education program and the classroom sites for early field experiences. He further states that the goals, methods, and philosophy of university and cl...
Uncommon Priors Require Origin Disputes

In standard belief models, priors are always common knowledge. This prevents such models from representing agents’ probabilistic beliefs about the origins of their priors. By embedding standard models in a larger standard model, however, pre-priors can describe such beliefs. When an agent’s prior and pre-prior are mutually consistent, he must believe that his prior would only have been different in situations where relevant event chances were different, but that variations in other agents’ priors are otherwise completely unrelated to which events are how likely. Due to this, Bayesians who agree enough about the origins of their priors must have the same priors.
Selective Transmission of Single Photon Responses by Saturation at the Rod-to-Rod Bipolar Synapse

A threshold-like nonlinearity in signal transfer from mouse rod photoreceptors to rod bipolar cells dramatically improves the absolute sensitivity of the rod signals. The work described here reaches three conclusions about the mechanisms generating this nonlinearity. (1) The nonlinearity is caused primarily by saturation of the feedforward rod-to-rod bipolar synapse and not by feedback from horizontal or amacrine cells. This saturation renders the rod bipolar current insensitive to small changes in transmitter release from the rod. (2) Saturation occurs within the G protein cascade that couples receptors to channels in the rod bipolar dendrites, with little or no contribution from presynaptic mechanisms or saturation of the postsynaptic receptors. (3) Between 0.5 and 2 bipolar transduction channels are open in darkness at each synapse, compared to the approximately 30 channels open at the peak of the single photon response.
Amber's uncooled microbolometer LWIR camera

Uncooled microbolometer detector development has made significant progress within the past two years. Starting in June 1994, Amber fabricated a custom readout IC, and began the concurrent development of a hand held LWIR camera. This paper reviews the camera design, camera electronics, and packaging considerations. In addition system performance including NETD, MRTD, and corrected nonuniformity data will be presented.
Obesity and Gastroesophageal Reflux: Quantifying the Association Between Body Mass Index, Esophageal Acid Exposure, and Lower Esophageal Sphincter Status in a Large Series of Patients with Reflux Symptoms

Introduction Obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are increasingly important health problems. Previous studies of the relationship between obesity and GERD focus on indirect manifestations of GERD. Little is known about the association between obesity and objectively measured esophageal acid exposure. The aim of this study is to quantify the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and 24-h esophageal pH measurements and the status of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) in patients with reflux symptoms.
Plasma steam reforming of E85 for hydrogen rich gas production

E85 (85 vol% ethanol and 15 vol% gasoline) is a partly renewable fuel that is increasing in supply availability. Hydrogen production from E85 for fuel cell or internal combustion engine applications is a potential method for reducing CO2 emissions. Steam reforming of E85 using a nonthermal plasma (pulse corona discharge) reactor has been exploited at low temperature (200–300 °C) without external heating, diluent gas, oxidant or catalyst in this work. Several operational parameters, including the discharge current, E85 concentration and feed flow rate, have been investigated. The results show that hydrogen rich gases (63–67% H2 and 22–29% CO, with small amounts of CO2, C2 hydrocarbons and CH4) can be produced by this method. A comparison with ethanol reforming and gasoline reforming under identical conditions has also been made and the behaviour of E85 reforming is found to be close to that of ethanol reforming with slightly higher C2 hydrocarbons yields.
Specific ion pairing and interfacial hydration as controlling factors in gemini micelle morphology. Chemical trapping studies.

Results from chemical trapping experiments in micellar solutions containing 1.5−5 mM aqueous solutions of three didodecyl dicationic dibromide gemini surfactants with different methylene spacer lengths (12-n-12 2Br where n = 2−4 CH2 groups) gave quantitative estimates of the molarities of interfacial bromide (Brm) and water (H2Om), the fractions of free and paired headgroups and counterions, and the net headgroup charge. These results are one of the most detailed compositional studies of an association colloid interface to date. Brm increases and H2Om decreases as n decreases and the two cationic charges are closer together. The 12−2−12 2Br gemini (the only one of the three geminis known to form threadlike micelles) shows a marked increase in Brm (from 2.3 to 3.6 M) and a decrease in H2Om (from 35 to 17 M) at the exceptionally low surfactant concentration in the vicinity of the previously reported sphere-to-rod transition or second cmc concentration. Rod formation occurs because of an increase in headgrou...
The International Heliophysical Year

The International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957, a broad-based and all-encompassing effort to push the frontiers of geophysics, resulted in a tremendous increase of knowledge in space physics, Sun-Earth Connection, planetary science and the heliosphere in general. Now, 50 years later, we have the unique opportunity advance our knowledge of the global heliosphere and its interaction with planetary bodies and the interstellar medium through the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) in 2007. This was an international effort to coordinate scientific research, and the deployment of scientific instrument arrays, preserve the history of the IGY, and to raise the public awareness of space physics.
MACROPHAGE-MELANOMA CELL HETEROKARYONS III. THE ACTIVATION OF MACROPHAGE DNA SYNTHESIS. STUDIES WITH INHIBITORS OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND WITH SYNCHRONIZED MELANOMA CELLS

Dormant macrophage nuclei initiate DNA synthesis 2–3 hr after fusion of macrophages with exponentially growing melanoma cells. Cycloheximide treatment (1–5 µg/ml) of heterokaryons during the preceding lag period inhibits the initiation of macrophage DNA synthesis, in a reversible fashion. Each type of cell was also treated with streptovitacin A, an irreversible inhibitor of protein synthesis. Pretreatment of the melanoma cells (0.5–2 µg/ml), 1 hr before fusion, inhibited the induction of macrophage DNA synthesis in heterokaryons, whereas pretreatment of macrophages (1–20 µg/ml) had no effect. Melanoma cell pretreatment reduced the incorporation of leucine-3H into the cytoplasm and nuclei of heterokaryons, whereas macrophage pretreatment had no effect. These experiments suggested that melanoma proteins played an important role in the initiation of macrophage DNA synthesis. The relationship between the melanoma cell cycle and macrophage DNA synthesis was studied with synchronous melanoma cells. If the melanoma cells were in S phase at the time of fusion, macrophage DNA synthesis occurred 2 hr later. However, the fusion of melanoma cells in G1 delayed macrophage DNA synthesis until the melanoma nuclei had entered S. Experiments with actinomycin and cycloheximide showed that RNA and protein, essential to achieve DNA synthesis in the macrophage nucleus, were made during late G1 as well as S. Melanoma cells and macrophages differ in their radiolabeled acid-soluble products after incubation in thymidine-3H. Thymidine taken up by the macrophage remained unphosphorylated, whereas it was recovered mainly as thymidine triphosphate from melanoma cells. These findings, as well as those reported previously, suggest that the melanoma cell provides the RNA, protein, and precursors which initiate macrophage DNA synthesis. In the absence of a requirement for new macrophage RNA and protein synthesis, other changes must be responsible for the 2 hr delay in DNA synthesis. These may involve physical changes in DNA, associated with swelling, as well as the transport of melanoma products into the macrophage nucleus.
Competition in Mediation Services: Modeling the Role of Expertise, Satisfaction and Switching Costs

This article analyzes competition among mediation service providers that match clients and vendors in a horizontally differentiated market. This is an issue that is important for decision support of mediators in determining pricing and service strategies. We present a simulation model to simultaneously represent search as well as the behaviors of clients, vendors, and multiple competing mediators. Among our findings: intermediaries find it optimal to offer registration fee incentives and derive revenues from transaction fees from successful matches; as switching costs increase, incumbent utilities increase and entrant utilities decrease; expertise, modeled as the ability of mediators to assess vendor attributes accurately, is a powerful competitive weapon for entrants to erode the incumbent intermediary's first mover advantage. On the other hand, client satisfaction is an instrument for an incumbent intermediary to deter entrance by competitors.
The role of emissivities in radiative transport calculations

Abstract The radiation flux in gases with spectrally similar absorption coefficient, under the condition of thermal emission, can be expressed in terms of the Planck function and the emissivity function. With the use of the relations between the emissivity and the modified emissivity, the emissivity and the integrated band emissivity, and the modified emissivity and the Rosseland mean absorption coefficient, the general flux expression reduces to the various approximations in their respective limits. For these absorbing gases, therefore, the emissivity assumes a fundamental role in radiative transport calculations.
Histamine relaxation of aortic rings from diabetic rats.

The effect of histamine-induced relaxation on thoracic aortic rings from rats 5, 12, 24 and 52 weeks following streptozotocin-induced diabetes was determined. Preliminary studies confirmed the dependence of histamine-induced relaxation and the independence of nitroglycerin-relaxation (GTN) on the presence of endothelium (EDRF). Diabetes was confirmed by blood glucose levels exceeding 300 mg/dl. Rings with endothelium were depolarized several times with 50 mM KCL and then contracted with phenylephrine (10−6). Dose-response curves were plotted from data obtained following exposure to histamine (10−7–10−3) and GTN 10−9–10−7) and compared to responses from age-matched untreated controls, diabetic and diabetic rats treated with insulin (2 U/day). The relaxation produced by histamine on phenylephrine pre-contracted rings was similar in all three groups from 5-week age matched rats. However, histamine-induced relaxation from untreated diabetic rats was significantly depressed at 12, 24 and 52 weeks (p<0.001). Conversely there was no difference in the relaxation elicited by GTN on rings obtained from the three groups at any age. Pretreatment with diphenhydramine (5×10−7) on aortic rings from 12 and 52-week age matched rats resulted in qualitatively similar histamine dose-response curves that were displaced about two orders of magnitude to the right, indicative of H1 receptor competitive antagonism. These results demonstrate that the duration of diabetes alters the responsiveness of rat thoracic aortic rings to histamine but not to GTN and suggests that the responses elicited by certain agonists on target tissues may be significantly altered depending on the duration of diabetes.
Use of the telescopic plate spacer in treatment of cervical and cervicothoracic spine tumors.

Objective We investigated the mechanical and in vivo properties of a novel device, called the telescopic plate spacer (TPS), designed to promote restoration of height, alignment, and stability after cervical corpectomy for tumor. Methods The device first underwent mechanical testing. Comparisons were made with a commercially available anterior cervical plate. A caprine study was then performed. Twelve goats underwent a cervical corpectomy and placement of either a TPS filled with autograft or a plate and autograft. The animals were killed at 28 weeks and assessed for fusion. A prospective human study was then conducted. Fifteen patients with cervical or cervicothoracic tumors underwent corpectomy and placement of allograft-filled TPS. End points included pain scores and radiographic assessment of vertebral height, alignment, and stability. Results In the mechanical study, the TPS outperformed the anterior cervical plate in all modalities except for torsion stiffness and tension-bending failure load. The caprine study demonstrated fusion in six of six cases at 28 weeks in the TPS group, compared with four of six cases in the plate and autograft group. In the human study, patients (n = 15) were stabilized with the TPS after corpectomy (range, 1-3 levels; average, 1.7 levels). There were no failures of instrumentation or neurological deterioration. Stability was achieved in all patients, with an average follow-up of 9 months. Durable improvements in pain scores (P = 0.001), vertebral height (P = 0.002), and reduction of kyphosis (P = 0.046) were achieved. Conclusion The TPS can be used to restore height, alignment, and stability after corpectomy.
Labor policy and employment

Maladjustment brought about primarily by too speedy reform is cited by this noted economist as one of the principal causes of the present long-range trend toward increased unemployment. Speaking of various industries, he expresses the belief that unemployment persisted in certain industries during the recovery period ending in 1937 because those industries had not made sufficient technological advance.
Prospective phase I evaluation of radiation therapy, 5-fluorouracil, and levamisole in locally advanced gastrointestinal cancer

Abstract Purpose: A recent clinical trial in patients with resected node-positive colon cancer demonstrated a clear survival advantage for patients treated with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and levamisole. This finding led to interest in development of a Phase III trial comparing 5-fluorouracil and levamisole with 5-fluorouracil, levamisole, and radiation therapy in colon cancer patients at high risk for local recurrence. A prospective evaluation of 5-fluorouracil, levamisole, and radiation therapy was undertaken with the goal of establishing a satisfactorily tolerated regimen. Methods and Materials: Fifteen patients were studied who had locally advanced or locally recurrent upper abdominal gastrointestinal cancer (11 patients) or large bowel cancer confined to the pelvis (4 patients). The tumor and regional lymph nodes received 45 Gy in 25 fractions. Patients with pelvic tumors subsequently were treated with a radiation boost of 5.4–9 Gy in 3–5 fractions. Systemic therapy consisted of 5-fluorouracil, 450 mg/m 2 , given intravenously for 3 consecutive days during the first and last weeks of radiation therapy. Levamisole, 50 mg, given orally 3 times daily was used for 3 consecutive days concurrent with initiation of radiation therapy and 5-fluorouracil, at the beginning of the third week of radiation therapy, and concurrent with the final 3-day course of 5-fluorouracil. Results: Therapy was generally well tolerated. In two patients, ≥ grade 3 nonhematologic toxicity developed and consisted of transient small bowel obstruction in one and severe nausea and vomiting related to levamisole administration in another. One patient experienced grade 3 hematologic toxicity with a leukocyte count nadir of 1,600 cells/μL. Conclusions: These results are similar to the toxicity profile reported elsewhere for radiation therapy and 5-fluorouracil. The addition of levamisole to radiation therapy and 5-fluorouracil does not appear to increase toxicity significantly.
Taste panel assessment and proximate composition of cultured and wild sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus (Gmelin)

Abstract Cage-cultured and wild sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus , sampled from a location in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, were assessed by taste panels. Of the five sensory variables investigated (appearance, odor, texture, flavor and overall acceptability), only appearance ( P ≤ 0.01) and overall acceptability ( P ≤ 0.05) showed significant differences between the two groups. However, no preference was indicated. The adductor muscles were analyzed for total carbohydrate, crude fat, crude protein, moisture and ash. The range for each component was similar ( P > 0.05) in both the cultured and wild populations.
The Identity Division of Labor in Native Alaska

ABSTRACT There is often an implicit assumption that womens' technologies and associated tasks in subsistence-based groups are expedient and simple. For instance, in Native Alaska, the butchering of fish has been illustrated as arduous but uncomplicated work. On the contrary, closer examinations, as well as discussions with the people who are still learning and practicing subsistence tasks, indicate that this perspective is inaccurate. Instead, these taken-for-granted technologies and techniques require a lifetime of training and practice, and not all people achieve master status. Drawing from data from contemporary herring processing and the related tools of the trade, I explore the division of labor in the context of expertise and apprenticeship. [Keywords: apprenticeship, expertise, gender, age, Alaska]
Photopatterning of Thiol-ene-Acrylate Copolymers

Thiol-ene-acrylate copolymers exhibit a unique blend of characteristics which make them suitable for both photolithographic patterning and material property tuning. Five thiol-ene-acrylate monomer blends are found to exhibit similar reaction rates via photo-differential scanning calorimetry, while dynamic mechanical analysis shows the trend in the thermomechanical properties of three of the systems. Two selected thiol-ene-acrylate systems showed rapid polymerization with low apparent shrinkage and relatively low heat evolution (when compared to acrylates) with excellent patternability, while a binary acrylate system shows extreme apparent shrinkage, greater heat evolution, and does not replicate the mask pattern in a controllable fashion. The apparent shrinkage is a measure of patternability, since this quantity represents the actual polymer dimensions when compared to the desired dimension (i.e., photomask pattern).
The Eph-receptor A7 is a soluble tumor suppressor for follicular lymphoma

Insights into cancer genetics can lead to therapeutic opportunities. By cross-referencing chromosomal changes with an unbiased genetic screen we identify the ephrin receptor A7 (EPHA7) as a tumor suppressor in follicular lymphoma (FL). EPHA7 is a target of 6q deletions and inactivated in 72% of FLs. Knockdown of EPHA7 drives lymphoma development in a murine FL model. In analogy to its physiological function in brain development, a soluble splice variant of EPHA7 (EPHA7(TR)) interferes with another Eph-receptor and blocks oncogenic signals in lymphoma cells. Consistent with this drug-like activity, administration of the purified EPHA7(TR) protein produces antitumor effects against xenografted human lymphomas. Further, by fusing EPHA7(TR) to the anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab) we can directly target this tumor suppressor to lymphomas in vivo. Our study attests to the power of combining descriptive tumor genomics with functional screens and reveals EPHA7(TR) as tumor suppressor with immediate therapeutic potential.
Extending Research on the Victim–Offender Overlap: Evidence From a Genetically Informative Analysis

Criminologists have long noted that offenders are more likely to be the victims of crime as compared to nonoffenders. What has not been established, however, is why there is a significant degree of victim–offender overlap. While numerous explanations have been advanced and a significant number of studies have been conducted, there remains much to be learned about the etiology of the victim–offender overlap. The current study pushes this line of research forward by offering and testing a unique hypothesis: that victimization and offending share a genetic etiology that leads to victim–offender overlap. Findings culled from a sample of sibling pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health indicated that genetic factors explained between 51% and 98% of the covariance between victims and offenders. Nonshared environmental factors explained the remaining covariance, while shared environmental factors explained none of the covariance. Implications and interpretations of these findings are...
Fuzzy logic controller for a traffic signal

Automatic control of traffic signals in many cities are often based on a constant green-to-red cycle. The time period for green light (or red light) to be on is fixed, and is determined based on a stochastic model. In some situations, a human operator, or a fixed timer, may change the time period dyring time intervals where there is heavy traffic--typically during commuting times. Although in today's traffic controllers, the time period for green light can be changed in certain circumstances, in general they are not able to adjust dynamically to traffic changes. This paper presents the design of a controller that considers the intersection of two two-way streets and is able to adjust to environmental changes. Simulation of the proposed controller has produced results more in line with what we expected. In many cases, the proposed system has produced better results than systems that are based on a constant green-to-red cycle.
Re-assessment of the stock-recruit and temperature-recruit relationships for Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax)

The harvest guideline for Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) incorporates an environmental parameter based on averaged surface temperatures at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier (SIO pier) in La Jolla, California, USA, which would be invoked after a series of cool years to reduce commercial catches using a precautionary decision rule. We revisit the stock-recruit and temperature-recruit relationships underpinning the currently used environmental parameter for sardine assessment and found that the temperature-recruit relationship no longer holds for the SIO pier when time series are updated with data from more recent years. The significance of the correlation between temperature and recruitment was also artificially increased by autocorrelation in the time series. In contrast, the stock-recruit relationship was still valid when recent data were added. SIO pier surface temperatures are warmer than 10 m-depth Southern California Bight (SCB) temperatures where the sardine spawn, and the difference has increased since the late 1970s. Sardine recruitment was also not related to offshore temperatures in the SCB. We demonstrate that the environmental proxy derived from SIO pier tem- perature, which has never affected the harvest guideline since its implementation, no longer predicts recruitment of Pacific sardine, and should be removed from sardine management.
For Uninsured Cancer Patients, Outpatient Charges Can Be Costly, Putting Treatments Out Of Reach

Reimbursement information for public and private payers has long been available. However, information about charges—the amounts that providers request before payments are negotiated—has been scarce, particularly for outpatient care. Using the new Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Public Use File and other sources, we evaluated physician charges, reimbursements by Medicare and large private health plans, and expected patient cost sharing for outpatient oncology care. In 2012 the average Medicare reimbursement for chemotherapy was 39.6 percent of charges; for private insurance, the share was 55.7 percent. Uninsured patients faced potential prices for chemotherapy that were 2–43 times as much as the total Medicare-allowed amount and 2–5 times as much as the private insurance–allowed amount. Charges for outpatient chemotherapy and office visits were substantially higher than insurer-reimbursed amounts, which is consistent with previous evidence about hospital charges. The charges for outpatient s...
Geometric relations of dip slip to a faulted ground surface: new nomograms for estimating components of fault displacement

Abstract The throw, heave, and dip-slip components of displacement on a fault scarp can be estimated from two easily collected field measurements when fault dip is known or assumed: the vertical separation and slope angle of the original ground surface displaced across the fault. Nomograms allow graphical determination of slip components for cases where fault dip is in the same or in an opposite direction as the slope of the ground surface. The technique has several advantages over a previous method that requires three field measurements; those of scarp height, scarp slope angle, and the slope of the original ground surface. The geometric relations of a fault scarp illustrate that although differences between throw and vertical separation of the ground surface are small in the cases of steep fault dips or flat ground surfaces, these differences can be greater than commonly assumed.