cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diatoms of the McMurdo ice shelf, Antarctica: Implications for sediment and biotic reworking

Abstract In the course of investigations of the origin of the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS), we analyzed diatoms in 59 sediment samples collected from its upper surface. Fragments of centric marine species, most of which occur in the Ross Sea today, were found in all samples, but identifiable marine taxa dominated the total diatom flora in only two samples. In contrast, non-marine diatoms are abundant and diverse in most MIS samples. These non-marine species probably live in the numerous melt ponds which are distributed widely over the shelf surface during the warmest few weeks of each austral summer. Non-marine diatoms are clustered in four assemblages, which are probably related in a complex way to geographic position on the ice shelf, sediment age, local geochemical variations, and seasonal blooms. The presence of marine diatoms in MIS sediments is consistent with isotopic evidence that the MIS consists of frozen seawater, and with Debenham's hypothesis that transport of marine macrofossils to its surface is accomplished by freezing on at the base and upward movement through the shelf caused by surface melting. The combined marine and non-marine diatom floras of the MIS suggest a new mechanism to explain mixed diatom floras and sediments, observed in antarctic cores. These composite floras and sediments may be introduced or reintroduced to the marine environment during austral summers by melt water streaming off the front of the MIS or through crevasses. Additionally, icebergs calved from the MIS release theie load of mixed biota and sediment when they melt. These observations may pertain to oher present and former antarctic ice shelves that are characterized by surface ablation and basal freezing.
Sustained release oral fampridine in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Background: Fampridine-SR is under submission as the first drug to be FDA approved with an indication specifically for multiple sclerosis symptoms. Compounded forms of the active agent of Fampridine-SR (4-aminopyridine) have been used in clinical practice for many years. Clinical trials have now been completed that demonstrate a robust capacity of the drug to meet stringent statistical and clinically meaningful end points. Objective: To review the present understanding of multiple sclerosis, the proposed mechanism of action of Fampridine-SR in patients, the published data regarding its efficacy and safety in human clinical trials, and to discuss its potential clinical uses in MS. Results/conclusion: Fampridine-SR 10 mg twice a day has been shown to be safe and effective in improving the ambulation of patients with walking disability due to MS. It will probably find clinical application beyond this specific indication in a significant proportion of patients.
Complicated mumps viral infection: An unusual presentation affecting only submandibular gland

This case is a single submandibular gland mumps viral infection patient without parotid gland involvement who developed complications of meningitis and orchitis. Since spontaneous remission is common in mumps viral infection, missing opportunities for exact diagnosis is frequent. As in this case, single submandibular glands infection without parotid gland involvement not only delays diagnosis but also increases risk of developing complications. This case instructs us that despite the atypical manifestation, the clinician should suspect mumps and conduct serologic tests for diagnosis while observing for complications such as meningoencephalitis and orchitis.
Stochastic versus deterministic update in simulated annealing

Abstract We propose an algorithm which has several of the characteristics of simulated annealing but whose updating rule is deterministic. The results of the comparison between the two algorithms indicate that the stochasticity of the Metropolis updating in the simulated annealing algorithm does not play a major role in the search of near-optimal minima.
Effect of Native Yeasts and Selected Strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeon Glycosyl Glucose, Potential Volatile Terpenes, and Selected Aglycones of White Riesling (Vitis viniferaL.) Wines

Abstract Four strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand native yeasts were evaluated for their influence on White Riesling-conjugated aroma precursors, which were measured using three analytical procedures. Fermentation resulted in a decrease in glycosyl glucose with the greatest reduction occurring with native yeast fermentations. Potentially volatile terpene levels were similar among wines following fermentation, the exceptions being those fermented using the Fermiblanc strain and native yeasts which showed lower concentrations. Storing wines for 45 days on the yeast lees (sur lie) reduced the glycosyl glucose and potential volatile terpene content with slight differences among treatments. Gas chromatographic analysis of selected glycosidically bound monoterpene alcohols, oxides, and aromatic alcohols showed a trend similar to the glycosyl glucose and potentially volatile terpenes following fermentation. Fermentation had a variable effect on the free linalool concentration. Levels of nerol and geraniol decreased while free α-terpeniol, hotrienol, furanic and pyranic linalool oxides, benzyl alcohol, and 2-phenylethanol increased. The concentrations of free volatiles following fermentation differed among yeasts, but differences were below the sensory thresholds reported for each compound.
The natural history of parapsoriasis en plaques (chronic superficial dermatitis) and prereticulotic poikiloderma.

Summary.— The term parapsoriasis en plaques includes 2 quite unrelated conditions, one eczematous and benign, the other prereticulotic and potentially malignant. These 2 conditions are described and their features are compared in detail. In England, especially the south, the benign form is a good deal more common than the premalignant. The reason why parapsoriasis en plaques is regarded as a potentially serious disease is thus due largely to nomenclature, but also in part to the fact that, in the early stages of the classical Alibert form of mycosis fungoides and in prereticulotic poikiloderma, the appearances can closely simulate the benign type of parapsoriasis. Careful clinical observation and histological examination should, however, serve to distinguish between them.
Multiple catalytic aldolase antibodies suitable for chemical programming

Chemical programming of nine murine antibodies with catalytic aldolase activity was examined using compounds, equipped with diketone or pro-vinyl ketone linkers that inhibit integrin adhesion receptor functions. The results showed that most Abs were programmed using the diketone compounds in a manner similar to previously reported catalytic antibody 38C2. On the other hand, only those antibodies, which catalyzed the retro aldol reaction of the pro-vinyl ketone linkers efficiently, were programmed. Conjugated to integrin targeting compounds, at least three new antibodies, including 84G3, 85H6, and 90G8, exhibited high specific binding to human tumor cells expressing integrin αvβ3.
GPU-based fast gamma index calculation

The γ-index dose comparison tool has been widely used to compare dose distributions in cancer radiotherapy. The accurate calculation of γ-index requires an exhaustive search of the closest Euclidean distance in the high-resolution dose-distance space. This is a computational intensive task when dealing with 3D dose distributions. In this work, we combine a geometric method (Ju et al 2008 Med. Phys. 35 879-87) with a radial pre-sorting technique (Wendling et al 2007 Med. Phys. 34 1647-54) and implement them on computer graphics processing units (GPUs). The developed GPU-based γ-index computational tool is evaluated on eight pairs of IMRT dose distributions. The γ-index calculations can be finished within a few seconds for all 3D testing cases on one single NVIDIA Tesla C1060 card, achieving 45-75× speedup compared to CPU computations conducted on an Intel Xeon 2.27 GHz processor. We further investigated the effect of various factors on both CPU and GPU computation time. The strategy of pre-sorting voxels based on their dose difference values speeds up the GPU calculation by about 2.7-5.5 times. For n-dimensional dose distributions, γ-index calculation time on CPU is proportional to the summation of γ(n) over all voxels, while that on GPU is affected by γ(n) distributions and is approximately proportional to the γ(n) summation over all voxels. We found that increasing the resolution of dose distributions leads to a quadratic increase of computation time on CPU, while less-than-quadratic increase on GPU. The values of dose difference and distance-to-agreement criteria also have an impact on γ-index calculation time.
Microinstruments for submicron material studies

We present two microinstruments for submicron scale material characterization. One of the instruments applies torsion on two single crystal silicon bars with square cross sections,1 and 2.25 μm2, until fracture. The maximum shear stress prior to fracture is found tobe 5.6 and 2.6 GPa, respectively. The second instrument applies tension on a composite (aluminum-silicon dioxide) beam, 1 × 1.5 μm2 in cross section. The beam fails at 220 μN.In both the experiments, the samples are designed, patterned, and cofabricated with the instruments. The microinstruments’ small size, low thermal mass, vacuum compatibility, and built-in vibration isolation allow material characterization to be performed over a wide range of environmental conditions: high vacuum (electron microscopy and surface analysis), high humidity, high pressure, and high and low temperatures.
Complex spacetime tangent bundle

It is demonstrated that the spacetime tangent bundle, in the case of a Finsler spacetime, is complex, provided that the gauge curvature field vanishes. This is accomplished by determining the conditions for the vanishing of the Nijenhuis tensor in the anholonomic frame adapted to the spacetime connection.
Why are some boundary currents blocked by the equator

Abstract Existing nonlinear theories for the effect of the equator on northward-flowing boundary jets adjacent to a finite depth upper layer suggest that such inertial currents can flow from the southern to the northern hemisphere with the equator playing no special role ( Anderson and Moore , 1979, Deep-Sea Research, 26, 1–22). It is demonstrated in this paper that, in contrast to these flows, nonlinear currents bounded by a front on their open ocean side (i.e. no adjacent upper layer) experience traumatic changes in their structure as they approach the equator. Within a deformation radius away from the equator, they separate from the coast and turn eastward to form a swift narrow jet. The equator blocks their advancement into the northern hemisphere. The above behavior is demonstrated by examining two nonlinear analytical models. First, we consider a simple highly idealized 1 1 2 layer model of a (southern hemisphere) wedge-like boundary current flowing northward with a wall on its left and a front on its right (looking downstream). It is almost a trivial matter to demonstrate analytically that such a current (which is just a special case of the Anderson and Moore flow) cannot penetrate into the northern hemisphere. Instead, it must separate from the coast in the vicinity of the equator. Secondly, a more realistic and more complicated 2 1 2 layer model is considered. In this nonlinear analytical model the current consists of two active layers. As in the previous model, the core of the current is a wedge-like layer (i.e. it is bounded by a front on the oceanic side) but the remaining surrounding field (i.e. the second moving layer) extends to infinity. It is shown that the flow in the second layer car cross the equator without any traumatic changes (as suggested by Anderson and Moore , 1979), but the core must again separate from the coast in the vicinity of the equator. As in the previous model, the current associated with the core is blocked by the equator. The general picture of the 2 1 2 layers is then of an initial two-layer inertial boundary current flowing toward the equator in the southern hemisphere. In the immediate vicinity of the equator the current splits into two branches. One separates from the coast and turns eastward whereas the other continues flowing northward until it ultimately reaches its own mid-latitude separation point. Possible application of this theory to the New Guinea Coastal Undercurrent is briefly discussed. This current turns offshore at the equator as predicted by our model.
Growth evolution and pendeo-epitaxy of non-polar AlN and GaN thin films on 4H–SiC (1 1 2¯ 0)

Abstract The initial and subsequent stages of growth of AlN on 4H–SiC (1 1 2¯ 0) and GaN on AlN (1 1 2¯ 0) have been investigated using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The AlN nucleated and grew via the Stranski–Krastanov mode. Densely packed, [0 0 0 1]-oriented individual islands were observed at 10 nm. Additional deposition resulted in the gradual reorientation of the growth microstructure along the [1 1¯ 0 0]. GaN formed via the Volmer–Weber mode with rapid growth of islands along the [1 1¯ 0 0] to near surface coverage at a thickness of 2 nm. Continued deposition resulted in both faster vertical growth along [1 1 2¯ 0] relative to the lateral growth along [0 0 0 1] and a [1 1¯ 0 0]-oriented microstructure containing rows of GaN. Fully dense GaN films developed between 100 and 250 nm of growth, and the preferred in-plane orientation changed to [0 0 0 1]. Lateral growth of GaN films reduced the dislocation density from ∼4×10 10 to ∼2×10 8 cm −2 . The high concentration of stacking faults (∼10 6 cm −1 ) was also reduced two orders of magnitude.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the parotid gland: A population-based analysis of 2545 cases

Abstract Purpose Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the parotid gland is an uncommon tumor, which generally affects older patients. In this study, we explore various aspects of this entity using a national population-based database. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was used to extract data on frequency, incidence, and disease-specific survival (DSS) from 1973 to 2009. Variables analyzed included age, gender, race, histologic grade, stage and treatment. Cox proportional hazards analysis was conducted. Results A total of 2545 cases were identified. Parotid SCC was most common in males (79.8%), whites (92.9%), and patients aged ≥ 75 years (51.4%). Incidence increased slightly over the past three decades (annual percent change 1.90%, p p p = 0.0016), regardless of whether or not radiotherapy was given. Conclusion Parotid SCC is uncommon, and data on treatment decisions are limited. Our study profiles the demographic, clinicopathologic, incidence, and survival features of this entity. Perhaps most notably, our results support the practice of END of the N0 neck.
PI3-kinase and TGF-β in glomerular nephropathy: which comes first?

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) isoforms contribute to glomerular disease. Finer and colleagues define a temporal and selective role for the p110γ catalytic isoform of PI3K, normally expressed by hematopoietic cells, and TGF-β in adriamycin-mediated glomerular injury. Early ectopic upregulation of p110γ by podocytes drives initial injury and proteinuria, whereas late upregulation of TGF-β drives fibrogenesis. Thus, proteinuria and renal fibrogenesis involve distinct signaling activated by p110γ and TGF-β, respectively.
Exhibiting Sundown Towns

AbstractBetween 1890 and 1940, thousands of towns expelled their black populations or took steps to ensure that none would ever enter. Many became known as "sundown towns," because some placed signs at their city limits that typically said "Nigger, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On You In _____." The typical museum in such a town rarely mentions this fact, even though the expulsion or prohibition may be an important aspect of its history. The omission helps make Americans unaware of the "Nadir of race relations"—1890-1940—and of the extent of racism in the north. Treating a community's racial past forthrightly requires courage, but doing so is important. A handful of museums have pioneered the way.
Natural language database query project: General Motors Research Laboratories

Project Goals: a. Developing small-scale solutions to current problems in NL understanding (e.g., anaphora). b. Incorporating these solutions into a NL database query system. c. Performing "human factors" experiments to evaluate various database interfaces, including NL interfaces. d. Modelling the relationship between database structures and natural language semantics.
Cerebral venous sinus stenting for pseudotumor cerebri: A review

Pseudotumor cerebri is characterized by headaches, visual field changes, papilledema and an elevated cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure without evidence of an intracranial mass. In the setting of failed medical therapy, surgical options such as ventriculoperitoneal shunts and optic nerve sheath fenestrations are considered. Recently, venous sinus stenting has emerged as a new treatment option for patients with pseudotumor cerebri. We review the role of cerebral venous sinus stenting in the management of patients with medically refractory pseudotumor cerebri. Although long- term studies are needed in this field, the current reports indicate a favorable outcome for preventing vision loss and symptom control.
Conquista y cambio cultural: La sierra de los Cuchumatanes de Guatemala, 1500–1821

Conquista y cambio cultural: La sierra de los Cuchumatanes de Guatemala, 1500-1821. W. George Lovell. Antigua and South Woodstock, VT: Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamerica and Plumsock Mesoamerican Studies, 1990. xvii + 270pp. $16.50 (paper). ISBN 0-910443-08-4.
MATERNAL ESTRIOL (E 3 ) AS A FUNCTIONAL MARKER FOR STEROID-INDUCED FETAL LUNG MATURATION. † 1482

Although glucocorticoids accelerate fetal lung maturation, it has been repeatedly observed that this therapy is only 50% effective in prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Previous studies (Torday, Endocrinology 126:3240, 1990) had shown that fetal adrenal androgens (FAA) block steroid-stimulated fetal lung maturation. Based on the hypothesis that steroids must suppress FAA to accelerate lung maturation, we propose that maternal serum E3, which reflects FAA, is a functional marker for steroid-induced fetal lung maturation. We have examined this relationship in two populations. First, we examined the change in maternal E3 between the time of treatment with glucocorticoid and 26 hours after treatment in the 100 non-diabetic women enrolled in the NIH Collaborative Trial who gave birth to non-malformed, singleton, liveborn infants from 27-34 weeks gestation. We noted that in the quartile of women with the smallest percent decrease in E3 the risk of developing RDS was 25% while in the quartile of women with the largest percent decrease the risk was only 8%. We have subsequently begun a multicenter trial to further examine this relationship using maternal serum unconjugated E3, which is the most precise indicator of fetal adrenal androgen production. We have evaluated 15 women at 27-32 weeks gestation who received a complete course of antenatal steroids. In 12 of the women the maternal serum E3 decreased by 50-80% during the 36 hours following initiation of treatment; none of these infants were diagnosed with RDS. In the other 3 women, the maternal serum E3 either did not change or increased by 200-400%; all 3 of these babies were diagnosed as having RDS. These results support our hypothesis.
The superantigen Pseudomonas exotoxin A requires additional functions from accessory cells for T lymphocyte proliferation.

Abstract We have examined the functions required of accessory cells (AC) for murine thymocyte proliferation induced by Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) and have compared these functions to those required of a known superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). We demonstrate that PE, like SEB, preferentially stimulates PNA− thymocytes expressing a specific Vβ element within the T cell receptor. However, PE requires functions from AC that are distinct from those required by SEB. AC treated with paraformaldehyde (PCHO) prior to stimulation supported thymocyte proliferation induced by SEB but not PE. However, when AC were treated with PCHO subsequent to stimulation with PE, thymocyte proliferation was observed, which suggests that PE requires antigen processing in addition to presentation. Furthermore, treatment of AC with lysosomotropic agents abrogated thymocyte proliferation induced by PE but not SEB. Antibodies to MHC class II molecules inhibited thymocyte proliferation induced by both PE and SEB. In addition, we observed that interleukin 1α (IL-1α) participated in the proliferation of thymocytes induced by PE but not SEB. Thus, our data indicate that PE is a unique microbial superantigen that requires additional AC functions for T lymphocyte proliferation.
Activin family members in the developing chick retina: expression patterns, protein distribution, and in vitro effects.

Abstract We have investigated whether the activin family of growth factors is involved in the regulation of retinal cell differentiation. Immunocytochemistry andin situhybridization have shown that activin/inhibin subunits α, βA, and βB; receptors II and IIB; follistatin; and a follistatin-like gene are expressed in different regions of the chick embryo retina in developmentally regulated patterns. When tested in dissociated retinal cultures, activin did not appear to affect cell survival or proliferation, but it exerted marked inhibitory effects on the differentiation of photoreceptors, while stimulating the differentiation of nonphotoreceptor neurons; both effects were concentration-dependent and follistatin-sensitive. The results are consistent with the possibility that activin family members play significant roles in the regulation of retinal development.
Primary culture of rat growth plate chondrocytes: an in vitro model of growth plate histotype, matrix vesicle biogenesis and mineralization

During endochondral ossification (EO), cartilage is replaced by bone. Chondrocytes of growth plate undergo proliferation, maturation, hypertrophy, matrix vesicle (MV) biogenesis and programmed cell death (PCD, apoptosis). The in vitro system presented here provides a potential experimental model for studying in vitro differentiation and MV biogenesis in chondrocyte cultures. Chondrocytes were obtained from collagenase-digested tibial and femoral growth plate cartilage of 7-week-old rachitic rats. The isolated chondrocytes were plated as monolayers at a density of 0.5 x 10(6) cells per 35-mm plate and grown for 17 days in BGJ(b) medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 50 microg/ml ascorbic acid. Light microscopy revealed Sirius red-positive, apparent bone matrix in layers at the surfaces of cartilaginous nodules that developed in the cultures. The central matrix was largely alcian blue staining thus resembling cartilage matrix. Electron microscopy revealed superficial areas of bone like matrix with large banded collagen fibrils, consistent with type I collagen. Most of the central matrix was cartilaginous, with small fibrils, randomly arranged consistent with type II collagen. The presence of peripheral type I and central type II and type X collagen was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemistry with anti-Bone morphogenetic proteins 2, 4 and 6 showed that BMP expression is associated with maturing hypertrophic central chondrocytes, many of which were TUNEL positive and undergoing cell death with plasma membrane breaks, hydropic swelling and cell fragmentation. During early mineralization, small radial clusters of hydroxyapatite-like mineral were associated with matrix vesicles. Collagenase digestion-released MVs from the cultures showed a high specific activity for alkaline phosphatase and demonstrated a pattern of AMP-stimulated nonradioactive (40)Calcium deposition comparable to that observed with native MVs. These studies confirm that primary cultures of rat growth plate chondrocytes are a reasonable in vitro model of growth plate histotype, MV biogenesis and programmed cell death.
Housing Supply and the Effects of Stochastic Development Control

Abstract We consider the effects of development control on housing supply when the nature of the control is uncertain. Such controls contribute to the risk faced by housing suppliers. An increase in the variance of the controls will decrease current period supply of housing. Some implications are obtained for market supply behavior, which indicates that the presence of stochastic development controls may distort housing supply in unexpected ways.
A Detailed Polymerization Model for Cerenol® Polyols

Summary: A mathematical model of the acid catalyzed 1,3-propanediol polymerization has been developed. Two catalysts investigated include sulfuric acid and superacid (tetrafluoroethane sulfonic acid or triflic acid). Based on a detailed reaction mechanism, population and mass balance equations have been derived for small molecules as well as for polymeric species of numerous chain distributions, which are distinguishable in terms of protonation state and end group functionality. Due to the interaction of the sulfuric acid catalyst with the polymer ends, a novel, dual index polymer chain distribution was derived and implemented. The model has been validated with various sets of experimental data obtained in a lab-scale reactor setup. Dynamic model outputs such as monomer concentration, molecular weight averages, unsaturated and sulfate end groups, water evaporation rate and sulfate middle groups have been compared with experimental data of sulfuric and super acid catalyzed polymerization runs. Very good agreement between model predictions and experimental data has been obtained for both catalyst systems over an extended range of conditions using the same set of model parameter values. It is worth noting that the model is also capable of predicting polymerization equilibrium.
Comparative and mixture sediment toxicity of trinitrotoluene and its major transformation products to a freshwater midge.

The explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a prevalent contaminant in many military installations worldwide. Limited knowledge of the comparative toxicity of sediment-associated TNT and related compounds contributes to uncertainty when assessing ecological risks in contaminated sites. Trinitrotoluene undergoes transformation when associated with soils and sediments and typically occurs as a mixture dominated by its reduction products. The objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the single-compound toxicity of TNT and its major transformation products to the freshwater midge Chironomus tentans in 10-day exposures to sediment spiked with TNT, 2-aminodinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 2,4-diaminonitrotoluene (2,4-DANT), or trinitrobenzene (TNB). In addition, the nature of the toxicological interactions of the latter compounds in a mixture was evaluated. Upon spiking to sediment, TNT and TNB rapidly degraded to reduced products, and disappearance of extractable compounds suggested irreversible binding to sediment particles. The high degree of transformation and reactivity occurring during 10 days at spiking concentrations as high as 4000 μmol/kg dry weight suggests that TNT and related compounds are unlikely to be encountered in fine-grained sediments at contaminated sites. Similar to previous investigations, the high reactivity of the spiked compound hampered determination of accurate toxic concentrations of TNT and related compounds, and of the nature of toxicological interaction of compounds in a mixture in this study. Sediment concentrations associated with decreased survival were similar for all four compounds, with the 10-d median lethal concentrations (LC50s) determined using initial concentrations ranging from 175 (2-ADNT) to 605 (2,4-DANT) μmol/kg dry weight. Sublethal decrease in growth was not observed for any compound. Results from the mixture experiment suggest additive interaction among TNT and related compounds in sediment exposures.
Landmarks in Cardiac Surgery Stephen Westaby. 683 pp. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 1998. $150.00. ISBN 1-899066-54-3.

During the 20th century, cardiac surgery emerged from the realm of conjecture and speculation into the clinical arena, upstaging less dramatic forms of surgery and winning widespread acclaim for its practitioners. The first cardiac operations were desperate procedures, undertaken mainly to treat battlefield injuries. By 1950, operations on the closed heart had become fairly common. Cardiac surgery did not begin to fulfill its initial promise, however, until the advent of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine in 1953. Once this device made open heart surgery possible, almost every form of heart disease quickly yielded to the scalpel. In 1967, the world was awestruck by the first human heart transplant. Later, we saw the development of left ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts. Today, heart transplants are routine, and some cardiac operations are being performed as minimally invasive procedures. In view of these advances, it is hard to believe that cardiac surgery is …
Electron-impact dissociative ionization of ethylene

The ionization rates of the electron-impact ionization and dissociative ionization of ethylene for two typical cases: thermal plasmas with an electron temperature in the range between 1000 and $24\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}000\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$; and nonthermal plasmas with the reduced electric field in the range between 10 and $200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Td}$ are presented. Electron-impact dissociative ionization rates were calculated for 11 fragment ions of ethylene in the case of low temperature thermal plasma, and in a case of nonthermal ionized mixture of argon and ethylene. Dissociative ionization cross sections were calculated using a semiempirical binary-encounter bethe (BEB) model [Y. K. Kim and M. E. Rudd, Phys. Rev. A 50, 3954 (1994)], with each of the four most dominant fragments, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}\mathrm{H}_{4}{}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}\mathrm{H}_{3}{}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}\mathrm{H}_{2}{}^{+}$, and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$, being associated with a single molecular orbital. Calculated cross sections are used in this analysis due to the fact that the existing experimental data are the least accurate in the threshold region and the calculated results can improve the accuracy in that region. Also, the procedure may be extended to molecules for which experimental data are not available.
Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Triarylamines for Photonic Applications via One-Pot Palladium-Catalyzed Aminations

Syntheses of unsymmetrically substituted triarylamines have been achieved by a one-pot procedure using C−N bond-forming reactions, where two aryl bromides are sequentially added to an arylamine in the presence of a palladium catalyst. This methodology has been utilized to synthesize a number of substituted analogs of 4,4‘-bis(m-tolylphenylamino)biphenyl, which may be useful as the hole transport component of vapor-deposited organic light-emitting diodes. The variations in the substitution are anticipated to lead to a variety of band gaps, band offsets, and glass transition temperatures in this class of materials.
Heating analysis of bent-nose biconics at high angles of attack using the parabolized Navier-Stokes equations

A method based on the Parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is used to calculate the flow field and heat transfer of lifting entry vehicles. The method is based on the Bean and Warming implicit algorithm and uses a new procedure for preventing departure solutions. Calculations are carried out for blunt on-axis and bent biconics, assuming a perfect gas and laminar flow, and compared with available heat transfer, surface pressure and shock shape measurements for a range of Mach numbers and angles of attack. In all calculations presented here, the starting solution is obtained from available inviscid and boundary layer codes. Good agreement with experiment is indicated. Thus, the method provides an accurate and rather inexpensive procedure for calculating three-dimensional flows at supersonic Mach numbers.
Measurement and characterization of interface state tunneling in metal-insulator-semiconductor structures

Abstract Measurements of (hν >Eg)-photo- and dark capacitance transients in CrSiO2nSi MIS tunnel diodes with oxide thickness d ox = 20 to 43 A at temperatures between T = 87 and 300 K are analyzed to extract the tunneling parameters: the interface trap density Dit(E) [cm−2 eV−1], distribution Dν(lnνm) of the logarithmic tunneling rate ln νm near midgap, and the energy dependence of its centerline ln v m for traps of average tunneling distance d = dox. From these data, we calculated the tunneling attempt-to-escape frequency νmo decreasing from 1015.4±0.6 Hz at midgap to about 1010 Hz at the silicon conduction band edge, the energy independent tunneling attenuation coefficient α = 1.05 A −1 , and the standard deviation σ d = 2.4 ± 0.3 A of the distribution of the tunneling distance d from the metal.
CZT detectors used in different irradiation geometries: Simulations and experimental results

The purpose of this work was to evaluate potential advantages and limitations of CZT detectors used in surface-on, edge-on, and tilted angle irradiation geometries. Simulations and experimental investigations of the energy spectrum measured by a CZT detector have been performed using different irradiation geometries of the CZT. Experiments were performed using a CZT detector with 10 x 10 mm2 size and 3 mm thickness. The detector was irradiated with collimated photon beams from Am-241 (59.5 keV) and Co-57 (122 keV). The edge-scan method was used to measure the detector response function in edge-on illumination mode. The tilted angle mode was investigated with the radiation beam directed to the detector surface at angles of 90 degrees, 15 degrees, and 10 degrees. The Hecht formalism was used to simulate theoretical energy spectra. The parameters used for simulations were matched to experiment to compare experimental and theoretical results. The tilted angle CZT detector suppressed the tailing of the spectrum and provided an increase in peak-to-total ratio from 38% at 90 degrees to 83% at 10 degrees tilt angle for 122 keV radiation. The corresponding increase for 59 keV radiation was from 60% at 90 degrees to 85% at 10 degrees tilt angle. The edge-on CZT detector provided high energy resolution when the beam thickness was much smaller than the thickness of CZT. The FWHM resolution in edge-on illumination mode was 4.2% for 122 keV beam with 0.3 mm thickness, and rapidly deteriorated when the thickness of the beam was increased. The energy resolution of surface-on geometry suffered from strong tailing effect at photon energies higher than 60 keV. It is concluded that tilted angle CZT provides high energy resolution but it is limited to a 1D linear array configuration. The surface-on CZT provides 2D pixel arrays but suffers from tailing effect and charge build up. The edge-on CZT is considered suboptimal as it requires small beam thickness and also suffers from charge buildup.
Synthesis of a molecular charm bracelet via click cyclization and olefin metathesis clipping.

We describe the synthesis of a polycatenated cyclic polymer, a structure that resembles a molecular charm bracelet. Ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization of an amino-containing cyclic olefin monomer in the presence of a chain transfer agent generated an α,ω-diazide functionalized polyamine. Cyclization of the resulting linear polyamine using pseudo-high-dilution copper-catalyzed click cyclization produced a cyclic polymer in 19% yield. The click reaction was then further employed to remove linear contaminants from the cyclic polymer using azide- and alkyne-functionalized scavenging resins, and the purified cyclic polymer product was characterized by gel permeation chromatography, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy. Polymer hydrogenation and conversion to the corresponding polyammonium species enabled coordination and interlocking of diolefin polyether fragments around the cyclic polymer backbone using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing olefin metathesis to afford a molecular charm...
Admission glucose level and clinical outcomes in the NINDS rt-PA Stroke Trial.

Background: Hyperglycemia during acute ischemic stroke may augment brain injury, predispose to intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or both. Method: To analyze the relationship between admission glucose level and clinical outcomes from acute ischemic stroke, the authors performed multivariate regression analysis with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) Stroke Trial data. Neurologic improvement was defined as improvement on the NIH Stroke Scale by 4 or more points from baseline to 3 months, or a final score of zero. Favorable outcome was defined as both Glasgow Outcome score of 1 and Barthel Index 95 to 100 at 3 months. Symptomatic ICH was defined as CT-documented hemorrhage temporally related to clinical deterioration within 36 hours of treatment. Potential confounding factors were controlled, including acute treatment (rt-PA or placebo), age, baseline NIH Stroke Scale score, history of diabetes mellitus, stroke subtype, and admission blood pressure. Results: There were 624 patients enrolled within 3 hours after stroke onset. As admission glucose increased, the odds for neurologic improvement decreased (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76 per 100 mg/dL increase in admission glucose, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.95, p = 0.01). The relation between admission glucose and favorable outcome depended on admission mean blood pressure (MBP): as admission MBP increased, the odds for favorable outcome related to increasing admission glucose levels progressively decreased ( p = 0.02). As admission glucose increased, the odds for symptomatic ICH also increased (OR = 1.75 per 100 mg/dL increase in admission glucose, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.78, p = 0.02). Admission glucose level was not associated with altered effectiveness of rt-PA. Conclusions: In patients with acute ischemic stroke, higher admission glucose levels are associated with significantly lower odds for desirable clinical outcomes and significantly higher odds for symptomatic ICH, regardless of rt-PA treatment. Whether this represents a cause and effect relationship remains to be determined.
Choosing abortion: teens who make the decision without parental involvement.

In the landmark case of Bellotti v. Baird, the Supreme Court assumed both that pregnant teens lack the capacity to make the abortion decision for themselves, and that parental involvement serves as a beneficial counterweight to youthful immaturity. Since this decision, the Court has not wavered from its belief in the interconnected assumptions about teen decisional incapacity and the benefits of parental involvement, despite the growing body of literature documenting the decisional abilities of teens. Compounding this omission, the Court has also failed to consider the fact that minors possess significant medical self-consent rights, particularly when it comes to pregnancy and other sensitive medical decisions.
Jastrow functions in double-β decay

We use simple analytic considerations and a Monte Carlo calculation of nucleons in a box to argue that the use of Jastrow functions as short-range correlators in the commonly employed two-body cluster approximation causes significant errors in the matrix elements for double-{beta} decay. The Jastrow approach appears to agree with others, however, if many-body clusters are included. A careful treatment of the charge-changing analog of the nuclear pair density shows, in addition, that differences between the unitary correlation operator method and Brueckner methods for treating short-range correlations in double-{beta} decay are less significant than suggested by previous work.
Is literature search training for medical students and residents effective? a literature review.

Objectives This literature review examines the effectiveness of literature searching skills instruction for medical students or residents, as determined in studies that either measure learning before and after an intervention or compare test and control groups. The review reports on the instruments used to measure learning and on their reliability and validity, where available. Finally, a summary of learning outcomes is presented. Methods Fifteen studies published between 1998 and 2011 were identified for inclusion in the review. The selected studies all include a description of the intervention, a summary of the test used to measure learning, and the results of the measurement. Results Instruction generally resulted in improvement in clinical question writing, search strategy construction, article selection, and resource usage. Conclusion Although the findings of most of the studies indicate that the current instructional methods are effective, the study designs are generally weak, there is little evidence that learning persists over time, and few validated methods of skill measurement have been developed.
Improved Active Handrest Performance Through Use of Virtual Fixtures

The Active Handrest is a large workspace assistive robotic device that has been shown to significantly improve the user performance of various movement tasks. This device has the potential to assist highly accurate motions without the need for a robotically enabled or comanipulated tool while allowing the user to retain complete control over a grasped tool. This paper evaluates the Active Handrest's effect on the kinematics of user movements together with various virtual fixture control strategies to further improve the human performance while using the Active Handrest. The most effective fixture strategy for tracing straight lines is first determined. Then, this fixture strategy is directly implemented on the Active Handrest's motions. Finally, the performance of different fixture strategies is assessed through speed-accuracy tradeoff and movement kinematics. It is concluded that fixtures implemented on the Active Handrest are as effective as those implemented on a grasped tool, which enables users of the Active Handrest high accuracy with ordinary tools such as a scalpel or paint brush. The performance is further improved when fixtures are implemented on both the Active Handrest and the grasped tool.
Attenuation Measurements in the 1 to 1000 MHz Frequency Range in Wet Granite Tunnels

Attenuation measurements were made in the 1 to 1000 MHz frequency range in two wet-granite tunnels leading to an underground facility. The purpose of the measurements was to determine the vulnerability of the facility to interfering electromagnetic radiation. Continuous-wave signals were propagated within the tunnels and the signal levels at various distances from the transmitter were measured with a spectrum analyzer. Measurements were made using antennas to launch and receive the signals and also using baluns to conduct the signals directly to longitudinal metallic structures. These structures consisted of ventilation ducts and of the sheaths on power cables and coaxial cables. At low frequencies, the path attenuation was on the order of 2 dB/100 ft. (0.07 dB/m). The results show that this low attenuation probably resulted from the presence of the longitudinal metallic structures in the tunnels. The maximum path attenuation occurred at 50 MHz in one tunnel and at 200 MHz in the other (smaller tunnel). Then, at higher frequencies, it is thought that propagation occured in a waveguide-like manner. At the higher frequencies, it was found that bends in the tunnels significantly increased the attenuation. It is concluded that if interfering signals in the MHz range are anticipated, tunnels free of longitudial metallic structures should be used. To prevent interference by higher frequencies, where waveguide-like propagation occurs, tunnels should contain bends.
Highlights of the collection development librarians of academic libraries discussion group

Abstract The Collection Development Discussion Group, moderated by Eric Carpenter (Oberlin College), focused on two primary topics: “The Role of Faculty in Collection Development” and “Performance Evaluation.”
The role of linked birth and infant death certificates in maternal and child health epidemiology in the United States.

Abstract Abstract: Linked birth and infant death certificates allow measurement of birthweight-specific infant mortality. Jack Smith, MS, to whom this issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine is dedicated, played a key role in the National Infant Mortality Surveillance (NIMS) project. NIMS provided national data on birthweight-specific infant mortality for the 1980 birth cohort, updated data previously collected by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for the 1960 birth cohort, and supported NCHS’s implementation of an annual linked file in 1983. NIMS illustrated themes in infant mortality that remain important: the role of low birthweight (LBW) as a contributor to infant mortality, the contribution of disparities in LBW and birthweight-specific mortality to black–white gaps in infant mortality, and the nation’s greater success in reducing mortality among LBW infants than in preventing LBW. Linked birth and infant death records are used nationally and by states to study an array of maternal and infant health topics, from the quality of vital records to the impact of therapeutic and public health interventions. By supplementing birth and infant death records with linkages to program and hospital discharge data, epidemiologists and health service researchers are extending the utility of vital statistics data to monitor maternal and infant health.
Intentional forgetting of actions: Comparison of list-method and item-method directed forgetting

Abstract Performing action phrases (subject-performed tasks, SPTs) leads to better memory than verbal learning instructions (verbal tasks, VTs). In Experiments 1–3, the list-method directed forgetting design produced equivalent directed forgetting impairment for VTs and SPTs; however, directed forgetting enhancement emerged only for VTs, but not SPTs. Serial position analyses revealed that both item types suffered equivalent forgetting across serial positions, but enhancement was evident mostly in the first half of List 2. Experiment 4 used the item-method of directed forgetting and obtained greater directed forgetting for VTs than SPTs. A remember-all baseline group allowed estimating the impairment for to-be-forgotten (TBF) items and enhancement for to-be-remembered (TBR) items. Serial position analyses showed greater impairment for TBF items from the beginning of the list than elsewhere in the list. Directed forgetting enhancement for TBR items occurred throughout the list for VTs, but only in the primacy region for SPTs. Overall, dissociations across the list-method and item-method studies with SPTs suggest that the two methods have different underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, dissociations obtained with SPTs within list-method studies provide support for the dual-factor directed forgetting account and challenge the single-factor accounts.