cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERISTICS OF FERMENTED NATTO PRODUCTS AS AFFECTED BY SOYBEAN CULTIVARS

The characteristics of four soybean cultivars, grown in the Northern plain region of the U.S.A. and harvested in different years were investigated. These soybeans were fermented into natto products. The characteristics of the intermediate and finished products were analyzed. Correlation coefficients among certain physical, chemical, sensory characteristics of raw soybeans, intermediate products and finished products were significant (P < 0.05). The ammonia content significantly correlated with firmness of the natto products made from these cultivars (r = 0.65). Minnatto and MN 91-468 cultivars were similar to the Danatto cultivar in objective measurements and sensory properties. Compared with the other cultivars, Natto King had a higher solid matter content (1.92%) in the soaking water, a higher broken bean ratio (22.71%) after steaming and the hardest texture of the finished natto products. The effect of harvest year of Danatto cultivars and the quality attributes of the finished natto products varied with Bacillus natto strains.
Code noise in delta-sigma modulators

A unique kind of noise appears in pulse density modulated (PDM) signals generated by 1-bit delta-sigma type A/D converters. We choose to call this "code noise." It is due to the limited number of codes used to characterize the input below 20% and above 80% of full-scale. The mathematical basis is derived and the resulting noise plotted for a variety of word lengths.
Prenatal steroid exposure promotes expression of renal injury indices in African American females (1134.11)

Administration of steroids to expectant mothers at risk for pre-term delivery is standard practice, but may have detrimental effects on kidney development and function in the offspring. African-Ame...
$\hbox{1}/f$ Noise of Silicon Nanowire BioFETs

The 1/f noise of silicon nanowire (NW) biological field-effect transistors (NW FETs with exposed channels) is characterized and compared with various fabrication approaches, specifically, a wet orientation-dependent etch (ODE) versus common plasma-based etching methods. The wet-etched devices are shown to have significantly lower noise and subthreshold swing, and the average extracted Hooge parameter for ODE wet-etched devices (αH = 2.1 × 10-3) is comparable to the values reported for submicrometer MOSFETs with a metal/HfO2 gate stack.
The relationship between musculoskeletal symptoms, postures and the fit between workers' anthropometrics and their computer workstation configuration

Objective Awkward postures during computer use are assumed to be related to the fit between the worker and the workstation configuration, with greater mismatches leading to higher levels of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). The objective of this study was to examine if chronic MSS of the neck/shoulder, back, and wrist/hands was associated with 1) discrepancies between workstation setups and worker anthropometrics and 2) workers' postures. Participants Secondary analysis on data collected from a randomized controlled cross-over design trial (N=74). Method Subjects' workstation configurations, baseline levels of MSS, working postures, and anthropometrics were measured. Correlations were completed to determine the association between postures and discrepancies between the worker anthropometrics and workstation configuration. Associations were examined between postures, workstation discrepancies and worker MSS. Results There were only 3 significant associations between worker posture and MSS, and 3 significant associations between discrepancies in worker/workstation set-up and MSS. Conclusion The relationship between chronic MSS and the workers computer workstation configuration is multifactorial. While postures and the fit between the worker and workstation may be associated with MSS, other variables need to be explored to better understand the phenomenon.
Comparison of bupivacaine femoral and sciatic nerve block versus bupivacaine and morphine epidural for stifle surgery in dogs.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of combined femoral and sciatic nerve blocks as an alternative to epidural anesthesia and analgesia in dogs undergoing stifle surgery under general anesthesia. Study design Prospective, blinded, randomized, clinical comparison. Animals Twenty dogs weighing 37 ± 11 (mean ± SD) kg, aged 3 (1–8) [median (minimum–maximum)] years undergoing elective unilateral tibial-plateau leveling osteotomy. Methods Dogs were assigned randomly to receive either epidural anesthesia (bupivacaine 0.5%, 0.5 mg kg −1 + morphine 0.1%, 0.1 mg kg −1 , in 0.2 mL kg −1 ; EPID) or femoral and sciatic nerve blocks (Bupivacaine 0.5%, 0.1 mL kg −1 , was administered at each site; F + S) guided by electrolocation. All patients received a standard general anesthesia technique. Pain and sedation were scored (on scales of 0–10 and 0–3, respectively) pre-operatively, at extubation, and at 1, 4 and then every 4 hours thereafter up to 24 hours. Postoperatively, hydromorphone was administered to any patient with a pain score of >5 or whenever the blinded caregiver determined that more hydromorphone was necessary. Intraoperative heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), end tidal isoflurane (F E ′ISO), body temperature, post-operative pain scores, time to first hydromorphone dose after surgery, time to first feeding, time to first drinking, time to first urination, time to first ambulation (walk on a lead) and cumulative dose of hydromorphone were recorded. Results Intra-operatively, F E ′ISO and MAP were significantly lower in the EPID group ( p = 0.05 and p = 0.04, respectively). Postoperatively, the cumulative hydromorphone consumption ( p = 0.04) and the incidence of urinary retention ( p = 0.03) were higher in the EPID group. Conclusion and clinical relevance F + S is a practical alternative to EPID that produces less urine retention and reduces opioid consumption in the 24 hours after surgery. EPID might be associated with a lower isoflurane requirement and lower systemic blood pressure.
Kosovo is the Most Expensive Serbian Word: Political Enchantment and Milosevic's Rise to Power

The starting point for what might be called the Serbian and Yugoslav disaster is often traced back to the fateful April 24, 1987 when during his visit to Kosovo, Polje Serbian Party President Slobodan Milosevic, in Audrey Helfant Budding's words, "experienced the political power of national feeling first-hand, and began his conversion from Communist apparatchik to national leader" (Budding 1998:354).1
Macrophage activation for tumor cytotoxicity: control of macrophage tumoricidal capacity by the LPS gene.

In contrast to cells from C3H/HeN mice, macrophages from LPS-unresponsive C3H/HeJ mice fail to develop tumoricidal capacity after a variety of in vivo of in vitro activation stimuli. The macrophage-tumoricidal defect of C3H/HeJ mice was evident with treatments not dependent upon exogenously added LPS: BCG (see Abbreviations ) infection, T cell mitogens, or in vitro exposure to lymphokines. This study was designed to determine if macrophage-tumoricidal capacity was controlled by the LPS gene. Tumoricidal responses of macrophages from BCG-infected F 1 hybrids (C3H/HeJ × C3H/HeN) were intermediate to those of the parental strains. There were no differences in cytotoxic responses between macrophages from BCG-infected male or female F 1 hybrids. These responses suggest an autosomal codominant pattern of inheritance for control of macrophages cytotoxicity similar to that previously reported for B cell responsiveness to LPS. In a backcross linkage analysis (C3H/HeJ × F 1 ), there was complete concordance in the expression of macrophage-tumoricidal capacity and spleen cell capacity to proliferate in response to LPS. Furthermore, macrophage-tumoricidal capacity correlated with LPS responsiveness in other inbred mouse strains. Macrophages from BCG-infected, LPS-unresponsive C57BL/10ScCR mice were not tumoricidal in vitro , whereas cells from BCG-infected, LPS-responsive C57BL/10Sn mice were. Moreover, analysis of tumoricidal responses in eight different BXH recombinant inbred strains of mice revealed that the development of cytotoxic macrophages during BCG infection was associated with the capacity of each strain to respond to LPS. These findings strongly suggest that the gene for control of macrophage-tumoricidal capacity is either closely linked or identical to the LPS gene.
Left-Looking to Right-Looking and Vice Versa: An Application of Fractal Symbolic Analysis to Linear Algebra Code Restructuring

We have recently developed a new program analysis strategy called fractal symbolic analysis that addresses some of limitations of techniques such as dependence analysis. In this paper, we show how fractal symbolic analysis can be used to convert between left-looking and right-looking versions of three kernels of central importance in computational science: Cholesky factorization, LU factorization with pivoting, and triangular solve.
Patterns of industrial evolution, dominant designs, and firms' survival

This paper surveys recent research on the concept of a dominant product design. The point of departure for the survey is the idea that dominant designs occur which shift the terms of competition in an industry. A dominant design is defined as a specific path along a design hierarchy, which establishes primacy among competing design paths. The way in which this might occur and its implications for innovation and competition are then explored. Evidence from the literature covering a number of industries in the United States is then surveyed and compared with original evidence, first presented here, from some of the same industries in Japan. The dominant design which emerges in each industry is not necessarily the result solely of technical potentials, but also of timing, collateral assets, and other circumstances. In several cases dominant designs have not or have not yet occurred. Once a degree of standardization is accepted, major innovations in an industry seem less and less likely to occur short of a wave of new entrants and increasing competition. In contrast, entry and innovation in Japan seem to occur following appearance of the dominant design, and implies that firms can pursue widely different strategies so long as their strategy is linked to the state of evolution of their core technology. Implications for further research are discussed, and the idea that a dominant design is related to information economies for users is introduced. Thus, for a design to be dominant or a standard requires a degree of experimentation and a rich collaboration between producers and users, not simply a synthesis of parts and functions in a product.
Nursing Student Engagement: Student, Classroom, and Clinical Engagement

A nursing studentâ€™s level of engagement is extremely important. Their engagement efforts impact their current and future learning, their clinical care interactions, and ultimately, ongoing retention within the nursing profession. The level of engagement with the nursing role and responsibilities will contribute toward the patientsâ€™ quality of healing. Interventions toward wellness, provided with engagement, create nurturing and supportive caring. Student education must facilitate engagement by being relevant and evidence-based. The current concept of student engagement is outlined in the following sections: engagement definitions, nursing student engagement, classroom engagement, and clinical engagement. An up-to-date literature review of student nursesâ€™ engagement in learning is presented; gaps in the literature are identified. Engagement is not a new teaching strategy, however, it has recently become extremely popular and effective as traditional lectured education is becoming replaced by this more active and participatory teaching and learning methods.
Decoupling Eye-Specific Segregation from Lamination in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

To determine whether there is a critical period for development of eye-specific layers in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), we prevented the normal segregation of retinogeniculate afferents and then allowed an extended period of time for recovery. After recovery, both anatomy and physiology revealed strictly nonoverlapping territories of input from the two eyes. However, the normal stereotyped pattern of eye-specific afferent and cellular layers never developed. Instead, the eye-specific territories of afferent input emerged as variable and disorganized patches with no corresponding interlaminar spaces in the LGN. These findings reveal a critical period for coordinating the development of three processes in the LGN: the segregation of afferents from the two eyes, the spatial organization of those afferents into layers, and the alignment of postsynaptic cytoarchitecture with the afferent inputs. We also assessed the physiological consequences of preventing normal lamination and found normal single-cell responses and topographic representation of visual space in the LGN. Clusters of ON-center and OFF-center LGN cells were segregated from one another as in normal animals. However, the organization of ON and OFF sublaminas in the treated animals was disrupted.
Insect Transposable Elements

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on recent advances in the study of insect transposable elements (TEs). A brief introduction on TE classification and transposition mechanisms is given. It also describes the current approaches to studying insect TEs and highlights the impact and the evolutionary dynamics of TEs in insect genomes. It discusses the applications of TEs in genetic and molecular analysis of insects. TEs have the ability to replicate and spread in the genome as primarily “selfish” genetic units. TE insertion and recombination are major sources of potentially detrimental mutations, and the host genomes have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to control TE activity. The same insertional or recombinatory activities by TEs generate a great deal of genetic and genomic plasticity and provide the raw material for adaptive evolution. TEs have been used as tools to genetically manipulate cells/organisms, taking advantage of their ability to integrate cognate DNA in the genome.
Detecting neuronal currents with MRI: A human study

Purpose Recently developed neuronal current magnetic resonance imaging aims to directly detect neuronal currents associated with brain activity, but controversial results have been reported in different studies on human subjects. Although there is no dispute that local neuronal currents produce weak transient magnetic fields that would attenuate local MR signal intensity, there is not yet consensus as to whether this attenuation is detectable with present magnetic resonance imaging techniques. This study investigates the magnitude of neuronal current-induced signal attenuation in human visual cortex. Theory A temporally well-controlled visual stimulation paradigm with a known neuronal firing pattern in monkey visual cortex provides a means of detecting and testing the magnitude of the neuronal current-induced attenuation in neuronal current magnetic resonance imaging. Methods Placing a series of acquisition windows to fully cover the entire response duration enables a thorough detection of any detectable MR signal attenuation induced by the stimulus-evoked neuronal currents. Results No significant neuronal current-induced MR signal attenuation was observed in the putative V1 in any participated subjects. Conclusion The present magnetic resonance imaging technique is not sensitive enough to detect neuronal current-induced MR signal attenuation, and the upper limit of this attenuation was found to be less than 0.07% under the study condition. Magn Reson Med 71:756–762, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Association of PTSD symptoms with asthma attacks among Hurricane Katrina survivors

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and asthma in the wake of natural disasters is poorly understood. Using pre- and postdisaster data (N = 405) from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) project, we examined associations between PTSD symptoms, measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and self-reported postdisaster asthma attacks. A 1-point increase in the IES-R avoidance score, which corresponded to one standard deviation change in this sample, was associated with double the odds of reporting an asthma attack or episode since the hurricane, 95% CI Revise spacing among characters: [1.22, 4.16]. Association with hyperarousal and intrusion symptoms was null. Further research using objective measures of asthma morbidity is needed; nevertheless, these findings may help inform postdisaster health services delivery and predisaster mitigation planning.
Carotid-cavernous fistula following percutaneous retrogasserian procedures. Report of two cases

✓ Carotid arterial puncture during percutaneous retrogasserian procedures is a common but usually harmless complication. Strokes, resulting presumably from carotid artery thrombosis, have been reported previously following percutaneous retrogasserian coagulation. The authors report two cases of carotid-cavernous fistula, one following percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy and the other after percutaneous retrogasserian block. The latter patient had an anomalous primitive foramen lacerum. Both fistulas were obliterated successfully by intracavernous injection of isobutyl-2 cyanoacrylate, using intra-arterial balloon flotation catheters. Carotid-cavernous fistula is a potentially serious complication of such procedures, and may be more common than realized since small fistulas may close spontaneously.
Fingerprints: enabling visualization and automatic analysis of strategies for two player games

Evolutionary computation can create a vast number of strategies for playing simple games. Analysis of these strategies is typically more time-consuming than their production. As a result, analysis of strategies produced by an EC system is often lacking or restricted to the extraction of superficial summary statistics. This study presents a technique for extracting a functional signature from evolved agents. This signature can be used as a visualization of agent behavior in games with two moves and also provides a numerical target for clustering and other forms of automatic analysis. The fingerprint can be used to induce a similarity metric on the space of game playing agents. This study develops fingerprints in the context of the iterated prisoner's dilemma but they can be computed for any two player simultaneous game with a finite set of moves.
Role of hepatitis C virus in acute non-A, non-B hepatitis in Greece: a 5-year prospective study.

Abstract The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 182 prospectively followed adult patients (110 males, 72 females) with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis and its correlation with progression to chronic hepatitis were studied. These patients were followed for a mean of 24.7 ± 13.1 (range, 6–57) months. By using a specific enzyme immunoassay for the detection of antibodies against C100-3 polypeptide of HCV, 96 (52.7%) were found antibody positive. HCV was implicated in 64/89 (71.9%) of the cases with classical parenteral exposure but only in 1864 (28.1%) of the community-acquired cases. Progression to chronic hepatitis was observed more frequently in antibody-positive than in antibody-negative cases (6096 or 62.5% vs. 2786 or 31.4%, P = 0.00002). Progression was also observed more often in males than in females (66112 or 58.9% vs. 2170 or 30.0% P = 0.0001), both in the antibody positive (4868 or 70.6% vs. 1228 or 42.9%, P = 0.01) and in the antibody negative (1844 or 40.9% vs. 942 or 21.4%, P = 0.043) cases. These data indicate that (a) acute hepatitis due to HCV is characterized by a high rate of chronicity, especially in males, and (b) a non-A, non-B, non-C agent or a different strain of HCV may be responsible for the majority of the community-acquired cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis in Greece.
PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN COASTAL NORTH AMERICAN TIGER BEETLES (CICINDELA DORSALIS SAY) INFERRED FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCES.

Genetic variation was assessed in the tiger beetle, Cicindela dorsalis, by sequencing of three regions of the mtDNA genome. Populations of four morphologically distinguishable subspecies were sampled from 28 representative locations covering almost the entire geographic range of the species in coastal North America. In 78 individuals analyzed for 656 base pairs from four different genes, 17 different haplotypes could be distinguished. A cladistic analysis grouped the haplotype sequences into two main lineages, one from the Atlantic Ocean and one from the Gulf of Mexico. Haplotypes within the two clades were very similar to each other. Most of the characters that distinguished these closely related haplotypes were homoplastic. The geographic distribution of haplotypes did not coincide with the distribution of morphological subspecies, but no evidence for hybridization between two subspecies could be inferred from this observation. The implications of these findings for the evolution of gene sequences at and below the species level are discussed.
Abnormalities associated with grain growth in solid solution Cu(Ni) thin films

Abstract A sputter-deposited 80Cu20Ni (at.%) solid solution film was heated in situ using a step-wise annealing schedule within a transmission electron microscope to observe the grain boundary character evolution associated with grain growth. The grain size distribution broadened with increasing temperature with a corresponding increase in the Σ9 and Σ11 boundary fraction. Particular grains grew at a faster rate than others, as compared to a Cu film, and are attributed to Ni segregation to the grain boundaries.
Descending Thoracic and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: 15-Year Results Using a Uniform Approach

This review presents the results of surgical repair of descending thoracic (DT) and thoracoabdominal aortic (TAA) aneurysms, using spinal drainage (SD) distal aortic perfusion (DAP), and other adjuncts intended to reduce complications. Records of patients undergoing repair of DT and TAA between 1986 and 2002 were reviewed. Elective operations were performed using single lung ventilation, invasive monitoring, SD, modest anticoagulation, permissive hypothermia (≥33°F), liberal use of transaortic endarterectomy, and complete repair. Intercostal arteries were reimplanted when possible and DAP was used in DT and TAA types I, II, and III repair. Exceptions to this approach were noted. Some of these adjuncts were used in emergency cases. Actuarial survival was calculated. Fifty consecutive patients with DT (3) or TAA (47), type I (4), type II (16), type III (18), or type IV (9), aneurysms received elective (36) or emergency (14) repair between 1986 and 2002. Mortality was 2/36 (5.5%) in the elective group. In the emergency group, there were 2 intraoperative deaths and mortality was 4/14 (28.5%, p < 0.07). Overall survivor morbidity was 6/34 (17.6%) in elective and 7/10 (70%, p < 0.02) in emergency cases. Paraplegia occurred in one patient in the elective group (2.7%) with dissecting type II TAA aneurysm in whom the intercostal patch was sacrificed. Two of 12 initial survivors developed paraplegia in the emergency group (16.7%); one had SD but neither had DAP or intercostal reimplantation. Serious complications were associated with avoidable deviations from the approach. Five and 10-year survival for the entire series was 64.8% and 46.4%, respectively. These results parallel those in contemporary reports from centers where repair of descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm is frequently performed. Good long-term results can be achieved using spinal drainage and distal aortic perfusion, combined with other adjuncts as a means of reducing complications. When possible, the same approach should be used in emergency cases.
Cultivating Una Persona Educada: A Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Vision of Education

This essay focuses on the need to educate the new persona educada, a dignified, honorable person with a good measure of social and personal responsibility who also possesses the habits of the mind ...
Developmental Exposure to 1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg of Dibutyltin Dichloride Does Not Impair Immune Function in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Organotins are used commercially as pesticides, antifouling agents, and stabilizers for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. Mono-and di-substituted butyltins, used in PVC pipe production, are of concern to the United States EPA, they leach from supply pipes into drinking water and are reported multisystem toxicants. We assessed immune function in Sprague–Dawley rats after developmental dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) exposure. Pregnant rats were given drinking water containing 0, 10, or 25 mg/L of DBTC (final concentration) in 0.5% Alkamuls from gestational Day (GD) 6 through weaning of pups (37 days total). Approximate doses to dams: 1 and 2.5 mg DBTC/kg body weight (BW) during gestation, or 2.0 and 4.4 mg DBTC/kg BW while nursing. Litters were sexed, weighed, and culled to 4 males and 4 females per dam on postnatal Day (PND) 2. Beginning on PND3, litters of half of the dams per dose were gavaged with 0, 1.0, or 2.5 mg DBTC/kg BW 3X/week for 10 doses (maternal + direct treatment); remaining litters were exposed ...
Location Shooting and the Filmic Destination: Transylvanian Myths and the Post-Colonial Tourism Enterprise

In this study, we examine a contested tourism proposal in Romania, Dracula Park, and its attempts to balance the indigenously produced history of the region with the powerful myths imposed by European and American filmic and literary influences: Bram Stoker's Dracula and the ‘heritage films’ it spawned. While the project was recently announced to be abandoned, the Romanian discourse on Dracula Park offers an avenue for a post-colonial critique which we explore in the context of globalisation, place, identity and various texts of the culture industry. A film-location-tourism spectrum helps illustrate some of the issues raised in this paper. Dracula films and Dracula Park (DP) occupy a problematic spot on this continuum, as myth and history are mediated around a real Transylvania by local-global cultural intermediaries. This helps us situate the political economy of tourism in settings like post-socialist Romania. We argue that the literary-film-DP example shows tourism as a postcolonial enterprise of a glo...
A kinetic theory of steady condensation

This paper pertains to the steady condensation on to, or evaporation from, a liquid droplet suspended in a mixture of its vapour and an inert gas. The treatment is from a kinetic theory viewpoint. The Maxwell moment method is used with Lees' two stream Maxwellian representations for the distribution functions, to obtain a closed form result valid through the whole range from free molecule to continuum. In the diffusion control limit the formula reduces to approximate results obtained by Maxwell, Fuchs and others. In the limit where no inert gas is present the formula reduces to a result obtained earlier by the author. The formulae presented here for the mass and energy flux can now be used to calculate the growth rate of very small droplets, under a wide range of conditions.
Cortico-striatal evoked potentials in the monkey (Macaca mulatta)

A systematic study has been made of topographic organization in the striatum of evoked potentials elicited by stimulation of the cerebral cortex in unanesthetized, comatose monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Stimulation of the dorsal field of the prefrontal convexity elicited potentials primarily in rostral portions of the caudate, while stimulation of the ventral field of the prefrontal convexity elicited potentials in ventromedial areas of the putamen. Stimulation of different points on the precentral and postcentral gyri revealed a distinct somatopic organization of evoked responses in the putamen, although responsive zones in the putamen to precentral and postcentral stimulation showed almost total overlap. An overlap of responsive zones to stimulation of the dorsal prefrontal convexity and the premotor area (area 6) was found in the dorsolateral part of the rostral caudate, while a zone of overlap of responses to stimulation of the ventral prefrontal convexity and "hand" motor area of the precentral gyrus was found in the ventromedial area of the putamen near the commissural level.
Quasielastic neutron scattering by hydrogen in the α and β phases of vanadium hydride

Abstract The diffusion of hydrogen in the α and β phases of vanadium hydride has been studied by neutron inelastic scattering. Samples of VH 0.198 , VH 0.403 and VH 0.570 were used to determine the temperature and concentration dependence of the diffusion in the α -phase. An activation energy of 550 ± 50°K was derived from the temperature dependence of hydrogen diffusion in the VH 0.198 sample. The theoretical neutron scattering cross-section for jump diffusion among the octahedral and tetrahedral interstitial sites of body-centered cubic lattices has been derived and compared to the experimental results. No conclusions about the site occupation in the α -phase can be drawn from these results. The data for the β -phase of VH 0.570 indicate an abrupt decrease in the diffusion rate at the α → β transition.
Passive infrared sensing using plasmonic resonant dust particles

In this paper we present computational and experimental results of dust particles that can be tuned to preferentially reflect or emit IR radiation within the 8-14 μm band. The particles consist of thin metallic subwavelength gratings patterned on the surface of a simple quarter wavelength cavity. This design creates distinct IR absorption resonances by combining the plasmonic resonance of the grating with the natural resonance of the cavity. We will show that the resonance peaks are easily tuned by varying either the geometry of the grating or the thickness of the cavity. Here, we present a computational design algorithm along with experimental results that validate the design methodology.
An Auger investigation of the grain-boundary chemistry in Ni3(Si,Ti) alloys

Abstract Three different Ni3(Si,Ti) alloys were cathodically charged with hydrogen and fractured under high vacuum conditions. Scanning Auger microscopy (SAM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the chemical compositions of the fracture surfaces and the mode of fracture. The compositions of the transgranular regions were compared with the intergranular regions in order to determine the amount of grain-boundary segregation or depletion of the various constituents. In all the alloys studied, Si and Ti were depleted on the grain boundaries, while Ni was enriched relative to the bulk. Correlations were made between the grain-boundary compositions and the previously reported environmental embrittlement of these alloys. An embrittlement factor defined as [(Si+Ti)/Ti] on the grain boundaries is suggested to be related to the degree of environmental embrittlement at ambient temperatures. Some possible reasons for this correlation are discussed.
Heat localization for targeted tumor treatment with nanoscale near-infrared radiation absorbers

Focusing heat delivery while minimizing collateral damage to normal tissues is essential for successful nanoparticle-mediated laser-induced thermal cancer therapy. We present thermal maps obtained via magnetic resonance imaging characterizing laser heating of a phantom tissue containing a multiwalled carbon nanotube inclusion. The data demonstrate that heating continuously over tens of seconds leads to poor localization (? 0.5?cm) of the elevated temperature region. By contrast, for the same energy input, heat localization can be reduced to the millimeter rather than centimeter range by increasing the laser power and shortening the pulse duration. The experimental data can be well understood within a simple diffusive heat conduction model. Analysis of the model indicates that to achieve 1?mm or better resolution, heating pulses of ?2?s or less need to be used with appropriately higher heating power. Modeling these data using a diffusive heat conduction analysis predicts parameters for optimal targeted delivery of heat for ablative therapy.
AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT. Susan H. Foster-Cohen. London: Longman, 1999. Pp. xv + 232. £13.99 paper.

This book is an excellent introduction to the field of child language development. It demonstrates the need for both a theory of language development and reliable speech and comprehension data in child language research. As Foster-Cohen states in the preface to the book, the adoption of only a single approach, as opposed to a combination of different approaches, is unlikely to lead to a productive understanding of child language acquisition. The book successfully adopts the perspectives of both the empiricist and the rationalist traditions in its treatment of key issues.
Nomogram to predict successful placement in surgical subspecialty fellowships using applicant characteristics.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to develop a model that predicts an individual applicant's probability of successful placement into a surgical subspecialty fellowship program. Methods Candidates who applied to surgical fellowships during a 3-year period were identified in a set of databases that included the electronic application materials. Results Of the 1281 applicants who were available for analysis, 951 applicants (74%) successfully placed into a colon and rectal surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, or pediatric surgery fellowship. The optimal final prediction model, which was based on a logistic regression, included 14 variables. This model, with a c statistic of 0.74, allowed for the determination of a useful estimate of the probability of placement for an individual candidate. Conclusions Of the factors that are available at the time of fellowship application, 14 were used to predict accurately the proportion of applicants who will successfully gain a fellowship position.
On the use of deflation to improve the convergence of conjugate gradient iteration

Experimental evidence is presented to show that the method of deflation introduced by Nicolaides can be quite effective in improving the rate of convergence in conjugate gradient iteration in certain types of problems.
Modeling a large-scale utility-interconnected solid oxide fuel cell power plant

As the strain on electrical generation continues to rise and concerns about environmental emissions grow, fuel cell technology is seen as a viable component for addressing these challenges. Recent developments in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology have increased interest in their application towards centralized electricity production in addition to their well-discussed applications in distributed generation. This paper presents the modeling and control of a large scale, grid-connected 1.0 MW SOFC power plant capable of supplying electricity to a utility power system. The modeling discussion of the major system components and control of real and reactive power to the grid are presented. A simulation model for the SOFC power plant has been developed using MATLAB/Simulinkreg. Short-duration transient simulations are performed to evaluate system performance. The simulation results indicate the suitability of SOFC technology for large power generation applications.
A Cytological Study of the Hordeae in the Dakotas

A total of eleven collections from North and South Dakota belonging to the grass tribe Hordeae were studied in detail to determine the extent of meiotic irregularity. Two collections of Agropyron trachycaulum and Hordeum jubatum were most regular with a high chiasma frequency and all the other nine collections of Agropyron spp., Elymus virginicus, and Hordeum jubatum had several irregularities in their meiotic behavior and varied chiasma frequency. A comparison of the present data with earlier studies shows some differing observations which are attributed to natural hybridization with related taxa.Help rendered by Mr. Peter Bunde and Mrs. Manda Borgaonkar in this study is appreciated.
Life-Cycle Assessment and Environmental Engineering

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is an analytical framework for measuring environmental and social impacts of a product system or technology across its entire life (ISO 1997), and it supplies a basis for selecting among competing options. This editorial argues that LCA and related tools should be both integral and integrated with practice and scholarship in environmental engineering. Readers not familiar with LCA may consult the references listed below. In brief, LCA encompasses four objective, factbased procedures: In the LCA jargon, the “goal and scope definition” phase defines the aims, product/system, and system boundaries. System boundaries typically range from raw materials extraction and processing, manufacturing, product use, and final disposal. In the “inventory analysis,” air emissions, waterborne effluents, solid wastes, other releases to the environment, energy and materials consumption, and other aspects are quantified for the defined system boundary and related to the product/system function. In “impact assessment,” the inventory’s outputs or burdens are analyzed with respect to environmental relevance, and outcomes are aggregated to a smaller number of relevant environmental categories to address short- and long-term impacts on human health and the environment. Aggregations usually address depletion of abiotic resources, depletion of biotic resources including impacts of land use and loss of biodiversity and life support function, greenhouse effect, stratospheric ozone depletion, ecotoxicity, photo-oxidant formation, acidification, eutrophication, odor, noise, radiation, waste heat, human toxicity, and casualties. In the “interpretation” step, the results are compared with the goal of the study. LCA is also an important tool for “life-cycle design” or “product improvement” where environmental considerations are integrated into product/system development. There are many variants on these themes, and many tools other than LCA with similar aims—e.g., “material flow analysis,” “design for the environment,” “green chemistry,” and “environmentally conscious manufacturing.” There is growing experience with the LCA framework in a wide range of analyses, ranging from everyday items that are well-recognized by the public, e.g., fast-food containers (paper versus plastic clamshell case—or bring-your-own ), to large-scale engineering systems, e.g., transportation and fuels infrastructure. In the environmental engineering field, LCA should have special meaning and consequence as it identifies, quantifies, and assesses the principal environmental burdens—pollutant discharges, environmental impacts, and health risks—that are associated with the system under analysis and that have been the focus of the field for decades. However, LCA studies are (or can be) holistic and much
Teaching the Microcomputer to the Two-Plus-Two Technologist

The advent of the microprocessor has added a higher level of complexity for the electronics technician/technologist who is proficient in digital electronics. Associate degree electronics technician programs should develop and implement microcomputer system trouble-shooting courses. This short note develops the rationale for teaching microcomputer troubleshooting to the electronics technician/technologist, and describes in detail a microcomputer lecture/laboratory course which has been implemented at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Zirconium tungstate/cyanate ester nanocomposites with tailored thermal expansivity

Abstract The dimensional stability of polymer matrix composites can be enhanced by reducing the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the high CTE polymer matrix and low CTE fiber reinforcements, which leads to development of residual stresses and matrix microcracking. A potential strategy to diminish these residual stresses involves development of polymer nanocomposites with well dispersed nanoparticles that reduce the extent of mismatch in CTE. In this work, we explore the potential for development of bulk polymer nanocomposites with tailored thermal expansivity through incorporation of zirconium tungstate nanoparticles that are characterized by a negative CTE in a unique low viscosity bisphenol E cyanate ester (BECy) thermosetting polymer matrix. Incorporation of up to 10 vol.% whisker-like nanoparticles, synthesized by a hydrothermal method, results in a 20% reduction in the CTE of the polymer matrix. However, the nanoparticles exert a dramatic catalytic effect on the cure reaction of BECy resin and subsequently decrease the onset temperature of the glass transition for the cured polymer network, at high filler loadings.
Multiple effects of SK&F 96365 on ionic currents and intracellular calcium in human endothelial cells

Abstract 1. 1. Multiple effects of the imidazole compound SK&F 96365 have been evaluated on endothelial cells from human umbilical vein using a combined patch clamp and Ca 2+ -microfluorimetric technique (Fura-2). 2. 2. At concentrations of 100 μmol/l or higher of SK&F 96365, the block of the receptor-mediated Ca 2+ entry overlaps with the activation of another Ca 2+ -entry mechanism, which is assoclated with a non selective cationic current. 3. 3. This rise in [Ca 2+ ] i depends on the extracellular Ca 2+ -concentration, and the entry pathway is in contrast with the receptor-mediated Ca 2+ -entry pathway permeable to Ni 2+ , as shown by quenching of the Fura-2 fluorescence signal. 4. 4. The concentration of SK&F 96365 for half maximal increase in [Ca 2+ ] i was 141 ± 19 μmol/l (n = 16). 5. 5. SK&F 96365 activated a current that reversed at +11.8 ± 2.1 mV (n = 21) when measured using nystatin-perforated patches with either Cs + or K + in the pipette and 140 Na + , 1.5 Ca 2+ in the bath (chloride equillbrium potential E Cl = −36 mV). 6. 6. SK&F 96365 (200 μmol/l) blocked an inwardly rectifying K + current in endothelial cells independently of [Ca 2+ ] i . This block caused depolarization of the endothelial cells from −55.3 ± 2.57 mV (n = 33) to −10 ± 5.5 mV (n = 6). This block was concentration-dependent, half maximal block occurred at a concentration of about 40 μmol/l SK&F 96365. 7. 7. In cells which showed an outwardly rectifying current, this outward component was also completely blocked by 200 μmol/l SK&F 96365. 8. 8. It is concluded that SK&F 96365 reversibly activates a non-selective cation channel at concentrations higher than 100 μmol/l, but also blocks K + currents in endothelial cells independently of [Ca 2+ ] i . These multiple effects overlap with the proposed block of receptor-mediated Ca 2+ entry. The block of K + -channels may in unclamped cells reduce the driving force for Ca 2+ , and thereby interfere with the Ca 2+ -influx.
The Education of Natives, Creole Clerics, and the Mexican Enlightenment

In this article, I explore the parallel responses of two groups of colonial subjects who were confronted with the institutional changes that occurred in the context of Enlightenment ideas in eighteenth-century Mexico: creole clerics headed by the Jesuit Francisco Javier Clavijero; and native religious men who petitioned to colonial authorities and the Crown for additional spaces for the education of indigenous men. I explore some of the interactions between creole clerics—often referred to as creole patriots—and native elites in the schools of central Mexico, and efforts by indigenous noble men to broaden the opportunities for natives to join the ranks of the Church and to receive a higher education. To this end, I build on the scholarship that has made evident how the hegemonic program of Bourbon reforms, which was inspired by the Enlightenment, was not a top-down plan implemented successfully and equally across the continent but rather a series of contested interpretations. This article contributes to t...
NIH gerontology research support: policy evaluation of in vitro cell lineage studies.

Abstract Populations of cultured human diploid cells, used extensively in research on aging, are not well understood in terms of kinetics and mitotic activity of constituent cells. NICHD has supported, by contract, cell lineage studies to elucidate such cell characteristics contributing to the cell population degeneration and death. The policy of NICHD (NIA) encouragement of such studies has been evaluated. A need for cell lineage and related data from culture-cell populations is recognized, and research necessary to achieve these data will be encouraged. Grant applications to this end are sought.
An improved approximate method for computing eigenvector derivatives

Abstract An improved approximate method for computing eigenvector derivatives has been developed. In this formulation an eigenvector derivative is assumed to be spanned by a set of truncated normal modes augmented by a residual static mode. The coefficients in the expansion are computed by a Bubnov-Galerkin method. The formulation has been implemented as a set of Direct Matrix Abstraction Programming alters for MSC/Nastran . Numerical examples show the method provides sufficient accuracy and reduced computation time when compared to the exact solution.
Effects of Phonemic Awareness Training on Delayed Tests of Reading

In 10 studies there was no significant difference between the effects of phonemic awareness for measures of reading administered immediately after training or delayed by up to 2 or 3 years.
Beta haemolytic streptococcal infection does not cause right diaphragmatic eventration

Numerous case reports in the literature have suggested a causal link between β-haemolytic streptococcal infection and delayed-onset right-sided diaphragmatic hernia/eventration in the perinatal age group. We report a child with antenatally documented right diaphragmatic eventration 4 weeks before birth who subsequently developed a β-haemolytic streptococcal infection in the neonatal period.
Compensation of Bending Waves in an Optically Instrumented Miniature Kolsky Bar

Kolsky (split-Hopkinson) bars are susceptible to bending which may introduce flexural wave components to the expected longitudinal loading waves. The traditional method of removing these components by using a pair of strain gages is not practical for bars with very small diameters (<3 mm). For such bars strain gages are replaced with optical interferometers: a normal displacement interferometer located on the free end of the output bar and transverse displacement interferometer (TDI) together with a diffraction grating on the surface of the input bar. In this work we propose a method to remove bending wave components from the compressive loading pulse through modifications of the existing optical measurement system to include a pair of TDIs that are positioned on opposite sides of the input bar. Short, square longitudinal loading pulses with sub-microsecond rise times, free of bending wave components, were successfully measured using this system.