cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Redrawing Afrocentrism: Visual Nommo in George H. Ben Johnson's Editorial Cartoons

This article considers the manner in which the editorial cartooning of George H. Ben Johnson (c. 1917–1920) expanded current conceptions of Afrocentrism in order to open a space for Afrocentric vis...
Elastic Scattering of Lithium by Carbon

The elastic scattering cross sections of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$ and ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$ on ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$ were measured at a number of bombarding energies from 4.5 to 13 MeV. The ratio of the cross section to the Rutherford cross section was determined for a wide range of angles at each energy. The data were fitted by an optical-model potential with four parameters: radius, diffuseness, real well depth, and imaginary surface-absorption well depth. All data for each isotope could be fitted with numerous sets of parameters with real well depths between 40 and 450 MeV. Data for both isotopes could be fitted using the same values for radius and diffuseness and essentially the same for real well depth, but with greater imaginary well depth for ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$. The fit holds good for all energies if a linear dependence of the imaginary well depth on energy is included. Data are also expressed in terms of the nuclear parts of the collision matrix elements which show certain regularities. As a by-product of this work, it was found that in the elastic scattering of lithium by gold the screening of the gold nucleus by its inner electrons is important for energies below 3.0 MeV.
Impact of investment horizon on the performance of value versus growth styles and style allocation

Most literature on time diversification focuses on the risks of stocks versus bonds. Little attention has been given to the impact of time horizon on the risks for value versus growth stocks. With the growing popularity of those two investment styles, it is in great need to analyze the time changing nature of risks for value versus growth styles. This article seeks to fill in the void. We study three downside risk measures: shortfall risk, expected loss and lower partial standard deviations (LPSDs), for value versus growth styles across different holding periods. We find that all the three risk measures decline when time horizon lengthens. The benefit of time diversification is greater for value stocks than for growth stocks. And value stocks outperform growth stocks in terms of both risks and returns in the long run. Does this mean that an investor should increase his/her investment in value stocks for longer investment horizons? We further explore the optimal mix of value and growth stocks across time horizons. Interestingly, even though value stocks dominate growth stocks in both risks and returns in the long run, adding growth stocks to value stocks is still beneficial. With rolling window analysis (when the returns are autocorrelated), the optimal weights for value stocks are approximately 50 per cent, 40–50 per cent and 30–40 per cent in order to minimize shortfall risk, expected loss and LPSDs, respectively, for an investment window of 1–15 years. With bootstrap analysis (return distributions are independent), the optimal weights for value stocks increase as time horizon lengthens. However, even for the 15-year window, the optimal portfolio still has about 30 per cent growth stocks. In other words, style diversification is still important even in the long run.
Neutral oxygen and sulfur densities in the Io torus

Ultraviolet spectra (1150-1750 A) of the Io torus, obtained using a rocket-borne telescope and spectrometer in May 1981, show emissions of neutral sulfur and neutral oxygen, as well as ionic emissions of S II, S III, and S IV. The emissions are observed almost 180 deg from the location of the satellite Io and imply the existence of an extended neutral atomic cloud associated with the torus. In the present work, neutral densities and ion mixing ratios are derived by modeling the observations using torus electron temperature and density profiles proportional to those at the time of the Voyager 1 encounter. The model includes the effects of photoexcitation, which can be considerable if the neutral cloud is large enough. At the time of the observation, substantial densities of neutral oxygen and neutral sulfur are found in regions of the torus far from Io. These lower limits on the neutral densities are compared to theoretical models of the neutral source, and the ion mixing ratios are compared to IUE observations of the torus obtained over a period of 5 yr. Arguments that tend to rule out Europa as the source of the neutral emission are also presented.
Room temperature reactions of alkyl halides in zeolite NaX: Dehalogenation versus dehydrohalogenation

Abstract Alkyl halides were shown to undergo room temperature, nucleophilic substitution reactions in NaX Faujasite zeolite with some evidence of elimination chemistry [Kanyi et al., Mesopor. Micropor. Mater. 92 (2006) 292–299]. Presented here is a study of the dependence of these two types of chemistry on (1) halogen, (2) order of halogenated C atom, and (3) chain length. Primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl halides (Cl, Br, and I) were adsorbed into zeolite NaX at room temperature. Products were analyzed using 13 C and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Primary chloro and bromoalkanes underwent dehalogenation and dehydrohalogenation, forming framework alkoxy species and olefins, respectively, while their secondary counterparts formed predominantly olefins. Primary iodoalkanes formed only framework alkoxy, while secondary iodoalkanes formed both. Tertiary alkyl chloride, bromide, and iodide were unreactive. Haloethanes formed no olefin, but longer haloalkanes did. Balance between substitution and elimination can be understood in terms of factors: (1) Relative rates of C–X (X = Cl, Br, I) and C–H cleavage, whereupon substitution is predominant when the C–X cleavage rate is greater than the C–H cleavage rate. C–X cleavage rates decrease in the order I > Br > Cl. (2) Relative stability of the framework alkoxy species, as a result of steric hindrance in the zeolite. This stability decreases, primary > secondary > tertiary. Reasons for haloethanes undergoing exclusively substitution are not clear, but the fact suggests that framework ethoxy is more stable than all of the larger framework alkoxy species.
Field programmable port extender (FPX) for distributed routing and queuing

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are being used to provide fast Internet Protocol (IP) packet routing and advanced queuing in a highly scalable network switch. A new module, called the Field-programmable Port Extender (FPX), is being built to augment the Washington University Gigabit Switch (WUGS) with reprogrammable logic.FPX modules reside at the edge of the WUGS switching fabric. Physically, the module is inserted between an optical line card and the WUGS gigabit switch back-plane. The hardware used for this project allows ports of the switch populated with an FPX to operate at rates up to 2.4 Gigabits/second. The aggregate throughput of the system scales with the number of switch ports.Logic on the FPX module is implemented with two FPGA devices. The first device is used to interface between the switch and the line card, while the second is used to prototype new networking functions and protocols. The logic on the second FPGA can be reprogrammed dynamically via control cells sent over the network.The flexibility of the FPX has made the card of interest for several networking applications. This year, fifty FPX hardware modules will be fabricated and distributed to researchers at eight universities around the country who are interested in experimenting with reprogrammable networks and per-flow queuing mechanisms. The FPX hardware will first be used to implement fast IP lookup algorithms and distributed input queueing.
Tetralogy of Fallot Associated with Complete Atrioventricular Canal

Abstract A 6-year-old girl had the clinical appearance of tetralogy of Fallot but was found at cardiac catheterization to have tetralogy of Fallot associated with complete atrioventricular canal. She underwent repair, and at recatheterization two years later, the hemodynamic result was excellent. Proper angiography is necessary to diagnose this combination, and correct preoperative diagnosis is necessary to plan a rational operative approach.
Compression of albite, NaAlSi3O8

The structure and equation of state of low albite, NaAlSi 3 O 8 , has been determined using high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction to a maximum pressure of 9.43 GPa. Low albite remains triclinic in space group C 1 over the entire pressure range and no phase transitions were observed although the evolution of the unit-cell parameters and volume exhibit some unusual features at pressures above 4 GPa. A third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fit to 6 P - V data points up to 3.4 GPa has K 0 = 54.2(7) GPa and K ′ = 5.3(6). At higher pressures the volume-pressure curve exhibits d 2 V /d P 2 P - V data set can be approximated with a fourth-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state with K 0 = 52.3(9) GPa, K 0 ′ = 8.8(6), and K 0 ″ = −2.8(2) GPa −1 . The anisotropy of the compression of albite is typical of that of feldspars with 65% of the volume compression accounted for by the compression of the (100) plane normal. This is due to the closing-up of the crankshaft chains of tetrahedra that are characteristic of the feldspar structure. Single-crystal X-ray intensity data sets collected at 6.4, 8.4, and 9.4 GPa also show that the four-membered rings of tetrahedra within the structure undergo significant shear at high pressures. Changes in the rate of shear of the four-membered rings with pressure are associated with changes in the variation of the unit-cell angles with pressure.
Activation of phasic pontine-wave generator: A mechanism for sleep-dependent memory processing

Sleep and learning studies suggest that memory consolidation following learning requires processes selectively active during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. However, the mechanism(s) responsible for the activation of these processes remain largely unknown. To explain part of this mechanism, this article reviews findings of recent studies that were designed specifically to explain how activation of the phasic pontine-wave (P-wave) generator is involved in memory processing during the post-training REM sleep period. This review begins with the oldest concept of conscious state-dependent memory processing and ends with a possible mechanism of how activation of the brainstem P-wave generator regulates neuronal activation-dependent gene expression and protein synthesis.
Neural populations in the rat forebrain and brainstem activated by the suckling stimulus as demonstrated by cFos expression

During lactation in the rat, the suckling stimulus plays an important role in mediating alterations in hypothalamic neuroendocrine function associated with lactation. To provide the basis for understanding the neural circuitry that may transmit suckling-induced signals into the hypothalamus, the present study used the expression of the immediate-early gene product, cFos protein, as a marker for neuronal activation to identify neural populations in the brain of lactating female rats activated by the suckling stimulus. In addition, cFos expression induced by the exteroceptive sensory stimuli (olfactory, auditory, visual) associated with pup exposure alone was also determined. Thus, cFos patterns in response to the physical suckling stimulus, which would include exteroceptive sensory stimuli associated with pup exposure, were compared with the patterns induced in response to pup exposure alone, so that neuronal populations specifically activated by the suckling stimulus could be identified. After 90 min of suckling, several forebrain areas, including the lateral septum, medial preoptic area, periventricular preoptic area and supraoptic nucleus of hypothalamus, showed a significant increase in cFos expression, compared with non-suckled controls and pup exposure animals. In addition, in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, the medial amygdala and several cortical areas, cFos-positive cells were found in both suckling and pup exposure animals. In the brainstem, the suckling stimulus induced a significant increase in cFos expression in the ventrolateral medulla, locus coeruleus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, lateral and ventrolateral portions of the caudal part of the periaqueductal gray, and caudal portion of the paralemniscal nucleus, compared with non-suckled controls and pup exposure animals. As expected, in several areas related with sensory input, such as reticular formation and pontine nucleus, cFos expression was found in both suckling and pup exposure animals. Moreover, when double-label immunocytochemistry was used to identify cFos- and catecholamine-positive neurons in the brainstem, it was found that catecholamine-positive neurons in the ventrolateral medulla and locus coeruleus showed a significant increase in cFos expression in response to suckling compared with non-resuckled and pup-exposure groups. Using cFos expression as a marker for neuronal activation, the present studies identified the neural populations in the brain that are activated by the suckling stimulus. By comparing the pattern of cFos expression observed in response to pup exposure alone or the suckling stimulus, the present studies differentiated the neural populations activated by the physical suckling stimulus from the populations activated by the exteroceptive sensory stimuli associated with pup exposure. These suckling-activated areas are likely candidates for playing an important role in transmitting the effects of the suckling stimulus into the hypothalamus to regulate neuroendocrine alterations associated with lactation.
Thermal modeling of Bridgman crystal growth using a boundary element approach

Abstract The boundary element method (BEM) is used to obtain the temperature field and the shape and position of the solid/liquid interface for bulk crystalline growth in a 3-zone Bridgman furnace. The model of two-dimensional heat transfer in a rectangular shaped crystal considers conduction in the crystal and the melt with Newton's law cooling governing the boundaries outside the adiabatic zone. The end of the crystal and melt zones are assumed to be perfectly insulated. In this study, the effects of the ratio of thermal conductivities, furnace temperature symmetry parameter, Peclet number, Biot number, and the dimensionless adiabatic zone length are investigated. The temperature symmetry parameter and ratio of thermal conductivities determine the interface shape and position when the furnace is stationary. An increase in the Peclet number moves the interface closer to the cold zone and increases the curvature of the interface. The Biot number influences the sensitivity of the interface shape and position with variations in the Peclet number; smaller Biot numbers result in an interface that is more sensitive to changes in Peclet number. Increasing the adiabatic zone length reduces the curvature of the interface but does not affect the relative position of the interface within the adiabatic zone.
In Memoriam Carol Hirschon Weiss (1926–2013)

In Memorium In Memoriam: Carol Hirschon Weiss (1926–2013) American Journal of Evaluation a The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1098214013490225 aje.sagepub.com Marvin C. Alkin 1 Carol Hirschon Weiss, Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, passed away on January 8, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts. Born and raised in New York, she earned a bachelor’s degree in govern- ment from Cornell University, a master’s degree in government, and a doctorate in sociology (1977), both from Columbia University. A year after receiving her PhD, she joined the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was named the Beatrice B. Whiting Professor of Education in 1999 and she continued her prolific career in evaluation until retirement in 2006. Over the course of her work in the evaluation field, Carol published 11 books and countless journal articles. Especially notable are two comprehensive texts on evaluation: Evaluating Research: Methods of Assessing Program Effectiveness (1972) and Evaluation: Methods for Studying Programs and Policies (1998). Carol’s early work on evaluation utilization in the late 1960s was the impetus to focused research on evaluation utilization and a recognition of the evaluator’s role in fostering use. Her work on the politics of evaluation demonstrated that politics were inherent in every aspect of evaluation. Also, she developed some of the earliest ideas about the value of basing evaluations on the theory underlying programs. Five of her colleagues and friends in the evaluation field who have been influenced by her work have written tributes in her memory. University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Downloaded from aje.sagepub.com at UCLA on January 15, 2015
The effects of magainin 2, cecropin, mastoparan and melittin on Brucella abortus

Abstract The effect of the α-helical polycationic peptides magainin 2, melittin, mastoparan and cecropin on the viability of Brucella abortus 544 (type species), B. abortus S19 (vaccine strain) and B. abortus S2308 (vaccine challenge strain) was determined. Rough mutants of these strains and the rough candidate vaccine strain B. abortus RB51 were also tested. S. typhimurium was used as a control. The peptides did not affect the viability of B. abortus smooth strains but some of the peptides affected viability of the rough strains. Magainin 2 at a concentration of 100 μg ml −1 did not reduce the viability of the rough B. abortus strains. Cecropin at a concentration of 15 μg ml −1 reduced the viability of the rough strains by approximately 10-fold. Mastoparan at a concentration of 50 μg ml −1 reduced the viability of the rough strains by approximately 100-fold. Melittin at a concentration of 20 μg ml −1 reduced the viability of the rough strains of B. abortus by approximately 1000-fold. The brucellae were significantly more resistant to all the cationic peptides than was S. typhimurium .
A Procedure for Transforming Points in Multi-Dimensional Space to a Two-Dimensional Representation.

In this paper a procedure is set forth that transforms an n-dimensional scatter diagram into a two-dimensional scatter diagram while preserving proximity relationships between points. This procedure can help in the presentation and interpretation of multivariate results.
Diagnosis and surgical treatment of disabling positional vertigo

This report reviews the characteristic symptoms of disabling positional vertigo (DPV), and the tests used to reach a differential diagnosis of this disorder. Twenty-one patients were operated on consecutively for management of DPV between March, 1983, and September, 1984. In all patients one or more arteries or veins was found to be compressing the eighth cranial nerve when the nerve was exposed for microvascular decompression to relieve the symptoms of DPV. After the operation, 16 of the 21 patients were free of symptoms, or symptoms were so much improved that the patients returned to normal work or social life. Two patients had no improvement and three had limited relief of symptoms postoperatively. None of the patients experienced hearing loss as a result of the operation to relieve DPV, but one patient suffered a cerebellar contusion during the operation.
Electrically conducting fibers made from rigid rod polymers

Abstract New multifunctional polymer fibers and films having high electrical conductivity plus high strength and stiffness have been prepared by several novel techniques. The resulting fibers may have strengths up to 0.5 GPa and room temperature conductivities up to 3 S/sec. All have a matrix of a rigid-rod polymer, and all have a synthetic metal phase dispersed throughout them. Host polymers are poly(p-phenylene terepthalamide) (PPTA), which is essentially DuPont's Kevlar R , or poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT), and guest synthetic metals are oxidized phthalocyanines. Key to this work has been our ability to exercise specific control over microstructure, which, in turn, determines what will be the final physical properties. This control has been achieved by proper use of known (or estimated) phase relationships and predicted phase transformation kinetics. In some cases the guest species undergoes phase separation during the solidification process itself; in other cases a microstructure is established firstly with the host polymer and then the synthetic metal phase is caused to form inside it. Quantitative modelling of conductivity-composition or strength-composition relationships have been successfully accomplished, based in part on careful charge transport and thermopower measurements.
Endocrine evaluation in the assessment of male reproductive hazards

Male reproductive function requires the integrated functioning of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and testis. The disturbance of endocrine function at any of these levels may result in hypogonadism and infertility. The clinical and laboratory evaluation of these disorders is reviewed here.
Imaging findings of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) is a pathologic entity which can lead to chronic symptoms of pain, reduced range of motion in flexion and internal rotation, and has been shown to correlate with degenerative arthritis of the hip. History, physical examination, and supportive radiographic findings such as evidence of articular cartilage damage, acetabular labral tearing, and early-onset degenerative changes can help physicians diagnose this entity. Several pathologic changes of the femur and acetabulum are known to predispose patients to develop FAI and recognition of these findings can ultimately lead to therapeutic interventions. The two basic mechanisms of impingement—cam impingement and pincer impingement—are based on the type of anatomic anomaly contributing to the impingement process. These changes can be found on conventional radiography, MR imaging, and CT examinations. However, the radiographic findings of this entity are not widely discussed and recognized by physicians. In this paper, we will introduce these risk factors, the proposed supportive imaging criteria, and the ultimate interventions that can help alleviate patients’ symptoms.
Absence of α-Syntrophin Leads to Structurally Aberrant Neuromuscular Synapses Deficient in Utrophin

The syntrophins are a family of structurally related proteins that contain multiple protein interaction motifs. Syntrophins associate directly with dystrophin, the product of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy locus, and its homologues. We have generated α-syntrophin null mice by targeted gene disruption to test the function of this association. The α-Syn−/− mice show no evidence of myopathy, despite reduced levels of α-dystrobrevin–2. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase, a component of the dystrophin protein complex, is absent from the sarcolemma of the α-Syn−/− mice, even where other syntrophin isoforms are present. α-Syn−/− neuromuscular junctions have undetectable levels of postsynaptic utrophin and reduced levels of acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase. The mutant junctions have shallow nerve gutters, abnormal distributions of acetylcholine receptors, and postjunctional folds that are generally less organized and have fewer openings to the synaptic cleft than controls. Thus, α-syntrophin has an important role in synapse formation and in the organization of utrophin, acetylcholine receptor, and acetylcholinesterase at the neuromuscular synapse.
The 5-hydroxyl of myo-inositol is essential for uptake into HSDM1C1 mouse fibrosarcoma cells

We attempted to replace the myo-inositol in cellular inositol phosphatides with 5-deoxy-myo-inositol to evaluate the role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate as a second messenger. This analog, lacking a 5-hydroxyl, might be incorporated into 5-deoxyphosphatidylinositol and converted to the corresponding phosphatidylcyclitol 4-phosphate but could not be converted to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate, the precursor of the second messenger molecule inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. We synthesized 5-deoxy-myo-inositol and found that this analog does not replace myo-inositol as an essential growth factor for essential fatty acid deficient HSDM1C1 mouse fibrosarcoma cells. Furthermore, [5-3H]-5-deoxy-myo-inositol was neither incorporated into the phospholipids nor accumulated in the cytoplasm of these cells. It appears that this cell line has a specific myo-inositol uptake system that excludes a potentially harmful analog of inositol.
Application of Principal Components Analysis for Evaluation and Classification of Complex Emg Data

Many biomechanical models used to produce injury risk estimates for the lower trunk require lower trunk muscle forces as inputs. These forces are typically estimated through the use of surface electromyography (sEMG). The variability inherent in sEMG measurements can, and should, be analyzed to determine the possible presence and sources of excessive variation in the data. Principal components analysis (PCA) provides a robust and straightforward method for performing an analysis of the variability of complex sEMG datasets. This paper describes the results obtained from the application of PCA to a dataset consisting of activation levels for several lower trunk muscles. The results demonstrate the value of the technique in identifying clusters of observations in the data and in simplifying the multidimensional dataset. The use of PCA as a hypothesis generation tool is also explored.
Oral Mucosal Injury in Oncology Patients

The field of oral mucosal injury caused by cancer therapies has strategically matured in the scientific as well as clinical realms over the past decade. Prior to the late 1990s, the condition had been viewed by many healthcare providers as an inevitable consequence of high-dose chemotherapy and other intensive therapies in oncology practice. Fortunately, expanding insights into the pathobiology as well as design strategies for clinical trials in recent years have fostered development of high-quality clinical practice guidelines as well as health professional education relative to prevention and treatment. This report is directed to analysis of this contemporary modeling. Guideline-based management recommendations that have emerged over the past year and controversies in the field are highlighted.
Light scattering from energy fluctuations in magnetic insulators

It is shown that fluctuations in the total magnetic energy of a magnetic insulator will scatter light, leading to a peak in the scattered intensity around zero energy transfer with a width proportional to the spin-lattice relaxation frequency, and an integrated intensity proportional to the specific heat.
A secreted factor represses cell proliferation in Dictyostelium.

Many cells appear to secrete factors called chalones that limit their proliferation, but in most cases the factors have not been identified. We found that growing Dictyostelium cells secrete a 60 kDa protein called AprA for autocrine proliferation repressor. AprA has similarity to putative bacterial proteins of unknown function. Compared with wild-type cells, aprA -null cells proliferate faster, while AprA overexpressing cells proliferate slower. Growing wild-type cells secrete a factor that inhibits the proliferation of wild-type and aprA- cells; this activity is not secreted by aprA- cells. AprA purified by immunoprecipitation also slows the proliferation of wild-type and aprA- cells. Compared with wild type, there is a higher percentage of multinucleate cells in the aprA- population, and when starved, aprA- cells form abnormal structures that contain fewer spores. AprA may thus decrease the number of multinucleate cells and increase spore production. Together, the data suggest that AprA functions as part of a Dictyostelium chalone.
Improved CDMA performance through multiple access noise rejection

The authors propose receivers which take advantage of the colored noise environment in which a code division multiple access (CDMA) receiver typically operates, without locking and tracking any of the interfering users. The technique is not optimal, but it is very practical to implement and does not require any knowledge of the other users' spreading codes. The receiver is designed using a Gaussian approximation, but it is shown to yield a substantial improvement in probability of error, even for a system with a small number of users. >
Space physics mission gives hands-on experience to students

In February 1995, two small satellite missions designed by college students were selected for flight. The missions selected were two of 66 proposed for a program called STudent Explorer Demonstration Initiative (STEDI), which was developed in response to a challenge from NASA to demonstrate that first-rate science and technology missions could be conducted in academic environments according to budget and schedule and with a smaller fiscal base than that of other missions. The teams selected to fly their missions are based at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Center for Space Physics at Boston University (BU). Their missions will be conducted under a strict budget of $4.31 million over 3 years with a nominal 1-year period of science operations. The Boston University project, which this article will focus on, is called the Tomographic Experiment using Radiative Recombinative EUV and Radio Sources (TERRIERS). (Readers are encouraged to browse the WWW server http://net.bu.edu/terriers.html).
Influence of Reconstruction Iterations on 18F-FDG PET/CT Standardized Uptake Values

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect on the average standardized uptake value (avgSUV) and maximum standardized uptake value (maxSUV) of changing the number of iterations in the reconstruction process on studies acquired with PET/CT. Methods: Data from 50 human tumors were acquired on a PET/CT scanner, using the CT portion for attenuation correction. Reconstruction was performed using the 2-dimensional reconstruction method of ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) with 28 subsets and with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, and 40 iterations. The standardized uptake value (SUV) of the studies was analyzed by positioning a region of interest tightly around the tumor and reproducing the same area on all same-study iterations for SUV measurements. Results: The differences in mean avgSUV and mean maxSUV were statistically different across different iteration groups. SUV data demonstrated that the avgSUV measurements have the most significant differences between 1 versus 2 iterations and 2 versus 3 iterations. The P values for these comparisons were less then 0.001. For maxSUV, all differences had P values less than 0.001. There also was a systematic increase in the SUVs as the number of iterations increased. The avgSUV increased at early iterations (less than 5), with just 50%–60% increasing after 5 iterations. However, maxSUV increased systematically at early iterations, and this trend continued as the number of iterations increased. Conclusion: The OSEM algorithm converges sooner for avgSUV than for maxSUV. The likely reason is that avgSUV depends on low-frequency features that are recovered with fewer iterations. The differences in maxSUV were likely due to noise, which increased with the number of iterative updates, and to increased resolution and recovery of high-frequency features (i.e., tumor heterogeneity) with a larger number of iterations. Factors that determine the quantitative accuracy of iterative reconstruction may have played an additional role. Given the continued change in maxSUV with iterations, great care must be taken in selecting the number of iterative updates when using it to assess tumors and their response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Because 2–5 iterations with 8–28 subsets are being used in clinical settings, these data are pertinent when comparing the SUVs of a tumor before and after therapy.
On-chip tests for gain bandwidth product and slew rate

Simple and accurate time-domain vs. voltage-domain methods to measure the gain bandwidth product and the slew rate of an operational amplifier (op-amp) are presented. These test methods are implemented on a breadboard using an LM741 op-amp. Measurements using the proposed techniques closely matches measurements from established techniques. The simplicity of the test structures makes them suitable in the implementation of testable op-amps on integrated circuits. >
PSYCHOMETRIC TECHNIQUES IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING: TWO EXAMPLES

Recent mathematical models have been developed to explain and predict travel demand; they attempt to describe travel behavior via social science research techniques and theory. Two studies are reviewed which concern the analysis and use of attitudinal data to further enhance the understanding of urban travel. The first study's main objective is to develop a set of quantitative measures of comfort in order to describe that particular aspect of competing modes of intraurban travel. The second study analyzed a set of preference data collected as part of a feasibility study for innovative urban public transportation systems. Both studies employed multidimensional scaling techniques.
The Effects of Various Secretagogues on the Mucin Content of Pure Submandibular Salivas

The concentrations of a specific mucin and total protein were compared in pure submandibular saliva samples elicited by pilocarpine (PILO), epinephrine (EPI), and isoproterenol (IPR) in mice. At the dosages employed, IPR-stimulated samples contained, on the average, the highest concentrations of protein and mucin. EPI samples contained intermediate levels, and PILO the lowest concentrations. The average mucin-to-protein ratio in the PILO saliva samples was intermediate between the IPR and EPI samples. Non-stimulated saliva samples showed a broader range of mucin to total protein than did the stimulated saliva sets. Within the PILO saliva samples, there was a very strong positive correlation between the mucin content of saliva and the mucin content in the pre-secretory gland prior to stimulation. The mucin content of EPI and IPR samples also showed strong positive relationships with the content of mucin in the gland. The mucin and protein in EPI saliva samples were significantly correlated in at least one of the collections, whereas in the IPR samples, there was a much weaker relationship. With the exception of the third sequential collection of EPI saliva, all nine of the other EPI, IPR, and PILO collection sets showed only a weakly negative or no correlation between flow rate and saliva mucin or protein content. This is in sharp contrast with the strongly negative correlation which was noted between saliva protein or mucin contents and flow rate when all of the data were combined. These observations suggest that the nature of the stimulant is a very important determinant of overall flow rates, saliva protein, and mucin concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Development of microsatellite markers in autopolyploid sugarcane and comparative analysis of conserved microsatellites in sorghum and sugarcane

Sugarcane has become an increasingly important first-generation biofuel crop in tropical and subtropical regions. It has a large, complex, polyploid genome that has hindered the progress of genomic research and marker-assisted selection. Genetic mapping and ultimately genome sequence assembly require a large number of DNA markers. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are widely used in genetic mapping because of their abundance, high rates of polymorphism, and ease of use. The objectives of this study were to develop SSR markers for construction of a saturated genetic map and to characterize the frequency and distribution of SSRs in a polyploid genome. SSR markers were mined from expressed sequence tag (EST), reduced representation library genomic sequences, and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences. A total of 5,675 SSR markers were surveyed in a segregating population. The overall successful amplification and polymorphic rates were 87.9 and 16.4%, respectively. The trinucleotide repeat motifs were most abundant, with tri- and hexanucleotide motifs being the most abundant for the ESTs. BAC and genomic SSRs were mostly AT-rich while the ESTs were relatively GC-rich due to codon bias. These markers were also aligned to the sorghum genome, resulting in 1,203 markers mapped in the sorghum genome. This set of SSRs conserved in sugarcane and sorghum would be the most informative for mapping quantitative trait loci in sugarcane and for comparative genomic analyses. This large collection of SSR markers is a valuable resource for sugarcane genomic research and crop improvement.
Outcomes of Group Care for Youth: A Review of Comparative Studies.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review empirical evidence of the effects of placement in group care compared to other interventions. Method: Two-group empirical studies were identified ...
Design and Evaluation of a Robust Compliant Grasper Using Shape Deposition Manufacturing

Robustness is a limiting factor in experimental development of multifingered robot hands: the expense and fragility of these hands precludes casual experimentation, restricting the type of experimental tasks that can be reasonably attempted and slowing implementation due to the need for careful validation of programs. In this paper, we describe the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a novel compliant robotic grasper and demonstrate that polymer-based Shape Deposition Manufacturing allows for the construction of fingers with the functionality of conventional metal prototypes but with robustness properties that allow for uncertainty in object location and large impact forces.
Recent Progress in the Variational Statistical Mechanics of Bose Fluids

In the wake of the successful development of the Feenberg-Jastrow Euler-Lagrange (FJEL) theory of the ground state and low excited states of liquid 4He,1, 2 some years ago we embarked on a finite temperature version of that theory, with the objective being a similarly accurate description of the phase diagram and temperature dependent properties of this strongly correlated boson superfluid.3, 4 In this note we wish to summarize some recent progress in this program, and to introduce a possible new approach.
3D system design: A case for building customized modular systems in 3D

3D promises a new dimension in composing systems by aggregating chips. Literally. While the most common uses are still tightly connected with its early forms as a packaging technology, new application domains have been emerging. As the underlying technology continues to evolve, the unique leverages of 3D have become increasingly appealing to a larger range of applications: from embedded/mobile applications to servers and memory systems. In this paper we focus on the system-level implications of 3D technology, trying to differentiate the unique advantages that it provides to different market segments and applications.
Cleaning the plate: food left over by overweight and normal weight persons

Abstract The amount of food left on trays after a clinner meal in a university cafeteria was measured for 146 persons. Half of the subjects were overweight and half were normal weight. Overweight women left significantly less food on their trays than did women of normal weight. Among men, the overweight also left less food but the difference did not reach significance. These findings suggest that food left over must be measured in estimating food intake from food choice, that behavior therapy injunctions to leave food on the plate are justified, and that obesity may be, at least in part, a result of learned patterns of behavior.
Gene-based Higher Criticism methods for large-scale exonic single-nucleotide polymorphism data

In genome-wide association studies, gene-based methods measure potential joint genetic effects of loci within genes and are promising for detecting causative genetic variations. Following recent theoretical research in statistical multiple-hypothesis testing, we propose to adapt the Higher Criticism procedures to develop novel gene-based methods that use the information of linkage disequilibrium for detecting weak and sparse genetic signals. With the large-scale exonic single-nucleotide polymorphism data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 17, we show that the new Higher-Criticism-type gene-based methods have higher statistical power to detect causative genes than the minimal P-value method, ridge regression, and the prototypes of Higher Criticism do.
A literature citation study of science-technology coupling in electronics

By tracing the citations made by authors in the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices to the Physical Review and other scientific journals, a record of information flows from science to technology was obtained. Evaluation of this record revealed the importance of a group of industrial scientists who serve as an intellectual bridge between the scientific and technological sectors. It was found that the scientific papers cited in the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices tend to be considerably older than the techological papers cited therein. Moreover, the median age of the Physical Review papers cited has been increasing over time, from about five years during the late 1950's to more than ten years during 1971-1975. The number of Physical Review papers cited per year by authors of Transactions papers on solid-state technology has been growing somewhat over the past two decades, but the percentage of the citations which are to the Physical Review and other scientific journals has fallen. This suggests that the magnitude of science-technoloy coupling has been increasing, but at a rate slower than the overall growth of the solid-state components field.
Study of microstructural effects in the strength of alumina using controlled flaws

Strength characteristics were studied as a function ofVickers indentation Load for aluminas with two grain sizes. At low loads the strengths tend to well-defined plateaus, the levels of which bear an inverse relation to grain size. These trends are consistent with a trunsition from indentation-controlled to microstructure-controlled behavior as flaw size diminishes. The conventional indentation fracture formalism was modified to account for this transition.
Temporal coupled-mode theory for resonant apertures

We develop the coupled-mode theory for resonant apertures. We show that the maximum transmission and absorption cross sections for resonant apertures are only related to the wavelength and the directivity of the aperture's radiation pattern.
Research Note-An Exploration of Risk Characteristics of Information Security Threats and Related Public Information Search Behavior

Information security IS threats are increasingly pervasive, and search engines are being used by the public as the primary tool for searching for relevant information. This research investigates the following two questions: 1 How can different IS threats be characterized and distinguished in terms of their risk characteristics? and 2 how are risk characteristics related to public searches for information on IS threats? Applying psychometric analysis, our analyses of survey data first show that unknown risk and dread risk are two underlying dimensions that can characterize different IS threats. Drawing broadly on the literature of information foraging theory, we examine the influence of risk characteristics on public searches for information on these threats. We utilize a search engine log to extract searches related to IS threats. We develop and estimate a system of equations with correlated individual-specific error terms using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. We find that the two risk characteristics exert differential impacts on information search behavior including types of information sought, number of pages viewed, and length of query. The implications for IS research and practice are discussed.
Alive and Kicking Endothelium at the Geographic Nexus of Vascular Rejection

Transplantation of vascularized cardiac grafts across an alloimmune barrier has revolutionized the treatment of organ failure, including heart failure. With current immunosuppressive therapy, acute vascular rejection is an uncommon complication of allograft transplantation. However, the shortage of donor organs continues to limit the benefit of organ replacement therapy. The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry data indicate that although 2202 heart transplants were performed in 2001, approximately 4000 patients remained on the waiting list and 622 patients died before receiving an organ. Many times this number died without even being listed for transplant at all. Xenotransplantation, transplantation of organs between different species, could theoretically provide an unlimited source of organs. However, a number of barriers remain to the clinical implementation of xenotransplantation. One of the most important of these barriers, acute vascular rejection, develops in the continuum of delayed xenograft rejection (DXR). DXR occurs shortly after implantation of a vascularized xenograft and remains a major impediment to clinical application of xenotransplantation of vascularized organs. Acute vascular rejection occurs within a time frame of one to several days after transplantation, as a consequence of immune activation. Histologically, it is characterized by platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition, and cellular infiltration by host natural killer cells and monocytes.1 Small vessels are typically involved in DXR, and eventually, focal infarcts and interstitial hemorrhage develop in the transplanted organ. As a tissue, the endothelium sits at the geographic nexus of blood and tissue. It regulates homeostasis (nutrient delivery and waste removal) and modulates pathophysiology (inflammation, thrombosis, fibrinolysis, and platelet aggregation). In solid-organ transplantation, the development of diffuse, concentric narrowing of small blood vessels (called transplant vasculopathy), provides evidence that the vascular endothelium is indeed an alloimmune target organ. In DXR, inciting events remain unclear, particularly the relevance and timing of endothelial cell apoptosis and …