cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The medial frontal cortex and gastric motility: Microstimulation results and their possible significance for the overall pattern of organization of rat frontal and parietal cortex

Abstract Bilateral intracortical microstimulation (60–90 s trains of 0.5 ms pulses at 10 Hz, currents below 50 μA) of medial frontal infralimbic and prelimbic cortical areas in ketamine-anesthetized rats produces clear and consistent decreases in ongoing gastric motility. The majority of responses consists of reductions in gastric tone, reductions in the amplitude of gastric contractions, or combined reductions in tone and amplitude. Bilateral section of the vagus nerves eliminates most of the responses, suggesting that the responses are mediated by this nerve. The effective corticdal stimulation zone (the ‘visceral motor’ cortex) largely overlaps the source of the recently described direct projection from medial frontal cortex to the nucleus of the solitary tract; this pathway may be involved in producing the effect. Connections of this cortex with the limbic system suggest it may be involved in producing physiological responses to stress. The topographical, medial to lateral sequence of cortical functional areas revealed by these and other experiments (visceral motor, frontal eye fields, somatic motor, somatic sensory, visceral sensory) is discussed, as well as the possible implications of this pattern to the question of cortical evolutionary development.
Effects of methylphenidate and d-amphetamine on timing in the rat☆

Rats were trained to press a lever for food pellets provided according to a fixed interval 60-sec schedule of reinforcement. Probe trials (peak trials) assessed responding over two-min periods with no pellet delivered. The low rates of responding found early and late in probe trials were increased by methylphenidate and 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine (rate-dependent effect). Further, the mean time of responding (peak time) was shortened for both drugs (timing effect).
Drug coverage and drug purchases by Medicare beneficiaries with hypertension

ABSTRACT: Research has shown that older Americans with prescription drug coverage purchase more medications; however, it is unclear whether they are more likely to purchase essential medications. This study addresses that question by examining the relationship between drug coverage and medication purchases among older Americans with hypertension. It finds that drug coverage has a significant impact: It lowers the likelihood that persons with hypertension will go without antihypertensive drugs, and it raises the number of tablets purchased among those who purchase these essential drugs.
Three hundred cycles of oocyte donation at the University of Southern California: assessing the effect of age and infertility diagnosis on pregnancy and implantation rates.

Purpose Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of age on endometrial receptivity and to compare success rates for oocyte donation among groups with differing primary diagnoses.
Initial Organization of Neurons and Tracts in the Embryonic Mouse Fore- and Midbrain

We investigated the potential role of rostral-caudal and dorsal-ventral subdivisions of the early rostral brain by relating these subdivisions to the early patterning of neuron cell bodies and their axon projections. The earliest neurons were mapped using the lipophilic axon tracers diI and diO on embryos fixed on embryonic days 9.5-10.5 (E9.5-E10.5); neuromeric boundaries were marked by diO. The tracts were small in number, were organized orthogonally (2 dorsal-ventral and 4 rostral-caudal), and originated from groups of cell bodies which we term "sources." Two parallel longitudinal axon systems, one dorsal (the tract of the postoptic commissure and the mesencephalic tract of the trigeminal nerve) and one ventral (the mammillotegmental tract and the medial longitudinal fasciculus), projected caudally from the prosencephalon into the rhombencephalon. We argue that the dorsal longitudinal pathway marked the boundary between the alar and basal plates along the entire neuraxis. The dorsal-ventral axons coursed circumferentially and either crossed the midline (forming the posterior and ventral tegmental commissures) or turned caudally without crossing the midline. The dorsal-ventral axons were not generally restricted to the interneuromeric boundaries, as others have suggested. Earlier, all neighboring neurons projected their axons together; later, nearby neurons projected into different pathways. Some tracts originated in single neuromeres, while other tracts had origins in two or more neuromeres. The dorsal longitudinal axons altered course at several of the borders, but the ventral longitudinal axons did not. In summary, the early subdivisions appeared to influence some, but not all, aspects of tract formation.
Long-term outcome of nonsurgically treated patients with wrist pain and a normal arthrogram

Abstract A series of 52 patients who had been treated nonsurgically for wrist pain after an inconclusive physical examination, normal standard radiographs, and a negative radiocarpal arthrogram result were surveyed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and Short Form–12 (SF-12) instruments after a minimum of 2 years (average, 6.1 years). Forty-two patients (81%) responded to the survey. Average duration of symptoms before the initial evaluation was 13 months. At follow-up evaluation, mean SF-12 score was 50 (national mean, 50). Mean DASH score was 17 compared with 2 for a control group of 60 people. Sixty-four percent of patients reported improvement, 19% were unchanged, and 17% were worse since the initial evaluation. Two patients were receiving disability benefits. Duration of symptoms >12 months was associated with a worse outcome. These results show that patients with wrist pain but without a diagnosis by these evaluation methods often have persistent symptoms after nonsurgical treatment, but the symptoms are usually mild and improve. (J Hand Surg 2002;27A:26-30. Copyright © 2002 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
Coexisting Hypertrophic Heart Disease and Mitral Valve Prolapse: A Continuum of Hereditary Cardiac Disease?

The finding at autopsy of typical pathologic features of hypertrophic heart disease (idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, IHSS) and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in a single patient prompted study of a number of close relatives of this patient. Several additional cases of IHSS or MVP were found. The HLA typing of this kindred revealed that four out of seven members tested had the Bw 35 antigen. Although the association might be doe to chance, this kindred, together with prior reports of similar bizarre myocardial cellular disarray in IHSS and MVP, suggest the hypothesis that in some instances, IHSS and MVP may represent a continuum of hereditary cardiac disorders.
Fast ionic conduction in Na2S+B2S3 glasses: Compositional contributions to nonexponentiality in conductivity relaxation in the extreme low-alkali-metal limit.

The conductivity relaxation phenomenon in glassy and crystalline ionic conductors has been known for many years to be a highly nonexponential process. The stretched exponential function exp-(t/\ensuremath{\tau}${)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ has been used with varying levels of success to describe this relaxation. Whether the nonexponentiality is due to parallel conducting processes acting independently of each other and having a distribution of relaxation times or to serial processes strongly coupling the ionically conducting species and constraining each other's relaxation, the exact nature of this process is still unknown. If coupling is the active mechanism responsible for the nonexponentiality, then there should be a relationship between the extent of the nonexponentiality and the average ion separation distance; the greater the ion-ion separation, the smaller the coupling between the ions. To test this hypothesis, wide composition, frequency, and temperature range conductivity measurements have been performed on the fast-ion-conducting glass series, ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$S+${\mathrm{B}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{3}$. For x(${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$S)=0.001, the relaxation is nearly exponential. As the ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$S concentration increases, the estimated ion-ion separation distance decreases; so do both the dc conductivity activation energy and the \ensuremath{\beta} parameter in the stretched exponential. The \ensuremath{\beta} parameter, however, shows a much stronger dependence to the ion-ion separation distance. It is also found that for nearly all of the glasses studied to date, the composition dependencies of the \ensuremath{\beta} parameter can be cast onto a master plot of \ensuremath{\beta} versus average ion-ion separation distance. In this way, we provide a universal trend for the compositional dependence of the nonexponentiality in glass.
Perspectives on the consecutive pages problem

This article presents different approaches to a problem, dubbed by the author as ‘the consecutive pages problem’. The aim of this teaching-oriented article is to promote the teaching of abstract concepts in mathematics, by selecting a challenging amusement problem and then presenting various solutions in such a way that it can engage the attention of a fourth-grade student, a high school senior student, an average college student and scholars.
Synthetic hosts by monomolecular imprinting inside dendrimers

Synthetic host systems capable of selectively binding guest molecules are of interest for applications ranging from separations and chemical or biological sensing to the development of biomedical materials. Such host systems can be efficiently prepared by 'imprinting' polymers or inorganic materials with template molecules, which, upon removal, leave behind spatially arranged functional groups that act as recognition sites. However, molecularly imprinted polymers have limitations, including incomplete template removal, broad guest affinities and selectivities, and slow mass transfer. An alternative strategy for moulding desired recognition sites uses combinatorial libraries of assemblies that are made of a relatively small number of molecules, interconverting in dynamic equilibrium; upon addition of a target molecule, the library equilibrium shifts towards the best hosts. Here we describe the dynamic imprinting of dendritic macromolecules with porphyrin templates to yield synthetic host molecules containing one binding site each. The process is based on our general strategy to prepare cored dendrimers, and involves covalent attachment of dendrons to a porphyrin core, cross-linking of the end-groups of the dendrons, and removal of the porphyrin template by hydrolysis. In contrast to more traditional polymer imprinting, our approach ensures nearly homogeneous binding sites and quantitative template removal. Moreover, the hosts are soluble in common organic solvents and amenable to the incorporation of other functional groups, which should facilitate further development of this system for novel applications.
Comprehensive annotated STR physical map of the human Y chromosome: Forensic implications

A plethora of Y-STR markers from diverse sources have been deposited in public databases and represent potential candidates for incorporation into the next generation of Y-STR multiplexes for forensic use. Here, based upon all of the Y-STR loci that have been deposited in the human genome database (>400), we have sequentially positioned each one along the Y chromosome using the most current human genome sequencing data (NCBI Build 35). The information derived from this work defines the number and relative position of all potentially forensically relevant Y-STR loci, their location within the physical linkage map of the Y chromosome and their relationship to structural genes. We conclude that there exists at present at least 417 separate Y-STR markers available for potential forensic use, although many of these will be found to be unsuitable for other reasons. However, from this data, we were able to identify 28 pairs of duplicated loci that were given separate DYS designations and four pairs of loci with overlapping flanking regions. Removing one locus from each set of duplicates reduced the number of potentially useful loci from 417 to 389. The derived information should be useful for workers who are designing novel Y-STR multiplexes to ensure the presence of non-synonymous loci and, if so desired, to avoid loci that lie within structural genes. It may also be useful for forensic casework practitioners (or molecular anthropologists) to aid in distinguishing between chromosomal rearrangements (such as duplications and deletions) and bona fide DNA admixtures or null alleles caused by primer binding site mutations. We illustrate the practical usefulness of the chromosomal positioning data in the design of eight multiplex systems using 94 Y-STR loci.
A Further Investigation of Goal-Directed Intention Understanding in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Findings from research investigating goal-directed intention understanding in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been equivocal, in part because of the varying methodologies used across studies. This study compares both object-oriented and social-communicatively cued goal-directed intention understanding in children with ASD and typically-developing children. Relative to matched controls, children with ASD did not exhibit deficits in object-oriented intention understanding. While children with ASD also demonstrated the ability to understand intention when cued by social-communication indicators, typically-developing children differentiated between intentional and unintentional acts at a significantly greater level. Group differences in performance were eliminated if only trials in which children attended to the experimenter's face were considered. Results suggest that children with ASD have intact object-oriented intention understanding abilities, and are able to use social-communicative cues to understand intention. However, their ability to demonstrate social-communicatively cued intention understanding is limited by a lack of attention to relevant social-communicative information.
US EPA/academia collaboration for a green engineering textbook for chemical engineering

This paper describes the collaborative efforts between the Chemical Engineering Branch of the U.S. EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and academia to develop a textbook titled Green engineering: environmentally conscious design of chemical processes. Development of the green engineering textbook was initiated in the fall of 1998 as part of the Green Engineering Program. An important goal of the Green Engineering Program is to incorporate "green" or environmentally conscious thinking and approaches in the academic and industrial communities regarding the design, commercialization, and use of processes and products. Initially, the Green Engineering Program focused on the academic community, with the aim to produce the next generation of engineers with knowledge to design environmentally beneficial processes. The flagship of the program is the green engineering textbook, published in the fall of 2001, that applies classroom initiatives to real world engineering problems. To date, it is estimated that up to 50 engineering departments, both domestically and abroad, are using the textbook and/or incorporating the materials into their curricula. Schools using green engineering are achieving Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) criteria 2000, which includes having a working knowledge of the environment.
Simple Connectivity of the Quillen Complex of GLn(q)

The structure of the Quillen complex of GL_n(q) at p, denoted A_p(GL_n(q)), is known when p is the characteristic prime, and when p|q − 1. In particular, in these cases, it is known that A_p(GL_n(q)) is simply connected whenever m_p(GL_n(q)) ≥ 3. In this paper it is shown that m_p(GL_n(q)) ≥ 3 implies A_p(GL_n(q)) is simply connected for all primes.
Stereospecific introduction of carbon monoxide into metal carbonyl chelate complexes

The chelate complex, Mo(CO)4[(C6H5)2PCH2CH2CH2N(CH3)2], reacts with 13CO in solution with replacement of the N-donor end of the ligand giving cis- Mo(CO)4(13CO)[(C6H5)2PCH2CH2CH2N(CH3)2] in which the 13CO coordinates stereospecifically cis to the P atom; similarly the tridentate chelate complex, cis-Mo(CO)3[(C6H5)2PCH2CH2N(C2H5)CH2CH2P(C6H5)2], reacts with 13CO to yield the N-displaced product in which the two P atoms remain coordinated cis to each other and the 13CO coordinates cis to both P atoms. These remarkable stereospecific reactions with CO are discussed in terms of structures of possible reactive intermediates.
Partially blind estimation: ML-based approaches and Cramer-Rao bound

Abstract In digital communication systems, unknown channel response can be estimated using a training signal (nonblind identification) or statistics of the received data (blind identification). Our goal is to form a partially blind identifier that uses both the training signal and received data statistics for improved channel estimation. In this paper, we explore maximum-likelihood-based approaches to partially blind channel estimation, particularly the expectation–maximization (EM) technique. We also present a novel formulation of the Cramer–Rao bound that includes a known training signal and models the nontraining portion of the symbol stream as stochastic rather than simply deterministic and unknown. Using this formulation we study the effects of the length of the training signal and observation vector (at the receiver) on the CR bound. Although CR bound is not always attainable in a given situation, it can be seen (from the simulation results) that the partially blind EM method comes very close to it.
Chemical modification of the methionine residues in turkey ovomucoid

Abstract Turkey ovomucoid was treated with two chemical reagents which react with methionine residues. When the ovomucoid was treated with iodoacetic acid at pH 3.0, both of its two methionine residues were alkylated. The modified protein retained its inhibitory activity against both trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4) and α-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.4.5). When the ovomucoid was treated with CNBr, several fractions were obtained by chromatography on anion-exchange agent (DEAE-Sephadex). Some of these fractions had very low methionine contents, but they still had nearly complete inhibitory activity against both trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. It is concluded that the methionine residues of turkey ovomucoid are not required for inhibition of either trypsin or α-chymotrypsin and that the methionine residues are probably not at or near the inhibitory sites.
Using Contrasting Case Activities to Deepen Teacher Understanding of Algebraic Thinking and Teaching

Findings from an on-going design experiment within a year-long graduate course for middle school teachers of mathematics are reported. The purpose of the course was to help teachers assist students in transitioning from arithmetic to algebraic reasoning. Goals included developing teachers' ability to interpret, compare, and generalize across multiple mathematical solutions and to help teachers see and explain opportunities for algebraic thinking in their curriculum. To achieve these goals, we developed contrasting-cases instruction grounded in cognitive theory. Based on a pre-posttest design and a video assessment task developed by the researchers, teachers improved significantly on measures of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) related to course goals, but not on a measure of spontaneous reflection or algebra content knowledge. Future work will improve the course in an attempt to promote better learning through reflection and better transfer of PCK to classroom practice. This material is based on work s...
Synthesis of Ain and AlN/SiC Ceramics from Polymeric Molecular Precursors

Reactions of (Me 3 Si) 3 AI·Et 2 O with NH 3 in different stoichiometric ratios have been studied in search of useful precursors to AIN. Two molecular condensation-elimination compounds and an insoluble oligomer have been obtained from these reactions, and pyrolysis of the compounds leads to the convenient formation of AlN/SiC solid solutions.
Protecting Clinical Trial Participants and Protecting Data Integrity: Are We Meeting the Challenges?

Susan Ellenberg discusses alternative approaches towards evaluating data as it accumulates in clinical trials, and to protecting the integrity and preventing undue risks to participants, as the trial continues.
Inventive efficiency: How the U.S. compares with Japan

This study argues that inventive (R&D) efficiency may be an important factor in the competition for global market shares and goods and services. The authors compare R&D efficiency for 14 industrial groups in the United States and Japan using multiple indices of inventive efficiency. Findings show interesting differences in inventive efficiency across industrial groups and between the United States and Japan. United States food, textile, chemical, rubber, metals, fabricated metals, and other miscellaneous manufacturing industries appear to be relatively more efficient in inventive efficiency than their Japanese counterparts. In contrast, Japanese paper, petroleum, machinery, and scientific equipment industries display greater inventive efficiency than their United States counterparts. The electrical equipment, transportation, and stone industries in the two countries appear to be equally efficient. The implications of these differences are discussed.
Role of Internet Images in the Biomedical Informatics Research Network

The Biomedical Informatics Research Network is wide breadth project sponsored by the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) to promote the use of modern telecommunication for data exchange and collaboration in brain research. The project is attempting to buid a database and network infrastructure in which neuroscientists will post, query, and analyze raw data, processed data, and the results of the analysis. The project is divided into parts, which analyze mouse brain data and human brain data, respectively. In this phase of the project, the data are essentially anatomical, while in a future phase we foresee the introduction of functional data. One important source of raw data, both for the mouse and the human brains are magnetic resonance images (MRI), which provide dense volumetric information of the density of the brain or (in the case of functional MRI), of the brain activity. In the case of the brain mouse, these data are supplemented with images of slices of brains and other histological measure. One important technical problem that we are facing in BIRN is that of managing these volumetric data, processing them (possibly using tools available only remotely), storing the results of the analyses, and making them available to all the institutions participating in the project. This paper describes the problems posed by the BIRN project, the importance of image data in these activities, and the challenges they pose. We will describe the shared environment that we are creating, and the facilities for storing, querying, remotely processing, and sharing the image data that constitute the bulk of the brain data that scientists are producing.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Soft tissue ossification and condylar cartilage degeneration following TMJ disc perforation in a rabbit pilot study

Summary Objective There are limited clinical treatments for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologies, including degenerative disease, disc perforation and heterotopic ossification (HO). One barrier hindering the development of new therapies is that animal models recapitulating TMJ diseases are poorly established. The objective of this study was to develop an animal model for TMJ cartilage degeneration and disc pathology, including disc perforation and soft tissue HO. Methods New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9 rabbits) underwent unilateral TMJ disc perforation surgery and sham surgery on the contralateral side. A 2.5 mm defect was created using a punch biopsy in rabbit TMJ disc. The TMJ condyles and discs were evaluated macroscopically and histologically after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Condyles were blindly scored by four independent observers using OARSI recommendations for macroscopic and histopathological scoring of osteoarthritis (OA) in rabbit tissues. Results Histological evidence of TMJ condylar cartilage degeneration was apparent in experimental condyles following disc perforation relative to sham controls after 4 and 8 weeks, including surface fissures and loss of Safranin O staining. At 12 weeks, OARSI scores indicated experimental condylar cartilage erosion into the subchondral bone. Most strikingly, HO occurred within the TMJ disc upon perforation injury in six rabbits after 8 and 12 weeks. Conclusion We report for the first time a rabbit TMJ injury model that demonstrates condylar cartilage degeneration and disc ossification, which is indispensible for testing the efficacy of potential TMJ therapies.
Regime shift indicators fail under noise levels commonly observed in ecological systems

Ecological regime shifts are rapid, potentially devastating changes in ecosystem state that last for extended periods of time. Previous theoretical work has generated numerous early-warning indicators of regime shifts, some of which have been empirically demonstrated in closed ecological systems. Here we evaluated a suite of indicators using a previously studied three-species model under conditions likely to be observed in field studies of open ecological systems. Simulations included large correlated fluctuations in extrinsic noise and a rapidly changing driving variable, while indicators were calculated using sparsely sampled time series. All indicators performed poorly under these conditions, particularly during the beginning of the regime shift. Overall, the best performing indicator was a rise in variance. Future research should focus on methods for setting benchmark values of early warning indicators and for identifying indicators that work for sparsely sampled data sets.
A Target Region Amplified Polymorphism Marker for Fertility Restorer Gene Rf1 and Chromosomal Localization of Rf1 and Rf2 in Cotton

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a maternally inherited trait characterized as an inability to produce functional pollen, is an important biological system for economically producing hybrid seed to enhance crop yield and studying cytoplasmic and nuclear gene interactions. In cultivated tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), male fertility in two systems CMS-D2 and CMS-D8 is restored by two restorer genes Rf 1 and Rf 2 , respectively. The objectives of the present study were to identify additional molecular markers for the two restorer genes and to determine their chromosomal location in the cotton genome. Two backcross (BC 1 F 1 ) populations were developed with D2 and D8 restorers containing their respective cytoplasms as female in crosses with the same Upland cotton maintainer as male and recurrent parent. One pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR)-based target region amplified polymorphism (TRAP) marker was developed to be tightly linked to the Rf 1 gene with a genetic distance of 0.8 cM, while three more simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers (NAU2232-550/650, NAU2232-750/850, and NAU 2801-250) were identified to be closely linked to Rf 2 . Using two common SSR markers, a consensus linkage group was constructed to include both Rf 1 and Rf 2 loci that were anchored in a 14.0-cM region by the two PPR gene-based markers. Based on four chromosome-anchored SSR markers, Rf 1 and Rf 2 were localized on chromosome D5 within a genetic distance of 1.4 cM, providing an incentive for further investigations of this Rf 1/ Rf 2 containing region.
Detecting change in images with parallax

The ability to detect significant change in images is reduced when there is parallax. Fixed objects above or below the ground plane displace from their true position by an amount that depends on their height and the look angle of the sensor, reducing background cancellation and limiting the effectiveness of change detection. A method for reducing the effect of parallax shifts using dynamic time warping (DTW) to align images along the epipolar direction is described. A performance model is developed for predicting the processing gain of change detection (CD) over single image object detection as a function of the parallax. The model is used to predict CD performance with, and without DTW. A 10x improvement in processing gain is demonstrated on optical imagery, which results in a significant reduction in the number of false alarms.
Palmar midcarpal instability: the results of treatment with 4-corner arthrodesis.

Abstract Purpose Palmar midcarpal instability (PMCI) is one type of nondissociative carpal instability. The optimal treatment for PMCI is uncertain. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the results of capitate-lunate-triquetrum-hamate (4-corner) arthrodesis for PMCI. Methods Over a 10-year period 8 patients were treated with 4-corner arthrodesis for PMCI. The instability was diagnosed clinically and confirmed with cineradiography. The symptomatic instability began in all patients after a notable trauma; 6 of the patients were injured at work and 2 were injured in a motor vehicle accident. Patients were evaluated at an average of 34 months after surgery. Results Seven of the 8 patients were satisfied with the surgery and 6 of 8 patients had no pain or mild pain. Both patients injured in motor vehicle accidents returned to all preinjury activities. Four of the 6 workers' compensation patients returned to work, 3 at full duty and 1 in a restricted position. Two patients, both with workers' compensation, did not return to their pre-injury jobs. One had occasional moderate pain and the other had chronic pain. The average wrist flexion/extension arc of motion decreased with surgery from 135° to 75°. The average grip strength increased significantly with surgery from 20 kg to 32 kg; however, grip strength remained significantly lower than the opposite side strength of 54 kg. Conclusions Four-corner arthrodesis is a reasonable option for PMCI. Compared with previous reports of soft tissue reconstruction 4-corner arthrodesis may provide a more reliable solution for this difficult problem.
Leed and electron energy loss measurements of iron deposited on Ni(100)

The adsorption and growth of iron on Ni(100) has been studied using the combined techniques of Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS). Initially iron grows by a layer-by-layer mechanism for the first few layers. In this stage of growth, fcc iron is produced. High iron coverages result in the observation of complex LEED patterns with satellites around the main (1 × 1) diffraction spots. This is due to the formation of bcc Fe(110) crystallites arranged in domains with different orientations. The presence of fcc iron crystallites was also inferred for the thick films. EELS studies show the presence of three stages in the growth of iron on Ni(100): low-coverage, film-like and bulk-like. The changes in the EELS spectra of the FeNi(100) system with iron coverage are used to re-interpret some of the electron energy loss peaks of nickel and iron. The 9.7 eV peak of clean nickel is believed to be due to interband transitions while the 27.3 eV peak is identified as volume plasmons, as is the peak at 16.3 eV of iron.
On the general theory of contained rotating fluid motions

A general linear theory is developed to describe the manner in which rigid fluid rotation is established from a prescribed initial state of motion in a container of arbitrary shape. The container rotates with uniform angular velocity and is filled with a viscous incompressible fluid.A new mean circulation theorem is proved and used to separate the flow into geostrophic motion and inertial oscillations. The basic eigenvalue problem is studied and important properties concerning spectrum, orthogonality and completeness are deduced. The effect of viscosity on the inviscid modes is calculated in a manner that maintains the solution uniformly valid through the spin-up time. All modes decay in this time scale which characterizes the entire transition to rigid rotation in all configurations.
Main beam alignment verification

Two simple open loop techniques are described to verify the main beam alignment of tracking antennas. Proper antenna tracking operation requires initial signal alignment within the antenna's main beam.
SOME PREDICTIONS FOR AN IMPROVED FERMION ACTION ON THE LATTICE

Abstract We propose an improved fermion action on the lattice by adding a next nearest neightbor interaction term to Wilson action. The proposed action is expected to approach the continuum limit more rapidly. Using the improved action, the predictions for the critical value of the hopping parameter at weak and strong coupling are given. The relationship between quark masses on the lattice and in the continuum is also discussed.
Wave slope and wave age effects in measurements of electromagnetic bias

[1] We present measurements of Ku band electromagnetic (EM) bias made for 2 months from a platform in Bass Strait off the southeast coast of Australia during the austral winter of 1992. EM bias, e, the difference between the electromagnetic and true mean sea levels, was measured using Doppler scatterometers. Linear wave theory was used to relate the Doppler signal to the surface displacement, giving simultaneous coincident backscatter and wave measurements, including significant wave height, Hs. On the basis of dimensional reasoning, we suggest that the usual inhomogeneous correlations of the normalized bias β = e/Hs with the 10 m wind speed, U10, and Hs may be improved by correlating the data with nondimensional variables, including a characteristic wave slope, s, and wave age, c/U10, where c is a characteristic phase speed of the surface waves. Using both polynomial correlations and optimal estimation techniques to fit the data, we find that the standard error of the fit is reduced by ∼50% when the dimensionless variables are used. We find that the dependence of the EM bias on the wave slope is consistent with earlier tower-based measurements and the theory of short-wave modulation by longer waves. We discuss the implications of these results for operational implementation of EM bias algorithms based on wave slope and wave age.
Lecithinase systems in sugar beet, spinach, cabbage, and carrot.

Lecithinase activity of aqueous extracts of sugar beet, spinach, or cabbage leaves, and of carrot root was found to be associated entirely with the plastid fractions, separated by high-speed centri...
Dynamics of Radiation Belt Particles

This paper reviews basic concepts of particle dynamics underlying theoretical aspect of radiation belt modeling and data analysis. We outline the theory of adiabatic invariants of quasiperiodic Hamiltonian systems and derive the invariants of particle motion trapped in the radiation belts. We discuss how the nonlinearity of resonant interaction of particles with small-amplitude plasma waves, ubiquitous across the inner magnetosphere, can make particle motion stochastic. Long-term evolution of a stochastic system can be described by the Fokker-Plank (diffusion) equation. We derive the kinetic equation of particle diffusion in the invariant space and discuss its limitations and associated challenges which need to be addressed in forthcoming radiation belt models and data analysis.
Adsorption of sulfur on TiO2(110) studied with STM, LEED and XPS: temperature-dependent change of adsorption site combined with O–S exchange

We have studied the adsorption of elemental sulfur on TiO 2 (110) for exposure at room temperature and at 300°C. Depending on the substrate temperature we found diVerent adsorption sites with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM ). At room temperature sulfur adsorbs on the titanium rows with a high mobility along the [001] direction. At 300°C sulfur adsorbs at the position of the bridging oxygen rows and forms short chains along the [11:0] direction at low coverages. High coverages result in the formation of a (3◊1) superstructure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS) shows a 2 eV shift of the sulfur 2p peak to lower binding energy concurrently with the change of adsorption site from the titanium to the oxygen rows. For the (3◊1) structure a distinct Ti3+ shoulder appears at the Ti 2p 3/2 peak. Based on these measurements we present a model where sulfur replaces every third bridging oxygen atom of the substrate and the other bridging oxygens are completely removed. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Microscopic correlates of macroscopic optical property changes during thermal coagulation of myocardium

The effects of thermal coagulation on the macroscopic optical transport parameters that govern the distribution of light in tissues were studied. The optical absorption coefficients, pa, and the reduced scattering coefficients, j.ts (1-g), were deduced from measurements of total transmission and total reflectance of HeNe laser radiation ( = 633 and 594 nm) directed to thin slices of dog myocardium heated in vitro. The first optical changes were detected at 45°and, at temperatures above 65°, there was a 2-fold increase in absorption and a 7-fold increase in scattering. Transmission electron microscopy of laser-induced thermally coagulated lesions in rat myocardium (cw argon ion, = 514 nm) revealed ultrastructural alterations that were considered responsible for the increased scattering based on Mie theory. These microscopic alterations included disruption of mitochondria to form aggregates of electron dense granules and granular transformation of thermally coagulated proteins of the sarcomeres and cytoplasm. Our preliminary analyses suggest that the mitochondrial granules and the protein granules contribute to the increased scattering oflight in thermally coagulated myocardium.
The Relationship between the Contextual Appropriateness of Errors and Comprehension-A Comment on Kendall and Hood's Study of Differently-Disabled Readers:

The analysis of oral-reading errors has provided some important insights into wordrecognition processes and reading in general. Recently, in an article in this journal, Kendall and Hood (1979) proposed that error analysis might provide "additional insights into the relationship between word recognition and comprehension" (p. 42). They addressed the question of how it is that some children can understand the passages they read though they read them with a high proportion of word-recognit ion errors, while others can read with few word-recognition errors and still not understand what they read. They suggested that these two types of readers might differ in their ability to use contextual information—that the former might be relatively strong in this aspect of reading and the latter relatively weak; and this difference, as reflected in the contextual appropriateness of errors made during oral reading, might account for the difference in comprehension between them. Thus, they proposed (in effect) that there may be a causal relationship between contextual strategies and comprehension—that the contextual appropriateness of errors made during oral reading might reflect a distinct skill or strength that contributes to comprehension. In comparing the oral-reading behavior of the two types of readers mentioned above, both disabled, Kendall and Hood (1979) found, however, that the group with higher comprehension made a higher proportion of contextually- appropriate errors only when reading at the same level of word-recognit ion accuracy as the other group and not when reading at a lower level of accuracy. They concluded, nevertheless, that the results were favorable to their hypothesis, that a causal relationship had been demonstrated. I believe this interpretation was not warranted by the evidence. It is not that the results obtained do not show a relationship between contextually-appropriate errors and comprehension; they do. It is rather, that they do not show the relationship to be a causal one; they do not show that these errors represent a distinct skill that is characteristically strong in some readers and weak in others in a way that corresponds with their relative strength and weaknesses in comprehension as measured on a standardized test. I shall attempt to clarify these remarks by reviewing the design and rationale of the study in conjunction with the results obtained. Kendall and Hood proposed that there are two types of disabled readers, "one primarily deficient in word-recognition skills and the other primarily deficient in comprehension skills"
Diagnostic Utility of Abdominal Ultrasonography for Routine Staging at Diagnosis of Skeletal OSA in Dogs

The rate of soft tissue metastases and the importance of abdominal ultrasonography in initial staging of canine skeletal osteosarcoma (OSA) are not known. The purpose of this study was to determine...
A Simple Low-Cost Portable Energy Efficient Device to Supplement Operating System Curriculum

This paper presents a new simple low-cost portable energy efficient device for teaching operating systems. This new technology offers a variety of curricular components including an open sourced small OS for proof of concepts and is suitable for project oriented curriculum, especially for online courses. This device has a potential to be reused in other computing courses. Its inexpensive characteristics promote broad adoption especially in resource limited institutions.
Efficiency Analysis of Cournot Competition in Service Industries with Congestion

We consider Cournot competition in the presence of congestion effects. Our model consists of several service providers with differentiated services, each competing for users who are sensitive to both price and congestion. We distinguish two types of congestion effects, depending on whether spillover costs exist, that is, where one service provider's congestion cost increases with the other providers' output level. We quantify the efficiency of an unregulated oligopoly with respect to the optimal social welfare with tight upper and lower bounds. We show that, when there is no spillover, the welfare loss in an unregulated oligopoly is limited to 25% of the social optimum, even in the presence of highly convex costs. On the other hand, when spillover cost is present, there does not exist a constant lower bound on the efficiency of an unregulated oligopoly, even with affine cost. We show that the efficiency depends on the relative magnitude between the marginal spillover cost and the marginal benefit to consumers. This paper was accepted by Christian Terwiesch, operations management.
Increase of retinal vessel width in ocular hypertensives with timolol therapy.

. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether timolol drops compared to placebo drops had a significant effect on retinal vessel width in ocular hypertensives. Methods: Thirty-seven ocular hypertensives were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 0.5% timolol drops to both eyes for 18 to 24 months in a double masked clinical trial. Measurements of ocular pressure and retinal vessel width by computerized image analysis from fundus photographs were made at about 3 month intervals for 18 to 24 months of follow-up. Results: None of the subjects developed visual field loss when tested with the Goldmann perimeter by kinetic and static means at six month intervals. Subjects treated with the placebo showed no change in ocular pressure and a significant decrease in retinal vessel width over time especially in the right eye. Subjects treated with timolol had an increase in retinal vessel width compared to the placebo group significant especially for the superior temporal vein. Multivariate analyses indicated that the increase of retinal vessel width was not associated mainly with the ocular pressure on treatment or decrease in ocular pressure on treatment. Conclusion: Timolol treatment was associated with an increase of retinal vessel width. The effect of timolol appears to be related primarily to mechanisms other than the decrease in ocular pressure.
Nanoengineered platforms for cancer chemoprevention

The ingestion of some organic compounds has been known to lower the risk of cancer. With emerging studies in the past decade, the biological effect of these compounds has been recognized within a clinical context and presents an appealing strategy for cancer prevention. These compounds, now commonly referred as chemopreventive agents or anti-carcinogens, often exert their activity by inducing expression of phase II enzymes and endogenous antioxidants via the Nrf2 signaling pathway, which defends cells from harmful oxidative stress and reactive carcinogenic intermediates. Here, we present several micro- and nanoscale technological modularities, including two molecular assays and a multiplexed microfluidic device, toward the creation of a nanoengineered platform for high-throughput screening of chemopreventive compounds targeting Nrf2. The ability to rapidly identify agents that can prevent the occurrence and reduce the severity of cancer is of great importance in the management of cancer and represents a pathway toward the realization of preventive medicine.
Culture and Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Styles: Role of Acculturation

This study explored the role of acculturation and bicultural identity processes in the interpersonal conflict resolution preferences of monoculturals (Koreans and European Americans) and biculturals (Korean Americans). Koreans and European Americans differed in their conflict resolution styles in a manner congruent with individualism-collectivism theory. Korean Americans displayed a complex bicultural pattern of conflict resolution: They endorsed “competing” (a traditionally individualistic style) more than Koreans and similar to European Americans, while also endorsing “avoidance” (a traditionally collectivistic style) more than both European Americans and Koreans. The authors discuss the results in light of biculturalism and cultural encapsulation theories.
Predictors of Parenting Stress in Children Referred for an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Evaluation

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report significantly higher stress than parents of children with other developmental disorders. Symptoms that overlap with the autism spectrum are often present in other developmental disorders, which could significantly increase parenting stress. Additionally, the severity of ASD symptoms within a group of children with ASD can greatly vary. In the present study, problem behaviors, cognitive and adaptive functioning, and parenting stress were examined in a group of 40 children aged 2–5 years who were referred for an autism evaluation. The children presented with varying levels of symptoms often associated with ASD, and some met criteria for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. This approach allowed for both categorical and dimensional consideration of ASD-associated symptoms and the relation to parenting stress in children with and without autism. When examined based on ultimate clinical diagnosis of ASD or non-ASD, child behavior problems and parenting stress were similar across groups. Clinician-based autism severity ratings (based on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) did not significantly predict parenting stress; however, parental report of the severity of ASD-associated symptoms (from the Social Responsiveness Scale) showed a significant relation to stress. Cognitive ability did not uniquely contribute to stress. Problem behaviors as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist accounted for the largest proportion of the variance in parenting stress; adaptive behaviors and severity of parent- or clinician-rated autism-associated symptoms did not uniquely contribute above and beyond problem behaviors. Parents who reported more behavior problems or more autism-associated symptoms reported higher parenting stress. Clinical applications and the need for more research on parenting stress and problem behaviors in children displaying autism symptomatology are highlighted.