cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An intraweek seasonality in the implied volatilities of T-bond and T-note options

This paper initiates the study of intraweek seasonalities in the implied volatilities of options on futures contracts on U.S. Treasury bonds and notes. Research on intraweek regularities is important to public policy because the structure and usage of derivative markets is a regulatory issue. The topic is also important to discussions of market efficiency. For example, empirical observation of various trading regularities has stimulated research into market closing effects, weekend perturbations in discount rates, and patterns in news dissemination. Other theoretical topics which are stimulated by day-of-the-week research are models of bid-asked spreads (Roll [21]), trading concentration due to the interaction of liquidity and information traders (Admati and Pfleiderer [l]), and the role of noise and its effect on liquidity (Black [4]). Poole [20] and Eisemann and Timme [4] discuss the micro-mechanics of the Federal Reserve system and the Federal funds market. Stigum [23] and Melton [16] provide anecdotal evidence of high Friday and Wednesday volatility of the Federal funds rate. Dyl [7] concludes that Friday Federal funds rates are on average higher than other days. Spindt and Hoffmeister [22] explain how the mechanics of the Federal funds system lead to high variability of rates on Friday, especially on the second Friday of each reporting period. Findings of intraweek regularities have often been accompanied by analysis of particular institutional features or related anomalies (see, for example, PhillipsPatrick and Schneeweis [19] who relate high Monday dividends to the putative Monday effect in stocks, or Jaffe and Westerfield [12] who study the effects of currency seasonals and clearing procedures in the weekend effect context). A healthy skepticism should prevail in all discussions of intraweek regularities. Using a Bayesian approach, Connally [S] claims that most perceived anomalies of this type are due to incorrect hypothesis testing procedures, unduly large samples and historical accidents.
Seamless, axially aligned, fiber tubes, meshes, microbundles and gradient biomaterial constructs.

A new electrospinning apparatus was developed to generate nanofibrous materials with improved organizational control. The system functions by oscillating the deposition signal (ODS) of multiple collectors, allowing significantly improved nanofiber control by manipulating the electric field which drives the electrospinning process. Other electrospinning techniques designed to impart deposited fiber organizational control, such as rotating mandrels or parallel collector systems, do not generate seamless constructs with high quality alignment in sizes large enough for medical devices. In contrast, the ODS collection system produces deposited fiber networks with highly pure alignment in a variety of forms and sizes, including flat (8 × 8 cm2), tubular (1.3 cm diameter), or rope-like microbundle (45 μm diameter) samples. Additionally, the mechanism of our technique allows for scale-up beyond these dimensions. The ODS collection system produced 81.6 % of fibers aligned within 5° of the axial direction, nearly a four-fold improvement over the rotating mandrel technique. The meshes produced from the 9 % (w/v) fibroin/PEO blend demonstrated significant mechanical anisotropy due to the fiber alignment. In 37 °C PBS, aligned samples produced an ultimate tensile strength of 16.47 ± 1.18 MPa, a Young’s modulus of 37.33 MPa, and a yield strength of 7.79 ± 1.13 MPa. The material was 300 % stiffer when extended in the direction of fiber alignment and required 20 times the amount of force to be deformed, compared to aligned meshes extended perpendicular to the fiber direction. The ODS technique could be applied to any electrospinnable polymer to overcome the more limited uniformity and induced mechanical strain of rotating mandrel techniques, and greatly surpasses the limited length of standard parallel collector techniques.
Flux Synthesis of LiAuS and NaAuS: "Chicken-Wire-Like" Layer Formation by Interweaving of (AuS)nn- Threads. Comparison with α-HgS and AAuS (A = K, Rb)

From the reaction of Au with alkali metal polysulfide liquids, LiAuS and NaAuS were discovered. Orange crystals of LiAuS crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c, (no. 15), with a = 8.994(2) A, b = 8.956(2) A, c = 7.201(3) A, beta = 128.68(1) degrees, and Z = 8. Light-yellow planks of NaAuS crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Ccca, (no. 68), with a = 14.658(5) A, b = 21.043(7) A, c = 7.118(4) A, and Z = 32. Both compounds contain infinite one-dimensional (AuS)(n)()(n)()(-) chains, featuring alternating sulfide anions and linear coordinated Au centers. In LiAuS, the chains are zigzag and fully extended and they pack in two mutually perpendicular sets. In NaAuS, the same chains coil in an unusual fashion so that they become interwoven to form layers reminiscent of "chicken-wire". This novel coiling mode allows Au-Au contacts to form, which help to stabilize the structure. The structural relationships between LiAuS, NaAuS, Na(7)Au(5)S(6), AAuQ (A = K, Rb, Cs; Q = S, Se), and alpha-HgS are explored.
Merlin Differs from Moesin in Binding to F-Actin and in Its Intra- and Intermolecular Interactions

The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene encodes merlin, a protein with homology to the cell membrane/F-actin linking proteins, moesin, ezrin and radixin. Unlike these closely related proteins, merlin lacks a C-terminal F-actin binding site detectable by actin blot overlays, and the GFP-tagged merlin C-terminal domain co-distributes with neither stress fibers nor cortical actin in NIH3T3 cells. Merlin also differs from the other three proteins in its inter- and intramolecular domain interactions, as shown by in vitro binding and yeast two-hybrid assays. As is true for ezrin, moesin and radixin, the N- and C-terminal domains of merlin type 1 bind to each other. However, full-length merlin and its N- and C-terminal domains, as well as the C-terminal domain of ezrin, interact with other full-length merlin type 1 molecules, and its C-terminal domain interacts with itself. Merlin 1 function in cells may thus depend on intra- and intermolecular interactions and their modulation, which include interactions with other members of this protein family.
Photoradiation therapy of endobronchial lung cancers employing the photodynamic action of hematoporphvrin derivative

Thirty-five patients with tumors within the tracheobronchial tree were treated with photoradiation therapy (PRT) employing the photodynamic action of hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD). An effective protocol has been developed consisting of 3.0 mg/kg HPD given intravenously 72 hours prior to the bronchoscopic illumination of the endobronchial tumor sites with red light (630 nm) from an argon pumped dye laser. Light applicators were developed that provided surface (area) and insertion (volume) illumination of tumor masses. Average light dosages of 100 J/cm2 and 200 J/cm were used for surface and insertion illumination, respectively. Delivery rates were 200 mW/cm2 and 400 mW/cm. There was no immediate visible effect such as coagulation or charring noted. All malignant endobronchial tumors responded. Tumors included primary and metastatic lesions of various histologic types. Response was complete for tumor within the bronchus after one treatment in 80% of instances. The remaining cases required two treatments to obtain a complete response due to the extensive length of bronchus involved or because multiple sites were present. A complete response, that is, the full opening up of the lumen to the bronchial wall, was accomplished in all but one instance. Atelectatic lungs or lobes were re-expanded and reaerated. Dyspnea and cough became significantly less. The follow-up achieved to date indicates improvement in symptoms, activity level, and the return to work in a significant number of cases.
Focused ion beam phase-shift mask repair (fib or fact?)

Phase shifting masks (PSMs) have been shown to increase resolution in optical lithography as low as 0.25 micrometers . However, the production of defect-free PSMs remains a challenge. The increase in resolution decreases not only the maximum allowable chromium defect size, but also introduces phase defects that print at even smaller sizes than regular absorber defects. In addition to repairing smaller defects, PSM repair also has to deal with different new materials, and develop new approaches to defect metrology for transmission and shifter defects. A new focused ion beam (FIB) repair tool has been developed over the last year: the Micrion 8000PSMR. This paper describes the progress during this development with respect to imaging, absorber deposition, absorber removal, and quartz removal. Comparison to currently available laser repair tools is included where appropriate.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Shielding due to aligned microcracks in anisotropic media

Abstract This work presents a continuum damage analysis of the effect of aligned microcracks on a dominant crack in an otherwise anisotropic medium. This geometry is particularly relevant for composite media with an aligned reinforcement phase, where aligned cracking can change the magnitude and principal axes of anisotropy. Provided that the density of aligned microcracks reaches a stable saturation value near the crack tip, the near-tip stress intensity factor, K I s , may be related to the remote value, K I 0 , in terms of the anisotropic properties of the undamaged and saturated media. Results show that of all types of damage, that which increases compliance in a direction normal to the crack plane typically reduces K I s / K I 0 near the crack tip most significantly, while comparable increases in compliance parallel to the crack growth direction produce a relatively small change. Reduction in K I s K I 0 due to increased shear compliance may be 80% of that due to increased compliance normal to the crack plane. For damage consisting of aligned microcracks, the most effective reduction in K I s / K I 0 occurs when the microcracks are oriented parallel, rather than perpendicular to the main crack. This conclusion holds even for alumina/aluminum and graphite/epoxy systems that display large anisotropy. In those cases, optimal reduction in K I s / K I 0 occurs when in addition to parallel macro and microcracks, the stiffer direction is perpendicular to the crack surfaces. This case corresponds, for example, to macrocrack extension perpendicular to aligned fibers or layers in composite materials, with pinned microcracking through fiber or layer cross sections.
Power Law and Stretched Exponential Responses in Composite Solids

Clay, rocks, concrete and other composite solids show evidence of a hierarchical structure. A fractal tree of nested viscoelastic boxes is proposed to describe the elastic after-effects in these composite solids. A generalized fractal transmission line approach is developed to relate the strain and stress responses. Power law for strain, under an applied stress step, is derived. The exponent in the power law is obtained as a well-defined function of the branching numbers and scaling parameters of the viscoelastic hierarchy. Then, a composite solid with both instantaneous (linear) elastic strain response and power law type (linear) elastic after-effect for an applied stress step, is considered. The stretched exponential stress relaxation to an applied strain step is derived as an approximation. For the same composite solid, the stretch parameter of the stretched exponential and the exponent of the power law result to be equal to each other.
Petrochemistry of the silicic-mafic complexes at Vesturhorn and Austurhorn, Iceland: evidence for zoned/stratified magma

Abstract Within the Austurhorn and Vesturhorn silicic intrusions of southeastern Iceland are composite complexes that consist of pillow-like bodies of mafic and intermediate rock entirely surrounded by silicic rock. The pillows with cuspate and chilled boundaries are interpreted to indicate a liquid-liquid relationship with a silicic magma. Some pillow-like bodies have a chilled and sharp cuspate boundary, whereas others have a distinct chemical and visible gradational contact with the silicic rock. The visible scale of mixing is of the same order of magnitude as the size of the pillows enclosed in the silicic rock (mm to meters). Two important types of chemical variation in the pillows are recognized. The first type of variation occurs from mafic pillow interiors to margins and into the surrounding silicic rock. These variations are due to mechanical mixing between mafic magma and the silicic magma. The second type of chemical variation occurs between individual pillows. Large variations occur between pillows in P and Ti at nearly constant silica. These variations cannot have resulted from in situ simple magma mixing or crystal fractionation, and must have originated at depth below the present level of exposure. These compositions could have been derived from separate mafic (or intermediate) magma bodies or from a single zoned and/or stratified magma body. Because the Austurhorn, Vesturhorn, and Ardnamurchan composite complexes all exhibit similar variations in P and Ti and because these occurrences are separated in space and time, they are thought to have had similar processes occur during their evolution. The chemical variations are interpreted to have resulted from mafic magma that has underplated silicic magma and become zoned/stratified due to the effects of magma mixing and cooling-crystallization.
A Comparison of Falls Efficacy among Older United States Adults Living Independently and in Group Dwellings: Health Education Implications

The objective was to examine the relationship between a community based balance measure and perceptions of balance among individuals from different elderly living environments. The research was a cross-sectional between groups comparison design. Data collection was conducted in a community setting, in both older adult group housing facilities and in older adult community centers. Data analysis was conducted on a sample of 74 older adults that included independent and group dwellers. Instruments used to collect information from the older adults were the Berg Balance Scale and the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale. Results indicate that significant differences (p (t(72) = 2.04, p = .044). Many group dwelling older adults believe their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) is compromised simply as a result of their living situation. This research indicates that this fear may be unfounded. In the future, we suggest that health educators working with older adults focus their efforts on education designed to increase senior falls efficacy.
Binding and melting of D-loops by the Bloom syndrome helicase.

Bloom syndrome is a rare autosomal disorder characterized by predisposition to cancer and genomic instability. BLM, the structural gene mutated in individuals with the disorder, encodes a DNA helic...
Two very different B…N bond distances: electronic structure calculations on BF3…NCCN and BF3…NCCH3

Abstract The systems BF 3 …NCCN and BF 3 …NCCH 3 have been studied at the MP2 level of theory and were found to have B–N distances of 2.60 and 2.17 A. The experimental values are 2.64 and 1.64 A, respectively. We attribute the surprisingly large difference between experiment and theory for BF 3 …NCCH 3 to crystal packing effects.
Density compensated thermohaline gradients and diapycnal fluxes in the mixed layer

Abstract Density-compensated temperature and salinity gradients are often observed in mixed layer fronts. A possible explanation Of this Observation is that there is a systematic relation between the “strength” of a front, defined as the buoyancy jump across the front, and the thickness of a front. If stronger fronts tend to be thicker, then in an ensemble of random fronts, in which the temperature and salinity jumps am independent random variables, the temperature and salinity gradients will he correlated. This correlation between the thermohaline gradients is such that heat and salt make antagonistic contributions to the buoyancy gradient–-that is, them is buoyancy compensation. The statistics of heat and salt fluxes across nearly compensated fronts are counterintuitive: strong heat fluxes can occur across a front with weak thermal gradients and strong salinity gradients, and vice versa. As a specific model that relates the width of a front to the strength of a front, a pair of coupled nonlinear diffusi...
Bonding in the monohomocyclooctatetraene anion radical

Abstract We have carried out a series of INDO calculations on the monohomocyclooctatetraene anion radical (MHCOT ). Based upon both the calculated molecular binding energy and comparison of calculated proton hyperfine coupling constants with previously published data, we conclude that the 8-membered ring of MHCOT is planar. Good agreement was obtained with the experimental hyperfine splittings when the angle between the plane of the 8-membered ring and the plane of the fused cyclopropyl ring was 83·5°. A high π bond order between the carbon atoms at the base of the fused cyclopropyl group strongly supports Winstein's concept of homoconjugation. However, the σ bond orders across the interruption are only reduced by 10–20% relative to the other CC bonds in the ring, so this bond cannot be considered opened in the anion radical. This is in agreement with the prediction, based on molecular-orbital symmetries, that both disrotatory and conrotatory ring openings are disallowed processes for this species.
The war on cancer

25 years ago, then President Nixon "declared" War on Cancer. In this personal commentary, the war is reviewed. There have been obvious triumphs, for instance in cure of acute lymphocytic leukaemia and other childhood cancers, Hodgkin's disease, and testicular cancer. However, substantial advances in molecular oncology have yet to impinge on mortality statistics. Too many adults still die from common epithelial cancers. Failure to appreciate that local invasion and distant metastasis rather then cell proliferation itself are lethal, obsession with cure of advanced disease rather than prevention of early disease, and neglect of the need to arrest preneoplastic lesions may all have served to make victory elusive.
Lead decorporation following therapy with the dibutyl ester of diethylenetriaminepentaacetate in the mouse.

In previous work to increase the effectiveness of unesterified DTPA for removal of actinides, the dibutyl ester of DTPA (Bu/sub 2/DTPA) was synthesized. Because this molecule has a reduced charge and increased lipid solubility compared to either EDTA or DTPA, it should be more capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, be potentially more effective in reducing otherwise refractory brain burdens of lead, and possibly more effective in reversing brain damage. The therapeutic efficacy of this ester was tested, using both mature and immature mice with a well-established lead burden, the latter to simulate treatment of young children following lead poisoning. This study was designed to determine whether the dibutyl ester can mobilize more lead from mouse tissues compared to DTPA and EDTA, whether it promotes urinary or fecal excretion of lead, and whether any prolonged effect occurs after discontinuation of treatment.
Inter-relationships among sense of coherence, hope, and spiritual perspective (inner resources) of African-American and European-American breast cancer survivors.

Abstract This descriptive study compared sense of coherence (SOC), hope, and spiritual perspective in African-American and European-American breast cancer survivors. Five African-American and five European-American survivors completed multiple self-report instruments. Nonparametric statistical analyses included the Spearman rho and Mann-Whitney U tests. As hypothesized, there were significant positive relationships between SOC and spiritual perspective ( r s = .768, p = .005 ) and hope and spiritual perspective ( r s = .561, p = .046). There were no significant differences in SOC, hope, or spiritual perspective scores in the African-American compared with the European-American survivors. Results justify a larger study to explore inner resources of African-American breast cancer survivors.
Valuing the Environment in Conservation Economics: Conceptual and Structural Barriers

Valuing conservation and biodiversity outcomes in economic analysis is difficult, as it is in health economics. Because health economics has previously had to respond to the many challenges currently faced by conservation economics, health economists have developed very successful tools for responding to these challenges which conservation economists can draw upon. What is surprising is that despite rhetorical support for the use of these economic analysis tools in conservation valuations, in practice, these economic tools are used far less frequently in conservation and biodiversity decision then they are in health decisions. Drawing on a simple database search and an analysis of universities that lead in both economics and environmental studies, this paper considers why conservation economists stick with philosophically and pragmatically difficult economic tools when they have other options, and argues that part of the reasons is the way conservation economics is framed and conceptualised.
Age dependent susceptibility to reovirus type 3 encephalitis: Role of viral and host factors

Reovirus type 3 inoculated intracerebrally or subcutaneously into newborn mice induced an acute necrotizing and uniformly fatal encephalitis. Subsequently, between the eighth and tenth day of age, reovirus type 3 infection changed to a nonlethal infection. This pattern of virulence was directly correlated with the ability of the virus to replicate in the brain and histologically was accompanied by a gradual diminution in the intensity and extent of encephalitis such that histological abnormalities were absent in the brains of virus-injected adult animals. Some animals injected at ages 10 to 18 days developed brainstem and diencephalic lesions, indicating a nonuniform resistance of neurons to viral infection with aging. Neither a changing immune response pattern nor a modification or loss of viral receptors appears to explain either the susceptibility of newborn or the resistance of adult animals to reovirus type 3 encephalitis. Splenic mononuclear cells from mice younger (but not older) than 7 days also permitted reovirus type 3 replication in vitro. Thus, the age dependent resistance to reovirus type 3 encephalitis appears related to an intrinsic resistance to viral replication by neuronal cells, a resistance that may occur simultaneously in nonneuronal cell populations.
A chemical mechanism for nitrogen incorporation into HfO2 ALD films using ammonia and alkylamide as precursors

An atomistic mechanism for the incorporation of nitrogen into HfO2 ALD films grown using Hf[N(CH3)2]4 and NH3 was investigated using density functional theory. We find a ligand-exchange mechanism similar to those thought to occur in the ALD of other metal oxide films. Both half-reactions form intermediates that are more stable than the products, have larger barriers than for reaction between H2O and Hf[N(CH3)2]x∗ and will thus be significantly slower at ALD temperatures. Therefore water must be purged from the chamber when depositing Hf nitrides or incorporating N into HfO2 using this chemistry. These results indicate that NH3 and Hf[N(CH3)2]4 can be used to either incorporate N into HfO2 ALD films or grow hafnium nitride.
SU‐FF‐T‐127: Perhipheral Dose of Tungsten Powder Compensator (WPC) Based IMRT

Purpose: To characterize the peripheral dose (PD) of the newly developed compensator system based on tungstenpowder (WPC) and to compare with MLC‐based IMRT.Method and Materials:. WPCs molded with different thicknesses of tungstenpowder for comparison with MLC‐based plans were loaded into Elekta‐SLi block‐tray. Absorbed doses along the CAX and 2cm outside the field edge were measured for thickness of 1–7 cm at 1cm‐increments, at depths of dmax, 5cm and 10cm for photon energies of 6 and 15MV. Equivalent‐MLC thicknesses were calculated by constraining the total CAX dose and total MU for each compensator thickness. Absorbed doses along the CAX and 2cm outside the field edge were measured for the MLC‐equivalent thickness using Farmer chamber. In addition, PD for a WPC‐based clinical IMRT plan was compared to the equivalent MLC plan. Results: PD with tungsten thickness of 4cm, normalized to 10Gy along the CAX, was found to increase from 35 to 142cGy with increasing field size(5×5cm2 to 20×20cm2 at dmax) and from 74 to 85cGy with depth(dmax to 10cm with 10×10cm2 field). PD at dmax increased 204% by varying tungsten thickness from 1cm to 7cm. PD increased linearly with field size and was energy‐dependant only for the deeper depths where the PD became greater for 6MV than for 15MV. With increasing depth and decreasing field size, WPC‐based PD values became nearer to those of MLC‐based PD in trend. However, at the smallest field (5×5cm2), WPC showed lower PD than MLC. WPC‐based PD of a clinical plan measured 2cm outside the field edge, were ∼60% higher than that of MLC‐based plan. Conclusion: Mean WPC‐based PD was 60% higher than MLC‐based PD, however it was equivalent to 1.5% of the prescription dose of 2Gy/fraction. Conflict of Interest: Research sponsored by Axellis Ltd.
Quantitative gel electrophoresis: sources of variation.

Gel electrophoresis is known for its often unsatisfactory precision. Percental relative standard deviations (RSD%) in a range of 15–70% have been reported. Therefore, an improvement of precision in quantitative 2-DE is necessary. In the present, study we have analyzed the work flow of 2-DE in detail to assess the main error sources. Potential major sources of variability for this technique include the transfer between first and second dimension, the analystʼs expertise, and the staining or rather detection of separated proteins. The remarkable and completely irregular changes of the background signal from gel to gel were identified as one of the governing error sources. These background changes can be strongly reduced by the direct detection of the separated proteins using native fluorescence. More than a 3-fold better signal-to-noise ratio was found compared to Ruthenium-(II)-tris-(bathophenanthroline disulfonat) (RuBPS) and Coomassie staining, although the sample was used in an 800-fold lower concentrat...
Risk factors for metastatic disease at presentation with osteosarcoma: an analysis of the SEER database.

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone sarcoma and affects all ages. There are substantial differences in management and outcomes for patients who have localized disease compared with distant spread at the time of diagnosis. Our goal was to examine potential risk factors predictive of metastatic disease at presentation. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database was used to identify all patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma from 2000 to 2008 and to classify each patient as having metastatic or localized disease at the time of diagnosis. Patient-based characteristics, tumor characteristics, and county-level socioeconomic measures were analyzed to determine which factors were predictive of an increased rate of distant metastatic disease at presentation. These factors were analyzed as univariate characteristics as well as in a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: We identified 2017 cases of high-grade osteosarcoma, and 464 (23.0%) of the patients presented with metastatic disease. In the unadjusted logistic regression analysis, patients had increased odds of metastatic disease at presentation if they had an age of sixty years or more (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71 to 2.89), had a tumor located in the axial skeleton (OR = 2.47; 95% CI, 1.88 to 3.26), and lived in a county with low socioeconomic status (OR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.35). These factors remained significant when combined in multivariate models controlling for age, location, and socioeconomic status. For patients with recorded tumor size information (n = 1398), the odds of metastasis at presentation increased by 10% with each additional centimeter of tumor size (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.13). When the patients with missing tumor size information were excluded, socioeconomic status was no longer a significant risk factor for metastasis at presentation in the multivariate model. Conclusions: Osteosarcoma patients with advanced age, a tumor in the axial skeleton, a larger tumor size, and a residence in a less affluent county were more likely to have metastatic disease at presentation. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Finite Horizon Markov Decision Processes with Uncertain Terminal Payoffs

This paper deals with the problem of finding an estimate of the maximal loss of optimality which can arise when terminal payoffs are uncertain and policies are restricted in some way. The original non-convex optimization problem is converted to a sequence of sub-problems involving the maximization of a bilinear function over a convex region. The paper deals solely with the theoretical issues.
Emerging view of service-oriented computing and applications

E-Business and E-Commerce applications have evolved and been revolutionized through emerging Web-based service-oriented technologies. These advanced technologies include Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Service- Oriented Computing (SOC) and Web services that stimulate evolution of the business world into a new e-business platform. This web based platform (requires a flexible IT infrastructure) provides improved customer experiences and can streamline business process to create new business values in a fast changing business environment. Recently, we have seen an explosion in the number and the diversity of digital communities. Enabled by emerging technologies such as social networking and 3D internet, these digital communities are providing new forms of interactions and collaborations. In addition, Service Science, Management and Engineering are emerging as a new multi-disciplinary research and academic effort to make the service sector more productive and innovative. SOA/SOC not only provides a new concept in the design and management of software systems but also provides IT people with more agility than before in terms of software interoperability, reusability and visibility. In this talk, we will present the industry trends and directions on service oriented computing and applying SOA/SOC in building next generation web based collaborative applications, software as a service, and IT-enabled services.
Evolving perspectives on genetic discrimination in health insurance among health care providers

Previous studies have documented that concerns about genetic discrimination (GD) may influence access to and participation in medically necessary care. We sought to characterize how GD issues influence current cancer genetics professional (CGP) practice, determine if their attitudes regarding GD have changed over time, and compare their knowledge and attitudes regarding laws prohibiting GD to a contemporary cohort of non-genetics clinicians. Members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors Familial Cancer Special Interest Group were invited to complete a 39 item online survey, adapted from previously published instruments. The resulting data were compared to a survey of CGPs published in 2000 and to a contemporary cohort of non-genetics clinicians (n = 1,181). There were 153 qualified respondents. Compared to the historical CGP cohort (n = 163), a significantly greater proportion said they would bill insurance for the cost of genetic testing for themselves (P < 0.0001). Most CGPs (94%) considered the risk of GD to be low to theoretical, concordant with 64% who expressed confidence in existing federal laws prohibiting GD. The mean knowledge score of CGPs regarding GD protective laws was significantly greater than that of non-genetics clinicians (P < 0.001). As barometers of change, CGPs show a migration in opinion over the past 8 years, with decreased fear of GD and greater knowledge of laws prohibiting GD compared to non-genetics clinicians. Better knowledge of GD and protective legislation, may facilitate non-genetics clinician utilization of genetics and personalized medicine.
Religion, respect and Eberle’s agapic pacifist:

Christopher Eberle has developed a powerful critique of justificatory liberalism. According to Eberle, justificatory liberalism’s doctrine of restraint, which requires religious citizens to refrain from publicly advocating for policies that can be supported only by their religious reasons, is illiberal. In this article, I defend justificatory liberalism against Eberle’s critique.
Interaction effects of teacher enthusiasm and student notetaking on recall and recognition of lecture content

The purpose of this study was to determine whether teacher enthusiasm and student notetaking activity would interact to produce significant differences in students’ learning from lecture. Three modes of student learning activity (listen only, notes, notes plus review) were crossed with two levels of lecturer enthusiasm (less enthusiastic, more enthusiastic) in a 3X2 MANOVA design. Dependent variables were simple recall, complex recall, and recognition of lecture content. Results showed a significant interaction for simple recall. Also, a significant main effect was obtained for learning activity. Findings are discussed with respect to how learning activity and teacher behavior can function jointly in student processing of information. Suggestions for future research are given in light of limitations to the present study.
Descriptions of New Species of Nomadopsis from California and Texas, and of a Newallied Genus from South America

The genus Nomadopsis was proposed by Ashmead in 1898, but it has not been universally accepted because of an error in citing the type species. The type was cited as “ Perdita zonalis Cr.,” whereas Calliopsis zonalis Cresson was actually intended, and Ashmead made this correction a year later. On account of this confusion our species of Nomadopsis have been referred to Spinoliella Ashmead for many years, but that name should be reserved for a South American group of species which is, I believe, generically distinct from Nomadopsis although closely allied. In 1933 Cockerell proposed Claremontiella as a subgenus of Spinoliella , with Spinoliella euxantha Cockerell as the type, but this is isogenerotypic with Nomadopsis , as euxantha is virtually identical and synonymous with Calliopsis zonalis Cresson.
Quantitative Description of the Effect of Molecular Size upon Electroosmotic Flux Enhancement during Iontophoresis for a Synthetic Membrane and Human Epidermal Membrane

This study focused upon quantitatively determining the influence of permeant molecular size upon flux enhancement which results from electroosmosis. The first phase of the study involved validation of a fundamental model describing the molecular size dependence of flux enhancement which results from convective solvent flow. This was accomplished using a model synthetic membrane (stack of 50 Nuclepore membranes) and four model permeants with a molecular weight range of 60–504 (urea, mannitol, sucrose, and raffinose). The steady-state flux of each permeant was determined under passive conditions and applied voltages of 125, 250, 500, and 1000 mV using side-by-side diffusion cells and a four-electrode potentiostat system. On the basis of the permeability enhancement for each permeant at each applied voltage (relative to the passive permeability) it was possible to calculate the effective solvent flow velocity from each permeant at each field strength. An important finding was that the flux enhancement due to electroosmosis was strongly molecular weight dependent (i.e., the flux enhancement ratio was around 4 times greater for raffinose than for urea, with mannitol and sucrose yielding intermediate values), while the calculated effective flow velocity at each voltage was independent of the molecular weight of the permeant. This coupled with a linear correlation between flow velocity and applied voltage served to establish the validity of the method and model. The second phase of the study was an extension of the model to human epidermal membrane (HEM). These experiments involved simultaneously measuring the fluxes of [14C]urea and [3H]sucrose across HEM samples under passive, 250 mV, and 500 mV conditions. Similar to the Nuclepore system, the observed flux enhancement ratios with HEM were approximately 3 times greater for sucrose than for urea. A detailed analysis of the HEM data showed semiquantitative agreement between predictions of the model and experimental results.
Demonstration of free space coherent optical communication using integrated silicon photonic orbital angular momentum devices

We propose and demonstrate silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for free-space spatial-division-multiplexing (SDM) optical transmission with multiplexed orbital angular momentum (OAM) states over a topological charge range of −2 to +2. The silicon PIC fabricated using a CMOS-compatible process exploits tunable-phase arrayed waveguides with vertical grating couplers to achieve space division multiplexing and demultiplexing. The experimental results utilizing two silicon PICs achieve SDM mux/demux bit-error-rate performance for 1‑b/s/Hz, 10-Gb/s binary phase shifted keying (BPSK) data and 2-b/s/Hz, 20-Gb/s quadrature phase shifted keying (QPSK) data for individual and two simultaneous OAM states.
Hourly Laying Patterns of the Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) in Puerto Rico

Abstract Temporal aspects of egg deposition are important factors governing avian reproductive success. I report hourly egg-laying patterns of the Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico during 1979–2000. Initiatory eggs were laid by early morning (median = 0642 hrs, AST) and almost half of the eggs were laid by 0723 hrs. Many penultimate and eggs completing a clutch, however, were laid later in the morning and some not until mid afternoon (1429 hrs), thus extending egg deposition to 8 hrs. Delayed laying of the last eggs in a clutch may be an adaptive strategy triggering brood reduction to ensure survival of older and more robust siblings during periods of physiological stress and food shortages.
Observation of nonuniform current transport in epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−x film near the superconducting transition temperature

Abstract We have studied the local transport properties in an epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (YBCO) film on LaAlO 3 (LAO) using variable temperature scanning laser microscope (VTSLM) near the superconducting transition. A map of the superconducting transition temperature ( T c * ) is generated from a series of VTSLM images. The map of T c * indicates there are inhomogeneities in the film large enough to create nonuniform current flow near the superconducting transition. The evaluated T c * varies between 90.3 and 91.0 K in the film. Even though such change in T c * is not large enough to be detected by other localized compositional and structural characterization techniques, this along with an area of lower T c * and/or higher resistance affects current flow near the superconducting transition temperature as shown in VTSLM images. This inhomogeneity may be caused by slight variations of the stoichiometry and/or oxidation of the YBCO film.
Assessment of the Concurrent Validity of the Leadership Skills Inventory with Gifted Students and Their Teachers

Summavy.-GO students currently enrolled in state-approved public school programs for the gifted at Grades G and 7 were given the Leadership Skills Inventory. Four certified teachers of these students were asked to complete an inventory on each subject to assess its concurrent validity. On mean T scores of students and mean teachers' ratings of students t-tests showed no significant differences between the means of the students and ratings of two teachers who had several years of experience teaching gifted students and who had more experience with the inventory. It was concluded that the inventory should be used primarily as a self-rating instrument. The Leadership Skills Inventory (2) was designed to assist upper elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students in the analysis of their abilities in nine areas of leadership: fundamentals of leadership, written communication, speech communication, values clarification, group dynamics, problem solving, personal deveIopment, decision making, and planning. The instrument is used as a diagnostic/prescriptive tool in conjunction with the training program ( 1 ) . The inventory was standardized on eight samples of elementary and secondary school students from seven states. The total sample included 452 students of whom 422 reported their sex (207 boys, 215 girls). Their ages ranged from 9 to 18 yr., with a mean of 14.6 yr. The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was examined by split-half coefficient (31-.92), the Spearman-Brown formula (.80-.93), and the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (.78.90>. The inventory was designed to be self-rating and self-scoring. The rationale for the self-rating feature is set forth in the administration manual (3). Most important is that individuals can obtain a realistic assessment of themselves. They can gain an objective view rather than being rated by others who may be less knowledgeable about individual strengths and weaknesses. In the present study the extent to which students' ratings of themselves corresponded to their teachers' ratings of them on the same inventory was examined to provide information on concurrent validity.
A comparison of similarity and oddity

Abstract This study compares discriminative and verbal responses to sameness and difference. The Ss were moderately retarded children. Discriminative training was carried out in a two-choice visual discrimination apparatus with correction and a candy reward. Following discriminative training, the Ss were tested for their ability to respond to verbal questions of sameness or difference. The tasks were found to be of approximately equal difficulty in the discriminative situation. Most Ss could respond to questions of sameness but not to questions of difference. It was concluded that verbal mediating responses were not used, even when available. This is consistent with the belief that verbal responses are a coordinate, not a mediating system with these Ss.
BIOAVAILABILITY AND CSF PENETRATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN IN EXPERMENTAL HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE MENINGITIS

Ciprofloxacin (C) is a new quinolone antimicrobial with a broad spectrum of activity and oral bioavailability that may be useful for the therapy of systemic infections in children. Pharmacokinetics, CSF penetration and efficacy of this agent were studied in an infant rabbit model of bacteremic Haemophilus (Hib) meningitis induced by intranasal inoculation. C concentrations were determined by bioassay. Uninfected rabbits were given 25 or 50 mg/kg orally and intravenously. Serum concentrations (conc.) peaked 1-3 h after oral dosing and bioavailability (AUC po/AUC iv) was 40.5%. Rabbits with Hib meningitis were given C 50 mg/kg po q12h. Peak serum cone. (3.3±1.5) and (3.0 h) were similar to uninfected animals, but CSF cone, were higher (mean 0.14 ug/ml, penetration 7.8±1.6%). Serum cone. 12 h after an oral dose (0.16 ug/ml) were still 10X the Hib MIC. CSF cultures showed 2500 cfu/ml before and 16 cfu/ml 2h after treatment. CSF cultures at 6 h were sterile. C warrants further study in the treatment of systemic Hib infections.
A Systematic Review of High Quality Diagnostic Tests for Chagas Disease

Background There is significant heterogeneity in reported sensitivities and specificities of diagnostic serological assays for Chagas disease, as might be expected from studies that vary widely according to setting, research design, antigens employed, and reference standard. The purpose of this study is to summarize the reported accuracy of serological assays and to identify sources of heterogeneity including quality of research design. To avoid associated spectrum bias, our analysis was limited to cohort studies.
The Slave Trade to the English West Indies, 1673‐1724

ECONOMIC historians concerned with the supply of labour to the New World colonies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries have long taken an interest in the operation of the transatlantic slave trade. African slaves were of major importance to the economy of colonial America, and their central role makes a knowledge of the conditions of their supply and the factors that determined those conditions critical to an understanding of the economic history of the regions that depended on them. This article will present some new evidence bearing on the economics of the trade to the English West Indies between i673 and I 724, and briefly consider the implications of these data for an understanding of the functioning of the slave trade in the period. The new evidence comes from one of the most important single known sources for the study of the slave trade, the surviving invoice account books of the Royal African Company.2 While these books have long been known to historians, and have served as a principal source for a classic study of the Royal African Company,3 they are a rich source, and still contain much unexploited material. What follows is only a first step towards a systematic presentation of some of the quantitative information the invoices contain. Tables I-3 present a set of price series which consist of the mean prices paid for adult men and women slaves in Barbados, Jamaica, and Nevis, combining quotations from all recorded auctions in a given colony in each year.4 In addition to the prices, the tables show the number of observations-i.e. the number of slaves sold-on which each annual mean is based. The relative completeness of each series roughly reflects the volume of shipments by the Royal African Company to the three colonies.5
Improved performance of Apex-E photoresist with the application of the electric field enhanced PEB

This paper describes a systematic and rigorously controlled set of experiments showing the effectiveness of the Electric Field Enhanced Post Exposure Bake (EFE-PEB) with 248nm KrF(ASML) exposures on Apex-E photoresist (IBM) where feature sizes ranged from 0.3 um to 0.5 um. Experimental results showed a significant improvement in process latitude and resist sensitivity for features with a k1 technology factor of 0.68 and below. The experiments were executed using a 248nm KrF stepper (ASML), NA 0.5, and Apex-E photoresist (IBM), which has a relatively high acid diffusivity. An improved experimental setup rigorously controls PEB time, PEB temperature, development time, focus drift, and other environmental variables. Cross sectional SEMs of five line arrays with L=S ranging from 337nm to 500 um show deeper trenches when the electric-field treatment was used. Exposures that were intentionally out of focus cleared 600nm deep in 1um thick photoresist in the control group, but did clear the full 1um with the application of the Electric Field during the PEB. A dose matrix experiment showed an 8% decrease in the dose to clear and two-fold increase in focus latitude. This comprehensive study demonstrated an increase in anisotropic acid diffusivity with the application of the electric field and confirmed that the EFE-PEB offers a relatively inexpensive and simple method for improving photoresist performance.