cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen Rate and Mowing Height Effects on Velvet and Creeping Bentgrasses for Low-Input Putting Greens

Economics and regulations are causing golf course managers to use lower-input approaches for turfgrass maintenance. Our objective was to compare velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina L.) and creeping bentgrass (A. stolonifera L.) cultivars for putting green turf as affected by mowing height and N rate. Field plots were established on a sand-based root zone using a strip-split plot, randomized block design with four replications. Main plots were cultivars ('Vesper' and 'SR7200' velvet bentgrasses and 'Penncross' and 'L-93' creeping bentgrasses). Mowing heights of 2.5, 4.0, and 6.4 mm were stripped across main plots, which were split to receive 48 or 146 kg ha ―1 N yr ―1 . Vesper at the higher N rate provided the best turf quality, had the best spring green-up, and had greater shoot density than either creeping bentgrass regardless of N rate. Cultivar and N treatments had variable effects on ball roll. In 2006 the velvet bentgrasses had less dollar spot disease (Sclerotinia homeocarpa F.T. Bennett) than creeping bentgrasses at 4.0 and 6.4 mm mowing heights. Velvet bentgrasses do not necessarily require less N than creeping bentgrasses, and intraspecific variation between cultivars indicates generic comparisons to creeping bentgrass are not always appropriate at the species level.
Nuclear matter calculations using separable potentials

Abstract The binding energy per particle and saturation density of nuclear matter are calculated using reaction matrix theory for a number of separable potentials in current use. None of the potentials tested yield satisfactory results but a separable potential which combines the desirable features of the Tabakin and Puff potentials should be able to fit nuclear matter and nucleon-nucleon scattering data. However, it appears doubtful that a separable potential can be found which can fit nuclear matter and nucleon-nucleon scattering data and still be suitable for nuclear Hartree-Fock calculation.
Temperature and Viability as Related to Winter Pause Incidence and Duration

Abstract CESSATION of egg production between November first and March first of the first laying year may be called winter pause. This phenomenon has been studied by many workers but most extensively in White Leghorns by Lerner and Taylor (1936, 1939 and 1947) and in Rhode Island Reds by Hays and associates (1924, 1926 and 1936). These workers agree that pauses of seven or more days may be significant from the standpoint of inheritance. Both groups have shown that winter pause reduces annual egg production, is associated with low intensity, and is affected both by environment and by inheritance. One important objective of poultry breeders has been to reduce the incidence of winter pause as well as its duration. Hays (1944) pointed out that about 50 percent of Rhode Island Reds bred for high fecundity exhibited pauses of eight or more days with a mean duration of 36.47 days. Such a . . .
Olfactory Dysfunction Correlates with Amyloid-β Burden in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model

Alzheimer's disease often results in impaired olfactory perceptual acuity—a potential biomarker of the disorder. However, the usefulness of olfactory screens to serve as informative indicators of Alzheimer's is precluded by a lack of knowledge regarding why the disease impacts olfaction. We addressed this question by assaying olfactory perception and amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition throughout the olfactory system in mice that overexpress a mutated form of the human amyloid-β precursor protein. Such mice displayed progressive olfactory deficits that mimic those observed clinically—some evident at 3 months of age. Also, at 3 months of age, we observed nonfibrillar Aβ deposition within the olfactory bulb—earlier than deposition within any other brain region. There was also a correlation between olfactory deficits and the spatial-temporal pattern of Aβ deposition. Therefore, nonfibrillar, versus fibrillar, Aβ-related mechanisms likely contribute to early olfactory perceptual loss in Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, these results present the odor cross-habituation test as a powerful behavioral assay, which reflects Aβ deposition and thus may serve to monitor the efficacy of therapies aimed at reducing Aβ.
Sodium and calcium currents measured in isolated catfish horizontal cells under voltage clamp

A low resistance suction microelectrode was used to record intracellularly from enzymatically dissociated horizontal cells obtained from catfish retina (Ictalurus punctatus). This microelectrode was connected to a voltage clamp circuit and the transmembrane currents were recorded during depolarizing and hyperpolarizing clamp pulses. Two fast transient inward currents were recorded, one sensitive to tetrodotoxin and one insensitive to this drug. A slower and persistent tetrodotoxin insensitive inward current was also recorded. The results indicate that separate membrane conductances exist for both sodium and calcium ions. We suggest that the action potential recorded from isolated horizontal cells is generated by both sodium and calcium currents.
Faraday Cup and Secondary-Emission Monitor Calibration

Two small Faraday cups, one shielded and one unshielded, have been built and calibrated for efficiency vs electron energy. Measurements with a pulse beam transformer gave the absolute efficiency by means of a unique method: direct measurement of the ratio of the "lost" current to the incident beam current. Efficiencies for the unshielded cup are in the range 93 to 99 percent with uncertainties of 0.5 percent for electron energies from 10 to 50 MeV. The shielded Faraday cup has a measured efficiency of 97.8 ± 0.2 percent over the electron energy range from 10 to 60 MeV. This cup was used to calibrate the secondary emission produced by electrons or positrons incident on a 0.4 mm Be target. The resulting positive current was 4.3 ± 0.3 percent of the incident beam current over the energy range of 15 to 40 MeV.
SU-E-T-304: Evaluation of Mammosite Multi-Lumen Rotation and Its Dosimetric Consequences

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric impact of MammoSite Multi‐Lumen (MSML) rotation in phantom and patient studies. Methods and Materials: A MSML phantom with an asymmetric dose distribution was created. Target volume coverage and dose at a fixed point 1 cm from the MSML were evaluated as functions of rotation about three orthogonal axes (where the origin was set at the center of the MSML and axis one ran along the central catheter). Additionally, for three MSML patients that were set‐up by aligning the stem of the MSML to skin marks, CT scans were acquired before each fraction. Rotation about three axes and maximum point dose to skin and chestwall were evaluated. Results: In phantom, 10° rotations about the central, second, and third axes give average absolute point dose changes with respect to the maximum dose of 1.9%, 3.7%, and 4.2%, respectively; and changes in PTV coverage of 0.9%, 1.0%., and 0.8%, respectively. For patients 1–3 the average absolute rotation about the central axis was 13.60, 9.50, and 7.20, respectively; axis two was 7.00, 3.20, and 11.40, respectively; axis three was 2.90, 2.90, and 3.80, respectively. For cases 1–3 the average absolute change per fraction in maximum point dose to the skin was 0.29 Gy, 0.14 Gy, and 0.39 Gy, respectively; to the chestwall was 0.17 Gy, 0.20 Gy, and 0.21 Gy, respectively. Conclusion: Phantom studies showed change in point dose and PTV coverage for a 10° rotation about the central catheter yields < 2% variance. Patient data indicates skin mark alignment is capable of positioning the MSML with 10° accuracy about the central axis. Thus, central axis rotation can be adequately accounted for by skin mark alignment. However, review of the patient data shows that rotations about the other axes are equally important and should be considered and managed.
Excited electronic states of NiCO

Abstract The results of ab initio SCF and CI calculations on the electronic states of NiCO are reported. The 1 Σ + ground state is a mixture of two primary configurations associated with the Ni 3d 10 and 3d 9 4s states, and is bound by 18 kcal mol −1 with respect to Ni and CO at r nic =1.77 A. The excited states (within 22000 cm −1 of the ground state) can be divided into a lower manifold, principally involving the Ni(3d 9 4s) electronic configuration, and a higher manifold, formally associated with the charge transfer configuration Ni + (3d 9 )CO − (π∗).
Top management leadership, employee empowerment, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction in TQM organizations: an empirical study

Abstract Top management leadership and employee empowerment are considered two of the most important principles of total quality management (TQM) because of their assumed relationship with customer satisfaction. As a result, many top management leadership and employee empowerment strategies and practices have been suggested in the management literature. However, few studies have been done to test this assumed relationship and determine which of these strategies and practices may be most effective in bringing about the intended results. This study surveyed organizations that have adopted TQM to determine the relationship between top management leadership, employees' empowerment, job satisfaction, and customers' satisfaction. The results reveal positive correlation between top management leadership, employee empowerment, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction. Employee empowerment and improved levels of job satisfaction are facilitated by top management leadership and commitment to the TQM goal of customer satisfaction by creating an organizational climate that emphasizes total quality and customer satisfaction. Effective strategies for achieving employee empowerment and job satisfaction, together with top management leadership roles in a TQM environment, are identified and discussed.
Growth of strawberry fruit and sugar uptake of fruit discs at different inflorescence positions

Abstract The growth of fruit from greenhouse-grown ‘Brighton’ strawberry plants ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) was analyzed from anthesis to ripening, Absolute growth rates neared a maximum at the onset of ripening when the rates for primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary fruit were 106, 53, 22 and 3 mg dry weight day −1 , respectively. Length, diameter, fresh weight and dry weight were greatest in primary fruit throughout development, and were progressively smaller in fruit at lower rankings. At 15 days after anthesis, fresh weight of secondary, tertiary and quaternary fruit were, respectively, 55, 13 and 3% of primary fruit weight. The amount and rate of fruit expansion, estimated from achene separation, was highest in primary fruit, the maximum rate being over twice that of secondary fruit. Relative growth rate was also highest in primary fruit from anthesis to red-ripe. To relate fruit growth to rates of sucrose uptake, discs of fruit cortex tissue were incubated in 10 mM 14 C-sucrose solutions. The rate of sucrose uptake by tissue discs from primary fruit was greater than uptake by secondary or tertiary fruit tissue and similar to the rate of dry matter accumulation in intact fruit. In primary fruit, sucrose uptake reflected dry matter accumulation at increasing ages, the rate of both activities decreasing 60% from 9 to 17 days after anthesis. Results suggest that sucrose uptake may relate to rates of strawberry fruit growth.
Labor Market Flexibility in East Asia: Lessons from Taiwan

Recent turbulence in East Asian financial markets has already spilled over into the region’s real economy, with significant effects on growth and unemployment. The ability of East Asian economies to adjust to the crisis depends critically on labor market flexibility. Specifically, a decline in real wages may dampen the increase in unemployment that results as firms restructure in response to changing market conditions. Thus, all else being equal, an economy in which real wages are flexible downward should experience a lower unemployment rate than an economy with downward-sticky real wages. Limited downward flexibility of real wages may exacerbate the effect of the current crisis on unemployment. This discussion suggests that the relationship between wages and unemployment in East Asia’s labor markets will play a key role in determining how these economies respond to the crisis. Underlying this issue are two conflicting theories of pay determination. According to early theoretical work by J. Harris and M. Todaro, wages and unemployment are positively related. In their two-sector development model, higher unemployment in urban centers, caused largely by migrants from other regions and new labor market entrants, is associated with a compensatingwage differential. However, models of pay determination by C. Shapiro and J. Stiglitz, and D. Blanchflower and A. Oswald, suggest that there is a negative relationship between wages and unemployment. In these models, workers will be discouraged from shirking if their employers pay wages that exceed the market-clearing level and threaten to dismiss workers who are caught shirking. An increase in the unemployment rate raises the cost of shirking to workers, thereby enabling employers to pay
How Does Gender Interact With Clinical Teachers’ Perceptions of Clinical Teaching?

This study analyzed 816 medical professors’ perceptions of clinical teaching, as measured with the online version of the Clinical Teaching Perception Inventory, and examined difficulties that female professors faced in becoming the ideal clinical teacher. While describing themselves as a clinical teacher, female professors rated themselves lower than did their male counterparts on the stereotypical masculine characteristics “stimulating,” “well read,” “assured,” and “secure” and rated themselves higher on a stereotypical feminine characteristic “feeling.” It is possible that female medical professors underrate their actual behaviors as clinical teachers. Implications are discussed for future faculty development and the advancement of gender equity in medical education, where numbers of women have been steadily increasing. Recommendations for further research are offered.
State insurance commissioner actions against health maintenance organizations for denial of emergency care.

Objective. Concerns have emerged from two west coast communities that health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may deter their members from calling 911. One means of influence is retrospective denial of emergency department (ED) or emergency medical services (EMS) claims. The study objective was to systematically assess legal action taken to contest HMO denial of claims. Methods. Telephone survey of all state insurance commissioners (SICs). The specific question asked was: “What actions, if any, have been taken by the Office of Insurance Commissioner since 1990 against HMOs for denying claims for emergency department care or care provided by paramedics after a person has called 911?” Each office was contacted at least three times. Results. Representatives from 49 states were interviewed. Three states (6%, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia) have taken formal action since 1990. Oregon fined two HMOs a total of $25,000 for inappropriate systematic claim denial of ED care. Texas fined one HMO $1,000,000 for similar ...
Bucky syntactic foam; multi-functional composite utilizing carbon nanotubes-ionic liquid hybrid

Abstract Syntactic foams are closed-cell foams made of hollow microballoons embedded in a polymeric matrix. Carbon nanotube-ionic liquid hybrid was used to develop the first “Bucky syntactic foam”. Improvement in the mechanical and electrical properties of syntactic foam was expected since ionic liquids (ILs) can act as a dispersing and binding agent between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the polymeric matrix. Several sets of bucky syntactic foam with various weight fractions of CNTs and IL were prepared. Thermal analysis was carried out by Differential Scanning Calorimetry to ensure samples were fully cured in the presence of IL. Mechanical and electrical properties were also characterized via compression and four-point-probe tests. Results showed that the yield strength, elastic modulus, and energy absorption were improved by choosing the optimized content and ratio of CNTs and IL. Electrical conductivity was also improved up to five orders of magnitude, turning traditionally insulator syntactic foam into a conductive nanocomposite. Bucky syntactic foam illustrated potential to be applied in electronic packaging, structure health monitoring, and EMI-shielding structural composites.
A functional immature model of chronic partial ureteral obstruction.

A functional immature model of chronic partial ureteral obstruction. Background The most common nonlethal congenital anomaly of the urinary tract is ureteral obstruction without dysplasia. Although rarely progressive, the morbidity associated with metabolic and surgical management is considerable. Our study was designed to measure local and systemic pathophysiologic mechanisms in an immature model of chronic partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) after completion of glomerulogenesis. Methods A partial UUO was created by the method of "psoas wrap" in young male weanling rats. Control animals were sham operated. Three groups were divided as follows: sham ( N = 15), UUO ( N = 18), and UUO + angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) ( N = 16) inhibitor, enalapril. Renal glomerular and tubular functions were determined by creatinine and uric acid clearances. Diuresis was assessed by urine volume, osmolality, and fractional solute excretions from samples above and below the obstruction. Proteinuria was determined by the urine protein/creatinine ratio (Up/c). Results Proteinuria was attenuated in UUO + ACE-treated animals. The hyperuricemia of the immature UUO animals was avoided by an increase in the clearance of uric acid in the UUO + ACE-treated group. Fractional solute excretions suggested a diversion of diuresis to the contralateral unobstructed kidney. Conclusion Angiotensin blockade during chronic UUO in young rats affords protection by attenuating proteinuria, promoting uricosuria, and diverting solute diuresis. These data suggest a complex interaction of local and systemic mechanisms unique to the maturing kidney.
Design of a uniform electromagnetic dielectric lens for launching an approximate spherical tem wave

An electromagnetic lens is designed to obtain better launching for a prolate-spheroidal IRA (PSIRA). Within the lens we have a spherical TEM wave centered on the switch center. However, outside the lens we have an approximate spherical TEM wave centered at the first focal point of the PSIRA.
Optimization of the rf circuit for wide-bandwidth cross-linked polymer electro-optic modulators

A transmission-line theory approach that includes the complex propagation constant of the microwave electrodes and the impedance match between the electrode and the rf source and load is used to analyze the bandwidth of polyamide optical modulators. The analysis is then applied to an electro-optic modulator that has microstrip transmission lines placed directly over an optical waveguide buried in the polyamide substrate. The modulator is designed with coplanar waveguide (CPW) input and output contacts for rf characterization. The transition between the microstrip electrode and the CPW lines is presented. In addition, the processing techniques that yield polyamide side-wall profiles that are highly suited for transitioning from the CPW and the microstrip are presented. Finally, rf measurements of the complete microwave electrode are presented. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Coupled NOx storage and reduction and selective catalytic reduction using dual-layer monolithic catalysts

Abstract Lean reduction of NO x (NO and NO 2 ) was studied using monolith-supported catalysts consisting of a layer of a metal-exchanged (Fe, Cu) zeolite (ZSM-5) selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst deposited on top of a Pt/Rh/BaO/CeO 2 lean NO x trap (LNT) catalyst. During periodic switching between lean and rich feeds, the LNT layer reduces NO x to N 2 and NH 3 . The SCR layer traps the latter, resulting in additional NO x reduction. The dual-layer catalysts exhibited high N 2 selectivity and low NH 3 selectivity over the temperature range of 150–300 °C. The NO x conversion was incomplete due to undesired side reactions in the LNT layer, such as NH 3 oxidation to N 2 O at low temperature and NO x at high temperature. The NO x conversion and N 2 selectivity of the Cu-exchanged ZSM-5 was higher than that of the Fe-exchanged ZSM-5. This was due to a higher low temperature SCR activity and a higher NH 3 storage capacity on the Cu-zeolite. The dual-layer catalyst had a higher NO x conversion than the LNT catalyst below 300 °C and a higher N 2 selectivity over the entire temperature range when H 2 O and CO 2 were present in the feed. The NO x storage capacity and NH 3 generation increased upon addition of CeO 2 to the LNT layer below 250 °C. It also led to increased NH 3 oxidation at high temperatures. The addition of ceria mitigated the undesirable migration of Pt between the LNT and SCR layers. Hydrothermal aging had a smaller effect on dual-layer catalysts containing ceria.
Fetal health assessment using prenatal diagnostic techniques.

Purpose of reviewThe assessment of fetal health has occupied our professional attention for many years. As the development of technologies for prenatal diagnostic techniques has progressed, applications of such technologies have aided in the overall assessment of fetal well-being.Recent findingsFeta
Evidence that NK cells and interferon are required for genetic resistance to lethal infection with ectromelia virus

C 57 BL/6 mice developed resistance to lethal intravenous challenge with virulent (Moscow strain) ectromelia virus between 2 and 3 weeks of age. The fraction of C 57 BL/6 mice in which virus was detected in spleen was significantly lower than for DBA/2 mice by day 3. Thereafter, C 57 BL/6 mice had significantly reduced virus titers in spleen compared with those of DBA/2 mice. Resistance was abrogated by treatment with anti-asialo GM1 gammaglobulin, which blocks NK cell activity, or with anti-interferon (IFN) α, β. C 57 BL/6 mice carrying the bg/bg mutation, associated with a deficiency of NK cells, were highly susceptible to lethal infection as were athymic mice derived from a resistant genetic background. Virus titers in spleens of C 57 BL/6 mice treated with anti-asialo GM1 or anti-IFN α, β were significantly higher 4 days after virus challenge than were titers in C 57 BL/6 mice treated with normal rabbit serum. The results strongly suggest that genetic resistance to lethal ectromelia virus infection requires non-specific host defenses such as NK cells and IFN α, β that are activated during the first 3 to 4 days of infection.
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary with teratomatous differentiation: clinicopathologic considerations

A patient with recurrent Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor is described. The light and ultrastructural findings are illustrated. The tumor recurred first as a poorly differentiated tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Following chemotherapy the next recurrence exhibited well differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell elements. These findings may reflect the capability of this tumor type to undergo chemotherapeutic transformation similar to the transformation which has been described in germ cell tumors of the ovary and testis. This observation may be of importance in the clinical management of patients with poorly differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors.
Efficacy of tacrolimus in the treatment of children with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the most common glomerular condition leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the third most common cause of ESRD in pediatric patients. This is a retrospective study consisting of 22 pediatric patients with FSGS and heavy proteinuria. After demonstrating steroids resistance, the patients were treated with tacrolimus, targeting a trough level 5–8 ng/mL. The primary outcome is the induction of remission with tacrolimus. Thirteen patients (59%) achieved remission (complete in 31.8% and partial in 27.2%) and 12 patients showed stable or improved renal function over an average follow-up of 2.9 years (range: 0.5–7 years). There was no significant difference in response rate between African American and Caucasian patients. None of the patients had significant side-effect to tacrolimus and none of the repeat biopsies showed an increase in interstitial fibrosis compared to baseline. The best renal outcome was for patients who achieved complete remission. Partially responsive patients had improved renal function compared with resistant patients. Tacrolimus is a viable option in the treatment of children with idiopathic steroid resistant FSGS.
Metal oxide films with magnetically modulated nanoporous architectures

A magnetically-driven method for controlling nano- dimensional porosity in sol gel derived metal oxide films, including TiO2, Al2O3, and SnO2, coated onto ferromagnetic amorphous substrates, such as the magnetically-soft Metglas alloys, is described. Based on the porous structures observed dependence on external magnetic field, a model is suggested to explain the phenomena. Under well-defined conditions it appears that the sol particles coming out of solution, and undergoing Brownian motion, follow the magnetic field lines oriented perpendicularly to the substrate surface associated with the magnetic domain walls of the substrate; hence the porosity developed during solvent evaporation correlates with the magnetic domain size.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification and Rock Failure Characterization in Bit-Tooth Penetration

The invariant imbedding identification technique is used to estimate bit-rock parameters and an unknown state variable required in a previous rock model applied to a tooth drop test. This rock description characterizes the state of interaction between the rock and bit-tooth in terms of the instantaneous force and velocity at their interface. Although 2 of the needed parameters - the threshold energy, the load-penetration slope, and the fracture energy - represent familiar concepts, the values for these quantities vary with tool geometry and loading. Laboratory values of the energy use rate in drop tests have not been reported, and one of the model variables-- the macrofracture length--is considered not measurable. The identification results suggest possible model improvement for a variable energy use rate. The estimation data along with prior experience were used to explore such a modification.
The High‐Pressure Characterization of Energetic Materials: Diaminotetrazolium Nitrate (HDAT‐NO3)

In-situ high-pressure room temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction and optical Raman and infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the structural properties, equation of state, and vibrational dynamics of diaminotetrazolium nitrate (HDAT-NO3). The X-ray measurements show that the pressure–volume relations remain smooth to 12 GPa. X-ray diffraction measurements at pressures above 12 GPa were not possible in this study because of sample decomposition resulting from several factors. X-ray diffraction reveals no indication of a phase transition to at least 12 GPa, but slight variations in the c/b unit cell ratio suggests modifications within the hydrogen bonding sub-lattice. Vibrational measurements show the ambient phase of HDAT-NO3 to remain the dominant phase to 33 GPa.
Obliging Need: Rural Petty Industry in Mexican Capitalism

Obliging Need: Rural Petty Industry in Mexican Capitalism. SCOTT COOK and LEIGH BINFORD. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1990. 328 pp., 28 tables, 15 b&w photos, 1 map. $'37.50 (cloth). ISBN 0-292-76032-9.
A Prospective Study of Blood Selenium Levels and the Risk of Arsenic-related Premalignant Skin Lesions

Arsenic exposure from drinking water is considered to be a risk factor for skin and internal cancers. Animal studies suggest a potential antagonism between arsenic and selenium in the body. We did a case-cohort analysis to prospectively evaluate the association between arsenic-related premalignant skin lesions and prediagnostic blood selenium levels in 303 cases of skin lesions newly diagnosed from November 2002 to April 2004 and 849 subcohort members randomly selected from the 8,092 participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study with available baseline blood and urine samples collected in 2000. Incidence rate ratios for skin lesions in increasing blood selenium quintiles were 1.00 (reference), 0.68 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.39-1.18], 0.51 (95% CI, 0.29-0.87), 0.52 (95% CI, 0.30-0.91), and 0.53 (95% CI, 0.31-0.90). Effect estimates remained similar with adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, excessive sunlight exposure (in men), well water arsenic concentration at baseline, and nutritional intakes of folate, iron, protein, vitamin E, and B vitamins. At any given arsenic exposure level, the risk of premalignant skin lesions was consistently greater among participants with blood selenium lower than the average level. The findings support the hypothesis that dietary selenium intake may reduce the incidence of arsenic-related premalignant skin lesions among populations exposed to arsenic exposure from drinking water.
Choice Uncertainty Principle

The choice uncertainty principle says that it is impossible to make an unambiguous choice between near-simultaneous events under a deadline. This principle affects the design of logic circuits in computer hardware, real-time systems, and decision systems. Keywords: uncertainty principle; half-signal; metastable state; arbiter; threshold flip-flop; choices under deadlines
Computational study of carbon–hydrogen bond deprotonation by alkali metal superbases

Abstract Deprotonation of hydrocarbon C–H bonds by alkali metal amide “superbases” is analyzed with the use of density functional theory calculations. The role of alkali metal, amide substituents (NH2 versus NH(cyclohexyl)), solvent (implicit and explicit), and substrate (methane versus toluene) are probed. Additionally, Hammett and energy decomposition analyses are utilized to assess the nature of the charge distribution in these transition states. Implications of the present study for the cleavage of strong C–H bonds found in natural gas, such as methane and ethane, are discussed.
Strike-Slip-Influenced Sedimentation in Norfolk Basin, Southeastern Massachusetts: ABSTRACT

Pennsylvanian coarse-grained fluvial sedimentation in the Norfolk basin of southeastern Massachusetts occurred in a tectonically active environment, possible related to sinistral strike-slip motion on faults west of the basin. Detailed measured sections reveal an overall upward-fining succession, with humid alluvial fan facies and braided stream sub-facies with associated overbank/flood-plain deposits. The humid alluvial fan contains massive bedded, clast supported conglomerates with infiltrated sandstone and siltstone. Fluvial dominance during deposition is indicated by frequent upward-fining cycles, lack of evidence of debris flow, and clast rounding and imbrication. The braided stream sub-facies is distinguished by a reduction in bed thickness and clast size (maximum clast size = 5 cm), and commonly contains upward-fining cycles. Although trough cross-bedding angles are low throughout the basin, low angle (< 10°) troughs upslope grade into distal very low angle (< 5°) troughs to plane beds, indicating lesser channel incision and greater sheetflood conditions downslope. The overbank/flood-plain deposits include plane laminated siltstone and claystone with common desiccation cracks. Evidence for active faulting during deposition includes: mismatch of detrital grain mineralogy with adjacent source terrains; soft sediment boudinage; mixtures of fresh and altered feldspar; and rapid lateral and vertical facies changes. Provenance studies suggest a source area for many of the sediments might be metabasalts and marbles of the Blackstone Series of northern Rhode Island. If correct, these results support paleomagnetic and other regional studies suggesting sinistral strike-slip motion may have formed the Carboniferous basins of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. End_of_Article - Last_Page 460------------
A two-step nanosecond laser surface texturing process with smooth surface finish

Abstract Surface texturing (for example, producing micro dimples on the surface) of mechanical parts has a great potential to improve the surface tribological properties. Surface texturing through nanosecond laser ablation has many associated advantages and hence has drawn lots of attentions. However, the produced micro dimple bottom (if through laser spot scanning) is often very rough, which may harm the surface tribological properties. In this paper, a two-step laser surface texturing process is proposed and studied, where a relatively high-fluence laser ablation step (which is to create dimples) is followed by a low-fluence laser-induced melting, melted material flow and re-solidification step (which is to smooth the ablated dimple bottom surface). The study shows that the two-step laser surface texturing process can produce dimples with very smooth bottom surfaces. The effects of laser pulse duration and scan speed in Step 2 on the dimple bottom surface morphology and roughness have also been investigated, and some very interesting physical phenomena have been found, which have been rarely reported before in literature. Some hypothesized explanations are given for the observed effects, which require future work to completely understand their underlying mechanisms.
An information-theoretic approach to the written transmission of Old English

Information theory offers a means for analyzing some constraints on the reading and copying process in Old English. Entropy for strings of various lengths offers a baseline measure of the uncertainty involved in transmission of Old English texts, while avoiding the pitfalls of applying models of modern reading to early medieval practice. Analysis of lengthy prose and verse texts in Old English revealed uniformly high values for entropy at all string lengths. High entropies may be the result of the language's irregular orthography, poetic koine, and several dialects and imply that the language may have been easy to write but difficult to read. The low redundancy of the language which its high entropy values indicate suggests that the reader of Old English played an enhanced role in “decoding” a text and may provide an explanation for the high variability in the transmission of Old English verse. Katherine O'Brien O 'Keeffe is Professor of English at Texas A&M University and a co-director of its Interdisciplinary Group for Historical Literary Study.
12-step approaches for the dually diagnosed: mechanisms of change.

Background: Existing data indicate that 12-step program involvement is associated with improved outcomes in the dually diagnosed, but there are questions concerning the magnitude and mechanisms of this effect in various dually diagnosed populations. Methods: Publications identified in a comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to 12-step programs and patients with addictions and co-occurring psychiatric disorders were reviewed for any content relevant to understanding the process of change involving dually diagnosed patients involved with 12-step programs. Results: Dually diagnosed individuals attend 12-step programs at rates comparable to the nondually diagnosed, although specific diagnoses may have some effect on attendance. The benefits of 12-step attendance do not appear to be markedly different for those with psychiatric disorders. Specialized 12-step programs could have benefits for the dually diagnosed over and above those of traditional 12-step programs. Existing data suggest that nonspecific change mechanisms (self-efficacy, social support) are similar to those found in the general AA literature. Conclusions: Based on existing data, the change mechanisms are broadly similar to those found in the general 12-step literature, but additional factors related to mental illness may also play a significant role. Further work is necessary to test the components of this model and to achieve a firm empirical foundation for understanding the processes of 12-step recovery in the dually diagnosed.
Congruency in homonymous hemianopia.

Purpose To evaluate the value of congruency in the localization of brain lesions in patients with homonymous hemianopia (HH). Design Retrospective observational study. Methods Charts of all patients with HH seen over 15 years were reviewed. Only patients with incomplete HH documented on formal visual field testing and neuroimaging were included. HH was said to be congruent when the fields of both eyes were identical in shape, depth, and size. Patients were divided into two groups based on congruency of HH; demographic, clinical, and radiological characteristics were compared. Results Five hundred and thirty patients with 548 incomplete HH were included (373 congruent HH and 175 incongruent HH). Demographic variables were similar in both groups. Stroke caused 75% of congruent HH and 55.8% of incongruent HH; trauma and tumors caused 20.5% of congruent HH and 34.5% of incongruent HH ( P P P Conclusion Although lesions involving the occipital lobe characteristically produce congruent HH, at least 50% of lesions in other locations also produce congruent HH, especially if these lesions are stroke-related. The rule of congruency should be used cautiously and may not apply to optic tract lesions.
Physical signs in congestive heart failure

Abstract The diagnosis of heart failure is suggested by historical, physical and radiographic information. Of these sources, the physical findings are the most reliable and direct means for establishment of the diagnosis, are consistently available for appraisal, and constitute the secure basis by which the diagnosis is usually made. This paper reviews the physical findings in heart failure and attempts to correlate them with the abnormal physiology responsible for their production.
Augmentation of acrylic bone cement with multiwall carbon nanotubes.

Acrylic bone cement, based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), is a proven polymer having important applications in medicine and dentistry, but this polymer continues to have less than ideal resistance to mechanical fatigue and impact. A variety of materials have been added to bone cement to augment its mechanical strength, but none of these augmentative materials has proven successful. Carbon nanotubes, a new hollow multiwalled tubular material 10–40 nm in diameter, 10–100 μm long, and 50–100 times the strength of steel at 1/6 the weight, have emerged as a viable augmentation candidate because of their large surface area to volume ratio. The objective of this study was to determine if the addition of multiwall carbon nanotubes to bone cement can alter its static or dynamic mechanical properties. Bar-shaped specimens made from six different (0–10% by weight) concentrations of multiwall carbon nanotubes were tested to failure in quasi-static 3-point bending and in 4-point bending fatigue (5 Hz). Analyses of variance and the 3-Parameter Weibull model were used to analyze the material performance data. The 2 wt % MWNT concentration enhanced flexural strength by 12.8% (p = 0.003) and produced a 13.1% enhancement in yield stress (p = 0.002). Bending modulus increased slightly with the smaller (<5 wt % MWNT) concentrations, but increased 24.1% (p < 0.001) in response to the 10 wt % loading. While the 2 wt % loading produced slightly improved quasi-static test results, it was associated with clearly superior fatigue performance (3.3× increase in the Weibull mean fatigue life). Weibull minimum fatigue life (No), Weibull modulus (α), and characteristic fatigue life (β) for bone cement augmented with carbon nanotubes were enhanced versus that observed in the control group. These data unambiguously showed that the bone cement–MWNT polymer system has an enhanced fatigue life compared to “control” bone cement (no added nanotubes). It is concluded that specific multiwall carbon nanotube loadings can favorably improve the mechanical performance of bone cement. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2006
Imperfect competition as a micro foundation for keynesian macroeconomics: A graphical analysis

Abstract A simple imperfectly competitive model can provide a rigorous foundation for Keynesian macroeconomics. Further, Keynesian economics is consistent with profit maximizing behavior by firms, and flexible prices and wages. The analysis assumes that real wages are relatively insensitive to short-run changes in employment. This is easier to justify theoretically than sticky nominal wages, and is consistent with aggregate data. In an imperfectly competitive model, simple pricing rules, such as mark-up pricing, may be close to being optimal. The result is that both aggregate demand and supply disturbances have large and persistent effects on output and employment.
Analysis of the Risks and Benefits of Flight Deck Adaptive Systems

The objectives of this work were to identify human performance risks and benefits of adaptive systems through a systematic analysis and heuristic evaluation of adaptive system component types and characteristics. As flight deck automated systems have more access to aircraft data, sensor data, stored databases, communicated information, and real time flight crew inputs, as well as more ability to process that information in sophisticated ways to identify situational priorities and context, it is becoming more realistic for those automated systems to adapt their behavior based on context. Automated systems that can make such changes on their own are called adaptive systems. The concern here is with adaptive systems that are perceived by the pilot to behave non-deterministically even though they are technically deterministic. Based on a framework to describe the types and characteristics of adaptive system components, a risk/benefit analysis was preformed to identify potential issues. Based on this analysis, eight representative adaptive system storyboards were developed as the basis of a heuristic evaluation with pilots to validate the analysis and explore more detailed issues and potential risk mitigations. The value of this work is expected to be in suggesting adaptive system issues, risks, and guidelines that need to be considered in making design decisions and approving new adaptive systems on the flight deck. Language: en
The Impact of Advertising Creativity on the Hierarchy of Effects

This study examines how advertising creativity affects consumer processing and response. First, traditional hierarchy-of-effects (HOE) models are reviewed and then augmented with new developments in advertising and persuasion research to identify five major stages: brand awareness, brand learning, accepting/rejecting ad claims, brand liking, and brand intentions. Theoretical links are identified that predict ad creativity will impact 13 key variables in all five HOE stages. An experiment is conducted that manipulates the two major determinants of ad creativity: divergence and relevance. Results confirm the expected divergence-by-relevance interaction effect for 12 of the 13 variables demonstrating the potency of creative ads (and the ineffectiveness of ads with low creativity). In addition, a test is conducted using structural equations modeling (SEM) to see whether all the effects of ad creativity are mediated through each successive HOE stage. Results show that the HOE's assumptions hold up reasonably w...
Comprehensive graphic-based display of clinical pathology laboratory data.

and Introduction Abstract In this age of ever-increasing demands for and uses of patient data, technologic advancements in the form of electronic patient records permit improved data access and prompt retrieval of higher quality patient care data, with more versatility in display, facilitating the integration of information concerning patients over time and between settings of care, which is in turn more accessible for use by practitioners and provides more efficient and effective decision support in areas of patient care. The graphic display of laboratory data is central to the evolving computerized patient record and needs to be taken into careful consideration along with clinician perception and ease of data interpretation in redesigning the graphic reporting of numeric clinical pathology laboratory data. An ideal system should generate user-friendly, graphic-based comprehensive reports highlighting abnormalities with trends for diagnosis, clinical management, and risk-factor detection.
LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: Remote-sensing investigation of the ancient Maya in the Peten rainforest of northern Guatemala

Through the use of airborne and satellite imagery we are improving our ability to investigate ancient Maya settlement, subsistence, and landscape modification in this dense forest region. Today the area is threatened by encroaching settlement and deforestation. However, it was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared for unknown reasons in the 9th century AD. At the time of their collapse they had attained one of the highest population densities in human history. How the Maya were able to successfully manage water and feed this dense population is not well understood at this time. A NASA-funded project used remote sensing technology to investigate large seasonal swamps (bajos) that make up 40 percent of the landscape. Through the use of remote sensing, ancient Maya features such as sites, roadways, canals and water reservoirs have been detected and verified through ground reconnaissance. The results of this preliminary research cast new light on the adaptation of the ancient Maya to their environment. Microenvironmental variation within the wetlands was elucidated and the different vegetation associations identified in the satellite imagery. More than 70 new archeological sites within and at the edges of the bajo were mapped and tested. Modification of the landscape by the Maya in the form of dams and reservoirs in the Holmul River and its tributaries and possible drainage canals in bajos was demonstrated. The use of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM), one-meter IKONOS satellite imagery, as well as high resolution airborne STAR-3i radar imagery--2.5 meter backscatter/10 meter Digital Elevation Model (DEM)--are opening new possibilities for understanding how a civilization was able to survive for centuries upon a karat topographic landscape. This understanding is critical for the current population that is currently experiencing rapid population growth and destroying the landscape through nontraditional farming and grazing techniques, resulting in socioeconomic problems.
Multiple Barriers to Nonhomologous DNA End Joining During Meiosis in Drosophila

Repair of meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) uses the homolog and recombination to yield crossovers while alternative pathways such as nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are suppressed. Our results indicate that NHEJ is blocked at two steps of DSB repair during meiotic prophase: first by the activity of the MCM-like protein MEI-218, which is required for crossover formation, and, second, by Rad51-related proteins SPN-B (XRCC3) and SPN-D (RAD51C), which physically interact and promote homologous recombination (HR). We further show that the MCM-like proteins also promote the activity of the DSB repair checkpoint pathway, indicating an early requirement for these proteins in DSB processing. We propose that when a meiotic DSB is formed in the absence of both MEI-218 and SPN-B or SPN-D, a DSB substrate is generated that can enter the NHEJ repair pathway. Indeed, due to its high error rate, multiple barriers may have evolved to prevent NHEJ activity during meiosis.