cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MECHANISMS OF EBW HE INITIATION

Exploding bridgewire (EBW) initiation of high explosives (HE) has been used for many years without a clear understanding of the mechanisms involved. Data indicates that the shock pressures produced by the EBW may be insufficient for direct initiation. Evidence indicates that the electric field about the wire at the time of burst creates surface ionization of the HE. Our hypothesis is that the ionization pre-sensitizes the HE so that a weak shock can then initiate a detonation wave.
Time to Reperfusion, Door-to-Balloon Times, and How to Reduce Them

Time to reperfusion and door-to-balloon times are key parameters in assessing the efficiency of the primary PCI pathway while also being powerful predictors of outcome. This chapter discusses the role of these measures and how improvements may impact clinical outcomes.
The study and investigation of a new form of active-learning for CS: peer-teaching with videos

This paper describes the implementation of a peer-teaching video system for entry-level computer science courses. The uniqueness and main contributions of the system are: 1) It provides a new form of active-learning, which has been proven to have positive influence on students. 2) Each video is created by our CS students rather than by professionals. 3) Each video only focuses on a challenging concept; and only lasts at most 10 minutes. The system provides an additional way for instructors to integrate with the traditional approaches by using the widely available high-speed internet and mobile devices. The collected results show that the system is effective and beneficial to our CS students.
Thermal Coagulation Device for Treating Cervical Dysplasia.

Background. Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide despite being a highly preventable disease. Nine out of every 10 deaths due to cervical cancer occur in develo...
Original Research: Characteristics of Nonrespondents to Questions on Sexual Orientation and Income in a HMO Survey

Objective: The objective of this analysis was to explore variation in item nonresponse to two potentially sensitive questions, sexual orientation and income, among respondents to a large mailed HMO health survey. Method: Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted with nonresponse to the items on sexual orientation and income as outcome variables. Predictor variables included gender, age, race/ethnicity, and level of formal education. Results: Overall item nonresponse was 6.0% for the question on sexual orientation and 7.5% for the question on income. Women, older individuals, and people with less formal education were less likely to respond to both questions. Whereas there was no variation in nonresponse to the income question by race, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians were much more likely than Non-Hispanic Whites to be nonrespondents to the sexual orientation question (odds ratio 1.9, 2.2, and 7.2, respectively). Discussion: This study indicates that although there was relatively low item nonresponse to the question on sexual orientation on a large health survey, special consideration must be given to studies that target older individuals, people of color, and people without a college education.
Navigating the university transition among women who self-report an eating disorder: A qualitative study

Objective Although developmental milestones have been observed to alter eating disorder (ED) symptom burden, it remains unknown how the transition to university affects symptomatology. To address this gap, we designed a qualitative study to elucidate how students with an ED perceive their general university experience and to describe how the university environment shapes their ED. Method Undergraduate students who self-reported an ED were recruited through fliers, an undergraduate advocacy organization, and local treatment centers. We conducted audio-recorded semi-structured individual interviews. Two investigators separately coded verbatim transcripts using an editing approach, and final themes emerged from the pattern of descriptors. Results Fifteen undergraduate students participated. Participants endorsed a variety of ED symptoms and sought various levels of treatment. Most participants transitioned to university with an already-established diagnosis. Participants described that ED symptoms tended to worsen in university for a variety of reasons including (a) minimization of ED severity, (b) loss of external accountability, (c) use of ED symptoms as a coping mechanism, and (d) glorification of ED behaviors in campus diet culture. Subsequently, the ED disrupted the university experience by (e) hindering participants' ability to focus on academic responsibilities and (f) leading to social isolation on campus. Discussion We identified challenges unique to the university experience that can be addressed by ED treatment teams in order to provide anticipatory guidance and patient-centered care. Study limitations include lack of formal diagnostic ED assessment by research team and sampling of students from one university.
The Impact of Knowledge Capture and Knowledge Sharing on Learning, Adaptability, Job Satisfaction and Staying Intention: A Study of the Banking Industry in Bangladesh

The Knowledge Management (KM) has been defined as performing activites in discovering, capturing, sharing and applying knowledge in a more effective and effieicnt way. This study looks at only two such processes namely: capruring and sharing knowledge and their sub-processes. The purpose of this study is to conduct exploratory research to investigate the extent to which the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing of knowledge management impact the employee learning, adaptability, Job satisfaction and intention to stay on the job. This research was conducted using a purposive sample from financial services firms in Bangladesh. The sample consisted of 254 respondents from 23 different branches of eight commercial banks drawing from all levels of employees in the organizational hierarchy. The partial least squares (PLS) approach using Smart PLS has been used to test both the measurement and structural models. The findings of this study confirm that it is not the KM processes rather the sub-processes of KM process that can positively impact on employees' outcomes. This study involved self-administrated questionnaires and was open to all levels of staff and measured perceptions of the employees as opposed to actual behavior. This study suggests that employees' learning and adaptability depend on the usability and comfortability of the knowledge management initiatives undertaken by the management. Practitioners may employ the same experimental method using the instruments developed for this study to analyze the impact of the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing on employee outcomes. This study contributes to the existing literature of knowledge management that how the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing motivate employees to learn and adapt and how learning and adaptability contribute to job satisfaction and staying intention.
Ethical Considerations in the Advent of Artificial Intelligence in Otolaryngology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly expanding within the sphere of health care, offering the potential to enhance the efficiency of care delivery, diminish costs, and reduce diagnostic and ther...
Liminality: Wandafuru raifu/After Life, 1998

In Kore-eda’s After Life (Wandafuru raifu, 1998), the newly deceased choose one particularly resonant memory from their lifetime, and then move on. After Life occupies a liminal space between the documentary and the fictional film, as it explores the subjectivity of memories and of the cinematic image.
Decentralized Adaptive Optimal Tracking Control for Massive Multi-Agent Systems with Input Constraint

In this paper, the decentralized optimal tracking control for multi-agent system with large population and input constraint has been investigated. Conventional multi-agent optimal tracking control algorithms are facing difficulties caused by both communication and computation limits especially when the total number of agents goes to infinity, which is known as the "Curse of Dimensionality". Moreover, the effects from practical scenario such as system input constraints has not thoroughly studied in optimal tracking control problems for massive multi-agent systems. In the paper, the Mean-Field game theory (MFG) theory has been adopted to break the "Curse of Dimensionality" firstly. Then, a novel online reinforcement learning algorithm, named Actor-Critic-Mass (ACM), has been designed to estimate the optimal tracking control for massive multi-agent systems. ACM has three Neural Networks (NNs), i.e. actor, critic, and mass NN, that can online approximate the optimal control policy, cost function, and all agents’ state probability density function. The effects from input constraints are integrated into the optimal tracking control problem through introducing a modified cost function. The NNs weights are effectively tuned by the Mean-Field equations. Eventually, the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed optimal control method has been demonstrated through numerical simulations.
Fundamentals of Social Identity and Social Justice: Considering Social Identity Within CBPR With Marginalized Populations

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a research paradigm that works with marginalized populations within health contexts. The partnership between scholars and marginalized populations empowers participants through the pursuit of social justice. However, there has been a cry for standardizing the CBPR approach particularly when working with marginalized populations. Identity is a critical construct to understand within the communities in order to collectively strive towards social justice. This paper examines how social identity theory can aid community-based participatory research teams by a) illustrating how social identity analysis can facilitate the researcher-community partnership, b) applying SIT to better understand community behaviors and norms, and c) using SIT to avoid unintended consequences within CBPR intervention designs. Through understanding identity, relational empowerment can be positively redistributed back to community members. This paper will thus serve as a first step in justifying why more research is needed in incorporating social identity to CBPR intervention designs.
No Regrets? An Exploration of Consumer Experiences with Impulse Self-Gifting

The purpose of the study was to explore how impulse buying plays a role in self-gifting behavior based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework. The extent to which consumers attempt self-control to resist impulse self-gifting was also examined. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 consumers (15 females and 5 males) who engaged in impulse self-gifting experience at least 12 months prior to recruitment. The thematic analysis of the interview data revealed five themes related to motivations (i.e., to feel better, to reward, to celebrate, to look nice, and to collect). Mood and sales promotions were identified as factors most frequently promoting ISGB. Attempts to avoid impulse buying through self-control measures were typical among participants.
‘Rest or Go West’- The Forgotten Legacy of Silas Weir Mitchell (P6.331)

Background:Silas Weir Mitchell is considered the father of American neurology. While his legacy in caring for the wounded during the civil war as well as his work on nerve injuries are well known, less well known and reported in neurology literature is his work on rest cure. Objectives:1.To describe the origins and evolution of rest cure therapy through late 19th century and early 20th century America 2.To describe the impact of rest cure therapy on late 19th century and early 20th century American medicine 3.To describe the impact of rest cure therapy on social, cultural and political spheres of late 19th century and early 20th century America. Method:Review of literature, classic textbooks and newspaper articles. Results:Rest cure had three components: isolation, rest, and feeding, with electrotherapy and massage added to prevent muscle atrophy. This was first outlined in his seminal book ‘Fat and Blood’.Initially applied mostly to women who had ‘neurasthenia’,the technique was later expanded to include other conditions as well.Typically patient would be in bed for 24 hours sometimes for months at a time with a nurse who would sleep with her in the room,feed her,and keep her entertained by reading aloud or discussing soothing topics. Visits from family and friends were forbidden.The diet consisted of high calorie food such as milk and eggs. ‘Brain work’ was forbidden as that could lead to nervous strain and interfere with recovery.The impact of this treatment can be gauged by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s semiautobiographical short story, “The Yellow Wall-paper” (1892) and its subsequent cultural impact on the nascent feminist movement. Conclusion:While rest cure therapy had questionable and sometimes deleterious medical effect,it played an important role in shaping the rapidly changing sociocultural landscape of early 20th century America. Disclosure: Dr. Govindarajan has nothing to disclose.
Methodology in the use of synthetic tasks to assess complex performance

The application of synthetic tasks to the assessment of complex performance is discussed in relation to the trade-offs involved in achieving adequate levels of face validity and in specifying the e...
Bill Gates speaks K'ichee'! The corporatization of linguistic revitalization in Guatemala

Abstract Based on the study of the recent development of the K'iche' Facebook platform and Microsoft Windows' K'iche' version, I discuss the conflict between Western and Maya language ideologies embodied in current translation practices in Guatemala. International corporations prefer hiring individual translators and consultants and avoid engaging the indigenous institutions charged with standardization and linguistic revitalization. The lack of community sanction for local corporate proxies leads to contestation of the translators' credentials and provokes community turmoil. It also highlights opposed community views of globalization and OF the best strategies to cope with the challenges and opportunities it affords. Finally, I examine the consequences for indigenous language revitalization of the current political economy of social media and corporate software.
Land use/land cover and scale influences on in‐stream nitrogen uptake kinetics

[1] Land use/land cover change often leads to increased nutrient loading to streams; however, its influence on stream ecosystem nutrient transport remains poorly understood. Given the deleterious impacts elevated nutrient loading can have on aquatic ecosystems, it is imperative to improve understanding of nutrient retention capacities across stream scales and watershed development gradients. We performed 17 nutrient addition experiments on six streams across the West Fork Gallatin Watershed, Montana, USA, to quantify nitrogen uptake kinetics and retention dynamics across stream sizes (first to fourth order) and along a watershed development gradient. We observed that stream nitrogen (N) uptake kinetics and spiraling parameters varied across streams of different development intensity and scale. In more developed watersheds we observed a fertilization affect. This fertilization affect was evident as increased ash-free dry mass, chlorophylla, and ambient and maximum uptake rates in developed as compared to undeveloped streams. Ash-free dry mass, chlorophylla, and the number of structures in a subwatershed were significantly correlated to nutrient spiraling and kinetic parameters, while ambient and average annual N concentrations were not. Additionally, increased maximum uptake capacities in developed streams contributed to low in-stream nutrient concentrations during the growing season, and helped maintain watershed export at low levels during base flow. Our results indicate that land use/land cover change can enhance in-stream uptake of limiting nutrients and highlight the need for improved understanding of the watershed dynamics that control nutrient export across scales and development intensities for mitigation and protection of aquatic ecosystems.
Function of Peritoneal Exudate Cells after Abdominal Surgery

Peritoneal macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils are key cells in the repair of postoperative injury. Increased numbers of macrophages migrate into the peritoneal cavity after operation and the function of these cells changes over the postoperative interval. Macrophage activities, such as respiratory burst, arachidonic acid metabolism, monokine secretion, and plasminogen activator inhibitory activity, are elevated by peritoneal operation. However, the secretion of plasminogen activator activity is decreased after operation. The kinetics with which each of these functions changes varies with the parameter examined, indicating a complex regulation of the differentiation of leukocytes after operation. In addition, the activity of postoperative macrophages can be modulated in vitro by exposure to cytokines and conditioned media from polymorphonuclear neutrophils and macrophages. Thus, cell-cell interactions and factors secreted within the peritoneal cavity may regulate the contribution of postoperativ...
Luminescent properties of deep sea fish

Abstract Bioluminescence flash kinetics and quantum emission of specimens of 15 species of Hawaiian deep sea fish of the families Astronesthidae, Gonostomatidae; Malacosteidae, Melanostomiidae, Myctophidae and Sternoptychidae were determined. Peak flash intensities ranged from 5.1 × 1009 to 8.7 × 1010 photons · s−1 and average flash durations varied from 160 to 4000 ms. Light emission from ventral photophores of myctophids and hatchetfish was sufficient to match downwelling environmental light. Photophore area and maximum light output increased with standard length. Caudal and body photophores of smaller, vertically migrating myctophids made significantly briefer flashes than orbital photophores of larger stomiatiods, indicating predation pressure may favor brief flash durations. Flash kinetics of Malacosteus niger Ayres further supported this theory because its red emitting suborbital photophores produced significantly longer flashes than the conspicuous postorbital blue emitting organs. The distinct flash patterns of two species of Lampanyctus may permit recognition between individuals with similar photophore arrays and overlapping habitats. Flashes in intact hatchetfish were observed for the first time.
Chandra Discovery of the Intracluster Medium around UM 425 at a Redshift of 1.47

We report on the discovery of a candidate cluster of galaxies at redshift z = 1.47 based on Chandra observations in the field of quasars UM 425A and UM 425B. We detect with high significance diffuse emission due to the intracluster hot gas around the quasar pair. This is the second highest redshift cluster candidate after 3C 294 at z = 1.786. The diffuse emission is elliptical in shape with about 17'' extent. If indeed at z = 1.47, this corresponds to a physical size of 140 h kpc and 2-10 keV luminosity of ~3 × 1043 ergs s-1. The cluster is unlikely to be the long-sought gravitational lens invoked to explain the unusual brightness of UM 425A and the close quasar pair. Coexistence of the quasars with the cluster suggests a link of activity to cluster environment. The unusually high luminosity of UM 425A may then be due to a higher accretion rate. We also comment briefly on the X-ray spectra of UM 425A and UM 425B, both of which exhibit broad absorption line optical spectra. The present evidence suggests that the quasars are just a pair and not lensed images of the same quasar.
Single-node MMSE for MMSE cooperative positioning

ABSTRACT We proposed in our previous work an iterative minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) cooperative positioningalgorithm. MMSE cooperative positioning method achieves better root-mean-square-error (RMSE) performancethan existing classical estimators. And it is implemented in an iterative pattern so as to circumvent the intensecomputation burden of the numerical multiple integral computation methods. The basis of the proposed iterativeMMSE method is the single-node MMSE, which is actua lly the special case of the MMSE cooperative methodwhen the number of node N being 1. In this work, we study the properties of the single-node MMSE andaccordingly propose three variants of the original algorithm to improve the performance. The single-node MMSEand its variants can also be used to produce initial position estimation for the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE), one of the most popular existing classical estimators, and achieve almost the same performance as usingtrue positions as the initial positions.Keywords: cooperative positioning, MMSE
Graviton dominance in quantum Kaluza-Klein theory☆

Abstract We compute, at the one-loop level, the effective potential for pure gravity in a Kaluza-Klein background geometry which is the direct product of four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime M 4 with the N -sphere S N , N odd. The computation is performed in the physical Lorentz-signature spacetime, avoiding the difficulties of “euclideanization”. We find that the contribution of each gravitational degree of freedom to the O(ℏ) part of the effective potential is significantly greater than that of a scalar or spinor in the same background geometry. No stable minima of the effective potential exist for 3 ≤ N ≤ 13. Geometries which may be interpreted as “unstable solutions” are found for all N from 3 through 13. These results, obtained in Lorentz-signature spacetimes, differ from those obtained by “euclideanization”; our “euclideanized” results agree with those obtained by Chodos and Myers using a different regularization scheme.
Ultraviolet picosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with a synchronously pumped dye laser. Rotational diffusion of diphenyl butadiene

Abstract The second harmonic of a picosecond synchronously mode-locked dye laser has been used to study orientational relaxation of 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene in dilute solution. The dye laser was amplified by a novel high repetition rate (1–5 MHz) amplifier. The motion of diphenylbutadiene in tetradecane is well described by hydrodynamics with a slip boundary condition.
Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) hoarei sp.nov. (Protozoa: Trypanosomatidae) from shrews of the genus Sorez in California.

A new species of Trypanosoma, T. (Megatrypanum) hoarei, is described from shrews of the genus Sorex (S. trowbridgii, S. vagrans, S. ornatus, and S. palustris) in California. Four body types are found in adult populations of T. hoarei, two common and two rare, as well as intermediate stages, indicating a tendency to-ward polymorphism in this species. Multiplication is discontinuous, with a reproductive and growth period characterized by moderate numbers of diverse and bizarre developmental forms in the blood and high coefficients of variation for total length (20–30 %), succeeded by an adult phase with few trypanosomes in the blood and lower coefficients of variation for total length (7–12 %). The method and site of multiplication in T. hoarei is unknown but evidence indicates that reproduction by multiple fission or binary fission of amastigote forms may occur in tissue capillaries, with the production of large, rounded amastigote individuals. The latter develop, without intervention of epimastigote stages, into large, rounded trypomastigote individuals from which a wide variety of other developmental forms proceed, including certain distinctive, very long ribbon-like trypanosomes. A review of the literature on mole and shrew trypanosomes suggests that T. hoarei of Sorex, T. petrodromi from Petrodrorrms, and T. talpae from Talpa are related, primitive insectivore forms, clearly distinguishable from the lewisi-type trypanosomes also found in insectivores.
Physiology of chemoreceptor cells in the legs of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Abstract 1. 1. Chemoreceptor cells in the first pereiopods (legs) of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii , were investigated using single-unit, extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques on an isolated, perfused leg preparation. 2. 2. The cells were responsive to aqueous extracts of food (shrimp, mullet, trout chow), a salt mixture (artificial sea-water), amino acids ( l -arginine HCl, taurine), a quaternary ammonium compound (betaine HCl) and ammonium chloride. 3. 3. The response specificity of individual cells ranged from narrow to broad, but on average was broad, being more similar to chemoreceptor cells of freshwater crayfish than of marine spiny or clawed lobsters. 4. 4. Responses were generally excitatory. However, some responses were inhibitory, the first such demonstration in aquatic crustaceans. 5. 5. These electrophysiological results highly correlate with results of feeding behavioral assays carried out on M. rosenbergii .
Keratinocyte-derived, CD80-mediated costimulation is associated with hapten-specific IgE production during contact hypersensitivity to TH1 haptens

Background B7-1 transgenic mice exhibit exaggerated and persistent contact hypersensitivity responses compared with normal mice. Objective Because B7-1 and B7-2 deliver different costimulatory signals to T cells during antigen presentation, the purpose of this study was to compare B7-1 and B7-2 on keratinocytes and to compare their effects on contact hypersensitivity. Methods Contact hypersensitivity was studied in transgenic mice whose keratinocytes constitutively expressed B7-1, B7-2, or no costimulatory molecules (nontransgenic mice). Results B7-1 transgenic mice, and to a lesser extent B7-2 transgenic mice, developed exaggerated ear swelling responses after sensitization and challenge with haptens such as trinitrochlorobenzene or dinitrofluorobenzene. Ear swelling responses in B7-1 transgenic mice were characterized by the presence of markedly elevated inflammatory cytokine transcripts (IL-6, TNF-α, and lymphotoxin β) as well as IL-10 compared with either B7-2 or nontransgenic mice. Hapten-specific IgE was detected by ELISA in B7-1 transgenic mice but not B7-2 transgenic or nontransgenic mice. Only B7-1 transgenic mice exhibited significant immediate type ear swelling responses to the hapten trinitrochlorobenzene. In addition, their sera can passively transfer cutaneous anaphylaxis to naive C57BL/6 mice, indicating that the hapten-specific IgE was relevant to the immediate ear swelling responses. Conclusion These data suggest that keratinocyte-derived costimulation mediated by B7-1 but not B7-2 results in the emergence of T H 2-lymphocyte immune responses to T H 1 haptens. Because human keratinocytes have been noted to express B7-1–like molecules in certain inflammatory skin diseases, this model may be important in understanding the pathophysiology of T H 2-lymphocyte–mediated skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis.
Relationship of lysozyme resistance to carotenogenesis in Micrococcus lysodeikticus.

1. I. Cells of Microccus lysodeikticus normally sensitive to lysozyme action contain yellow carotenoids, while cells which are resistant to lysozyme are devoid of extractable carotenoids and are white in color. Cultures of this organism that are partially resistant to Aureomycin are also partially deficient in carotenoid content and are lysed by lysozyme at a greatly reduced rate. 2. 2. The caretenoids of normal M. lysodeikticus have been separated by solvent extraction, saponification and adsorption chromatography, and certain of their physical, chemical properties have been reported. At least four such pigments are seprable and possess specific properties. None of the carotenoids appears to be identical with lutein.
Plasma cysteamine concentrations in children treated for cystinosis.

1. Noone P, Parsons TMC, Pattison JR, et al: Experience in monitoring gentamicin therapy during treatment of serious gram-negative sepsis, Br Med J 1:477, 1974. 2. Bootman JL, Wertheimer AI, Zaske DG, et al: Individualizing gentamicin .dosage regimens in burn patients with gram-negative septicemia: A cost-benefit analysis, J Pharm Sci 68:267, 1979. 3. Siber GR, Echeverria P, Smith AL, et al: Pharmacokinetics of gentamicin in children and adults, J Infect Dis 132:637, 1975. 4. Vogelstein B, Kowarski AA, and Lietman PS: The pharmacokinetics of amikacin in children, J PEDIATR 91:333, 1977. 5. Sawchuk RJ, and Zaske DE: Pharmacokinetics of dosing regimens which utilize multiple intravenous infusions: Gentamiein in burn patients. J Pharmacokin Biopharm 4:183, 1976. 6. Hoecker JL, Pickering LK, Swaney J, et al: Clinical pharmacology of tobramycin in children, J Infect Dis 137:592, 1978. 7. Yaffe S J, Gerbracht LM, Mosovich LL, Mattar ME, Danish M, and Jusko WJ: Pharmacokinetics of methieillin in patients with cystic fibrosis, J Infect Dis 135:828, 1977. 8. Lau WK, Young LS, Osher AB, and Dooley RR: Amikacin therapy of exacerbations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, Pediatrics 60:372, 1977. 9. Zaske DE: Aminoglycosides, in Evans WE, Sehentag J J, and Jusko W J, editor: Applied pharmacokinetics: Principles of therapeutc drug monitoring, San Francisco, 1980, Applied Therapeutics inc., p 210. 10. Fishman AP: Chronic cor pulmonale: State of the art, Am Rev Respir Dis 114:775, 1976. 11. Wood RE, Boat TF, and Doershuk CF: Cystic fibrosis, Am Rev Resp Dis 113:833, 1976. 12. McCrae WM, Raeburn JA, and Hanson EJ: Tobramycin therapy of infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis: effect of dosage and concentration of antibiotic in sputum, J Infect Dis 134:1915, 1976.
Propagation of surface electromagnetic waves on n-type GaAs in the far infrared

Abstract The far infrared (84.2 cm −1 ) propagation distance of surface electromagnetic waves on samples of single crystal GaAs with varied carrier concentrations has been measured using the twoprism technique. The experimental propagation distances agree well with theoretical values obtained from computer calculations using the exact two media dispersion relation. It was found that the propagation of the SEW is strongly dependent upon the free carrier concentration of the GaAs sample as expected. It is demonstrated that a simple classical theory of SEW works for GaAs-air interfaces in the far infrared.
Sensitive through-space dipolar correlations between nuclei of small organic molecules by partial alignment in a deuterated liquid solvent.

Through-space residual dipolar correlations in NMR spectra can be measured between nuclei of small organic molecules by partially aligning them with respect to the magnetic field in a pure deuterat...
Pilot study of divalproex sodium versus valproic acid: Drug acquisition costs versus all related costs

This study was designed to determine whether the acquisition cost of valproic acid, which is lower per unit than that of divalproex sodium, actually translates into overall savings when additional costs for gastrointestinal (GI) medications, procedures, and consultations related to side effects are included. The research was conducted at Western State Hospital, Staunton, Virginia. It was prompted by a policy change in the mid-1990s requiring that all patients treated with divalproex sodium be switched to valproic acid because of its lower acquisition cost ($0.90/unit vs $0.33/unit). Data were collected for all patients hospitalized between July 13, 1992, and March 14, 1997. These data included doses and total costs of both drugs, GI medications prescribed, procedures performed, and relevant consultations held, as well as the reasons and costs for these medications, procedures, and consultations. Of the 36 patients identified, 15 had bipolar disorder, 11 had schizoaffective disorder, 7 had schizophrenia, and 3 had seizure disorder (1 with delirium secondary to the seizure disorder). Nineteen patients started with valproic acid and switched to divalproex sodium; 8 started with divalproex sodium and switched to valproic acid; and 9 started with divalproex sodium, switched to valproic acid, then switched back to divalproex sodium. Twenty-seven patients were unable to tolerate valproic acid because of GI symptoms and were switched (or switched back) to divalproex sodium. All 27 of these patients remained on the drug. Only 7 of the 36 patients were successfully treated with valproic acid and had no need for GI medications, procedures, or consultations. In 28 patients treated with valproic acid, side effects resolved or were alleviated when they were switched to divalproex sodium. Only 8 patients completed their hospital stays taking valproic acid. The 8 patients who started on divalproex sodium and were discharged on valproic acid had mean treatment-related costs of $106.82/patient. This is compared with $18.38/ patient for the 28 patients who were treated with valproic acid but discharged on divalproex sodium. In conclusion, although the acquisition costs of valproic acid were lower than those of divalproex sodium, treatment-related costs were higher, making valproic acid the more expensive drug to administer overall.
Percutaneous Transluminal Dilatation: The Treatment of Choice for Renal Artery Stenosis Causing Hypertension

During the last 3 yr a large number of patients with renal artery stenosis have undergone attempted treatment of their stenosis by the technique termed percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or dilatation (PTD) using the balloon tipped catheter developed by Gruntiz. A number of publications have documented that this technique is reasonably safe and effective in renal artery lesions due to fibromuscular disease (FMD), atherosclerosis (AS), or prior surgery such as renal artery bypass or transplantation. Although initially many of the patients that were treated were felt to be poor surgical risks, many patients have now been treated who were excellent candidates for renal artery bypass. The cumulative experience argues that PTD should be the first treatment tried in any patient with significant renal artery stenosis causing hypertension. It should be noted that the cumulative experience is not based on any controlled trial and therefore may well be biased. Nevertheless, I will present this argument based on the published data and our own experience at Indiana University. This argument pertains to any patient with incomplete renal artery occlusion who has a functionally significant stenosis (determined by renal vein renin sampling) and who is a good surgical candidate. Those patients who are at high risk for major surgery will obviously be best treated by PTD or medical management. The argument has four major points: safety, effectiveness, cost analysis, and availability.
Serial PSO results are irrelevant in a multi-core parallel world

From multi-core processors to parallel GPUs to computing clusters, computing resources are increasingly parallel. These parallel resources are being used to address increasingly challenging applications. This presents an opportunity to design optimization algorithms that use parallel processors efficiently. In spite of the intuitively parallel nature of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), most PSO variants are not evaluated from a parallel perspective and introduce extra communication and bottlenecks that are inefficient in a parallel environment. We argue that the standard practice of evaluating a PSO variant by reporting function values with respect to the number of function evaluations is inadequate for evaluating PSO in a parallel environment. Evaluating the parallel performance of a PSO variant instead requires reporting function values with respect to the number of iterations to show how the algorithm scales with the number of processors, along with an implementation-independent description of task interactions and communication. Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the dependence of performance on specific properties of the objective function and computational resources. We discuss parallel evaluation of PSO, and we review approaches for increasing concurrency and for reducing communication which should be considered when discussing the scalability of a PSO variant. This discussion is essential both for designers who are defending the performance of an algorithm and for practitioners who are determining how to apply PSO for a given objective function and parallel environment.
A Comparison of Different Cellular Inoculain an Experimental Model of Massive Periretinal Proliferation

We modified a preexisting experimental model of massive periretinal proliferation by injecting cells of differing origins into the rabbit vitreous cavity. These cells included autologous and homologous fibroblasts, homologous chondrocytes, homologous retinal pigment epithelial cells, heterologous bovine endothelial cells, and heterologous murine embryonal cells. All cell injections caused vitreous and retinal membrane formation that resulted in a process similar to massive periretinal proliferation. Clinically the character of the membranes formed and the time course in the development of traction retinal detachments was similar for all the different cell types. The initial cell dosage injected was the critical factor in determining the severity of the traction retinal detachments leading to massive periretinal proliferation.
The cybernetic institution: Toward an integration of governance theories

This paper presents a new conceptual approach to institutional governance, management, and leadership based upon a cybernetic model of organizations. The cybernetic paradigm integrates existing models by suggesting how bureaucratic, collegial, political, and anarchical subsystems function simultaneously in colleges and universities of all kinds to create self-correcting institutions. The cybernetic paradigm posits that organization control systems can be described in terms of sensing mechanisms and negative feedback loops that collectively monitor changes from acceptable levels of functioning and that activate forces that return institutions to their previous stable state. These self correcting (cybernetic) processes function as institutional “thermostats”. Administrators can function effectively by adopting leadership and management approaches that are consistent with cybernetic principles. These principles suggest that administrators should complicate themselves and use multiple frames to develop richer behavioral repertoires, increase the sensitivity of institutional monitoring systems, and focus attention on important issues through systems that report data and create forums for interaction.
In situ deposition of metal coatings

Abstract Ceramic powder particles were metal coated by in situ deposition from decomposable compounds. The ceramic powder and a decomposable metal compound were mixed by tumbling and then heat treated in argon or in hydrogen to deposit the metal. Cermets with continuous metal matrices were obtained by hot pressing metal-coated powders or by in situ decomposition to form the metal during hot pressing. Tungsten-coated Eu 2 O 3 powders were obtained by thermal decomposition of W(CO) 6 or by hydrogen reduction of WO 3 . Europia-tantalum cermets were made by decomposition of tantalum hydride during hot pressing. Particles of Eu 2 O 3 were coated with rhenium by decomposition of ReCl 3 or ReO x and with molybdenum from the oxide. Cobalt and platinum coatings were deposited on ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 particles by decomposition of the chlorides. The uniformity of metal deposition depends on the mixing and on the particle size of the decomposable compound. The concurrent chemical reaction appears to enhance distribution of the metal by surface diffusion during the heat treatment that results in deposition. The extent of adherence or chemical bonding can be varied through the rate of deposition.
Quantitation of digitoxin the bis- and monodigitoxosides of digitoxigenin in serum

A specific assay is described for measuring the concentration of digitoxin and the bis- and monoglycosides of digitoxigenin in serum. The procedure includes: (1) addition of a tracer amount of tritium labeled parent compound to the serum in order to measure percentage recovery; (2) solvent extraction to separate polar and non-polar metabolites; (3) reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography of the non-polar fraction to separate digoxigenins from digitoxigenins; (4) thin-layer chromatography to isolate digitoxin, and the bis- and monoglycosides of digitoxigenin; and (5) use of an 125I-radioimmunoassay to determine the concentration of the glycosides. Each of these three glycosides was administered intravenously to a normal subject, and the concentration of parent compound was measured in the serum at various times.
Salary discrepancies between practicing male and female physician assistants.

Background: Salary discrepancies between male and female physicians are well documented; however, gender-based salary differences among clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) have not been studied since 1992 (Willis, 1992). Therefore, the objectives of the current study are to evaluate the presence of salary discrepancies between clinically practicing male and female PAs and to analyze the effect of gender on income and practice characteristics. Methods: Using data from the 2009 American Academy of Physician Assistants’ (AAPA) Annual Census Survey, we evaluated the salaries of PAs across multiple specialties. Differences between men and women were compared for practice characteristics (specialty, experience, etc) and salary (total pay, base pay, on-call pay, etc) in orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, and family practice. Findings: Men reported working more years as a PA in their current specialty, working more hours per month on-call, providing more direct care to patients, and more funding available from their employers for professional development (p < .001, all comparisons). In addition, men reported a higher total income, base pay, overtime pay, administrative pay, on-call pay, and incentive pay based on productivity and performance (p < .001, all comparisons). Multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis of variance revealed that men reported higher total income (p < .0001) and base pay (p ¼ .001) in orthopedic surgery, higher total income (p ¼ .011) and base pay (p ¼ .005) in emergency medicine, and higher base pay in family practice (p < .001), independent of clinical experience or workload. Conclusion: These results suggest that certain salary discrepancies remain between employed male and female PAs regardless of specialty, experience, or other practice characteristics. Copyright 2012 by the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Massive Open Online Courses in Chemistry: A Comparative Overview of Platforms and Features

Open-access, online educational platforms launched in the last decade are receiving growing attention from both academia and the general public. A special class of such courseware known as MOOCs (massive open online courses) allows enrollment of up to hundreds of thousands of students from all over the world. This report reviews and compares currently available chemistry MOOCs as well as other Web-based courseware resources. Features distinguishing MOOCs from other types of instruction are also discussed.
Mining in northern Canada: Expanding the industry while protecting arctic fishes—A review

Northern Canada has a long tradition of mining activity with a poor record of environmental protection. Pollution is acknowledged as the biggest issue currently facing the mining industry. The arctic and subarctic fishes of this region are very sensitive to heavy metals, trace elements, and other contaminants in mine wastes. High sensitivity, combined with an inherently low capacity for recovery, make this aquatic resource particularly vulnerable to impacts. At least 22 fish species with major commercial, recreational, or subsistence value may be affected as the mining industry expands. The number of mines in northern Canada is steadily increasing and a metals-mining boom is expected to take place during the next decade. Prudent planning based on comprehensive mine-site evaluation, biological risk assessment, and research is essential to reduce the threat of environmental damage. There are several progressive mining techniques that can help make mining compatible with sensitive northern fisheries while also maintaining the profitability and growth of the mining industry. Thus far, this technology has been used very little in northern Canada.
Self-Esteem and Affect as Information

This research tests whether people with high self-esteem are more informed by their emotions than are people with low self-esteem. In Study 1, participants listened to a series of disturbing baby cries, rated how much distress these cries conveyed, and reported their own emotional reactions to the cries. As predicted, the relation between participants’ emotional reactions and their cry ratings was strongest at higher levels of self-esteem. In Study 2, self-esteem again determined how strongly participants’ own emotional reactions influenced their baby cry ratings, even though esteem was measured weeks before the experiment and even after controlling for social desirability. Study 3 manipulated self-regard and showed that the correlation between participants’ emotional reactions and their cry ratings was strong for high-regard participants, moderate for control participants, and weak for low-regard participants. These results suggest that self-esteem serves to validate the informational value of feelings.
Application of ground-penetrating radar imagery for three-dimensional visualisation of near-surface structures in ice-rich permafrost, Barrow, Alaska

Three-dimensional ground-penetrating radar (3D GPR) was used to investigate the subsurface structure of ice-wedge polygons and other features of the frozen active layer and near-surface permafrost near Barrow, Alaska. Surveys were conducted at three sites located on landscapes of different geomorphic age. At each site, sediment cores were collected and characterised to aid interpretation of GPR data. At two sites, 3D GPR was able to delineate subsurface ice-wedge networks with high fidelity. Three-dimensional GPR data also revealed a fundamental difference in ice-wedge morphology between these two sites that is consistent with differences in landscape age. At a third site, the combination of two-dimensional and 3D GPR revealed the location of an active frost boil with ataxitic cryostructure. When supplemented by analysis of soil cores, 3D GPR offers considerable potential for imaging, interpreting and 3D mapping of near-surface soil and ice structures in permafrost environments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Camp CyberGirls: using a virtual world to introduce computing concepts to middle school girls

In this paper we report on the design and results of a one-week, residential summer camp experience that introduced computing concepts to middle school girls in the context of an online, multiplayer, virtual world known as the Curiosity Grid. In contrast to programming environments designed specifically as teaching tools to introduce children to programming, virtual world programming exposes novice learners to a more representative computer science experience. Students write real code and get real syntax errors when their code is not correct. They also design objects in a three-dimensional world where knowledge of mathematical concepts such as 3-D global and local coordinate systems, and 3-D transformations are important to the creation of objects and behaviors. Programming artifacts from the camp and feedback from the camp participants provide a strong argument that middle school girls can handle the challenge of this approach and even be enthusiastic about it.