cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Prejudice among Christian and Non-Christian College Students:

The relationship between Christianity and racial prejudice was evaluated by means of a questionnaire which included the Shepherd Scale, the Christian Conservatism Scale, and the Multifactor Racial ...
Direct Methane to Methanol: The Selectivity–Conversion Limit and Design Strategies

Currently, methane is transformed into methanol through the two-step syngas process, which requires high temperatures and centralized production. While the slightly exothermic direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol would be preferable, no such process has been established despite over a century of research. Generally, this failure has been attributed to both the high barriers required to activate methane as well as the higher activity of the CH bonds in methanol compared to those in methane. However, a precise and general quantification of the limitations of catalytic direct methane to methanol has yet to be established. Herein, we present a simple kinetic model to explain the selectivity–conversion trade-off that hampers continuous partial oxidation of methane to methanol. For the same kinetic model, we apply two distinct methods, (1) using ab initio calculations and (2) fitting to a large experimental database, to fully define the model parameters. We find that both methods yield strikingly sim...
Teletherapy: Indications, Risks, and New Delivery Options

In the treatment of retinoblastoma, radiation therapy provides the benchmark for the evaluation of tumor control, for eye preservation, and for side effects. Its role has recently been diminished by the haunting prospect of long-term side effects and a move toward chemotherapy combined with local ophthalmic therapy ( Chap. 11) [1]. SEER data demonstrates that upfront radiotherapy was utilized in 34.6 % of patients from 1985 to 1989 and declined to 6.5 % from 2000 to 2004 [2]. This chapter will discuss teletherapy and its indications, risks, and new delivery approaches. Chapter 10 provides more detail about brachytherapy in the treatment of intraocular retinoblastoma.
Treatment of Hearing Loss: Viral Transfection

Hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disorders in humans. There is absence of effective therapy to arrest or prevent hearing loss. Gene therapy, using viral vectors, provides both an experimental tool and a potential therapeutic intervention to study or treat deafness.
Coordination Mechanisms for Self-Organized Work in an Emergency Communication Center

We describe an observational study of work coordination in an emergency communication center, where a collocated team of communication specialists engages in complex activities of communicating with pre-hospital medical teams, and coordinating patient care and transport. Unlike teams with clearly defined work roles and team structures that were introduced to increase work efficiency and minimize redundancy, the team we studied lacks the role differentiation. To better understand how complex work is accomplished under these conditions, we conducted in-situ observations in the center's control room and interviewed communication specialists. We found that communication specialists self-organized by using a mix of material and immaterial coordination mechanisms, including work schedules, computer systems, and tacit agreements to coordinate tasks. Using these findings, we then identified three features of self-organized, collocated and time-critical teamwork that require technology support: awareness of task ownership, task self-assignment, and informal team hierarchy. We conclude by discussing technology requirements to support these teamwork features.
Some observations on models of growth and distribution with autonomous demand growth

This paper offers some theoretical and methodological observations on a model of growth and distribution, recently developed by Franklin Serrano and others and called the Sraffian supermultiplier model, in which the growth of autonomous capitalist consumption demand and distribution are exogenously given and capacity utilization is at an exogenously given “normal” level in long‐run equilibrium. First, it provides a simple long‐run equilibrium version and dynamic formulation of the model, and compares it to other models of growth and distribution using a common framework and focusing on the effect of a change in income distribution on growth. Second, it shows that the model can be modified to examine other components of autonomous demand growth, including government spending, exports, consumption by workers, and investment and technical change, and to simultaneous multiple sources of autonomous demand growth. Finally, it comments on some methodological issues concerning the model, and on its implications for the notion of long‐run equilibrium.
‘agitarse entre creencias contradictorias’/‘out of the quarrel with ourselves’: Republican Theory in the Writings of Antonio Machado and W. B. Yeats

This essay presents a comparative analysis of writings by Antonio Machado (1875–1939) and W. B. Yeats (1865–1939). It contends that Athenian republicanism illuminates key aspects of both writers’ political thinking. The essay’s opening sections highlight the importance of language in Aristotle’s concept of man as a political animal. Machado’s and Yeats’ writings are then analysed under three headings: freedom, equality and fraternity. The essay concludes that the dialogical model of selfhood which finds expression in Machado’s and Yeats’ writings, parallels the republican concept of the polis as a community of interdependent citizens who search for the ‘good life’ together.
Provisioning Cuba’s Private Restaurants: Linking Tourism and Agriculture

Cuba’s growing reliance on international tourism as a source of foreign exchange has been accompanied by an opening to private sector activities, including private restaurants, or paladares. How th...
INFLUENCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON WORK PERFORMANCE AMONG JUDICIARY PERSONNEL IN ANAMBRA STATE, SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

This study investigated the influence of work life balance of the quality and quantity of performance by employees of the Anambra State judiciary. The target population of interest was a total of 200 Anambra State Judiciary employees. The study target population was divided along the three Senatorial Zones – Anambra South; Anambra North; and Anambra Central. Two hundred copies of the study questionnaire were administered on prospective respondents from which 160 useable copies were retrieved. From the 160 useable questionnaire copies retrieved, a representative sample size of 134 was obtained using the Taro Yamane (1967) formula. Two hypotheses which state that flexible work schedules will not have a significant influence on employee performance in the Anambra State Judiciary; and leave programs will not have a significant influence on employee performance in the Anambra State Judiciary were advanced. The independent variable studied explained 77.10% of the influence on employee work performance as represented by the adjusted R 2 . From the ANOVA statistics, the study showed that the regression model had a significance level of 0.2%, indicating that the data was ideal for making a conclusion on the population parameters as the value of significance (p-Value) was less than 5%.The calculated value was greater than the critical value (33.0548 > 12.654) an indication that Flexible Work Schedules and Leave Programmes do actually influence employee performance. Conclusions and recommendations were highlighted.
Spatial gradients in soil-carbon character of a coastal forested floodplain are associated with abiotic features, but not microbial communities

Abstract. Coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs) are dynamic zones of biogeochemical cycling influenced by salinity gradients. However, there is significant heterogeneity in salinity influences on TAI soil biogeochemical function. This heterogeneity is perhaps related to unrecognized mechanisms associated with carbon (C) chemistry and microbial communities. To investigate this potential, we evaluated hypotheses associated with salinity-associated shifts in organic C thermodynamics, biochemical transformations, and heteroatom content in a first-order coastal watershed in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, USA. In contrast to our hypotheses, thermodynamic favorability of water soluble organic compounds in shallow soils decreased with increasing salinity, as did the number of inferred biochemical transformations and total heteroatom content. These patterns indicate lower microbial activity at higher salinity that is potentially constrained by accumulation of less favorable organic C. Furthermore, organic compounds appeared to be primarily marine/algal-derived in forested floodplain soils with more lipid-like and protein-like compounds, relative to upland soils that had more lignin-, tannin-, and carbohydrate-like compounds. Based on a recent simulation-based study, we further hypothesized a relationship between microbial community assembly processes and C chemistry. Null modelling revealed strong influences of dispersal limitation over microbial composition, which may be due to limited hydrologic connectivity within the clay-rich soils. Dispersal limitation indicated stochastically assembled communities, which was further reflected in the lack of an association between community assembly processes and C chemistry. This suggests a disconnect between microbial community composition and C biogeochemistry, thereby indicating that the salinity-associated gradient in C chemistry was driven by a combination of spatially-structured inputs and salinity-associated metabolic responses of microbial communities that were independent of community composition. We propose that impacts of salinity on coastal soil biogeochemistry need to be understood in the context of C chemistry, hydrologic/depositional dynamics, and microbial physiology, while microbial composition may have less influence.
Vacation frequency is associated with metabolic syndrome and symptoms

AbstractObjective: To examine the extent to which vacationing behavior is associated with metabolic outcomes. Specifically, we consider how total vacation episodes and total vacation days from the past 12 months relate to metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms.Design: Sixty-three workers eligible for paid vacation attended a lab visit during which their blood was drawn and they completed an interview assessing vacationing behavior in the past 12 months.Main outcome measures: Metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms are the main outcome measures.Results: Over the past 12 months, participants took approximately five vacations (M = 5.44, SD = 3.16) and used about 2 weeks of their paid vacation days (M = 13.80, SD = 7.25). Participants rated vacations positively, expressing low levels of travel-, childcare- and financial burden-related stress. As vacation episodes increased, metabolic syndrome incidence (OR = 0.76, p = 0.051) and number of metabolic symptoms met (IRR = 0.92, p = 0.035) decreased. Notably,...
Ground Reaction Force Sensing in Milligram-Scale Legged Microrobots

This work uses compliant mechanism design to create a two-axis vision-based force sensor to measure 2-DOF ground reaction forces (GRFs) of legged 1 mg microrobots. The sensor was designed with a genetic algorithm to tailor the stiffness matrix. The design is printed using direct laser lithography and integrated into the "ground" of an experimental platform for magnetically actuated microrobots. The sensor deformation is observed visually as the robot steps on it, resolving sub-μN GRFs of microrobots for the first time.
Learning Terminal Airspace Traffic Models from Flight Tracks and Procedures

Constructing robust aircraft trajectory models is important when developing modern air traffic management systems. In real operations, aircraft are often guided to follow the standard flight procedures. However, there is some variability in their actual flown paths due to different factors. Therefore, a trajectory model should be able to capture the variability as well as the general tendency of the aircraft behavior in relation to the corresponding procedure. This paper proposes a generative probabilistic model that can learn this directly from radar surveillance data and procedure data. We fit a Gaussian mixture model for each flight stage to learn how much the aircraft trajectories deviate from standard procedures. The performance of the proposed model is validated using Jensen-Shannon divergence between distributions of original and generated trajectory data.
Minimally Invasive Approaches to Colon and Rectal Diseases: Technique and Best Practices—Pediatrics

The field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) remains the fastest growing area of surgical innovation in both adults and children. Pediatric surgeons overcame multiple barriers during the advent of laparoscopy in the 1980s. Their patience and collaboration with industry to provide appropriately sized instrumentation and the development of innovative techniques by pioneers in the field have made laparoscopy increasingly available to our youngest and smallest patients. Minimally invasive surgery for colorectal diseases and malformations is an important component of pediatric surgical practice. The operative techniques described in the minimally invasive treatment of appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Hirschsprung’s disease, imperforate anus, and fecal incontinence are certainly applicable for adult colorectal practice.
Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy Is a Safe and Feasible Option in Management of Esophageal Diverticula: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Esophageal diverticula can cause significant symptoms and affect the quality of life. There has been recent interest in the use of peroral endoscopic myotomy in the management of esophageal diverticula (D-POEM). In this meta-analysis, we have evaluated the efficacy and safety of D-POEM in the management of esophageal diverticula. Several databases were reviewed from inception to 6/19/2020 to identify the studies evaluating the feasibility, efficacy and safety of D-POEM in the management of esophageal diverticula. Our outcomes of interest were technical success, adverse events and difference in mean pre- and post-procedure symptom score. We performed subgroup analysis including patients with Zenker’s diverticulum who underwent POEM (Z-POEM). Pooled rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all outcomes were calculated using random effect model. We calculated standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI to compare mean pre- and post-procedure symptom score. We included 7 studies with 233 patients. For D-POEM, pooled rates (95% CI) for technical success and adverse events were 95% (91%, 97%) and 6% (3%, 10%) respectively. For Z-POEM, pooled rates (95% CI) for technical success and adverse events were 95% (90%, 97%) and 6% (3%, 10%) respectively. Mean post-procedure symptom score for all patients who underwent D-POEM was significantly lower compared to mean pre-procedure symptom score, SMD (95% CI) 2.17 (1.51, 2.83). This meta-analysis demonstrated that D-POEM is a safe and feasible option for patients with symptomatic esophageal diverticula.
The Personal Statement as a Marginalizing Rhetorical Device: Merit and Racism in College Access

This paper is a literature review on the personal statement, merit, race, and racism through the application of colorblind and race-neutral policies. In an attempt to avoid racist admission policies, higher education place overwhelming emphasis on objective merits, such as grades. However, during the personal statement writing process, minoritized applicants’ expression of merit may be affected by racial inequities, experiences, and educational preparation, both consciously and unconsciously. Therefore, by excluding race, colorblind merit policies may contribute to unexpected and unintentional racism in admissions. In this paper, college-choice theory (CCT), critical race theory (CRT), and critical literacy theory (CLT) are used to interrogate colorblind merit in higher education to suggest why race is an important feature of applicants’ narratives in the personal statement context. If race is significant to applicants’ identities, then their narratives would be incomplete without it. There is a need to centralize both merit and race in personal statement research to allow education professionals to appropriately assess applicants’ statements. Reintegrating race in assessments could improve our understanding of selective college admission processes and inform recommendations to refine instruction and evaluation of applicants’ personal statement writing.
Prevalence of Co-Infection at the Time of Hospital Admission in COVID-19 Patients, A Multicenter Study

Background Bacterial infections may complicate viral pneumonias. Recent reports suggest that bacterial co-infection at time of presentation is uncommon in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, estimates were based on microbiology tests alone. We sought to develop and apply consensus definitions, incorporating clinical criteria to better understand the rate of co-infections and antibiotic use in COVID-19. Methods A total of 1016 adult patients admitted to 5 hospitals in the Johns Hopkins Health System between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, with COVID-19 were evaluated. Adjudication of co-infection using definitions developed by a multidisciplinary team for this study was performed. Both respiratory and common nonrespiratory co-infections were assessed. The definition of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (bCAP) included proven (clinical, laboratory, and radiographic criteria plus microbiologic diagnosis), probable (clinical, laboratory, and radiographic criteria without microbiologic diagnosis), and possible (not all clinical, laboratory, and radiographic criteria met) categories. Clinical characteristics and antimicrobial use were assessed in the context of the consensus definitions. Results Bacterial respiratory co-infections were infrequent (1.2%); 1 patient had proven bCAP, and 11 (1.1%) had probable bCAP. Two patients (0.2%) had viral respiratory co-infections. Although 69% of patients received antibiotics for pneumonia, the majority were stopped within 48 hours in patients with possible or no evidence of bCAP. The most common nonrespiratory infection was urinary tract infection (present in 3% of the cohort). Conclusions Using multidisciplinary consensus definitions, proven or probable bCAP was uncommon in adults hospitalized due to COVID-19, as were other nonrespiratory bacterial infections. Empiric antibiotic use was high, highlighting the need to enhance antibiotic stewardship in the treatment of viral pneumonias.
High‐Water Marks: High Risk Appetites? Convex Compensation, Long Horizons, and Portfolio Choice

We study the portfolio choice of hedge fund managers who are compensated by high-water mark contracts. We find that even risk-neutral managers do not place unbounded weights on risky assets, despite option-like contracts. Instead, they place a constant fraction of funds in a mean-variance efficient portfolio and the rest in the riskless asset, acting as would constant relative risk aversion (CRRA) investors. This result is a direct consequence of the in(de)finite horizon of the contract. We show that the risk-seeking incentives of option-like contracts rely on combining finite horizons and convex compensation schemes rather than on convexity alone.
A probabilistic approach for quantifying children’s subitizing span

Abstract The development of enumeration skills over childhood is thought to reflect improvements in both subitizing (for small sets) and serial counting (for larger sets). However, investigations into the contribution of subitizing to advancing mathematics ability are limited by challenges in measuring subitizing capacity across developmental populations. Subitizing capacity in adults is traditionally assessed by calculating the bilinear inflection point for reaction times or accuracy across set sizes, but in children greater variability and dramatic improvements in counting ability introduce problems with this approach. This study demonstrates this limitation in a sample of elementary school children and proposes a novel probabilistic approach to measuring subitizing capacity. This metric captures well-established trends in the development of children’s subitizing. Furthermore, the proposed metric predicts unique variance in symbolic arithmetic ability, corroborating previous research that suggests a foundational role for subitizing in the development of numerical cognition. Findings demonstrate the advantages of a probabilistic approach to determining subitizing capacity in young children and suggest that it may be practically and theoretically well-suited for investigating subitizing and its role in mathematics development.
Euclidean Representations of Quantum States

The Bloch representation of a qubit is a beautiful way to picture quantum states. We prove that such a representation does not exist in higher dimensions by uncovering some of the structure required of a general Euclidean representation of quantum states.
Intracellular selection of E. coli tRNALys, 3 as the primer for HIV-1 replication

HIV-1 has evolved to utilize mammalian tRNALys,3 as the primer for initiation of reverse transcription. Previous studies have suggested that HIV-1 preference for mammalian tRNALys,3 could be due to interactions of the lysl-synthetase with viral proteins, although this does not support or explain the alternate primer usage by HIV-1 with substituted primer binding site (PBS). To further elucidate the selection process, we have developed a complementation system in which the E. coli (Ec) tRNALys,3 gene is supplied on a plasmid that is co-transfected with HIV-1 proviral plasmid containing a substituted PBS with that of the 3' 18-terminal nucleotides of the EctRNALys,3. Co-transfection of plasmids encoding EctRNALys,3 with the HIV-1 proviral genome resulted in production of infectious virus. The levels of infectious virus were dependent on the amounts of EctRNALys,3 plasmid used in transfections. To further investigate the specificity of primer selection, several EctRNALys mutants were generated. Mutations in the anticodon region to correspond to tRNALys1,2 (EctRNALys1,2) did not affect the capacity of the tRNA to complement replication. Additional EctRNALys mutants with reduced aminoacylation had varied effects on capacity for complementation, with no clear correlation between aminoacylation and ability to complement. Collectively, the results of our studies establish that aminoacylation, per se, is not an absolute requirement of primer selection. The use of EctRNALys and the unique intracellular complementation system will allow further experiments to probe the mechanism of primer selection.
The Trouble with Error Patterns

AbstractMany attempts have been made to develop computer programs that diagnose student errors in subtraction (e.g., Brown & Burton, 1978; Ohlsson & Langley, 1985; Young & O’Shea, 1981). Because these systems have been unable to diagnose approximately 50% of those children they analyze, researchers have sought better computer algorithms to identify more of the errors children make. Furthermore, each of these systems uses only answer (product) data for analysis. Drawing from the literature in clinical mathematics (e.g., Underhill, Uprichard, & Heddens, 1980) and psychology (Gagne, 1985; Resnick, 1982), an attempt was made to develop other measures to determine more fully a child’s knowledge of mathematics. Also, a subtraction test (Van Lehn, 1982) was used to determine the child’s error pattern. These two approaches were then compared to determine how clinical analysis might aid an error-pattern diagnostic system. The results indicate that error-pattern diagnosis is unrelated to a richer clinical approach,...
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: A State of Knowledge Report from the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program

There are many books available on climate change for specialized or scientific audiences; many require an understanding of algebra or other high-level knowledge, and some focus on one highly specif...
Promoting fan labor and "all things Web": A case study of Tosh.0

Television programs are increasingly paired with interactive media platforms in attempts to reach fragmented audiences though a medium where millions are now seeking entertainment—the Internet. Programs' online presences are cultivated and promoted by paid staffers and unpaid fan laborers. Producers monetize fan activity by guiding its form on their sites. Utilizing the concepts of sticky and spreadable media, an analysis of the Comedy Central show Tosh.0 Web site demonstrates how producers can promote particular types of interactivity through the content and architecture of a multimodal Web site. By designing a site that centralizes the use of popular social media, the producers of Tosh.0 concentrate fans and benefit from their creative labor. Furthermore, this study serves as a test for the scope and usefulness of the concepts of sticky and spreadable media in revealing strategic Web site design that encourages specific types of user participation.
Evolutionary ecology of mast-seeding in temperate and tropical oaks (Quercus spp.)

Mast-seeding is the synchronous production of large seed crops within a population or community of species every two or more years. This paper addresses three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses explaining the evolution of mast-seeding in temperate tree species, especially the genus Quercus: (1) mast-seeding is a consequence of mast-flowering which evolves to increased pollination efficiency in mast-flowering years; (2) mast-seeding has evolved as an anti-predator adaptation by which large seed crops during mast years satiate the seed predators and allow survival of some of the seeds; (3) selection on seed size by habitat can indirectly affect the evolution of masting if trees with large seeds require more time to accumulate reserves to mature those seeds. I find support for the pollination hypothesis in several windpollinated temperate tree species but not oaks. However, oaks show evidence favoring the predation and seed size hypotheses. I then develop a model to illustrate the relationships among the three hypotheses in their effects on the evolution of masting. Finally, using data from herbaria and Floras, the influence of selection via flowering, fruiting, and seed size in the evolution of masting in tropical oaks is discussed. I conclude that the need for a supra-annual cue to synchronize flowering and fruiting as well as the larger seed size found in many tropical oak species should contribute to the evolution of masting to a greater extent than seen among temperate oaks.
Nitroxide metabolites from alkylhydroxylamines and N-hydroxyurea derivatives resulting from reductive inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase.

One proposed mechanism of the inactivation of lipoxygenase by inhibitors is the reduction of the catalytically active ferric form of the enzyme to its ferrous form. Recent studies have shown that compounds containing the hydroxamate moiety are potent inhibitors of lipoxygenase. The hydroxamate portion of the inhibitor is thought to bind to iron at the catalytic site of the enzyme. We now report evidence that the NOH of the hydroxamate group of N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-hydroxy-N'-(3-chlorophenyl)urea, N-[(E)-3-(3-phenoxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl]acetohydroxamic acid (BW A4C), and N-(1-benzo(b)thien-2-ylethyl)-N-hydroxyurea (Zileuton) is oxidized by lipoxygenase to form their corresponding nitroxides, which are directly detected by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. It is consistently found that the selected NOH-containing compounds, e.g. alkylhydroxylamines or N-hydroxyureas, are also oxidized by lipoxygenase to form their corresponding nitroxides.
Denoising JPEG images by re-application of JPEG

A novel method is proposed for post-processing of JPEG-encoded images, in order to reduce coding artifacts and enhance visual quality. Our method simply re-applies JPEG to the shifted versions of the already-compressed image, and forms an average. This approach, despite its simplicity, offers better performance than other known methods, including those based on nonlinear filtering, POCS, and redundant wavelets.
Language in Jewish Society: Towards a New Understanding

In his book, Language in Jewish Society: Towards a New Understanding, Myhill ambitiously analyzes the relationship between language, identity, and society over a period of 3,000 years of Jewish history. Addressing a general readership, Myhill rejects an insider’s ideological approach, which focuses on the uniqueness of Jewish attitudes to language, in favor of a typological perspective, which explores the commonalities and differences between Jewish and non-Jewish sociolinguistic attitudes.
A simple algorithm for shape from shading

A shape-from-shading algorithm that recovers depth from a brightness image typically in fewer than ten iterations, is described. This algorithm, which is a simplification of the algorithm of J. Oliensis and P. Dupuis (1991), is based on a minimum downhill principle that guarantees continuous surfaces and stable results. The algorithm is applicable to a broad variety of objects and reflectance maps. >
A theory of the anomalous yield behavior in L12 ordered alloys

It has been generally accepted that in many L12 ordered alloys the observed flow stress increase with increasing temperature is due to thermally activated cross slip from the (111) primary slip plane to the (010 cross slip plane. Using the results of recent atomistic studies of screw dislocations in L12 structures, a functional form for the activation enthalpy of cross slip of a 12 [101] (111) dislocation has been derived. This activation enthalpy is principally controlled by the following four phenomena: 1. (i) The difference in antiphase boundary energy on (111) and (010) planes 2. (ii) the resolved shear stress on (010) 3. (iii) the difference of the energy of the superpartial pair due to a stress induced compression or extention of the superpartial splitting before a jump and an equilibrium splitting afterwards 4. (iv) the nature of the core dissociation on {111} planes before and after the cross slip event, the so-called Escaig effect (i)-(ii) lead to a result that can be reduced to the form assumed by Takeuchi and Kuramoto [Acta metall. 21, 415 (1973)] but (iii) and (iv), which have not been included by Takeuchi and Kuramoto, predicts a tension/compression asymmetry of the CRSS that is also orientation dependent and is a prominent feature of the anomalous yield stress behavior. It is shown that recent experimental data can be explained by the model, and furthermore, the model predicts that a maximum tension/compression asymmetry will occur for orientations near [011], a result which has been tested in the following paper in this journal. A model for unpinning is also developed which explains the shape of the CRSS vs temperature curve of [111] oriented samples.
Static and unsteady pressure measurements on a 50 degree clipped delta wing at M = 0.9

Pressures were measured with Freon as the test medium. Data taken at M = 0.9 is presented for static and oscillatory deflections of the trailing edge control surface and for the wing in pitch. Comparisons of the static measured data are made with results computed using the Bailey-Ballhaus small disturbance code.
On-line application of microprocessors in quality control

Abstract A system is described that collects data and computes and plots control charts and sampling plans automatically. An inspection device is connected with a microcomputer to measure a physical characteristics of a product, transmit data to the computer and process and store summary statistics. The software accepts preliminary measurements, computes control limits, accepts further measurements, plots them on a CRT or plotter and stops the process when an out-of-control measurement is detected. The software will also determine a single-sampling plan which meets specified producer's and consumer's risks, measures products to determine if acceptable and will report decisions on lot acceptance.
Use of Siemens KPY pressure sensors at liquid helium temperatures

Abstract Siemens KPY pressure sensors are evaluated for use at liquid helium temperatures. Sensor output for KPY-12 (2 bar range) sensors is ≈2.5 times greater at liquid helium temperature than at room temperature. Sensor output sensitivity varies by more than +-20% from sensor to sensor at both room and liquid helium temperatures. Sensor calibration in the He II range is frequently done by varying the vapour pressure over a saturated bath of helium in contact with the high pressure side of the sensor and with vacuum on the reference side. Since the temperature also varies in the above procedure, calibration errors would result if significant temperature-induced zero shifts occurred. To check on the above possibility, calibrations in which temperature and pressure were varied independently were compared with saturation curve calibrations. The two calibration procedures agreed within experimental error.
Visual Recovery from Brief Exposures to High Luminance

The Maxwellian-view optical system provided a circular flash field of 10° diam, and at the peak of the flash, the field luminance was 5.4×105 L. A rotating-mirror shutter system permitted flash durations of 1.4 to 0.64 msec with constant pulse shapes for all durations. The maximum flash energy was 4×107 td · sec or 0.042 cal/cm2 at the retina, neglecting losses in the ocular media. With the infrared removed by filtering the beam, the maximum energy was reduced to 3×107 td · sec or 0.012 cal/cm2.The criterion measure for visual performance following the flashes was the identification of Sloan–Snellen letters of different sizes. The letters were transilluminated with luminances from 130 to 0.03 mL. The effect of removing the infrared portion of the flash radiance on the recovery times for a given level of visual performance was tested and found negligible. The other variables studied were the size of the flash field and the duration of the flash. The time course of recovery following various flash energies was investigated by varying the letter size and the letter luminances.
The mating game: pollination and fertilization in flowering plants

Recent work has revealed signaling molecules that control pollination, including small peptides that mediate pollen recognition and glycoproteins that support pollen tube growth. The polarized growth of pollen tubes requires a calcium-mediated signal cascade, and cues derived from the haploid and diploid ovule cells guide pollen tubes to the eggs.
Metabolic studies on the accumulation of tetraphenylporphinesulfonate in tumors

Des resultats anterieurs suggerent que l'accumulation selective de TPPS au niveau de certaines tumeurs est liee aux caracteres particuliers de leur metabolisme. Au cours d'experiences utilisant des preparations tissulaires, il n'a pas ete possible de mettre en evidence une degradation du TPPS. D'autres mecanismes impliques dans la distribution du TPPS sont discutes.
Genetic and Immunohistochemical Analysis of Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma: Frequent Allelic Loss on Chromosome 11p and Alterations in the APC/β-Catenin Pathway

Acinar cell carcinomas (ACCs) are rare malignant tumors of the exocrine pancreas. The specific molecular alterations that characterize ACCs have not yet been elucidated. ACCs are morphologically and genetically distinct from the more common pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Instead, the morphological, immunohistochemical, and clinical features of ACCs overlap with those of another rare pancreatic neoplasm, pancreatoblastoma. We have recently demonstrated a high frequency of allelic loss on chromosome arm 11p and mutations in the APC/β-catenin pathway in pancreatoblastomas, suggesting that similar alterations might also play a role in the pathogenesis of some ACCs. We analyzed a series of 21 ACCs for somatic alterations in the APC/β-catenin pathway and for allelic loss on chromosome 11p. In addition, we evaluated the ACCs for alterations in p53 and Dpc4 expression using immunohistochemistry, and for microsatellite instability (MSI) using polymerase chain amplification of a panel of microsatellite markers. Allelic loss on chromosome 11p was the most common genetic alteration in ACCs, present in 50% (6 of 12 informative cases). Molecular alterations in the APC/β-catenin pathway were detected in 23.5% (4 of 17) of the carcinomas, including one ACC with an activating mutation of the β-catenin oncogene and three ACCs with truncating APC mutations. One ACC (1 of 13, 7.6%) showed allelic shifts in four of the five markers tested (MSI-high), two (15.4%) showed an allelic shift in only one of the five markers tested (MSI-low), and no shifts were detected in the remaining 10 cases. The MSI-high ACC showed medullary histological features. In contrast, no loss of Dpc4 protein expression or p53 accumulation was detected. These results indicate that ACCs are genetically distinct from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, but some cases contain genetic alterations common to histologically similar pancreatoblastomas.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid status and neurodevelopment: a summary and critical analysis of the literature.

The rationale for randomized trials designed to measure the effects of variable docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status on neurodevelopment in human infants came from earlier studies of neurodevelopment in animals that were deficient in DHA owing to diets low in alpha-linolenic acid. The session on neurodevelopment looked at the results of these animal studies and discussed outcomes that appear to be analogous in human infants with variable DHA status. Presentations focused mainly on measures of development that may be attributed to more specific developmental domains (e.g., visual attention, recognition memory, problem-solving), some of which have been shown to be affected by long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) status. This paper derives from discussions that took place during the session and reviews subsequent developments in this area. Although more difficult to interpret, global measures of infant development (e.g., the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and Brunet-Lezine) can only suggest a relationship to specific developmental domains, but they have been applied in some randomized trials of LCPUFA and infant development. Those results are also summarized here.
Diet Induced Obesity in Sprague Dawley Rats Causes Microvascular and Neural Dysfunction

Background The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diet-induced obesity (DIO) on microvascular and neural function. Methods Rats were fed a standard or high fat diet for up to 32 weeks. The following measurements were carried out: vasodilation in epineurial arterioles using videomicroscopy, endoneurial blood flow using hydrogen clearance, nerve conduction velocity using electrical stimulation, size–frequency distribution of myelinated fibres of the sciatic nerve, intraepidermal nerve fibre density using confocal microscopy and thermal nociception using the Hargreaves method. Results Rats fed a high fat diet for 32 weeks developed sensory neuropathy, as indicated by slowing of sensory nerve conduction velocity and thermal hypoalgesia. Motor nerve conduction velocity and endoneurial blood flow were not impaired. Mean axonal diameter of myelinated fibres of the sciatic nerve was unchanged in high fat-fed rats compared with that in control. Intraepidermal nerve fibre density was significantly reduced in high fat-fed rats. Vascular relaxation to acetylcholine and calcitonin gene-related peptide was decreased and expression of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) increased in epineurial arterioles of rats fed a high fat diet. In contrast, insulin-mediated vascular relaxation was increased in epineurial arterioles. NEP activity was significantly increased in the skin of the hindpaw. Markers of oxidative stress were increased in the aorta and serum of high fat-fed rats but not in epineurial arterioles. Conclusion Chronic obesity causes microvascular and neural dysfunction. This is associated with increased expression of NEP but not oxidative stress in epineurial arterioles. NEP degrades vasoactive peptides, which may explain the decrease in microvascular function. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kilovolt peak and the visibility of lamina dura breaks

Abstract Various kilovoltages have been used in intraoral radiography; the effect of KVP on the reading performance, by a variety of observers, of a single visual task is reported.
Chemistry meets biology in colitis-associated carcinogenesis

AbstractThe intestine comprises an exceptional venue for a dynamic and complex interplay of numerous chemical and biological processes. Here, multiple chemical and biological systems, including the intestinal tissue itself, its associated immune system, the gut microbiota, xenobiotics, and metabolites meet and interact to form a sophisticated and tightly regulated state of tissue homoeostasis. Disturbance of this homeostasis can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—a chronic disease of multifactorial etiology that is strongly associated with increased risk for cancer development. This review addresses recent developments in research into chemical and biological mechanisms underlying the etiology of inflammation-induced colon cancer. Beginning with a general overview of reactive chemical species generated during colonic inflammation, the mechanistic interplay between chemical and biological mediators of inflammation, the role of genetic toxicology, and microbial pathogenesis in disease development are di...
Automated size-specific CT dose monitoring program: assessing variability in CT dose.

Purpose: The potential health risks associated with low levels of ionizing radiation have created a movement in the radiology community to optimize computed tomography (CT) imaging protocols to use the lowest radiation dose possible without compromising the diagnostic usefulness of the images. Despite efforts to use appropriate and consistent radiation doses, studies suggest that a great deal of variability in radiation dose exists both within and between institutions for CT imaging. In this context, the authors have developed an automated size-specific radiation dose monitoring program for CT and used this program to assess variability in size-adjusted effective dose from CT imaging. Methods: The authors radiation dose monitoring program operates on an independent health insurance portability and accountability act compliant dosimetry server. Digital imaging and communication in medicine routing software is used to isolate dose report screen captures and scout images for all incoming CT studies. Effective dose conversion factors (k-factors) are determined based on the protocol and optical character recognition is used to extract the CT dose index and dose-length product. The patient's thickness is obtained by applying an adaptive thresholding algorithm to the scout images and is used to calculate the size-adjusted effective dose (ED{sub adj}). The radiation dosemore » monitoring program was used to collect data on 6351 CT studies from three scanner models (GE Lightspeed Pro 16, GE Lightspeed VCT, and GE Definition CT750 HD) and two institutions over a one-month period and to analyze the variability in ED{sub adj} between scanner models and across institutions. Results: No significant difference was found between computer measurements of patient thickness and observer measurements (p= 0.17), and the average difference between the two methods was less than 4%. Applying the size correction resulted in ED{sub adj} that differed by up to 44% from effective dose estimates that were not adjusted by patient size. Additionally, considerable differences were noted in ED{sub adj} distributions between scanners, with scanners employing iterative reconstruction exhibiting significantly lower ED{sub adj} (range: 9%-64%). Finally, a significant difference (up to 59%) in ED{sub adj} distributions was observed between institutions, indicating the potential for dose reduction. Conclusions: The authors developed a robust automated size-specific radiation dose monitoring program for CT. Using this program, significant differences in ED{sub adj} were observed between scanner models and across institutions. This new dose monitoring program offers a unique tool for improving quality assurance and standardization both within and across institutions.« less
Properties of the cadmium determination with the platform furnace and Zeeman background correction

Abstract Cadmium, previously a difficult determination in inorganic matrices with the graphite furnace, is shown to be easy to determine with the combination of the stabilized temperature platform furnace, appropriate matrix modification and Zeeman background correction. The optimized conditions were suitable for many matrices; seawater and urine were explored in some depth. Natural water samples were analyzed for Cd. The matrix modifier included ammonium phosphate and either Mg(NO3)2 or NaCl. Simple working curves were used. Problems associated with char losses were studied and recovery experiments were shown to expose such problems. The concept of characteristic amount, the mass of analyte that produced a 1 % absorption signal (0.0044 abs), especially using integrated absorbance data, was shown to be a very powerful diagnostic tool for graphite furnace work. The characteristic amount for Cd was 0.35 pg/0.0044 abs-s, and it varied little with variations in experimental conditions. The effect of background signals that were evolved rapidly was to disrupt the Zeeman signal. Guidance is provided in identifying and controlling these problems. The advantage of the Zeeman technique in providing improved detection limits using bright sources was explored.
Broome on Moral Goodness and Population Ethics

In an earlier book, Weighing Goods,1 John Broome gave a sophisticated defense of utilitarianism for the cases involving a fixed population. In the present book, Weighing Lives, he extends this defense to variable population cases, where different individuals exist depending on which choice is made. Broome defends a version of utilitarianism according to which there is a vague positive level of individual wellbeing such that adding a life with more than that level of wellbeing makes things morally better and adding a life with less than that level makes things morally worse. This version of utilitarianism avoids the extreme but perhaps not all forms of the repugnant conclusion that the usual total version faces. As usual, Broome's work combines logical rigor with deep philosophical insight. There is much to learn from it. Nonetheless, I shall identify some problematic conditions used by Broome to derive utilitarianism and suggest that Broome's version of utilitarianism has implausible implications.
Identity Politics, Past and Present

Burgmann has produced an interesting analysis of the liberating potential of the Seattle Movement. However, “identity politics,” as the term is currently employed, does not provide a useful framework for understanding the recent past, and therefore it cannot help academics in their attempts to analyze the meaning of current trends. Instead of using the flawed framework of “identity politics,” scholars should look to the opportunities and limitations inherent in all modern social movements.