cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Force emission during bar pressing.

This experiment was concerned with a detailed description of the emission of forces by rats in a substantially conventional Skinner box as the animals proceeded through various stages of the learning process (specifically, operant level determinations, regular reinforcement, and extinction) without any experimentermanipulated exteroceptive discriminative stimuli. Rudimentary data of this type were obtained by Skinner (1938, p. 312), but they are—for present purposes—deficient in two respects: the measure of force used by Skinner was not linear with actual force, and the technique employed did not permit measuring the force of single responses. A subsequent major contribution to the systematic description of free force emission was made by Trotter (1956). Unfortunately, although he apparently had the instrumentation capability, Trotter failed to keep records during the acquisition phase of a knob-pressing operant, thereby precluding the kind of response-by-response analysis presented here. Nonetheless, his comments concerning "the physical properties of bar pressing behaviour" remain the clearest exposition of the physics of bar pressing to date.
Synthesis and manipulation of high aspect ratio gold nanorods grown directly on surfaces.

Here we describe the synthesis of Au nanorods directly on glass surfaces using seed-mediated deposition of Au from AuCl4- onto surface-attached 3−5 nm diameter Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The average length (200 nm to 1.2 μm) and aspect ratio (6−22) of the nanorods increases with increasing AuCl4- concentration. Short, low aspect ratio Au nanorods are manipulated with an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip, while longer, high aspect ratio nanorods are bent and broken with the AFM tip.
Resonance ionization of neutral atoms with applications to surface science, noble gas detection and biomedical analysis

Cette etude montre que l'utilisation de la spectroscopie d'ionisation resonnante (RIS), qui presente une grande sensibilite et une selectivite elementaire, augmente significativement la qualite des mesures de teneurs de l'ordre des ultratraces. Quand elle est combinee a la pulverisation ionique (SIRIS), la methode ouvre de nouvelles possibilites analytiques pour la recherche dans les domaines suivants: materiaux, environnement, biomedecine
Fully distributed fiber optic sensing through the use of the Kerr nonlinear optical effect

A new approach to a fully distributed fiber optic sensing system is presented for the first time. This sensing approach will measure the transverse normal strain components, and the axial strain component at any point along the specially designed sensing fiber. This paper presents the theoretical modeling of strain-optic behavior and sensitivity, as well as general system requirements.
The Future of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling to Predict Drug Exposure in Pregnant Women

Pregnant women have long been orphaned from drug studies. The application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling to quantitatively describe drug disposition and effects during pregnancy is an attractive approach that is now actively pursued as it allows optimal use of available information for both efficient study designs and prediction of maternal–fetal exposure. CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e33; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.9; advance online publication 6 March 2013
Amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-6 in predicting intra-amniotic infection.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential role of amniotic fluid (AF) matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-6 in predicting intra-amniotic infection. METHODS: Eighty-four women with singleton gestations with preterm contraction, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, or clinical suspicion of intra-amniotic infection were studied. Amniotic fluid was obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis before starting any treatment. Intra-amniotic infection was defined as the presence of a positive AF culture. Amniotic fluid glucose concentration, leukocytes, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and interleukin-6 were determined. RESULTS: Amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in women with intra-amniotic infection than in those without. With intra-amniotic infection, levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 significantly correlated with interleukin-6 (r = 0.813, P < .001). Each of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-6 significantly correlated with AF leukocytes and inversely correlated with AF glucose. Using AF cutoff levels of 13.6 ng/mL for matrix metalloproteinase-9 and 11.4 ng/mL for interleukin-6, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for diagnosing intra-amniotic infection were 77% versus 73%, 100% versus 79%, 100% versus 61%, and 90% versus 86%, respectively. Combining AF matrix metalloproteinase-9 with interleukin-6 slightly improved the sensitivity and the negative predictive values in diagnosing intra-amniotic infection. CONCLUSIONS: Amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-6 are significantly elevated in women with intra-amniotic infection. Amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-9 is an accurate biochemical marker in predicting intra-amniotic infection with better sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values than interleukin-6.
Mechanism of Double-bond Migration catalysed by Group VIII Metal Complexes

RECENT evidence1 on the palladium (II) catalysed isomerization of defines has been interpreted as conflicting with earlier mechanisms based on the transfer of hydride2–6. Since we have invoked such a mechanism6, we should like to point out an alternative interpretation of this evidence, consistent with a hydride transfer mechanism. Our interpretation requires that an abnormally large isotope effect operates in the isomerization of deuterated olefines and that this possibility was overlooked by Davies1. Evidence is presented in support of this contention.
Soil polygenesis as a function of Quaternary climate change, northern Great Basin, USA

Polygenetic soils are those that record multiple morphological, mineralogical, and chemical imprints as the geographical pattern of climates shifts spatially and new boundaries are established. Optimal conditions for interpreting paleoclimates from polygenetic soils occur when precipitation and/or temperature changes are great enough to produce new soil properties without obliterating existing properties.
HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE ADMINISTRATION INCREASES PLASMA OSTEOLCALCIN CONCENTRATIONS IN GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY

We investigated plasma osteocalcin levels before and during treatmant with human growth hormone (GH) in 4 patients (pts.) with GH deficiency. GH deficiency was defined by increase in serum GH<10 ng/dl after stimulation with Insulin and L-Dopa and/or 24 hr. integrated GH<3.2 ng/dl. All 4 pts. had low bone density measured by radiographic photodensitometry as compared to normals for age and sex. All 4 pts. were treated with a new GH produced by recombinant DNA and chemically identical to human GH at the dose of 0.1 mg/Kg every other day for 6 months. Plasma osteocalcin was determined by RIA. These data show that patients with GH deficiency have low bone density and low plasma osteocalcin levels. Treatment with GH increases bone density and plasma levels of osteocalcin. The GH induced increased in circulating osteocalcin suggests stimulation of new bone formation and mineralization by GH.
Actor-partner effects associated with experiencing intimate partner violence or coercion among male couples enrolled in an HIV prevention trial

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and coercion have been associated with negative health outcomes, including increased HIV risk behaviors, among men who have sex with men (MSM). This is the first study to describe the prevalence and factors associated with experiencing IPV or coercion among US MSM dyads using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), an analytic framework to describe interdependent outcomes within dyads. Methods: Among MSM couples enrolled as dyads in an HIV prevention randomized controlled trial (RCT), two outcomes are examined in this cross-sectional analysis: 1) the actor experiencing physical or sexual IPV from the study partner in the past 3-months and 2) the actor feeling coerced to participate in the RCT by the study partner. Two multilevel APIM logistic regression models evaluated the association between each outcome and actor, partner, and dyad-level factors. Results: Of 190 individuals (95 MSM couples), 14 reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV from their study partner in the past 3 months (7.3%) and 12 reported feeling coerced to participate in the RCT by their study partner (6.3%). Results of multivariate APIM analyses indicated that reporting experienced IPV was associated (p < 0.1) with non-Black/African American actor race, lower actor education, and lower partner education. Reporting experienced coercion was associated (p < 0.1) with younger actor age and lower partner education. Conclusions: These findings from an HIV prevention RCT for MSM show considerable levels of IPV experienced in the past 3-months and coercion to participate in the research study, indicating the need for screening tools and support services for these behaviors. The identification of factors associated with IPV and coercion demonstrate the importance of considering actor and partner effects, as well as dyadic-level effects, to improve development of screening tools and support services for these outcomes.
Operators in an extended entity-relationship model and their applications

In this paper, a way of extending the EER model is described. This new extension would be able to represent other functions that previously could not be specified using the ER diagram. It would also allow a user to incorporate previous ER diagrams into any diagram being used. This new extension is called an operator. In this paper, operators will be described more in depth and examples will be given by using a company database.
Verification of the Onsager reciprocal relations in a molten silicate solution

A key hypothesis in the generalized theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics is the principle of microscopic time invariance as enunciated by Onsager in the 1930s. At the macroscopic level, Onsager's hypothesis is represented by a set of relations known as the Onsager reciprocal relations, which, when applied to isothermal, multicomponent diffusion, demand the symmetry of the phenomenological matrix that connects mass fluxes to chemical potential gradients. On the basis of experimentally determined diffusion coefficients and thermochemical data for the molten system CaO-Al(2)O(3)-SiO(2), the Onsager phenomenological coefficients have been computed, including an analysis of error. Within experimental uncertainty, the Onsager matrix is indeed symmetric.
How do small water clusters bind an excess electron

The arrangement of water molecules around a hydrated electron has eluded explanation for more than 40 years. Here we report sharp vibrational bands for small gas-phase water cluster anions, (H 2 O) 4-6 – and (D 2 O) 4-6 – . Analysis of these bands reveals a detailed picture of the diffuse electron-binding site. The electron is closely associated with a single water molecule attached to the supporting network through a double H-bond acceptor motif. The local OH stretching bands of this molecule are dramatically distorted in the pentamer and smaller clusters because the excited vibrational levels are strongly coupled to the electron continuum. The vibration–to–electronic energy transfer rates, as revealed by line shape analysis, are mode-specific and remarkably fast, with the symmetric stretching mode surviving for less than 10 vibrational periods [50 fs in (H 2 O) 4 – ].
MESAFace, a graphical interface to analyze the MESA output.

Abstract MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics) has become very popular among astrophysicists as a powerful and reliable code to simulate stellar evolution. Analyzing the output data thoroughly may, however, present some challenges and be rather time-consuming. Here we describe MESAFace, a graphical and dynamical interface which provides an intuitive, efficient and quick way to analyze the MESA output. Program summary Program title: MESAFace Catalogue identifier: AEOQ_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEOQ_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 19165 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 6300592 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Mathematica. Computer: Any computer capable of running Mathematica. Operating system: Any capable of running Mathematica. Tested on Linux, Mac, Windows XP, Windows 7. RAM: Recommended 2 Gigabytes or more. Supplementary material: Additional test data files are available. Classification: 1.7, 14. Nature of problem: Find a way to quickly and thoroughly analyze the output of a MESA run, including all the profiles, and have an efficient method to produce graphical representations of the data. Solution method: We created two scripts (to be run consecutively). The first one downloads all the data from a MESA run and organizes the profiles in order of age. All the files are saved as tables or arrays of tables which can then be accessed very quickly by Mathematica. The second script uses the Manipulate function to create a graphical interface which allows the user to choose what to plot from a set of menus and buttons. The information shown is updated in real time. The user can access very quickly all the data from the run under examination and visualize it with plots and tables. Unusual features: Moving the slides in certain regions may cause an error message. This happens when Mathematica is asked to read nonexistent data. The error message, however, disappears when the slides are moved back. This issue does not preclude the good functioning of the interface. Additional comments: The program uses the dynamical capabilities of Mathematica. When the program is opened, Mathematica prompts the user to “Enable Dynamics”. It is necessary to accept before proceeding. Running time: Depends on the size of the data downloaded, on where the data are stored (hard-drive or web), and on the speed of the computer or network connection. In general, downloading the data may take from a minute to several minutes. Loading directly from the web is slower. For example, downloading a 200 MB data folder (a total of 102 files) with a dual-core Intel laptop, P8700, 2 GB of RAM, at 2.53 GHz took about a minute from the hard-drive and about 23 min from the web (with a basic home wireless connection).
Psychiatric-mental health nursing professional progress notes

This article focuses on the American Nurses Association's Effectiveness Initiative and its potential contribution to, and impact on, psychiatric-mental health nursing. The author stresses the importance of the development of nursing nomenclature, nursing practice guidelines, and nursing payment reform as building blocks with which nursing in general, and psychiatric-mental health nursing in particular, positions itself for a more prominent role in future health care. Finally, the author engages the reader in a little whimsy that spans nursing's past, and present, while emphasizing a future in which all nurses work together with one strong voice for nursing and the consumers we serve.
Prostaglandin biochemistry of seeded endothelial cells on Dacron prostheses

Abstract The beneficial effect of seeding endothelial cells on synthetic vascular conduits has been well established. The biochemical production and interaction of the prostaglandins, prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) and thromboxane (TxA 2 ), were studied on Dacron vascular grafts that were seeded with autogenous venous endothelial cells. Seventy-three seeded and non-seeded grafts were implanted into the carotid arteries of dogs. Animals were medicated with either (1) cyclooxygenase inhibitors (aspirin and dipyridamole, or ibuprofen, or U-53,059), or (2) dipyridamole alone, or (3) a thromboxane synthase inhibitor, U-63557A. All animals were killed at 5 weeks and analyzed for patency, thrombus-free surface (TFS), and PGI 2 and TxA 2 production from mid-graft punch biopsies. PGI 2 and TxA 2 identification were made by radioimmunoassay determination of 6-keto PGF 1α and TxB 2 , respectively. Results of the study demonstrated in nonmedicated animals a slightly increased patency rate in seeded vs. nonseeded grafts (50% vs. 40%) and a more significant difference in TFS (49% vs. 24%). The addition of cyclooxygenase inhibitors or TxA 2 synthase inhibitors significantly improved both patency (90% vs. 47%) and TFS (87% vs. 9%) in seeded vs. nonseeded grafts. PGI 2 production was decreased in seeded grafts with the use of cyclooxygenase inhibitors in all cases. It is concluded that (1) seeded endothelial cells on Dacron velour grafts can synthesize PGI 2 ; (2) these PGI 2 levels are far less than PGI 2 levels produced by endothelial cells from the adjacent carotid artery; (3) the biochemistry of PGI 2 production can be modulated by various antiplatelet agents; and (4) TxA 2 synthase inhibitors best improve thromboresistance of seeded grafts without significant reduction in PGI 2 production. (J VASC SURG 1986;3:256-63.)
Testing optical telescopes from defocused stellar images

Wave-front reconstruction from defocused stellar images has now been widely applied to the testing of ground-based optical telescopes. We describe here the latest improvements to the technique and discuss how to reach a maximum accuracy. Statistics are given on the aberrations observed over 10 different telescopes.
Influence of Solvent on the Chiral Resolution of Organic Molecules on Au(111): EC-STM Study of Biphenyl Dicarboxylic Acid on Au(111) in an Aqueous Environment

Abstract Adsorption-induced chiral resolution of organic molecules is important due to its potential applications in stereo-selective catalysis. We studied the adsorption-induced chiral resolution using a model achiral molecule of 4,4′ biphenyl dicarboxylic acid (BPDA) on Au(111) in 0.1 M perchloric acid (HClO 4 ) by electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM). Our experimental data showed that the BPDA molecules formed island structures with distinctive preferred orientations at the length scale of the molecular size. The molecules did not show any orientational ordering above the length scale, indicating that chiral resolution was absent in the aqueous environment. Previously, the molecules were found to have chiral resolution on Au(111) in ultra-high vacuum conditions (UHV). We calculated angle-dependent binding energy between the substrate and a BPDA molecule, the intermolecular interactions between the BPDA molecules, and their interactions with water molecules. The calculations suggest that the absence of chiral resolution in the aqueous environment originated from the decrease in the intermolecular energy of the BPDA molecules due to their hydrogen bonds with the surrounding water molecules. The strength of the hydrogen bonding between BPDA molecules was sufficient to overcome the energy barrier for chiral resolution through rotational motion in UHV, but not in an aqueous environment.
Non-Convex Optimization

A stochastic search technique called simulated annealing can solve a class of problems termed non-convex optimization by seeking the lowest minimum of a multi-minima function. Simulated annealing is a generalized Monte Carlo technique with a continuously decreasing variance controlled by the temperature parameter.
Low temperature impurity conduction in silicon

FIG. 2. Upper part: zero strain resistivity pa as a function of l/T. From the slope of the curve below 3°K one obtains F~ = 1.5 x 10-s eV (for a definition of cs see reference 2). Lower part: The ratio px/pO measured at x = 3 x 10s dyn/cm2 as a function of l/T for the longitudinal case A and the two transverse cases B and C. The slope of the curves below 5°K yields l = 1.6 x 10-4 eV (see text). TRANSPORT 259
A bioengineering approach for rational vaccine design towards the Ebola Virus

Background The Ebolavirus (EBOV) is extremely lethal with mortality rates ranging from twenty-three to ninety percent. No licensed Ebola vaccine exists and classical protocols for vaccine design do not comply. One solution, rational vaccine design (RVD) is based on two parameters: (1.) identification of epitopes, antigenic peptides that mediate the cellular immune system and (2.) exploitation of the immune system’s ability to recognize and remember vaccines.
Children's traffic safety program: Influence of early elementary school safety education on family seat belt use

Hypothesis : Young children can learn safety behavior in the public school system. These children will modify family seat belt use. Setting Design : This is a prospective cohort analytic study conducted in a 50,000 square mile regionalized trauma center referral area. Methods : A school-based injury prevention program targeting kindergarten through second-grade (K-2) students addressed four aspects of traffic safety : seat belt use, pedestrian and bicycle safety, school bus safety, and unsafe rides. After inservice instruction, teachers taught the program over a 10-week period. A simultaneous community traffic safety program was conducted through the media. Family seat belt use was monitored by blinded observation at six study schools and one control school. Income level of schools was characterized as low or high, based on student use of federal lunch subsidies. School program implementation was defined as good or poor, based on adherence to teaching protocol. Results : A total of 68,650 K-2 students have completed this traffic safety program during 1990 to 1994. During the study year (1992 to 1993), 25,900 students completed the program taught by 1,400 teachers in 95 schools. A total of 5,936 observations of seat belt use were made in seven schools. Income stratification delineated a subset of these schools in which seat belt use increased by 86% (p = 0.01). Half of the schools failed to follow protocol, and no change in seat belt use was observed. Conclusions : (1) School K-2 safety education improves family seat belt use, (2) low income schools should be targeted, and (3) strict adherence to the teaching protocol is essential.
Interference of ethanol in the determination of tryptophan by the method of spies and chambers.

Abstract Ethanol interference with the Spies and Chambers method (1–3) for the determination of tryptophan is shown in the results with cereal proteins. This negative interference of ethanol was confirmed by use of free tryptophan under the same conditions. The extent of ethanol interference varies with the sample. It is postulated that ethanol inhibits the tryptophan- p -dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DAB) reaction by alkylation of the amino acid and possibly to a lesser extent, by acetal formation with DAB. A method for the removal of ethanol from samples before tryptophan determination is suggested.
8Gbps high-speed I/O transmitter with scalable speed, swing and equalization levels

A novel transmitter that supports wide range data rates up to 8Gb/ps is introduced in this paper. A reconfigurable bitslice CML based driver offers the programmable swing and de-emphasis levels that are suitable for Gbps series data links such as Gen1 and Gen2 PCI-Express and SATA circuits. The chip is fabricated in a 45nm CMOS technology that occupies an area of 150um×50um with measured power dissipation of 38 mW at 5Gbps data rate.
COSMETIC OPTIONS FOR THE AGING DENTITION

More than any other time period, the past 30 years have witnessed tremendous strides in the field of restorative dentistry. This is true from single-tooth restoration to the comprehensive rehabilitation of the entire dentition using dental implants, guided tissue regeneration, 4 and osseointegration techniques. 20,24 These advances are largely due to the extensive amount of research in restorative materials, bonded restorations, and implantology. The aging dentition presents with the following problems 7 : wear and attrition of natural teeth; teeth discoloration; loss, shifting, spreading, drifting, or migration of one or more teeth; ridge resorption; bite collapse; loss of vertical dimension and excessive freeway space; and wrinkled or collapsed facial characteristics. In the restoration of patients presenting with these problems, the prosthodontist should adhere to some basic principles of reconstruction. In order to achieve aesthetic harmony, attention should be given to the color, size, shape, form, and arrangement of teeth. The prosthodontist also makes sure that once the reconstruction is finished speech and mastication are intact. The reconstruction must also function in harmony with the adjacent anatomy such as the temporomandibular joint and the supporting musculature, and it must not compromise the periodontal health of the individual.
Hubble’s Law Implies Benford’s Law for Distances to Galaxies

A recent article by Alexopoulos and Leontsinis presented empirical evidence that the first digits of the distances from the Earth to galaxies are a reasonably good fit to the probabilities predicted by Benford’s law, the well known logarithmic statistical distribution of significant digits. The purpose of the present article is to give a theoretical explanation, based on Hubble’s law and mathematical properties of Benford’s law, why galaxy distances might be expected to follow Benford’s law. The new galaxy-distance law derived here, which is robust with respect to change of scale and base, to additive and multiplicative computational or observational errors, and to variability of the Hubble constant in both time and space, predicts that conformity to Benford’s law will improve as more data on distances to galaxies becomes available. Conversely, with the logical derivation of this law presented here, the recent empirical observations may be viewed as independent evidence of the validity of Hubble’s law.
The Trends and Future of Photobiology : Physical and Biophysical Aspects

These remarks are my attempt to comment on symposium papers and contributed poster sessions presented during the congress in biophysical science. Biophysics is a diverse subject of studies, and my view of it is biased toward spectroscopy, as is photobiology. In addition, because I had quite recently listened to several of the symposium speakers at meetings in the United States, at this meeting I tended to listen to alternative talks; thus the lack of comment on some presentations. This is ray way of pointing out that these comments are just that and are not a balanced review of even this Congress.
Life at the Energetic Edge: Kinetics of Circumneutral Iron Oxidation by Lithotrophic Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria Isolated from the Wetland-Plant Rhizosphere

Batch cultures of a lithotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium, strain BrT, isolated from the rhizosphere of a wetland plant, were grown in bioreactors and used to determine the significance of microbial Fe(II) oxidation at circumneutral pH and to identify abiotic variables that affect the partitioning between microbial oxidation and chemical oxidation. Strain BrT grew only in the presence of an Fe(II) source, with an average doubling time of 25 h. In one set of experiments, Fe(II) oxidation rates were measured before and after the cells were poisoned with sodium azide. These experiments indicated that strain BrT accounted for 18 to 53% of the total iron oxidation, and the average cellular growth yield was 0.70 g of CH2O per mol of Fe(II) oxidized. In a second set of experiments, Fe(II) was constantly added to bioreactors inoculated with live cells, killed cells, or no cells. A statistical model fitted to the experimental data demonstrated that metabolic Fe(II) oxidation accounted for up to 62% of the total oxidation. The total Fe(II) oxidation rates in these experiments were strongly limited by the rate of Fe(II) delivery to the system and were also influenced by O2 and total iron concentrations. Additionally, the model suggested that the microbes inhibited rates of abiotic Fe(II) oxidation, perhaps by binding Fe(II) to bacterial exopolymers. The net effect of strain BrT was to accelerate total oxidation rates by up to 18% compared to rates obtained with cell-free treatments. The results suggest that neutrophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria may compete for limited O2 in the rhizosphere and therefore influence other wetland biogeochemical cycles.
A Code Generation Algorithm for Affine Partitioning Framework

Multiprocessors are about to become prevalent in the PC world. Major CPU vendors such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices have recently announced their imminent migration to multicore processors. Affine partitioning provides a systematic framework to find asymptotically optimal computation and data decomposition for multiprocessors, including multicore processors. This affine framework uniformly models a large class of high-level optimizations such as loop interchange, reversal, skewing, fusion, fission, re-indexing, scaling, and statement reordering. However, the resulting code after applying affine transformations tends to contain more loop levels and complex conditional expressions. This impacts performance, code readability and debuggability for both programmers and compiler developers. To facilitate the adoption of affine partitioning in industry, we address the above practical issues by proposing a salient two-step algorithm: coalesce and optimize. The coalescing algorithm maintains valid code throughout and improves readability and debuggability. We demonstrate with examples that the optimization algorithm simplifies the resulting loop structures, conditional expressions and array access functions and generates efficient code
Norms and Human Rights in International Relations

The three volumes on human rights reviewed here constitute the first wave of in-depth case studies of human rights from a constructivist approach in international relations. By acknowledging the theoretical contributions of these works, identifying their shortcomings and engaging in critiques of the authors’ conceptions of identity and norms, this article provides direction for future studies on human rights through the constructivist framework.
Screening for Diabetes and Prediabetes Should be Cost-Saving in Patients at High Risk

OBJECTIVE Although screening for diabetes and prediabetes is recommended, it is not clear how best or whom to screen. We therefore compared the economics of screening according to baseline risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Five screening tests were performed in 1,573 adults without known diabetes—random plasma/capillary glucose, plasma/capillary glucose 1 h after 50-g oral glucose (any time, without previous fast, plasma glucose 1 hour after a 50-g oral glucose challenge [GCTpl]/capillary glucose 1 h after a 50-g oral glucose challenge [GCTcap]), and A1C—and a definitive 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Costs of screening included the following: costs of testing (screen plus oral glucose tolerance test, if screen is positive); costs for false-negative results; and costs of treatment of true-positive results with metformin, all over the course of 3 years. We compared costs for no screening, screening everyone for diabetes or high-risk prediabetes, and screening those with risk factors based on age, BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference, lipids, or family history of diabetes. RESULTS Compared with no screening, cost-savings would be obtained largely from screening those at higher risk, including those with BMI >35 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg, or age older than 55 years, with differences of up to −46% of health system costs for screening for diabetes and −21% for screening for dysglycemia110, respectively (all P < 0.01). GCTpl would be the least expensive screening test for most high-risk groups for this population over the course of 3 years. CONCLUSIONS From a health economics perspective, screening for diabetes and high-risk prediabetes should target patients at higher risk, particularly those with BMI >35 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg, or age older than 55 years, for whom screening can be most cost-saving. GCTpl is generally the least expensive test in high-risk groups and should be considered for routine use as an opportunistic screen in these groups.
Relation of Ability to Conserve and Use of Specific Syntactic Features

Summary.-The oral language of 31 conservers and 47 nonconservers was examined to assess the relations among ability to conserve, a measure of cognitive development, and use of specific syntactic structures. T-unit analyses were applied to children's individually rendered stories to determine mean numbers of words per T-unit, adjective clauses per T-unit, adverbial clauses per T-unit, dependent-noun clauses per T-unit, and total dependent clauses per T-unit. There were large ranges in use of all five syntactic structures among subjects within the same cognitive group, conserver or nonconserver. Onetailed t tests indicated a significant difference berween conservers and nonconservers only in mean number of words per T-unit, not for the other four syntactic structures.
The interception of rain and snow by a forest of young ponderosa‐pine

The interception of rain and snow by the forest-canopy is a factor of sufficient magnitude to require its measurement in any complete study of the hydrology of forested watersheds. In experiments set up to measure the relations of watershed-runoff and infiltration to precipitation it is particularly essential to measure net rainfall reaching the soil under the forest-canopy, rather than total precipitation, in order to estimate adequately the amounts of water available for runoff.
Investigating pleural thickening.

As pleural thickening can have a benign or malignant cause, use of the appropriate imaging techniques is crucial to a correct diagnosis. The authors explore the options
Circannual Clocks in Tropical Bats and Heritable Variation in Seasonal Reproductive Timing in Temperate Zone Mice

Two continuing puzzles in clock biology are the synchronizing mechanisms (zeitgebers) for endogenous circannual clocks in tropical organisms and the neuroendocrine sources of heritable variation in annual timing in natural populations. Tropical species of mammals are often as highly seasonal as temperate zone mammals. In many bats, these may be regulated by an endogenous circannual clock whose zeitgeber is unknown, while rodents may be more likely to rely on direct stimulation or inhibition of reproduction by current nutrient sources and environmental stressors. Heritable physiological variation must underlie the microevolution of seasonal timing in relationship to annual clocks and annual cycles. The nature of this normal variation in clock output pathways is largely unknown. In a population of field mice from Virginia, USA, data from selection lines and a random-bred control line have been used to determine heritable variation in neuroendocrine systems, metabolism, and behavior in relationship to heritable variation in reproductive responses to winter photoperiod. Variation at multiple neuroendocrine sites (e.g., density of melatonin binding, number of immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, amount of luteinizing hormone secretion, differences in metabolic rate) may combine and interact to cause heritable variation in winter phenotype.
Monte Carlo estimation of hot carrier noise at millimeter- and submillimeter-wave frequencies

This paper deals with the use of Monte Carlo experiments for investigating noise phenomena associated with hot carrier transport in semiconductors. In the first part of the paper procedures and problems associated with the design and interpretation of such experiments are discussed. The use of a Monte Carlo experiment is then demonstrated by estimating the velocity fluctuation spectrum of electrons in GaAs. Significant new results and insights are obtained. In particular, two new Spectral peaks are discovered and explained in terms of underlying physical processes, certain simple intuitive assumptions often made in noise theory are shown to be unjustified, and a criterion for the minimum flight time needed for estimates of "conventional" diffusion coefficients is obtained.
Phase I and II Clinical Trials for Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer remains a global public health problem with considerable heterogeneity in pathogenesis and clinical presentation across geographic regions. Improved understanding of the molecular biology of this disease has opened avenues for targeted intervention. An individualized treatment approach is required for optimal management of this cancer. Overcoming resistance to therapy requires combining targeted agents with the traditional options of chemotherapy/radiation therapy, and also targeting more than 1 pathway of carcinogenesis at a time. Encouraging molecular hypothesis and biomarker-driven trials will lead to improved patient outcomes and may eventually enable the therapeutic nihilism associated with gastric cancer to be overcome.
A research note on the Levinson and Sanford Anti-Semitism Scale.

Summary In 1944, Levinson and Sanford created a scale to measure anti-Semitism. Their data showed that the scale had sound psychometric qualities, with a reliability of .96 to .98. Shaw and Wright later stated that the scale was too long for use in some research studies. In the current study, a shorter version (32 items; 38.5% reduction) was created and examined. A high level of internal consistency reliability (ru=.98) was maintained. A test-retest reliability coefficient of .91 was obtained over four weeks. A minimum residual factor analysis with Tandem Criteria rotation found two factors. This shortened Levinson and Sanford Anti-Semitism Scale could be used in research situations with less administration and scoring time. The shorter version still requires further research in terms of validity and social desirability.
Research Note---On the Profitability of Firms in a Differentiated Industry

In a model of vertical differentiation, the principal concern of this paper is to identify sufficient conditions for producing a higher- or lower-quality good to be more profitable (in terms of profits and profit margin). Our basic model considers a short-run scenario where the firms' quality levels are fixed and they engage in price competition. Here, our results are three. First, we develop the notion of relative cost efficiency and show that its (increasing or decreasing) monotonicity in product quality implies that of firm profitability in equilibrium. A firm's relative cost efficiency refers to its quality-adjusted cost (dis)advantage relative to its immediate competitors, for a given distribution of consumer tastes. Second, selling a higher-quality good is more profitable when absolute cost efficiency (defined as the ratio between a firm's quality and unit cost) is increasing in quality. Third, we also establish a set of lower and upper bounds on each firm's profitability. The basic model is then extended in two directions. We examine unit cost functions that demonstrate monotone profitability, even when both quality and price are endogenous variables. We also show that the spirit of relative cost efficiency and its associated sufficient condition hold valid for a logconcave consumer distribution.
Measures of Association: How to Choose?

Researchers in sonography, as well as other areas, often wish to measure the strength of relationship or association between two variables. For example, one may wish to determine if, on the average...
FLUKA capabilities for microdosimetric analysis.

Delta-ray transport is important in microdosimetric studies, and how Monte Carlo models handle delta electrons using condensed histories is important for accurate simulation. The purpose of this study was to determine how well FLUKA can simulate energy deposition spectra in a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and produce a reliable estimate of delta-ray events produced when a TEPC is exposed to high-energy heavy ions (HZE) like those in the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) environment. A 1.27-cm spherical TEPC with a low-pressure gas simulating a 1-μm site, typical of the one flown on the ISS, was constructed in FLUKA, and its response was compared to experimental data for an 56Fe-ion beam at 360 MeV/nucleon. Several narrow beams at different impact parameters were used to explain the response of the same detector exposed to a uniform field of radiation. Additionally, the effect that wall thickness had on the response of the TEPC and the range of delta rays in the tissue-equivalent (TE) wall material...
Gender Politics and Gender Backlash in Zimbabwe

In sub-Saharan Africa, the history of women's involvement in liberation struggles and the realignment of gender relations following independence have long been characterized as a kind of gender backlash. Whether national independence from colonial or settler rule was achieved in connection with nationalist movements or armed struggles, the scenarios of gender relations are remarkably similar. Particular groups of women are mobilized during the struggle for national liberation, their issues become part of the liberation movements' agendas, but following the achievement of independence, these same women are rapidly demobilized and the issues they raised during the national liberation struggle get marginalized amid competing and “more urgent” state priorities. Scholars have illuminated the historical and cultural specificities of this pattern in particular cases (Geiger 1997; Kruks, Rapp, and Young 1989; Seidman 1984 and 1999; Tetreault 1992; Urdang 1989). While this pattern fits with colloquial understandings of backlash, identifying the pattern does little to shed light on how state power gets infused with gender meaning in postindependence politics or how these power dynamics evolve.
High‐Throughput Assessment of Bacterial Growth Inhibition by Optical Density Measurements

The increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections both in hospitals and in the community intensifies the need for new antibacterial strategies and targets. Although high-throughput screening against live bacteria allows rapid discovery of compounds with growth-inhibitory activities, these efforts have failed to fill the pipeline with the anticipated antibacterial compounds because target identification is often onerous. Recently, a strategy was reported that employs a bacterial growth inhibition assay readout using optical density measurements on paired strains-both a wild-type strain and a pathway-null mutant-to find inhibitors of wild-type bacterial growth that specifically target conditionally essential enzymes in the pathway of interest. Protocols are provided here for determining the robustness of an assay, screening in a high-throughput format, and setting up dose-response curves in paired Staphylococcus aureus strains. However, the protocols can be used to screen for growth-inhibitory compounds in any bacterial strain of interest. Curr. Protoc. Chem. Biol. 2:195-208 © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Survey of Cathodic Protection Systems on Virginia Bridges

A study investigated the status of cathodic protection systems that had been deployed on Virginia highway bridge structures over the past 24 years. A variety of system types had been used on structures located across the state. The general design, current status, and notes about observed performance of each system are presented. A summary of general observations about the state of cathodic protection technology in Virginia is provided. From visual observations, review of available condition reports, and discussions with system design and maintenance personnel, it was concluded that cathodic protection was successfully deployed in many, but not all, of the attempted applications in Virginia. However, a comprehensive and unified strategy for monitoring and maintenance of Virginia's cathodic protection systems is needed.
Using decision trees to improve case-based learning

This paper shows that decision trees can be used to improve the performance of case- based learning (CBL) systems. We introduce a performance task for machine learning systems called semi-flexible prediction that lies between the classification task performed by decision tree algorithms and the flexible prediction task performed by conceptual clustering systems. In semi-flexible prediction, learning should improve prediction of a specific set of features known a priori rather than a single known feature (as in classification) or an arbitrary set of features (as in conceptual clustering). We describe one such task from natural language processing and present experiments that compare solutions to the problem using decision trees, CBL, and a hybrid approach that combines the two. In the hybrid approach, decision trees are used to specify the features to be included in k-nearest neighbor case retrieval. Results from the experiments show that the hybrid approach outperforms both the decision tree and case-based approaches as well as two case-based systems that incorporate expert knowledge into their case retrieval algorithms. Results clearly indicate that decision trees can be used to improve the performance of CBL systems and do so without reliance on potentially expensive expert knowledge.
Anaerobic Fluidized-Bed Treatment of Hazardous Wastes

The anaerobic attached film process consists of a columnar reactor containing a packing medium that serves as an attachment surface for the retention of anaerobic microorganisms that metabolize the organic constituents of a waste. The wastewater is usually applied in an upflow mode in order to submerge completely the unit and maintain an anaerobic environment (21). Anaerobic reactors have been operated in both the packed-bed and the expanded-bed modes. When operated in the expanded-bed or fluidized-bed mode, effluent recycle is often practiced to fluidize the bed and thereby establish close to completely mixed-flow conditions. Although the kinetics of substrate removal are generally lower in this type of reactor than in a “once-flow-through” reactor, dilution of the incoming waste can often enhance treatment by reducing inhibition. Dilution of the concentration of degradable inhibitory compounds in the feed, and the prevention of pH depression by suppressing the rapid buildup of volatile fatty acids at the inlet sections of the reactor, are two advantages attributed to effluent recycle (4). In addition, recycle minimizes problems with bed-plugging, leads to improved flow distribution, and allows for the entrapment of small particles within the bed, thus enhancing their degradation. Fluidization also reduces the thickness of the hydrodynamic boundary layer, thus decreasing resistance to mass transport.
The red alga genus Rhodospora (Bangiophycidae, Rhodophyta) : First report from north America

We recently discovered several populations of the red alga Rhodospora sordida Geitler in samples from seep walls in Tennessee. This species is thought to be an extremely rare alga. It was reported previously only from seep walls in Europe. The last published reports of the alga were made in the mid-1970s. A culture of the alga was made from one other site in North America (a rock wall in Arkansas) in 1977, but no publication accompanied that find. Since discovering the alga in summer 2004, we found a second population in a seep wall in north-east Ohio. We suspect that this species has a broader distribution than previously thought and has been overlooked or misidentified in past studies.