cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of organic manures on the early seedling morphology of Irvingia wombolu Vermoesen in the tropical rainforest of Nigeria

The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of four selected organic manures on the early seedling morphology of Irvingia wombolu. The experiment was undertaken in Asaba located in the tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria (600 12´ N and longitude 600 45´ E). The study consisted of four organic manure treatments, namely: Tithonia alone, Tithonia + pig manure, Tithonia + cow manure, Tithonia + poultry manure and control with no manure application. The five treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. At 15 days after sowing (DAS) percentage of germinated seeds ranged from 95.45% (control) to 95.73 % (Tithonia + poultry manure). A mix of Tithonia + pig manure, Tithonia + cow manure and Tithonia + poultry manure increased seedling height by 3.9, 9.7 and 11.5 % respectively compared to Tithonia alone. The highest leaf number (9.03) and LAI (2.90) were observed in Tithonia + poultry manure. Stem volume of seedlings increased significantly (P<0.05) over the control with application of organic manures. Stem volume was found to be significantly (P<0.01) correlated with plant height (r = 0.988), stem diameter (r = 0.980) and leaf area (r = 0.976). The study recommends the use of Tithonia + poultry manure mixture for better performance of Irvingia seedlings.
Latest Results and Commercialization of the Ceres Power SteelCell® Technology Platform

Ceres Power continues to acquire commercial partners for its low-temperature metal supported SOFC technology (the 'Steel Cell®') based predominantly around the use of ceria. Over the last year, the latest Version 5 iteration of the core SteelCell® technology has completed verification and has been released to customers. This technology iteration offers higher power, the ability to operate at higher fuel utilisation/efficiency and state-of-the-art performance and degradation rates, whilst retaining the outstanding robustness to thermal cycling, vibration and REDOX cycling characteristic of SteelCell technology.Major commercial developments include the signing of strategic collaboration agreements with both Robert Bosch in Germany, and Weichai Power in China. Both agreements involve a license, funded joint development activities and significant equity investment in Ceres Power. There has also been continued progress with our existing customers all around the world. To meet the rapidly increasing demand for cells for customer programs, Ceres has invested in a larger manufacturing site near Redhill, UK, targeting >2MW production capacity by YE19.
Indigenous Political and Property Rights and Economic/Environmental Reform in Northwest Siberia

A Canadian political scientist examines a broad range of issues and problems associated with the de facto devolution of decision-making power and legal authority from the Russian Federation government to the oblasts, krays, and autonomous okrugs of the Russian North. Current changes (devolution, constitutional development, regional and local political development) are examined within the context of the legacy of the Soviet system (asymmetrical federalism, developed regional/local/titular bureaucracies, and centralized bodies directing and supporting Northern development). Specific examples from the Sakha Republic and Chukchi Okrug, based on interviews and field observations, are used to illustrate basic premises. 1 map, 27 references.
The impact of soft intervention on the Chinese financial futures market

During the 2015 financial crisis in China, participants faced the criticism that manipulators and shorts had destabilized the market. As a result, the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission intervened sequentially in the spot market and then in the futures market. Trading volume dropped precipitously. Using the cost‐of‐carry model, we find that these actions significantly impacted equilibrium pricing. Following intervention in the spot market, mispricing was attenuated but remained significant after further intervention in the futures market. We use the Hong Kong market and a difference‐in‐differences statistic to address the role of the China Securities Regulatory Commission soft intervention versus intervention by hard rules.
Photoacoustic Imaging Quantifies Drug Release from Nanocarriers via Redox Chemistry of Dye‐Labeled Cargo

We report a new approach to monitor drug release from nanocarriers via a paclitaxel-methylene blue conjugate (PTX-MB) with redox activity. This construct is in a photoacoustically silent reduced state inside poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PTX-MB@PLGA NPs). During release, PTX-MB is spontaneously oxidized to produce a concentration-dependent photoacoustic signal. An in vitro drug-release study showed an initial burst release (25 %) between 0-24 h and a sustained release between 24-120 h with a cumulative release of 40.6 % and a 670-fold increase in photoacoustic signal. An in vivo murine drug release showed a photoacoustic signal enhancement of up to 649 % after 10 hours. PTX-MB@PLGA NPs showed an IC50 of 78 μg mL-1 and 44.7±4.8 % decrease of tumor burden in an orthotopic model of colon cancer via luciferase-positive CT26 cells.
Bioelectricity generation in algal microbial fuel cells

Abstract Photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) are an efficient and sustainable approach to simultaneously generate bioelectricity, treat wastewaters and produce value added compounds. In PMFCs, algae can act as a biocatholyte by accepting electrons and producing oxygen during photosynthesis. Dissolved oxygen in the catholyte combines with protons crossing from the anode chamber through the membrane and electrons traveling from the anode electrode through an external electrical resistance to complete the circuit and as a byproduct, to generate water. The algae can be grown in nutrient rich wastewater, providing an inexpensive substrate. Algal biomass can be used to produce value added products like biofuels, pharmaceuticals, antioxidants and nutraceutical products. In single chamber PMFCs, both algae and the bacteria grow together in a synergistic relationship treating wastewater while simultaneously generating bioelectricity. This chapter describes how algae can play different roles in microbial fuel cells to generate bioelectricity.
Social Justice and K-12 Teachers’ Effective Use of OER: A Cross-Cultural Comparison by Nations

Open educational resources (OER) have the potential to promote social justice imperatives in education, but because of the uneven provision of technical infrastructure across different countries, it remains uncertain whether the people who need OER the most are its primary beneficiaries. In K-12 education, educators play a major role in the effort to incorporate OER into classroom teaching but, even if they are able to source such resources (overcoming the “first-level digital divide”), many lack the practical capacity to effectively use (e.g., adapt) OER (the “second-level digital divide”). This exploratory research paper employs a cross-cultural perspective to interrogate how the second-level digital divide shapes K-12 teachers’ effective use of OER. With the goal of understanding how this divide influences OERs’ potential to enhance social justice, this research attempts to identify the factors accounting for teachers’ effective use of OER – and any reception gap – between different countries by conducting a series of stepwise logistic regressions applied to a largescale survey of K-12 educators. It does so by assessing OER use amongst 675 K-12 educators around the world in relation to their developmental and cultural contexts, as expressed through the Human Development Index, the Gender Development Index, and Hofstede’s six dimensions of national culture. The findings of this exploratory study provide new insights to support OER adoption in K-12 settings worldwide from a cultural perspective.
Disruption of evolutionarily correlated tRNA elements impairs accurate decoding

Bacterial transfer RNAs (tRNAs) contain evolutionarily conserved sequences and modifications that ensure uniform binding to the ribosome and optimal translational accuracy despite differences in their aminoacyl attachments and anticodon nucleotide sequences. In the tRNA anticodon stem-loop, the anticodon sequence is correlated with a base pair in the anticodon loop (nucleotides 32 and 38) to tune the binding of each tRNA to the decoding center in the ribosome. Disruption of this correlation renders the ribosome unable to distinguish correct from incorrect tRNAs. The molecular basis for how these two tRNA features combine to ensure accurate decoding is unclear. Here, we solved structures of the bacterial ribosome containing either wild-type [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] containing a reversed 32-38 pair on cognate and near-cognate codons. Structures of wild-type [Formula: see text] bound to the ribosome reveal 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) nucleotide A1913 positional changes that are dependent on whether the codon-anticodon interaction is cognate or near cognate. Further, the 32-38 pair is destabilized in the context of a near-cognate codon-anticodon pair. Reversal of the pairing in [Formula: see text] ablates A1913 movement regardless of whether the interaction is cognate or near cognate. These results demonstrate that disrupting 32-38 and anticodon sequences alters interactions with the ribosome that directly contribute to misreading.
COVID-19 Era: A Time for Us to Lead!

The COVID-19 crisis has pushed the field of distance education rapidly onto the national stage. The necessity for distance education now exists for teachers and classrooms from Pre-K through gradua...
Dental students' OMFS-related experiences and interest in OMFS careers: An exploration.

PURPOSE While the numbers of oral maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residents increased over time, women and residents from underrepresented minority backgrounds are still underrepresented. The objectives were to assess dental students' OMFS-related personal and educational experiences and attitudes and explore which factors correlate with their interest in future OMFS careers. METHODS Data were collected from 493 dental students in 1 dental school and 206 students from 15 other US and Canadian dental schools. RESULTS The students in the national sample were more likely to have experienced an OMFS procedure themselves (64.6% vs. 50.7%; P = 0.001), have shadowed an OMFS in an operating room (23.2% vs. 14.9%; P = 0.009) prior to coming to dental school and to be much/very much interested in an OMFS career (36.4% vs. 12%; P < 0.001) than the students at the home school. While the majority of both groups rated their experiences with rotations in the OMFS department in the dental school (68% vs. 62.5%) and in the hospital (80.3% vs. 85.7%) as very interesting, the students in the national sample were more likely to agree/strongly agree that they were satisfied with their OMFS experiences (68.1% vs. 36.3%; P < 0.001) and had learned a lot from the OMFS faculty (57.9% vs. 30.8%) than the students in the home school. For both groups, the degree of interest in an OMFS career correlated with having had more personal OMFS experiences (home: r = 0.28; P < 0.001/other: r = 0.39; P < 0.001), more interesting OMFS experiences in the dental school (r = 0.23; P < 0.05/r = 0.40; P < 0.001) and the hospital (0.33; P < 0.05/r = 0.50; P < 0.001) and more positive attitudes toward OMFS faculty (r = 0.26; P < 0.001/r = 0.37; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Positive personal and educational OMFS experiences and positive attitudes toward OMFS faculty were associated with an interest in OMFS careers. These findings provide a basis for developing educational interventions aimed at increasing the percentage of women and residents from URM backgrounds in OMFS programs.
Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) Systems

We review briefly the second law of Newton and its impulse-momentum and work-energy versions and use them to write equations of motion for single degree of freedom systems. These equations are solved by analysis in the time and frequency domains. Analytical and numerical methods are used for solution. Multi-degree of freedom and continuous systems are considered in Chaps. 4 and 5.
Ultra-high density recording technologies

The Engineering Research Center in Data Storage Systems at Carnegie Mellon University in cooperation with the National Storage Industry Consortium has selected goals of achieving 10 Gbit/sq in. recording density in magnetic and magneto-optic disk recording and 1 terabyte/cubic in. magnetic tape recording technologies. This talk describes the approaches being taken and the status of research leading to these goals.
Differential condition dependence among morphological traits inferred from responses to heat stress is predicted by sexual selection theory

Secondary sexual traits that are condition-dependent are expected to reveal the physiological state and/or genetic quality of individuals, and therefore, should more often be found to be under sexual selection than (1) secondary sexual traits not currently condition-dependent, and (2) nonsecondary sexual traits. In the present study, we contrasted the degree of condition dependence in three morphological traits of male Drosophila bipectinata: two secondary sexual traits (distinct components of the sex comb), one of which significantly predicts mating success in nature (segment 2), whereas the other does not (segment 1), and a nonsecondary sexual trait (sternopleural bristle number). As predicted, comb segment 2 decreased significantly in size, in response to increasing temperature during development, whereas comb segment 1 and sternopleural bristle number either did not change significantly, or increased with increasing temperature. These results support the hypothesis that condition-dependence, inferred from stress-induced reductions in trait expression, engenders a trait to sexual selection. Small-combed genotypes did not exhibit disproportionate reductions in larva-to-adult survivorship and adult body size compared to large-combed genotypes, suggesting that comb size does not reveal genotypic quality, at least as revealed by sensitivity in body size and juvenile survivorship to thermal stress.
Identification of peptides within the base binding domains of the GTP- and ATP-specific binding sites of tubulin.

Abstract Using gamma-32P-labeled 8-azidopurine nucleotide photoaffinity probes of GTP and ATP, the respective purine ring binding domain peptides of tubulin have been identified. First, the location of the GTP-specific binding site was shown to be on the beta-subunit, whereas the major ATP-specific binding site was on the alpha-subunit. Using a combination of anion-exclusion and immobilized Al3+ column chromatography, the respective photolabeled tryptic peptides of both nucleotide binding sites were isolated, further purified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sequenced. Chymotryptic peptides were also generated for the GTP binding site. High retention of the photoinserted radiolabel was observed with many of the peptides on reverse phase HPLC at low flow rates. The stability of the photoinserted radiolabel to HPLC varied with different peptides. However, certain peptides were easily distinguished as being within the base binding domains of the GTP and ATP binding sites of tubulin. Two beta-tubulin peptides containing the majority of photoinserted [gamma-32P]8-azidoguanosine 5'-triphosphate corresponded to N-terminal beta-tubulin amino acid residues 3EIVHIQAGQCGNQIGAK19 and 20FWEVISDEHGIDPTGS35. The peptide containing the majority of photoinserted [gamma-32P]8-azidoadenosine 5'-triphosphate corresponded to the C-terminal alpha-tubulin sequence 431DYEEVGVDSVEGEGEEEGEE450.
Sexual maturation of boars and growth of swine exposed to extended photoperiod during decreasing natural photoperiod.

Littermate pairs of crossbred boars, barrows and gilts were used to study the effects of an artificially extended photoperiod during decreasing daylength on puberty in boars and on weight gain and feed efficiency. Libido scores of the boars exposed to the extended photoperiod were higher (P < .01) than those of controls at 24 and 26 weeks of age. At 26 weeks of age, semen had been collected from 74% of the boars on supplemental light but from only 26% of the controls. Lighting treatment did not affect semen quality. The number of ejaculates previously collected did affect semen quality. Motility and total sperm per ejaculate increased with increasing ejaculate number, while the percentage of abnormalities appeared to decrease. A second group of boars was delayed in the development of mating behavior, perhaps because of inadvertent consumption of Gibberella zeae-infected corn. The extended photoperiod did not exert a beneficial effect on weight gain or feed efficiency of boars, barrows or gilts.
Chapter 2 Overview of Device Issues in High-Brightness Light-Emitting Diodes

Publisher Summary The key components of the luminous performance are the internal quantum efficiency and the extraction efficiency. The definition of the luminous performance efficiency and approaches used to optimize it are discussed in the chapter. Performance at this level would establish light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the most efficient light source available and could conceivably lead to penetration of the commercial lighting industry in the decades ahead. These issues are discussed in the chapter. The progress in LED performance has been driven primarily by improvements in materials growth technology that have yielded higher purity and lower defect density materials with resulting higher quantum efficiencies. However, a variety of other issues such as cost, reliability, and extraction efficiency are also key drivers that determine commercial success and in some cases largely determine which growth technology is used. These issues are discussed in the chapter.
Coalition Building and Electoral Organizing in the Passage of Anti-Discrimination Laws

SUMMARY The passage of a civil rights law with protections for individuals based on sexual orientation in Connecticut in 1991 was the culmination of over a decade of activism. Gay rights activists achieved success with the help of many progressive allies. This article traces the development of gay rights organizations and their participation in several important political coalitions locally in Hartford and statewide in Connecticut that helped achieve support for GLBT issues and the civil rights law in particular. The authors argue that a narrow, isolationist focus does not achieve long-term victories for gay rights, but rather that victories are best achieved by developing strong relationships with progressive allies.
Knowledge-Driven Personalized Contextual mHealth Service for Asthma Management in Children

Wide adoption of smartphones and availability of low-cost sensors has resulted in seamless and continuous monitoring of physiology, environment, and public health notifications. However, personalized digital health and patient empowerment can become a reality only if the complex multisensory and multimodal data is processed within the patient context. Contextual processing of patient data along with personalized medical knowledge can lead to actionable information for better and timely decisions. We present a system called kHealth capable of aggregating multisensory and multimodal data from sensors (passive sensing) and answers to questionnaire (active sensing) from patients with asthma. We present our preliminary data analysis comprising data collected from real patients highlighting the challenges in deploying such an application. The results show strong promise to derive actionable information using a combination of physiological indicators from active and passive sensors that can help doctors determine more precisely the cause, severity, and control level of asthma. Information synthesized from kHealth can be used to alert patients and caregivers for seeking timely clinical assistance to better manage asthma and improve their quality of life.
Determining the optimal dosimetric leaf gap setting for rounded leaf-end multileaf collimator systems by simple test fields

Individual QA for IMRT/VMAT plans is required by protocols. Sometimes plans cannot pass the institute's QA criteria. For the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) with rounded leaf-end multileaf collimator (MLC), one practical way to improve the agreement of planned and delivered doses is to tune the value of dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) in the TPS from the measured DLG. We propose that this step may be necessary due to the complexity of the MLC system, including dosimetry of small fields and the tongue-and-groove (T&G) effects, and report our use of test fields to obtain linac-specific optimal DLGs in TPSs. More than 20 original patient plans were reoptimized with the linac-specific optimal DLG value. We examined the distribution of gaps and T&G extensions in typical patient plans and the effect of using the optimal DLG on the distribution. The QA pass rate of patient plans using the optimal DLG was investigated. The dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of targets and organs at risk were checked. We tested three MLC systems (Varian millennium 120 MLC, high-definition 120 MLC, and Siemens 160 MLC) installed in four Varian linear accelerators (linacs) (TrueBEAM STx, Trilogy, Clinac 2300 iX, and Clinac 21 EX) and 1 Siemens linac (Artiste). With an optimal DLG, the individual QA for all those patient plans passed the institute's criteria (95% in DTA test or gamma test with 3%/3 mm/10%), even though most of these plans had failed to pass QA when using original DLGs optimized from typical patient plans or from the optimization process (automodeler) of Pinnacle TPS. Using either our optimal DLG or one optimized from typical patient plans or from the Pinnacle optimization process yielded similar DVHs.
Heuristics for broad-coverage natural language parsing

The Slot Grammar system is interesting for natural language applications because it can deliver parses with deep grammatical information on a reasonably broad scale. The paper describes a numerical scoring system used in Slot Grammar for ambiguity resolution, which not only ranks parses but also contributes to parsing efficiency through a parse space pruning algorithm. Details of the method of computing parse scores are given, and test results for the English Slot Grammar are presented.
Bayesian sample‐size determination for inference on two binomial populations with no gold standard classifier

We consider the impact of test properties on the required sample size for the Bayesian design problem for comparing two proportions with error-prone data. Specifically, we examine four cases: a single diagnostic test and two independent diagnostic tests, both when the test properties are identical across populations and when they differ. Interval-based and moment-based sample-size determination criteria are contrasted using Monte Carlo simulation methods. We consider an application in which Strongyloides infections are compared in two populations.
Centroidal Voronoi tessellation in universal covering space of manifold surfaces

The centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) has found versatile applications in geometric modeling, computer graphics, and visualization, etc. In this paper, we first extend the concept of CVT from Euclidean space to spherical space and hyperbolic space, and then combine all of them into a unified framework - the CVT in universal covering space. The novel spherical and hyperbolic CVT energy functions are defined, and the relationship between minimizing the energy and the CVT is proved. We also show by our experimental results that both spherical and hyperbolic CVTs have the similar property as their Euclidean counterpart where the sites are uniformly distributed with respect to given density values. As an example of the application, we utilize the CVT in universal covering space to compute uniform partitions and high-quality remeshing results for genus-0, genus-1, and high-genus (genus>1) surfaces.
Acute renal failure following bone marrow transplantation

Acute renal failure (ARF) is one of the most frequent and potentially life threatening complications following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Several renal syndromes that occur are either unique or occur with a disproportionate frequency post-BMT. Clinically ARF can be classified according to the time of onset post-BMT. Immediate ARF syndromes include tumor lysis syndrome and marrow-infusion associated toxicity, which usually occur within 5 days post-BMT. Hepatorenal-like syndrome secondary to venoocclusive disease occur within one month and is the most common cause of early ARF syndrome. The late renal syndromes, more than 4 weeks post-BMT, include BMT-associated nephropathy, which may be acute or chronic, and cyclosporin nephrotoxicity. Other non-specific causes of ARF such as sepsis, hypotension, volume depletion, nephrotoxic agents and obstructive uropathy can also occur at any time period. Frequently ARF is multifactorial in these patients with complicated clinical course. Therapeutic approach depend on the underlying etiology. Supportive treatment such as optimization of volume status and dialysis when indicated are important steps as specific therapy is rarely available. Therefore, efforts should be targeted to the prevention of ARF. This includes prophylaxis for tumor lysis syndrome and marrow infusion toxicity by hydration and alkaline diuresis, avoiding nephrotoxic agents, early recognition and treatment of infection and correction of volume depletion.
Geometrical Consideration of Permeation in Elastomers

Elastomer seals for space applications are integral for the success of manned space flight. These seals inhibit the loss of habitable cabin air to the vacuum of Space. The loss of breathable atmosphere due to leaks of a seal must be replaced through the use of a costly make-up air system. A cost-effective sealing solution for long-duration manned space flight is thereby enabled by seal leak mitigation, while maintaining acceptable behavior in other requirements (e.g., closure force, reusability). Thus, there is a need for optimization from a multitude of geometric possibilities. To facilitate the selection of space seals mechanisms, designers and researchers have relied heavily on engineering judgment and intuition in the design phase of equipment. The main geometric hypothesis utilized in past design is that the leak rate depends on two aspects: (1) the permeation path length, and (2) the wetted gas-elastomer contact area. The research detailed herein highlights the necessity for computational prediction methods in the preliminary phase of space seal design. To this end, a series of computational analyses were performed utilizing a compressible permeation approach to elastomeric space seals. Utilizing a simple rectangular domain, the hypotheses were confirmed and are reflected in an analysis of the model equations, however, for one-dimensional flow. Unique to this analysis, additional domains were studied incorporating a periodic perturbation in the sidewalls. The analysis simulated the leak rate of each seal design domain, as manufactured from silicone elastomer S0383-70. Foremost, results highlight the significance of the leak rate prediction methodology, as mere engineering intuition does not always lead to true design optimization. A study in the boundary conditions is also presented, whereas the elastomeric nature of space seal materials can be utilized for a strategic gain in leak rate performance. As an additional benefit, the analysis proved its merit as a cost reduction technique. Whereas by undergoing design iterations in a virtual environment, the cost associated with manufacturing faulty designs are eliminated.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Branchial and branchiostegite carbonic anhydrase in decapod crustaceans: The aquatic to terrestrial transition

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity was measured in the gills, branchiostegite, and cuticle of 5 species of decapod crustaceans displaying fully aquatic, semi-terrestrial, and fully terrestrial lifestyles. Density-gradient and differential ultracentrifugation were used to separate 2 subcellular fractions from these tissues, basal-lateral membranes, and cytoplasm, in which CA activity was determined. Callinectes sapidus, a euryhaline aquatic species, had high levels of CA activity in both the cytoplasmic and membrane fractions of the gills. These pools of CA are believed to function in ion transport and CO2 excretion, respectively. The branchiostegite and cuticle, which do not play an apparent role in either process in the blue crab, possess much lower levels of CA activity in both fractions. In contrast, a stenohaline, stenothermal species, Chaceon fenneri, which has a low metabolic rate, has low levels of CA activity in the cytoplasm and membrane fractions of the gills. As decapod crustaceans invade the terrestrial habitat and make the transition to breathing air, gill surface area is reduced and the branchiostegite develops into a primitive lung. In Cardisoma guanhumi, a semi-terrestrial crab, branchiostegal tissue has very little CA activity in either fraction, and enzyme activity is not different from that in the general cuticle; the gills still possess the bulk of CA activity in the animal. In fully terrestrial species (Gecarcinus lateralis and Birgus latro), however, the membrane fraction of the branchiostegite has the same level of CA activity as that of the gills, regardless of species, while CA in the cuticle remains low. It appears, according to the distribution of membrane-associated CA, that while the gills of aquatic crustaceans are the primary route of CO2 excretion, the branchiostegite can supplement branchial CO2 elimination in terrestrial species.
The Imaginary Part of the Optical Model Potential for Neutron Interactions with Nuclei.

The Brueckner nuclear many-body theory is modified so that it can be applied to the problem of dealing with quasi-stationary states. In this manner we are able to treat low-energy neutron interactions with heavy nuclei taking into account the identity of the incident neutron with the nucleons in the nucleus. An expression for optical model potential is obtained, and the imaginary part W is calculated. The results indicate a surface absorption potential: W, for a given incident neutron energy, has a constant central region and reaches a peak > twice the central value in the surface region. An investigation is made of the next step after the compound state is formed. For heavy nuclei, compound nucleus formation dominates over compound elastic scattering. For light nuclei (A < 50), there may be fluctuations of the cross section related to two-particle states.
Health care rationing: its effects on cardiologists in the United States and Britain

Cardiologists practicing under contrasting types of health care rationing in the United States and Britain were found to differ significantly in the occupational stresses they experience, according to this exploratory study. In-depth interviews revealed that the 24 American physicians complained most about increasing limits to their autonomy resulting from the intrusion of government, insurance companies and managed care agencies. Twenty-one British cardiologists indicated greater concern about workloads and the lack of resources in the National Health Service. The stresses are associated with the different types of health care rationing in the two countries. In the United States, where explicit rationing exists, external controls are placed on length of hospital stays, tests and procedures, physicians' fees and the use of drugs. In Britain, implicit rationing is imposed by limiting overall funding of health care, leaving physicians free to make clinical decisions. However, the ethic of care for all and the limited funding create waiting lists and a lack of facilities.
Enthalpies and entropies of sublimation of tetraphenyl silane and hexaphenyl disilane. The bond dissociation energies of SiC and SiSi

Abstract The sublimation pressures of tetraphenyl silane and hexaphenyl disilane in the temperature ranges 408 to 466 K and 511 to 551 K, respectively, have been determined from simultaneous measurements of the rate of mass effusion and the torsional recoil. The enthalpies and entropies of sublimation derived from the least-squares analyses of the results are: ΔH° sub ( SiPh 4 , c , 298.15 K ) = (37.5±0.4) kcal th mol −1 ; ΔH° sub ( SiPh 6 , c , 298.15 K ) = (50.0±0.5) kcal th mol −1 ; ΔS° sub ( SiPh 4 , c , 440 K ) = (56.6±0.5) cal th K − mol −1 ; ΔS° sub ( Si 2 Ph 6 , c , 530 K ) = (69.5±0.5) cal th K − mol −1 ; The average bond dissociation energies are calculated to be: 〈D〉( Si − Ph ) SiPh 4 =(79±2) kcal th mol −1 ; 〈D〉( Si − Ph ) Si 2 Ph 6 =(76±4) kcal th mol −1 ; The bond dissociation energy D(Ph3SiSiPh3) is estimated to be (88 ± 7) kcalth mol−1.
Minimizing energy consumption in surveillance sensor networks using clusterization

One of the most challenging problems in autonomous wireless sensor networks for surveillance multiple objects is to find an optimal balance between energy efficiency and measurement accuracy. Each moving object can be discovered at the same time by dozens sensors. Such a number of sensors very often is not necessary for tracking of the moving objects. The goal is to develop an algorithm which can turn on and off sensors depends on a number of objects moving through the area and their (objects) distances from sensors in proximity. This approach will increase sensor networks' energy efficiency and a number of objects, which can be monitored by the network. For each moving object the suggested algorithm creates an optimal object domain, a cluster of sensors, which are sensing this object and, at the same time, which are sensing a minimal number of other moving objects. Initial information for building of each object domain is based on a matrix of relationships A = {a (i,j) = 1 if sensor (i) and sensor (j) are sensing the same object and a (i,j) = 0 otherwise}. Two approaches can be considered for optimization energy efficiency of surveillance sensor networks: dynamic and static sensors' clusterizations. The dynamic clusterization requires a real time recalculation of the object domain, when the object is moving to another location [1-3]. Network management protocols, which are based on the dynamic clusterization, require additional energy for their functioning. The authors introduce an approach which allows optimizing a structure of wireless sensor networks in the off-line mode. The goal of this approach is to find an optimal number of sensors and their allocations from viewpoints of energy efficiency and measurement accuracy during a designing stage. A possible location of the moving object is considered as a Chebyshev point of convex polygon, which includes the optimal object domain. Because prices of sensors are falling, a number of sensors and their allocations now can serve as network optimization factors. The suggested approach is illustrated by an example of wireless sensor networks for monitoring of moving objects through a protected area.
Densification of Large Pores: II, Driving Potentials and Kinetics

A kinetic analysis of densification is presented for the case of isolated, identical pores separated by dense, polyerystal-line material where the grain size is a variable (smaller to larger, relative to the pore size). The analysis includes the influence of both grain growth and mass transport rates on the driving potential for mass transport to the pore. For the expected condition where the rate of grain growth is much greater than the rate of pore shrinkage, it is shown that the driving potential is relatively independent of pore surface curvature, and approaches (2γs/Rpo) sin (ψe/2) during grain growth, where γs is the surface energy per unit area of the material, ψe is the dihedral angle, and Rpo is the initial pore radius. Using this driving potential, an expression is derived for the current densification rate. The proposed mechanism for mass transport is radial diffusion through a spherical polycrystalline unit cell containing a spherical pore, where diffusion is restricted to grain boundaries that intersect the pore. The expression includes the average separation distance between pores and the grain boundary area intersecting each pore. This expression is in qualitative agreement for data reported in Part I for a Zr(3Y)O2 material where the grain size is always smaller than the pore size, and a Zr(8Y)O2 material where the grain size is larger than the pore size.
Critical precipitation period for dryland maize production

Abstract Grain yields for dryland maize (Zea mays L.) production in the semi-arid Great Plains of the United States can be unpredictable because of the erratic nature of growing season precipitation. Because of the high input costs for maize production, farmers need to have a tool that will help them assess the risk associated with dryland maize production. The objectives of this work were to determine the critical period for precipitation during the maize growing season and to develop a relationship between critical period precipitation and maize yield to use as a tool to quantify expected yield variability associated with dryland maize production in this region. Maize yield data were collected at Akron, CO from two dryland cropping systems experiments (1984–2009) in which maize was grown in a 3-year winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize–fallow rotation. Yields were correlated with weekly precipitation amounts from planting to harvest in search of the period of time in which yield was most influenced by precipitation. Soil water contents at planting were measured either by gravimetric sampling or by neutron attenuation. Yields were found to be most closely correlated with precipitation occurring during the 6-week period between 16 July and 26 August. The data separated into two linear relationships defined by whether the sum of available soil water at planting and May precipitation was less than or greater than 250 mm. These two linear relationships between precipitation during this critical period and yield were used with long-term precipitation records to determine the probability of obtaining a maize yield of at least 2500 kg ha−1 (generally considered to be a break-even yield) at three locations across the central Great Plains precipitation gradient. This analysis quantified the production risk associated with the highly variable corn yields that result from erratic summer precipitation in this region.
Levels of serum immunoglobulin G specific to bacterial surface protein A of Tannerella forsythia are related to periodontal status.

Background: Tannerella forsythia (Tf) is a Gram-negative anaerobe implicated in the development of periodontal disease. Bacterial surface protein A (BspA) is a surface-expressed and -secreted protein that is recognized as an important virulence factor of Tf. This study was undertaken to determine whether Tf BspA induces an antibody response in periodontal disease. We hypothesized that serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody levels against BspA correlate with the disease of patients.Methods: Sera were obtained from 100 patients with cardiac disorders and periodontal disease and 73 patients who experienced myocardial infarction but were periodontally healthy. Sera samples were assayed for anti-BspA antibody (total IgG and IgG subtypes) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibody levels were measured in ELISA units by using an arbitrary patient as a standard.Results: A negative correlation was found with BspA-specific total IgG antibody titers and the severity of disease measured as the clinical attac...
Dynamical properties of quasihyperbolic toral automorphisms

We study the dynamical properties of ergodic toral autmorphisms that have some eigenvalues of modulus one. For such automorphisms, all sufficiently fine smooth partitions generate measurably, but never topologically, and are never weak Bernoulli. The points of period k become uniformly distributed exponentially fast, and Lipschitz functions mix exponentially fast. Every reasonably smooth compact null set has the property that there is a dense set of periodic points whose entire orbit misses the set, but this is false for general compact null sets. Katznelson's property of almost weak Bernoulli can be strengthened to a certain exponential rate of independence, but breaks down at a critical number. Finally, open sets have return times that decay exponentially fast.
The zebrafish: a new model of T-cell and thymic development

T-cell and thymic development are processes that have been highly conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Mammals, birds, reptiles and fish share common molecular signalling pathways that regulate the development of the adaptive immune system. This Review article focuses on defining the similarities and differences between zebrafish and mammalian T-cell immunobiology, and it highlights the advantages of using the zebrafish as a genetic model to uncover mutations that affect T-cell and thymic development. Finally, we summarize the use of the zebrafish as a new model for assessing stem-cell function and for drug discovery.
Sampling geometries and resolution limits for compressive MMW and terahertz imaging

Compressive measurement enables image formation from sparse and irregular arrays. In MMW and terahertz imaging, compressive measurement may lead to a preference for fewer but more complex transceivers over dense arrays of simple transceivers (e.g. conventional focal planes.)
Is nuchal translucency screening associated with different rates of invasive testing in an older obstetric population

Abstract Objective Our objective was to assess the impact of nuchal translucency screening for aneuploidy on chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis rates in an older obstetric population. Methods Our study population included women ≥35 years old who were delivered at our hospital from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2002. Records were reviewed to determine whether women underwent nuchal translucency, chorionic villus sampling, and amniocentesis. The chi-squared test for trend was used to evaluate changes in nuchal translucency, chorionic villus sampling, and amniocentesis rates over six 6-month intervals. Maternal characteristics were compared with the use of Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. Results The 4029 women who met the inclusion criteria had a median age at delivery of 37 years (interquartile range, 36-39 years). The rates of nuchal translucency screening increased from 0% to 41.6% over the study interval. Women who underwent nuchal translucency screening when it was available were older than the women who did not (median age, 37 years [interquartile range, 36-40 years] vs median age, 37 years [interquartile range, 36-39 years]; P = .003). A higher proportion of women who were ≥40 years old underwent nuchal translucency screening when it was available than did women who were 35 to 39 years old (24.9% vs 20.4%; P = .01). Women who underwent nuchal translucency screening were less likely to have chorionic villus sampling compared with women who did not undergo screening (1.9% vs 7.1%; P Conclusion Higher rates of nuchal translucency screening were associated with lower rates of chorionic villus sampling and invasive testing. The addition of first-trimester screening may lead to reduced rates of invasive testing and fewer losses of normal pregnancies.
Raman-noise-induced quantum limits for χ (3) nondegenerate phase-sensitive amplification and quadrature squeezing

We present a quantum theory of nondegenerate phase-sensitive parametric amplification in a χ(3) nonlinear medium. The nonzero response time of the Kerr (χ(3)) nonlinearity determines the quantum-limited noise figure of χ(3) parametric amplification, as well as the limit on quadrature squeezing. This nonzero response time of the nonlinearity requires coupling of the parametric process to a molecular vibration phonon bath, causing the addition of excess noise through spontaneous Raman scattering. We present analytical expressions for the quantum-limited noise figure of frequency nondegenerate and frequency degenerate χ(3) parametric amplifiers operated as phase-sensitive amplifiers. We also present results for frequency nondegenerate quadrature squeezing. We show that our nondegenerate squeezing theory agrees with the degenerate squeezing theory of Boivin and Shapiro as degeneracy is approached. We have also included the effect of linear loss on the phase-sensitive process.
The International Transporter Consortium: A Collaborative Group of Scientists From Academia, Industry, and the FDA

The US Food and Drug Administration-led Critical Path Initiative, launched in 2004, has resulted in an array of activities focused on the sciences that support the development of human medical products.(1) These activities include the development of new scientific tools, such as in vitro testing, qualified biomarkers of drug safety, and innovative new methods in study design and data analysis.(2) As a result of the Critical Path Initiative and enormous advances in the field of membrane transporters, the International Transporter Consortium was formed.
Comparative in vivo effects of enzymes on rodent periodontium.

Abstract 120 rats received enzymes by intravascular introduction and by direct injection into the maxillary interproximal papilla. The enzymes used were papain, ficin, bromelin, trypsin, hyaluronidase, and collagenase in 5% solutions at pH 7.4. Intravascular introduction failed to produce any observable microscopic changes but more effective unidentified agents may exist. Direct injections of proteolytic enzymes produced lesions which simulated those found in periodontitis. Papain was the most effective agent studied and was observed to induce pronounced collagen lysis and epithelial proliferation. Hyaluronidase and collagenase proved to be relatively ineffective agents and hyaluronidase had no apparent synergistic effect when used in combination with proteolytic enzymes. There appears to be a factor in plant proteolytic enzymes, and particularly in papain which is more collagenolytic than hyaluronidase or collagenase. It is suggested that the effectiveness of papain in producing pronounced connective tissue lysis may be related to the liberation of chondroitin sulphate from its attached protein, which would indicate a prominent role for chondroitin sulphate in preserving connective tissue integrity.
Correlation of Machining-Grain-Size Effects on Tensile Strength with Tensile Strength–Grain-Size Behavior

Existing data on the effect of machining direction on the room-temperature flexure strength (σ) of various ceramic materials are reviewed from the standpoint of their grain-size (G) dependence and the correlation of this dependence with σ-G-1/2 behavior. The correlation shows that the reduction in strength from grinding specimens perpendicular versus parallel to their tensile axes is greatest at fine G, about zero at intermediate G, and then progressively increases again for larger G and for single-crystal specimens (G=∞). The lower σ due to machining perpendicular to versus parallel to the tensile axis is due primarily to crack shape, not depth, i.e., elongated and approximately half-penny cracks. Thus, the reduction in σ difference implies a reduction in flaw elongation at intermediate G. This is shown to correspond with the σ-G-1/2 behavior with larger G and finer G branches meeting when the flaw size is about equal to G. This result is supported by fractographic observations.