cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Average Electron Temperature Estimation Based on Rayleigh Scattering of Eletromagnetic Wave

As a critical parameter of plasmas, electron temperature usually differs from other temperatures for thermal nonequilibrium cases. Many diagnostic technologies have been developed such as Langmuir probe and Laser Thomson Scattering (LTS). However, Langmuir probe has a size limit to avoid changing the plasma, but the tiny probe is thus not strong enough and in risk to survive the current impact. LTS requires multiple pulses to avoid a dilemma of weak signal1 or heating the plasma2, especially for a low ionization degree situation. However, the multiple-pulse method requires or assumes that the plasma has no significant change during the measurement3. Therefore, we provide a supplemental method for electron temperature estimation. In the continuity equation of electron, the temporal derivative of electron density consists of diffusion current, drift current, and electron gain/loss events, such as ionizations, recombination, and attachments. The diffusion, drift and the rate coefficients of those events are functions of electron temperature and reduced electric field, while the temporal profile of electron density can be measured by Rayleigh scattering. Therefore, along with the electric field measured or estimated, the only unknown in the equation is the average electron temperature which can be solved numerically. An example of microwave scattering on cold atmospheric plasma jet4 is included for the demonstration. The plasma jet has an electron density around 1012 cm-3 and keeps varying during its warm-up process.
Predictability of Unusually High Acute Toxicity to Photobacterium phosphoreum of 1,4-Di-Substituted Benzene Derivatives

The authors report here on the relationships of the acute toxicities to Photobacterium phosphoreum of 1,4-di-substituted benzenes with their octanol/water partition coefficients and with the toxicities of the corresponding mono-substituted benzene derivatives and also identify the types of derivatives for which such toxicities can or cannot safely be predicted. "Outliers" to the previously established quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) are identified, and reasons for their aberrant behavior are discussed in terms of specific substituent groups and their electronic effects on the basic molecule and on the other substituents present, as measured by the substituent-induced chemical shifts of carbon-13 ( 1 3 C) nuclear magnetic resonance data of the substituent-bearing carbon atoms of the benzene ring. With the combination of these parameters, the toxicity of highly toxic compounds can be predicted within an error of approximately 0.35 logarithmic toxicity units over more than four orders of magnitude. Nitrobenzene derivatives require the use of a parameter for the charge buildup on the oxygen atoms of the nitro group.
Comparison of an attitude estimator based on the Lagrange-d'Alembert principle with some state-of-the-art filters

Discrete-time estimation of rigid body attitude and angular velocity without any knowledge of the attitude dynamics model, is treated using the discrete Lagrange-d'Alembert principle. Using body-fixed sensor measurements of direction vectors and angular velocity, a Lagrangian is obtained as the difference between a kinetic energy-like term that is quadratic in the angular velocity estimation error, and an artificial potential obtained from Wahba's function. An additional dissipation term that depends linearly on the angular velocity estimation error is introduced, and the discrete Lagrange-d'Alembert principle is applied to the Lagrangian with this dissipation. An implicit and an explicit first-order version of this discrete-time estimation scheme is presented. A comparison of this estimator is made with certain state-of-the-art attitude estimators in the absence of bias in sensor readings. Numerical simulations show that this estimator is robust and unlike extended Kalman filter-based schemes, its convergence does not depend on the gain values. In addition, the variational estimator is found to be more computationally efficient than these other estimators.
Chemically prepared Pb(Zr,Ti)O/sub 3/ thin films: the effects of orientation and stress

The effects of orientation and stress on chemically prepared Pb(Zr,Ti)O/sub 3/ (PZT) film properties have been determined. Systematic modification of the underlying substrate technology has made it possible to fabricate suites of films that have various degrees of orientation at a constant stress level, and to fabricate films that are in different states of stress but have similar orientation. Highly oriented films of the following compositions have been fabricated: PZT 60/40, PZT 40/60, and PZT 20/80. Remanent polarizations ( approximately=60 mu C/cm/sup 2/) greater than those of the best bulk polycrystalline ferroelectrics were obtained for PZT 40/60 films that were under compression and highly
The challenge of operating in the new Europe: case study – snackfoods

Identifies three main player types in the European snackfood industry: followers, fliers and financiers. Describes the characteristics of each group. Analyses the forces for change as: macro forces, market forces and industry forces. Suggests what the response to these forces for change should be and proposes strategies for success and survival for each player group.
The impact of altered fitness on the risk of illness in relatives

Altered fitness of affected individuals can substantially influence the pattern of risk of illness in relatives. This altered risk can result from both changes in the distribution of genotypes and changes in the genotype-specific proportion affected or GSPA. This report examines the impact of altered fitness on the GSPA in relatives of affected probands, under a simple genetic model. The model assumes that illness results from a generalized single major locus and that fitness is dependent only upon phenotype. It is shown that i) in progenitors of probands (e.g., parents and grandparents), GSPA can vary widely as a function of the fitness of affected individuals; ii) the change in GSPA is equal in parents and grandparents; and iii) in non-progenitors (e.g., offspring, siblings, uncles/aunts), GSPA is independent of fitness effects. The GSPA in parents and grandparents is a function both of the relative fitness of affected individuals (F) and the penetrance (Q) that can be approximated by the simple formula: GSPA = FQ/(FQ + 1 - Q). The successful application of model-fitting methods for the detection of single gene variation to complex phenotypes that significantly alter fitness may, in certain circumstances, require the incorporation of "fitness effects" into the analytic model.
Inverse filtering in the presence of Doppler with application to specular multipath parameter estimation

It has been shown previously that, using a deconvolution method such as projection onto convex sets (POCS), which relies on some form of inverse filtering, one can increase the resolution of multipath parameter estimation in a Doppler environment beyond that which is achievable using correlation processing alone. This paper shows that the output of an inverse filter in the presence of Doppler can be characterized by two signal-related functions: one of which is free from the range-Doppler coupling effects inherent in correlation processing.
Mining Influential Bloggers: From General to Domain Specific

With rapid development of web 2.0 technology and e-business, bloggers play significant roles in the whole blogosphere as well as the external world. Specially, the most influential bloggers can bring great business values to modern enterprise in multiple ways, by increasing market profits and enlarging business impacts. The bloggers' influences can be deployed only in a specific domain, e.g. computer companies only can utilize the influence bloggers' expertise in computer knowledge, not their expertise in modern art or others. Despite that several influential bloggers mining systems are available, none of them consider the domain specific feature and their evaluations are based on generic influence, which is not applicable for real application requirements, such as business advertisement, personalized recommendation and so on. In this paper, we propose an effective model to mine the top-k influential bloggers according to their interest domains and network proximity. We investigate an effective algorithm to evaluate a blogger's influence and develop a domain specific influential blogger mining system. The experiment results show that our system can effectively mine influential bloggers and is applicable to diverse applications.
Tomography of Animal Tissues by Digital Interference Holography

The digital interference holography is applied to imaging bovine muscle and other tissues. Three dimensional micro-tomographic images are obtained with 1 micron lateral and 10 micron axial resolution and 1.5 mm penetration
Modified maximum likelihood sequence estimation in a simple partial erasure model

A simple partial erasure model caused by the effective reduction of a transition width in a magnetic recording system is presented. This model predicts the nonlinear distortion accurately at high recording densities. This paper proposes the modified maximum-likelihood sequence detector (MLSD) incorporating this nonlinear model. Simulation shows that the modified maximum likelihood sequence detector outperforms the normal Viterbi detection in a nonlinearity-dominant channel. >
Post-stocking Performance of Three Strains of Rainbow Trout in a Reservoir

Abstract Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss of three strains-Ten Sleep (TS), Shepherd of the Hills (SH), and Sand Creek (SC)-were stocked as fingerlings in East Canyon Reservoir (277 hectares), Morgan County, Utah, in April and May 1981 and 1982. Growth, sport catch, and intensity of infestation with the anchorworm Lernaea cyprinacea were compared during the fishing seasons of 1982 and 1983. The harvest of TS strain fish was 5.7 times greater than that of the two other strains in 1982, and 1.9 and 5.2 times greater than that of SC and SH, respectively, in 1983. Length added by the TS strain 20 months after stocking in 1981 (mean, 242 mm) was significantly greater than that added by other strains (SC, 211 mm; SH, 214 mm); growth after stocking was similar among strains in 1982. Higher whole-body fat and protein in the TS strain than in the other strains in 1981 might have contributed to increased survival and growth. The SC strain was more susceptible than the other strains to anchorworm infestation in both...
Swelling equilibrium of dentin adhesive polymers formed on the water-adhesive phase boundary: experiments and micromechanical model.

Abstract During their application to the wet, oral environment, dentin adhesives can experience phase separation and composition change, which can compromise the quality of the hybrid layer formed at the dentin–adhesive interface. The chemical composition of polymer phases formed in the hybrid layer can be represented using a ternary water–adhesive phase diagram. In this paper, these polymer phases are characterized using a suite of mechanical tests and swelling experiments. The experimental results were evaluated using a granular micromechanics-based model incorporating poro-mechanical effects and polymer–solvent thermodynamics. The variation in the model parameters and model-predicted polymer properties was studied as a function of composition along the phase boundary. The resulting structure–property correlations provide insight into interactions occurring at the molecular level in the saturated polymer system. These correlations can be used for modeling the mechanical behavior of the hybrid layer, and are expected to aid in the design and improvement of water-compatible dentin adhesive polymers.
SU-E-J-235: Varian Portal Dosimetry Accuracy at Detecting Simulated Delivery Errors

Purpose: To use receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to quantify the Varian Portal Dosimetry (VPD) application's ability to detect delivery errors in IMRT fields. Methods: EPID and VPD were calibrated/commissioned using vendor-recommended procedures. Five clinical plans comprising 56 modulated fields were analyzed using VPD. Treatment sites were: pelvis, prostate, brain, orbit, and base of tongue. Delivery was on a Varian Trilogy linear accelerator at 6MV using a Millenium120 multi-leaf collimator. Image pairs (VPD-predicted and measured) were exported in dicom format. Each detection test imported an image pair into Matlab, optionally inserted a simulated error (rectangular region with intensity raised or lowered) into the measured image, performed 3%/3mm gamma analysis, and saved the gamma distribution. For a given error, 56 negative tests (without error) were performed, one per 56 image pairs. Also, 560 positive tests (with error) with randomly selected image pairs and randomly selected in-field error location. Images were classified as errored (or error-free) if percent pixels with γ<κ was < (or ≥) τ. (Conventionally, κ=1 and τ=90%.) A ROC curve was generated from the 616 tests by varying τ. For a range of κ and τ, true/false positive/negative rates were calculated. This procedure was repeated for inserted errors ofmore » different sizes. VPD was considered to reliably detect an error if images were correctly classified as errored or error-free at least 95% of the time, for some κ+τ combination. Results: 20mm{sup 2} errors with intensity altered by ≥20% could be reliably detected, as could 10mm{sup 2} errors with intensity was altered by ≥50%. Errors with smaller size or intensity change could not be reliably detected. Conclusion: Varian Portal Dosimetry using 3%/3mm gamma analysis is capable of reliably detecting only those fluence errors that exceed the stated sizes. Images containing smaller errors can pass mathematical analysis, though may be detected by visual inspection. This work was not funded by Varian Oncology Systems. Some authors have other work partly funded by Varian Oncology Systems.« less
Effect of heat treatment on the thermal and mechanical properties of polyhydroxyamic acid presursor films

Polyhydroxyamic acid (PHAA) with an inherent viscosity of 0.45 dL/g was prepared from 3, 3'-dihydroxybenzidine and pyromellitic dianhydride. The mechanical and thermal properties of PHAA films and powders before and after annealing were investigated on the basis of their potential use as fire-safe polymers. Cyclization of PHAA to the corresponding hydroxy-containing polyimide is an endothermic reaction. During annealing of PHAA, water was released at 180 °C and carbon dioxide at over 400 °C. The weight residue of PHAA at 900 °C was about 38 %. After annealing at 500 °C, this value increased to 75 %. After annealing at 450 °C, the ultimate stress and initial modulus of the PHAA precursor films increased from 133.8 MPa and 5.86 GPa to 306.2 MPa and 11.0 GPa, respectively.
Teaching Ecosystem Management and Sustainability

Summary At first glance, a refuge proposed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) appeared to be an effective approach for protecting the habitat of migratory waterfowl. Under careful scrutiny, the proposal was predicated on false assumptions about development pressure and affected landowners exhibited a lifestyle reflecting environmental values. Residents promoted wildlife and utilized renewable resources on their land; they practiced ecological sustainability through private stewardship. Ecological sustainability is a long‐term strategy based on deep ecology and bioregionalism. Technological sustainability is a short‐term strategy based, on centralized bureaucracies, high technologies and economic markets. USFWS engages technological sustainability through acquisition and ecosystem management. While technological sustainability is urgently needed where habitat is disappearing rapidly, it can preempt ecological sustainability elsewhere, as illustrated in this case study. Environmental edu...
Genomics: Encyclopaedia of humble DNA

Researchers of the ENCODE consortium have analysed 1% of the human genome. Their findings bring us a step closer to understanding the role of the vast amount of obscure DNA that does not function as genes.
Role of atomic migration in nanocrystalline stability: Grain size and thin film stress states

Abstract As the length scale of materials decreases to the nanometer regime, grain boundaries occupy a relatively larger volume fraction. Consequently, they play an important role in stabilizing nanocrystalline systems. This review looks at the role of solute segregation to grain boundaries in stabilizing such systems. In recent years, grain size stabilization from solute segregation has led to new types of thermodynamic stability maps as a materials design tool. We propose to extend and adapt these concepts of grain boundary solute segregation as a stabilizing effect to thin film stress states. A recent study on Fe–Pt alloy films, where one species enriched the boundaries, was shown to manipulate the stress from tensile-to-compressive as a function of composition. This suggests that intrinsic segregation can be used as a tunable variable to manipulate stress states, analogous to changing film processing parameters, such as deposition rate and pressure. The application of such solute segregation is at the precipice of new opportunities in materials design of thin films.
Mixing and flame structures inferred from OH-PLIF for conventional and low-temperature diesel engine combustion

Abstract The structure of first- and second-stage combustion is investigated in a heavy-duty, single-cylinder optical engine using chemiluminescence imaging, Mie-scatter imaging of liquid-fuel, and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF) along with calculations of fluorescence quenching. Three different diesel combustion modes are studied: conventional non-diluted high-temperature combustion (HTC) with either (1) short or (2) long ignition delay, and (3) highly diluted low-temperature combustion (LTC) with early fuel injection. For the short ignition delay HTC condition, the OH fluorescence images show that second-stage combustion occurs mainly on the fuel jet periphery in a thickness of about 1 mm. For the long ignition delay HTC condition, the second-stage combustion zone on the jet periphery is thicker (5–6 mm). For the early-injection LTC condition, the second-stage combustion is even thicker (20–25 mm) and occurs only in the down-stream regions of the jet. The relationship between OH concentration and OH-PLIF intensity over a range of equivalence ratios is estimated from quenching calculations using collider species concentrations predicted by chemical kinetics simulations of combustion. The calculations show that both OH concentration and OH-PLIF intensity peak near stoichiometric mixtures and fall by an order of magnitude or more for equivalence ratios less than 0.2–0.4 and greater than 1.4–1.6. Using the OH fluorescence quenching predictions together with OH-PLIF images, quantitative boundaries for mixing are established for the three engine combustion modes.
Comparative efficacy of oral dexamethasone versus oral prednisone in acute pediatric asthma.

Abstract Objective: The objective was to determine whether 2 days of oral dexamethasone (DEX) is more effective than 5 days of oral prednisone/prednisolone (PRED) in improving symptoms and preventing relapse in children with acute asthma. Study design: This was a prospective randomized trial of children (2 to 18 years old) who presented to the emergency department with acute asthma. PRED 2 mg/kg, maximum 60 mg (odd days) or DEX 0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg (even days) was used. At discharge children in the PRED group were prescribed 4 daily doses (1 mg/kg/d, maximum 60 mg); children in the DEX group received a prepackaged dose (0.6 mg/kg, maximum 16 mg) to take the next day. The primary outcome was relapse within 10 days. Results: When DEX was compared with PRED, relapse rates (7.4% of 272 vs 6.9% of 261), hospitalization rates from the emergency department (11% vs 12%) or after relapse (20% vs 17%), and symptom persistence at 10 days (22% vs 21%) were similar. In the PRED group more children were excluded for vomiting in the emergency department (3% vs 0.3%; P =.008), more parents were noncompliant (4% vs 0.4%; P =.004), and more children missed ≥2 days of school (19.5% vs 13.2%; P =.05). Conclusion: In children with acute asthma, 2 doses of dexamethasone provide similar efficacy with improved compliance and fewer side effects than 5 doses of prednisone. (J Pediatr 2001;139:20-6)
Cloning of an Arabidopsis Patatin-Like Gene, STURDY, by Activation T-DNA Tagging

Activation T-DNA tagging can generate dominant gain-of-function mutants by overexpression of a particular endogenous gene. We identified an activation-tagged mutant, sturdy, exhibiting a stiff inflorescence stem, thicker leaves, shorter siliques, larger seeds, round-shaped flowers, and delayed growth. It is most important that unlike its wild-type counterpart, this mutant is less prone to lodging. Cloning of STURDY revealed that in sturdy, there is an open reading frame containing a single intron encoding a patatin-like homolog. The T-DNA is inserted into the 3' region of the second exon. The mutant phenotype was shown to be the result of overexpression of STURDY by mRNA analysis and transgenic studies. Preliminary histological studies have revealed an increase in cell number in the inflorescence stem of mutant plants; however, additional studies are needed to better understand the overexpression phenotype.
Gender Homophily, Ph.D. Completion, and Time to Degree in the Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences

Doctoral programs in the humanities and humanistic social sciences contend with relatively lower graduation rates and longer duration to degree. While reforming graduate education can include changes to financial aid awards and program requirements, enhancements in the area of advising can also improve student educational experiences and outcomes within existing institutional structures. The frequency of advisor-advisee communications during the dissertation process, as well as the advisor’s attitude toward dissertation completion, influences program duration. Moreover, gender homophily, or same-gender mentorship, is associated with higher graduation probabilities for women doctoral students.
Genomic cloning, sequencing, and analysis of the hamster cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase gene (CYP7)

Abstract Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase is the rate limiting enzyme in bile acid biosynthesis and plays an important role in cholesterol homeostasis. The Golden Syrian hamster has been used as an animal model for the study of atherosclerosis and cholesterol gallstone disease. We have screened a λ DASH II hamster liver genomic library using a rat cDNA as a hybridization probe. A 14-kb genomic clone has been isolated and characterized by restriction mapping and Southern blot hybridization. The clone contained the full-length gene encoding cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase together with an upstream sequence of approximately 5 kb. DNA sequencing and analysis of about 11 kb of the gene revealed that the hamster CYP7 gene consists of six exons and five introns, which have the same structures and sizes as predicted in the rat and human CYP7 genes. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the hamster cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase have a high sequence identity of about 90% to the rat and 82% to the human sequences. Particularly, exons 2, 5, and 6 are highly conserved among these species, thus reflecting the presence of some domains that are crucial for the activity of this unique enzyme. The putative cholesterol-binding region, an aromatic amino acid region, and the P450 heme-binding region are completely conserved. Comparison of the 250-bp 5′-flanking sequence to the corresponding region in the rat and human genes revealed a high degree of homology ranging between 71% and 82%. Next to the canonical TATA and CCAAT boxes are many consensus sequences (LF-A1, LF-B1, TGT3) for liver-specific or -enriched transcription factors (HNF4, HNF1, and HNF5, respectively) and an imperfect direct repeat of thyroid hormone responsive element (TRE), which is located between TGT3 and LF-B1. These sequence motifs are completely conserved among the rat, human, and hamster CYP7 genes. Several modified sterol regulatory element (SRE)-like sequences are located in the upstream flanking region and in the first intron. This highly conserved proximal promoter may play important roles in the transcription activity and in the regulation of the CYP7 gene by physiological agents, such as bile acids and steroid/thyroid hormones. This is the first report describing the complete nucleotide sequence and confirming the structure of a CYP7 gene. This detailed structural information and analysis of the gene sequence will allow us to study the transcriptional regulation of such an important gene for cholesterol homeostasis.
The Black Masculinities of Barack Obama: Some Implications for African American Men

This essay describes how the presidential campaign of Barack Obama reflected two tendencies of social conduct for African American men, colloquially summed up in African American public discourse as “keeping it real” and “keeping it proper.” The first refers to African Americans' efforts to behave in public settings in ways that presumably indicate a strong social connection to other African Americans, or that validate black Americans over and against some notion of a non-African American standard of social conduct. The latter refers to African Americans' efforts to adhere to presumably “mainstream” behavioral standards, whereby the humanity of black Americans is demonstrated and advanced. The essay explores how Obama exemplified both perspectives during his presidential campaign and discusses what implications his effort to balance these two, often diametrically opposed, tendencies has for forwarding new conceptions of African American masculinity.
Evaluation of the magnitude and rate of nitric oxide production from nitrite in biological systems.

Recently it was shown that the formation of nitric oxide (NO) is increased in biological tissues during ischemia, and that there is an enzyme-independent pathway of NO generation due to reduction of tissue nitrite under the acidic conditions which occur. To investigate the quantitative importance of this mechanism of NO generation in biological systems where pH and nitrite concentrations vary, electron paramagnetic resonance and chemiluminescence studies were performed to characterize the kinetics and magnitude of the nitrite disproportionation process. The reaction process and the corresponding rate law of NO formation from nitrite were derived. The generation and accumulation of NO from typical nitrite concentrations found in biological tissues increased 100-fold when pH decreased from normal values of 7.4 to the acidic values found in ischemic tissues, such as the heart, where pH falls to 5.5. It was also observed that ischemic heart tissue contains reducing equivalents which reduce nitrite to NO, further increasing the rate of NO formation more than 40-fold. Under these conditions the magnitude of this enzyme-independent NO generation may exceed that which can be generated by tissue concentrations of nitric oxide synthase. Thus, in ischemic tissues nitrite can be primarily a source rather than a product of NO.
Logarithmic term in the density expansion of quantum transport coefficients and other response functions

Abstract Using tetradic algebraic methods, it is shown that the triple-collision contribution to the quantum diffusion constant and the linear absorption coefficient for foreign-gas pressure broadening (for an isolated spectral line at the zero-density resonance frequency) diverges in two dimensions. Suitable extension to quantum systems of the classical resummation technique of Kawasaki and Oppenheim is shown to lead to a term logarithmic in the gas density. The effect of the resummation is to replace the free-particle resolvent tetradic by a damped free-particle resolvent tetradic. The relation of the damping term to the relevant differential scattering cross sections is considered.
RF-plasma treatments of surface-conductive alkali-lead silicate glass and microchannel plate devices

Abstract RF-plasma treatments of surface-conductive alkali-lead silicate glasses and microchannel plate devices were performed using argon, ammonia and nitrogen gas mixtures. The effects of the different plasma-treatments on the composition of the glass surface were studied using Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). A surface depletion of rubidium and cesium due to migration into the bulk of the glass and due to sputtering/vaporization of alkali ions from the glass surface was observed after the plasma treatments. The use of N 2 and NH 3 in the plasma gas resulted in the incorporation of nitrogen into the glass surface up to a depth of ∼100 A. The effect of the plasma treatments on the water adsorptivity of actual microchannel plates was studied using Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD). The TPD results showed that the argon plasma treatments helped in improving the short-term water adsorptivity properties of the microchannel plate devices, but long-term (>6 months in air) benefits were lost.
UV screen progenitors. Thermally labile urethane derivatives of hydroxyphenylbenzotriazoles and hydroxybenzophenones

UV-curable formulations do not UV cure when hydroxybenzophenone or hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole UV screens are added to them. Reaction of these UV screens with alkyl or aryl isocyanates gives urethane derivatives in high yields. These derivatives do not impede UV cures when they are incorporated in UV-curable formulations at relatively high levels (3%–5%). After completion of the UV cure, the urethane derivatives are catalytically decomposed by heating to regenerate the corresponding UV screen within the cured coating.
Memory profiles in schizophrenia: Categorization validity and stability

Abstract Background Memory profiles corresponding to nearly normal (NN), Subcortical impairment (Sub) and Cortical impairment (Cort) have been identified in schizophrenia by several investigators using cluster analytic techniques. Specific aims of the current study were to (1) perform a K means cluster analysis using Hopkins Verbal Learning Test- R scores (2) create classification rules based upon cluster distributions and expected memory profiles and to determine their concordance with cluster analysis; (3) explore differences among classified groups on demographic, neurocognitive and social cognitive domains; and (4) determine the stability of the classifications 12 months later. Methods Clinical and neuropsychological assessments were obtained at intake and 12 months from 151 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from an urban community mental health center. Results Clusters corresponded to those of the three expected subgroups. Using simple decision rules, rationally-derived groups were created and had 90% classification agreement with cluster groups. Groups did not differ on illness characteristics. Groups differed significantly in neurocognitive and social cognitive domains with NN > Cort and NN > Sub in all domains except visual/motor speed. Sub > Cort in verbal working memory. NN > Cort in social cognition. Rationally derived groupings showed fair stability at 12 month follow-up with 65% classification agreement. Specificity was good for NN (82.4%). Discussion Results support validity of memory profiles and offer some support for their stability at 12 months. The simple rules for classification can be used by other investigators for neuroimaging and other studies. Findings support the hypothesis that verbal memory may be an important source of heterogeneity in schizophrenia.
Microstructure-mechanical property correlation of cryo rolled Zircaloy-4

Abstract The evolution of microstructure and the mechanical properties of cryo-rolled Zircaloy-4 were both investigated to understand the origin of the alloy’s strength processed at a cryogenic temperature. The correlation of dislocation density, grain size and yield stress of the rolled product indicated that an increase in dislocation density due to the suppression of dynamic recovery is the primary source of strengthening.
A Cross Cultural Investigation of Age Stereotypes and Communication Perceptions of Older and Younger Workers in the USA and Thailand

This research assesses younger worker perceptions of older and same age worker stereotypes and communication in the USA and Thailand. Results indicate that older workers are generally seen by younger workers as more uncomfortable with new technology, less flexible and more cautious on the job, and more loyal (and having fewer absences) to the organization than younger workers. As compared to younger American workers, younger Thai workers agree more with negative stereotype items that older workers make more mental mistakes, are slower to adapt to new technology, are more fearful of technology, and are less flexible at work. But they also agree more with positive stereotype items that older workers are absent less, have a better attitude toward work, and have a higher level of commitment to the organization than younger workers. In terms of their communication, younger Thai workers perceive both other younger Thai workers and older Thai workers as exhibiting more avoidant communication than their counterpa...
Program Evaluation and Policy Development Bridging the Gap

In recent years, many researchers have reported that the utilization of evaluation infor mation by public administrators has been limited This article describes a new approach for building a bridge between the evaluation and policy-marking functions in the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services The formal linkage, termed the evaluation analysis and policy development process, has important implications for the utilization of evaluation findings, as well as for the role and level of satisfaction of the career evaluator.
Bacterial and fungal infection in neonates undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: an analysis of the registry data of the extracorporeal life support organization

A review and analysis of 5,001 neonatal venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) cases showed that bacterial and fungal infection occurred in 147 (2.9%) and 26 (0.6%) patients, respectively, with an overall incidence of 3.5%. Bivariate analysis was used to compare infected infants with controls, bacterial versus fungal groups, and bacterial subgroups with respect to patient demographics, primary diagnosis, mechanical complications, patient complications, duration of the ECMO course, and hospital mortality. Logistic regression models were constructed using variables that were statistically significant from the bivariate comparisons. Variables that remained significant after multivariate analysis included primary diagnosis of pneumonia/sepsis, mechanical complications of oxygenator failure, rupture of raceway or tubing, clots, and patient complications of hypertension and hyperbilirubinemia. The infection group had significantly longer mean total hours on bypass and higher hospital mortality. Infants with fungal infection had a significantly higher hospital mortality rate compared with those with bacterial infection. We conclude that infection during ECMO, especially fungal infection, carries an increased risk of hospital mortality and that mechanical complications are associated with an increased risk of infection, Key Words: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-Nosocomial-Bacterial infection-Fungal infection-Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation outcome.
Propagation of poliovirus inmicrocarrier cultures of three monkey kidney cell lines

The microcarrier culture system was applied to the propagation of polioviruses in three established monkey kidney cell lines, Vero, LLC-MK 2 and CV-1, and the yields were compared with that obtained in roller bottle and stationary cultures. The yield of the three types of polioviruses in the various cell lines and culture systems were similar. However, the use of the microcarrier culture system for anchorage-dependent cells together with the use of continuously propagating cell lines offer great advantage for large-scale cultivation of poliovirus for the preparation of killed poliovirus vaccines.
The role of clopidogrel in the management of patients with ischemic heart disease

Antiplatelet therapy plays a pivotal role in the treatment of patients across the entire spectrum of coronary artery disease. Platelets are believed to be integrally involved in both the development and progression of atherosclerotic heart disease, as well as in its acute thrombotic complications. While aspirin remains the traditional antiplatelet agent in patients with CAD, adverse vascular events continue to occur in patients on aspirin therapy. Clopidogrel is a relatively new antiplatelet agent and is currently one of the most widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of symptomatic coronary artery disease. As a member of the class of drugs known as the thienopyridines, clopidogrel irreversibly prevents platelet activation by blocking one of the three known adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) receptors on its surface. The findings of a number of seminal clinical trials have expanded the indications for the use of clopidogrel in patients with coronary artery disease. When used in conjunction with aspirin, these studies have demonstrated an incremental benefit of clopidogrel above and beyond that of aspirin alone. This article reviews the data supporting the use of clopidogrel in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease, and makes recommendations for its use based on the available evidence.
New Directions for Terrorism Research

We propose two new directions for terrorism research. One is to adopt a comparative framework, as we note that there was another wave of terrorism between 1878 and 1914 that strongly resembles today’s 1968-present wave of international terrorism. The two should be compared, and at different levels of analysis from the individual terrorist incident through global spirals of terrorist waves. Second, we suggest that international terrorism is not an essentialist entity that can simply be contrasted with domestic terrorism. There is variation in degree of internationality. We propose a simple technique for measuring the different states of internationalness that transnational terrorism might take. In this regard, we analyze data on terrorist incidents between 1975 and 2004 to closely examine the unfolding of the proposed four stages in which terrorism internationalizes.
Providing adaptive QoS for Real-Time Publish-Subscribe Service in SGIOC-HQ

Publish-Subscribe Services have been widely employed in distributed Real-Time applications. However, the standard technologies and model which provide the foundation for Publish-Subscribe Services do not address issues such as fault tolerance and dependability of services. Aiming to supply this gap, this paper describes Quality of Service (QoS) policies and provides concrete strategies and methodologies to improve the implementation of dependable QoS adaptation for Real-Time Publish-Subscribe Services. This framework is responsible for increasing service availability and maintaining best performance of a service. Finally, we make an evaluation based on synthetic data flows and use this framework in a real project named Smart Grid intelligent Operation Center - HengQin (SGIOC-HQ) of GuangDong Power Grid Corporation and the proposed strategies are really effective and dependable.
The Effects of a Flattened Fundamental Frequency on Intelligibility at the Sentence Level

The purpose of this preliminary experiment was to evaluate the effect of a flattened fundamental frequency (F0) contour on sentence intelligibility. The perceptual dimension monotone pitch is frequ...
Evolution of egg dumping in a subsocial insect.

Abstract: Egg dumping, or abandonment of eggs and young to the care of other conspecifics, frees individuals from costs of maternal care while potentially imposing energetic and ecological costs on egg recipients. It is not clear, however, that egg dumping necessarily represents selfish manipulation of egg recipients, and in some ecological contexts, recipients may benefit from enlarged broods. Thus, egg dumping may either be mutually beneficial for dumpers and recipients or entail costs for dumpers that are compensated by other means, such as improving reproduction of genetically related egg recipients. Here I use field experiments to test the relative importance of manipulation (i.e., “parasitism”), mutualism, and kin selection in the evolution of egg dumping in the tingid lace bug Gargaphia solani. In support of mutualism and kin selection, I found that reproduction of egg recipient G. solani benefits from brood enlargement, most likely because eggs and gregarious nymphs find safety in greater numbers....
Nonparametric two-sample tests for dispersion differences based on placements

Two different two-sample tests for dispersion differences based on placement statistics are proposed. The means and variances of the test statistics are derived, and asymptotic normality is established for both. Variants of the proposed tests based on reversing the X and Y labels in the test statistic calculations are shown to have different small-sample properties; for both pairs of tests, one member of the pair will be resolving, the other nonresolving. The proposed tests are similar in spirit to the dispersion tests of both Mood and Hollander; comparative simulation results for these four tests are given. For small sample sizes, the powers of the proposed tests are approximately equal to the powers of the tests of both Mood and Hollander for samples from the normal, Cauchy and exponential distributions. The one-sample limiting distributions are also provided, yielding useful approximations to the exact tests when one sample is much larger than the other. A bootstrap test may alternatively be performed....
Vitamin E supplementation and respiratory effects of ozone in humans

To determine whether vitamin E (di-alpha-tocopherol) supplementation could protect against short-term respiratory responses to O3 exposure its effects were investigated in young healthy adult volunteers. Experimental groups received 800 or 1600 IU vitamin E per day for 9 or more wk, while control groups received placebo. Subjects were then exposed for 2-h periods to 0.5 ppm O3, with secondary stresses of heat and intermittent light exercise. Responses to O3 exposure, evaluated in terms of symptoms, forced expiratory performance, and single-breath nitrogen washout, were not significantly different between vitamin E and placebo groups.
Hydroxocobalamins as biologically compatible donors of nitric oxide implicated in the acceleration of wound healing

In the late 1970s, research was unfolding that implicated nitric oxide involvement in the process of vasodilation. By 1986, research culminated in the identification of nitric oxide as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor responsible for the maintenance of vascular tone, thus implicating nitric oxide as a potential wound-healing agent. Biomedical researchers involved in wound-healing research quickly embraced the utility of developing a polymeric donor of nitric oxide which would enhance the wound-healing process. Several synthetic nitric oxide donors have been developed, dubbed 'NONOates', which have achieved great success in delivering nitric oxide to wounds. However, the impact on wound healing has been ambiguous and deemed antagonistic to the immune system in some cases. The propensity for the immune system to reject 'non-self' is a major factor in evaluating the usefulness of synthetic polymeric nitric oxide donors. The necessity of natural-product nitric oxide donors is apparent when examining the complications which are possible in a synthetic delivery system. Given the affinity nitric oxide has for transition metals, and the biological availability of transition-metal-centered products in vivo, it seems logical to pursue a transition-metal nitric oxide donor which is biologically friendly. Vitamin B12a (hydroxocobalamin), a natural product, offers an ideal environment to serve as a donor of nitric oxide.
Oxaloacetate acetylhydrolase activity in virulent and hypovirulent strains of Endothia (Cryphonectria) parasitica

Abstract Extracts of three virulent strains of Endothia (Cryphonectria) parasitica and three hypovirulent strains derived from them were assayed for enzyme activities that would produce oxalate. Oxaloacetate acetylhydrolase (E.C. 3.7.1.1), the enzyme that converts oxaloacetate to oxalate and acetate, was at least four times higher in extracts of the virulent strains than in extracts of the hypovirulent strains. The level of activity of this enzyme could account for the formation of all the oxalate produced by the virulent cultures. When extracts of hypovirulent strains were added to extracts of virulent strains, the measured rate was less than the sum of the two rates. The inhibition did not change when the hypovirulent extract was either dialysed or boiled. No enzyme activity for the conversion ofglycolate or glyoxylate to oxalate could be detected in any of the extracts. There was no apparent difference between the virulent and hypovirulent strains of the fungus on the basis of intracellular organic acid content except that fumarate concentration was lower in extracts of hypovirulent strains. The amounts of oxalate produced by the virulent strains when grown on solid medium with malate (an immediate precursor of oxaloacetate) and fumarate were much higher than when they were grown on solid medium with glycolate. Two of the hypovirulent strains produced no oxalate on any of the substrates. However, the hypovirulent strain which had the highest oxaloacetate acetylhydrolase activity produced oxalate cultured on malate and fumarate but none on glycolate.
BOD and COD studies of synthetic and semisynthetic cutting fluids

It is estimated that between 20 400 and 23 850 × 106 1 of spoiled cutting fluids are discarded in the U.S. each year. Most undergo some form of biological waste treatment, yet there is little information regarding the effectiveness of such treatment on these fluids. In this study, sixteen commercially available synthetic and semisynthetic cutting fluid concentrates were tested for their susceptibility to biological degradation. The BOD5S of each compound was determined as an indication of biological oxidation potential. Inocula of both sewage and river origin were used, with statistically identical results. It was found that biological utilization ranged from 0 to 31% of the total oxygen demand, as measured by COD. Studies with triazine and morpholine preservatives showed no relationship between effectiveness of preservation and degradability.