cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum-dot photodetector operating at room temperatures: diffusion-limited capture

Abstract Recent investigations have shown very promising characteristics of quantum-dot far-infrared photodetectors at 150–300 K. We propose a device model for the quantum-dot photodetector operating at high temperatures, where the electron mean free path due to electron–phonon scattering is small. In this temperature range, the electron energy relaxation in a quantum dot is very fast, so that the photoelectron capture is determined by electron diffusion in the field of potential barriers surrounding the charged quantum dots. The model with diffusion-limited capture is used to evaluate the photodetector performance.
Effect of inorganic salts on hemochromogen aggregation

Abstract The absorbance and difference absorbance spectra of pyridine-hemochromogen at different concentrations showed the presence of two different types of pyridine-hemochromogens, one unstable form (compound III) at low concentration and a more stable form (compound II) at higher concentrations, suggesting that there is an interaction between hemochromogen molecules at high concentration. In the presence of inorganic salts, the unstable compound III is converted to stable compound II. The effect of various inorganic ions on the formation of compound II has been studied. The order of increasing effectiveness of the anions on compound II formation was HPO42−SO42−F−Cl−Br−NO3−SCN− and that of cation was Li+Na+K+. The results are discussed on the basis of the effect of these ions on the structure of water. It appears compound II is an aggregate of compound III and the aggregation is due to hydrophobic interaction.
Ergonomic risks in mask manufacturing and methods to combat them

A growing concern throughout the world is the increasing occurrence of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or repetitive motion injuries. Countries worldwide are struggling over the correct way to respond to the legal aspects of the problem, given the difficulty of root cause identification of the injury. The mask industry is no exception to this. Some companies may not be aware of the problem. Some companies may be aware, but not concerned. The reality is, however, that the problem exists and should not be ignored. Eventually, regulatory agencies such as OSHA, will take a position or stance on recognition of this as an injury status making it impossible to ignore. Companies who have not been proactive in the prevention of ergonomic injuries may find themselves in a crisis reactive mode that may cost them thousands of unplanned dollars. In this paper, we expand on the awareness of CTDs as a growing problem. We also share the actions that Intel is taking to address this problem. It is the authors' hope that the awareness and sharing presented in this paper will result in the sharing of experiences among the mask suppliers, so that we can all be successful in addressing this challenging issue.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dauer larva quiescence alters the circuitry of microRNA pathways regulating cell fate progression in C. elegans

In C. elegans larvae, the execution of stage-specific developmental events is controlled by heterochronic genes, which include those encoding a set of transcription factors and the microRNAs that regulate the timing of their expression. Under adverse environmental conditions, developing larvae enter a stress-resistant, quiescent stage called ‘dauer’. Dauer larvae are characterized by the arrest of all progenitor cell lineages at a stage equivalent to the end of the second larval stage (L2). If dauer larvae encounter conditions favorable for resumption of reproductive growth, they recover and complete development normally, indicating that post-dauer larvae possess mechanisms to accommodate an indefinite period of interrupted development. For cells to progress to L3 cell fate, the transcription factor Hunchback-like-1 (HBL-1) must be downregulated. Here, we describe a quiescence-induced shift in the repertoire of microRNAs that regulate HBL-1. During continuous development, HBL-1 downregulation (and consequent cell fate progression) relies chiefly on three let-7 family microRNAs, whereas after quiescence, HBL-1 is downregulated primarily by the lin-4 microRNA in combination with an altered set of let-7 family microRNAs. We propose that this shift in microRNA regulation of HBL-1 expression involves an enhancement of the activity of lin-4 and let-7 microRNAs by miRISC modulatory proteins, including NHL-2 and LIN-46. These results illustrate how the employment of alternative genetic regulatory pathways can provide for the robust progression of progenitor cell fates in the face of temporary developmental quiescence.
Taxonomy of the European Hydra (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa): a re-examination of its history with emphasis on the species H. vulgaris Pallas, H. attenuata Pallas and H. circumcincta Schulze

The name Hydra attenuata Pallas is currently applied to the wrong animal. The common brown polyp, which is widely called H. attenuata, was described by Pallas (1766) as Hydra vulgaris. The name H. attenuata Pallas originally referred to an uncommon pale polyp, currently known as H. circumcincta Schulze. The history of this confusion is analysed here. The taxonomy of hydra was in disarray during the 18th and 19th centuries, and was clarified in 1917 with the monograph of Schulze. But Schulze misapplied the name for the common hydra, H. vulgaris, to an unusual form and thus was led to assign the name of a rare hydra, H. attenuata, to the common type. Schulze redescribed the rare, pale hydra that Pallas had named H. attenuata as H. circumcincta. The correct name of the common European brown, stalkless hydra is thus H. vulgaris Pallas, 1766. The name H. attenuata has priority for the uncommon pale hydra, but because of disuse of this application of the name, the pale hydra should be recognized by the current, generally accepted binominal H. circumcincta Schulze, 1914.
Effect of Surface Condition on the Formation of Solid Lubricating Films at High Temperatures

Solid films were produced on active metal or ceramic surfaces using lubricants (such as tricresyl phosphate) delivered as a vapor at high temperatures, and the lubricity of these deposits under different dynamic wear conditions was investigated. A method is described for chemically activating ceramic surfaces resulting in a surface that could promote the formation of lubricating polymeric derivative of TCP. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the wear characteristics of unlubricated cast iron and of Sialon ceramic at 25 and 280 C, and lubricated with a vapor of TCP at 280 C. It is shown that continuous vapor phase lubrication of chemically treated Sialon reduced its coefficient of friction from 0.7 to less than 0.1.
Effects of Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Juice on Lipid Oxidation During Spray Drying of Microencapsulated Menhaden Oil

This study investigated the effect of blueberry juice on menhaden oil lipid oxidation during microencapsulation. Oil in water emulsions containing menhaden oil with 0, 5, or 10% blueberry juice were spray dried to produce control-M, 5% BJ-M, and 10% BJ-M microencapsulated powders, respectively. All microencapsulated powders had similar encapsulation efficiencies with low surface oil content. Peroxide value (meq/kg of oil) was 4.50, 4.31, and 3.38 for control-M, 5% BJ-M and 10% BJ-M, respectively. Ten percent BJ-M had lower (P < 0.05) anisidine value, and totox values than 5% BJ-M and control-M. This indicated that 10% blueberry juice reduced lipid oxidation in menhaden oil during microencapsulation to a greater extent than the other formulations.
The X-ray transform

The k-plane integral transformations on the spaces L/sup 1/(R/sup n/) and L/sup 2/(R/sup n/) are studied. Such transformations arise naturally in electron microscopy, crystallography, biochemistry, molecular biology, aerodynamics, radio astronomy, radiography, and in various areas of pure mathematics such as partial differential equations, and integral geometry. (JFP)
Accelerated dry curing of hams.

Uncured pork legs from the right side of 18 carcasses were treated with a Ross Tenderizer and the left side were controls. All 36 samples were dry-cured for 40, 56 or 70 days and evaluated for appearance traits, cure penetration characteristics, microbial load, Kramer Shear force and taste attributes. The tenderization treatment had no effect (P > 0·05) on visual color or cure penetration rate, weight loss before curing, percentage moisture, nitrate level, nitrite level, total plate count, anaerobic counts, psychrotrophic counts, objective and subjective tenderness measurements or juiciness. However, the higher values of salt suggested a possible acceleration of the dry cure penetration process among the tenderized samples. Cure time had no effect (P > 0·05) on percentage moisture, percentage salt, nitrate content, nitrite content, shear force and juiciness. Results suggest a limited effect of the mechanical tenderization process on certain traits related to dry curing and that total process time should be at least 70 days if color stability during cooking is desired.
Fate of hexachlorocyclopentadiene in water and goldfish.

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (Hex) underwent chemical alterations in water forming both lipophilic and hydrophilic products. Its half-life in goldfish of about nine days, which was less than that of cyclodienes, was due to its rapid degradation. The lipophilic nonpolar products in fish were extremely volatile. Three days after the intraperitoneal injection of14C-Hex, the ethyl acetate-extractable radioactivity was approximately 47% while water-solubles and unextractables were 11 and 20% of the injected radioactivity, respectively. The remaining radioactivity was eliminated in the water. About 97% of the injected radioactivity was accounted for. Ethyl acetate extracts of fish included at least eight unidentified breakdown products. Water-solubles from fish and from exposure water included at least 4 and 11 unidentified products, respectively.
Genotypic analysis of cytomegalovirus retinitis poorly responsive to intravenous ganciclovir but responsive to the ganciclovir implant

Abstract Purpose To determine whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis that responded poorly to intravenous ganciclovir therapy but responded to the ganciclovir implant was caused by virus with resistance mutations in the viral UL97 and UL54 genes. Design Retrospective chart review and laboratory-based experimental study. Methods Regions of the CMV UL97 and UL54 were amplified from the vitreous and analyzed for resistant mutations by a combination of DNA sequencing and restriction digestion. Vitreous from patients with AIDS and retinal infections other than CMV retinitis served as negative controls. Results We amplified all target regions of UL97 DNA and most target regions of UL54 DNA from eight eyes with CMV retinitis. In one eye we found a ganciclovir resistance mutation at base 1781 of the UL97 gene, predicting an alanine to valine mutation at codon 594. In a second eye we found a ganciclovir resistance mutation at base 2960 of the UL54 gene, predicting an alanine to glycine mutation at codon 987. In two additional eyes, both from patients with bilateral retinitis, we found UL54 mutations that are likely to confer resistance to ganciclovir but have not been previously described. In both of these patients the UL54 genotype differed between the two diseased eyes. Conclusions Failure to control CMV retinitis with intravenous ganciclovir does not necessarily imply infection with a virus having a known mutation that confers drug resistance. The ganciclovir implant can be an effective therapy for CMV retinitis caused by virus with certain UL97 and UL54 resistance mutations. Cytomegalovirus UL54 genotypes can differ between eyes in patients with bilateral retinitis.
Vocal learning is constrained by the statistics of sensorimotor experience

The brain uses sensory feedback to correct behavioral errors. Larger errors by definition require greater corrections, and many models of learning assume that larger sensory feedback errors drive larger motor changes. However, an alternative perspective is that larger errors drive learning less effectively because such errors fall outside the range of errors normally experienced and are therefore unlikely to reflect accurate feedback. This is especially crucial in vocal control because auditory feedback can be contaminated by environmental noise or sensory processing errors. A successful control strategy must therefore rely on feedback to correct errors while disregarding aberrant auditory signals that would lead to maladaptive vocal corrections. We hypothesized that these constraints result in compensation that is greatest for smaller imposed errors and least for larger errors. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated the pitch of auditory feedback in singing Bengalese finches. We found that learning driven by larger sensory errors was both slower than that resulting from smaller errors and showed less complete compensation for the imposed error. Additionally, we found that a simple principle could account for these data: the amount of compensation was proportional to the overlap between the baseline distribution of pitch production and the distribution experienced during the shift. Correspondingly, the fraction of compensation approached zero when pitch was shifted outside of the song’s baseline pitch distribution. Our data demonstrate that sensory errors drive learning best when they fall within the range of production variability, suggesting that learning is constrained by the statistics of sensorimotor experience.
On non-Markovian forward–backward SDEs and backward stochastic PDEs

Abstract In this paper, we establish an equivalence relationship between the wellposedness of forward–backward SDEs (FBSDEs) with random coefficients and that of backward stochastic PDEs (BSPDEs). Using the notion of the “decoupling random field”, originally observed in the well-known Four Step Scheme (Ma et al., 1994 [13] ) and recently elaborated by Ma et al. (2010) [14] , we show that, under certain conditions, the FBSDE is wellposed if and only if this random field is a Sobolev solution to a degenerate quasilinear BSPDE, extending the existing non-linear Feynman–Kac formula to the random coefficient case. Some further properties of the BSPDEs, such as comparison theorem and stability, will also be discussed.
The diversity of dolichol-linked precursors to Asn-linked glycans likely results from secondary loss of sets of glycosyltransferases

The vast majority of eukaryotes (fungi, plants, animals, slime mold, and euglena) synthesize Asn-linked glycans (Alg) by means of a lipid-linked precursor dolichol-PP-GlcNAc2Man9Glc3. Knowledge of this pathway is important because defects in the glycosyltransferases (Alg1-Alg12 and others not yet identified), which make dolichol-PP-glycans, lead to numerous congenital disorders of glycosylation. Here we used bioinformatic and experimental methods to characterize Alg glycosyltransferases and dolichol-PP-glycans of diverse protists, including many human pathogens, with the following major conclusions. First, it is demonstrated that common ancestry is a useful method of predicting the Alg glycosyltransferase inventory of each eukaryote. Second, in the vast majority of cases, this inventory accurately predicts the dolichol-PP-glycans observed. Third, Alg glycosyltransferases are missing in sets from each organism (e.g., all of the glycosyltransferases that add glucose and mannose are absent from Giardia and Plasmodium). Fourth, dolichol-PP-GlcNAc2Man5 (present in Entamoeba and Trichomonas) and dolichol-PP- and N-linked GlcNAc2 (present in Giardia) have not been identified previously in wild-type organisms. Finally, the present diversity of protist and fungal dolichol-PP-linked glycans appears to result from secondary loss of glycosyltransferases from a common ancestor that contained the complete set of Alg glycosyltransferases.
Cancers and the environment: the effect of scale.

Abstract Epidemiologic and geographic research on cancer relationships has generally ignored the geographic scales at which the studies are conducted. Scales effects include the effects of the study population and level of data aggregation on the analysis. It is argued that the analysis of scale effects are critical to the interpretation of research results and to the synthesis of results obtained at different scales. The consideration of variance and its relation to scale is essential in understanding both the simple and the complex cancer relationships likely to appear in multivariate models. Examples of several scales are presented, including Wisconsin county-level data.
A Typology of School–Community Relationships Partnering and Universal Prekindergarten Policy

School–community relationships can serve many goals ranging from enhancing student achievement to community development. This article examines the relationship between school–community partnerships and community development in light of a state prekindergarten policy that requires partnering. To understand the local responses, we propose a typology using a continuum of partnering, from isolation to committed partner, and a continuum of community health, from declining to growth. Using mixed-method analysis, we apply this typology to the Universal Prekindergarten policy in New York State. The relationship among these measures illustrates the potential role of state education policy to positively or negatively affect the health of a community.
Best practices in quality management for achieving quality and innovation performance

In many business sectors today, focus on quality as a competitive tool has been replaced by a focus on innovation. Does this suggest that quality is dead? Or can quality management systems be adapted to lead to innovation performance in addition to quality performance? Research exploring the quality-innovation connection suggests that quality is necessary but insufficient in todays business environment. Thus, while quality is certainly not dead, long-term success, however, depends on firms abilities to innovate as well. Thus it is not a case of managing for quality or innovation but quality and innovation. But are these two goals complementary? Several possible tradeoffs between quality and innovation have been proposed. For example, quality management focuses on incremental improvement and satisfying existing customers, in other words doing things better. Innovation is doing things differently — emphasizing breakthrough improvement and focusing on acquiring new customers. However, researchers have found strong linkages between product quality and process innovation, but only weak connections between product quality and product innovation. This paper reports on results of recent case studies of the quality management practices of firms in the forest industry. Best practices will be reported for firms that are successfully achieving innovation goals via traditional quality tools and techniques.
A Monumental Legacy The Unique and Unheralded Contributions of John and Joyce Weir to the Human Development Field

The field of Western human development owes a huge debt to the large number of scholar-practitioners who devoted their working lives to increasing the understanding of the individual and the individual in relation to others. Many pioneers of the field are celebrated in the literature through both their own published work and the acknowledgements of other scholars and scholar-practitioners. Largely unrecognized in the literature is the work of John and Joyce Weir. The Weirs' innovative and hugely popular self-differentiation laboratories, with John's percept orientation as the theoretical framework and his and Joyce's percept language as its self-empowering reporting accompaniment, attracted more than 8,000 participants between 1964 and 2000. Their work has impacted countless personal and professional lives. In this article, attention is called to the Weirs' monumental legacy of five unique and unheralded contributions to the field of Western human development.
Pregnancy outcomes using donor sperm insemination after failed in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles in couples with complex infertility disorders.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate alternatives for couples with severe male factor infertility who fail to conceive with IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Design: Outcomes of couples using artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID) after failed IVF-ICSI, assessing multiple risk factors affecting prognosis. Setting: University infertility service. Patient(s): Nineteen patients with complex infertility disorders who failed IVF-ICSI and subsequently used AID (1 to 7 cycles). Intervention(s): Artificial insemination with donor sperm was performed 36 hours after detection of an LH surge or hCG injection. Main outcome measure(s): Pregnancy outcomes were determined. Result(s): Seventeen pregnancies occurred in 16 women associated with AID for a pregnancy rate per cycle of 27.9% within a mean of 3.2 ± 18 cycles. Live birth rate per cycle was 24.6%. Conclusion(s): A high pregnancy rate was achieved with AID in women who failed IVF-ICSI. Given the low cost and effectiveness of AID in this series, consideration of AID is a reasonable and effective option even in couples with poor prognosis who fail to conceive with IVF-ICSI.
Specification of motoneuron fate in Drosophila: Integration of positive and negative transcription factor inputs by a minimal eve enhancer

We are interested in the mechanisms that generate neuronal diversity within the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS), and in particular in the development of a single identified motoneuron called RP2. Expression of the homeodomain transcription factor Even-skipped (Eve) is required for RP2 to establish proper connectivity with its muscle target. Here we investigate the mechanisms by which eve is specifically expressed within the RP2 motoneuron lineage. Within the NB4-2 lineage, expression of eve first occurs in the precursor of RP2, called GMC4-2a. We identify a small 500 base pair eve enhancer that mediates eve expression in GMC4-2a. We show that four different transcription factors (Prospero, Huckebein, Fushi tarazu, and Pdm1) are all expressed in GMC4-2a, and are required to activate eve via this minimal enhancer, and that one transcription factor (Klumpfuss) represses eve expression via this element. All four positively acting transcription factors act independently, regulating eve but not each other. Thus, the eve enhancer integrates multiple positive and negative transcription factor inputs to restrict eve expression to a single precursor cell (GMC4-2a) and its RP2 motoneuron progeny.
Cervical cancer screening practices among older women: Results from the maryland cervical cancer case-control study

Abstract Considerable evidence shows a large proportion of older women have either never had a Pap test or have significant gaps in their history of cervical cancer screening. Differences in health care utilization patterns by age, cohort differences in use of medical subspecialities, and provider reluctance to perform cancer screening within the general medical care encounter have been suggested as reasons for underscreening. Our study conducted in 1985 documents prior health care utilization patterns of 153 cases of Maryland women with invasive cervical cancer compared with a matched control group. Analysis within three age groups showed that cases were significantly less likely to have ever had a Pap test or to receive regular Pap testing, primarily due to differences in medical care utilization patterns. Never having an obstetrician-gynecology visit, a recent (
Estimates of N2 Fixation Based on Differences in the Natural Abundance of 15N in Nodulating and Nonnodulating Isolines of Soybeans

Estimates of the contribution of biologically fixed N to the total N of nodulating soybeans (Glycine max (L) Merrill, variety Harosoy) grown under a variety of conditions were made from: (a) differences in N yield between nodulating and nonnodulating isolines; and (b) differences in 15N abundance between the two isolines. For plants grown in a greenhouse in nutrient-poor soil, both estimates showed a high level of N2 fixation; from 58 to 89% N fixed by differences in N yield and from 51 to 95% by differences in 15N abundance. Decreasing contributions of fixed N were estimated by both methods with increasing levels of added NO3−. Results of field experiments carried out over two years on an unamended highly fertile midwestern soil showed a modest level of N2 fixation by both methods (7.3 to 51% by differences in N yield, and 5.4 to 46% by differences in 15N abundance). When the soil was amended with ground corn cobs, both methods showed higher contributions of fixed N. The two methods of estimating N2 fixation gave similar results. Both appear to be semiquantitative and the standard errors of the estimates were about the same (6% on the average).
Propagation of Pinched Electron Beams for Pellet Fusion

We present results which are encouraging for a multibeam approach to relativistic-electron-beam--induced pellet fusion. A self-pinched relativistic electron beam with nominal parameters of 1.1 MV, 200 kA, and 5-mm radius has been propagated at atmospheric pressure over distances of up to 1 m. Gross beam beam stability and reasonable energy transport efficiency has been achieved. A simple Alfven-type calculation corroborates the propagation result, and a self-consistent particle simulation indicates the possibility of scaling to very high-..nu../..gamma.. beams.
Molecular dynamics simulations of lattice thermal conductivity of bismuth telluride using two-body interatomic potentials

Two-body interatomic potentials in the Morse potential form have been developed for bismuth telluride, and the potentials are used in molecular dynamics simulations to predict the thermal conductivity. The density-functional theory with local-density approximations is first used to calculate the total energies for many artificially distorted ${\text{Bi}}_{2}{\text{Te}}_{3}$ configurations to produce the energy surface. Then by fitting to this energy surface and other experimental data, the Morse potential form is parameterized. The fitted empirical interatomic potentials are shown to reproduce the elastic and phonon data well. Molecular dynamics simulations are then performed to predict the thermal conductivity of bulk ${\text{Bi}}_{2}{\text{Te}}_{3}$ at different temperatures, and the results agree with experimental data well.
In vitro mouse cytomegalovirus infection of mouse tracheal epithelial cells requires the presence of other cell types.

Summary Recently, methods have been developed to culture dissociated tracheal epithelial (TE) cells. Attempts were made to infect these epithelial cells with mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) to see if the dissociated epithelial cells share characteristics of infection with MCMV-infected tracheal organ cultures. When isolated TE cells were incubated with MCMV at multiplicities between 0.10 and 2.0, no infection or minimal infection resulted. Centrifugation of virus onto the TE cell sheets also resulted in only minimal infection. If MCMV-infected mouse embryo fibroblasts were added to cultures of TE cells, however, the TE cells subsequently became infected. TE cells could also be infected by incubating MCMV with mixed cultures of uninfected fibroblasts and TE cells. The epithelial nature of infected cells was confirmed by electron microscopy. Reconstruction experiments demonstrated that fibroblast-mediated infection of mouse TE cells with MCMV was not simply due to the large amounts of virus provided by the infected fibroblasts. It is suggested that cell-cell contact, or fusion with infected cells is required for productive infection of TE cells with MCMV.
Investigating Amorphous Metal Composite Architectures as Spacecraft Shielding

The threat of micro-meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) collisions with spacecraft and satellites has been increasing with the increasing worldwide use of low earth orbit. Providing low-areal-density shielding for the mitigation of these high velocity impacts is essential for ensuring successful and cost effective missions. Here, we report results obtained from hypervelocity impact testing on bulk metallic glass (BMG) matrix composites. Their carbide-like hardness, low melting temperatures, ultra-high strength-to-weight ratio and the ability to be processed like polymers are material attributes ideally suited for spacecraft shielding, particularly as an outer wall bumper shield.
Climate change: many ways to beat the heat for reef corals.

Summary Reef-building corals are vulnerable to heat stress and are facing widespread losses due to climate change. A new study shows that coral heat tolerance can result from selection on a suite of genes to maintain genetic flexibility.
New insights into cyclins, CDKs, and cell cycle control

Since their initial discovery in yeast, cyclin-dependent kinases have proven to be universal regulators of the cell cycle in all eukaryotes. In unicellular eukaryotes, cell cycle progression is principally governed by one catalytic subunit (cyclin-dependent kinase) that pairs with cell cycle-specific regulatory subunits known as cyclins. Progression through a specific phase of the cell cycle is under the control of a specific class of cyclin. Cell cycle control in multicellular eukaryotes has an additional layer of complexity, as multiple CDKs and cyclins are required. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the area of cyclins and CDKs, with emphasis on the role of the mammalian proteins in cell cycle control at the cellular and at the organismal level. Many recent surprises have come to light recently as a result of genetic manipulation of cells and mice, and these findings suggest that our understanding of the intricacies of the cell cycle is still rudimentary at best.
Numerical and physical modeling of bluff body flow and dispersion in urban street canyons

Abstract To develop reliable computer models for the bluff body flow and transport of pollutants or chemical and biological (CB) agents in urban environments requires accurate measurements of the basic flow fields for carefully controlled, well-known conditions. Fluid modeling in an industrial wind tunnel provides an opportunity to produce accurate simulations of the bluff body flow and transport of urban pollution or of CB agents associated with urban terrorism incidents. A basic building shape, the Wind Engineering Research Field Laboratory building (WERFL) at Texas Tech University, is used for this study. The urban street canyon was represented by a 1:50 scale WERFL model that was surrounded by models of similar dimensions. These buildings were arranged in various symmetric configurations with different separation distances and different numbers of surrounding building. A series of measurements is made over a generic urban street canyon arrangement using flow visualization, anemometry, pressure transducer and gas chromatography. The experimental data include visualization, velocity and turbulence intensity profiles, surface pressure on the building and dispersion of releasing gas. Results are compared to three-dimensional numerical models of the same configuration using the commercial code, FLUENT 5.3. The effects of grid resolution, boundary conditions, source placement and selection of turbulence model (kappa-epsilon, RNG kappa-epsilon, Reynolds stress, etc.) are examined in a series of sensitivity calculations.
Integrated medical feedback systems for drug delivery

Drugs are now administered at frequencies and doses based on averages optimized for large populations. Because the optimal frequency and dose for an individual differs, transiently or permanently, from that of a population's average, the dosing is necessarily suboptimal. Feedback loop-based individualized integrated medical systems, comprising an implanted sensor, battery, amplifier, processor, and actuator are now in use in cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators. Drug-delivering medical feedback loops, comprising miniature sensors and drug pumps, would individualize, and thereby improve the effectiveness and safety of drugs. Their sensor would continuously or frequently monitor the effect of the drug and adjust, through a medical control algorithm, its flow to the minimum necessary for effectiveness, reducing thereby side effects and improving the success rate of experimental drugs. The pace of integration of the drug delivering feedback loops depends on the availability of proven miniature components and of medical control algorithms. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
Enzyme logic network analyzing combinations of biochemical inputs and producing fluorescent output signals: Towards multi-signal digital biosensors

An enzyme system logically processing multiple biochemical signals and transducing the final output in the form of luminescent light emission was developed. The logic network was examined for the stable error-free biochemical information processing. The model system allowed clear distinguishing logic YES and NO output signals upon application of 16 combinations of different input signal patterns. The system represents a model of a multi-signal biosensor with logically processed biochemical signals and a fluorescent output.
Revisiting the revised master questionnaire for the psychological evaluation of bariatric surgery candidates.

This study aims to evaluate the Revised Master Questionnaire (MQR), a measure of cognitive and behavioral difficulties related to weight management, for use in bariatric surgery evaluations. The MQR’s five domains include stimulus control, hopelessness, motivation, physical attribution, and energy balance knowledge, all of which are relevant to bariatric surgery evaluation. Participants were 790 bariatric surgery candidates presenting for psychological evaluation in an urban medical center. Internal consistency reliability analyses were performed on the overall scale and subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis using principal components analysis was performed and the results compared with the original behavioral weight loss sample. Convergent validity with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Binge Eating Scale (BES) were evaluated. Differences in normative data for subgroups of the bariatric sample (by obesity category and by surgery type) were also evaluated. Alpha coefficients and mean inter-item correlations were largely acceptable and similar to the original behavioral weight loss sample. Factor analyses supported the consistency of the underlying factor structure. Convergent validity between the BDI and BES and relevant subscales was obtained. Overall, bariatric surgery candidates had significantly more adaptive scores than behavioral weight loss patients on three of the five scales; however, scores on physical attribution and energy balance knowledge were significantly lower. Candidates for gastric banding surgery had significantly more adaptive scores on all five subscales than candidates for gastric bypass surgery. The MQR evaluates important but under-assessed weight control-related constructs and has acceptable psychometric properties. Based on these findings, it is recommended for use as a component of the psychological evaluation for bariatric surgery.
Variation in pudendal nerve terminal motor latency according to disease

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were first to establish whether any difference among pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) values exists relative to diagnosis, second to determine whether left and right latencies are similar, and third to assess any correlation between age and neuropathy. Latency was elicited three times on each side, and an average latency was recorded as a result. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 1989 and April 1995, 1,026 patients (775 females and 251 males) underwent PNTML study. These patients were divided into four groups according to diagnosis: Group I, fecal incontinence; Group II, chronic constipation; Group III, idiopathic rectal pain; Group IV, rectal prolapse. Overall mean age was 61.5 (range, 6–95) years. Student'st-test was used to calculate statistical differences. Patients were then analyzed according to age and gender. Correlation was calculated with the nonparametric Mann-WhitneyUtest. RESULTS: Unilateral or bilateral prolongation of PNTML was noted in 90 patients (21.2 percent) in Group I, 80 (20.4 percent) in Group II, 22 (18.1 percent) in Group III, and 38 (42.6 percent) in Group IV. Average PNTML on the left side was 1.88 ms in Group I, 1.94 ms in Group II, 1.98 ms in Group III, and 2.12 ms in Group IV. Average PNTML on the right side was 1.85 ms in Group I, 1.94 ms in Group II, 1.99 ms in Group III, and 2.07 ms in Group IV. The only statistically significant differences in PNTML were between Groups I and IV (left,P<0.005; right, <0.05) and between females and males (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: There is no statistically significant difference between latencies of left and right pudendal nerves. Similarly, there are no statistically significant differences among patients with fecal incontinence, chronic constipation, or chronic idiopathic rectal pain. Normal latency can be expected in patients with constipation or fecal incontinence. However, patients with rectal prolapse have a more prolonged PNTML. Age is correlated with a higher incidence of pudendal neuropathy. This study reveals significant overlap among PNTML values and diagnosis.
Profiling Cumulative Proportional Reporting Ratios of Drug-Induced Liver Injury in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database

Early prediction and accurate characterization of risk for serious liver injury associated with newly marketed drugs remains an important challenge for clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry, and regulators. To date, a biomarker that specifically indicates exposure to a drug as the etiologic cause of liver injury has not been identified. Using cumulative proportional reporting ratios (PRRs), we investigated ‘real-time’ profiles of a set of pharmaceuticals, over the first 3 years of US marketing, for the signaling of clinically serious drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in a large spontaneous-reporting database. Using report counts of hepatic failure or clinically serious liver injury obtained from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) database, PRRs of adverse drug event terms were calculated by division of counts of domestic reports of these events by counts of all serious adverse events for each of 13 selected drugs associated with a broad range of hepatotoxic risk (including three linked to only rare instances of clinically apparent liver injury) with reference to all other drugs in the database. Drug-specific cumulative PRRs were measured at successive intervals (calendar quarters) using cumulative tallies of FAERS reports to generate time-based profiles over the initial 3 years of US marketing. In the set of drugs analyzed, those with no known hepatotoxic risk demonstrated time-based cumulative PRR profiles that approximate the background rates of hepatic failure and serious liver injury reported in the entire FAERS database. In contrast, those that were removed from marketing or subjected to marketing restrictions due to their potential to cause liver injury were associated with profiles of rapidly rising cumulative PRRs that were greater than 5 within the first 10 million domestic prescriptions or the first four quarters of US marketing. The systematic tracking and identification of rising PRRs for DILI associated with newly marketed pharmaceutical and biological agents is a valuable tool for identification of safety signals within the FAERS database. Disproportionality profiling of spontaneous reports in FAERS (e.g., cumulative PRR measurements), which signals an association between a recently marketed drug and liver injury, is not a method to quantitatively measure drug-related risk. Regulatory actions in response to emerging drug safety concerns often depend on an accurate assessment of risks using multiple sources of data and the consideration of overall benefits and risks of the agent. Causality must be determined through analysis of individual cases to exclude other etiologies of liver injury. The FAERS database can be used to advance empiric hepatotoxicity time-trending reporting levels for newly marketed agents in order to rapidly identify recently launched potential hepatotoxic agents and initiate further evaluation.
TiO2-photocatalyzed As(III) oxidation in a fixed-bed, flow-through reactor.

Compliance with the U.S. drinking water standard for arsenic (As) of 10 μg L^(-1) is required in January 2006. This will necessitate implementation of treatment technologies for As removal by thousands of water suppliers. Although a variety of such technologies is available, most require preoxidation of As(III) to As(V) for efficient performance. Previous batch studies with illuminated TiO_2 slurries have demonstrated that TiO_2-photocatalyzed As(III) oxidation occurs rapidly. This study examined reaction efficiency in a flow-through, fixed-bed reactor that provides a better model for treatment in practice. Glass beads were coated with mixed P25/sol gel TiO_2 and employed in an upflow reactor irradiated from above. The reactor residence time, influent As(III) concentration, number of TiO_2 coatings on the beads, solution matrix, and light source were varied to characterize this reaction and determine its feasibility for water treatment. Repeated usage of the same beads in multiple experiments or extended use was found to affect effluent As(V) concentrations but not the steady-state effluent As(III) concentration, which suggests that As(III) oxidation at the TiO_2 surface undergoes dynamic sorption equilibration. Catalyst poisoning was not observed either from As(V) or from competitively adsorbing anions, although the higher steady-state effluent As(III) concentrations in synthetic groundwater compared to 5 mM NaNO_3 indicated that competitive sorbates in the matrix partially hinder the reaction. A reactive transport model with rate constants proportional to incident light at each bead layer fit the experimental data well despite simplifying assumptions. TiO_2-photocatalyzed oxidation of As(III) was also effective under natural sunlight. Limitations to the efficiency of As(III) oxidation in the fixed-bed reactor were attributable to constraints of the reactor geometry, which could be overcome by improved design. The fixed-bed TiO_2 reactor offers an environmentally benign method for As(III) oxidation.
Taking chances The experience of gambling loss

This article conceives of heavy gambling loss as a phenomenon driven by situational antecedents located in the foreground of the experience itself, rather than being deeply determined by background factors like biological inclinations or psychological pathologies, as the prevalent biomedical model of pathological gambling assumes. Drawing on naturalistic accounts from first-hand observation, this analysis focuses on the internal states of players as they move through distinct stages endemic to gambling, and, specifically, gambling loss. I argue that structuring the experience in this way plays an important role in showing how ethnographic methods that attend to experiential processes and their situational dimensions enable us to reconceptualize what are seen as individual problems or, in this case, pathologies.
Stereotypes And Stereotyping: A Moral Analysis

Abstract Stereotypes are false or misleading generalizations about groups held in a manner that renders them largely, though not entirely, immune to counterevidence. In doing so, stereotypes powerfully shape the stereotyper's perception of stereotyped groups, seeing the stereotypic characteristics when they are not present, failing to see the contrary of those characteristics when they are, and generally homogenizing the group. A stereotyper associates a certain characteristic with the stereotyped group—for example Blacks with being athletic—but may do so with a form of cognitive investment in that association that does not rise to the level of a belief in the generalization that Blacks are athletic.
The essential tension between leadership and power: When leaders sacrifice group goals for the sake of self-interest.

Throughout human history, leaders have been responsible for helping groups attain important goals. Ideally, leaders use their power to steer groups toward desired outcomes. However, leaders can also use their power in the service of self-interest rather than effective leadership. Five experiments identified factors within both the person and the social context that determine whether leaders wield their power to promote group goals versus self-interest. In most cases, leaders behaved in a manner consistent with group goals. However, when their power was tenuous due to instability within the hierarchy, leaders high (but not low) in dominance motivation prioritized their own power over group goals: They withheld valuable information from the group, excluded a highly skilled group member, and prevented a proficient group member from having any influence over a group task. These self-interested actions were eliminated when the group was competing against a rival outgroup. Findings provide important insight into factors that influence the way leaders navigate the essential tension between leadership and power.
W-band InP/InGaAs/InP DHBT MMIC power amplifiers

We report W-band MMIC class A power amplifiers in InP/InGaAs/InP DHBT transferred-substrate technology. A cascode amplifier with 64 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ emitter area exhibits a peak small-signal gain of 10 dB at 90 GHz and an output power of 9.5 dBm under 1 dB gain compression. An 8.5-dB-gain common-base amplifier with an emitter area of 128 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ delivers 14 dBm output power at 85 GHz under 1 dB gain compression and 16.2 dBm (42 mW) saturated output power with an associated 4.6 dB gain. To our knowledge, this is highest reported output power for a W-band HBT power amplifier.
Lessons from exemplary colleges of education: Factors affecting technology integration in preservice programs

This study focused on efforts in four colleges of education deemed exemplary in their approaches to prepare preservice teachers to use technology. The study addressed one over-arching question: What are the important pieces of the puzzle that make up the current technology integration efforts at these exemplary sites? Data were gathered during the 1997–98 academic year. Findings suggest that there is a web of enabling factors that supports student learning opportunities and desired technology-related outcomes for preservice teachers. The informed leadership of deans and other administrative and faculty leaders appears to be especially critical to sustain and expand technology-integration efforts. Leadership issues, along with a wide range of other factors, are systematically examined across the four case studies. The authors conclude that while each of the four cases is unique, many of the recommended practices explored in this study would likely prove beneficial if employed in other settings.
Empowering Leaders in a Master's in Literacy Program: Teacher Candidates' Self-Efficacy and Self-Perception as Literacy Leaders.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the experiences in a master's in literacy program are preparing teacher candidates to be school leaders and to examine candidates' self-perc...