cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SIMS quantification of matrix and impurity species in AlxGa1−xN

The quantification in Al x Ga 1-x N with different AlN mole fraction (x) is challenging because of matrix effects and charging effects. For quantitative characterization of both matrix and impurity elements in Al x Ga 1-x N, a novel charge neutralization method was employed and calibration curves were created using an O 2 + primary beam with positive secondary ion detection and a Cs + primary beam with negative and MCs + secondary ion detection. Over the range of 0 < x < 0.58, the matrix ion intensity ratios of Al + /Ga + and AlCs + /GaCs + appear linear with the mole fraction ratio x/(1-x), and the ratio of AlN - /GaN - is linear with AlN mole fraction (x). The sputter rate decreases as AlN mole fraction increases, while the relative sensitivity factors (RSF's) of impurities have an exponential relationship with AlN mole fraction. These calibration curves allow the quantification of both matrix and impurity species in AlGaN with varying AlN mole fraction. The technique can be employed for impurity control, composition and growth rate determination, as well as structural analysis of the finished optoelectronic and electronic devices.
Classification of primary radar tracks using gaussian mixture models

Classification of primary surveillance radar tracks as either aircraft or non-aircraft is critical to a number of emerging applications, including airspace situational awareness and collision avoidance. Substantial research has focused on target classification of pre-processed radar surveillance data. Unfortunately, many non-aircraft tracks still pass through the clutter-reduction processing built into the aviation surveillance radars used by the Federal Aviation Administration. This paper demonstrates an approach to radar track classification that uses only post-processed position reports and does not require features that are typically only available during the pre-processing stage. Gaussian mixture models learned from recorded data are shown to perform well without the use of features that have been traditionally used for target classification, such as radar cross-section measurements.
Application of a graded choice procedure to obtain errorless learning in children.

Abstract A simultaneous, two-choice color discrimination was carried out with three groups of four- to seven-year-old children. For Groups I and II, the opportunity to respond to the incorrect stimulus was controlled (graded) over three different conditions. First, only a red light (S+) and its retractable bar were presented (16 trials for Group I and 316 trials for Group II). Second, a green light (S−) was added with its correlated bar retracted for 14 trials. Third, 40 trials were given with both stimuli on and their correlated retractable bars extended. The opportunity to respond to S− was not graded for Group III children. They experienced only the third condition applied to Groups I and II. Responses to S+ were reinforced for all three groups, while responses to S− were not. Children in the first two groups made from zero to three responses to S−, while the control children emitted 11 to 46 errors. The results demonstrate that fading in S− or presenting S− early in the training procedure are sufficient, but not necessary conditions for errorless learning.
What Improves Environmental Performance? Evidence from Mexican Industry

Strengthened enforcement raises the price of pollution and provides an incentive to reduce it. A cost-effective complement to stricter enforcement is effective environmental management and training programs within plants. Using new survey evidence, Dasgupta, Hettige, and Wheeler analyze the effects of regulation, plant-level management policies, and plant and firm characteristics on environmental performance in Mexican factories. They focus especially on management policies: the degree of effort to improve environmental performance and the type of management strategy adopted. They index effort with two variables: adoption of ISO 14000-type procedures for pollution management and use of plant personnel for environmental inspection and control. Proxies for strategic orientation are two indices of mainstreaming: assigning environmental responsibilities to general managers instead of specialized environmental managers, and providing environmental training for all plant employees, not just specialists. Detailed survey data let them test the performance impact of such factors as ownership, scale, sector, trade and other business relationships, local regulatory enforcement, local community pressure, management education and experience, and workers` general education. Their findings: Process is important. Plants that institute ISO 14000-type internal management procedures show superior environmental performance. Mainstreaming works. Environmental training for all plant personnel is more effective than developing a cadre of environmental specialists, and assigning environmental tasks to general managers is more effective than using special environmental managers. Regulatory pressure works. Plants that have experienced regulatory inspections and enforcement are significantly cleaner than those that have not. Public scrutiny promotes stronger environmental policies. Publicly traded Mexican firms are significantly cleaner than privately held firms. Size matters. Large plants in multiplant firms are much more likely to adopt policies that improve environmental performance. OECD influences do not matter. It is generally assumed that plants linked to OECD economies show superior environmental performance, but they find no evidence that OECD links-including multinational ownership, trade, management training, or management experience-affect environmental performance. New technology is not significantly cleaner. They find no evidence that plants with newer equipment perform better environmentally (once other factors are accounted for). Education promotes clean production. Plants with more highly educated workers show significantly better environmental management efforts and performance. This paper - a product of the Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the determinants of environmental performance in developing countries. The study was funded by the Bank's Research Support Budget under the research project The Economics of Industrial Pollution Control in Developing Countries (RPO 680-20).
Some factor VIII exon 14 frameshift mutations cause moderately severe haemophilia A.

Factor VIII's exon 14 codes for its B domain that includes nearly one-third of its amino acid sequence that is not necessary for function. Frameshift mutations appear to occur more frequently within exon 14 than in other exons. To assess exon 14 frameshift mutations and their clinical correlates, a series of unrelated, severe or moderately severe haemophilia A patients were screened for heteroduplex formation in amplified exon 14 fragments. In 25 families, a frameshift mutation was identified by sequencing. Occurrence of haemophilia was isolated in 18 of these families. Moderate severity was noted in at least six out of 13 families with an A insertion or deletion at one of two sequences where the frameshift resulted in a sequence of 8–10 As. Inhibitors occurred in five of the other 12 families including one with an A insertion within a sequence of six As. Recurrent insertions into an A8 (codons 1439–1441) or an A9 (codons 1191–1194) sequence or of an A deletion from the A9 sequence are common, recurrent causes of haemophilia A that may have a moderately severe phenotype.
A simulation study to compare methods for constructing confidence intervals for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) is a well accepted measure of cost-effectiveness in health sciences. Due to the complexity of a ratio of random variables, constructing an appropriate confidence interval for the ICER is challenging. Many methods have been proposed, yet systematic comparisons of these methods are rare. Also, there have been conflicting recommendations for the optimum methodology. Polsky et al. (Health Econ. 6:243–252, 1997) and Briggs et al. (Stat. Med. 18:3245–3262, 1999) have performed simulation studies comparing four and eight methods, respectively. Cook and Heyse (Stat. Med. 19:2989–3003, 2000) have proposed an angular transformation for addressing the problem of improper ordering of ICER estimates using bootstrap resampling, and compared several methods with and without the transformation. In this paper we have conducted an extensive simulation to compare the most commonly used methods as well as new methods that have not yet been evaluated in the aforementioned simulation studies. We simulated samples from a wide range of distributions, and considered the less desired scenarios when the true standardized incremental effect was near zero. The results suggest that confidence intervals based on Fieller’s method, bootstrap-percentile method, and bootstrap-standard method consistently yield reasonable coverage percentages across different sample distributions. Other methods depend heavily on sample sizes, as well as how far the standardized incremental effect is away from zero. Confidence intervals based on the transformed methods are exceptionally problematic when the standardized incremental effect is small. We have also illustrated our results with a real example.
Modified aesthetic abdominoplasty approach in perforator free-flap breast reconstruction: Impact of drain free donor site on patient outcomes.

Summary Background The use of progressive tension sutures alone has been shown to be comparable to using abdominal drains in aesthetic abdominoplasty. This study reviews outcomes with the use of barbed progressive tension suture technique without drains in DIEP donor site closure compared to standard closure with drains. Methods A two year retrospective review was conducted of DIEP flap reconstructions in the enhanced recovery program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester (USA). Donor site closure was divided into barbed progressive tension sutures (B-PTS) without drains, and standard abdominal closure with drains(S-AD). Demographics, perioperative data and donor site complications were documented. Results 93 patients were included in the study, 42 in the B-PTS no drain group and 51 in the S-AD with drains. 81% of all procedures were bilateral and 39% were immediate. Patients were discharged faster to the ward postoperatively and total hospital admission was reduced in the B-PTS group, 3.7 (SD = 1.4) days versus 4.7 (SD = 2.1) days in the standard group (P = 0 Conclusions Use of barbed progressive tension sutures for abdominal closure after DIEP flap harvest can obviate the need for abdominal drains, reduce postoperative pain and encourage early discharge from the hospital without an increased risk in complications. Level of evidence III.
Puberty: Maturation, Timing and Adjustment, and Sexual Identity Developmental Milestones Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth

This study examined pubertal maturation, pubertal timing and outcomes, and the relationship of puberty and sexual identity developmental milestones among 507 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. The onset of menarche and spermarche occurred at the mean ages of 12.05 and 12.46, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in perceived timing of puberty by sex compared to peers. Males were more likely to react positively to the perception that the timing of puberty was earlier than their peers. Earlier menarche was associated with increased externalizing problems, but earlier spermarche was not related to internalizing or externalizing problems. Age of spermarche was associated with the ages of sexual identity milestones in males but not in females.
The mediating role of attitude towards values advocacy ads in evaluating issue support behaviour and purchase intention

Through an experimental design, this study examines the mediating role of attitude towards values advocacy advertising sponsored by Miller and McDonald’s. Adopting hierarchy-of effects perspectives, the study examined the role of attitude towards the values advocacy advertising in evaluating purchase intention and issue support behaviour. The study results revealed that A ValuesAdvocacyAd is a mediator for predicting issue support behaviour when consumers perceive a company’s value advocacy advertising as driven by public-serving motives. Purchase intention was directly affected by perceived public-serving motives of the advertisers. Further, a new construct, self-construal, was found as an antecedent to the cognitive construct, consumers’ perceptions towards the advertisers’ intention as public-serving.
Electromechanical response of NCC-PEO composites

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has been widely studied as a solid-polymer electrolyte where both the cations and anions can move inside of it under an applied electric field. The motion of these charge carriers in the PEO results in the accumulation of ions close to the electrodes. The inherent size difference between the types of ions causes an unequal volume change between the two sides which translates to an observed mechanical bending. This is similar to electroactive polymers made from conducting polymers. Typically, PEO has a slow response. Some efforts have been given to develop PEO-based polymer blends to improve their performance. In this work, a fundamental study on the electromechanical response is conducted: the time dependence of the electromechanical response is characterized for PEO under different electric fields. Based on the results, a new methodology to monitor the electromechanical response is introduced. The method is based on the frequency dependence of the samples’ dielectric properties. To improve the electromechanical response, the PEO is embedded with piezoelectric nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). NCC is a biomass derivative that is biodegradable, renewable, and inexpensive. The dielectric, mechanical, and electromechanical properties of the NCC-PEO composites are characterized. It is found that the mechanical and electromechanical properties of the PEO are significantly improved with adding NCC. For example, the composites with 1.5 vol.% of NCC exhibit an electromechanical strain and elastic modulus that is 33.4% and 20.1% higher, respectively, than for PEO without NCC. However, the electromechanical response decreases when the NCC content is high.
A 3D analysis of Maxwell's equations for cavities of arbitrary shape

Abstract A three-dimensional analysis of cavity antennas is presented. The analysis is based on the finite difference method with a successive overrelaxation convergence scheme. This method permits the calculation of resonance frequencies and corresponding electric and magnetic fields of eigenmodes in cavity antennas with arbitrary shapes.
Quantification of unsaturated-zone alteration and cation exchange in zeolitized tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

Abstract Zeolitized horizons in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, are an important component in concepts for a high-level nuclear waste repository at this site. The use of combined quantitative X-ray diffraction and geochemical analysis allows measurement of the chemical changes that accompanied open-system zeolitization at Yucca Mountain. This approach also provides measures of the extent of chemical migration that has occurred in these horizons as a result of subsequent cation exchange. Mass-balance analysis of zeolitized horizons with extensive cation exchange (drill hole UZ-16) and with only minimal cation exchange (drill hole SD-9) shows that Al is essentially immobile. Although zeolitization occurred in an open system, the mass transfer of constituents other than water is relatively small in initial zeolitization, in contrast to the larger scales of cation exchange that can occur after zeolites have formed. Cation exchange in the clinoptilolite ± mordenite zeolitized horizons is seen in downward-diminishing concentration gradients of Ca, Mg, and Sr exchanged for Na and (to lesser extent) K. Comparison with data from drill hole SD-7, which has multiple zeolitized horizons above the water table, shows that the upper horizons accumulate Ca, Mg, and Sr to such an extent that transport of these elements to the deepest UZ zeolitized horizon can be blocked. Quantitative analysis of zeolite formation yields insight into processes that are implied from laboratory studies and modeling efforts but are otherwise unverified at the site. Such analysis also yields information not provided by or contradicted by some models of flow and transport. The results include the following: (1) evidence of effective downward flow through zeolitic horizons despite the low permeability of these horizons, (2) evidence that alkaline-earth elements accumulated by zeolites are mostly derived from eolian materials in surface soils, (3) validation of the very effective operation of unsaturated zeolitic horizons as cation-exchange barriers, (4) independent support of models that indicate average water infiltration rates of ∼5 mm/yr over the past 10 Ma, and (5) evidence that the presence or absence of cation-exchange profiles can be used to identify those portions of the site where transport through the UZ is concentrated. This last point is relevant to repository design because a knowledge of where transport takes place can be used to advantage in defining the boundaries of a repository such that high-flux portions of the site can be avoided.
Activation-induced Association of a 145-kDa Tyrosine-phosphorylated Protein with Shc and Syk in B Lymphocytes and Macrophages

Engagement of many cell surface receptors results in tyrosine phosphorylation of an overlapping set of protein substrates. Some proteins, such as the adaptor protein Shc, and a frequently observed Shc-associated protein, p145, are common substrates in a variety of receptor signaling pathways and are thus of special interest. Tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc and p145 coprecipitated with anti-Shc antibodies following B cell antigen receptor (BCR) cross-linking or interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor activation in B cells, and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment or IgG Fc receptor (Fc gamma R) cross-linking in macrophages. In the case of BCR stimulation, we have shown that this represented the formation of an inducible complex. Furthermore, in response to LPS activation or Fc gamma R cross-linking of macrophages and BCR cross-linking (but not IL-4 treatment) of B cells, we observed a similar tyrosine-phosphorylated p145 protein associated with the tyrosine kinase Syk. We did not detect any Shc associated with Syk, indicating that a trimolecular complex of Shc, Syk, and p145 was not formed in significant amounts. By several criteria, the Syk-associated p145 was very likely the same protein as the previously identified Shc-associated p145. The Syk-associated p145 and the Shc-associated p145 exhibited identical mobility by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identical patterns of induced tyrosine phosphorylation. The p145 protein that coprecipitated with either Shc or Syk bound to a GST-Shc fusion protein. In addition, a monoclonal antibody developed against Shc-associated p145 also immunoblotted the Syk-associated p145. The observations that p145 associated with both Shc and Syk proteins, in response to stimulation of a variety of receptors, suggest that it plays an important role in coordinating early signaling events.
Observation of Microtubule-Based Motor Protein Activity

It is possible to detect the presence of motor proteins that have the ability to translocate particles along microtubules. The two procedures described here were developed to detect microtubule-dependent motor protein activity in cell lysates or of purified proteins. In the first procedure, latex beads bound to the putative motor protein are assayed for their ability to translocate along microtubules in an ATP-dependent fashion. If motor protein activity is present, it will bind to the beads and translocate them unidirectionally along the microtubules. In the second procedure, motor proteins induce microtubule gliding over a glass coverslip surface that is coated with active motor protein. Because the mass of a microtubule is negligible compared to that of a coverslip or slide, the microtubule glides over the glass surface when the surface is coated with active motor protein. Also included here are descriptions of assays designed to determine the directionality of movement of microtubule-based motor proteins.
High‐Throughput Experimentation: A Powerful Enabling Technology for the Chemicals and Materials Industry

Summary: High-throughput experimentation (HTE) and combinatorial techniques have become an active area of interest for the materials and chemicals industry. These techniques could lead to faster, safer, and more efficient processes in virtually all industrial areas. This review briefly describes related aspects of the history of HTE and combinatorial methods in the materials and chemicals industry. It further describes the recent interest by the industry in this area in light of filed and granted patent applications, which represent the efforts of various industrial groups. Many aspects of hte, including material synthesis, screening, informatics, and application testing, have been addressed. A survey of these efforts suggests that such methods are recognized as a powerful enabling technology by industry and are potentially game changing. An effort has been made to keep the discussion focused on materials and techniques relevant to chemicals and materials technology, with an emphasis on polymer and synthetic organic chemistry and the analysis of related products. In-line with this effort, it has been attempted to exclude aspects mostly relevant to biological, genetic, and pharmaceutical technologies. High level of interest from high-throughput experimentation focused companies, as well as chemical companies in general, in this area of research and development.
The Discovery of Motor Cortex and its Background

In 1870 Gustav Fritsch and Edvard Hitzig showed that electrical stimulation of the cerebral cortex of a dog produced movements. This was a crucial event in the development of modern neuroscience because it was the first good experimental evidence for a) cerebral cortex involvement in motor function, b) the electrical excitability of the cortex, c) topographic representation in the brain, and d) localization of function in different regions of the cerebral cortex. This paper discusses their experiment and some developments in the previous two centuries that led to it including the ideas of Thomas Willis and Emanuel Swedenborg, the widespread interest in electricity and the localizations of function of Franz Joseph Gall, John Hughlings Jackson, and Paul Broca. We also consider the subsequent study of the motor cortex by David Ferrier and others.
SLAC MEASUREMENTS OF THE NEUTRON SPIN-STRUCTURE FUNCTION ?

Results from a measurement of the neutron spin-dependent structure functiong1n(x) over a range inx from 0.03 to 0.6 and withQ2>1 (GeV/c)2 are presented. The experiment consisted of scattering a longitudinally polarized electron beam from the Stanford Linear Accelerator off a polarized3He target and detecting scattered electrons in two magnetic spectrometers. The results are interpreted in the quark-parton model and used to test the Bjorken sum rule.
From liftoff to landing: NASA's crisis communications and resulting media coverage following the Challenger and Columbia tragedies

Abstract NASA's public relations effort following the explosion of the Challenger in 1986 is considered an example of crisis communications failure. After the Columbia disaster in 2003, NASA was praised for its successful handling of the crisis. This paper identifies how four newspapers presented NASA's crisis communication efforts following the two crises, utilizing widely accepted crisis communication concepts associated with stakeholder theory. Results showed that the print media reported that NASA followed specific communicative practices and accorded NASA more positive coverage following the Columbia disaster than the Challenger disaster.
Vegetation-environment relationships and ecological species groups of an Arizona Pinus ponderosa landscape, USA

Pinus ponderosa forests occupy numerous topographic and soil complexes across vast areas of the southwestern United States, yet few data exist on species distributions and vegetation–environment relationships for these environmentally diverse landscapes. We measured topography, soils, and vegetation on 66, 0.05-ha plots within a 110,000-ha P. ponderosa landscape in northern Arizona, USA, to discern vegetation–environment relationships on this landscape. We analyzed associations of environmental variables with plant communities and with single-species distributions, and we classified ecological species groups (co-occurring plant species exhibiting similar environmental affinities). Gradients in community composition paralleled gradients in soil texture, available water, organic C, total N, and geographic precipitation patterns. Soil parent material, affected by the presence or absence of volcanic activity, is a primary factor constraining vegetation patterns on this landscape. Using discriminant analysis, we built a model that correctly classified the most important of four grasses (Bouteloua gracilis, Muhlenbergia montana, Sporobolus interruptus, or Festuca arizonica) on 70–80% of plots based on five environmental variables related to soil moisture and resource levels. We also classified 52 of the 271 detected plant species into 18 ecological species groups. Species groups ranged from Phacelia and Bahia groups occupying xeric, volcanic cinder soils low in organic C and total N, to Festuca and Lathyrus groups characterizing moist, loam and silt loam soils. We applied the species groups by estimating P. ponderosa diameter increment in a regression tree using abundances of species groups. The most rapid P. ponderosa diameter growth of 5 mm/year occurred on plots with high importance of the Festuca and Lathyrus groups. Our results on this semi-arid landscape support several general ecological species group principles chiefly developed in temperate regions, and suggest that vegetation–environment research has great potential for enhancing our understanding of P. ponderosa forests occupying vast areas of the southwestern United States.
Supervision and Responses of Psychiatry Residents to Adverse Patient Events

Throughout training, psychiatry residents may experience adverse patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore whether residents’ perceptions of the quality of their supervision impacts their emotional reactions to adverse events. All psychiatry residents from a training program at an academic medical center who were in their PGY2–4 years, as well as those in their first year out of training, were recruited to participate. Those who self-identified as having experienced an adverse event participated in a semi-structured interview. For the purpose of the study, “adverse event” was defined as follows: patient suicide, patient homicide or homicide attempt outside the hospital, patient violence inside the hospital, life-threatening reaction to psychotropic medication, and physical assault of a resident by a patient. In this sample, 22 of the 64 residents (34 %) reported experiencing an adverse event. Of these, 21/22 (95 %) participated in the interview. Two residents reported experiencing two adverse events; the total number of adverse events analyzed was 23. For 21/23 (91 %) of these events, respondents felt that the quality of the supervision they received impacted their emotional reactions to the event. The supervisory relationship appears to play a significant role in how residents experience, and potentially learn from, adverse events; this has practical implications for educators and leaders.
Proposed New Test of Spin Effects in General Relativity

The recent discovery of a double-pulsar PSR J0737-3039A/B provides an opportunity of unequivocally observing, for the first time, spin effects in general relativity. Existing efforts involve detection of the precession of the spinning body itself. However, for a close binary system, spin effects on the orbit may also be discernible. Not only do they add to the advance of the periastron (by an amount which is small compared to the conventional contribution) but they also give rise to a precession of the orbit about the spin direction. The measurement of such an effect would also give information on the moment of inertia of pulsars.
Antibiotics for Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), namely ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), have worse outcomes with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), including increased readmissions, colectomy, and death. Oral vancomycin is recommended for the treatment of severe CDI, while metronidazole is the standard of care for nonsevere infection. We aimed to assess treatment outcomes of CDI in IBD. We conducted a retrospective observational study of inpatients with CDI and IBD from January 2006 through December 2010. CDI severity was assessed using published criteria. Outcomes included readmission for CDI within 30 days and 12 weeks, length of stay, colectomy, and death. A total of 114 patients met inclusion criteria (UC, 62; CD, 52). Thirty-day readmissions were more common among UC than CD patients (24.2% versus 9.6%; P=0.04). Same-admission colectomy occurred in 27.4% of UC patients and 0% of CD patients (P<0.01). Severe CDI was more common among UC than CD patients (32.2% versus 19.4%; P=0.12) but not statistically significant. Two patients died from CDI-associated complications (UC, 1; CD, 1). Patients with UC and nonsevere CDI had fewer readmissions and shorter lengths of stay when treated with a vancomycin-containing regimen compared to those treated with metronidazole (30-day readmissions, 31.0% versus 0% [P=0.04]; length of stay, 13.62 days versus 6.38 days [P=0.02]). Patients with UC and nonsevere CDI have fewer readmissions and shorter lengths of stay when treated with a vancomycin-containing regimen relative to those treated with metronidazole alone. Patients with ulcerative colitis and CDI should be treated with vancomycin.
Locomotor training using body weight support on a treadmill improves mobility in persons with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.

RationaleThe purpose of this protocol was to investigate the potential benefits and tolerability of locomotor training using body weight support on a treadmill (LTBWST) in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsFour persons with primarily spinal cord MS and severely impaired ambulation (Expanded Disability Status Scale score 7.0–7.5) were enrolled in LTBWST. Subjects completed an average of 40 training sessions over several months.ResultsSubjects showed improvement in muscle strength, spasticity, endurance, balance, walking speed, and quality of life at the end of the training sessions, and could tolerate training without fatigue or other adverse effects.ConclusionsLTBWST is well tolerated by persons with MS and may produce improvements in parameters related to functional mobility. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 224–231. http://msj.sagepub.com
Ultrafast dark-field interferometric microscopic reflectometry.

A new method of ultrafast dark-field correlation interferometry from reflective microscopic objects is described. A 120-fs single-shot registration is achieved with a dynamic range of >35 dB, a sensitivity of <−50 dB, and a resolution of 15 μm. To demonstrate the potential of the method, we measured the thickness of single-mode fiber cladding to be 19 μm.
Plasmonic dispersion engineering for light-emission efficiency enhancement

We propose using metallo-dielectric stacks in light-emitting devices to introduce tunable resonances in the surface-plasmon density of modes, and hence in the emission efficiency, through the anticrossing of modes from neighboring interfaces.
Personality and aggressive behavior under provoking and neutral conditions: A meta-analytic review.

The authors conducted a comprehensive review to understand the relation between personality and aggressive behavior, under provoking and nonprovoking conditions. The qualitative review revealed that some personality variables influenced aggressive behavior under both neutral and provocation conditions, whereas others influenced aggressive behavior only under provocation. Studies that assessed personality variables and that directly measured aggressive behavior were included in the quantitative review. Analyses revealed that trait aggressiveness and trait irritability influenced aggressive behavior under both provoking and neutral conditions but that other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality, dissipation-rumination) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions. The authors discuss possible relations between these patterns of aggressive behavior and the personality dimensions of Agreeableness and Neuroticism and consider implications for theories of aggression.
Intake of Toxic and Carcinogenic Volatile Organic Compounds from Secondhand Smoke in Motor Vehicles

Background: Volatile organic compounds (VOC) from tobacco smoke are associated with cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to characterize the exposure of nonsmokers to VOCs from secondhand smoke (SHS) in vehicles using mercapturic acid metabolites. Methods: Fourteen nonsmokers were individually exposed in the backseat to one hour of SHS from a smoker seated in the driver's seat who smoked three cigarettes at 20-minute intervals in a stationary car with windows opened by 10 cm. Baseline and 0- to 8-hour postexposure mercapturic acid metabolites of nine VOCs were measured in urine. Air-to-urine VOC ratios were estimated on the basis of respirable particulate matter (PM2.5) or air nicotine concentration, and lifetime excess risk (LER) of cancer death from exposure to acrylonitrile, benzene, and 1,3-butadiene was estimated for adults. Results: The greatest increase in 0- to 8-hour postexposure concentrations of mercapturic acids from baseline was MHBMA-3 (parent, 1,3-butadiene; 2.1-fold), then CNEMA (acrylonitrile; 1.7-fold), PMA (benzene; 1.6-fold), MMA (methylating agents; 1.6-fold), and HEMA (ethylene oxide; 1.3-fold). The LER of cancer death from exposure to acrylonitrile, benzene, and 1,3-butadiene in SHS for 5 hours a week ranged from 15.5 × 10−6 to 28.1 × 10−6 for adults, using air nicotine and PM2.5 to predict air VOC exposure, respectively. Conclusion: Nonsmokers have significant intake of multiple VOCs from breathing SHS in cars, corresponding to health risks that exceed the acceptable level. Impact: Smoking in cars may be associated with increased risks of cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases among nonsmokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2774–82. ©2014 AACR .
Current status of HER2 testing: Caught between a rock and a hard place

The analysis of breast cancer specimens for alterations in the HER2/neu (c-erb-B2) gene or its protein product has become common practice in surgical pathology laboratories. Although some clinicians use the information derived from these assays for assessing patient prognosis and evaluating the likelihood of response to various chemotherapeutic agents and to tamoxifen, the major clinical role of assessment of HER2 status is to help determine patient suitability for treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin), a monoclonal antibody targeted to the HER2 protein. 1,2
Biochemical basis of 4-hydroxyanisole induced cell toxicity towards B16-F0 melanoma cells

In the current work we investigated for the first time the biochemical basis of 4-hydroxyanisole (4-HA) induced toxicity in B16-F0 melanoma cells. It was found that dicoumarol, a diaphorase inhibitor, and 1-bromoheptane, a GSH depleting agent, increased 4-HA induced toxicity towards B16-F0 cells whereas dithiothreitol, a thiol containing agent, and ascorbic acid (AA), a reducing agent, largely prevented 4-HA toxicity. TEMPOL and pyrogallol, free radical scavengers, did not significantly prevent 4-HA toxicity towards B16-F0 cells. GSH>AA>NADH prevented the o-quinone formation when 4-HA was metabolized by tyrosinase/O(2). 4-HA metabolism by horseradish peroxidase/H(2)O(2) was prevented more effectively by AA than NADH>GSH. We therefore concluded that quinone formation was the major pathway for 4-HA induced toxicity in B16-F0 melanoma cells whereas free radical formation played a negligible role in the 4-HA induced toxicity.
Design, CAD and technology challenges for future processors: 3D perspectives

Technology scaling has provided the semiconductor industry a recipe to successfully meet the application demands for performance for over three decades. This computational capacity was further fueled by the success of circuit and architecture-level innovation, which provided performance improvement in each processor generation. However, future processor designs face a number of key challenges in sustaining the growth trends. The dawn of the 22nm node, and beyond, marks an era of new trends and challenges; where the cost and complexity associated with each technology node is increasing at much faster rate than the device performance gains. Novel tools and design methodologies are needed to not only compensate for these challenges but also to leverage emerging technologies to achieve the desired performance in future processor architectures. Technology alternatives such as 3D integration have attracted significant interest as an additional way of sustaining the density scaling and performance growth.3D integration provides some unique benefits for processor design, such as packaging density, interconnect bandwidth and latency, modularity, and heterogeneity. Packaging density improvement provided by 3D can be used to continue improvements in processing and storage capacity as well as enabling a gradual shift towards integrating the full system in one stack. Through-Silicon-Vias (TSVs) provide lower latency and higher bandwidth that improves interconnect-limited performance. 3D enables modular design of a variety of systems from a shared set of sub-components through functional separation of the device layers. As a result, different layers can be independently manufactured in the most cost effective ways, which can be stacked to compose a wide range of customized systems. Optimizing layer interfaces and infrastructure components, such as power delivery and clocking, can further enhance the inherent modularity advantages. 3D provides opportunities for composing future systems by integrating disparate technologies as well as different technology generations in the same stack. It can be used to incorporate a wide range of device layers including non-volatile memory layers, MEMS, FPGAs, DRAM or photonics in the same stack, easing the IO/off-chip bandwidth limitations. This provides the opportunity to enable processor architectures with new computation, storage and communication capabilities.The system-level benefits of 3D will be determined, to a significant degree, by the effectiveness of novel design methodologies that explore the new design space introduced by the vertical dimension. Design flow optimization is essential in achieving the highest performance gains as well as tackling the more prominent interdependencies among performance, power dissipation, temperatures, interconnectivity and reliability in 3D. This presentation will highlight these challenges and opportunities.
Relationship between cover of Chondrus crispus (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) and Phymatolithon (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) on friable rock substrata

Field observations in sublittoral Prince Edward Island, Canada, indicated that on a friable sandstone substratum Chondrus crispus was more commonly associated with Phymatolithon sp. than with bare rock. Thus, a substantial proportion of the population of Irish moss along the coast of Prince Edward Island occurs on this encrusting coralline. These observation may be explained on the basis of the relative stability of the substratum in contrast to other studies in which sloughing of epithallial cells by species of both Phymatolithon and Lithothamnium has been reported to limit epiphytism by fleshy macrophytes.
Effect of Small-Scale Unsteadiness on Adjoint-Based Output Sensitivity

This paper investigates the impact of small-scale unsteadiness on adjoint-based output sensitivity analysis. In particular, when iterative methods for nonlinear flows fail to converge to a steady state, we demonstrate that the resulting sensitivity analysis can be highly inaccurate even when the unsteadiness in the outputs is small. The specific example considered is the viscous, subsonic flow around an airfoil over a range of angles of attack. If a strengthened solver is used to solve the adjoint equation (even though the flow equations did not fully converge), we demonstrate that the sensitivity of the lift with respect to angle of attack can vary significantly due to linearizing about different solution iterates of the steady flow solver. Further, we compare the unsteady iterates from the time-inaccurate steady-state solver to the time-accurate solution. The unsteadiness of the time-accurate solution is markedly different from the iterate solutions of the steady-state solver. If a strengthened solver is applied to the nonlinear flow equations, steady solutions can be achieved whose lift is significantly different from the time-averaged lift of the timeaccurate simulations. Time-accurate unsteady adjoint analysis is then shown to provide accurate sensitivities for the time-averaged lift.
Implementation and evaluation of a medical informatics distance education program.

Objective: Given the need for continuing education in medical informatics for mid- career professionals, the authors aimed to implement and evaluate distance learning courses in this area. Design: The authors performed a needs assessment, content and technology planning, implemen- tation, and student evaluation. Measurements: The needs assessment and student evaluations were assessed using a combination of Likert scale and free-form questions. Results: The needs assessment indicated much interest in a medical informatics distance learning program, with electronic medical records and outcome research the subject areas of most interest. The courses were implemented by means of streaming audio plus slides for lectures and threaded discussion boards for student interaction. Students were assessed by multiple-choice tests, a term paper, and a take- home final examination. In their course evaluations, student expressed strong satisfaction with the teaching modalities, course content, and system performance. Although not assessed experimentally, the performance of distance learning students was superior to that of on-campus students. Conclusion: Medical informatics education can be successfully implemented by means of distance learning technologies, with favorable student satisfaction and demonstrated learning. A graduate certificate program is now being implemented. � J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2001;8:570-584.
Everyday Narratives on Race and Health in Brazil

In 2006, Brazil approved a groundbreaking policy aimed at reducing significant racial health inequalities among its citizens. Like health disparities programs in the United States, Brazil's policy is based on the assumptions that racial identity and racism are important health determinants and that citizens who identify as "black" suffer disproportionately from a number of health problems. How do these assumptions compare to Brazilian citizens' conceptions of racial identity and health inequalities? To address this question, I present ethnographic data from two years of fieldwork in Brazilian public clinics and low-income neighborhoods. I show that a majority of research participants made no connection between race and better or worse health. Of those who perceived health inequalities by race, most believed that white Brazilians had more health problems than black or brown Brazilians. Finally, I consider the implications of these ethnographic findings for Brazil's health disparities campaign.
Viral Persistence Alters CD8 T-Cell Immunodominance and Tissue Distribution and Results in Distinct Stages of Functional Impairment

Chronic viral infections often result in ineffective CD8 T-cell responses due to functional exhaustion or physical deletion of virus-specific T cells. However, how persisting virus impacts various CD8 T-cell effector functions and influences other aspects of CD8 T-cell dynamics, such as immunodominance and tissue distribution, remains largely unknown. Using different strains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), we compared responses to the same CD8 T-cell epitopes during acute or chronic infection. Persistent infection led to a disruption of the normal immunodominance hierarchy of CD8 T-cell responses seen following acute infection and dramatically altered the tissue distribution of LCMV-specific CD8 T cells in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. Most importantly, CD8 T-cell functional impairment occurred in a hierarchical fashion in chronically infected mice. Production of interleukin 2 and the ability to lyse target cells in vitro were the first functions compromised, followed by the ability to make tumor necrosis factor alpha, while gamma interferon production was most resistant to functional exhaustion. Antigen appeared to be the driving force for this loss of function, since a strong correlation existed between the viral load and the level of exhaustion. Further, epitopes presented at higher levels in vivo resulted in physical deletion, while those presented at lower levels induced functional exhaustion. A model is proposed in which antigen levels drive the hierarchical loss of different CD8 T-cell effector functions during chronic infection, leading to distinct stages of functional impairment and eventually to physical deletion of virus-specific T cells. These results have implications for the study of human chronic infections, where similar T-cell deletion and functional dysregulation has been observed.