cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eigen energies and eigen states of conduction electrons in pure bismuth under size and magnetic field quantizations

Abstract The effect of size quantizations on the energy spectrum of electrons in bismuth thin films, oriented perpendicular to the trigonal axis, was studied. The non-parabolic ellipsoidal energy-momentum model for bismuth electrons was used. The Schrodinger equation was set up for films either in the absence or in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. The Schrodinger equation was solved to fit either the vanishing-wave-function or the vanishing-gradient boundary condition. The effect of the off-diagonal element in the effective mass tensor on the energy spectrum was demonstrated. The charge carriers would assume two-dimensional motions in ultrathin bismuth films under the application of vanishing-gradient boundary conditions.
The forest hiding problem: an illumination problem for maximal disk packings

Let Ω be a disk of radius R in the plane. A set F of closed unit disks contained in Ω forms a maximal packing if the unit disks are pairwise disjoint and the set is maximal: i.e., it is not possible to add another disk to F while maintaining the packing property. A point p is hidden within the "forest" defined by F if any ray with apex p intersects some disk of F: that is, a person standing at p can hide without being seen from outside the forest. We show that if the radius R of Ω is large enough, one can find a hidden point for any maximal packing of unit disks in Ω. This proves a conjecture of Joseph Mitchell. We also present an O(n5/2 log n)-time algorithm that, given a forest with n (not necessarily congruent) disks, computes the boundary illumination map of all disks in the forest.
Criteria for Selecting Case Studies of Leadership

Leadership instruction often makes extensive use of case studies. To be effective, the instructor needs to select cases which raise significant issues of leadership. Drawing on the work of Gardner, Rost, Burns, Roesner, and other leading scholars of leadership, a series of questions is posed to established criteria for the selection of cases.
In situ measurements of chemical distributions in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent field.

Large changes in the concentration of sulfide around a hydrothermal vent in the Galapagos Rift provide direct evidence for the consumption of sulfide by the organisms of the vent community. These changes were detected with a new chemical analyzer capable of measuring silicate, sulfide, oxygen, and temperature on the sea floor at depths of 2500 meters. More than 10,000 measurements showed systematic variations in the sulfide and oxygen concentrations due to biogenic oxidation of sulfide in the hydrothermal solutions. Silicate concentration was highly correlated with temperature, but different trends were observed at different locations.
Does Research Enhance or Inhibit Teaching? An Exploratory Study

Abstract The relationship between various types of research or scholarly activity and evaluations of teaching was investigated with respect to 67 ranked faculty members in a college of business administration. Data were collected for a 2-year period on the number and type of publications and presentations and student evaluations of teaching for each faculty member. A factor analysis revealed a distinct pattern in the nature of scholarly activity preferred by individuals. In general, the “higher status” type of research (books, refereed journal articles, national presentations) showed no relationship to teaching evaluations, but there was a modest positive relationship between teaching evaluations and “lower status” types of scholarly activity (proceedings, regional presentations, other publications).
THIA ZIP REACTION FOR SYNTHESIS OF LARGE CYCLIC PEPTIDES : MECHANISMS AND APPLICATIONS

This paper describes the mechanism and application of an efficient thia zip cyclization that involves a series of intramolecular rearrangements in a cysteine-rich peptide for the synthesis of large end-to-end cyclic peptides. Key functional groups required in this reaction include an Nα-cysteine, a thioester, and at least one internal free thiol in a peptide. The zip reaction is initiated by intramolecular transthioesterification through an internal thiol with the thioester. A thiolactone is formed under ring−chain tautomeric equilibrium that favors ring formation in aqueous buffered solution at pH > 7. Successive ring expansions through thiol−thiolactone exchanges in the direction of the amino terminus lead finally to a large Nα-amino thiolactone which then undergoes a spontaneous and irreversible ring contraction through a sequence-independent S to N acyl isomerization to form an end-to-end lactam. The reversible thiolactone exchanges are sequence-dependent, and the rate-determining steps are shown by r...
The redefinition of the situation: the social construction of spiritual healing experiences.

This paper is based on interviews with 160 persons who were participants in spiritual healing groups in Baltimore between 1981 and 1983. Survey data are used to describe how participants in spiritual healing groups presented their health problems, and how and if these problems were resolved or 'healed' over a six-month period. The majority of respondents claimed some degree of healing, associated mainly with symptom alleviation rather than cure. A process of health problem redefinition occurred among some respondents, that provided better 'fit' with outcome descriptions of healing than original problem formulations. Redefined health problems were often less serious, less medical, more chronic, and more 'emergent' than those initially defined, and respondents who redefined problems were significantly more likely to claim a healing experience. 'Psychologisation' of problems suggest that healing experiences can be conceived as socially constructed events.
Simulation-based manufacturing accounting for modern management

Abstract Conventional cost accounting fails to provide manufacturers with reliable cost information due to inability of counting the intangible cost, inaccuracy in calculating overhead, and failure in predicting lifecycle costs. Therefore, manufacturers who consider factory automation have only two choices: either resort to erroneous cost systems only to make wrong decisions, or ignore accounting numbers only to make risky decisions. This paper develops a simulation-based manufacturing accounting (SBMA) model, an updated cost model for modern manufacturing management. Unlike traditional backward and a posteriori accounting, which backtracks historical costs for product costing, SBMA is forward and a priori accounting, which actively traces in real time the dynamic cost drivers (whether tangible or intangible) and predicts lifecycle costs through computer simulation. Therefore, SBMA can make significant contributions to manufacturing performance analysis, capital expenditure analysis, and manufacturing strategy assessment. Further, SBMA can complement existing product costing methods.
COMMENTS ON THE ONERA STALL AERODYNAMIC MODEL AND ITS IMPACT ON AEROELASTIC STABILITY

The present comments address the fundamental dynamic behavior of the ONERA aerodynamic model and consider the interacting dynamics of that flow model with a simple structural model, the typical section. A classical linear flutter analysis clarifies and deepens our understanding of the change in the character of flutter from the unstalled to the stalled flow regimes. The change in modal participation, including both structural and aerodynamic eigenmodes is highlighted.
Software for scientists facing wicked problems lessons from the VISTAS project

The Visualization for Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems project (VISTAS) aims to help scientists produce effective environmental science visualizations for their own use and for use in presenting their work to a wide range of stakeholders (including other scientists, decision makers, and the public). The need for better visualization tools for environmental science is well-documented, but little prior work has been done to determine what kinds of visualizations work and with whom. The VISTAS research and development project has applied social science methods to this question, and has identified issues relevant to visualization software development, particularly where the application area involves wicked problems such as climate change. This paper presents visualization problems of scientists whose presentations of scientific results might be enhanced if they and software developers were consciously aware of the nature of so-called wicked problems and the considerations of non-scientist secondary users. While VISTAS focuses on visualization software, we believe results are generalizable to software in general. The primary lesson learned from our work is that extending the scope of the domain context will likely provide scientists with software that is more effective and relevant to non-scientist stakeholders, but that doing so can be time consuming and more costly unless the nature of the underlying science problem is recognized and characterized early in the product cycle.
Contact problems involving forces and moments for incompressible linearly elastic materials

Abstract Aclass of rigid punch problems for an incompressible linearly elastic body involving forces and moments is considered by the theory of variational inequalities. After showing a proof of existence of the solution under a compatibility condition of the applied force and moment, extensive discussions about the reduced constraint of incompressibility in the finite element approximation are given. The reduced constraint is an explanation of the so-called reduced integration technique to resolve the incompressibility. Finally, the contact condition is controlled pointwise. Some justifications of the pointwise control are given by the idea of numerical integration.
Simulations of the effect of a warmer climate on atmospheric humidity

Increases in the concentration of water vapor constitute the single largest positive feedback in models of global climate warming caused by greenhouse gases. It has been suggested that sinking air in the regions surrounding deep cumulus clouds will dry the upper troposphere and eliminate or reverse the direction of water vapor feedback. This hypothesis has been tested by performing an idealized simulation of climate change with two different versions of a climate model which both incorporate drying due to subsidence of clear air but differ in their parameterization of moist convection and stratiform clouds. Despite increased drying of the upper troposphere by cumulus clouds, upper-level humidity increases in the warmer climate because of enhanced upward moisture transport by the general circulation and increased accumulation of water vapor and ice at cumulus cloud tops.
Understanding Staff Perceptions about Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase–Producing Enterobacteriaceae Control Efforts in Chicago Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals

Objective. To identify differences in organizational culture and better understand motivators to implementation of abundle intervention to control Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase–producing Enterobacteriaceae (KPC). Design. Mixed-methods study. Setting. Four long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) in Chicago. Participants. LTACH staff across 3 strata of employees (administration, midlevel management, and frontline clinical workers). Methods. Qualitative interviews or focus groups and completion of a quantitative questionnaire. Results. Eighty employees (frontline, 72.5%; midlevel, 17.5%; administration, 10%) completed surveys and participated in qualitative discussions in August 2012. Although 82.3% of respondents felt that quality improvement was a priority at their LTACH, there were statistically significant differences in organizational culture between staff strata, with administrative-level having higher organizational culture scores (ie, more favorable responses) than midlevel or frontline staff. When asked to rank the success of the KPC control program, mean response was 8.0 (95% confidence interval, 7.6–8.5), indicating a high level of agreement with the perception that the program was a success. Patient safety and personal safety were reported most often as personal motivators for intervention adherence. The most convergent theme related to prevention across groups was that proper hand hygiene is vital to prevention of KPC transmission. Conclusions. Despite differences in organizational culture across 3 strata of LTACH employees, the high degree of convergence in motivation, understanding, and beliefs related to implementation of a KPC control bundle suggests that all levels of staff may be able to align perspectives when faced with a key infection control problem and quality improvement initiative.
Magnetoplasmon-phonon coupling in a two-dimensional electron gas

We have studied the coupling of longitudinal-optical (LO) phonons in a polar semiconductor to the collective density oscillations of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a strong magnetic field. Both random-phase and time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximations for the electronic contribution to the dielectric function have been considered. The strong field plays an essential role since the magnetoplasmon resonance of the 2DEG occurs near the cyclotron frequency which, for GaAs, becomes comparable to the LO-phonon frequency at available magnetic fields. The coupling of magnetoroton modes [S. M. Girvin, A. H. MacDonald, and P. M. Platzman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 581 (1985)], which are relevant to the fractional quantum Hall effect, to LO phonons is also briefly discussed.
Robust Covariate-Adjusted Log-Rank Statistics and Corresponding Sample Size Formula for Recurrent Events Data

Recurrent events data are frequently encountered in clinical trials. This article develops robust covariate-adjusted log-rank statistics applied to recurrent events data with arbitrary numbers of events under independent censoring and the corresponding sample size formula. The proposed log-rank tests are robust with respect to different data-generating processes and are adjusted for predictive covariates. It reduces to the Kong and Slud (1997, Biometrika 84, 847-862) setting in the case of a single event. The sample size formula is derived based on the asymptotic normality of the covariate-adjusted log-rank statistics under certain local alternatives and a working model for baseline covariates in the recurrent event data context. When the effect size is small and the baseline covariates do not contain significant information about event times, it reduces to the same form as that of Schoenfeld (1983, Biometrics 39, 499-503) for cases of a single event or independent event times within a subject. We carry out simulations to study the control of type I error and the comparison of powers between several methods in finite samples. The proposed sample size formula is illustrated using data from an rhDNase study.
Fluctuation conductivity of high- T c superconductors

The leading correction to the normal-state conductivity due to superconducting fluctuations is calculated as a function of temperature, externally applied magnetic field, and internal pair breaking for anisotropic high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors.
Histochemical analysis of the ecdysterone-regulated expression of the Drosophila genes P1 and LSP-2

3H-labeled DNA probes for the ecdysterone-inducible Drosophila genes P1 and LSP-2 were hybridized in situ to RNA in sections of embryos and larvae. Intense hybridization was detected specifically in fat body cells of third-instar larvae and not in other cells of third-instar larvae nor in any cells at earlier stages. These results confirm the stringent tissue- and stage-specificity of P1 and LSP-2 expression. Hybridization of both probes occurred to virtually all the cells in the fat bodies, indicating that both genes are expressed in the same cells. Since P1 expression begins several hours later than LSP-2 expression, and appears to be induced directly by ecdysterone, this finding implies that one or more of the fat body components mediating the response to ecdysterone is gene-specific.
A Telephone-Access Biomedical Information Center

This paper examines the costs of information centers using voice-grade telephone lines to provide access to recorded messages on subjects of interest to physicians. The methods developed are applicable to the analysis of any telephone-access information system. Telephone-line rental charges constitute the major portion of costs. Sufficient lines must be available so that no more than 5 percent of peak-usage calls will be blocked; the number of lines required is obtained from queuing theory. A break-even volume of calls is calculated from the rate structure, and the appropriate mix of flat-rate and metered-rate lines determined and costed. Also examined are the sensitivities of communication costs to errors in usage estimates, variations in mean service time, and changes in the peak-hour blocking criterion. Multiple-center configurations are also investigated. Although communication costs are generally lower than for a single center, the single center has the lowest total annual operating cost, due primarily to the higher personnel costs of multiple centers. The cost advantage of a single center is accentuated if equipment-investment costs are considered.
Subcellular distribution of aromatic amino acid transaminases in rat brain.

— The subcellular distributions of tyrosine transaminase, DOPA transaminase, tryptophan transaminase and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) transaminase were studied in rat brain. 1 For all of these transaminases 60-81 per cent of the total activities were found in the crude mitochondrial fraction. Tyrosine transaminase was the most active enzyme. 2 Tyrosine transaminase and DOPA transaminase had very similar distributions in all fractions, but the distribution of tryptophan transaminase and 5-HTP transaminase differed in the microsomal (Mic) and synaptic vesicle (M2) fractions. Only 5-HTP transaminase was highly concentrated in the M2 fraction. 3 DOPA transaminase was inhibited by dopamine and 5-HT, but these compounds had no effect on 5-HTP transaminase. Both enzymes were completely inhibited by m-hydroxybenzoyloxyamine.
The Senior Executive as Organizational Stakeholder of Microcomputer Technology

For the past three decades information technology has been changing the way businesses operate, providing increased efficiency and productivity within organizations. Senior managers, as company stakeholders, play an important role in the assimilation of microcomputer technology in organizations. In this paper, the relationship between senior managers' perceptions of information technology and their use will be investigated. The paper examines senior managers' perceptions of the importance of information technology IT within the enterprise, their personal use of information technology typically microcomputers, their participation in applications development, their allocation of funds for information technology support staff, and the role of IT in their decision making. We will also consider the possibilities for the use of information technology in the future, and further, what changes can be made to ensure positive attitudes toward computer technology, and good organizational support. Our The Senior Executive as Organizational Stakeholder of Microcomputer Technology goal is to build a model which helps explain how senior managers' perceptions of IT impacts important organizational variables.
Unified, Insular, Firmly Policed, or Fractured, Porous, Contested, Gifted Education?:

Much like medieval, feudal nations, professional fields such as gifted education can take shape as centralized kingdoms with strong armies controlling their compliant populations and protecting closed borders, or as loose collections of conflict-prone principalities with borders open to invaders. Using an investigative framework borrowed from an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the social sciences and humanities, four scholars of gifted education analyzed four different analytic levels of our field (practice, research, theory, philosophy) to discern whether gifted education is unified, insular, and firmly policed, or fractured, conflict-ridden, and porous. Each disciplinary structure generates unique advantages, disadvantages, and implications for scholars and practitioners.
Robust modal identification/estimation of the Mini-Mast testbed

The Mini-Mast is a 20 meter long three-dimensional, deployable/retractable truss structure designed to imitate future trusses in space. Presented here are results from a robust (with respect to measurement noise sensitivity), time domain, modal identification technique for identifying the modal properties of the Mini-Mast structure even in the face of noisy environments. Three testing/analysis procedures are considered: sinusoidal excitation near resonant frequencies of the Mini-Mast, frequency response function averaging of several modal tests, and random input excitation with a free response period.
The effect of albendazole and triclabendazole on colchicine binding in the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica

Albendazole (ABZ) and its sulfoxide (SX) and sulfone (SO) metabolites inhibit the binding of 3H-colchicine, a ligand with high affinity for tubulin to homogenate preparations of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. The relative potency of these compounds is SX greater than ABZ greater than SO. The benzimidazoles (cambendazole, parbendazole, oxibendazole and mebendazole), when tested at a concentration of 10 microM, also inhibited colchicine binding to fluke homogenates. However, a potent new benzimidazole flukacide, triclabendazole (TCB), was without effect on colchicine binding to F. hepatica homogenates. When intact flukes were exposed in vitro to 10(-5)M SX for as little as 5 min the subsequent binding of 3H-colchicine to fluke homogenates was significantly reduced. However, flukes recovered from sheep either 12 or 24 h after treatment with ABZ did not have a decreased ability to bind colchicine, although the non-specific binding was higher in flukes from treated sheep, suggesting some interaction of drug with tubulin in vivo. ABZ, SX and SO were effective in preventing embryonation of fluke eggs at doses as low as 0.01 microM, but TCB was without effect at concentrations as high as 10 microM. The results suggest that ABZ exerts at least part of its anthelmintic effect by interaction with fluke tubulin.
Correlation between dermal interstitial immunoglobulin G and hypergammaglobulinemia.

Abstract The diffuse dermal immunofluorescence (DDIF) observed in human skin biopsies that is produced by fluorochrome-conjugated antisera reactive with human immunoglobulin G (IgG) has commonly been viewed in the past as an artifact of direct immunofluorescence microscopy. However, it has been our belief that DDIF, which has been observed in 14% of the biopsies processed in our laboratory, might represent an in vivo phenomenon of excess unbound dermal interstitial immunoglobulin G reflective of elevated serum IgG levels. To examine this hypothesis, we carried out a blinded prospective study of the frequency of DDIF in two groups of age- and sex-matched patients that differed with respect to the presence or absence of serum hypergammaglobulinemia (γ globulin > 2.5 mg/100 ml). The subjective intensity of DDIF and the fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated anti-human IgG antibody titer at which point DDIF disappeared were both compared with serum γ globulin levels. Also, the amount of IgG that could be extracted from biopsy specimens by an overnight phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) elution procedure was quantified by solid-phase immunoassay. We noted a trend of increased DDIF intensity with increasing serum y globulin levels. In addition, there was a relatively weak but significant positive correlation between DDIF endpoint titers and serum γ globulin levels (p = 0.05, r=0.429). The strongest positive statistical correlation observed in the study was between the quantities of IgG that could be eluted from skin biopsies and serum γ globulin levels (p = 0.01, r=0.599). These findings suggest that DDIF is a true biologic phenomenon reflective of elevated serum γ globulin levels and demonstrate that simple overnight elution of unbound dermal IgG can unmask the presence of disease-related, specifically-bound IgG.
An Analytic Framework for Evaluating Rolling Schedules

A rolling schedule is formed by solving a multi-period problem and implementing only the first period's decisions; one period later the multi-period model is updated and the process repeated. In this paper, we provide a general framework for analyzing rolling schedules, and we examine analytically a fundamental quadratic-cost model for the effects of such factors as the length of the planning interval, the uncertainty in forecasts, and the periodicity of demand. For the quadratic model our main result is that cost performance improves monotonically as the planning horizon is lengthened. We also find that the use of terminal conditions in the multi-period model can dramatically improve rolling schedule performance.
Trigeminal influences on entopeduncular units

Because considerable work has implicated the basal ganglia in oral-ingestive behavior, an assessment was made of the effects of trigeminal stimuli upon entopeduncular single units. Units wre recorded extracellularly in awake, paralyzed and locally anesthetized cats. The effects of two types of sensory input were tested. Afferents from periodontal mechano-receptors involved in reflex jaw opening were stimulated via electrodes in the inferior dental nerve. Afferents from stretch receptors involved in reflex jaw closure were stimulated via electrodes in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus. A significant proportion of cells responded to both types of stimulation. The data were discussed in the context of a basal ganglionic role in oropharyngeal motor processes and a more general role in movement per se.
The Paternally Inherited Insulin Gene B Allele (1,428 FokI site) Confers Protection from Insulin-dependent Diabetes in Families

Several polymorphisms of the insulin gene and its flanking regions (INS region) are in linkage disequilibrium and confer susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM). We have analysed INS AA and AB-BB genotypes at the 1,428 FokI site (3′ of the insulin gene) in 217 patients with IDDM, 402 non-diabetic first degree relatives negative for insulin (IAA) and islet cell autoantibodies (ICA), and 116 autoantibody positive (for ICA or IAA, or both) relatives of whom 39 became diabetic on follow-up. Most IDDM patients (83.4%, 181/217) had the AA genotype vs. 50% (25/50) of the controls (P<10-6). Only 16.6% (36/217) of IDDM patients carried the AB genotype and none was BB homozygous, suggesting a protective effect of the B allele. By segregation analysis of the B allele in the IDDM offspring of informative families (only one AB parent) from the United States, the maternal B allele was inherited by 19/35 (54.2%) of the IDDM offspring. In contrast, only 4/26 (15.3%) of the IDDM offspring inherited the paternal B allele (P=0.001), suggesting maternal imprinting of the INS region. Therefore, the INS B allele may be protective only when paternally inherited. Among the 39 of 116 autoantibody positive relatives who developed IDDM on follow-up, only five of them had the B allele. The frequency of the B allele in this group was much lower (12.8%, 5/39) than that observed in non-diabetic autoantibody positive relatives (32.5%, 25/77, P=0.02). By lifetable analysis, autoantibody positive relatives with the B allele showed slower and lesser progression to IDDM than those without it (Log-rank test, P=0.04). In conclusion, we find a protective effect of the paternally inherited B allele in diabetic families from the United States and in their autoantibody positive first degree relatives.
The Dominant Negative Ras Mutant, N17Ras, Can Inhibit Signaling Independently of Blocking Ras Activation

Ras plays an important role in a variety of cellular functions, including growth, differentiation, and oncogenic transformation. For instance, Ras participates in the activation of Raf, which phosphorylates and activates mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), which then phosphorylates and activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Activation of MAP kinase appears to be essential for propagating a wide variety of extracellular signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. N17Ras, a GDP-bound dominant negative mutant, is used widely as an interfering mutant to assess Ras function in vivo. Surprisingly, we observed that expression of N17Ras inhibited the activity and phosphorylation of Elk-1, a physiological substrate of MAP kinases, in response to phorbol myristate acetate. The activity and phosphorylation of the MAP kinase hemagglutinin epitope (HA)-ERK1 were not affected by N17Ras in response to the same stimulus. Additionally, expression of N17Ras, but not L61S186Ras, a GTP-bound interfering mutant, inhibited MEK-induced Elk-1 phosphorylation, suggesting that inhibition of Elk-1 may be unique to GDP-bound Ras mutants. Finally, we observed that V12Ras-induced focus formation in NIH3T3 cells is inhibited by coexpression of GDP-bound Ras mutants, such as N17, A15, and N17N69. Therefore, N17Ras and V12 Ras may be codominant with respect to Elk-1 activation and cellular transformation. These results indicate that N17Ras appears to have at least two distinguishable functions: interference with endogenous Ras activation and inhibition of Elk-1 and transfomation. Furthermore, our data imply the possibility that GDP-bound Ras, like N17Ras, may have a direct role in signal transduction.
Diversity in the early tertiary anthropoidean radiation in Africa

Between 1987 and 1991 recent field seasons in the Fayum Depression of Egypt have yielded five species and genera of primates that were earlier unknown. Three of these species and genera are described below. All these genera and species are known only from Fayum site L-41, which has been dated as of late Eocene age. In the Fayum, these 5 species from L-41 are added to 3 kinds of prosimians (1 species formally described) and 11 earlier named species of Anthropoidea. When certain undescribed species are added, the total of known Fayum primate species comes to 21, belonging to at least 10 genera, genera that, in turn, could belong to as many as seven families. This arguably represents more taxonomic diversity of primates, especially higher primates, than has been demonstrated before in one so spatially and temporally limited area. These facts argue that an important, perhaps primary, radiation of anthropoideans took place in the African Eocene.
Energy Future and International Trade

The combined production of conventional energy sources – oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear – in the United States is unlikely to increase substantially over the next 10 years. Thus, the United States must use its energy more efficiently in order to achieve its goal of maintaining satisfactory economic growth while reducing oil imports. But regardless of the U.S. picture, international trade in energy will continue to dominate the international business picture. Over the past 10 years, energy trade and resulting indirect trade effects have grown to account for about half of world trade; in turn, world trade has passed foreign direct investment in value. In the future, energy trade will be even more heavily influenced by government involvement. These trends have significance for the direction of international business research.
IMMUNOLOGIC DYSFUNCTION AMONG PBB‐EXPOSED MICHIGAN DAIRY FARMERS*

In 1973 inadvertent contamination occurred in a special farm feed supplement for lactating cows. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were used in place of magnesium oxide resulting in serious harm to farm animals, including cattle, chickens, geese, ducks. Farm families, accustomed to eating their own products, were most heavily exposed. To further study the impact of PBBs, 45 adult Michigan farm residents who were originally examined in a clinical field survey were further studied with respect to their immunologic status. For comparison, 46 dairy farm residents in Wisconsin, who had not eaten PBB-contaminated food, were examined, as were 79 healthy subjects in New York City. Abnormalities in the Michigan group included significant decrease in absolute numbers and percentages of T and B-lymphocytes and increased number of lymphocytes with no detectable surface markers ("null cells"). Significant reduction of in vitro immune function was noted in 35--40% of the Michigan farm residents who had eaten food containing PBB. Despite the absence of any apparent numerical reduction, both T and B lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes showed evidence of functional defect. Ten of the 45 Michigan farmers studied showed impaired PHA-induced blastogeneic response, due to the decreased number and percent of T-cells in the PBLs. The decreased immune function detected among the PBB-exposed farm residents tended to affect families as a unit and was independent of exposed individuals' age or sex, speaking against the possibility of genetic predisposition.
Nanoscale Thermal Transport and Microrefrigerators on a Chip

In this paper we review recent advances in nanoscale thermal and thermoelectric transport with an emphasis on the impact on integrated circuit (IC) thermal management. We will first review thermal conductivity of low-dimensional solids. Experimental results have shown that phonon surface and interface scattering can lower thermal conductivity of silicon thin films and nanowires in the sub-100-nm range by a factor of two to five. Carbon nanotubes are promising candidates as thermal vias and thermal interface materials due to their inherently high thermal conductivities of thousands of W/mK and high mechanical strength. We then concentrate on the fundamental interaction between heat and electricity, i.e., thermoelectric effects, and how nanostructures are used to modify this interaction. We will review recent experimental and theoretical results on superlattice and quantum dot thermoelectrics as well as solid-state thermionic thin-film devices with embedded metallic nanoparticles. Heat and current spreading in the three-dimensional electrode configuration, allow removal of high-power hot spots in IC chips. Several III-V and silicon heterostructure integrated thermionic (HIT) microcoolers have been fabricated and characterized. They have achieved cooling up to 7 degC at 100 degC ambient temperature with devices on the order of 50 mum in diameter. The cooling power density was also characterized using integrated thin-film heaters; values ranging from 100 to 680 W/cm2 were measured. Response time on the order of 20-40 ms has been demonstrated. Calculations show that with an improvement in material properties, hot spots tens of micrometers in diameter with heat fluxes in excess of 1000 W/cm2 could be cooled down by 20 degC-30 degC. Finally we will review some of the more exotic techniques such as thermotunneling and analyze their potential application to chip cooling
Eclipse as a platform for research on interruption management in software development

Automated tools for mediating incoming interruptions are necessary in order to balance the concentration required for software development with the need to collaborate and absorb information. At present, there is no design knowledge for building such tools for programmers. The abundant literature on the general problem of interruptions and awareness does not address the unique characteristics of software development, and the few studies which do are restricted to simplified tasks or environments. We attribute this scarcity to difficulties in conducting empirical studies in real settings, because of the need to implement appropriate research tools.Eclipse is poised as an ideal platform for such research thanks to its popularity, plug-in model, and observation hooks. This paper presents Gate-Keeper, a plug-in based framework for managing interruptions, allowing the rapid implementation of different interruption and awareness models, and their integration within actual collaboration tools. To validate our framework, we implemented a rule-based interruption management system, and integrated it with Jazz, an Eclipse-based collaboration tool.
Beta decay of odd-A nuclei in the interacting boson-fermion model

Abstract Gamow-Teller transitions in medium mass nuclei are studied within the framework of the proton-neutron interacting boson-fermion model (IBFM-2). The calculations reproduce the observed trends with mass number quite well. A quenching factor (theory/experiment) still remains but it is reduced from the value appropriate to the simple pairing model, ≈70, to ≈3.5.
Activity Coefficients of Aqueous Sodium Chloride from 15° to 50°C Measured with a Glass Electrode

Values of the mean activity coefficient of sodium chloride at 15°, 250, 380 and 50°C were determined for aqueous NaCl solutions of 0.01 to 1.0 molal from electromotive force measurements on the cell: (sodium-sensitive glass electrode, aqueous sodium chloride, silver chloride-silver).
Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama

Coal seam degasification and its efficiency are directly related to the safety of coal mining. Degasification activities in the Black Warrior basin started in the early 1980s by using vertical boreholes. Although the Blue Creek seam, which is part of the Mary Lee coal group, has been the main seam of interest for coal mining, vertical wellbores have also been completed in the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Black Creek coal groups of the Upper Pottsville formation to degasify multiple seams. Currently, the Blue Creek seam is further degasified 2-3 years in advance of mining using in-seam horizontal boreholes to ensure safe mining. The studied location in this work is located between Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties in Alabama and was degasified using 81 vertical boreholes, some of which are still active. When the current long mine expanded its operation into this area in 2009, horizontal boreholes were also drilled in advance of mining for further degasification of only the Blue Creek seam to ensure a safe and a productive operation. This paper presents an integrated study and a methodology to combine history matching results from vertical boreholes with production modeling of horizontal boreholes using geostatistical simulation to evaluate spatial effectiveness of in-seam boreholes in reducing gas-in-place (GIP). Results in this study showed that in-seam wells' boreholes had an estimated effective drainage area of 2050 acres with cumulative production of 604 MMscf methane during ~2 years of operation. With horizontal borehole production, GIP in the Blue Creek seam decreased from an average of 1.52 MMscf to 1.23 MMscf per acre. It was also shown that effective gas flow capacity, which was independently modeled using vertical borehole data, affected horizontal borehole production. GIP and effective gas flow capacity of coal seam gas were also used to predict remaining gas potential for the Blue Creek seam.
High energy physics in cosmic rays

In the first half-century of cosmic ray physics, the primary research focus was on elementary particles; the positron, pi-mesons, mu-mesons, and hyperons were discovered in cosmic rays. Much of this research was carried out at mountain elevations; Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees, Mt. Chacaltaya in Bolivia, and Mt. Evans/Echo Lake in Colorado, among other sites. In the 1960s, claims of the observation of free quarks, and satellite measurements of a significant rise in p-p cross sections, plus the delay in initiating accelerator construction programs for energies above 100 GeV, motivated the Michigan-Wisconsin group to undertake a serious cosmic ray program at Echo Lake. Subsequently, with the succession of higher energy accelerators and colliders at CERN and Fermilab, cosmic ray research has increasingly focused on cosmology and astrophysics, although some groups continue to study cosmic ray particle interactions in emulsion chambers.
The effect of different genetic properties of Salmonella typhimurium on the determination of stabilities and mutagenic concentrations of chemical carcinogens using the diffusion bioassay.

Abstract The mathematical model used to calculate half-life and mutagenic concentrations of chemical carcinogens from the diffusion bioassay does not include any terms related to the nature of the microorganism used in the assay (Awerbuch et al., 1979); Awerbuch and Sinskey, 1980). In this work we tested the model with different strains of Salmonella typhimurium. These strains are auxotrophs for histidine and are sensitive to base-pair substitution. The half-life ( τ 1 2 ) of N-methylN′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG) was calculated by the diffusion assay, using strains hisG46, TA1950, TA1535 and TA100 as the bacterial indicators. For all strains τ 1 2 equalled 2.2 h; strain sensitivity for detecting threshold mutagenic concentrations of NG was essentially the same, except that hisG46 was slightly more sensitive.
A pilot study to assess smokeless tobacco use reduction with varenicline.

Introduction: Long-term smokeless tobacco (ST) use is known to increase the risk for oropharyngeal cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Extant literature on cigarette smokers suggests that smoking reduction increases smoking abstinence among smokers not interested in quitting. Similarly, a reduction strategy may reduce ST exposure and increase ST abstinence rates among ST users not interested in quitting. Methods: We conducted a pilot study to obtain preliminary data on the use of 12 weeks of varenicline as a tobacco reduction strategy among ST users not interested in quitting. Results: We enrolled 20 male ST users with a mean age of 42.8 ± 11.7 years who used an average of 3.9 ± 1.7 cans/pouches per week for 18.6 ± 8.6 years. At end of treatment (12 weeks), 60% (12/20) of subjects reduced their ST use by ≥50% and 15% (3/20) were biochemically confirmed abstinent from tobacco. At end of study (6 months), 50% (10/20) reduced by ≥50% of baseline use and 10% (2/20) were biochemically confirmed abstinent from tobacco. Varenicline reduced ST satisfaction, reward, and craving. Among subjects able to reduce ST, all subjects reported that reduction increased motivation and confidence in being able to maintain reduction and quit. The most common side effects were sleep disturbance (25%) and nausea (15%). Discussion: Varenicline may be effective in reducing ST use and achieving ST abstinence among ST users with no plans to quit but who are interested in reducing their ST use.
In vivo analysis of bacterial biofilm formation on facial plastic bioimplants

Objectives: This study examines the formation of biofilm on biomaterials commonly used in facial plastics and reconstruction including titanium, silicone, ionbombarded silicone (Ultrasil), e-PTFE (Gore-Tex), e-PTFE with silver/chlorhexidine (Gore-Tex Plus), and PHDPE (Medpor). Methods: These biomaterials were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsum of 11 guinea pigs after contamination with Staphylococcus aureus and examined with scanning electron microscopy after 7 days. Wounds were also inspected for infection and extrusion rates. Results: Results show biofilm formation on titanium, silicone, ion-bombarded silicone, e-PTFE, and PHDPE associated with high rates of extrusion and infection. Implants of e-PTFE with silver/chlorhexidine, on the other hand, appeared resistant to biofilm formation and demonstrated significantly lower rates of extrusion and infection. Conclusions: Contamination of bioimplants in vivo leads to formation of bacterial biofilm on the surface of the biomaterial, causing infection, pus formation, and extrusion. The authors hypothesize that the antiseptic agents impregnated in the biomaterial form a protective coat of silver, chlorhexidine, and inflammatory cells that inhibits initial bacterial adhesion to the biomaterial surface. Laryngoscope, 108:1733–1738, 1998
Promoting Collaboration in Health Care Teams through Interprofessional Education: A Simulation Case Study.

This simulation study explores how the integration of interprofessional components into health care curriculum may impact professional stereotyping and collaborative behavior in care delivery teams comprised of a physician, a registered nurse, a physician’s assistant, a physical therapist, and a radiation therapist. As part of the agent-based modeling simulation, 500 students completed a curriculum with no IPE component and another 500 completed the same curriculum in which 25% of the courses being offered had IPE components embedded. The 500 students completing the non-IPE curriculum were asked to randomly form 100 health care delivery teams consisting of a member from each of the five professions examined in the study (i.e., MD, RN, PA, PT, and RT). The same was asked of the 500 students completing the IPE curriculum. The 100 teams in each group (constituting a total of 200 teams) were then asked to treat a patient over the course of a week. Findings indicate that the tendency for stereotyping was significantly lower (p<.001) for students attending curriculum containing IPE components, as compared to students attending curriculum without an IPE component. The individual and team mean scores for collaborative behavior – as represented by the number of links formed between team members throughout the seven-day period, during which the teams provided care to their patients - were significantly higher (p<.001).
20-70 MC monopole antennas on ground-based vehicles

Antenna design for ground-based vehicular application is discussed with particular emphasis on omnidirectional, vertically polarized types. Limitations of vehicle size and shape in controlling the efficiency and radiation patterns are considered. Pronounced interferences are shown to arise from the usually nonsymmetrical currents to the earth. Modifications of vehicle and antenna proved effective in reducing this interference. The radiation characteristics of vertical monopoles excited against the vehicle are shown over the frequency band.
Insurance-mandated preoperative dietary counseling does not improve outcome and increases dropout rates in patients considering gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity.

Abstract Background Preoperative dietary counseling (PDC) before bariatric surgery is mandated by a growing number of insurance payers. Their claim is that PDC improves outcomes and postoperative compliance. We compared outcomes of GBP patients undergoing a mandatory 13 weeks of PDC (n = 72) to a contemporaneous group of patients with no such requirement (no-PDC; n = 252) who underwent operation between January 2000 and December 2002. Methods The PDC and no-PDC groups were characterized by similar male:female ratios (1:4 vs 1:4.6), mean age (42 years), mean body weight (324 lb vs 309 lb), and mean body mass index (BMI) (52 kg/m 2 vs 50 kg/m 2 ). The PDC group had a higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea compared with the no-PDC group (41% vs 28%; P P Results At 1 year follow-up, the no-PDC patients had a statistically greater percentage excess weight loss (67% vs 60%; P P P Conclusions The data demonstrate that insurance-mandated PDC is an obstacle to patient access for surgical treatment of severe obesity and has no impact on weight loss outcome or postsurgical compliance. PDC should be abandoned by the insurance industry.