cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defect-selective etching of scandium nitride crystals

Abstract Defect-selective etching was developed for scandium nitride (ScN) crystals. ScN crystals were etched in fused KOH/NaOH eutectic mixtures between 180 and 440 °C for up to 10 min. Several etch pit shapes were observed, and their formation was dependent on the etching temperature. The different etch pit shapes probably originated from different crystalline orientations and defect types. Square etch pits with steps formed at screw and mixed dislocations, as verified by transmission electron microscopy. The density of the etch pits was on the order of 104–106 cm−2 for bulk ScN crystals produced by sublimation.
A review of enterprise supply chain risk management

This paper reviews enterprise risk management practices in the context of supply chains. Starting with the importance of managing supply chain risks, the paper established the benefits of managing risks using an enterprise-wise integrated approach. The rest of the paper then presents a practical framework for enterprises to manage risks in their extended supply chains.
Adeno-associated virus expression systems for gene transfer

In contrast to other gene delivery systems, adeno-associated virus vectors show long term gene expression without immune response or toxicity. New production methods have increased vector titers and eliminated adenovirus contamination, thereby facilitating effective in vivo use. These advancements will expedite additional animal model studies providing validation for use of this vector in human clinical trials.
The Novel (in Theory)

In a moment in which many critics are speaking of a new formalism, the recent appearance of three major anthologies of new and classic novel criticism bespeaks an unprecedented upsurge of interest in once-unfashionable questions of genre. And though these new books leave it unclear whether the novel is in fact a genre, they show that novel theory is: a genre defined at its core by an orientation toward totality. This essay examines the image of the canon of novel theory that emerges from Michael McKeon's Theory of the Novel: A Historical Approach and Dorothy J. Hale's, The Novel: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory, 1900–2000 before moving to a longer consideration of Franco Moretti's massive two-volume collection The Novel. The essay explores how the conclusions of the ambitious founding texts of Western novel theory (by writers like Mikhail Bakhtin and Georg Lukacs, in particular) are revisited and revised in Moretti's collection, with its vast historical reach and its collection of materials from a large number of languages. These anthologies, despite their differences, suggest that the novel (as it is portrayed in novel theory at least) remains the paradigmatic form of modernity – and that novel criticism remains a crucial critical name for the ambition to come to grips with the contours of an increasingly globalized cultural scene.
Vasectomy without complication.

Abstract In a four-year period 500 outpatient vasectomies were performed by the author. Bilateral scrotal incisions were used in all cases as were metal clips to occlude the vas deferens. Operating time rarely exceeded fifteen minutes. No failures and no sperm granulomas were encountered. Complications were rare and included a single scrotal hematoma and six minor infections. Unilateral absence of the vas deferens was noted in 2 patients. The technique to be described is a simple, complication-free method of vasectomy.[/b] The Doctor's Office Building 300 Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Genome-wide analysis of the endothelial transcriptome under short-term chronic hypoxia

We have utilized serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) to analyze the temporal response of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) to short-term chronic hypoxia at the level of transcription. Pr...
Test ultrastructure of fusulinid Foraminifera

Foraminifera are separated systematically at the subordinal and suprafamilial level on the basis of their wall ultrastructure1, yet those elements of the walls are near or at the resolution of the optical microscope2. To delineate those elements we have initiated a comprehensive study of the test ultrastructure of calcareous Foraminifera, utilising high voltage transmission electron microscopy (HVTEM) of specimens thinned by ion bombardment3,4. We find certain ultrastructural characteristics to be common both to all Foraminifera studied and to all other comparison biological carbonate: for example, organic inclusions are found within and on the boundaries between the crystals of miliolid, fusulinid and rotaliid foraminiferal tests, bivalve shells, coral skeletons and human teeth. Other characteristics are typical of a particular host mineral, but independent of phyletic affinities: for example, the size, shape and abundance of inclusions are different in aragonite crystals from calcite crystals. Still other characteristics are diagnostic of certain groups: for example, crystal sizes and shapes are definitely different for the various suborders of Foraminifera. These ultrastructural characteristics should lead to a better understanding of the relationships between groups of Foraminifera, and to a better understanding of the biological calcification process in general. But more immediately, they provide powerful criteria for the evaluation of ultrastructural modification during and after fossilisation, especially for extinct forms such as the fusulinid Foraminifera.
Linearization of Bayesian robustness problems

Abstract One way to assess the dependence of the posterior on the choice of prior is to compute bounds of posterior expectations as the prior varies over a class of priors. We show how a simple linearization technique is useful for simplifying these computations in a wide variety of problems. This technique involves converting a single, nonlinear optimization into a set of linear optimizations. Our goal is to show the breadth and simplicity of the algorithm by showing how it may be applied in many situations. It has been suggested that Bayesian robustness problems may be built up sequentially, in the sense that constraints on the prior may be added one at a time, and the bounds on the posterior expectations may be examined at each stage. We will demonstrate that the linearization algorithm makes this approach tractable. We also show that approximating each step in the linearization algorithm can lead to accurate approximations to posterior bounds.
Wiring Watkins University: Does IT Really Matter?

This case describes the â€œwiringâ€ of Watkins University (a fictional name for a real Midwestern university) between 1997 and 2003 as the university responded to competitive pressures in the higher education market. After describing the University and the competitive challenges it faced, the case takes the student into a strategy session between the organizationâ€™s CFO, CTO and Provost as they review progress on four key initiatives: Web based teaching, student laptop program, a Web based ERP implementation and a proposed â€œone cardâ€ system. Questions are raised as to acceptance of the technology, the impact of these initiatives on the organizationâ€™s strategic posture and competitiveness, IT budget planning, and future steps for the organization to take.
Role of proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway in biosynthesis of plant phenolics for functional food and environmental applications: a review

Abstract Phenolic phytochemicals from food-grade plants that are antioxidants are an important part of a healthy diet in a global population that is projected to reach 9 billion in the next 50 years. Such phytochemicals are being targeted for designing conventional foods with added health benefits and are called functional foods. These value-added foods are needed for dietary support to manage major oxidation-linked diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, cognition diseases and cancer. Plants produce phenolic metabolites during growth and developmental and stress adaptation responses. These phenolic phytochemicals can be targeted for designing functional foods and in order to design consistent food-grade phytochemical profiles for safety and clinical relevancy, novel tissue culture and bioprocessing technologies have been developed. These are based on the model that phenolic metabolites in plants are efficiently produced through an alternative mode of metabolism linking proline synthesis with the pentose phosphate pathway. Proline biosynthesis coupled to the pentose phosphate pathway stimulates the synthesis of NADPH 2 and sugar phosphates for anabolic pathways, including phenolic and antioxidant response pathways. The reducing equivalents for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation are provided by proline replacing NADH, with oxygen being the terminal electron acceptor. Using this system, techniques have been developed to isolate high phenolic clonal lines of food-grade plants from single heterozygous seeds. Applying the same model, elicitation concepts and techniques have been used to over-produce phenolic metabolites in seeds and sprouts. In both clonal and seed sprout systems, exogenous treatment of phenolic phytochemicals from a non-target species elicited endogenous stimulation of phenolic synthesis and potentially an antioxidant response. From these initial plant antioxidant response investigations, a model has been proposed in which the proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway is critical for modulating protective antioxidant response pathways in diverse biological systems, including humans. The proposed proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway model, when confirmed precisely, provides a mechanism for understanding the mode of action of phenolic phytochemicals in modulating antioxidant pathways in relation to human health. This can provide dietary and nutritional mechanisms as well as new strategies to manage the oxidation-linked diseases through improvement of host physiological response. In other environmental applications, this model can be used to screen and design plants targeted for phytoremediation of aromatic pollutants and adaptation of plants in various stressed environments, including outdoor adaptation of tissue culture and transplanted seedlings for better food production.
Abstract 804: The impact of aromatase inhibitor therapy on ER co-regulator expression and interaction

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a member of the nuclear receptor family and is currently recognized as the most defining metric in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Roughly 70% of all breast cancer patients present with ERα-positive, hormone sensitive disease, and the majority of these women are post-menopausal. Because post-menopausal women require the aromatase enzyme for estrogen synthesis, the first line of treatment for these patients is aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy. Despite the number of women whose primary disease responds positively, a significant fraction of patients fail to gain any clinical benefit due to intrinsic resistance, or eventually relapse due to acquired resistance to AI therapy. Currently, the biochemical changes underlying both intrinsic and acquired resistance to AI therapy is yet unknown; thus, resistance to AI therapy remains a significant clinical obstacle for a large fraction of breast cancer patients. Here, we investigate the impact of ERα co-regulators on intrinsic and acquired AI resistance in breast cancer. In vitro administration of testosterone to wild-type MCF-7, T47-D, or ZR75-1 cells is capable of offering a significant ERα-dependent proliferative advantage, suggesting an active role for aromatase in these cells. Interestingly, aromatase inhibitor (Anastrazole) treatment of these cells alters the expression of specific ERα co-regulators independent of ligand. Furthermore, interaction between ERα and individual co-regulators is altered after treatment with estradiol or testosterone, and is impacted by Anastrazole treatment acutely. While these findings are preliminary, further investigation is on-going and promises to provide critical insight into the contributions of ERα co-regulators to the short- and long-term response to AI-mediated estrogen deprivation, as well as establish the alterations in ERα-mediated promoter occupancy and gene regulation that contribute to intrinsic and acquired AI resistance. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 804. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-804
Formal Structure and Rational Organization Theory: A Case Study

This article is a study of a formally-constituted committee organization that was created to plan and establish a new school of nursing. It analyzes the organization's development and mode of operation. The study has a dual aim. First, the committee organization was an instrument for inter-institutional cooperation: its participants were representatives of seven organizations in a large metropolitan area, i.e., five hospitals, a nursing council, and an agency promoting regional planning for health services. Committee structures of this kind have assumed importance in contemporary affairs, for they are instruments through which decisions of far-reaching consequence are made. In view of this, understanding their nature is clearly a challenging goal for organizational analysts. However, relatively little effort has yet been devoted to the study of this type of organized enterprise. An essential need is for empirical studies that further our understanding of the forces which shape such organizations and the d...
Manual rotational testing of the vestibulo-ocular reflex.

Objectives/Hypothesis Manual whole-body and head-on-body rotational testing of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is comparable to conventional rotary chair methods with and without visual fixation from 0.025 to 1 Hz. Study Design Summary of four previously published trials from our laboratory 1–4 and a fifth prospective blinded study comparing whole-body and head-on-body rotation with rotational chair results from 0.025 to 1 Hz in 10 patients with bilateral vestibular dysfunction. Methods Subjects were fitted with standard electro-oculogram (EOG) electrodes and placed in the rotary chair for testing at 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 Hz in the dark (VOR) and in the light with a stationary target (VVOR). They were then placed in an otolaryngology examination, chair where an adjustable headband containing the velocity sensor and an opaque visor were placed on the forehead. Whole-body rotational trials from 0.025 to 1 Hz and both passive and active head-on-body trials from 0.25 to 1 Hz were performed with and without visual fixation. Data from each frequency were analyzed cycle-by-cycle and averaged for gain, phase, and asymmetry. These values were then compared to the results obtained during rotational chair testing. Results Throughout the five studies, no systematic differences were noted between the manual rotational methods and the rotary chair results. Specifically, no consistent effect of volition or cervico-ocular reflex (COR) enhancement was demonstrated. Conclusions Manual rotational testing is a reliable technique for measuring the VOR up to 1 Hz as compared with standard rotary chair methods. Advantages to this technique include portability, lower equipment costs, and potential application up to 6 Hz using head-on-body rotation.
Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Carbon‐Nanotube‐Filled Latex

Summary: Composite films were prepared from a mixture of poly(vinyl acetate) latex and SWNTs. SEM images reveal a segregated SWNT network that grows heavier with increasing concentration. Nanotube segregation is the result of excluded volume created by the much larger polymer particles in the latex. Thermal conductivity exhibits a sharp rise with increasing quantity of nanotubes, although the maximum value is only 10% greater than that of the polymer matrix due to large thermal interface resistance. Storage modulus exhibits a peak and subsequent drop due to pore formation. In the absence of porosity, the Halpin-Tsai model accurately predicts the composite modulus at 25 °C. The segregated network improves the composite modulus above Tg by nearly an order of magnitude with only 2 wt.-% SWNT. Schematic illustration of a segregated network of carbon nanotubes.
The Two-component Radio Luminosity Function of Quasi-stellar Objects: Star Formation and Active Galactic Nucleus

Despite decades of study, it remains unclear whether there are distinct radio-loud and radio-quiet populations of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). Early studies were limited by inhomogeneous QSO samples, inadequate sensitivity to probe the radio-quiet population, and degeneracy between redshift and luminosity for flux-density-limited samples. Our new 6 GHz Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) observations allow us for the first time to obtain nearly complete (97%) radio detections in a volume-limited color-selected sample of 179 QSOs more luminous than M{sub i} = -23 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release Seven in the narrow redshift range 0.2 23.5, and (3) the total number of SDSS QSOs in our volume-limited sample. We show that the RLF can be explained as a superposition of two populations, dominated by AGNs at the bright end and star formation in the QSO host galaxies at the faint end.« less
Drug Abuse and Addiction Treatment Research: The Next Generation

A GROUP of articles in this issue of theArchivesfocuses on drug abuse and addiction. Most of these articles deal with treatment in one aspect or another. In aggregate, they are a bit like a cafeteria, providing a sampling of some of the most important and difficult issues facing the field. These issues include the pervasiveness of comorbidity between mental disorders and substance abuse and the realities of polydrug use as the norm in drug abuse and addiction. Another issue addressed that has not received enough attention concerns matching treatments to the individual needs of the patient. Questions of treatment and services matching are particularly timely in the current climate, in which managed care is dominating health services provision systems and evolving rapidly. See also pages 696, 700, 706, 713, 721, 730, and 737 These articles are a part of what might be thought of as a new generation
Comparison of Pullout Strength of Resorbable Screws and Titanium Screws in Human Cadaveric Laryngeal Cartilage

Objectives: To compare the pullout strength of titanium screws and resorbable screws from human fresh-frozen cadaveric laryngeal cartilage. The importance of drill hole diameter, screw diameter, and whether the drill hole was tapped (resorbable screws only) was also determined. Study Design: Prospective. Methods: Sixteen cartilage specimens were tested after debridement of connective tissue and perichondrium. Linear pullout strength of screws was measured using a load cell. Titanium and resorbable screw sizes of 1.5 and 2.0 mm were tested using drill hole diameters of 1.1 and 1.5 mm. For the resorbable-tapped group, screw diameters of 1.5 and 2.0 mm were tapped with 1.5 and 2.0 mm taps, respectively. All tested screws were 6 mm in length. Results: We found a uniformly constant difference between the three screw types (P < .001). Post hoc analysis indicated a significant difference between the resorbable-untapped screw and both the resorbable-tapped screw and the titanium screw. We failed to find a significant difference, however, between the resorbable-tapped screw and the titanium screw. We also found a significant effect in regard to screw size (P = .0133), with post hoc analysis demonstrating the 1.1/1.5 mm combination to be inferior to the 1.1/2.0 and 1.5/2.0 mm combinations. There was no significant difference between the 1.1/2.0- and 1.5/2.0-mm combinations. Conclusions: Resorbable screws with untapped drill holes result in higher resistance to linear loads than both titanium screws and resorbable screws with tapped drill holes. The 1.1/2.0- and 1.5/2.0-mm drill/screw combinations are superior to the 1.1/1.5-mm combination when considering untapped resorbable screws.
Effects of detector nonlinearity and specimen size on the apparent thermal diffusivity of NIST 8425 graphite

With the use of a graphite thermal conductivity standard it is demonstrated that optical detector non-linearity, coupled with excessive laser pulse energies, is primarily responsible for the anomalous specimen size dependence of the thermal diffusivity measured by the laser-pulse technique. High laser pulse energies also result in an anomalous positive temperature dependence for thin specimens near room temperature, in contrast to the expected negative temperature dependence. Using moderately thick specimens and attenuated laser pulses yields excellent agreement with thermal diffusivity calculated from standard thermal conductivity data.
Regional Governance by Special District

As was described in Chap. 1, another approach is regional governance by special district. Special districts are ubiquitous in metropolitan areas. Most special districts cover small geographical areas and provide only one or two closely related functions. A few special districts cover an entire county and fewer still cover most if not all of the metropolitan area. Those that do cover an entire county or metropolitan area tend to be water or sewer districts or development and transportation authorities. Regional districts, however powerful their regional influence may be, are limited in their regional governance function to the function(s) they provide. Also, unless there is a coordinating entity, there is no overall regional direction. Districts providing limited functions tend to concentrate on their function with little concern for how their function impacts other functions or overall regional policy. An additional downside with regional governance by special districts is that building a strong political base and public involvement in these agencies is problematic, particularly if board members are not directly elected. Even with elected boards, public involvement generally is minimal because special districts normally only provide one or two functions, and they are usually maintenance-type issues that elicit little citizen interest. Therefore, special districts’ regional governance impact and potential are limited by the number and types of functions provided, regional coordination of these functions, and their ability to attract public interest and involvement.
Gulf War veterans and hemifacial microsomia.

BACKGROUND Concerns have been raised that more infants with Goldenhar syndrome were born to U.S. Gulf War veterans than expected. Goldenhar syndrome is considered a variant of the malformation hemifacial microsomia (HFM). We used data collected from a case-control study of HFM to estimate risk in relation to parental military service and, in particular, Gulf War service. METHODS Cases with HFM who were three years old or younger were identified at craniofacial clinics in 24 U.S. cities and matched to controls by age and pediatrician. The mothers of 232 cases and 832 controls were interviewed between April 1996 and November 2002 about pregnancy events and exposures, including military service before the child was born and Gulf War deployment five to 11 years before the child was born. Odds ratios were adjusted for family income, race, and body mass index in early pregnancy. RESULTS Four (1.7%) case mothers and 10 (1.2%) control mothers served in the military. Among fathers, 30 (12.9%) cases and 100 (12.0%) controls served in the military. The parents of four (1.7%) cases and 23 (2.8%) controls served in the Gulf War (multivariate adjusted odds ratio [MVOR], 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3–2.3). All four case parents with Gulf War service were in the Army compared to 9 of 23 control parents. The MVOR for parental Gulf War service in the Army was 2.8 (95% CI, 0.8–9.6). The corresponding MVOR for any parental service in the Army was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.4–4.2), based on 22 cases and 45 controls. CONCLUSIONS The risk of HFM in offspring was not associated with parental service in the Gulf War five to 11 years before birth. The odds ratio for service in the Army was independent of Gulf War service and was associated with a modest increase in risk. Our findings for service in the Army may be confounded by unmeasured lifestyle factors. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Milagro All-Sky TeV Gamma Ray Observatory

Milagro is a water Cherenkov telescope sensitive to gamma rays with energies above 100 GeV. Unlike air-Cherenkov telescopes, Milagro continuously views the entire overhead sky. This capability makes it well suited to search for transient phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts and to discover new phenomena. I will review the design and construction of Milagro, detail the sensitivity of the instrument, including a discussion of background rejection with Milagro. Recent and ongoing upgrades to the instrument are discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of some recent physics results with Milagro.
The coordination chemistry of actinides in ionic liquids: A review of experiment and simulation

Ionic liquids (ILs) have found widespread use in biochemical, electrochemical, catalytic, and synthetic applications, and have recently been applied to important areas of f-element chemistry. This review highlights the use of ILs in separation schemes for the sequestration of actinide ions (including lanthanides, where appropriate, as stand-ins for actinide ions), the solid-state chemistry of actinide complexes containing imidazolium cations, and the spectroscopy and electrochemistry of actinide cationic and anionic species. Particular emphasis is placed on the coordination environments that are present under a variety of conditions, such as acidic and basic tetrachloroaluminate melts. Also, this review touches on the recent use of computer simulations to elucidate the microscopic interactions that result in the preferential solvation of actinide ions in ILs.
Spatial extent of fragment-ion abundances in electron transfer dissociation and electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry of peptides

Earlier work from the first author's group has suggested that, in electron capture dissociation (ECD) or electron transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectrometry experiments, an electron is initially attached into a Rydberg orbital centered at one of the peptide's positive sites (likely a protonated N-terminus, Lysine, Arginine, or Histidine). Moreover, this earlier work predicted that only Rydberg orbitals having principal quantum numbers n = 3-6 are populated in ECD and only n = 3 and 4 in ETD (when an anion donor having an electron binding energy of ca. 0. 6 eV is used), and that the populations of these levels are very similar in the nascent charge-reduced peptide. Based upon these predictions, the present paper develops a framework for predicting the abundances of closed-shell c and open-shell zfragments as a function of distance along the backbone from the site initially holding the attached electron in a Rydberg orbital. The framework is not aimed at differences in branching ratios caused by differences in the physical properties of side chains along the backbone but on the spatial distances between the charged site holding the electron and the backbone amide units. The predictions of this model are tested using ECD and ETD data from derived from experiments carried out using simultaneous infrared photo-activation of the parent ions. Such activated-ion (AI) experiments are thought to disrupt much of the parent ion's secondary structure, which we believe allows us to make more reliable estimates of distances between the charged sites and the various amino acids' amide groups. The abundance patterns predicted based upon the framework described herein are found to be reasonably consistent with the experimental data. However, the data also provide evidence that internal solvation of the peptide's charged sites remains intact even under AI conditions, and that some of these solvated-ion structures (those involving a charged Lys or N-terminal amine) contribute incrementally to the abundances of fragment ions arising from cleaving nearby N C bonds. As a result, we conclude that ECD and ETD fragment ion abundances are determined by a combination of factors: (i) internal solvation of charged sites, (ii) spatial distributions or Rydberg orbitals charge densities within several residues of charged sites, and (iii) variations induced by differences in physical properties of side chains. It is primarily the first two of these three that the present paper addresses. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Probing the depths of Oliverian magmas: Implications for Paleozoic tectonics in the northeastern United States

Oliverian Magma Series gneisses (442–454 Ma) in the cores of domes in southwestern New Hampshire have an igneous mineralogy that crystallized at pressures ( P ) of 9–11 kbar and temperatures ( T ) of 650–775 °C, whereas the cover (Ammonoosuc Volcanics) has the same formation age (453 ± 2 Ma) yet is clearly extrusive. A significant crustal section, ∼30 km thick, must have originally separated the two units, a recognition that demands tectonic reinterpretation of this classic orogen. Acadian age (ca. 400 Ma) metamorphism at P ∼4–6 kbar, T ≥ 625 °C is well documented in the cover, but the absence of expected diffusional reequilibration in Oliverian garnets indicates that they never exceeded ∼550 °C after formation. Juxtaposition of the Oliverian Magma Series gneisses and their cover must have occurred after the cover had cooled below 550 °C, and was likely via either (neo-)Acadian or Alleghanian thrusting.
Corner Detection Based on Morphological Disk Element

Corner detection in image processing plays an important role in matching, representation, recognition, registration, and fusion. As one of the template based approaches, the morphological detector has been an interesting research field. But many problems are still under research, such as the element selection, high computation cost, and inaccurate representation of detected corners. In this paper, we propose a new morphological detector, which uses simple symmetric disk element in corner detection to avoid element rotation and improve the running efficiency. As a template based approach, this detector can accomplish the detection without any manual operation. Besides, different from other template based detectors, the detected corner in this approach can be represented with a pixel point, which is more accurate than area representation. The important character of this detector is the ability in estimating corner angle and orientation during the detection. These attributes of the corner have a wide applications in image processing. The performance of the new detector is tested on a set of standard images. Six other detectors are involved to provide comparative performance information. The experiment results prove the superiority of the new detector.
Efficacy of Oral Metronidazole and Potassium Sorbate Against Two Gregarine Parasites, Protomagalhaensia granulosae and Gregarina cubensis (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida), Infecting the Death's Head Cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis

Gregarines are parasites common in insects, especially in culture. No effective chemotherapeutic or chemoprophylactic control protocol exists, but sulfadimethoxine has targeted effects on sporozoites and trophozoites. Efficacies of metronidazole and potassium sorbate were independently administered in 5-d regimens to evaluate their efficacy as chemotherapeutic agents against 2 gregarine species, Gregarina cubensis and Protomagalhaensia granulosae, infecting Death's Head Cockroaches, Blaberus discoidalis. Relative to the control, metronidazole significantly reduced intensities of both G. cubensis and P. granulosae but did not significantly reduce gametocyst production. Potassium sorbate had no effect on gregarine intensities but significantly increased the rate of gametocyst production. These results eliminate potassium sorbate as a chemotherapeutic agent in this system but suggest that metronidazole has promise as a gregarine control agent in arthropod monoculture.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in preterm infants weighing ≤ 1250 g : association with perinatal data and chronic lung disease

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) was examined in 34 ventilated preterm infants weighing < or = 1250 g during the first week of life to evaluate the association between adrenal suppression and subsequent chronic lung disease. The second aim of the study was to detect perinatal and clinical differences between the infants with and without persistent suppression of the HPA after completion of dexamethasone treatment for chronic lung disease. To evaluate the HPA, the corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test was performed, and the cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. No association could be found between the synthesis of cortisol and ACTH at the end of the first week of life and the development of chronic lung disease. After treatment with dexamethasone, baseline cortisol levels < 138 nmol l(-1) were found in 12 infants (46.2%), 8 of whom (30.8%) had cortisol values below 83 nmol l(-1). The perinatal data of these patients did not differ from infants without HPA suppression. However, the infants with cortisol levels < 83 nmol l(-1) after dexamethasone showed a significantly shorter need for mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen (p < 0.01) and a lower incidence of chronic lung disease (p < 0.05).
Introducing Students to Communications Concepts Using Optical and Low-Power Wireless Devices

Wireless communication has become an important feature for commercial products and a popular research topic within the last ten years. There are now more mobile phone subscriptions than wired-line subscriptions. Lately, one area of commercial interest has been low-cost, low-power, and short-distance wireless communication used for \personal wireless networks." Technology advancements are providing smaller and more cost eective devices for integrating computational processing, wireless communication, and a host of other functionalities. These embedded communications devices will be integrated into applications ranging from homeland security to industry automation and monitoring. They will also enable custom tailored engineering solutions, creating a revolutionary way of disseminating and processing information. With new technologies and devices come new business activities, and the need for employees in these technological areas. Engineers who have knowledge of embedded systems and wireless communications will be in high demand. Unfortunately, there are few aordable environments available for development and classroom use, so students often do not learn about these technologies during handson lab exercises. The goal of a development and teaching eort was to create a low-power embedded system that could be used to teach wireless communication hardware and protocols. This paper presents the experiences of introducing board-to-board communication concepts and hardware into the classroom. The communication mediums were twisted pair, optical ber, infrared, and nally wireless radio. Also addressed are specic assessments of student skills that were needed as a prerequisite and successes based on prerequisites. A design of additional hardware is presented. Also, a future class that builds on these tools is suggested.
Seasonal Regulation of Membrane and Intracellular Corticosteroid Receptors in the House Sparrow Brain

A number of studies have demonstrated seasonal regulation of the adrenocortical response to stress, or of corticosteroid binding globulins, but very few studies have examined seasonal regulation of corticosteroid receptor levels. As a result, there have been few attempts to produce an integrated picture of seasonal plasticity of the stress response. We measured baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (CORT), corticosteroid binding globulin and neuronal cytosolic and membrane corticosteroid receptor levels in male and female, wild-caught house sparrows (Passer domesticus) during three different seasons over the annual cycle (nesting, molting and winter). We identified three neuronal corticosteroid receptors in the house sparrow brain: two intracellular receptors and one membrane-associated receptor. Little is known about corticosteroid receptors in neuronal membranes of avian and mammalian species, but we found that the levels of membrane corticosteroid receptors varied seasonally, being lowest during the nesting season. Cytosolic corticosteroid receptor numbers (both low and high affinity receptors) also varied seasonally. In contrast to the membrane bound receptors, however, the numbers of low and high affinity cytosolic receptors were lowest during winter. In addition, mean levels of total basal and stress-induced CORT in the plasma varied seasonally. Both basal and stress-induced levels of total CORT were significantly higher during nesting than during winter or molt. Finally, corticosteroid binding globulin levels in plasma were also seasonally regulated, in a pattern similar to total CORT, so that estimated free CORT levels did not vary between seasons. These data indicate that multiple components of the stress response are seasonally regulated in birds obtained from wild populations. Interactions between these regulated components provide a basis for seasonal differences in behavioural and physiological responses to stress.
Effect of site degeneracies on the spin crossovers in (Mg, Fe)SiO3 perovskite

We investigate by first principles several aspects of the spin crossover of ferrous iron (Fe 2+ ) between the high-spin (HS), intermediate-spin (IS), and low-spin (LS) states in MgSiO3 perovskite under pressure. First, we investigate the effect of site degeneracy intrinsic to LS and IS states of iron. We show that the entropy owing to this effect (site entropy) significantly increases the fraction of LS irons and reduces the crossover onset pressure, especially at high temperatures. Even including the effect of site entropy, the fraction of IS irons in the lower mantle or in the laboratory is predicted to be negligible. We also show that the effect of the crossover on equation-of-state parameters is probably undetectable at any temperature. Although we address only ferrous iron in only one atomic configuration and results are specific to this situation, our results suggest that the effect of the crossover on the bulk modulus derived from direct sound speed measurements could perhaps be more noticeable below room temperature. However, at mantle conditions the bulk sound speed should hardly be affected by the crossover.
Craniostenosis: a review of the etiology and a report of new cases.

The inspection of the skeletal remains of over 1000 individuals recovered largely from Southwestern archaeological excavations has revealed 16 cases of premature craniosynostosis. Recent research indicates that this condition results extrinsically from a primary malformation of the cranial base. The premature closure of one or another of the sutural areas is a specific symptom of this malformation.
Effects of heat on structures of cotton, polyester, and wool fibers in a triblended fabric with and without flame retardant

Fabrics marketed as flame resistant are often blends of more than one fiber. The effect of flame-resistant finishes and of heat on different fibers is not the same. A previous study compared differ...
Routing in HF ad-hoc WANs

High frequency (HF) radio is commonly used to extend wireless communications beyond the line-of-sight range that limits the higher frequency bands. Despite such long-range coverage, however, indirect routing is sometimes required even in HF networks. In addition, HF radio and other wireless technologies are emerging as a means to interconnect wired subnetworks in various mobile and contingency applications. In this paper, we introduce WARRP, a wireless address resolution and routing protocol that is specifically designed to integrate single-relay route discovery with address resolution in such ad-hoc WAN.
Analysis of ECG Late Potentials Using TimeFrequency Methods

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Methods Application of Time-Frequency Transformations to Clinical ECG Data Conclusion This chapter contains sections titled: Acknowledgments References
A History of Orthoptics in the United States, Part I: “If You Build It, They Will Come”

The year 2015 marks the 75th anniversary of the American Association of Certified Orthoptists (AACO), the second oldest orthoptic professional organization in the world. Since its inception, October 7, 1940, approximately 90% of all certified orthoptists (C.O.) have consistently maintained membership in their professional society. Approximately 80% of AACO members attend AACO-sponsored scientific meetings at least once annually. And 17-20% of members are actively involved in AACO leadership, management, and activities.Eye care has changed dramatically over the last 75 years, and orthoptics has successfully adapted to survive due to the fortitude and resilience of its practitioners. The AACO has weathered opposition from much more powerful competitors, ever-increasing health care regulation, and an evolution in the standard management of strabismus, only to emerge transformed and even more durable. One constant remains: the qualities that inspired thirty-three individuals to create a profession and a society dedicated to the care of patients with strabismus and disorders of binocular vision, and the education of parents, orthoptists, and ophthalmologists exist in every orthoptist today. These qualities are determination, creativity, dedication, and passion.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Risk of Nonspine Fractures among Older Community Dwelling U.S. Men

Purpose: Among older men, moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms are associated with increased fall risk compared to mild lower urinary tract symptoms. Falls are a major risk factor for fractures. Therefore, we assessed associations of lower urinary tract symptoms with fracture risk in community dwelling U.S. men age 65 years or older.Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective study in the MrOS (Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study) cohort. Men were enrolled at 6 U.S. sites. The AUA-SI, lower urinary tract symptoms medication use, fracture risk factors and potential confounders were recorded at baseline and every 2 years thereafter for 4 assessments. Lower urinary tract symptom severity was categorized from the AUA-SI as mild (0 to 7 points), moderate (8 to 19 points) or severe (20 or more points). Associations of lower urinary tract symptom severity with fracture rate were estimated with HRs and 95% CIs from extended proportional hazards regression.Results: Among 5,989 men with baseline A...
The Role of Managerial Fit in Determining Organizational Performance: An Empirical Assessment of Presidents in U.S. Higher Education:

The question of managerial fit—the congruence between a manager and his or her environment—has become widely debated by policymakers, practitioners, and scholars from a number of fields as the occurrence of non-internal management hires has increased across many types of organizations. Although many assume that higher levels of fit in an organization will generate better performance, others argue that misfits are better suited at leading organizations as motivated change agents. In this study, a measure of person–organization fit is created using original cross-sectional time-series data on U.S. university presidents from 1993 to 2009. Findings indicate that maximizing fit is not always ideal and that fit has a nonlinear relationship with organizational performance such that some fit is healthy but high fit can be detrimental for student performance measures.
Kinematic Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Evaluation of Disc‐Associated Cervical Spondylomyelopathy in Doberman Pinschers

Background The dynamic component of disc-associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM) currently is evaluated using traction magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which does not assess changes in flexion and extension of the cervical vertebral column. In humans with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, kinematic MRI is used to identify dynamic compressions. Hypothesis/Objectives To evaluate the feasibility and utility of kMRI in Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM using a novel positioning device. We hypothesized that kMRI would identify compressive lesions not observed with neutral positioning and change the dimensions of the spinal cord and cervical vertebral canal. Animals Nine client-owned Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM. Methods Prospective study. After standard MR imaging of the cervical spine confirmed DA-CSM, dogs were placed on a positioning device to allow imaging in flexion and extension. Morphologic and morphometric assessments were compared between neutral, flexion, and extension images. Results Flexion was associated with improvement or resolution of spinal cord compression in 4/9 patients, whereas extension caused worsening of compressions in 6/9 patients. Extension identified 6 new compressive lesions and was significantly associated with dorsal and ventral compression at C5-C6 (P = .021) and C6-C7 (P = .031). A significant decrease in spinal cord height occurred at C6-C7 from neutral to extension (P = .003) and in vertebral canal height at C5-C6 and C6-C7 from neutral to extension (P = .011 and .017, respectively). Conclusions and clinical importance Our results suggest that kMRI is feasible and provides additional information beyond what is observed with neutral imaging, primarily when using extension views, in dogs with DA-CSM.
Relationship between transformation frequency and gene function in the histidine degrading enzymes of Bacillussubtilis

Abstract The relationship between gene function and recombination has been investigated by transforming Bacillus subtilis mutants having lost the ability to synthesize a functional histidase with DNA isolated from a histidase positive strain both in the presence and absence of histidine. Two histidase structural mutants were investigated. With one of these as recipient, the relative frequency of histidase transformants increased when histidine was added to the transformation medium. However, when the second mutant was used as recipient, the addition of histidine had no effect on the relative frequency of histidase transformants. The further observation that the relative transformation frequency was increased by the addition of histidine in an apparently pleiotropic negative mutant raises further doubts concerning any direct coupling between genetic recombination and gene function.
Bone Mineral Acquisition in Utero and During Infancy and Childhood

Abstract Bone mass, a composite measure of bone size and mineral density, is a determinant of bone strength and is acquired during skeletal growth and development. Although up to 85% of bone mass is heritable, genetic polymorphisms explain only a small portion of the variations in bone mass in healthy individuals. Many additional factors influence bone acquisition during infancy and childhood, including gender, calcium intake, vitamin D status, physical activity, obesity, and pubertal timing. In addition, studies have highlighted the importance of the intrauterine environment and maternal factors such as maternal smoking, physical activity, and nutrition on fetal bone acquisition and long-term bone health. Animal studies using calciotropic hormone knockout models have provided significant insights into transplacental calcium transport mechanisms, whereas epidemiologic large cohort studies have provided insights into the life-long significance of bone acquisition during fetal development, infancy, and childhood. Finally, randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that physical activity and calcium intake affect bone acquisition in children.