cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Civil Rights Act of 1866

This encyclopedia entry, for the Civil Rights Act of 1866, describes the historical context as well as the substantive language of the statute. Enacted in the aftermath of the Civil War, and over the veto of President Andrew Johnson, the law targeted emancipated slaves, and provided that everyone born in the United States was a full citizen. The author describes its enforcement and legal theories of redress for violations.
Geochemistry of dendritic anorthosites and associated pegmatites in the Skaergaard Intrusion, East Greenland: Evidence for metasomatism by a chlorine-rich fluid

Abstract In the Upper Zone (UZa) of the Skaergaard Intrusion dendritic anorthosites and pegmatites are found in a zone of deformed gabbro along the flank of a trough-banded structure. Apatite, biotite (some having over 2 wt.% C1) and amphibole have higher chlorine contents than those found in the surrounding rocks and indicate the presence of a high-temperature aqueous fluid having a high HCl/HF fugacity ratio. The fluid must have been derived locally by exsolution of magmatic volatiles because hydrous minerals in nearby hydrothermal veins have low chlorine contents and the structures are far from the margin of the intrusion. Apatite and quartz in the pegmatites have abundant fluid inclusions containing cubic halide crystals, giving evidence for a separate aqueous fluid coexisting with an evolved residual melt. The pegmatites are also characterized by mafic and felsic clots with compositions similar to immiscible silicate liquids. Dendritic anorthosites have equal or higher abundances of Zr, Hf, Ta, and rare-earth elements than the surrounding gabbros yet they contain little pyroxene or Fe-Ti oxides. The unusual trace-element enrichment patterns and the associated rare assemblage of zirconolite, zircon, baddeleyite and allanite suggest that the chlorine-rich fluid was enriched in trace elements derived from the residual melt and the reacted mafic minerals. Deformation of the magma at a crystallinity below the critical melt fraction resulted in localized exsolution and channeling of a magmatic aqueous fluid and an evolved residual melt. Dissolution of pyroxene, olivine, and Fe-Ti oxides allowed for further deformation and expulsion of the mafic melt leaving a plagioclase-rich residue. These structures are the product of enhanced reaction locally of an aqueous fluid which may have moved upward as a nearly planar reactive front throughout the lower crystallization zone. In addition to the transport of trace elements, migration of a high-temperature fluid through the zone of crystallization could aid in the compaction of igneous cumulates and the development of layering. This study presents the first evidence for a high-temperature chlorine-rich aqueous fluid in the Layered Series of the Skaergaard Intrusion and illustrates the important effect of such fluids on the physical and chemical evolution of layered intrusions.
Duplex scanning replaces arteriography and operative exploration in the diagnosis of potential cervical vascular injury.

background : The pursuit of a diagnosis is more aggressive in suspected cervical vascular injury than in extremity vascular proximity injury, since the complications of missing the neck injury may result in irreversible neurologic damage. Most institutions use arteriography and operative exploration, but these modalities identify only 10% of cervical vascular traumas. While duplex scanning is the screening test of choice for carotid occlusive disease, few published reports have described experience with this modality in cervical vascular trauma. patients and methods : To determine if duplex scanning can replace arteriography or operative exploration as the initial screening modality in the assessment of potential cervical vascular trauma, we performed a prospective evaluation in two parts. First, we used duplex scanning and cervical arteriography, concomitantly, to rule out injury in 15 patients. We then used duplex scanning alone in 85 patients, reserving arteriography for cases in which the scan revealed an arterial injury. results : Duplex scans and arteriography and operation diagnosed cervical vascular trauma equally well. Eight injuries were identified in all areas of the cervical arterial tree. No duplex scans have been falsely negative or falsely positive. Use of duplex scans instead of arteriography saved $1,252 per case. conclusions : Duplex scanning detects cervical vascular injuries as effectively as arteriography or operation, and is faster and less expensive. This approach expands the utility of diagnostic ultrasound in the evaluation of trauma patients. It has become the procedure of choice for diagnosing cervical vascular trauma at our institution.
Air Bag-related Corneal Rupture After Radial Keratotomy

Purpose We studied a case of air bag-associated corneal rupture in a patient who had previously undergone radial keratotomy surgery. Methods The patient was struck in the right eye when his driver's side air bag inflated during a low-speed collision. Results Inflation of the air bag resulted in rupture of the patient's right cornea. The rupture involved all but one of his old radial keratotomy wounds. Conclusions Patients who have undergone radial keratotomy may be at increased risk for corneal rupture caused by air bag trauma. These patients may benefit by wearing protective eyewear while driving cars equipped with air bags.
Nucleotide sequence conservation at the 3′ termini of the virion RNA species of new World and Old World arenaviruses

Abstract The 3−terminal nucleotide sequences have been determined for the L and S genomic RNA species of Tacaribe virus (a New World arenavirus) and LCM-ARM virus (an Old World arenavirus). These data have been compared to the previously determined corresponding sequences of Pichinde Munchique virus (D. Auperin, K. Dimock, P. Cash, W. E. Rawls, and D. H. L. Bishop, Virology 116, 363–367,1982). The 3′-terminal 19-nucleotide sequence of the S RNA species of all three arenaviruses is: 5′…GCCUAG-GAUCCACUGUGCGOH3′. The 3′-nucleotide sequences of the L RNA species of Pichinde Munchique virus and Tacaribe virus are identical to the corresponding S RNA sequences except for single base substitutions at positions 6 and 8. The 3'-terminal nucleotide sequence of the LCM-ARM L RNA species differs from the S RNA nucleotide sequence by four base substitutions (positions 6, 8, 9, and 17).
Serials as a Public Service: We're One Big Happy Family

Jennifer Duncan and Sylvia McAphee exemplify career paths that differ from traditionally defined job descriptions and assigned responsibilities. In the course of their careers, both of these librarians have assumed simultaneous roles in Technical and Public Services departments. In this presentation, they challenge librarians working in traditional roles to embrace opportunities to serve in positions outside their assigned job descriptions in spite of barriers imposed by peer or administrative adherence to narrowly defined roles.
Trimethylamine-N-oxide Biosynthesis in the Bullfrog

THE comparative aspects of the mechanism of oxygenations dependent on molecular oxygen have recently been investigated using the biosynthesis of trimethylamine-N-oxide as a model1. That investigation raised a number of questions beyond the presence of the enzymatic activity in a given organism. In the case of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, questions which remained were: the intracellular location of the enzyme, the reason for the apparent lack of trimethylamine-N-oxide synthesis in the tadpole and the nature of the developmental processes involved in the ultimate production in frog cells of high levels of activity. Continued investigation of trimethylamine-N-oxide synthesis in the bullfrog system has provided some answers to these questions.
Economic effects of climatic and usage factors

IN MOST PARTS of the United States, heating plants must be adequate to heat our buildings from 0 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Actually this range varies with locality from a temperature difference of 100 degrees to one of only 35 degrees. It can be shown that the temperature span for heating, which largely determines size of plant, does not vary directly with the degree-day record (cumulative temperature deficiency below 65 degrees Fahrenheit). Even in the milder zones, heating requirements must include provision for occasional extremes of low temperature. The lowest recorded temperature need not be used as the basis for selecting building heating equipment, as this temperature minimum is approached only briefly and at long intervals. Through local experience, outdoor design temperatures may be derived. For fuel-fired plants, the design temperature is usually about 15 degrees above the lowest recorded, except in mild-winter areas.
Dynamic focusing of an electron beam through a long plasma

The focusing effects of a 1.4 m long, $(0--2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{14}\text{ }\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{3}}$ plasma on a single 28.5 GeV electron bunch are studied experimentally in the underdense or blowout regime, where the beam density is much greater than the plasma density. As the beam propagates through the plasma, the density of plasma electrons along the incoming bunch drops from the ambient density to zero leaving a pure ion channel for the bulk of the beam. Thus, from the head of the beam up to the point where all plasma electrons are blown out, each successive longitudinal slice of the bunch experiences a different focusing force due to the plasma ions. The time-changing focusing force results in a different number of betatron oscillations for each slice depending upon its location within the bunch. By using an electron beam that has a correlated energy spread, this time-dependent focusing of the electron bunch has been observed by measuring the beam spot size in the image plane of a magnetic energy spectrometer placed at the plasma exit.
The organization of plant communities: negative plant–soil feedbacks and semiarid grasslands

Understanding how plant communities are organized requires uncovering the mechanism(s) regulating plant species coexistence and relative abundance. Negative soil feedbacks may affect plant communities by suppressing dominant species, causing rarity of most plants, or reducing the competitive abilities of all species. Here, three soil feedback experiments were used to differentiate the effects of soil feedbacks on mid- to late-successional and semiarid grasslands. Then I tested whether the direction and degree of soil feedback accounts for variation in relative abundance among species that coexist within each plant community. Negative soil feedbacks predominated across all species and sites and were individually discernible for 40% of plant species. Negative soil feedbacks affected rare to dominant plant species. Negative soil feedbacks, capable of having negative frequency-dependent effects, have the potential to act as a fundamental driver of species coexistence.
New Sum Rule for Electromagnetic Mass Differences

A new sum rule which is valid for both $|\ensuremath{\Delta}I|=1$ and $|\ensuremath{\Delta}I|=2$ mass differences is derived. It gives a reasonable value for the kaon mass difference which cannot be computed by Cottingham's sum rule. It is shown that the new sum rule reduces to that of Cottingham if the latter sum rule exists.
Reversible renin-dependent renovascular hypertension successfully treated with percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and stenting.

A 37-year old woman was suspected of having renovascular hypertension because of recent onset severe hypertension (blood pressure 220/135 mmHg; compared to 132/65 mmHg two years earlier) and an abdominal bruit. A captopril renal scan indicated the presence of right renal artery stenosis. Additionally, a captopril plasma renin activity (PRA) provocation test showed a positive result for renovascular hypertension (baseline PRA = 291 μU/mL; 1 hour post-captopril PRA = 1444 μU/mL). Selective renal angiography demonstrated a severe critical stenotic lesion at the distal portion of the right renal artery. Blood pressure (BP) decreased to 136/80 mmHg one day after successful percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and stenting. Repeat renal angiography six months after the procedure revealed no evidence of in-stent restenosis. Blood pressure (BP = 137/76 mmHg) and plasma renin profile (baseline PRA = 23.8 μU/mL; 1 hour post-captopril PRA=22.3 μu/mL) also were normal six months following initial revascularization. Moreover, blood pressure (137/84 mmHg) and renin profile remained normal 2.5 years after the procedure (baseline PRA = 24.3 μU/mL; 1 hour post-captopril = 25.6 μU/mL). The results of this study have thus demonstrated a case of renin-dependent renovascular hypertension in which both the blood pressure and plasma renin activity profile normalized following successful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting.
EcoRI restriction endonuclease cleavage site map of bacteriophage P22 DNA

‘l’l~e SWYW EcoKI restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in bacteriophage P%d DNA have been mapped. The cleavage site map of circularly permut.ed P22 linear DNA is a circle. The positions of EcoRI sites in the early region of the P22 genomc were determined by comparing products of EcoRI digestion of maturtx liaear P22 chromosomes with the EcoRI cleavage fragments of DNA of three XimmP22 hybrid phages and a P22 deletion mutant. An EcoRI site in the late region was mapped by partial digestion of the P22 deletion mutant DNA. Since the P22 genes included in the himmP22 hybrid phages, and the genet.ic region missing in the P22 deletion mutant are known, some P22 genes can be positioned on this init,ial physical map of the P22 genome relative to EcoRI cleavage sites.
Hybrid sulfur cycle flowsheets for hydrogen production using high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

Abstract Two hybrid sulfur (HyS) cycle process flowsheets intended for use with high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are presented. The flowsheets were developed for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) program, and couple a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer for the SO 2 -depolarized electrolysis step with a silicon carbide bayonet reactor for the high-temperature decomposition step. One presumes an HTGR reactor outlet temperature (ROT) of 950 °C, the other 750 °C. Performance was improved (over earlier flowsheets) by assuming that use of a more acid-tolerant PEM, like acid-doped poly[2,2′-( m -phenylene)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole] (PBI), instead of Nafion ® , would allow higher anolyte acid concentrations. Lower ROT was accommodated by adding a direct contact exchange/quench column upstream from the bayonet reactor and dropping the decomposition pressure. Aspen Plus was used to develop material and energy balances. A net thermal efficiency of 44.0–47.6%, higher heating value basis is projected for the 950 °C case, dropping to 39.9% for the 750 °C case.
Orthogonal decomposition and transmission of nonstationary random processes

Abstract A relatively simple and straightforward procedure is given for representing analytically defined or data-based covariance kernels of arbitrary random processes in a compact form that allows its convenient use in later analytical random vibration response studies. The method is based on the spectral decomposition of the random process by the orthogonal Karhuen Loeve expansion and the subsequent use of least-squares approaches to develop an approximating analytical fit for the eigenvectors of the underlying random process. The resulting compact analytical representation of the random process is then used to derive a closed-form solution for the nonstationary response of a damped SDOF harmonic oscillator. The utility of the method for representing the excitation and calculating the mean square response is illustrated by the use of an analytically-defined covariance kernel widely employed in random vibration studies. It is shown that the method offers the potential of being a useful tool for feature extraction of experimentally measured covariance kernels of nonstationary random processes.
Telephone pools and economic incentives

We identify the incentive structure for a firm that participates in a pooling arrangement. These pooling arrangements have been common in the telecommunications industry, both in the United States and in Canada. We identify alternative mechanisms, including cost caps, yardstick competition, transfer prices, and fixed revenue allocators. A pooling firm has inferior incentives for cost reducing innovation, truthful reporting of costs, and avoidance of abuse relative to alternative mechanisms. These incentive problems are similar to those that arise under rate-of-return regulation. Notably, transfer/access pricing, does not rectify the poor incentives embodied in pools. However, pooling does facilitate demand enhancement, due to its ability to internalize potential network effects.
A survey of synthetic cannabinoid consumption by current cannabis users.

ABSTRACT. Background: Despite growing concern about the increased rates of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use and their effects, only limited data are available that addresses these issues. This study assessed the extent of SC product use and reported effects among a cohort of adult marijuana and tobacco users. Methods: A brief telephone interview was conducted with individuals who had given permission to be contacted for future research while screening for a cannabis/nicotine dependence medication development study (NCT01204723). Results: Respondents (N = 42; 88% participation rate) were primarily young adults, male, racially diverse, and high school graduates. Nearly all currently smoked tobacco and cannabis, with 86% smoking cannabis on 5 or more days per week. Nearly all (91%) were familiar with SC products, half (50%) reported smoking SC products previously, and a substantial minority (24%) reported current use (i.e., past month). Despite a federal ban on 5 common SCs, which went into effect on March 1, ...
Adsorption kinetics of methanol in carbon nanotubes revisited – solvent effects and pitfalls in ultra-high vacuum surface science experiments

Abstract Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) allows for distinguishing among internal, external, and groove adsorption sites on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Thus, TDS can be applied to study the effect of CNTs’ crystal structure on adsorption kinetics. On clean CNTs, the binding energy for methanol increases with increasing CNT diameter, consistent with theoretical predictions. However, kinetics results can be obscured by rather subtle solvent (impurity) effects which are probe molecule specific.
Experimental Investigation of Surges in a Stormwater Storage Tunnel

Below-grade storage tunnels in stormwater systems are usually designed to operate in a free-surface flow regime. However, intense rain events may trigger flow regime transition to pressurized flow, which results in operational problems. To date, little guidance is available as to the considerations necessary to properly design a system undergoing flow regime transition. In this investigation, an experimental apparatus consisting of a 14.6-m-long, 94-mm-diameter acrylic pipe was used to observe the nature of flows in such conditions. It was noticed that the air near the pipe crown may pressurize and influence the flow dynamics. Qualitative observations regarding the interactions between the air and water phases during the filling events are included in this study. Generally the surge intensity was maximized when a hydraulic bore propagating towards the surge riser just filled the pipe cross section, and it increased with the pressure head behind the pressurization front. Furthermore, the results indicate that the effects of air phase pressurization should be properly included in numerical simulations if ventilation conditions are limited.
Extraordinary Vienna: Identity and the Metropolitan Project

THE KNOWLEDGE VIENNESE have of their public parks and private gardens re-enforces their sense of belonging to the city. While place attachment may account for identification with a neighborhood or district, the sense of connection to the larger metropolis is another matter. Identification becomes possible through a “metropolitan project”—a mission or goal set by city leaders. The project's emphasis changes over time, yet commitment to it often transcends class, gender and ethnicity. Parks and gardens are shaped by the same forces that shape the metropolitan project in any given era. Green spaces become a medium through which their designers or gardeners express identification with the project, and through it, with the metropolis as a whole.
Whose Metaphysics of Presence? Heidegger’s Interpretation of Energeia and Dunamis in Aristotle

In the recently published 1924 course, Grundbegriffe der aristotelischen Philosophie, Martin Heidegger offers a detailed interpretation of Aristotle's definition of kinesis in the Physics. This interpretation identifies entelecheia with what is finished and present-at-an-end and energeia with being-at-work toward this end. In arguing against this interpretation, the present paper attempts to show that Aristotle interpreted being from the perspective of praxis rather than poiesis and therefore did not identify it with static presence. The paper also challenges later variations of Heidegger's interpretation, in particular his account of dunamis in the 1931 course on Metaphysics Theta, which insists that its mode of being is presence-at-hand. By arguing that this reading too is untenable, the paper concludes that Aristotle's metaphysics is not a metaphysics of presence and that his texts instead point toward a possibility of metaphysics ignored by the attempts of Heidegger and others to overcome it.
Stratigraphy and age of the Chumstick and Wenatchee Formations: Tertiary fluvial and lacustrine rocks, Chiwaukum graben, Washington: Summary

The Chiwaukum graben in central Washington contains two unconformity-bounded fluvial and lacustrine units, here named the “Chumstick” and “Wenatchee” Formations. The Chumstick is dated at 45 m.y. (middle Eocene), and the Wenatchee is dated at 34 m.y. (early Oligocene) by the fission-track method on zircons from tuffs. Previously, both formations were thought to be part of the Swauk Formation, which is older. The Chumstick Formation rests on weathered crystalline basement and is several thousands of metres thick. Fanglomerate occurs at the base and along the margins. Most of the formation consists of feldspathic sandstone and pebbly sandstone of fluvial origin; but within the upper part, there is a lacustrine unit, herein designated the Nahahum Canyon Member. Tuff is common in the lower part of the formation. Both of the bounding faults, the Leavenworth and the Entiat, were active during deposition of the Chumstick Formation, but relief was greatest on the northeast (Entiat) side. The Wenatchee Formation occurs in the vicinity of Wenatchee, Washington, and is ≤300 m thick. It unconformably overlies the Chumstick Formation within the graben but overlaps the northeast side of the graben, where it lies directly on weathered metamorphic basement. The Wenatchee Formation, like the Chumstick, was deposited primarily in fluvial and lacustrine environments; unlike the Chumstick, much of the sediment is mature quartz sandstone. Relief in the source area probably was very subdued during its deposition.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Utility of Intravascular Ultrasound and Optical Coherence Tomography During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an infrequent cause of acute coronary syndromes but is represented disproportionately in young female patients. No specific guidelines exist concerning the appropriate treatment (medical therapy, intracoronary stents, coronary bypass surgery) or the optimal type of stents in otherwise atheroma-free vessels. The role of intracoronary imaging with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) has yet to be fully established. A 39-year-old woman with no traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease presented with an anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarct after undergoing rigorous aerobic exercises. The patient was gravida 3 para 3, not known to be pregnant, and not postmenopausal. Her last pregnancy was 5 years earlier, and subsequent β human chorionic gonadotropin was negative. Coronary angiography suggested a long spiral dissection in the left anterior descending artery. Her other coronary arteries were smooth walled with no evidence of atherosclerosis. With ongoing symptoms and persisting ST elevation of the surface …
Low insertion loss and high linearity PHEMT SPDT and SP3T switch ICs for WLAN 802.11 a/b/g applications

GaAs SPDT and SP3T antenna switch ICs for IEEE 802.11 a/b/g applications are developed. By using advanced Skyworks PHEMT technologies, it is possible to achieve an insertion loss as low as 0.55 dB for SPDT switch, 0.5 dB lower than any previously reported DC-6 GHz band switch, and high linearity with 55 dBm input IP3 and a high isolation over 20 dB at 3 V; the SP3T switch also exhibits excellent performance with an insertion loss of 0.9 dB, input IP3 of 47 dBm and isolation over 25 dB throughout DC-6 GHz band. The high performance comes from the following technologies: series and shunt topology with dual-gate FETs, AlGaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs 0.5 /spl mu/m EPI-based process with a fully selective dual recess etch, and the relatively shallow pinch off voltage of -0.5 V (Y. Tkachenko et al., Euro. Microwave Conf. Dig., pp. 1041-1045, 1997).
Community-based rehabilitation A rapidly growing method for supporting people with disabilities

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is a fast-growing model of providing services to people with disabilities. This article introduces the underlying philosophy and structure of the CBR model; the...
Initial experience with antiarrhythmic medication monitoring by clinical pharmacists in an outpatient setting: a retrospective review.

Abstract Background: Antiarrhythmic medications may be used chronically to prevent recurrences of cardiac arrhythmias. Vaughan Williams class I and class III antiarrhythmic drugs have the potential for serious adverse effects, some of which can result in significant morbidity or mortality. To provide early detection and prevention of adverse events, appropriate therapeutic monitoring has been suggested during amiodarone therapy. Objective: The objective of this study was to monitor antiarrhythmic drug therapy to improve the continuity and consistency of care for patients receiving class I or class III antiarrhythmic drugs. Methods: Patients receiving antiarrhythmic medications, including amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide, and propafenone, were referred to an antiarrhythmic medications clinic (at an academic university), Columbus, Ohio, either at the time of hospital discharge or during an outpatient appointment with a cardiologist, for monitoring. A retrospective chart review was conducted in consecutive outpatients attending the clinic between July 2007 and April 2008. Antiarrhythmic medication monitoring protocols were developed for a pharmacy-based outpatient clinic by a collaborative effort between pharmacists, physicians, and nurses. Adherence to monitoring protocols was assessed, and the type and frequency of pharmacist-identified events and interventions were determined. Continuum of care for patients was facilitated by coordination of referral to specialty clinics (n = 11) or pharmacist contact with physicians (n = 40). Results: In all, 134 patients were included and were receiving amiodarone (n = 58), sotalol (n = 40), dofetilide (n = 28), or propafenone (n = 8). At enrollment, 59.0% of patients had completed all recommended laboratory and objective testing compared with 98.5% after the initial visit. Adherence to monitoring protocols was improved in patients receiving amiodarone, dofetilide, or propafenone, but not sotalol. Fifty-four patients had a return visit, and after follow-up visits, 100% of patients were current with testing. Pharmacist-identified events or interventions occurred during 38% of visits, including unrecognized adverse event detection (ie, pulmonary function decline, QT prolongation, laboratory abnormality) and clinically significant drug interaction identification. Amiodarone was associated with the highest rate of detected adverse events (23% of patient visits). A change in the antiarrhythmic medication regimen was recommended for 9 patients that later resulted in the discontinuation of therapy in 3 patients. Conclusion: Pharmacist monitoring of outpatient antiarrhythmic medication therapy appeared to improve patient adherence to recommended testing protocols and to help identify adverse events and clinically significant drug interactions
FACILITATING HIGH-PERFORMANCE IMAGE ANALYSIS ON REDUCED HYPERCUBE (RH) PARALLEL COMPUTERS

The direct binary hypercube interconnection network has been very popular for the design of parallel computers, because it provides a low diameter and can emulate efficiently the majority of the topologies frequently employed in the development of algorithms. The last fifteen years have seen major efforts to develop image analysis algorithms for hypercube-based parallel computers. The results of these efforts have culminated in a large number of publications included in prestigious scholarly journals and conference proceedings. Nevertheless, the aforementioned powerful properties of the hypercube come at the cost of high VLSI complexity due to the increase in the number of communication ports and channels per PE (processing element) with an increase in the total number of PE’s. The high VLSI complexity of hypercube systems is undoubtedly their dominant drawback; it results in the construction of systems that contain either a large number of primitive PE’s or a small number of powerful PE’s. Therefore, low-dimensional k-ary n-cubes with lower VSLI complexity have recently drawn the attention of many designers of parallel computers. Alternative solutions reduce the hypercube’s VLSI complexity without jeopardizing its performance. Such an effort by Ziavras has resulted in the introduction of reduced hypercubes (RH’s). Taking advantage of existing high-performance routing techniques, such as wormhole routing, an RH is obtained by a uniform reduction in the number of edges for each hypercube node. An RH can also be viewed as several connected copies of the well-known cube-connected-cycles network. The objective here is to prove that parallel computers comprising RH interconnection networks are definitely good choices for all levels of image analysis. Since the exact requirements of high-level image analysis are difficult to identify, but it is believed that versatile interconnection networks, such as the hypercube, are suitable for relevant tasks, we investigate the problem of emulating hypercubes on RH’s. The ring (or linear array), the torus (or mesh), and the binary tree are the most frequently used topologies for the development of algorithms in low-level and intermediate-level image analysis. Thus, to prove the viability of the RH for the two lower levels of image analysis, we introduce techniques for embedding the aforementioned three topologies into RH’s. The results prove the suitability of RH’s for all levels of image analysis.
Allelopathic effects of fruits of the Brazilian pepper Schinus terebinthifolius on growth, leaf production and biomass of seedlings of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle and the black mangrove Avicennia germinans.

Abstract Exotic plant species can negatively affect native flora and fauna by changing the diversity and productivity of the system and altering successional processes. The novel weapons hypothesis has been suggested as one mechanism for invasion and spread of exotic plant species. It states that exotic species with “new weapons”, such as allelopathic chemicals, may have greater impacts on species in the invaded range without co-evolved defense strategies against the exotic chemicals. In Florida, one successful exotic species, Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper), has invaded nearly every habitat throughout the state. Past studies have documented allelopathic properties of S. terebinthifolius negatively impacting the growth of native terrestrial flora. Here we document the effect of S. terebinthifolius for the first time on mangrove systems. We examined growth and survival of Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) and Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) seedlings when exposed to a range of densities of intact and crushed S. terebinthifolius fruits (0, 25, 50) at two different salinities (15, 30 ppt). We also documented the natural density of S. terebinthifolius fruits beneath the tree canopy after fruit production in mangrove habitat. Growth and biomass were significantly reduced in A. germinans when exposed to the highest density of intact S. terebinthifolius fruits growing in 30 ppt saltwater. Trials with intact fruits had no significant effects on R. mangle; however, crushed fruits significantly decreased growth, and leaf production. The ecological importance of the different effects of crushed and intact fruits is supported by field observations which found equal or greater numbers of crushed fruits compared to intact fruits beneath the tree canopy of female S. terebinthifolius. In addition, abiotic factors, such as salinity, may interact with allelopathic chemicals in natural systems and needs to be addressed when planning future allelopathic studies.
Rhetorics of Value: Constituting Worth and Meaning through Cultural Display

Museum exhibitions are commonly seen as critical sites for the constitution of identity and difference. They provide occasions and resources for representing and reflecting on notions of quality, worth, and other social values and meanings. But how are values and identities shaped and produced through exhibitions? How are exhibitions put together in ways that might communicate particular values and shape various identities? This article begins to consider how “rhetorics of value” are produced through contemporary museum exhibitions by exploring the multilayered, multimedia communication involved as exhibitions convey evaluations and interpretations through visual and verbal means and through “designed space.”
Escape in Space by Sterculia Apetala Seeds from the Bug Dysdercus Fasciatus in a Costa Rican Deciduous Forest

When a seed of the large tree Sterculia apetala falls to the ground beneath the parent tree in a Costa Rican tropical deciduous forest, it is typically found and fed upon within a few minutes by cotton—stainer bugs (Dysdercus fasciatus). The rate of seed discovery by the bugs is highest where the seed fall is most intense and tapers off to zero between 30 and 60 m from the tree trunk. Seeds that fall beneath the parent appear to have no chance of survival under forest conditions. Seeds in open pasture are not found by the bugs, but probably die of desiccation. The bugs are not present under sterile S. apetala trees. Squirrels and monkeys appear to be the primary dispersal agents; after carrying the pods away from the parent, they appear to lose some seeds because of their face and hands being stuck by the hairs on the inner walls of the seed pods. The coevolution of the Dysdercus—Sterculia—mammal interaction is discussed with respect to the effect of seed predators on the density of adult trees in the hab...
The Sounds of Science: Listening to Laboratory Practice

Works in science and technology studies (STS) have repeatedly pointed to the importance of the visual in scientific practice. STS has also explicated how embodied practice generates scientific knowledge. I aim to supplement this literature by pointing out how sound and hearing are integral aspects of experimentation. Sound helps define how and when lab work is done, and in what kinds of spaces. It structures experimental experience. It affords interactions between researchers and instruments that are richer than could be obtained with vision alone. And it is a site for tacit knowledge, providing a resource for the replication of results, and the transmission of knowledge, and the construction of social boundaries within instrumental communities.
Musculoskeletal: what is different in children? Pushed into ditch; left forearm pain.

This 5-year-old male presented to the emergency room (ER) with his father, complaining of left forearm pain. The patient was playing at home earlier that day, and approximately 1 h before coming to the ER he was pushed into a ditch. He landed on the grass; no specific part of the body seemed to hurt, and there was no loss of consciousness. However, the patient later complained of left forearm pain. Upon arrival to the ER, the patient was in no acute distress. All of his physical findings were normal except those related to the left forearm. In this regard, examination of the left arm demonstrated full range of movement at the shoulder, elbow, and the wrist. The patient was diagnosed with upper extremity strain/sprain and it was recommended that he rest and apply ice to the extremity. However as a matter of routine, radiographs of the upper extremity and comparative views of the other side were obtained (Fig. 1). What do you see? Emerg Radiol (2009) 16:423–424 DOI 10.1007/s10140-009-0817-7
A Phase II study of salvage high-dose-rate brachytherapy for the treatment of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive external beam radiotherapy

Abstract Purpose We report the toxicity and biochemical tumor control outcome of a prospective Phase II study using high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR) alone as a salvage therapy for recurrent disease after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Methods Forty-two patients with biopsy-proven recurrence were enrolled on a Phase II study of salvage HDR monotherapy using iridium-192. Median pretreatment EBRT dose was 8100 cGy (6840–8640 cGy) and the median time from completion of EBRT to salvage HDR was 73 months. The protocol prescription dose of 3200 cGy was delivered in four fractions over 30 hours in a single insertion. Median followup after salvage HDR was 36 months (6–67 months). Results The actuarial prostate-specific antigen biochemical relapse-free survival and distant metastases-free survival rates at 5 years were 68.5% and 81.5%, respectively. Cause-specific survival was 90.3%. Late genitourinary Grade 1and 2 toxicities were found in 38% and 48%, respectively, and one patient developed Grade 3 urinary incontinence. Late Grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal toxicity was noted in 17% and 8% of patients, respectively. Three patients (7%) developed Grade 2 late urinary toxicity (urethral stricture), which were corrected with urethral dilatation, and one patient developed Grade 3 urinary incontinence. No Grade 4 toxicities were observed. Conclusions Genitourinary toxicity was the most commonly encountered toxicity observed after salvage HDR but severe toxicities were uncommon. Salvage HDR is an effective and well-tolerated modality for locally recurrent prostate cancer and should be considered even for patients who have previously been treated with ultra-high dose levels of EBRT.
Lifetime reproductive success of Snowy Plovers in coastal northern California

ABSTRACT Conserving threatened and endangered species requires knowledge of breeding productivity and factors that cause variation in reproductive success. We summarized 13 years of lifetime reproductive success (LRS) data for 195 individually marked Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus) breeding in Humboldt County, CA. Reproductive success was highly skewed among individuals with 13% of individuals (nmales = 12, nfemales = 14) producing ~50% of fledglings; by contrast, 71% (n = 64) of males and 72% (n = 76) of females produced 2 or fewer during their lifetime. Variance in LRS was best explained by substrate (~100% of Akaike weight), with plovers breeding on gravel having significantly higher LRS compared to those on sandy substrates. Other measures of habitat quality, including use of nest exclosures, as well as corvid and human activity, were not significant predictors of LRS. Results indicated that enhancing the cryptic nature of substrates (for eggs and chicks) may be a productive means of increasing rep...
Anemia Is an Independent Predictor of Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to assess whether anemia is a marker of increased risk during interventional procedure and poor midterm survival after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND Anemia is associated with increased risk of mortality in patients with heart failure and myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS We examined the outcomes of 6,116 consecutive PCI patients based on the hemoglobin (Hb) value before the interventional procedure. Patients were divided into three groups based on the baseline Hb level (g/l): Hb 12 = no anemia. RESULTS The presence of anemia is associated with higher 30-day major adverse cardiac events, post-PCI peak troponin and creatine kinase-MB fraction, and a longer length of stay. After controlling for multiple covariates, significant difference in one-year survival was noted in the anemic groups compared with no anemia group (adjusted hazard ratio for Hb 10 to 12: 1.5 [95% confidence interval 1.3 to 1.8]; for Hb <10: 1.8 [95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.3]; p = 0.004.) This adverse effect of anemia on survival was noted in all three presenting clinical syndromes (stable angina, unstable angina, and MI). CONCLUSIONS Anemia is an independent predictor of mortality after PCI and is associated with higher short-term adverse procedural events.
Influence of the core size on biexciton quantum yield of giant CdSe/CdS nanocrystals

We present a systematic study of photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity and biexciton (BX) quantum yields (QYBX) in individual “giant” CdSe/CdS nanocrystals (g-NCs) as a function of g-NC core size and shell thickness. We show that g-NC core size significantly affects QYBX and can be utilized as an effective tuning parameter towards higher QYBX while keeping the total volume of the g-NC constant. Specifically, we observe that small-core (2.2 nm diameter) CdSe/CdS NCs with a volume of ∼200 nm3 (shell comprises 4 CdS monolayers) show very low average and maximum QYBX's of ∼3 and 7%, respectively. In contrast, same-volume medium-core (3 nm diameter) NCs afford higher average values of ∼10%, while QYBX's of ∼30% are achieved for same-volume large-core (5.5 nm diameter) CdSe/CdS NCs, with some approaching ∼80%. These observations underline the influence of the g-NC core size on the evolution of PL emissive states in multi-shell NCs. Moreover, our study also reveals that the use of long anneal times in the growth of CdS shells plays a critical role in achieving high QYBX.
Order-N methods in self-consistent density-functional calculations.

We discuss the potential impact of [ital N]-scaling algorithms on self-consistent density-functional calculations. [ital N]-scaling algorithms can increase numerical efficiency in two qualitatively different ways: First, by eliminating the [ital O]([ital N][sup 3]) scaling of numerical diagonalizations or orthogonalizations, and second, through the transferability of localized electronic-structure information between chemically related, but globally different systems. We argue that the second aspect is potentially of great practical importance to self-consistent density-functional calculations. We describe how the transferability of electronic-structure information can be exploited and give numerical examples.
Cash Flow Matching

Abstract We propose a scenario-based optimization framework for solving the cash flow matching problem where the time horizon of the liabilities is longer than the maturities of available bonds and the interest rates are uncertain. Standard interest rate models can be used for scenario generation within this framework. The optimal portfolio is found by minimizing the cost at a specific level of shortfall risk measured by the conditional tail expectation (CTE), also known as conditional valueat-risk (CVaR) or Tail-VaR. The resulting optimization problem is still a linear program (LP) as in the classical cash flow matching approach. This framework can be employed in situations when the classical cash flow matching technique is not applicable.
Photography in social work research: Using visual image to humanize findings

The purpose of this article is to present the use of photography as a supplement to a classic grounded theory research study with lesbian women regarding their experience of identity, culture, and oppression. Photography was integrated into the grounded theory methodology to visually express the theoretical codes that emerged from the grounded theory of liberated identity. Photographs are presented with coded substages and participant in vivo codes, including explanations of the visual representation in the photographs. The findings, the basic social process substage photographs, were guided by the participants to best convey visual meaning of their experience. The photographic images reveal how the use of photography, in concert with Glaserian grounded theory, exemplified experience, humanity, and meaning in this specific research study, and thus the complementary visual image can edify the significance in the humanness and affectivity of research participants.
SDI funds costly for scientists

Acceptance of Star Wars research funds by laboratories and universities could have an adverse effect on the open environment that is essential to productivity in basic science.
Laboratory Muffle Furnace Nitrogen Charging Device Design and Modification

The laboratory existing muffle furnace muffle furnace belongs to the conventional type,some chemical raw materials,reagents,products to prevent oxidation in the process of heated drying need to muffle furnace vacuum or inert gas protection( such as nitrogen,etc.),ordinary muffle furnace is without this function. Based on laboratory the defect of ordinary muffle furnace,we design and develop a retrofit scheme,on the basis of the existing muffle furnace increase pneumatic device and tail gas treatment device,increase the use function of conventional muffle furnace,and ensure the safety,economy,environmental protection and stable operation.
Hygienic Monitoring of Swimming Pool Water in Chaoyang District of Beijing City in 2009

[Objective]To understand the hygienic qualities of swimming pool water in Chaoyang District of Beijing City.[Methods]According to "Technical Specification of hygienic monitoring on Public Places"(GB/T 17220-1998),the water samples of swimming pool were randomly collected;the water detection was based on "Standard Hygienic Test Methods for Public Places" (GB/T 18204-2000);and the water quality evaluation was based on "Hygienic Standard of Swimming Pool".[Results]A total of 3548 water samples were detected in 2009,2842 were qualified,the total qualified rate was 80.10%.The minimum of qualified rate belonged to free residual chlorine (33.99%),followed by urea and total bacteria count.The qualified rates of coliform,turbidity and pH values were high (99.65%,100% and 100%,respectively).The qualified rate of free residual chlorine was low in each month of the year,that of urea was lower in June,July and August.Therefore,hygienic inspection on swimming pool should be enhanced.[Conclusion]The water quality is not satisfactory in swimming pools of this district,