cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dow corning's image repair strategies in the breast implant crisis

>Recent research in the area of image restoration discourse asserts that organizations may respond to verbal assaults in a variety of ways, all of which are intended to limit the impact of the attack and repair the organization's damaged image. The present essay analyzes the strategies used by the Dow Corning Corporation in its efforts to restore its public image following heavy criticism about the safety of its silicone breast implants. Our critique results in two important conclusions. First, Corning's discourse, which denied charges of implant unhealthfulness and evaded responsibility for the product, prolonged attacks against the company's image. Only when Corning took responsibility and promised corrective action did the assaults subside. Second, this essay demonstrates the usefulness of the recently developed theory of image restoration discourse in critiquing rhetorical discourse intended to vanquish attacks against one's image.
The influence of post-annealing treatment on the electrical properties of In2O3 thin films prepared by an ultrasonic spray CVD process

Abstract Indium oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates at different temperatures between 623 and 773 K, by an ultrasonic spray chemical vapor deposition process. The aerosol containing the precursors of the films (InCl 3 ·4H 2 O) was transported to the reaction zone, using N 2 as carrier gas. X-ray diffraction studies showed that films are polycrystalline in nature. Typically, films as-deposited have a minimum resistivity of 2.2×10 −3 Ω cm and an optical transmission >85%. After deposition these films were subjected to many cycles of heating–cooling in air (between 300–450 K and 300–673 K). During the first one or two cycles, the maximal heating temperature was approximately 450 K, and for the following was approximately 673 K. The percentage gain in electrical conductivity after the first cycle was calculated and discussed in function of the temperature deposition of films. The activation energies were calculated.
Significant Dreams: Bizarre or Beautiful?

The literature on highly significant dreams is filled with references to the bizarreness of their content. On the other hand, the concept of beauty is rarely if ever mentioned in relation to these dreams. Grounded in archetypal psychology's tenet that psychological life is aesthetic life, this article argues that the enduring, even life-long, influence some dreams have on the dreamer's life may be better approached through the idea of beauty than through the idea of bizarreness. The argument builds on Hunt's (1989, 1995) theoretical model of the nature of consciousness and dream multiplicity with its emphasis on cross-modal synesthesia as well as on insights provided by Scarry's (1999) recent essay on beauty. A detailed account of how one composer's work was profoundly influenced by his most significant dream is presented to illustrate this aesthetic approach to understanding the on-going significance of significant dreams.
Pulse-response characteristics of position-sensitive photodetectors

A key factor in designing position-sensitive detectors operating through lateral photoeffects in semiconductors concerns the nature of the pulse response over the entire active area of the device. It is demonstrated that the limiting behavior can be approximated by means of a fundamental RC-filter time constant τ c together with position-dependent initial delay times of up to 0.6τ c . A comparison with recorded pulse-response traces suggests that the time constant τ c of two-dimensional position-sensitive photodetectors takes on values of R s C A d2/π2, where R s is the backlayer sheet resistance, C A the junction capacitance per unit area, and d the electrode separation. Illustrations of the dependence of pulse shape on spot position for representative ion-implanted silicon units are shown to substantiate the analysis in the context of evaluating position-sensitive photodetectors for applications involving very short laser pulses.
Deletion of RNQ1 gene reveals novel functional relationship between divergently transcribed Bik1p/CLIP-170 and Sfi1p in spindle pole body separation

Spindle pole body (SPB; the microtubule organizing center in yeast) duplication is essential to form a bipolar spindle. The duplicated SPBs must then separate and migrate to opposite sides of the nucleus. We identified a novel functional relationship in SPB separation between the microtubule stabilizing protein Bik1p/CLIP-170 and the SPB half-bridge protein Sfi1p. A genetic interaction between BIK1 and SFI1 was discovered in a synthetic lethal screen using a strain deficient in the prion protein gene RNQ1. RNQ1 deletion reduced expression from the divergently transcribed BIK1, allowing us to identify genetic interactors with bik1. The sfi1-1 bik1 synthetic lethality was suppressed by over-expression of CIK1, KAR1, and PPH21. Genetic analysis indicated that the sfi1-1 bik1 synthetic lethality was unlikely related to the function of Bik1p in the dynein pathway or to defects in spindle position. Furthermore, a sfi1-1 Δkip2 mutant was viable, suggesting that the Bik1p pool at the cytoplasmic microtubule plus-ends may not be required in sfi1-1. Microscopic examination indicated the sfi1-1 mutant was delayed in SPB duplication, SPB separation, or spindle elongation and the sfi-1 Δbik1 double mutant arrested with duplicated but unseparated SPBs. These results suggest that Bik1p has a previously uncharacterized function in the separation of duplicated SPBs.
Test-retest reliability of parent ratings of children's deviant behavior.

Test-retest reliability for parent ratings of children's deviant behavior in the general population indicated that rank order, central tendency and item variance remain stable over a 3-mo. period.
Dynamic Feasibility Study of a Tethered Coulomb Structure

The Tethered Coulomb Structure (TCS) is a novel approach to generating a large deployable space structure. This concept uses electrostatic forces to repel a three-dimensional formation of spacecraft nodes interconnected through fine, lowmass tethers. This generates a near-rigid system that can be launched in a compact configuration and change its shape and size while on-orbit. The complex coupling between the close relative motion with electrostatics and tether dynamics is investigated. The TCS rotational stiffness characteristics are quantified through analysis of the TCS node attitudes. With a two-node configuration the rejection of angular rotation disturbances up to 50 deg/min are computed. The maximum absolute angular deflection is reduced as much as 75% by using a triple-tether over a single-tether. Further, the triple-tether setup can provide full three-dimensional stiffness even for a two-node system. However, the multi-tether configurations offer no benefit in preventing entanglement over the single-tether system due to the spread tether attachment points. Variations in TCS nodal mass distribution and radial dimension are simulated. Low inertia nodes with wide tether attachments significantly increase the rotational stiffness. Representative GEO plasma conditions are modeled to demonstrate that plasma shielding has minimal effect on TCS Coulomb inflation. Charging a TCS to negative potentials is advantageous in that only Watt levels of power are required to maintain quasi-rigid formations.
Linking child care and support services with the school: Pilot evaluation of the school of the 21st century

Abstract This paper reports the results of an evaluation of two pilot Schools of the 21st Century (21C), a school-based services model which provides a comprehensive program of child care and family support to children from birth to 12 years old. Two elementary schools in Independence, Missouri, serving predominately middle-class white suburban communities, were tracked during their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of implementation of 21C. The study sample consisted of 185 children in the intervention schools and 83 children in two comparison schools. Data was collected from parent, teacher, childcare staff, and principal surveys and school records. Parents who used 21C child care, compared to parents who did not, spent less money on child care, missed significantly less work because of failure of child care arrangements, and showed a significant decrease in parent stress as measured by the Parent Stress Index. The preschool child care program was credited with enabling early identification of special needs children and increasing children's readiness for Kindergarten, and the school-aged child care program was noted for providing mixed-age group activities and role models for younger children. Challenges and lessons learned from implementation are discussed.
Protein-Linked Iodotyrosines in Serum after Topical Application of Povidone-Iodine (Betadine)

Markedly elevated serum PBI levels occur after therapy with povidone-iodine (Betadine), an iodine-polyvinylpyrrolidone iodophor. In this study, we investigated the serum iodine compounds from a severely burned patient with normal initial thyroid function tests who was swabbed with Betadine ointment and received daily therapeutic baths in Betadine. Three and 9 days after therapy, his serum contained 93 and 168 fig PBI/dl, respectively (normal range, 4–8), while the serum T4 and free T4 index were normal; the serum T3 level, however, was abnormally depressed. Most of the PBI was in albumin, and hydrolysis of the serum proteins with proteases released 35% of the PBI as monoiodotyrosine, 3.2% as diiodotyrosine, 0.01% as T3, and 2.5% as T4, as determined by competitive radioassays, anion exchange, and reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The same concentrations of T4 and T3 were detected before and after hydrolysis. Failure of the proteases to completely hydrolyze iodoalbumin partially explains ...
Solvent dependent spectral diffusion in hydrogen bonding environments

The spectral diffusion of Mn2(CO)10in hydrogen bonding solvents was studied using ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. In a series of alcohols with increasing chain length, the dynamics of hydrogen bonding environments can be selectively studied.
MAKING VIDEOS WITH RELUCTANT LEARNERS

Helping reluctant readers learn to make videos is recommended as a strategy for helping them engage in language arts activities for authentic purposes. Both verbal and visual skills are called into play when students plan and produce school videos, and planning and production tasks also afford students opportunities to work cooperatively. One major task requiring cooperation is the preparation of a storyboard, an instrument that compels students to brainstorm, research, plan, and think carefully about the videos they want to create. Basic preproduction, production, and postproduction strategies are discussed, with an emphasis on the creation of storyboard cards. Finally, the article includes suggested Videos that either teachers or teachers working alongside students might like to make as their initial video productions.
On overlapping absorption of a gas mixture

This paper correctly derives an efficient convolution formula for calculating the composite k-distribution for a gas mixture. The explicit derivation for the composite k-distribution shows that the convolution theorem directly results from the multiplication property. In a chosen example of CO2 + H2O gas mixture in [600, 700] cm−1, the fractional errors in the composite k-distribution derived from the convolution formula are 1 ~ 2%, which yield a maximum error in the band absorption of < 1%.
Should All Crystals Be bcc? Landau Theory of Solidification and Crystal Nucleation

Very general symmetry considerations uniquely favor a bcc crystal structure near the melting line. This agrees with observations that almost all metals on the left-hand side of the periodic table are bcc at high temperature, and that, even where other structures are more stable, the first phase nucleated on rapid cooling can be bcc. Furthermore, icosahedral local symmetries are favored in amorphous solids. Fluctuation effects cause the transition from isotropic liquid to crystal to be first order in any dimension.
Monte Carlo simulation of fluorescence imaging of microvasculature

Little numerical analysis has been done on in vivo vascular fluorescence imaging. Here, we use a 3D fluorescence Monte Carlo model to evaluate a microvasculature geometry obtained via two-photon microscopy. We found that a bulk-vascularization assumption does not pro- vide an accurate picture of penetration depth of the collected fluorescence signal. Instead the degree of absorption difference between extravascular and intravascular space, and the degree of stokes shift must be taken into account to determine the depth distribution. Additionally, we found that using targeted illumination can provide for superior surface vessel sensi- tivity over wide-field illumination, with small area detection offering an even greater amount of sensitivity to surface vasculature. Depth sensitivity can be enhanced by either increasing the detector area or increasing the illumination area. Finally, we see that excitation wavelength and vessel size can affect intra-vessel sampling distribution, as well as the amount of signal that originates from inside the vessel under targeted illumination conditions.
Does resident experience affect outcomes in complex abdominal surgery? Pancreaticoduodenectomy as an example.

Understanding the factors contributing to improved postoperative patient outcomes remains paramount. For complex abdominal operations such as pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), the influence of provider and hospital volume on surgical outcomes has been described. The impact of resident experience is less well understood. We reviewed perioperative outcomes after PD at a single high-volume center between 2006 and 2012. Resident participation and outcomes were collected in a prospectively maintained database. Resident experience was defined as postgraduate year (PGY) and number of PDs performed. Forty-three residents and four attending surgeons completed 686 PDs. The overall complication rate was 44 %; PD-specific complications (defined as pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, intraabdominal abscess, wound infection, and bile leak) occurred in 28 % of patients. The overall complication rates were similar when comparing PGY 4 to PGY 5 residents (55.3 vs. 43.0 %; p > 0.05). On univariate analysis, there was a difference in PD-specific complications seen between a PGY 4 as compared to a PGY 5 resident (44 vs. 27 %, respectively; p = 0.016). However, this was not statistically significant when adjusted for attending surgeon. Logistic regression demonstrated that as residents perform more cases, PD-specific complications decrease (OR = 0.97; p < 0.01). For a resident's first PD case, the predicted probability of a PD-specific complication is 27 %; this rate decreases to 19 % by resident case number 15. Complex cases, such as PD, provide unparalleled learning opportunities and remain an important component of surgical training. We highlight the impact of resident involvement in complex abdominal operations, demonstrating for the first time that as residents build experience with PD, patient outcomes improve. This is consistent with volume–outcome relationships for attending physicians and high-volume hospitals. Maximizing resident repetitive exposure to complex procedures benefits both the patient and the trainee.
Importance and challenges of studying marketed drugs : What is a phase IV study? common clinical research designs, registries, and self-reporting systems

The new drug application database submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for drug approval (phases I-III or phases 1-3) is limited both in scope and size. Although randomized controlled trials, the hallmark of phase III trials, are the gold standard for the drug-approval process, they invariably have a number of limitations, including relatively small sample sizes, selective populations, short follow-up, the use of intermediate (surrogate) endpoints (almost always), and limited generalizability. The challenges of monitoring drugs once approved are also numerous. After approval by the Food and Drug Administration, marketed drugs undergo continued scrutiny, and this scrutiny is increasing because of problems that have surfaced with some drugs after their approval. Postmarketing research includes a variety of study designs and the use of registries and self-reporting of drug side effects. Along with this has come great confusion about what postmarketing research is and what a phase IV study is. Among the important strengths of phase IV research are the exposure of a broader range of patients to the drug under study, resulting in more "real-world" information about the drug's safety and efficacy, and consideration of a broader range of clinical endpoints. As a result, phase IV, or postmarketing research, has become an integral part of the drug evaluation process for a wide range of agents. The authors discuss the different types of study designs that are common under the phase IV terminology and provide some examples. They also discuss the use of registries and self-reporting of adverse events using the MedWatch System.
A Transient Vanadium Flow Battery Model Incorporating Vanadium Crossover and Water Transport through the Membrane

This paper presents a 2-D transient, isothermal model of a vanadium redox flow battery that can predict the species crossover and related capacity loss during operation. The model incorporates the species transport across the membrane due to convection, diffusion, and migration, and accounts for the transfer of water between the half-cells to capture the change in electrolyte volume. The model also accounts for the side reactions and associated changes in species concentration in each half-cell due to vanadium crossover. A set of boundary conditions based on the conservations of flux and current are incorporated at the electrolyte|membrane interfaces to account for the steep gradients in concentration and potential at these interfaces. In addition, the present model further improves upon the accuracy of existing models by incorporating a more complete version of the Nernst equation, which enables accurate prediction of the cell potential without the use of a fitting voltage. A direct comparison of the model predictions with experimental data shows that the model accurately predicts the measured voltage of a single charge/discharge cycle with an average error of 1.83%, and estimates the capacity loss of a 45 cycle experiment with an average error of 4.2%.
Design and Building of an Inexpensive and Sturdy Pipet Bulb Filler Port.

A pipet filler port has been constructed from a 1/4 in. NPT–1/4 in. or −3/8 in. barbed end Kynar plastic male connector fitting and a washer (cut from a latex rubber hose) inserted into the NPT end. The barbed end can secure reliably different sized rubber bulbs such as 1 oz (30 mL pipet capacity) and 2 oz (60 mL pipet capacity) types, and the 1/4 in. NPT end is fitted with a rubber washer that can provide airtight contact with the glass pipet end, permitting suction. This filler port allows for facile suction of a liquid using a pipet and also quick removal of the pipet bulb from the pipet end to permit setting the meniscus level with finger pressure. Existing supplies of rubber bulbs or new ones can be fitted with this filler port at just a few dollars for each bulb, avoiding the expense of purchasing new pipet bulbs with filler ports or thumbwheels. The plastic fitting should last indefinitely, and the rubber washer can be easily replaced if necessary.
A Unique Methodology for Chatter Stability Mapping in Simultaneous Machining

A novel analytical tool is presented to assess the stability of simultaneous machining (SM) dynamics, which is also known as parallel machining. In SM, multiple cutting tools, which are driven by multiple spindles at different speeds, operate on the same workpiece. Its superior machining efficiency is the main reason for using SM compared with the traditional single tool machining (STM). When SM is optimized in the sense of maximizing the rate of metal removal constrained with the machined surface quality, typical chatter instability phenomenon appears. Chatter instability for single tool machining (STM) is broadly studied in the literature. When formulated for SM, however, the problem becomes notoriously more complex. There is practically no literature on the SM chatter, except a few ad hoc and inconclusive reports. This study presents a unique treatment, which declares the complete stability picture of SM chatter within the mathematical framework of multiple time-delay systems (MTDS). What resides at the core of this development is our own paradigm, which is called the cluster treatment of characteristic roots (CTCR). This procedure determines the regions of stability completely in the domain of the spindle speeds for varying chip thickness. The new methodology opens the research to some interesting directions. They, in essence, aim towards duplicating the well-known stability lobes concept of STM for simultaneous machining, which is clearly a nontrivial task.
Protein expression in E. coli minicells by recombinant plasmids

The polypeptides synthesized in E. coli minicells from recombinant plasmids containing DNA fragments from cauliflower mosaic virus, Drosophila melanogaster, and mouse mitochondria were examined. Molecularly cloned fragments of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA directed the synthesis of high levels of three polypeptides, which were synthesized entirely from within the cloned virus DNA fragments independent of their insertion into the plasmid vehicles. Several fragments of D. melanogaster DNA were capable of initiating polypeptide synthesis; however, termination of these polypeptides was dependent upon the insertion into the plasmid vehicle. The majority of D. melanogaster DNA fragments examined did not direct the detectable synthesis of any polypeptides. Insertion of DNA into the Eco RI site of ColE1 and pSC101 plasmids resulted in the altered expression of plasmid-encoded polypeptides. In the case of ColE1, this site of insertion lies within the colicin E1 structural gene, and insertion of foreign DNA into the site results in the synthesis of an inactive truncated colicin E1 molecule. It is probable that the Eco RI site in pSC101 lies within the structural gene for a polypeptide involved in tetracycline resistance, and insertion of DNA into this site may also result in the synthesis of a truncated or elongated polypeptide.
The Efficacy and Safety of Preoperative Lumbar Drain Placement in Anterior Skull Base Surgery

This study assesses the efficacy of preoperative lumbar drain (LD) placement prior to elective open cranial and endoscopic anterior skull base (ASB) surgery in reducing postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. A retrospective review of 93 patients who underwent LD placement at our institution between 2006 and 2011 was performed. Of these patients, 43 underwent elective LD placement prior to ASB surgery; 2 patients had evidence of CSF rhinorrhea prior to surgery, and 41 had no evidence of a preoperative CSF leak. Of those 41 patients, 2 developed CSF rhinorrhea (2/41= 4.9%) as a result of surgery—all in our endoscopic patient population ( N = 21; 2/21= 9.5%). No postoperative CSF leaks were noted in our open ASB surgery cohort ( N = 20). Other complications were rare, but we encountered two instances of delayed malignant cerebral edema in the open ASB cohort that are discussed in detail. Overall, preoperative LD placement was found to be an effective means of preventing postoperative CSF leaks after ASB approaches, but potential and significant intracranial complications may occur in select patients that merit careful consideration prior to LD placement.
Stochastic channel-adaptive rate control for wireless video transmission

In this paper, an empirically optimized channel-matched quantizer, and a joint stochastic-control based rate controller and channel estimator for H.261 based video transmission over a noisy channel is proposed. The rate controller adaptively learns to choose the correct channel matched quantizer using a stochastic learning algorithm. The stochastic automaton based learning algorithm aids in estimating the channel bit error rate based on a one bit feedback from the decoder. The algorithm is observed to converge to the optimal choice of the quantizer very quickly for various channel bit error probabilities and for different video sequences. When compared to traditional channel estimation schemes the proposed technique has several advantages. First, the proposed method results in a significant reduction in the delay and bandwidth requirement for channel estimation when compared to pilot symbol aided channel estimation schemes. Next, the stochastic learning algorithm used to estimate the channel bit error rate has simple computations. This makes it attractive for low power applications such as wireless video communications. This is in contrast to traditional blind channel estimation schemes that are computationally expensive, in general.
What Is Morally Distinctive About Genetic Engineering

ABSTRACT It sometimes seems that genetic engineering is suspect, both to its practitioners and to the general public, because it is perceived as being somehow unnatural. This essay argues, on the basis of an analysis of two senses of “natural,” that there is nothing distinctively morally problematic about genetic engineering, at least on the grounds of its alleged unnaturalness. It does not follow that we cannot distinguish among morally legitimate and morally suspect uses of genetic engineering. But these distinctions can and should be drawn on the basis of the same considerations that enter into the evaluation of particular uses of any other medical procedure.
Psychosocial Predictors of Young Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: A Sixteen‐Month, Three‐Wave Longitudinal Study

Understanding the psychosocial factors that predict cigarette smoking onset in young people is of crucial importance for prevention efforts. The present study examined prospective psychosocial predictors of smoking in a three-wave longitudinal data set. Similar in design to an earlier study by Chassin, Presson, Sherman, Corty, and Olshavsky (1984), the present study replicated their work, and extended it by (a) using composite predictors derived from exploratory factor analysis, (b) including prior behavior as a predictor, (c) using a design extended over three waves of data collection, and (d) using a sample composed primarily of urban teenagers. Subjects were 3295 7th-grade students at the beginning of the study. The subjects completed a questionnaire containing items tapping cigarette smoking behavior and psychosocial items that have previously been shown to predict smoking behavior. Forty-one psychosocial items on the Wave 1 (initial) questionnaire were factor analyzed, and five factors were retained. Subscale scores were constructed based on these factors and were used as predictors. Regression analyses were performed using the subscales and pretest smoking frequency to predict a continuous measure of smoking, and discriminant analyses were performed to predict transitions between qualitative levels of smoking. Prior smoking behavior was the most important predictor of future smoking. Four of the subscales, Social Disapproval, Risk Taking/Rebelliousness, Perceived Smoking Prevalence, and Motivation to Comply, were significant predictors. One subscale, Physical Consequences from Smoking, was not predictive of smoking in any of the analyses. The effect sizes cross-validated well. It is suggested that an integrative model of smoking initiation developed by Flay, d'Avernas, Best, Kersell, and Ryan (1983) best summarizes the results of the present study.
Observation of a mixed-metal transition in a d8–d10 heterobimetallic Pt–Ag cyanide system: Experimental and theoretical study

Abstract Photoluminescence spectra of synthesized crystals of the mixed-metal heterobimetallic Ba{[Ag(CN) 2 ] 2−2 x [Pt(CN) 4 ] x } ( x = 0 → 1) were recorded at 300, 150 and 77 K. Emission of the mixed-metal system containing both [Pt(CN) 4 ] 2− and [Ag(CN) 2 ] − ions shows an emission band due to Pt–Ag interaction. This new peak (424 nm) is not seen for pure Ba[Pt(CN) 4 ] or Ba[Ag(CN) 2 ] 2 . Theoretical DFT and extended Huckel molecular orbital population calculations shows that in heterometallic dimers, the HOMO correspond to d z 2 of the metals with a weakly antibonding interaction between the moieties while the LUMO π*(CN) orbital shows a stronger bonding character between monomers. This indicate that the 424 nm emission peak corresponds to a MLCT (d → π*) transition with some metal to metal charge transfer character (Pt to Ag).
Note---A Note on Goal Decomposition in a Decentralized Organization

The purpose of this note is to show that Ruefli's Generalized Goal Decomposition Model does not allow one to interpret the solution routine as a decentralized process with respect to information processing and decision making. It is then shown how the application of a partitioning algorithm within Ruefli's framework can overcome these interpretation shortcomings.
Breast Conserving Therapy for DCIS—Does Size Matter?

The incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ has increased dramatically with the use of screening mammography. Most patients can be considered for breast conserving therapy, depending upon patient and pathologic variables. In addition to other factors, tumor size is important to provide proper patient selection for breast conserving surgery and predict risk of local recurrence.
The first example of a nitrile hydratase model complex that reversibly binds nitriles.

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) is an iron-containing metalloenzyme that converts nitriles to amides. The mechanism by which this biochemical reaction occurs is unknown. One mechanism that has been proposed involves nucleophilic attack of an Fe-bound nitrile by water (or hydroxide). Reported herein is a five-coordinate model compound ([FeIII(S2Me2N3(Et,Pr))]+) containing Fe(III) in an environment resembling that of NHase, which reversibly binds a variety of nitriles, alcohols, amines, and thiocyanate. XAS shows that five-coordinate [FeIII(S2Me2N3(Et,Pr))]+ reacts with both methanol and acetonitrile to afford a six-coordinate solvent-bound complex. Competitive binding studies demonstrate that MeCN preferentially binds over ROH, suggesting that nitriles would be capable of displacing the H2O coordinated to the iron site of NHase. Thermodynamic parameters were determined for acetonitrile (ΔH = −6.2(±0.2) kcal/mol, ΔS = −29.4(±0.8) eu), benzonitrile (−4.2(±0.6) kcal/mol, ΔS = −18(±3) eu), and pyridine (ΔH = −8(±1) ...
Fatigue Crack Growth in a TiAl Alloy with Lamellar Microstructure

The mechanisms of fatigue crack advance are examined for a lamellar α2 + γ alloy. Crack growth rates are highly dependent on the orientation of the loading axis to the lamellae direction. Thus, the material has some of the characteristics of a composite. For crack growth perpendicular to the lamellae, the mechanisms of crack advance are similar to those of other titanium alloys, while crack growth parallel to lamellae has other characteristics.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in the Hippocampus: Eustress or Distress?

Corticotropin-releasing factor/hormone (CRF) was initially characterized as an upstream mediator of the acute stress response. Presentation of a stressful stimulus results in activation of CRF-secreting neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. This leads to the rapid downstream
Structural diversity and isomorphism of hydrogen-bonded base interactions in nucleic acids.

The wide structural diversity of RNA results in part from the diversity of non-Watson-Crick interactions between bases. To examine the repertoire of possible hydrogen bond interactions among bases, we computed databases of base-pairs and base-triples by systematically matching all possible hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors between bases and evaluating the geometries of each planar configuration. For base-pairs, we find 53 arrangements having at least two hydrogen bonds, including 23 pairs with protonated bases that have not previously been modeled. A comparison with experimentally observed base-pairs reveals an unexpected G:U pair recently observed in the ribosome. For base-triples, we find 840 arrangements in which the three bases are constrained by a total of at least three hydrogen bonds. Base-triples in particular exhibit a wide range of structural diversity, suggesting how compact or elongated nucleic acid structures may be constructed using different hydrogen-bonding patterns. Base-pair and base-triple conformations were systematically compared to identify structurally isomorphic combinations, and the experimentally observed arrangements within double and triple helices are among the most isomorphic. Unexpectedly, however, other combinations in the database are even more isomorphic, including several in which all-purine arrangements overlap with all-pyrimidine arrangements. These studies highlight some of the combinatoric and geometric versatility of base interactions and help provide a framework for analyzing and modeling isomorphic interactions and potentially for designing novel nucleic acid structures.
The Impact of Structural Reform on County Government Service Provision

Objective. This study examines the effect that county government structure has on county spending in an environment of rapid population growth. In particular, it looks at the consequence of changing from a traditional commission noncharter form to an appointed administrator/elected executive commission type with a home rule charter. Methods. This study uses a pooled time-series design to analyze the spending behavior of seven rapid-growth counties in Florida that adopted a modernized structure between 1980 and 1990. Results. The findings indicate that changing the form of county government leads to a statistically significant increase in total spending as well as for spending for traditional and regional services. Conclusions. In addition to the theoretical implications for studying government structural impacts, there are practical implications for county officials in rapidly growing areas who view the adoption of modernized structures as a means to facilitate the expansion of current services and/or the addition of new services.
Glass: The Nanotechnology Connection

Nanoscale science and engineering, or “nanotechnology” as it is commonly known, has been a fundamental component of glass technology for hundreds if not thousands of years. Numerous examples can be found where our understanding of glass at the nanoscale level has proved transformational in the fabrication and application of this material. Among these are band theory, photosensitivity, ligand field theory, glass structure, microcrack theory, amorphous phase separation, controlled crystallization, and surface modification. Modern applications of glass in such diverse fields as energy, medicine, electronics, photonics, and communications are critically dependent on our awareness and appreciation of the intrinsic connections between glass and nanotechnology. Starting at the low end of the nanoscale, we review fundamental aspects of these connections with the intent of drawing attention to their role in both contemporary and future glass science and engineering. We argue that many of the most useful and interesting behaviors of glass are born at the nanoscale, even when we initially do not notice it.
A Functional Analysis of the Relationship Between Attending and Producing in a Vocational Training Program

This study evaluated the relationship between attending to task and speed of task completion in a vocational training program. Six mentally retarded male adults were randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups and treated in multiple-baseline fashion. Group 1 received reinforcement for speed of task completion; Group 2 received reinforcement for time spent attending to task. Results showed that subjects who spent more time completing tasks also spent an appreciable percentage of their time attending to task, by comparision with baseline measures. Also, subjects reinforced for not attending to task without exception did not complete tasks. On the other hand, directly reinforcing speed of task completion resulted in speedier completion of tasks and increased time spent attending to task. Further, directly reinforcing time spent attending to task resulted in more attending and more rapid task completion. Determining which measure, when treated, would be the more economical to address was only conservatively e...
On the Multihop Performance of Synchronization Mechanisms in High Propagation Delay Networks

We analyze the single and multihop performance of time synchronization mechanisms for challenging environments characterized by high propagation delays, low duty-cycle operation, and imprecise clocks, such as underwater acoustic sensor networks. We find that receiver-receiver-based schemes are unsuitable for such environments, and therefore focus primarily on sender-receiver schemes. According to our analysis, a one-way dissemination approach provides good clock skew estimation but poor offset estimation while a two-way exchange approach provides accurate offset estimation but imprecise clock skew estimation. In average, using one-way scheme can result in significant cumulative propagation error over multiple hops, and using two-way can lead to high variance of propagation error. We develop and analyze a hybrid one-way dissemination/two-way exchange technique, and verify the performance of our hybrid scheme through trace-based experiments. The results suggest that this hybrid approach can provide bounded average error propagation in multihop settings and significantly lower variance of propagation error.
The Temperate Marine Phage ΦHAP-1 of Halomonas aquamarina Possesses a Linear Plasmid-Like Prophage Genome

A myovirus-like temperate phage, PhiHAP-1, was induced with mitomycin C from a Halomonas aquamarina strain isolated from surface waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The induced cultures produced significantly more virus-like particles (VLPs) (3.73 x 10(10) VLP ml(-1)) than control cultures (3.83 x 10(7) VLP ml(-1)) when observed with epifluorescence microscopy. The induced phage was sequenced by using linker-amplified shotgun libraries and contained a genome 39,245 nucleotides in length with a G+C content of 59%. The PhiHAP-1 genome contained 46 putative open reading frames (ORFs), with 76% sharing significant similarity (E value of <10(-3)) at the protein level with other sequences in GenBank. Putative functional gene assignments included small and large terminase subunits, capsid and tail genes, an N6-DNA adenine methyltransferase, and lysogeny-related genes. Although no integrase was found, the PhiHAP-1 genome contained ORFs similar to protelomerase and parA genes found in linear plasmid-like phages with telomeric ends. Southern probing and PCR analysis of host genomic, plasmid, and PhiHAP-1 DNA indicated a lack of integration of the prophage with the host chromosome and a difference in genome arrangement between the prophage and virion forms. The linear plasmid prophage form of PhiHAP-1 begins with the protelomerase gene, presumably due to the activity of the protelomerase, while the induced phage particle has a circularly permuted genome that begins with the terminase genes. The PhiHAP-1 genome shares synteny and gene similarity with coliphage N15 and vibriophages VP882 and VHML, suggesting an evolutionary heritage from an N15-like linear plasmid prophage ancestor.
Minimum Bandwidth Reservations for Periodic Streams in Wireless Real-Time Systems

Reservation-based (as opposed to contention-based) channel access in WLANs provides predictable and deterministic transmission and is therefore able to provide timeliness guarantees for wireless and embedded real-time applications. Also, reservation-based channel access is energy-efficient since a wireless adaptor is powered on only during its exclusive channel access times. While scheduling for Quality of Service at the central authority (e.g., base station) has received extensive attention, the problem of determining the actual resource requirements of an individual node in a wireless real-time system has been largely ignored. This work aims at finding the minimum channel bandwidth reservation that meets the real-time constraints of all periodic streams of a given node. Keeping the bandwidth reservation of a node to a minimum leads to reduced energy and resource requirements and leaves more bandwidth for future reservations by other nodes. To obtain a solution to the minimum bandwidth reservation problem, we transform it to a generic uniprocessor task schedulability problem, which is then addressed using a generic algorithm. This algorithm works for a subclass of priority-driven packet scheduling policies, including three common ones: fixed-priority, EDF, and FIFO. Moreover, we then specialize the generic algorithm to these three policies according to their specific characteristics. Their computation complexities and bandwidth reservation efficiencies are evaluated and guidelines for choosing scheduling policies and stream parameters are presented.
Consistent estimation of survival functions under uniform stochastic ordering; the k -sample case

Let S 1 , S 2 , ? , S k be survival functions of life distributions. They are said to be uniformly stochastically ordered, S 1 ? u s o S 2 ? u s o ? ? u s o S k , if S i / S i + 1 is a survival function for 1 ? i ? k - 1 . The nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators of the survival functions subject to this ordering constraint are known to be inconsistent in general. Consistent estimators were developed only for the case of k = 2 . In this paper we provide consistent estimators in the k -sample case, with and without censoring. In proving consistency, we needed to develop a new algorithm for isotonic regression that may be of independent interest.
A Minimum Phase Space Distance method for the demodulation of M-ary chaotic parameter modulation

An M-ary modulation scheme for chaotic spread spectrum communication is proposed by employing a generalized tent map to modulate binary messages. Binary bit streams are represented by noise-like and broadband chaotic sequences generated from a generalized tent map with different parameter sets. Due to the broad parameter range that can drive this kind of generalized tent map to chaotic behavior, multiple bits can be represented by one chaotic sequence with a specific parameter set. The original binary message is recovered by a minimum phase space distance (MPSD) algorithm to determine the parameters of the received noise contaminated chaotic sequence, thus extract the binary message by matching the parameter sets with the corresponding binary bit stream.
The Error in Steady-State Approximations for the Time-Dependent Waiting Time Distribution

Arrival processes to queues often exhibit time dependence, but time-dependent queues are notoriously difficult to analyze. Usually one adopts some kind of steady-state approximation for time-dependent performance. We consider a range of queueing models that see wide use in practice, particularly in the modeling of service industry applications, and develop approximations for the error involved in using a steady-state approximation for time-dependent quantities. We focus on the distribution of the waiting time before reaching service, although the approach we use could be extended to many other performance measures. The results reinforce and extend what is known about such errors. For example, customer abandonment leads to dramatic reductions in the error in steady-state approximations as compared to a system without customer abandonment.
Do pediatric nurse practitioners recognize sexual abuse

Abstract Introduction: This study was undertaken to describe pediatric nurse practitioners' (PNPs') knowledge of genital anatomy and their ability to recognize sexual abuse. Method: A 33-item questionnaire developed by Ladson, Johnson, and Doty (1987) was revised, and PNPs were asked questions about demographics, their knowledge of normal and abnormal prepubescent genital anatomy, and their recognition of the association between sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse in prepubescent girls. The questionnaire was mailed to 213 PNPs within the state of Ohio, all of whom were members of the Ohio Chapter of NAPNAP. Results: No statistically significant correlation was noted between any demographic characteristics and correct responses to questionnaire items. Two anatomical parts-hymen and vaginal opening-were correctly identified by less than 60% of the participants. Only 67.1% of the PNPs stated that a child can have a normal genital examination after penile penetration of the vagina. Conclusions: PNPs need to increase their knowledge of normal prepubescent genital anatomy and physical findings of sexual abuse and report these findings if abuse is suspected. J Pediatr Health Care. (2000). 14 , 45–49.
Organic Carbon Pools and Genesis of Alpine Soils with Permafrost: A Review

Soils with mountain permafrost occupy 3.5 million km 2 worldwide, with 70% in cen- tral Asia. High-mountain environments have "warm" permafrost, with surface permafrost temperatures of -0.5 to -2 °C and deep active layers (2 to 8 m). From a global database of 41 sites and 312 pedons, alpine soils with permafrost are strongly acid (pH = 5.0 to 5.5), have intermediate cation-exchange capacities (20 to 25 cmol c /kg) and base satura- tion (44% to 85%), and commonly have an isotic mineral class. Soil organic carbon is concentrated in the upper 30 to 40 cm, with profile density averaging 15.2 ± 1.3 kg m -2 (range = <1.0 to 88.3 kg m -2 ), which is comparable to temperate grasslands (13 kg m -2 ) but substantially less than moist arctic tundra (32 kg m -2 ). Mountain soils with permafrost contain 66.3 Pg of soil organic carbon (SOC), which constitutes 4.5% of the global pool. In contrast, the SOC pool in the Arctic is 496 Pg (33% of the global pool). Alpine soils with deep active layers contrast strongly with high-latitude soils in areas of continuous permafrost. Permafrost in the upper 2 m induces cryoturbation in the profile, acts as a barrier to water movement, and generates cooler temperatures resulting in greater SOC levels. High-elevation and high-latitude soils are experiencing warming of air temperature and permafrost and a thickening of the active layer.
Alanine decreases the protein requirements of infants with inborn errors of amino acid metabolism

Supplementation with alanine was found to increase growth in weight and nitrogen balance in 5 infants with a variety of inborn errors of amino acid metabolism receiving diets restricted in protein. The addition of alanine to the regimen led to a mean increase in weight of 15 g/day. This and the increased nitrogen balance of 15 mg/kg/day were highly significant statistically. In addition a dose-response effect of alanine was observed. The effect of alanine was compared with that of a supplemental mixture of essential and non-essential amino acids, lacking only those considered to be toxic in these patients. Alanine at 0.05 g/kg was as effective in promoting growth in weight as 1.05 g/kg of the amino acid mixture, while 0.25 g/kg of alanine was more effective than 0.70 g/kg of the amino acid mixture. The protein sparing anabolic effect of alanine is thought to be a reflection of the alanine glucose cycle.
On the topology of spaces of controllable and observable systems

Topological properties of classes of state-space systems ( A, B, C) \in R^{n(n+m+p)} are considered, using the natural Euclidean topology. In particular, the connected components of the spaces of controllable, observable, and controllable and observable systems are characterized. Similar results are then easily established for corresponding spaces of rational transfer matrices.