cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-Depositional Control of Gas-Reservoir Quality in Eagle Sandstone of Bearpaw Mountains, North-Central Montana: ABSTRACT

The Eagle Sandstone of Late Cretaceous age is an important conventional reservoir for biogenic gas (isotopically light methane) near the Bearpaw Mountains. A petrologic examination of cores from producing wells was undertaken to establish the petrologic features which significantly affect reservoir quality in a conventional shallow gas reservoir, and to provide a framework for the investigation of lower quality reservoirs on the east. Petrologic studies indicate that the quality of most Eagle Sandstone reservoirs in the Bearpaw Mountains area is controlled by a consistent sequence of postdepositional events. Most sandstones were tightly sealed early in their burial history by authigenic calcite, which filled intergranular pores and partially replaced some framework grains. In some sandstones, minor quartz cement partly preceded the precipitation of calcite. Subsequent to calcite precipitation, siderite or ankerite formed as numerous patches which were localized by altering biotite. This iron-rich carbonate may occupy as much as 3 or 4% of the rock volume. Later, most calcite was removed through dissolution that resulted in abundant intergranular and intragranular porosity. The newly developed porosity further facil tated the movement of interstitial waters, which produced extreme dissolution effects in susceptible framework grains such as andesine. Later in the burial history of the Eagle Sandstone, clay minerals were formed in intergranular pores and to a lesser extent in intragranular pores. Although kaolin is the dominant clay, iron-rich chlorite and mixed-layer mica-smectite are locally important. The following conclusions can be made. (1) The highly porous and permeable nature of the Eagle Sandstone in conventional reservoirs is due predominantly to the dissolution of authigenic and detrital components. (2) The formation of dissolution porosity occurred at relatively shallow depths in thermally immature rocks and was not directly related to burial diagenesis of clays in associated shale sequences. (3) The common occurrence of acid-soluble iron-rich phases should be considered when using acid treatments. (4) In some conventional Eagle reservoirs, migration and/or expansion of clay-size components may cause formation damage if clays are not stabilized. End_of_Article - Last_Page 827------------
In Vitro Iontophoretic Studies Using a Synthetic Membrane

In vitro iontophoretic administration of drugs through a microporous polyolefin membrane with hydrophilic urethane polymer-filled pores was done for the ionized drugs dexamethasone sodium phosphate, hydrocortisone sodium phosphate, and prednisolone sodium succinate, and for a nonionizable drug cortisone acetate. Currents between 0.2 and 0.8 mA were demonstrated to be effective in increasing the transmembrane transport rate compared with passive diffusion for all the ionizable drugs studied. However, these currents failed to show any significant effect on the transmembrane transport rate of the nonionizable drug, cortisone acetate. There was a good linear relationship between the applied current (I, mA) and the transmembrane transport rate (J, μg/mL) in the receptor cell for all the ionized drugs (J = 1.97I + 0.70 for dexamethasone sodium phosphate; J = 2.05I + 1.49 for hydrocortisone sodium succinate; J = 2.25I + 1.93 for prednisolone sodium succinate). This in vitro iontophoretic study demonstrated that electric fields interact more efficiently with charged than with uncharged molecules.
Clinical psychology—Art or science

This paper questions the oft-repeated statement that clinical psychology is an art by examining the main functions of clinical psychologists, i.e., diagnosis and treatment. In examining the concept of diagnosis, evidence is presented which supports the notion that a diagnostic statement has meaning only when it has a referent in the future—when it provides a prediction. A prediction (probability-statement) is determined empirically and may be stated in terms of a regression equation or in terms of a crude generalization from clinical experience. Treatment likewise is determined by tacit or expressed predictions of behavior under alternative conditions. The various conceptions of art as applied to clinical psychology are examined and the conclusion is drawn that clinical psychology is a scientific as opposed to an artistic or intuitive enterprise.
Clip Test*: A Brief Test of Motor Skills in Aging and Dementia (P04.210)

Objective: Dozens of brief screening tests (one-ten minutes) can be found to help discriminate cognitive changes of normal aging from those of MCI or dementia. None, to our knowledge, focuses primarily on motor skills and the impairment of motor skills associated with executive system dysfunction. The Clip Test, a brief, non-verbal, "bedside" test was devised to fill this gap. Background Same as above. Design/Methods: 84 men and 156 women were recruited from the Tanaka Clinic in Japan, and divided into 3 groups: Normal (n=91) aged 55-86 (mean 71.8), with no evidence of neurological impairment and no complaint of cognitive dysfunction; MCI (n=69) aged 66-91 (mean 77.6), and Alzheimer Disease (AD) (n=80) aged 61-90 (mean 80.1), with probable AD according to the criteria of McKhann et al., 1984. In front of the participant, the examiner takes 6 long paper clips and hooks them together into a paper clip chain, then takes the last clip, hooks it onto the second clip, and hands the clips, hooked together in a complex loop, to the participant. The task is to unhook all the paper clips, leaving 6 unhooked clips separated on the table. Score is response time in seconds, starting at the moment the participant begins to unhook the clips. Results: Neurologically intact participants had a mean response time (RT) of 105.03 seconds (SD= 37.38); the MCI group, 165.37 seconds (SD= 71.76); the AD group, 412.50 seconds (SD= 177.95). Differences in RT were statistically significant. Age, gender, and diagnosis explained 66% of the variation in response time. Mean response time for men was 202.80 seconds (SD= 159.42), women, 251.41 seconds (SD= 188.00). This difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: The Clip Test offers a simple method to distinguish normal aging from MCI, and MCI from Alzheimer disease, with regard to motor skills. * The Clip Test was devised by Monroe Richman, MD. Supported by: Veterans Administration Research Service; NIDCD; NIA. Disclosure: Dr. Tanaka has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ojo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Spiro III has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cahana-Amitay has nothing to disclose. Dr. Albert has nothing to disclose.
Primary care physicians' knowledge of the ophthalmic effects of diabetes.

Abstract Objective Previous studies suggest that many patients with diabetes do not receive an annual dilated eye examination because of a lack of referrals from primary care physicians (PCPs). This study aims to determine the depth of knowledge of PCPs regarding diabetic eye disease. Design Cross-sectional assessment. Participants Ninety-seven PCPs. Methods An 8-question, multiple-choice assessment was administered over a 3-month period to 208 PCPs in attendance at continuing medical education conferences. Results Ninety-seven PCPs completed the assessment. Participants had a mean total score of 5.9 of 8 possible (73.8%). Questions regarding screening, clinical findings, and prevention were answered correctly by ≥81% of the respondents. However, questions regarding risk factors and complications were answered correctly by less than 35% of the respondents. No difference in scores was found based on the type of residency training received or the number of years in practice. Conclusions Although PCPs may require greater education in the complications and risk factors of diabetic eye disease, study participants demonstrated a good overall depth of knowledge regarding diabetic eye disease. Thus, previous reports of only 35% to 55% of patients with diabetes receiving an annual dilated fundus examination are likely not due to a lack of physician education.
Mouse strain variation in maximal electroshock seizure threshold.

Abstract Maximal electroshock seizure threshold (MEST) is a classical measure of seizure sensitivity with a wide range of experimental applications. We determined MEST in nine inbred mouse strains and one congenic strain using a procedure in which mice are given one shock per day with an incremental (1 mA) current increase in each successive trial until a maximal seizure (tonic hindlimb extension) is elicited. C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice exhibited the highest and lowest MEST, respectively, with the values of other strains falling between these two extremes. The relative rank order of MEST values by inbred strain (highest to lowest) is as follows: C57BL/6J>CBA/J=C3H/HeJ>A/J>Balb/cJ=129/SvIMJ=129/SvJ>AKR/J>DBA/2J. Results of experiments involving a single electroconvulsive shock given to separate groups of mice at different current intensities suggest that determination of MEST by the method used is not affected by repeated sub-maximal seizures. Overall, results document a distinctive mouse strain distribution pattern for MEST. Additionally, low within strain variability suggests that environmental factors which affect quantification of MEST are readily controlled under the conditions of this study. We conclude that MEST represents a useful tool for dissecting the multifactorial nature of seizure sensitivity in mice.
Session 1: Plenary

In the first paper, the interface between semiconductors and living cells is of great interest to medical science and technology. The realization of signaling and transduction pathways between semiconductor circuits and living tissues will enable dramatic advances in medical prosthetics, biosensorics, brain research and neurocomputation. In this talk, we discuss the electrical interfacing of semiconductors and of living cells, in particular of neurons. Cellular processes are coupled to microelectronic devices through the direct contact of cell membranes and semiconductor chips. The research is directed to reveal the structure and dynamics of the cell-semiconductor interface and to build up hybrid neuroelectronic networks. Thus, we explore the new world at the interface of the electronics in inorganic solids and the ionics in living cells. In the second paper, solid-state digital storage has seen a sustained and rapid proliferation over the last few decades. Driven by our insatiable demand for ever more storage, nonvolatile memory technology has been on a path driving towards ever lower cost per bit. In this talk, an overview of the future of nonvolatile memory will be provided. The continued scaling of NAND and NOR Flash memory will be discussed, including a discussion of the scalability challenges therewith. The need for multilevel and multilayer technologies will be analyzed, and various emerging nonvolatile memory technologies will be introduced, driving towards the realization of ultra-dense two-terminal cross point arrays. Process challenges for the realization of future generations of nonvolatile memories will be discussed, as will the role of design and system architecture on the future of nonvolatile memories. In the third paper, the use of photovoltaic technology has increased tremendously over the last decade, driven by substantial cost reductions in photovoltaic modules coupled with increases in conventional energy costs and concerns about the environmental impacts of fossil fuel consumption. In this talk, the future of photovoltaic technology is discussed, including an analysis of technological trends driving the development of next-generation photovoltaic systems. Innovations in silicon photovoltaic panels will be discussed, as will the future of various other types of photovoltaic technologies. The role of the semiconductor industry in general and the photovoltaic industry in particular on this development will be reviewed, thus providing a comprehensive discussion of the future of this vibrant and proliferating field.
Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis: appearance associated with photochemotherapy for psoriasis

A patient with chronic psoriasis treated with psoralens plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) developed characteristic lesions of disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP). Since other processes associated with ultraviolet irradiation, including epidermal dysplasia, actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas, and keratoacanthomas, have been reported to result from PUVA, it is possible that her DSAP lesions were induced by this therapy.
Effects of ozone on cell renewal in pulmonary alveoli of aging mice.

Groups of aging male mice were exposed to different concentrations of ozone (O3) for six hours. Following exposure, the animals were killed at intervals of 1, 24, 48, and 72 hours. Prior to killing, cells synthesizing DNA were labeled with tritiated thymidine. Immediately after exposure, the number of cells that could be labeled with tritiated thymidine was significantly fewer than in the controls. Inhibition of cell labeling was approximately the same at each concentration of O3 tested. By 72 hours, most of the labeling indexes had increased, approaching or surpassing control levels. These results suggest that one of the initial responses of alveolar tissue to O3 is a reduction in DNA synthesis.
Post-herpetic neuralgia: the relation of pain complaint, sensory disturbance, and skin temperature.

Twelve otherwise healthy patients with longstanding postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) were prospectively studied using clinical examination, infrared thermography and response to local anesthetic skin infiltration. All had at least 2 of 3 possible components to their PHN pain: continuous, neuralgic, or allodynic. In patients with allodynia, maximal reported pain and the location of maximal allodynia on sensory examination were largely overlapping and were often warm thermographically. Areas of dense sensory loss and skin scarring without allodynia were usually cool thermographically. Local anesthetic skin infiltration produced substantial pain relief in all 9 patients (essentially complete relief in 7) with allodynia: the 3 patients with predominantly continuous pain were not relieved. In 7 of 8 skin infiltration responders, the same dose of lidocaine i.m. in the deltoid muscle also produced significant, though less complete pain relief. These results suggest that PHN patients can be divided into at least 2 clinical groups: those with predominantly continuous pain localized to a region of significant sensory loss and those in whom allodynia is the most prominent sensory disturbance. The latter group has pain localized to areas with relatively preserved sensation. The differences in clinical features and response to lidocaine suggest that there are at least 2 different mechanisms contributing to the pain of PHN.
A STUDY OF WATER RESOURCES IN THE CANBERRA AREA AND THE QUEANBEYAN RIVER WATERSHED (GOOGONG DAM CATCHMENT)

Data provided by the Australian Commonwealth Bureaus of Meteorology and Mineral Resources are used in this water budget study of the Queanbeyan River watershed. Air and soil temperatures show close correlation from month to month during the five-year period. A close parallel also exists for the air temperature values and the seasonal variations in the Nett-Moisture (rainfall minus evaporation) plots. Ground-water levels appear to be influenced by drought periods and by under groundwater storage conditions such as “nick-points” in the sub-surface migration conditions. The groundwater levels were unusually high early in the drought year of 1964-65. The annual rainfall totals for 1962, 1963, and 1966 were all exceeded by the evaporation totals. In 1964 and in 1965 (the drought year) the evaporation total exceeded the rainfall total. The minimum annual water discharge values for the Queanbeyan River ranged from 4.9″ in 1963 to 1.4′ in 1965.
Lignite zone as an indicator to lost circulation belt: a case study of some locations of Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria

Eighteen (18) water boreholes were studied for lost circulation. When locations of the boreholes associated with lost circulation were plotted on the map of Anambra State a lost circulation belt was observed around the River Niger – Onitsha – Oba – Nnewi axis. Lost circulation intervals range between 20-50m and 75-90m depth and were found to be associated with lignite and peaty clay members of the Ogwashi-Asaba Formation and/or the Ameki/Bende Formation. This suggests that natural rather than anthropogenic factors are responsible for the widespread occurrence of lost circulation in the State, although the latter could aggravate the former. Lignite and peaty clay of the Ogwashi-Asaba and Ameki/Bende Formation cause lost circulation because they are woody to earthy in nature and are easily eroded when they occur above the water table. These conditions favour the development of vugs, leading to increase in permeability and porosity, making the formation prone to lost circulation. Pre-drilling geophysical, geological and hydrogeological investigations are recommended, since these would go a long way to identify the presence or absence of lignite and thus help to avert possible lost circulation intervals. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10 (3) 2006: 31-35
Holonomy an Ethic of Wholeness

This article attempts to clarify the meaning of "good" by linking it to a concept of wholeness derived from the process philosophy of David Bohm (1980a). Bohm draws a distinction between implicate order, which is a domain of reality characterized by flux and potentiality, and explicate order, which is the Newtonian-Cartesian order of stable phenomena and actuality. This article proposes a model of human development whereby the emergence of explicate phenomena from the implicate order may proceed in two general directions: toward fragmentary order or toward holonomic order, whether in the individual or in the world. Fragmentary order compartmentalizes and oppresses human activity; holonomic order liberates and empowers people. Borrowing from the analogy of the hologram, this article suggests that holonomic order further enables people to see or experience a larger meaning or wholeness in each of the parts or segments of their lives; fragmentary order implies disconnectedness and conflict within and among p...
Recently published protein sequences. I.

Some polypeptide sequences that have been published in the 1972 scientific literature are listed. Only selected sequences are included. The compilation has two objectives. Current information between periods when more comprehensive compilations are published is to be assembled and the use of data that do not include arrangements of unsequenced peptides for 'maximum homology' is to be encouraged.
Decreasing impatience and the magnitude effect jointly contradict exponential discounting

Abstract The experimental literature on time preference finds that the manner in which subjects discount money (as opposed to utility) exhibits properties known as Decreasing Impatience and the Magnitude Effect. While these findings are often referred to as anomalies for the Exponential Discounting model, several authors have demonstrated that each of these qualitative findings can be explained by the curvature of utility and thus are not anomalies. We prove that, under basic regularity conditions, the two findings jointly imply the existence of Preference Reversals, and thus jointly contradict the Exponential Discounting model.
Use of personal digital assistants to enhance educational evaluation in a primary care clerkship

Experiences of students using optically scanned cards were compared with those of students using personal digital assistants (PDAs) to log patient encounters in a primary care clerkship. From April to September 2001, students were offered the option of using a PDA in lieu of scanned cards to track clinical encounters. Data obtained from PDA users were compared with those previously obtained from scanned card users. Verbal and written feedback was obtained from all students. Of the 71 students invited to participate, 21 (30%) owned a PDA, and of these, 20 agreed to participate. Eighteen students completed the pilot. One student was unable to participate owing to software installation problems; another student lost data because of improper back-up. Students using the PDAs recorded more encounters per rotation and had fewer missing data when compared with students who used scanned card. Additionally, feedback from students suggested that PDAs offered other important educational benefits.
Near-extremal black hole evaporation in asymptotically flat spacetime

We study black hole evaporation of near-extremal black holes in spherically reduced models with asymptotically Minkowskian spacetime, with the effects of the back-reaction on the geometry included semi-classically. The stress-energy tensor is calculated for null in-falling observers. It is shown that the evaporation proceeds smoothly and there are no instabilities of the outer or inner apparent horizon before the endpoint of evaporation.
Group G streptococcus

Abstract Three patients with serious infections due to beta hemolytic streptococci, Lancefield group G are presented. The clinical syndromes are septicemia with possible endocarditis in a patient with laryngeal carcinoma, septic arthritis in a healthy boy and endocarditis in an adult with no previous underlying valvular disease. All were treated with intravenous penicillin and recovered. The clinical and microbiologic significance of recognizing the organism is emphasized.
PW03-036 – Neutrophilic urticaria with systemic inflammation

Predominantly neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrates are seen in a subset of chronic urticaria patients, with lesions that tend to be less itchy and poorly responsive to antihistamine therapy.[1,2] There have been reports of patients with neutrophilic dermatoses presenting with extracutaneous inflammation.[3] We present two patients with neutrophilic urticaria and extracutaneous symptoms likely mediated by interleukin 1 (IL-1) and not associated with a known connective tissue disease. We propose the term “neutrophilic urticaria with systemic inflammation” (NUSI) to describe a spectrum of diseases, which includes neutrophilic urticaria, and highlights the role of IL-1 in driving this particular inflammatory process.
Adsorption and desorption of ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen on ruthenium (0001)

The adsorption of ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen on a Ru(0001) surface have been investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and thermal flash desorption. The adsorption of ammonia on Ru(0001) can be divided into a low temperature mode (100 K) and a higher temperature mode (300–500 K). For a crystal temperature of 100 K the ammonia adsorbs into two weakly bound molecular γ states with s = 0.2. The ammonia desorbs as NH3 molecules with desorption energies of 0.32 and 0.46 eV. At 300–500 K adsorption occurs via an activated process with a low sticking probability (s ⩽ 2 × 10−4).This adsorption is accompanied by dissociation and formation of an apparent (2 × 2) LEED pattern. Hydrogen adsorbs readily (s = 0.4) on Ru(0001) at 100 K and desorbs with 2nd order kinetics in the temperature range 350–450 K. Nitrogen does not appreciably adsorb on Ru(0001) even at 100 K; maximum nitrogen coverage obtained was estimated to be <2% of a monolayer. Changes in the ammonia flash desorption spectra after hydrogen preadsorption at 100 K will be discussed.
Rutile fibers in surface waters of northern New Jersey

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses of surface water samples from the northern New Jersey (USA) area indicate that rutile (TiO2) is a consistent contaminant, with fiber concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 million fibers per liter (MFL), and averaging 0.7 MFL. Concentrations of rutile fiber were comparable to or somewhat higher than asbestos concentrations in ambient surface water samples. Rutile is a component of bedrock in the drainage areas studied, and is also widely used commercially. The data favors a bedrock origin for most of the rutile observed. Analysis of hydraulic parameters indicates that rutile in the surface water samples is entirely in the Wentworth clay range, with Stokes' diameter of less than 2 microns, and suggests a high degree of sorting control over suspended particles. Since the samples were all from actual or potential sources of drinking water, the results suggest that a substantial amount of rutile is ingested via surface water supplies by the general population. The health effects of such ingestion are unknown.
Two-Dimensional Substructure of MT Receptive Fields

Abstract Neurons at progressively higher levels of the visual system have progressively larger, more complicated receptive fields, presumably constructed from simpler antecedent receptive fields. To study this hierarchical organization, we used sparse white noise to map receptive-field substructure (second order Wiener-like kernels) in an extrastriate motion processing area (MT) of alert monkeys. The maps revealed a clear substructure, on a spatial scale comparable to the receptive fields of the V1 inputs. There were both facilitatory and suppressive interactions that differed in spatial organization and time course. Directional interactions were remarkably precise over a very small spatial range, and reversed when successive stimuli reversed contrast––a neural correlate of "reverse phi" motion perception. The maps of some cells had an unexpected, curved shape, which challenges existing models for direction selectivity.
Real-time assessment of fog-related crashes using airport weather data: a feasibility analysis.

The effect of reduction of visibility on crash occurrence has recently been a major concern. Although visibility detection systems can help to mitigate the increased hazard of limited-visibility, such systems are not widely implemented and many locations with no systems are experiencing considerable number of fatal crashes due to reduction in visibility caused by fog and inclement weather. On the other hand, airports’ weather stations continuously monitor all climate parameters in real-time, and the gathered data may be utilized to mitigate the increased risk for the adjacent roadways. This study aims to examine the viability of using airport weather information in real-time road crash risk assessment in locations with recurrent fog problems. Bayesian logistic regression was utilized to link six years (2005–2010) of historical crash data to real-time weather information collected from eight airports in the State of Florida, roadway characteristics and aggregate traffic parameters. The results from this research indicate that real-time weather data collected from adjacent airports are good predictors to assess increased risk on highways.
Sensitivity limitations for CW stimulated Raman spectroscopy

Abstract It is demonstrated that cw stimulated Raman spectroscopy using low-power pump and probe sources is a viable coherent Raman technique for obtaining Raman spectra. A multipass Raman cell configuration is shown to be effective in providing enhancement of the output gain signal and the study of representative Raman modes in mixtures of several common solvents gives an experimental basis for assessing the ultimate sensitivity of the technique both for studies in dense media and high resolution applications in gaseous media.
Astronomer's proposal tool: the first two years of operation

The Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) is an integrated software package for the preparation of observing proposals and plans. It was developed by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) to support Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observing, but it has also been designed so that other observatories can reuse it. The goal of APT is to provide a single user-friendly interface to much of the software that is needed by HST proposers and observers. APT was released in autumn 2002 and has since been used for two cycles of HST observing. This paper will illustrate some of the capabilities and functions of APT including a graphical editor, a display of how science exposures and overhead activities fit into HST orbits, and a timeline of when a observation's constraints can and cannot be met during an observing cycle. Experiences of the first two years of APT operation will also be discussed. Some of the user feedback will be described, and APT's impact on HST observing program implementation work at STScI will be explained. Based on all of this operational experience, several changes have been made to the APT software. These changes will be described.
Life satisfaction among Iranian and American graduate students

Abstract This study aimed to find out if there were differences in the life satisfaction of Iranian students (who came to the United States after the Iranian revolution in 1979) as compared with American students. It also aimed at identifying students' perceptions of some of the variables, like social network, competence and stress, that affect the quality of their lives. Ninety-four Iranian students who were attending the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and California State University, Long Beach, during the academic year of 1986-87 participated in this study. Multivariate analysis of variance was employed to compare the scores of the two groups, Iranians and Americans, on fifteen life satisfaction subscale scores. The results indicated that for both Iranians and Americans, perceptions of life satisfaction correlated significantly with perception of competence, social network, and hopes for the future. American subjects showed more satisfaction with their comp...
Charter value, Tobin's Q and bank risk during the subprime financial crisis

Abstract Charter value is important in the banking industry because of its ability to reduce the moral hazard incentives that result from government-provided deposit insurance. Previous research suggests that geographic deregulation in the 1970s and 1980s increased competition and eroded charter values. Yet, a common proxy for charter value, Tobin's Q , increased significantly in the 1990s and beyond even as bank deregulation continued. We show that Tobin's Q is a poor cardinal measure of charter value though it still has merit as an ordinal measure. Our findings suggest that charter value has been declining through time, contributing to the increase in risk-taking that led to the subprime financial crisis.
Residual stress measurement in thin carbon films by Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation

The reliability of hermetic carbon-coated optical fibers is affected by residual stresses in the coating created during the fiber draw process. Thermally induced residual stresses are caused by differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the coating and the optical fiber. This mismatch creates shear stresses at the interface that can delaminate the film. This work presents and validates a surface residual-stress measurement technique using Raman spectroscopy. Since select Raman peaks for carbon films exhibit a wavenumber shift in proportion to the magnitude of residual stress, Raman spectra can be correlated to a theoretical model to obtain its residual stress. The model, validated with nanoindentation, shows an equi-biaxial stress field through the depth of the film. Nanoindentation also provides an accurate measure of residual stress in thin films with unknown material properties. The approach presented in this study is a non-destructive and non-intrusive method for measuring residual surface stress in thin films, and is ideal for small curved-surface specimens such as carbon-coated optical fibers.
Nursing assessment of infant pain.

UNLABELLED This study compared how nurses perceived their assessment of infant pain and how the pain was actually assessed in an intensive care unit. A descriptive design was used to collect data about nurses beliefs and documentation practices related to pain assessment in infants. An anonymous subset of the unit nurses (n = 24) responded to a questionnaire regarding infant pain assessment. Pain assessment documentation of the unit nurses was examined in a retrospective chart review (n = 107). Results showed an inconsistency between what nurses believe about infant pain as sessment and the documentation practice in the unit. According to the questionnaire, the nurses believed that pain assessment was important to providing effective pain relief and that nurses are capable of assessing infant pain. However, it was not evident in the documentation that nurses used pain tools or other means to document their evaluations of infant pain or the infant's response to pain medication interventions. CONCLUSION Greater consistency of nurses in documenting pain assessment, thereby improving care provider communication of an infant's pain experience, is needed to improve the standard of care in managing infant pain.
Taking License with Medical Work: Notes on the Resolution of Risk and Uncertainty in a Gynecological Self-Help Clinic

Occupational case studies provide comparative data for studying the structure of work. In the case presented here, an occupational grouping which staked out its own jurisdiction provides a limiting case for the study of collective solutions to risk and uncertainty encountered in work. How a gynecological self-help clinic organized work to protect individual workers from risk and its consequences shows that relationships among work, uncertainty, and risk are indeed flexible.
WindSat retrieval of ocean surface wind speeds in tropical cyclones

The WindSat polarimetric microwave radiometer measures top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature, useful for retrieving surface wind vector over the ocean. This procedure was previously documented in low to moderate wind and light precipitation [1,2]. An atmospheric clearing algorithm designed to remove the emissive and absorptive effects of stronger precipitation and extract the emissivity of the wind-driven ocean surface worked well in moderate rain but had limited success with strong rainfall and high winds [3]. This paper presents results using an improved forward model including Mie scattering from rain. We consider three 2005 WindSat hurricane overpasses for proper atmospheric conditions (Dennis, Katrina and Rita). The improved atmospheric clearing algorithm extracts ocean surface emissivity in and near the hurricane rain bands and eyewall. The emissivity is compared to NOAA H*Wind analysis of the near-surface wind field. Results show a monotonic dependence of emissivity on wind speed up to category 3 hurricane-force winds.
Applications of Total Scanning Fluorescence to Exploration Geochemistry

A total scanning fluorescence technique is described for correlation (oil/oil and oil/source rock) and surface geochemical prospecting studies. The fluorescence system acquires a total fluorescence spectrum of emission, excitation and intensity for wavelengths between 200 and 800 nm using a computer controlled UV-Spectrofluorometer (Perkin-Elmer 650-40). The resulting matrix of intensity values, obtained at specific emission/excitation wavelengths, can be viewed in a three-dimensional or contour presentation. Similarity indices are calculated to compare spectra for correlation studies. The method can also be used as a regional evaluation tool for surface geochemical prospecting. Shallow surficial (>2 meters) sediments collected over oil, condensate, and gas provinces exhibit distinct fluorescence signatures.
X-ray residual stress analysis of a ceramic thermal barrier coating undergoing thermal cycling

The residual stress of a ZrO_2-8%Y_2O_3 thermal barrier coating was determined as a function of thermal cycling. Samples were thermally cycled from 400°C to 1000°C in air. After a few cycles the samples exhibited a value of compressive residual stress consistent with that determined by considering the thermal expansion coefficients of the coating and substrate. Stress relief occurs in the ZrO_2-Y_2O_3 coating, increasing in both frequency and magnitude with increasing number of thermal cycles. This behavior is explained in terms of a model of failure of coatings in compression.
Bureaucratic Politics as Agency Competition: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract Scholars of bureaucratic politics seek to explain how administrators and their agencies struggle to satisfy their values in the interplay of politics and policy. For those interested in comparative public administration, it is difficult to conduct systematic studies of bureaucratic politics in different countries due to disagreement about dependent variables and disagreement over operational terms for context variables. The purpose of this article is to offer a set of choices about variables, organized into a conceptual framework, which can be used to compare bureaucratic politics in different nations.
The role of glottal surface adhesion on vocal folds biomechanics.

The airway surface liquid (ASL) is a very thin mucus layer and covers the vocal fold (VF) surface. Adhesion mediated by the ASL occurs during phonation as the VFs separate after collision. Such adhesion is hypothesized to determine voice quality and health. However, biomechanical insights into the adhesive processes during VF oscillation are lacking. Here, a computational study is reported on self-sustained VF vibration involving contact and adhesion. The VF structural model and the glottal airflow are considered fully three-dimensional. The mechanical behavior of the ASL is described through a constitutive traction–separation law where mucosal cohesive strength, cohesive energy, and rupture length enter. Cohesive energy values considered are bound below by the cohesive energy of water at standard temperature and pressure. Cohesive strength values considered are bound above by prior reported data on the adhesive strength of mucosal surface of rat small intestine. This model introduces a mechanical length scale into the analysis. The sensitivity of various aspects of VF dynamics such as flow-declination rate, VF separation under adhesive condition, and formation of multiple local fluid bridges is determined in relation to specific ASL adhesive properties. It is found that for the ASL considered here, the characteristics of the VF separation process are of debond type. Instabilities lead to the breakup of the bond area into several smaller bond patches. Such finding is consistent with in vivo observations.
Evolutionary Modeling and Prediction of Non-Coding RNAs in Drosophila

We performed benchmarks of phylogenetic grammar-based ncRNA gene prediction, experimenting with eight different models of structural evolution and two different programs for genome alignment. We evaluated our models using alignments of twelve Drosophila genomes. We find that ncRNA prediction performance can vary greatly between different gene predictors and subfamilies of ncRNA gene. Our estimates for false positive rates are based on simulations which preserve local islands of conservation; using these simulations, we predict a higher rate of false positives than previous computational ncRNA screens have reported. Using one of the tested prediction grammars, we provide an updated set of ncRNA predictions for D. melanogaster and compare them to previously-published predictions and experimental data. Many of our predictions show correlations with protein-coding genes. We found significant depletion of intergenic predictions near the 3′ end of coding regions and furthermore depletion of predictions in the first intron of protein-coding genes. Some of our predictions are colocated with larger putative unannotated genes: for example, 17 of our predictions showing homology to the RFAM family snoR28 appear in a tandem array on the X chromosome; the 4.5 Kbp spanned by the predicted tandem array is contained within a FlyBase-annotated cDNA.
REM sleep changes in rats induced by siRNA-mediated orexin knockdown

Short interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting prepro-orexin mRNA were microinjected into the rat perifornical hypothalamus. Prepro-orexin siRNA-treated rats had a significant (59%) reduction in prepro-orexin mRNA compared to scrambled siRNA-treated rats 2 days postinjection, whereas prodynorphin mRNA was unaffected. The number of orexin-A-positive neurons on the siRNA-treated side decreased significantly (23%) as compared to the contralateral control (scrambled siRNA-treated) side. Neither the colocalized dynorphin nor the neighbouring melanin-concentrating hormone neurons were affected. The number of orexin-A-positive neurons on the siRNA-treated side did not differ from the number on the control side 4 or 6 days postinjection. Behaviourally, there was a persistent (∼ 60%) increase in the amount of time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during the dark (active) period for 4 nights postinjection, in rats treated with prepro-orexin siRNA bilaterally. This increase occurred mainly because of an increased number of REM episodes and decrease in REM-to-REM interval. Cataplexy-like episodes were also observed in some of these animals. Wakefulness and NREM sleep were unaffected. The siRNA-induced increase in REM sleep during the dark cycle reverted to control values on the 5th day postinjection. In contrast, the scrambled siRNA-treated animals only had a transient increase in REM sleep for the first postinjection night. Our results indicate that siRNA can be usefully employed in behavioural studies to complement other loss-of-function approaches. Moreover, these data suggest that the orexin system plays a role in the diurnal gating of REM sleep.
Is Determinism a Vacuous Doctrine

The question as to whether the world is strictly deterministic has continually been of the highest interest to all thinking people. Some have insisted that future scientific developments are going to vindicate their belief in complete Laplacean determinism; others have argued that in the light of the results of contemporary physics, full determinism on a microscopic level can no longer be held to be true, while yet others have gone further and maintained that the universe is replete with random events on any level. As we know, however, Russell has argued that regardless what our universe is actually like, it is quite a trivial task to construct functions that will describe the behaviour of all the physical systems we have observed. All we need to do is compile a list of the corresponding values of any two variables of a given system and this will automatically furnish a mathematical function-which of course is likely to be rather complicated containing as many terms as the results to be accounted for, but which will be satisfied by all our data (Russell [19631). Are we thus to conclude that the doctrine of determinism, which does not rule out any conceivable state of affairs, is vacuous and therefore that the hundreds of papers debating its status are pointless? Or are we justified in believing that the questions of determinism is a substantial one, for we may-as apparently have hundreds of people who have written on the subject-simply ignore Russell on the assumption that he is wrong?
The effect of transitional employment on search duration: A selectivity approach

This paper presents an analysis of the impact of transitional employment (employment fully contained within a search spell) on search duration. Log-linear duration equations, which are derived from an accelerated time-life specification, are estimated separately for those who take and do not take a transitional job. Selectivity terms are included as additional regressors in the specification in order to control for the endogeneity of the decision to take a transitional job. The presence of right-censored search spells is controlled for and the standard errors are corrected to account for the inclusion of generated regressors. A searcher who takes a transitional job can expect to be searching for permanent employment almost eight months longer and has a substantially different escape pattern than a searcher who does not take a transitional job.
Experimental nonlinearity coefficients for the tungsten- nickel point-contact diode

Current-voltage characteristic curves of W-Ni diode contacts were determined experimentally, and are represented by the coefficients of polynomials of the fifth order fitted to the curves. Estimates of the accuracy of the coefficients are given, and main features of the curves and of the coefficients are discussed. It is observed that details of the characteristics only up to the second order are modeled fairly well by the WKB tunneling theory with trapezoidal potential barrier.
Shift and broadening of resolved hydrogen Balmer-α fine-structure lines in helium

Accurate values for the density shift and broadening of five isolated H/sub ..cap alpha../ fine-structure transitions have been measured. Doppler-free polarization and double-quantum saturation spectroscopy with a cw dye laser are used in a He dc discharge with 1% H/sub 2/. The negative shifts and the huge broadening values are correctly predicted by an impact-approximation theory taking into account the large cross sections for fine-structure transfer (quenching) collisions and only Van der Waals interaction between H* and He. Consequences of a comparison with the positive shift of the unresolved H/sub ..cap alpha../ line and of the alkali-metal D lines in He buffer gas are discussed. For pressures below 0.1 Torr hfs decoupling collisions give rise to a positive shift of single H/sub ..cap alpha../ fine-structure lines and to a collisional narrowing effect analogous to that observed in nuclear magnetic resonance.
Encircled : Large-scale purification of replication origins from mammalian chromosomes

A novel cloning strategy for sequences comprising mammalian replication origins, described by Mesner et al. (2006) in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, utilizes an origin trapping assay in which replication bubbles are selectively retained in agarose due to their circular nature.
How to photograph a chemical reaction

We report the structural characterization of the gas phase adducts HCN and CH 3 CN with BF 3 . Both have symmetric top structures with the nitrogen end of the R-CN toward the boron, reminiscent of the well known dative bond chemistry of BF 3 with nitrogen donors. The B-N bond lengths and N-B-F angles, however, are intermediate between those expected for van der Waals or covalent interactions. Moreover, in CH 3 CN-BF 3 , where comparison with x-ray crystallographic studies is possible, the gas phase adduct shows a markedly longer bond length and smaller N-B-F angle. We show that in a series of related BF 3 and BH 3 adducts, the bond length and bond angle can, in fact, be tuned almost continuously between the covalent and van der Waals limits. By analogy with classic crystallographic work by Buergi and Dunitz and coworkers, we discuss how members of such a series can be interpreted as snapshots along a generalized reaction path for the formation of the dative bond. Finally, in the context of such a path, we examine the evolution of other (non-structural) properties of the BF 3 adducts as the donor-acceptor bond formation proceeds.