cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Newspaper Indexing Using WordStar and Personal Pearl

In June 1983, the libraries of the State University of New York at Albany acquired an Osborne Executive I microcomputer through grant funds. To complete the system, additional money was committed that fall to the purchase of a Daisywriter 2000/1500 letter‐quality printer, and a Trantor Systems five‐megabyte hard disk. The Osborne was supplied with CP/M and p‐System operating systems, and three bundled software packages: WordStar, Personal Pearl, and SuperCalc.
Antibody Neutralization Escape Mediated by Point Mutations in the Intracytoplasmic Tail of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp41

The persistence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in the presence of robust host immunity has been associated in part with variation in viral envelope proteins leading to antigenic variation and escape from neutralizing antibodies. Previous studies of natural neutralization escape mutants have predominantly focused on gp120 and gp41 ectodomain sequence variations that alter antibody binding via changes in conformation or glycosylation pattern of the Env, likely due to the immune pressure exerted on the exposed ectodomain component of the glycoprotein. Here, we show for the first time a novel mechanism by which point mutations in the intracytoplasmic tail of the transmembrane component (gp41) of envelope can render the virus resistant to neutralization by monoclonal antibodies and broadly neutralizing polyclonal serum antibodies. Point mutations in a highly conserved structural motif within the intracytoplasmic tail resulted in decreased binding of neutralizing antibodies to the Env ectodomain, evidently due to allosteric changes both in the gp41 ectodomain and in gp120. While receptor binding and infectivity of the mutant virus remained unaltered, the changes in Env antigenicity were associated with an increase in neutralization resistance of the mutant virus. These studies demonstrate the structurally integrated nature of gp120 and gp41 and underscore a previously unrecognized potentially critical role for even minor sequence variation of the intracytoplasmic tail in modulating the antigenicity of the ectodomain of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein complex.
Can we predict which residents are going to pass/fail the oral boards?

Objective Previously, we identified a positive correlation between administration of regularly structured mock oral examinations and successful first time pass rates on the American Board of Surgery Certifying Examination (ABSCE)/oral boards. In this study, we investigated factors associated with test results to determine whether residents at risk of not passing the ABSCE can be identified a priori . Design All general surgery chief residents who graduated from a large academic/community program between 2001 and 2010 were identified. Residents who did not pass the ABSCE on the first attempt were compared to a control group of chief residents who passed the examination on the first attempt. Evaluation metrics included "knowledge," "professional communication," and "spoken English" scores. Differences between groups were determined using one-way ANOVA and χ 2 calculations. Results Over the decade, 13 residents made more than 1 attempt to pass the ABSCE. The element of the "knowledge" score associated with ABSCE first-attempt pass rates included United States medical licensing examination (USMLE) Step 2 scores (p = 0.02), and not ABSITE, American Board of Surgery Qualifying examination (ABSQE)/written examination or USMLE Step 1 scores. "Professional communication" scores associated with first-attempt pass rates included in-house mock oral examination scores (p = 0.01) and Citywide mock oral examination scores (p = 0.02). ABSCE pass rates did not differ in native vs. non-native English speakers or graduation from a United States vs. International medical school. Conclusions Compared with a control group of residents from the same program, residents who passed the ABSCE examination on the first attempt were more likely to have higher USMLE Step 2 and professional communication scores. USMLE Step 1 scores and English as a native language were not associated with certifying examination pass rates. These criteria may offer guidance for residents preparing to take the ABSCE and may aid in the selection of residents for residency programs. Larger studies to validate these findings and to investigate the role of improving communication skills and conducting interventions between the 1st and 2nd attempt are warranted.
Introduction to special issue on geosynthetic clay liners II

Professor, Department of Structural Engineering, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA, Telephone: +1 858 822 0431, Telefax: +1 858 822 2260, E-mail: pjfox@ucsd.edu Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA, Telephone: +1 217 333 7394, Telefax: +1 217 333 9464, E-mail: tstark@illinois.edu
TALKING TO TEACHERS ABOUT SOCIAL DIALECTS

Linguists have recently become aware of the agonizing problems faced by school children who speak non-standard English. When these children learn to read, they must cope not only with a certain amount of linguistic interference, but also with the severely deprecatory attitudes of their teachers toward their dialect. Linguists have a responsibility to help teachers learn more about the nature of dialectical variability and, in particular, about non-standard English. Helping teachers is often difficult, however, for they start with assumptions about language that differ so radically from the assumptions of linguists that it is sometimes difficult to achieve an intelligible dialogue. Linguists must find ways to make their knowledge meaningful to teachers. They must not bury teachers in technical complexities but offer their insights in ways that will strike the teacher as relevant to the practical concerns of their teaching. Some personal experiences are recounted that may help other linguists to avoid certain pitfalls as they try to enter into communication with teachers.
Current status of and backup plans for flow of IGS data and products

Abstract The IGS has been operational for nearly seven years. Recent changes in the data and products archived at the data centers prompts the review of the current IGS data flow and archiving methodologies. This presentation will outline the current structure at the IGS data centers, including the flow of both the daily and hourly data products, and will detail ideas for improvements to the data flow to ensure timely and consistent availability of IGS data and products.
Stress and the developing adolescent brain

Abstract Adolescence is a time of continued brain maturation, particularly in limbic and cortical regions, which undoubtedly plays a role in the physiological and emotional changes coincident with adolescence. An emerging line of research has indicated that stressors experienced during this crucial developmental stage may affect the trajectory of this neural maturation and contribute to the increase in psychological morbidities, such as anxiety and depression, often observed during adolescence. In this review, we discuss the short- and long-term effects of periadolescent stress exposure on the structure and function of the brain. More specifically, we examine how stress at prepubertal and early adolescent stages of development affects the morphological plasticity of limbic and cortical brain regions, as well as the enduring effects of adolescent stress exposure on these brain regions in adulthood. We suggest that, due to a number of converging factors during this period of maturation, the adolescent brain may be particularly sensitive to stress-induced neurobehavioral dysfunctions with important consequences on an individual’s immediate and long-term health and well-being.
On transition metal ions and protein interactions in chromatin.

Metal ions may play an essential role in chromatin organization and, thus, be main actors in the gene expression drama. A model is proposed here for the interaction of DNA-binding transcriptional regulatory proteins with histone H3 via coordinated metal ions and discussed in relation to the conversion of nucleosomal ‘closed’ to ‘open’ states.
Dietary and purgation factors in the epidemiology of gastric cancer.

A study was made of 188 men and 88 women with gastric cancer plus controls of 800 men and 1400 women with non-neoplastic, nondigestive disease seen at Roswell Park Memorial Institute between 1957 and 1965. Sex and age-specific comparisons of cases and controls showed few positive results for men and almost none for women regarding ingestion of a large number of specific foods and beverages, including alcohol. Higher proportions of men with gastric cancer ate cabbage and potatoes than controls though the latter result was not significant. Eating infrequently also more often characterized patients with cancer; this result may parallel those of Segi and Wynder regarding “irregular” eating. The current finding of a higher risk for use of purgatives was similar to the one reported earlier by Boyd and Doll. Many sources of possible error in these results may inhere in the interview method used. Nevertheless, a number of considerations with regard to the interview approach suggest the need for similar research in the future to investigate the relationships found.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness: Introduction to Special Series

We are entering a new era in health care that will challenge conventional models of interventions and services for persons with serious mental illness (SMI) that were largely developed and tested i...
The sexual and asexual spores ofAspergillus nidulans contain partially overlapping sets of mRNAs

Abstract Poly(A)+ RNA was isolated from ascospores of wild-typeAspergillus nidulans to determine whether any of the RNA species that are packaged in asexual conidia are also packaged in sexual ascospores. Among a set of 43 cloned conidiation-specific genes, most did not detectably hybridize with labeled cDNA prepared from ascospore poly(A)+ RNA. However, a few conidial clones weakly hybridized with ascospore cDNA, and one clone (Spo28) strongly hybridized. Northern analysis confirmed that the Spo28 clone hybridized as strongly to ascospore RNA as it did to conidial RNA. Spo28 thus appears to contain a gene that is transcribed in two different cell types and at two different times duringAspergillus development. Unlike wild-type ascospores, the ascospores of two aconidial mutants,bristle andabacus, lacked the Spo28 transcript. The ascospores of these mutants, nevertheless, develop normally.
Linear stability of planar solidification fronts

Abstract We review, extend and modify the classical linear stability theory of planar solidification fronts in Langer's moving symmetric model. Using a new integral equation for the front position, we compute an exact linear stability equation and solve it exactly for an important special case. The classical theory is seen to be the long-time limit of the exact solution. Finally, we show how to treat a general planar front, using a short-time approximation. Our conclusions generalize those of previous analyses, by treating initial temperature field perturbations and the resulting transient growth phenomena.
Mapping and cloning recombinant breakpoints demarcating the hybrid sterility 6-specific sperm tail assembly defect.

Variants of the mouse t complex known as t haplotypes (t) express factors that perturb sperm differentiation, resulting in the non-Mendelian transmission of t from +/t heterozygous males and the sterility of t/t homozygous males. Previous studies of mice carrying heterospecific combinations of the t complex have revealed a 1-cM candidate locus, Hst6, for the distal-most of these factors, Tcd/Tcs2. Males heterozygous for the M. spretus allele of Hst6 and a t haplotype (Hst6s/t) are sterile, expressing an abnormality in sperm flagellar curvature (``curlicue'') indistinguishable from one exhibited by sperm from t/t homozygotes. Hst6s/Hst6s males are also sterile; however, sperm produced by these males are completely immotile owing to the absence of assembled flagella. Recent studies have shown that the complete presentation of ``curlicue'' derives from expression of at least two factors within the locus, Curlicue a (Ccua) proximally and Curlicue b (Ccub) distally, with a factor affecting sperm-oolemma penetration, Stop1p, mapping between them. In the present report, we have examined expression of the Hst6-specific flagellar assembly phenotype in sperm from mice homozygous for M. spretus–M. m. domesticus recombinant Chr 17 homologs whose breakpoints map within the Hst6 locus. SSLP analysis of these homologs has demonstrated that the flagellar assembly defect maps to less than 0.2 cM between D17Mit61 and D17Mit135, coincident with Ccua. SSR content analysis of 23 BACs mapping to four contigs within the Hst6 locus has resulted in isolation of proximal and distal recombinant breakpoints circumscribing the flagellar assembly phenotype/Ccua factor. In addition, we have provided increased high-resolution mapping of the Stop1p and Ccub factors. These new data enhance our ability to isolate and characterize candidates for Tcd/Tcs2.
Audience Response Systems: Technology to Engage Learners

An audience response system (ARS) provides a means of infusing interaction into a traditional didactic lecture format, enhancing student attention and learning. It can be used in a variety of ways, with both large and small audiences, to evaluate participants' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions or to verify student attendance at a lecture. The technology of ARS has markedly improved over the years, resulting in systems that are less costly and easier to use. Commercial systems that can be rented or purchased as well as local systems that can be downloaded free via the Internet are available. In this essay, the author reviews the components of an ARS, the history of ARS, educational outcomes related to ARS use, the benefits and limitations of ARS, tips for using an ARS, and current developments in ARS.
Inhibition of serotonin uptake in rat brain synaptosomes by plasma from patients with premenstrual syndrome.

Several recent studies indicate that the symptoms of the premenstmal syndrome (PMS) are associated with an attenuation of peripheral serotonergic mechanisms, such as decreased platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake and content (Ashby et al 1988; Taylor et al 1984), as well as changes in whole blood 5-HT levels (Rapkin et al 1987). As numerous biochemical and pharmacological studies have indicated that the platelet may be a model for central serotonergic neurons (Stahl 1985), it is possible that serotonergic neuronal function in the brain may be altered during the symptomatic phase of PMS. Angel and Paul (1984) and Brusov et al (1985) have demonstrated that plasma and plasma extracts from humans and rats contain endogenous substances that appear to selectively inhibit 5HT uptake in blood platelets, as well as rat brain synaptosomes. Thus, some of the symptoms of PMS could result from the presence of endogenous factors which alter brain 5-HT uptake. A
Environmental Effects on the Properties of Biopolymer Service-ware Products

The current trend towards sustainability has promoted a new interest in biodegradable plastics. Although there have been many studies on the behavior of biodegradable plastics, the changes in properties that may occur during use have not been fully documented. The mechanical properties of seven commercial service-ware items produced with biodegradable plastics were analyzed in this investigation. The effects of UV exposure, humidity, and accelerated aging on the mechanical properties were studied. In general, samples from polylactic acid and wheat straw had properties comparable to traditional synthetic plastics used in this application. However, the strength of other polymers such as bagasse, fiber pulp and potato starch was less than that of comparable synthetic plastics. The mechanical properties of the biopolymers generally deteriorated significantly upon exposure to UV radiation and humidity, with polylactic acid, wheatstraw, potato starch, and the bamboo bulrush wheatstraw blend being affected the m...
Strong, Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds May Be Available to Enzymes

The debate over the possible role of strong, low-barrier hydrogen bonds in stabilizing reaction intermediates at enzyme active sites has taken place in the absence of an awareness of the upper limits to the strengths of low-barrier hydrogen bonds involving amino acid side chains. Hydrogen bonds exhibit their maximal strengths in isolation, i.e., in the gas phase. In this work, we measured the ionic hydrogen bond strengths of three enzymatically relevant model systems in the gas phase using anion photoelectron spectroscopy; we calibrated these against the hydrogen bond strength of HF2–, measured using the same technique, and we compared our results with other gas-phase experimental data. The model systems studied here, the formate–formic acid, acetate–acetic acid, and imidazolide–imidazole anionic complexes, all exhibit very strong hydrogen bonds, whose strengths compare favorably with that of the hydrogen bifluoride anion, the strongest known hydrogen bond. The hydrogen bond strengths of these gas-phase c...
THE LACK OF SECURITY COOPERATION BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND JAPAN Yen Yes, Pax Nippon No

Common threats, mutually conducive goals, and institutional safeguards predict a significant security role for Japan in Southeast Asia. Yet, only recently has limited collaboration taken place. Often-cited explanations of collective memory and internal Japanese constraints are unfounded. Realism and strategic culture provide considerably more explanatory power.
Estimating the risk of breast cancer in relation to the interval since last term pregnancy.

We review the analytical methods of studies that asked whether a term pregnancy transiently increases a woman's risk of breast cancer. These analyses must separate the possible influence of a recent pregnancy from that of two other correlated variables, attained age and age at last pregnancy. Most analyses have compared women of the same parity. To determine, however, whether the risk of breast cancer is different than it would have been had the last pregnancy never occurred, it is necessary to compare the risk of breast cancer over time among women of parity N+1 with women of parity N, which has been done in a few studies. To generate relative risk estimates that are independent of arbitrary coding decisions, we show that the analytical models must be more complex than those in published studies. We used these models to compare women of parity N and N+1 for breast cancer occurrence, using data from the U.S. Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study. For the first 6 years after delivery, first term pregnancy was associated with lower or unchanged risk of breast cancer, second pregnancy with higher risk, third pregnancy with lower risk, and fourth pregnancy with both lower and higher risk depending on age at delivery. Given the inconsistent findings between adjoining levels of parity and the wide confidence intervals around the estimates, we could not find clear evidence for or against the theory that term pregnancy is transiently associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Normative Ethics of Two Categories of Offenders

Previous research has established that various measures of moral reasoning and axiological orientation are capable of differentiating criminal from noncriminal populations and between probationers convicted of various types of offenses. Traditional personality measures (such as the MMPI), by comparison, do not seem to discriminate so reliably. In the present study a new measure of moral reasoning, the Moral Content Components Test, was explored as a possible aid for the classification of probationers requiring different degrees of supervision. Two scales reliably distinguished probationers requiring regular or intensive supervision. It was concluded that the test has potential as an aid to probationary classification.
Nonlocal damage theory

In the usual local finite element analysis, strain softening causes spurious mesh sensitivity and incorrect convergence when the element is refined to vanishing size. In a previous continuum formulation, these incorrect features were overcome by the imbricate nonlocal continuum, which, however, introduced some unnecessary computational complications due to the fact that all response was treated as nonlocal. The key idea of the present nonlocal damage theory is to subject to nonlocal treatment only those variables that control strain softening, and to treat the elastic part of the strain as local. The continuum damage mechanics formulation, convenient for separating the nonlocal treatment of damage from the local treatment of elastic behavior, is adopted in the present work. The only required modification is to replace the usual local damage energy release rate with its spatial average over the representative volume of the material whose size is a characteristic of the material. Avoidance of spurious mesh ...
Demonstration of the enzymatic mechanisms of α-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-1-phosphodiester N-acetylglucosaminidase (formerly called α-N-acetylglucosaminylphosphodiesterase) and lysosomal α-N-acetylglucosaminidase

An enzyme that is capable of removing the outer N-acetylglucosamine residues from phosphodiesters present on the high-mannose-type oligosaccharides of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes has been described. This enzyme has been called an alpha-N-acetylglucosaminylphosphodiesterase, based upon its substrate specificity and on inhibitor studies. In this study it is demonstrated by the 18O enrichment method that the enzyme cleaves the C-O bond rather than the O-P bond, and therefore acts by a glycosidase type of mechanism. In addition, the enzyme has no significant activity toward alpha-N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate, and therefore requires an underlying phosphodiester for activity. In accordance with the IUB recommendations for enzyme nomenclature, it is therefore suggested that the enzyme be renamed alpha-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-1-phosphodiester N-acetylglucosaminidase (systematic name, 2-acet-amido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphodiester acetamidodeoxyglucohydrolase). For convenience, the trivial name phosphodiester glycosidase is proposed. Lysosomal alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase also has a glycosidase type of mechanism but it is active toward alpha-N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate as well as phosphodiesters with outer N-acetylglucosamine residues.
Theoretical study on the detonation properties of energetic TNAD molecular derivatives

Abstract Following the successful synthesis of the TNAD (1,4,5,8-tetranitro-1,4,5,8-tetraazadecalin), the amine reactant is theoretically replaced to yield the hypothesized TNAD molecular derivatives. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation method was applied to model TNAD and its derivatives. In this investigation, the target molecular volumes were initially obtained using the group additivity approach, and then transferred into molecular densities. The densities and the least square estimated enthalpies of formation (Δ H f ) of TNAD, and the corresponding derivatives, were obtained and the Kamlet–Jacobs empirical equations were used to determine the related detonation velocity and detonation pressure. The simulation results reveal that three of the TNAD molecular derivatives perform similarly to the traditionally used TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene). Four other derivatives outperform TNT, with performance that approach that of RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane).
A variational finite element method for stationary nonlinear fluid-solid interaction

We consider the problem of the interaction of a stationary viscous fluid with an elastic solid that undergoes large displacement. The fluid is modeled by the stationary incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in an Eulerian frame of reference, while a Lagrangian reference frame and large displacement-small strain theory is used for the solid. A variational formulation of the problem is developed that ensures satisfaction of continuity of interface tractions and velocities. The variational formulation is approximated by a Galerkin finite element method, yielding a system of nonlinear algebraic equations in unknown fluid velocities and pressures and solid displacements. A Newton-like method is introduced for solution of the discrete system. The method employs a modified Jacobian that enables decomposition into separate fluid and solid subdomains. This domain decomposition avoids possible ill-conditioning of the Jacobian, as well as the need to compute and store geometric coupling terms between fluid and interface shape. The capability of the methodology is illustrated by solution of a problem of the flow-induced large displacements of an elastic infinite cylinder.
Social and scientific influences on the study of children's suggestibility : A historical perspective

Modern research on children's suggestibility is largely designed to answer questions that arise when children become victim-witnesses in the legal system. However, this was not the case during earlier historical periods. In this article, the author expands previous discussions of the history of children's suggestibility research by examining the historical relation between societal beliefs and scientific inquiry about children's suggestibility, highlighting literature excluded from prior historical reviews of children's testimony. The author also considers the modern researcher in historical context.
Review of Current Status of Cochlear Prostheses

This paper reviews the present status of cochlear prostheses which operate by direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Over 200 cochlear prostheses have now been implanted. Recent results indicate that surprisingly good speech discrimination results are possible in favorable cases with single channel systems. Full speech comprehension, however, probably requires more complete spectral information input than is achievable with single channel systems, and studies with multichannel systems are being vigorously pursued at several laboratories. It appears that the electrode and electronics hardware problems are nearing solution, but that successful strategies for using multielectrode arrays for the effective injection of speech information are still lacking. Much of the effort in multichannel cochlear prostheses now centers on the speech analysis and stimulation paradigm problem.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of the Al + trimethylaluminum reaction

Abstract Equilibrium between Al atoms, trimethylaluminum (TMA), and an Al–TMA complex has been observed over the temperature range 341–396 K at 50 Torr total pressure. Rate constants for the forward reaction are reported from 296 to 396 K. A van't Hoff plot of the equilibrium constant versus 1/ T yields ΔH 0 and ΔS 0 values for the complexation reaction as −19.6 (±1.7) kcal mol −1 and −27.7 (±4.8) cal mol −1 K −1 , respectively. An MP2 calculation gives ΔH 0 of complexation as −12.6 kcal mol −1 . A complex which contains an Al–Al bond semi-bridged by a methyl group is predicted by ab initio and DFT calculations.
Infection of a prosthetic temporomandibular joint in an intravenous drug abuser.

Abstract Late infection of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) prosthesis is a rare complication.1 To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an infected total TMJ prosthesis occurring from possible hematogenous bacterial seeding in an intravenous (IV) drug abuser.
Phase response theory extended to nonoscillatory network components

New tools for analysis of oscillatory networks using phase response theory (PRT) under the assumption of pulsatile coupling have been developed steadily since the 1980s, but none have yet allowed for analysis of mixed systems containing nonoscillatory elements. This caveat has excluded the application of PRT to most real systems, which are often mixed. We show that a recently developed tool, the functional phase resetting curve (fPRC), provides a serendipitous benefit: it allows incorporation of nonoscillatory elements into systems of oscillators where PRT can be applied. We validate this method in a model system of neural oscillators and a biological system, the pyloric network of crustacean decapods.
Polarization Dependence of Plasmonic Nanotoroid Dimer Antenna

The surface Plasmon resonance of nanotoroid dimer antenna immersed in air is investigated. The method-of-moments surface integral equation is employed to compute the resonance wavelength and the enhanced electric field of the nanoantenna. The results show that the size of the gap causes redshift to the resonance wavelength of the dominant mode only when the incident polarization is parallel to the axis of the dimer. The dominant mode is a symmetric mode, and the higher order mode is a combination of symmetric and antisymmetric modes.
Consumption of fish: Benefits and perceived risk

Fish, a useful source of protein, may be polluted by microbes, natural toxins, and/or synthetic chemicals. However, based on a review of the U.S. General Accounting Office, "There does not appear to be a compelling case to implement a mandatory comprehensive federal seafood inspection program." Although earlier studies showed higher body burdens of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in populations who consumed a lot of fish from polluted waterways, a recent study refutes these observations. No information is available in the United States on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in anglers who consume a great deal of fish presumed to be contaminated by these chemicals.
Effect of self-assembled monolayers on charge injection and transport in poly(3-hexylthiophene)-based field-effect transistors at different channel length scales.

Charge injection and transport in bottom-contact regioregular-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rr-P3HT) based field-effect transistors (FETs), wherein the Au source and drain contacts are modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), is reported at different channel length scales. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy is used to measure the change in metal work function upon treatment with four SAMs consisting of thiol-adsorbates of different chemical composition. Treatment of FETs with electron-poor (electron-rich) SAMs resulted in an increase (decrease) in contact metal work function because of the electron-withdrawing (-donating) tendency of the polar molecules. The change in metal work function affects charge injection and is reflected in the form of the modulation of the contact resistance, RC. For example, RC decreased to 0.18 MΩ in the case of the (electron-poor) 3,5-bis-trifluoromethylbenzenethiol treated contacts from the value of 0.61 MΩ measured in the case of clean Au-contacts, whereas it increased to...
Nutritional Requirements of Potatoes

Plant nutrition is the practice of providing to the plant the right nutrient, in the right amount, in the right place, at the right time. This paper gives an overview of the roles that each of the 16 essential nutrients have in plant nutrition, their relative mobility as related to deficiency symptom expression, and what is generally known about nutrient responses to field applications on potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the USA and Canada. Maintaining high crop yields with minimum nutrient losses to the environment is and will continue to be a significant challenge to the potato producer. Additional nutritional research efforts in genetically modified plants, precision agriculture, food quality and safety, fertilizer impurities, and other management concerns should significantly help the producer in this effort.
Assessment of lung tumor motion and setup uncertainties using implanted fiducials.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to assess the magnitude of setup uncertainties and respiratory-induced motion of lung tumors by monitoring the location of fiducials implanted in the vicinity of the tumors. Methods and Materials: Gold fiducials were implanted in the periphery of lung tumors in 5 patients who had Stage III non–small-cell lung cancer. Fiducial motion was measured using weekly repeated four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) imaging and during gated treatment each day using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Setup uncertainties were quantified using both the EPID images and the 4DCT data sets. Results: We observed a reduction in fiducial motion (left/right and superior/inferior directions) during gated treatment; however, large gated motion was present (>1 cm). Systematic and random uncertainties based on patient setup ranged from 4 to 6 mm in all three directions as measured using fiducials on gated EPID images and repeat 4DCTs, and using bony anatomy on repeat 4DCTs. Conclusions: Respiratory gating may be an effective method of reducing average motion during the course of treatment, but large motion is still possible when delivering gated treatment. Setup uncertainties were on the order of, if not larger than, residual gated motion. We recommend careful consideration of all sources of error before reducing margins on the basis of respiratory motion management alone without a strategy for accurate patient setup on a daily basis.
0057 Maryland annual driving survey–understanding the driving culture

Statement of purpose The Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) identified a need for evaluation of their Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) at both the state and county level. Using death and injury data was not feasible due to small numbers in some counties. The purpose of this study was to design an evaluation of the SHSP using short-term outcomes of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs or behaviours among drivers; and to present the evaluation plan and preliminary outcomes to the MHSO and state, county, and local traffic safety practitioners. Methods/Approach Based on the SHSP, a logic model for evaluating traffic safety programs was developed. The Maryland Annual Driving Survey was developed based on the SHSP, the logic model, and behavioural theory. The survey was conducted in-person, through web-based portals or through social media. Data risk behaviours were collected from April to December 2014 from 6000 people and were analysed to create descriptive data at state and county levels. Results The most common risky behaviours reported were not using a crosswalk as a pedestrian, (79%), using a cellphone while driving (41%), and not using a seatbelt in the back seat (40%). Younger drivers, 21–35 years were most likely to report using a cellphone (48%–53%) and texting while driving, and drinking and driving (27%-29%) while those aged 15–17 were least likely to always use restraints (18%). Conclusions Program managers in Maryland have started using the survey data to realign project efforts, target preventive media messages for risky behaviours, prioritise projects to fund, and evaluate and inform legislation. Significance and contribution to the field Motor vehicle crashes in Maryland are a leading cause of death with 505 fatalities and 30,234 injuries in 2012. Data from the Maryland HSO can help identify needs and priorities and enable the Highway Safety Plan to focus on high risk populations and address programs and policies most likely to reduce traffic injuries.
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Plume Pressure and Heat Rate Measurements

The solid rocket booster main flame deflector at NASA Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A was instrumented to measure heat rates, pressures, and temperatures on the final three space shuttle launches. Because the solid rocket booster plume is hot and erosive, a robust tungsten piston calorimeter was developed to compliment measurements made by off-the-shelf sensors. Witness materials were installed, and their melting and erosion response to the Mach 2, 4000°F, 4 s duration plume was observed. The data show that the specification used for the design of the main flame deflector thermal protection system overpredicts heat rates by a factor of three and underpredicts pressures by a factor of two. The discovery of short-duration heating spikes that occur when aluminum oxide slag solidifies on the main flame deflector explains this heat rate overprediction. This study allows improvement of solid rocket motor launch site and test stand computational fluid dynamics models and the concomitant slag deposition h...
Angular momentum induced phase transition in spherical gravitational systems

Abstract We present the results of N -body simulations for a self-gravitating system in the microcanonical ensemble for the l 2 model, where we fix the magnitude of angular momentum for each particle. In the mean-field limit, the system exhibits a first-order phase transition between a centrally condensed and a quasi-uniform phase in both canonical and microcanonical ensembles. In the present work, we verify the presence of the phase transition via N -body simulations. With increasing particle numbers, the simulation results converge to the mean-field phase transition in accordance with finite size scaling theory. We also use correlations in position and time to investigate the main dynamical features of each phase.
Cystatin C Concentration as a Predictor of Systolic and Diastolic Heart Failure

Abstract Background Risk factors for heart failure (HF) may differ according to ejection fraction (EF). Higher cystatin C, a marker of kidney dysfunction, is associated with incident HF, but previous studies did not determine EF at diagnosis. We hypothesized that kidney dysfunction would predict diastolic HF (DHF) better than systolic HF (SHF) in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Methods and Results Cystatin C was measured in 4453 participants without HF at baseline. Incident HF was categorized as DHF (EF ≥ 50%) or SHF (EF Conclusions Cystatin C levels are linearly associated with the incidence of systolic HF, whereas only the highest concentrations of cystatin C predict diastolic HF.
Security issues for wireless ATM networks

To be able to fulfil the need of user in wireless ATM, the system has to acquire features. One of the system features for the wireless ATM is functionality especially the security aspect. There is so far tittle, if not none, security consideration in the developing of wireless ATM standard. Therefore a wide range of features in security functions is in consideration. This paper tried to define the features of security in wireless ATM networks considering it features from existing fixed ATM network and wireless network security provided. It does not attempt to define the cryptographic system, but rather provide a template in making cryptographic systems for those required features.
Investigation of the morphology of the features generated via femtosecond lasers in the interior of a bovine cornea sections

Nonlinear absorption of femtosecond laser pulses enables the induction of bubble cavities in the interior of eye cornea without affecting other parts of an eye, a phenomena utilized for flap formation in laser assisted corneal surgery. In the present study laser pulses were focused in the interior of the sections of bovine cornea. Tight focus of the laser pulses results in the plasma formation followed by its explosive expansion, which drives cavity formation. The morphology of the generated features as well as the nature of the physical mechanisms of the phenomenon as a function of process parameters is discussed. Numerical model is proposed to develop predictive capabilities for the feature size and shape and the results are compared against the experimental findings.
Paradoxical sleep and memory (I): Selective alterations following enriched and impoverished environmental rearing ☆

Mice were reared in either enriched (EE), social control, (SE), or impoverished (IE) environments for 30 days. Environmental enrichment results in a significant and selective increase in paradoxical sleep (PS, or REM sleep) and also enhances recall of a multiple-trial, brightness discrimination task 28 days after training. Conversely, impoverished (IE) reared mice exhibit a decrease in PS and impaired task performance relative to socially housed (SE) controls. These results support the hypothesis that PS plays an integral role in the maintenance and stability of long-term memory.
Uniocular and binocular scotopic responsiveness of the peripheral retina.

Thresholds were determined with a square test field subtending a visual angle of 0.3° and an exposure time of 0.04 sec, for the right eye, the left eye, and both eyes. The test field was presented at 21 retinal points between 30° to the left and 30° to the right of fixation on the horizontal meridian and on a parallel line 1.5° below the meridian. In the binocular curves the thresholds are high at the center, drop to low levels between 5° and 20°, and then gradually rise farther in the periphery. The monocular curves are asymmetrical due to the blind spot in the left field for the left eye, and in the right field for the right eye. Thresholds measured in the blind spot areas are attributed to excitation of marginal elements by scatter of light in the ocular media. Corresponding to the lack of sensitivity occasioned by the blind spot in one eye is a region of enhanced sensitivity in the other eye as if in compensation. The binocular thresholds are lower than the monocular thresholds, indicating slight binocular summation.
A Mobile Wireless Sensor Network Emphasizing Region of Interest via a More Effective Swarm Intelligence Method

Autonomous mobile nodes along with stationary nodes deployment in wireless sensor network (WSN) makes WSN more effective for monitoring very dynamic environment where temporal changes in the heterogeneous parameters occur. In order to gather all required information and process them with higher accuracy requires higher resources, e.g. Higher number of nodes contributing in a particular task. Number of nodes requirement shrinks with the merge of mobile nodes and stationary nodes in wireless sensor network. Basic idea is to let mobile nodes move to assist others while they are seating inactive. Recent years, there have been many algorithms, those mostly mimics swarm intelligence in order to act on region of interest within WSN coverage area. In this paper an improved method of mobile nodes allocation to make the system more effective has been proposed, which performs more efficiently in extreme conditions in comparison with the existing swarm intelligence algorithms and it has been demonstrated through simulation.
Does method of sternal repair influence long-term outcome of postoperative mediastinitis?

Abstract Background Post-sternotomy mediastinitis reduces survival after cardiac surgery, potentially further affected by details of mediastinal vascularized flap reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival after different methods for sternal reconstruction in mediastinitis. Methods Two hundred twenty-two adult cardiac surgery patients with post-sternotomy mediastinitis were reviewed. After controlling infection, often augmented by negative pressure therapy, muscle flap, omental flap, or secondary closure was performed. Outcomes were reviewed and survival analysis was performed. Results Baseline characteristics were similar. In-hospital mortality (15.7%) did not differ between groups. Secondary closure was correlated with negative pressure therapy and reduced length hospital of stay. Recurrent wound complications were more common with muscle flap repair. Survival was unaffected by sternal repair technique. By multivariate analysis, heart failure, sepsis, age, and vascular disease independently predicted mortality, while negative pressure therapy was associated with survival. Conclusions Choice of sternal repair was unrelated to survival, but mediastinal treatment with negative pressure therapy promotes favorable early and late outcomes.
Effect of initial surface curvature on frictionally excited thermoelastic phenomena

Abstract Contact in a seal-like configuration is considered where initial imperfections lead to the lips meeting as a periodic sequence of Hertzian contacts. For small ratios of initial contact width to spacing, the effect of sliding is to reduce the contact width monotonically. For the initial conditions such that there is full contact, equivalent to overlap of the Hertzian patches, the effect of speed is more abrupt, giving the appearance of an instability above which the initial pressure distribution is drastically distorted. Tables and equations are offered to facilitate numerical calculation of contact patch widths and pressures for a range of selected operating conditions.
Studies on the development of pelleted Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine

White leghorn chickens (7-10 weeks old) were orally infused with varied doses of lentogenic and mesogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus. The antibody response of the chickens was monitored by haemagglutination inhibition tests weekly for 4 weeks postinfusion. A high dose of virus (10(9) EID50) was necessary to induce a serological response typical of chickens that resist challenge. Sera from chickens infused with low doses (10(5) EID50) of the virus only showed marginal haemagglutination inhibiting activity. Trypsin levels as high as 0.35 mg ml-1 were detected from duodenal secretions and are assumed to be responsible in part for viral inactivation. Fasting (no food and water) the chickens beyond 12 h did not appear to increase antibody response to low titre virus.
Sacred Possessions: Vodou, Santeria, Obeah, and the Caribbean.

"A marvelous example of African Diaspora Studies ...challenges our usual scholarly and everyday articulations of religion, even as it clearly articulates the possibilities and limits of Caribbean African retentions in Vodou, Santeria, and Obeah." --Barbara Christian, University of California, Berkeley Sacred Possessions is an unprecedented collection of thirteen comparative and interdisciplinary essays exploring the cross-cultural dynamics of African-based religious systems in the Caribbean. The contributors analyze the nature and liturgies of Vodou, Santeria, Obeah, Quimbois, and Gaga as they form one central cultural matrix in the region. They ask how these belief systems were affected by differing colonial histories and landscapes, how they affected other cultural expressions (from the oral tradition to popular art and literature), and how they have been perceived and (mis)represented by the West. The book is a unique contribution to the study of the Caribbean as a site of mutliculturalism, demonstrating the linkages between anthropology, religion, literature, and popular culture. Also included are a stunning photoessay on Cuban Santeria, a glossary of terms, and an insightful introduction by the editors. Margarite Fernandez Olmos is a professor of Spanish at Brooklyn College. She is coeditor and translator with Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert of Pleasure in the Word: Erotic Writing by Latin American Women and Remaking a Lost Harmony: Stories from the Hispanic Caribbean. Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert is a professor of Caribbean and Latin American literature in the department of Hispanic studies at Vassar College. She is the coeditor of Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam: Short Stories by Caribbean Women and author of Phyllis Shand Allfrey: A Caribbean Life.
Second harmonic generation in solids

Abstract This paper is concerned with the relation in solids between second harmonic generation and electronic band structure. The second order response function is evaluated in the dipole approximation for two- and three-band transition schemes in a system with an idealized band structure. In addition, an estimate is made of the multipole terms which are of one order higher than the dipolar.