cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agricultural contributions of antimicrobials and hormones on soil and water quality.

Detection of many emerging chemicals of concern, including antimicrobials and steroid hormones, in the environment has increased in the past decade with the advancement of analytical techniques. There are several potential sources of these inputs, including municipal wastewater discharge, municipal biosolids, pharmaceutical production, and agriculture‐related activities. However, the heavy use of antibiotics in the livestock industry and the dramatic shift in recent years toward more highly concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), thus a concomitant increase in the volume of animal wastes per unit of land, has drawn attention to the role of animal waste‐borne antimicrobials, antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, and steroid hormones on ecosystem and human health. Antimicrobials, although frequently detected, are typically present in water at concentrations in orders of magnitude below what would be considered inhibitory to most biota. Most antibiotics have a high affinity for soil and sediment, thus residual soil concentrations are usually much higher than noted in water but still often below concentrations of concern. The focal point with antibiotic use in animal production is the development of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. Although there is a growing body of evidence of the presence of numerous antibiotic‐resistant genes in animal wastes, in soils where wastes are land applied, and in water bodies receiving runoff from manure‐amended fields or discharges from aquacultures, conclusive evidence of animal‐derived antibiotic‐resistant pathogens compromising human health is lacking. In contrast to antibiotics, hormones and related chemicals can cause significant biological responses at very low concentrations. CAFO discharges will include a variety of estrogens, natural and synthetic androgens and progesterones, and phytoestrogens associated with animal feed. Measurable concentrations of many of these hormones have been detected in soil, and ground and surface waters receiving runoff from fields fertilized with animal manure and downstream from farm animal operations. Overall, hormones appear to be moderately to highly sorbed and to dissipate quickly in an aerobic soil environment, but quantitative information on hormone persistence in manure‐applied fields and subsequent effects of hormone loads from CAFOs to the aquatic environment is lacking. Research directed toward evaluating the facilitated transport processes with regards to antimicrobial and hormone inputs from manure‐amended fields is in its infancy. With the advances in analytical techniques and what has already been learned with regards to transport of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon) and pesticides from agricultural fields, a reasonable evaluation of CAFOs and associated activities (land application of animal wastes) should be forthcoming in the next decade. Meanwhile, implementation of management practices that optimize reduction in already regulated nutrient releases from CAFOs should also help to minimize the release of antimicrobials and hormones.
A Programmer's View of Computer Architecture: With Assembly Language Examples from the MIPS RISC Architecture

1. Abstractions and Computers 1.1 Levels of Abstraction 1.2 The Tower of Computer Abstractions 1.3 A Programming Language as an Abstraction 1.4 Computer Architecture 1.5 Computer Execution Basics 2. SAL: A Simple Abstract Language 2.1 On Assembly and Compilation 2.2 Variable Declaration 2.3 Arithmetic Operations 2.4 Control Structures 2.5 Communication with the User 2.6 A SAL Program 2.7 Procedures 2.8 A Modular SAL Program 3. Number Systems 3.1 Numbers and Their Representation 3.2 Weighted Positional Notation 3.3 Transformations Between Radices 3.4 Representation of Non-Integer Numbers 3.5 Precision and Accuracy 4. Data Representation 4.1 Numbers versus Their Representation 4.2 Representation of Integers 4.3 Characters 4.4 Floating Point Representation 5. Arithmetic and Logical Operations 5.1 Boolean Operations 5.2 Shift Operations 5.3 Addition and Subtraction 5.4 Multiplication 5.5 Division 6. Floating Point Arithmetic 6.1 Hardware versus Software Calculations 6.2 Addition and Subtraction 6.3 Multiplication 6.4 Division 6.5 Advanced Topics 6.6 SAL Instructions 7. Data Structures 7.l Memory as an Array 7.2 Arrays 7.3 Stacks 7.4 Queues 8. Registers and MAL 8.1 Instructions as a Data Type 8.2 Specifying Addresses in Instructions 8.3 The MAL Architecture 8.4 Example MAL Code 9. Procedures 9.1 MAL Procedure Call and Return Mechanisms 9.2 Dynamic Storage Allocation 9.3 Activation Records 9.4 Parameter Passing 9.5 Saving Registers 9.6 MIPS RISC Register Usage 9.7 A MAL Program that Uses Procedures 10. The Assembly Process 10.1 What Assemblers Do 10.2 True Assembly Language (TAL) 10.3 Machine Code Format and Generation 10.4 Program Relocation 11. Input and Output 11.1 Typical I/O Devices 11.2 The Processor-I/O Interface 12. Interrupts and Exception Handling 12.1 The Exception Mechanism 12.2 The Role of the Operating System 12.3 The MIPS RISC Exception Mechanism 12.4 A Sample Exception Handler 12.5 Operating System Issues 13. Architectural Performance 13.1 On Minimal Instruction Sets and Choices 13.2 Pipelining 13.3 Branching Techniques 13.4 Memory Hierarchies 14. Alternative Architectures 14.1 What's All This About RISC? 14.2 The Single-Chip Constraint 14.3 The Motorola 68000 Family 14.4 The Intel iAPS 86 Architecture 14.5 The Cray-1 14.6 SPARC Appendix A SAL Appendix B MAL Appendix C TAL
NETWORK 2000, a Program for Optimizing Large Fixed and Variable Cost Transportation Problems

A computer program, NETWORK 2000, was developed for optimizing variable and fixed cost, multiple period transportation problems. NETWORK 2000 provides users with three different heuristic algorithms for solving various transportation problems. The algorithms include one based on standard shortest path techniques, and two probabilistic algorithms, simulated annealing and great deluge. Each algorithm has an intelligent rule for neighborhood search. This paper presents the algorithms with an example that solves for the minimum cost of road construction and transport given alternative routes and bounds on links.
Biotin transport in the human intestine: site of maximum transport and effect of pH

Previous studies from our laboratory have characterized the transport process of biotin across the brush border membrane and the basolateral membrane of the human intestine. In this study we further characterized biotin transport in the human intestine by examining the vitamin's transport process in different areas of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) and the effect of pH on the transport process using a brush border membrane vesicle technique. In all areas examined, the transport of biotin as a function of concentration was saturable in the presence of a Na+ gradient (out greater than in) but was linear and lower in the presence of a choline gradient (out greater than in). Transport of biotin by the Na+-dependent process (i.e., the carrier-mediated process) was found to be higher in the duodenum than the jejunum, which was in turn higher than that in the ileum. This decrease in biotin transport distally was found to be due to a decrease in the Vmax of the transport process of the vitamin with no changes in the apparent Km. This indicates that the number (i.e., the density) of transport carriers for biotin decreases distally. In the presence of a Na+ gradient (out greater than in), decreasing incubation buffer pH from 8.0 to 5.5 (intravesicular pH was 7.4) was found to cause an increase in biotin transport. This increase was found to be due to the acidic buffer pH (i.e., not due to the pH gradient imposed across the membrane) and occurred through an increase in the transport of the vitamin by the nonmediated process. These results demonstrate that the proximal part of the small intestine is the site of maximum transport of biotin in humans. Furthermore, variation in incubation medium pH affects biotin transport through changes in the substrate transport by the nonmediated process.
Antibodies and Intrabodies Against Huntingtin: Production and Screening of Monoclonals and Single-Chain Recombinant Forms

Antibodies can be extremely useful tools for the field of triplet repeats diseases. These reagents are important for localizing proteins in tissues and they can be used in the isolation and characterization of the components of protein complexes. In the context of huntingtin (Htt), antibodies can distinguish Htt with normal or an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats, and they can identify distinct conformations of Htt. Htt is the protein that, when mutated to contain an expanded polyQ motif, causes Huntington’s disease (HD). Our group has produced monoclonal and recombinant single-chain antibodies (intrabodies) that can be used for these purposes and to perturb the function of Htt in living cells. Studies with anti-Htt intrabodies have led to identification of novel pathogenic epitopes. Moreover, some of the isolated intrabodies can reduce the neurotoxicity of mutant Htt in cell culture and animal models of HD. Thus, the production of antibodies and intrabodies has made a significant contribution to the understanding of HD pathogenesis and has introduced a novel strategy to treat this debilitating neurodegenerative disorder.
An Empirical Investigation of an Incentive Plan Based on Nonfinancial Performance Measures

Recent studies report an increasing use of nonfinancial measures such as product quality, customer satisfaction and market share in performance measurement an compensation systems. A growing literature suggests that nonfinancial performance measures are better predictors of long-term performance and, therefore, are used to help refocus managers on the long-term aspects of their actions. However, little empirical evidence is available on the relation between nonfinancial and financial performance measures, and even less is known about performance impacts of incorporating nonfinancial measures in incentive contracts. Using time-series data for 72 months from 18 hotels managed by a hospitality firm, this study provides empirical evidence on the behavior of nonfinancial measures and their impact on firm performance. The results indicate that nonfinancial measures are significantly associated with future financial performance. The results also suggest that nonfinancial measures contain additional information not reflected in the past financial measures. Furthermore, both nonfinancial and financial performance improve following the implementation of an incentive plan which includes nonfinancial measures.
The relative application of endoscopy and other diagnostic methods in achalasia

Clinical, radiologic, manometric, and endoscopic data were applied to distinguish achalasia in a group of 52 patients complaining of dysphagia or chest pain or both. Endoscopically, achalasia was characterized by a non-relaxing lower esophageal sphincter that would yield to gentle but firm forward thrust of the instrument. The finding of hiatal hernia or esophagitis was against a diagnosis of achalasia. Manometry was particularly helpful in achalasia patients with little or no esophageal dilation by radiography. Peroral endoscopy was found to add essential information leading to the correct diagnosis of patients with dysphagia or esophageal chest pain.
The Andean Goblin Spiders of the New Genera Paradysderina and Semidysderina (Araneae, Oonopidae)

Abstract A new genus, Paradysderina, is established for a speciose group of Andean goblin spiders belonging to the Dysderina complex. Members of Paradysderina resemble those of Scaphidysderina Platnick and Duperre in having the dorsal abdominal scutum of females either greatly reduced or entirely absent, but lack the highly crenulated sternum characteristic of Scaphidysderina and have instead a distinctively flattened, rugose sternal surface. Males of various species of Paradysderina show a wide range of remarkable autapomorphies, including projections at the sides of the clypeus and various kinds of excavations and projections on or between the chelicerae. Several species share the highly unusual occurrence of asymmetry between the left and right male pedipalps; in some species the asymmetry involves the size of the palpal bulb, but in those and other cases, the embolus structure also differs consistently between the two sides, to such an extent that if the left and right palps were studied in isolation,...
Mapping perceived wilderness to support protected areas management in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado

Abstract Wilderness can be defined in both political and popular terms. Political wilderness is designated by a government and given a resultant protected status. Popular, or perceived, wilderness is wilderness as defined in the mind of an individual. We investigated the potential for maps of perceived wilderness created in a geographic information systems (GIS) environment to be used in the management of politically designated wilderness and other protected areas. Using data gathered through a questionnaire survey of the wilderness preferences of recreational users of Colorado's San Juan National Forest (SJNF), we divided users into four “purism groups” that reflect the discrimination demonstrated by the user in personally defining the wilderness setting. We determined specific conditions considered by each group to be undesirable in the wilderness setting, and using GIS, mapped the extent of perceived wilderness in the SJNF for each purism group with a method that excluded areas of the National Forest demonstrating undesirable conditions. We assessed the potential for maps of perceived wilderness to be used in the management of political wilderness and other protected areas by comparing the extent of perceived wilderness in the SJNF to recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) class groupings, the extent of politically designated wilderness, and inventoried roadless areas in the National Forest.
The miscibility and depth profile of PCBM in P3HT: thermodynamic information to improve organic photovoltaics

Recent work has shown that poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the surface-functionalized fullerene 1-(3-methyloxycarbonyl)propyl(1-phenyl[6,6])C61 (PCBM) are much more miscible than originally thought, and the evidence of this miscibility requires a return to understanding the optimal morphology and structure of organic photovoltaic active layers. This manuscript describes the results of experiments that were designed to provide quantitative thermodynamic information on the miscibility, interdiffusion, and depth profile of P3HT : PCBM thin films that are formed by thermally annealing initial bilayers. It is found that the resultant thin films consist of a ‘bulk’ layer that is not influenced by the air or substrate surface. The composition of PCBM in this ‘bulk’ layer increases with increased PCBM loading in the original bilayer until the ‘bulk’ layer contains 22 vol% PCBM. The introduction of additional PCBM into the sample does not increase the amount of PCBM dispersed in this ‘bulk’ layer. This observation is interpreted to indicate that the miscibility limit of PCBM in P3HT is 22 vol%, while the precise characterization of the depth profiles in these films shows that the PCBM selectively segregates to the silicon and near air surface. The selective segregation of the PCBM near the air surface is ascribed to an entropic driving force.
Role of hypothermia in ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion

Two experiments examined the effect of ambient temperature during ethanol exposure on development of conditioned taste aversion to saccharin. In both studies, male albino rats receiving saccharin-ethanol (1.5 g/kg, IP) pairings followed by 6-h exposure to a 32° C environment developed a weaker saccharin aversion than did rats experiencing ethanol at room temperature. Exposure to the warm environment reduced ethanol-induced hypothermia, but enhanced ethanol's motor-impairing effect. The influence of ambient temperature on ethanol-induced taste aversion may be due to changes in body temperature, neural sensitivity, or elimination rate. Although alternative accounts cannot be entirely dismissed, this outcome suggests that ethanol-induced hypothermia plays a role in determining strength of conditioned taste aversion and thus may be involved in the regulation of oral ethanol intake in rats.
Robust Nonparametric Regression via Sparsity Control With Application to Load Curve Data Cleansing

Nonparametric methods are widely applicable to statistical inference problems, since they rely on a few modeling assumptions. In this context, the fresh look advocated here permeates benefits from variable selection and compressive sampling, to robustify nonparametric regression against outliers-that is, data markedly deviating from the postulated models. A variational counterpart to least-trimmed squares regression is shown closely related to an l0-(pseudo)norm-regularized estimator, that encourages sparsity in a vector explicitly modeling the outliers. This connection suggests efficient solvers based on convex relaxation, which lead naturally to a variational M-type estimator equivalent to the least-absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso). Outliers are identified by judiciously tuning regularization parameters, which amounts to controlling the sparsity of the outlier vector along the whole robustification path of Lasso solutions. Reduced bias and enhanced generalization capability are attractive features of an improved estimator obtained after replacing the l0-(pseudo)norm with a nonconvex surrogate. The novel robust spline-based smoother is adopted to cleanse load curve data, a key task aiding operational decisions in the envisioned smart grid system. Computer simulations and tests on real load curve data corroborate the effectiveness of the novel sparsity-controlling robust estimators.
A model for the estimation of convective exchange in the littoral region of a shallow lake during cooling

Cooling of lakes through the water surface produces horizontal convective exchange flow between the littoral and the open waters. A mixed-cells-in-series model is developed which, using as input the evolution in time of vertical temperature profiles measured along the littoral slope, provides an estimate of the horizontal exchange flow rates. Application of the model to field data shows that the exchange flow can cause rapid renewal of the littoral waters. Thermally induced water exchange between littoral and pelagic regions transports dissolved constituents, e.g. nutrients, thereby affecting water quality in lacustrine systems.
THE IDENTITY AND REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES OF A MISPLACED SOLENOPORA (RHODOPHYCOPHYTA) FROM THE ORDOVICIAN OF SOUTHWESTERN OHIO AND EASTERN INDIANA1

A study of certain fossil, limestone-forming algae in upper Ordovician beds (Elkhorn and Whitewater Formations of the Richmond Subseries of the Cincinnati Series) in southwestern Ohio and adjacent eastern Indiana culminated with the conclusion that an organism originally described as a sponge, and later placed in the genus Girvanella Nicholson and Etheridge (Cyanochloronta), should in fact be transferred to the genus Solenopora Dybowski (Rhodophycophyta), A calcified reproductive layer was discovered in one of the specimens sectioned. These structures are interpreted as either sporangia or as sporangial chambers, and occur in a sorus rather than a conceptacle type of arrangement. This find has an important bearing on the phylogenetic history of the Solenoporaceae.
Effects of magnetic field and tensile stress on the electrical resistivity of some amorphons ferromagnets

The relative change in the electrical resistivity of glassy Fe81B13.5Si3.5C2, Fe67Co18B14Si1, and Fe40Ni38Mo4B18 is investigated at 295 K as a function of longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields and tensile stresses. The domain theory can well describe the effects of magnetic field and tension on the electrical resistivity of these materials. However, they do not obey the equivalence principle between magnetic field and stress. It is found that the ferromagnetic anisotropy of theelectrical resistivity is approximately stress-independent. Die relative Anderung des elektrischen Widerstands von glasartigem Fe81B13.5Si3.5C2, Fe67Co18B14Si1und Fe40Ni38Mo4B18 wird bei 295 K in Abhangigkeit eines longitudinalen und transversalen Magnetfeldes und Dehnungsspannungen untersucht. Die Domanentheorie kann gut die Einflusse des magnetischen Feldes und der Dehnung aufden elektrischen Widerstand dieser Materialien beschreiben. Jedoch befolgensie nicht das Aquivalenzprinzip zwischen Magnetfeld und Spannung. Es wird gefunden, das die ferromagnetische Anisotropie des elektrischen Widerstands naherungsweise spannungsunabhangig ist.
National structural change and metropolitan specialization in the United States

The national economy is split into four broad sectors. The observed variation in long-term growth among sectors leads to a shift in the composition of aggregate demand. I test Henderson's propositions, namely that secular shifts in the composition of national demand lead to changes in the numbers and sizes of different types of urban places. The numbers and sizes of places specialized in the information sector has increased while the numbers and sizes of places specialized in manufacturing has decreased or has not changed. Metropolitan population growth and per capita earnings growth are enhanced by specialization in the information sector.
Effects of small lesions in the globus pallidus on open-field and avoidance behavior in male and female rats

Restricted lesions of the globus pallidus which did not cause aphagia or adipsia or affect open-field behavior in either sex retarded acquisition of two-way avoidance behavior by both male and female rats, but interfered with the development of one-way avoidance only by males. Sex differences in the behavioral effects of pallidal lesions differ from sex differences in the effects of striatal lesions and deficits in avoidance behaviors can be dissociated from impairments in consummatory activity that also may accompany basal ganglia damage.
A new technique for calibrating piezoresistive stress sensor chips

Piezoresistive stress sensors are considered to be a powerful tool for experimental stress analysis of electronic packages. The stress sensors are fabricated into the surface of the chip and thus, they are an integral part of the chip to be studied. The chip stresses result in resistance changes in the sensors due to the piezoresistance effect that can be measured. Therefore, the sensors are capable of providing chip surface stress states even in encapsulated packages. To use the stress sensor test chip in estimating the stresses, there are several constants in the equations that need to be determined prior to the stress measurements. The accuracy of the stress measurements depends on the accuracy of these constants. The determination of these constants is termed the calibration of the piezoresistive sensors.One of the well-established calibration procedures is a four- point bending technique. This technique is widely used because a uniform, uni-axial stress state can be easily obtained between two inner supports of the fixture on which the sample rests. Several researchers in the past have developed different four point bend testing fixtures and techniques. Most of the techniques developed involved the use of metal probes to probe the sensors and measure the resistance of the sensors. The probe forces are measured in the current study and it is observed that these forces can be between 5-10 grams in order to obtain a measurement. The probe forces induce uncertainty in the uni-axial stress in the sample that can be greater than 5% depending on the force applied to the sample. The current study establishes a new calibration method that eliminates the use of probes in the measurements. The technique developed completely eliminates the uncertainty in the constants that arise as a result of probing. The reduction of uncertainties in the calibration constants increases the accuracy of the stress measurements.
Aeropropulsion in year 2000

A sampling of probable future engine types, such as convertible engines for helicopters, turboprops for fuel-conservative airliners, and variable-cycle engines for supersonic transports are presented. Related technology improvements in propellers, materials, noise suppression, etc. are reviewed.
B2P2: bounds based procedure placement for instruction TLB power reduction in embedded systems

High performance embedded processors are equipped with the Translation Look-aside Buffer (TLB) which forms the key ingredient to efficient and speedy virtual memory management. The TLB though small, is frequently accessed, and therefore not only consumes significant energy, but also is one of the important thermal hot-spots in the processor. Among the many circuit and microarchitectural techniques proposed to reduce TLB power consumption, the Use-Last TLB is one very efficient technique in which power is consumed only when different pages are accessed in succession, i.e., when there is a page-switch [26]. Though the Use-Last technique is effective in reducing i-TLB power, there is scope to further improve its effectiveness by changing the relative code placement of the program. In this work, we formulate the code placement problem to minimize the page-switches in a program. We prove that this problem is NP-complete and propose an efficient Bounds Based Procedure Placement (B2P2) heuristic to efficiently reduce the program's page-switches. Our procedure placement technique delivers an average of 76% reduction in the instrucion-TLB power with negligible (
Flexible Bayesian methods for cancer phase I clinical trials. Dose escalation with overdose control

SUMMARY We examine a large class of prior distributions to model the dose–response relationship in cancer phase I clinical trials. We parameterize the dose–toxicity model in terms of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) � and the probability of dose limiting toxicity (DLT) at the initial dose � 0. The MTD is estimated using the EWOC (escalation with overdose control) method of Babb et al. We show through simulations that a candidate joint prior for (� 0 ;� ) with negative a priori correlation structure results in a safer trial than
Phoretic phenomena in tar vapor‐particulate mixture separation from fuel gas streams

Analytical models were developed to predict the performance of a spray scrubber for separation of tars from gasifier off-gas streams. The models included heat transfer, mass transfer, condensation, nucleation, temperature and flow fields, and various phoretic phenomena involved in droplet-particle and droplet-vapor interaction and collection. The models indicate that for the tar particulates, both Brownian diffusion and inertial impaction, rather than diffusiophoresis and thermophoresis, are the more important phoretic forces causing the collection. For the limiting case of all tars being present only as vapor, the efficiency of their removal by condensation on water spray droplets could be extremely high. Scrubbing experiments were carried out on the hot gas/tar stream evolved from the simulated devolatilization section of a laboratory fixed bed gasifier. The combined overall collection efficiency for a mixed particulates and vapor stream compares satisfactorily with the model predictions. On a etabli des modeles pour prevoir la performance d'un epurateur a gicleurs dans la separation de goudrons contenus dans les gaz a la sortie d'un gazeificateur. Ces modeles impliquent les transferts de chaleur et de masse, la condensation, la nucleation, les champs de temperature et de vitesse ainsi que plusieurs phenomenes phoretiques intervenant dans les interactions gouttelettes-particules et gouttelettes-vapeur, et dans la recuperation. Ces modeles indiquent que ce sont la diffusion brownienne et l'impact inertiel, plutot que la diffusiophorese ou la thermophorese, qui sont les forces phoretiques les plus importantes responsable de la collection des particules de goudron. Dans le cas limite ou tous les goudrons sont presents seulement a l'etat de vapeur, l'efficacite de leur recuperation par condensation sur des gouttelettes d'eau giglee pourrait e;tre tres elevee. On a fait des experiences d'epuration d'un debit de gaz et de goudron chaud provenant de la simulation d'une section de devolatisation d'un gazeificateur de laboratoire a lit fixe. L'efficacite de la collection combinee totale, pour un melange de particules et de vapeur, se compare favorablement avec les previsions des modeles.
Benzophenone sensitized photochemistry of a copper(II) polypyrazolylborate complex

Benzophenone's triplet state can efficiently sensitize the photoreduction of the dihydrobis(1-pyrazolyl)borate CuII complex [1, Cu(Bp)2] in solvents such as alcohols, THF or toluene. The efficiency of the reaction was quantitatively evaluated by determining the quantum yields, GFCu, in different solvents. The results showed that the sensitized photoreduction was more efficient in solvents with better hydrogen donating power. The rate constant (kq) for quenching of the benzophenone triplet by Cu(Bp)2 was determined by Stern-Volmer type experiments. By carrying out the photolyses in the presence of coordinating ligands (phosphines or phosphites), it was determined that the first step in the photoreaction is the formation of CuI complex. A general reaction scheme is proposed.
Zirconia–parylene multilayer thin films for enhanced fracture resistance of dental ceramics

Recent research has shown that the application of specific thin films can enhance the material properties of a laminate construct. In this study, the effect of different mono/multilayered films on the strength of a ceramic specimen is demonstrated. It is well established that cracks can initiate and/or propagate from the internal surfaces of all-ceramic dental restorations. Modifying that surface by thin-film deposition might help increase clinical longevity and applicability. Specimens were divided into the following groups according to different surface treatments received: uncoated (control group), 10 microm yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin film, 10 microm parylene thin film, 9.75 microm YSZ + 0.25 microm parylene film, and a multilayered film (five layers of 1.25 microm YSZ + 0.75 microm parylene). Depositions were performed using a radio-frequency magnetron sputter system (working pressure 15 mT, 150 degrees C, 30:1 Ar/O2 gas ratio) to produce the YSZ layers, and a vapour deposition process was used to produce the parylene layers. Flexural strength measurements were carried out by three-point bending (span = 10 mm) in a servo-electric material testing system in deioinized (DI) water (37 degrees C). The results showed that the strength of the specimen significantly increased with the deposition of all types of coating, showing the greatest increase with the multilayered film (approximately 32 per cent). It is hypothesized that a multilayer thin film (brittle/ductile) can promote crack deflection, causing strength enhancement of the brittle construct.
Deforestation effects on soil degradation and rehabilitation in western Nigeria. IV. Hydrology and water quality

Hydrological and water-quality measurements were made on a 44·3 ha watershed under forest cover and following deforestation and conversion to an agricultural land-use. Under secondary tropical rainforest, water yield ranged from 2·2 per cent to 3·1 per cent of annual rainfall. Deforestation of 7 per cent of the watershed area increased water yield to 7·0 per cent of annual rainfall. Baseflow increased with deforestation, and increased progressively with time after deforestation. It was 5·1 per cent of annual rainfall in 1979, 15·1 per cent in 1980, 16·4 per cent in 1981 and 17·9 per cent in 1982. In comparison, surface flow was 4·5 per cent in 1979 and 6·2 per cent in 1980, but decreased to 2·3 per cent in 1981 and 2·4 per cent in 1982. Total water yield following deforestation and conversion to agricultural land-use ranged from 9·6 per cent to 21·3 per cent of the annual rainfall received. The dry season flow decreased with time as the dry season progressed, but increased over the years following deforestation. Surface runoff during the rainy season depended on ground cover and soil quality. The extent and severity of soil degradation affected the dynamics of surface flow. Because of actively growing crops, plant nutrient concentrations in surface runoff were low. Forested lysimeters had higher seepage losses than cropped lysimeters, and the water-use efficiency was 1·9–3·6 kg ha−1 mm−1 for cowpeas compared with 6·1–11·0 kg ha−1 mm−1 for maize. The delivery ratio was high immediately after deforestation and decreased to a steady value of about 3·2 per cent within 7 years. The data show five distinct phases of soil degradation in relation to generation of surface runoff. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Network infrastructure for massively distributed games

The popularity of hypertext documents led to the need for specific network infrastructure elements such as HTML caches, URL-based switches, web-server farms, and as a result created several new industries as companies rushed to fill that need. We contend that massive distributed games will have a similar impact on the Internet and will require similar dedicated support. This paper outlines some initial work on prototyping such support. Our approach is to combine highlevel game specific logic and low-level network awareness in a single network-based computation platform that we call a booster box.
Pectin Methyl Esterase in the Ripening Banana

SUMMARY Three pectin methyl esterase fractions were obtained from banana pulp by successive extraction with water (Fraction I), a solution of 0.15M NaCl (Fraction II), and a solution of 0.15M NaCl after adjusting the pH of the mixture to 7.5 (Fraction III). The changes in the activities of these fractions during post-harvest ripening were investigated. The activities of all three fractions increased as the banana skin began to change from green to yellow. Thereafter Fractions I and II remained relatively constant while Fraction III continued to increase in activity throughout the period of ripening studied.
Hybrid silicon integration

An overview is presented of the hybrid AlGaInAs-silicon platform that enables wafer level integration of III-V optoelectronic devices with silicon photonic devices based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI). Wafer bonding AlGaInAs quantum wells to an SOI wafer allows large scale hybrid integration without any critical alignment steps. Discrete hybrid silicon optical amplifiers, lasers and photodetectors are described, and the integration of a ring laser with on-chip and photo-detector and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) seed to enable unidirectional lasing.
Rate constants for the atmospheric reactions of alkoxy radicals: An updated estimation method

Abstract Alkoxy radicals are key intermediates in the atmospheric degradations of volatile organic compounds, and can typically undergo reaction with O2, unimolecular decomposition or unimolecular isomerization. Previous structure–reactivity relationships for the estimation of rate constants for these processes for alkoxy radicals [Atkinson, R., 1997. Atmospheric reactions of alkoxy and β-hydroxyalkoxy radicals. International Journal of Chemical Kinetics, 29, 99–111; Aschmann, S.M., Atkinson, R., 1999. Products of the gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with n-butyl methyl ether and 2-isopropoxyethanol: reactions of ROC(O )
Blood Volume Studies in Pernicious Anemia and Non-Tropical Sprue:

Summary and conclusions1. During the period of reticulocyte response, the blood volume in 4 patients with pernicious anemia remained constant, an increase in red cell mass being balanced by reduction of plasma volume. 2. One patient with idiopathic steatorrhea, edema and macrocytic anemia showed diminution of total blood volume despite a rise in red cell mass during the period of reticulocytosis.
Minimum polygonal separation

Abstract In this paper we study the problem of polygonal separation in the plane, i.e., finding a convex polygon with minimum number k of sides separating two given finite point sets (k-separator), if it exists. We show that for k = Θ(n), Ω(n log n) is a lower bound to the running time of any algorithm for this problem, and exhibit two algorithms of distinctly different flavors. The first relies on an O(n log n)-time preprocessing task, which constructs the convex hull of the internal set and a nested star-shaped polygon determined by the external set; the k-separator is contained in the annulus between the boundaries of these two polygons and is constructed in additional linear time. The second algorithm adapts the prune-and-search approach, and constructs, in each iteration, one side of the separator; its running time is O(kn), but the separator may have one more side than the minimum.
Synthesis and Implementation of Advanced Controllers for a Novel Pneumatic Semi-Active Wheelchair Suspension

Present within the medical literature are numerous studies which indicate the negative effects of the vibration environment encountered by a wheelchair passenger with regard to human health and comfort (Wolf, Cooper, Pearlman, Fitzgerald, & Kelleher, 2007). In the regard, the accelerations due to road variations have been documented to cause numerous health effects in the human body, such as chronic back, increased need for medication and painkillers, and aggravation of the primary disease, thereby illustrating a need for improvement of the vibration environment (Weisman & Huston, 1995). The current state of the art for wheelchair suspensions is very basic with vast majority of wheelchairs having no suspension of any kind (Cooper, Wolf, Fitzgerald, Bonninger, Ulerich, & Ammer, 2003), some that do offer suspensions use simple off-the-shelf components and are not tuned, reducing performance (Wolf, Cooper, Pearlman, Fitzgerald, & Kelleher, 2007) (Hostens, Papaioannou, Spaepen, & Ramon, 2003). This research study was conducted to design and implement a new semi-active suspension system utilizing the combination of purely pneumatic system components comprising of an airspring and an electronically controlled, high-fidelity, electro-mechanical valve to achieve variable pneumatic damping in real time. Three semi-active controller types were designed and tested in this research, viz. Skyhook control, Acceleration driven damping control, and a combined control law using a time domain frequency selector to determine which of the above two laws to choose at any given instant. The evaluation of the vibration environment was analyzed with respect ISO 2631, in order assess the performance of each controller. The three controllers were tested and implemented on the hardware. It was noticed that each of the three semi-active suspensions utilizing the different controllers showed a distinct improvement in the ride quality over the basic wheelchair configurations (Wheelchairs with no suspension) that are widely used. Furthermore, each controller design outperformed the passive suspension (current state-of-the-art) by two orders of magnitude. It was also shown that implementation of a passive suspension was counter-productive to system performance.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Epidemiologic evidence of perinatal influence in the etiology of adult cancers.

Abstract Using data from 5489 cancer patients and 2647 patients without cancer we investigated whether parental age at the birth of the patient or the patient's rank within his sibship was related to the risk of cancer during adulthood. An increase of 10 years in maternal age was associated with an increase of 24% for the incidence of breast cancer (odds ratio = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.09-1.41); the corresponding increase for paternal age was 19% (odds ratio = 1.19; 95% C1 = 1.07-1.33). There was some evidence that the age of each parent may make an independent contribution to the risk of breast cancer. For certain types of genito-urinary cancers, the risk was higher when the parents were relatively young at the birth of the patient. These cancers included tumors arising in the prostate (odds ratios = 0.71 and 0.55 for maternal and paternal ages, respectively), testis (odds ratios = 0.57 and 0.52), penis (odds ratios = 0.37 and 0.45), kidney (odds ratios = 0.66 and 0.60), and bladder (odds ratio = 0.79 and 0.85). The associations for cancer of the prostate and bladder were stronger among patients who were diagnosed at a relatively young age. No statistically significant effects were found for birth order relative to adult cancers. The authors conclude that environmental factors that affect the parents or that operate in the perinatal period may have stronger influences on the incidence of adult cancers than have been previously recognized.
Direct actions of anticholinesterases on the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels.

Abstract Recent studies have suggested that anticholinesterases including organophosphates and carbamates act directly on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channel. We performed whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp experiments to elucidate the mechanism of action of anticholinesterases on the nicotinic AChR in rat clonal phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Neostigmine and carbaryl showed a biphasic effect; enhancement and suppression of carbachol-induced whole-cell currents. The currents induced by 100 μM carbachol was enhanced by the first co-application with 10 or 100 μM neostigmine, and the current was eventually suppressed below the control level during repeated co-applications. The decay phase of current was accelerated by neostigmine. Carbaryl at 0.1 μM greatly potentiated the carbachol-induced current, and at higher concentrations (0.3–3 μM), current was suppressed. In single-channel experiments, these compounds increased the short closures or gaps during channel opening without changing the single-channel conductance. Mean open time and burst duration were decreased in the presence of neostigmine and carbaryl. These results indicate that neostigmine and carbaryl directly block the nicotinic AChR channel.
The Medical Offset Effect: Patterns in Outpatient Services Reduction for High Utilizers of Health Care

Psychosocial intervention has been found to be related to subsequent reduc- tions in health care use. Studies generally measure this ''offset effect'' by combining medical use categories into one outcome variable, such as outpatient doctor visits. How- ever, using a general outcome variable may obscure more specific patterns of reduction. In an effort to identify potential ''targets'' for mental health intervention, outpatient care for health screening, illness visits, laboratory/X-ray, and urgent care were considered. Health care use reductions were most prominent for high utilizers and were found across a number of different types of outpatient care. With high utilizers, those who participated in MFT showed significant reductions of 68% for health screening visits, 38% for illness visits, 56% for laboratory/X-ray visits, and 78% for urgent care visits.
Case-matched series of enhanced versus standard recovery pathway in minimally invasive colorectal surgery

Background: Accelerated recovery pathways may reduce length of hospital stay after surgery but there are few data on minimally invasive colorectal operations. Methods: An enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) was instituted, including preoperative analgesia, limited intravenous fluids and opiates, and early feeding. Intrathecal analgesia was administered as needed, but epidural analgesia was not used. The first 66 patients subjected to the ERP were case-matched by surgeon, procedure and age (within 5 years) with patients treated previously in a fast-track pathway (FTP). Short-term and postoperative outcomes to 30 days were compared. Results: Hospital stay was shorter with the ERP than the FTP: median (interquartile range, i.q.r.) 3 (2–3) versus 3 (3–5) days (P < 0·001). A 2-day hospital stay was achieved in 44 and 8 per cent of patients respectively (P < 0·001). Patients in the ERP had a shorter time to recovery of bowel function: median (i.q.r.) 1 (1–2) versus 2 (2–3) days (P < 0·001). Thirty-day complication rates were similar (32 per cent ERP, 27 per cent FTP; P = 0·570). Readmissions within 30 days were more common with ERP, but the difference was not statistically significant (10 versus 5 patients; P = 0·170). Total hospital stay for those readmitted was shorter in the ERP group (18 versus 23 days). Conclusion: ERP decreased the length of hospital stay after minimally invasive colorectal surgery. Copyright © 2011 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing the effect of long-term availability of engineering controls on needlestick injuries among health care workers: a 3-year preimplementation and postimplementation comparison.

Health care workers are continually exposed to a number of potentially dangerous bloodborne pathogens in the workplace. Needlesticks have long been identified as being capable of transmitting more than 20 different pathogens, including HIV and hepatitis B and C. In November 1999, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a revised directive to ensure uniform inspection procedures to better enforce the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, an update of the previous directive on inspection uniformity contained within it. This standard was signed into law Nov 6, 2000, and became effective April 18, 2001. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also created a Web site (http://www.osha-slc.gov/needlesticks/index.html) with the latest information on needlestick injuries, including current research, legislation, and news releases. An 800-plus bed hospital serving a major metropolitan population in Texas implemented hospital-wide safety syringes and needleless-intravenous systems in all of its departments except in cases in which the use of traditional needled devices are unavoidable. This transition occurred in 1997 during a 6-month period. Accident reports of sharps injuries from the hospital’s Occupational Health Clinic were used to calculate the incidence rate 3 years before and 3 years after implementation to compare the effectiveness of these safety measures. The intent of the analysis was to evaluate sharps injuries occurring to all health care and ancillary workers to determine whether the engineering controls were effective in reducing needlestick injuries.
A comparative analysis of glial and neuronal markers in the retina of fish: variable character of horizontal cells.

The immunohistochemical localizations of the enzymes glutamine synthetase, carbonic anhydrase-C, and the intermediate filament protein GFA were examined for potential neuroglial specificity in the retinas of several types offish. Both glutamine synthetase and carbonic anhydrase-C appear to be characteristic markers for retinal Muller cells. However, the horizontal neurons of most fish examined also possess high levels of carbonic anhydrase. Furthermore, GFA, the characteristic marker for fibrous astroglia in higher vertebrates, was found specifically localized in the horizontal neurons of several teleost fish. The identity of the GFA antigens was qualified by immunochemical as well as cytological examinations. Furthermore, specific antisera to other intermediate filament proteins, including neurofilaments, validated and contrasted with the observations made with antisera to GFA. The presence of GFA in horizontal neurons of fish is widespread but not typical of all fish. These observations indicate an evolutionary constancy of retinal Muller glial cells. However, these results again focus attention on whether horizontal cells are truly neurons or rather represent an intermediate cell type that may prove useful in studying the evolution, ontogeny, and functional significance of the neuronal-glial phenotypic dichotomy.