cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adrenal Function in Hirsutism. II. Effect of an Oral Contraceptive

Fifteen preovulatory hirsute woman were studied before and at the completionof one cycle (21 days) of an oral contraceptive that contained norethindrone (2 mg) and mestranol (0.1 mg; N + M). A 3-day protocol included a diurnal study, followed by overnight dexamethasone suppression and ACTH stimulation. Plasma A4-androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and plasma cortisol (F) were meDHEAS was reduced 28%, and F was increased 176% with therapy. A exhibiteda diurnal rhythm synchronouswith F across all of the time periods, but T and DHEAS did not. ACTH dependency of A was determined by measuring the magnitude of changein A between the timeof the F peak and the F nadir in the diurnal study. In the diurnal study, both themean concentration of A as wellas the net change in plasma A concentration from the time of theF peak to the F nadir correlated significantly with the mean DHEAS concentration during N+ M treatment. The responsiveness of A and F to 0.5 U ACTH iv was det...
The Short- and Long-Run Marginal Cost Curves: An Alternative Explanation

Using only cost curves, the authors show why short-run marginal cost is less than long-run marginal cost for quantities of output less than the level at which the two are equal.
Closing the homework feedback loop, an alternative approach to homework grading

This paper studies an alternative grading method for homework assignments designed to increase student learning and motivation. The method emphasizes correct completion of student work, even if multiple turn-ins are required. After submitting homework, the instructor checks the accuracy of the work. Incorrect work is returned to the students the morning after its initial due date. Students are then given a day or two to correct their work and re-submit. This cycle is repeated as many times as necessary at the teacher's discretion. Grades are based on the number of iterations required for the work to be correct. Results from the study show that while student learning was not measurably affected, student motivation to perform well on the homework assignments increased. This rise in motivation may be dependent on the context within which the method is employed — it seems to work better for higher level technical electives than for larger common courses.
Substituent effects and nearly degenerate transition states: rational design of substrates for the tandem Wolff-Cope reaction.

The substrate scope for a ketene-assisted Cope (tandem Wolff−Cope) reaction is elucidated from first-principles quantum mechanics. An alternate pathway (trans) leading to an undesired and unstable product lies perilously close (∼2.5 kcal/mol) to the primary (cis) reaction pathway; this near-degeneracy arises from preferential ketene stabilization of a radicaloid trans transition state over an aromatic cis transition state. Normally, substitution at “forbidden” sites causes the alternate pathway to be favored and the reaction to fail, but using simple conformational analysis principles we design substrates that defy this rule.
Aldosterone in the development and progression of renal injury

Aldosterone in the development and progression of renal injury. Background The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to hypertension and nephropathy. Until recently, aldosterone either has not been considered or has been considered a relatively minor component of the process—a contribution that could be negated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition or angiotensin receptor blockade. Methods A Medline search was performed to identify relevant literature describing the role of aldosterone in the pathogenesis of renal dysfunction. Results Growing evidence from experimental and clinical studies indicates that increased aldosterone is an independent contributor to small- and medium-sized arterial injury and nephropathy. Excess mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation of local and systemic origin promotes target organ dysfunction, vascular injury, and fibrosis, independent of the effects of other elements of the RAAS. Blockade of the RAAS with ACE inhibition or angiotensin receptor blockade often does not confer optimal protection from the effects of mineralocorticoids on small- and medium-sized blood vessels. Recent preliminary data from clinical studies indicate that aldosterone blockade protects the kidneys, sharply decreases proteinuria, beyond the activities of ACE inhibition or angiotensin receptor blockade and independent of beneficial blood pressure effects, and can protect patients from vascular injury associated with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Conclusion Aldosterone blockade with the selective aldosterone blocker eplerenone, in combination with other RAAS inhibitors, is probably renoprotective and should be considered as a component of the treatment regimens of diabetic and hypertensive patients at risk for renal or cardiovascular disease expression. A high priority should be placed on developing the randomized, controlled trials required to establish that role.
Resistance to the Antitumor Agent Gallium Nitrate in Human Leukemic Cells Is Associated with Decreased Gallium/Iron Uptake, Increased Activity of Iron Regulatory Protein-1, and Decreased Ferritin Production

The mechanism of drug resistance to gallium nitrate is not known. Since gallium can be incorporated into ferritin, an iron storage protein that protects cells from iron toxicity, we investigated whether ferritin expression was altered in gallium-resistant (R) CCRF-CEM cells. We found that the ferritin content of R cells was decreased, while heavy chain ferritin mRNA levels and iron regulatory protein-1 (IRP-1) RNA binding activity were increased. IRP-1 protein levels were similar in gallium-sensitive (S) and R cells, indicating that R cells contain a greater proportion of IRP-1 in a high affinity mRNA binding state. 59Fe uptake and transferrin receptor expression were decreased in R cells. In both S and R cells, gallium inhibited cellular 59Fe uptake, increased ferritin mRNA and protein, and decreased IRP-1 binding activity. Gallium uptake by R cells was markedly diminished; however, the sensitivity of R cells to gallium could be restored by increasing their uptake of gallium with excess transferrin. Our results suggest that R cells have developed resistance to gallium by down-regulating their uptake of gallium. In parallel, iron uptake by R cells is also decreased, leading to changes in iron homeostasis. Furthermore, since gallium has divergent effects on iron uptake and ferritin synthesis, its action may also include a direct effect on ferritin mRNA induction and IRP-1 activity.
Lab Demonstration of the Hybrid Doppler Wind Lidar (HDWL) Transceiver

The recommended design approach for the 3D Tropospheric Winds mission is a hybrid Doppler lidar which combines the best elements of both a coherent aerosol Doppler lidar operating at 2 microns and a direct detection molecular Doppler lidar operating at 0.355 microns. In support of the mission, we built a novel, compact, light-weighted multi-field of view transceiver where multiple telescopes are used to cover the required four fields of view. A small mechanism sequentially selects both the "transmit" and "receive" fields of view. The four fields are combined to stimulate both the 0.355 micron receiver and the 2 micron receiver. This version is scaled (0.2 m diameter aperture) from the space-based version but still demonstrates the feasibility of the hybrid approach. The primary mirrors were conventionally light-weighted and coated with dielectric, high reflectivity coatings with high laser damage thresholds at both 2 microns and 0.355 microns. The mechanical structure and mounts were fabricated from composites to achieve dimensional stability while significantly reducing the mass. In the laboratory, we demonstrated the system level functionality at 0.355 microns and at 2 microns, raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 2 to 4.
Electric dipole moments of globular proteins: measurement and calculation with NMR and X-ray databases

The electric dipole moments of small proteins are computed using NMR as well as X-ray databases and compared with experimental results. The dipole moment of protein molecules consists of a surface charge dipole moment and the core dipole moment due to polar side chains. The computation of surface charge dipole moment consists of two steps: (A) calculation of the pK shifts of polar groups and (B) calculation of the dipole moment using pKs compensated for electrostatic shifts. Unlike X-ray databases, NMR databases consist of a number of models due to the variability of the conformation of protein molecules in solution. The structure of proteins is presented graphically by two- or three-dimensional diagrams. Of particular interest is the graphic presentation using a superposition diagram. The dipole moments calculated by NMR and X-ray databases are in good agreement with measured dipole moments.
A Nonintrusive Method of Measuring the Local Mechanical Properties of Soft Hydrogels Using Magnetic Microneedles

Soft hydrogels serving as substrates for cell attachment are used to culture many types of cells. The mechanical properties of these gels influence cell morphology, growth, and differentiation. For studies of cell growth on inhomogeneous gels, techniques by which the mechanical properties of the substrate can be measured within the proximity of a given cell are of interest. We describe an apparatus that allows the determination of local gel elasticity by measuring the response of embedded micron-sized magnetic needles to applied magnetic fields. This microscope-based four-magnet apparatus can apply both force and torque on the microneedles. The force and the torque are manipulated by changing the values of the magnetic field at the four poles of the magnet using a feedback circuit driven by LABVIEW. Using Hall probes, we have mapped out the magnetic field and field gradients produced by each pole when all the other poles are held at zero magnetic field. We have verified that superposition of these field maps allows one to obtain field maps for the case when the poles are held at arbitrary field values. This allows one to apply known fields and field gradients to a given microneedle. An imaging system is employed to measure the displacement and rotation of the needles. Polyacrylamide hydrogels of known elasticity were used to determine the relationship between the field gradient at the location of the needles and the force acting on the needles. This relationship allows the force on the microneedle to be determined from a known field gradient. This together with a measurement of the displacement of the needle in a given gel allows one to determine the stiffness (Fdelta) of the gel and the elastic modulus, provided Poison's ratio is known. Using this method, the stiffness and the modulus of elasticity of type-I collagen gels were found to be 2.64+/-0.05 nNmicrom and 284.6+/-5.9 Pa, respectively. This apparatus is presently being employed to track the mechanical stiffness of the DNA-cross-linked hydrogels, developed by our group, whose mechanical properties can be varied on demand by adding or removing cross-linker strands. Thus a system that can be utilized to track the local properties of soft media as a function of time with minimum mechanical disturbance in the presence of cells is presented.
Ingestion of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and the Effect on Life Span of Irradiated and Control Habrobracon Females

Ingestion of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and the Effect on Life Span of Irradiated and Control Habrobracon Females
Ta/Au ohmic contacts to n-type ZnO

Ta/Au ohmic contacts are fabricated on n-type ZnO (∼1 × 1017 cm−3) epilayers, which were grown on R-plane sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). After growth and metallization, the samples are annealed at 300°C and 500°C for 30 sec in nitrogen ambient. The specific contact resistance is measured to be 3.2×10−4 Ωcm2 for the as-deposited samples. It reduces to 5.4×10−6 Ωcm2 after annealing at 300°C for 30 sec without significant surface morphology degradation. When the sample is annealed at 500°C for 30 sec, the specific contact resistance increases to 3.3 × 10−5 Ωcm2. The layer structures no longer exist due to strong Au and Ta in-diffusion and O out-diffusion. The contact surface becomes rough and textured.
Automatic analysis of electron backscatter diffraction patterns

The ability to measure lattice orientation in individual crystallites enables a more complete characterization of microstructure by combining lattice orientation with morphological features. Lattice orientation can be obtained by analyzing electron backscatter diffraction patterns (EBSPs). However, current computer-aided EBSP analysis techniques make it impractical to obtain the number of measurements needed for statistically reliable characterizations of microstructure. An effective fully automated technique for determining crystallographic orientation from EBSPs is described. Bands are identified by linear regions of correlation in the image intensity gradient direction. The most probable orientation is then found using the angles between the detected bands. The reliability of the technique was tested using a set of 1000 patterns obtained from annealed oxygen-free electrical grade (OFEC) copper. The orientation of each test pattern found using automatic indexing was checked against the corresponding orientation as determined by manual indexing. Ninety-nine percent of auto-indexed orientations were found to lie within 5 deg of the misorientation angle of the manual-indexed orientations. By simulating noise in the test patterns, it was found that image quality has a strong effect on the reliability of the technique. An image quality parameter is described which allows the reliability of the technique to be predicted for a pattern of given quality.
The CUBE Technique: Continuous Ultrasound-Guided Breast Excision

Margin negativity is a critical endpoint in breast-conserving surgery. Despite advances in technology, there is up to a 40 % positive margin rate in lumpectomy specimens, which results in a twofold increase in ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. We have developed a new method for lumpectomy that could improve margin negativity. A novel method for partial mastectomy was developed using ultrasound to perform dissection of breast specimens in real time. Continuous ultrasound-guided breast excision (CUBE) was first tested on gel models and subsequently implemented in vivo. The step-by-step method for this technique was performed on 12 successive patients who had ultrasound-detectable lesions. Twelve patients underwent lumpectomy for cancer using the CUBE technique. All patients had negative margins on final pathology. Three patients who had close margins on ex vivo ultrasound evaluation had additional shave margins taken, resulting in negative final margins. The CUBE technique is a novel technique that allows for dissection of breast lesions with continuous visualization of margins. This facilitates real-time adjustments to ensure margin negativity. Preliminary data is promising, but further research is needed for confirmation.
Trauma and trephination in a Peruvian mummy

A multidisciplinary team participated in the examination of a colonial era Peruvian mummy. This young adult male had suffered multiple cranial and facial wounds and fractures and he died soon after trephination. Other pathologic findings were limited to the lungs, which showed anthracosilicosis and possible fibrosis. The observed pathology is linked to the two major health hazards of the early colonial era, physical trauma and silver mining. There was no evidence of any benign or malignant tumor, consistent with previous studies of ancient human remains. Such comparisons of ancient and modern mortality are intended to provide a historial perspective on the evolution and etiology of human disease, eventually on a population basis.
“Ready to Shoot and Do Shoot” Black Working-Class Self-Defense and Community Politics in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s

Throughout the first three decades of the twentieth century, black people in New York City encountered white violence, especially police brutality in Manhattan. The black community used various strategies to curtail white mob violence and police brutality, one of which was self-defense. This article examines blacks’ response to violence, specifically the debate concerning police brutality and self-defense in Harlem during the 1920s. While historians have examined race riots, blacks’ everyday encounters with police violence in the North have received inadequate treatment. By approaching everyday violence and black responses—self-defense, legal redress, and journalists’ remonstrations—as a process of political development, this article argues that the systematic violence perpetrated by the police both mobilized and politicized blacks individually and collectively to defend their community, but also contributed to a community consciousness that established police brutality as a legitimate issue for black protest.
Induction of Superovulation in the Cyclic Hamster by a Single Injection of Antiluteinizing Hormone Serum

Interruption of pregnancy in the hamster with equine antibovine LH (anti-LH) induces superovulation of about 30 ova at the subsequent estrus. In view of the different hormonal profiles and antral follicular development in pregnant and cyclic hamsters, the present experiments were designed to ascertain the effects of anti-LH on the serum concentrations of steroids, ovarian follicular development, and ovulation in the cyclic hamster. Hamsters injected sc on the morning of ovulation (day 1 of cycle) with 100 μl anti-LH spontaneously ovulated 31.5 eggs at the next ovulation instead of the normal number of 13 ova. The normal 4-day cycle was lengthened to 5 days after anti-LH, but subsequent cycles reverted to 4 days, and the normal number of ova was shed. Anti-LH on day 1 did not affect serum progesterone levels on day 2, but serum estradiol was depressed until day 4, whereas in the normal hamster, estradiol increases on day 3. When anti-LH was given on day 4 (proestrus), the hamsters ovulated the next day an ...
A strategy for the efficient simulation of viscous compressible flows using a multi-domain pseudospectral method

Abstract A new multi-domain pseudospectral method is developed to simulate viscous compressible flow in a quasi-one-dimensional nozzle. The flow variables at the interface points are advanced in time using the same second-order time marching scheme as the interior points. The spatial derivatives of the inviscid flux vector are evaluated at the interface points using a spectrally accurate modification of Van Leer's flux vector splitting method. The derivatives of the viscous flux vector are evaluated alternately from neighboring sub-domains. The scheme is found to be spectrally accurate. Shock waves are resolved without oscillations for moderate Reynolds Numbers.
Technological Advances in Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer has made huge strides over the past two decades. The addition of image guidance has allowed radiation oncologists to ensure accurate delivery of increasingly precise radiation treatment plans using newer conformal therapy methods such as three-dimensional conformal RT, intensity-modulated RT, and proton beam RT. Regardless of the specific treatment technique, patients can depend on the treatment to target the moving prostate effectively while significantly sparing adjacent tissues, thereby reducing the morbidity of having to undergo prostate cancer therapy. This review summarizes the recent technical advances made in radiation dose delivery, including target volume definition, treatment planning, treatment delivery methods, and positional verification methods during RT.
Locating disease genes using Bayesian variable selection with the Haseman-Elston method

We applied stochastic search variable selection (SSVS), a Bayesian model selection method, to the simulated data of Genetic Analysis Workshop 13. We used SSVS with the revisited Haseman-Elston method to find the markers linked to the loci determining change in cholesterol over time. To study gene-gene interaction (epistasis) and gene-environment interaction, we adopted prior structures, which incorporate the relationship among the predictors. This allows SSVS to search in the model space more efficiently and avoid the less likely models. In applying SSVS, instead of looking at the posterior distribution of each of the candidate models, which is sensitive to the setting of the prior, we ranked the candidate variables (markers) according to their marginal posterior probability, which was shown to be more robust to the prior. Compared with traditional methods that consider one marker at a time, our method considers all markers simultaneously and obtains more favorable results. We showed that SSVS is a powerful method for identifying linked markers using the Haseman-Elston method, even for weak effects. SSVS is very effective because it does a smart search over the entire model space.
Intermittent sphering of virus-transformed and other neoplastic cells observed by time lapse cinematography.

Abstract A number of mouse cell lines neoplastically transformed by SV40 virus, one by Herpes simplex type II virus, and one of five ‘spontaneously’ transformed neoplastic cell lines contained a significant fraction of cells that exhibited ‘intermittent sphering’ when observed by time lapse cinematography. That is, the cells repeatedly rounded up and became highly refractile for some minutes as though preparing to divide, then stretched out for minutes or hours before sphering again. The specific pattern of the frequency and duration of sphering periods was a heritable property. Occasional revertants to permanent non-sphering status were observed. Animal passage did not alter the fraction of intermittent sphering cells in the population. BALB/3T3 cells planted on paraffin, but not on plastic substrates also exhibited intermittent sphering, indicating that this property is related to a decrease in cell-substrate adhesivity.
Short-term effects of aerosol on the layer near the ground in a cloudless atmosphere

The short-term effect of dense atmospheric haze upon the temperature regime of the lower atmosphere is predicted. This is accomplished by solving numerically approximate expressions of the equations of radiative transfer, heat conduction, eddy diffusion and wind motion. In the absence of advection, the influence of haze upon the vertical wind distribution is determined also. In order to visualize the effect of haze more clearly, it is assumed that clouds are completely absent during the prediction period. Four model cases are considered which differ only in roughness height and the geostrophic wind speed. A mid-latitude winter-time situation is studied at which haze problems are particularly severe. The effect of haze is estimated by predicting the behavior of the air layer near the ground for a haze-free and severely turbid environment. The two situations are then compared to evaluate the effects produced by the presence of haze. Some calculations are carried out using the particular atmospheric model with ground haze concentration of 400 ?g/m 3 , roughness height of 1 cm and geostrophic wind of 5 m/sec. For a winter-time prediction period, starting at the time of sundown, it is found that at sunrise of the first day, the surface temperature of the earth is about 2 degrees higher than one would find in the absence of any haze, other conditions remaining the same. If the haze continues to persist, the nocturnal temperature environment is reversed. It is found that the surface temperature is about 2°C and 4°C lower than the respective temperatures in haze-free air at sunrise of the second and third day of the prediction period. Mid-day temperatures at the earth's surface are substantially lower in the hazy than in the haze-free atmosphere. After a prediction period of three days, a temperature difference of about 19 degrees is observed. Furthermore, the presence of haze has a pronounced effect on the daytime wind spirals. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1972.tb01550.x
Individual Experience and Experience Working Together: Predicting Learning Rates from Knowing Who Knows What and Knowing How to Work Together

Learning by doing represents an important mechanism through which organizations prosper. Some firms, however, learn from their experience at a dramatic rate, while other firms exhibit very little learning at all. Three factors have been identified that affect the rate at which firms learn: (a) the proficiency of individual workers, (b) the ability of firm members to leverage knowledge accumulated by others, and (c) the capacity for coordinated activity inside the organization. Each factor varies with a particular kind of experience. An increase in cumulative individual experience increases individual proficiency. An increase in cumulative organizational experience provides individuals with the opportunity to benefit from knowledge accumulated by others. An increase in cumulative experience working together promotes more effective coordination and teamwork. To gain insight into factors responsible for the learning curve, we examine the contribution of each kind of experience to performance, while controlling for the impact of the other two. The study context is a teaching hospital. The task is a total joint replacement procedure, and the performance metric is procedure completion time. We find that each kind of experience makes a distinct contribution to team performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for the learning-by-doing framework in general, and learning in the team context in particular.
Foot-to-hand transfer: a case report with 6-year follow-up.

A 2-year-old boy reportedly slid down a hill and under a riding lawn mower and injured his left hand and right foot. The left hand sustained a transcarpal amputation of the fingers just distal to the capitate and hamate. The thumb was amputated through the proximal one fifth of the proximal phalanx. The distal palm, dorsum, thumb, and fingers were mutilated beyond replantation or repair. The right hindfoot was severely mutilated. At the initial operation, the remnants of the hindfoot, including the entire tibiotalar joint, tibia1 growth plate, plantar nerve, and vessels, were debrided. The hand was debrided. Four days later, split-thickness skin grafts were applied to the amputation stump of the left hand and the remainder of the right foot. One month after injury, the right foot remained viable on its dorsal circulation, despite its lack of function (Fig. 1). The remaining portion of the left hand had little function (Fig. 2). At operation, the second through the fifth metatarsals were resected subperiosteally, but the overlying dorsal and plantar soft tissues were preserved. The foot, including a portion of the navicular, the first and second cuneiforms, the first metatarsal, all phalanges, all corresponding soft tissues, and the
Calcium removal from sea water by fixed-bed ion exchange

Abstract Calcium removal from sea water prior to evaporation permits increased temperature and concentration during evaporation. The results of laboratory studies on calcium removal by fixed-bed ion exchange are reported. Synthetic regenerants were employed, simulating in composition and total amount the waste brine from the evaporator. In actual practice, use of this brine eliminates the need to purchase regenerant chemicals. Commercial polystyrene sulfonate resins were used at room temperature, employing downflow for the softening step, and upflow for regeneration, without rinse. In multicyclic operation, the effects of particle size, bed depth, flow rate, and regenerant concentration on the degree of calcium removal have been studied. Relations for predicting resin volume and cycle time under given operating conditions are presented as an aid in calculations leading to economic optimization of the process.
Structure of enantiopure and racemic alanine adlayers on Cu(1 1 0)

Abstract Plane wave density functional theory has been employed to analyze the structure of alanine adlayers on the Cu(1 1 0) surface. Alanine forms (3 × 2) adlayers on Cu(1 1 0) that are closely related to the structures of glycine on the same surface. There is essentially no energy difference between the most stable racemic and enantiopure alanine adlayers. This observation implies that adsorption of racemic alanine on Cu(1 1 0) will result in a pseudoracemate adlayer.
Lipids and sterols in Corbicula fluminea (bivalvia)

Abstract 1. 1. Gravimetric, histochemical, thin-layer- and gas-liquid chromatographic studies were done on lipids and sterols in fresh and starved Corbicula fluminea clams. 2. 2. Gravimetric analysis showed no significant difference in the mean percent lipid of fresh clam bodies (2.2%) versus starved (2.9%). 3. 3. Qualitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC) showed that the main neutral lipid fractions in both fresh and starved clam bodies were free sterols and triacylglycerols along with lesser amounts of sterol esters and free fatty acids. Qualitative differences were not seen in fresh versus starved clams. 4. 4. Quantitative densitometric TLC showed no significant difference in the mean per cent of free sterols in fresh clam bodies (0.09%) versus starved (0.11%). 5. 5. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis showed cholesterol as the main sterol (61.2%) with lesser amounts of campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and other minor sterols. 6. 6. Oil Red O histochemistry showed the presence of neutral lipids in the visceral mass and gills of both fresh and starved clams.
Performance of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) linac beam position monitors (BPMs) with logarithmic amplifier electronics

This paper discusses the performance of the logarithmic amplifier electronics system used with stripline BPMs to measure electron and positron beam positions at the APS linac. The 2856-MHz, S-band linac accelerates 30-nsec pulses of 1.7 A of electrons to 200 MeV, and focuses them onto a positron conversion target. The resulting 8 mA of positrons are further accelerated to 450 MeV by the positron linac. Beam position resolutions of 50 /spl mu/m are easily obtainable in both the electron and positron linacs. The resolution of the 12-bit A/D converters limits the ultimate beam positron resolution to between 20 and 30 /spl mu/m at this time.
Minimization of Time-Varying Costs in Single-Machine Scheduling

Suppose n jobs are to be processed consecutively by a single machine, without interruption and without idle time. Each job j has a known processing time pj and has associated with it a time-varying cost density function cj. The cost of processing job j in the time interval [t-pj, t] is Cjt = â«t-pjtcjudu. We show that if the cost density functions of the jobs satisfy certain simple conditions, a sequence minimizing total cost is easily obtained. This result generalizes the well-known "ratio rule" of W. E. Smith for minimizing total weighted completion time and is applicable to problems involving discounted linear delay costs, discounted linear processing costs, discounted resetting and processing costs, and linear combinations of these costs. Moreover, we show that for such costs, sequences that are optimal subject to series parallel precedence constraints can be found in 0n log n time.
Subsurface stormflow modeling with sensitivity analysis using a Latin-hypercube sampling technique

During storm events, the shallow disposal facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory become inundated, and subsurface stormflow may intermittently extract radionuclides from the surrounding soils and the wastes themselves. It is estimated that 90% of the rain water infiltrating the soil horizons becomes subsurface stormflow, yet stormflow is a poorly understood process. The objectives of this research are to model stormflow: (1) to identify important parameters for waste site monitoring and data collections; (2) to evaluate remediation designs; and (3) to investigate the effect of local heterogeneities on stormflow paths. Numerical models of a proposed waste disposal site were developed, and a Latin-hypercube simulation technique was used to study the uncertainty of model parameters. Sensitivity analyses of model parameters suggested that hydraulic conductivity was the most influential parameter. However, local heterogeneities may alter flow patterns and result in complex recharge and discharge processes. Hydraulic conductivity, therefore, may not be used as the only reference for subsurface flow monitoring and engineering designs. Neither of two engineering designs, capping and French drains, was found to be effective in hydrologically isolating downslope waste trenches. However, combinations of both designs may prove more effective than either one alone.
Evolution toward Fit

This paper uses a longitudinal case study of the mutual fund provider, The Vanguard Group, to understand the developmental processes that lead to organizational configurations and fit. A new method for determining an organization’s core elements is developed, and four processes are identified that describe the creation and subsequent elaboration of these core elements: thickening (reinforcement of an existing core element by new elaborating elements), patching (creation of a new core element and its reinforcement by new elaborating elements), coasting (no further elaboration of a new core element in a given period), and trimming (deletion of a core element and its elaborating elements). The four processes are used to describe organizations’ development paths toward configurations and their transitions between configurations, including two new ideal types, termed thin-to-thick and patch-by-patch, as well as two known paths between configurations, the punctuated equilibrium path and reorientation through linear progression.•
Sonography of partial-thickness tears of the distal triceps brachii tendon.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize the sonographic appearance of partial-thickness distal triceps brachii tendon tears. Methods After Institutional Review Board approval, sonographic records were searched for patients who had an unequivocal partial-thickness triceps tendon tear at surgery or magnetic resonance imaging. Sonograms were retrospectively characterized for tendon discontinuity of the superficial or deep layers, tendon retraction, osseous fracture fragments, and joint effusion. Imaging findings were then compared with clinical, imaging, and surgical results. Results Five patients had a partial-thickness distal triceps brachii tendon tear at surgery (n = 4) or magnetic resonance imaging (n = 1). All cases only involved the superficial tendon layer (combined long and lateral heads) with retraction of a fractured olecranon enthesophyte fragment. The deep tendon layer (medial head) was intact in all cases with no joint effusion. Conclusions Partial-thickness distal triceps brachii tendon tears have a characteristic appearance with selective superficial tendon retraction and olecranon enthesophyte avulsion fracture.
It Seems As If...I Am Dead: Zombie Capitalism and Theatrical Labor

Reading the zombie marches of the Occupy Wall Street movement beside a 2011 production of Ibsen's play John Gabriel Borkman raises questions about theatrical labor in neoliberal capitalism. What happens when "dead labor" plays live onstage? Or when live protest actions are played across the living dead? Perhaps the answers can be found in considering economic precarity and precarity in/as performance together.
A study of travel time modeling via time series analysis

Travel time information is a good operational measure of the effectiveness of transportation systems and can be used to detect incidents and quantify congestion. The ability to accurately predict freeway and arterial travel times in transportation networks is a critical component for many intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications (e.g., advanced traffic management systems, in-vehicle route guidance systems). This paper focuses on the arterial travel time modeling by studying the travel time data, modeling and diagnostic checking so that short-term travel time can be predicted with reasonable accuracy. A 3.7-mile corridor on Minnesota State Highway 194 is chosen as our test site. The Global Positioning System (GPS) probe vehicle method is used in our data collection. The time series analysis techniques are then used in our model building, in particular, we focus on the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. Finally, the model established for each road section is verified via both the residual analysis and portmanteau lack-of-fit test. The near term goal of this study is to use the developed models to predict section travel times with reasonable accuracy
Gallium Nitride based 3D integrated non-isolated point of load module

The introduction of Gallium Nitride (GaN) based power devices offers the potential to achieve higher efficiency and higher switching frequencies than possible with Silicon MOSFET's. This paper will discuss the GaN device characteristics, packaging impact on performance, gate driving methods, and the integration possibilities using GaN technology. The final demonstration being an integrated 3D point of load (POL) converter operating at a switching frequency of 2MHz for a 12V to 1.2V buck converter with a full load current of 20A. This 3D converter employs a low profile low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) inductor and can achieve a full load efficiency of 83% and a power density of 750W/in3 which doubles the power density of current integrated POL converters on the market today.
Environmental psychology and sustainability in high-rise structures

This paper addresses the human elements of sustainable design in urban high-rise buildings. While a number of technical developments have allowed for the minimization of resource consumption, little research has addressed the response of occupants to such facilities, or the degree to which success in reaching sustainability goals is dependent on user behavior. This paper reviews research in related areas and suggests ways in which social, psychological and behavioral issues may be important to sustainable design, as well as how ways attending to psychological needs can improve the success of meeting these and other goals. Social psychological and applied behavior analytical approaches are reviewed as ways to respond to conservation and recycling goals. The psychological and physiological benefits that green buildings confer on their occupants are also addressed, as are areas for future research, and steps that the building industry can take to develop more holistic and sustainable building practices that incorporate occupant behavioral needs.
Labelling polymers and micellar nanoparticles via initiation, propagation and termination with ROMP

In this paper we compare and contrast three approaches for labelling polymers with functional groups via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). We explored the incorporation of functionality via initiation, termination and propagation employing an array of novel initiators, termination agents and monomers. The goal was to allow the generation of selectively labelled and well-defined polymers that would in turn lead to the formation of labelled nanomaterials. Norbornene analogues, prepared as functionalized monomers for ROMP, included fluorescent dyes (rhodamine, fluorescein, EDANS, and coumarin), quenchers (DABCYL), conjugatable moieties (NHS esters, pentafluorophenyl esters), and protected amines. In addition, a set of symmetrical olefins for terminally labelling polymers, and for the generation of initiators in situ is described.
Efficiency and Image Contrast of Dielectric Holograms

The contrast and diffraction efficiency of a dielectric hologram made from a diffuse signal beam is calculated. Diffraction efficiency of 64% with acceptable image contrast is possible. Experimental results with holograms made by bleaching photographic emulsions are presented.
Active Learning Through Service-Learning:

Service-learning (SL) is a relatively new pedagogical approach to facilitate student learning at the university level. In SL, students enrolled in an academic course provide a needed service to a community partner. Through guided reflection, students link classroom-based, theoretical knowledge with clinical applications. Students' active engagement in learning facilitates thinking critically, questioning assumptions, considering varying perspectives, and appreciating the civic purpose of their profession. This article describes three SL applications, in dysphagia, educational audiology, and augmentative and alternative communication. We explain the rationale for each, along with ways in which to measure the effects of SL on student learning.
Granular Computing: A Problem Solving Paradigm

Granulation is a natural problem-solving methodology deeply rooted in human thinking; it is intrinsically fuzzy, vague and imprecise. Mathematicians idealized it to partition, and developed into a fundamental problem solving methodology. Granulation and partition are examined in parallel from the prospect of problem solving. In partition theory, knowledge processing are transformed into table or tree processing. For general granulation such transformation is not there. In this paper, we take a new fresh look at previous results (Lin, 1998a), including the recent applications in computer security (Chinese Wall Security Policy model) from this prospect; the knowledge processing have been transformed to table and tree processing in the (pre-)topological setting
Tuberculin skin testing of physicians at a midwestern teaching hospital: a 6-year prospective study.

The epidemiology of tuberculin reactivity among physicians practicing in regions of moderate tuberculosis prevalence is unknown. We prospectively assessed the epidemiology of tuberculin skin test (TST) reactivity among physicians in training in St. Louis between 1992 and 1998. Of 1574 physicians who were tested, 267 (17%) had positive TST results. Older age, birth outside of the United States, prior bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, and practice in the fields of medicine, anesthesiology, or psychiatry were associated with a positive TST result. Among physicians born in the United States, 63 (5.7%) had positive TST results. Among physicians with > or = 2 documented TSTs, 12 had conversion to a positive TST (1.6%; 1.03 conversions per 100 person-years). Physicians in this study had a high rate of tuberculin reactivity, despite a low conversion rate. The relationship between TST conversion and birth outside of the United States and BCG vaccination suggests a booster phenomenon rather than true new TST conversions.
Diabetes mellitus in the absence of obesity: a risky condition.

Despite the persistence of the obesity epidemic and its contribution to development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, a growing number of studies have described a paradoxically longer survival (the obesity paradox) among overweight and obese adults with and without chronic diseases.1 Whereas the obesity paradox has previously been observed among adults with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and cancer, a growing number of studies have investigated this question in the setting of diabetes mellitus. Whether the obesity paradox is present in diabetes mellitus is of particular interest given the importance of obesity in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and the development of complications. In this issue of Circulation , Zhao et al2 report a U-shaped association between weight status and mortality among adults with diabetes mellitus, whereby the lowest mortality rates are observed among adults who are overweight or obese. These findings are consistent with some3,4 but not all5 previous findings. Article see p 2143 The present study was carried out using administrative data from the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division, a healthcare plan that includes 7 public hospitals and affiliated clinics, which cover approximately 35% of the Louisiana population. Patients were studied as part of the Louisiana State University Hospital–Based Longitudinal Study (LSUHLS). Nearly 35 000 black and white adults with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2009 were followed for an average of 9 years for mortality. There are several unique features of the present study, including the use of administrative data, which included multiple measures of body mass index (BMI) captured over time, large samples of both blacks and whites, and adults with …
Transient analysis of scattering from arbitrarily shaped perfectly conducting bodies at very low frequencies

This paper describes a marching-on-in-time (MOT) algorithm for solving a time domain electric field integral equation pertinent to the analysis of transient scattering from perfect electrically conducting (PEC) surfaces that are excited by very low frequency pulses. The algorithm uses loop-star (LS) basis functions to describe the spatial dependence of the electric current on the scatterer; these functions are shown to be essential to the algorithm's accuracy and convergence properties.
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Studies of Local Water Dynamics in Soft Molecular Assemblies at 9.8 GHz

We demonstrate that the application of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at X-band on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal of water under ambient condition, in combination with continuous-wave (cw) electron spin resonance (ESR), is a new and potentially powerful approach to study hydration and fluid dynamics of soft macromolecular assemblies. The source to amplify 1H NMR signal is stable nitroxide radicals, also known as spin labels, that serve as reporter species to illuminate the interaction between the spin-label-containing molecular site and water. The efficiency of DNP-induced 1H NMR signal amplification through the spin label reporter is directly related to the micro-viscosity of the water that interacts with the spin label. This information is complementary to the ESR measurement of rotational dynamics of the spin label or the spin-labeled molecular segment. Our combined 1H DNP and ESR approach is particularly useful for the analysis of soft macromolecular assemblies including micelles, vesicles, membrane materials or protein aggregates, where the study of internal hydration dynamics cannot be easily performed with other techniques. 1H NMR signal amplification factors of more than −130-fold at 0.35 T were predicted and experimentally achieved when employing sufficient microwave power at the resonant ESR frequency of 9.8 GHz. The X-band DNP tool can be relatively easily implemented by any interested researcher who has access to a standard cw ESR spectrometer and a single NMR channel at about 15 MHz frequencies.
AIDS prevention programs: a critical review.

One way to measure the state of the art in HIV/AIDS educational intervention policy, practice, and research is to review the contents of professional journals directed primarily to health education...