cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kantian Right and the Categorical Imperative: Response to Willaschek

Abstract In his 2009 article ‘Right and Coercion,’ Marcus Willaschek argues that the Categorical Imperative and the Universal Principle of Right are conceptually independent of one another because (1) the concept of right and the authorization to use coercion are analytically connected in Kant’s ‘Doctrine of Right’, but (2) the authorization to coerce cannot be derived from the Categorical Imperative. Given that the principle of right just is a principle of authorized coercion, the fact that the authorization to coerce cannot be derived from the Categorical Imperative implies that the Principle of Right cannot be derived from the Categorical Imperative. Against this claim, I first argue that a satisfactory deduction of the concept of right can be constructed out of the Categorical Imperative, the fact that we are embodied, and the fact that we act from motives other than duty. I then argue that the insufficiency of the Categorical Imperative, by itself, to generate the Principle of Right does not prevent ...
Using lean methodology to decrease wasted RN time in seeking supplies in emergency departments.

Background Timely stocking of essential supplies in an emergency department (ED) is crucial to efficient and effective patient care. Objective The objective of this study was to decrease wasted nursing time in obtaining needed supplies in an ED through the use of Lean process controls. Methods As part of a Lean project, the team conducted a "before and after" prospective observation study of ED nurses seeking supplies. Nurses were observed for an entire shift for the time spent outside the patient room obtaining supplies at baseline and after implementation of a point-of-use storage system. Results Before implementation, nurses were leaving patient rooms a median of 11 times per 8-hour shift (interquartile range [IQR], 8 times per 8-hour shift) and 10 times per 12-hour shift (IQR, 23 times per 12-hour shift). After implementation of the new system, the numbers decreased to 2.5 per 8-hour shift (IQR, 2 per 8-hour shift) and 1 per 12-hour shift (IQR, 1 per 12-hour shift). Conclusion A redesigned process including a standardized stocking system significantly decreases the number of searches by nurses for supplies.
Characterization of helium/argon working gas systems in a radiofrequency glow discharge atomic emission source. Part II: Langmuir probe and emission intensity studies for Al, Cu and Macor samples

The application of a tuned Langmuir probe is extended to the measurement of the charged particle characteristics (electron and ion number density, average electron energy and electron temperature) in an analytical radiofrequency glow discharge (RF-GD) in helium. The effects of discharge operating conditions, such as RF power and pressure, on the charged particle characteristics for conducting (aluminum) and nonconducting (Macor) samples are studied. The differences in plasma characteristics between argon and helium working gases are discussed. Langmuir probe measurements are also performed in an argon/helium mixture. Variations of the emission intensities of sputtered analytes (copper and aluminum) are investigated when helium is introduced into an argon RF glow discharge plasma. It is recognized that, although the number of sample atoms in the plasma gradually decreases due to reduced sputtering, the emission intensities of various Al(I) and Cu(I) lines increase with helium addition. Measured electron and ion number densities also decrease with helium addition, whereas the average electron energy and electron temperature increase, accounting for the enhancement of emission intensities.
A study of growth and cell differentiation in the hepatopancreas of the crayfish

Abstract The histology of the crayfish hepatopancreas has been presented. Also, cell types within the tubule have been distinguished on a histochemical basis. Labeling studies employing tritiated thymidine and uridine have been carried out. There is strong evidence that all the cells in the tubules of the digestive gland arise from embryonic cells at the apex. During their lifetime the embryonic cells are first absorptive, then secretory, then fibrillar, and finally they atrophy and die at the base of the tubule. Thus, the tubule grows continually but is still able to maintain a constant form. These results are discussed in terms of our traditional concepts of cell differentiation. We suggest that the term cellular ontogeny may be more appropriate than cellular differentiation in reference to the present study.
A way to compute the gravitational potential for near-spherical geometries

We use a boundary perturbation technique based on the calculus of moving surfaces to compute the gravitational potential for near-spherical geometries with piecewise constant densities. The perturbation analysis is carried out to third order in the small parameter. The presented technique can be adapted to a broad range of potential problems including geometries with variable densities and surface density distributions that arise in electrostatics. The technique is applicable to arbitrary small perturbations of a spherically symmetric configuration and, in principle, to arbitrary initial domains. However, the Laplace equation for an arbitrary domain can usually be solved only numerically. We therefore concentrate on spherical domains which yield a number of geophysical applications. As an illustration, we apply our analysis to the case of a near spherical triaxial ellipsoid and show that third order estimates for ellipticities such as that of the Earth are accurate to ten digits. We include an appendix that contains a concise, but complete, exposition of the tensor calculus of moving interfaces.
Rate of antigorite dehydration at 2 GPa applied to subduction zones

A mixture of antigorite, forsterite, and enstatite was reacted at 2 GPa pressure, with water, to study kinetics of the reaction Mg48Si34O85(OH)62 = 10 Mg2Si2O6 + 14 Mg2SiO4 + 31 H2O. Reaction progress, F, which can vary between +1 and −1, was measured by comparing areas under X-ray diffraction peaks for run products with corresponding peaks for the starting material. Rates for dehydration and hydration can be regressed with the equation: \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \[\mathit{r}\frac{F\_{R}}{t}\ =\ K\_{r}A{^\circ}\_{{\theta}}\left[{-}171\left(1\ {-}\ \frac{\mathit{T}\_{eq}}{\mathit{T}}\right)\right]^{\mathit{n}}\ mol/cm^{3}_{rock}/s\] \end{document} The function FR accounts for the decrease in A𝛉, specific surface area, from A𝛉° at F = 0 to 0 at F = 1: \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \[F_{R}\ =\ \frac{1}{1\ {-}\ \mathit{p}}\left[1\ {-}\ (1\ {-}\ F)^{1\ {-}\ \mathit{p}}\right]\] \end{document} where p , ~0.50 for elongate grains, characterizes grain shape. Regression of the rate equation for dehydration runs can be combined with A𝛉°, measured on the antigorite starting material, to give reaction rate Kr: −9.2(l.2) × 10−15 mol/s/cm2. With that rate, we calculate that well-defined conventional reversal brackets of 5 °C around the equilibrium temperature would require run lengths of 729(99) h, considerably longer than in this or any previous study. The rate equations can be applied to the question of overstepping of antigorite dehydration below arcs. One modeled geotherm 40 km below a slab surface crosses the antigorite dehydration reaction at about 2 GPa; the slab takes 3 × 105 years to warm one degree. For grain sizes in a serpentinite in the 0.1 to 10 cm range, complete dehydration would take 104–105 years. During that time, the plate would travel no more than a kilometer past the point of first dehydration. If earthquakes associated with dehydration occurred on timescales of 103–104 years, complete dehydration of a volume of plate would require 10–100 separate dehydration events.
Spatial decay of the quasiparticle current in phase-slip centers

We have studied the diffusive current of quasiparticles in long superconducting tin microbridges in two different experiments. In the first experiment, the influence of quasiparticle current generated by one phase-slip center upon the appearance of other phase-slip centers in the same microbridge is examined. In the second experiment, the spatial dependence of the chemical potential of the quasiparticles generated in a single phase-slip center is measured directly. The results of these experiments demonstrate conclusively the exponential decay of both the quasiparticle current and potential from the center of the phase-slip center, and the measured values of the characteristic diffusion length agree well with theoretical predictions, both in magnitude and temperature dependence.
Relations between total gonad energy and physiological measures of condition in the period leading up to spawning: Results of a laboratory experiment on black sea bass (Centropristis striata)

Abstract Liver weight, relative condition (Kn), and somatic energy content have proven useful for predicting reproductive potential of fishes. Such proxy measures are advantageous in that they are easier to measure directly than fecundity and can often be measured in advance of spawning. We explored the utility of simple as well as more detailed measures of reproductive output in a laboratory experiment with black sea bass ( Centropristis striata ), an iteroparous, batch spawning protogynous hermaphrodite that may exhibit both determinate and indeterminate fecundity patterns within its geographic range. Wild fish were collected in fall, well ahead of spring-summer spawning, from two locations (Woods Hole, MA; Panama City, FL) representing mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stocks. To obtain a range in condition, fish were subject to either a high or low feeding regime for 4–5 months. During the experiment, length, weight, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) of individuals were monitored monthly. At the end of the experiment, additional individual measures taken included: relative gonad, liver, and viscera weights, absolute energy density, sex and maturity. As planned, these feeding treatments produced a range in sizes, fish of both sexes were developing or spawning capable, and the high ration group had higher Kn. This provided sufficient contrast to explore predictive relationships between total gonad energy (TGE) and terminal or prior biological measures. Examining multiple models with Akaike Information Criteria showed that final TGE was estimated with highest precision from a model including final sex, gonadosomatic index, length, Kn and liver energy density (89.1% deviance explained). The best model using nonlethal measures included BIA measured phase angle (PA) one month earlier, but much precision was lost (31.0% deviance explained). The explanatory power of PA, Kn, fish size, and stock also changed during the experiment, reflecting differences in the timing and magnitude of energy allocation and the difficulty in applying non-lethal measures to estimate TGE precisely in this species. Different energy allocation pathways were also apparent by stock. By the end of the experiment, mid-Atlantic black sea bass allocated more energy to liver and gonad whereas Gulf black sea bass allocated more energy to soma and viscera. We postulate that such intraspecific differences are adaptive in terms of the very different environmental conditions experienced by and the reported differences in spawning strategies by each stock, but this is rarely demonstrated in fishes and warrants further investigation.
Fast Fourier Transforms of Piecewise Constant Functions

We present an algorithm for the evaluation of the Fourier transform of piecewise constant functions of two variables. The algorithm overcomes the accuracy problems associated with computing the Fourier transform of discontinuous functions; in fact, its time complexity is O (N2 logN + NP log2 (1/�) + V log3 (1/�)), where � is the accuracy, N is the size of the problem, P is the perimeter of the set of discontinuities, and V is its number of vertices. The algorithm is based on the Lagrange interpolation formula and the Green's theorem, which are used to preprocess the data before applying the fast Fourier transform. It readily generalizes to higher dimensions and to piecewise smooth functions.
Revisiting the Virginia Tech Shootings: An Ecological Systems Analysis

School shooting cases since the late 1990s have prompted school officials and legislators to develop and implement programs and measures that would prevent violence in school. Despite the number of explanations by the media, politicians, organizations, and researchers about the etiology of school shootings, we are not united in our understanding of the risk factors, particularly those relevant to racial minorities and immigrants. This article examines the Virginia Tech shooting incident using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. We assess a number of risk factors that operate within five system levels (the micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono systems) and draw implications for assessment and intervention.
Estimation of primary quantization matrix for steganalysis of double-compressed JPEG images

A JPEG image is double-compressed if it underwent JPEG compression twice, each time with a different quantization matrix but with the same 8 × 8 grid. Some popular steganographic algorithms (Jsteg, F5, OutGuess) naturally produce such double-compressed stego images. Because double-compression may signficantly change the statistics of DCT coefficients, it negatively influences the accuracy of some steganalysis methods developed under the assumption that the stego image was only single-compressed. This paper presents methods for detection of double-compression in JPEGs and for estimation of the primary quantization matrix, which is lost during recompression. The proposed methods are essential for construction of accurate targeted and blind steganalysis methods for JPEG images, especially those based on calibration. Both methods rely on support vector machine classifiers with feature vectors formed by histograms of low-frequency DCT coefficients.
Some Preliminary Conclusions on the Fulfillment of Research and Policy Objectives by Title VIII Participant Organizations

Title VIII funds are intended to support programs of graduate and postgraduate research on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, with balance across academic fields as well as regions and subregions. In November 2008, seven Title VIII-funded organizations reported on their grant activities for 2004-8.
Self-adaptive neuro-fuzzy systems for autonomous underwater vehicle control

This paper presents a systematic approach for developing a concise self-adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (SANFIS) with a fast hybrid parameter learning algorithm for on-line learning of the control knowledge for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) control. The multi-layered network structure of SANFIS incorporates fuzzy basis functions for better function approximations. We investigate three SANFIS structures with three different types of fuzzy IF-THEN rule-based models and cast the rule formation problem as a clustering problem. A recursive least-squares algorithm and a modified Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm with limited memory are exploited to accelerate the parameter learning process. This hybrid parameter learning algorithm together with an on-line clustering technique and rule examination provide SANFIS with the capability of selforganizing and self-adapting its internal structure (i.e. the fuzzy rules and term sets) for learning the required control knowledge for an AUV to follow desired traject...
Spatial and identity cues differentially affect implicit contextual cueing in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder

The present studies examined implicit contextual cueing in adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In Study 1, 16 individuals with ASD and 20 matched individuals with typical development completed a contextual cueing task using stimulus-identity cues. In Study 2, 12 individuals with ASD and 16 individuals with typical development completed a revised version of the contextual cueing task, using both stimulus-identity cues and global spatial-configuration cues. The results suggest that when only stimulus-identity cues were provided, individuals with ASD had difficulty with implicit contextual cueing (Study 1). However, when both stimulus-identity and spatial-configuration contextual cues were provided, individuals with ASD demonstrated successful contextual cueing (Study 2). Nuances in implicit learning and clinical implications are discussed.
Incidentally discovered adrenal masses

Currently, adrenal masses are discovered incidentally in 0.35–5% of patients imaged with computed tomography (CT) and are referred to as adrenal incidentalomas [1,2]. As a result, the diagnostic dilemma of separating the small fraction of hypersecretory and/or malignant masses from the majority that are nonhypersecretory adrenal adenomas has become common. Given the fourfold greater autopsy incidence of adrenal adenomas compared with the radiographic incidence, and the oncology data that only 20–41% of adrenal metastases are detected by CT [1,3], it is likely that an increase in prevalence will occur if the spatial resolving capacity of abdominal imaging improves, if abdominal imaging occurs more frequently, and if routine abdominal imaging slice thickness is decreased.
Hallux Valgus Correction with Metatarsal Osteotomy: Effect of a Lateral Distal Soft Tissue Procedure:

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of hallux valgus correction using a proximal metatarsal osteotomy with or without a lateral distal metatarsophalangeal soft tissue procedure. This procedure included release of the lateral joint capsule and transfer of the adductor tendon into the neck of the metatarsal. Two groups of patients were reviewed retrospectively. In the first group (17 patients and 25 feet), a proximal closing wedge osteotomy and an Akin osteotomy were performed. In the second group (22 patients and 31 feet), in addition to the osteotomies, the adductor tendon and lateral capsule were released from the sesamoid and the adductor tendon was sutured into the neck of the first metatarsal. Exostectomy and plication of the medial capsule were done in all cases. Physical examination at follow-up revealed significantly more first metatarsophalangeal stiffness in the second group. The average arc of motion was 62 degrees in the first group and 46 degrees in the second. Radiographically, however, results were significantly better in the second group. The average intermetatarsal angle was 9.6 degrees for group 1 and 6.1 degrees for group 2. The average hallux valgus angle was 15 degrees for group 1 and 10 degrees in group 2. Complications included three pin tract infections and four dorsal malunions. The lateral distal soft tissue procedure ensured a more reliable correction of the bunion deformity. However, it resulted in a significant amount of postoperative first metatarsophalangeal stiffness.
The spectrum from two years to two minutes of temperature fluctuations in the main thermocline at Bermuda

Abstract The observations made southeast of Bermuda by Haurwitz, Stommel and Munk (1959) and by Wunsch and Dahlen (1970), have been combined with the hydrographic stations made by the R. V. Panulirus to construct a temperature spectrum in the main thermocline. The spectrum covers the band of periods from 2 years to 1·87 minutes. Despite the disparity of observation times and methods, the spectra from the 3 data series agree in their overlap bands. A number of discrete peaks have been found in the spectrum. In the sub-inertial frequency range, the peaks are explained by an island trapping theory, and in the super-inertial range by a scattering theory. A high-frequency peak agrees with the predicted bottom intensification of internal waves. The spectrum cuts off at about 2 cycles per hour, consistent with the behavior of the Brunt-Vaisala frequency. At periods longer than 4000 hours, the spectrum also drops, leading to a ‘spectral gap’ at very low frequencies.
Growing Fair Trade in South Africa

Fairtrade certification is part of a larger, transnational movement aiming to preserve or create sustainability for workers and the environment. For export-food producers in the global South, it means a fair price, fair labor conditions, direct relationships with buyers, and democracy within their organizations. In democratic South Africa, Fairtrade is linked to government-incentivized Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) initiatives. The movement is, in effect, certifying and labelling transformative programmes to economically empower members of previously disadvantaged groups. This paper explores the intersection of BEE and Fairtrade in the post-apartheid wine industry. Based on interviews with relevant stakeholders and secondary sources, it shows that the South African context has necessitated some re-negotiation of fairness, and of the role of the international Fairtrade certifier. Although Fairtrade products from South Africa are primarily sold in Europe and North America, NGOs and businesses in the glob...
Origin of Sodium and Lithium in the Upper Atmosphere

LITHIUM resonance radiation in the twilight air-glow of the southern hemisphere has recently been observed in several places1,2. Over Adelie Land in the Antarctic this radiation is reported to have been present both in 1957 and 1958. In October 1957 its intensity was estimated visually to be of the order of a tenth that of the sodium D lines in the twilight. After the high-altitude nuclear bomb explosion in the Pacific in August 1958 this radiation was also observed at Hallett Station in the Antarctic and afterwards in September at Invercargill in New Zealand. Its intensity is roughly estimated as equal to the total sodium D line intensity at Hallett in August and a tenth of this in New Zealand in September.
Fragility Analysis of Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls

Fragility functions have been developed to evaluate the damageability of fully grouted and partially grouted reinforced masonry shear walls subjected to in-plane seismic loading. Six damage states ...
A colony bank containing synthetic CoI EI hybrid plasmids representative of the entire E. coli genome

Abstract Using the poly(dA-dT) "connector" method (Lobban and Kaiser, 1973), a population of annealed hybrid circular DNAs was constructed in vitro; each hybrid DNA circle contained one molecule of poly(dT)-tailed CoI EI-DNA (L RI ) annealed to any one of a collection of poly(dA)-tailed linear DNA fragments, produced originally by shearing total E. coli DNA to an average size of 8.5 × 10 6 daltons. This annealed DNA preparation (12 μg) was used to transform an F + recA E. coli strain (JA200), selecting transformants by their resistance to collcin EI. A collector or "bank" of over 2000 colicin EI-resistant clones was thereby obtained, 70% of which were shown to contain hybrid CoI EI-DNA (E. coli) plasmids. This colony bank is large enough to include hybrid plasmids representative of the entire E. coli genome. Individual plasmids have been readily identified by replica mating the collection onto plates seeded with cultures of various F − auxotrophic recipients, selecting for complementation of the auxotrophic markers by F-mediated transfer of hybrid plasmids to the F − recipients. In this manner, over 80 hybrid CoI EI-DNA (E. coli) plasmid-bearing clones have been identified in the colony bank, and about 40 known E. coli genes have been tentatively assigned to these various plasmids. The hybrid plasmids are transferred efficiently from F − donors to appropriate F − recipients. The use of this method to establish similar colony banks in E. coli containing hybrid plasmids representative of various simple eucaryotic genomes is discussed.
Specific G2 phase toxicity of chloramphenicol on mouse leukemic cells (L5178Y)

Abstract The effect of chloramphenicol on progression through the cell cycle of L5178Y cells was investigated. Using eosin staining as a viability index, G2 cells were shown to be specifically killed at a concentration of chloramphenicol generally used to study mitochondrial protein synthesis. Pretreating cells with chloramphenicol induced resistance to this G2 lethality.
Automatic discrimination of features in grey‐scale images

SUMMARY Automatic setting of discriminator thresholds to select features from grey-scale images is desirable to reduce variations due to operator variability, and to adapt to changing illumination or sample characteristics. This can be carried out in several ways. One locates minima in the original brightness histogram. For images in which minima are absent or poorly defined other techniques are preferred. Settings that minimize the change in total feature area or perimeter with changes in the threshold setting are suitable for a wide variety of images. After processing to extract edges a fixed percentage of the number of pixels in the image may be useful.
Degenerate four-wave mixing experiments on polyacene quinones

Abstract Three representative polyacene quinones doped in thin polymer films have been studied by degenerate four-wave mixing to elucidate the dominant factors in the third-order nonlinear optical effects of these compounds. The experiments have been made near or on resonance at 532 nm. The nonlinear effects of these materials are found to be of electronic origin with rapid response times. The third-order nonlinear optical coefficients are not simply correlated with the delocalization length of the compounds as expected from simple theory.
Conjugate field and fluctuation-dissipation relation for the dynamic phase transition in the two-dimensional kinetic Ising model

The two-dimensional kinetic Ising model, when exposed to an oscillating applied magnetic field, has been shown to exhibit a nonequilibrium, second-order dynamic phase transition (DPT), whose order parameter Q is the period-averaged magnetization. It has been established that this DPT falls in the same universality class as the equilibrium phase transition in the two-dimensional Ising model in zero applied field. Here we study the scaling of the dynamic order parameter with respect to a nonzero, period-averaged, magnetic "bias" field, H(b) for a DPT produced by a square-wave applied field. We find evidence that the scaling exponent, delta(d), of H(b) at the critical period of the DPT is equal to the exponent for the critical isotherm, delta(e), in the equilibrium Ising model. This implies that H(b) is a significant component of the field conjugate to Q. A finite-size scaling analysis of the dynamic order parameter above the critical period provides further support for this result. We also demonstrate numerically that, for a range of periods and values of H(b) in the critical region, a fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR), with an effective temperature T(eff)(T,P,H0) depending on the period, and possibly the temperature and field amplitude, holds for the variables Q and H(b). This FDR justifies the use of the scaled variance of Q as a proxy for the nonequilibrium susceptibility, partial differential Q/partial differential H(b), in the critical region.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in the anterior pituitary. III: Stimulation by thyroid hormone : potentiation by glucocorticoids

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of thyroid hormone on TRH gene expression in cultured anterior pituitary (AP) cells. AP cells derived from 15-day-old male rats were cultured for up to 14 days in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium-L-15 medium supplemented with either fetal calf serum (FCS) or FCS devoid of thyroid hormones. T4 or T3 were added at various concentrations to the medium for a duration of 2-14 days. TRH and GH were measured by RIA, and pro-TRH mRNA levels were determined by semiquantitative in situ hybridization. Addition of both T3 and T4, but not the biologically inactive diiodothyronine, significantly stimulated TRH accumulation in AP cells. T3 increased TRH content in a time- and dose-dependent fashion and was much more potent than T4. Dexamethasone (Dex) also raised the content of TRH significantly. The combination of 10(-9) M T3 and 10(-8) M Dex dramatically potentiated the effect of either treatment alone (T3, 8.9-fold rise; Dex, 37.2-fold rise) and increased TRH...
AN ERUPTED MESIODENS.

Abstract A case involving an erupted mesiodens has been presented, and its potentials have been discussed academically.
Singular integral operators and norm ideals satisfying a quantitative variant of Kuroda's condition☆

A norm ideal C is said to satisfy condition (QK) if there exist constants 0<t<1 and 0<B<∞, such that ∥X[k]∥C⩽Bkt∥X∥C for every finite-rank operator X and every k∈N, where X[k] denotes the direct sum of k copies of X. Let μ be a regular Borel measure whose support is contained in a unit cube Q in Rn and let Kj be the singular integral operator on L2(Rn,μ) with the kernel function (xj-yj)/|x-y|2, 1⩽j⩽n. Let {Qw:w∈W} be the usual dyadic decomposition of Q, i.e., {Qw:|w|=l} is the dyadic partition of Q by cubes of the size 2-l×⋯×2-l. We show that if C satisfies (QK) and if ∥∑w∈W2|w|μ(Qw)ξw⊗ξw∥C′<∞, where C′ is the dual of C(0) and {ξw:w∈W} is any orthonormal set, then K1,…,Kn ∈ C′. This is a very general obstruction result for the problem of simultaneous diagonalization of commuting tuples of self-adjoint operators modulo C.
A Critical Analysis of Illinois’ Fish Mercury Monitoring Program, 1974–1998

Mercury contamination in fish is a serious public health concern that contrasts with other health benefits of eating fish. Like most US states, Illinois has monitored fish mercury contamination for decades to warn the public of mercury exposure risks by consuming fish. Has this monitoring program been effective in detecting public mercury exposure risks? I analyzed fish mercury contamination data from Illinois inland lakes (1974–1998; > 2,300 samples, 18 fish species, 149 lakes) and found that: (a) sampling and analyses have been severely limited since 1985; (b) sampling effort varied widely among lakes and species, and (c) trends and spatial patterns were confused by this variability. As a result of a severely limited and nonstrategic monitoring program, public mercury exposure risks via Illinois fish consumption remain unclear, despite much effort over many years. Illinois monitors fewer fish per angler than many US states, but is not alone in this regard. Illinois should resurrect and redesign its fish contaminant monitoring program to one that strategically and systematically assesses human mercury exposure risk. Other US states and nations may also benefit from similar retrospective examinations of monitoring programs intended to protect public health.
Solving Singly Constrained Transshipment Problems

This paper develops a primal simplex procedure to solve transshipment problems with an arbitrary additional constraint. The procedure incorporates efficient methods for pricing-out the basis, determining certain key vector representations, and implementing the change of basis. These methods exploit the near triangularity of the basis in a manner that takes advantage of computational schemes and list structures used to solve the pure transshipment problem. We have implemented these results in a computer code, I/OPNETS-I. Computational results necessarily limited confirm that this code is significantly faster than APEX-III on some large problems. We have also developed a fast method for determining near optimal integer solutions. Computational results show that the near optimum integer solution value is usually within 0.5% of the value of the optimum continuous solution value.
A Low Standby Power Flip-flop with Reduced Circuit and Control Complexity

A flip-flop using a combination of thin and thick gate transistors combines high performance and low standby power. Setup and hold times are controlled by the master latch implemented in high performance transistors, while a thick gate slave latch provides state retention at low standby power when the high performance circuit power supply is gated off. The design has reduced circuit and power-down control complexity compared to previously described circuits using thick gate shadow latches for low standby power state storage. Measured test chip results on a foundry 130 nm process prove the viability of the design. The thick gate shadow latches are shown to have good retention capability at low supply voltages, suggesting that reduced shadow latch supply voltage during standby will be effective at mitigating the drain to bulk leakage components that are increasingly limiting for low power standby modes.
Color me blue...or red or green? Lessons from the literature on color and usability

Color is a complex and powerful phenomenon that can have profound effects on human beings. With the spread of low-cost color technology, many technical communicators, interface designers, and others have the ability to use color in their work, but they may lack basic knowledge of how to use color effectively for their audiences. This paper surveys the literature in technical communication and psychology and suggests ways that color can be used to improve the usability of documents and interfaces.
THE WAY THINGS FALL APART: Social organization and the Classic Maya collapse of Copan

While the recent application of the house model to archaeology (Joyce and Gillespie 2000 Beyond Kinship: Social and Material Reproduction in House Societies. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia) has renewed interest in the nature of Classic Maya social organization, the relationships between Classic Maya social units and Classic Maya polities remain poorly understood. This article examines the effects of the Classic Maya collapse of Copan, Honduras on its constituent social units in an effort to ascertain the flexibility and resilience of these groups within larger political structures. Previous researchers suggested that Copan's collapse was limited largely to the ruling elite. However, the Copan Postclassic Archaeological Project has documented a distinct, possibly foreign occupation in the site center from a.d. 950 to 1100. These data suggest that the longevity of all Classic Copaneco social groups in the wake of dynastic collapse was significantly shorter than some have postulated. These data demonstrate that Classic Maya social units were not semiautonomous groups but, instead, were integrated within polities. Thus, they must be understood within larger political frameworks.
Paraoxonase Activity, But Not Haplotype Utilizing the Linkage Disequilibrium Structure, Predicts Vascular Disease

Objective— The effects of paraoxonase (PON1) activity and of genetic variation in the PON1 promoter and coding region on carotid artery disease (CAAD) were investigated. Methods and Results— We identified functional promoter polymorphisms and examined their effects in a cohort with and without CAAD. We used the full sequences in 23 white subjects to determine the linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure of the PON1 region and to direct the grouping of haplotypes for disease association testing. There are several discrete regions of the PON1 gene with strong local LD, but the useful levels of LD do not extend across the entire gene. Indeed, PON1−162/−108/55/192 haplotype did not predict additional variation in PON1 activities compared with the 4 genotypes separately. PON1 hydrolysis activity predicted CAAD status, but this was not attributable to the promoter or coding region polymorphisms or haplotype or to the effects of smoking or statin use on PON1 activity. Conclusions— PON1 does not have LD across the g...
Recent Development in Thermoplastic Composites: A Review of Matrix Systems and Processing Methods

Manufacturers of composite materials have been developing high strength fiber rein forced composites with thermoplastic matrix systems exhibiting enhanced performance in fracture toughness and damage tolerance with the potential of reduced manufacturing cost for both primary and secondary structure components. A review will be made of principal thermoplastic matrix systems and processing methods used to fabricate the fiber rein forced composites, which have been developed during recent years. Included is a com parison of the neat matrix resins' chemical structure, thermal/tensile properties, fracture toughness, melt viscosity, solvent resistance, morphology and melt processability. The matrix-dominated mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites are given, including flexural, short beam shear and compression strengths, interlaminar fracture toughness and/or compression-after-impact performance. Innovative process development in thermoplastic composites including thermoformable sheets, filament windi...
The effects of market structure on television news pricing

This study of local television news advertising prices finds: (1) that cable penetration has a significant negative effect on news prices; (2) that market concentration has a significant positive impact; and (3) that station ownership type has little or no effect on such prices.
A randomized trial comparing 2 outpatient educational settings for clerkship students: private practice office vs hospital clinic.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare medical students' experiences in 2 outpatient educational settings. Study Design For their 2-week ambulatory rotation, all 76 medical students were randomized to either a hospital clinic or a private office. Seventy students completed the survey. Results When compared to students working in a private office setting, hospital clinic students reported more breast exams, speculum exams, uterine fundal height measurements, wet mount reading, contraceptive counseling, and first obstetrical and gynecologic patient visits. Students in the hospital clinic were more likely to report having educationally valuable opportunities to interview and examine patients and to discuss the differential diagnosis with their preceptor. Nevertheless, medical students randomized to the private office were more likely to report considering obstetrics and gynecology as a career. Conclusion The hospital clinic provided students with more clinical experiences. Medical students assigned to a private office, however, were more likely to consider obstetrics and gynecology as a career.
Expression and Secretion of T-Cell Receptor Vα and Vβ Domains using Escherichia coli as a Host

An expression system for the production of recombinant T-cell receptor (TCR) variable domains would, inter alia, allow structural studies to be carried out and provide protein for the generation of anti-clonotypic antibodies. In this report the V alpha and V beta domain genes have been isolated from a T-cell hybridoma which is associated with the pathogenesis of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the H-2u mouse. These have been expressed as secreted domains in Escherichia coli, using secretion vectors previously used for the production of immunoglobulin fragments. Both V alpha and V beta domains are secreted in milligram quantities into the culture supernatant, although the levels of the V alpha domain are about 10-20 fold higher than those of the V beta domain. This expression system offers a rapid route for the production of recombinant TCRs in soluble form.
Rheological properties of yeasted and nonyeasted wheat doughs developed under different mixing conditions

BACKGROUND: In order to explore the differences in rheological behaviour of full formula and flour/water doughs due to mixing, small-amplitude oscillatory strain (SAOS) rheological measurements were made on fully developed nonyeasted and inactivated yeasted dough formulations mixed at various speeds using the Brabender Farinograph and the Bohlin ReoMixer. These results were compared with large-strain empirical rheological results (including Kieffer rig uniaxial extension) as well as baking test results to determine differences due to mixer speed and/or flow distribution. RESULTS: The uniaxial extension and baking tests detected mixing speeds with incomplete dough development. Above those speeds, energy input to peak development was relatively constant in the Farinograph. Extensibility trends showed increases with speed in the yeasted dough samples, which were attributed to variation in fermentation time during mixing to peak torque at different speeds. While SAOS results did not show differences due to mixing speed, they did detect differences between the yeasted and nonyeasted dough formulations, as well as significant differences (P < 0.01) between yeasted doughs mixed in the two different mixers. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that known differences in the distribution of elongational and shear flows in the two mixers impact the development of dough structure during mixing. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
201Tl/99mTc-HMPAO SPECT imaging of treated childhood brain tumors.

To assess whether thallium-201 thallous chloride (Tl) can detect childhood tumors and whether diagnostic effectiveness improves with combined blood flow imaging, 28 children (1.0-18.6 years) were studied using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT): Tl (1.3-1.8 mCi intravenously), followed in 13 of the patients by technetium-99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO; 8-18 mCi intravenously). Tl-uptake was markedly increased with histologically confirmed recurrent brain tumors (N = 12). Tl-avid tumors comprised several histologic types, including 6 astrocytomas/gliomas as well as nonastrocytic neoplasms, such as medulloblastoma and ependymoma. A questionable false-positive study was observed with a treated medulloblastoma. Tl failed to detect 5 tumors (i.e., 2 medulloblastomas, 1 ependymoma, 1 malignant schwannoma, and initially 1 low-grade astrocytoma). The sensitivity and specificity of 201Tl-SPECT for detection of childhood brain tumors was 76.9% and 93.3%, respectively. The mean tumor-to-normal brain ratio for Tl was 2.5 +/- 0.5 (N = 7). In some of the patients, 201Tl-SPECT allowed a more precise assessment of the functional state of the tumor than was possible with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. HMPAO distribution was variously normal, increased or decreased at the site of tissue abnormality, and abnormal blood flow was demonstrated in the remaining neuraxis, in 3 of the 7 patients. Changes in tissue perfusion did not correlate with Tl findings, but were evaluated in only one false-negative study.
An evaluation of binary xml encoding optimizations for fast stream based xml processing

This paper provides an objective evaluation of the performance impacts of binary XML encodings, using a fast stream-based XQuery processor as our representative application. Instead of proposing one binary format and comparing it against standard XML parsers, we investigate the individual effects of several binary encoding techniques that are shared by many proposals. Our goal is to provide a deeper understanding of the performance impacts of binary XML encodings in order to clarify the ongoing and often contentious debate over their merits, particularly in the domain of high performance XML stream processing.
David J Brewer: The Life of a Supreme Court Justice, 1837-1910

This is the first biography of David J. Brewer, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1889 to 1910. Prior to rising to the nation's highest tribunal, Brewer served as a county probate judge, a state district judge, a Kansas State Supreme Court justice, and a federal circuit court judge. He was known not only for his long tenure on the Supreme Court but also for his numerous off-the-bench statements as an orator and writer. Many of Brewer's judicial opinions and nonjudicial utterances created controversy, particularly when he confronted the reform issues of his day. The court, then presided over by Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller, has been seen as reactionary, determined to infuse the law with social Darwinism and laissez-faire ideology. Yet, contrary to this assessment of the Fuller Court as a whole, Brewer accepted most of his generation's reform goals. He championed many forms of social legislation, the regulation of business, the rights of women and minorities, the support of charities, educational reform, and world peace. Michael J. Brodhead contends that until recently historians have carelessly and inaccurately created a false image of Brewer, partly by citing a small sample of his opinions and public statements as representative of his alleged conservatism. They have also assumed that the disputable decisions of Brewer and his contemporaries were based on ideological predilections and that precedent and recognized legal principles played no role. During his term, Brewer was the author of such notable court opinions as In re Debs, Muller v. Oregon, and Kansas v. Colorado. He supported property rights, admired honestentrepreneurial activity, and opposed the concentration of power in any form. Brewer favored the individual in all instances, whether that individual was the initiator of a great economic enterprise or a farmer struggling to extend agriculture into the western plains.
Quinones of homoazulene. The first quinones of an alternant hydrocarbon with a nonalternant homoconjugative perturbation

Abstract The first three quinones of homoazulene ( 5 , 6 , and 15 ) have been prepared. Unlike quinones of ordinary alternant hydrocarbons, these new quinones have long-wavelength maxima in their UV-VIS absorption spectra which all fall at shorter wavelength than that of the parent hydrocarbon, homoazulene ( 2 ). In this respect, the quinones of homoazulene behave much like the corresponding quinones of the prototypical nonalternant hydrocarbon azulene ( 1 ).
Poly-1-hexene, synthesis and solubility in dense carbon dioxide

Several poly-1-hexene samples were prepared using different Ziegler-Natta catalysts, and their solubilities in dense carbon dioxide (CO2) were studied. Despite the varied molecular weight distributions (MWD) in the polymers, a surprising correlation was found between intrinsic viscosity and dense CO2 solubility. Due to the ability of dense CO2 to extract low-molecular weight fractions preferentially, it is recommended that narrow MWD polymers be used, as far as possible, for dense CO2 solubility determinations.