cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing the measurement processing order for linear regression

The problem of finding an optimal processing order for equi—spaced measurements taken for linear rgression purposes is examined. Optimality is defined in the sense of producing the most statistically accurate estimates for the number of measurements already processed. The excellent performance of a locally optimal greedy strategy which produces non–infereior (Pareto) orderings in the context of multi–criterion optimization is evaluated from the viewpoint of optimal replicated experimental design theory. An accelerated version of the greedy algorithm and computationally efficient heuristic algorithms are presented.
Identification problems and decisions under ambiguity: Empirical analysis of treatment response and normative analysis of treatment choice

Identification problems that arise in the empirical analysis of treatment response generate ambiguity about the identity of optimal treatment rules. This paper develops general themes about decisions under ambiguity, next specializes to problems of treatment choice under ambiguity, and then shows how identification problems induce ambiguity in treatment choice. The main ideas are given specific form through consideration of the treatment choice problem of a planner who observes the treatments and outcomes realized in a classical randomized experiment, but who does not observe the covariates of the experimental subjects.
Closed reduction of prosthetic hip dislocation by emergency physicians

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of successful closed reduction (CR) of dislocated prosthetic hips performed by emergency physicians (EPs) as well as the incidence of acute complications. Methods The study design was an explicit chart review set at an academic ED with an annual census of 55 000. The study was performed on March 1, 1999 to February 28, 2004. Patients were identified using coded ED diagnoses, and data were obtained by a trained abstractor. Results One hundred twelve dislocations in 66 patients had attempted CR in the ED. Eighty-one had CR attempted solely by an EP with 91% success. Twenty-eight of the remaining 31 (90%) had successful CR performed by either an orthopedic surgeon or both an EP and an orthopedic surgeon. Overall, 10 patients (9%) failed ED CR. No postreduction complications were identified in any patient. Conclusions EPs can safely and successfully perform CR on patients with dislocated total hip arthroplasties.
Language mechanisms and reading disorder: A modular approach☆

Abstract In this paper we consider a complex of language-related problems that research has identified in children with reading disorder and we attempt to understand this complex in relation to proposals about the language processing mechanism. The perspective gained by considering reading problems from the standpoint of language structure and language acquisition allows us to pose specific hypotheses about the causes of reading disorder. The hypotheses are then examined from the standpoint of an analysis of the demands of the reading task and a consideration of the state of the unsuccessful reader in meeting these demands. The remainder of the paper pursues one proposal about the source of reading problems, in which the working memory system plays a central part. This proposal is evaluated in the light of empirical research which has attempted to tease apart structural knowledge and memory capacity both in normal children and in children with notable reading deficiencies.
Evaluation of simple methods for estimating drift of reinforced concrete buildings subjected to earthquakes

Abstract A simplified procedure to estimate drift based on the area of load-resisting elements is presented and its results are compared with those of the equivalent-period method and the target-displacement method as defined in FEMA-273 (1997). All three methods are used to estimate the upper-bound drift based on simple parameters that represent the lateral stiffness and mass of a structure. The accuracy of the methods was evaluated using experimental results from 152 earthquake simulator tests found in the literature. Coefficients of variation for the measured-to-calculated drift ratios ranged between 0.6 and 0.75, indicating that the accuracy of the drift estimates afforded by the three methods was similar for the set of test results evaluated. Additional comparisons are presented for the proposed method based on 720 nonlinear analyses of notional frames and the measured response of an instrumented building.
ALLOCATION OF SYSTEMIC GLUCOSE PRODUCTION TO CEREBRAL GLUCOSE UTILIZATION AS A FUNCTION OF INTRAUTERINE CANINE GROWTH

ALLOCATION OF SYSTEMIC GLUCOSE PRODUCTION TO CEREBRAL GLUCOSE UTILIZATION AS A FUNCTION OF INTRAUTERINE CANINE GROWTH
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), an Index of Organic Contamination in Ground Water Near Barstow, California

The alluvial aquifer underlying and adjacent to the Mojave River near Barstow, California, has been subjected to degradation from percolation of industrial and municipal wastes for more than 60 years. Effluents discharged to the aquifer have contained high concentrations of both organic (detergents, oil and grease, phenols, humic compounds, and others) and inorganic (chromium, chloride, phosphates, and others) substances. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), as determined by a wet combustion technique, has been shown to be a definitive parameter in identifying ground water affected by waste disposal. DOC concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 milligram per liter in the nondegraded ground water and exceeded 6 milligrams per liter in the ground water affected by the waste discharge. The general distribution of DOC in the degraded ground water has been defined both areally and vertically. The vertical distribution of DOC and other constituents indicates that two plumes of degraded water occur at different depths. A comparison of the areal distribution of DOC and detergents (as MBAS) suggests that some organic compounds may have been adsorbed by the aquifer sediments.
Triazole Cycloaddition as a General Route for Functionalization of Au Nanoparticles

Triazole formation by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, “click” chemistry, has been used to functionalize the surfaces of Au nanoparticles. Au particle samples were first synthesized through standard procedures, the methyl-terminated chains partially exchanged with ω-bromo-functionalized thiol, and the Br termini converted to azides by reaction with NaN3. These particles were then reacted with a series of alkynyl derivatized small molecules in nonpolar solutions, which led to their attachment through the formation of a 1,2,3-triazole ring, confirmed through NMR and IR spectroscopies. Click reactions were used to impart chemical functionality to the Au particles, which is assessed using fluorescence spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry.
Individual research consultation service: an important part of an information literacy program

Individual Research Consultation Service (IRCS) has long played an important role in teaching and assisting students to find information resources. Based on a study of IRCS at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Library, this article discusses the important contributions IRCS has made to the information literacy (IL) program. Using quantitative data and qualitative evidence, the article demonstrates how the IRCS has supplemented and enhanced the formal IL program at CSUSM. Further the author argues that if formally recognized as a component of the IL program, IRCS will play a more prominent role in building student information competency skills.
Alfred Russel Wallace: Evolution's red-hot radical

Sidekick status does Alfred Russel Wallace an injustice. He was a visionary scientist in his own right, a daring explorer and a passionate socialist, argues Andrew Berry.
Valuing convertible bonds and the option to exchange bonds for stock

Abstract The value of a conventional convertible bond is the value of a straight bond plus the value of the option to exchange it for a specified number of shares of common stock. First, I develop a closed-form contingent-claims convertible bond valuation model that quantifies the value of the exchange option when the short-term riskless rate, the firm's credit spread, and its share price are stochastic. I model the firm's decision to force early conversion as a stopping time problem in which the firm forces conversion as soon as the conversion value reaches the forced conversion barrier. I empirically validate the model by comparing model and market prices for a sample of 148 corporate convertible bonds issued between 2006 and 2010. The average median and mean pricing errors are − 0.18% and 0.21%, respectively, which are within the average bid–ask spread for convertible bonds during the sample period. I use the model to quantify the disruptive impact that the prohibition on short selling during the recent financial crisis had on convertible bond prices.
Comparison of actual and random-positioning-model distributions of peptide scavenging and T cell-presented sites in antigenic proteins

Abstract In a peptide with a T cell-presented epitope (T site), a folded structure with a hydrophobic surface, ‘the scavenger (S) site’, may regulate transfer to major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. Three procedures which were proposed to identify T sites selected for amphipathic helical patterns but not T sites. In testing whether S sites lay in or near T sites, we found their linkage was not greater than that generated by a model in which segments of equal length and number to the S and T sites for each protein were distributed at random. This study establishes criteria for evaluation of schemes to predict functional motifs in antigenic proteins.
A synergistic exploitation concept for wide area search

Key to effective image exploitation is letting man and machine do what they each do best. Automated target recognition (ATR) systems rely on model-based approaches that operate in a highly structured predict-extract-match-search (PEMS) loop. Fundamental to wide area search (WAS) is the problem of detecting a large number of potential objects that are so diverse in nature that they cannot be enumerated let alone modeled. In addition there is the problem of unexpected objects (i.e., those that cannot be modeled a priori). A new approach to search based on a detect-organize-compile (DOC) paradigm is proposed and applied to wide area change detection (WACD). It combines an automated image screening algorithm for detecting manmade changes with an interactive web-based tool for ranking, reviewing, and compiling changes of interest. Performance of this approach against exhaustive manual search of the image shows about a 10X increase in throughput (changes detected per unit time) at a fixed level of performance.
The viscosity and ion conductivity of polydimethylsiloxane systems: 1. Chain length and ion size effects

The zero-shear-rate viscosity and ion conductivity of a homologous series of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oils and six homologous series of PDMS salts of various univalent cations (sodium, potassium, tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium and tetrabutylammonium) were measured over the temperature range −45°C < T < 80°C. Free volume and Arrhenius type viscosity and ion conductivity models were successfully applied to these data. The effects of polymer chain length and ion size on the values of the best-fit model parameters were explored.
Temporal cycles of karst denudation in northwest Georgia, U.S.A.

Time patterns of karst denudation in northwest Georgia (U.S.A.) were investigated at three spring sites for 12 months and at five stream sites for 10 years. Rainfall was evenly distributed and showed no significant seasonality. At the springs, as well as the streams, water hardness was largely controlled by discharge. At the springs, soil pCO2 and water pH were strongly correlated (r + -0·69 to -0·83). Solute transport in spring waters was highly seasonal, with two conduit flow springs removing more limestone in the winter, and the diffuse flow spring removing more during the growing season. At the stream sites, most denudation occurred during the winter and spring seasons, and least during the summer. Fourier analysis showed that variations in denudation occur on deterministic (long-wave) as well as stochastic (shortwave) time scales. As contributing variables, discharge varied in short-wave and long-wave cycles, whereas soil pCO2 showed only a long-wave cycle. The 12 month deterministic cycles were the most important, with changes in discharge taking precedence over soil pCO2. Time series regression explains up to 69 per cent of changes in denudation through rain and soil pCO2. Time cycles in available water are the key controlling factor of denudation, and amounts of available soil CO2 may not be as important in the temporal patterns of karst downwearing as has been believed previously.
A reevaluation of the absenteeism-job satisfaction relationship.

Previous reviews of the relationship of employee absenteeism to job satisfaction have largely neglected the size of the relationships reported and the artifacts that can affect statistical tests of significance. This paper applies the F. L. Schmidt-J. E. Hunter (1977, Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 529-540) model of validity generalization in assessing the nature and strength of the relationship of absence to attitudes. Issues concerning the reliability and validity of absence measures are addressed, correlations between absence and job satisfaction are compiled and summarized, and an agenda for future research is set out. Considering the reliability estimates reported for the Frequency, Attitudinal, and Time Lost indices, the Time Lost Index was found to be the most reliable (r xx = .66, SD = .28). Factor analyses of intercorrelations among absence measures provided tentative support for a voluntary-involuntary absenteeism distinction. Combining all measures of satisfaction and all measures of absences, the mean correlation between absence and attitudes is -.09 (SD = .13). In addition to more comprehensive theory-guided multivariate research, future studies should aim toward a reconceptualization of absenteeism as a construct to take into consideration the perceptions of the workers themselves.
H/D Exchange of Amines and Acetonitrile over Transition Metal Catalysts

H/D exchange of acetonitrile, mono-, di-, and triethylamine was carried out at 75 °C over zeolite supported transition metal catalysts in a fixed-bed microflow reactor. In order to identify the location of the D atoms, the product of this primary exchange was, subsequently, subjected to secondary exchange with liquid D2O, which affects exclusively the N-bonded hydrons. 1H-NMR and mass spectrometry were used for product analysis. The results reveal a rather dramatic difference in exchange behavior between ruthenium and the group of metals including Pt, Pd, and Ni, while Rh displays an intermediate behavior. Pt, Pd, and Ni show stepwise exchange starting with the N-bonded hydrons. In contrast, multiple exchange is found for Ru; this exchange leads to preferential formation of d3 acetonitrile. With primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, the hydrons bonded to the methylene C atom are most rapidly exchanged over Ru, followed by the hydrons in methyl groups. Surprisingly, the N-bonded hydrons are only negligi...
Rapid protein fold determination using unassigned NMR data

Experimental structure determination by x-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy is slow and time-consuming compared with the rate at which new protein sequences are being identified. NMR spectroscopy has the advantage of rapidly providing the structurally relevant information in the form of unassigned chemical shifts (CSs), intensities of NOESY crosspeaks [nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs)], and residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), but use of these data are limited by the time and effort needed to assign individual resonances to specific atoms. Here, we develop a method for generating low-resolution protein structures by using unassigned NMR data that relies on the de novo protein structure prediction algorithm, rosetta [Simons, K. T., Kooperberg, C., Huang, E. & Baker, D. (1997) J. Mol. Biol. 268, 209–225] and a Monte Carlo procedure that searches for the assignment of resonances to atoms that produces the best fit of the experimental NMR data to a candidate 3D structure. A large ensemble of models is generated from sequence information alone by using rosetta, an optimal assignment is identified for each model, and the models are then ranked based on their fit with the NMR data assuming the identified assignments. The method was tested on nine protein sequences between 56 and 140 amino acids and published CS, NOE, and RDC data. The procedure yielded models with rms deviations between 3 and 6 A, and, in four of the nine cases, the partial assignments obtained by the method could be used to refine the structures to high resolution (0.6–1.8 A) by repeated cycles of structure generation guided by the partial assignments, followed by reassignment using the newly generated models.
Large-scale kinetics modeling of non-LTE plasmas

Improvements continue to be made in the modeling capabilities provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) suite of atomic data codes. Recent work includes the addition of parallel rate matrix solvers when obtaining the atomic populations necessary to model non-LTE plasmas and the use of various interpolation techniques to obtain the vast amounts of atomic cross sections and rates that are required to build the data models. These enhancements have enabled the creation of models that contain more than one million relativistic configurations. The ATOMIC code has recently been used to synthesize spectra from such large models with two completely independent, sparse solvers: a serial, iterative, generalized minimum residual algorithm and a parallel, iterative, algebraic multigrid approach. The populations resulting from these two methods can be compared directly in order to determine how sensitive is the solution to the positioning of the usual boundary condition associated with charge neutrality. This sensitivity is an important concern when such large systems of equations are being considered. Additionally, this enhancement in model size can be used to better determine the convergence of calculated spectra with respect to model size. As an application of these capabilities, comparisons with a recent xenon experiment are discussed.
Muscularity Beliefs of Female College Student-Athletes

Female athletes in the United States face the paradoxical challenge of acquiring a degree of muscularity to be successful in their sport, yet they also endure pressure from societal expectations of femininity that often don’t conform with the notion of muscularity. To address research questions about how female student-athletes balance muscularity and femininity, we conducted a mixed-methods study to examine muscularity beliefs among female student-athletes, female college students, and male college student-athletes. We quantitatively examined Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) scores from 221 participants attending college in the Midwestern US. Results indicated that female student-athletes reported significantly higher DMS scores than female students, but male student-athletes reported the highest DMS scores in the sample. Qualitative results indicated that female student-athletes wanted to be muscular for these reasons: functionality (45%), health (42%), external gratification (21%), and internal gratification (18%). Only 16% of female student-athletes did not want to be muscular, whereas every male student-athlete reported a desire to be muscular. The results of this study can be used to better understand the unique drive for muscularity among athletes, particularly female college student-athletes who live the paradox of negotiating societal standards of femininity with this desire to be muscular. This enhanced understanding can help create more nuanced interventions for coaches, administrators, and mental health professionals to use to help female student-athletes create space to resist constraining societal gender ideologies. Doing so can help these student-athletes actualize their athletic potential on the field as well as their interpersonal and intrapersonal potential off the field.
Autonomous detection of distracted driving by cell phone

Driver distraction is a major factor in loss of life and property on our nation's highways and the broader transportation systems. The role of wireless devices as a source of distraction is well established, significant, and growing. The potential of enabling such devices with the intelligence to detect distracted cognitive states of vehicle operators is of significant interest. This paper describes a concept that enables cell phones to autonomously detect distracted driving behaviors associated with texting. Unlike conventional methods, this detection paradigm measures how texting performance is affected by driving instead of how driving performance is affected by texting, which is well documented. This new approach can be extended to other device inputs such as speech and is compatible with a spectrum of countermeasure actions to mitigate the source of distraction. A cell phone was programmed to log keystroke dynamics using a common operating system. This platform was used to characterize the texting dynamics of six subjects. Study participants were observed texting alone and, during a separate session, while texting and operating a driving simulator. This study yielded reliable distracted driving signatures that are independent of the explicit communications language and text content. This paper discusses the results in light of acknowledged distracted driving challenges, the potential of using the method for autonomous mitigation, and the speed of classification.
Diphonix-CS : a novel combined cesium and strontium selective ion exchange resin.

ABSTRACT The recently developed Diphonix® resin contains the geminally substituted diphosphonic acid ligand chemically bonded to a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer. The resin exhibits an extraordinarily strong affinity for actinides, especially in the terra- and hexavalent oxidation states. Therefore the resin has potential for application in TRU removal from nuclear wastes. The Diphonix-CS resin is a Diphonix-type resin that contains also phenolic groups chemically attached to the polymeric matrix. The phenolic groups exhibit high affinity for Cs+ ions from highly alkaline media. Thanks to the combined action of the diphosphonic acid and the phenolic groups, the Diphonix-CS resin can simultaneously remove actinide species, Cs and Sr from alkaline media. In this paper the results obtained in the characterization of the new resin are reported, with regard to the uptake equilibrium and kinetics of Cs+ and Sr+2 removal from NaOH solutions and from synthetic alkaline wastes. The chemical and radiolytic stabil...
Alterations of astrocytic organelles in various lipidoses and allied diseases

The astrocytic organelles in 12 patients with various lipidoses and allied diseases were studied. Histochemically and ultrastructurally, astrocytes contained cytoplasmic inclusions which were identical to those seen in neurons from cases of similar disorders. In the early stage of these disorders, the astrocytic cytoplasm displays a close relationship between increased numbers of mitochondria and dilated smooth portion of the endoplasmic reticulum. In the more advanced stage, the mitochondria decrease in number, and the lipid bodies show close proximity to or continuity with the smooth portion of the endoplasmic reticulum. During the late stages of the disorder, the intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies become numerous, and the mitochondria are further reduced in number. It, therefore, appears that in astrocytes in these disorders the mitochondria and the smooth portion of the endoplasmic reticulum play an important role during the evolution of the intracytoplasmic lipid bodies. On the basis of these observations, the possible morphogenesis of lipid cytosomes is discussed.
Effect of calcium depletion and subsequent repletion on parathyroids, parafollicular (C) cells and bone in the growing pig.

The ultrastructure of the chief cells of the parathyroid gland and thyroid parafollicular (C) cells and the morphology of bone in calcium depletion and subsequent repletion were examined in young growing pigs. A low calcium diet resulted in osteopenia, increased removal of the cartilaginous core, osteoclasia and osteocytic osteolysis. Subsequent repletion quickly returned bone to normal. In pigs fed the low calcium diet, there was a marked depletion of secretory granules but a striking increase in the number of microtubules in chief cells. Increasing the calcium content of the diet to normal quickly returned the ultrastructural appearance of chief cells to apparent normal. In the initial response to calcium repletion, chief cells exhibited large number of lysosomes and occasionally prominent paracrystalloid bodies. Electron microscopic examination of parafollicular (C) cells of the thyroid gland failed to reveal differences in ultrastructure between test and control pigs. These findings support the view that bone resorption following calcium deficiency may be the result of a secondary hyperparathyroidism rather than of calcium deficiency per se.
Low-temperature in-situ dry cleaning process for epitaxial layer multiprocessing

A low-temperature (600-750C) dry surface cleaning process has been developed for in-situ removal of native oxide layers and other surface contaminants. The cleaning process chemistry consists of a mixture of germane (Ge114) and hydrogen (112) gases with very low germane-tohydrogen flow ratio (10-20 ppm). The process parameters (e. g. temperature pressure and CeH4:H2 gas flow ratio) were adjusted in order to prevent deposition or surface nucleation of germanium during the thermal cleaning process and to minimize the stacking fault densities in the epitaxial silicon layers deposited following the in-situ germane-assisted cleaning steps. The insitu dry surface cleaning processes developed in this work also include associated Ge114/112-based chemistries with a halogen-containing additive gas such as llCl and/or HF. These surface cleaning processes can be easily integrated with various thin film growth and deposition processes such as epitaxial growth gate dielectric formation and polycrystalline or amorphous silicon deposition for MOS and bipolar device fabrication.
Trace determination of hydroxyl radical in biological systems

A simple and highly sensitive method to quantify the rates of production of OH in biological systems is described. This method employs the reaction between OH and dimethyl sulfoxide to generate quantitatively a methyl radical, which then reacts with a fluorescamine-derivatized nitroxide to produce the stable O-methylhydroxylamine. This O-methylhydroxylamine is separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and quantified fluorometrically. The estimated detection limit of the O-methylhydroxylamine is 3.5 nM for a 50 μL injection at a signal to noise ratio of 2. The method is applied to the determination of the rates of OH production in a biologically relevant model system and in a mouse epidermal cell line treated with a quinone anticancer compound.
Attributions and Behavioral Intentions of Inexperienced Salespersons to Failure: An Empirical Investigation

The goal of this research was to determine how inexperienced sales representatives (rookies) interpret and respond to their sales failure situations. The authors studied 296 rookie financial services sales representatives'performance attributions for a previous unsuccessful sales interaction and their intended behaviors for a future, similar selling situation. This provided the authors the opportunity to compare their results with Dixon, Spiro and Jamil's (2001) findings for experienced sales representatives (veterans). In the event of a sales failure, rookies'responses do not parallel those of veterans. The results suggest that rookies are likely to engage in several inappropriate behaviors in response to failed sales encounters. Implications for managers and directions for future research are discussed.
Electrical Characteristics of Thermally Evaporated HfO2

The electrical characteristics of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) films, grown by standard thermal evaporation of hafnium while adding oxygen at constant partial pressure during evaporation, were investigated for the first time. The dielectric constant as measured by the capacitance-voltage technique is estimated to be in the range of 18-25. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors using HfO 2 as dielectric and annealed at 450°C show a hysteresis below 30 mV. A low leakage current density of <10 -7 A/cm 2 at 1 V and reduced bulk oxide charges 1.61 X 10 11 /cm 2 were also observed. The interface state density and low-temperature charge trapping behavior of these films were also investigated. Observed characteristics indicate that HfO 2 films deposited by standard thermal evaporation are suitable for MOS device applications.
Nylon 6/polyisocyanurate interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs)

Preparation par RIM de reseaux constitues d'un polyisocyanurate reticule et d'un nylon 6 en etoile. Etude des profils de reaction temps/temperature en variant la temperature du moule, la composition du melange reactionnel de depart, la masse moleculaire et la teneur du polyol. Caracterisation des IPN par leurs proprietes mecaniques, leurs spectres dynamomecaniques et IR
Transport and retention of zinc oxide nanoparticles in porous media: Effects of natural organic matter versus natural organic ligands at circumneutral pH

Abstract The potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) has received considerable attention, but there is little knowledge relating to the fate and transport of engineered ZnO NPs in the environment. Column experiments were performed at pH 7.3–7.6 to generate effluent concentrations and retention profiles for assessing the fate and transport of ZnO NPs (PZC = 9.3, nominal size 20 nm) in saturated quartz sands (256 μm) in the presence of low natural organic matter (NOM) concentrations (1 mg/L humic and fulvic acids) and millimolar natural organic ligands (NOL) levels (formic, oxalic, and citric acids). At circumneutral pHs, ZnO NPs were positively charged and immobile in sand. The presence of NOM decreased the attachment efficiency facilitating ZnO transport through sand columns. Conversely, ZnO transport in the presence of formic and oxalic acids was only slightly improved when compared to ZnO in DI water; whereas, citric acid showed no improvement. The distinct difference between NOM and NOL may have important implications with regard to ZnO transport in the subsurface environment. Experimental results suggested the presence of both favorable and unfavorable nanoparticle interactions causes significant deviations from classical colloid filtration theory (CFT).
Growth of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia films on GaAs (100) by pulsed laser evaporation

Abstract Thin films of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia have been grown on GaAs (100) substrates by pulsed laser evaporation at room temperature. The films deposited at laser power densities of 5 × 10 7 W/cm 2 show little evidence of target splashing. Energy dispersiv X-ray analysis and Auger analysis indicate the target stoichiometry to be maintained in the films. Analysis by Raman spectroscopy shows the films to grow primarily in the cubic phase.
SU‐GG‐T‐399: Automated Colony Counting Using Color and Image Processing Techniques

Purpose: To automatically and efficiently count cell‐clusters of a clonogenic assay using color information and image processing techniques. Method and Materials: A computer algorithm was designed in the Matlab (Natick, MA) programming environment to automatically count cell colonies. In this implementation, six‐well tissue culture plates with stained colonies were scanned using a commercial flatbed scanner. These images were then read into the program as three‐channel (Red, Green, Blue) color images. Color windows were applied to each channel to isolate colony clusters from the background. Region labeling techniques were then used to identify individual cell clusters. Next, individual cluster statistics (area, eccentricity, etc.) were obtained and used to determine if a cluster were a viable colony (>50 cells) and whether it was a single, double or triple colony. The number of colonies counted was compared with the number determined manually. Results: The images obtained from the flatbed scanner were of high quality and were observed to have minimal shadowing effects. The time for the automated colony counting software to analyze and count individual wells was on the order of 7–20 sec. Comparison between manual and computer‐assisted counting showed agreement of 3–5%. The Wilcoxon signed‐rank test showed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between the number of colonies counted manually or with the computer program. Conclusion:Images from the flatbed scanner effectively represent the required colony data, and no advanced equipment is required to record the images. Color range filtering removed the need for most post‐processing techniques and also is an effective method for dealing with errors from shadowing along the edges of the plates. Use of this automated technique will allow for a large quantity of clonogenic survival data to be analyzed in an efficient and consistent manner.
Unseen Users, Unknown Systems: Computer Design for a Scholar's Dictionary

The Dictionary of Old English computing systems have provided access since the 1970s to a database of approximately three million running words. These systems, designed for a variety of machines and written in a variety of languages, have until recently been planned with computing center billing algorithms in mind. With personal workstations emphasis has shifted to building more elegant user interfaces and to providing the entire DOE database to editors around the world. While the shift from sequential files to random access files and the provision of extensive development tools have changed some of the design process, error checking and protection of the database against accidental intrusion have remained as central issues.
Parathyroid hormone-related peptide as a cause of hypercalcemia in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a case presentation and subject review.

Background. Serum levels of parathyroid hormone–related peptide (PTHrP) can be elevated with malignancy and cause hypercalcemia, which has been associated with a poor prognosis. Methods. We present a case of supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma with elevated serum PTHrP and hypercalcemia. The patient was acutely managed with intravenous fluids, furosemide, and zoledronic acid and then underwent a total laryngectomy and modified radical neck dissection. Results. The patient remains disease free and normocalcemic. Conclusion. Curative treatment for patients with head and neck cancer should not be withheld solely on the basis of humoral hypecalcemia of malignancy. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck26: 382–384, 2004
PATH: a work sampling-based approach to ergonomic job analysis for construction and other non-repetitive work.

A high prevalence and incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been reported in construction work. Unlike industrial production-line activity, construction work, as well as work in many other occupations (e.g. agriculture, mining), is non-repetitive in nature; job tasks are non-cyclic, or consist of long or irregular cycles. PATH (Posture, Activity, Tools and Handling), a work sampling-based approach, was developed to characterize the ergonomic hazards of construction and other non-repetitive work. The posture codes in the PATH method are based on the Ovako Work Posture Analysing System (OWAS), with other codes included for describing worker activity, tool use, loads handled and grasp type. For heavy highway construction, observations are stratified by construction stage and operation, using a taxonomy developed specifically for this purpose. Observers can code the physical characteristics of the job reliably after about 30 h of training. A pilot study of six construction laborers during four road construction operations suggests that laborers spend large proportions of time in nonneutral trunk postures and spend approximately 20% of their time performing manual material handling tasks. These results demonstrate how the PATH method can be used to identify specific construction operations and tasks that are ergonomically hazardous.
Risk-adjusted probability measures in portfolio optimization with coherent measures of risk

Abstract We consider the problem of optimizing a portfolio of n assets, whose returns are described by a joint discrete distribution. We formulate the mean–risk model, using as risk functionals the semideviation, deviation from quantile, and spectral risk measures. Using the modern theory of measures of risk, we derive an equivalent representation of the portfolio problem as a zero-sum matrix game, and we provide ways to solve it by convex optimization techniques. In this way, we reconstruct new probability measures which constitute part of the saddle point of the game. These risk-adjusted measures always exist, irrespective of the completeness of the market. We provide an illustrative example, in which we derive these measures in a universe of 200 assets and we use them to evaluate the market portfolio and optimal risk-averse portfolios.
Using protein complexes to predict phenotypic effects of gene mutation

Background Predicting the phenotypic effects of mutations is a central goal of genetics research; it has important applications in elucidating how genotype determines phenotype and in identifying human disease genes.
Childhood aerobic fitness predicts cognitive performance one year later

Abstract Aerobically fit children outperform less fit peers on cognitive control challenges that involve inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. The aim of this study was to determine whether, compared with less fit children, more fit 9- and 10-year-old pre-adolescents exhibit superior performance on a modified compatible and incompatible flanker task of cognitive control at the initial time of fitness testing and approximately one year later. We found that more fit children demonstrated increased flanker accuracy at both test sessions, coupled with a superior ability to flexibly allocate strategies during task conditions that required different amounts of cognitive control, relative to less fit children. More fit children also gained a speed benefit at follow-up testing. Structural MRI data were also collected to investigate the relationship between basal ganglia volume and task performance. Bilateral putamen volumes of the dorsal striatum and globus pallidus volumes predicted flanker perf...
Maintenance of Electron Emission from the Filament of a Triode after Its Low Tension Supply Is Disconnected

It is found that when abnormally high anode or grid voltages are applied to certain types of dull emitter receiving triodes so that the anode or grid current is a considerable fraction (greater than fifteen per cent) of the normal filament current, the electrode currents persist even after the low tension cell feeding the filament is switched off. But this electron emission from the filament without the low tension battery is maintained at normal and even subnormal electrode potentials if the tube is made to generate oscillations under high efficiency regime. It is shown that the maintenance is caused by the heating of the filament by the anode or the grid current, as the case may be, passing through it. A high negative grid current of the order of a few milliamperes flows during a small fraction of each cycle when the tube is generating such oscillations, and this is shown to be the result of secondary electron emission from the grid.
Compiling C++ programs to Java bytecode

It is very desirable to run programs on a variety of platforms. The only programs today that can run on different platforms are those written in Java. Although methods have been developed to allow cross-language applications, these applications are still mostly be hardware and/or operating system platform dependent. In this paper, we describe a platform-neutral compiler for a C++ like language that generates Java bytecode to run on any platform where a Java runtime is available.
A Second‐Generation Photocage for Zn2+ Inspired by TPEN: Characterization and Insight into the Uncaging Quantum Yields of ZinCleav Chelators

Photocages have been used to elucidate the biological functions of various small molecules and Ca(2+) ; however, there are very few photocages available for other metal ions. ZinCleav-2 (1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine) is a second-generation photocage for Zn(2+) that releases the metal ion after a light-induced bifurcation of the chelating ligand. The structure of ZinCleav-2 was inspired by TPEN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine), which is routinely used to sequester metal ions in cells owing to its high binding affinity. Inclusion of a 2-nitrobenzyl chromophore leads to the formation of two more weakly binding di-(2-picolyl)amine (DPA) fragments upon photolysis of the TPEN backbone. The desired ligand was prepared using a modified procedure used to access ZinCleav-1 (1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine). ZinCleav-2 has a conditional dissociation constant (K(d) ) of ∼0.9 fM as measured by competitive titration with a quinoline-based fluorescent sensor for Zn(2+). The K(d) of the Zn(2+) complex of the DPA photoproducts is ∼158 nM; therefore, the ΔK(d) for ZinCleav-2 photocage is ∼10(8). A large ΔK(d) is required to significantly perturb free metal ion concentrations in biological assays. The quantum yield of photolysis of apo ZinCleav-2 and the [Zn(ZinCleav-2)](2+) complex are 4.7 and 2.3 %, respectively, as determined by HPLC analysis. Proof of concept Zn(2+) release upon photolysis of [Zn(ZinCleav-2)](2+) was demonstrated using the fluorescent sensor Zinpyr-1, and the speciation of Zn(2+) complexes was simulated using computational methods. The influence of benzylic substituents on the quantum yield of uncaging is also analyzed with the aim of tuning the photochemical properties caged complexes for in vivo experiments.
Anti-thymocyte globulin for conditioning in matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation provides comparable outcomes to matched related donor recipients.

Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is used as prophylaxis against GVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). At our institution, ATG is exclusively used in the conditioning of matched unrelated donor (URD) transplant recipients. A total of 50 URD HCT recipients who received ATG (ATG group) were retrospectively compared with 48 matched related donor (MRD) HCT recipients who did not receive ATG (no ATG group). There were no significant differences between the groups in rates of day 100 mortality, acute GVHD or relapse. Chronic GVHD incidence was significantly lower in the ATG group (P ¼ 0.007). At a median followup of 36 months in the entire cohort, 50% patients are alive in the ATG group and 63% of the patients are alive in the no ATG group (P ¼ 0.13). We conclude that the administration of ATG to patients undergoing URD HCT preserves the anti-leukemia benefit of the transplant, while reducing the risk of developing GVHD, resulting in OS rates that are comparable to MRD HCT recipients.
Morphological Evolution of a Fully Faceted Grain Boundary

We examine the morphological evolution of faceted grain boundaries in gold during annealing. Experiments were performed on oriented gold films composed of two Σ=3 related orientation variants. The boundaries between these variants initially possess a high density of finely spaced (<25 nm) facets on {112¯} type planes. During annealing a large proportion of these fine-scale corrugations are annihilated, and the facet distribution coarsens significantly. Through in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we directly observe this coarsening process. These results show a more complex behavior than geometric models for facet evolution would suggest and point to the need for an improved understanding of facet-junction properties and the interactions between grain boundary facets and dislocations.
Experimental evidence for voltage driven breakdown models in ultrathin gate oxides

We have performed an experiment proving that the widely accepted E-field TDDB model is a physically incorrect description of breakdown in ultrathin gate oxides. Although interface traps are the dominant SILC mechanism below 5 V stress, breakdown remains limited by bulk trap generation and is voltage-driven. It has been recently proposed that the anode hole injection model is still operative at low voltages. Although we will show that holes do generate bulk traps and cause breakdown in ultrathin oxides, hole injection does not completely account for all of the trap generation mechanisms observed during direct tunneling stress.
Identification of opioid peptides regulating proliferation of neurons and glia in the developing nervous system.

Endogenous opioid systems (i.e. opioids and opioid receptors) play a role in regulating neural development. Using the cerebellar cortex of 6-day-old rats, the most potent opioid peptides involved with cell proliferation were assessed. In both the external germinal (granule) layer (EGL), a germinative matrix giving rise to neurons, and the medullary layer (MED), a pool of cells that are the precursors of glia (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), [Met5]enkephalin and peptide F were extremely potent in depressing the labeling index (LI) using [3H]thymidine and autoradiographic techniques; concentrations as low as 100 μg/kg reduced the LI of EGL cells by 24% and MED cells by 43%. This inhibition of DNA synthesis by opioid peptides was blocked by concomitant exposure to naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Peptide action was apparent 2 h following drug administration, and concentrations of 80 μg/kg but not 1 or 10 μg/kg [Met5]enkephalin depressed the LI. These results identify a selective group of opioid peptides, derived from proenkephalin A, as the potent, natural, inhibitory factors targeted to cell proliferation of cells destined to be neurons and glia in the developing nervous system.
A simple system for plant cell microinjection and culture

Microinjection of plant protoplasts and cells has been recently reported, however a system that combines simplicity of design, harmless immobilization, high resolution visibility and ability to monitor individual target cells is lacking. This report describes a system which combines these features. It consists of a microinjection-microculture dish containing immobilized protoplasts and a simple chamber that maintains sterility and humidity during injection. Highly purified protoplast preparations are plated at low population density as a thin monolayer of widely separated cells embedded in agarose layered over a thicker (0.2 mm at center to 1 mm at edge) layer of agarose-solidified medium. This physical arrangement allows for rapid location, mapping and injection of the immobilized protoplasts and also their subsequent location for growth monitoring. The double layers of agarose provide adequate nutrition for culturing injected cells to the microcalli stage. In addition to protoplast injection, this system was also used to inject 3- to 4-day old nonspherical cells derived from protoplasts. Colony formation rates from injected protoplasts and cells with regenerated walls were equivalent to those of uninjected controls. Furthermore, tobacco protoplasts stored at 4°C in liquid medium for up to two weeks remained fully competent for plating and injection. These cold-stored protoplasts, when injected, formed colonies at rates similar to those from fresh preparations. The ability to store protoplasts without loss of viability considerably increases the ease and convenience of cell injection experiments.