cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental study of copper leveling additives and their wafer and pattern-scale effect on copper planarization

Abstract The impact of Cu leveling additives on electrodeposited Cu topography and subsequent planarization behaviour was studied on both the pattern and wafer scales. The leveling agent significantly reduces as-deposited Cu topography, especially “mounding”. The reduction in topography results in a higher effective Cu removal rate during subsequent Cu planarization, both at the pattern and wafer scales. On the wafer scale, this effect is more evident for lower overburdens as the topography must be eliminated in a shorter total polish time. For Cu electrodeposited from leveler additive-free chemistries, significant pattern-scale topography persists throughout almost the entire planarization process, whereas for Cu deposited using a leveling agent only very wide features (∼ > 100 μm) show any significant topography evolution during Cu polish. It is shown that excess electrodeposited Cu topography can lead to poor in-plane Cu wiring leakage performance.
Factorization of Cayley numbers

Abstract The paper studies the problem of finding and counting the factorizations of a Cayley number κ with integral coordinates of norm lm as a product of Cayley numbers of norms l and m . Let e be the greatest common divisor of the components of κ and d the greatest common divisor of e , l , m . Then the number of factorizations is equal to the number of representations of d , respectively d 2 , by certain definite octonary quadratic forms of determinants 1, 1 16 , 1 64 , 1 256 .
Cytokine patterns differ seasonally between women with and without uterine leiomyomata.

Problem Uterine leiomyomata are the most common reproductive tumor in women, and their cause is not known. Methods of Study Plasma samples from 155 women (74 with and 81 without ultrasound-confirmed leiomyoma) from a new study of leiomyoma risk factors in the Detroit, Michigan area, were examined for any cross-sectional associations between commonly examined cytokines and leiomyoma presence. Results Associations varied by season of sample collection defined a priori as winter (December–February) and non-winter seasons. In the winter months, interleukin (IL)13 and IL17 were positively and IP10 was inversely associated with having a leiomyoma. In the non-winter samples, VEGF, G-CSF, and IP10 were positively associated and Monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IL13, and IL17 were inversely associated with having a leiomyoma. Associations were not changed by adjustment for age or BMI. Conclusions These data suggest that new insight into leiomyoma formation may be acquired through investigation of the immune system.
Remote monitoring of instrumented structures using the Internet information superhighway

The requirements of sensor monitoring associated with instrumented civil structures poses potential logistical constraints on manpower, training, and costs. The need for frequent or even continuous data monitoring places potentially severe constraints on overall system performance given real-world factors such as available manpower, geographic separation of the instrumented structures, and data archiving as well as the training and cost issues. While the pool of available low wage, moderate skill workers available to the authors is sizable (undergraduate engineering students), the level of performance of such workers is quite variable leading to data acquisition integrity and continuity issues - matters that are not acceptable in the practical field implementation of such developed systems. In the case of acquiring data from the numerous sensors within the civil structures which the authors have instrumented (e.g., a multistory building, roadway/railway bridges, and a hydroelectric dam), we have found that many of these concerns may be alleviated through the use of an automated data acquisition system which archives the acquired information in an electronic location remotely accessible through the Internet global computer network. It is therefore a possible for the data monitoring to be performed at a remote location with the only requirements for data acquisition being Internet accessibility. A description of the developed scheme is presented as well as guiding philosophies.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Cooperative-Collaborative Design System for Multi-Disciplinary Mechanical Design

The emergence of computer and network technology has provided opportunities for researchers to construct and build systems to support dynamic, real-time, and collaborative engineering design in a concurrent manner. This paper provides an understanding of the product design in a distributed environment where designers are in different geographic locations and are required to be involved in the design process to ensure successful product design. A design process model that captures the major interactions among stakeholders is presented, based on the observation of cooperation and collaboration. The stakeholders’ interactions are divided into activity and system level to distinguish the interactions in group design activities and design perspective evolution. An initial computer implementation of the design model is presented. The design system consists of a set of tools associated with design and a management system to facilitate distributed designers to support various design activities, especially conceptual design. Our research emphasis of design collaboration in this paper is: (i) Model a Cooperative-collaborative design process; (ii) Support synchronized design activities; and (iii) Structure the complex relations of various design perspectives from engineering disciplines.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Pragmatism, artificial intelligence, and posthuman bioethics: Shusterman, Rorty, Foucault

Michel Foucault's early works criticize the development of modern democratic institutions as creating a “surveillance society,” which functions to control bodies by making them feel watched and monitored full time. His later works attempt to recover private space by exploring subversive techniques of the body and language. Following Foucault, pragmatists like Richard Shusterman and Richard Rorty have also developed very rich approaches to this project, extending it deeper into the literary and somatic dimensions of self-stylizing. Yet, for a debate centered on the re-creation of the vision of the self, these discussions have yet to fully engage—even while they set the conditions for this engagement with—issues of posthuman technologies, such as AI, robotics, and genetic engineering. These certainly will constitute the primary engine of public institutional surveillance in the years to come. With this surveillance, the two spheres of private self-fashioning and public institutions will continue to evolve in relation to one another. As they do so, democratic society will change considerably. Perhaps Rorty's own normative and linguistic ideal of conversational maintenance may provide something of a democratic limit case on any future posthuman self-fashioning.
China's Long March toward Rule of Law

China has enjoyed considerable economic growth in recent years in spite of an immature, albeit rapidly developing, legal system, a system whose nature, evolution and path of development have been poorly understood by scholars. Drawing on his legal and business experience in China as well as his academic background in the field, Peerenboom provides a detailed analysis of China's legal reforms. He argues that China is in transition from rule by law to a version of rule of law, though most likely not a liberal democratic version as found in economically advanced countries in the West. Maintaining that law plays a key role in China's economic growth, Peerenboom assesses reform proposals and makes his own recommendations. In addition to students and scholars of Chinese law, political science, sociology and economics, this will interest business professionals, policy advisors, and governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as comparative legal scholars and philosophers.
Chloride-Induced Release of Actively Loaded Calcium from Light and Heavy Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Vesicles

Light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (LSR, HSR) isolated from rabbit leg muscle have been used in a study of chloride-induced Ca2+ release. The biochemical and morphological data indicate that LSR is derived from the longitudinal reticulum and HSR is derived from the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. LSR and HSR were both able to accumulate Ca2+ in the presence of ATP to amounts greater than 100 nmol Ca2+/mg of protein in less than 1 min. LSR and HSR each had a biphasic time course of Ca2+ uptake. The initial uptake was followed by a rapid release, after approximately 1 min, of 30–40% of the accumulated Ca2+, which was then followed by a slower phase of Ca2+ accumulation. Ca2+ taken up by the SR vesicles could be released from both the LSR and HSR by changing the anion outside the vesicles from methanesulfonate to chloride. Due to the difference in permeability between methanesulfonate and chloride, this change should result in a decreased positivity inside the vesicles with respect to the exterior. It could also result in osmotic swelling of the vesicles. Changing the ionic medium from chloride to methanesulfonate caused no release of Ca2+. The amount of accumulated Ca2+ released in 6 sec by changing the anion outside the vesicles from methanesulfonate to chloride was 30–35 nmol/mg membrane protein for LSR and HSR, respectively. Osmotic buffering with 200mm sucrose caused a slight inhibition of chloride-induced Ca2+ release from HSR (17%→15%) but it greatly reduced the release of Ca2+ from LSR (32%→15%). The specificity of Ca2+ release was measured using SR vesicles which were passively loaded with 10mm 22Na+. LSR released five times more22Na+ than HSR under same conditions as chloride-induced Ca2+ release occurred. Na dantrolene (20 μm) had no effect on the release of Ca2+ from LSR but it inhibited the chloride-induced Ca2+ release from HSR by more than 50%. Na dantrolene also increased the Ca2+ uptake in the HSR by 20% while not affecting LSR Ca2+ uptake. Our results indicate the presence of a chloride-induced, Na dantrolene inhibited, Ca2+ release from HSR, which is not due to osmotic swelling.
Soil-structure interaction for deeply buried corrugated steel pipes Part I: Embankment installation

Abstract The strengths of buried corrugated steel pipes were studied. There are considerable differences in the fundamental mechanics of earth pressure distribution on rigid pipes and flexible pipes. Corrugated steel pipes are categorized as semi-flexible. The mechanics of soil arching for corrugated steel pipes, therefore, are slightly different from rigid or flexible pipes. Predictor equations for arching factors, deflections, and maximum wall stresses of the corrugated steel pipes were formulated using numerically generated data from soil–structure models. These predictor equations, thus obtained, were compared with currently available equations in order to assess their validity and applicability. A pipe–spring model was used for buckling analyses. The spring coefficients in the pipe–spring model were calculated using the static analyses of soil–structure models. The ultimate and/or critical strengths determined from this study compare well with those from American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) buckling equations.
Windowing effects on light scattering by sinusoidal surfaces

A window function is used to represent the variation in the intensity of the radiation in a light beam. Windowing effects are factored into computations of the angular distribution of light scattered by a sinusoidal surface. These effects, as well as those of harmonics and noise, are shown for the angular distributions computed from simulated profiles. The integrated power in each diffraction peak computed for perfect sinusoids, measured profiles, and simulated profiles with different window functions is compared to that of a measured angular distribution.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Isoflurane Potency in the Northern Leopard Frog Rana pipiens is Similar to That in Mammalian Species and is Unaffected by Decerebration

Amphibians are commonly used in biomedical research, including studies of mechanisms of anaesthetic action. There is, however, little published work describing the kinetics of inhaled anaesthetic agents or the potency of isoflurane in amphibians. Ten Northern leopard frogs were exposed to a constant isoflurane concentration of 1.0%, 1.2% or 1.5% atm for 4 h, and their response to a noxious stimulus was tested every 20 min. Each frog was anaesthetized with each concentration in random order and allowed at least 16 h to recover between anaesthetic exposures. Frogs were then pithed and the protocol was repeated. Frogs first displayed immobility during stimulus application at 80 min, and the proportion of animals becoming immobile steadily increased to reach a stable level at 4 h. The 50% effective dose for isoflurane in intact and pithed frogs did not differ, and was 1.15 and 1.25% atm, respectively. The potency of isoflurane in leopard frogs was similar to that reported in mammalian species. Cutaneous uptake of anaesthetic is effective given sufficient time, approximately 4 h in this study. Forebrain structures appear to be unimportant for the immobilizing action of isoflurane in the frog.
Acoustic based system for detection and localization of impulsive generated chemical events

Integrating a sensor suite with ability to discriminate potential Chemical/Biological (CB) events from high-explosive (HE) events employing an acoustic sensor array with a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) algorithm. Developing a cueing mechanism for more power intensive and range limited sensing CB techniques. Enabling the event detection algorithm to locate to a blast event using TDOA further information is provided of the event as either Launch/Impact and further as either CB/HE. The point of interest information is gathered to give a viewing window to a range limited chemical sensing system that exploits spectroscopy to determine the contents of the chemical event. The sensor suite is the system that will provide this information on the move while the chemical sensor will have adequate time to determine the contents of the event from a safe stand-off distance. The system exploits acoustic sensors to provide early detection and identification of CB attacks at ranges exceeding 2500m. The integration of these algorithms with the TDOA algorithm provides a complex suite of algorithms that can give early warning detection and highly reliable look direction from a great stand-off distance for a moving vehicle to determine if a candidate blast event is of potential CB type.
The Dawning Era of Personalized Medicine Exposes a Gap in Medical Education

As personal genetic information becomes an increasingly frequent component of the patient medical record, it is crucial that medical students be trained to use and interpret this information appropriately and responsibly. Here, I argue the need for medical education reform that equips physicians with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to practice personalized medicine.
Relation of application time to bioactivity of a potent topical glucocorticoid formulation

Abstract The vasoconstrictor assay in human beings was used to assess bioavailability during different time periods of exposure when 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream (Temovate) was applied and left on for periods of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 16.0 hours and subsequently washed. Maximal responses were achieved by 1.5 hours of exposure, but there was no significant difference in intensity of vasoconstriction between 1.0,1.5, and 16.0 hours of exposure before washing the sites. Exposures to 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream for 0.5 hour were not significantly different from 16-hour exposures to 0.05% ftuocinonide cream, but exposures to 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream for 1.0, 1.5, and 16.0 hours all resulted in significant increases in vasoconstriction responses compared with fluocinonide cream applied and left on for 16 hours. Topical exposures to a superpotent topical steroid for a short time give vasoconstrictor responses equivalent to long time exposures.
761 THE IMPACT OF CLINICAL APPEARANCE ON MEDICAL DECISION MAKING

In an effort to understand how clinical appearance is utilized when making medical decisions, we presented 30 physicians with written histories and videotapes of febrile infants. The videotapes and the history were rated to be either highly predictive (HP) or weakly predictive (WP) of bacteremia. Each subject was presented with a set of 4 problems. A between subjects design was utilized to test the following combinations. For each problem, subjects estimated the probability (P) of bacteremia and how likely they were to perform a lumbar puncture (LP), treat and/or hospitalize, seek consultation, arrange for a follow-up (F/U) visit in six hours, and obtain additional lab tests. Results showed: (1) no significant difference between combinations a. and c. for (P) bacteremia or obtaining LP, consultaitons, F/U, or additional lab tests, (2) significantly higher values for b. compared to d. for (P) bacteremia,(p=.002), and obtaining LP (p=.002), consultations, (p=.02), F/U (p=.008), and lab tests (p=.0001). This study demonstrated that (1) a sick appearing patient may cause clinicians to disregard the predictivity of the history and (2) when the patient appears well, the predictivity of the history has a significant effect on the physician decision making.
Student Teaching and Teacher Attrition in Special Education

Research suggests that substantial pre-service student teaching is essential for the preparation and retention of special educators. Using logistic regression analysis, survey responses of beginning special educators were analyzed to answer the following questions: Are beginning special educators more likely to leave the field if they have had minimal or no pre-service student teaching? Are other characteristics of preparation related to the probability of attrition? It was found that substantial pre-service student teaching experience has a strong effect on the probability that a beginning special educator will remain in the field 1 year later (estimated odds ratio = 2.18). In addition, none of the effects of aspects of teacher pre-service preparation or teacher or school demographics analyzed had an impact on attrition, when controlling for the number of weeks of student teaching.
System Considerations In Applying Optical Processors

Recent work has shown that optical processors still hold promise of continuing to provide the highest data rate capacities. Estimates are that optical processors will continue to be three to four magnitudes greater than comparable digital systems well into the 1990's. The problem with optical processors still remains in the selection and design of appropriate interface (input/output) devices. More fundamentally is the provision of an adequate theoretical method for translating system design parameters from the operator need base to optical device design characteristics or parameters for the optical element design. The problem seems to be one in identification of appropriate trade-offs and parameter identification that have a common meaning for each possible device consideration. Even more important is the implementation of the so-called real-time requirement. This meaning of real-time and its impact on device sensitivity, resolution, and cycle time (and life) are not clearly defined. In this paper attention will be given to defining a basis of comparison of device design and translation of processor system requirements to optical system design requirements. A comparison of various device characteristics will be given.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Race and hypertension. What is clinically relevant

Hypertension, once considered rare in Africa, occurs frequently in most Black populations outside of the continent as well as within more urban areas of Africa. The frequency of hypertension in Black citizens of the US is among the highest in the world. Pathophysiological mechanisms suggest the frequency of salt-sensitive blood pressure is more common in Black patients. More Black than White patients initially present with volume expansion. However, in Black patients there appears to be no significant relationship between plasma renin activity, plasma volume and blood pressure. The syndrome of insulin resistance has also been reported in African Americans. Future studies should address this issue, both because it relates to identifying individuals at risk for development of high blood pressure and because it has implications for initial selection of antihypertensive therapy.
Fitness consequences of host plant choice: a field experiment

Determining the relative contributions of different ecological factors for herbivore fitness is one key to understanding the ecology and evolution of host plant choice by herbivores. Natural enemies are increasingly being recognized as an important factor: host plants of inferior quality for development may still be used by herbivores if they provide enemy-free space (EFS). Here we used the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, to experimentally disentangle the effects of natural enemies from the potentially confounding factors of host plant quality, competition and microhabitat. We explored the consequences for both individual components of fitness and total fitness of M. sexta feeding on a typical high quality host plant, tobacco Nicotiana tabacum and a novel, low quality host plant, devil's claw Proboscidea louisianica in an experimental field environment in the presence of a parasitoid natural enemy, Cotesia congregata. Although early larval survival, development and growth rates, final body size and fecundity were all reduced for M. sexta feeding on devil's claw, a high rate of parasitism on tobacco and an absence of parasitism on devil's claw contributed to similar total fitness (net reproductive rate, R 0 ,) across the two host plant species. Our results suggest M. sexta has adopted a novel host plant (devil's claw) outside its typical host range because this host plant provides enemy free space. In addition, oviposition behavior of adult female M. sexta appears to be well suited to exploiting the enemy-free space on devil's claw; oviposition by M. sexta on devil's claw appears to correspond with seasonal variation in parasitoid abundance.
Auditing of operating room times: a quality improvement project.

Abstract Objective A quality improvement project to evaluate operating room efficiency and utilization and to identify areas for improvement. Methods A retrospective assessment of a single surgeon's surgical cases over a 6-month period at a tertiary children's hospital. Primary outcomes included case timing defined as T1, T2, T3 and T4. (T1)—Patient enters OR-to-procedure start. (T2)—Procedure start-to-procedure end. (T3)—Procedure end-to-patient exits OR. (T4)—Patient exits OR-to-next patient enters OR (turnover). Comparison to existing literature was performed and results were presented to stakeholders. Results A total of 180 surgical cases were reviewed, 92 adenotonsillectomies (T&A), 33 Bilateral Pressure Equalization Tube Placement (PET) and 55 microlaryngoscopies and bronchoscopies (MLB). All outcomes were calculated by case type, except T4, and compared to available published data. T2 was compared to published benchmarks for otolaryngology demonstrating favorable operative times for T&A and PET. However, T4 was considerably longer at our institution (average 31.09). Overall OR efficiency was 20.58%. Conclusions The operating room represents one of a hospital's most costly resources. Ensuring that this resource is designed, staffed and utilized efficiently is of major importance to both the quality of patient care and financial productivity. Surgeons are key components of operating room efficiency, utilization and other measurements of institutional performance. How surgeons schedule and perform cases directly impacts, and is impacted by, these measurements of performance. For fields dominated by high volume, short duration procedures such as pediatric otolaryngology, T4 may be the most important variable in determining OR efficiency. By utilizing modern electronic medical records, surgeons can easily track OR time points thereby determining the potential causes of and solutions for OR inefficiency.
Cyclic grain boundary migration and sliding in pure aluminum

Abstract Reverse bending fatigue tests were conducted on high purity polycrystalline aluminum in the temperature range from 298 to 773 K. Observations show that the grain boundaries migrate and slide at temperatures above ≈500 K. The activation energy for migration is estimated as 76.1 ± 5.0 kJ mol−1 and this is consistent with other measurements on high purity Al. Migration occurs cyclically but there is a small proportion of the boundaries, of the order of 10%, which are immobile and exhibit no measurable migration. Grain boundary sliding occurs at both the migrating and immobile boundaries, but at the migrating boundaries the total sliding offset, measured by a projection of interference fringes across the migrated region, tends to be small. Careful inspection shows that migration usually precedes sliding at the migrating boundaries, and the migration of triple junctions leads to the formation of very diffuse triple point folds.
Kinetics of Methanogens in an Expanded-Bed Reactor

A biofilm mathematical model for single-stage substrate utilization was developed for an expanded-bed, activated-carbon anaerobic reactor. The concepts of liquid-layer mass transport, biofilm molecular diffusion, and Monod kinetics were incorporated into the model. During 849 days of continuous operation, four steady state operating conditions were obtained, covering a wide range of feed acetate concentration. Steady state data collected when the feed acetate concentrations were 1,600 mg/L and 3,200 mg/L and weekly data obtained when the feed acetate concentration was 6,400 mg/L were used to estimate biokinetic parameters. The model input for each data set consisted of the acetate flux and the log-mean bulk acetate concentration within the reactor. The model was solved for attached biomass using each data set and various trial values of the two Monod constants, k\da, K\ds\da, and a microbial biofilm density, X\da\df. Best estimates of k\da, and X\da\df were obtained by observing the lowest value of the minimum sum of squared deviations between the model-predicted biomass and measured biomass. The biofilm kinetics were characterized as fully penetrated, with no significant external mass transport resistance.
Assessing empirical research in bioethics

Empirical research can aid ethical reflection in bioethics by identifying issues, by seeing how they are currently resolved, and by assessing the consequences of these current resolutions. This potential can be misused when the ethical issues in question are fundamentally non-consequentialist or when they are consequentialist but the empirical research fails to address the important consequences. An example of the former problem is some recent studies about bad consequences resulting from commercialized living kidney donor programs. These consequences could be avoided, but the crucial non-consequentialist ethical issues about exploitation and commercialization would still remain. Examples of the latter problem are provided by recent studies of the allocation of ICU beds and of physician deception, where important consequences were not adequately studied.
Explaining the conditional nature of the audit risk model

Abstract The nature of the audit risk model in SAS No. 47 is difficult for students to understand and not explained well in textbooks. The purpose of this note is to present an explanation and discussion suitable for use in the classroom of the audit risk model as a conditional probability model. An analysis of the events of interest to auditors indicates that a conditional probability model for audit risk is appropriate. The conditional nature of the model provides a means to justify the multiplicative form of the audit risk model and creates an opportunity to distinguish between an assessment of control risk and a joint assessment of inherent and control risks.
Measures of Effect Size for Comparative Studies: Applications, Interpretations, and Limitations.

Although dissatisfaction with the limitations associated with tests for statistical significance has been growing for several decades, applied researchers have continued to rely almost exclusively on these indicators of effect when reporting their findings. To encourage an increased use of alternative measures of effect, the present paper discusses several measures of effect size that might be used in group comparison studies involving univariate and/or multivariate models. For the methods discussed, formulas are presented and data from an experimental study are used to demonstrate the application and interpretation of these indices. The paper concludes with some cautionary notes on the limitations associated with these measures of effect size.
“The Luggage that isn’t Theirs is Too Heavy…”:Understandings of Orphan Disadvantage in Lesotho

In Southern Africa, high adult HIV prevalence has fueled concern about the welfare of children losing parents to the epidemic. A growing body of evidence indicates that parental, particularly maternal, death is negatively associated with child outcomes. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms is needed. In addition, the way orphan disadvantage and the mechanisms giving rise to it are understood on the ground is essential for the successful translation of research into policies and programs. This study employs data from 89 in-depth interviews with caregivers and key informants in Lesotho, a setting where approximately one-quarter of adults is infected with HIV, to elaborate understandings of orphan disadvantage. Our analysis focuses on two questions: (i) Do local actors perceive orphans to be disadvantaged compared to non-orphans, and if so, in what ways; and (ii) How do they explain orphans’ differential disadvantage? Analyses suggest that orphans were widely perceived to be disadvantaged; respondents described this disadvantage in material as well as affective domains. Thematic analyses reveal five broad categories of explanation: poverty, love and kin connection, caregiver character, perceptions of orphans, and community norms related to orphan care. These results underscore the need for research and policy to address (i) multiple types of disadvantage, including deficits in kindness and attention; and (ii) the social embeddedness of disadvantage, recognizing that poverty, kinship, and community interact with individual attributes to shape caregiving relationships and child experiences. The findings suggest limited success for programs and policies that do not address the emotional needs of children, or that focus on child or caregiver support to the exclusion of community outreach.
Pharmacology of intrathecally administered agents for treatment of spasticity and pain

Abstract Significant advances in the management of intractable pain and spasticity have occurred over the past two decades. This was largely a direct result of the discovery of spinal sites of action of the various analgesic and anti-spasticity agents and the clinical application of the intrathecal route for delivery of these centrally acting agents. Only two agents are FDA-approved for intrathecal use—namely morphine for intractable pain and baclofen for spasticity. However, a number of other intrathecal agents are used routinely in clinical practice, while other agents are considered experimental or unproven and are used sparingly or are regarded largely as being unsafe. The pharmacology of standard and investigational agents used intrathecally is reviewed in this article with particular attention to the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, indications for use, and evidence of clinical efficacy and safety profile.
BAND-LIMITED RADIATION SENSING USING THE RADIATION-INDUCED MAGNETO-RESISTANCE OSCILLATIONS

Tuned narrow-band-sensing of microwave and terahertz radiation can be realized by subjecting an irradiated two-dimensional electron system to both a static and a time varying magnetic field, and detecting at the harmonics of the modulation.
Generation or birth cohort effect on cancer risk in Li–Fraumeni syndrome

Genetic anticipation is the increased incidence, earlier onset, or increased severity of a disease in successive generations. Before the biological basis of anticipation had been demonstrated, the phenomenon was thought to be due to sampling bias, epigenetic effects, gene conversion, or recombinant events. Since then, the biologic basis for anticipation in a number of neurodegenerative disorders has been shown to be attributable to trinucleotide repeat instability, with expansion of repeats clearly correlated with an earlier age of onset. Recently, telomere shortening has been suggested as the mechanism for anticipation in the autosomal dominant form of dyskeratosis congenita, attributable to mutations in the TERC gene, leading to dysfunctional telomeres (Vulliamy et al. 2004). However, the pattern of anticipation has been observed in other disorders, including cancers, for which no genetic defect has been identified. In this study, we assess the apparent generation effect on cancer incidence in ten extended families with P53 germline mutation, identified through probands diagnosed with childhood sarcoma. The probands were from two sets of systematically ascertained sarcoma patients treated at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1944 and 1982. From those overall studies, we have identified ten kindreds having germline P53 mutations in more than one generation. We compared the cancer incidence in members of successive generations of these families with P53 mutations (carriers) and with no P53 mutations (noncarriers). In carriers, cancer incidence increased in succeeding generations; there was no evidence for this effect in noncarriers; however, the noncarrier population was too small to rule it out. The apparent lack of increase in incidence in noncarriers argues against a cohort effect explaining the increase in carriers.
Electron transfer and electrochemical catalysis using cobalt-reconstituted myoglobin in a surfactant film

Abstract Reductions of the protein myoglobin reconstituted with cobalt(III) heme [MbCo(III)] were accomplished in liquid crystal films of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes in pH 7 buffer. Slow electron transfer to MbCo(III) was detected by square wave voltammetry, and a well-defined, reversible cyclic voltammogram was observed for the MbCo(II)/MbCo(I) redox couple with a formal potential of −0.85 V versus SCE and 25 mV peak potential separation at 100 mV s −1 . The MbCo(III)/MbCo(II) couple mediated the reduction of oxygen, while the MbCo(II)/MbCo(I) couple mediated the reduction of ethylene dibromide.
Robust superconductivity in quantum-confined Pb: Equilibrium and irreversible superconductive properties

Strong quantum size effects enable the formation of crystalline Pb films that are atomically flat on a macroscopic length scale. The superconducting properties of 5-18-monolayer-(ML) thick Pb films were investigated in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer using combined ac and dc methods. Even the thinnest films (5 ML) are extraordinarily robust type-II superconductors. Despite the extreme two-dimensional geometry, the thermodynamic parameters {Tc} and upper critical field H{sub c2} are primarily controlled by the physical boundary conditions of the film and show no evidence for disorder-driven or fluctuation-driven quenching of superconductivity. A magnetically hard critical state is established as a consequence of vortex trapping by quantum growth defects.
Photocatalytic hydrogen production

The efficient storage of solar energy in chemical fuels, such as hydrogen, is essential for the large-scale utilisation of solar energy systems. Recent advances in the photocatalytic production of H2 are highlighted. Two general approaches for the photocatalytic hydrogen generation by homogeneous catalysts are considered: HX (X = Cl, Br) splitting involving both proton reduction and halide oxidationvia an inner-sphere mechanism with a single-component catalyst; and sensitized H2 production, employing sacrificial electron donors to regenerate the active catalyst. Future directions and challenges in photocatalytic H2 generation are enumerated.
The legacy of past climate and landscape change on species’ current experienced climate and elevation ranges across latitude: a multispecies study utilizing mammals in western North America

Aim Elevation and climate ranges across latitude experienced by 21 wide-ranging mammal species in western North America were summarized to examine two questions: (1) do populations in the northern and southern portions of a species’ range experience different climates or are environments selected to remain similar to climates at the core of ranges; and (2) how do species’ elevational ranges, experienced temperature seasonality and temperature ranges change across latitude? Given the larger effects of climate oscillations in the north vs. the south, a predicted outcome is for species to conserve climate niches across latitude and to show reduced climate and elevation ranges in the north. An alternative outcome is latitudinal niche diversification and increased climate variation in the north. Location Western North America. Methods The questions above were examined using a combination of species occurrence data bases, climate data bases, simple summaries of means and standard deviations and by testing summaries against random distributions across latitude for 21 mammal species from a variety of orders. Results The results showed that: (i) most species conserve their niche strongly or weakly given overall temperature gradients from north to south; (ii) seasonality experienced by species is relatively static until the highest latitudes despite directional trends across the region; and (iii) the elevation range and temperature variation that species experience decreases from south to north. Main conclusions Populations at range edges appear to partition environments to remain closer to temperature values similar to those at the core of the range. In addition, seasonality is not a likely explanatory factor of genetic diversity in latitudinal gradients. The data are instead more consistent with predictions that a combination of higher gene-flow, increasing environmental instability and decreasing elevation gradients in the north compared to the south may lead to negative correlations between latitude and species’ climate variation. The results corroborate risks faced by northern mammal populations to global climate changes.
The Adsorption of SO2 by Zeolites Synthesized from Fly Ash

Zeolites X, Y, and Na-P1 (90 °C) and analcime and sodalite (150 °C) were synthesized from Class F fly ash using 3 M sodium hydroxide solutions and autogenous pressures. The partially zeolitized fly ashes were dried overnight in air at room temperature and then characterized using X-ray diffraction and SEM. On occasion, a few samples were dried to constant weight for an additional 8−10 min in a microwave oven to remove bound water as well. The dried samples were evaluated for their ability to adsorb sulfur dioxide (SO2) from a simulated stack gas containing ∼2000 ppm SO2. Determinations were made in real time using a UV/vis spectrophotometer followed by a total sulfur analysis of the “loaded” samples once testing was complete. Breakthrough curves indicate that the zeolites in the samples are able to remove all of the SO2 in the simulated flue gas (zero SO2 emission) for varying periods of time, and that the actual amount of SO2 removed by the zeolite depended on the type and degree of “dryness” of the zeol...
On the Use of Five-Hole Probes in the Testing of Industrial Centrifugal Compressors

This paper addresses the use of 5-hole probes in the testing of industrial centrifugal compressors. The 5-hole probes utilized for this work are of the conical-tip type and were used in a non-nulling configuration (i.e. the probes do not need to be rotated or moved in any way during the tests). These 5-hole probes proved to be fairly robust, making them practical for a non-laboratory setting such as an industrial multistage compressor test stand. A discussion of 5-hole probes and how they function is provided, including an overview of the mathematical formulations and calibrations required to translate the pressure data gathered from the 5 holes into static and total pressures, velocities and flow angles. A method to transform these variables from a probe-based coordinate system to a machine-based coordinate system is also presented and schematics of this process are provided to aid the reader’s understanding. The testing performed on a prototype multistage centrifugal compressor using 5-hole probes is also discussed showing that the probes provided valuable insight into the flowfield exiting the impellers and at the return bend. The hub-to-shroud velocity profile exiting an impeller was found to be more skewed than expected and was contributing to poor performance in the downstream stationary components. The measured flowfield from one of the tests is also compared against 3-D CFD results and comments are offered regarding the agreement between the analytical and measured results. Advantages and disadvantages of 5-hole probes as compared to more conventional instrumentation are presented. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the value of 5-hole probe data in the development and/or troubleshooting of high performance turbomachinery and in the validation / calibration of design and analysis tools.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Wittgenstein: On seeing problems from a religious point of view*

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is universally recognized in the English-speaking world as one of the most original and influential philosophers of the twentieth century. Wittgenstein's influence on philosophy of religion, at least in the second half of this century, has not been any less significant than his influence on other regions of philosophy. What has not been widely recognized is how intensely interested he was in religious beliefs and practices and how his own life reflected a passionate religious sensibility and faith. Such interest on Wittgenstein's part may very well raise the question whether his was a religious philosophy, that is, whether religion held a central place in his life and thought. In this paper I wish to direct attention to a religious dimension of his life and thought which has been all too often neglected. In order to carry that out I shall offer one set of comments about Wittgenstein's own religious life, if one should choose to call it that, and another set of comments about what he wrote concerning the nature of religious faith itself. Thirty nine years have passed since Wittgenstein's death, and yet philosophers and theologians are just beginning to realize that Wittgenstein had more than just an idle word here and there to say about religious belief and practices. Such is the case notwithstanding Wittgenstein's own claim, as reported by his close friend Maurice O'Connor Drury (to his friends he was called Con), that "If you and I are to live religious lives, it musn't be that we talk a lot about religion."1 Despite the claims of some commentators2 there is, I believe, increasing evidence to
Presentation of ovalbumin internalized via the immunoglobulin-A Fc receptor is enhanced through Fc receptor γ-chain signaling

The mechanism of enhanced presentation of ovalbumin (OVA) internalized as immunoglobulin A (IgA)-OVA via the IgA Fc receptor (FcalphaR) was analyzed by focusing on the role of the FcalphaR-associated gamma chain. Comparison of B-cell transfectants expressing FcalphaR plus wild-type (WT) gamma chain or gamma chain in which the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) was altered by tyrosine mutation or substitution with the ITAM of FcgammaRIIA showed that signaling-competent ITAM was not required for endocytosis of IgA-OVA. However, antigen presentation was impaired by ITAM changes. Signaling-competent gamma-chain ITAM appeared necessary for transport of ligated FcalphaR to a lamp-1(+) late endocytic compartment for remodeling and/or activation of that compartment and also for efficient degradation of IgA complexes. Moreover, FcalphaR ligation also activated efficient processing of nonreceptor-targeted antigen. The results suggest that gamma-chain signaling activates the antigen processing compartment.
Vertical motions in the Uranian atmosphere: an analysis of radio observations

The present, 6-cm radio map of Uranus indicates latitudinal features which may be due to vertical motions of the atmosphere. It appears in light of Voyager IR measurements as well as previously obtained radio data that these large-scale vertical motions, which have not undergone significant changes over the course of 8 years, extend from the 0.1- to the 45-bar levels; this span corresponds to a height of the order of 250 km. The latitudinal structures are believed to be primarily caused by horizontal variations of absorber abundances.
Long-term results of isolated anterolateral bundle reconstructions of the posterior cruciate ligament: a 6- to 12-year follow-up study.

BackgroundLittle is known about the parameters that influence the long-term results of isolated arthroscopically assisted reconstructions of the anterolateral bundle of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).HypothesisChondrosis, time interval from injury to surgery, and graft choice significantly influence the long-term results of single-bundle PCL reconstructions.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsBetween 1995 and 2001, 22 male and 3 female patients with a mean age of 30.8 years (range, 17-52) underwent an anterolateral bundle reconstruction of the PCL for functional instability and pain. Nine were treated with a bone–patellar tendon– bone autograft (BPTB), 15 with a semitendinosus gracilis (STG) autograft, and 1 with an Achilles tendon allograft. Twenty-two patients were clinically and radiographically reviewed at a mean follow-up of 9.1 years (range, 6.5-12.6). Three patients were interviewed by telephone. Thirteen patients had chondrosis at time of surgery. The mean time from injury ...
COMPARISON OF RESPONSE OF 9977 TEST PACKAGES TO ANALYTICAL RESULTS

Each of the hypothetical accident test cases for the 9977 prototypes was included in the battery of finite element structural analyses performed for the package. Comparison of the experimental and analytical results provides a means of confirming that the analytical model correctly represents the physical behavior of the package. The ability of the analytical model to correctly predict the performance of the foam overpack material for the crush test is of particular interest. The dissipation of energy in the crushing process determines the deceleration of the package upon impact and the duration of the impact. In addition, if the analytical model correctly models the foam behavior, the predicted deformation of the package will match that measured on the test articles. This study compares the deformations of the test packages with the analytical predictions. In addition, the impact acceleration and impact duration for the test articles are compared with those predicted by the analyses.
When Does a Nudge Become a Shove in Seeking Consent for Organ Donation

Over the last several years I have had a number of opportunities to speak with audiences across the country about ethical issues in organ donation, and as part of my lecture I ask the question: Wha...