cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-T-147: Film Dosimetry Verification for TSE Using An Epson Scanner.

Purpose: To commission and verify an Epson scanner for film dosimetry for total skin electron beam therapy (TSEB). Methods: Use data from an IBA PPC40 parallel‐plate ion chamber and Sun Nuclear QED skin diode detectors as standard; we have made comparisons to the film measurement using Kodak XV films. Hurter‐Driffield (HD) curve are established for 6 MeV total skin electron beams at a source‐to‐surface distance (SSD) of 5 m. Also HD curves are built for 6 MeV at a 100 cm SSD. Dose profiles for a series of oblique incident large electron fields are measured using the film for approximately 80 cGy dose delivered at the peak. The film is then scanned using two scanners, an Epson expression 10000 XL and a Vidar VXR‐16 Dosimetry Pro. The optimal scanning conditions (e.g., dot per pixel size, internal color correction scheme) are chosen for the Epson scanner. Matlab is then used to analyze the optical density (OD) of the scanned films. A transmission densitometer made by Tobias Associates transmission is used to analyze the films to give a classical standard. Results: The analysis of the Epson scanner is presented in two forms: one with and one without the HD correction from the established HD curve. The error analysis gives an uncertainty of 5% without the HD correction. An improved result of approximately 3% is found when an HD correction is applied to the analysis. Conclusions: A simple Epson scanner satisfies the commissioning standards for TSEB when an HD curve correction is applied.
An analysis Of the benefits of NBTI recovery under circuit operating conditions

A simple but powerful and efficient NBTI recovery model is presented. Calibration is performed with a wide set of stress and recovery sequences measured under various voltages. The model provides easy-to-use tools for analytical representation of NBTI behavior as well as compatibility for sophisticated circuit reliability simulations. Regarding circuit operation and transistor characterization, the model implies higher permanent damage and thus, less recoverable NBTI degradation as the V DD is increased. Furthermore, the activity of the transistors inside a circuit becomes very critical to understand the impact of recovery. The duty cycle and frequency trends are not sufficient to judge for the amount of circuit-level aging. Even the circuit topology contributes to the final degradation, and therefore recovery should be analyzed within the context of the circuit applications.
Never Enough: Graduate Student Use of Journals-Citation Analysis of Social Work Theses

Faculty frequently request that their libraries subscribe to new journals. Such subscription demands often exceed resources, but faculty resist suggestions that journal cancellations are necessary to fund the purchase of new subscriptions. At one large urban academic library, this conundrum necessitated a concrete demonstration of journal usage. Analysis of journal citations from a decade of social work theses supplied quantifiable data to support decisions for journal purchase, cancellation, and placement in storage. Nearly 85% of journal citations came from locally owned journals. Nearly one-quarter of the library's social work journals were cited fewer than ten times during the decade, providing a list of candidates for cancellation to fund subscriptions to new journals.
Replication of microstructures in polymers using laser-fabricated glass-ceramic stamps

Recently much research on fabrication of polymer micro structures has been carried out. One of the main advantages of using polymer in micro structure fabrication is the easiness of applying replication processes for mass production. A micro stamping process applying heat and pressure, also referred to as hot embossing lithography, can replicate micro-structures on polymer surfaces. By reforming thermoplastics, many micro features can be transferred directly to polymer surfaces. The micro stamping consists of two main steps: a stamp fabrication step and a replication step. Until now, metal or silicon stamps have been used. In this work, photo-etchable glass-ceramic micro stamps are used, which are micro-machined using an excimer laser processing technique. With the laser process, a glass-ceramic stamp can be fabricated quickly and precisely. In addition, a micro stamping device has been designed and developed for this process. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is used as the replicating polymer because it has a low glass transition temperature (65 C) and good formability. Many micro structures such as micro channels have been produced. The advantages and the limits of using glass-ceramics stamps and stamping with the PVC material are discussed.
Coordination synthesis on metal centers V. Reaction of triallylchromium(III) and tetraallydichromium(II) with 2-butyne

Abstract Both triallylchromium(III) and treallyldichromium(II) react with 2-butyne in tetrahydrofuran solution to give the same overall mixture of products. Three of the four major components have been isolated and identified as 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene, pentamethylbenzene and hexamethylbenzene. The presence of 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene as a minor constituent is implied from gas-chromatographic analysis.
Canonical analysis of the Vocational Preference Inventory and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.

A canonical analysis was performed, relating the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire and the Vocational Preference Inventory. 145 male graduate students were Ss. Three significant canonical relationships were found. Most of the zero-order correlations were low; only 3 correlations (out of 176 possible correlations) were as large (positively or negatively) as .40.
Late-Night Comedy as a Gateway to Traditional News: An Analysis of Time Trends in News Attention among Late-Night Comedy Viewers during the 2004 Presidential Primaries

Recent reports published by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2000, 2004) propose that young audiences are abandoning traditional news as a source of election information in favor of late-night comedy programs. However, additional evidence (Young & Tisinger, 2006) suggests that exposure to late-night comedy programming is positively correlated with traditional news exposure. This study extends this body of research by offering evidence that exposure to late-night comedy is associated with increases in attention paid to the presidential campaign in national network and cable news. The analysis uses data collected via the National Annenberg Election Survey during the 2004 presidential primary season, between October 30, 2003, and June 4, 2004. Cross-sectional results demonstrate that viewers of late-night comedy programs—specifically viewers of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart—pay more atten...
High Energy Excitations in CdSe Quantum Rods

The plane-wave pseudopotential method is used to calculate the high energy exciton states of large CdSe quantum rods, including spin−orbital coupling and screened electron−hole Coulomb interaction. Theoretical ground exciton energies of colloidal CdSe quanutm rods and wires are in good agreement with recent experiment. In addition to photoluminescence spectra, our results also show strong polarization in the absorption spectra of quantum rods, in contrast to spherical quantum dots. The absorption peaks as functions of the ground exciton energy are compared with experimental results.
Propagation of UH cosmic ray nuclei in a leaky box

Abstract A weighted slab approximation to a leaky box model has been developed to study the influence of various parameters and cross sections on the propagation of Z > 28 ultraheavy (UH) cosmic ray nuclei from the source to earth. This model starts with nuclei of a given charge and energy and then follows them as they lose energy, fragment and escape. It is possible to vary the path length distribution, the escape length and the energy dependent cross sections of all the nuclei generated during the propagation. By combining the results for different nuclei and energies it is possible to compare any assumed source abundance distribution with that predicted at earth. This paper specifically considers the effects introduced when the cross sections are adjusted to take account of radioactive decays in flight, and shows that they are generally rather minor. Some predictions are made as to which elements will provide the best discriminators between various assumed sources.
Precipitation of Ti5Si3 phase in TiAl alloys

Abstract The nucleation, growth and interface structure of Ti5Si3 precipitates in Ti52Al48–3Si, Ti52Al48–3Si2M (M=Cr, V), and Ti52Al48–3Si2Cr2V (at.%) alloys were studied. It is found that nucleation of Ti5Si3 precipitates depends on the dislocation types, γ domain boundary or γ/γ lamellar boundaries. Most of the Ti5Si3 nucleates at 1/2[10 1 ] super-dislocation networks, particularly at the extended nodes of [10 1 ], where stacking faults exist, while some Ti5Si3 precipitates at 1/2[1 1 0] dislocations. In addition, most Ti5Si3 are precipitating out heterogeneously at pseudo-twin type γ/γp* and 120°-rotational order-fault type γ/γR* lamellar boundaries, but no Ti5Si3 is found to precipitate at true-twin type γ/γT* lamellar boundaries. The growth mechanism of Ti5Si3 in TiAl is also studied.
Total energies in Se. III. Defects in the glass

The effective Hubbard $U$ for the bonding coordination defect in glassy Se is investigated. This is accomplished by applying local-density total-energy calculations directly to charged defects in a superlattice configuration. The existence of a large negative contribution to $U$, arising from interconversion between dangling-bond and threefold-coordinated structures, is confirmed. However, a still larger Coulomb repulsion gives rise to an overall positive $U$.
Intraoperative definition of ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Abstract A simple test for intraoperative definition of the obstructed ureteropelvic junction is presented.
Cam-Clay plasticity part III: Extension of the infinitesimal model to include finite strains

The infinitesimal version of the modified Cam-Clay model of critical state soil mechanics is reformulated to include finite deformation effects. Central to the formulation are the choice of a hardening law that is appropriate for cases involving large plastic volumetric strains, and the use of a class of two-invariant stored energy functions appropriate for Cam-Clay-type models that includes, as special cases, the constant elastic shear modulus approximation as well as the pressure-dependent shear modulus elastic model. The analytical model is cast within the framework of finite deformation theory based on a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient. For the fully elasto-plastic case, return mapping is done implicitly in the space defined by the invariants of the elastic logarithmic principal stretches, which requires the solution at each stress point of no more than three simultaneous non-linear equations. A finite element analysis of a strip footing problem is presented to illustrate a prototype example where finite deformation effects significantly impact the predicted response.
Spectral dimension of elastic Sierpinski gaskets

The spectral dimension of an elastic Sierpinski gasket with nearest-neighbor central forces has been found to be d = 2 ln3/ln6, which is different from d = 2 ln3/ln5 for the isotropic force model. This result lends support to the argument that the two force models belong to two distinct universality classes.
In situ measurements of midlatitude ClO in winter

In situ measurements of ClO in the winter lower stratosphere are presented for six flights of the NASA ER-2 aircraft from 38 deg N to 61 deg N. Enhanced abundances, increasing in severity with date, were observed below 20 km, where HCl and ClONO2 dominate the inorganic chlorine budget. The greatest mixing ratios, over 150 pptv, were encountered on February 20 and 21, 1989, as the vortex experienced a major warming. Although the timing of these ClO enhancements and the evidence that vortex air can reach midlatitudes suggest that heterogeneous conversion of chlorine compounds within the vortex influences chemistry at midlatitudes, the enhacements observed early in the winter could have been caused by unknown chemistry occurring outside the vortex. In either case, photochemical loss of ozone due to catalytic reactions involving ClO at these mixing ratios may be responsible in part for the ozone decreases observed at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.
Preparation of air-stable, low recombination velocity Si(111) surfaces through alkyl termination

A two-step, chlorination/alkylation procedure has been used to convert the surface Si–H bonds on NH4F(aq)-etched (111)-oriented Si wafers into Si–alkyl bonds of the form Si–CnH2n + 1 (n>=1). The electrical properties of such functionalized surfaces were investigated under high-level and low-level injection conditions using a contactless rf apparatus. The charge carrier recombination velocities of the alkylated surfaces were <25 cm s^–1 under high-level and low-level injection conditions, implying residual surface trap densities of <3×10^9 cm–2. Although the carrier recombination velocity of hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surfaces in contact with aqueous acids is <20 cm s^–1, this surface deteriorates within 30 min in an air ambient, yielding a high surface recombination velocity. In contrast, methylated Si(111) surfaces exhibit low surface recombination velocities in air for more than 4 weeks. Low surface recombination velocities were also observed for Si surfaces that had been modified with longer alkyl chains.
Ralph Ellison's Blues.

Ralph Ellison's essay, "Richard Wright's Blues," is distinguished from many on Wright's work by Ellison's use of an art form indigenous to black American culture as the focal point of his critique. His understanding of the blues provides the thematic structure of this essay. A relationship is established between Wright and the blues so that his work is seen against a new background and as a part of a longstanding black American cultural tradition. The result is a fresh and sympathetic reappraisal of Richard Wright's essential contribution. The essay typifies Ellison's persistent reliance on the folk traditions of his own culture and his view of these traditions as important elements of America's overall cultural milieu. They are more than a badge of racial pride for him; they shape in a very fundamental way not only his critical and cultural theories but also the form and content of his fiction. For Ellison, Wright's autobiography, Black Boy, is among other things a blues piece, an extended blues song that deals with the real pain of life thro'ugh confrontation rather than evasion. Ellison's Invisible Man itself is rich in the folklore of black America, and several of the essays in his book, Shadow
Confocal microscopy of thick sections from acrylamide gel embedded embryos.

The preparation of optically clear, thick sections of fragile embryonic tissues greatly aids the power of confocal scanning laser microscopy in imaging three-dimensional structures. We report here conditions for embedding, sectioning, and staining embryos in polyacrylamide gels for a variety of confocal imaging techniques. Infiltration of tissues in standard mixtures of 10–15% acrylamide monomer yields, upon polymerization, blocks that cut easily by vibratome between 50 and 1,000 μm. These conditions worked well for tissues previously stained or for staining gel sections with low molecular weight water-soluble fluorochromes (MW < 5 kD [e.g., propidium iodide, phalloidin]). For immunostaining of tissue after embedding and sectioning, the acrylamide concentration was reduced to 2–3% acrylamide to allow access of immunoglobulins to antigenic sites; such gels were supplemented with 1% agarose to facilitate sectioning and handling. Either method yielded abundant, optically clear, and easily handled sections for mounting and examination in water-miscible media. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Propagation and quenching of detonation waves in particle laden mixtures

Propagation and quenching of curved detonation waves in particle laden mixtures were investigated analytically and numerically using the square wave model and quasi-steady state assumption, respectively. An analytical expression describing the combined effects of heat and momentum losses because of the interaction between the particle and gas phases, as well as the effect of wave curvature on detonation velocity, was obtained. Detonation quenching and multiple detonation regimes were examined. Numerical simulation of the detonation wave structure was also made. The results showed that particle heat loss, momentum loss and wave curvature considerably reduce the detonation speed and cause detonation quenching. It is also shown that, for fixed particle volume fractions, smaller particles cause a larger heat loss from the gas phase and result in a lower detonation velocity and narrow detonation limit.
Influence of PTSD symptom clusters on smoking status among help-seeking Iraq and Afghanistan veterans

Introduction Despite the strong association between smoking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mechanisms influencing smoking in this population remain unclear. Previous smoking research has largely examined PTSD as a homogenous syndrome despite the fact that PTSD is composed of four distinct symptom clusters (i.e., reexperiencing, effortful avoidance, emotional numbing, and hyperarousal). Examination of the relationship between smoking and PTSD symptom clusters may increase understanding of mechanisms influencing comorbidity between smoking and PTSD. The goals of the present study were to (a) examine the influence of overall PTSD symptom severity on likelihood of smoking and smoking heaviness and (b) examine the influence of each PTSD symptom cluster on smoking. Methods Participants (N = 439) were Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom combat veterans referred to VA mental health services. Results Multinomial logistic regression was chosen to accommodate a three-level outcome, in which the likelihood of being a nonsmoker was compared with (a) light smoking (1-9 cigarettes/day), (b) moderate smoking (10-19 cigarettes/day), and (c) heavy smoking (> or =20 cigarettes/day). Results showed that veterans with higher levels of overall PTSD symptomatology were more likely to endorse heavy smoking (Wald = 4.56, p = .03, odds ratio [OR] = 1.65). Veterans endorsing high levels of emotional numbing were also more likely to endorse heavy smoking (Wald = 6.49, p = .01, OR = 1.81); all other PTSD symptom clusters were unrelated to smoking. Discussion The association between emotional numbing and heavy daily smoking suggests that veterans with PTSD may smoke to overcome emotional blunting following trauma exposure.
Banks, regions, and nation in Brazil, 1889-1930

Forging a national unit from regionally autonomous groups was a challenge for nineteenthand early-twentieth-century Brazil. Regional autonomy had resulted in a hierarchical system of local oligarchies and hindered political cohesion. Oligarchies were woven into a fluid, contentious, and often weak national system, with constantly changing powers that often depended on personal relationships.' Economically, regional autonomy had equally profound effects. Some researchers have pointed out that the absence of economic integration among regions resulted in small, localized markets and slow overall growth (Prado, 1991; Leff, 1982). Traditional Brazilian historiography has portrayed the economy as composed of very weakly connected autonomous regions and the state as economically liberal and noninterventionist prior to the mid-twentieth century (Prado, 1993; Furtado, 1993). Recent research in political economy challenges this characterization, finding evidence of an actively interventionist state (Topik, 1987; Fritsch, 1988). This article offers support to this latter view by exploring the participation of banks in the consolidation of a Brazilian economy that became national in scope during the First Republic (1889-1930). It contends that the banking system played an important role in connecting regions, different areas of production, and private and public sectors. It focuses on the institutional aspects of the formation of early national money markets in Brazil to explore their impact on the development of a national economy. The process of this consolidation significantly affected the nature of subsequent economic development. It concludes that the development of the banking system during the First Republic created the framework for the large and centralizing role in the economy that the state eventually assumed. Viewing the banking system within the conceptual framework of market formation highlights its ability to link previously unconnected markets for goods and services and to serve as an agent of growth.
Enhanced Raman spectra of C60 adsorbed on cold-deposited silver and indium surfaces

Abstract Enhanced Raman spectra of C 60 monolayers adsorbed on continuous cold-deposited silver and indium surfaces are reported; no enhancement is observed on dielectric surfaces. Surprisingly, this enhancement of the spectra of C 60 on Ag and In increases significantly as the surfaces are annealed towards room temperature; such annealed surfaces do not exhibit surface-enhanced Raman scattering for other adsorbates, such as benzene. We suggest that this unusual enhancement results from a resonant Raman process involving the metal-C 60 interaction, which includes electron transfer to C 60 . The interaction also modifies the spectral line shapes of adsorbed C 60 .
Identification of 142Xe and measurement of its cumulative yield from thermal-neutron fission of 235U

Abstract 142 Xe has been identified as a product of the thermal-neutron fission of 235 U by determination of 85 min 142 La in the active deposit of highly emanating uranyl stearate. The half-life of 142 Xe is ∼1·5 sec, and its cumulative yield in fission is 0·059 +0.006 −0.003 of the total 142-chain yield. The cumulative yield of 141 Xe has been redetermined to be +0.019 −0.004 of the 141-chain yield, in agreement with the previously reported value of 0·21 ± 0·02. The 142 Xe yield is compared with values predicted by various postulates of nuclear charge distribution in fission. The mass number of the 85 min La has been proven to be 142 by its formation from the 142 Ce-( n,p ) 142 La reaction.
Comment on “small firms and merger mania”

Considering its importance to the field of industrial organization, our understanding of the determinants of firm size has some major gaps. This becomes quite clear upon reading Aiginger and Tichy's recent review (hereafter, A&T (1991)) of the many empirical studies of firm size. They critically examine the separate literatures on the performance of large and small firms and on the efficiency of mergers. They find inconsistencies within each of these literatures. More interesting, they discuss a glaring inconsistency between the evidence in the literature and actual behavior. While much of the performance literature indicates that small firms have average or superior performance, large firms typically takeover smaller firms. Efficiency and survival would seem to dictate against this "merger mania." A&T provide a number of interesting insights. They offer six hypotheses on why small firms might outperform large firms, and challenge the industrial organization view that economies of scale and scope require large firm size. They stop short, however, of arguing that large firms are inefficient, recognizing that they may simply perform different roles than small firms. Their discussion or mergers is more critical of large firms. While they do not entirely dismiss the possibility that mergers may yield efficiencies, they offer six alternative hypotheses. They suggest that mergers tend to r&ieCi tnance, StotiniAierormanagenTeili optimism, nonprofit maximizing behavior, and other unproductive tendencies. This comment focuses on the role of firmspecific capital, product life cycles and product niches. The relative performance of large vs. small firms is reconsidered in this light, followed by an examination of the merger literature and the practice of takeovers by large firms. Large firms are viewed less skeptically here than by A&T. Nevertheless, the purpose of this note is less to challenge A&T, than to elaborate on some of their points and suggest additional possibilities. The questions raised by A&T are central to the field of industrial organization and worthy of further attention.
Laparoscopic en bloc resection of locally advanced colon cancer with involvement of the liver, small bowel, omentum, and abdominal wall.

Background Locally advanced colon cancer with the involvement of adjacent organs is treated radically with en bloc resection with negative margins. Laparoscopy is seldom recommended for such patients. Methods Operative laparoscopic technique is presented for radical en bloc resection of locally advanced right colon cancer. Results The patient is a 56-year-old morbidly obese (body mass index 47) male, who was scheduled to undergo a routine laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and at exploration was found to have a large mass involving segments V and VI of the liver, small bowel, omentum, and abdominal wall. A laparoscopic-assisted en bloc resection was performed. The patient went home in 7 days. The tumor was staged as T4N0M0, American Joint Commission on Cancer stage IIb with 21 negative nodes. Conclusions Laparoscopic resection for selected patients with locally advanced colonic neoplasms should be considered an option in tertiary referral centers.
Mercury in the atmosphere around Japan, Korea, and China as observed during the 2001 ACE‐Asia field campaign: Measurements, distributions, sources, and implications

[1] We report on mercury in the atmosphere of east Asia (Japan, Korea, and China) as measured from sea level to ∼7000 m during 16 research flights in the National Science Foundation (NSF)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) C-130 aircraft during the Asian Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) campaign (http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/aceasia/). The air at all altitudes contained concentrations of atmospheric mercury above the global background. The atmosphere was highly stratified with plumes originating from massive dust storms carried out of China, from local industrial pollution, from volcanoes, and, less well defined, from biomass burning. Most often the air masses were mixtures, e.g., dust layers contained anthropogenic emissions or volcanic plumes were embedded in anthropogenic pollution; thus the total data set showed no significant correlations of gaseous mercury with the most common anthropogenic pollutants in the area (CO and SO2), but good correlations were observed for identifiable plumes. Highest mixing ratios for gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) were found in industrial plumes exiting China (∼6.3 ng/m3), Korea (∼3 ng/m3), and Japan (∼3 ng/m3). The core of the plume from Miyake Jima volcano contained ∼3.7 ng/m3 of GEM. Crustal mercury was also present, emitted and subsequently deposited during the outbreak of the spring dust storms. Some of the nondust aerosols contained soluble mercury in highly variable ratios with the gas-phase mercury contained in the same plume. Preliminary estimates for the export from China are 5–15 t of crustal mercury during the dust storms, ∼150 t/yr of gas-phase mercury from biomass/biofuel combustion, and ∼600 t/yr from industrial sources, mostly from coal combustion. Gaseous mercury is a useful tracer for industrial, volcanic, and biomass-burning sources, but in most cases, robust plume identification required one or more cotracers. Because of the inertness of GEM and the ease of its measurement it is well suited for the tracking of long-range transport.
Evaluation of the Transfer Coefficient Matrix (TCM) approach to model the atmospheric radionuclide air concentrations from Fukushima

[1] A procedure is developed and tested to provide operational plume forecasts in real-time by continuously updating the previous day's simulations as new meteorological data become available. Simulations are divided into smaller time segments and each segment is continued as an independent calculation using a unit source emission. Multiple computational species are tracked at the same time to represent different classes of radionuclides, each with different dry and wet deposition characteristics. When quantitative air concentration results are required, the unit source calculations are multiplied by the appropriate temporally varying emission rates and decay factors for the radionuclide species involved. Air concentrations for multiple emission scenarios can easily be created in a few minutes and used to optimize model results as more measurement data become available. The procedure was evaluated for the Fukushima accident using publically available emission estimates and some I-131 and Cs-137 monitoring data. The model performance was evaluated at four sampling locations (Dutch Harbor, Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Dublin, Ireland; and Huelva, Spain) at various distances from Japan. The model results showed a very high correlation for the I-131 particulate predictions (0.94) and a moderate correlation for the Cs-137 predictions (0.40). The cesium predictions at Seattle showed five distinct time periods of concentration over-predictions associated with two peak emission periods. Adjusting these emission rates downward to correspond more closely with the time-adjacent rates eliminated the over-prediction but resulted in total emissions of Cs-137 (3 PBq) that were much less than estimated by other researchers (36 PBq).
Comparison of Gas-Phase and Solution-Phase Reactions of Dimethyl Sulfide and 2-(Methylthio)ethanol with Hydroxyl Radical

The reaction of the OH radical with dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and 2-(methylthio)ethanol (2-MTE) proceeds with the initial formation of a two-center−three-electron complex. In the gas phase the S−OH binding enthalpies (298 K) are 8.7 and 12.2 kcal/mol for DMS and 2-MTE, respectively. When entropy and aqueous solvation effects (via the CPCM method) are included, the free energies of association (298 K) of hydroxyl to DMS and 2-MTE become 3.0 and 3.2 kcal/mol, respectively. Calculations are based on DFT and/or MP2 optimizations and a G2-like method for evaluating energies. The most favorable (lowest free energy) conformation is often different between the gas phase and solution phase. Electron transfer from 2-MTE/2-MTE+ (1/1+) to OH/OH- has a positive free energy of 4.5 kcal/mol and is in competition with the acid-/base-catalyzed formation of CH3SCH2CH2O (2) plus water. The latter radical (2) undergoes intramolecular hydrogen transfer to form CH2SCH2CH2OH (3) or eliminates formaldehyde to form CH2SCH3+H2CO, whe...
Least preferred co-worker score, situational control, and leadership effectiveness: a meta-analysis of contingency model performance predictions

It is first argued that the across-octant conclusions that are usually drawn from F. E. Fiedler's (1967) contingency model of leadership may be problematic, because virtually all its tests have used only within-octant research designs. Across-octant comparisons were therefore made by analyzing data from 1,282 groups used in previous research. Using nonparametric and parametric meta-analytic procedures, the authors found that the drawing of across-octant conclusions was not supported. Further analyses also showed unequal mean performance levels in octants where levels were supposed to be equal. The contingency model's predictions about the declining performance of leaders by octant, however, were supported in comparison with the predictions of three rival models
Commercially-cultured oysters (Crassostrea gigas) exert top-down control on intertidal pelagic resources in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA

Abstract The capacity of filter feeders to reduce seston and phytoplankton concentrations in the water column has important implications for restoration and management of coastal ecosystems. We directly measured changes in chlorophyll a concentration on commercially stocked intertidal oyster beds ( Crassostrea gigas ) in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA by recording water properties near small drifters as they tracked parcels of water across tide flats. Chlorophyll declined 9.6% per half hour in water passing on-bottom adult oysters and 41% for longline adult oysters, whereas chlorophyll concentrations increased as water flowed across tide flats without adult oysters. Field filtration rates, which were fit to exponential declines in chlorophyll and accounted for oyster density and water depth, averaged 0.35 L g − 1 h − 1 (shucked dry weight) for on-bottom aquaculture and 0.73 L g − 1 h − 1 for longline culture, compared to values of 2.5–12 L g − 1 h − 1 reported from laboratory studies of C. gigas. Field filtration rates may be lower than laboratory rates due to unfavorable field conditions (e.g., low initial chlorophyll concentrations) or masked by resuspension of benthic microalgae. In addition to distinctions among on-bottom, longline, and no-oyster habitats, Akaike's Information Criterion analysis showed temperature, initial chlorophyll concentration, and depth related to chlorophyll decline. This research corroborates mathematical models suggesting that benthic suspension feeders are exerting top-down control of pelagic production in this estuary, with strong patterns in chlorophyll emerging across extensive tideflats populated by C. gigas despite low field filtration rates.
Monocarbon carboranes II. Syntheses of carborane derivatives by reaction of group IV halides with cyanoboron hydrides

Abstract Reaction of the B 10 H 13 CN 2− ion with alkyl iodides in tetrahydrofuran/water produces a mixture of B 10 H 12 CN(H) n R 3- n carboranes. The unsubstituted molecule, B 10 H 12 CNH 3 is obtained by treatment of B 10 H 13 CN 2− with either trimethylsilyl or trimethyltin chloride followed by base hydrolysis. Methylation of B 10 H 12 CN[S-(CH 3 ) 2 − in tetrahydrofuran/methanol gives a single isomer of the composition B 10 H 11 (OCH 3 )CN(CH 3 ) 3 . Observations which suggest that carborane formation may proceed thru a B 10 H 13 CNR − intermediate are presented.
Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty with the anterior approach.

Background: Total hip athroplasty with the anterior surgical approach is advised because the dissection is entirely within intermuscular planes. In this report we describe a minimally invasive technique of anterior total hip arthroplasty, with the early outcomes. Materials and Methods: The technique of minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty with anterior approach (Smith-Petersen) is described. We reviewed data on 100 consecutive patients who underwent anterior total hip arthroplasty with uncemented components. Mean patient age was 61 years (range 33-91). Mean patience BMI 29.8 (range 18.1-51.8). Results: Minumum follow up duration is 10 months. The mean duration of surgery was 53 min (range 34-87) with mean blood loss 185 cc (range 65-630), and the mean incision length was 10.4 cm. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were similar to historical outcomes of standard total hip arthroplasty. Conclusions: With proper surgeon training, minimally invasive total hip replacement with the anterior surgical interval is safe and efficacious.
Some subjective bayesian considerations in the selection of models

Some considerations relating to the post–data selection of models are discussed. These include some difficulties with orthodox theory, implementation of the likelihood principle, and Bayesian tests of hypotheses.
Microwaves Treat Heart Disease

This article presents a historical case study that illustrates the long time it takes to get a particular microwave device into clinical use. Often, during the development of a concept and eventually its implementation, competing ideas prevail due to technical or financial constraints. In some cases, the original development results in devices developed in parallel or subsequently for other medical applications
A net-centric system of services model for the Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS) and the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

This paper considers an evolved technique for significantly enhanced enterprise-level data processing, reprocessing, archival, dissemination, and utilization. There is today a robust working paradigm established with the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)-NOAA/NWS's information integration and fusion capability. This process model extends vertically, and seamlessly, from environmental sensing through the direct delivery of societal benefit. NWS, via AWIPS, is the primary source of weather forecast and warning information in the nation. AWIPS is the tested and proven "the nerve center of operations" at all 122 NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and 13 River Forecast Centers (RFCs). However, additional line organizations whose role in satisfying NOAA's five mission goals (ecosystems, climate, weather & water, commerce & transportation, and mission support) in multiple program areas might be facilitated through utilization of AWIPS-like functionalities, including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS); Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research (OAR); and the National Ocean Service (NOS). In addition to NOAA's mission goals, there are nine diverse, recommended, and important societal benefit areas in the US Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS). This paper shows how the satisfaction of this suite of goals and benefit areas can be optimized by leveraging several key ingredients: (1) the evolution of AWIPS towards a net-centric system of services concept of operations; (2) infusion of technologies and concepts from pathfinder systems; (3) the development of new observing systems targeted at deliberate, and not just serendipitous, societal benefit; and (4) the diverse, nested local, regional, national, and international scales of the different benefits and goal areas, and their interoperability and interplay across the system of systems.
Multigrid solution of a distributed optimal control problem constrained by the Stokes equations

In this work we construct multigrid preconditioners to accelerate the solution process of a linear-quadratic optimal control problem constrained by the Stokes system. The first order optimality conditions of the control problem form a linear system (the KKT system) connecting the state, adjoint, and control variables. Our approach is to eliminate the state and adjoint variables by essentially solving two Stokes systems, and to construct efficient multigrid preconditioners for the Schur-complement of the block associated with the state and adjoint variables. These multigrid preconditioners are shown to be of optimal order with respect to the convergence properties of the discrete methods used to solve the Stokes system. In particular, the number of conjugate gradient iterations is shown to decrease as the resolution increases, a feature shared by similar multigrid preconditioners for elliptic constrained optimal control problems.
Estimates of the Direct and Indirect Effects of Red Imported Fire Ants on Biological Control in Field Crops

Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are usually considered serious pests. S. invicta workers, however, are voracious predators and are frequently among the most abundant predators in agroecosystems within their range. Unfortunately, fire ant workers may also attack beneficial insects and arthropods. The goal of this study was to quantify the relationship between the abundance of fire ant workers and the abundance of insect pests and their natural enemies in cotton and soybean. In addition, I used path analysis to estimate the direct and indirect effects (potential loss of pest control due to suppression of other natural enemies) of fire ants. Densities of S. invicta workers were negatively associated with all 16 herbivore taxa sampled in cotton and 13 of the 16 herbivore taxa sampled in soybean. These data suggest that red imported fire ants are important predators of the major insect pests of these crops. The abundance of fire ants, however, was also negatively correlated with the densities of 22 of 24 natural enemy taxa in cotton and 14 of 16 natural enemy taxa in soybean. It appears that fire ants are significant intraguild predators of some of the most important biological control agents in these crops. These indirect interactions were often complex because fire ants not only suppressed populations of beneficial natural enemies (i.e., natural enemies that had negative impacts on pest populations), but also suppressed natural enemies that interfered with biological control (i.e., intraguild predators that had net positive effects on pest populations). Detailed experimental work is needed to determine whether the benefits of pest suppression by fire ants outweigh the negative impact of fire ants on natural enemies. © 2001 Academic Press
Towards the use of situational information in information retrieval

This paper is an exploratory study of one approach to incorporating situational information into information retrieval systems, drawing on principles and methods of discourse linguistics. A tenet of discourse linguistics is that texts of a specific type possess a structure above the syntactic level, which follows conventions known to the people using such texts to communicate. In some cases, such as literature describing work done, the structure is closely related to situations, and may therefore be a useful representational vehicle for the present purpose. Abstracts of empirical research papers exhibit a well‐defined discourse‐level structure, which is revealed by lexical clues. Two methods of detecting the structure automatically are presented: (i) a Bayesian probabilistic analysis; and (ii) a neural network model. Both methods show promise in preliminary implementations. A study of users' oral problem statements indicates that they are not amenable to the same kind of processing. However, from in‐depth interviews with users and search intermediaries, the following conclusions are drawn: (i) the notion of a generic research script is meaningful to both users and intermediaries as a high‐level description of situation; (ii) a researcher's position in the script is a predictor of the relevance of documents; and (iii) currently, intermediaries can make very little use of situational information. The implications of these findings for system design are discussed, and a system structure presented to serve as a framework for future experimental work on the factors identified in this paper. The design calls for a dialogue with the user on his or her position in a research script and incorporates features permitting discourse‐level components of abstracts to be specified in search strategies.
The Cellular Transport of Magnesium in Rat Liver

The bidirectional transport of Mg in rat liver was studied using slices labeled with 28Mg in a closed two-compartment system under steady-state conditions. The influx (Kbs) and efflux (Ksb) transfer coefficients governing transport between the extracellular phase and a rapidly exchanging cell fraction were 0.074 and 0.019 per min, respectively. An increased extracellular concentration of Mg++ caused a 30% decrease in Kbs and a 31% increase in Ksb. A decreased extracellular Mg++ had an opposite effect. At 0°C, both transfer coefficients were reduced by 65%. Increased pH and NaCN increased transport, whereas Ca++ reduced transport. Reduced pH, altered Na+:K+ ratio, Sr++, glucose deletion, iodoacetate, ethanol, and lactate had no significant influence. Dinitrophenol reduced Ksb but had no effect on Kbs. These data support the thesis that the intracellular concentration of Mg is in part regulated by a reciprocal change in the influx transfer coefficient and a parallel change in the efflux transfer coefficient in response to altered extracellular concentrations of Mg++. The qualitative and quantitative similarities of Mg and Ca transport in this system suggest that Mg and Ca share a common transport mechanism which is primarily dependent upon the binding of these divalent cations to macromolecular ligands within the cell membrane or within the cell.
A Domain Specific Modeling Framework for Secure Network Applications

Domain specific languages (DSLs) provide a promising solution to directly represent and implement domain concepts (G. Cook, 2004). DSLs are visual or textual languages targeted to particular problem domains, rather than general-purpose languages that are aimed at any software problems. Various DSLs have been proposed and used for describing, for example, security aspects of network applications (e.g., role-based access control, data encryption and secure network links) (T. Lodderstedt et al., 2002). Although many experience reports have demonstrated DSLs can improve software development productivity (e.g., by M. Vokac, 2005), existing DSLs are supported only by specific tools and frameworks; there are few generic frameworks supporting arbitrary DSLs. This Ph.D. research investigates a generic model-driven development (MDD) framework that supports arbitrary DSLs, and empirically evaluates a series of techniques to develop such a framework. Steps towards creating the proposed framework include investigating a generic foundation to handle arbitrary DSLs; strategies, principles and tradeoffs in different DSL designs (e.g., DSL syntax and semantics); building blocks for modeling and programming domain concepts; transformation strategies from domain concepts to the final (compilable) source code; and development processes to leverage the proposed framework well
Familial hemiplegic migraine: more than just a headache.

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare autosomal dominant form of migraine with aura in which some degree of hemiparesis is present during attacks. In FHM, the aura typically lasts longer than in migraine with aura and usually comprises visual, sensory, aphasic, and motor symptoms.1 Some patients with FHM develop permanent neurologic deficits, most often nystagmus and ataxia. MRI may show cerebellar atrophy.2,3 FHM is genetically heterogeneous; there are at least three loci. The first gene identified was CACNA1A on chromosome 19p13 that encodes the α1A-subunit of the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC).4 More recently, mutations in ATP1A2 on chromosome 1q23 that encodes the α2-subunit of the Na+/K+ pump have been identified in a few families.5 Linkage studies in a small number of families have excluded both of these loci, indicating further genetic heterogeneity.6 P/Q-type VGCCs, located presynaptically and on somatodendritic membranes, are well …
A study of the reaction of 2-phenyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaborolidine with benzoyl chloride☆

Abstract Reaction of 2-phenyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaborolidine ( 2 ) with benzoyl chloride afforded N,N′-dibenzoyl-o-phenylenediamine ( 8 ) regardless of the amount of the acid chloride employed. Depending on the work-up procedure, the 2-phenylboron moiety was isolated as either phenylboronic acid or phenylboronic acid anhydride. In the absence of added bases, the reaction was observed to be susceptible to solvent assistance by ethers, presumably by coordination with the empty p-orbital of boron. In the presence of added amines, the extent of benzoylation was altered considerably. With pyridine as a co-reagent, small amounts of 1,3-dibenzoyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2,-benzodiazaborolidine mono- or dihydrocholoride were isolated though this compound readily underwent hydrolysis or oxidation upon standing. Interaction of 2 with sodium hydride in tetrahydrofuran caused ionization of only one of the two hydrogens bound to nitrogen even upon extended reflux. Benzoylation of the heterocycle under these latter conditions again afforded only the dibenzoylated compound 8 .