cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear power plant performance: the post Three Mile Island era

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between US nuclear plant performance and age in the post-TMI era. Our analysis indicates significant differences across technologies and over time. The boiling water reactors in our sample appear to be on the declining side of their age-performance curve while the pressurized water reactors have shown little of the improvement that was evident in the pre-TMI years. While age-related improvements were once thought to hold the promise of improved reliability and associated unit cost reductions, our analysis of more recent data suggests this is not to be.
Strongly nonlinear modal equations for nearly integrable PDEs

The purpose of this paper is the derivation of reduced, finite-dimensional dynamical systems that govern the near-integrable modulations ofN-phase, spatially periodic, integrable wavetrains. The small parameter in this perturbation theory is the size of the nonintegrable perturbation in the equation, rather than the amplitude of the solution, which is arbitrary. Therefore, these reduced equations locally approximate strongly nonlinear behavior of the nearly integrable PDE. The derivation we present relies heavily on the integrability of the underlying PDE and applies, in general, to anyN-phase periodic wavetrain. For specific applications, however, a numerical pretest is applied to fix the truncation orderN. We present one example of the reduction philosophy with the damped, driven sine-Gordon system and summarize our present progress toward application of the modulation equations to this numerical study.
Mao's Model for Socialist Transition Reconsidered:

Since the death of Mao Zedong, his intellectual and historical legacy has become the subject of vehement controversies both in the West and in China. Aside from the rather scholastic issues of how much of his thought and political action can be ascribed to him, and what instead has actually been the fruit of collaborators, it is important to assess what has been his contribution to communist philosophy and politics. Did Mao Zedong formulate a new doctrine able to shed some light on both practical and theoretical issues raised by socialist transition? Are his analyses really innovative or mere repetitions of widely known MarxistLeninist formulae? In order to find some possible answers, the attempt will be made here to examine Mao's views, comparing them with those of Lenin and Stalin, as well as with those of other Chinese theorists. As it will be argued, Mao provided the analytical tools for revising the traditional Leninist model of a socialist society and
Icosahedral order in glass: Acoustic properties

An icosahedral crystal in the non-Euclidean three-dimensional space ${S}^{3}$ models domains of icosahedral order in metallic glass. Crystal symmetries allow explicit construction and classification of vibrational eigenstates. We evaluate phonon frequencies numerically. Long-wavelength, low-frequency vibrations follow the predictions of continuum elastic theory in ${S}^{3}$, and of a hypothetical perfect icosahedral crystal in ${R}^{3}$. Isotropy of elastic moduli distinguishes icosahedral order from face-centered-cubic order.
Remote gas detection system for identifying fugitive emissions

Identifying fugitive emissions from large scale LNG and gas processing and handling facilities is a difficult time and resource intensive process. Because of the limitations of hand held gas detection devices, and the sheer size and complexity of these facilities, smaller leaks may go undetected for extended periods of time and unintended releases may occur when plant personnel are not present or the area monitored. While fugitive emissions are typically not of immediate safety and human health concern taken individually, reducing the total emissions from a large plant or a regional industry footprint could very well have an appreciable positive impact on the environment. ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) has developed a Remote Gas Detection (RGD) system that integrates computer vision algorithms and infrared (IR) optical technology that can autonomously scan for and identify small leaks such as those associated with fugitive emissions. Efficient identification of these emission sources will lead to better control and maintenance activities. The RGD system utilizes a custom build component based IR camera and integrated cooler assembly, and a computer vision algorithm that analyses the video output from the IR imagers to determine the presence of hydrocarbon plumes. Most hydrocarbon plumes have strong absorption peaks in the narrow mid-wave IR region. The algorithm takes advantage of the difference in contrast between a hydrocarbon plume and the background in each pixel of an IR image and the temporal changes due to plume behavior for the analysis. The algorithm compares sequentially collected IR images and uses a multi-stage confirmation process to confirm the detection and has built-in multiple filters that mitigate interferences like steam, and other moving objects such as humans and trees. Early field tests indicate that a 4 lb/hr propane leak could be autonomously detected from a distance of up to 800 feet. Also, initial testing comparing the RGD system to point and path detectors showed that a 2 lb/hr propane leak was successfully detected from 60 feet using the RGD system but did not elicit any response from a point detector located downwind 18 feet away. Multiple deployment opportunities at process facilities are currently underway. Results from field testing at these process facilities will help researchers investigate the effect of temperate and harsh weather conditions, the effect of varying temperatures and gain a better understanding of equipment wear and tear, maintenance requirements and possible life expectancies. These data sets will produce an accurate assessment of the performance of the RGD system under actual working conditions and will be used to qualify the technology for widespread adoption within the industry.
Electrical conductivity and ionic conduction mechanism in NaLiZrSi6O15 single crystals

Abstract The measurement of the ac conductivity in NaLiZrSi6O15 single crystals under controlle oxygen fugacity conditions indicate conductivity of about 0.003 Siemens/meter at 900°C. The conductivity is highest along [001], intermediate along [010], and least along [100]. A changing conduction mechanism is indicated by a change in activation energy at 524°C. Below this temperature, the conduction presumably takes place thorugh the migration of ionic and electronic defects. The ionic conduction above this temperature is facilitated by the partial migration of Na+ ions from the Na(1) site to the Na(2) site, which is vacant at RT. At high temperature, the Na(1)-Na(1) conduction path along [001] is favored over the Na(1)-Na(2) conduction path along [010] due to a difference in the bottlenecks along these paths. The long Na(1)-Na(1) nearest distance along [100] hinders Na+ migration along this direction.
A hybrid modeling approach for parking and traffic prediction in urban simulations

Urban simulations are an important tool for analyzing many policy questions relating to the usage of public space, roads, and communal transportation; they can be used to predict the long-term impact of new construction projects, traffic restrictions, and zoning laws. However, it is unwise to rely upon predictions from a single model since each technique possesses different strengths and weaknesses and can be highly sensitive to the choice of parameters and initial conditions. In this article, we describe a hybrid approach for combining agent-based and stochastic simulations (Markov chain Monte Carlo, MCMC) to improve the accuracy and reduce the variance of long-term predictions. In our proposed approach, the agent-based model is used to bootstrap the proposal distribution for the MCMC estimator. To demonstrate the applicability of our modeling technique, this article presents a case study describing the usage of our hybrid simulation method for forecasting transportation patterns and parking lot utilization on a large university campus. A comparison of our simulation results against an independently collected dataset reveals that our hybrid approach accurately predicts parking lot usage and performs significantly better than other comparable modeling techniques. Developing novel architectures for combining the predictions of agent-based models can produce insights that are different than simply selecting the best model.
Vapor-phase adsorption of alkylbenzenes and water on soils and clays

Abstract Vapor-phase adsorption of water and three alkylbenzenes (toluene, p-xylene, and ethylbenzene) on bentonite, kaolin, two soil samples, an aquifer material, and a silica gel was measured by a procedure in which vapor-phase concentrations were measured by trapping the vapors in methanol and adsorbed-phase concentrations were measured by methanol-extraction. Water in the methanol was measured by titration with Karl Fischer reagent; alkylbenzenes were measured by UV spectrophotometry and/or HPLC analysis. Bentonite and the two soil samples adsorbed much more water than alkylbenzene. Kaolin adsorbed nearly equal amounts of water and alkylbenzene, while silica gel adsorbed nearly twice as much of the alkylbenzenes as water. With the exception of water adsorption on bentonite and alkylbenzene adsorption on Oldsmar soil (Alfic Arenic Haplaquod), adsorption conformed to type-II adsorption isotherms which were adequately described by the BET adsorption model. Surface areas calculated from BET monolayer capacities indicated that the surface available for alkylbenzene adsorption was essentially that measured by N 2 adsorption except for silica gel. Values for the relative adsorption (the amount adsorbed divided by the monolayer capacity as determined by the BET model) of water and p-xylene were similar for several of the adsorbents used.
Effectiveness of 6-Row Crossflow Heat Exchangers Alternating Circuitry

Air-cooled heat exchangers with six tube rows are commonly seen in air-conditioning systems for large commercial and industry buildings. The analytical solutions of heat exchanger effectiveness for 6-row plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers with alternating circuitries have been derived and expressed explicitly in terms of heat capacity ratio, number of transfer units, and the dimensionless fluid temperature to the inlet of each row and section in this study. This set of exact solutions serve as a basic tool in designing heat exchanger circuitry to its most accurate effectiveness. Comparison of effectiveness between pure and alternating circuiting for 6-row crossflow heat exchangers shows that alternating circuiting could have less effectiveness than pure crossflow with identical circuiting from 1.0 to 7.9% for cases of NTUs range from 1.0 to 3.0 and capacity ratio of 0.5. Nevertheless, alternating circuit has its benefit of lowering the temperature difference between air- and refrigerant-flow, which leads to less pressure drop and less flow maldistribution, therefore resulting in better overall heat exchanger performance.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Midsouthern USA Soybean Yield Affected by Maturity Group and Planting Date

Soybean (Glycine max) is planted from late March through June in the midsouthern USA due to time, production, and environmental constraints. These plantings may utilize cultivars from maturity groups (MG) IV through VII, and are grown in both nonirrigated and irrigated environments. In irrigated April and May plantings, MG IV cultivars produced greater yields with greater irrigation efficiency than did MG V, VI, and VII cultivars. In nonirrigated April plantings, MG IV and V cultivars produced yields similar to each other. In nonirrigated early-May plantings, cultivars from all MGs produced similar yields, but days to maturity increased with increasing MG. In nonirrigated late-May plantings, MG V through VII cultivars had greater yields, whereas MG VI and VII cultivars yielded the most in nonirrigated plantings made after 31 May. This study shows that planting cultivars that are later than necessary for maximum yield results in increased days to maturity and a concurrent greater risk of detrimental late-season effects from drought and pests regardless of the planting date.
Rapid, objective detection of cataract-induced blur using a bull's eye photodetector.

Purpose To determine whether optical aberrations caused by cataract can be detected and quantified objectively using a newly described focus detection system (FDS). Setting The Wilmer Opthalmological Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Methods The FDS uses a bull's eye photodetector to measure the double-pass blur produced from a point source of light. To determine the range and level of focus, signals are measured with a series of trial lenses in the light path selected to span the point of best focus to generate focus curves. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refractive error, lens photograph grades, and FDS signals were obtained in 18 patients scheduled to have cataract surgery. The tests were repeated 6 weeks after surgery. Results The mean FDS outcome measures improved after cataract surgery, with increased peak height ( P =.001) and decreased peak width ( P =.001). Improvement in signal strength (integral of signal within ±1.5 diopters of the point of best focus) strongly correlated with improvement in peak height ( R 2 =.88, P R 2 =.72, P P R 2 =.44, P =.001) than with cataract grade ( R 2 =.25, P =.06). Conclusions Improvement in FDS outcome measures correlated with cataract severity and improvement in visual acuity. This objective approach may be useful in long-term studies of cataract progression.
Staff and patient safety: Issues surrounding the use of fall-injury-protection bedside floor mats at a large southeastern VA medical center community living center

Staff and patient injuries have been realized secondary to the use of fall-injury protection bedside floor mats at certain VA hospitals. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain whether patient and staff injuries occurred at our Veterans Administration Medical Center community living center (CLC) from these mats. A review of the OSHA 300 log, the administration of a questionnaire to staff, and patient safety, Community Living Center, and occupational health staff interviews regarding patient and staff injuries from mats were used in the investigation. Clinical significance was defined as staff or resident injuries from mats, and statistical significance was defined as statistically significant greater odds (Chi square at alpha of 0.05, and 95% odds ratio CIs) of staff being injured from mats versus other equipment in the workspace. The clinically significant criterion of staff and patient injuries from mats was realized; however, there were no statistically significant greater odds of staff injuries from mats compared with other equipment. The introduction of new technology into the patient and staff workspace, such as bedside floor mats, should take into consideration the possibility of creating new workspace hazards and vulnerabilities. End-user usability testing and feedback should be considered as essential components of an implementation process. Further investigations could focus on underreporting of staff and patient injuries, cost--benefit and risk--benefit analyses with regard to resident injuries and resident injury protection as a function of bedside mats, and investigating other potentially hazardous equipment in the workspace. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Should Children's Books Be Censored?.

(1993). Should Children's Books Be Censored? Westminster Studies in Education: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 41-51.
Short- and Long-Term Complications of Therapy for Testicular Cancer

We review the treatments used for testicular cancer and the complications associated with each modality of therapy. It is imperative the clinician recognize possible treatment-related morbidity when counseling and monitoring testicular cancer patients.
Limitations of angiography for mesenteric ischemia caused by midgut carcinoid tumors.

Mesenteric ischemia associated with carcinoid tumors often presents with nonspecific abdominal pain and is usually due to mesenteric branch artery occlusion caused by elastic vascular sclerosis. Mesenteric ischemia was defined by the operative findings of cyanosis or infarction. Eleven patients with intraabdominal metastatic carcinoid tumor were evaluated by angiography. Angiographic narrowing and occlusion of multiple peripheral jejunal and ileal intramesenteric branch arteries was present in 3 patients with mesenteric ischemia, but also occurred in 5 of 8 patients without mesenteric ischemia. Other angiographic abnormalities included staining of the primary tumor (5) or metastases (6), tenting of small mesenteric vessels (5), and occlusion of draining mesenteric veins (2). We conclude that in patients with midgut carcinoid tumors, angiographic narrowing and occlusion of peripheral mesenteric arteries most likely represents elastic vascular sclerosis, is indicative of mesenteric invasions of tumor, but correlates poorly with the presence of ischemia in the subtended bowel. Alternatively, a normal selective arteriogram should exclude mesenteric ischemia as the cause of abnormal pain.
The Other Unconscious

In this article, the author describes a possibly unfamiliar unconscious, namely the unconscious that arises from how our brains have evolved. That unconscious is active in sense perceptions, in many verbal and nonverbal aspects of language, and from our brains' propensity to posit instant explanations independent of relevant information. All of the sources used in the exposition are readily available to persons without any formal knowledge of sense perception, evolutionary psychology, linguistics, or neuroscience. As the narrative proceeds, applications to social work knowledge are presented.
Is There Backlash to Social Pressure? A Large-scale Field Experiment on Voter Mobilization

Using social pressure to mobilize voters has generated impressive increases in turnout (Gerber et al. Am Polit Sci Rev 102:33–48, 2008). However, voters may have negative reactions to social pressure treatments that reduce their effectiveness. Social psychologists have observed this ‘reactance’ to persuasive pressure about other behavior, but it has been overlooked in voter mobilization. Using a large-scale field experiment, we find treatments designed to reduce reactance are just as effective as heavy-handed social pressure treatments in mobilizing voters. The success of gentler social pressure treatments should make the use of social pressure more palatable to voter mobilization organizations.
Economic Impact of Training and Career Decisions on Urological Surgery

Purpose: Medical students and residents make career decisions at a relatively young age that have significant implications for their future income. While most of them attempt to estimate the impact of these decisions, there has been little effort to use economic principles to illustrate the impact of certain variables.Materials and Methods: The economic concept of net present value was paired with available Medical Group Management Association and Association of American Medical Colleges income data to calculate the value of career earnings based on variations in the choice of specialty, an academic vs a private practice career path and fellowship choices for urology and other medical fields.Results: Across all specialties academic careers were associated with lower career earnings than private practice. However, among surgical specialties the lowest difference in value between these 2 paths was for urologists at only $334,898. Fellowship analysis showed that training in pediatric urology was costly in fo...
Analysis of a possible sea floor strain measurement system

Abstract A logical approach to large area sea floor strain measurement is to use a set of precision acoustic transponders interrogated successively from a large number of different positions by a near‐bottom survey vehicle. Limiting errors in such an approach can be segregated into two classes implying two different scales on which averaging should be carried out. First are those arising from individual travel time and vehicle depth measurements. Second are those associated with imperfect knowledge of the sound propagation speed. The first are essentially independent from one measurement to the next; for the second, statistically independent observations must be separated by the order of 100 m. Several thousand observations of successive travel times to individual transponders would thus be smoothed to produce the equivalent of a smaller number (few hundred) of sets of simultaneous range observations, and then these sets would be used to determine the transponder array geometry. Computer simulations using...
High-resolution, real-time fringe pattern profilometry

This paper presents some of our recent work on high-resolution, real-time 3D profilometry using a digital fringe projection method. In particular, we utilize the unique projection mechanism of a single-chip digital-light-processing (DLP) projector: sequential channel-by-channel switching. Three phase-shifted fringe patterns are encoded into the three primary color channels and switched naturally. A high-speed charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, synchronized with the projector, is used to capture each individual color channel of the projector. Because color is not desirable, the color filters of the projector are removed, and an external trigger signal is supplied to enable its projection. Since three fringe images are sufficient to reconstruction one shape, this technique can, theoretically, reach the refresh rate of a projector (typically 120 Hz). However, due to the speed limit of the camera used, the data acquisition speed is up to 180 fps, thus the 3D shape measurement speed can be as high as 60 fps, as it requires three images to recover one 3D shape. To reach simultaneous 3D data acquisition, reconstruction, and display, we developed various efficient algorithms, and used advanced graphics hardware techniques to boost the processing. In this paper, we will summarize the technologies we developed, and will present some of the research results.
Compositional profiles of anodized aluminum on InP

Abstract Previously it has been shown that aluminum films on InP can be converted to Al2O3 by wet anodization and that a native InP oxide can be grown beneath the Al2O3 layer if the anodization is continued after all of the aluminum has been oxidized. This paper presents an investigation of the location of this oxide layer and the distribution of substrate elements within the Al2O3. The native oxide is found to be localized at the interface although oxidized and unoxidized indium is distributed throughout the Al2O3 after prolonged anodization. The results reported here differ from those previously reported for plasma anodization of aluminum films on InP.
Severe Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Despite Normally Contracting Subpapillary Myocardium

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is common and increases heart failure and mortality after myocardial infarction.1,2 It is caused by left ventricle (LV) remodeling and subsequent papillary muscle (PM) displacement, with secondary mitral leaflet tethering. It can be seen classically in global LV dilatation and dysfunction or with more local remodeling involving the posterior PM and inferoposterior basal to mid LV wall.3 We report a case in which mitral leaflet tethering and severe MR occurred without either of these typical scenarios. An 82-year-old woman presented to the emergency department for recent-onset progressive exertional dyspnea, orthopnea, and lower extremity edema. She had known hypertension with LV hypertrophy, normal systolic function, mitral annular calcification, and mild mitral regurgitation by echocardiogram 6 months previously. Medical history was notable for hyperlipidemia, transient ischemic attack, and family history of coronary artery disease. Initial evaluation revealed overt heart failure with elevated NT-proBNP (> 9000 pg/mL). Chest X-ray showed bilateral pleural effusions and pulmonary vascular redistribution (Figure 1). Cardiac troponins were negative, but ECG showed new T-wave inversions suggestive of anteroseptal ischemia (Figure 2). Echocardiogram revealed …
Design and characteristics of a variable-length record sort using new fixed-length record sorting techniques

This paper describes the application of several new techniques for sorting fixed-length records to the problem of variable-length record sorting. The techniques have been implemented on a Sylvania 9400 computer system with 32,000 fixed-length words of memory. Specifically, the techniques sequence variable-length records of unrestricted size, produce long initial strings of data, merge strings of data at the power of T - 1, where T is the number of work tapes in a system, and do not restrict the volume of input data.
Glass cleaning and its effects on the damp-heat stability of molybdenum on soda-lime glass

We investigated glass cleaning and its effects on the adhesion of molybdneum (Mo) in this study. The soda-lime glass (SLG) used to fabricate the CIGS device was subjected to different cleaning methods. The cleaning solution's pH, temperature of the ultasonication bath, the solution, and method of cleaning all showed significant influences on the cleanliness of the glass. The Mo films sputter-coated on differently cleaned glass substrates were subjected to testing in damp heat at 85°C and 85% relative humidity. The results, although not conclusive, show preliminary data supporting the hypothesis that the interfacial chemistry between the Mo and SLG glass due to the differences in cleaning methods significantly affects the Mo cracking and peeling mechanism.
Lower hybrid drift instability at the inner edge of the ring current

Excitation of electrostatic waves around and above the lower hybrid frequency at the inner edge of the ring current is investigated. The model consists of cold plasmaspheric ions; hot, dilute, inhomogeneous ring current ions; and cold charge neutralizing electrons. It is shown that in the presence of a sufficiently large density gradient the coupling of the lower hybrid with the drift cyclotron harmonic mode destabilizes the plasma. Unstable interactions also occur at higher cyclotron harmonics when the lower hybrid is replaced by an ion Bernstein mode. Additional power at frequencies above the lower hybrid frequency is attributed to the thermal enhancement by the hot ring current ions, which increases with their density gradient. Particle simulations are conducted, and comparison to AMPTE data is discussed.
Preparation of CD8bright and CD8dim lymphocyte populations using two positive selection methods in tandem.

Abstract Two positive selection methods were compared for the ability to capture both the bright and dim subsets of CD8 lymphocytes in mononuclear cell (MC) preparations from ten healthy individuals. The first method utilized anti-CD8-coated magnetic beads; captured cells were then recovered using a polyclonal sheep anti-mouse Fab reagent. At all bead: CD8 cell ratios tested (4:1, 8:1, 16:1), the selected cells were >94% CD8 + , and these CD8 cells were enriched for CD8 bright cells (77–85%) when compared to CD8 cells in the starting MC preparation (68%). The second method utilized anti-CD8-coated culture flasks; captured cells were recovered by physical dislodgement. The recovered cells were >90% CD8 + , and these CD8 cells were modestly enriched for CD8 dim cells (52%) compared to starting CD8 cells (32%). To further enrich for CD8 dim cells, we used these two methods in tandem ( n = 10). MC were first incubated with anti-CD8-coated magnetic beads (4:1 ratio) to obtain a CD8 bright -enriched population (97% of all cells CD8 + , 83% of all cells CD8 bright ). Uncaptured cells were incubated with anti-CD4-coated magnetic beads, and the uncaptured cells from this step were then placed in an anti-CD8-coated flask. The recovered flask-selected cell population was highly enriched for CD8 dim cells (87% of all cells CD8 + , 85% of all cells CD8 dim ). CD8 cells in the CD8 bright population were 94% CD3 + and 6% CD16 + , whereas those in the CD8 dim population were 29% CD3 + and 66% CD16 + . In proliferative studies, CD8 bright cells were preferentially activated by immobilized anti-CD3, whereas CD8 dim cells were preferentially activated by exogenous IL-2. In assays of natural killer activity, CD8 dim cells were markedly more active than CD8 bright cells. This method provides an alternative to cell sorting for obtaining enriched populations of CD8 bright and CD8 dim lymphocytes.
Homozygous diploid deletion strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that determine lag phase and dehydration tolerance

This study identifies genes that determine length of lag phase, using the model eukaryotic organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report growth of a yeast deletion series following variations in the lag phase induced by variable storage times after drying-down yeast on filters. Using a homozygous diploid deletion pool, lag times ranging from 0 h to 90 h were associated with increased drop-out of mitochondrial genes and increased survival of nuclear genes. Simple linear regression (R2 analysis) shows that there are over 500 genes for which > 70% of the variation can be explained by lag alone. In the genes with a positive correlation, such that the gene abundance increases with lag and hence the deletion strain is suitable for survival during prolonged storage, there is a strong predominance of nucleonic genes. In the genes with a negative correlation, such that the gene abundance decreases with lag and hence the strain may be critical for getting yeast out of the lag phase, there is a strong predominance of glycoproteins and transmembrane proteins. This study identifies yeast deletion strains with survival advantage on prolonged storage and amplifies our understanding of the genes critical for getting out of the lag phase.
Inhibition of sexual maturation in juvenile female and male mice by a chemosignal of female origin

Abstract Maturation of juvenile house mice ( Mus domesticus ) exposed to synthetic 2,5-dimethylpyrazine was compared to the maturation of juvenile male and female mice exposed to urine from adult males and grouped females. Exposure of juvenile male mice to the synthetic compound significantly inhibited the growth of their testes and sex-accessory glands in a fashion similar to the urine of adult males and grouped females. The uterine weight and the presence of ova in the oviducts in females was strongly affected by synthetic stimuli. The majority of females (76–84%) exposed either to grouped females' urine or to the synthetic compound did not exhibit significant uterine weight increase and did not achieve pubertal ovulation before the age of 30 days as it has been reported for control mice. It is suggested that 2,5-dimethylpyrazine delays puberty of juvenile conspecifics in a population and may function whenever the living conditions of growing animals are below the level required for successful reproduction.
IONIZATION YIELD OF PROTONS IN NITROGEN AND ARGON

The total ionization yield of protons in nitrogen and argon gases was studied for energies in the range of a few to 250 kev. A large cylindrical ionization chamber was used for this study. The chamber was alternately operated as a proportional counter and an ionization chamber to measure the rate with which the protons entered the chamber and the total ionization produced by them, respectively. The results indicated a straight-line relation between the ionization yield and proton energy for energies above 75 kev in nitrogen and above 25 kev in argon. Straight-line plots of the data had slopes corresponding to 36.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7 ev per ion pair for nitrogen and 26.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 ev per ion pair for argon. For argon the straight-line plot intercepted the energy axis at 1.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9 kev, indicating a slight ionization defect.
4.4L: Late‐News Paper: Ink‐Jet Printing Technology and Its Application in Polymer Multicolor EL Displays

Inkjet printing (IJP) technology is a popular technology for desktop publishing. In this abstract, we present the first successful demonstration of patterning the polymer electroluminescent devices using the IJP technology. The use of this concept represents a whole new technology of fabricating polyemr multicolor displays with high precision lateral patterning capability.
Exploring How a Shift in the Physical Environment Shapes Individual and Group Behavior across Two Social Contexts

The presence or absence of social counterparts can be instrumental in shaping both individual and collective behaviors. Furthermore, factors of the social environment may safeguard individuals from environmental stressors. In the study reported here, we tested the effects of moving into a new habitat on the mean, variance, and repeatability of individual behavioral tendencies between two social contexts (isolated vs. in a social group). Using the arid social spider, Stegodyphus dumicola (Araneae: Eresidae), we tested whether individuals' boldness was influenced by either (i) their time spent in a social group or (ii) their latency since having moved into a new habitat. We found that the effect of moving into a new habitat on individuals' boldness depended on whether spiders entered the novel environment in isolation or as part of a social group. Spiders that experienced a habitat shift with a social group showed no change in their average boldness, whereas individuals that shifted environments in isolation showed an increase in their mean boldness. Interestingly, neither of these trends was influenced by the time which had elapsed since the habitat shift, suggesting that shifting habitats has a lasting effect on isolated spiders' behavioral tendencies. Finally, we assessed how time spent in a new environment influenced colonies' collective foraging behavior. Here, we found that the longer social groups remained in a new environment, the faster the group responded to prey. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the effects of shifting physical environments on individuals' boldness may depend on individuals' social context, and that group tenure is associated with subtle shifts in colonies' collective foraging behavior.
Postoperative bleeding in an undiagnosed hemophilia A patient: report of case

An impacted mandibular third molar was extracted. Although the 20-year-old patient had no history of a bleeding disorder, he experienced severe bleeding which continued intermittently for 1 week. After hospital admission and testing, a diagnosis of hemophilia A was made. Additional review of the literature on this disorder is included.
Testicular regression in relation to incubation effort in a tropical cuckoo.

Abstract Testes of male groove-billed anis collected from three communally breeding groups at different stages of nesting (egg-laying, early incubation, and midincubation) were examined histologically. Dominant males exhibited extreme testicular regression during incubation, whereas subordinate males did not. The dominant male within each group typically performs a much greater proportion of the incubation duties than the subordinate males perform.
Pulmonary disease in idiopathic urticarial vasculitis

A 45-year-old woman developed chronic urticaria clinically and cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis histologically, with arthralgias, abdominal pain, angioedema, hemoptysis, and pleuritic chest pain. An open lung biopsy revealed a leukocytoclastic vasculitis of the pulmonary venules, which may be etiologically associated with the chronic obstructive lung disease detected in this patient by pulmonary function tests. The documentation of pulmonary disease in patients with urticarial vasculitis emphasizes the potentially serious nature of this disorder and the need for careful diagnosis and prompt, vigorous treatment.
Persistent Low Concentration of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in a Nonpregnant Woman

A 48-year-old woman presented for radio-iodine ablation therapy 3 months after undergoing a complete thyroidectomy performed for compressive goiter symptoms. The patient’s medical history included stage-3 follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer with no nodal involvement and no metastatic disease. A 6.5-cm papillary carcinoma had been identified and removed surgically. Despite this surgical treatment, 3 foci were detected by 125I uptake testing, a finding that prompted the use of therapeutic ablation. Because the patient reported 5 months of amenorrhea, a quantitative serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test (hCG+β assay, Roche Diagnostics) was performed to rule out pregnancy. The result was 7.0 IU/L (reference interval: <5.0) and the administration of 100 mCi I131 was cancelled owing to concern for a potential pregnancy. A repeat hCG test performed 4 days later was 7.0 IU/L. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was determined to be 110 IU/L [reference intervals: 1.9–11.6 (follicular phase), 1.4–9.6 (luteal phase), and 21.5–131 IU/L (postmenopausal)]. hCG is produced by the trophoblastic tissue of the placenta and hence is a reliable marker for pregnancy. hCG also has clinical utility as a tumor marker because of its production by trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic neoplasms. Finally, hCG is also produced by the gonadotropic cells of the pituitary during the menopause (1)(2). As demonstrated by this patient, a persistent low concentration of hCG is particularly perplexing. Such cases have 3 potential etiologies: (a) false-positive hCG due to interfering antibodies, (b) quiescent gestational trophoblastic disease, and (c) pituitary hCG. ### false-positive hCG due to interfering antibodies There are several reports of falsely increased hCG due to endogenously produced interfering antibodies (3). Interfering antibodies can be of 2 types: human antianimal antibodies (HAAA) or heterophile antibodies. HAAAs are directed toward a specific antigen and may be produced after treatment with therapeutic antibodies or exposure to animal antigens (4). Heterophile antibodies display …
Stroke Patient Outcomes in US Hospitals Before the Start of the Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification Program

Background and Purpose— The Joint Commission (JC) began certifying Primary Stroke Centers in November 2003. Cross-sectional studies assessing the impact of certification could be biased if these centers had better outcomes before the start of the program. We determined whether hospitals certified within the first years of the JC program had better outcomes than noncertified hospitals before the start of the certification program. Methods— The study sample included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries ≥65 years of age discharged with ischemic stroke in 2002 from 5070 hospitals, 317 of which were JC-certified by June 2007. Hierarchical logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission for patients treated at future JC-certified versus noncertified hospitals. Results— Among 366 551 patients, 18% (66 300) were treated at hospitals with centers that were JC-certified within the first few years of the program. These pat...
Mixed finite-difference scheme for analysis of simply supported thick plates

A mixed finite-difference scheme is presented for the stress and free vibration analysis of simply supported nonhomogeneous and layered orthotropic thick plates. The analytical formulation is based on the linear, three-dimensional theory of orthotropic elasticity and a Fourier approach is used to reduce the governing equations to six first-order ordinary differential equations in the thickness coordinate. The governing equations possess a symmetric coefficient matrix and are free of derivatives of the elastic characteristics of the plate. In the finite difference discretization two interlacing grids are used for the different fundamental unknowns in such a way as to reduce both the local discretization error and the bandwidth of the resulting finite-difference field equations. Numerical studies are presented for the effects of reducing the interior and boundary discretization errors and of mesh refinement on the accuracy and convergence of solutions. It is shown that the proposed scheme, in addition to a number of other advantages, leads to highly accurate results, even when a small number of finite difference intervals is used.
The effect of piperonyl butoxide and triorthocresyl phosphate on the activity and metabolism of altosid (isopropyl 11-methoxy, 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoate) in Tenebrio molitor L. and Oncopeltus fasciatus (dallas)

Abstract Altosid (I) was found to have an ED50 of 0.026 μg/g in T. molitor and 5.0 μg/g in O. fasciatus. The juvenilizing activity of I in T. molitor was increased by co-treatment with piperonyl butoxide (PB) and triorthocresyl phosphate (TOCP). The activity of I in O. fasciatus, was considerably decreased by PB and TOCP indicating the blocking of an activation reaction. The presumptive metabolities of I, isopropyl 11-hydroxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoate, (II), 11-methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoic acid (III), and 11-hydroxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoic acid (IV) were tested for juvenilizing activity in O. fasciatus and II was found to be four times more active than I. IV was more active than III but less active than I. Co-treatment of II with PB or TOCP did not decrease activity, indicating that II is a true activation product. Uptake studies with 14C-I showed that the difference in activity between the two insects was not due to differences in uptake. Forty-eight hours after treatment 30% of I was lost from the cuticle by evaporation. Metabolic studies showed that PB inhibited the formation of II and TOCP inhibited the formation of III in T. molitor while in O. fasciatus both synergists inhibited the formation of II.
Tibial bypass for limb salvage using polytetrafluoroethylene and a distal vein patch.

Abstract Objective: Tibial artery bypass for limb salvage may be required in patients without adequate autogenous vein. The interposition of venous tissue at the distal anastomosis has been advocated to improve the results of prosthetic grafts to tibial arteries. Having reported on technical feasibility and an early experience with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and a distal vein patch (DVP), we examine the results of this technique with 4-year follow-up. Methods: From July 1993 to July 1999, 514 tibial bypass grafts were performed, with 80 bypass grafts in 79 patients with PTFE/DVP as the conduit. Patient demographics included 39 men and 40 women (mean age, 67 years); 42 had diabetes mellitus (53%), 16 had renal failure (20%), and 48 had Eagle criteria for increased cardiac risk (60%). Indications for revascularization were rest pain in 39 (49%) and tissue loss in 41 (51%). Lack of adequate vein resulted from previous failed lower extremity bypass graft (47 [59%]), previous coronary bypass graft (21 [26%]), unsuitable vein (8 [10%]), and absent vein due to ligation and stripping (4 [5%]). Follow-up ranged from 1 to 48 months. Results are reported as primary patency or limb salvage ± SE. Results: Bypass grafts originated from the common femoral artery (40 [50%]), the superficial femoral artery (6 [8%]), and the external iliac artery (34 [43%]). Recipient arteries included anterior tibial (17 [21%]), posterior tibial (28 [35%]), and peroneal (35 [44%]). Four-year primary patency and limb salvage rates were 62.89% ± 10.6% and 79.21% ± 8.45%, respectively. There was a 24% mortality rate during the follow-up period. Acute failure occurred in 7 grafts with 5 immediate amputations and 2 revisions. A total of 17 grafts failed during the follow-up period, leading to 11 amputations. Conclusion: The DVP technique allows PTFE bypass grafts to tibial arteries with acceptable long-term patency and limb salvage. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:266-72.)
Topological and statistical properties of quantum control transition landscapes

A puzzle arising in the control of quantum dynamics is to explain the relative ease with which high-quality control solutions can be found in the laboratory and in simulations. The emerging explanation appears to lie in the nature of the quantum control landscape, which is an observable as a function of the control variables. This work considers the common case of the observable being the transition probability between an initial and a target state. For any controllable quantum system, this landscape contains only global maxima and minima, and no local extrema traps. The probability distribution function for the landscape value is used to calculate the relative volume of the region of the landscape corresponding to good control solutions. The topology of the global optima of the landscape is analysed and the optima are shown to have inherent robustness to variations in the controls. Although the relative landscape volume of good control solutions is found to shrink rapidly as the system Hilbert space dimension increases, the highly favourable landscape topology at and away from the global optima provides a rationale for understanding the relative ease of finding high-quality, stable quantum optimal control solutions.
Measurement of in-air output ratios using different miniphantom materials

In-air output ratios, S(c), were measured using miniphantoms made of PMMA (thickness 2.4-24 g cm(-2)), graphite (1.8-26.5 g cm(-2)), copper (1.6-23.3 g cm(-2)) and lead (2.3-21.6 g cm(-2)), for collimator settings of 3 x 3 to 40 x 40 cm(2), and x-ray energies of 6 MV and 15 MV, respectively. The effects of the miniphantom on S(c) were quantified as correction factors as functions of collimator setting, material types and miniphantom thickness for each photon energy to correct the measured values. For miniphantoms with sufficient thickness to eliminate electron disequilibrium, the total correction factors can be expressed as multiplications of three factors: the attenuation correction factor, the mass energy absorption correction factor and the phantom scatter correction factor. This formalism implies that the collimator setting dependence of the correction factor is mainly caused by the energy spectrum shift. The narrow-beam attenuation coefficients in various phantom materials for different collimator settings were determined in narrow-beam geometries using a specially constructed collimator mounted on the tray holder of the accelerator. We have determined that the maximum total correction factor is approximately 1.01. For miniphantoms made of PMMA, graphite, copper and lead, at the miniphantom thickness of 10 g cm(-2), the maximum total correction factors are 1.002, 1.003, 1.005, 1.007, and 1.002, 1.003, 1.008 and 1.009 for 6 MV and 15 MV, respectively.
The Complexity of Trust-Control Relationships in Creative Organizations: Insights From a Qualitative Analysis of a Conductorless Orchestra

Using a qualitative approach, I study two processes of intra-organizational cooperation and coordination – control and trust – in creative organizations. Specifically, I analyze the complex nature of trust-control relationships in Orpheus orchestra, the world's largest contemporary conductorless orchestra. I discuss how it rehearses and performs without a baton holder and benefits from the creativity of all musicians. This study supports the duality perspective of trust-control relationships. While competence trust and goodwill trust enable musicians to participate in organizational decision-making and be creative, it is behavioral, input, output and social control strategies that facilitate the development of trust and help ensure the orchestra's long-term success. Trust-control duality allows Orpheus to achieve "optimal distinctiveness," which aligns creativity and artistic freedoms with the goals of economic stability.