cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunogenic effect of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine: Comparison of 20 μg and 40 μg doses

The immunogenic effect of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine (Merck Heptavax B) was evaluated in 202 seronegative healthy medical personnel. Three inoculations of vaccine were given at 1-month intervals. Of 116 vaccinees who received a 40-microgram dose, 39% had an anti-HBs response 1 month after the first dose, 88% 1 month after the second dose, and 99% 1 month after the third dose. Of 86 vaccinees who received a 20 microgram dose, 40% had an anti-HBs response 1 month after the first dose, 79% after the second dose, and 95% after the third dose. These results confirm the high immunogenic effect of a 20-microgram dose of vaccine.
Gastric Retentive Drug-Delivery Systems

The development of a long-term oral controlled-release dosage form has been difficult mainly because of the transit of the dosage form through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Several approaches to extend gastric residence time have been tried. The most commonly used systems are (1) intragastric floating systems, (2) high-density systems, (3) mucoadhesive systems, (4) magnetic systems, (5) unfoldable, extendible, or swellable systems, and (6) superporous hydrogel systems. The concept of each approach is examined, and improvements that are needed for further development are discussed. Background materials in the GI physiology that are necessary for understanding the concept and usefulness of each approach are also provided.
Service Orientation and Small Business Marketing

ABSTRACT In an environment of ever increasing competition, small businesses are beginning to recognize that adopting a strong service orientation in their marketing efforts not only gives them a differential advantage, but is also fast becoming a prerequisite for their survival. This study introduces a classification scheme which identifies firms by their degrees of involvement in service orientation. This typology was validated in a nationwide survey of retail nurseries. The findings supported the hypotheses that a strong service orientation does have a dramatic impact on a business's marketing decisions. It is hoped that recognition of these distinctions will offer strategic insights for small business practitioners in making marketing and promotion decisions.
Picometer accuracy white light fringe modeling for SIM PlanetQuest spectral calibration development unit

The SIM PlanetQuest Mission will perform astrometry to one microarcsecond accuracy using optical interferometers requiring optical path delay difference (OPD) measurements accurate to tens of picometers. Success relies on very precise calibration. Spectral Calibration Development Unit (SCDU) has been built to demonstrate the capability of calibrating spectral dependency of the white light fringe OPD to accuracy better than 20pm. In this article, we present the spectral calibration modeling work for SCDU to achieve the SIM PlanetQuest Engineering Milestone 4. SCDU data analysis shows that the wave front aberrations cause the instrument phase dispersions to vary by tens of nanometers over the bandwidth of a CCD pixel making the previous model inadequate. We include the effect of the wave front aberrations in the white light fringe model and develop a procedure for calibrating the corresponding model parameters using long stroke fringe data based on Discrete Fourier Transform. We make the calibration procedure flight traceable by dividing the whole calibration into the instrument calibration and the source spectral calibration. End-to-end simulations are used to quantify both the systematic and random errors in spectral calibration. The efficacy of the calibration scheme is demonstrated using the SCDU experimental data.
Induction of Pituitary Tumors by Means of Ionizing Irradiation.

Summary and ConclusionsPituitary tumors were induced in mice by a single exposure to ionizing irradiation. The greatest incidence occurred among mice exposed to doses of gamma radiation somewhat below the LD50. These Tumors were about four times more frequent among females than among males. Neutrons appear more efficient in inducing these neoplasms than gamma rays, and the data suggest that doses as low as 40- 70 rern may induce such tumors. The period of latency of these neoplasms is very long, the maximum incidence being at 17-25 months postirradiation.
MINIMUM THICKNESS OF COMPACTED SOIL LINERS: II. ANALYSIS AND CASE HISTORIES

The stochastic models described in a companion paper were used to analyze compacted soil liners with a variable number of 15 cm (6 in.) thick lifts. No optimum number of lifts could be defined based on first‐passage time; first‐passage time increased as the thickness increased. Both models showed that the flux through the liner and the equivalent hydraulic conductivity decreased and the mean hydraulic conductivity (modeled as a lognormally distributed random variable) of lifts decreased. There was little benefit to increasing the number of lifts beyond four to six lifts. An analysis of case histories of in situ hydraulic conductivity also showed little reduction in hydraulic conductivity when the number of lifts was increased beyond four to six. Based upon hydraulic conductivity considerations, the recommended minimum thickness of compacted soil liners is four to six lifts, or 60 cm to 90 cm (2 ft to 3 ft).
Optimizations Under Uncertainty Using Gradients, Hessians, and Surrogate Models

In this article, a first-order moment method and a kriging surrogate model are used for optimizations under uncertainty applied to two-bar truss designs and two-dimensional lift-constrained drag minimizations. Given uncertainties in statistically independent, random, normally distributed input variables, the two approaches are used to propagate these uncertainties through the mathematical model and to approximate output statistics of interest. To assess the validity of the approximations, the results are compared with full Monte Carlo simulations. When using first-order moment methods for robust optimizations, first-order sensitivity derivatives appear in the objective function and system constraints. Therefore, second-order sensitivity derivatives are needed for gradient-based optimization approaches. When the kriging surrogate model is used to calculate the objective function value and system constraints, it will be shown that a gradient predictor for the kriging model can be successfully used for gradi...
Results for Operational Correction of Tilt Induced Sample Position Error for the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS)

A comparison of S-HIS noise performance on various airborne platforms is presented. Specific emphasis is placed on the operational correction of tilt induced sample position error.
Cosmogenic10Be,26Al, and3He in olivine from Maui lavas

We report the presence of cosmogenic10Be and26Al in olivines from the Maui Haleakala basalts in which cosmogenic3He and21Ne were discovered. Based on production-rate calibrations in quartz crystals from late Pleistocene granite exposures in the Sierra Nevada, the Haleakala crater erosion rates derived from10Be and26Al concentrations agree within 10% and give a mean rate of 12 m/Myr, about 40% greater than the rate of 8.5 m/Myr previously derived from3He measurements. These results establish the feasibility of the simultaneous use of radioactive and stable cosmogenic nuclides for studies of exposure-ages and erosion-rates in basaltic and andesitic terrains.
The analysis of academic retrenchment using parametric programming and markov chains

Abstract This paper, recognizing that retrenchment is the prognosis for the forseeable future for most collegiate institutions, employs Markov chains to trace the passage of faculty in time, and linear and parametric programming to provide guidelines for control of faculty size and composition. If cutbacks in size need to be carried out, how best should this be done? How does affirmative action influence the decision? What about accrediting agency regulations? What effects on quality can be anticipated? What policies should be recognized simultaneously? These and other questions are examined on both short-run and long-run bases using aggregated variables and a very detailed illustration.
Dissecting multidisciplinary cardiac surgery rounds.

Background Multidisciplinary rounds in the critical care environment have demonstrated increased communication, a reduction in medical errors, a shorter hospital stay, and consequently, economic savings. We attempt to assess the cost of this intervention, and to review the time utilization of professionals participating in the process. Methods We analyzed video-recorded weekly multidisciplinary teaching rounds on cardiac patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (n = 22). Rounding time was categorized as presentation or discussion and was measured in minutes. The cost of a round was calculated by multiplying the hourly salary of all healthcare professionals present by the time spent rounding and measured in US dollars. Results Median rounding time per patient was 15 minutes (range, 5 to 29). Patient presentation took between 2 and 8 minutes (median 4), or 26% of the rounding time. Time needed for discussion, including teaching and planning, varied between 2 and 25 minutes (median 10.5). Median number of participants was 13.5 (range, 11 and 16). Mean cost in salaries per patient rounded was $140.87 (95% confidence interval: $106.80 to $174.90). Conclusions Multidisciplinary rounds are a low-cost medical intervention with proven benefits. Available tools and rounding cultural changes should be adopted to shorten data retrieval and presentation time to the benefit of discussion and teaching. Current billing requirements for rounding multidisciplinary teams do not reflect the realities of their time use.
The role of dissolved gases in determining the behavior of mineral insulating oils

Abstract The characteristics of gas solution in mineral oil are discussed. Data covering the changing gas solubility with temperature and pressure are given. The dielectric strength of oil is shown to be dependent on the kind and amount of its dissolved gas. The dielectric strength-gas content of oil bears a close relation to the recognized dielectric behavior of air itself.It is suggested that the usual dielectric strength of oil measures only the ease of oil “gassing” which may be dependent in part- at least, on dissolved impurities.
Sunset Science. IV. Low-Altitude Refraction

Established authorities have disagreed about the relative importance of the upper and lower atmosphere in producing astronomical refraction for nearly two centuries. This paper resolves the problem and corrects some prominent errors. The refraction near the horizon is explored in some detail, and its relation to terrestrial refraction, and the effects of thermal inversions in the nocturnal boundary layer, are examined. At many observatories, the refraction at the apparent horizon comes mostly from the air between the observatory and sea level.
Conversion to oral controlled-release oxycodone from intravenous opioid analgesic in the postoperative setting.

OBJECTIVE. This study assessed conversion factors utilized by physicians to transfer postoperative patients from intravenous opioids to oral controlled-release (CR) oxycodone and the subsequent analgesic effectiveness. DESIGN. This was a multicenter, open-label, usual-use study of 189 hospitalized postoperative patients receiving opioid (usually morphine) intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) for at least 12 to 24 hours post-procedure. Patients who were tolerant of oral medications and without signs of paralytic ileus were converted to oral CR oxycodone, given every 12 hours for up to 7 days. RESULTS. The mean (±SE) conversion factor used to convert IV PCA morphine to CR oxycodone was 1.2 ± 0.1 (N=159). The initial CR oxycodone doses, based on individual conversion factors from IV PCA morphine, produced significant reductions in pain intensity (scores ≤4) within 6 hours after the initial dose. The mean ± SE initial dose of CR oxycodone, for patients converted from IV PCA morphine, was 27 ± 1 mg; that for all patients was 29 ± 2 mg. Pain at the end of the first 12 hours was controlled with these initial doses. The most common adverse events were constipation, nausea, and pruritus. CONCLUSIONS. Administered at least 12 hours following abdominal, orthopedic, or gynecologic surgery, an initial oral CR oxycodone dose calculated by multiplying the amount of IV morphine used in the previous 24 hours (immediate postoperative period) by a conversion factor of 1.2, on average, provided adequate pain control during the subsequent 12-hour dosing interval and for a maximum of 7 days. Adverse events were consistent with opioid side effects.
Current therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is common in the United States with an estimated prevalence of 2.7 million persons. Fortunately, the incidence of new infections has markedly declined in recent years and the natural history of chronic hepatitis usually only results in significant progression after several decades of infection. However, the majority of chronically infected patients acquired their infections more than 20 years ago; these patients with long-standing chronic hepatitis are now presenting in increasing numbers with decompensated cirrhosis and the need for liver transplantation. Cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C is now the most common indication for liver transplantation. Interferon monotherapy became clinically available 10 years ago but resulted in sustained improvement in liver disease and durable loss of detectable virus in fewer than 10% of treated patients. The recent use of the combination of interferon with the nucleoside analogue ribavirin for 6–12 months results in a sustained virological response in 30%–40% of previously untreated patients. The response to this combination therapy is also excellent in patients who had initially responded to interferon monotherapy and later relapsed. Furthermore, some recent studies suggest that a small proportion of patients who failed to respond to a prior course of interferon (primarily noncirrhotic patients with low levels of virus and genotypes other than 1) may also benefit from retreatment with this combination.
Complicated basins in external-cavity semiconductor lasers

We demonstrate that complicated basins of attraction can occur in time-delay coupled, external-cavity semiconductor lasers. In particular, we find that there can be multiple coexisting attractors associated with low-frequency fluctuations in the laser power output, and prediction of the asymptotic attractor for specific initial conditions is practically impossible.
Sex-Specific Embryonic Gene Expression in Species with Newly Evolved Sex Chromosomes

Sex chromosome dosage differences between females and males are a significant form of natural genetic variation in many species. Like many species with chromosomal sex determination, Drosophila females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y. Fusions of sex chromosomes with autosomes have occurred along the lineage leading to D. pseudoobscura and D. miranda. The resulting neo-sex chromosomes are gradually evolving the properties of sex chromosomes, and neo-X chromosomes are becoming targets for the molecular mechanisms that compensate for differences in X chromosome dose between sexes. We have previously shown that D. melanogaster possess at least two dosage compensation mechanisms: the well- characterized MSL-mediated dosage compensation active in most somatic tissues, and another system active during early embryogenesis prior to the onset of MSL-mediated dosage compensation. To better understand the developmental constraints on sex chromosome gene expression and evolution, we sequenced mRNA from individual male and female embryos of D. pseudoobscura and D. miranda, from ∼0.5 to 8 hours of development. Autosomal expression levels are highly conserved between these species. But, unlike D. melanogaster, we observe a general lack of dosage compensation in D. pseudoobscura and D. miranda prior to the onset of MSL-mediated dosage compensation. Thus, either there has been a lineage-specific gain or loss in early dosage compensation mechanism(s) or increasing X chromosome dose may strain dosage compensation systems and make them less effective. The extent of female bias on the X chromosomes decreases through developmental time with the establishment of MSL-mediated dosage compensation, but may do so more slowly in D. miranda than D. pseudoobscura. These results also prompt a number of questions about whether species with more sex-linked genes have more sex-specific phenotypes, and how much transcript level variance is tolerable during critical stages of development.
Nonadiabatic atom-atom collisions - Two-state impact-parameter calculation of the H/1s/ plus H/1s/ equals H/1s/ plus H/2s/ cross section including electron exchange

Nonadiabatic H-H collisions cross sections in two state time dependent impact parameter approximation, including electron exchange
A review of the transportation mode choice and carrier selection literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to categorize transportation choice research (mode choice and carrier selection) leading to insight on themes in the literature and directions for future researchDesign/methodology/approach – The proposed transportation choice research categorization framework is based on a comprehensive literature review of the peer‐reviewed journal papers published over the past 20 years, supplemented with a review of practitioner articles to identify current challenges in the logistics field. The academic papers are analyzed in terms of research purpose/question, methodology, findings, and challenges addressed.Findings – The review reveals that several important themes are under‐represented in the transportation choice literature: environmental and energy use concerns; security in the supply chain; supply chain integration; international growth; and the role of the internet and emerging information technologies. This review also found that simulation, case study, and interview met...
Oxygen enhancement ratios (OERS) for somatic mutations in tradescantia stamen hairs

Oxygen enhancement ratios (OERs) were determined for pink mutations in stamen hairs of Tradescantia clone 02. These were determined for X-rays (OER of 3·2) and neutrons at six energies ranging from 0·395 to 13·4-MeV (OERs ranging from 1·32 to 1·68). Unlike RBE, OER values showed only a slight dependence on neutron energy and were not found to vary as a function of dose. Our results appear consistent with OERs generally reported from other systems, but at certain energies do not agree with results previously reported for Tradescantia .
IL-1 and IL-1 receptor antagonist regulation during keratinocyte cell cycle and differentiation in normal and psoriatic epidermis

Changes in the levels of IL-1 (IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and its receptor antagonist, IL-1RA) occur upon keratinocyte differentiation in vitro and are associated in vivo with abnormal differentiated and hyperproliferative states of psoriatic keratinocytes. A flow cytometric procedure, capable of detecting changes in the intracellular levels of IL-1, was used to determine whether intracellular IL-1/IL-1RA levels in psoriatic and normal keratinocytes alter during in vivo differentiation and the cell cycle. Increases in the IL-1RA levels and IL-1alpha levels were observed as both normal and psoriatic keratinocytes differentiated from basal stem cells (beta1 integrin+, small size) into transient amplifying cells (TAC; beta1 integrin+, large size). Upon further differentiation (beta1 integrin-, large size) both IL-1RA and IL-1alpha levels dropped. However, while psoriatic IL-1beta levels increased as cells differentiated into TACs, little change occurred in the IL-1beta levels of normal keratinocytes during differentiation. Changes in IL-1/IL-1RA levels were also detected as keratinocytes progressed through the cell cycle. Within the basal stem cell population of both normal and psoriatic keratinocytes, the IL-1alpha and IL-1RA levels increased between G0/G1 and S but not between S and G2/M. However, psoriatic basal keratinocyte IL-1beta levels differed from those of normal keratinocytes by showing no increase between S and G2/M. The IL-1/IL-1RA levels of normal TAC increased throughout the cell cycle. However, in psoriatic TAC, a slight decrease in IL-1alpha and IL-1RA levels was observed between G0/G1 and S followed by a delayed increase between S and G2/M. IL-1beta levels in psoriatic TAC varied little throughout the cell cycle. Thus, we were able to detect precisely the regulation of IL-1/IL-1RA intracellular levels during the keratinocyte cell cycle and differentiation, showing notably decreased IL-1beta upregulation in psoriatic keratinocytes progressing through the cell cycle.
ATP and cytochrome c-dependent inhibition of caspase-9 activity in the cerebral cortex of newborn piglets.

Abstract The present study investigates the mechanism of activation of caspase-9 during hypoxia and tests the hypothesis that ATP and cytochrome c regulate the activity of caspase-9 in the cerebral cortex of newborn piglets. Cerebral tissue hypoxia was documented by decreased levels of high energy phosphates, ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr). Cytosolic fractions were prepared from cerebral cortices and passed through a G50 column, to remove endogenous ATP and cytochrome c . Caspase-9 activity was determined spectrofluorometrically using a specific fluorogenic substrate for caspase-9 at increasing concentrations of ATP (0–1.0 mM) or cytochrome c (0–3.0 μM). Caspase-9 activity (nmol/mg protein/h) was 1.26±0.15 in the normoxic and 2.13±0.14 in the hypoxic group ( P c in both normoxic and hypoxic groups. The IC 50 for ATP and cytochrome c increased 5-fold and 1.5-fold, respectively, following hypoxia, suggesting a hypoxia-induced modification of the ATP and cytochrome binding sites. The data demonstrate that ATP (1 mM) and cytochrome c (3.0 μM) inhibit caspase-9 activity by ∼70%. On the basis of these observations, we propose a new and novel concept that the caspase-9 activity remains inhibited under the normoxic conditions and during hypoxia the decrease in ATP and decreases in the affinity for ATP and cytochrome c release the inhibitory block to activate the enzyme. Results of ATP- and cytochrome c -dependent inhibition of purified caspase-9 human recombinant show that the inhibitory effect by ATP and cytochrome c does not require Apaf-1. To our knowledge, this is a completely new concept and a new mechanism of regulation of caspase-9 activity that may lead to hypoxia-induced programmed cell death.
High temperature deformation and rupture in SiC-C composites

Creep studies have been performed on an SiC-C composite under flexural, compressive and tensile loading conditions. It has been found that the creep rates in all loadings are similar and consistent with deformation dominated by the fibers. The implication is that the C matrix is susceptible to extensive microcrack damage, causing all the stress to be borne by the fibers. The elevated stress on the fibers causes tensile creep rupture at small creep ductilities. This behavior has been attributed to slow crack growth in the fibers.
Street trees and rural conspecifics: Will long-lived trees reach full size in urban conditions?

Urban conditions are known to affect tree growth, but not all trees respond similarly to presumed stress. I test a hypothesis that successional status of hardwood tree species, rather than taxon, will differentially affect tree size relative to age, in forest versus street plantings. In central Ohio, USA, samples (N = 230) representing 15 native tree species were matched for size between rural woodlot and city street-side conditions. Their girth was measured and their age determined by a count of annual growth rings. Age and size data were analyzed by a general linear model. Most urban trees had smaller trunk diameters than rural conspecifics of the same age. However, trees of early and mid-successional ecologies, despite smaller girth, showed no reduction in growth rate over time. Late successional species appeared to be affected by proximity to impervious areas, showing reduced growth rates, and by inference,reduced ultimate size.
Effect of endothelin antagonism on apnea frequency following chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Abstract Chronic hypoxia increases the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR). Augmented HVR contributes to central apneas seen in heart failure and complex sleep apnea. Endothelin receptor (ETR) antagonism decreases carotid body afferent activity following chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). We speculated ETR antagonism would reduce HVR and apneas following CIH. HVR and apneas were measured after exposure to CIH and room air sham (SHAM). ETR blocker Ambrisentan was administered via the chow of CIH-exposed animals from days 1 to 12 of CIH (CIH/AMB). A separate crossover group was exposed to CIH and fed normal chow (placebo) days 1–6, and Ambrisentan days 7–12 (CIH/PLA-AMB). SHAM and CIH/PLA animals were fed placebo days 1–12. The CIH/AMB and CIH/PLA-AMB rats had reduced HVR compared to CIH/PLA, similar HVR compared to sham exposed animals, and reduced apnea frequency compared to CIH/PLA animals. The reduced HVR and post-hypoxic apneas resulting from Ambrisentan administration suggests ETR antagonists may have utility in reducing central apneas following CIH.
8. An IONM training program for non-neurologist physicians

Introduction In the United States, the majority of IONM cases are supervised by neurologists. There is a special certification in clinical neurophysiology available to physicians trained as neurologists. Similar qualifications can also be obtained by neurosurgeons and physiatrists but other specialties such as anaesthesiology have no such training pathway available. There are a small number of institutions in which anaesthesiologists provide supervision and interpretation of IONM cases and there is growing interest in IONM supervision within the anaesthesia community. A fellowship program in IONM for non-neurology physicians was developed to meet this need. Methods Target didactic content for the fellowship was generated using reference sources provided on the ASNM and ABNM websites as well as those in the standard textbooks. This content was converted into series of interactive lectures. Following successful completion of the didactic portion the candidate was allowed to keep a log of all cases monitored under the direct supervision of the faculty. The candidate would generate a written report of each case which was graded for completeness and accuracy. In addition the candidate was graded on communication with the technologist and other members of the operative team. The candidate was expected to have logged 75 or more cases and be able to generate complete and accurate reports by the end of the 6 month training period and to have achieved a minimum score of 80% on a comprehensive written examination. Results The first fellow has completed the program. She has been credentialed by our institution to function as a supervising IONM physician. The fellowship provided an opportunity to develop relationships with the technologists, surgeons and other members of the operative teams. Conclusions Anaesthesiologists can be trained in IONM and are in a unique position to function as supervising physicians with the right training.
A study of the relationship between geo-magnetic storms and ionospheric disturbances at mid-latitudes

Abstract The problem of the ionospheric disturbances associated with geomagnetic storms is examined with the goal of searching for a relationship between the time-developments of the two phenomena. Faraday rotation measurements of total electron content ( N T ) are used to monitor the ionospheric F -region at a mid-latitude site, while a variety of geomagnetic parameters are examined as possible ways of following the geomagnetic variations. The ionospheric and geomagnetic data taken during 28 individual storms from 1967 to 1969 are used to search for a predictive scheme which can be tested using data from 17 storms in 1970. The specific aim is to find the geomagnetic parameter whose time-development can best forecast whether or not the ionospheric response will include an initial positive phase prior to the normally extended period of F -region depletions. Correlations between N T and the geomagnetic indices K p , and equatorial Dst(H) prove to be wholly inadequate. The local times of main-phase-onset (MPO) determined from the equatorial Dst(H) indices as well as from local horizontal component data, also prove to be unsatisfactory. The best correlations are obtained using local measurements of the total geomagnetic field ( F ). These results show that a storm commencement (SC) will produce an enhancement in n t during the afternoon period following the SC unless there is an intervening post-midnight period with a strong depression of the geomagnetic field. Operationally this is taken to be a depression in F of at least 100γ near 03:00 LT
Electron microscopy of Sarcocystis sp.: cyst wall, micropore, rhoptries, and an unidentified body.

Abstract The general ultrastructural features of Sarcocystis sp. previously reported were confirmed in this study of the parasite in the skeletal muscle of boat-tailed grackles. In addition, the following new features were described. The villus of the cyst wall contained dense bands of longitudinal microtubules and also a scattering of transverse microtubules, and the matrix of the wall consisted of closely packed, beaded fibrils. Micropores were present on the lateral surface of the pellicle of sarcosporidian cells. Rhoptries were seen in cystozoites, and straight or curved ductules of the organelle extended through the conoid. An unidentified body was seen in the midzonal portion of the cystozoite; this body was an elongated, inverted bulbous structure which was open at one end and contained a hollow, central core.
Oblique stimuli are seen best (not worst!) in naturalistic broad-band stimuli: a horizontal effect

People with normal eyesight typically see horizontal and vertical gratings better than oblique gratings (Psychological Bulletin 78 (1972) 266; Perception 9 (1980) 37). In the present study we investigated whether this oblique effect anisotropy is still observed when viewing more complex visual stimuli that better correspond to the content encountered in everyday viewing of the world. We show that the ability to see oriented structure in an image consisting of broadband spatial content is indeed anisotropic, but that the pattern of this orientation bias is completely different from that obtained with simpler stimuli. Horizontal stimuli are seen worst and oblique stimuli are seen best when tested with more realistic broadband stimuli. We suggest that this "horizontal effect" would be useful in an evolutionary capacity by serving to discount the horizon and other oriented content that tends to dominate natural scenes and thereby increase the salience of objects contained in typical outdoor scenes.
Sulfated cyclodextrins for the chiral separations of catecholamines and related compounds in the reversed electrophoretic polarity mode.

The utility of negatively charged sulfated cyclodextrins (SCD) as chiral additives (CA) in capillary electrophoresis (CE) was studied in the chiral resolution of several compounds of pharmaceutical interest, including catecholamines such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, DOPA and their precursors, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Experiments were conducted using 10 mM sodium phosphate monobasic solution and 2% SCD adjusted to pH 3.2 with phosphoric acid. Chiral recognition mechanisms were explored using structurally related analytes including basic, acidic, and neutral compounds as well as 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl phenylglycine, phenylalanine, and homophenylalanine. The advantage of the reversed electrophoretic polarity mode for the enantioresolution of these compounds is also discussed. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On some properties of the series k=0 ∞ k n x k and the Stirling numbers of the second kind

Abstract We partially characterize the rational numbers x and integers n ⩾ 0 for which the sum ∑k=0∞ knxk assumes integers. We prove that if ∑k=0∞ knxk is an integer for x = 1 − a/b with a, b > 0 integers and gcd(a,b) = 1, then a = 1 or 2. Partial results and conjectures are given which indicate for which b and n it is an integer if a = 2. The proof is based on lower bounds on the multiplicities of factors of the Stirling number of the second kind, S(n,k). More specifically, we obtain ν a (n−k)! ⩾ν a (n!)−k+1 for all integers k, 2 ⩽ k ⩽ n, and a ⩾ 3, provided a is odd or divisible by 4, where va(m) denotes the exponent of the highest power of a which divides m, for m and a > 1 integers. New identities are also derived for the Stirling numbers, e.g., we show that ∑k=02nk! S(2n, k) − 1 2 k =0 , for all integers n ⩾ 1.
Simulation Shows Hospitals That Cooperate On Infection Control Obtain Better Results Than Hospitals Acting Alone

Efforts to control life-threatening infections, such as with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), can be complicated when patients are transferred from one hospital to another. Using a detailed computer simulation model of all hospitals in Orange County, California, we explored the effects when combinations of hospitals tested all patients at admission for MRSA and adopted procedures to limit transmission among patients who tested positive. Called "contact isolation," these procedures specify precautions for health care workers interacting with an infected patient, such as wearing gloves and gowns. Our simulation demonstrated that each hospital's decision to test for MRSA and implement contact isolation procedures could affect the MRSA prevalence in all other hospitals. Thus, our study makes the case that further cooperation among hospitals--which is already reflected in a few limited collaborative infection control efforts under way--could help individual hospitals achieve better infection control than they could achieve on their own.
On the information expressed in enzyme primary structure: lessons from Ribonuclease A.

The information expressed in an enzyme’s primary structure is investigated. Brownian computations are directed at Ribonuclease A (RNase A) so as to quantify the information at the atom/covalent bond level. The information content and distribution are crucial because the primary structure underpins the molecule’s chemical functions. Brownian computation data are illustrated for the native protein, mutants, and sequence isomers. The results identify signature features of the active protein on new information grounds. The same tools offer rapid screening of proteins and polypeptides whereby several examples are illustrated.
Electromagnetic shocks in strong magnetic fields

We examine the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through a strong magnetic field using the method of characteristics. Owing to nonlinear effects associated with vacuum polarization, such waves can develop discontinuities analogous to hydrodynamical shocks. We derive shock jump conditions and discuss the physical nature of these non-linear waves.
Recognition of Risk and Utility in Pest Management Decisions

Decision-making is a basic component of everyday life, both for the layman and the professional manager. A detailed problem analysis is not justified if an incorrect decision is of little consequence. In pest management, however, the frequent high cost of an incorrect decision dictates detailed, carefully structured deliberations. The manager gains valuable insight into his particular problem by carefully and formally evaluating the probable consequences of alternative actions. In addition, if the process is thoroughly documented the analysis and the subsequent decision are available for critique by the manager as well as his colleagues.
Single molecule spectroscopy with automated positioning

Rapid positioning of single molecules in the excitation volume of a confocal (or near-field) microscope is necessary for the successful spectroscopy of molecules with fluctuating emission properties. A computer controlled optical system which automatically and rapidly locates and performs spectroscopic measurements on single molecules was developed. Examples for such spectroscopies, performed on short-lived molecules, are given.
Fostering Choice-Making Skills: We've Come a Long Way But Still Have a Long Way to Go

Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them—and then, the opportunity to choose. (C. Wright Mills)
A comparison of mineralogical techniques and potassium adsorption isotherm analysis for relative dating and correlation of Late Quaternary soil chronosequences

Abstract The utility of potassium adsorption isotherm analysis (KIA) for relative dating and correlation of soil chronosequences was assessed by a comparison with some widely used mineralogical techniques. The soils studied, near Detroit, Michigan, are brown (10YR) calcareous Entisols developed in Holocene (~ 4 kA) floodplain sediments, and Inceptisols and Alfisols with redder (7.5YR–5YR) cambic and argillic B horizons formed on late Pleistocene (14.5–12.4 kA) fluvial terraces, fluvial paleochannels, and paleoshorelines (beach ridges) of proglacial lakes. The soils show a positive linear correlation between soil age and clay content, depth of carbonate leaching, and Fe-oxide accumulation. In contrast, the duration of soil formation is too short for variations in heavy mineral frequencies to discriminate soil age reliably. Scanning electron microscopy shows that chemical weathering stage is indicated by progressive etching and pitting of calcite, apatite and amphibole with increasing soil age. K-isotherms are linear or slightly curvilinear indicating that ion exchange is dominant over specific adsorption. A statistically significant linear correlation between K distribution constant and soil age, attributed to progressive weathering of mica, suggests that KIA is useful for relative dating of genetically related soils once a well dated chronosequence is established. KIA produces results comparable to, or better than, mineralogical techniques. However, soil morphology and a clay-redness index are more effective than mineralogical and chemical techniques for interchronosequence correlation.
Authentic Performance Assessments

(1993). Teaching Strategies: Authentic Performance Assessments. Childhood Education: Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 99-102.
Computational techniques for automatically tiling and skinning branched objects

Abstract Reconstructing the surfaces of objects from planar contours can be done by either tiling (connecting contours with polygonal facets) or skinning (connecting contours with parametric spline surfaces). In this paper, we break down the surface reconstruction problem into three steps for tiling (grouping, transition, tiling) and four steps for skinning (grouping, transition, parameter correspondence, skinning). Many techniques for completing the grouping, tiling and skinning steps exist. However, the transition step, while treated in the literature, does not have an adequate solution for the most general contours. In this paper, we present a computational technique for completing the transition step, as well as offer new solutions to the grouping and parameter correspondence steps. Our techniques are implemented in a computer environment for a variety of multi-branched objects whose contours vary significantly in shape. In addition it requires no user interaction. Illustrative examples are included.
Structural and magnetic properties of the Kondo insulator UFe4P12

Abstract Neutron-diffraction results on single crystalline UFe 4 P 12 are reported. The structural parameters of UFe 4 P 12 have been determined at 15 K. Below 3.1 K, we find that there is an additional magnetic contribution on top of nuclear reflections at higher d spacings. An intensity analysis of the magnetic contributions corroborates a ferromagnetic ground state with U moments only. It is argued that this compound forms three magnetic domains with an upper limit of about 0.5 μ B (at 2.8 K) for the U moment.
Design of low profile single/dual band high-order frequency selective surfaces

Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSSs) have been the subject of intensive investigation for their widespread applications ranging from microwave systems and antennas to radar and satellite communications [1]. One common feature of the traditional FSS design techniques, widely used nowadays, is that they use resonant type constituting unit cells such as a resonant dipole, slot, circular or rectangular rings, etc [2]. In such structures, the size of the resonant elements and the inter-element spacing are generally comparable to one-third to half a wavelength at the desired frequency of operation, which further leads to a large number of the constituting elements for practical applications. Recently, a new type of frequency selective surface with non-resonant miniaturized elements was presented in [3] [4]. Both the unit cell dimensions and the periodicity of this type of FSS are considerably smaller than the wavelength. In this paper, inspired by the previous literature, a new type of frequency selective surface is presented which provides an easy method for designing low-profile band-pass spatial filters with high-order filter responses. The proposed topology contains both non-resonant (capacitive patches and wire grids) and resonant structures. It is shown that depends on the resonator dimensions, the FSS can behave as single band or dual band high order filter. In what follows, the design procedure, principles of operation, and the verification results are presented and discussed.
Being Educated in a New Nuclear Engineering Program: A Graduate Student Perspective

Due to the advent of a dramatic increase in the demand for nuclear professionals, a number of universities are either strengthening their existing nuclear engineering programs or starting them for the first time. Following this trend, Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Virginia, in 2009 began to offer a program in Nuclear Engineering within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. As a student within the PhD program, the author presents his perspective — as well as observations from some undergraduate students — of being educated in a new Nuclear Engineering program. From his perspective, the author presents some mechanisms that have made this new program evolve. Additionally, herein are included some ideas applied by the author in order to carry out successful research — while overcoming the limitations of a new program: spontaneous and embedded innovation, networking, and creativity. It is hoped that the present paper will provide positive feedback to faculty members and motivate students, in any new educational program, particularly, in this renaissance of education, in the nuclear engineering field.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Reflections on the classification of causes of death

On November 11–14 1993, Indiana University hosted a conference on the ‘History of Registration of Causes of Death’, with funding from the US National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The conference brought together historians of medicine and historically-oriented demographers and epidemiologists to discuss the origins of the recording of causes of death and the possible uses of these documents in demographic and epidemiological research. Demographers and epidemiologists would like to use long-run series of causes of death to examine the effects of social and economic conditions, the availability of health care, and specific risk factors on mortality. Many important questions (such as the effects of early health experiences on old-age morbidity and mortality) are best studied with data on changes over long periods of time. However, it is very difficult to construct a consistent series of deaths by cause over time because advances in medical theory and practice have led to significant changes in the classification of diseases. For example, it is unclear whether the prevalence of heart disease was increasing, decreasing, or constant before 1940, because heart disease was often classified under other categories.The essays in this special number of Continuity and Change offer a range of insights on the historical circumstances in which cause-of-death registration emerged. They help us to see the ways in which medical theory, medical practitioners, and their increasingly influential professional organizations shaped the conceptualization of reporting of causes of death. Gunter Risse's ‘Causes of death as a historical problem’ serves as an overview of the problems that social historians of medicine find underlying any continuous history of mortality experience. Above all, he argues, medical historians react as historians, wary of Whiggish confidence in state records without attention to the ideologies governing their creation.
Reaction kinetics in porous electrocatalysts

In a theoretical and experimental study of the effect of pore diffusion on the electrode kinetics of non-first-order reactions (e.g., hydrocarbon fuel cell reactions), a simple pore model was used successfully to describe the reaction in the pores of a partially wettable electrocatalyst. Experiments on the electrogenerative hydrogenation of gaseous olefins (ethylene through butylene) and of liquid benzene on polytetrafluoroethylene-bonded porous electrodes, activated with 9 mg/sq cm platinum or palladium black, were in good agreement with calculations by the model and showed that partially wettable porous catalytic electrodes behave kinetically similar to conventional catalysts when pore diffusion is slow. Kinetic studies on porous electrocatalysts can, therefore, be meaningful for catalyst characterization and for the design of electrochemical reactors.
Maternal peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation reduces peanut allergy risk in offspring

Background Maternal allergy is believed to be a risk factor for peanut allergy (PNA) in children. However, there is no direct evidence of maternal transmission of PNA susceptibility, and it is unknown whether maternal peanut exposure affects the development of PNA in offspring. Objective To investigate the influence of maternal PNA on offspring reactions to the first peanut exposure, and whether maternal low-dose peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation influences these reactions and peanut sensitization in a murine model. Methods Five-week-old offspring of PNA C3H/HeJ mothers (PNA-Ms) were challenged intragastrically with peanut (first exposure), and reactions were determined. In a subset of the experiment, PNA-Ms were fed a low dose of peanut (PNA-M/PN) or not fed peanut (PNA-M/none) during pregnancy and lactation. Their 5-week-old offspring were challenged intragastrically with peanut, and reactions were determined. In another subset of the experiment, offspring of PNA-M/PN or PNA-M/none were sensitized with peanut intragastrically for 6 weeks, and serum peanut-specific antibodies were determined. Results PNA-M offspring exhibited anaphylactic reactions at first exposure to peanut that were associated with peanut-specific IgG 1 levels and prevented by a platelet activation factor antagonist. In a subset experiment, PNA-M/PN offspring showed significantly reduced first-exposure peanut reactions, increased IgG 2a , and reduced mitogen-stimulated splenocyte cytokine production compared with PNA-M/none offspring. In an additional experiment, PNA-M/PN offspring showed reduction of peanut-specific IgE to active peanut sensitization. Conclusion We show for the first time maternal transmission of susceptibility to first-exposure peanut reactions and active peanut sensitization. Low-dose peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation reduced this risk.