cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of three nicotine treatments: initial reactions and preferences with guided use.

Misuse or dislike of nicotine replacement treatments (NRTs) undermines their effectiveness. Brief testing among NRTs could allow tailoring by preference to improve outcome. To test initial reactions/preferences to NRTs in a single session crossover design with guided use. Smokers were offered two doses of three NRTs: gum (2 and 4 mg), inhaler, and nasal spray (NNS) in a 5-h test with proper use enforced. Subjects rated each NRT and ranked among NRTs on use variables and preferences. Gum was ranked over inhaler and NNS for “ease of use,” “safety” and “prefer in public.” Four-milligram gum was rated higher than 2 mg on several variables. With experience, “ease of use” and “liking” improved for gum. Both inhaler and NNS ranked low on considering “use >3 months” vs gum. Dislike of NRT was reflected in refusal of second doses. For those testing all doses (n=9), inhaler ranked last on “relief of withdrawal,” “choose under stress,” and “choice to help quit.” Craving and withdrawal were relieved over time with any NRT use. Sampling of treatments can identify reactions key to initial compliance with these NRTs.
FAA center for aviation systems reliability: an overview

The FAA Center for Aviation Systems Reliability has as its objectives: to develop quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods for aircraft structures and materials, including prototype instrumentation, software, techniques and procedures; and to develop and maintain comprehensive education and training programs specific to the inspection of aviation structures. The program, which includes contributions from Iowa State University, Northwestern University, Wayne State University, Tuskegee University, AlliedSignal Propulsion Engines, General Electric Aircraft Engines and Pratt and Whitney, has been in existence since 1990. Efforts under way include: development of inspection for adhesively bonded structures; detection of corrosion; development of advanced NDE concepts that form the basis for an inspection simulator; improvements of titanium inspection as part of the Engine Titanium Consortium; development of education and training program. An overview of the efforts underway will be provided with focus on those technologies closest to technology transfer.
Reputational spillovers, innovation, licensing, and entry

Abstract Adoption of a new product by a multiproduct finn may affect all its sales by altering its reputation as an innovator If adopting a success has a ‘halo effect’ that enhances the adopter's reputation, then an inventor's licensing profit exceeds monopoly profit from the new product If adopting a failure has a ‘black-eye effect’ that damages the adopter's reputation, then an inventor's licensing profit is maximized by a fixed fee, not an auction When both effects are present, an inventor licenses new products that are likely to succeed, but enters with those that are likely to fail
Decreased incidence of retinopathy of prematurity, 1995-1997.

Abstract Purpose: To report a significant decrease in the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), both in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and internationally, and review factors in patient care that may be contributory. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all neonates weighing less than 1251 g admitted to our NICU from 1995 to 1997 and evaluated the incidence and stage of ROP. These data on 191 neonates were compared with an international NICU database of 9989 similar neonates, which represents all infants who received an ophthalmologic examination in the Vermont-Oxford Network Database (VOND) in 1997, except those from our institute (the University of Kentucky). In addition to investigating the incidence of ROP, we looked at the use of antenatal corticosteroids given 1 to 7 days prepartum, the use of oxygen at 36 weeks' postconceptional age, and the use of oxygen at home upon discharge. Results: In our center, we had a 36.1% incidence of ROP compared with an international incidence of 57.2% for the VOND in 1997 ( P P P P Conclusion: The incidence of ROP in our center from 1995 to 1997 and in the VOND in 1997 show a significant decrease from the 65.8% incidence from 1986 to 1987 reported by the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for ROP. (J AAPOS 2001;5:118-22)
Plasmonic nanograting tip design for high power throughput near-field scanning aperture probe

We design nanogratings consisting of concentric plasmonic resonance grooves on the metallic sidewalls of near-field scanning probe aperture to increase the power throughput without losing the imaging resolution. Nanograting tip design involves choosing the proper pitch length and the cut location of grooves. Four different nanograting designs are evaluated, as compared with standard single aperture pyramidal near-field scanning probe without grating patterns. We show that, by adding nano-grooves at the location of electromagnetic field intensity-maximum along interface and with the pitch period matching the surface plasmon wavelength, the power throughput can be greatly increased by at least a factor of 530 at 405nm UV wavelength with 100nm diameter aperture probe.
Winning controllers and regions in competitive nonlinear dynamic games with two qualitative objectives and uncertain information

The Liapunov technique has been introduced in differential games in a sequence of works over the last decade. We discuss application of this technique to the interface between two competitive semi-games, each with different qualitative objective. The feedback information for controllers is provided from designed, analytically integrable state predictors with reduced dynamics, which considerably shortens the computing time. The case is illustrated on the scenario of target reaching before being intercepted, and intercepting before target is reached.
Hindus at the edge: Self-awareness among adult children of interfaith marriages in Chennai, South India

My concern is with the adult children of intercommunity marriages? specifically those who are the offspring of Hindu-non-Hindu unions and those contemplating such unions themselves?and with how, in late twentieth-century Chennai, a child's self-awareness is affected by the experience of having mixed parents. Most particularly, in this paper, I wish to explore how the adult children of such marriages portray their awareness of self, their relations with parents and family, and construct their personal sense of religious identity and practice. I focus on the offspring of intermarriage because, in contrast to their parents, it is the children who must solve the riddle of identity posed by a dual heritage and in their solutions claim for themselves their places in society and among their kin. One wonders, do these mixed offspring represent new ways of reckoning relationships and society, dissolving old social categories and creating new, or do they make choices that enable them to be reabsorbed into society's existing categories of caste, kin, and religion? The autobiographical narratives detailed below reveal that class and education provide upper-middle-class elites flexibility to construct their own personal narratives and to make many of their own choices, partially displacing kinship embedded within caste pedigree and religious community as sources of self-understanding. Most importantly, the narratives portend the emergence of a new religious eclecticism that allows believers situationally to switch religious identities. Interfaith marriage is largely an urban phenomenon in south India, and the interviews on which I base this exploratory analysis took place during 1994 in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu State.1 In India mixed marriages, whether between castes or faiths, are unusual, although there is substantial evidence that some marriage rules have been
Implementation of a bit serial optical computer

This paper describes the system considerations in implementing a bit serial optical computer using lithium niobate directional couplers and optical fiber. I discuss the three main problems in constructing such a computer: computation of fiber lengths, estimation of and compensation for power losses, and details of the physical construction of the machine.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Computerized Patient Database - Strategies to Monitor Resident Progress in Continuity Clinic

A Computerized Patient Database - Strategies to Monitor Resident Progress in Continuity Clinic
Diamond-Anvil Cell Observations of a New Methane Hydrate Phase in the 100-MPa Pressure Range

A new high-pressure phase of methane hydrate has been identified based on its high optical relief, distinct pressure−temperature phase relations, and Raman spectra. In-situ optical observations were made in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell at temperatures between −40° and 60 °C and at pressures up to 900 MPa. Two new invariant points were located at −8.7 °C and 99 MPa for the assemblage consisting of the new phase, structure I methane hydrate, ice Ih, and water, and at 35.3 °C and 137 MPa for the new phase-structure I methane hydrate−water−methane vapor. Existence of the new phase is critical for understanding the phase relations among the hydrates at low to moderate pressures, and may also have important implications for understanding the hydrogen bonding in H2O and the behavior of water in the planetary bodies, such as Europa, of the outer solar system.
Research with twins: The concept of emergenesis.

Preliminaty findings from an on-going study of monozygotic twins reared apart (MZA) and data from a larger sample of twins reared together (MZT and DZT), indicate a surprisingly strong influence of genetic variation on aptitudes, psychophysiological characteristics, personality traits and even dimensions of attitude and interest. For some of these variables, MZT and MZA twins show high intra-class correlations while DZT twins are no more similar than pairs of unrelated persons. It is suggested that such traits are emergenic, i.e., that they are determined by the interaction--rather than the sum--of genetic influences. Emergenic traits, although perhaps strongly genetic, will not tend to run in families and for this reason have been neglected by students of behavior genetics. For this and several other listed reasons, wider use of twins in psychological research is strongly recommended.
Stabilization and control of rheological properties of Fe2O3/Al(OH)3-rich colloidal slurries under high ionic strength and pH

Controlling the stability and rheological properties of colloidal slurries has been an important but challenging issue for various industries such as cosmetics, ceramic processing, and nuclear waste treatment. For example, at the US Department of Energy Hanford and Savannah River sites, operation of the waste treatment facilities with increased solids loading increases waste processing rates but negatively impacts the rheological properties. We investigated various rheological modifiers on a Fe2O3/Al(OH)3-rich nuclear waste simulant, characterized by high ionic strength and pH, to reduce yield stress of the colloidal slurry. Rheological modifiers change particle interactions in colloidal slurries; they mainly alter the electrostatic and steric interactions, leading to a change in rheological properties. Weak acid-type rheological modifiers strengthen electrostatic repulsion whereas nonionic/polymer surfactant-type rheological modifiers introduce a steric repulsion. Using rheological analysis, it was found that citric acid and polyacrylic acid are good rheological modifiers for the simulant tested, effectively reducing yield stresses by as much as 70%. Further analysis supports the idea that adding these rheological modifiers increases the stability of the slurry. A likely mechanism for the observed effects of citric acid and polyacrylic acid on slurry behavior is identified as both binding cations in bulk solution and adsorption on the surface of the particles.
Psychotherapy integration: An idea whose time has come

Abstract Growing numbers of clinicians and researchers from the major therapeutic orientations have begun to demonstrate an open attitude toward potential contributions of other approaches. Efforts at rapprochement and integration sharply contrast with the acrimonious debates that prevailed in the field a few decades ago. These efforts represent much needed attempts to better understand psychotherapy and to improve its effectiveness. In this article, the factors that have contributed to the emergence and development of psychotherapy integration are described, including the inadequacies of predominant models, limited effectiveness of existing treatments, and external pressures for the accountability of psychotherapy. Also reviewed are core issues within the integration movement itself, such as the search for theoretical integration, elaboration of eclectic therapies, identification of conceptual convergence and common factors, development of integrative approaches for particular clinical problems, and improvement in major orientations as a result of transtheoretical dialogue. Finally, several unresolved issues and unanswered questions facing psychotherapy integration are described, as they suggest future directions for the development of this movement.
Diagnosis and Management of Familial Dyslipoproteinemias

The three major pathways of lipoprotein metabolism provide a superb paradigm to delineate systematically the familial dyslipoproteinemias. Such understanding leads to improved diagnosis and treatment of patients. In the exogenous (intestinal) pathway, defects in LPL, apoC-II, APOA-V, and GPIHBP1 disrupt the catabolism of chylomicrons and hepatic uptake of their remnants, producing very high TG. In the endogenous (hepatic) pathway, six disorders affect the activity of the LDLR and markedly increase LDL. These include FH, FDB, ARH, PCSK9 gain-of-function mutations, sitosterolemia and loss of 7 alpha hydroxylase. Hepatic overproduction of VLDL occurs in FCHL, hyperapoB, LDL subclass pattern B, FDH and syndrome X, often due to insulin resistance and resulting in high TG, elevated small LDL particles and low HDL-C. Defects in APOB-100 and loss-of-function mutations in PCSK9 are associated with low LDL-C, decreased CVD and longevity. An absence of MTP leads to marked reduction in chylomicrons and VLDL, causing abetalipoproteinemia. In the reverse cholesterol pathway, deletions or nonsense mutations in apoA-I or ABCA1 transporter disrupt the formation of the nascent HDL particle. Mutations in LCAT disrupt esterification of cholesterol in nascent HDL by LCAT and apoA-1, and formation of spherical HDL. Mutations in either CETP or SR-B1 and familial high HDL lead to increased large HDL particles, the effect of which on CVD is not resolved. The major goal is to prevent or ameliorate the major complications of many familial dyslipoproteinemias, namely, premature CVD or pancreatitis. Dietary and drug treatment specific for each inherited disorder is reviewed.
Monetary aspects of Walras's law and the stock-flow problem

Walras's Law is a tautology. It illuminates interrelations among supplies and demands for goods, services, securities, and money and among their supply/demand imbalances. The Law emphasizes that no one thing or group of things can be in excess supply or excess demand by itself. It thereby helps focus attention on the role in macroeconomic disorder, especially in depression, of a distinctively functioning object of market exchange—money. Yet complications arise, and Walras's Law has itself sometimes been called into question. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the very concepts that enter into the Law and into supposed difficulties. Distinctions between "notional" and "effective" supplies and demands and between stock and flow conceptions of quantities and imbalances require attention.
Large maximal {0,1,2,…, t }-cliques of the q -analog of the Johnson graph

Abstract In this paper we study the maximalt-cliques of theq-analog of the Johnson GraphJq(n, k)with asymptotically large size. Lettbe an integer with 2≤t 0, there existsn*=n*(q, k, t, c)such that ifn>n*,then the maximalt-cliques ofJq(n, k)with size greater thancq(n−k)(t−1)can be classified into four groups up to isomorphism.
Evolving catalysts in real time.

During an immune response, the immunoglobulin M gene of B lymphocytes is subject to somatic hypermutation, ultimately resulting in higher affinity antibodies. In this issue of Science , the crystal structure of a catalytic antibody bound to a transition state analog (Patten et al. , [p. 1086][1]) sheds light on how this increase in affinity occurs. The mutations are found in areas of the protein that do not contact the antigen directly, but rather in areas that support and stabilize the binding surface in its optimal state for binding to the antigen. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.271.5252.1086
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND HARVEST MATURITY OF CANOLA IN RELATION TO SEED QUALITY

The ability to identify physiological (PM) and harvest maturity (HM) of canola (Brassica napus L.) by phenological characteristics would permit timely harvest to avoid problems of both under- and overripe pods. This study was conducted to identify PM and HM of six winter and spring canola cultivars using morphological and physiological markers including seed and pod color, seed dry weight (DWT), seed moisture content (SMC), and to measure seed quality (germination and vigor) at PM and HM. Pods and seeds from each cultivar were sampled at weekly intervals from pod formation until HM. Standard germination, accelerated aging, and cold tests were conducted to assess seed quality. Canola attained PM when pods turned from green to greenish-yellow or light brown, and contained seeds ranging from brownish green to greenish brown and light brown. The seeds were firm. Seed DWT did not change significantly from PM to HM. Seed MC at maximum DWT ranged from 203 to 360 g kg -1 . Pods at HM were yellow to brown and the seeds were brown or dark brown to black, depending on the cultivar. The SMC was near 100 g kg -1 and the seeds were hard and rattled inside the pod. Seeds of all cultivars had greater germination and vigor at HM than at PM. Canola can be harvested 2 wk before reaching HM without affecting yield; however, SMC at this stage is not suitable for direct harvest and seed quality is not at the highest level.
Low temperature properties of spin valves with extremely thin IrMn

The properties of IrMn spin valves with tIrMn⩽26 A are explored at temperatures down to 5 K. The structure is: Ti(50 A)/NiFe(40 A)/Co(8 A)/Cu(30 A)/Co(30 A)/IrMn(t A)/Ti(50 A) on a Si substrate. The low temperature giant magnetoresistance(GMR) is not greatly affected by the thickness of the IrMn. The thinner the IrMn, the lower the temperature at which the GMR is adversely affected. This is consistent with a reduction in blocking temperature. A number of interesting features in the coercivity and field training are IrMn thickness dependent.
An Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Verbal Auditory Screening for Children (VASC)

The efficiency of the Verbal Auditory Screening for Children (VASC) compared to a pure-tone threshold test as a technique to identify hearing impairment among preschool children was investigated wi...
Smooth and rough roads to academic achievement: Retention and race/class disparities in high school

Abstract Educational and psychological researchers have long debated the relationship between retention and achievement. However, quantitative research on achievement trajectories has neglected this important variable. Given that retention policies are being institutionalized in schools, it is important to understand the relationship between retention and achievement trajectories. We examine the National Education Longitudinal Study, 1988–1992 to determine if reading and mathematical achievement trajectories for black, white, poor, and nonpoor high school students vary by their experiences with retention. Utilizing growth modeling, we illustrate that an awareness of students’ past promotion patterns through school (i.e., experiences with retention) helps us better predict achievement trajectories. Moreover, by analyzing the cojoined effects of race and class, we reveal disparate costs of retention. In fact, we find that poor, white retained students are particularly disadvantaged by experiences with retention. We interpret this finding in light of recent cultural explanations of race and class educational disparities and the historical and institutional stratification processes from which they derive.
Spectrophotometry of Shell Galaxies

Low dispersion spectra of two shell galaxies, NGC 3923 and NGC 3051, have been obtained covering the 5300A to 10000A spectral range. These long-slit spectra go through the nucleus of each galaxy and also through 12 shells in NGC 3923 and through 3 shells in NGC 3051.
Numerical estimates of neurons and glia in lateral geniculate body during retrograde degeneration

Studies were made of decrease of neurons and proliferation of glial cells in the dorsal nuclei of lateral geniculate body of 32 rabbits and 12 cats who had undergone unilateral ablation of visual cortex up to 50 weeks prior to sacrifice. Results show that degeneration occurred in 80% of neurons in rabbit lateral geniculate body within three days, and 95% disappeared within four weeks. In comparison, degeneration was present in only 70% of neurons in the cat nucleus at the seventh post-operative day, and about 26% remained normal up to the fiftieth week. Glial cell reactions were differential and complex: astrocytes showed rapid proliferation with gradual return to normal, while oligodendrocytes and microglia increased more slowly, maintaining a high level over 50 weeks.
Diels-alder reactions of cyclopentadiene and 9,10-dimethylanthracene with cyanoalkenes : The performance of density functional theory and hartree-fock calculations for the prediction of substituent effects

The activation enthalpies for the reactions of cyclopentadiene with ethylene, acrylonitrile, fumaronitrile, maleonitrile, vinylidene cyanide, tricyanoethylene, and tetracyanoethylene have been computed with the Hartree-Fock quantum mechanical method and a variety of density functionals (B3LYP, BPW91, and MPW1K) and compared to classic experimental data obtained by Sauer, Wiest, and Mielert (Chem. Ber. 1964, 97, 3183). Some significant errors in B3LYP activation enthalpies involving cyano groups, especially 3 or 4 cyano groups, have been identified, whereas HF and MPW1K reproduce substituent effects quite accurately.
Influence of aging on the properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles - implications to quantum confinement effect

Cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles are widely studied for their current and potential use in catalytic, energy, environment protection and bio-medical applications. The performance of ceria in most of the applications is dependent on the ability of cerium to switch between its +3 and +4 oxidation states. We synthesized ceria nanoparticles in several aqueous media and measured their oxidation states as a function of time using UV-Visible spectroscopy. By following changes in the absorption edge, we observed that sample synthesis conditions and processing history affect the oxidation state of cerium. These time dependent, environmentally induced changes in the band edge likely contribute to inconsistencies in the literature regarding quantum-confinement effects for ceria nanoparticles.
Inhibition of β-glycosidases by acarbose analogues containing cellobiose and lactose structures

Abstract Acarbose analogues, containing cellobiose and lactose structures, were prepared by reaction of the two disaccharides with acarbose and Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase. The kinetics for the inhibition by the two analogues was studied for β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase, cyclomaltodextrin glucanosyltransferase (CGTase), and α-glucosidase. Both analogues were potent competitive inhibitors for β-glucosidase, with KI values in the range of 0.04–2.44 μM, and the lactose analogues were good uncompetitive inhibitors for β-galactosidase, with KI values in the range of 159–415 μM, while acarbose was not an inhibitor for either enzyme at 10 and 5 mM, respectively. Both analogues were also potent mixed inhibitors for CGTase, with KI values in the range of 0.1–9.3 μM. The lactose analogue was a 6.4-fold better competitive inhibitor for α-glucosidase than was acarbose.
Particle kinematics in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity

We study the deformed kinematics of point particles in the Hořava theory of gravity. This is achieved by considering particles as the optical limit of fields with a generalized Klein-Gordon action. We derive the deformed geodesic equation and study in detail the cases of flat and spherically symmetric (Schwarzschild-like) spacetimes. As the theory is not invariant under local Lorenz transformations, deviations from standard kinematics become evident even for flat manifolds, supporting superluminal as well as massive luminal particles. These deviations from standard behavior could be used for experimental tests of this modified theory of gravity.
On Primary User Coverage Probabilities and Faulty Cognitive Radios

In a cognitive radio (CR) network, the CR devices opportunistically communicate in the frequency bands occupied by the primary users in order to improve the spectral efficiency in these bands. By sensing the primary users, e.g., the television transmitter–receiver pairs and the wireless microphone systems, each CR device determines whether or not to operate in the band. The CR devices, due to erroneous sensing, either fail to detect the primary user, causing excessive interference at the primary users, or have a false-alarm, causing it to remain silent in a white-space band leading to poor spectrum utility. The impact of these imperfections on the primary user operations in terms of the coverage probability is characterized where the primary users and the CR devices are distributed according to independent homogeneous Poisson point processes on the plane.
Standoff stimulated emission in air

We investigate our recently demonstrated remote air laser by studying the directional backwards and forward emission at 845nm while monitoring the atomic oxygen excitation using a microwave scattering technique. We study the high gain achieved by focusing an UV laser in air in order to produce and excite the oxygen atoms responsible for the stimulated emission, which is strongly dependent on the optical parameters of the pump. The standoff air laser can be used as a remote detector for molecular and atomic species which affect the optical propagation of the pump laser either directly or via optical stimulation.
Understanding communication among health care professionals regarding death and dying in pediatrics.

Objective:Effective communication regarding death and dying in pediatrics is a vital component of any quality palliative care service. The goal of the current study is to understand communication among health care professionals regarding death and dying in children. The three hypotheses tested were: (1) hospital staff (physicians of all disciplines, nurses, and psychosocial clinicians) that utilize consultation services are more comfortable communicating about death and dying than those who do not use such services, (2) different disciplines of health care providers demonstrate varying levels of comfort communicating about a range of areas pertaining to death and dying, and (3) health care staff that have had some type of formal training in death and dying are more comfortable communicating about these issues.Methods:A primary analysis of a survey conducted in a tertiary care teaching children's hospital.Results:Health care professionals who felt comfortable discussing options for end of life care with colleagues also felt more comfortable: initiating a discussion regarding a child's impending death with his/her family (r = 0.42), discussing options for terminal care with a family (r = 0.58), discussing death with families from a variety of ethnic/cultural backgrounds (r = 0.51), guiding parents in developmentally age-appropriate discussions of death with their children (r = 0.43), identifying and seeking advice from a professional role model regarding management concerns (r = 0.40), or interacting with a family following the death of a child (r = 0.51). Among all three disciplines, physicians were more likely to initiate discussions with regards to a child's impending death (F = 13.07; p = 0.007). Health care professionals that received formal grief and bereavement training were more comfortable discussing death.Significance of the results:The results demonstrated that consultation practices are associated with a higher level of comfort in discussing death and dying in pediatrics.
CHARACTERISTICS OF TITANIUM NITRIDE FILMS GROWN BY PULSED LASER DEPOSITION

Laser physical vapor deposition (LPVD) has been used to grow titanium nitride films on hydrogen-terminated silicon(100) substrates at deposition temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600 °C. A pulsed KrF excimer laser (λ = 248 nm, τ = 25 ns) was used with the deposition chamber maintained at a base pressure of 10−7 Torr prior to deposition. Different properties of the films were investigated by x-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, optical, scanning, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and measurement of electrical resistivity. When the substrate temperature was low (at and below 500 °C), oxygen atoms from the residual gases were incorporated in the films. The microstructures and resistivities of TiN films were found to be strongly dependent on the temperature of the silicon substrates. The TiN films deposited at 600 °C were oxygen-free, as observed from Auger analysis, and the room temperature resistivity was found to be 14–15 μΩ-cm. Raman spectroscopy of the films showed that the nitrogen-related optical phonon peak increased with deposition temperature in comparison with the titanium-related acoustic peak. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses showed that the films were polycrystalline at low temperature with grain size ranging from 300–600 A, depending on the temperature of the substrate. At 600 °C, the films were found to be single crystals with occasional presence of dislocation loops. The spacing of Moire fringes in TiN/Si samples deposited at 600 °C established the nearly periodic elastic strain field extending into the TiN and Si at the interface. Although there exists a large misfit between TiN and Si (24.6%), the epitaxial growth of TiN films on Si(100) substrates was explained by means of domain-matched epitaxy with a 4-to-3 match in unit cells for TiN/Si structure, giving rise to a residual lattice misfit of only 4%.
Quantifying the effects of bacteria on adsorption reactions in water-rock systems

Abstract This paper reviews the investigations that quantify metal–bacteria, organic–bacteria, and bacteria–mineral adsorption reactions. The studies are divided into the two main approaches used to quantify adsorption: bulk partitioning approaches and surface complexation modeling. Partitioning adsorption models, such as ones which use Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms, are more simple to apply than surface complexation models because they do not require a detailed understanding of the nature of the surfaces or adsorption mechanisms involved. These measurements can be successful in describing adsorption/desorption processes for the conditions of interest if the conditions can be directly simulated in the laboratory. However, partition coefficients are applicable only to the conditions (pH, fluid and/or mineralogical compositions) at which they were determined. Conversely, surface complexation models describe adsorption reactions explicitly, accounting for surface and aqueous speciation changes as a function of pH and solution composition. The equilibrium constants which describe the extent of adsorption in surface complexation models are invarient with respect to the parameters which affect partition coefficients. This paper reviews the experimental studies which use surface complexation modeling to quantify the observed bacterial adsorption reactions. Although the number of studies is small, the results indicate that the surface complexation approach can successfully account for metal–bacteria, organic acid–bacteria, and bacteria–mineral adsorption reactions. Therefore, it offers a powerful means for estimating the effects of bacteria on solute adsorption over a wide range of subsurface conditions.
Growth and behavioral effects of early postnatal chromium and manganese exposure in herring gull (Larus argentatus) chicks

Organisms in marine environments are exposed to chromium and manganese, yet little is known of the effects of these metals on physiology and behavior. In this article we examine the effects of chromium and manganese on early neurobehavioral development in herring gulls, Larus argentatus. Each of 36 2-day-old herring gull chicks was randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups to receive either chromium nitrate (25 mg/kg), manganese acetate (50 mg/kg), or a control dose of sterile saline solution. The trios were not siblings, but were matched by age and weight. Behavioral tests examined food-begging, balance, locomotion, righting response, recognition, thermoregulation, and perception. There were significant differences in begging behavior by 5 days postinjection, and there were significant differences in weight gain throughout development until 50 days of age, when the experiment was terminated. Behavioral tests, administered from 18-48 days postinjection, indicated significant differences between control and the exposed groups for time to right themselves; thermoregulation behavior; and performance on a balance beam, inclined plane, actual cliff, and visual cliff (although not all components varied significantly). Of the 14 behavioral measures with significant differences, control birds performed best on 12.
ISOLATION OF RAT RENIN BY TEAE-CELLULOSE CHROMATOGRAPHY.

Abstract It has been possible to isolate a pressor substance from the kidneys of rats by use of TEAE-cellulose chromatography, as previously applied in a study of the 105,000 g supernatant of liver. This agent has many of the characteristics of renin as isolated by current, but involved, standard procedures and is apparently the same material. With this method, it has been possible to separate renin fractions from as little as one rat kidney. This should be helpful in studies of experimental hypertension using these animals. It is suggested that this rather mild and rapid method of isolation may permit additional opportunity for further characterization of renin.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag protein binds to cyclophilins A and B

Abstract Retroviral Gag protein is capable of directing the assembly of virion particles independent of other retroviral elements and plays an important role early in the infection of a cell. Using the GAL4 two hybrid system, we screened a cDNA expression library and identified two host proteins, cyclophillns (CyPs) A and B, which interact specifically with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag polyprotein Pr55 gag . Glutathione S-transferase-CyP fusion proteins bind tightly to Pr55 gag in vitro, as well as to the HIV-1 capsid protein p24. Cyclosporin A efficiently disrupts the Gag-CyPA interaction and less efficiently disrupts the Gag-CyPB interaction. The Gag-CyP interaction may be important for the HIV-1 life cycle and may be relevant to the pathology caused by this immunosuppressive virus.
Influence of the Route of Administration on the Area Under the Plasma Concentration-Time Curve

The so-called law of corresponding areas has been used to assess the percent of absorption by comparison of the relative areas under the plasma concentration-time curves after oral and intravenous administration. These analyses are based on the presumption that the resultant areas are independent of the route of administration. After oral administration, every absorbed molecule must pass through the gut wall and when absorbed via the hepatic portal system must traverse through the liver, before reaching the central compartment, from which samples are obtained for analysis. However, after the usual i.v. administration, less than 30% of the molecules traverse through the liver in the first circulatory pass. Therefore, if a significant degree of metabolism takes place in the gut or in the liver, the resultant areas will not be identical. This has been verified in dogs by comparison of areas after infusion of acetylsalicylic acid by the vena cava, by the hepatic portal vein, and after oral administration. The data obtained with acetylsalicylic acid indicate metabolism occurs in both the gut wall and in the liver, thereby causing a large reduction in the areas obtained after oral dosing or hepatic portal vein infusion when compared to the area obtained after infusion by the vena cava.
SU‐FF‐T‐130: Radiotherapy Treatment Plans with RapidArc for Head‐And‐Neck Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare RapidArc plans and conventional IMRT plans for head‐and‐neck cancer treatment involving bilateral nodes. Methods and Materials: This study included 10 locally advanced head‐and‐neck cancer patients. The planning target volume (PTV) included a 3‐mm margin onto the clinical target volume. The prescription was 50Gy to the PTV (2Gy/fraction). Right/left parotids, oral cavity, larynx, brainstem, spinal cord and mandible were contoured as critical organs. For each patient, 9‐fixed‐field IMRT and 3‐arc RapidArc plans were generated. For IMRT plans, the beams were spaced 40° apart and the collimator jaws were fixed to avoid shoulders. RapidArc plans had a total of 600° rotation, one full rotation and two anterior 120° rotations (179°–181°, 60°–300° and 300°–60°). All plans were normalized to cover 90% of PTV with 100% of the prescribed dose.Dosimetric results and treatment time were compared. Results: The homogeneity index of PTV was (1.07; 1.06) and the normal‐tissue receiving dose greater than 110% of the prescription dose was (0.11%; 0.01%) for (RapidArc; IMRT). The average median doses were (right parotid; 46.6%; 43.1%), (left parotid; 39.9%; 34.5%), (oral cavity; 50.0%; 51.7%) and (larynx; 45.7%; 41.4%) for (structure; RapidArc; IMRT). The average maximum doses were (brainstem; 45.5%; 49.9%), (spinal cord; 52.9%; 65.6%) and (mandible; 108.5%; 107.1%) for (organ; RapidArc; IMRT). The statistical analysis showed that the differences in homogeneity index and median doses to right/left parotids and spinal cords were statistically significant (p<0.05), and all others were not. The MU values were reduced by 56% in average and the total treatment time was reduced by 7 minutes when RapidArc was compared to IMRT.Conclusions:IMRT performs better for parotid glands whereas RapidArc performs better for spinal cord. IMRT and RapidArc provide comparable plans for other organs. Treatment time with RapidArc is much reduced compared to IMRT.
Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of ultrafine grained Al–Mg–Sc alloy

Abstract General corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of coarse grained, fine grained and ultrafine grained (UFG) AA5083 and Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy in different thermomechanical conditions were studied in the present work. Friction stir processing (FSP) was carried out to refine the grain size. The average grain size achieved after FSP for AA5083 was 7±3 μm, whereas that for Al–4Mg–0.8Sc–0.08Zr was 0.39±0.16 μm with 100% UFG microstructure. Linear polarization resistance and cyclic polarization techniques were used to study general corrosion behavior of these alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The UFG microstructure showed the highest polarization resistance ( R p ) of ∼93 kΩ which increased to ∼160 kΩ after 24 h of exposure in chloride solution. The peak aged Al–Mg–0.8Sc–0.08Zr showed the most positive breakdown potential with passivity in the range of −800 to −600 mV vs SCE. A power law type relationship was observed between grain size and R p for Al–Mg alloys. SCC susceptibility was estimated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using slow strain rate testing (SSRT) at initial strain rate of 10 −6 s −1 .The parent AA5083 alloy showed moderate susceptibility while the FSP AA5083 microstructure showed no susceptibility. The UFG Al–Mg–0.8Sc–0.08Zr condition showed >55% loss in ductility when tested in chloride solution.
Perfluorooctyl bromide has limited membrane solubility and is located at the bilayer center. Locating small molecules in lipid bilayers through paramagnetic enhancements of NMR relaxation.

There is considerable interest in the use of perfluorocarbons as oxygen carriers in clinical settings; however, little is known regarding the molecular interactions made by these apolar compounds w...
Running activity of ovarian tumorigenic mice.

Les ovaires de souris C3B6F1, genotypeWxWv developpent des adenomes tubulaires a l'âge de 7 mois. Dans l'essai du ≪tread wheel≫ l'activite spontanee de ces animaux etait plus petite que celle des controles.
Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls using limited mass scan gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Abstract In time-programmed limited mass scan gas chromatography—mass spectrometry, discrete portions of the mass range are selected to monitor the presence of characteristic groups of ions. The selection of the mass ranges monitored is adjusted automatically during chromatography to match the elution times of compounds of interest. This report describes the application of automated limited mass scan gas chromatography—mass spectrometry in conjunction with glass capillary gas chromatography for determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in process streams and environmental samples. The approach provides an optimal trade-off of sensitivity and selectivity for determination of (PCBs) with electron impact ionization or negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The reduction of interferences may allow less rigorous sample pretreatment and concentration steps and increase the confidence of peak assignments.
Reconstruction bias resulting from weighted projection and iso-center misalignment

The use of computer graphic techniques to produce 3D and reformatted images from a set of axial computed tomography (CT) images has generated significant interest in recent years. The axial CT images are generated with the projection data set weighted, prior to the reconstruction, to combat motion artifacts, data inconsistency, or redundant data samples. In this paper, we investigate the potential bias introduced to the reconstruction as a result of the interaction of the projection weights and the iso-center misalignment (ISM). Although the error is not easily detected in axial CT images, it can be quite visible in 3D or multi-planar reformed images. We first present a theoretical framework to analyze and predict the bias. The theoretical model quantitatively links the amount of object shift in the reconstructed images with the ISM and projection weighting function. The theoretical prediction is validated by both computer simulations and phantom experiments. Based on the analytical model, several schemes to combat this artifact are subsequently presented.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Breast-Conserving Therapy Achieves Locoregional Outcomes Comparable to Mastectomy in Women with T1-2N0 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Conflicting data exist regarding optimum local therapy for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We examined outcomes according to local treatment type in a large cohort of node-negative TNBC patients. A total of 1,242 consecutive patients with TNBC treated at a single institution from 1999 to 2008 were identified. Of these, 646 with pathologic stage T1-2N0 TNBC underwent breast-conserving therapy (BCT) (N = 448) or total mastectomy (TM) without postmastectomy radiation (N = 198) and comprised the study population. Locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis (DM), and overall recurrence were investigated with a competing risk analysis using Gray’s test and multivariable Fine and Gray competing risk regression. Overall survival was assessed using standard Kaplan–Meier methods and a Cox proportional hazards analysis. Median follow-up was 78.3 months (range 1–156). Eight-one percent of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. TM patients were younger, were more likely to have lymphovascular invasion, and had larger tumors than patients undergoing BCT (all P ≤ 0.05). The 5-year cumulative incidence of LRR was 4.2 and 5.4 % for patients undergoing BCT and TM, respectively. There was no significant difference in LRR, DM, overall recurrence, disease free survival, or overall survival between groups on univariate analysis, or after adjusting for other variables in multivariate models. Lack of chemotherapy and high tumor stage independently predicted for decreased overall survival (both P < 0.001). A low, 5-year risk of LRR (4.7 %) was achieved in a large group of women with T1-2N0 TNBC treated with multimodality therapy. BCT was as equally effective as TM for local and distant control.
Newton-Raphson optimization of the explicitly correlated Gaussian functions for calculations of the ground state of the helium atom

Explicitly correlated Gaussian functions have been used in variational calculations on the ground state of the helium atom. The major problem of this application, as well as in other applications of the explicitly correlated Gaussian functions to compute electronic energies of atoms and molecules, is the optimization of the nonlinear parameters involved in the variational wave function. An effective Newton–Raphson optimization procedure is proposed based on analytic first and second derivatives of the variational functional with respect to the Gaussian exponents. The algorithm of the method and its computational implementation is described. The application of the method to the helium atom shows that the Newton–Raphson procedure leads to a good convergence of the optimization process. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
African American Women in Higher Education.

This chapter provides an overview of the historical roles and contemporary educational challenges and opportunities for African American women.
Modeling and optimization of lipase-catalyzed synthesis of phytosteryl esters of oleic acid by response surface methodology

Abstract Enzymatic esterification of phytosterols with oleic acid to produce phytosteryl esters was performed in hexane. Response surface methodology was used to model the reaction. Candida rugosa lipase was the biocatalyst for the reaction. The reaction factors investigated were temperature (Te = 35–55 °C), reaction time (t = 4–24 h), substrate molar ratio (Sr = 1–3, oleic acid:phytosterols), and enzyme amount (En = 2–10%). Well-fitting quadratic polynomial regression model for degree of esterification (DE) was established after regression analysis with backward elimination and verified by a χ2 test. All factors investigated positively affected DE, with t having the greatest effect followed by En, Sr, and Te. The quadratic terms of t, Sr, and En showed negative effects on DE, whereas, that of Te had no effect on DE. Optimal reaction conditions were: Te, 51.3 °C; t, 17.0 h; Sr, 2.1; En, 7.2% and DE was 97.0 mol% under these conditions.