cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of sol-gel derived nanocrystalline tin oxide thin film as hydrogen sensor

Abstract Tin oxide (SnO x ) semiconductor thin film is coated on Pyrex glass (silica) substrates using the sol–gel dip-coating technique utilizing alkoxide precursor. The thin film is extensively characterized for its surface morphology, chemistry, thickness, and nanocrystallite size using different analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The HRTEM sample preparation is done for the first time using focused ion-beam (FIB) milling technique. Under the given processing conditions, SnO x semiconductor thin film having thickness 100–150 nm and nanocrystallite size 6–8 nm is obtained. In view of the reported literature and the present experimental data, it is demonstrated that the film is suitable for sensing H 2 gas at room temperature. Sensitivity value as high as 394% is observed at room temperature for 4 vol.% H 2 , which is an explosive limit at room temperature for the space-based applications as set by NASA.
Plagiarism: Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway? An Administrator’s Choice to Teach Not Punish

This paper examines how plagiarism is viewed on college campuses and the resultant punitive consequences that follow. In this case, a college administrator must determine whether two graduate education students should be expelled as a consequence of having certain passages appearing from websites and journal articles without attribution in first two theses drafts. In assessing what contributed to this infraction, the college administrator determined that the students had never received direct instruction in plagiarism and how to avoid it. Working collaboratively with the referring faculty member, a 3-session instructional program was designed to teach how to paraphrase and use citations in tandem with an overcorrection procedure of positive practice coupled with restitution. The culminating session required each student to design a 5-lesson module on plagiarism and how to avoid it for their program peers. They also met with their faculty instructor to review the changes they had made in their drafts resulting in reinstatement in their research course. The entire process helped the academic program faculty recognize that the topic of plagiarism and skills necessary to avoid plagiarism required direct instruction at various points throughout the overall program to prevent students from encountering severe penalties.
Antibrain antibodies in infantile autism

From the Divismn of Child Psychiatry. Department of Psychiatry. Washington University School of Medicine (R.D.T., J.M.H.), St. Louis, MO. and the Yale Child SNdy Center (G.M.A.. D.J C.1 New Haven. CT. Address reprint requests to: Dr. Richard D Todd. Deoanment ol Psych&y. Washington University Medical dubon Avenue, St. LOUIS, MO 631 IO. Received July 25. 19X7: revised September IX. School. 4940 Au-
The measurement of myo-inositol, myo-inosose-2 and scyllo-inositol in mammalian tissues.

Abstract While myo -inosose-2 has been postulated to be an intermediate in the conversion of myo - to scyllo -inositol, this cyclose has only recently been observed as a naturally occurring tissue component. We present in this paper the first measured levels of myo -inosose-2 in biological tissues. We also present for the first time the concentrations of scyllo -inositol in mammalian organs. Myo -inositol, myo -inosose-2 and scyllo -inositol are here measured in organs of the rat and rabbit chromatography of trimethylsilylated tissue extracts. The millimolar tissue levels of myo -inositol and scyllo -inositol are measured by a hydrogen flame ionization detector, and the micromolar tissue concentrations of myo -inosose-2 by an electron capture detector. The simultaneous occurrence of myo -inositol, scyllo -inositol and myo -inosose-2 in many tissues supports tha metabolic interrelationship of these three cyclitols, a situation which has been postulated in the past by others.
Status of the US heavy ion fusion program

In many respects, high-energy accelerators are well suited to inertial fusion power production. Accelerators have long life, good reliability, and high pulse repetition rates. They can also have high efficiency. Nevertheless, existing accelerators have not been designed to be fusion drivers and they have not established that they can produce sufficiently intense beams to drive ICF targets. Establishing that properly designed accelerators can produce the required beams, while retaining the other desirable features of existing accelerators, is the principal scientific goal of the heavy ion fusion program. Until recently, we planned to establish the physics of intense ion beams by building a scaled driver known as ILSE. Because of declining support for fusion research in the US it is not now possible to construct ILSE. Other proposed fusion projects have also been cancelled. Because ILSE will not be built, we have restructured the US heavy ion fusion program. The restructured program is based on a large number of small experiments coupled with an expanded effort in numerical simulation. Experiments on ion sources, injection, matching, beam combining, recirculation, and focusing are underway. The goal of the simulation program is to perform accurate end-to-end simulations of the entire accelerator. The experiments and simulations will establish much of the science of high intensity beams. Reducing cost and increasing accelerator efficiency are also important goals of this scientific research. In addition we are developing key technologies that will reduce cost and increase efficiency. Before the program is in a position to build a full-scale fusion driver, it will be necessary to perform accelerator experiments that are larger than the experiments that are currently in progress. We plan to build a new accelerator to do these experiments. This new accelerator will also be designed to perform experiments on those aspects of target physics that are unique to ions.
Thermally induced density perturbations in the inflation era

The possibility of thermally induced initial density perturbations in inflationary cosmology is examined. The fluctuation dynamics of a scalar field plus a thermal bath system during slow roll is described by a Langevin-like equation. Fluctuation-dissipation arguments show that for a wide parameter range within the standard inflation model, the thermal fluctuations of the scalar field can dominate its quantum fluctuations. The initial amplitude of density perturbations is found to lie in a range which is consistent with the recent observations of cosmic temperature fluctuations.
Guided lock acquisition in a suspended Fabry-Perot cavity.

The process of lock acquisition in a high-finesse suspended Fabry–Perot cavity used in the LIGO 40-m interferometer is numerically simulated. The simulation, including a model of the cavity optical transient response as the mirrors swing through resonance, demonstrates that acquisition of lock by the controller depends on the relative velocity of the mirrors and establishes a threshold velocity below which acquisition may take place. The model results are used to implement a real-time controller that analyzes the transient response, extracts the mirror velocity, and then guides the mirrors into resonance with relative velocity under the threshold. The result is a factor-of-10 decrease in the experimentally observed acquisition time.
PROPAGATION OF INFLUENZA VIRUS IN "IMMUNE" ENVIRONMENTS

Influenza virus can survive, and can be propagated in immunological environments induced in mice by vaccination with the homologous strain of virus: survival was associated with the emergence of variants which differed from the parent strain in antigenic characteristics. The data concerning hemagglutinating activity of the variants, on the one hand, and of the antigenicity, on the other, are compatible with the concept that the structure of the influenza virus includes a surface arrangement which is distinct from the inner virus bulk. The points (a) that propagation was accomplished with difficulty whenever the immunological environment was altered, and (b) that once established, passage was continued without difficulty, are interpreted to indicate that the mechanism of variation may involve a rearrangement of the basic hereditary mechanism.
Method of variable bias and its application to estimating subsurface temperature

A method of obtaining variable-bias estimates of physical quantities from noisy and incomplete data is introduced, and its application to estimating subsurface temperature is illustrated by application to temperature data from the Iberia salt dome in south Louisiana.
Workforce management in project-oriented shared service organization

The typical project-oriented service organizations conduct dozens of projects and programs every year. A common occurrence in these organizations is many requests from business units with no apparent link to strategy goals. So they often face workforce management and project prioritization issues with a constrained budget and limited human resources. Research and experience indicate that the governance of workforce and project prioritization is critical to organization success. This article reviews actions that a shared service organization taken to meet resource-competing requests from multiple business units. Specifically, the authors discuss some key advanced technologies such as a complete model for selecting projects, skill representation and resource allocation problem, together with experiences gained from a bank in Asia Pacific.
The Effects of Family Structure on the Development of Bilinguality

This study examines the role of family structure in the development of different levels of bilinguality. Students from five different public and private universities responded to an extensive survey on various aspects of bilinguality. Participants were divided into three groups: monolinguals, non-fluent bilinguals and fluent bilinguals. In line with the initial hypothesis, higher levels of bilinguality correlated with having more bilingual family members. Also further evidence was found for the importance of the mother, father and sisters in becoming bilingual. Additionally, the presence of bilingual step-parents and grandparents on acquisition and maintenance of a second language was examined and fund to be much less influential than the role of the parents. Finally, the influence of socio-economic status (SES) on development of bilinguality was measured with no clear effect being found. The unique contribution of this study is that it attempts to connect the influence of specific family members to different levels of bilinguality.
An investigation of coupling evaporative cooling and decentralized graywater treatment in the residential sector

Abstract Total electricity and water burdens, including both direct and indirect uses, were modeled for newly constructed and 15-year-old homes in six California climate zones for three air conditioning systems: standard air-cooled condensing unit, evaporatively pre-cooled condensing unit, and an evaporative condensing unit. Compared to the air-cooled condensing unit, average annual direct electricity savings were 17.7% and 11.3% for an evaporatively pre-cooled condensing unit and an evaporative condensing unit, respectively. The evaporative condensing unit provided greater savings at peak load than the evaporatively pre-cooled condensing units (peak power savings were 30.9% and 23.8%, respectively), which is promising for hot arid climates. Total water burden reflected direct (e.g., evaporation) and indirect (i.e., electricity generation) water use. The standard air-cooled condensing unit, which had only an indirect water burden, exhibited the lowest total water burden; the evaporatively pre-cooled condensing unit and evaporative condensing unit had similar total water burdens, which were approximately double the air-cooled condensing unit's total water burden. This is because the evaporatively pre-cooled condensing unit and evaporative condensing unit both required a substantial volume of water (average 30.8 and 28.1 L/h, respectively; up to 8.5% increased water consumption for a typical household) to achieve their electricity-saving and peak power reduction benefits. This additional water burden can be offset by implementing an in-home decentralized graywater treatment and reuse plan, where shower and clothes-wash water is treated and recycled in-home for evaporative cooling as well as irrigation and toilet flushing.
Occupational dream, relation to parents and depression in the early adult transition

Assessed the impact of difficulty forming an occupational dream and relating to parents on depression among college students in their late teens and early twenties. Becoming independent of parents and forming an occupational dream are seen as two central issues during this period of life. Results from 64 students suggest that having to give up a valued dream, viewing one's relation to mother as authority-obeyer, and doing little exploring of occupational choices are related significantly to depression (p less than .0004). The significance of these results is discussed in light of theories of depression and the possible importance of different parenting styles for young adults who are facing the early adult transition.
A High-Rate, High-Capacity, Nanostructured Sn-Based Anode Prepared Using Sol-Gel Template Synthesis

Li-ion battery anodes derived from oxides of tin have recently received considerable interest because in principle they can store over twice as much Li as graphite. However, large volume changes occur when Li is inserted and removed from these Sn-based materials, and this causes internal damage to the electrode, resulting in loss of capacity and rechargability. We describe here a new nanostructured -based electrode that has extraordinary rate capabilities, can deliver very high capacities (e.g., >700 mAh at 8 C rate), and still retain the ability to be discharged and recharged through as many as 1400 cycles. These electrodes, prepared via the template method, consist of monodisperse 110 nm diam nanofibers protruding from a current-collector surface like the bristles of a brush. © 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Micrococcus bacteremia in a patient with pulmonary hypertension and a long-term central venous catheter: Opportunity knocks, and an unexpected pathogen enters

© 2007 Elsevier 0196-4399/00 (see frontmatter) 173 Introduction Micrococcus species are grampositive cocci (GPC) that are most frequently recovered in blood cultures as phlebotomy-associated contaminants. However, they can be opportunistic pathogens on rare occasions. Our case highlights a previously reported association between Micrococcus spp. and catheter infections in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are being treated with epoprostenol (EPO) via central venous catheter (CVC). To enhance prompt recognition of clinically significant culture results, such cases benefit from good communication between the microbiology laboratory and the clinical team.
Morphology of surface crystallites on amorphous Fe87Zr7B5Cu1

Surface crystallites a few tens of nanometres in breadth have been observed on the as-melt-spun surface of an alloy of compositionFe87Zr7B6Cu1. These crystallites are preferentially oriented, and exhibit a (2 0 0) texture. Heat treatments at temperatures in the interval 623–773 °C caused the surface grains to coarsen and new, randomly oriented crystals to form. Compositional inhomogeneities were found to contribute to the formation of the surface crystallites. Results suggest that surface energy effects are more important during the nucleation of crystallites in the liquid than they are below the glass transition temperature.
Apolipoprotein A-I in liver disease.

Apolipoprotein A-I and high-density lipoprotein concentrations in the plasma of patients with liver disease have been found to be either normal or lower than normal. In this study the apolipoprotein A-I concentration was measured in the plasma of 19 patients with cholestatic liver disease and 21 patients with noncholestatic liver disease. To evaluate the severity of liver disease, serum albumin, prealbumin, bilirubin, and bile salts were also measured. Apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in plasma correlated positively with serum albumin (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and prealbumin (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) and negatively with serum bilirubin (r = -0.47, p < 0.01) and bile salts (r = -0.54, p < 0.001). The apolipoprotein A-I level thus seems to reflect the severity of liver disease. This is presumably due to a decreased liver synthesis of apolipoprotein A-I in liver disease.
Abyssal circulation in the Indian Ocean from a 1/12 ∘ resolution global hindcast

Abstract Abyssal pathways and volume transports in the Indian Ocean obtained from a 1 / 12 ∘ global data assimilative hindcast for the years 2004–2006 are presented. The known features of bottom water circulation such as boundary currents and inter-basin exchanges are well represented in the hindcast solution. Further, the hindcast solution reveals a basin-wide, anti-cyclonic deep circulation pattern with the main inflow located in the east, in the Perth Basin, and outflow in the west along the African continent and Madagascar. Inter-basin westward transport at 10 ∘ S across the Ninetyeast Ridge and along the Mascarene Plateau connect the inflow and outflow locations. The model develops a net bottom water inflow of 10 ± 8 Sv ( mean ± standard deviation ) across 32 ∘ S , below approximately 3500 m of which 4 ± 7 Sv are returned south across the same latitude in the deep layers between 2000 and 3500 m. Significant variability on intra-seasonal, semi-annual and annual time scales is present in the abyssal flow fields. The vertical mixing algorithm, based on resolved vertical shear, suggests enhanced diapycnal upwelling in the vicinity of the Central Indian Ridge.
Some statistical considerations in the burning of composite solid propellants

Propagation of a deflagration wave through a nearly ordered composite propellant is considered. The intent is to see some effects of the particle packing statistics on the propagation rate. A highly oversimplified model of the deflagration physics is considered, and only the statistics are emphasized. It is found that, for propellants of usual packing density, the least-time path of burning to a given point depends primarily on the packing statistics in a line parallel to the burn rate vector; there is little effect of particles only a few particle diameters to the side of this line. In a simplified model that may be solved analytically, there are clearly seen particle-size, pressure, and packing density effects on burn rate which are due to the statistics alone and not the deflagration physics.
Race-Based Coalitions Among Minority Groups Afro-Caribbean Immigrants and African-Americans in New York City

As immigration from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean increases the numbers of racial minorities living in American cities, political scientists are beginning to wonder whether these newcomers will forge coalitions with their native-born counterparts, particularly African-Americans. A number of scholars have argued that race-based alliances between non-White immigrants and African-Americans are likely, in light of continuing patterns of racial discrimination in this country. But it turns out that such coalitions are quite rare. Using the case of Caribbean- and American-born Blacks in NewYork City, the author attempts to understandwhy. He reconsiders the argument for race-based alliances, as well as other leading theories of intergroup coalition building. His analysis demonstrates why racial commonalities have not been enough to overcome interminority tensions, highlights the limits of race-based coalitions, and shows how institutions may shape the intergroup dynamics on which these attempted alliance...
Requirements use case tool (RUT)

The Requirements Use case Tool (RUT) provides assistance to managers, customers, and developers in assessing the quality of use cases. In addition, RUT serves as a database repository for requirements developed as use cases. To ensure consistency, the tool provides a standard use case template to be used for all use case entry into the repository. Furthermore, RUT provides integration with Rational Rose, the industry-standard tool for developing UML diagrams. The tool also provides a series of metrics useful for calculating information about the relationships among the captured use cases. RUT performs use case evaluation by searching text and identifying risk indicators such as incomplete or weak phrases. The Requirements Use case Tool is a valuable resource for collecting, evaluating, and maintaining software requirements gathered as use cases.RUT is a web-based, multi-user application that provides project team members with the ability to create, view, and modify use cases and related information for a particular project. The "dashboard" view provided by the tool gives managers and others the ability to quickly ascertain the status of a project by viewing various use case metrics. The tool was developed using multi-platform, open source technologies (PHP and MySQL).All features of the Requirements Use case Tool described above will be demonstrated at the conference.
Genetic and metabolic determinants of plasma PCSK9 levels

Context: PCSK9 is a secreted protein that influences plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and susceptibility to coronary heart disease. PCSK9 is present in human plasma, but the factors that contribute to differences in plasma concentrations of PCSK9 and how they impact on the levels of lipoproteins have not been well-characterized. Objective: The aim of the study was to measure PCSK9 levels in a large, ethnically diverse population (n = 3138) utilizing a sensitive and specific sandwich ELISA. Design: We conducted an observational study in the Dallas Heart Study, a multiethnic, probability-based sample of Dallas County. Results: Plasma levels of PCSK9 varied over approximately 100-fold range (33–2988 ng/ml; median, 487 ng/ml). Levels were significantly higher in women (517 ng/ml) than in men (450 ng/ml), and in postmenopausal women compared to premenopausal women (P < 0.0001), irrespective of estrogen status. Plasma levels of PCSK9 correlated with plasma levels of LDL-C (r = 0.24) ...
Over-ruling a group sequential boundary--a stopping rule versus a guideline.

We evaluate the properties of group sequential procedures where the trial is continued even though the boundary for statistical significance (stopping) to demonstrate effectiveness has been crossed. In this case, one may buy-back the previously spent alpha probability to be re-spent or re-distributed at future looks. We show that such plans using an O'Brien-Fleming-like spending function have a negligible effect on the final type I error probability and on the ultimate power of the study. With a Pocock-like bound, however, there is a small additional loss in power. We also show that this approach can be simplified by using a fixed-sample size Z critical value for future looks after buying-back previously spent alpha, such as using a critical Z value of 1.96 for α = 0.025. We show that this procedure preserves the type I error probability while incurring a minimal loss in power. In this sense, one still has a stopping boundary rather than simply a guideline. This concept is discussed relative to monitoring procedures for inferiority or futility, and cases where both an upper and lower boundary are employed.
A reconsideration of the extinction-recovery theory

The extinction-recovery theory, which has been offered to account for the superior retention of paired-associate lists learned under distributed practice (DP), was tested in three experiments. These studies showed that (a) prior-list availability is unaffected by DP, (b) the DP effect is largely due to increased availability, and (c) a DP effect can occur under conditions of minimal interlist interference. These findings were considered severely damaging to the theory. The results of these and other studies were interpreted in terms of the operation of a selection process by which DP Ss are able to acquire a collection of relatively stable and strong associations.
Sequential Bayesian analysis of simulation experiments

Prior information is incorporated in the analysis of simulation experiments to reduce the number of observations needed to estimate delay before service in a queuing system with a specified precision. The research extends to simulation of queuing systems a previous successful application of sequential Bayesian analysis to interrupted time series experiments. The results include methodologies that use sequential Bayesian methods for analyzing batch means as well as observations of individual entities within a single simulation run. >
Collapsing Stakeholder Groups: Insights Into Professional Sports Organizations And Competitive Positioning

The article investigates the force field stakeholder structure of National Football League (NFL) sport organizations relative to those that provide the domain that governs the management of other medium to large commercial entities. Textual and visual images of the affiliations among the various NFL organizations’ stakeholder groups in the manuscript provide a framework of the stakeholder force field domain. The model presents comparative and contrasting data relevant to typical business organizations of similar size, expenses, and revenue capacity. Finally, the article identifies managerial practices in NFL organizations and provides explanations for these processes applicable to the force field domain under which they are governed. The authors conclude that managerial practices in NFL organizations are contrary to those adhered to in regular commercial enterprises; however, these managerial practices are appropriate for the particular stakeholder force field domain that governs these particular sport organizations, which fosters “collaborative parity.” Future research that delves into areas of major league football’s and other leagues’ evolving economic constructs as they pertain to stakeholder issues such as controlling labor costs, the relocation of a particular team, and the necessity of increasing the volume of existing and emerging revenue streams is recommended.
The Development of Prehistoric Complex Societies: Amazonia, A Tropical Forest

Early research in Amazonia suggested the possibility that prehistoric complex societies had developed in several regions, despite assumptions that humid tropical conditions would prevent such developments. Under the rubric of cultural ecology, various processes have been hypothesized for the development of these societies: invasion and subsequent devolution of groups from expanding states in temperate regions outside Amazonia, social and ecological interactions among regions within Amazonia, and social adaptation to local ecological variation. The hypotheses differ, but researchers generally employed ecological determinist and functionalist assumptions of causality: from environment to subsistence and population and thence to social adaptation. Recent thinking on complex society has distilled the concept of heterarchy as an alternative to cultural materialist explanations for the processes of formation and functioning of a range of complex societies. This chapter examines the accumulated data on complex societies in two Amazonian regions—Marajo Island at the mouth of the Amazon and the Santarem-Monte Alegre region in the Lower Amazon—in light of the theoretical issues about the formation and functioning of complex societies worldwide. Results of the comparison tend to accord more with heterarchical hypotheses than with the earlier cultural ecological hypotheses. In Amazonia, non-state societies appear to have organized large, dense populations, intensive subsistence adaptations, large systems of earthworks, production of elaborate artworks and architecture for considerable periods of time. The more centralized and hierarchical of these societies had developed more ritual and material culture related to conflict, and had a heavier impact on their environments. The patterns of social development in Amazonia can still be causally related to environmental patterns through cultural ecological theory, but the new data suggests the need to envision a more mutualistic, variable, and complex causal nexus.
Perforated appendicitis presenting as small bowel obstruction in an infant.

Acute appendicitis is one of the frequently seen emergencies in the pediatric hospitals. Nevertheless, its diagnosis and management is often challenging in infants and neonates. The diagnosis is frequently made at operation performed for the complications [1-3]. We encountered a similar situation in a 2-month-old infant in whom the perforated appendicitis presented with small bowel obstruction.
The Crisis of the Earth: Marx's Theory of Ecological Sustainability as a Nature-Imposed Necessity for Human Production

Any systematic, forward-looking ecological vision must include three elements: (a) a theory of ecological crisis and its relation to human production; (b) a concept of sustainability as a nature-im...
Efficient Synthesis of N-[(2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-2-alkyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone by a Modified Hilbert-Johnson Reaction

Abstract Ethyleneglycol derivatives of 2-methyl (and ethyl)-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone were synthesized by a modified Hilbert-Johnson reaction. The synthesis proceedes by reaction of O-protected 2-alkyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone with hexamethyldisilazane in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane followed by trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate catalized alkylation with benzyloxy-ethoxymethylchloride in dichloroethane and deprotection by hydrogenation. The overall yield was 87%. This method provides a useful way to produce oligo- or polyethyleneglycol substituted hydroxypyridinones.
Optimum Binary FSK for Transmitted Reference Systems Over Rayleigh Fading Channels

It is well known that in communicating over randomly time-varying channels, a receiver which performs a channel measurement can make a better decision than one that does not. Furthermore, if the channel characteristics vary relatively slowly in comparison to a large number of adjacent message intervals, a small portion of the transmittter energy can be devoted to channel measurement, and, in spite of the loss of energy in the information bearing portion of the signal, the resulting system performs better than one with no measurement. This paper shows that improved system performance from a channel measuring system occurs, even when the channel characteristics are fixed only during the present message interval. The randomly time-varying channel studied is that of a Rayleigh fading medium with independently fading mark and space channels whose fading is fixed over one baud interval but is independent from baud to baud. The transmission system is a modified frequency shift keying (FSK) system such that during a portion of a baud interval, the mark and space frequencies are always transmitted so as to act as reference signals. For this system, the following has been established: 1) optimum receiver configuration 2) optimum ratio α of information energy to total signal energy as a function of total available SNR for a single fading channel. 3) asymptotic optimum α for an M -diversity channel 4) error probabilities for item 2 and asymptotic error probabilities for item S for α opt as a function of total SNR. The asymptotic results show that by using reference techniques the order of diversity is effectively doubled.
Vampire priests of Central Africa: African debates about labor and religion in colonial northern Zambia

When I was a girl, I was taught not to gossip by a school game. We would sit in a circle, and someone would whisper a phrase into the ear of the person sitting next to her. By the time the phrase was returned to the first speaker, it was totally deformed—hilarious proof that hearsay distorted facts. I had already published a book based extensively on oral interviews when I realized how insidious this game was, that it rested on two extremely authoritarian principles: Information should be transmitted passively, and no one has the right to alter or amend received statements.
Distance-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: A New Paradigm for Mass Separation and Detection

Distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) offers the advantages of physical separation of ions, array detection of ions, focusing of initial ion energy, great simplicity, and a truly unlimited mass range. DOFMS instrumentation is similar to that of time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) and shares its ion-source versatility, batch analysis, and rapid spectral-generation rate. With constant-momentum ion acceleration and an ion mirror, there is a time at which ions of all mass-to-charge values are energy focused at their particular distances along the flight path. A pulsed field orthogonal to the flight path drives the ions to reach the detector array at this specific time. Results from a 0.29-m proof-of-principle instrument verify the theoretically predicted energy focus and demonstrate how the range of mass-to-charge values that impinge on the detector array can be readily changed. DOFMS could be combined sequentially with TOFMS to enable simultaneous scanless tandem mass spectrometry.
Consensus-reaching of Multiple Robots with Fewer Interactions

Consensus algorithms have been studied with the aid of algebraic graph theory. This paper studies the effect of an edge reduction scheme on consensus behavior of multi-robot systems. With this edge reduction scheme, robots in the network can reach a consensus on certain coordination variables with fewer interactions and less computational effort.
Multitiered Support Framework for Teachers' Classroom-Management Practices: Overview and Case Study of Building the Triangle for Teachers.

Many teachers enter the field without sufficient training in classroom management and continue to experience challenges throughout their careers. Therefore, school-based leaders need a multi-tiered...
We might should oughta take a second look at this: A syntactic re-analysis of double modals in Southern United States English

Previous analyses of the double modal construction in Southern United States English (SUSE) have been unable to fully explain all of the observed data regarding negation, questions, and stranded quantifiers. In this article, I argue for a structure placing the first modal in an MP merged above TP and the second modal in T. This structure has the benefits of maintaining the distinction seen between the two modals and explaining the separation of the modals by negation and stranded quantifiers while being able to explain the raising of the second modal in main clause questions. To support the proposed merged MP structure, I argue that the first modal of a double modal pair is immune to sequence of tense effects, and I take this as evidence that first position modals lack syntactic Tense. This is further supported with crosslinguistic evidence for epistemic modality located above Tense. This article thus explains SUSE double modals as an instance of parametric variation regarding the availability of epistemic modality to be located above Tense. I also address issues associated with the proposed structure involving the Head Movement Constraint and the proposed EPP feature on M.
Chondrocranial development in larval Rana sylvatica (Anura: Ranidae): morphometric analysis of cranial allometry and ontogenetic shape change.

This study provides baseline quantitative data on the morphological development of the chondrocranium in a larval anuran. Both linear and geometric morphometric methods are used to quantitatively analyze size-related shape change in a complete developmental series of larvae of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. The null hypothesis of isometry was rejected in all geometric morphometric and most linear morphometric analyses. Reduced major axis regressions of 11 linear chondrocranial measurements on size indicate a mixture of allometric and isometric scaling. Measurements in the otic and oral regions tend to scale with negative allometry and those associated with the palatoquadrate and muscular process scale with isometry or positive allometry. Geometric morphometric analyses, based on a set of 11 chondrocranial landmarks, include linear regression of relative warp scores and multivariate regression of partial warp scores and uniform components on log centroid size. Body size explains about one-quarter to one-third of the total shape variation found in the sample. Areas of regional shape transformation (e.g., palatoquadrate, otic region, trabecular horns) are identified by thin-plate spline deformation grids and are concordant with linear morphometric results. Thus, the anuran chondrocranium is not a static structure during premetamorphic stages and allometric patterns generally follow scaling predictions for tetrapod cranial development. Potential implications regarding larval functional morphology, cranial development, and chondrocranial evolution in anurans are discussed.
Ellipsoid analysis of calvarial shape.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this research was to develop a novel quantitative method of describing calvarial shape by using ellipsoid geometry. The pilot application of Ellipsoid Analysis was to compare calvarial form among individuals with untreated unilateral coronal synostosis, metopic synostosis, and sagittal synostosis and normal subjects. Methods: The frontal, parietal, and occipital bones of 10 preoperative patients for each of the four study groups were bilaterally segmented into six regions using three-dimensional skull reconstructions generated by ANALYZE™ imaging software from high-resolution computed tomography scans. Points along each segment were extracted and manipulated using a MATLAB®-based program. The points were fit to the least-squares nearest ellipsoid. Relationships between the six resultant right and left frontal, parietal, and occipital ellipsoidal centroids (FR, FL, PR, PL, OR, and OL, respectively) were tested for association with a synostotic group. Results: Results from t...
Towards a Structured Representation of Generic Concepts and Relations in Large Text Corpora

Extraction of structured information from text corpora involves identifying entities and the relationship between entities expressed in unstructured text. We propose a novel iterative pattern induction method to extract relation tuples exploiting lexical and shallow syntactic pattern of a sentence. We start with a single pattern to illustrate how the method explores additional paterns and tuples by itself with increasing amount of data. We apply frequency and correlation based filtering and ranking of relation tuples to ensure the correctness of the system. Experimental evaluation compared to other state of the art open extraction systems such as Reverb, textRunner and WOE shows the effectiveness of the proposed system.
EVALUATION OF A GERMICIDAL DEVICE FOR PERITONEAL DIALYSIS CONNECTORS

Fifteen peritoneal-dialysis spike connectors were contaminated deliberately, either by handling (n = 12) or by a saline suspension of micro organisms (n = 3). The spikes were then subjected to ultr...
Peroxisome proliferation in neoplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas induced by cipro-fibrate in the rat

Summary Neoplastic nodules (NN) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) induced in the rat by ciprofibrate were analyzed for peroxisome proliferation. The volume density of peroxisomes in NN and HCC was 5.7 ± 2.7 and 6.6 ± 2.9, respectively; whereas in adjacent uninvolved liver the volume density was 16.3 ± 5.0. No ultrastructural differences between NN were found to discriminate nodule from carcinoma. The results of this study indicate that the peroxisome proliferative response of NN and HCC to ciprofibrate is similar and can not be used as a marker to differentiate these lesions.
Inoculative Release of Steinernema scapterisci (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) to Suppress Pest Mole Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) on Golf Courses

Single inoculative applications of Steinernema scapterisci were made on golf courses in north central (Alachua County) and southeastern (Broward County) Florida. Nematode-infected Scapteriscus spp. mole crickets were collected from eight of nine treated plots and from five of six treated plots in Alachua and Broward counties, respectively. However, infected individuals were collected with regularity from only two courses in Alachua County where level of infection was greatest during the spring (March-June). Weekly infection levels for weeks 1–12 after treatment ranged from 0–100%. Infection of Scapteriscus spp. adults from treated plots in Alachua County, 25.2%, was significantly greater than that for nymphs, 1.2%; and infection of Scapteriscus borellii , 25.0%, was significantly greater than that of S. vicinus , 11.0%. Nematode-infected mole crickets were collected from four control plots in Alachua County and from one in Broward County during the 2nd yr after treatment. Significantly fewer mole crickets were collected in 24-h trap catches the 2nd yr after treatment on all treated plots combined and control plots combined in both counties. Mean trap catch was reduced 68, 62, and 41% the 2nd yr on treated plots where the nematode persisted; on control plots where infected crickets were collected; and on control plots where the nematode was not detected, respectively. Damage ratings and number of mole crickets soap-flushed from treated plots were significantly reduced the 2nd yr after treatment. Results indicate S. scapterisci can serve as an inoculative biological control agent for Scapteriscus spp. mole crickets on golf courses and as a biopesticide for relatively rapid suppression of pest populations.
Palermo revisited: Letizia Battaglia's Fine della storia/End of the Story

ABSTRACTThis article analyses Letizia Battaglia's 2007 short film Fine della storia/End of the Story in the context of her photographic production since 2000. The film is not only a tribute of love to Palermo with its many past and continuing troubles, but also a defiant and ultimately optimistic statement about the power of art to function as ‘lieu de memoire’ and catalyst for civic regeneration. Battaglia's long-standing opposition to mafia power and culture is ‘re-elaborated’ within the film through the incorporation of her old photographs dating from her time as a photojournalist for the daily newspaper L'Ora. The film elevates the photographs from the status of mere documentary evidence to a symbol of active resistance to political corruption. A very personal work on behalf of the film-maker, End of the Story identifies women, children and Sicily's famous natural beauty as the central loci of hope for Sicily's future.
Advances on research of RPGR in X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a common genetic eye disease affecting about 1 in 3500 people the worldwide. X-linked retinitis pigmentosa is the most devastating form of RP because of its severe clinical manifestations. It results from the gene mutations on the X chromosome. The major'XLRP gene has been isolated in Xp21.1, retinitis pigmentosa GTPase-regulator (RP-GR). This paper overviews the recent advances on the positional cloning,formation, function, and mutation spectrum of RPGR and demonstrates the clinical meanings of this RPGR gene mutation research.
EFFECTS OF 5-AZACYTIDINE ON THE PROLIFERATION,REGENERATION AND MUTATIONINDUEING TO THE CALLUS FROM INDICA RICE MATURE EMBRYO

The callus,which were induced from the mature embryo of three-line indica hybrid rice restorer lines,Minghui 63,Milyang 46,and Teqing 2,were treated by 5-azacytidine(5-azaC).The callus was inhibited obviously on the medium containing 0.1mmol/L 5-azaC,and more obviously on the higher concentration of 5-azaC.The proliferation rate of the callus fall down over 50% when 5-azaC concentration was up to 1.0mmol/L.When the callus was exposed on the medium containing 1.5 mmol/L 5-azacytidine,its proliferation rate fall down over 80%.The callus was more susceptible to 5-azaC in the stage of regeneration.Compared with no 5azacytidine in the medium,the regeneration rate of the callus fall down obviously when the callus were on the medium containing 0.02mmol/L 5-azaC.With higher concentration of 5-azaC,the regeneration rate of the callus was lower.The regeneration capability of the callus from three varieties tested was inhibited completely when the 5-azaC concentration was up to 0.2mmol/L and no plantlet was produced.The regeneration capability of the callus also fall down after the 5-azaC treatment,however,it could be restored through pre-regeneration stage.In this research system,several characteristics such as albino,dwarfism,late-heading and early-heading in the regeneration plants were mutated,the general mutation rate in MR_1 were 3.03%～5.31%.The mutant characteristics appeared just single locus mutation and inheritable stably.
Supernumerary intrathoracic rib; a case report.

Eve was made from the thirteenth rib of the right side…. She was not drawn out by the head lest she should be vain; nor by the eyes, lest she should be wanton; nor from the mouth, lest she should be given to garrulity; nor by the ears, lest she should be an eavesdropper; nor by the hands, lest she should be intermeddling; nor by the feet, lest she be a gadder; nor by the heart, for fear she should be jealous; but she was taken out from the side. Yet in spite of all these precautions she had all the faults so carefully provided against. (Quoted from Rabbi Jonathan’s Targum, by G. W. Niven, Brit. M. J. 2: 1732, 1898.)
Behavior and Performance of Pigs Grouped by Three Different Methods at Weaning

Crossbred pigs (384) used in three trials were assigned to one of three grouping treatments when moved to 1.4 X 1.6 m nursery pens 4 h postweaning at 28 d of age. Treatments included eight pigs from the same litter (8-1), four pigs from each of two different litters (4-2) and one pig from each of eight different litters (1-8). A commercial odor masking agent (OMA) commonly used to reduce tail biting and fighting was sprayed on one-half of the replicates of each treatment 20 min after (trial 1) or immediately before (trials 2 and 3) the pigs were moved to the nursery. Agonistic behavior was quantified (trials 2 and 3) by direct observation for the first 3 h and again for 2 h at 24 and 48 h post-grouping. Application of OMA 20 min post-mixing caused only a temporary (3 to 5 min) cessation of fighting. A slight increase in fighting in all three grouping treatments was observed when OMA was applied before mixing. Average daily gain for 0 to 4 and 0 to 28 d and feed intake for 0 to 7 and 0 to 28 d were not influenced by OMA or grouping treatments. Combining alien pigs resulted in a significant increase in fighting but did not affect long term performance.