cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Universal optical platform for monitoring of bioprocess variables

The main bioprocess variables that are continuously measured are pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved car- bon dioxide (DCO 2 ). Less common variables are redox, concentrations of substrate and product concentrations, product activity, etc. Recently, pH and DO have been measured using optical chemical sensors due to their small form factor and convenience in use. These sensors are typically interrogated using a lab grade spectrometer, or with the help of a low-cost, tailor-made optoelectronic transducer that is designed around the optical sensor. Recently, we proposed a new class of optoelectronic transducers that are capable of monitoring several different optical sensors without the need to switch the optics or hardware when changing the type of sensor. This allows flexibility closer to the lab-grade devices at a price point of a dedicated sensor. In this work, we have demonstrated a universal optical platform capable of monitoring pH or DO sensors. It uses the principle of ratio-metric fluorescence measurements for pH and fluorescence lifetime measurements for DO. The platform is capable of seamlessly switching between these two modes. It is also capable of auto recognition of the sensor type. The platform can operate both with patch-type or fiber optic type of sensors. The platform has measurement accuracy of about 0.08 pH units and approximately 5 % air saturation with oxygen. Additionally, an approach to obtain identical calibrations between several devices is presented. The described platform has been tested in actual bioprocesses and has been found adequate for continuous bioprocess monitoring.
Non-Target-Site Resistance to Herbicides: Recent Developments

Non-target-site resistance (NTSR) to herbicides in weeds can be conferred as a result of the alteration of one or more physiological processes, including herbicide absorption, translocation, sequestration, and metabolism. The mechanisms of NTSR are generally more complex to decipher than target-site resistance (TSR) and can impart cross-resistance to herbicides with different modes of action. Metabolism-based NTSR has been reported in many agriculturally important weeds, although reduced translocation and sequestration of herbicides has also been found in some weeds. This review focuses on summarizing the recent advances in our understanding of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular basis of NTSR mechanisms found in weed species. Further, the importance of examining the co-existence of TSR and NTSR for the same herbicide in the same weed species and influence of environmental conditions in the altering and selection of NTSR is also discussed. Knowledge of the prevalence of NTSR mechanisms and co-existing TSR and NTSR in weeds is crucial for designing sustainable weed management strategies to discourage the further evolution and selection of herbicide resistance in weeds.
5 sources of clickbaits you should know!: using synthetic clickbaits to improve prediction and distinguish between bot-generated and human-written headlines

Clickbait is an attractive yet misleading headline that lures readers to commit click-conversion. Development of robust clickbait detection models has been, however, hampered due to the shortage of high-quality labeled training samples. To overcome this challenge, we investigate how to exploit human-written and machine-generated synthetic clickbaits. We first ask crowdworkers and journalism students to generate clickbaity news headlines. Second, we utilize deep generative models to generate clickbaity headlines. Through empirical evaluations, we demonstrate that synthetic clickbaits by human entities and deep generative models are consistently useful in improving the accuracy of various prediction models, by as much as 14.5% in AUC, across two real datasets and different types of algorithms. Especially, we observe an improvement in accuracy, up to 8.5% in AUC, even for top-ranked clickbait detectors from Clickbait Challenge 2017. Our study proposes a novel direction to address the shortage of labeled training data, one of fundamental bottlenecks in supervised learning, by means of synthetic training data with reinforced domain knowledge. It also provides a solution for distinguishing between bot-generated and human-written clickbaits, thus aiding the work of moderators and better alerting news consumers.
Innate Immunity in Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Activation and viral control of the innate immune response are hallmarks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and are major determinants of spontaneous clearance or progression to chronic infection and liver disease. In this review, we provide a contemporary overview of how HCV is sensed by the host cell to trigger innate immune activation and the mechanisms deployed by the virus to evade this response. Type I and III interferons (IFNs) are crucial mediators of antiviral innate immunity against HCV, and we specifically highlight the importance of IFN-λ host genetics for the outcome of HCV infection. Last, we focus on the proinflammatory responses elicited by HCV infection and describe our current understanding of how interleukin (IL)-1β signaling and cross talk between the IL-1β and IFN signaling pathways lead to sustained inflammation and increased risk of liver pathology.
The role of efferents in human auditory development: efferent inhibition predicts frequency discrimination in noise for children

The descending corticofugal fibers originate from the auditory cortex and exert control on the periphery via the olivocochlear efferents. Medial efferents are thought to enhance the discriminability of transient sounds in background noise. In addition, the observation of deleterious long-term effects of efferent sectioning on the response properties of auditory nerve fibers in neonatal cats supports an efferent-mediated control of normal development. However, the role of the efferent system in human hearing remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the medial efferents are involved in the development of frequency discrimination in noise. The hypothesis was examined with a combined behavioral and physiological approach. Frequency discrimination in noise and efferent inhibition were measured in 5- to 12-yr-old children (n = 127) and young adults (n = 37). Medial efferent strength was noninvasively assayed with a rigorous otoacoustic emission protocol. Results revealed an age-mediated relationship between efferent inhibition and frequency discrimination in noise. Efferent inhibition strongly predicted frequency discrimination in noise for younger children (5-9 yr). However, for older children (>9 yr) and adults, efferent inhibition was not related to frequency discrimination in noise. These findings support the role of efferents in the development of hearing-in-noise in humans; specifically, younger children compared with older children and adults are relatively more dependent on efferent inhibition for extracting relevant cues in noise. Additionally, the present findings caution against postulating an oversimplified relationship between efferent inhibition and measures of auditory perception in humans.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Despite several decades of research, the functional role of medial olivocochlear efferents in humans remains controversial and is thought to be insignificant. Here it is shown that medial efferent inhibition strongly predicts frequency discrimination in noise for younger children but not for older children and adults. Young children are relatively more dependent on the efferent system for listening-in-noise. This study highlights the role of the efferent system in hearing-in-noise during childhood development.
Ductile fracture under in-plane biaxial tension and out-of-plane compression

Abstract A new experiment for determining the equivalent plastic strain at fracture of a ductile material subjected to loading under a state of stress of in-plane biaxial tension and out-of-plane compression is introduced. In this experiment a small diameter spherical punch is pushed into a thin specimen plate that is backed up by another plate made of a different material. Upon loading, the material element at the back surface of the specimen along the center line of the punch that is in contact with the backing plate deforms under a state of stress of in-plane biaxial tension and out-of-plane compression and eventually fractures. A combined experimental–numerical approach is used to determine the state of stress throughout the test and the final strain at the fracture point. The experiment is simulated using an assumed plasticity model, and the results are validated by comparing the simulated and measured quantities (force and displacement of the punch and strain at the back surface of the specimen). The results from the experiment provide data needed for the construction of a surface of plastic strain to fracture as a function of triaxiality and Lode parameter. In testing specimens made of 2024 aluminum and a backing plate made of annealed copper, the equivalent plastic strain to fracture is determined for Lode parameter of about −1 and several values of triaxiality.
The Circulation of Care in Multilingual and Transnational Children

Employing a multisited ethnographic stance, this study examined second-generation Korean immigrant children who sustain linkages with their parental homelands to better understand how transnational...
Automated Electromechanical Wave Imaging at Reduced Frame Rates During Sinus Rhythm Using Machine Learning

Spatial resolution is typically prioritized over temporal in conventional echocardiography, which restricts the use of time-shifted based techniques at higher frame rates (FR). Electromechanical Wave Imaging (EWI) is an echocardiography-based modality that non-invasively maps the cardiac activation sequence at a high frame rate. At lower FRs, EWI strain curves have a different profile which constrains manual input and interpretation. In this study, we investigate how machine learning (ML) can assist in the accurate activation time estimation at low FR data. We show that with the use of a Random Forest classifier for automated EWI estimation, we successfully identify the normal, early activated basal septum in normal sinus rhythm lower FR cases ( $\mathrm{N}=4$ , FRs of 500 Hz, 250 Hz, 125 Hz) while maintaining the electromechanical activation propagation pattern over the rest of the myocardium. These findings indicate that ML can be used to generate accurate EWI activation maps with a more flexible FR range that includes clinical systems at low FRs, where manual processing would otherwise be impractical and/or inaccurate.
Abstract 3834: The National Biomarkers Development Alliance (NBDA): A comprehensive solution

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The development of effective and robust biomarkers is essential to the realization of the vision of precision medicine. Despite huge investments in biomarker discovery and development over decades, less than 100 biomarkers are used routinely in clinical medicine; and approximately 1.3 new protein biomarkers are approved per year by FDA - extremely few new biomarkers are approved by the FDA each year. At present, the high costs and failure rates in biomarker development represent one of the most significant roadblocks to medical progress. The biomarker development process itself requires re-engineering to reduce the massive inefficiencies, fragmentation, and failure rates that now characterize the system. The NBDA is a nonprofit organization of academic, industry and government partners which aims to create a standards-based, comprehensive end-to-end approach to the development of biomarkers of different categories within a given context of use, guided throughout the development pipeline by regulatory and clinical implementation requirements. The NBDA will work with multi-sector stakeholders across the biomarker development continuum to identify where in the process standards matter, determine the status of existing standards and identify gaps, aggregate information referable to specific biomarkers and biomarker classes, and reproduce the work. NBDA will publish the recommendations it develops by consensus and science, building on the best of current practices. It will act in consultation with the FDA and professional standards organizations in order to meet the levels of evidence for biomarker qualification by regulators and validation in clinical use. Through standards and quality management approaches, it will link and integrate discovery, pre-clinical development, assay development and performance, clinical testing, regulatory approval, and post-market applications. Pilot projects in development are focused on newer classes of biomarkers: e.g., genomic biomarkers such as allelic variance as determined by next generation sequencing technologies; proteomics biomarkers generated by mass spectroscopy; volumetric and functional imaging; and complex biomarkers defined as combinations of different classes of biomarkers, the useful value of which is determined computationally. The ever more rapid development of assay technologies dictates that standards that allow them to be applied successfully to biomarker development keep pace. This can only be accomplished through broad coordination of effort and consensus, which is the goal of the NBDA. Citation Format: Carolyn C. Compton, The NBDA Team. The National Biomarkers Development Alliance (NBDA): A comprehensive solution. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3834. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3834
Estrogen receptors in the spinal cord, sensory ganglia, and pelvic autonomic ganglia.

Until relatively recently, most studies of the effects of estradiol in the nervous system focused on hypothalamic, limbic, and other brain centers involved in reproductive hormone output, feedback, and behaviors. Almost no studies addressed estradiol effects at the spinal cord or peripheral nervous system level. Prior to the mid-1960s-1970s, few studies examined neural components of reproductive endocrine organs (e.g., ovary or testis) or the genital organs (e.g., uterus or penis) because available data supported endocrine regulation of these structures. Over the last two decades interest in and studies on the innervation of the genital organs have burgeoned. Because of the responsiveness of genital organs to sex steroid hormones, these neural studies seeded interest in whether or not autonomic and sensory neurons that innervate these organs, along with their attendant spinal cord circuits, also are responsive to sex hormones. From the mid-1980s there has been a steady growth of interest in, and studies of the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neural connectivity, and neural functional aspects in reproductive organs and the response of these parameters to sex steroids. Thus, with the growth of probes and techniques, has come studies of anatomy, neurochemistry, and circuitry of sex hormone-responsive neurons and circuits in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. This review focuses on estrogen receptors in sensory, autonomic, and spinal cord neurons in locales that are associated with innervation of female reproductive organs.
Baseball Academy: Implications for Professional Preparation

(1973). Baseball Academy: Implications for Professional Preparation. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 44, Including Leisure Today, pp. 6-7.
The control of the oxidation of proline by isolated flight muscle mitochondria.

Abstract The oxidation of proline by blowfly (Phormia regina) flight muscle mitochondria is stimulated by ADP in the presence of oligomycin. The stimulation is enhanced by high levels of Pi, is still evident with intact mitochondria in the presence of rotenone, arsenate, or arsenite, and is seen with sonically treated particles. The findings indicate that the site of action of the nucleotide is l-proline:cytochrome c oxidoreductase (proline dehydrogenase). It is suggested that ADP is an allosteric effector of the dehydrogenase and lowers the apparent Km for proline. The Km in the presence of ADP approximates the concentration of proline found in the flight muscle at rest. Pyruvate also increases the affinity of the proline dehydrogenase for its substrate. The rate of proline oxidation is dependent on the relative proportions of the adenine nucleotides as well as on the absolute level of ADP. Sensitivity to ADP in the presence of an uncoupling agent or atractyloside suggests that there is an external site for ADP. The physiological significance of the activation of proline oxidation is considered.
Operating conditions of high-power relativistic klystron

An electron beam pre-modulated at the first cavity in a klystron enters the second cavity opening, exciting it. An induced voltage at the second cavity in a high-power klystron forms a virtual cathode momentarily, sending back a part of the beam toward the first cavity. The relationship between the induced voltage and the return current at the first cavity is investigated. The boundary between the amplifier and oscillator operation regions is described in the parameter space defined by the return current strength and inter-cavity distance.
Phenomenological study of Benzo[a]Pyrene and cyclopenteno[cd]pyrene decay in ambient air using Winter/Summer comparisons

PAH were collected from three urban New Jersey sites and analyzed over two summer and winter periods. Ratios of six selected PAH to BaP and their winter/summer comparison indicate that pyrene and benz[a]anthracene suffer volatility losses and that cyclopenteno[cd]fluoranthene is used as the standard; it is also clear that BaP suffers losses due to reactivity.
How I got to understand Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

(2009). How I got to understand Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Math Horizons: Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 5-33.
On the properties of α/α + β ternary diffusion couples

Abstract The properties of diffusion couples in a ternary system are examined theoretically when one end member is composed of single-phase material (α) and the other end member is composed of two-phase material (α+β). Using the model of Morral and co-workers, the cases in which the two-phase region either grows or dissolves are examined. It is proved that when the two-phase material grows, there can be no jump in concentration (or phase fraction of β) at the boundary between the two materials. When it dissolves a jump is necessary. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate this result. It is also shown how the diffusion path varies depending on the composition of the single-phase α end member for a fixed α+β end member composition. Under some conditions, three solutions are found for the same initial end member compositions. When these multiple solutions exist, either two or three are virtual (path involves supersaturation). Whenever all three solutions are virtual, a single solution with three interfaces can be found. In this case an intermediate layer of α phase forms within the α+β material to relieve the supersaturation.
Dual Active and Passive Control of Large Flexible Structures

A unified passive damping design algorithm, using active control design techniques and least squares method, is developed to improve the stability and performance of closed-loop controlled structures. To achieve the stringent requirements of large flexible structures (LFS), dual active/passive control using interacting substructure decentralized control and unified passive damping design method is introduced. Physical coordinates are used in modeling; since no modal data is used, no modal errors are involved in the modeling process. Examples are presented to illustrate the design procedures and their effectiveness.
Arterial roadway travel time distribution estimation and vehicle movement classification using a modified Gaussian Mixture Model

Vehicle travel time on arterial roads is a crucial parameter for traffic management and traveler information systems. A travel time distribution is an effective way to represent the essential properties of this parameter. This paper proposes a modified Gaussian Mixture Model for representing travel time distributions on arterial roads with signalized intersections. The proposed model is applicable to travel time data from both fixed and mobile sensors. The performance of the model was evaluated using real travel time measurements from fixed sensors in the field and virtual mobile sensor data generated from those real-world measurements. The evaluation results show very good performance of the model in representing the traffic state on arterial roads. The model can be applied to historical datasets to estimate the amount of stop time and non-stop time for vehicles on arterial links during a specific time period, which is useful information for a variety of traffic applications, such as arterial travel time prediction and arterial traffic energy/emission estimation.
Preoperative contrast ultrasonographic diagnosis of patent urachal sinus

A patent urachal sinus, as well as other congenital urachal anomalies, may be at risk of injury during laparoscopy. Leakage of fluid at the midline site of trocar entry is the usual postoperative sign of injury to a patent urachal sinus. Pre-operative diagnosis of this anomaly can prevent injury during laparoscopy. We describe a contrast ultrasound technique for diagnosis of patent urachal sinus.
Transient Suppression Packaging for Reduced Emissions from Rotary Kiln Incinerators

Abstract Experiments were performed on a 73 kW rotary kiln incinerator simulator to determine whether innovative waste packaging designs might reduce transient emissions of products of incomplete combustion due to batch charging of containerized liquid surrogate waste compounds bound on ground corncob sorbent. When containers of waste are batch charged into rotary kilns, the rupture of the container is often followed by a very rapid evolution of any volatile compounds contained therein. This flash vaporization/ pyrolysis can result in local depletion of available oxygen, as supplied from the primary burner. This can lead to a transient puff of partially combusted organic material that can pass through the primary combustion chamber, and possibly even through the secondary combustion chamber and/or downstream pollution control equipment. This phenomenon frequently leads to feed rate limitations based on the volatility or heat of combustion of organic liquids inside the containers. EPA's Air and Energy Engi...
Reflections on the influence of Wrld War II on e lectrical engineering education in the United States, 1925- 1955

There is little doubt that World War II reshaped electrical engineering education in the United States. Having watched physicists outperform electrical engineers in wartime radar laboratories, prominent educators overhauled the EE curriculum by introducing more mathematics, science, and electronics after the war. A leader of this movement was Frederick E. Terman, head of the Harvard Radio Research Laboratory (RRL) during the war and later Dean of the School of Engineering at Stanford University. Terman believed that the increased government and military sponsorship of research after the war raised the "intellectual level of electrical engineering on the campus." Recent studies have supported Terman's assessment that the large infusion of research funds through such post-war agencies as the ONR, NSF, and the Joint Services Electronics Program played a key role in creating the present EE research and graduate education programs in the United States [l].
Available nitrogen in eroded sediment: A comparison of three evaluation methods

Abstract Available nitrogen in eroded sediment and in soil from which the sediment originated was determined by three methods; autoclaving, mild acid permanganate oxidation and aerobic incubation with periodic leaching. All three methods showed significant increases of available nitrogen in sediments from cropped soil. Enrichment ratios determined by autoclaving were roughly similar to cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) ratios. Mild acid permanganate oxidation gave the smallest enrichment ratios of the three methods unless available N in the sample wash solutions was also included with that from the recommended method. Disproportionate losses of soluble or easily suspended organic matter were found in preliminary washes of eroded sediments using the permanganate method. Nitrogen mineralization potential (No) enrichments obtained through the incubation method were ≥ 2.0 for samples from cropped plots and they were about 30 to 100% greater than relative increase...
Expression of cytokines by multipotent neural progenitor cells

Recent work with mammalian neural stem cells has highlighted the role of cytokine signaling in the proliferation and differentiation of these multipotent cells. While the responsiveness of neural progenitors to exogenously applied growth factors has been demonstrated in vivo as well as in vitro, little attention has been given to the production of cytokines by these cells. Here we use immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and ELISA to show that under standard growth conditions multipotent neural progenitor cells from humans express multiple cytokines including IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, TNF-alpha, but not IL-2, IL-4, or IFN-gamma. Neural progenitor cells from rat and mouse express some, but not all, of these cytokines under similar conditions. While the function of cytokine expression by neural progenitor cells remains to be elucidated, these signaling molecules are known to be involved in neural development and may play a role in the activation of quiescent stem cells by a variety of pathological processes.
Free scanning of gratings produces patterned retinal exposure.

Abstract Recordings of horizontal eye position were made to evaluate the homogeneity of retinal exposure in a frequently used grating adaptation technique. Three subjects freely scanned 1, 2, and 4 c/deg vertical sinewave-grating patterns under instructions to evenly distribute their fixation positions over pattern phases during 1- or 4-min exposures. All subjects fixated longer on particular phases of gratings. Calculation of retinal exposures from time-fixation-position histograms revealed quasi-sinus-oidal local exposure of the central retina equivalent to stabilized gratings of 12–25 times threshold contrast.
On determinants of Laplacians on Riemann surfaces

Determinants of Laplacians on tensors and spinors of arbitrary weights on compact hyperbolic Riemann surfaces are computed in terms of values of Selberg zeta functions at half integer points.
Opening Move in Substance Abuse Therapy: Appropriateness of Treatment Assignment

This study examines the relationships between pretreatment severity of six problem areas commonly affected by addiction and type of discharge from inpatient substance abuse treatment. Subjects were 531 male veterans from five different inpatient substance abuse programs at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. A comparison of patients in the five programs showed different patterns of problem severity, and different variables emerged as correlates or discriminators of discharge status. Results of multiple discriminant analyses were useful in predicting those patients who received an unfavorable discharge from treatment, although the analyses were not as successful in identifying those patients who received favorable discharges. Based on this data, some approaches to improving the match between patients and programs are discussed.
A usability analysis of municipal government website home pages in Alabama

Abstract This study uses e-government and corporate usability benchmarks to compare municipal government websites in Alabama and examine correlations between usability scores and population, as well as usability scores and per capita income. E-government in Alabama is on the rise. At the state level, in 2008, Alabama ranked in the top 10 states in e-government after three years of being in the bottom three. Improvements in state-level e-government have not, however, necessarily trickled down to the municipal level, and this study found no correlation between usability and a municipality's population or per capita income. Indeed, the study reveals substantial problems with municipal website usability, including accessibility; such problems could erode the web credibility of municipalities trying to engage citizens, to create or strengthen sustainable practices, and to attract companies that can bring new jobs and improve the local economy.
DISCE: A Declarative Inter-ESB Service-Connectivity Configuration Engine

The service-oriented architecture (SOA) has been successfully applied in enterprise environments. Due to decentralized set-ups, mergers and acquisitions and organizational boundaries, many enterprises today operate multiple, fragmented and heterogeneous service infrastructures that are administered by different organizational units. This fragmented infrastructure causes service duplication and unnecessary redundancy. This paper proposes an approach of cross-domain service integration through an automated federation of Enterprise Service Buses (ESBs). ESBs are the mediation centers within a service domain that enable service interaction across technological boundaries by using service proxies. We present DISCE, a configuration engine prototype that enables an operator to configure service connectivity in such an environment in a declarative form, by specifying simple rules. The engine produces a configuration consisting of a set of proxies interconnecting clients and services.
Synoptic measurements of Martian winds using the Hubble Space Telescope

We used the Hubble Space Telescope to make wind speed and wind direction measurements of the Martian atmosphere during early northern summer (Ls=97°). Our strategy utilized a series of near-UV images with optimal temporal sampling to track observable cloud features and to determine the direction and speed of cloud motion. Several techniques were used to identify similar features between images, including Fourier transform and cross-correlation. In these measurements, which span 19–75° N lat and 319° E to 135° W Ion, we find average wind speeds of 26.2 ± 10.1 m/s and a range of wind directions from 51° to 162° with an average error of ±23°.
Microchemical tests for hydantoins and barbiturate-hydantoin mixtures

Abstract Substituted hydantoins, a number of which possess anticonvulsant activity and are prescribed alone or compounded with barbiturates, were observed to enter into a number of reactions commonly utilized to identify barbituric acid derivatives. The reactivity of the hydantoins with the Dille-Koppanyi and the Zwikker tests is sufficiently similar to that of the barbiturates to present the possibility of confusion. Mixtures of the hydantoins and barbiturates may complicate the type of microcrystalline testing utilized for identification of particular barbiturates. In certain instances, microcrystalline tests fail to either yield the crystal form which would normally be expected of the barbiturate component alone, or significantly alter the expected crystal form to such an extent that identification of the barbiturate component is not possible. Hybrid crystals formed from a mixture of barbiturate and hydantoin appear to be characteristic of the particular ratio of the respective barbiturate and hydantoin. Identifications of barbiturate-hydantoin mixtures may be effected by means of a judicious selection of appropriate microcrystalline tests.
Generic Drugs: Consumer, Pharmacist and Physician Perceptions of the Issues

This article explores consumer, pharmacist, and physician perceptions of the issues affecting generic prescribing and dispensing of prescription drugs. The analysis is based on responses from 105 consumers, 118 pharmacists, and 412 physicians in Alabama. Perceptions regarding the issues of drug safety, efficacy, quality, manufacturer reputation, physician/pharmacist liability, and pricing and the roles of physicians and pharmacists in expanding generic practices were examined. Concerns about price, safety, liability, and manufacturer performance were expressed. The findings described are compared and contrasted with previous research.
Nitrogen dynamics in a eutrophic lake sediment

Nitrogen flux from sediment of a shallow lake and subsequent utilization by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart] Solms) present in the water column were evaluated using an outdoor microcosm sediment-water column. Sediment N was enriched with 15N to quantitatively determine the movement of NH4-N from the sediment to the overlying water column. During the first 30 days. 48% of the total N uptake by water hyacinth was derived from sediment 15NH4-N. This had decreased to 14% after 183 days. Mass balance of N indicates that about 25% sediment NH4-N was released into the overlying water, but only 17% was assimilated by water hyacinth. NH4-N levels in the water column were very low, with very little or no concentration gradients. NH4-N levels in the interstitial water of the sediment were in the range of 30–35 mg L−1 for the lower depths (> 35 cm), while in the surface 5 cm of depth NH4-N levels decreased to 3.2 mg L−1. Simulated results also showed similar trends for the interstitial NH4-N concentration of the sediment. The overall estimated NH4-N flux from the sediment to the overlying water was 4.8 µg cm−2 day−1, and the soluble organic N flux was 5.8 µg N cm−2 day−1. Total N flux was 10.6 µg N cm−2 day−1.
The Use of a Commercial Organic Biostimulant for Improved Production of Marigold Cultivars

A commercial extract of humic acids and kelp containing thiamine and L-ascorbic acid, both alone (ROOTS ) and combined with fertilizer (ROOTS PLUS"), was tested as a growth biostimulant. Tests were conducted with marigolds ('Climax', 'Crackerjack', 'Gay Ladies' and 'Nugget') under greenhouse and yield conditions. ROOTS" promoted earlier germination and produced better transplants with increased roo1 lengths and shoot heights Transplants removed Cram the greenhouse and transplanted to the field showed increased shoot height and increased earlier flowering when plants were treated monthly with ROOTS PLUS", as opposed to fertilizer alone. Transplants grown to maturity in the greenhouse and treated with ROOTS PLUS" flowered earlier. However, shoot height and shoot diameter were not significantly. different at maturity. ROOTS" appears to accelerate growth, leading to earlier reproduction. Based upon observations of increased lumen area in the xylem, we propose that the growth effect may result from increased p...
Combined Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery and Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery (fSRS) for Complex Cranial Base Tumors—Early Clinical Outcomes

Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) has been shown to be a feasible approach to cranial base tumors while reducing post-operative morbidity. Using the endoscopic endonasal approach alone or in combination with open approaches may provide advantages over conventional approaches. However, the balance between maximal resection and minimal injury to neurovascular structures frequently precludes gross total resection (GTR). Consequently, adjuvant radiation therapy may be an important option to improve local control (LC) of residual disease. In this retrospective series, we report clinical outcomes, morbidity, and LC of 40 patients with cranial base tumors treated with EES +/- combined open approach followed by fSRS (CyberKnife, Accuray Inc.). 26 patients had benign disease, 7 had newly diagnosed malignant disease, and 7 had previously resected malignant disease. Surgical outcomes were evaluable in all patients. LC after fSRS was evaluable in 39 patients and defined as no evidence of regrowth by MRI, CT, & physical examination. GTR was achieved in 12/40. Median post-operative length of stay (LOS) was 3 days. In multivariable analysis controlling for anatomic location and malignant histology, post-operative complications (n = 10) were significantly associated with patients having combined open and EES (p < 0.01, OR = 16.9). SRS was delivered in 1-5 sessions to a median marginal dose of 24.9 Gy. Median follow-up was 24.7 months (range, 1.5 to 61 months). LC was achieved in 89.7% (35/39) of evaluable patients. LC was achieved in 11/12 patients who had GTR. Median progression-free survival was 19.7 months (21.0 months for benign tumors (n = 26), 5.8 months for previously resected malignant disease (n = 7), and 21.2 months for newly diagnosed malignant disease (n = 7). Of the 31 patients who had symptomatic disease at presentation, 18 (58%) reported complete symptom resolution, 9 partial, and 4 no improvement. One patient who received two prior courses of radiation therapy developed osteosclerosis (grade III). Other adverse events were erythema (grade I, n = 5), nausea (grade II, n = 2), conjunctivitis (grade II, n = 1). EES followed by fSRS is a safe and effective management strategy for selected cranial base tumors. EES combined with an open surgical approach may result in increased complications. However, initial follow-up offers encouraging results indicating shorter time to recovery, acceptable LC rates compared to conventional approaches, and similar median time to progression for benign and newly diagnosed malignant disease.
Visual stimuli: past and present

The fundamental properties of light and the principles of the structure and function of the visual system were discovered at a time when the only light sources were the sun and the flame of a candle. Contributions by Newton, Huygens, Thomas Young and Purkinje, Helmholtz’s ophthalmoscope – all preceded the first incandescent filament. Light bulbs, Xenon arcs, lasers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), computer monitors then sequentially enlarged the arsenal, and so did the steps from Nicol prism to Polaroid in polarizing light, and from glass and interference filters to laser light in generating monochromatic light. Technological advances have a deep impact on the research topics at any one time, expanding their scope. In particular, utilization of computers now allows the generation and manipulation of targets permitting questions to be approached that could not have been envisaged at the dawn of the technological era of vision research. Just beyond the immediate grasp of even the most thoughtful vision scientist, however, is the concern that stimulus sets originating in mathematicians’ and physicists’ toolboxes fail to capture some essential ingredients indigenous to human vision. The quest to study vision with stimuli in its own terms continues.
Deep Uv And Thermal Hardening Of Novolak Resists

The use of deep UV resist hardening for high temperature resist-masked processes is becoming more widespread throughout the semiconductor industry. In this report we present data on the wavelength and thermal dependence of the deep UV crosslinking process in novolak resin obtained through dissolution studies and SEM micrographs. An excimer laser was used to provide light of differing wavelengths. The results indicate that longer wavelengths near 308 nm promote crosslinking throughout the 1.5 micron thick resin, while shorter wavelengths induce crosslinking to limited depths. Heating of the wafer during the deep UV exposure is shown to greatly accelerate the crosslinking process, compared to a sequential expose and bake process. SEM micrographs of various stages of hardening in resist are shown. The resist hardening process employed by one commercial system is discussed in terms of the findings of this study.
Transmembrane ion transport mediated by amphiphilic polyamine dendrimers

A series of amphiphilic polyamine dendrimers was efficiently prepared from cholestamine in order to probe the hypothesis that an increasing number of ammonium cations attached to a hydrophobic anchoring group should increasingly facilitate transmembrane ion transport. Results from transport experiments using large unilamellar vesicles are consistent with this new concept.
Organizational Considerations in the Evaluation of Capital Assets: Toward a Resource-Based View of Strategic Investment by Firms

During the last three decades, sophisticated techniques for analysis of market investment have been developed by financial economists. At the same time, however, concepts and methods for analysis of resource allocation within firms have lagged behind market theory. The analysis of investment within firms has been based primarily on applications of economic theory that exhibit serious weaknesses. The special problems associated with analysis of investment in firms have become an important concern of strategic management. Recent "resource-based" approaches to strategy have developed valuable insights into the limitations of economic analysis of the firm. Although the resource-based work has not yet provided formal methods comparable to the Capital Asset Pricing Model, it has made important progress in building foundations for an alternative analysis of economic organization. This paper explores weaknesses in the financial economic analysis of the firm and examines alternative perspectives in the work on resource-based strategy. The paper focuses on problems associated with use of market models such as the CAPM for capital allocation within firms. Working from basic premises of transaction-cost economics, the paper identifies important flaws in financial-economic techniques for defining hurdle rates for capital projects. The paper discusses underlying logical problems associated with the application of market theory to complex organizations and examines ways that alternative approaches to resource allocation have begun to evolve within the field of strategic management.
Moral and Fearful Affiliations with the Animal World: Children's Conceptions of Bats

The purpose of this study was to extend knowledge on how children understand their affiliation with an animal that can evoke both fear and care: bats. We interviewed 120 children, evenly divided between four age groups (6–7, 9–10, 12–13, and 15–16 years) after each child had visited an exhibit at Brookfield Zoo that displays Rodrigues fruit bats. Results showed that in the same children a fear orientation toward bats existed alongside of a caring orientation. Children accorded bats the right to live free and to be wild. Yet most of the same children also said that zoos did not violate the rights of bats by keeping them in captivity. Discussion focuses on this seeming contradiction, and the resulting implications for the ecological mission of many zoos today.
Chiral amine-imine ligands based on trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines and their application in the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation

Abstract A series of amine–imine bidentate ligands based on a trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine and pyridine moieties have been prepared. The use of these ligands in the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction of rac-(E)-1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate is reported. The results suggest that these ligands are good catalyst precursors for the reaction. Electronic modification on the pyridine ring of the ligands does not have a significant effect on the enantioselectivity of the reaction but does on the reaction rate, while structural modification on either the pyridine or the pyrrolidine moiety affords dramatic changes on the outcome of the stereochemistry. Evidence from various studies suggested that during the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction, nucleophilic attack onto the 1,3-diphenylallyl moiety in the transition state occurs mainly trans to the pyridine ring of the less stable conformation of the palladium complexes.
An Automatic Light Scattering CCN Counter

Abstract An automatic instrument for the measurement of cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) concentrations utilizing a thermal gradient diffusion chamber and light scattering has been developed. The concentration of droplets (activated CCN) in an illuminated volume is determined by the measurement of the peak light intensity scattered at 45°. The CCN concentration is linearly related to the scattered light signal at a fixed supersaturation S, but the sensitivity exhibits an S0.55 dependence over a range of supersaturations. Calibration of the system against the photographic method verifies the linear dependence of scattered light on number concentration. The main features of the system are the automatic sampling, measurement and recording of CCN droplet concentration by means of scattered light with the capability of direct calibration by means of the photographic method. Results from four days of continuous hourly measurements of the CCN spectra show the influence of meteorological events on CCN. Included i...
Measuring the quality of vision after cataract surgery.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to report some of the latest advances in visual acuity measurements and to review key articles on quality of visual after cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Recent findings Different quality of life instruments were used in the most recent studies and showed improvements in subjective quality of vision after cataract surgery with or without ocular comorbidities and independent of the type of IOL implanted. The use of multifocal IOLs improved near vision without any adverse effect on distance acuity. Contrast sensitivity was lower in patients with multifocal IOLs. Femtosecond laser cataract surgery increased predictability of the steps involved in cataract surgery but has a definite learning curve associated with an initial high rate of complications. Toric IOLs showed significant improvement in uncorrected distant visual acuity with low amount of decentration and wavefront error. Incorporating the testing of visual acuity in real-life scenarios that patients encounter routinely using automated instruments promises to transform visual assessment in a rapid manner that can be integrated into clinical practice. Summary Visual outcomes of cataract surgery with IOL implantation generally yield highly satisfactory results. Newer cataract surgery technology has emerged in an era wherein patients are demanding excellent visual results. Changes in the way we normally assess routine visual acuities should be implemented. We have introduced testing of visual acuity in timed, real-life scenarios that patients encounter daily, in an automated instrument, which may help us better document patient's complaints and surgical outcomes.
Exploring the Behavioral Dimension of Client/Server Technology Implementation: An Empirical Investigation

This paper explores the impact of human factor and organizational behavior on the outcome of information technology implementation projects. Client/server technology implementation is used as the leading case, given the fact that it is a good example of a major paradigm shift. The results draw attention to the importance of end-user interaction and the maturity level of organizations as significant factors in the success and benefits of the project. Client/server projects seem to be more successful, are executed in a more timely manner, and yield greater benefits when end users take an active participation in some of the stages, particularly during the implementation phase.
SrTiO 3 /GdTiO 3 heterostructure field effect transistors

We report on the first high electron density SrTiO3/GdTiO3 (STO/GTO) heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs). Recently, there has been great interest in high density 2DEGs formed at the interfaces between perovskite oxides [1]. In particular, the STO/GTO interface has been shown to have a sheet charge density of 3 × 1014 cm-2, equivalent to 0.5 e- per unit cell [2], due to the polar discontinuity at the interface (Fig. 2) [3], which is the highest achieved sheet charge density for any semiconductor 2D electron gas (2DEG). The high charge density and the high breakdown strength of these systems make them promising for electronics and plasmonics, as well as for new applications of correlated electron gas systems [4]. In this work, we show for the first time, current modulation in the STO/GTO system, with channel charge modulation of 6×1013 electrons/cm2, which is the highest reported value for any semiconductor material system.