cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional error correcting codes for volumetric optical memories

We describe three-dimensional error correcting codes for encoding data to be stored in volumetric optical memories. Data are stored and retrieved in multiple pages where each page is a two-dimensional information bit array. This three- dimensional encoding, also called z-encoding, provides error detection and correction regarding error events which may span multiple pages. We discuss codes that can provide the same level of error protection to all the information bits in a page and codes that support unequal error protection such that selected groups of information bits are provided different levels of protection. The bit error rate performance of these codes is analyzed and simulated. For raw bit error rates ranging from 10-5 to 10-4, these codes provide corrected bit error rates ranging from 10-14 to 10-12, respectively. The codes can be implemented in a bit-serial and bit-parallel fashion.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Comparison of Levels of International Understanding among Students of the International Baccalaureate Diploma and Advanced Placement Programs in the USA

This study examines whether participation in the International Baccalaureate diploma program enhances one of the goals of the program, the development of international understanding. Junior and senior International Baccalaureate students and Advanced Placement students of similar background in the United States were studied using a survey instrument, and by asking them to write their personal definition of `international understanding'. Analysis of student definitions revealed a significant difference between the mean number of categories of international understanding utilized by the two groups of students.
Tomostatics for half a million traces

Summary Traveltime inversion can estimate complex structures and sharp velocity changes, which may occur in the nearsurface layers. Tomostatics were recently proven to be an effective technology in difficult areas; however, the inversion quality depends to a large degree on the accuracy of traveltime picking and on the identification of related events. Identification and picking of events in pre-stack gathers, when dealing with large data sets, can become very cumbersome. Unfortunately, the constant increase of channel number in 3-D and multi-component surveys, along with their time-lapse repetition, exacerbates this problem. A criterion to compare different tomostatics approaches is their possible suitability for automation. On this basis, we compared some methods by computing tomostatics for a high-fold profile in a geologically complex area in Saudi Arabia. We found that our joint inversion of shallow reflectors and refractors yielded similar results to a multilayer up-hole time inversion, but at a cheaper cost.
Economic Development and Conflicting Values: A Social Experiment in Tristan da Cunha

In the small, utopian community of Tristan da Cunha, the core values of equality, anarchy, and individual integrity find expression and reinforcement in an intricate system of selective reciprocity that takes the form of mutual aid, services, and gifts in a network of overlapping and interlocking personal relationships. This pattern of selective reciprocity is closely tied in with activities connected with the traditional subsistence economy. After the war, South African interests established a commercial fishing industry on the island, introducing a cash economy that supplemented the traditional subsistence economy, resulting in “progress” and an increased material affluence for the community. This new value, however, was only obtainable by submitting to a contract relationship that was soon felt to be an infringement on traditional core values. A conflict of values ensued. In this case, because of a particular awareness of traditional core values among the people of Tristan, the ethos of industrialism was rejected within the community, or accepted only in second place to independence, individual integrity, and selective reciprocity.
Tumor necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide production in endotoxin-primed rats administered carbon tetrachloride

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF α ) is elevated in the sera of rats administered non-lethal doses of carbon tetrachloride (CCU) followed by endotoxin. Elevated TNFa levels are correlated with the increased release of hepatic enzymes indicating hepatic damage. Under these conditions, nitric oxide (NO) was also produced in the liver as evidenced by the formation of nitrosyl complexes which were measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Decreased nitrosyl complex formation occurred in livers following treatment with either an inhibitor of macrophage activation (gadolinium trichloride; GdCl 3 ), an inhibitor of cytokine responses (dexamethasone) or a NO synthase inhibitor (N G -monomethyl-Larginine; l-NMA). GdCl 3 or dexamethasone treatment decreased, while 1-NMA treatment increased, TNFa serum level. Taken together, these data suggest that TNF α and NO are induced following CCl 4 and LPS exposure and may be important regulators in the hepatotoxicity of this liver injury model.
Pre-Endoscopic Rockall and Blatchford Scores to Identify Which Emergency Department Patients with Suspected Gastrointestinal Bleed Do Not Need Endoscopic Hemostasis

Abstract Background The pre-endoscopic Rockall Score (RS) and the Glasgow-Blatchford Scores (GBS) can help risk stratify patients with upper gastrointestinal bleed who are seen in the Emergency Department (ED). The RS and GBS have yet to be validated in a United States patient population for their ability to discriminate which ED patients with upper gastrointestinal bleed do not need endoscopic hemostasis. Objective We sought to determine whether patients who received a score of zero on either score (the lowest risk) in the ED still required upper endoscopic hemostasis during hospitalization. Methods Retrospective electronic medical record chart review was performed during a 3-year period (2007–2009) to identify patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleed by ED final diagnosis of gastrointestinal hemorrhage and related terms at a single urban academic ED. The RS and GBS were calculated from ED chart abstraction and the hospital records of admitted patients were queried for subsequent endoscopic hemostasis. Results Six hundred and ninety patients with gastrointestinal bleed were identified and 86% were admitted to the hospital. One hundred and twenty-two patients had an RS equal to zero; 67 (55%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 46–63%) of these patients were admitted to the hospital and 11 (16%; 95% CI 9–27%) received endoscopic hemostasis. Sixty-three patients had a GBS equal to zero; 15 (24%; 95% CI 15–36%) were admitted to the hospital and 2 (13%; 95% CI 4–38%) received endoscopic hemostasis. Conclusions Some patients who were identified as lowest risk by the GBS or RS still received endoscopic hemostasis during hospital admission. These clinical decision rules may be insufficiently sensitive to predict which patients do not require endoscopic hemostasis.
Oculomotor and manual indexes of incidental and intentional spatial sequence learning during middle childhood and adolescence

The goal of this study was to examine incidental and intentional spatial sequence learning during middle childhood and adolescence. We tested four age groups (8-10 years, 11-13 years, 14-17 years, and young adults [18+ years]) on a serial reaction time task and used manual and oculomotor measures to examine incidental sequence learning. Participants were also administered a trial block in which they were explicitly instructed to learn a sequence. Replicating our previous study with adults, oculomotor anticipations and response times showed learning effects similar to those in the manual modality. There were few age-related differences in the sequence learning indexes during incidental learning, but intentional learning yielded differences on all indexes. Results indicate that the search for regularities and the ability to learn a sequence rapidly under incidental conditions are mature by 8 to 10 years of age. In contrast, the ability to learn a sequence intentionally, which requires cognitive resources and strategies, continues to develop through adolescence.
An integrated approach to structural shape optimization

An integrated approach to structural shape optimization is discussed. The proposed approach couples the finite element method and the optimization process together by implementing design sensitivity analysis. The design sensitivities are obtained by directly differentiating finite element equations. The design element concept is employed to represent the geometry of a structure and an isoparametric mapping technique is used to automatically generate and regenerate the finite element mesh. Move limits, constraint equations, and B-spline functions are introduced to obtain a realistic optimum shape that meets the manufacturing requirements. The search for the final shape of a structure is performed by a linear programming technique based on the sensitivity information. The approach is implemented by a FORTRAN program. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the capabilities of this approach.
Gemfibrozil lowers plasma lipids and increases polyunsaturated fatty acid content and oxidative susceptibility of lipoproteins in hypertriglyceridemia.

Abstract Background : Gemfibrozil is an effective drug in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and its effects on morbidity and mortality seem out of proportion to its lipid lowering actions. There is considerable interest in its potential effects on lipoprotein fatty acid composition and consequent effect on oxidative susceptibility. Experimental results are not conclusive regarding whether gemfibrozil alters lipid composition or oxidative susceptibility of lipoproteins in humans. Here we investigate this question using different methodology than employed in previous investigations. Methods : Eleven hypertriglyceridemic individuals completed a 12-week course of gemfibrozil therapy (600 mg twice daily) intended to primarily evaluate a new way of assessing lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation in relation to changes in the fatty acid profile. We measured susceptibility of lipoproteins in the plasma macromolecule fraction to copper-mediated oxidation. In addition, plasma lipids were separated into phospholipid (PL), cholesterol ester (CE) and triglyceride (TG) fractions and the fatty acid composition of these classes determined by gas–liquid chromatography. The relation between changes in lipid concentration, fatty acid composition and oxidative parameters (principally lag time) was examined by correlational analysis. Results : Triglyceride concentrations and total cholesterol concentrations responded appropriately to gemfibrozil (lowered by 55% and 15%, respectively). Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) proportion increased significantly in cholesterol ester and phospholipid fractions of plasma lipids at the expense of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Oxidative parameters also changed significantly. Lag time (LT) and maximal extent of oxidation showed the most significant changes. Lag time, the principle measure of lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation, was decreased by gemfibrozil. The increase in polyunsaturated fatty acid content in phospholipid and cholesterol ester significantly correlated with decreased lag time. Conclusion : These data support the notion that gemfibrozil increases the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids and that this increase is associated with an increase in lipoprotein oxidative susceptibility as measured by lag time in hypertriglyceridemia.
Borderline epidemics: Latino immigration and racial biopolitics

This essay examines the role of race in the differential distribution of life, death and disposability as it pertains to Latino/a immigrants in the USA—especially immigrants of Mexican descent. I explore Michel Foucault's theories of disciplinary and biopolitical power, showing how his insights challenge attempts to figure undocumented immigrants in terms of a social contract. By reframing immigration in terms of who is subject to disciplinary surveillance and who lives and who dies, I contend that Foucault's work is not just relevant to biological racism but is also present-day variants of “cultural” or “ethical” racism. The racial, territorial and temporal borders that are produced and contested in the ongoing crises of immigration detention, abuse, exploitation and deportation traverse the conceptual borders of disciplinary power and biopower in Foucault's work. With this in mind, I examine the tensions and correspondences between disciplinary power's relation to epidemic threats, and biopower's orient...
A pairwise interchange solution procedure for a scheduling problem with production of components at a single facility

Abstract A scheduling problem deals with the manufacture of components at a single facility for subsequent assembly into end products. Each end product requires common components and unique components. Common components for various end products can be batched and there is only one setup required for each batch. This scheduling problem involves both the sequencing and batching procedures. A number of improving pairwise interchanges are found to generate better sequences from the shortest processing time sequence. A solution procedure based on this result is presented. The computational results indicate that this procedure solves this scheduling problem quite effectively.
After the blue toe: prognosis of noncardiac arterial embolization in the lower extremities.

Abstract Purpose: To better understand the prognosis of atheroembolic disease, we reviewed the outcomes of 41 patients with embolization to the viscera and lower extremities. Methods and Results: All cases involved emboli that originated from a radiographically identified proximal arterial source. There were 30 men and 11 women (mean age 65 years; mean follow-up time 2 years), and all had been first treated for this condition within the past 6 years. The overall mortality rate was 17% (7/41) and the rate of recurrent embolization 15% (6/41). To compare outcomes associated with supradiaphragmatic versus subdiaphragmatic disease, we defined two groups: group 1 comprised patients ( n = 5) in whom the identified embolic source extended above the diaphragm, and group 2 comprised patients ( n = 36) in whom the source remained below the diaphragm. The mortality rates in groups 1 and 2 were 60% (3/5) and 11% (4/36), respectively ( p p p = not significant). Group 2 patients were then divided into two subgroups: those with limited disease ( n = 19) in which the emboli had a single, radiographically identified source (i.e., aneurysm or single area of ulcerated plaque) and those with diffuse disease ( n = 17) in which the emboli had multiple, radiographically identified potential sources. In the subgroup of patients with limited disease, no deaths or episodes of recurrent embolization occurred, whereas four deaths and three episodes of recurrent embolization occurred in the subgroup of patients with diffuse disease. The differences in these outcomes, however, were not statistically significant. Thirty selected patients (one from group 1 and 29 from group 2) underwent operation on or bypass of the imputed lesion. Only one (7%) of these 30 patients had recurrent embolization. In contrast, recurrent embolization was noted in four (36%) of the 11 patients who did not have an operation directed at the lesion ( p Conclusions: Patients with atheroemboli have a substantial mortality rate and risk of recurrent embolization, especially if the disease process extends above the diaphragm; but in selected patients, operation may decrease the frequency of recurrence without increasing mortality. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:328-35.)
Omniflex modular femoral component: Two- to five-year results

A prospective study was completed on 106 consecutive cementless arthroplasties (94 patients) to determine the clinical and radiographic outcome. Ninety-two hips (81 patients) had complete follow-up data. The average age was 46 years, and the average follow-up period was 41 months (24-63 months). Clinically 94% had no or slight pain. Two patients had activity-limiting thigh pain. Most patients had no or slight limp and walked without support. Patients had similar outcomes regardless of their bone type. Ninety-three percent of hips were radiographically stable. Six were loose; three of those had major intraoperative fractures. Stable stems were characterized by middle and distal zone endosteal condensation and cortical hypertrophy; these occurred primarily in the distal zones for unstable implants. Calcar resorption was noted in 38% of hips with collars and in 68% without collars (p = 0.015). Endosteal erosions were seen in six hips (6.5%) and were related only to the patient's activity level (p = 0.021). Seven hips were revised, two for delayed sepsis, one for loosening after trauma, one for intraoperative fracture, and three for aseptic loosening. The Omniflex implant system provides acceptable but not outstanding results in a wide array of femoral geometries. The early difficulty with femoral fractures has been significantly reduced by using a prophylactic cerclage cable.
Atmospheric Circulation Response to an Instantaneous Doubling of Carbon Dioxide. Part I: Model Experiments and Transient Thermal Response in the Troposphere*

AbstractThis study aims to understand the dynamical mechanisms driving the changes in the general circulation of the atmosphere due to increased carbon dioxide (CO2) by looking into the transient step-by-step adjustment of the circulation. The transient atmospheric adjustment is examined using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model, version 3, coupled to a slab ocean model, and the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is uniformly and instantaneously doubled. The thermal structure and circulation response is well established after one year of integration, with the magnitudes gradually increasing afterward toward quasi equilibrium. Tropical upper-tropospheric warming occurs in the first month. The expansion of the warming in the mid- and upper troposphere to the subtropics occurs later and is found to be primarily dynamically driven due to the intensification of transient eddy momentum flux convergence and resulting anomalous descending motion in this region. The poleward di...
A spark counter data acquisition system used with a magnetic spectrograph

Abstract A data acquisition system based on the use of a sonic spark counter at the focal position of a magnetic spectrograph is described. The output of the spark counter is fed into a computer which processes the events on-line, presents a cathode ray display for continuous monitoring during experiments, controls the recording of the reduced data on magnetic tape, and, by use of an incremental recorder, on paper, in graphical form. Separate spectra are obtained, automatically separated, for protons, deuterons, 3 H, 3 He and 4 He. The resolution is better than 1 mm. Counting rates up to 100/sec have been used. The system has been employed successfully in a number of experiments over a period of about two years.
Sulfanilation of lysozyme by carbodiimide reaction. Reactivities of individual carboxyl groups

Abstract The carboxyl groups of lysozyme were coupled with sulfanilic acid, a chromophoric nucleophile, using 1-ethyl-3-dimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide at pH 5. Other carbodiimides were less effective. Ninety percent of the carboxyl groups were sulfanilated through exhaustive reaction with 1.2 m nucleophile. Isolation and identification of the tryptic peptides from this material showed that all 10 of the carboxyls of lysozyme had reacted. In 0.05 m sulfanilic, Glu-35 and Asp-101 were most reactive while Glu-7, Asp-18, and Asp-66 were least. Change to high concentration of nucleophile (from 0.05 to 1.2 m sulfanilic) altered carboxyl reactivity. Addition of inhibitor reduced reactivity of Asp-101 and Glu-35. Side reactions were not important.
Prospects of Raman-assisted transmission systems

Distributed amplification in fiber-optic transmission systems is quantitatively studied. Optimization techniques to find amplifier parameters that maximize system performance are discussed. A particular emphasis is given to noise properties of Raman amplifiers and a tradeoff between the noise performance and nonlinear impairments. It is shown that Raman amplification in dispersion-managed fibers closely approaches the theoretical limit of an ideal distributed amplifier and further increases the system reach. Recent advances in the Raman-assisted ultra-long-haul transmission are briefly reviewed.
Internal structure of multicomponent static spherical gravitating fluids

The Maxwell--Einstein equations for a fluid comprised of more than one type of particle are not a determinate system even if an equation of state is added. The problem of what the charge distribution is in such fluids is therefore also not determinate. To complete the definition of the problem, more equations are needed. We obtain these for the simple case of a static spherically symmetric multicomponent system (imbedded in a Minkowskian background) by minimizing the energy of the fluid with respect to variations in the number densities of the constituents, with the side conditions that the total number of each constituent is constant during the variations. This procedure results in a determinate set of hydrostatic equilibrium equations, the sum of which is the familiar Tolman--Oppenheimer--Volkoff equation. Some general conclusions can be drawn. For example, the necessary and sufficient condition for charge neutrality is that the mass-energy density be some (arbitrary) function of some (arbitrary) linear combination of the number densities. Thus, since it is well known that the electrons in a white dwarf star at absolute zero form a degenerate gas, there must be a charge imbalance throughout such a star. This imbalance can then be computed self-consistently. Anmore » over-all physical interpretation of the new equations is that in equilibrium at any point in the fluid the sum of the non-gravitational forces per unit energy is the same for constituent 1 as for constituent 2 and so on. This is the analog of the corresponding (Galilean) statement for gravitational forces that is valid even without equilibrium. (AIP)« less
John Dee’s ideas and plans for a national research institute

Abstract John Dee’s arrangements at his Mortlake house have received some attention as an English ‘academy’ or ‘experimental household.’ His ideas for St Cross, which he requested as a suitable living in 1592, have received less detailed attention. This paper examines Mortlake and his St Cross plans in detail and argues that, at their core, they shared an aspiration to create a national research institute. These plans are related to the context of Dee’s pursuit of royal patronage and his idea of the social and intellectual role of the natural philosopher. His ideas for a research institute are also placed in the context of alternatives to traditional sites of learning, including contemporary academies, princely courts, and independent establishments, indicating that Dee’s ideas, while part of a Renaissance vogue for such alternatives, were independent of other models. Discussion includes the historiographic debate regarding openness versus secrecy in the pursuit of natural knowledge. Finally, Dee’s ideas are contrasted with Francis Bacon’s proposal for a research institute, which also originated in the 1590s and culminated in ‘Solomon’s House.’
Multiple transient memories in sheared suspensions: robustness, structure, and routes to plasticity

Multiple transient memories, originally discovered in charge-density-wave conductors, are a remarkable and initially counterintuitive example of how a system can store information about its driving. In this class of memories, a system can learn multiple driving inputs, nearly all of which are eventually forgotten despite their continual input. If sufficient noise is present, the system regains plasticity so that it can continue to learn new memories indefinitely. Recently, Keim and Nagel [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 010603 (2011)] showed how multiple transient memories could be generalized to a generic driven disordered system with noise, giving as an example simulations of a simple model of a sheared non-Brownian suspension. Here, we further explore simulation models of suspensions under cyclic shear, focusing on three main themes: robustness, structure, and overdriving. We show that multiple transient memories are a robust feature independent of many details of the model. The steady-state spatial distribution of the particles is sensitive to the driving algorithm; nonetheless, the memory formation is independent of such a change in particle correlations. Finally, we demonstrate that overdriving provides another means for controlling memory formation and retention.
WINTER ACTIVITY OF BATS OVER WATER AND ALONG FLYWAYS IN NEW MEXICO

Abstract During colder months in temperate regions, non-migratory bats are suspected to remain relatively inactive during hibernation. I examined activity of bats November–March in a region of North America with moderate winter temperatures. Bats were captured in nets over water and along flyways in southern and central New Mexico. In 47 nights, I captured 401 individuals representing 12 species. Captures for 10 species represent records of bats previously unknown outside roosts during colder months in New Mexico. The western pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus), silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), California myotis (Myotis californicus), pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), and Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) were captured frequently, whereas the western small-footed myotis (M. ciliolabrum), Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Allen's big-eared bat (Idionycteris phyllotis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), fringed myotis (M. thysanod...
Oxidation reactions on neutral cobalt oxide clusters: experimental and theoretical studies

Reactions of neutral cobalt oxide clusters (ComOn, m = 3–9, n = 3–13) with CO, NO, C2H2, and C2H4 in a fast flow reactor are investigated by time of flight mass spectrometry employing 118 nm (10.5 eV) single photon ionization. Strong cluster size dependent behavior is observed for all the oxidation reactions; the Co3O4 cluster has the highest reactivity for reactions with CO and NO. Cluster reactivity is also highly correlated with either one or more following factors: cluster size, Co(III) concentration, the number of the cobalt atoms with high oxidation states, and the presence of an oxygen molecular moiety (an O–O bond) in the ComOn clusters. The experimental cluster observations are in good agreement with condensed phase Co3O4 behavior. Density functional theory calculations at the BPW91/TZVP level are carried out to explore the geometric and electronic structures of the Co3O4 cluster, reaction intermediates, transition states, as well as reaction mechanisms. CO, NO, C2H2, and C2H4 are predicted to be adsorbed on the Co(II) site, and react with one of the parallel bridge oxygen atoms between two Co(III) atoms in the Co3O4 cluster. Oxidation reactions with CO, NO, and C2H2 on the Co3O4 cluster are estimated as thermodynamically favorable and overall barrierless processes at room temperature. The oxidation reaction with C2H4 is predicted to have a very small overall barrier (<0.23 eV). The oxygen bridge between two Co(III) sites in the Co3O4 cluster is responsible for the oxidation reactions with CO, NO, C2H2, and C2H4. Based on the gas phase experimental and theoretical cluster studies, a catalytic cycle for these oxidation reactions on a condensed phase cobalt oxide catalyst is proposed.
Diverting Demons: Ritual, Poetic Mockery and the Odysseus-Iros Encounter

This article treats the verbal and physical altercation between the disguised Odysseus and the local beggar Iros at the start of Odyssey 18 and explores the overlapping ritual and generic aspects of the encounter so as to account for many of its otherwise puzzling features. Beginning with the detailed characterization of Iros at the book's start, I demonstrate how the poet assigns to the parasite properties and modes of behavior that have close analogues in later descriptions of pharmakoi and of famine demons expelled from communities in rites that are documented from different parts of the Greek world from the archaic period on; so too the account of Iros' ejection from the house and of his subsequent fate conforms to the patterns observable in these rituals. The second part of the discussion examines the ways in which the beggars' quarrel anticipates the enmities that the Ionian iambographers would construct with those whom they cast as their echthroi and rivals, and suggests that we see in the Homeric scene an early instance of an iambic-style confrontation presented in poetic form for performance at the symposium. The iambographers' own deployment of the scapegoat and famine demon paradigms for the vilification of their targets promotes the overlap between the epic and iambic material. In both portions of the argument, the discussion observes how the several frames informing the episode in Book 18 coincide with and promote the Odyssey 's larger themes.
Mercury vapor hazards in certain chemical laboratories.

Senior Sanitary Engineer (R), Industrial Hygiene Division, Bureau of Stafe Services, U. S. Public Health Service HE health hazards of atmospheric merT cury vapor in laboratories, due to a wide dispersion of mercury particles, have been studied and reported in the literature in previous years.'.? 3 Many industrial technical personnel are not aware that the low vapor tensionof mercury (0.002 millimeters of mercury a t room temperatures) is sufficient to produce a mercury vapor concentration much in excess of the maximum allowable concentration (M. A. C.) of 0.1 milligram per cubic meter of a i r (mg/m3). This value is equal to 0.012 parts of mercury vapor per million parts of a i r by volume (ppm) in an enclosed space. During the last five gears the Industrial Hygiene Division of the C. S. Public Health Service had occasion to investigate many chemical and physical testing laboratories in a variety of industrial plants for occupational health hazards. Certain of these laboratories used metallic mercury in extraction apparatus, nitrometers, flow meters, and manometers, and for amalgamation purposes in detecting cracks in alloy metals. Successive investigations in these laboratories revealed the presence of progressively higher mercury vapor concentrations in the room air, and the need for control measures to protect the workers' health.
A Biological Systems Concept

Biology, as all sciences, embraces a philosophic structure and organization. Its ideas are constituted in principles and theories, but its working hypotheses should be geared to broad relational concepts in order to give the science of biology a greater degree of sophistication and unity of structure. Although there has been an empirical explosion in biology, which has resulted in a formidable body of significant, verifiable knowledge comparable to that of physics, biologists have not fully conceptualized and correlated this knowledge. Biology has been largely descriptive and occasionally experimental, but has not matured into a rigorous or powerful science (Waterman, 1962). With its formidable body of knowledge, empirical tools, and several operational theories, modern biology is now in a position to further conceptualize its content and perspective. The empirical data of biology, once obtained, must be ordered into an interconnecting field of statements, propositions, and constructs ultimately giving rise to inductive generalizations and a coherent system of consistent relations (Waterman, 1962). This is the goal of an exact science. All areas of biology, particularly those presently descriptive, should be quantified and more explicity delineated. To effectively categorize, a scientist recognizes classes or sets of objects or events which can be clearly delimited (Hawkins, 1964). General statements about the classes can be made, after considering the essential properties of the constituents. There are two conceptual levels of scientific thought. In a lower order, observations or facts are organized into coherent and generalized statements about classes such as atoms and trees. In a higher order, abstractions are formulated involving binding relationships among classes (Nash, 1963). These colligative statements, of a predictive character, attempt to set forth universals such as the periodic law and the sexual life-cycle concept. These two types of concepts constitute the theoretical framework of a science.
An Enhanced Buffered Switching Node for a Data Vortex Interconnection Network

The design of a buffered photonic switching node for a data vortex network is presented. Superior network performance is shown through simulations, and implementation is experimentally demonstrated
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Hairy Cell Leukemia

The use of monoclonal antibody (MoAb) therapy for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) offers great promise and potential for improving progression-free survival. Rituximab has activity in previously treated HCL and the ability to eradicate minimal residual disease after 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine given as frontlinc therapy. Alemtuzumab, epratuzumab, and other candidate MoAb's should be studied in HCL. Appropriate pharmacologic investigations, use of antigen modulation, and assessments of soluble antigen levels should be considered with future clinical trials of MoAb's in HCL to optimize therapeutic strategies.
Municipal affairs in India

Professor Fairlie has recently returned fmn an extended world tour. In this article he describes the curious mingling of the East and the West in the municipal governments of India.
In Vitro Analyses of the Binding of 131I-Iodide to Milk Protein

Abstract The experiments reported here were carried out to study the in vitro binding of 131 I to bovine milk protein and the factors influencing this binding. Incubation of inorganic carrier-free 131 I-iodide with fresh raw milk at 37C for two hours showed as much as 50% of the 131 I bound to milk protein, and that as much as 80–90% could be bound in 12–24 hours. It was also shown that this reaction is both time- and temperature-dependent and could be readily blocked by incubation at 8C, boiling the milk prior to incubation, addition of carrier iodide or antithyroid agents such as Tapazole (methyl mercaptan imidazole). Paper chromatography of enzymatic digests of the milk showed the protein-bound 131 I in milk is present as 131 I-labeled monoiodotyrosine. No other 131 I-labeled compounds were observed. These studies would tend to indicate that the binding of 131 I-iodide to milk protein involves an enzymatic oxidation of the iodide.
Effect of Post-Deposition Processing on ZnO Thin Films and Devices

Post-deposition processing was conducted on ZnO thin films deposited by radio␣frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and ion implantation followed by RTA gave increased conductivity and the latter increased Hall-effect mobility from 1.7 cm2 V−1 s−1 to 9.5 cm2 V−1 s−1 Metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors (MSM-PDs) had a low dark current, a high ratio of photo to dark current, and a high responsivity of 2.1 A/W. Current transport mechanisms of MSM-PDs with post-annealing exhibited two primary space-charge-limited mechanisms, m > 2 and m < 1, following I ≈ V m . The non-annealed ZnO film gave one mechanism with m < 1 in photo I–V. Response to a femtosecond pulse gave rise and fall times in the range of 12 ns to 29 ns.
Mouse preimplantation blastocysts adhere to cells expressing the transmembrane form of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor

Previous studies have shown that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) mRNA is synthesized in the mouse uterine luminal epithelium temporally, just prior to implantation, and spatially, only at the site of blastocyst apposition (Das, S. K., Wang, X. N., Paria, B. C., Damm, D., Abraham, J. A., Klagsbrun, M., Andrews, G. K. and Dey, S. K. (1994) Development 120, 1071-1083). HB-EGF is synthesized as a transmembrane protein (HB-EGF TM) that can be processed to release the soluble growth factor. An antibody that cross-reacts only with the transmembrane form detected HB-EGF TM in uterine luminal epithelium in a spatial manner similar to that of HB-EGF mRNA. HB-EGF TM is a juxtacrine growth factor that mediates cell-cell contact. To ascertain if HB-EGF TM could be an adhesion factor for blastocysts, a mouse cell line synthesizing human HB-EGF TM was co-cultured with mouse blastocysts. Cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM adhered to day-4 mouse blastocysts more extensively than parental cells or cells synthesizing a constitutively secreted form of HB-EGF. Adhesion of cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM to blastocysts was inhibited by excess recombinant HB-EGF but less so by TGF-alpha. Adhesion was also inhibited by the synthetic peptide P21 corresponding to the HB-EGF heparin binding domain, and by incubating the blastocysts with heparinase. In addition, adhesion to delayed implanting dormant blastocysts, which lack EGF receptor (EGFR), was diminished relative to normal blastocysts. These results suggested that adhesion between blastocysts and cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM was mediated via interaction with both blastocyst EGFR and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). It was concluded that HB-EGF TM, which is synthesized exclusively in the luminal epithelium at the site of blastocyst apposition, and which is a juxtacrine adhesion factor for blastocysts, could be one of the mediators of blastocyst adhesion to the uterus in the process of implantation.
Three-dimensional co-culture of hepatocytes and stellate cells

Hepatocytes self-assemble in culture to form compacted spherical aggregates, or spheroids, that mimic the structure of the liver by forming tight junctions and bile canalicular channels. Hepatocyte spheroids thus resemble the liver to a great extent. However, liver tissue contains other cell types and has bile ducts and sinusoids formed by endothelial cells. Reproducing 3-D co-culture in vitro could provide a means to develop a more complex tissue-like structure. Stellate cells participate in revascularization after liver injury by excreting between hepatocytes a laminin trail that endothelial cells follow to form sinusoids. In this study we investigated co-culture of rat hepatocytes and a rat hepatic stellate cell line, HSC-T6. HSC-T6, which does not grow in serum-free spheroid medium, was able to grow under co-culture conditions. Using a three-dimensional cell tracking technique, the interactions of HSC-T6 and hepatocyte spheroids were visualized. The two cell types formed heterospheroids in culture, and HSC-T6 cell invasion into hepatocyte spheroids and subsequent retraction was observed. RT-PCR revealed that albumin and cytochrome P450 2B1/2 expression were better maintained in co-culture conditions. These three-dimensional heterospheroids provide an attractive system for in vitro studies of hepatocyte-stellate cell interactions.
Protein stabilization in a highly knotted protein polymer

The polypeptide backbones of a few proteins are tied in a knot. The biophysical effects and potential biological roles of knots are not well understood. Here, we test the consequences of protein knotting by taking a monomeric protein, carbonic anhydrase II, whose native structure contains a shallow knot, and polymerizing it end-to-end to form a deeply and multiply knotted polymeric filament. Thermal stability experiments show that the polymer is stabilized against loss of structure and aggregation by the presence of deep knots.
What Shall We Call Them

We are not surprised. We pretty much knew how the evidence would unfold. Authors of the article “The USA National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Psychological Adjustment of the 17-Year-Old Adolescents” 1 report that late-adolescent girls and boys who are children of lesbians are doing just fine. When last discussed in Pediatrics in 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health statement “Coparent or Second-Parent Adoption by Same-Sex Parents”2 (reaffirmed February 2010) and the accompanying technical report written by Ellen Perrin, MD, FAAP,3 drew much attention and engendered controversy both within the AAP and outside of it. The AAP noted that there were large numbers of children being parented by gays and lesbians and that lesbian and gay couples were serving as coparents. It was important that pediatricians caring for these children understood these nontraditional relationships, and it still is. After a careful review of the literature … Address correspondence to Joseph F. Hagan Jr, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 410 Shelburne Rd, Burlington, VT 05401. E-mail: jhagan{at}aap.org
Optical radiation measurements for photovoltaic applications: instrumentation uncertainty and performance

Evaluating the performance of photovoltaic (PV) devices in the laboratory and in the field requires accurate knowledge of the optical radiation stimulating the devices. We briefly describe the radiometric instrumentation used for characterizing broadband and spectral irradiance for PV applications. Spectral radiometric measurement systems are used to characterize solar simulators (continuous and pulsed, or flash sources) and natural sunlight. Broadband radiometers (pyranometers and pyrheliometers) are used to assess solar resources for renewable applications and develop and validate broadband solar radiation models for estimating system performance. We describe the sources and magnitudes of uncertainty associated with calibrations and measuremens using these instruments. The basic calibration and measurement uncertainty associated with this instrumentaion are based on the guidlines described in the International Standards Organization (ISO) and Bureau INternationale des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) Guide to Uncertainty in Measurement. The additional contributions to uncertainty arising from the uncertainty in characterization functions and correction schemes are discussed and ilustrated. Finally, empirical comparisons of several solar radiometer instrumentation sets illustrate that the best measurement accuracy for broadband radiation is on the order of 3%, and spectrally dependent uncertainty for spectroradiometer systems range from 4% in the visible to 8% to 10% in the ultraviolet and infrared.
The Social Construction of Whiteness: Racism by Intent, Racism by Consequence

The discipline of Sociology has generated great contributions to scholarship and research about American race relations. Much of the theorizing on American race relations in America is expressed in binary terms of black and white. Historically, the study of American race relations typically problematizes the “othered” status, that is, the non-white status in America’s racial hierarchy. However, the sociology of race relations has historically failed to take into account both sides of the black/white binary paradigm when addressing racial inequality. In other words, in the case of race, it becomes difficult to see the forest for the trees. Thus, in Sociology, we find less scholarship about the role “whiteness as the norm” plays in sustaining social privilege beyond that which is accorded marginalized others. In order to examine the historical black/white binary paradigm of race in America, it is important to understand its structuration. This article extends the applicability of sociologies of knowledge (Thomas Theorem, social constructionism) and Gidden’s structuration theory to inform a postmodern analysis of America’s binary racial paradigm.
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Review of Epidemiology, Biopsychology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Abstract Introduction Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Revised (DSM-IV-TR) as persistent deficient sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition (DSM-5), HSDD has been subsumed by Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. However, decades of research based on DSM-IV-TR HSDD criteria form the foundation of our understanding of the essential symptom of distressing low sexual desire, its epidemiology, clinical management, and treatment. Aim This publication reviews the state of knowledge about HSDD. Methods A literature search was performed using terms HSDD and female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Main Outcome Measures Physicians acknowledge that FSD is common and distressing; however, they infrequently address it, citing low confidence, time constraints, and lack of treatment as barriers. Results HSDD is present in 8.9% of women ages 18 to 44, 12.3% ages 45 to 64, and 7.4% over 65. Although low sexual desire increases with age, distress decreases; so prevalence of HSDD remains relatively constant across age. HSDD is associated with lower health-related quality of life; lower general happiness and satisfaction with partners; and more frequent negative emotional states. HSDD is underdetected and undertreated. Less than half of patients with sexual problems seek help from or initiate discussions with physicians. Patients are inhibited by fear of embarrassing physicians and believe that physicians should initiate discussions. The Decreased Sexual Desire Screener, a tool for detecting and diagnosing HSDD, is validated for use in general practice. Conclusion Women can benefit from intervention in primary care, behavioral health and sexual medicine settings. Psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions aim to enhance sexual excitatory process and decrease inhibitory processes. Flibanserin, the first centrally acting daily medication for HSDD, was recently approved in the US for premenopausal women.
Minimum Courses in Engineering Mathematics

(1913). Minimum Courses in Engineering Mathematics. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 47-52.
Laser Induced Breakdown for Ignition and Measurements in Compressible Turbulent Reacting Flows

Laser Induced Breakdown (LIB) has been used for flame ignition and simultaneous gas concentration/density measurements in a supersonic combustor devised for hypersonic air-breathing propulsion.
Thermochemical studies on amorphous calcium phosphate.

Previous studies have indicated that synthetically-precipitated amorphous calcium phosphate, even though not a periodically regular structure, possesses a chemically definable local unit of structure. The present paper is a report of thermochemical studies performed to more clearly define this local chemical unit. Upon ignition in the absence of water, freezedried amorphous calcium phosphate preparations converted into crystalline α-and/or β-tricalcium phosphates. At temperatures just below the crystallization point, the amorphous calcium phosphate became almost completely dehydrated. Additionally, pyrophosphate production at these subcrystallization temperatures was very low. From these data, it appears that water in amorphous calcium phosphate does not exist in combination with the P2O5 component as acid phosphate but retains its molecular identity, suggesting, together with previously reported chemical data, that amorphous calcium phosphate when formed under specific chemical conditions is a hydrated tricalcium phosphate.