cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping the “Valley of Death”: Managing Selection and Technology Advancement in NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program

In this paper, we determine the risk mitigation process inherent in managing a portfolio of technologies diverse in both their readiness for infusion and the nature of the performing organization, focusing on the so-called “valley of death” in which the technology's principles have been proven but prototypes have yet to be developed. Using the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of projects funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Small Business Innovation Research program, a two-stage competitive process, we find that the result of selection of the first round is a tendency toward larger companies. In the second round of funding, technology maturity is a stronger determinant of selection and company headcount is no longer a statistically significant driver. This combination allows the program to manage risk and deliver real technical advancement from even the smallest companies. We find that technologies typically advance from TRL 2, concept formulation, at the program's outset to roughly TRL 5, component validation, at the program's conclusion; these outcomes precede economic benefits from the subsidy. These findings illuminate a mechanism to address risk as well as demonstrating the technical outcomes of a managed early-stage technology program.
Thermopower Near Magnetic and Order-Disorder Critical Points

The thermopower anomalies observed at ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and order-disorder critical points are characterized by specific heat like singularities in the temperature derivatives of the thermopower S. The nature of the anomaly is prescribed by the temperature dependence of the zero time localized spin-spin (or concentration-concentration) correlation functions \( g\vec k\left( {t = 0} \right) \) for large momentum transfers (\( \left| {\vec k} \right|\sim 2{k_F} \)). Inelastic scattering is important as a consequence leading to an expression for the critical thermopower which contains convoluted functions of the frequency dependent localized spin-spin correlation functions \( g\overrightarrow k\left(\omega\right) \). The observed temperature dependence of S is thought to reside primarily in the behavior of the resistivity p near the critical temperature, the variation of the thermopower integrals with temperature being rather smooth in this regime. When the momentum transfer is small (e.g. ferromagnetic semiconductors) so that the localized spin system’s fluctuations critically slow down, elastic scattering will dominate the thermopower. In such a case, S is directly proportional to the localized spin-spin correlation function \( {g_{2{k_F}}}\left({\omega=0} \right) \).
A Pragmatic Method

Many arguments in ethics and bioethics, especially those in death and dying, appear to be driven by intuitions or what some authors claim is common sense. Very rarely questioned, if ever, are the tools from which many arguments and positions are built, unless by a person who has a different set of intuitions or notions of common sense. In this chapter, I evaluate intuitions and common sense to determine if they can have a role in the morality of death and dying. I contend that those who most closely reflect the moral platforms developed in our brains or minds by our genetic natures and environmental experiences generally serve as the best evidence that the intuition makes pragmatic sense, and therefore may be included in our reasoning.
Rehospitalization and emergency department use rates before and after vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy: use of state databases to provide longitudinal data across multiple clinical settings.

Objectives Data regarding rehospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits following vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) present data analysis challenges. We present a method that uses California's multiple databases to more completely assay VNS efficacy. Materials and Methods The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's California Inpatient and Ambulatory Surgery databases were assayed for all VNS surgeries from 2005 to 2009. Patients were selected by epilepsy diagnosis codes and VNS procedure codes. Patients (total N = 629) were tracked across multiple databases using unique identifiers. Thirty-day and one-year post-implantation rates of VNS complication and healthcare visits were abstracted, along with one-year preoperative hospital and ED use. Statistics included correction for multiple comparisons. Results The one-year reoperation rate for adult patients (N = 536) was 3.9%; during the second year, an additional 3.2% of patients had reoperations. Within the first 30 days, <2% of patients experienced a complication. Four percent of patients were readmitted to a hospital, and 11.6% of patients visited an ED. The most common reason for rehospitalization or ED visit was seizure. In the first year after VNS, total seizure-related visits (hospitalization and ED) were 17% lower (2.12 visits per year to 1.71; p = 0.03). In the second year following VNS, seizure-related visits were 42% lower (2.21 visits per year to 1.27, p = 0.01). Pediatric patients (N = 93) had comparable results. Conclusions VNS surgery has low rates of complications and reoperations and is associated with reduced incidence of seizure-related ED visits and hospital admissions in the first and second postoperative years.
Radiology scheduling: preferences of users of radiologic services and impact on referral base and extension.

Abstract Rationale and objectives. To study end-user attitudes and preferences with respect to radiology scheduling systems and to assess implications for retention and extension of the referral base. A study of the institution’s historical data indicated reduced satisfaction with the process of patient scheduling in recent years. Methods. Sixty physicians who referred patients to a single, large academic radiology department received the survey. The survey was designed to identify (A) the preferred vehicle for patient scheduling (on-line versus telephone scheduling) and (B) whether ease of scheduling was a factor in physicians referring patients to other providers. Referring physicians were asked to forward the survey to any appropriate office staff member in case the latter scheduled appointments for patients. Users were asked to provide comments and suggestions for improvement. The statistical method used was the analysis of proportions. Results. Thirty-three responses were received, corresponding to a return rate of 55%. Twenty-six of the 33 respondents (78.8%, P Conclusion. On-line scheduling applications are becoming the preferred scheduling vehicle. Augmenting their capabilities and availability can simplify the scheduling process, improve referring physician satisfaction, and provide a competitive advantage. Referrers are willing to change providers if scheduling expectations are not met.
Ultrastructural Comparison of Processing of Protein and Pigment in the Ink Gland of Four Species of Sea Hares

The ink glands of four sea hare species (Aplysia californica, A. parvula, A. juliana, and Dolabrifera dolabrifera) were compared to determine where ink protein is synthesized, how it is incorporated into protein storage vesicles, and the degree of variation in the structure of the ink gland. Ink protein was synthesized in RER cells and stored in amber and white vesicles. Lack of competent RER cells in the ink gland of D. dolabrifera was correlated with the absence of ink protein. Ink protein had similar characteristics in all three Aplysia species but, again, it was absent in D. dolabrifera. Its uptake involved pinocytosis by protein vesicle cell membranes. Granulate cells showed little variation in structure among the four species, the opposite was the case for RER cells. The conversion of the red algal pigment, phycoerythrin, to phycoerythrobilin (PEB) occurs in the digestive gland but the change of PEB to aplysioviolin (APV), the form of pigment released by the ink gland, occurs in the ink gland itself by both granulate cells and pigment vesicles. The literature describes five types of vesicles based upon color and contents in the ink gland of these four species. We report only three types of vesicle: colored (purple), protein (white and amber), and transparent (includes clear vesicles).
Overview of Synchrotron Radiation

After Schott’s [3] unsuccessful attempt to explain atomic radiation with his electromagnetic theory no further progress was made for some 40 years mainly because of lack of interest. Only in the mid forties did the theory of electromagnetic radiation from free electrons become interesting again with the successful development of circular high-energy electron accelerators. At this time powerful betatrons [8] have been put into operation and it was Ivanenko and Pomeranchouk [9], who first in 1944 pointed out a possible limit to the betatron principle and maximum energy due to energy loss from emission of electromagnetic radiation. This prediction was used by Blewett [10] to calculate the radiation energy loss per turn in a newly constructed 100 MeV betatron at General Electric. In 1946 he measured the shrinkage of the orbit due to radiation losses and the results agreed with predictions. On April 24, 1947 visible radiation was observed for the first time at the 70 MeV synchrotron built at General Electric [11, 12, 13]. Since then, this radiation is called synchrotron radiation.
Relapse prevention: Maintenance strategies in the treatment of addictive behaviors, 2nd ed.

Marlatt, Witkiewitz, Relapse Prevention for Alcohol and Drug Problems. Blume, de la Cruz, Relapse Prevention among Diverse Populations. Kadden, Cooney, Treating Alcohol Problems. Shiffman, Kassel, Gwaltney, McChargue, Relapse Prevention for Smoking. Carroll, Rawson, Relapse Prevention for Stimulant Dependence. Haug, Sorensen, Gruber, Song, Relapse Prevention for Opioid Dependence. Roffman, Stephens, Relapse Prevention for Cannabis Abuse and Dependence. Kilmer, Cronce, Palmer, Relapse Prevention for Abuse of Club Drugs, Hallucinogens, Inhalants, and Steroids. Collins, Relapse Prevention for Eating Disorders and Obesity. Shaffer, LaPlante, Treatment of Gambling Disorders. Wheeler, George, Stoner, Enhancing the Relapse Prevention Model for Sex Offenders: Adding Recidivism Risk Reduction Therapy to Target Offenders' Dynamic Risk Needs. Zawacki, Stoner, George, Relapse Prevention for Sexually Risky Behaviors.
Selective inhibition of pentagastrin- and cholecystokinin-stimulated exocrine secretion by proglumide*

The effectiveness and selectivity of proglumide, a putative cholecystokinin/gastrin receptor antagonist in vitro, were examined on gastric acid and pancreatic secretion in vivo. Gastric secretion was measured in conscious dogs in the basal state and during infusion of pentagastrin, histamine, or bethanechol, alone or in combination with proglumide (300 mg/kg . h). Pancreatic secretion was measured in anesthetized rats in response to cholecystokinin-octapeptide or secretin, alone or in combination with proglumide (100 mg/kg). Proglumide inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated secretion but had no effect on basal, histamine-stimulated, or bethanechol-stimulated gastric acid secretion. Inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated secretion was of the competitive type. An apparent inhibitory constant was calculated to be 300 mg/kg . h; this dose is capable of eliciting plasma concentrations of approximately 1 mM. This estimate corresponds closely to that derived from measurements in isolated canine parietal cells. Proglumide also inhibited cholecystokinin-stimulated but not secretin-stimulated pancreatic secretion. The lack of effect of proglumide on basal, histamine-stimulated, or bethanechol-stimulated gastric acid secretion implies that background gastrin has no direct or synergistic influence on stimulation by other secretagogues. The selective effect of gastrin receptor antagonists contrasts with the effectiveness of muscarinic and histamine H2-receptor antagonists against secretion induced by all types of stimulants. Accordingly, the antisecretory potential of gastrin receptor antagonists is confined to digestive secretion when the effect of gastrin is optimal. Their potential as antitrophic agents in duodenal ulcer disease, however, has not been explored yet.
Methyl Phenyl Sulfoxide

Methyl phenyl sulfoxide reactant: methyl phenyl sulfoxide product: Methyl 4-ketopentyl sulfoxide product: Thian 1-oxide product: 1,4-Oxathian 1-oxide product: Bis(2-diethylaminoethyl)sulfoxide product: Acetoxymethyl methyl sulfoxide product: 1-Benzylsulfinyl-2-propanone product: Phenylsulfinylacetic acid product: Benzyl sulfoxide product: Ethyl sulfoxide product: Ethyl phenyl sulfoxide Keywords: oxidation, miscellaneous
Technical note: The Linked Paleo Data framework – a common tongue for paleoclimatology

Abstract. Paleoclimatology is a highly collaborative scientific endeavor, increasingly reliant on online databases for data sharing. Yet there is currently no universal way to describe, store and share paleoclimate data: in other words, no standard. Data standards are often regarded by scientists as mere technicalities, though they underlie much scientific and technological innovation, as well as facilitating collaborations between research groups. In this article, we propose a preliminary data standard for paleoclimate data, general enough to accommodate all the archive and measurement types encountered in a large international collaboration (PAGES 2k). We also introduce a vehicle for such structured data (Linked Paleo Data, or LiPD), leveraging recent advances in knowledge representation (Linked Open Data). The LiPD framework enables quick querying and extraction, and we expect that it will facilitate the writing of open-source community codes to access, analyze, model and visualize paleoclimate observations. We welcome community feedback on this standard, and encourage paleoclimatologists to experiment with the format for their own purposes.
Molecular Tooth Decay

Charles Darwin was intrigued with vestigial organs and, in fact, made them a part of his “long argument” for the existence of evolution in the natural world in Chapter 13 of On the Origin of Species. Now on the 150th anniversary of the publication of that seminal work, a study linking vestigial organs with molecular biology with paleontology has shown even more clearly how vestigial organs are of critical explanatory power in evolutionary theory. In the current issue of PLoS Genetics, Meredith et al. [1] present a comprehensive study of the Enamelin (ENAM) gene in placental mammals that sheds light on the evolutionary process. What is different about this study from others in the literature using gene sequences in the study of evolution is that ENAM sequences and functionality directly mirror the evolution of teeth in living and extinct placental mammals.
The Physical Basis of Luminosity Classification in the Late A-, F-, and Early G-Type Stars. I. Precise Spectral Types for 372 Stars

This is the first in a series of two papers that address the problem of the physical nature of luminosity classification in the late A-, F-, and early G-type stars. In this paper, we present precise spectral classifications of 372 stars on the MK system. For those stars in the set with Stromgren uvbyβ photometry, we derive reddenings and present a calibration of MK temperature types in terms of the intrinsic Stromgren (b-y)0 index. We also examine the relationship between the luminosity class and the Stromgren c1 index, which measures the Balmer jump. The second paper will address the derivation of the physical parameters of these stars, and the relationships between these physical parameters and the luminosity class. Stars classified in this paper include one new λ Bootis star and 10 of the F- and G-type dwarfs with recently discovered planets.
An analysis of chick epidermal differentiation in situ and in vitro in chemically defined media.

Abstract A histological and histochemical investigation of the developing chick shank epidermis indicates that the processes of tonofibril (keratin) formation and of cornification are separable in time and in site of occurrence. It is also evident that the first three cell layers produced by the basal cells are peculiar to the embryo, each layer displaying a distinctive differentiative pattern. Shank skin survives and develops in vitro when cultured in a protein-free medium. l -Methionine is an essential amino acid for skin and is specifically required for the differentiative events leading to tonofibril synthesis. Exogenous cysteine and cystine are not required for tonofibril formation or limited cornification, but do increase the quantity of cornified material formed in vitro . The evidence of both in vivo and in vitro studies is compatible with the hypothesis that tonofibril protein becomes associated with another substance during the terminal differentiative phases and is thereby incorporated into the cornified matrix. The studies also emphasize the importance of small molecules during tissue differentiation and the formation of specific end products.
IgG vs IgE: mediators of antigen-induced guinea pig lung parenchymal contraction

The present studies were conducted to determine whether different mediators are responsible for antigen-induced contraction of guinea pig lung parenchymal strips sensitized with either IgG or IgE. Passive sensitization was employed using IgG- or IgE-type antibody to ovalbumin which had been separated using Protein A-Sepharose as previously described (Regal, 1984a). Such a system ensures the presence of only one type of cytophilic antibody to mediate antigen-induced contraction of the isolated lung parenchymal strip. Pyrilamine, an H1 antagonist, caused a very slight delay in the onset of the antigen-induced contractions in both IgG- and IgE-sensitized strips, suggesting a very minor role for endogenous histamine in both systems. A combination of the leukotriene antagonist, FPL 55712, and pyrilamine caused a significant reduction in the antigen-induced contraction in IgG- but not IgE-sensitized lung parenchymal strips. Histamine release was detected on antigen challenge of both IgG- and IgE-sensitized lung. Using bioassay techniques, leukotriene release was primarily detected from IgG-sensitized lung and only minimally from IgE-sensitized lung. Thus, our studies have demonstrated a differential antagonism of IgG- and IgE-mediated airway contraction and suggest that leukotrienes are important mediators of antigen-induced lung parenchymal contraction in IgG- but not IgE-sensitized tissues.
Self-representations of the matriarchal Other

Abstract Research examining how local people construct meanings about tourism destinations in their self-representation discourse is rare. This study aims at exposing local people’s understanding about their community and touristic practices by analyzing the self-ethnographic texts written by a Mosuo man in a weblog and autobiographic texts written by a Mosuo woman in two non-fiction books. In particular, the heterogeneous gender characteristics in local people’s self-representation discourse are considered. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is utilized to examine the complexity of self-representations among members of an allegedly matriarchal Chinese destination community. Most significantly, this study reinforces post-colonial feminist interpretations of the gendered meanings in inherent to self-representation discourses.
The synthesis and processing of β-glucuronidase in normal and egasyn deficient mouse kidney

Abstract The presence of a precursor form of β-glucuronidase, with a subunit molecular weight of 75,000 was demonstrated in mouse kidney. This was later processed to the mature form, with subunit molecular weight of 71,500. Tissue fractionation revealed that the precursor was associated with the microsomes whereas the mature form was associated with the lysosomes. In mice lacking egasyn both forms of β-glucuronidase were present, but the rate of processing was elevated compared to normal.
Studies on the central effect of prolactin in inducing precocious puberty in the female rat

Implantation of prolactin (PRL) into the median eminence (PRL-ME implants) of 23 day old female rats markedly advanced the onset of puberty, as measured by the age at vaginal opening and at first ovulation. Precocious puberty was preceded by steroidogenic activation of the ovary, as reflected by increases in uterine weight and an enhanced in vitro steroidal responsiveness of the ovary to hCG. The stimulatory effect of PRL-ME implants could not be attributed to alterations in the release of LH, FSH, GH or TSH from the anterior pituitary. Likewise, the PRL effect was neither exerted through the adrenal gland nor involved activation of a direct neural, vagal-mediated influence on the ovary. Furthermore, the effect of PRL-ME implants was not due to a decrease in pituitary secretion of opioid substances, which appear to restrain chronically gonadotropin release during female prepubertal development. These latter experiments also showed that administration of the opioid agonist, morphine, can delay the onset of puberty in the female rat. Although local exposure of the medial basal hypothalamus to high PRL levels is extremely effective in accelerating puberty, the mechanisms by which this effect is exerted remains to be elucidated.
Extraperitoneal para-aortic lymph node biopsy and irradiation in cervical carcinoma.

Abstract Extended field abdominopelvic radiation therapy delivering a dose of 6000 rad to para-aortic lymph nodes was tolerated without complication by a group of 8 patients. Para-aortic lymph node biopsy specimens from 30 patients by extraperitoneal surgical approach showed that these patients had metastatic involvement from primary squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Seven of the 8 treated patients developed recurrent and rapid dissemination 3–22 months after their diagnosis. Seven died 3–29 months after diagnosis; at this writing one was alive with pulmonary metastases.
Conference grading of computer programs

Two methods of grading computer science programs in a CSI course were evaluated in terms of (1) benefit to the student, (2) advantages for the instructor and (3) plagiarism. The two methods compared were conference grading and grading using written comments.Results indicate that students thought the grading was more fair when graded by one-on-one conference than when graded with written comments. The time required by the instructor was nearly the same. More was communicated orally in this time than in writing. There was less plagiarism in programs graded by conference, and the students whose programs had been graded by conference performed better on a programming test than those who had their programs graded by written comments. There was no significant difference between the two groups on the written examinations.
Thermodynamics of silver sulfate solubilities in aqueous sulfuric acid and sodium nitrate solutions, 0–60°C☆

Abstract In order to test further the adherence of solubility products of a 1–2 metal sulfate to an extended Debye-Huckel equation, solubilities of Ag 2 SO 4 in NaNO 3 H 2 O and H 2 SO 4 H 2 O solutions were determined from 0 o to 60°C. These data, agreeing with those at 25°C in the literature, were evaluated to obtain solubility products ( Q sp ) at the several ionic strengths by use of second ionization constants of bisulfate ion ( K 2 ) and an iterative process. Values of Q sp fitted well to an extended Debye-Huckel equation, yielding solubility product constants ( K sp ) at 0·4–60°C. These values agreed with those of Lietzke and Stoughton at 25–200°C when both sets were calculated using the same values of K 2 . Thermodynamic functions for the solubility product constant behavior of silver sulfate from 0 to 200°C are presented for comparison with the previously published values.
INTERACTION OF VITAMIN D (ViD) BETWEEN MOTHER AND FETUS AT TERM: EVIDENCE FOR RACIAL VARIATION

Because the human maternal-fetal ViD relationship has not been described, we studied plasma from a group of white(n=12)and black (n=10)mother-infant diads at delivery following uncomplicated full term pregnancies. Antirachitic sterols were extracted, chromatographed, and quantitated using competitive protein binding assays. Compounds quantitated included vitamins D2/D3, 25 hydroxy vitamins D2/D3(25-OH-D2/D3)and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamins
Laser palliation of the HIV+ patient

Many oral manifestations of HIV infection can be used as markers for degree of immunosupression. These manifestations may be treated with antibiotics, analgesics, and antineoplastics, which may interact and interfere with antiviral agents used to treat the disease, and possibly exacerbate it. Dentists will see more HIV-infected patients as medical research transforms this disease into a chronic illness. Lasers have been shown to be effective instruments in palliation of oral manifestations of HIV infection. The use of lasers to palliate the painful symptoms of three oral manifestations of HIV infection is described. The advantages and benefits to both patient and dentist will be discussed. The paper does not address the use of lasers as a modality to treat or cure HIV infection -- only to palliate some of its symptoms.
The persistence of Ephemera: bibliographical value of part wrappers

Those of us who defend the bibliographic value of part wrappers sometimes feel akin to the charitable champions of somewhat dubious damsels in distress, who, though a bit shopworn and artful, are still amiable enough to reveal to us the chink in the dragon's armour or the secret passageway out of the maze. We are grateful for the information, but skeptical of the obligation incurred. Such ephemeral productions as paper part wrappers can indeed show the way through the maze of 18th- and 19th century publishing, if such wrappers as are left to us after the vagaries of previous ownership are preserved and documented. The persistence of such ephemera is of particular utility to botanical bibliographers of this period, one significant for its advances in systematics and notorious for its bibliographical complexity. To support this view of the bibliographic value of this fragile material, I have drawn examples of its aid from the Bibliographia Huntiana (BH) files at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. The BH files include extensive bibliographic information on approximately 35,000 books and 50,000 periodical articles published from 1730 to 1840 in the field of botany. Much of this elusive information on dates and circumstances of publication, as well as extent and composition of parts in both text and plates, has been gleaned from contempor­ ary announcements and reviews, and from close examination of the works them­ selves. The Hunt Institute's library holdings are the basis for only a part of the data in these detailed files, which include photographic documentation of titlepages - and part wrappers — of specific copies of works held in some 30 of the world's botanical collections. My examples are particularly drawn from the floristic subset of the 1730-1840 botanical literature, now receiving particular attention as the Institute draws close to publishing this information on approxi­ mately 5,000 titles. To promote an awareness of the bibliographic value of part wrappers in historical systematics, I will discuss the following areas: Changes in bibliographic al attitude towards the value of part wrappers, including a brief survey of the title-page and these adjuncts; the perils and pleasures of 18th-and 19th-century wrapper-titles for natural history publications; and the need for careful preservation of these fragile items.
The collective Jew: Israel and the new antisemitism

For Theodor Herzl, Zionism, in the sense of a political movement to establish a sovereign Jewish state, offered the only workable solution to the problem of antisemitism. Some commentators today speak of a 'new anti-Semitism'. They claim, first, that there is a new wave or outbreak of hostility towards Jews that began with the start of the second Palestinian intifada in September 2000 and is continuing at the present time. Second, and more fundamentally, the 'new anti-Semitism' is said to involve a new form or type of hostility towards Jews: hostility towards Israel. This is the claim under discussion in Klug's paper. The claim implies an equivalence between (a) the individual Jew in the old or classical version of antisemitism and (b) the state of Israel in the new or modern variety. Klug argues that this concept is confused and that the use to which it is put gives a distorted picture of the facts. He begins by recalling classical antisemitism, the kind that led to the persecution of European Jewry to w...
An empirical analysis of short-biased hedge funds’ risk-adjusted performance: A panel approach

This article investigates the risk-adjusted performance of hedge funds that follow a short-biased strategy. We use an approach to adjust for risk, and compute the abnormal returns of short-biased hedge funds. The study uses rollover regressions of blocks of 4 years worth of monthly observations, by updating the sample every 3 months over the January 2000 – December 2008 period. The article documents that the short-run short-biased alphas and appraisal ratios, respectively, deviate significantly over time from the long-run averages computed over the full sample. Using a panel approach, the article then investigates the sources of this time variation. Results in the article show that the causes are both market- (macro) and fund-related. Specifically, we find that the market-based factors affect significantly the time variation in the risk-adjusted returns, whereas the short-biased specific characteristics mainly determine the alphas’ volatility. However, neither the market-based nor the fund-specific factors appear to have much explanatory power concerning the variation in appraisal ratios.
Elevated Antibodies Against Rift Valley Fever Virus Among Humans with Exposure to Ruminants in Saudi Arabia

In 2000, an outbreak of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Since then there have been sparse efforts to monitor for RVFV reemergence. During 2012, we enrolled 300 individuals with ruminant exposure and 50 age-group matched non-exposed controls in southwestern KSA, in a cross-sectional epidemiological study of RVFV. Sera from the participants were screened with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-RVFV IgG antibodies of which 39 (11.1%) were positive. Sixteen (41.0%) of those 39 were also positive by a plaque reduction neutralization assay (PRNT). The PRNT-positive subjects were further studied with an IgM ELISA and one was positive. No RVFV was detected in the 350 sera using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Contact with cattle (odds ratio [OR] = 3.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01, 9.90) and a history of chronic medical illness (OR = 6.41, 95% CI 1.75, 23.44) were associated with greater odds of RVFV seropositivity by PRNT. The IgM-positive participant was 36 years of age, and reported multiple risk factors for ruminant contact. Although these findings simply may be vestiges of the 2000 epidemic, KSA's frequent visits from pilgrims and importations of live animals from RVFV-endemic areas suggest that more comprehensive surveillance for imported RVFV virus in ruminants, mosquitoes, and travelers is imperative.
Size effect and asymptotic matching approximations in strain-gradient theories of micro-scale plasticity

Abstract To explain the size effect found in the testing of plastic behavior of metals on the micrometer scale, four theories of strain-gradient plasticity, representing generalizations of the deformation theory of plasticity, have been developed since 1993––the pioneering original theory of Fleck and Hutchinson in two subsequent versions, the mechanism-based strain-gradient (MSG) plasticity of Gao and co-workers (the first theory anchored in the concept of geometrically necessary dislocations), and Gao and Huang’s recent update of this theory under the name Taylor-based nonlocal theory. Extending a recent study of Bažant in 2000 focused solely on the MSG theory, the present paper establishes the small-size asymptotic scaling laws and load–deflection diagrams of all the four theories. The scaling of the plastic hardening modulus for the theory of Acharya and Bassani, based on the incremental theory of plasticity, is also determined. Certain problematic asymptotic features of the existing theories are pointed out and some remedies proposed. The advantages of asymptotic matching approximations are emphasized and an approximate formula of the asymptotic matching type is proposed. The formula is shown to provide a good description of the experimental and numerical results for the size range of the existing experiments (0.5–100 μm).
Retention of halocarbons on a hexafluoropropylene epoxide modified graphitized carbon black Part 6: Eleven fluoroethers and two iodofluoroalkanes

Abstract The retention characteristics of 11 ether-based and 2 iodinated halocarbon fluids related to alternative refrigerant research have been studied as a function of temperature on a stationary phase consisting of a 5% (by mass) coating of a low-molecular-mass polymer of hexafluoropropylene epoxide on a graphitized carbon black adsorbent. Measurements were performed at 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80°C for R-E125 and R-E134; at 40, 60, 80, and 100°C for R-E143a, R-CE216, R-E236ea1, R-E245fa1, R-E263fb1, and R13I-1; at 80, 100, 120, and 140°C for R-E235ca2, R-E235da1, R-E347, and R-217I-1; and at 100, 120, 140, and 160°C for R-E280. Measurements were attempted for several other more chlorinated ether-based compounds, but the chromatographic conditions could not be optimized sufficiently to allow standard retention parameters to be measured reliably. Relative retentions as a function of temperature were calculated with respect to the retentions of tetrafluoromethane (R-14) and hexafluorethane (R-116). Qualitative features of the data are examined, and trends are identified. In addition, the relative retention data were fitted to linear models for the purpose of predicting retention behavior of these compounds to facilitate chromatographic analysis.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensitivity of ventilation in amphibious crabs, Cardisoma guanhumi, breathing air and water.

Abstract Amphibious crabs, Cardisoma guanhumi , were acclimated to breathing either air or water and exposed to altered levels of oxygen and/or carbon dioxide in the medium. Hypercapnia (22, 36 and 73 torr CO 2 ) stimulated a significant hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) in both groups of crabs, with a much greater effect on scaphognathite frequency (Δ f SC =+700%) in air-breathing crabs than water-breathing crabs (Δ f SC =+100%). In contrast, hyperoxia induced significant hypoventilation in both sets of crabs. However, simultaneous hyperoxia and hypercapnia triggered a greater than 10-fold increase in f SC in air-breathing crabs but no change in water-breathing crabs. For water-breathing crabs hypoxia simultaneous with hypercapnia triggered the same response as hypoxia alone—bradycardia (−50%), and a significant increase in f SC at moderate exposures but not at the more extreme levels. The response of air-breathing crabs to hypoxia concurrent with hypercapnia was proportionally closer to the response to hypercapnia alone than to hypoxia. Thus, C. guanhumi were more sensitive to ambient CO 2 than O 2 when breathing air, characteristic of fully terrestrial species, and more sensitive to ambient O 2 when breathing water, characteristic of fully aquatic species. C. guanhumi possesses both an O 2 - and a CO 2 -based ventilatory drive whether breathing air or water, but the relative importance switches when the respiratory medium is altered.
Why do ideas get more creative across time? An executive interpretation of the serial order effect in divergent thinking tasks.

The serial order effect—the tendency for later responses to a divergent thinking task to be better than earlier ones—is one of the oldest and most robust findings in modern creativity work. But why do ideas get better? Using new methods that afford a fine-grained look at temporal trajectories, we contrasted two explanations: the classic spreading activation account and a new account based on executive and strategic aspects of creative thought. After completing measures of fluid intelligence and personality, a sample of young adults (n = 133) completed a 10-min unusual uses task. Each response was time-stamped and then rated for creativity by three raters. Multilevel structural equation models estimated the trajectories of creativity and fluency across time and tested if intelligence moderated the effects of time. As in past work, creativity increased sharply with time and flattened slightly by the task's end, and fluency was highest in the task's first minute and then dropped sharply. Intelligence, however, moderated the serial order effect—as intelligence increased, the serial order effect diminished. Taken together, the findings are more consistent with a view that emphasizes executive processes, particularly processes involved in the strategic retrieval and manipulation of knowledge, than the simple spreading of activation to increasingly remote concepts.
Role of CCR7 in facilitating direct allosensitization and regulatory T-cell function in high-risk corneal transplantation.

Purpose. Chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) is a key homing molecule for immune cell trafficking, including corneal antigen-presenting cell (APC) migration from the inflamed cornea to draining lymph nodes (LNs). Here, the authors investigated the effect of CCR7-facilitated donor APC trafficking on allosensitization, regulatory T-cell (Treg) function, and graft survival in corneal transplantation.
SCH 530348: a novel oral thrombin receptor antagonist

SCH 530348, a synthetic tricyclic 3-phenylpyridine, is an orally active fourth generation himbacine-based antagonist of the protease-activated receptor (PAR)-1, the primary receptor for thrombin on platelets in humans. SCH 530348 is the first in a new class of compounds that inhibit thrombin-mediated platelet aggregation without affecting the enzymatic activity of thrombin on fibrinogen. Preclinical and initial clinical studies have demonstrated this compound to be a highly potent inhibitor of thrombin-induced platelet activation, to have excellent oral bioavailability and to have a favorable safety profile. These data suggest that this compound has the potential to reduce the risk of ischemic events without significantly increasing the rate of bleeding. Two large Phase III clinical outcome trials are currently underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SCH 530348 for the management of acute coronary syndromes and the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events.
A Phase-Sensitive Technique for Measurements of Liquid Thermal Conductivity

An experimental technique based on the thermal wave approach for measuring the thermal conductivity of liquids is developed in this paper. A stainless steel strip functions as both a heating element and a sealing cover for a chamber containing a test liquid. A periodic current passing through this metal strip generates a periodic Joule heating source. An infrared detector measures the temperature response at the front surface of the stainless steel strip. The phase and magnitude of the temperature response with respect to the heating signal were measured by a lock-in amplifier at various frequencies from 22 Hz to 502 Hz. A one-dimensional, two-layered transient heat conduction model was developed to predict the temperature response on the front surface of the stainless steel strip. The phase information from this temperature response shows high sensitivity to the change in thermal properties of the liquid layer and is employed to match experimental data to find the thermal properties of the test liquid. The measured thermal conductivities of water and ethylene glycol agree quite well with the data from literature and support the validity of this measurement technique. An aqueous fluid consisting of gold nanoparticles is tested and anomalous thermal conductivity enhancement is observed. A discrepancy in the thermal transport behavior between pure liquids and nanofluids is suggested from our experimental results.
Variable response of spleen to Ehrlich's tumor according to the physical form (ascitic or solid) of the tumor

This study confirms the absence of splenomegaly in mice carrying Ehrlich's ascites; however, it reveals the presence of marked splenomegaly in mice bearing the same tumor in the solid state. Thus, the physical form of the tumor is an important factor when evaluating the host's response toward Ehrlich's tumor.
Variability of X-ray emission from M87.

New rocket observations of this galaxy, distinguished by an optical jet 1,500 parsec long, suggest a variable X-ray emission probably linked with inhomogeneities in the jet.
Conduction Properties of Microscopic Gold Contact Surfaces

ABSTRACT Electroplated gold surfaces of the type used for MEMS switches were surveyed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) todefine the surface topographical features, and by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the chemicalcomposition of the contact surface. The gold surfaces were contacted with electr ochemically sharpened gold andtungsten probes using an interface force microscope (IFM), capable of simultaneously measuring contact currents from10 fA to 10 mA and forces ranging from 0.01 to 100 N. Both attractive and repulsive forces were observed, andattractive forces on the probe tip were found to exist at significant distances (greater than 5 nm) from the gold surface.The radius of the probe tip is on the order of a micron, making it a useful model system for a single-asperity contact onan actual MEMS switch-contact surface. The results of these single-contact measurement events are compared withcontact measurements made with MEMS switches of various sizes and actuation schemes to understand the origins ofcontact resistance and switch failure.Keywords: Contact, MEMS, relay, switch, Au, gold, IFM, microcontact, microrelay, reliability
Historic and recent patterns of dissolved oxygen in the Yaquina Estuary (Oregon, USA): Importance of anthropogenic activities and oceanic conditions

Abstract Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved oxygen (DO) in Yaquina Estuary, Oregon (USA) are examined using historic and recent data. There was a significant increasing trend in DO in the upstream portion of the estuary during the years 1960–1985. Historically, minimum dry season (May–October) DO levels occurred about 20 km from the estuary mouth at warm water temperatures, near both point source discharges and where extensive log rafting occurred. Presently, there is a trend of increasing dry season DO with increasing distance from the mouth of the estuary. Minimum DO levels occur at cool water temperatures (∼8 deg C), suggesting that recently upwelled oceanic water from the shelf is the source of the low DO water. Recent time-series data (2001–2007) demonstrates that the water advected into the estuary from the coastal ocean has DO levels −1 about 13% of the time during the dry season and that water temperature is a good indicator of the oceanic source. Similarity in the flood-tide DO and water temperature relationship between recent time-series data in Yaquina and in historic data from other estuaries suggests that the hypoxic conditions observed off the Oregon coast since 2002 may have occurred previously, especially during the 1950’s–1960’s. It is important to characterize the natural background DO levels for estuaries in the region to be able to separate anthropogenic from natural influences on DO.
Integrating production decisions

Most of the decisions in production management require simultaneous study of interdependent subsystems. In this paper we propose a compatibility matrix which can be used as a possible aid for integrating production decisions. The compatibility matrix generates decision alternatives for a production system, given the decision alternatives for its subsystems and compatibility relationships between each alternative of a subsystem and all the alternatives of the remaining subsystems. The mutually-exclusive decision alternatives provide the manager with a wide range to choose from. These alternatives can be used as inputs to mathematical simulation models. For ill-structured problems the compatibility matrix offers a viable tool in achieving synergy
Hydrodynamic Conditions Associated with an Onshore Migrating and Stable Sandbar

ABSTRACT Cheng, J.; Wang, P., and Smith, E.R., 2016. Hydrodynamic conditions associated with an onshore migrating and stable sandbar. In this study, large-scale three-dimensional laboratory data were analyzed to identify the hydrodynamic conditions associated with the onshore migration of a sandbar and the subsequent equilibrium state of a stable bar. The initial sandbar was constructed offshore and out of equilibrium, with a symmetrical shape. The bar became asymmetrical as it migrated onshore. As the rate of onshore migration slowed, the bar was restored to a symmetrical shape toward an equilibrium state. Wave and near-bottom velocity across the surf zone were measured during the onshore sandbar migration. The near-bottom velocity skewness analyzed wave by wave indicates that before the sandbar reached equilibrium, the velocity was skewed offshore in the nearshore region and was skewed onshore seaward of the bar. However, the velocity skewness pattern reversed when the beach profile reached equilibrium ...
Stepping away from ritual right heart catheterization into the era of noninvasively measured pulmonary artery pressure.

Knowledge of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure is central to the management of cardiac disease. Noninvasive measurements can be derived by Doppler interrogation of the right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (RVOT), tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) signals. In addition, echocardiography provides anatomic information that may indicate elevated PA pressure, such as RV hypertrophy, RV dilation, RV systolic dysfunction, systolic notching of the pulmonary valve, or PA dilation. In this issue of JASE, Aduen et al describe an alternative method of measuring mean PA pressure using the mean gradient from the TR signal. In the absence of obstruction to PA flow, peak TR gradient added to right atrial (RA) pressure accurately measures peak systolic PA pressure. This method has been validated and adopted universally. In contemporary practice, the yield of TR waveform availability is 80%, and the yield is increased with saline contrast enhancement. Limitations on interrogating the TR signal include underestimation of peak velocity because of an inability or failure to position the Doppler interrogation beam parallel to the direction of flow or the generation of a signal with an incomplete envelope. Inaccurate estimation of RA pressure is also a source of error. The first two situations underestimate the catheterization-derived systolic PA pressure and the last either overestimates or underestimates it. Beyond estimating peak PA systolic pressure, echocardiographic techniques also accurately estimate diastolic PA pressure, mean PA pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and pulmonary vascular capacitance (PVC). Doppler flow acceleration time in the distal RVOTor proximal PA estimates mean PA pressure. An acceleration time of #100 ms suggests pulmonary hypertension. This method requires measurement of the time from onset to the peak of forward flow in the pulsedwave Doppler signal across the RVOT and may be useful when TR or PR signals cannot be interrogated. The PA pressure calculated in this manner has been found to be less accurate than estimates derived from TR, especially at low or high heart rates. In our experience, a rounded, slowly rising pulmonary flow signal obviates the need for measuring acceleration because it is connotes normal acceleration and practically excludes elevated pulmonary pressure. The end-diastolic PR gradient correlates with PA diastolic pressure and can be used as a surrogate for pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Elevations in end-diastolic PR gradients >5 mmHg, and especially >10 mmHg, predict heart failure and cardiovascular mortality in coronary artery disease. The end-diastolic PR gradient added to RA pressure provides a numerical indicator of PA diastolic pressure.