cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Silk coating as a novel delivery system and reversible adhesive for stiffening and shaping flexible probes

The performance of any implantable electrode depends not only on its recording or stimulation capabilities but also on its position in relation to the target site. Electrode displacement during or after implantation represents a major issue as it might result in tissue damage or incorrect recording or stimulation location, complicating the interpretation of experimental data. Although thin-film electrode arrays have overcome some of the main limitations of more traditional, stiffer probes, their intrinsic flexibility and unilateral contacts represent a new challenge: they tend to bend during insertion and are difficult to implant simultaneously while maintaining a specific relative position. Here, we present a method that addresses all these issues using a coating of silk fibroin, a versatile protein derived from silkworm cocoons. The method is demonstrated by acquiring electromyographic (EMG) recordings in Manduca sexta , a soft-bodied animal that exemplifies the issues of electrode insertion and placement in delicate and deformable tissues.
Controversies in primary CNS lymphoma.

Primary CNS lymphoma is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma confined to the CNS: the brain, eyes and cerebrospinal fluid. Unlike other primary brain tumors, primary CNS lymphoma is uniquely chemo- and radiosensitive. However, the outcome of primary CNS lymphoma patients is significantly inferior to similar non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients. Multiple prospective studies using high-dose methotrexate, with or without whole-brain radiotherapy, have reported improved primary CNS lymphoma outcome, but numerous questions remain regarding the optimal care of a given patient.
Effect of Forced-Choice vs Magnitude-Estimation Measures on the Waveform of Metacontrast Functions*

Metacontrast functions were obtained for three subjects using forced-choice and magnitude-estimation response measures, and for a fourth subject using forced choice alone. The functions from these two measures were in every case U shaped and did not differ significantly from each other, even though the stimuli used for each measure differed slightly, and the forced-choice study was done three months after the magnitude-estimation study. Thus, U-shaped metacontrast functions are not artifacts of subjective response criteria. The relative merits of the subjective and objective response indicators as measures of metacontrast are discussed.
The First Vaulted Churches in Cyprus

The reroofing of a group of Early Christian basilicas on the Karpas peninsula is the subject of The First Vaulted Churches in Cyprus. Charles Anthony Stewart argues that the barrel vaults, which replaced the wooden roofs of these churches, can be dated to the late seventh or early eighth century. Mustering all the evidence now available and placing these monuments in their historical context, he confirms the consensus about dating that was reached, but not fully argued, by investigating archaeologists in the 1970s, Andreas Dikigoropoulos, Athanasios Papageorghiou, and A. H. S. Megaw. When these churches were rebuilt in the seventh and eighth centuries, Cyprus was a neutral state divided between the Arab Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire. In this environment, builders experimented with methods to erect and support heavy vaulting while maintaining the traditional basilical form. Their designs foreshadowed the later development of Romanesque architecture in the West.
Do Office–Commercial Firms Value Access to Service Employment Centers? A Hedonic Value Analysis within Polycentric Los Angeles

Abstract This study applies a consistent methodology for identifying large, “main” or “secondary,” centers of service employment within polycentric Los Angeles and employs alternative empirical tests of the extent to which office–commercial firms value access to these centers. These tests involve the analysis of office property values per unit land across sites differing in center access. The empirical results indicate that differential firm access toboththe area's “main”andlarge “secondary” service centers induces non-trivial land market impacts, thereby suggesting that office–commercial firmsdovalue access to service centers. The empirical results across model specifications also suggest that “secondary” centers neither fully substitute for the “main” center nor fully substitute for each other. Taken together, these findings may be highly suggestive of the continuing relevance and complexity of spatial linkages between office–commercial firms and service centers within post-industrial markets.
Magnetic resonance differentiation of acute and chronic osteomyelitis in children

A comparison has been made of the MRI findings of 17 studies in 16 patients with osteomyelitis: eight studies were performed in patients with acute osteomyelitis, six in chronic and three in healed osteomyelitis. Soft tissues, cortex and marrow were assessed in all patients. The best predictors of acute osteomyelitis were poorly defined soft tissue planes, absence of cortical thickening, and a poor interface between normal and diseased marrow. In contrast, chronic osteomyelitis was suggested by the presence of well-defined soft tissue abnormality, thickened cortex, and a relatively good interface between normal and diseased marrow. The appearance of osteomyelitis did not vary in different anatomic sites.
An Integrative Framework for Contextual Factors Affecting IT Implementation

While previous research has provided a great deal of information on individual factors that play a role in IT implementation success, a gap in the research exists when it comes to formulating a holistic view of overall internal environmental factors. This paper conducts a literature review and uses Weills conversion effectiveness model to develop a framework integrating the various enterprise-level contextual factors affecting IT implementation. The framework categorizes individual contextual factors into seven groups: path dependencies, project management, management structure, IT competency, socio-technical, complementary investments, and end user. This holistic interpretation of individual factors is an initial step toward understanding the complexities of internal corporate environments and their effects on IT implementation success. The framework can provide companies with a useful tool to evaluate their current environment, determine its strengths and weaknesses, and assess how these will affect IT implementation.
Fetal acoustic stimulation testing: A retrospective experience with the fetal acoustic stimulation test

Abstract The nonstress test is of accepted value in the surveillance of high-risk pregnancies. In order to improve the efficiency of testing, the authors retrospectively evaluated the adjunctive use of acoustic stimulation testing (FAS-TEST) in 1241 patients who underwent 3464 antepartum fetal heart rate tests. The results were compared to those in the previous 6 months during which time 1307 patients underwent 3573 nonstress tosts. The frequency of nonreactive tests was 12.6% in the nonstress test group and 6.1% in those patients who underwent the FAS-TEST. The antepartum fetal death rates were not significantly different when the two groups were compared. The FAS-TEST decreases the percentage of nonreactive tests in a high-risk population and, as a consequence, may reduce the testing time.
Chemotherapy Dose Density in Early‐Stage Breast Cancer and Non‐Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Delivering standard-dose chemotherapy on schedule is important for survival in early-stage breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Trials of dose-escalated regimens, in which higher-than-standard doses of chemotherapy are used, have produced equivocal results. In contrast, dose-dense regimens, in which standard doses are given with shorter (usually 14-day) intervals between cycles, have been more efficacious than standard 21-day regimens in trials in both early-stage breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Furthermore, a shorter course of chemotherapy is likely to cause less disruption in patients' lives. Despite the evidence of the importance of maintaining chemotherapy dose intensity (the amount of drug administered/unit of time), undertreatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is common. Neutropenia is the primary dose-limiting toxicity of many chemotherapy regimens, and it is frequently managed by dose reductions and delays that decrease dose intensity. Colony-stimulating factors reduce the prevalence and severity of neutropenia and its complications, and their proactive use can improve adherence to the planned schedule of both standard-dose and dose-dense chemotherapy. The promising results with dose-dense chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma indicate that it should be tested in patients with other chemosensitive tumors.
MULTI-LEVEL DESIGN PROCESS FOR 3-D PREFORM SHAPE OPTIMIZATION IN METAL FORMING

Abstract In this paper, a 3-D preform shape optimization method for the forging process using the reduced basis technique is developed. Several critical techniques and new advances that enable the use of the reduced basis technique are presented. The primary objective is to reduce the enormous number of design variables required to define the 3-D preform shape. The reduced basis technique is a weighted combination of several trial shapes to find the best combination using the weights for each billet shape as the design variables. A multi-level design process is developed to find suitable basis shapes or trial shapes at each level that can be used in the reduced basis technique. Each level is treated as a separate optimization problem until the required objective – minimum strain variance and complete die fill – is achieved. Excess material, or the flash, is predetermined as per industry requirements and the process is started with geometrically simple basis shapes that are defined by their shape co-ordinates. This method is demonstrated on the preform shape optimization of a geometrically complex 3-D steering link.
Separation and quantitation of linoleic acid oxidation products in mammary gland tissue from mice fed low- and high-fat diets.

We have developed an assay for the isolation and quantitation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of free 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE, 13-HODE) in the mammary glands of female mice. Internal standards consisting of 18O2-labeled analogs of 9- and 13-HODE are added to pulverized frozen tissue prior to extraction with ethanol. Nonlipid materials are removed in a chloroform/methanol/water extraction step. The remaining lipid material is methylated with ethereal diazomethane, and much of the nonoxygenated fatty acid methyl esters are removed via silica solid-phase extraction. Samples are either further derivatized with bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide to form the trimethylsilyl ethers for quantitative analysis by GC-MS or are analyzed as the methyl esters by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the enantiomeric distribution of the 9- and 13-HODE. The extraction and quantitation protocol was applied to the analysis of mammary glands for free 9- and 13-HODE from mice fed isocaloric diets containing 20% corn oil, 5% corn oil, or 20% beef tallow. Chiral analysis of the products showed higher production of 13(S)-HODE relative to 13(R)-HODE; the enantiomeric excess is most likely due to enzymatic production of 13-HODE superimposed on a background of autoxidative production of 13(R)-plus 9(S)- and 9(R)-HODE. In addition, the effect of sample handling and storage conditions on the formation of 9- and 13-HODE in the samples was assessed by exposing aliquots of a common pool of rat mammary gland tissue to specified conditions prior to analysis. This methodology will be important during investigations of the contribution of linoleate oxidation products to the enhancement of mammary tumorigenesis by dietary fat.
The Importance of Determining Individual Operator Capabilities When Applying Adaptive Aiding

Performance was significantly improved in an Uninhabited Air Vehicle (UAV) task when individually determined task difficulty levels were used to present psychophysiologically controlled adaptive aiding. Previous research in our laboratory demonstrated that the benefit of adaptive aiding varied according to the operator's skill level when a common task difficulty was used for all operators. In the present study the difficult task level was determined for each operator. An average task difficulty level was also used. The best performance occurred when adaptive aiding was presented based upon psychophysiological data submitted to an artificial neural network when the implementation level was individually determined for each operator. Performance improvement using the mean difficulty level was lower as were the results when the adaptive aiding was randomly presented. Individual cognitive capability must be considered to achieve optimal performance via adaptive aiding.
Improved throughput in 0.6-NA laser reticle writers

New writing strategies have been developed to meet the demand for high-volume mask manufacturing. The ALTA® 3000HT system enables users to meet their performance requirements at increased production capacity. The write time of an ALTA 3000HT mask writer has been observed to be substantially shorter than that of the ALTA 3000 system. The ability to change between eight and four averaging passes, as well as the addition of key hardware improvements, give users increased flexibility in meeting the throughput and print quality requirements for volume production mask manufacturing. Observed throughput and print performance data are presented.
The role of the quasi-Fermi energy in steady-state recombination in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract A specially designed photoconductivity experiment directly shows that, above room temperature, the steady-state recombination lifetime of the free electrons in undoped amorphous silicon can be described by the free-electron quasi-Fermi energy alone, without the need to invoke the carrier generation rate or the temperature.
Patterns of polyomavirus SV40 infections and associated cancers in humans: a model

A model is described that predicts patterns of polyomavirus SV40 infections and associated cancers in humans. The model proposes that SV40 infections were established in humans primarily by exposure to contaminated oral poliovaccines and that infections persist today in geographic regions where poor sanitation or living conditions allow maintenance of infections transmitted by a fecal/urine–oral route. Predictions from the model include that SV40 infections and virus-associated malignancies will be restricted geographically and demographically and that in developed countries, such as the US, SV40 prevalence rates will be generally very low. The model highlights the importance of selection of populations for investigations of SV40 human infections. This model can explain inconsistencies in the published literature of SV40 infections in humans and can guide the design of future studies.
RENIN PROTEINURIA IN THE RAT II. EVIDENCE THAT RENIN DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE TUBULAR RESORPTION OF PURIFIED HUMAN HEMOGLOBIN OR BOVINE ALBUMIN

The intraperitoneal injection of renin together with purified human hemoglobin or bovine albumin increases the weight of the kidneys and increases the number of athrocytosed particles of protein in the cells of the proximal convoluted tubules. In the case of bovine albumin administration there is a threefold increase in protein excretion in those rats given renin as compared with those given bovine albumin alone. A possible explanation of these effects is given.
Loss of LORELEI function in the pistil delays initiation but does not affect embryo development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Double fertilization, uniquely observed in plants, requires successful sperm cell delivery by the pollen tube to the female gametophyte, followed by migration, recognition and fusion of the two sperm cells with two female gametic cells. The female gametophyte not only regulates these steps but also controls the subsequent initiation of seed development. Previously, we reported that loss of LORELEI, which encodes a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein, in the female reproductive tissues causes a delay in initiation of seed development. From these studies, however, it was unclear if embryos derived from fertilization of lre-5 gametophytes continued to lag behind wild-type during seed development. Additionally, it was not determined if the delay in initiation of seed development had any lingering effects during seed germination. Finally, it was not known if loss of LORELEI function affects seedling development given that LORELEI is expressed in eight-day-old seedlings. Here, we showed that despite a delay in initiation, lre-5/lre-5 embryos recover, becoming equivalent to the developing wild-type embryos beginning at 72 hours after pollination. Additionally, lre-5/lre-5 seed germination, and seedling and root development are indistinguishable from wild-type indicating that loss of LORELEI is tolerated, at least under standard growth conditions, in vegetative tissues.
The zero dispersion limit of the korteweg‐de vries equation for initial potentials with non‐trivial reflection coefficient

The inverse scattering method is used to determine the distribution limit as ϵ 0 of the solution u(x, t, ϵ) of the initial value problem. Ut − 6uux + ϵ2uxxx = 0, u(x, 0) = v(x), where v(x) is a positive bump which decays sufficiently fast as x x±α. The case v(x) ≪ 0 has been solved by Peter D. Lax and C. David Levermore [8], [9], [10]. The computation of the distribution limit of u(x, t, ϵ) as ϵ 0 is reduced to a quadratic maximization problem, which is then solved.
A preliminary study of two methods of weaning foals

The reactions of 8 pony foals weaned individually into stalls were compared to those of 14 weaned into stalls by pairs. Blood samples were taken just before weaning, 15 min after weaning, and 6 and 24 h after weaning, and analyzed for cortisol levels. Each pony was observed for six 15-min periods: before weaning, immediately after weaning, and at 6, 12 and 24 h and 1 week after weaning. The behaviors of neighs, steps, urinations and defecations were recorded. These were determined as follows: neighing (pre-weaning = 0.3 ± 0.2; post-weaning = 20.1 ± 3.7); steps (pre-weaning = 18.3 ± 2.7; post-weaning = 95.2 ± 10.3); urinations (pre-weaning = 0 ± 0; post-weaning = 0.67 ± 0.19); defecations (pre-weaning = 0.6; post weaning = 0.7 ± 0.2). The frequency of these behaviors was significantly higher in the foal immediately after weaning than before (P < 0.05), indicating that weaning, per se, was stressful. Between groups, the only significant differences were found in vocalization rates. In the floals weaned alone, the incidence of neighs was more than those weaned as pairs immediately after weaning (alone = 30.9 ± 7.2; paired = 14 ± 3.7 neighs/15 min; P < 0.05), at 12 h post-weaning (alone = 4 ± 1; paired = 1.5 ± 0.615, min; P < 0.05) and at 1 week post-weaning (alone = 1.6 ± 0.4; paired = 0.4 ± 0.2; P < 0.05). No significant differences occurred between pre-weaning (17 ± 2 ng ml−1) and post-weaning (18 ± 3 ng ml−1) plasma cortisol, nor between cortisol levels of ponies weaned alone and those weaned in pairs. Weaning in pairs appears to be less stressful than weaning individually. Behavioral methods thus appear to be useful in determining the effects of different management techniques on foals.
The World Leisure Commission on accessibility and inclusion

During the 12th World Leisure Congress (held in Rimini, Italy), the Commission on Accessibility and Inclusion organised two sessions, one dedicated to empowering capacity and the second focused on ...
Alanine-resistant mutants of Chinese hamster ovary cells, CHO-K1, producing increases in velocity of proline transport through the A, ASC, and P systems.

We have developed a method for the isolation of transport mutants with increases in velocity of transport through the A and ASC systems and through a newly discovered P system utilizing the amino acid antagonism between A system amino acids and proline in CH0-K1 pro − cells. Mutants ala r 2and ala r 3,isolated in a single-step procedure, resistant to 25 mM alanine in MEM-10 plus 0.05 mM proline are pro −,stable, cross resistant to α-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB) and show an approximately twofold increase in the initial velocity of proline uptake. Ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) increases the frequency of pro − ala r clones in the population by at least 50 times the spontaneous frequency. The increased velocity of proline transport by ala r 2and ala r 3can be attributable to the 1.5 to 3 times increase in velocity of transport of proline through systems A, ASC, and P. The V max for proline transport through the A system has increased two times for ala r 2while the K m and V max for ala r 3has increased by 1.4 and 2.3 times that of CH0-K1. There is a corresponding increase in V max of proline transport by ala r 2through the P system. The P system is defined operationally as that portion of the Na +-dependent velocity that remains when the A, ASC, and glutamine-inhibitable fraction are eliminated. The system is concentrative. Proline appears to be the preferred substrate. Li + cannot be substituted for Na +.The system is moderately dependent upon pH. It obeys Michaelis-Menten kinetics and is not derepressible by starvation. There is no evidence for an N system in CHO-K1.
Discriminating among organizational politics, justice, and support

The discriminant validity of perceptions of organizational politics, organizational support, and procedural and distributive justice was examined as the distinctions between these variables have been blurred in past research. Results from a sample of 418 full-time employees provided evidence of discriminant validity for these variables. First, structural equation modelling was used to isolate the best structural representation of these four variables. Then, six theoretically relevant predictors (i.e., leader–member exchange, centralization, formalization, co-worker cooperation, role conflict, and locus of control) were examined in an effort to provide further conceptual separation. Five of the six antecedents distinguished among politics, justice, and support. Suggestions for additional research that can shed light on the distinctions and similarities of these variables are offered based on the results of this study. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MONETARY MODELS OF DOLLAR/YEN/EURO NOMINAL EXCHANGE RATES: DEAD OR UNDEAD?

the predictions of the models were based on ex-post-realised values of the explanatory variables. In other words, the standard exchange rate models we estimated exhibited extremely poor out-of-sample fit.2 At the time, these nihilistic results seemed quite radical, since there was widespread optimism about the potential of monetary models, especially sticky-price monetary models, to explain how flexible exchange rates function. After all, the main cornerstones of monetary exchange rate models were relatively noncontroversial: long-run purchasing power parity (or some variant of PPP), and a presumption that there is a strong long-run connection between money growth and inflation. Today, the Meese and Rogoff (1983a) results no longer seem quite so crazy. Despite longer data sets on modern floating rates, and the application of more sophisticated econometric techniques, researchers have continued to find it very frustrating to firmly demonstrate any systematic relationship between exchange rates and macroeconomic fundamentals, at least for the cross rates between the dollar, DM (euro) and yen. It is true that researchers have occasionally found particular sub-samples where certain models seem to perform noticeably better than the random walk model but, as a rule, these results wilt under sustained out-of-sample testing. Surveying the evidence in their survey for the Handbook of International Economics, Frankel and Rose (1995) conclude that numerous attempts to overturn the Meese and Rogoff (1983a) results have failed.
Performance of a β-d-galactosidase hollow fibre reactor

Abstract β- d -Galactosidase was immobilized in a hollow fibre ultrafiltration module. The hydrolysis of 2-nitrophenyl β- d -galactopyranoside (ONPG) was significantly affected by enzyme loading, flow rate and substrate concentration. Pretreatment of hollow fibres with a protein was necessary to minimize enzyme inactivation. Residence time distribution studies indicated that the product of the reaction (ONP) was significantly adsorbed by the fibres, which resulted in the reactor taking 10–30 h to achieve steady-state. An equation based on Michaelis-Menten kinetics and a plug-flow model adequately described the performance of the reactor with regard to operating variables, even though some diffusion effects were observed.
RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREE COMPLETION" A Nine-Year Follow-up

This study employed a sample of 5,577 students initially enrolling in 352 four-year colleges and universities. The study's purpose was to investigate racial differences in the factors associated with bachelor's degree completion. The sample was followed over a nine-year period, from 1971 to 1980. Tinto's (1975) theoretical model guided the selection of 19 predictor variables. This set of predictors accounted for between 15% and 29% of the variance in attaining the bachelor's degree for white and black men and women. For all race and sex subgroups, measures of the collegiate experience (e.g., number of institutions attended, academic and social integration, and subsequent institutional commitment/satisfaction) had the strongest and most consistently positive regression weights with degree completion. Only a small number of significant race or sex differences were found in the factors associated with degree completion. For black men, the number of institutions attended and the size of the institution initially attended had significantly stronger negative associations with degree attainment than they did for white men. Institutional commitment/satisfaction had positive regression weights for all subsamples, but the magnitude was greater for men of both races than it was for women. Within samples, academic integration was a somewhat stronger predictor of degree attainment than social integration for whites but not for blacks.
Abrasion-Ablation Model for Neutron Production in Heavy Ion Reactions

In heavy ion reactions, neutron production at forward angles is observed to occur with a Gaussian shape that is centered near the beam energy and extends to energies well above that of the beam. This paper presents an abrasion-ablation model for making quantitative predictions of the neutron spectrum. To describe neutrons produced from the abrasion step of the reaction where the projectile and target overlap, we use the Glauber model and include effects of final-state interactions. We then use the prefragment mass distribution from abrasion with a statistical evaporation model to estimate the neutron spectrum resulting from ablation. Measurements of neutron production from Ne and Nb beams are compared with calculations, and good agreement is found.
The Mesoscale Characteristics of Tropical Oceanic Precipitation during Kelvin and Mixed Rossby–Gravity Wave Events

Abstract Precipitation structures within Kelvin and mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) wave troughs near Kwajalein Atoll during the 1999–2003 rainy seasons are analyzed using three-dimensional ground-based radar data and upper-air sounding data. Consistent with previous work, wave troughs are preferred locations for precipitation and typically yield 1.3 times more rain area compared to the overall rainy season climatology. Although the contiguous areas of cold cloudiness associated with tropical wave troughs are large and long lived, the underlying precipitation structure is most frequently small, isolated convection from mixed-phase clouds. This mismatch in instantaneous cold cloudiness area versus radar-observed precipitation area indicates differences in the rate and nature of evolution between the mesoscale anvil cloud and the underlying precipitating portion of the cloud. Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) were identified during portions of 32 of the 39 wave trough events examined. Convective cells are freq...
AVO Studies of Gas Sands Via Physical Modeling

A physical modeling experiment was conducted over a simple model consisting of three layers. The three layers were epoxy, Foamglas, and epoxy. The materials of these layers correspond to shale, gas sand and shale in the real earth. A trench was drilled in this model and the ground roll was successfully attenuated prior to seismic data acquisition over this model. Transducer directivity corrections were made based on empirically derived least square function. An elastic synthetic based on wave equation and an acoustic synthetic based on ray tracing were computed over this model. Elastic, and acoustic modeling data corresponding to the top interface (epoxy and Foamglas) were compared to the AVO data of the physical model. The results show a consistent decrease of amplitude versus offset at this interface. This amplitude decrease with offset is due to the anomalous density contrast between epoxy and Foamglas material. This experiment demonstrates that the physical modeling can be used to simulate gas sand reservoirs in the actual field AVO studies.
Final Cluster Reduction in English L2 Speech: A Case Study of a Vietnamese Speaker

L'A. examine un aspect de la structure syllabique, les fins de syllabes, dans le discours anglais d'un locuteur vietnamien. Il analyse les erreurs qui ne sont apparemment pas dues a l'influence de la langue maternelle et utilise la regle de reduction syllabique pour montrer qu'elles le sont effectivement
Usability and Probabilistic Modeling for Information Sharing in Distributed Communities

This paper describes work done in developing realistic simulations of information sharing in distributed expert communities. Instead of a rule-based rational behavior approach, we take a probabilistic modeling approach for studying group performance and time-constrained, socially-mediated tasks. Four simulation modules for advising, sharing, solving and learning had been proposed and are in development. This work presents research done using an online blog to gather supporting usability data for the second module. This is put in context of earlier work suggesting use of the above simulation modules. We present data from two studies suggesting the importance of social interaction in distributed expert communities. The results presents make a strong case for using the proposed simulation modules as a design and usability tool.
The corrosion of IT advantage: strategy makes a comeback

When a valuable new technology emerges, it provides forward‐looking companies with opportunities for gaining a strong and durable edge over the competition. But as the technology matures and standardizes, it loses its power to provide competitive advantage. What it doesn’t lose is its power to destroy advantage. The rail system, for example, neutralized many of the traditional locational advantages held by companies situated near ports, mine heads, and population centers. With information technology, this neutralizing effect promises to be particularly strong – and thus poses particularly difficult challenges for business executives. Because IT is so flexible in its application and so deeply entwined with business processes, it can corrode advantages across many aspects of a company’s business. Any traditional advantage in prosecuting a particular activity or process, from setting type to designing components to providing customer service, will tend to dissipate as that activity or process is automated. The fact that competitive advantage has become more difficult to sustain doesn’t make it less important, as some have argued; it makes it more important. As business processes and systems become more homogeneous, only the strategically astute companies will be able to rise above the competitive free‐for‐all. Today’s smart managers will seek to combine sustainable advantages (those built on distinctive and defensible positionings) with leverageable advantages (transitory advantages that provide stepping stones to future advantages). In the information age, competitive advantage needs to be viewed as both an end and a means.
Kinetics of deactivation for thermostable DNA polymerase enzymes

The kinetics of thermal deactivation for thermostable DNA polymerase enzymes were investigated by using the experimental data published elsewhere (Nielson et al. 1996. Strategies. 9, 7–8). The order of deactivation (a) and the deactivation rate constants (kd) were determined for different Taq DNA polymerase enzymes and were found to be of first order.
Experimental studies on morphological variation in the cestode genus Hymenolepis. 1. Morphology and development of the cysticercoid of H. nana in Tribolium confusum

Abstract 1. 1. The growth and development of the cysticercoid of Hymenolepis nana, as observed in experimentally infected Tribolium confusum, have been described. 2. 2. Attempts to induce hatching of the egg of H. nana, in vitro, were unsuccessful. Eggs hatched in the mid-gut of T. confusum within 2 hours after ingestion. Liberation of the hexacanth embryo seemed to be dependent upon hook action as well as upon some property common to both the invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. 3. 3. Development of the embryo to an infective cysticercoid required about 192 hours in beetles maintained at a constant temperature of 28 degrees C. The scolex was retained within the capsule throughout the developmental period. 4. 4. Cysticercoids also completed their development in the larva of T. confusum and survived metamorphosis of this insect. 5. 5. Experimental infections were successfully established in Tribolium castaneum, Dermestes ?lardarius, Sitophylus oryza and Galleria mellonella, but not in Periplaneta americana, Passalus cornutus nor Tenebrio molitor. The infections in D. lardarius, S. oryza and G. mellonella constitute new intermediate host-records for this species. 6. 6. Except for size of the cercomer, no differences in the morphology of cysticercoids from the different insect species were observed. Size of the cercomer appeared to be correlated with the size of the insect hemocoele. 7. 7. A crowding effect was manifested when 50 or more cysticercoids were present in T. confusum. 8. 8. Starvation of T. confusum before and during development of the cysticercoid had no apparent effect on the prevalence of infection, but significantly more abnormal cysticercoids were found in starved as compared with non-starved beetles.
Management of vocal nodules: a regional survey of otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists.

This study surveyed 21 otolaryngologists (70% return) and 32 speech-language pathologists (46% return) in Maine about the treatment of vocal nodules in children and adults, referral patterns, effec...
Recognition learning as a function of the length of the retention interval and changes in the retention interval

Abstract The retention interval, the interpolation of either one or ten items between successive presentations of control items, was the major independent variable in a recognition task. A group of experimental items was shifted from one retention interval to the other after three or four presentations. The shift from short to long presentation interval retarded performance while items shifted from a long to a short retention interval did not differ from control items. A Markov model was applied to the data. The theoretical objectives were (a) to separate the roles of forgetting and learning, and (b) to determine whether the learning process may be viewed as a simple conditioning process or whether the subject employs different recognition criteria after varying retention intervals.
Spontaneous rupture of ureter

A patient with spontaneous ureteral rupture in the absence of obstruction or calculus disease is presented. In addition to ureteral rupture this patient also had a penile squamous cell carcinoma and infected inguinal lymph nodes. A review of the literature discloses that all reported cases with spontaneous rupture of the ureter had an underlying process leading to that rupture. It is considered, therefore, that rupture of the ureter should be designated as "traumatic" or "nontraumatic." The term "spontaneous," implying a primary event, is a misnomer. No such case has been reported occurring in an otherwise healthy individual.
The verbal nature of representations of the canonical colors of objects

Abstract In selecting the canonical colors of color-specific objects, children may use verbal mediation, a cognitive process whereby an object and its color are matched using verbal rather than pictorial representation [British Journal of Developmental Psychology 14 (1996) 339]. To investigate this process, 108 2- to 5-year-old children were asked to identify 11 colors and to choose crayons to color pictures of color-specific objects. Canonical color choice was significantly predicted by color-labeling skill above the variance portion predicted by age alone. Children were also asked to explain their color choices. Children who knew their colors and who colored canonically provided explanations for their color choices consistent with verbal mediation. However, a high proportion of children who did not know a color, and thus could not use verbal mediation, also gave sophisticated explanations for their color choices if they colored the objects canonically. These findings provide modest support for the idea that identification of canonical colors of objects is a verbal process.
Experimental Heat Transfer Enhancement for Single Phase Liquid Micro-Channel Cooling Using a Micro-Synthetic Jet Actuator

The present work experimentally investigates the thermal effects of a synthetic jet actuator on the heat transfer performance of single-phase flow confined in a microchannel heat sink. The heat sink consisted of a single rectangular microchannel 500 μm wide, 300 μm deep and 26 mm long. Deionized water was employed as the cooling fluid. A synthetic jet actuator with a 100 μm diameter orifice was placed right above the microchannel and 5 mm downstream from the channel inlet. A Unimorph piezoelectric disc bender was employed as the synthetic jet actuator. The effects of the bulk microchannel flow Reynolds number, the synthetic jet operating voltage and frequency on the microchannel heat transfer performance are being investigated. The Reynolds number ranges from 100 to 500. The actuator driving voltage and frequency ranges in 20–180Vp-p and 10–150 Hz respectively. The results from the case without synthetic jet are compared to those with synthetic jet. It shows that the thermal effects of the synthetic jet are functions of the jet driving voltage, frequency, as well as the bulk mass flow rate in the microchannel. For the case of Reynolds number equal 177, around 24% enhancement is achieved under specified jet operating conditions for a single synthetic jet.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Synthesis and Optimization of a New Starch-Based Adsorbent for Dehumidification of Air in a Pressure-Swing Dryer

Corn grits selectively adsorb water from many types of organic vapors and are used commercially to dry 2.8 billion L of fuel-grade fermentation ethanol annually. Evaluation of grits in a pressure-swing dryer at 308 kPa, combined with analyses of their physical properties, showed that the specific surface of the grits (0.5 m2/g) limited steady-state drying of air to a dewpoint of −20 °C. By selectively taking advantage of the best features of the natural material, a new class of natural adsorbents with a higher affinity for water was then synthesized using materials derived from corn: starch and cob flour. The chemical composition of the synthesized adsorbent was determined, as well as specific physical properties. Scanning electron microscopy showed the synthesized adsorbent surface had a large number of macropores (10−25 μm in diameter) unlike corn grits which have limited porosity. This material gave reasonable and reproducible results, similar to those obtained with molecular sieves using a commercial...
An adaptive filter for time-varying-parameter models

A non-linear adaptive filter is introduced and applied to the classical problem of estimating time-varying-parameter linear regression models with unknown error variances and a time-varying transition matrix. The filter is basically a new result in what is known as Sridhar filtering theory. In deriving the filter, which we call the ‘Pontryagin filter’, the Pontryagin minimum principle and the method of invariant imbedding were used. The properties (bias and consistency) of the estimates of the time-varying parameters are then established.
Altered characteristics of B16 melanoma cells induced by chemically crosslinking fibronectin to cell surfaces.

The loss of fibronectin from tumor cell surfaces has been correlated with an increased incidence of metastases. To determine directly whether cell surface fibronectin influences the metastatic potential of solid tumors, we chemically crosslinked fibronectin to B16 murine melanoma cells using a photosensitive heterobifunctional crosslinking reagent, N-succinimidyl-4-azidophenyl-1,3 dithiopropionate (SADP). Cell attachment to plastic surfaces was increased in cells to which fibronectin was attached; cell growth over a 24-hr period was not significantly affected by the addition of fibronectin. When C57BL/6 mice were injected with fibronectin-cross-linked B16 cells, there was a 63% reduction in the number of pulmonary nodules compared to untreated controls. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fibronectin enhances the recognition and removal of tumor cells from the circulation, possibly by cells of the reticuloendothelial system.
Non-Oncologic Imaging of the Oral Cavity and Jaws

The unique and specialized structures of the oral cavity and jaws give rise to a myriad of diverse developmental, inflammatory, and benign lesions or conditions. This article reviews the imaging of common lesions and their variants, and reviews several rare but important lesions. Guidelines and algorithms for approaching the differential diagnosis are provided.
Geology of the Northern Colima and Zacoalco Grabens, southwest Mexico: Late Cenozoic rifting in the Mexican Volcanic Belt

The south-trending Northern Colima Graben intersects two other grabens, the northwest-trending Zacoalco Graben and the east-trending Chapala Graben, to form a rift-rift-rift triple junction 50 km south-southwest of Guadalajara in southwest Mexico. The Northern Colima Graben represents the northernmost extension of the 190-km-long, 20- to 65-km-wide Colima Rift, which overlies the projection of the subducting boundary of the Rivera and Cocos plates and represents a rift of probable Pliocene-Pleistocene age of the east-trending Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). Associated with the northernmost 90 km of the rift, there are 4.6-m.y.-old to Holocene alkaline volcanic rocks rarely found in continental volcanic-arc environments and which are more typically associated with either continental intraplate rifting or oceanic islands. These alkaline lavas have erupted side by side with 10-m.y.-old to Holocene calc-alkaline lavas that represent typical arc volcanism. It is proposed that the grabens are associated with the initiation of a rifting of a portion of southwest Mexico away from the Mexican mainland, similar to the rifting of Baja California away from the Mexican mainland. The calc-alkaline K-Ar dates are consistent with post–mid-Miocene development of east-trending MVB volcanism.
A viscoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive model for glassy polymers

A constitutive model is presented which combines nonlinear viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity into a unified set of equations suitable for multi-axial isotropic deformation. The model includes the effects of hydrostatic pressure, strain rate, and strain hardening which have been observed for thermoplastics in the glassy regime. The constitutive model is implemented into a finite element analysis program and appropriate parameters are identified for a polycarbonate. Capabilities of the model are demonstrated through the evaluation of a hard-body impact problem.
Studies on resistance of strawberries to mites. I. Effects of plant nitrogen.

Five strawberry clones, including 2 commercial varieties and 3 selections, that varied in resistance to the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, were greenhouse grown in nutrient culture at 4 levels of nutrition. Significant positive correlations between foliage nitrogen and mite injury were shown, both by treatment and by clone, as well as between absorbed nitrogen and mite fecundity in the fall. Amino acid analyses of mite carcasses revealed a negative correlation with mite fecundity when amino acids previously determined as nonessential to T. urticae were considered, and some explanations are offered. Preliminary studies in seasonal influence on resistance showed that foliage produced during the summer months by all clones was relatively resistant.
Disintegration of Liposomes by Surfactants: Mechanism of Protein and Cholesterol Effects

Biological membranes are formed from the supramolecular aggregates of lipids, cholesterols, proteins, and other components such as carbohydrates. Harshness of personal cleaning products is related to surfactant interactions with proteins and lipids. Surfactants can damage biomembranes either by solubilizing their components in surfactant micelles or by fluidizing lipid bilayers through surfactant penetration. The interactions of surfactants with simpler biomembranes such as phosphatidic acid and phosphatidyl choline liposomes were first studied (Deo, N.; Somasundaran, P. Colloids Surf., A 2001, 186, 33), and then cholesterol and zein protein were added to make the liposomes more realistic. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as a model surfactant for this purpose. Results show that while cholesterol makes the liposomes more resistant toward SDS, protein enhances the liposome solubilization processes. The mechanisms of the above process were investigated using a multipronged approach involving UV−visible...
Life-Style Classification of Adult High School Noncompleters

High school completion programs have been hampered in their ability to provide educational services to the entire range of their potential clients, and the adult education literature has produced inconclusive findings regarding the nature of client sub-populations and their learning needs. In order to contribute to greater understanding of adult participation patterns related to high school completion programs, this study sought to identify and describe the life-style classifications that exist among adult high school noncompleters, and to analyze the significant differences that exist among the categories. The findings suggest that six broad life-style classifications of noncompleters exist: Entrepreneurs, Superiors, Regulars, Suppliants, Marginals, and Underclass. These classifications successfully differentiate among noncompleters on the basis of both demographic characteristics and attitudinal dispositions.
Diabatic Damping of Zonal Index Variations

AbstractZonal index variations, or north–south shifts of the midlatitude jet, are the dominant mode of zonal wind variability in the Southern Hemisphere. Previous studies have shown that synoptic-time-scale eddy momentum flux provides a positive feedback and acts to increase the persistence and low-frequency variance of the zonal index. However, the impact of diabatic heating due to the precipitation associated with these eddies has not been investigated. In this study, regression analyses have been conducted to demonstrate that a robust precipitation anomaly can be found to accompany the jet and eddy momentum flux anomalies associated with a poleward shift of the jet, with enhanced precipitation on the poleward flank of the jet and reduced precipitation on the equatorward flank. Diabatic heating associated with such a precipitation anomaly is expected to reduce the temperature gradient across the jet anomaly, thus decreasing eddy generation and damping the anomaly. This expectation is confirmed by three ...