cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endovascular Treatment of Giant Aneurysms which Cause Visual Loss

Background: Progressive visual loss that results when a giant cerebral aneurysm compresses the anterior visual pathway requires treatment. When surgical clipping is not safely feasible, percutaneous methods of embolization of the aneurysm can be visual or life saving. Methods: Endovascular techniques were used to treat 19 of 26 consecutive inoperable giant aneurysms in patients with visual loss, which included optic neuropathy (monocular in 13 patients and bilateral in 8) and optic tract dysfunction in five patients. Embolization of the aneurysm was performed with detachable balloons in 12 patients and with Guglielmi detachable electrocoils in 7. Results: After treatment, vision improved in 7 patients, was unchanged in 11, and worsened in 1. Neurologic complications with balloons were temporary in four patients and severe and permanent in three. In contrast, only one temporary complication occurred with Guglielmi detachable electrocoils. The treatment results are contrasted with the outcome in the seven patients who refused intervention: three hemorrhaged (1 death); monocular blindness with dementia developed in two; a complete homonymous hemianopia and dementia developed in one; and one became bilaterally blind. Conclusion: Inoperable symptomatic giant aneurysms can be successfully treated with endovascular treatment.
Microwave Irradiation: a New Rapid Technique for Separating Epidermal Tissue From Mouse Skin Preserving RNA, DNA, Protein, and Phorobol Ester-Induced Ornithine Decarboxylase Levels

Exposure of mouse skin to microwave radiation for 10sec allows the epidermis to be separated from the dermis by gentle scraping of the skin with a scalpel. At the end of the irradiation period the subcutaneous temperature was 55°C. Histologically, the microwave irradiated skin resembled skin exposed to an established heat separation procedure (i.e., immersion in 55°C water followed by immersion in 0–4°C water). The recoveries of DNA, RNA, and protein on a per area basis were the same for the microwave and conventional heat separation procedures, and the TPA-induced ornithine decarboxylase levels were comparable.
Reading about the actions of others: Biological motion imagery and action congruency influence brain activity

Prior neuroimaging research has implicated regions within and near the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in the visual processing of biological motion and of the intentions implied by specific movements. However, it is unknown whether this region is engaged during the processing of human motion at a conceptual level, such as during story comprehension. Here, we obtained functional magnetic resonance images from subjects reading brief stories that described a human character's background and then concluded with an action or decision made by the character. Half of the stories contained incidental descriptions of biological motion (such as the character's walking or grasping) while the remaining half did not. As a second factor, the final action of the story was either congruent or incongruent with the character's background and implied goals and intentions. Stories that contained biological motion strongly activated the pSTS bilaterally, along with ventral temporal areas, premotor cortex, left motor cortex, and the precuneus. Active regions of pSTS in individual subjects closely overlapped with regions identified with a separate biological motion localizer (point-light display) task. Reading incongruent versus congruent stories activated dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral anterior insula. These results support the hypothesis that reading can engage higher visual cortex in a content-specific manner, and suggest that the presence of biological motion should be controlled as a potential confound in fMRI studies using story comprehension tasks.
Analytic approximations to the spacetime of a critical gravitational collapse.

We present analytic expressions that approximate the behavior of the spacetime of a collapsing spherically symmetric scalar field in the critical regime first discovered by Choptuik. We find that the critical region of spacetime can usefully be divided into a "quiescent," an "oscillatory," and a moving "transition" region. We find that in the quiescent and oscillatory regions the critical solution can be well approximated by a flat spacetime scalar field solution. A qualitative nonlinear matching of the solutions across the transition region yields the right order of magnitude for the oscillations of the discretely self-similar critical solution found by Choptuik.
A note on graphs and sphere orders

A partially ordered set P is called a k-sphere order if one can assign to each element a ∈ P a ball Ba in Rk so that a < b iff Ba ⊂ Bb. To a graph G = (V,E) associate a poset P(G) whose elements are the vertices and edges of G. We have v < e in P(G) exactly when v ∈ V, e ∈ E, and v is an end point of e. We show that P(G) is a 3-sphere order for any graph G. It follows from E. R. Scheinerman [“A Note on Planar Graphs and Circle Orders,” SIAM Journal of Discrete Mathematics, Vol. 4 (1991), pp. 448–451] that the least k for which G embeds in Rk equals the least k for which P(G) is a k-sphere order. For a simplicial complex K one can define P(K) by analogy to P(G) (namely, the face containment order). We prove that for each 2-dimensional simplicial complex K, there exists a k so that P(K) is a k-sphere order. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mycophenolate Mofetil–Related Gastrointestinal Mucosal Injury in Multivisceral Transplantation

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has become an important and commonly used drug for maintenance immunosuppression therapy in recipients of all types of organ transplants. The drug is an antimetabolite that blocks the de novo pathway of purine synthesis. Although it selectively inhibits B- and T-lymphocyte proliferation, enterocytes are partially susceptible to MMF. One of the main limitations of this drug is gastrointestinal toxicity, with diarrhea the most frequently reported adverse effect. Most studies of MMF-associated gastrointestinal toxicity have been performed in patients with solid-organ transplants, although no data on changes related to MMF toxicity in bowel allografts have been published in the English literature. We evaluated mucosal intestinal biopsy tissue from patients with multivisceral transplants receiving MMF therapy. Our objective was to find morphologic changes that might be attributed to MMF toxicity, as well as changes that could differentiate MMF toxicity from acute rejection. Examination of the surface epithelium, lamina propria, and crypts in this small group of patients showed no specific changes that could be associated with MMF toxicity. Changes such as graft-vs-host disease or inflammatory bowel disease described in previous studies of solid-organ transplantation were not observed. Larger studies and the use of special stains and new markers might be necessary to characterize possible patterns of MMF toxicity and their differences from acute rejection.
Texture analysis for enhanced color image quantization

A traditional problem with color image quantization techniques is their inability to handle smooth variations in intensity and chromaticity, leading to contours in the quantized image. To address this problem, this paper describes new techniques for augmenting the performance of a seminal color image quantization algorithm, the median-cut quantizer. Applying a simple texture analysis method from computer vision in conjunction with the median-cut algorithm using a new variant of a k-d tree, we show that contouring effects can be alleviated without resorting to dithering methods and the accompanying decrease in signal-to-noise ratio. The merits of this approach are evaluated using remotely sensed aerial imagery and synthetically generated scenes.
Perceived Sexism, Self-Silencing, and Psychological Distress in College Women

The current study aimed to increase knowledge related to the role of a restrictive relational strategy in the well-established link between women’s experiences of sexism and psychological distress. Utilizing self-report data, this study examined whether self-silencing mediated the relationship between perceived sexism and psychological distress in a sample of U.S. college women (n = 143) from a large, Midwestern university. It was hypothesized that recent sexist events, lifetime sexist events, and self-silencing would predict increased psychological distress and that self-silencing would mediate the relationship between perceived sexism and distress. Higher recalled sexist events both within the past year and over a lifetime predicted increased psychological distress and self-silencing, while self-silencing predicted increased distress. Results from hierarchical multivariate regression analyses and bootstrapping supported the mediating role of self-silencing between lifetime sexist events and distress and between recent (i.e., occurring in the past year) sexist events and distress. Findings support that the adoption of a restrictive relational strategy partially explains the negative psychological consequences of perceived sexism for college women.
Local kinetic measures of macromolecular structure reveal partitioning among multiple parallel pathways from the earliest steps in the folding of a large RNA molecule.

At the heart of the RNA folding problem is the number, structures, and relationships among the intermediates that populate the folding pathways of most large RNA molecules. Unique insight into the structural dynamics of these intermediates can be gleaned from the time-dependent changes in local probes of macromolecular conformation (e.g. reports on individual nucleotide solvent accessibility offered by hydroxyl radical ( OH) footprinting). Local measures distributed around a macromolecule individually illuminate the ensemble of separate changes that constitute a folding reaction. Folding pathway reconstruction from a multitude of these individual measures is daunting due to the combinatorial explosion of possible kinetic models as the number of independent local measures increases. Fortunately, clustering of time progress curves sufficiently reduces the dimensionality of the data so as to make reconstruction computationally tractable. The most likely folding topology and intermediates can then be identified by exhaustively enumerating all possible kinetic models on a super-computer grid. The folding pathways and measures of the relative flux through them were determined for Mg 2+ and Na + -mediated folding of the Tetrahymena thermophila group I intron using this combined experimental and computational approach. The flux during Mg 2+ -mediated folding is divided among numerous parallel pathways. In contrast, the flux during the Na + -mediated reaction is predominantly restricted through three pathways, one of which is without detectable passage through intermediates. Under both conditions, the folding reaction is highly parallel with no single pathway accounting for more than 50% of the molecular flux. This suggests that RNA folding is non-sequential under a variety of different experimental conditions even at the earliest stages of folding. This study provides a template for the systematic analysis of the time-evolution of RNA structure from ensembles of local measures that will illuminate the chemical and physical characteristics of each step in the process. The applicability of this analysis approach to other macromolecules is discussed.
Status of 30-centimeter-diameter mercury ion thruster isolator development

Results are presented of several 30 cm diameter mercury ion thruster isolator life tests that show that the onset and exponential increase of leakage current problems observed in earlier thruster operations and isolator tests have been solved. A 10,006 hour life test of a main isolator vaporizer operated with no mercury flow at 320 C and 1500 volts was found to have no onset of leakage current during the test. A cathode-isolator vaporizer operated with a mercury discharge at 340 to 360 C and 1200 volts for 18,000 hours, was found to have a small increase of leakage current with time. A 10,000 hour thruster life test exhibited no increase of leakage current during the life test. Isolators have been developed which will satisfy 30 cm mercury ion thruster mission requirements.
SOME RESULTS OF LABORATORY TRAINING

Author's Summary.— Results of tests of laboratory drill in a new environment suggest that many of the possibilities of the laboratory have been hitherto neglected or overlooked.
Effects of miter bend on pressure drop and flow structure in micro-fluidic channels

Abstract The characteristics of a pressure-driven water flow including flow micro-structures and pressure drops are investigated in serpentine micro-channels with miter bends. The micro-channels have rectangular cross-sections with hydraulic diameters of 0.209 mm, 0.412 mm and 0.622 mm, respectively. To segregate the bends and entrance effects individually from the total pressure drop, for each size three types of micro-channels: straight short, straight long and long serpentine, were fabricated to get the reliable pressure data without entrance effect. A micron-resolution particle image velocimetry system (micro-PIV) was develop and used to obtain the detailed velocity vector field. The experimental results show that the vortices around the outer and inner walls of the bend do not form when Re 100. It almost keeps constant and changes in the range of ±10% when the Re is larger than a threshold value somewhere in 1000–1500.
At Home with the Empire: Metropolitan Culture and the Imperial World – Edited by Catherine Hall and Sonya O. Rose

In this anthology, the various meanings of home—being home, being “at home,” domesticity, the home as imaginary, and inclusive and exclusionary forces that move populations within “home” geographie...
Positive and negative norm regulation and their relationship to therapy group size

Norm regulation was examined in 18 outpatient psychotherapy groups, each led by cotherapists and varying in size from two to eight clients. Clients indicated acceptabilityand likelihood of occurrenceof 24 member behaviors. Positive norm regulation of acceptable behaviors was more readily achieved than negative norm regulation of unacceptable behaviors. The amount of positive regulation in any group was unrelated to the amount of negative regulation. However, group size was associated with both positive and negative regulation, with very small groups achieving more norm regulations than large groups.
Methods in Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) seeks to assist consumers, clinicians, purchasers, and policy makers to make informed decisions to improve health care at both the individual and population levels. CER includes evidence generation and evidence synthesis. Randomized controlled trials are central to CER because of the lack of selection bias, with the recent development of adaptive and pragmatic trials increasing their relevance to real-world decision making. Observational studies comprise a growing proportion of CER because of their efficiency, generalizability to clinical practice, and ability to examine differences in effectiveness across patient subgroups. Concerns about selection bias in observational studies can be mitigated by measuring potential confounders and analytic approaches, including multivariable regression, propensity score analysis, and instrumental variable analysis. Evidence synthesis methods include systematic reviews and decision models. Systematic reviews are a major component...
Photomechanical spallation of molecular and metal targets: molecular dynamics study

Microscopic mechanisms of photomechanical spallation are investigated in a series of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations performed for molecular and metal targets. A mesoscopic breathing sphere model is used in simulations of laser interaction with molecular targets. A coupled atomistic-continuum model that combines a molecular dynamics method with a continuum description of the laser excitation and subsequent relaxation of the conduction band electrons is used for metal targets. Similar mechanisms of the laser-induced photomechanical spallation are observed for molecular and metal targets. For both target materials, the relaxation of compressive stresses generated under conditions of stress confinement is found to be the main driving force for the nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids in a subsurface region of an irradiated target at laser fluences close to the threshold for fragmentation. The mechanical stability of the region subjected to the void nucleation is strongly affected by the laser heating and the depth of the spallation region in bulk targets is much closer to the surface as compared with the depth where the maximum tensile stresses are generated. Two stages can be identified in the evolution of voids in laser spallation, the initial void nucleation and growth, with the number of voids of all sizes increasing, followed by void coarsening and coalescence, when the number of large voids increases at the expense of the quickly decreasing population of small voids. The void volume distributions are found to be relatively well described by the power law N(V)∼V-τ, with exponent gradually increasing with time. Comparison of the simulation results obtained for Ni films of two different thicknesses and bulk Ni targets suggests that the size/shape of the target plays an important role in laser spallation. The reflection of the laser-induced pressure wave from the back surface of a film results in higher maximum tensile stresses and lower threshold fluence for spallation. As the size of the film increases, the locations of the spallation region and the region of the maximum tensile stresses are splitting apart and the threshold fluence for spallation increases.
A Biographical Study of Food Choice Capacity: Standards, Circumstances, and Food Management Skills

Abstract Objective Conceptual understanding of how management of food and eating is linked to life course events and experiences. Design/Setting Individual qualitative interviews with adults in upstate New York. Participants Fourteen men and 11 women with moderate to low incomes. Phenomenon Food choice capacity. Analysis Constant comparative method. Results A conceptual model of food choice capacity emerged. Food choice capacity represented participants' confidence in meeting their standards for food and eating given their food management skills and circumstances. Standards (expectations for how participants felt they should eat) were based on life course events and experiences. Food management skills (mental and physical talents to keep food costs down and prepare meals) were sources of self-esteem for many participants. Most participants had faced challenging and changing circumstances (income, employment, social support, roles, health conditions). Participants linked strong food management skills with high levels of food choice capacity, except in the case of extreme financial circumstances or the absence of strong standards. Implications for Research and Practice Recognizing people's experiences and perspectives in food choice is important. Characterizing food management skills as durable, adaptive resources positions them conceptually for researchers and in a way that practitioners can apply in developing programs for adults.
Size matters: a view of selenocysteine incorporation from the ribosome

This review focuses on the known factors required for selenocysteine (Sec) incorporation in eukaryotes and highlights recent findings that have compelled us to propose a new model for the mechanism of Sec incorporation. In light of this data we also review the controversial aspects of the previous modelspecifically regarding the proposed interaction between SBP2 and eEFSec. In addition, the relevance of two recently discovered factors in the recoding of Sec are reviewed. The role of the ribosome in this process is emphasized along with a detailed analysis of kinkturn structures present in the ribosome and the L7Ae RNA-binding motif present in SBP2 and other proteins.
An iterative method for solving a large dense matrix in the method of moments solution of an electrostatic problem

This paper illustrates the application of Wynn's vector e-algorithm to solve a system of equations arising in the method of moments (MoM) solution of an electrostatic problem. Since the method is iterative, it does not require inversion of a matrix. The degree of accuracy of the solution can be controlled by specifying a convergence factor. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 378–380, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11223
Analgesic Effect of the Transdermal Fentanyl Patch During and After Feline Ovariohysterectomy

Objective—To evaluate the efficacy of the transdermal fentanyl patch in relieving perioperative pain and stress associated with ovariohysterectomy in cats. Study Design—Prospective laboratory trial. Animals—Twenty-four female, purpose-bred cats. Methods——Each cat was randomly assigned to groups 1-3. Group 1 received a 25-!g/h transdermal fentanyl patch only. Group 2 received the patch and anesthesia. Group 3 received anesthesia only. Patches were left in place for 72 hours. Rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, indirect blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cortisol concentration, plasma fentanyl concentration, pain score, and excitement/sedation score were monitored at prescribed intervals over an 81-hour period. Cats from groups 1-3 were reassigned to groups 4 and 5. Group 4 received the patch, anesthesia, and an ovariohysterectomy. Group 5 received anesthesia and an ovariohysterectomy only. The study period and monitored parameters were the same as for groups 1-3. Results—Serum cortisol concentrations were significantly lower in group 4 than group 5 during the surgical and early postsurgical time periods. A similar effect was noted in blood glucose concentrations during the surgical period. Rectal temperature was significantly higher in group 2 when comparing all anesthetized groups during the early postsurgical period. Pain scores were significantly higher in groups 4 and 5 than in groups 2 and 3 during the early postsurgical period. There was no significant difference in pain scores between groups 4 and 5 during this period, however. Conclusions—The transdermal fentanyl patch affects biochemical markers of perioperative pain and stress associated with ovariohysterectomy in cats, attenuating rises in serum cortisol and blood glucose concentrations during the surgical and early postsurgical periods. Clinical Relevance—The transdermal fentanyl patch is effective in alleviating perioperative pain and stress associated with ovariohysterectomy in cats as evidenced by attenuated rises in cortisol and blood glucose concentrations in cats that were operated on and treated with the patch. © Copyright 2001 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Mass transfer to rotating disks and rotating rings in laminar, transition and fully-developed turbulent flow

Experimental data and theoretical calculations are presented for the mass-transfer rate to rotating disks and rotating rings when laminar, transition, and fully developed turbulent flow exist upon different portions of the surface. Good agreement of data and the model is obtained for rotating disks and relatively thick rotating rings. Results of the calculations for thin rings generally exceed the experimental data measured in transition and turbulent flow. A y{sup +{sup 3}} form for the eddy diffusivity is used to fit the data. No improvement is noticed with a form involving both y{sup +{sup 3}} and y{sup +{sup 3}}.
“It depends on what science teacher you got”: urban science self-efficacy from teacher and student voices

In the United States today, urban schools serve the majority of high-poverty and high minority populations including large numbers of Hispanic students. While many Hispanic students perform below grade level in middle school science, the science teaching community as a whole is lacking elements of diversity as teachers struggle to meet the needs of all learners. Researchers have recognized that science teacher effectiveness, one consequence of self-efficacy among teachers, is associated with future science achievement and science-related careers of their students. This qualitative study explores how three science teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom impacts students’ science self-efficacy beliefs at one urban middle school. Hispanic students were the focus of this investigation due to demographics and history of underperformance within this district. Teachers’ perspectives, as well as outside observer evaluations of instructional strategies and classroom climates were triangulated to explore dynamics that influence students’ interests and motivation to learn science using a framework to link teachers’ sense of efficacy (focusing on student outcomes). Findings suggest the impact teacher effectiveness can have on student outcomes, including strengthened student science self-efficacy and increased science achievement. Building awareness and support in teachers’ sense of efficacy, as well as developing respectful and supportive relationships between educator/facilitator and pupil during the transition to middle school may construct permanence and accomplishment for all in science.
Uniqueness of the orbital angular momentum operators

In a separable Hilbert space in which the three Cartesian coordinates form a complete set of commuting variables, it is proved that Hermitian operators which satisfy the commutation relations for the angular momentum operators are unique within a unitary transformation.
Preferential hydration and solubility of proteins in aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol

This paper is focused on the local composition around a protein molecule in aqueous mixtures containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the solubility of proteins in water+PEG mixed solvents. Experimental data from literature regarding the preferential binding parameter were used to calculate the excesses (or deficits) of water and PEG in the vicinity of beta-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, chymotrypsinogen and ribonuclease A. It was concluded that the protein molecule is preferentially hydrated in all cases (for all proteins and PEGs investigated). The excesses of water and deficits of PEG in the vicinity of a protein molecule could be explained by a steric exclusion mechanism, i.e. the large difference in the sizes of water and PEG molecules. The solubility of different proteins in water+PEG mixed solvent was expressed in terms of the preferential binding parameter. The slope of the logarithm of protein (lysozyme, beta-lactoglobulin and bovine serum albumin) solubility versus the PEG concentration could be predicted on the basis of experimental data regarding the preferential binding parameter. For all the cases considered (various proteins, various PEGs molecular weights and various pHs), our theory predicted that PEG acts as a salting-out agent, conclusion in full agreement with experimental observations. The predicted slopes were compared with experimental values and while in some cases good agreement was found, in other cases the agreement was less satisfactory. Because the established equation is a rigorous thermodynamic one, the disagreement might occur because the experimental results used for the solubility and/or the preferential binding parameter do not correspond to thermodynamic equilibrium.
Combination of steroids and ischial weight-bearing knee ankle foot orthoses in Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy prolongs ambulation past 20 years of age – A case report

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) lose ambulation by age 12. Long-term steroids have lengthened ambulation by 2-5 years. Ischial weight-bearing knee ankle foot orthoses prolong ambulation for 2-3 years. We report the outcome of the ambulatory status of a patient with DMD treated with daily steroid therapy and orthoses. This male patient was diagnosed with DMD at age of 2. He has been treated with daily steroids since age 7 years. He lost the ability to arise from the floor and walk up steps at age 14 and lost ambulation by age 16. He was fitted with orthoses at age 16 following surgical correction of his lower extremity contractures and regained independent ambulation. At age 20, he was able to stand independently in his orthoses and take steps with moderate support. We conclude that a combination of daily steroids and orthoses prolongs ambulation beyond that of the natural history DMD.
Who Uses Safe Ride Programs: An Examination of the Dynamics of Individuals Who Use a Safe Ride Program Instead of Driving Home While Drunk

Drinking and driving are still a serious concern on the roads, even though the last twenty years has seen an increase in exposure to various designated driver programs. Even though a majority of people have either been one or used one, most designated drivers have still consumed some alcohol. Another option is that of an outside driver, such as a safe ride program in which a safe ride is offered for free by taxis or volunteers. One such program under study, offers a ride home for both the driver as well as their vehicle. To examine the population who utilizes such a program two studies were conducted which included 1,985 participants (1206 male, 744 female) from two major California cities. The volunteer drivers gathered data during their rounds between January 2002 and September 2002. If the current safe ride program not been in place 632 Participants (44%) reported that they would have driven themselves home. 582 participants (40%) have used back roads in the past to evade being stopped by the police; on average they used back roads 3.4 times in the past month. When questioned about having control over not drinking and driving 455 (32%) participants didn't feel they had control over their choice to avoid drinking and driving. Participants who reported having driven back roads in the past to avoid confrontation with the police after drinking had significantly higher estimated BAC levels than those who said they had never done so. This sample reflected similar populations.
Design considerations for integrated inductors in conventional CMOS technologies

Abstract The skin and proximity effects, substrate dependencies and other factors which modify integrated inductor characteristics in silicon technologies were examined using quasi-static electromagnetic simulations and characterization studies. Results were used to understand the impact of constraints and opportunities for implementing inductors in silicon technologies. It was shown that wider metal lines are more affected by the skin effect and, at frequencies greater than ∼4 GHz, the effectiveness of improving quality factors ( Q ) by widening metal lines is degraded. An inductor composed of three metal layers shunted over an entire length of the inductor trace and another with three metal layers shunted only at their ends were characterized. Inductances of the structures were the same, while the resistance was surprisingly lower for the latter structure. It was demonstrated that parasitic metal-to-substrate capacitances of inductors can be reduced by using an underlying biased n-well. Two-dimensional simulations show that frequency dependencies of inductance for inductors fabricated on p-substrates (20 Ω cm) and those fabricated on p on p + (0.01 Ω cm) substrates are small and are the same. These observations were explained in terms of magnetic field strength, conductivities and eddy currents. It was also shown that ground-signal characterization of inductors can result in errors due to mutual inductance between the inductor and adjacent ground bar.
Steroid geochemistry in the oxygen minimum zone of the eastern tropical North Pacific Ocean

Particulate matter was collected in the eastern tropical North Pacific Ocean, an area characterized by a shallow and intense oxygen minimum zone, in order to investigate the geochemistry of particulate organic matter in the ocean. Sinking, large particles and suspended, small particles were analyzed for sterols, 3-ketosteroids, 3-methoxy-steroids and sterenes. Vertical fluxes of steroid classes in sinking particles and concentrations of steroids in suspended particles decreased rapidly below the euphotic zone consistent with upper ocean sources and deep water decomposition. Significant compositional changes were observed with increasing depth and as a function of particle size. Sinking particles were enriched in C27-Sterols but deficient in C28 and C29-sterols compared to the suspended particles. Suspended particles, especially in the oxygen minimum zone, were enriched in steroidal ketones and sterenes compared to sinking particles. Steroid distributions suggest that the oxygen minimum zone is the site of active “diagenetic” transformations, most likely microbially-mediated, of stenols to steroidal ketones, stanols and sterenes. These transformations occur preferentially in suspended particles relative to sinking particles.
The Influence of Inlet Contraction on Vane Aerodynamic Losses and Secondary Flows With Variable Turbulence and Reynolds Number

Exit survey measurements comparing exit losses for a constant inlet height cascade and a contracting inlet cascade have been acquired in a low speed wind tunnel facility. The measurements were taken for both a low and a high turbulence level across a four to one range in chord Reynolds number (500,000, 1,000,000, and 2,000,000). The high intensity turbulence has been generated using a simulated aero-combustor for both cascades. Exit survey measurements have been acquired for the two cascades using a five-hole cone probe at stations representing an exit location of 1/4 axial chord downstream from the trailing edge plane. Measurements detail total pressure loss, turning angle, and secondary velocities. At the low turbulence condition, the contracting inlet cascade shows a significant reduction in losses compared with the constant height inlet cascade. The contracting inlet cascade also features an aft loaded vane profile which may have some impact on the development of secondary flows. The constant cross-section cascade uses a fully loaded vane profile. The difference in losses between the two cascades is also significant at the high turbulence condition. However, at the high turbulence condition, the losses for the contracting inlet cascade are greater than the constant cross-section cascade. These increased losses are believed to be due to the more aggressive turbulence of the contracting inlet case. The contracting inlet effectively moves the vane leading edge plane forward into the exit of the combustor where the vane passage is subjected to more aggressive turbulence levels.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
John F. Kennedy's 1961 Vietnam War decisions

(1981). John F. Kennedy's 1961 Vietnam War decisions. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 356-385.
Quantum size effects in optical properties of CdS-glass composites

The optical properties of extremely small isolated semiconductors provide a sensitive probe of the developing electronic structure in the materials. Cadmium sulfide and ${\mathrm{CdS}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ crystallites are precipitated in an insulating glass matrix during a secondary heat-treatment procedure. Variation in the heat treatment significantly alters the final crystallite size, enabling the examination of a size-dependent change in the observed optical-absorption edge and exciton-related photoluminescence peak energies. A diffusion-limited coarsening behavior is exhibited by the CdS crystallites precipitated from a Zn-free base glass, indicating a high degree of purity in these crystals. Growth behavior of mixed crystallites, however, indicates some stoichiometric variation with heat-treatment time. Quantum size effects measured using the CdS precipitates in the size range from 40--400 A\r{} reflect confinement primarily in the translational motion of the Wannier exciton with some slight modification of its internal electron and hole orbits.
Impact of a massive crude oil spill on the invertebrate fauna of a missouri Ozark stream

Abstract The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of Asher Creek, a 4th order stream with a base flow of 0·03 m3/s, was monitored on 11 occasions for 532 days following a 1·5 million liter domestic crude oil spill. Aquatic insects, crustaceans, segmented worms, roundworms, flatworms, snails, freshwater mussels and other benthic organisms in the oil impacted area were reduced to less than 0·1% of expected numbers at the first sampling period 25 days after the spill. Species diversity indices and the number of mayfly and stonefly taxa were less than the minimum values established for unpolluted Missouri streams for 11 months. The initial post-spill community was dominated by Chironomidae (midges), Simuliidae (blackflies) and Oligochaeta (segmented worms). Some species of Plecoptera (stoneflies), Ephemeroptera (mayflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies) were absent from the fauna for as long as 9 months. The functional feeding groups of scrapers, filterers, gatherers, and predators initially decreased in relative abundance. Predators later increased in response to a rapidly expanding prey base. Shredders did not change in relative abundance throughout the recovery period. Oil was visually present in the stream riffle substrate for 453 days following the spill. Dissolved oxygen, pH and conductivity were not affected. The visible appearance of oil in the stream substrate was a simple predictor of the status of the benthic invertebrate community. Areas protected with surface skimming siphon dams were less severely impacted and recovered more rapidly than areas where the stream substrate was inundated with oil. The most apparent factors controlling the recovery were the total volume of water passing through the contaminated area and the occurrence of scouring flood.
Sanitizing and Minimizing Databases for Software Application Test Outsourcing

Testing software applications that use nontrivial databases is increasingly outsourced to test centers in order to achieve lower cost and higher quality. Not only do different data privacy laws prevent organizations from sharing this data with test centers because databases contain sensitive information, but also this situation is aggravated by big data - it is time consuming and difficult to anonymize, distribute, and test with large databases. Deleting data randomly often leads to significantly worsened test coverages and fewer uncovered faults, thereby reducing the quality of software applications. We propose a novel approach for Protecting and mInimizing databases for Software TestIng taSks (PISTIS) that both sanitizes and minimizes a database that comes along with an application. PISTIS uses a weight-based data clustering algorithm that partitions data in the database using information obtained using program analysis that describes how this data is used by the application. For each cluster, a centroid object is computed that represents different persons or entities in the cluster, and we use associative rule mining to compute and use constraints to ensure that the centroid objects are representative of the general population of the data in the cluster. Doing so also sanitizes information, since these centroid objects replace the original data to make it difficult for attackers to infer sensitive information. Thus, we reduce a large database to a few centroid objects and we show in our experiments with two applications that test coverage stays within a close range to its original level.
CALLIMACHUS' HYMN TO ARTEMIS AND THE TRADITION OF RHAPSODIC HYMN

Callimachus' Hymns were written in the tradition of the rhapsodic Homeric Hymns and make constant, though usually oblique and often amusing, reference to these archaic poems. This allusion is particularly extensive in the Hymn to Artemis, the only Callimachus Hymn to proceed like most longer Homeric Hymns, with brief introduction and prolonged narration. Then, just as the poem seems to end, it begins anew, not once but over and over again. The middle of the poem is clearly based on the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, which also begins anew at the Delian/Pythian transition. The correspondences are so great that Callimachus must have had this poem in much the form we do. The choice of the Apollo Hymn as model reflects the theme of sibling rivalry that pervades the Artemis Hymn: even in her own poem, Artemis can't escape the influence of her brother.
Genetic Polymorphisms of Human Mitochondrial Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase

In a survey of 860 unselected human placental extracts, three variants of mitochondrial glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were found, all of which were common enough to be considered polymorphisms. Family studies showed that this enzyme is under the control of nuclear rather than mitochondrial DNA.
Behavior of High-Density Polyethylene Pipe with Shallow Cover

In this investigation, a testing program was initiated to gain some understanding of the nature of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a structural material and as a buried structure. The testing program consisted of a series of parallel plate tests, a sequence of flexural tests, and field tests of buried pipes under varying backfill conditions. Parallel plate tests were conducted in accordance with ASTM D2412. The flexural testing consisted of applying two point loads to simply supported beam specimens. The field tests completed in this investigation were developed to study the response of large-diameter HDPE to concentrated loads under shallow cover. From the testing, it seems that in cases where high longitudinal stresses may be present (concentrated loads with shallow cover, uneven bedding, uplift, etc.) the pipeline designer should consider the longitudinal strength of HDPE pipes in addition to the circumferential and backfill properties. In addition, the designer must realize that when stresses exis...
Mechanical properties of amorphous carbon nitride thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputter-deposition

Nanoindentation hardness and compressive stress in amorphous carbon nitride thin films prepared by unbalanced magnetron sputter-deposition were studied. The coating hardness and compressive stress were found to be strongly dependent on processing parameters such as substrate bias and nitrogen partial pressure. Under optimized deposition conditions, carbon nitride thin films with nanoindentation hardness about 25 GPa have been coated onto Si wafers and M2 steels. A strong correlation between coating hardness and compressive stress in the coating was observed.
Teachers' developing ideas and practices about mathematics performance assessment: Successes, stumbling blocks, and implications for professional development

Abstract This article focuses on the process of change experienced by a group of third grade teachers and the factors that facilitated and impeded that process, during their participation in the University of Colorado Assessment Project. The project's purpose was to help teachers design and implement classroom-based performance assessments compatible with their instructional goals in mathematics and literacy. We examined the change process in mathematics by analyzing conversations between teachers and researchers during workshops conducted throughout the school year and interviews conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Results are organized around five themes: (1) Situating the change process in the actual contexts where new ideas will be implemented is an effective strategy for helping teachers change their practice; (2) Group discussions can be an effective tool for the social construction of new ideas; (3) Staff development personnel can facilitate change by introducing new ideas based on teachers' current levels of interest, understanding, and skill; (4) When teachers' beliefs are incompatible with the intentions of the staff development team and are not challenged, the teachers are likely to either ignore new ideas or inappropriately assimilate them into existing practice; and (5) Time is a major obstacle to changing classroom practice.
Slow Conductivity Relaxation in the Fermi Glass

Application of a gate voltage across a hopping conduction system adds energy to the electronic subsystem, which can be exploited to provide additional transitions downward in energy, and enhance the conductance. After turning off the gate voltage, energy is lost slowly to the phonon system by the same downward in energy transitions. The time scale for this process is governed by the time dependence of the specific heat, and consequently, a logarithmic decay of the conductivity enhancement for short times, and a power-law decay at long times, are predicted. While such results are in general accord with experiment, the experiments were performed under conditions compatible with a Coulomb glass, while the present calculations are for the Fermi glass. Nevertheless, analogies between the two systems exist, so this calculation may be useful for future efforts.
The constructal law of organization in nature: tree-shaped flows and body size

The constructal law is the statement that for a flow system to persist in time it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to its currents. This is the law of configuration generation, or the law of design. The theoretical developments reviewed in this article show that this law accounts for (i) architectures that maximize flow access (e.g. trees), (ii) features that impede flow (e.g. impermeable walls, insulation) and (iii) static organs that support flow structures. The proportionality between body heat loss and body size raised to the power 3/4 is deduced from the discovery that the counterflow of two trees is the optimal configuration for achieving (i) and (ii) simultaneously: maximum fluid-flow access and minimum heat leak. Other allometric examples deduced from the constructal law are the flying speeds of insects, birds and aeroplanes, the porosity and hair strand diameter of the fur coats of animals, and the existence of optimal organ sizes. Body size and configuration are intrinsic parts of the deduced configuration. They are results, not assumptions. The constructal law extends physics (thermodynamics) to cover the configuration, performance, global size and global internal flow volume of flow systems. The time evolution of such configurations can be described as survival by increasing performance, compactness and territory.