cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sympathetic underwater implosion in a confining environment

An experimental study is conducted to investigate the phenomenon of sympathetic underwater implosion of cylindrical metallic shells in a confining environment. Two aluminum 6061-T6 implodable volumes with different collapse pressures are placed inside a confining tube with one end open to the environment and are hydrostatically loaded up to the weaker implodable volumes’ critical collapse pressure. Experiments show that implosion of the weaker implodable volume (critical pressure=Pc) inside the confining tube leads to the subsequent sympathetic implosion of the stronger implodable volume (critical pressure=1.2Pc). Implosion of the weaker implodable volume produces strong oscillating water hammer waves with 1.6Pc peak over-pressure, which initiates the implosion of the stronger implodable volume. Pressure histories recorded within the confining tube indicate that the sympathetic implosion of the stronger implodable volume generates low pressure high frequency implosion waves. The superposition of the low pressure waves with the high pressure water hammer waves mitigates to a great extent the later cyclic water hammer loading within the confining tube.
A small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of worm-like micelles under shear

The structure of a cationic worm-like cylindrical micelle was investigated by SANS (small-angle neutron scattering). Intensities from 0.1% by weight solutions in D2O, at rest and under shear, were measured on the NIST Cold Neutron Research facility 30-m spectrometer in the wave vector range 0.03⩽Q (nm1)⩽-2.0. Scattered intensity patterns from the solutions subjected to shears equal to or greater than 40s1 showed pronounced anisotropy, but such anisotropy could not be detected below this apparent threshold shear. The threshold was characterized by a relaxation time since anisotropy was detected only after several minutes of shearing. In contrast, the anisotropy was apparent immediately the shear was applied at the higher shears. The data were analyzed based on the assumption that the micelles behave as rigid rods. Estimates of the radii and length under shear are given. Polydispersity in rod length is discussed, and we argue that it contributes significantly to the scattering patterns.
Quasi-one-dimensional fluctuation contribution to ultrasonic attenuation in clean type-II superconductors above T c ( B )

We have calculated the effect of fluctuations on the ultrasonic attenuation in a clean bulk type-II superconductor at temperatures above the transition temperature and in magnetic fields near the zero-temperature upper critical field, where the fluctuations are effectively one dimensional. The result is a decrease in the attenuation which should be observable experimentally. The effect increases with increasing mean free path.
Evanescent wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy for ultrasensitive chemical detection

A new technology will be described which extends the cavity ring-down optical absorption technique to condensed matter by using a miniature, high-finesse, monolithic, total- internal-reflection-ring resonator. Evanescent waves that are generated by total-internal reflection permit input and output coupling by photon tunneling and probe the presence of absorbing species at a cavity facet. The TIR-ring design permits broadband cavity ring-down measurements of adsorbates, thin films, and liquids by eliminating the use of multilayer coatings. The basic sensing concept will first be reviewed by describing recent experiments employing a non-ring prototype in which a totally reflecting element was incorporated in a conventional ring-down cavity. The basic design issues for miniature TIR-ring cavities will then be briefly reviewed along with some numerical result obtained using a wave optics model that show the magnitude of different optical losses as a function of cavity size. A competition between losses results in an optimum size for chemical detection which occurs when the round-trip loss of the 'empty' cavity is minimized. The first experimental results will be presented for a square, fused-silica TIR- ring cavity for which the theoretically predicted photon decay time has been achieved.
Simulation of an enzyme-based glucose sensor

An important biosensor application is the continuous monitoring blood or tissue fluid glucose concentration in people with diabetes. Our research focuses on the development of a glucose sensor based on potentiostatic oxygen electrodes and immobilized glucose oxidase for long- term application as an implant in tissues. As the sensor signal depends on many design variables, a trial-and-error approach to sensor optimization can be time-consuming. Here, the properties of an implantable glucose sensor are optimized by a systematic computational simulation approach.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Effects of a Nicotinic Agonist in Schizophrenia

3-(2,4-Dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine (DMXB-A) is a partial agonist at α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and is now in early clinical development for treatment of deficits in neurocognition and sensory gating in schizophrenia. During its initial phase 2 test, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were conducted to determine whether the drug had its intended effect on hippocampal inhibitory interneurons. Increased hemodynamic activity in the hippocampus in schizophrenia is found during many tasks, including smooth pursuit eye movements, and may reflect inhibitory dysfunction. Placebo and two doses of drug were administered in a random, double-blind crossover design. After the morning drug/placebo ingestion, subjects underwent fMRI while performing a smooth pursuit eye movement task. Data were analyzed from 16 nonsmoking patients, including 7 women and 9 men. The 150-mg dose of DMXB-A, compared with placebo, diminished the activity of the hippocampus during pursuit eye movements, but the 75-mg dose was ineffective. The effect at the 150-mg dose was negatively correlated with plasma drug levels. The findings are consistent with the previously established function of α7-nicotinic receptors on inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampus and with genetic evidence for deficits in these receptors in schizophrenia. Imaging of drug response is useful in planning future clinical tests of this compound and other nicotinic agonists for schizophrenia.
MMPI interpretation of psychiatric inpatients: caution in making inferences about concentration and memory.

The relation of specific MMPI scores to attention, concentration, and memory was assessed in an inpatient psychiatric sample diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria as having schizophrenia, chronic undifferentiated type (n = 22); schizophrenia, paranoid type (n = 17); and schizoaffective disorder (n = 20). MMPI indices that are used widely to infer cognitive efficiency - including Scales 2 (Depression), 8 (Schizophrenia), SC-PT, D4 (Mental Dullness), Sc2A (Lack of Ego Mastery, Cognitive), PSY (Psychoticism) and ORG (Organic Symptoms)-were investigated in relation to actual performance on Digit Span and subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS, Russell's Revision). Weak correlations emerged (maximum r =.31, p<.05), which suggests that scores on these MMPI measures may not provide a reliable basis for inferring attention and memory functioning.
Inelastic Proton Scattering and ( p , d ) Reactions in Heavy Elements

A previous study of anomalous inelastic scattering is extended to include heavy elements, higher excitation energies of the final nucleus, and deuterons from ($p, d$) reactions. The energy distributions of protons inelastically scattered from each of the principle isotopes of lead and from bismuth are very similar; there are seven relatively well-defined groups with the same energy, cross section, and angular distribution. All elements studied with atomic number above 40 have prominent groups with ${E}_{p}\ensuremath{-}{{E}_{p}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\cong}2.5$ Mev. The deuteron energy distributions from ($p, d$) reactions in Bi and Pb isotopes are very similar (five prominent groups with the same energy and similar cross sections) in spite of differing $Q$ values. There are also strong similarities in the deteron spectra from Au and Pt, and from Pd and Ag.
SU‐E‐I‐14: Image Quality and Patient Dose Dependence on CT Scan Parameters for ATCM (CareDose4D)

Purpose: To develop pediatric CT protocols by characterizing effects of CT parameters on pediatric CT dose using automatic tube‐current modulation (ATCM). Methods: Sections of varying AP thicknesses (∼80, 117, 149, 214mm) from the adult, 10‐year‐old, 5‐year‐old, and 1‐year‐old ATOM phantoms (CIRS, Norfolk, VA) were placed contiguously. They were scanned on a 16‐channel CT (Emotion 16, Siemens) using ATCM (CareDose4D) to characterize the relationships between image quality and patient‐dose under different scan conditions: scan‐kVp, adult/pediatric patient selection, and patient size. Effective‐mAs/slice was extracted from the DICOM header of each CTimage to calculate the DLP/slice. Noise was estimated as the standard deviation in ROIs. Two figures of merit (FOM) were defined: FOM1 as (noise2/DLP)^−1; FOM2 as the (CNR2/DLP). Each FOM was calculated for each image of each series acquired. Results: for scan acquired as pediatric patients, the effective‐mAs/slice was lower than the reference‐mAs value for patient AP thicknesses below 120 mm but greater above AP thicknesses of 149mm. These differences increased with patient thickness and at lower kVp. For scans acquired as adult patients, the effective‐mAs/slice was always lower than the reference‐mAs. Under ATCM, the percent difference between the FOM1 for 110 and 80kVp relative to 130kVp ranged from [7,−12]% and [13,−58]% for pediatric, and [3, −16]% and [5,−92]% for adult patients. Under ATCM, the percent difference between the FOM2 for 110 (80)kVp and 130kVp for increasing thickness ranged from 54 to 36 (130 to 78)% for pediatric‐entered patients, and 51 to 32 (125 to 43)% for adult entered patients. Conclusion: CT dose with ATCM decreased for adult‐patient and increased for pediatric‐patient selection. The AP thickness at which ATCM will use effective‐mAs/slice > reference‐mAs value for pediatric‐patients selection is 120–149mm. Adult ‐ patient selection maintains effective‐mAs/slice < reference‐mAs value.
The nationalist international: Or what American history can teach us about the fascist revolution:

In challenging Marxist theorists to confront the radical rebirth at the core of the fascist revolution, Roger Griffin has carried fascist studies to a new and valuable plateau. Likewise, David D. R...
Phytosanitary Applications of Irradiation

Phytosanitary treatments are used to disinfest agricultural commodities of quarantine pests so that the com- modities can be shipped out of quarantined areas. Ionizing irradiation is a promising phytosanitary treatment that is increasing in use worldwide. Almost 19000 metric tons of sweet potatoes and several fruits plus a small amount of curry leaf are irradiated each year in 6 countries, including the United States, to control a number of plant quarantine pests. Advantages over other treatments include tolerance by most fresh commodities, ability to treat in the final packaging and in pallet loads, and absence of pesticide residues. Disadvantages include lack of acceptance by the organic food industries and logistical bottlenecks resulting from current limited availability of the technology. A regulatory disadvantage is lack of an independent verification of treatment efficacy because pests may be found alive during commodity inspection, although they will not complete development or reproduce. For phytosanitary treatments besides irradiation, the pests die shortly after the treatment is concluded. This disadvantage does not hamper its use by industry, but rather makes the treatment more difficult to develop and regulate. Challenges to increase the use of phytosanitary irradiation (PI) are cost, because commercial use has not yet reached an optimum economy of scale, lack of facilities, because of their cost and current inability to feasibly locate them in packing facilities, lack of approved treatments for some quarantine pests, and concern about the process by key decision makers, such as packers, shippers, and retailers. Methods for overcoming these challenges are discussed.
No Evidence for Individual Assortment by Temperament Relative to Patch Area or Patch Openness in the Bobolink

Abstract: Recent research has shown repeatable individual variability in temperament traits. We tested the hypotheses that individual Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) vary consistently in their response to predators, a temperament trait, and that this individual variation is associated with breeding-site selection. Specifically, we tested whether measures of behavioral response to human approaches are associated with either patch area or patch openness and thus to area sensitivity. We made two to seven sequential approaches to Bobolinks in 2009 and 2010, measuring starting distance, flight-initiation distance, and the distance from the observers to where the birds landed. We analyzed the data with repeatability estimates and linear mixed modeling. Flight-initiation distance was repeatable when starting distance was controlled for, but distance to landing was not after starting distance and flight-initiation distance were controlled for. We found no strong effect of area or openness on either flight-initi...
Neural Systems Responding to Degrees of Uncertainty in Human Decision-Making

Much is known about how people make decisions under varying levels of probability (risk). Less is known about the neural basis of decision-making when probabilities are uncertain because of missing information (ambiguity). In decision theory, ambiguity about probabilities should not affect choices. Using functional brain imaging, we show that the level of ambiguity in choices correlates positively with activation in the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, and negatively with a striatal system. Moreover, striatal activity correlates positively with expected reward. Neurological subjects with orbitofrontal lesions were insensitive to the level of ambiguity and risk in behavioral choices. These data suggest a general neural circuit responding to degrees of uncertainty, contrary to decision theory.
Between the Lines: Exceeding Historicism in the Study of Religion

"Always historicize": Frederic Jameson's imperative today exerts a powerful influence on the study of religion. It informs a wide range of methods and, perhaps more important, it shapes influential definitions of religion and religious subjectivity and agency. This article examines this influence and argues for the necessity of thinking the limits of historicism. Building on Robert Orsi's efforts to identify a space for academic exploration in-between religious testimony/narrative and social–scientific diagnosis/explanation, I turn to recent efforts by Eric Santner and Slavoj Zizek to articulate a concept of subjectivity—tied closely to Franz Rosenzweig's concept of "revelation"—in "excess" of history and ideology. Santner and Zizek do not argue for a new, extra-historical foundation for agency and for religious claims but rather theorize and intervene in the "syntax" by which we are bound to history and society. This approach to historicism allows the scholar of religion to enrich accounts of creative religious agency at the same time that it forces them to rethink their relation to religious phenomena and religious subjects in terms of what the anthropologist Michael Jackson calls "encounter."
On Analytical Routes to Chaos in Nonlinear Systems

In this paper, the analytical methods for approximate solutions of periodic motions to chaos in nonlinear dynamical systems are reviewed. Briefly discussed are the traditional analytical methods including the Lagrange stand form, perturbation methods, and method of averaging. A brief literature survey of approximate methods in application is completed, and the weakness of current existing approximate methods is also discussed. Based on the generalized harmonic balance, the analytical solutions of periodic motions in nonlinear dynamical systems with/without time-delay are reviewed, and the analytical solutions for period-m motion to quasi-periodic motion are discussed. The analytical bifurcation trees of period-1 motion to chaos are presented as an application.
Characterizing Dryland Post-grazing Change Trajectories on Santa Cruz Island, CA, with Multitemporal Landsat Data

In the last part of the 20th century, Santa Cruz Island, California, was abruptly converted from a privately held ranch into a national park and natural pre- serve. During this conversion, tens of thousands of sheep were eradicated from the island, drastically changing its ecological system. This study uses a combination of spectral mixture analysis and time series trend analysis to characterize and quantify land-cover change on Santa Cruz Island in the post-grazing period of 1985-2002. These changes range from substantial re-vegetation in pastures most affected by overgrazing to massive landslides. This study identified nine classes of land cover change and explored the roles of geology, slope, and aspect in assessing the under- lying factors controlling spatial differences in the recovery of overgrazed areas. Historic land use in the form of grazing intensity was found to be the single most important factor for predicting land cover change on Santa Cruz Island, followed closely by underlying geology. Slope and aspect also affect land cover change, but their contributions are much more subtle.
LAN-based LXI Instrument Systems- the Next Step in the Evolution of Measurement System Technology

In the field of measurement, many of the leading test and measurement, T&M, companies have formed the LXI Consortium with the explicit goal of specifying an Ethernet-based architecture for T&M instrument systems. This paper explores the LXI architecture and gives performance figures illustrating the benefits of using this architecture.
State-resolved THz spectroscopy and dynamics of crystalline peptide-water systems.

Vibrationally state-resolved THz spectra are obtained at cryogenic temperatures for three crystalline peptide–water systems that represent different structural motifs. The systems include two types of secondary structures and a hydrophobic peptide nanopore structure. Almost all of these systems are shown to undergo exchange with water at room temperature that alters the hydrogen bonding network in ways easily detectable in the THz region at cryogenic temperatures. Stark differences are observed in the spectra of model α-helical and β-sheet structures upon water removal at hydrophilic binding sites. However, within the confined pore of a hydrophobic nanotube, water in the form of helical wires has a subtle but significant impact on the phonon modes of the tube. The THz spectra are shown to easily distinguish between the different hydration states of the system that have been independently characterized by mass change measurements. Spectral comparisons with quantum chemical predictions of fully relaxed crystal structures confirm the hydration states and give detailed information about the free energies associated with dehydration. The vibrational free energies are shown to make significant contributions to the overall energy balance of the dehydration processes.
Lactational Amenorrhea as a Risk Factor for Group A Streptococcal Vaginitis

We report a case of Streptococcus pyogenes, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Lancefield group A vulvovaginitis in an otherwise healthy adult female patient experiencing lactational amenorrhea. Group A streptococcal infection is the infective cause of vulvovaginitis in 21% of prepubescent girls, but it is an uncommon cause of vulvovaginitis in adults. Group A streptococcal vulvovaginitis is frequently associated with households that have had a recent outbreak of respiratory or dermal infection. The case described here appears to be unusual in that it was sexually transmitted, and the lack of estrogen associated with anovualtion may have been a predisposing factor for this unusual sexually transmitted disease.
Evidence for evolutionarily conserved secondary structure in the H19 tumor suppressor RNA.

The molecular basis for function of the mammalian H19 as a tumor suppressor is poorly understood. Large, conserved open reading frames (ORFs) are absent from both the human and mouse cDNAs, suggesting that it may act as an RNA. Contradicting earlier reports, however, recent studies have shown that the H19 transcript exists in polysomal form and is likely translated. To distinguish between possible functional roles for the gene product, we have characterized the sequence requirements for H19-mediated in vitro suppression of tumor cell clonogenicity and analyzed the sequence of the gene cloned from a range of mammals. A cDNA version of the human gene, lacking the unusually short introns characteristic of imprinted genes, is as effective as a genomic copy in blocking anchorage-independent growth by G401 cells. The first 710 nucleotides of the gene can be deleted with no effect on in vitro activity. Further truncations from either the 5'- or 3'-end, however, cause a loss of suppression of clonogenicity. Using conserved sequences within the H19 gene as PCR primers, genomic DNA fragments were amplified from a range of mammalian species that span the functional domain defined by deletion analysis. Sequences from cat, lynx, elephant, gopher and orangutan complement the previous database of sequences from human, mouse, rat and rabbit. Hypothetical translation of the resulting sequences shows an absence of conserved ORFs of any size. Free energy and covariational analysis of the RNA sequences was used to identify potential helical pairings within the H19 transcript. A set of 16 helices are supported by covariation (i.e. conservation of base pairing potential in the absence of primary sequence conservation). The predicted RNA pairings consist largely of local hairpins but also include several long range interactions that bridge the 5'- and 3'-ends of the functional domain. Given the evolutionary conservation of structure at the RNA level and the absence of conservation at the protein level, we presume that the functional product of the H19 gene is a structured RNA.
Nucleation and growth of domains near crack tips in single crystal ferroelectrics

The nucleation and growth of domains is investigated near a stationary crack tip in a single crystal of ferroelectric material. The phase-field approach, applying the material polarization as the order parameter, is used as the theoretical modeling framework and the finite element method is used for the numerical solution technique. The electromechanical form of the J-integral is appropriately modified to account for the polarization gradient energy terms, and analyzed to illustrate the amount of shielding, or lack thereof, due to domain switching at the crack tip. It is shown that the nucleation of domains near the crack tip due to applied electric field is affected by applied stress. However, the crack-tip energy release rate can change significantly between the instant of domain nucleation and the final equilibrium domain configuration. Implications of these results for ferroelectric single crystal fracture criteria are discussed.
Array based design of multi-wavelength fluorescence system

A method for exciting and collecting fluorescence from a surface using multiple excitations and emission wavelengths has been developed. Broadband excitation light is filtered to excite fluorophores in microbes. High efficiency collection reflectors allow detection of minimal amounts of microbial contamination. A working prototype is described.
GPCR ontology: development and application of a G protein- coupled receptor pharmacology knowledge framework

Motivation: Novel tools need to be developed to help scientists analyze large amounts of available screening data with the goal to identify entry points for the development of novel chemical probes and drugs. As the largest class of drug targets, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) remain of particular interest and are pursued by numerous academic and industrial research projects. Results: We report the first GPCR ontology to facilitate integration and aggregation of GPCR-targeting drugs and demonstrate its application to classify and analyze a large subset of the PubChem database. The GPCR ontology, based on previously reported BioAssay Ontology, depicts available pharmacological, biochemical and physiological profiles of GPCRs and their ligands. The novelty of the GPCR ontology lies in the use of diverse experimental datasets linked by a model to formally define these concepts. Using a reasoning system, GPCR ontology offers potential for knowledge-based classification of individuals (such as small molecules) as a function of the data. Availability: The GPCR ontology is available at http://www.bioassayontology.org/bao_gpcr and the National Center for Biomedical Ontologies Web site.
Treatment of port wine stains using the pulsed-dye laser at 585 nm with the dynamic cooling device

Port wine stains (PWS) are common vascular malformations appearing more frequently on the face and neck. One of the most prevalent treatment modalities for PWS is the pulsed-dye laser (PDL). The first generation PDL was limited to a 450 microseconds pulse width which was inadequate for the treatment of larger caliber vessels. Second generation PDLs have pulsed widths approximately three times longer (1.5 ms). This, along with the dynamic cooling device (DCD), which allows the safe use of higher fluences, should result in more clinical improvement in the treatment of PWS that were previously resistant or minimally responsive to first generation PDL treatment. We report a case of a 29-year-old white male with extensive PWS on the left face, left neck, and back, which displayed only mild changes with the first generation PDL. However, the use of the 1.5 ms PDL at 585 nm at high fluences in conjunction with the DCD resulted in marked improvement of the patient's PWS.
Correlation between hardness and degree of conversion during the setting reaction of unfilled dental restorative resins

Abstract Knoop hardness was correlated to degree of conversion (DC) of carbon double bonds, determined by IR, during the setting reaction of three unfilled dental resins. For a specific resin, increase in hardness correlates well with increases in DC during setting. However, an absolute hardness number cannot be used to predict a DC when comparing different resins. The two techniques for determining extent of cure in dental resins cannot always be used interchangeably, since each is sensitive to different variables.
Latency-information theory

In this paper the mathematical-physical theory of communication-observation that is part of latency-information theory (LIT) is reviewed. LIT surfaced from the confluence of classical information theory, relativity theory, quantum mechanics, statistical physics and a 1978 conjecture by the author of a structural-physical certainty-uncertainty duality for quantized control. Control, radar, physics and biochemistry applications illustrate the theory. As part of the review, LIT is revealed to communicate through latency-certainty channels and/or information-uncertainty channels for observation across latency-certainty sensors and/or information-uncertainty sensors, a mathematical-physical efficiency perspective of the Universe in a four quadrants revolution. While the first and third quadrants are concerned with the life time of physical signal movers and the life space of physical signal retainers, respectively, the second and fourth quadrants are about the intelligence space of mathematical signal sources and the processing time of mathematical signal processors, respectively. The four quadrants of LIT are conjectured to be physically independent with their system design methodologies guided by dualities and performance bounds. Moreover, the tools of statistical physics bridge them, and inherently lead to the discovery of a novel certainty dual for thermodynamics named lingerdynamics.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Liquid Nitromethane Shocked to 143 Kbar.

A molecular dynamics simulation, using a force field established by density functional calculations, was used to investigate structural and vibrational frequency shifts that accompany a compression from 1 bar, 300 K to 143 kbar, 600 K. Under the latter conditions, most pairs of nitromethane molecules were found to be linked by two hydrogen bonds, instead of the one that was observed at 1 bar, 300 K. The computed shifts in the CN and NO, stretching frequencies were in good agreement with the experimental results. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Variable Versus Fixed Rate Subsidies: Are the Latter Necessarily Less Efficient?

In a recent article in this journal, Stutzer (1984) investigated the relative in-efficiencies of fixed versus variable rate subsidies as they pertain to analyzing different forms of revenue sharing. His analysis butlds on the theoretical presumption that a variable rate subsidy is generally less inefficient than a fixed rate subsidy of equal size. In this article it is shown that if the good being subsidized is a public good, it is possible that a fixed rate subsidy will be more efficient than a variable rate subsidy from a benefit-cost analysis perspective, once collective decision-making aspects are incorporated into the analysis. This indicates the importance of incorporating the presence of public goods, when appropriate, into an efficiency analysis to see whether traditional results are still valid.
What Alcohol/Drug Abuse Clinicians Need to Know About Caffeine

Caffeine appears to have few adverse medical effects but can have adverse behavioral effects. Although the effects of caffeine in the population as a whole appear minor, topics deserving further study are whether caffeine use in alcohol/drug abusers can be especially problematic or can interfere with recovery and whether caffeine use can produce a clinically significant dependence syndrome in a subset of users.
Technical adequacy of fluoroscopic spot films of the gastrointestinal tract: comparison of residents and technologists.

We compared images obtained during gastrointestinal fluoroscopy by specially trained and experienced technologists with those obtained by radiology residents to determine if the quality of images was similar between the two groups.Three senior radiologists examined the fluoroscopic spot films of 80 patients who were divided evenly into four groups: barium enemas performed by technologists, barium enemas performed by residents, gastrointestinal series performed by technologists, and gastrointestinal series performed by residents. The senior radiologists graded adequacy of visualization of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and all parts of the colon. A grade of 1 was given for poor films, 2 for adequate films, and 3 for good films. They did not know who performed each study.For barium enemas, the residents' mean score was slightly higher than that of the technologists (13.5 compared with 12.9). For gastrointestinal series, residents' mean score was again slightly higher (20.5 compared with 19.7). In neither...
Alienation, Occupational Self-Direction, and Worker Consciousness: An Exploration

Alienation is reconceptualized in terms of low position on three dimensions of occupational self-direction (autonomy of the worker, complexity of the work, and variety of the tasks performed) isolated by Kohn and Schooler. Factor analysis of survey data confirms the existence of these three dimensions, and their impact on job satisfaction and class consciousness within the working class is explored. Specific hypotheses are abstracted from the work of several writers on the new working class, whose explanations, we argue, focus on occupational rather than class factors as independent variables. Regression analyses show that one of the occupational dimensions (complexity) has a positive effect upon both class consciousness and job satisfaction. In general terms, the approach adopted here provides a way of organizing and presenting in a testable form a wide range of hypotheses relating work experience to job satisfaction and class consciousness.
Judgment policy and interpersonal learning

In a study of interpersonal learning, 96 Ss were asked to predict another person's judgments about the socio-economic growth of a series of underdeveloped nations. Following each prediction, Ss were informed of the actual judgment made by the person (or Target) whose policy they were attempting to learn. Results from 150 learning trials revealed that interpersonal learning was significantly influenced by (a) the substantive differences among the judgment policies to be learned, as well as (b), the type of information initially available to the learner. With regard to the latter, it was found that Ss who were shown a quantitative description of the Target's policy provided by a regression analysis learned to predict the Target's judgments with substantial accuracy. In contrast, Ss who were initially shown policy descriptions (either quantitative or verbal) provided by the Target himself performed significantly less well.
Photochlorination of propane

The chlorination of propane was studied in a tubular flow reactor, with outside illumination, at atmospheric pressure. At chlorine concentrations of less than 1.5 mole % (and inert nitrogen above 94%) a second-order (in chlorine) rate expression was indicated. At higher chlorine or propane concentrations propane affects the rate. Two rate equations, based upon different termination steps for the chain carriers, were found to fit the data. For the low concentration region the apparent activation energy for the overall reaction was 3.4 kcal./g.-mole. Most of the measurements were carried out with polychromatic light, but data taken with a narrow band of radiation, over the range 2,200 to 5,400Ā, showed an increase in rate with decreasing wave length. As a first step toward reactor design, differential reactor data were used to predict the conversion for laminar flow, integral reactor conditions. A reactor model which included the effects of residence time distribution and radial variation in light intensity gave good agreement with experimental data. A plug-flow model was less satisfactory.
Pedogenic iron-manganese nodules in Vertisols: A new proxy for paleoprecipitation?

The total Fe content of pedogenic iron-manganese (Fe-Mn) nodules taken from a Vertisol climosequence on the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain correlates with mean annual precipitation (MAP, r 2 = 0.92). No significant trend of total Fe (FeTOT) with depth was noted in profiles. Using the regression developed from modern Vertisol data, FeTOT contents of Paleozoic paleo-Vertisol Fe-Mn nodules yielded MAP regimes comparable to previously inferred paleoenvironmental interpretations. Paleoprecipitation estimates derived from Fe-Mn nodules for an uneroded, Late Mississippian paleo-Vertisol are very close to estimates determined from a depth to pedogenic carbonate horizon (DCH) proxy determined from the modern Vertisol climosequence. The lack of soil depth dependence of the Fe-Mn nodule proxy provides a consistent paleoprecipitation estimate even in eroded paleo- Vertisols and, in combination with the DCH, may be useful in determining original paleosol thickness.
Associations and Democracy: Between Theories, Hopes, and Realities

▪ Abstract Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence of interest and research into the connections between associations and democracy. This article divides the question of associative contributions to democracy into four component parts: What (a) contributions do (b) different kinds of associations make to advance (c) contesting ideals of democratic governance in various (d) political contexts? Associations enhance democracy in at least six ways: through the intrinsic value of associative life, fostering civic virtues and teaching political skills, offering resistance to power and checking government, improving the quality and equality of representation, facilitating public deliberation, and creating opportunities for citizens and groups to participate directly in governance. These contributions are not all mutually consonant with one another, and different forms of associations are better suited to advance some contributions than others. Furthermore, those who propose bolstering associations as a...
Characterization and utilization of hydrotreated products from the Whiterocks (Utah) tar sand bitumen-derived liquid

Abstract The bitumen-derived liquid produced in a fluidized-bed reactor from the Whiterocks tar sand was hydrotreated over a sulphided Ni-Mo/Al2O3 hydrodenitrogenation catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor. The process variables studied were temperature (617–680 K), pressure (11.0–17.1 MPa) and liquid hourly space velocity (0.18–0.77 h−1). The feed and the hydrotreated liquid products were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. The compounds identified in the bitumen included isoprenoids; bicyclic, tricyclic, and tetracyclic terpenoids; steranes; hopanes; and perhydro-β-carotenes. Normal and branched alkanes and alkenes and partially dehydrogenated hydroaromatics were identified in the bitumen-derived liquid. Comparison of the compounds identified in the bitumen and the bitumen-derived liquid indicated that the dealkylation of long alkyl side chains 0to form α- and isoolefins and the cleavage of alkyl chains linking aromatic and hydroaromatic clusters were the dominant pyrolysis reactions. Monoaromatic hydrocarbons were the predominant aromatic species in the hydrotreated product. The properties of the jet fuel fractions from the hydrotreated products met most of the jet fuel specifications. The cetane indices indicated that these fractions would be suitable for use as diesel fuels.
Electrochemical polymerization of conducting polymers in living neural tissue

A number of biomedical devices require extended electrical communication with surrounding tissue. Significant improvements in device performance would be achieved if it were possible to maintain communication with target cells despite the reactive, insulating scar tissue that forms at the device–tissue interface. Here, we report that the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) can be polymerized directly within living neural tissue resulting in an electrically conductive network that is integrated within the tissue. Nano and microscale PEDOT filaments extend out from electrode sites, presumably forming within extracellular spaces. The cloud of PEDOT filaments penetrates out into the tissue far enough that it should be possible to bypass fibrous scar tissue and contact surrounding healthy neurons. These electrically functional, diffuse conducting polymer networks grown directly within tissue signify a new paradigm for creating soft, low impedance implantable electrodes. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Sprint training attenuates myocyte hypertrophy and improves Ca2+ homeostasis in postinfarction myocytes

Zhang, Xue-Qian, Yuk-Chow Ng, Timothy I. Musch, Russell L. Moore, R. Zelis, and Joseph Y. Cheung. Sprint training attenuates myocyte hypertrophy and improves Ca2+ homeostasis in postinfarction myoc...
Chapter 4: Modern Development of International Human Rights Law: State Practice Involving Multilateral Treaties and Non-Binding International Documents

This is a draft Chapter 4 of The Principle of Legality in International and Comparative Criminal Law (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2009).Chapter 4 covers the international activities of states concerning legality in criminal law in the modern period. It discusses the major international human rights treaties requiring non-retroactivity in criminal law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the regional human rights conventions; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977. The chapter examines the reservations that states have made to these treaties to determine the effect on their obligations concerning non-retroactivity in criminal law. It also considers some of the jurisprudence from international tribunals and commissions interpreting the legality provisions of these documents.This chapter argues that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the modern treaties have a stronger view of the principle of legality as an international human right than did the Nuremberg Judgment, and subsequent chapters argue that this stronger view has become part of current customary international law.
Are major behavioral and sociodemographic risk factors for mortality additive or multiplicative in their effects

All individuals are subject to multiple risk factors for mortality. In this paper, we consider the nature of interactions between certain major sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors associated with all-cause mortality in the United States. We develop the formal logic pertaining to two forms of interaction between risk factors, additive and multiplicative relations. We then consider the general circumstances in which additive or multiplicative relations might be expected. We argue that expectations about interactions among socio-demographic variables, and their relation to behavioral variables, have been stated in terms of additivity. However, the statistical models typically used to estimate the relation between risk factors and mortality assume that risk factors act multiplicatively. We examine empirically the nature of interactions among five major risk factors associated with all-cause mortality: smoking, obesity, race, sex, and educational attainment. Data were drawn from the cross-sectional NHANES III (1988-1994) and NHANES 1999-2010 surveys, linked to death records through December 31, 2011. Our analytic sample comprised 35,604 respondents and 5369 deaths. We find that obesity is additive with each of the remaining four variables. We speculate that its additivity is a reflection of the fact that obese status is generally achieved later in life. For all pairings of socio-demographic variables, risks are multiplicative. For survival chances, it is much more dangerous to be poorly educated if you are black or if you are male. And it is much riskier to be a male if you are black. These traits, established at birth or during childhood, literally result in deadly combinations. We conclude that the identification of interactions among risk factors can cast valuable light on the nature of the process being studied. It also has public health implications by identifying especially vulnerable groups and by properly identifying the proportion of deaths attributable to a risk factor.
Stability of Housing Prices in Major US Cities: A Time Series Analysis of S&P/Case-Shiller Housing Price Indices

In this paper we explore the long term movement in the housing prices in select American cities. Using the monthly SP Ng and Perron 1995; Ng and Perron 2001). Optimal lag periods necessary to achieve stationarity differ widely across the cities. We also identify three distinct cycles of convergence-divergence in the housing prices across the US. Housing prices broadly converged between January, 1987 and January, 2000. At this point a rapid divergence in the prices set in and this trend continued until the middle of 2006. After about June of 2006, housing prices (probably) started correcting themselves resulting into a rapid convergence again. This trend continues according to the very latest data available.
Pietro Tacca and his Quattro Mori: The Beauty and Identity of the Slaves

The colossal bronze statues of four Ottoman slaves, one of whom is a black African, that Pietro Tacca added in the 1620s to the Monument to Ferdinando I de’ Medici in Livorno have become touchstones in the literature on the image of the ‘other’ in early-modern European art. Contributing to their canonical status is the fact that the earliest sources on the monument tell us that two of the statues depict specific galley slaves: a ‘Turkish Moor […] nicknamed Morgiano, who […] was very beautiful’ and a ‘robust old Saletino named Ali’. This essay reviews the history of the monument and offers new documentary evidence in support of the actual existence of ‘Morgiano’ and ‘Ali’. It then explores the implications of the unprecedented rhetoric of beauty used to describe ‘Morgiano’ in the early sources, and concludes with a consideration of the monument’s reception – both literary and visual – from the mid-seventeenth century until today.
Metastable equilibrium in the C-H-O system: Graphite deposition in crustal fluids

The presence of graphite in natural environments is linked to the redox and thermal conditions of C-H-O fluid/graphite equilibrium in hydrothermal veins and metasomatic contacts. A time-series experimental study was performed to investigate the graphite undersaturated C-H-O system at 600 °C and 1000 MPa, and with f O 2 ranging from highly reducing (10 −23 ) to highly oxidizing (10 4 ). A non-volatile intermediate carbon phase exhibiting the Raman spectral features of poorly ordered graphite was formed as the system evolves toward equilibrium as a function of run duration. The thermometric empirical expressions using the G and D bands in the spectra of graphite failed to accurately estimate the experimental temperature. Thus, the existing Raman geothermometers appear inadequate to address graphite formation under conditions of metastable equilibria and to account for kinetic effects such as, for example, the degree of crystallinity. The presence of poorly ordered graphitic carbon at all the redox conditions investigated suggests that the disordered structure of the mineral attains an extensive thermodynamic stability field, and that it may be more readily deposited than crystalline graphite. Metastable graphitic carbon could, therefore, function as a precursor and substrate for the formation of the well-ordered phase. Such metastable graphite may provide an intermediate state that facilitates subduction of carbonaceous material, while imposing constraints on the formation mechanisms and the 13 C/ 12 C isotopic systematics of deep seated carbonaceous fluids and minerals such as diamonds.
Standardized Within-Tree Sampling for Populations of Dendroctonus frontalis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of procedures for sampling and estimating within-tree populations of Dendroctonus frontalis in North Carolina. The procedures developed under epidemic conditions in Texas were applied to declining populations in North Carolina. Despite the differences in total population numbers, the within-tree distributions of all D. frontalis life stages were similar for both states. Infested surface area estimates using tree geometry tables developed from the Texas data base were satisfactory for North Carolina. Hence the “tree geometry-proportional density function” procedures for estimating total within-tree life stages are applicable in 2 widely separated regions of D. frontalis ' range and under extremely different population sizes.