cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The clinical effects of electrostimulation on salivary function of Sjögren's syndrome patients. A placebo controlled study.

A multi-center double-blind study of an electro-stimulator device was conducted to evaluate its ability to increase the production of saliva and reduce clinical symptomatology. A total of 77 Sjogren's syndrome patients at three centers were assigned to active devices (n = 40) or to placebo devices (n = 37). There were 2 male and 32 female patients assigned to active devices, and 1 male and 36 female patients assigned to placebo devices. The age range with the greatest number of patients was 60-69 years making up more than 31% of the study population. The selection criteria required the patients to have no greater than 0.2 g/min of whole salivary production (approximately 19% of normal salivary production). At the start of the study, the patients assigned the active device had a mean salivary production of 0.06 ml per min (6% of normal) and patients assigned placebo devices had a mean salivary production of 0.07 ml per min (7% of normal). There were three scheduled visits, 2 weeks apart, over a treatment period of 4 weeks. At all visits, the patients using active devices showed a statistically greater (P = 0.005 to 0.02) increase in the production of saliva than placebo patients. The study also evaluated the reduction of patients symptoms associated with xerostomia. Patients showed significant improvement in (1) difficulty in swallowing and (2) burning tongue (P = 0.008). Some patients on their initial visit had no response to the active device and did not show a significant response at subsequent visits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Determination of deuterium in heavy water by secondary deuteron activation

Abstract The deuterium concentration of heavy water was determined by utilizing recoiling deuterium nuclei from n-d collisions to induce the reaction 16 O(d, n) 17 F. The internal ratio of 66-sec fluorine-17 to 7.35-sec nitrogen-16 activity, formed by the reaction 16 O(n, p), 16 N, was found to vary linearly with deuterium concentration. When such an internal ratio of activities is measured, the neutron flux and sample weight need not be known. Deuterium was determined over the range from 2.6 to 94.5 atom %, with a relative standard deviation of 2.8%. The effect of sample size was investigated and it was found that the relative amount of fluorine-17 activity formed became less as sample size decreased, due to the loss of recoiling deuterons from the sample. A simple relationship to account for this effect was obtained.
First order phase transition in EuSe

Abstract Mossbauer measurements on Eu151 in EuSe show the antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition at 4.6°K to be first order. Higher order exchange interactions and the effect of magnetic impurity states account for the observed anomalous properties.
Reconsideration of Fear of Personal Aging and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life

In a study of older Alabamians, Klemmack and Roff (1984) identified fear of aging as both an important correlate of subjective well-being and an intervening process through which physical health influences well-being. The present study examined the possibility that fear of aging, as a reflection of personal worries (frequently designated as "negative affect"), is actually an indicator rather than a determinant of subjective well-being. According to this alternative explanation, fear of aging was essentially used to predict itself. A factor analysis of Klemmack and Roff's original data supported this alternative interpretation. As predicted, fear of aging items loaded as a factor with other indicators of "negative affect" and, thus, should have been designated as part of the dependent variable. Furthermore, and contrary to Klemmack and Roff's treatment of subjective well-being as unidimensional, the factor analysis indicated two additional dimensions of well-being--Happiness and Plans for the Future. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of subjecting items to factor analysis and related techniques when developing and validating constructs.
Miocene rise of the Shillong Plateau and the beginning of the end for the Eastern Himalaya

Abstract A common feature of convergent plate boundaries is the self-organization of strain, exhumation and topography along discrete, arcuate boundaries. Deviations from this geometry can represent first-order changes in stress applied at a plate boundary that must affect how strain is partitioned within the interior of an orogen. The simplicity of the Himalayan fold and thrust belt seen along its central portion breaks down along the eastern extremity of the arc where the 400 km-long Shillong Plateau has developed. This change in strain partitioning affects nearly 25% of the arc and has not previously been considered to be important to the orogen's development. New low-temperature thermochronometry data suggest this structure initiated in mid to late Miocene time, significantly earlier than was previously estimated from the sedimentary record alone. Development of the Shillong Plateau may be linked to a number of kinematic changes within the Himalayan and Burman collision zones that occur at the same time. These events include the onset of E–W extension in central Tibet, eastward expansion of high topography of the Tibetan Plateau, onset of rotation of crustal fragments in southeastern Tibet, and re-establishment of eastward subduction beneath the Indo-Burman ranges. We suggest that the coincidence of these tectonic events is related to the ‘dismemberment’ of the eastern Himalayan arc, signifying a change in regional stress applied along the India–Eurasia–Burma plate boundaries. Discrepancies between vertical long-term faulting rates and geodetically derived far-field convergence rates suggest that the collisional boundary in the eastern Himalayan system may be poorly coupled due to introduction of oceanic and transitional crust into the eastern plate boundary. The introduction of dense material into the plate boundary late in the orogen's history may explain regional changes in the strain field that affect not only the Himalaya, but also the deformation field more than 1000 km into the Tibetan Plateau.
Bounds on the probability of delay for queued vehicles waiting to merge

The delay encountered by vehicles waiting to merge is considered. Tight upper bounds on the probability of delay are derived based on a "gap acceptance" model. The general approach is developed, and specific results of some interest are presented.
Fowl (Gallus domesticus) Sperm Motility Depends Upon Mitochondrial Calcium Cycling Driven by Extracellular Sodium

A relationship between extracellular Ca(+2), fowl sperm phospholipase A2 activity, long-chain acylcarnitine content, and motility was demonstrated in previous work. Sperm motility appeared to depend upon Na+-dependent Ca(+2) cycling when sperm were incubated at body temperature without glucose. In the present work, motility decreased as a function of time when sperm were incubated in 2 mM Ca(+2) prepared with either buffered isotonic sucrose or LiCl. However, this effect was less pronounced in the case of LiCl. The sparing effect of Li+ was attributed to the mitochondrial Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger. Motile concentration decreased exponentially in response to micromolar concentrations of CGP 37157, a specific inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger. KB-R7943 mesylate, an inhibitor of the reverse mode of the Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger, prevented re-initiation of motility when exogenous Ca(+2) was added to sperm rendered immotile by incubation with 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, a high-affinity Ca(+2) chelator. The presence of voltage-gated Ca(+2) channels was confirmed by the effect of nifedipine on motile concentration. Neither motile concentration nor straight line velocity was affected by either ouabain or orthovanadate, which inhibit Na+-K+ ATPase and Ca(+2)-ATPase, respectively. In summary, we infer that 1) fowl sperm motility is dependent upon extracellular Ca(+2) cycling through mitochondria; 2) such cycling is dependent upon extracellular Na+; and 3) fowl sperm conserve ATP by moving neither Na+ nor Ca(+2) by active transport. Understanding the relationship between mitochondrial Ca(+2) cycling and ATP production may be applicable to long-term semen storage.
Temperature dependence of critical supercurrent near Tc in various weak junctions

Abstract The temperature dependence of the maximum Josephson supercurrent is given for temperatures close to the transition temperature of the system. Our simplified model is based on the de Gennes theory of proximity effect and its application to the several junctions.
Notes on activity of Parícutin volcano during January, 1946

The fairly strong eruptive activity at the end of December died out abruptly on January 2. There followed a quiet period reminiscent of the three weeks between November 16 and December 7, with a very thin column of light gray dust and only feeble noise from the crater. Between January 19 and 21 activity gradually increased, producing more noise, a denser column, and small showers of incandescent rocks. On the 27th the cloud became dark gray, much denser and wider and the noise changed to loud muffled, explosions. The dense cloud persisted with minor interruptions to the end of the month; the noise was very loud at intervals, but practically absent at other times; showers of incandescent rocks were more numerous and more impressive than any time in the past three months, The dark cloud of these last few days produced the only considerable sand falls since last October.
Conflicts of interest in clinical practice and research.

A new device for endoscopic management of gastroesophageal reflux disease has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); it employs a novel suturing system that allows the creation of a dead space in the gastric cardia that, at least in the animal model of reflux, in which it was tested, appeared to reduce the likelihood of reflux by 50%. Because it was similar to devices already on the market, it was approved by the FDA under a 510K exemption and did not undergo clinical trials. After meeting with the company president and physician consultant, you find the device interesting and promising; it would seem to offer a greater chance for a durable benefit in patients with medication-dependent reflux who wanted an alternative to long-term use of antisecretory agents than the currently available endoscopic treatments, with which you have had some experience, albeit with uneven success. The company is offering a week-long training course in an animal lab at their expense, and, in addition, an opportunity to purchase a 1% equity interest in the company. Once the device is in use in your practice, the company is offering $1,000 per patient in whom the device is used in order to gather postmarketing experience. What should be your response?
Coronal mass ejections and magnetic flux buildup in the heliosphere

[1] To test for magnetic flux buildup in the heliosphere from coronal mass ejections (CMEs), we simulate heliospheric flux as a constant background open flux with a time-varying interplanetary CME (ICME) contribution. As flux carried by ejecta can only contribute to the heliospheric flux budget while it remains closed, the ICME flux opening rate is an important factor. Two separate forms for the ICME flux opening rate are considered: (1) constant and (2) exponentially decaying with time. Coronagraph observations are used to determine the CME occurrence rates, while in situ observations are used to estimate the magnetic flux content of a typical ICME. Both static equilibrium and dynamic simulations, using the constant and exponential ICME flux opening models, require flux opening timescales of ∼50 days in order to match the observed doubling in the magnetic field intensity at 1 AU over the solar cycle. Such timescales are equivalent to a change in the ICME closed flux of only ∼7–12% between 1 and 5 AU, consistent with CSE signatures; no flux buildup results. The dynamic simulation yields a solar cycle flux variation with high variability that matches the overall variability of the observed magnetic field intensity remarkably well, including the double peak forming the Gnevyshev gap.
Interstratified hybrids of α-hydroxides of nickel and cobalt as supercapacitor electrode materials

Abstract Zwitterionic p-aminobenzoate ion intercalated α-hydroxides of nickel and cobalt exfoliate in water. The hydroxide monolayers of nickel and cobalt could be co-stacked from a mixture of their colloidal dispersions by the addition of excess of nitrate ions resulting in hybrids in which the layers of the two hydroxides were randomly co-stacked. The α-hydroxide hybrids were explored for their potential as supercapacitor electrode materials. The specific capacitance of hybrids vary with [Ni]/[Co] ratio and a maximum capacitance of 990 F g−1 (at a current density of 1 A g−1) with good cycling stability was obtained for the hybrid with [Ni]/[Co] = 4.
Morphology and mobility of oyster hemocytes: evidence for seasonal variations.

Hemocytes of Crassostrea virginica were video recorded and tracked to determine their locomotive rates and to assign these rates to Wright-stained morphological variants. From 24 oysters examined in January, February, March, and May, 1571 hemocytes were video recorded, identified, and their rate of locomotion (ROL) measured. Granulocytes (three types) and agranulocytes (one lymphoid and three nonlymphoid types) were recognized. Focusing on 15 oysters in March and May, 20,318 hemocytes were counted from duplicate slides to verify the classification and to show that predominant hemocytes vary greatly between samples and among individual oysters, yet population differences can be detected. Measured rates of locomotion indicate that the granulocyte subpopulation moved significantly faster (3.3 μm/min) than the agranulocyte subpopulation (0.7 μm/min) because most (81%) agranulocytes were not mobile. Of the mobile hemocytes, granulocytes were also significantly faster (4.8 μm/min vs. 3.5 μm/min, P < 0.0001), and basophilic granulocytes (BASOs) were the most active and abundant cell type. Examination of monthly percentages of cells and ROL indicates, however, that granulocyte dominance and ROL are not invariable. Granulocyte percentages of more than 60% in January, February, and March decreased to 32% in May, and BASO dominance was reduced to 15%. Further, percentages of mobile granulocytes decreased from greater than 65% in January, February, and March to 50% in May. ROL for all cells decreased from greater than 2.3 μm/min in these months to 1.0 μm/min in May. The fewer mobile hemocytes tracked in May had significantly (P < .05) lower average ROL (4.0 μm/min) than those in January and March (4.7 μm/min each). Agranulocytes increased in May due to an increase in nonlymphoid cells.
Alternative conceptions in animal classification: A cross‐age study

Employing a cross-age design, this study examined students' alternative conceptions in animal classification at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. Based on a previous study that made use of clinical interviews and a classification task, subjects (N = 468) were administered a multiple-choice/free-response instrument that probed understanding of the concept animal, the vertebrate/invertebrate distinction, and the principal vertebrate classes. Results suggest that students subscribe to a highly restricted view of animals; applying the label almost exclusively to vertebrates, especially to common mammals. When asked to distinguish between vertebrate and invertebrate animals and to classify several species into vertebrate groups, a wide range of alternative conceptions emerged. Cross-age comparisons indicate that many of these alternative views remain intact throughout the school years, while others yield more readily to formal instruction and/or nonschool experiences. Considered within the context of a neoconstructivist view of learning, several suggestions are offered for teaching concepts in animal classification.
Sex and limb differences in hip and knee kinematics and kinetics during anticipated and unanticipated jump landings: implications for anterior cruciate ligament injury

Objectives: In this study, the effects of temporal changes in unanticipated (UN) prelanding stimuli on lower limb biomechanics and the impact of sex and limb dominance on these variables during single-leg landings were determined. It was hypothesised that reductions in the time of prelanding UN stimuli, female sex, and the non-dominant limb would significantly increase high-risk landing biomechanics during UN jump landings. Methods: 26 (13 men and 13 women) had initial contact (IC) and peak stance (0–50%) phase (PS) lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics quantified during anticipated (AN) and UN single-leg (left and right) landings. Postlanding jump direction was governed via one of two randomly ordered light stimuli, presented either before initiation of the jump (AN), or 600 ms (UN1), 500 ms (UN2) or 400 ms (UN3) immediately before ground contact. Results: Statistically significant (p Conclusion: UN landings induce modifications in landing biomechanics that may increase anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in both men and women. These modifications, however, do not appear overly sensitive to the timing of the UN stimulus, at least within a temporal range affording a successful movement response. Expanding UN training to include even shorter stimulus-response times may promote the additional central control adaptations necessary to manoeuvre safely within the random sports setting.
Dual-bit SONOS FinFET Non-Volatile Memory Cell and New Method of Charge Detection

A new charge detection method in which the off-state current is used to detect charge stored near to the drain is demonstrated for dual-bit SONOS FinFET NVM cells for the first time. This method is very sensitive to charge stored near to the drain electrode and thus can facilitate gate-length scaling of dual-bit SONOS NVM devices.
The knowledge gradient algorithm using locally parametric approximations

We are interested in maximizing a general (but continuous) function where observations are noisy and may be expensive. We derive a knowledge gradient policy, which chooses measurements which maximize the expected value of information, while using a locally parametric belief model which uses linear approximations around regions of the function, known as clouds. The method, called DC-RBF (Dirichlet Clouds with Radial Basis Functions) is well suited to recursive estimation, and uses a compact representation of the function which avoids storing the entire history. Our technique allows for correlated beliefs within adjacent subsets of the alternatives and does not pose any a priori assumption on the global shape of the underlying function. Experimental work suggests that the method adapts to a range of arbitrary, continuous functions, and appears to reliably find the optimal solution.
Isolation of spontaneously derived mutants of Caulobacter crescentus.

Caulobacter crescentus has a penicillinase which precludes the use of penicillin for mutant enrichment. However, two other antibiotics, fosfomycin and D-cycloserine, can be used to enrich for C. crescentus mutants. In enrichment procedures for C. crescentus auxotrophs, spontaneously derived mutants occur at a frequency of 5–10% among the survivors of an enrichment procedure. Consequently, large numbers of mutants are readily obtained without any need for mutagenesis. These mutants are heterogeneous both with regard to the type of mutation and to the nutritional requirement. A similar procedure has been used to isolate temperature-sensitive mutants.
Comment and Reply

Despite all the talk about a prioris and metaphysics, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's criticism amounts to an attack on pluralism and the evolutionary scientific point of view from a traditional Cathol...
Translation Fidelity of Psychological Scales An Item Response Theory Analysis of an Individualism-Collectivism Scale

The increase in cross-national research has led to a need for assessing the translation fidelity of psychological scales. Problems with the translation process, including drawbacks of relying on bilingual translators and statistical methods based on classical test theory, are discussed. A method for assessing the quality of translations based on item response theory (IRT) is described. IRT analysis was applied to French and Chinese translations of a scale designed to measure individualism-collectivism. Results show how IRT identified several items as biased due to translation, and discussion emphasizes how this should be interpreted.
Microbial oxidation of pyrite; experiments using microorganisms from an extreme acidic environment

Surface colonization and microbial dissolution of pyrite were studied in the laboratory and by in situ surface colonization experiments conducted at Iron Mountain, California. Laboratory experiments involved organisms obtained from Iron Mountain and cultured in pH ,1.0, 42 8C solutions designed to enrich for chemolithotrophic species present at acidgenerating sites. Planktonic and sessile microorganisms grew in enrichment cultures containing small amounts of yeast extract. The maximum density of attached cells was approximately 8 3 10 6 cells/cm 2 . Attachment was specific for pyrite and occurred nonrandomly; rod-shaped bacteria tended to orient parallel to {100} and {110} pyrite. Attachment resulted in formation of euhedral dissolution pits. Cultures grown without yeast extract contained only planktonic cells and euhedral dissolution pits were not developed on the pyrite surface. All cultured organisms were identified as bacteria by fluorescence in situ hybridization and domain-specific probes. Leptospirillum ferrooxidans comprised 10‐40% of planktonic organisms in both enrichments. Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was not identified in either enrichment. Oxidation rates were approximately equivalent in both enrichments (4 3 10 27 mM Fe/cell·day) over a 28 day period. Pyrite cubes were exposed to natural solutions at Iron Mountain for two months. A subset of samples was exposed only to solutions that had passed through 0.22 mm Teflon filters. Denser colonization (by distinctive elongate bacteria not observed in laboratory cultures) occurred on pyrite in filter-covered vessels. Attachment specificity, orientation, and resulting degradation morphology were similar to that observed in laboratory cultures. Results show that interaction between attached cells and pyrite surface is highly specific and the impact on surface morphology evolution is different from that associated with planktonic microorganisms, despite the similarity in effect (per cell) on total dissolution rates.
Trematode communities in snails can indicate impact and recovery from hurricanes in a tropical coastal lagoon

In September 2002, Hurricane Isidore devastated the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. To understand its effects on the parasites of aquatic organisms, we analyzed long-term monthly population data of the horn snail Cerithidea pliculosa and its trematode communities in Celestun, Yucatan, Mexico before and after the hurricane (February 2001 to December 2009). Five trematode species occurred in the snail population: Mesostephanus appendiculatoides, Euhaplorchis californiensis, two species of the genus Renicola and one Heterophyidae gen. sp. Because these parasites use snails as first intermediate hosts, fishes as second intermediate hosts and birds as final hosts, their presence in snails depends on food webs. No snails were present at the sampled sites for 6 months after the hurricane. After snails recolonised the site, no trematodes were found in snails until 14 months after the hurricane. It took several years for snail and trematode populations to recover. Our results suggest that the increase in the occurrence of hurricanes predicted due to climate change can impact upon parasites with complex life cycles. However, both the snail populations and their parasite communities eventually reached numbers of individuals and species similar to those before the hurricane. Thus, the trematode parasites of snails can be useful indicators of coastal lagoon ecosystem degradation and recovery.
Exploring the Use of the Public's Views to Set Income Poverty Thresholds and Adjust Them Over Time

This study considers how the views of the public at large may be used to define the poverty income level. The basic data for the study come from routine Gallup surveys conducted since the beginning of the post-World War II period that asked representative samples of adults in the United States to estimate the smallest amount of money that a family of four needs to “get along.” Additional Gallup surveys undertaken in 1989 established the income corresponding to the poverty level using a similar approach. The author constructs a set of poverty thresholds, covering the post-World War II period, based on the single point-in-time poverty/get-along income relationship in 1989 and the full get-along series. Comparison of this set of thresholds with an alternative poverty series that is consistent with the Federal Government’s official poverty measure yields three principal findings: (1) a poverty level consistent with the official measure was a good deal higher than the Gallup-based poverty threshold in the immediate post-World War II period, (2) the income level of the official measure was likely consistent with the public’s views about the poverty level at the time when the official measure was introduced, and (3) since the late 1960’s and the early 1970’s, the income level of the official measure has fallen increasingly below the Gallup-based poverty threshold until 1989 when the official measure was 20 percent below the Gallup series. It is suggested that the two series have diverged over time because the views of the public about poverty level income have responded to increases in real income that have occurred since World War II while the official measure has remained fixed in real tenns.
Time-optimal control of a swing

It is well-known that some form of optimization takes place in skilled human tasks. Using largely numerical techniques researchers in the field of biomechanics have optimized different cost functions to predict human motion for tasks like walking and rowing. In a similar vein in this paper we show, using Pontryagin's minimum principle and after some simplification, that the typical pumping strategy used by children on a swing is time-optimal. We present results for the two special cases: When the swing is to be taken from small initial oscillations to a specific final angle in minimum time, and when it is to be brought from an initial angle to rest in minimum time. The method outlined is extendable to other initial and final conditions, though the results obtained for other boundary conditions are not as elegant and intuitive as in the cases discussed.
Virus-Induced Diabetes in a Transgenic Model: Role of Cross-Reacting Viruses and Quantitation of Effector T Cells Needed To Cause Disease

Virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) at frequencies of >1/1, 000 are sufficient to cause insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in transgenic mice whose pancreatic beta cells express as "self" antigen a protein from a virus later used to initiate infection. The inability to generate sufficient effector CTL for other cross-reacting viruses that fail to cause IDDM could be mapped to point mutations in the CTL epitope or its COO(-) flanking region. These data indicate that IDDM and likely other autoimmune diseases are caused by a quantifiable number of T cells, that neither standard epidemiologic markers nor molecular analysis with nucleic acid probes reliably distinguishes between viruses that do or do not cause diabetes, and that a single-amino-acid change flanking a CTL epitope can interfere with antigen presentation and development of autoimmune disease in vivo.
The entrepreneurial pursuit of technology program

The authors describe a program for pursuit of RD performance objectives and a reward system to motivate individual participation; and metrics to measure the desired results of the program. >
Does recreational computer use affect high school achievement

Historically, the relationship between student academic achievement and use of computers for fun and video gaming has been described from a multitude of perspectives, from positive, to negative, to neutral. However, recent research has indicated that computer use and video gaming may be positively associated with achievement, yet these studies have focused on small intact and qualitative samples. The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between academic achievement in high school and student use of computers for fun and video gaming using the large nationally representative ELS:2002 sample of students in grade 10 in 2002 and an independent effects two-level hierarchical linear model. Our results indicate that both student use of computers for fun and moderate levels of video gaming were positive and significant on cross-sectional reading and mathematics achievement assessments in high school, controlling for multiple covariates of achievement, but were not related to growth in mathematics from grade 10 to grade 12.
Lowering LDPC Error Floors by Postprocessing

A class of combinatorial structures, called absorbing sets, strongly influences the performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoders at low error rates. Past experiments have shown that a class of (8,8) absorbing sets determines the error floor performance of the (2048,1723) Reed-Solomon based LDPC code (RS-LDPC). A postprocessing approach is formulated to exploit the structure of the absorbing set by biasing the reliabilities of selected messages in a message-passing decoder. The approach converges quickly and can be efficiently implemented with minimal overhead. Hardware emulation of the decoder with postprocessing shows more than two orders of magnitude improvement in the very low bit error rate performance and error- floor-free operation below a BER of 10-12.
The engineer shall hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Unless, of course...

Engineering codes of ethics commonly state in the first canon that the engineer shall hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Although this is an unequivocal statement, engineers at times choose not to do so. In this paper I discuss five circumstances in which the engineer might choose not to hold the health, safety, and welfare of the public paramount: (1) if the engineers believes that the requirement is internally inconsistent, (2) if the engineer's religious convictions prevent adherence to the requirement, (3) if the engineer believes that the public does not know what is best for it, (4) if the engineer is forced to do otherwise, and (5) if the engineer believes that damage to the environment outweighs short term public interest. I discuss the moral implications of each reason, and finally suggest a modification of the first canon that, although unlikely to be adopted, frames my view of the responsibilities of engineers.
Pic simulation of MM and SUB-MM radiation source based on two-stream instability

Although there has been much interest in the THz region since as early as the 1920s, this part of the spectrum still remains one of the least used1. The interest in terahertz is driven by various fields such as biology, medicine, homeland security, and environmental monitoring, just to name a few2. THz radiation combines the penetrating power of lower-frequency waves and imaging capabilities of higher-energy infrared radiation. Conventional electronic sources of THz radiation either require very small structures or are bulky and expensive to operate. Optical sources necessitate cryogenic cooling and are presently capable of producing milliwatt levels of power at terahertz frequencies. We propose a millimeter and sub-millimeter wave source based on a well-known phenomenon called the "two-stream instability." The source is compact, simple in design, and requires low-energy and low-current electron beams for operation. In the proposed source the gain is obtained through the interaction of electron beams provided the velocity difference exceeds a threshold value. As a result, the presence of resonators and other circuits is not required and this fact frees the source from problems associated with complex machining, precise alignment, expensive parts, and catastrophic failures. The proposed device promises to be a reliable and inexpensive source of millimeter and sub-millimeter wave radiation and has the potential to generate watts of power at THz frequencies.
Cultured autologous keratinocyte sheets: use on large area burns.

The treatment of large burn areas can pose major problems if there are insufficient donor sites. In such cases, cultured autologous keratinocyte sheets present a viable alternative.
Laser-induced thermal blooming in rectangular waveguides

Steady-state thermal blooming in perfectly conductive rectangular waveguides is described by the coupling between the Helmholtz equation and the diffusion equation without convection. The fields are pinned at the walls by Dirichlet and Neumann conditions and the temperature by Dirichlet conditions. The equations are solved by Green’s functions in a perturbation scheme employing the Born approximation. The first-order solutions indicate that only about 4% of the energy is transferred from the unperturbed mode, as defined by a constant index of refraction, to all the higher-order modes for moderate absorption.
Plasmon-enhanced optical trapping of individual metal nanorods

We demonstrate three-dimensional optical trapping and orientation of individual Au nanorods, Au/Ag core/shell nanorods, and Au bipyramids in solution, using the longitudinal surface-plasmon resonance to enhance optical forces. Laser light that is detuned slightly to the long-wavelength side of the resonance traps individual and multiple particles for up to 20 minutes; by contrast, light detuned to the short-wavelength side repels rods from the laser focus. Under stable-trapping conditions, the trapping time of individual particles depends exponentially on laser power, in agreement with a Kramers escape process. Trapped particles have their long axes aligned with the trapping-laser polarization, as evidenced by a suppression of rotational diffusion about the short axis. When multiple particles are trapped simultaneously, evidence of interparticle interactions is observed, including a nonlinearly increasing two-photon fluorescence intensity, increasing fluorescence fluctuations, and changing fluorescence profiles as the trapped particle number increases.
Dietary Choline Requirement of Juvenile Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

We conducted an 11-wk feeding trial to determine the dietary choline requirement of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and to investigate whether dietary phosphatidylcholine (PC) could meet this requirement. Six dietary treatments contained choline concentrations of <0.11, 0.23, 0.34, 0.75, 1.22 or 3.37 g/kg diet. Two additional diets contained 31 g of lecithin/kg diet, with or without supplemental choline chloride (4.0 g choline/kg diet). The total sulfur amino acid concentration was maintained at 1.0 g/100 g diet (methionine/cyst(e)ine, 49:51). Diets were fed to satiation twice daily to triplicate groups of yellow perch initially weighing 16.0 g/fish. Weight gain, feed intake and carcass proximate composition were significantly affected by dietary choline. Weight gains and feed intakes increased as dietary choline increased from 0 to 0.75 g/kg. Both values tended to plateau in fish fed dietary choline levels above 0.75 g/kg. Broken-line analyses of weight gain and feed intake data indicated the dietary choline requirement was 0.598 and 0.634 g/kg diet, respectively. Hepatic lipid concentrations and feed efficiency values were not significantly different. Whole-body fat concentrations increased significantly, whereas ash levels decreased significantly in fish fed increasing levels of dietary choline. Weight gain and feed intake of fish fed diets containing PC were not significantly different from fish fed 0.75 g/kg of dietary choline. However, hepatic lipid concentrations were significantly higher in fish fed the diet containing PC and no choline chloride. Thus, yellow perch require a maximum of 0.598-0.634 g of choline/kg diet for maximum growth and this requirement may potentially be met with 31 g of lecithin/kg diet.
Parameter identification in a reaction diffusion model

Color negative film development is modeled by a system of reaction diffusion equations; see [1; Chap. 10] and the references given there. On April 12, 1991 Kam Chuen Ng from Eastman Kodak presented a submodel of the reaction diffusion process and raised questions regarding the identification of the parameters involved in the system.
Social Support Buffers the Impact of Depressive Symptoms on Life Satisfaction in Old Age

ABSTRACTObjective: Life satisfaction is an important component of overall well-being and declines in life satisfaction are related to adverse health outcomes and mortality. The current study investigated the association of various psychosocial and health-related factors to life satisfaction in older adults as well as the role of social support in moderating these relationships.Methods: 237 non-demented community-dwelling older adults (aged 70 and above) from the Einstein Aging Study completed self-report measures tapping the variables of interest.Results: Lower levels of depressive symptoms, less perceived stress, higher levels of social support, and better self-perceived general health were significantly associated with higher life satisfaction. Additionally, social support buffered the adverse impact of depressive symptoms on life satisfaction where more depressive symptoms were associated with much lower life satisfaction at low levels of social support than at high levels of social support.Conclusions...
Codepositing elements by halide-activated pack cementation

The codeposition of two or more elements in a halide-activated cementation pack is inherently difficult because of large differences in the thermodynamic stabilities for their volatile halides. However, through a computer-assisted analysis of the pack equilibria, combinations of suitable master alloys and activator salts can be identified. The codeposition of chromium plus aluminum or chromium plus silicon by pack cementation has yielded diffusion coatings with excellent resistance to high-temperature oxidation and corrosion fora wide range of alloy substrates.
Polymorphism analysis of Frankia in Hippophae rhamnoides of Ningxia

PCR-RFLP molecular marker was adopted to study the diversity of Sinensis-Frankia in symbiosis with Hippophae rhamnoides under natural conditions with 210 samples of root nodules of H.rhamnoides collected in seven locations located in Ningxia Guyuan.21 discernible loci were obtained,in which 15 polymorphic bands and 68.18% were polymorphic of these loci(PPL=68.18%).All samples were divided into A~E IGS types.Dendrogram analysis indicated at least 2 genotypes were found at most sites.It showed that genetic diversity of Frankia from H.rhamnoides root nodules was rich.Genotypes D and E,in poor soil areas might be earliest H.rhamnoides symbiotic bacteria.
Neonatal Transplant in Hypoxic Injury

Even with therapeutic hypothermia as standard of care, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates often causes long-term disabilities. Stem cell therapy may be a successful treatment for HIE both in the acute and chronic time periods post-injury. Neurogenic astrocytes with characteristics of neural stem cells can be cultured as adherent monolayers and be induced to generate neuronal progeny in vitro and in vivo following reintroduction into the neural stem cell niche of both neonatal and adult hosts. Thus, these neurogenic astrocytes represent promising candidates for cell replacement therapy in HIE. Such an approach requires optimized cell cultivation protocols as well as extensive testing of donor cells to assess their capacity for engraftment, survival, and integration in the HIE animal models. In this chapter, we will describe methods of generating the HIE model, generating and culturing monolayer neurogenic astrocytes, and transplanting these cells into HIE animal models.
THE ASSOCIATION OF ETHNICITY AND THE INCIDENCE OF MAMMARY CARCINOMA IN SITU IN WOMEN : 11,436 CASES FROM THE CALIFORNIA CANCER REGISTRY

Ethnic differences in the incidence of mammary carcinoma in situ (CIS) in women, as well as differences in the percentages of carcinomas diagnosed in the in situ stage, have been calculated from the 11,436 cases of CIS in the California Cancer Registry (CCR) for the years 1988 through 1992. White women have an average annual age-adjusted incidence (AAAIR) of 17.4/100,000; black women, 11.4/100,000; Hispanic women, 7.6/100,000; and Asian/other women, 8.3/100,000. White women have 11.8% of their carcinomas diagnosed in the in situ stage; black women, 10.2%; Hispanic women, 9.7%; and Asian/other women, 12.2%. In all ethnicities, CIS is predominantly a disease of postmenopausal women and is first diagnosed at an earlier age in nonwhite women. All of these observations have implications in the planning and evaluation of health care delivery and cancer control activities. Moreover, the younger age at diagnosis of women with CIS compared with those with invasive carcinoma supports the concept that CIS proceeds to invasive cancer.
A kinetic model of a cyclic system for the fluorometric microdetermination of adenosine triphosphatase activity.

The derivation of a series of kinetic rate equations to model a cyclic, multistep, fluorometric assay for ADP-generating systems is described. The reaction curves predicted by the model equations are compared with experimentally observed velocities for ATPase reactions to show that reaction rates that are constant and rate-limited by the rate of ADP generation are easily obtained within practical limits of auxiliary enzyme concentrations. The potential of this technique for the study of substrate-enzyme interactions over wide ranges of substrate and enzyme concentrations is discussed. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his gratitude to Dr. John J. O'Neill and Dr. William D. Blake for their invaluable advice and encouragement.
Monosomy 11q: Report of new phenotypic manifestations

We present a case of new phenotypic findings not previously reported associated with a partial deletion of chromosome 11 with a break point at 23q - (46,XY,del(11)(q23). Partial deletion of chromosome 11q was first described by Jacobsen et al(4). Forty-eight patients have been reported during the last 30 years, with variable break points between 11q11 and 11qter. New phenotypic findings in our patient with the associated 11q deletion are imperforate anus, bilateral cataracts, and hypoplastic, multilobed lungs.
The Volkswagen Air Pollution Emissions Litigation

On September 18, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 482,000 Volkswagen diesel engine vehicles sold in the United States were programmed to pass emissions tests, but when operated under normal driving conditions emit air pollutants well above the legal limit. Interestingly, EPA, with a budget of $12 million to oversee compliance with transportation regulations, never discovered the cheating that went on for many years. Instead, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), a European environmental group, wanted to know how Volkswagen was meeting U.S. emission standards that were more stringent than Europe’s. ICCT hoped to have the U.S. technology adopted for European motor vehicles.
Book Review of Ulrich, Dave and Wendy Ulrich (2010) The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

For ages, business leaders and students of business have posed questions on how to help organizations succeed or be more successful. According to the authors of this book, the central question to focus on is not: Why don't our employees work harder? Rather, the more fruitful question is: Why do people work at all? The authors of this book suggest that before asking, "What do my employees put into their work," one should ask, "What do they get out of their work?" This book review describes how leaders can teach those with whom he or she is involved by following, and teaching, the timely and true concepts found within The Why of Work. This not only helps to find meaning in life's mundane activities, but moreso in the area of talents and how talent equates to the passions of both individual and groups.
Antitumor effects of anti-CD40/CpG immunotherapy combined with gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in the B16 melanoma model

Our previous studies demonstrated that anti-CD40 mAb (anti-CD40) can synergize with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG) to mediate antitumor effects by activating myeloid cells, such as macrophages in tumor-bearing mice. Separate teams have shown that chemotherapy with gemcitabine (GEM) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) can reduce tumor-induced myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in mice. In this study we asked if the same chemotherapy regimens with GEM or 5-FU will enhance the antitumor effect of anti-CD40 and CpG. Using the model of B16 melanoma growing intraperitoneally in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, we show that these GEM or 5-FU treatment regimens reduced MDSC in the peritoneal cavity of tumor-bearing mice. Treatment of mice with GEM or 5-FU did not significantly affect the antitumor function of macrophages as assessed in vitro. In vivo, treatment with these GEM or 5-FU regimens followed by anti-CD40/CpG resulted in antitumor effects similar to those of anti-CD40/CpG in the absence of GEM or 5-FU. Likewise, reduction of MDSC by in vivo anti-Gr-1 mAb treatment did not significantly affect anti-CD40/CpG antitumor responses. Together, the results show that the GEM or 5-FU chemotherapy regimens did not substantially affect the antitumor effects induced by anti-CD40/CpG immunotherapy.
Effects of Pulmonary Embolism on the Lung

Summary The pathophysiologic consequences of pulmonary thromboemboli on pulmonary function result both from the direct effects of vascular occlusion and from released vasoactive and bronchoactive mediators. All of these alterations in function are further modified by the effect of embolization on cardiac function, predominantly through modification of the ####. This complex interaction of events makes it difficult to clearly assign mechanisms to all of the observed changes in patients as well as to utilize changes in clinical values as a way of following the natural history of the vascular occlusion.
The American Army and the First World War

David R. Woodward, Emeritus Professor of History at Marshall, has written a comprehensive and superb study of the American Army, from its slow and difficult transition as a constabulary force used ...
Evaluation of Ground Motion Selection Techniques for Seismic Rigid Sliding Block Analyses

AbstractSeismic sliding block displacements provide a useful index for the seismic performance of a slope and are computed for a suite of acceleration-time histories selected to fit a target ground motion. This paper explores the effect of different ground motion selection techniques on computed rigid sliding block displacements. In particular, capturing the characteristics of ground shaking through the consideration of the additional ground motion parameters that influence sliding displacement [i.e., peak ground velocity (PGV) and Arias intensity (Ia)] is investigated. Rigid sliding block displacements are computed for ground motion suites scaled to a target peak ground acceleration (PGA) and selected using different approaches. Two suites are selected to fit target acceleration response spectra [i.e., uniform hazard spectra (UHS) and conditional mean spectra (CMS)], and three suites are selected to fit conditional probability distributions for PGV and Ia through the generalized conditional intensity mea...