cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extraction of cellular DNA from human cells and tissues fixed in ethanol

DNA can be extracted from ethanol-fixed lymphoid cells and tissues. The fixation procedure is simple and rapid, and the DNA extraction itself is the same as that normally used for fresh tissue or cells. DNA extracted from ethanol-fixed material is indistinguishable from DNA extracted from fresh samples based on its purity, its ability to be digested with restriction endonucleases, and its ability to specifically hybridize to DNA probes. The capability to extract DNA from ethanol-fixed cells and tissues eliminates the need for stringent handling and storage requirements of fresh or frozen specimens.
Incubation temperature of the pigeon embryo (Columba livia)

Abstract This study compared the growth and development of pigeon embryos raised in the nest under normal parental care to that of eggs from the same clutch incubated in an incubator. The average daily temperatures of both environments (nest and incubator) were the same, but the hourly average temperatures and patterns of temperature fluctuations of these environments differed. Our results indicate that the small temperature fluctuations experienced by pigeon eggs in the nest under parental incubation may be the optimal thermal environment for in ovo growth and development.
Fear, disgust, and fainting in blood–injection–injury fears: a multi-method approach

Abstract The present study investigates the relations between fear, disgust, and fainting symptoms in blood–injection–injury (BII) fears. Participants classified as BII fearful (BII) and non-BII fearful (NF) were exposed to fear relevant (body mutilation) and irrelevant (spider, contaminated food) pictorial stimuli. The participants were also presented with in vivo fear relevant (mutilation) and fear irrelevant (spider, contaminated food) stimuli. Results indicated that BII individuals reported more fear, disgust, and fainting symptoms toward fear relevant and fear irrelevant pictorial and in vivo stimuli compared with NF individuals. Fear and disgust responding on the pictorial task for mutilation stimuli did not predict fainting symptoms in the BII cohort. However, fear responses to the in vivo mutilation stimulus significantly predicted fainting symptoms when controlling for disgust, whereas disgust responding to the in vivo mutilation item did not significantly predict fainting symptoms when controlli...
A 10-bit 64MS/s SAR ADC using variable clock period method

This paper presents a low-power 10-bit 64MS/s successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for Built-In Self Test (BIST) that uses a monotonic capacitor switching and variable clock period method for single input condition. To achieve high speed, a non-fixed clock time technique is used to reduce not only peak current but also die area. The technique removes conversion time waste and extends the SAR operation speed over 64MHz easily. Compared to the converters that use the conventional procedure, maximum peak current and DAC driver's area are reduced by about 33.8% and 25.2%, respectively. Single input ADC generally limits the resolution unlike the differential input ADC. However, the proposed ADC in this paper achieves high resolution and accuracy with a single input signal. The prototype was designed using 0.13μm single poly 6 metal standard CMOS technology. Using 1.2V supply and the sampling rate of 64 MS/s, the ADC achieves a SNDR of 50.2 dB and consumes 1.325 mW. The ADC core occupies an active area of only 185μm×210μm.
Automatic identification of dynamic piecewise affine models for a running robot

This paper presents a simple, data-driven technique for identifying models for the dynamics of legged robots. Piecewise Affine (PWA) models are used to approximate the observed nonlinear system dynamics of a hexapedal millirobot. The high dimension of the state space (16) and very large number of state observations (~100,000) motivated the use of statistical clustering methods to automatically choose the submodel regions. Comparisons of models with 1 to 50 PWA regions are analyzed with respect to state derivative prediction and forward simulation accuracy. Derivative prediction accuracy was shown to reduce average in-axis absolute error by up to 52% compared to a null estimator. Simulation results show tracking of state trajectories over one stride length, and the degradation of simulation prediction is analyzed across model complexity and time horizon. We describe metrics for comparing the performance of different model complexities across one-step and simulation predictions.
Effects of fluctuating temperature and immersion on asexual reproduction in the intertidal sea anemone Hauplanella luciae (Verrill) in laboratory culture

Abstract Haliplanella luciae (Verrill) was maintained in laboratory cultures according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. The factors were 1) constant immersion or continuously alternating periods of 6 h immersion followed by 6 h emersion and 2) 18 °C constant temperature or 24 °C during one 6-h emersion period each day and 18 °C for the remaining 18 h. Significantly different numbers of fissions were observed between both the two immersion and two temperature conditions. A negative correlation was found between the number of fissions and the total dry weight of tissue per bowl. There was a different distribution of individual weights in the two immersion conditions. Some instances of pedal laceration were observed.
Kinetics of cuprous oxide etching with β-diketones in Supercritical CO2

Abstract Cuprous oxide films (Cu2O) supported on Cu or on SiO2 were etched using solutions of β-diketones including 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetone, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione and 2,2,7-trimethyl-3,5-octanedione (TMOD) in supercritical carbon dioxide at temperatures between 80 and 150 °C and pressures between 20 and 27.5 MPa. The films and etched substrates were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling, field emission scanning electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Each of the etching agents was effective. Etching kinetics using TMOD were measured at 100, 125 and 150 °C. At 150 °C the etch rate was 1.5 nm/min. Based on the activation energy obtained from the studies (66 kJ/mol), etching rates of greater than 10.0 nm/min can be obtained at 200 °C.
Micro-Grazer Biomass, Composition and Distribution across Prey Resource and Dissolved Oxygen Gradients in the Far Eastern Tropical North Pacific Ocean

Abstract The ecology of micro-grazers ( M g ) was investigated across prey and dissolved oxygen (DO) gradients in the eastern tropical north Pacific Ocean (ETNP) during October–November 2007. Surface ( a (Chl a ) across a ∼1700 km north–south transect ranged between the seasonal average of 0.2 μg Chl a L −1 to 1.8 μg Chl a L −1 in an extensive Chl a -rich patch in the center of the transect. Limiting ( −1 O 2 ) DO concentrations were encountered as shallow as 24 m. Biomass of M g in waters above the upper oxycline (UO) ranged between 5.6 μg C L −1 and 36.6 μg C L −1 , with highest M g biomass observed in locations with highest Chl a . Heterotrophic dinoflagellates contributed most, on average, to M g biomass (41% to 53%), followed by aloricate spirotrich ciliates (24% to 29%) and heterotrophic nanoflagellates (11% to 33%). Biomass of M g decreased, on average, over 96% in waters below the UO, but this decrease did not appear to be regulated by DO; M g biomass more strongly correlated with Chl a ( r =0.83, P r =0.76, P r =0.67, P a alone accounted for 68% M g biomass variability, whereas Chl a and temperature combined accounted for 84%. In two M g grazing experiments we found that M g removed 33% and 108% of surface primary production in the upper mixed layer. These estimates of M g grazing, while limited in scope, fall within estimates from other regions of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, and help reinforce the paradigm that M g are influential in regulating organic carbon dynamics in the eastern tropical Pacific. A primary finding from this study was that observations of M g biomass are higher than previously reported for the ETNP. This observation suggests that the region’s complex air–sea interactions and the resultant positive influence on primary production and phytoplankton biomass can episodically support high biomass of a diverse M g community.
Spinal Injury Rates in Three Wild Trout Populations in Colorado after Eight Years of Backpack Electrofishing

Abstract We examined long-term effects of annual intensive backpack electrofishing on rates of spinal injury and population abundance of three salmonid and one catostomid species in three small northern Colorado streams and compared rates of externally evident injuries to actual injuries determined by X ray. After 6–8 years of annual three-pass removal electrofishing, injury rates for brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in treatment sections of two streams averaged 10.4% and 12.3%, but were 0% in previously unshocked controls. In a third stream containing all species in sympatry, longnose suckers Catostomus catostomus sustained the highest average injury rates (9.6%), followed by brown trout Salmo trutta (6.9%), rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (4.0%), and brook trout (3.5%). These rates were based on external evaluation and probably greatly underestimated actual rates of healed injuries because 44% of X-rayed fish with no externally evident spinal injury showed previous injury. Despite the high incidence ...
Two strategies for PCB soil remediation: Biodegradation and surfactant extraction

Two strategies for the cleanup of PCB-contaminated soils are being developed: biodegradation by selected bacteria and extraction with aqueous surfactant solutions. Extensive biodegradation has been demonstrated by Pseudomonas putida strain LB400 in studies with Aroclor-spiked laboratory soil and soil from a New York State site containing 525 ppm of transformed Aroclor 1242 (depleted of di- and trichlorobiphenyls). Solutions of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can extract PCB from soils. A bench-scale process with four countercurrent stages effected the cleanup of a heavy clayey soil. The PCB was recovered from the surfactant solution by precipitation with calcium chloride, reducing the mass of contaminated material to 3% of the original soil mass.
Fissure sealant wear at 30 months: new evaluation criteria

Abstract The volume, depth and area of fissure sealant wear at 30 months is reported. Eighteen premolar teeth were included in the study. The teeth were sealed (Concise, White Sealant, 3M Dental Products Div., St Paul, MN, USA) and an impression taken, yielding a baseline record. Subsequent impressions were taken at 6 months and 30 months. Epoxy replicas were made from all impressions and the occlusal surface of each replica was digitized using a displacement stylus and programmable retrieval system. A goodness-of-fit routine was used to compare the digitized replicas and quantify wear. At 30 months, there was a mean sealant volume loss of 0.43 ± 0.24 mm 3 (mean of the maximum depth loss = 221.8 ± 115.1 μm; mean area loss = 0.62 ± 0.15 mm 2 ) for all teeth. A new parameter, the Occlusal Stability Ratio (OSR), is discussed which describes the relationship between sealant area and sealant volume.
Reduced growth hormone secretion is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in obesity.

Context: Obesity is associated with reduced GH. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether reduced GH is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in obesity. Design: A total of 102 normal-weight and obese men and women without known hypopituitarism were studied. Subjects underwent GH stimulation testing with GHRH-arginine. Lipid profile, inflammatory markers, oral glucose tolerance test, abdominal computed tomography, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and cIMT were measured. Relative GH deficiency was defined as peak GH of 4.2 μg/liter or less. Subjects were separated based on BMI and GH testing into three groups: normal weight, obese GH sufficient (GHS), and obese relative GH deficient (GHD). Age, gender, and race were similar between the groups. BMI, percentage body fat, and visceral adiposity did not differ between obese GHS and relative GHD. Results: Peak GH was associated with cIMT, IGF-I, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, adiponect...
The three-dimensional X-ray crystal microscope: A new tool for materials characterization

The three-dimensional (3-D) X-ray crystal microscope is a new nondestructive tool for the 3-D characterization of the mesoscopic and nanoscopic materials structure. A prototype microscope is installed on beamline 34-ID at the advanced photon source and has begun initial operation. The prototype microscope has a routine spatial resolution of approximately 0.5 × 0.5 × 1 µm3 and can probe tens to hundreds of microns below a sample surface, depending on the composition of the sample. For each volume element measured, the microscope can determine between 10 and 16 parameters. The measured parameters are the local crystallographic phase (1 deg of freedom), the Eulerian angles of crystal orientation (3 deg of freedom), and the plastic and/or elastic strain-tensor elements (6 to 12 deg of freedom). The time required to collect each volume element varies between 1 and 14 seconds, depending on the precision of the parameters and the sample complexity. Much faster data acquisition and much better spatial resolution are certain in the near future. Some initial results are presented to illustrate how the 3-D X-ray crystal microscope can provide unprecedented information about the 3-D structure of materials.
Comparison of universal newborn hearing screening programs in Illinois hospitals.

Summary Summary/objectives In accordance with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing's (JCIH, 2000) position statement regarding Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings (UNHS), the state of Illinois enacted legislation requiring all birthing hospitals to conduct UNHS by 31 December 2002. Currently 100% of birthing facilities in the state of Illinois perform newborn infant hearing screenings using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and/or automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) measures. This study is an attempt to document current practices in hospital-based UNHS programs, as reported by program personnel, in the state of Illinois. The goal is to compare these reported practices to the recommended standards and identify factors that could lead to further refinement of the process. Methods A modified version of the Newborn Hearing Screening Survey from the Marion Downs National Center for Infant Hearing was used to gather practice- and protocol-related data for the 2004 calendar year via the World Wide Web. Data presented here are extracted from the online survey as reported by hospital staff presumably associated with the UNHS program. Results Fifty-nine of the 140 hospitals with UNHS programs responded to the Web-based survey. Nursing staff, followed by technicians, were most commonly reported to perform initial hearing screenings in both the well-baby nursery (WBN) and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Audiologists appeared to participate in re-screenings at a greater number of the facilities. Automated ABR was the most common screening tool (80%) followed by Distortion Product OAEs (32%) and Transient Evoked OAEs (5%). Eighty-six percent reported referral rates that were less than 5%, with 32% reporting a referral rate less than 1%. Conclusions At the beginning of 2004, 99% of all infants born in Illinois were being screened for hearing loss. Personnel involvement and screening measures employed were comparable to the few reports available from other states. The audiologist's role was found to be fairly limited in screening, re-screening, or managing UNHS programs. Referral rates were consistent with national standards (∼1%). Management of UNHS programs in small, rural facilities, tracking/monitoring high-risk infants, and other services provided to families emerged as areas with room for improvement.
A Finite-Depth Wind-Wave Model. Part I: Model Description

Abstract A parametric windsea model for arbitrary water depths is presented. The model is derived from a conservation of energy flux formulation and includes shoaling, refraction, dissipation by bottom friction, as well as finite-depth modifications of the atmospheric input and nonlinear wave–wave interaction source terms. The importance of dissipation due to a rough ocean floor on the migration of the spectral peak frequency is discussed and compared with that caused by nonlinear energy transfer. Numerical simulations are used to systematically examine wave growth and the development of the spectral peak in a depth-limited ocean. Two idealized situations of wave growth and propagation are considered to further understand the influence of bottom friction on the spectral dynamics. The first case studies the characteristics of fetch-limited wave growth in a steady, uniform wind as function of depth and bottom roughness. The second case examines the role of bottom dissipation on a fully developed deep-water ...
What do we know that van der Waals did not know

Abstract Reference is made to some of the areas in which van der Waals's work in the nineteenth century anticipated modern developments. This includes applications of the mean-field approximation to the study of dense liquids, of critical phenomena in pure and multicomponent fluids, and of higher-order critical points, particularly tricritical points. The main focus of this lecture, though, is on interfacial structure and thermodynamics, where the work of the present author has had its roots in van der Waals's theory of capillarity. Problems treated include those of wetting and line tension in three-phase equilibrium; pre- (or premonitory) wetting and premelting (surface melting) and the associated boundary tension in the interface between bulk phases; and fluctuations in the internal composition of interfaces and three-phase lines.
A spatially and temporally adaptive solution of Richards’ equation

Abstract Efficient, robust simulation of groundwater flow in the unsaturated zone remains computationally expensive, especially for problems characterized by sharp fronts in both space and time. Standard approaches that employ uniform spatial and temporal discretizations for the numerical solution of these problems lead to inefficient and expensive simulations. In this work, we solve Richards’ equation using adaptive methods in both space and time. Spatial adaption is based upon a coarse grid solve and a gradient error indicator using a fixed-order approximation. Temporal adaption is accomplished using variable order, variable step size approximations based upon the backward difference formulas up to fifth order. Since the advantages of similar adaptive methods in time are now established, we evaluate our method by comparison with a uniform spatial discretization that is adaptive in time for four different one-dimensional test problems. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method provides a robust and efficient alternative to standard approaches for simulating variably saturated flow in one spatial dimension.
The bioavailability of iron, lead and cadmium via gastrointestinal absorption: A review

The primary route of entry of essential metals and most pollutant metals into the body is by gastrointestinal absorption. Although intraluminal factors influence the bioavailability of metals, the major control level of absorption probably resides in the intestinal mucosal cell. Interrelationships between various metals may effect their bioavailability at both the luminal and mucosal levels. It has also been shown that the nutritional status may have a profound influence on the absorption of some metals; iron, calcium, and protein deficiency may enhance the absorption of several pollutant metals, although this is apparently not simply an increased gut permeability to all heavy metals. Valid speculations regarding the absorption of pollutant metals is difficult since, even after several decades of intensive study, the precise mechanisms of controlling the absorption of iron and other trace metals are unknown.
Modeling Slow Phase Velocity Generation during Off‐Vertical Axis Rotationa

1. Rotation about an off-vertical axis (OVAR) causes continuous unidirectional nystagmus in darkness. An analysis of the dynamics of the nystagmus suggests that the continuous slow-phase velocity is generated by a signal that is an estimate of the velocity of a traveling wave pattern associated with the excitation and inhibition of the cells of the otolith maculae. The estimated velocity signal then excites the velocity storage integrator. 2. A mathematical model has been developed that shows how the velocity of the traveling wave might be estimated from patterns of otolith activation related to head position. The estimation of velocity is based on a "template matching" algorithm. It is assumed that the signal arising in each cell of the macula is delayed by a certain time (T). As the head rotates in the gravitational field, a delayed pattern representing a previous position of the head is available as a "template" that can be compared to the pattern associated with the present position of the head. 3. The delayed signal level for each cell is approximated from the present pattern by a spatial extrapolation in pattern space using information from the given cell and an adjacent one. The value of the displacement that minimizes the mean square error between the extrapolated and the delayed signal values over all cells gives a best estimate of head rotation (d) in time T. The estimated head velocity is proportional to the estimated head displacement (d) and inversely proportional to the delay time (T). 4. By using a linear spatial extrapolation function and assuming a uniformly spaced distribution of polarization vectors over 360 degrees, sinusoidal spatial patterns are obtained. The formula for the estimated head velocity (ŵ) reduces to a sinusoidal function of angular head velocity (w) and delay time (T). For T = 0.85 seconds, the model predicts that the steady state estimate of head velocity will rise as a function of stimulus velocity (w) to a peak value at w = 50 deg/sec. The estimate then declines for larger values of stimulus velocity (w). This type of behavior is observed in the slow-phase velocity characteristics of OVAR in monkeys. 5. The model predicts that when animals are tilted after prolonged rotation about a vertical axis, the estimate of head velocity is delayed relative to actual head velocity. This accounts for the delay in the buildup of slow-phase velocity during the initial second.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Use of vehicles with client groups

In analyzing the group's behavior in the vehicle one needs to determine whether the behavior is obstreperous and aggressive or whether it is excessive energy and enthusiasm stimulated by the anticipated activity. If the worker determines that the group's hyperactivity is due to enthusiasm and delight over the anticipated pleasure, he may interpret to the group his awareness of their delight and enthusiams and support it. At the same time that he indicates his awareness of their impatience in not getting into the activity soon enough, the worker needs to help the group realize the danger potentials in their behavior and the need to maintain safety. Group members often have persecutional interpretations of regulations and rules (Redl & Wineman, 1957, p. 117). However, group workers need to help members acquire more realism about behavior that is appropriate in a vehicle.
Systematic investigation of mesonic hypernuclei with four and more decay prongs

Abstract The results of a systematic investigation of mesonic decays of hypernuclei into four and more charged particles, based on a sample of 74 events, are presented. The question of a particle-stable Λ 6 Li hypernucleus is further discussed.
Nutritional deficiency and the skin

Cutaneous changes occur in deficiency states of many nutritional elements; ascorbic acid, retinol, protein-energy, cyanocobalamin, phytonadione (vitamin K), biotin, ribroflavin, pyridoxine, niacin, essential fatty acids, and zinc. There are also inherited disorders of copper, bi-otin, zinc, and tryptophan metabolism. Cutaneous vitamin D synthesis is inhibited by sunscreen use. The striking skin changes of the glucagonoma syndrome may be related to nutritional pathways.
Evaluating strategies and costs to recruit smokeless tobacco users

We recruited smokeless tobacco users throughout Minnesota to participate in a trial testing telephone counseling versus a written self-help manual for cessation. This paper describes the recruitment strategies applied on a state-wide basis. We established a recruitment tracking system to monitor weekly rates of screened callers and returned consents, allowing us to adjust future recruitment efforts. Screening was completed with 783 callers, with 406 subjects enrolled. Overall 44% of initial contacts and 52% of those screened enrolled in the study. The overall average cost per consented subject was $99. Sports talk radio, small print ads, and newspaper articles based on press releases were consistently effective channels for recruitment. The overall cost was expensive but reflected the geographic diversity of recruitment and the prevalence of oral snuff use.
XI. On the conditions which determine the ultimate optical efficiency of methods for observing small rotations, and on a simple method of doubling the accuracy of the mirror and scale method

(1897). XI. On the conditions which determine the ultimate optical efficiency of methods for observing small rotations, and on a simple method of doubling the accuracy of the mirror and scale method. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 44, No. 266, pp. 83-97.
Gas Holdup Behavior in Nylon Fiber Suspensions

The gas holdup behavior in a nylon fiber suspension with various fiber lengths (L = 2, 3, and 6 mm) is investigated. Experiments are performed over a range of superficial gas velocities (U g ≤ 18 cm/s) and a range of fiber mass fractions (0 ≤ C ≤ 1.8%) in a 15.24-cm-diameter semibatch bubble column. Day-to-day variations in the gas holdup create difficulties in interpreting the effect of the fiber mass fraction. These variations are attributed primarily to nylon fiber surface additives leaching into the suspension water and loss of hydrophobicity in a prolonged water environment. As an alternative, the gas holdup in rayon fiber suspensions is highly reproducible.
Contemporary use of beta receptor antagonists in chronic heart failure

β-adrenergic receptor antagonists slow disease progression, improve symptoms, and increase survival. They should be considered standard of care for patients with stable heart failure and understanding which drugs provide benefit and how to initiate therapy is crucial to improving prognosis.
ShadowLight: a flexible architecture for immersive rapid prototyping and design

ShadowLightTM is a virtual reality application that provides a spatially immersive environment for rapid prototyping and design. Rather than restricting users to the fixed toolkit of artistic or construction-centric manipulators of traditional systems, it provides a novel degree of flexibility by supporting a plugin architecture that allows the designer to utilize highlevel components as the design media.
Effects of Hypoxia on the Onset of Muscle Deoxygenation and the Lactate Threshold

Six subjects performed two trials of incremental cycling to exhaustion under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The lactate threshold and onset of muscle deoxygenation were highly correlated under both conditions, and during the hypoxic condition both variables shifted leftward.
Cultural Shareability, Archetypes and Television Soaps: `Oshindrome' in Thailand

The Japanese television soap opera Oshin, which has been broadcast in 47 countries to date, has emotionally stirred worldwide audiences as no previous television series. One reason for Oshin's audi...
Use of human pancreatic ribonuclease antibodies to delineate pancreas related ribonucleases in human serum.

Abstract Antibodies to the purified polycytidylate hydrolysing human pancreatic RNase were raised in rabbits. The partially purified antibody preparation is free from RNase. The polycytidylate hydrolysing human serum RNase is inhibited by the pancreatic RNase antibodies. Experiments have been carried out to establish optimal conditions for this inhibition. The serum RNase forms an inactive soluble complex with the antibody. Treatment of serum RNase-antibody complex with glycine-HCL buffer of pH 2.0 containing polyethylene glycol releases RNase activity. Goat antirabbit serum immunoglobulin precipitates serum RNase-antibody complex. In order to determine the pancreas related RNase in human serum, the serum RNase activity was measured with poly (C) as a substrate in the absence and presence of antibody. According to this assay about 98% of total polycytidylate hydrolysing human serum RNase activity is related to human pancreatic RNase. The main advantages of this assay over radio-immunoassay are its simplicity, economy of time and capital costs.
Ultra-low loss vertical optical couplers for 3D photonic integrated circuits

We design, fabricate, and demonstrate ultra-low loss Si 3 N 4 vertical couplers for multilayer photonic integrated circuits. We achieve 0.05 dB coupling loss, 100×2 µm2 footprint, and vertical coupling tolerant to lateral misalignment up to 1.2 µm.
Nonrenormalizable terms in the free fermionic formulation of 4D strings

Abstract We examine the nonrenormalizable terms in the effective superpotential of four-dimensional free fermionic strings. It is shown that generically such terms are nonvanishing in a large class of models. We discuss the constraints they must satisfy to be nonzero and illustrate this explicitly by evaluating a representative nonrenormalizable term in a particular model, namely the flipped SU(5)×U(1) model. We further point out that this is the only class of models where nonrenormalizable terms can be unambiguously calculated, thus greatly enhancing the predictive power of the theory.
The ethical implications and religious significance of organ transplantation payment systems

One of the more polarizing policies proposed to alleviate the organ shortage is financial payment of donors in return for organs. A priori and empirical investigation concludes that such systems are ethically inadequate. A new methodological approach towards policy formation and implementation is proposed which places ethical concerns at its core. From a hypothetical secular origin, the optimal ethical policy structure concerning organ donation is derived. However, when applied universally, it does not yield ideal results for every culture and society due to region-specific variation. Since religion holds significant influence in the organ donation debate, three religions—Catholicism, Islam, and Shinto—were examined in order to illustrate this variation. Although secular ethical concerns should rest at the core of policy construction, certain region-specific contexts require cultural and religious competence and necessitate the adjustment of the optimal template policy accordingly to yield the best moral and practical results.
Living Donor Kidney Transplantation in the United States—Looking Back, Looking Forward

There is a desperate need for kidney donors. Twenty-five years ago, we urged more widespread acceptance of unrelated living donors for kidney transplantation. Since then, 2 of us have donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient. In our view, the major challenges for living donor transplantation today are to improve access to this extraordinary gift of life and ensure its safety. Our perspective is that altruism is the motivation for most living kidney donors and the decision to donate represents a shared responsibility among the donor, the donor's physician, and the team of professionals at the transplant center. Thus, sound knowledge of the benefits and risks to donors and recipients is required for informed decisions, and all parties share in the responsibility for the outcomes after living kidney donation. We encourage our colleagues and agencies within the US Department of Health and Human Services to accept the responsibility to do their utmost to provide access to this life-enhancing procedure and systematically evaluate the safety of kidney donation as it evolves to meet the needs of more of our patients.
Lateral masking vertically and horizontally

The greater effectiveness of peripheral over central masks was investigated in an experiment with 16 separate target-mask displays: a single mask letter above, to the left of, below, or to the right of a single target letter, and the pair of letters above, to the left of, below, and to the right of fixation. Close target-mask spacing was used, and the center points of the target-mask pairs were held constant. Peripheral masking was more effective than foveal masking in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Furthermore, masks on the same radius as the target (whether peripheral or central) were more effective than masks off that radius. The results were consistent with Wolford’s (1975) feature-perturbation model of visual masking.
Allele-specific network reveals combinatorial interaction that transcends small effects in psoriasis GWAS.

Hundreds of genetic markers have shown associations with various complex diseases, yet the “missing heritability” remains alarmingly elusive. Combinatorial interactions may account for a substantial portion of this missing heritability, but their discoveries have been impeded by computational complexity and genetic heterogeneity. We present BlocBuster, a novel systems-level approach that efficiently constructs genome-wide, allele-specific networks that accurately segregate homogenous combinations of genetic factors, tests the associations of these combinations with the given phenotype, and rigorously validates the results using a series of unbiased validation methods. BlocBuster employs a correlation measure that is customized for single nucleotide polymorphisms and returns a multi-faceted collection of values that captures genetic heterogeneity. We applied BlocBuster to analyze psoriasis, discovering a combinatorial pattern with an odds ratio of 3.64 and Bonferroni-corrected p-value of 5.01×10−16. This pattern was replicated in independent data, reflecting robustness of the method. In addition to improving prediction of disease susceptibility and broadening our understanding of the pathogenesis underlying psoriasis, these results demonstrate BlocBuster's potential for discovering combinatorial genetic associations within heterogeneous genome-wide data, thereby transcending the limiting “small effects” produced by individual markers examined in isolation.
Efficient algorithms for solving modified matrix equations of linear systems

Multiparameter change in linear algebraic systems is investigated systematically by a parameter matrix decomposition of the modified system interaction matrix. Transformation of the corresponding modified response matrix to a parameter representation considerably reduces the computation of system response. Three highly efficient response change algorithms are formulated and critically compared.
ANOTHER LOOK AT SLAVIC LIQUID DIPHTHONGS

This paper represents an attempt to simplify the treatment of the evolution of Slavic liquid diphthongs, both low (ar) and high (ur). This is done by positing two isoglosses, which specify metathesis and liquid desyllabification. The relative order of these isoglosses varies from area to area within Slavic and is a crucial factor in deriving the correct forms. The desyllabification of liquids is linked with an epenthetic mora caused by regressive compensation. This epenthesis can be structurally linked with the prosodic phenomenon of leftward accent spread.
Conservation genetics of snowy plovers ( Charadrius alexandrinus ) in the Western Hemisphere: population genetic structure and delineation of subspecies

We examined the genetic structure of snowy plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) in North America, the Caribbean, and the west coast of South America to quantify variation within and among breeding areas and to test the validity of three previously recognized subspecies. Sequences (676 bp) from domains I and II of the mitochondrial control region were analyzed for 166 snowy plovers from 20 breeding areas. Variation was also examined at 10 microsatellite loci for 144 snowy plovers from 14 breeding areas. The mtDNA and microsatellite data provided strong evidence that the Puerto Rican breeding group is genetically divergent from sites in the continental U.S. (net sequence divergence = 0.38%; F ST for microsatellites = 0.190). Our data also revealed high levels of differentiation between sites from South America and North America (net sequence divergence = 0.81%; F ST for microsatellites = 0.253). In contrast, there was little genetic structure among breeding sites within the continental U.S. Our results suggest that snowy plovers in Florida should be considered part of C. a. nivosus (rather than part of C. a. tenuirostris, where they are currently placed), whereas snowy plovers from Puerto Rico should be considered part of C. a. tenuirostris. Snowy plovers in South America should remain a separate subspecies (C. a. occidentalis). Although U.S. Pacific and Gulf Coast breeding areas were not genetically distinct from other continental U.S. sites, demographic isolation, unique coastal habitats, and recent population declines suggest they warrant special concern.
COMPARING TWO GRAMMAR-BASED GENERATION ALGORITHMS: A CASE STUDY

In this paper we compare two grammar-based generation algorithms: the Semantic-Head-Driven Generation Algorithm (SHDGA), and the Essential Arguments Algorithm (EAA). Both algorithms have successfully addressed several outstanding problems in grammar-based generation, including dealing with non-monotonic compositionality of representation, left-recursion, deadlock-prone rules, and nondeterminism. We concentrate here on the comparison of selected properties: generality, efficiency, and determinism. We show that EAA's traversals of the analysis tree for a given language construct, include also the one taken on by SHDGA. We also demonstrate specific and common situations in which SHDGA will invariably run into serious inefficiency and nondeterminism, and which EAA will handle in an efficient and deterministic manner. We also point out that only EAA allows to treat the underlying grammar in a truly multi-directional manner.
Modular verification of multithreaded programs

Multithreaded software systems are prone to errors due to the difficulty of reasoning about multiple interleaved threads operating on shared data. Static checkers that analyze a program's behavior over all execution paths and all thread interleavings are a powerful approach to identifying bugs in such systems. In this paper, we present Calvin, a scalable and expressive static checker for multithreaded programs based on automatic theorem proving. To handle realistic programs, Calvin performs modular checking of each procedure called by a thread using specifications of other procedures and other threads. Our experience applying Calvin to several real-world programs indicates that Calvin has a moderate annotation overhead and can catch common defects in multithreaded programs, such as synchronization errors and violations of data invariants.
Diffusion scaling through structural templates given by the 3d dynamic Ising model

Abstract We present new results describing diffusion through networks exhibiting dynamic disorder where diffusion ‘pathways’ are found from dynamic structures obtained from kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) computer simulations consistent with Kawasaki dynamics in the 3d Ising lattice model. Our simulation results for the diffusion/conductance scaling exponent s are in excellent accord with the most widely quoted theoretical value s = 2 ν - β , where ν and β are 3d static percolation exponents in cubic lattices. This is in contrast to experimentally obtained values for this scaling exponent where there appears to be substantial disparity between many of these prior published results.
Literature and Environment

Since prehistory, literature and the arts have been drawn to portrayals of physical environments and human-environment interactions. The modern environmentalist movement as it emerged first in the late-nineteenth century and, in its more recent incarnation, in the 1960s, gave rise to a rich array of fictional and nonfictional writings concerned with humans' changing relationship to the natural world. Only since the early 1990s, however, has the long-standing interest of literature studies in these matters generated the initiative most commonly known as “ecocriticism,” an eclectic and loosely coordinated movement whose contributions thus far have been most visible within its home discipline of literature but whose interests and alliances extend across various art forms and media. In such areas as the study of narrative and image, ecocriticism converges with its sister disciplines in the humanities: environmental anthropology, environmental history, and environmental philosophy. In the first two sections, w...
Effect of Racial Characteristics of Investigator on Self-Enumerated Responses to a Negro Prejudice Scale

Will the investigator's racial characteristics affect responses to a Negro attitude scale when a group administered, anonymous, self-enumerative procedure is employed? Since the questionnaires were group administered, two investigators were used for each group. In a portion of the groups both investigators were white. In the remainder of the groups there was a Negro and a white investigator. The results indicate that socially acceptable answers to the Negro attitude scale are reported with greater frequency when one of the investigators is a Negro. However, this phenomena is more pronounced among certain strata of respondents than among others suggesting that we might profitably view such effects as the result of interaction between investigator and respondent characteristics. T he present paper reports the results of a study of the effect of the race of the questionnaire administrator on reported racial attitudes among college students. The data were collected by a group-administered, anonymous, self-enumerative questionnaire. Attitude toward Negroes was selected as the dependent variable in light of evidence which indicates that reporting of racial attitudes is affected by the investigator's characteristics when data are collected by interview. For example, Athey and his associates found that interview respondents gave "socially acceptable answers" to questions concerning racial issues such as housing and intermarriage when interviewed by Orientals and Negroes.1 White interviewers were given answers that were markedly less "socially acceptable." Our question then is will the investigator's racial characteristics affect responses when a group administered, anonymous, self-enumerative procedure for data collection is employed?
Scalar and matrix complex nonoscillation criteria

In his recent book on ordinary differential equations Hille ( 3 ) devotes a chapter to complex oscillation theory. Drawing upon his own work in this area and the work of Nehari, Schwarz, Taam, and others, he gives a variety of oscil-lation and nonoscillation theorems for solutions of the differential equation where z is a complex variable and p is regular in some appropriate domain. There are a number of results for (1.1) with an arbitrary coefficient o and some discussions for special cases of classical interest, such as the Bessel and Mathieu equations. There is a bibliography at the end of the chapter. For other recent work in this area attention is directed to papers by Herold ( 1 , 2 ) Kim ( 4 , 5 ) and Lavie ( 6 ) where other references are given.
Synthesis and Real-Time Magnetic Manipulation of a Biaxial Superparamagnetic Colloid

Superparamagnetic colloidal plates were synthesized from tetrabutylammonium stabilized Ca2Nb3O10 nanosheets and oleic acid-stabilized Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Modification with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane produces amine-terminated Ca2Nb3O10 with an amine concentration of 0.43 ± 0.06 groups per Ca2Nb3O10 unit as follows from spectroscopic quantification with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid as a dye. Treatment of the modified sheets in THF/ethanol with 5.3 nm oleic acid-stabilized magnetite nanoparticles yields pseudo-2D assemblies that consist of 2 nm thick nanosheets decorated on both sides with a dense collection (9.3 ± 0.5 × 103 particles per square micrometer per side) of magnetite particles. In noncoordinating or weakly coordinating solvents, these composite particles further aggregate into stacked aggregates with a mean edge length of 1.6 ± 0.7 μm and a thickness of 79 ± 30 nm. The colloidal plates were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, and infrared and UV/vis spectroscopy. SQ...
On the sum capacity of a class of cyclically symmetric deterministic interference channels

Certain deterministic interference channels have been shown to accurately model Gaussian interference channels in the asymptotic low-noise regime. Motivated by this correspondence, we investigate a K user-pair, cyclically symmetric, deterministic interference channel in which each receiver experiences interference only from its neighboring transmitters (Wyner model). We establish the sum capacity for a large set of channel parameters, thus generalizing previous results for the 2-pair case.
Convertible Bond Calls: Resolution of the Information Content Puzzle

This study resolves the puzzling evidence on convertible bonds by documenting that conversion-forcing calls are indeed bad news. Supporting the long-term implications of Harris and Raviv (1985), we document that the common stocks of calling firms substantially underperform their benchmarks by a median of 64% over the five-year post-call period. In contrast, firms that choose not to call their in-the-money convertibles exhibit no long-run abnormal performance. We show that studies drawing conclusions based on short-term price reversal immediately following the call fail to completely capture the valuation effect that occurs over a longer time horizon. We document that the market condition at the time of the call (issuance volume) and cash flow benefits related to the call (relation between dividend and after tax coupon payment) influence the post-call stock price performance. Our analysis also reveals that the post-call underperformance of high-growth firms is more pronounced than that of low-growth firms, indicating greater market exuberance associated with high-growth firms at the time of the call.
The Impact of Media Information on Issue Salience Following Other Organizations’ Failures

Research on organizational decision making seeks to understand how external events shape how organizational decision makers attend to particular issues and allocate scarce resources across the organization’s activities. The author investigates whether supplemental information available to decision makers about their own and other organizations impacts this process. He finds that media coverage about particular issues following failures throughout the field can influence decisions regarding resource allocation and that coverage about other organizations may in some cases be more influential than coverage about the focal firm. The study and its findings forward our understanding regarding how organizations scan their environments and how multiple, interacting forms of external information may collectively influence internal organizational processes.