cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extreme lasing with exotic all-dielectric metasurface feedback (Conference Presentation)

The talk highlights our recent efforts in modelling the nonlinear optical processes integrated with nanophotonic devices with a particular emphasis on lasing with feedback from topologically exotic metasurfaces. We have developed a computational multiphysics framework that provides a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear light-matter interaction dynamics in nanophotonic devices. Our technique relies on a semi-classical approach that utilises carrier kinetics to model the nonlinear media in the time domain, where the rate equations are coupled to the Maxwell equations to provide a full-wave multiphysics framework for modelling nonlinear nanophotonic structures. The framework has been applied to a large number of nonlinear processes, including the enhancement of optical limiting in a plasmonic metasurface, spacing from a nanohole array, two-photon absorption, random lasing, and many others. The talk presents a computational effort in modeling nanophotonics devices coupled to two-photon absorbing media. A six-level system is used to model the kinetics of two-photon absorption with organic dyes. This model is successfully used to match the spectral response of the organic 4,4’-bis(diphenylamino) stilbene (BDPAS) at low and high excitation energies and can be employed for accurate full-wave analysis of structured nanophotonic devices with multi-photon absorption media. Then, the numerical analysis of a dielectric metasurface-based nanolaser and the experimental validation of the numerical results is chosen as the central theme, considering nanolasers with feedback from exotic all-dielectric metasurfaces with bound states in the continuum (BICs). Metasurfaces find a wide variety of applications due to their versatile functionalities and more straightforward fabrication vs bulk metamaterials. However, their spectral response is generally broad, hindering their applicability to devices requiring sharp spectral features. We utilise the exotic phenomenon of BICs to realise high Q-factor resonances in all-dielectric metasurfaces. The designed BIC-based metasurfaces exhibit operation independent of polarisation with resonances in the visible.
Interaction across Ideological Boundaries and College Outcomes.

Through the analysis of alumni survey data from three graduating cohorts, this study examined the relationships between ideological interaction, college outcomes, and career achievements and explor...
Effects of catastrophic wind disturbance, salvage logging, and prescribed fire on fuel loading and composition in a Pinus palustris woodland

Abstract Feedbacks between forest vegetation, forest fuels, and fire are critical to the perpetuation of fire-dependent ecosystems. In Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) woodlands, low-intensity fires facilitate a positive feedback in which highly flammable Pinus needles produced by canopy trees sustain frequent fires. These frequent fires inhibit recruitment of more fire-sensitive species and facilitate P. palustris dominance. Although these relationships are recognized in frequent-fire forests, we do not understand how vegetation-fuels-fire feedbacks may be modified by catastrophic disturbances and subsequent salvage logging in these ecosystems. In this study, we sought to address how the composition of fuelbed components differed between mature, catastrophically wind-disturbed, and salvage-logged sites and how prescribed fire would differentially interact with these fuel complexes. Using a permanent plot network, we quantified total fuel loading and fuel loading by flammability group (seven categories based on flammability characteristics) across the three disturbance treatments before and after operational-scale prescribed fire. For total fuel loading, we found significant interactions between disturbance treatment and time relative to prescribed fire. The fuel complex of mature sites was relatively homogenous, dominated by Pinus needles. Fuels on wind-disturbed and salvaged sites had minor contributions from Pinus needles, but that was somewhat offset by increased contributions by early successional species that have flammability characteristics similar to Pinus needles. The prescribed fire reduced fuel loading across all treatments and homogenized the wind-disturbed and salvage-logged fuel complexes. Although salvage logging resulted in a disparate fuel assemblage, prescribed fire appeared to reduce dissimilarity with the naturally disturbed condition.
Sexual Assault Prevention With Student-Athletes: Exploring Perceptions of the Campus Climate and Awareness of Sexual Assault Policies and Resources:

Increasing awareness of school sexual assault policies and resources is a central component of sexual assault prevention. Research suggests that the state of the campus climate impacts an individual's level of awareness, particularly for at-risk groups like student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine how macro factors such as participation in sexual assault prevention, perceptions of the institutional response to addressing sexual assault, and perceptions of campus staff (i.e., campus police, athletic staff, and administration) are associated with awareness of sexual assault policies and resources. Student-athletes at five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools participated in a web-based survey to assess their perceptions of the campus climate and awareness of sexual assault policies and resources. The results from an ordinary least squares multiple regression model revealed that past participation in sexual assault prevention, more positive perceptions of the institutional response, and more positive perceptions of campus police and administration were associated with a greater awareness of sexual assault policies and resources while controlling for race, ethnicity, and gender. Perceptions of athletic staff was not significantly related to awareness of policies and resources. These findings demonstrate that delivering consistent messaging and engaging campus staff in sexual assault prevention provides a foundation for building a positive campus climate which, in turn, may reduce campus sexual assault.
Level of Scientific Evidence Underlying Recommendations from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hematologic Malignancies: Are We Moving Forward?

Background: National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines are the most comprehensive and widely used standard for clinical care in malignant hematology by clinicians and payers in the US. The level of scientific evidence in NCCN guidelines for malignant hematological conditions has not been recently investigated. We describe the distribution of categories of evidence and consensus (EC) among the 10 most common hematologic malignancies with regard to recommendations for staging, initial and salvage therapy, and surveillance. Methods: NCCN uses a system of guideline development distinct from other major professional organizations. The NCCN definitions for EC are: category I, high level of evidence such as randomized controlled trials with uniform consensus; category IIA, lower level of evidence with uniform consensus; category IIB, lower level of evidence without a uniform consensus but with no major disagreement; and category III, any level of evidence but with major disagreement. We compared our results with previously published results from 2011 guidelines. Results: Total recommendations increased by 16.6% from 1160 (2011) to 1353 (2020). Of the 1353 recommendations, Category 1, 2A, 2B and 3 EC were 5%, 91%, 4%, 1% while in 2011 they were 3%, 93%, 4% and 0% respectively. Recommendations with category 1 EC were found in all guidelines, except for Burkitt's Lymphoma. 6.3% of therapeutic recommendations were category 1 EC with the majority (56.4%) pertaining to initial therapy. Guidelines with highest proportions of therapeutic recommendations with category 1 EC were Multiple Myeloma (12.4%), CLL/SLL (6.9%) and AML (5.6%). Between 2011 and 2020, the proportion of category I recommendations increased significantly only in Follicular lymphoma and CLL/SLL. No category 1 EC recommendations existed in staging or surveillance. Conclusion: Recommendations issued in the 2020 NCCN guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence but with uniform expert opinion. Despite the major advances in hematology in the past decade, this is largely unchanged. Our study underscores the urgent need and available opportunities to expand the current evidence base in malignant hematological disorders which forms the platform for clinical practice guidelines. Download : Download high-res image (224KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Interplay of Nicotine and Social Stress Mediate Dopaminergic Neuron Firing in the Ventral Tegmental Area - Nucleus Accumbens Pathway, Contributing to Stress and Depressive Mood Disorders.

Nicotine use and social stress have a complex interplay, which has been shown to be mediated by cholinergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Social stress is often comorbid with nicotine consumption, and the presence of either stress or nicotine use significantly increases the risk of developing the other. In fact, it has been shown in mice that nicotine injection is sufficient to increase susceptibility to social defeat, a reliable model for stress and anxiety-like behavior. Stressful events can molecularly remodel cholinergic synapses, inducing the production of more cholinergic transporters and increasing the number of nicotinic receptor binding sites. One way stress and nicotine remodel cholinergic synapses are through long-term potentiation (LTP) in cholinergic pathways in the VTA, enhancing the experience of stress and the effects of addiction. Despite both primarily acting on the ????7 subtype nicotine receptor, nicotine and stress induce LTP in vastly different ways: nicotine acts quickly via ligand-gated ion channels while stress activates a slower hormonal-induced G-protein coupled receptor pathway. These findings suggest that dopaminergic VTA neurons may be a useful therapeutic target for depression, anxiety, and other stress-related disorders. Deep brain stimulation has preliminarily shown to be a potential therapeutic treatment for untreatable depression, especially when it targets the medial forebrain bundle within the VTA-NAc pathway. Sleep patterns are also partially regulated by dopaminergic VTA neurons, and sleep deficits may contribute to social stress and other depressive symptoms. The role of nicotine dependence in stress-related mental illnesses is especially important to consider given the recent increase in adolescent nicotine use with the advent of vaping. Adolescents already have an increased risk for developing mental illnesses, and it is important that young people are made aware of the potential psychological harms of nicotine use.
Ultra-broadband silicon photonic polarization beam splitter with anisotropic subwavelength grating metamaterials

We present an ultra-broadband polarization beam splitter using adiabatically tapered waveguides with anisotropic subwavelength grating metamaterials. The bandwidth of $\text{BW}_{20\text{dB}}\approx 200$ nm was achieved numerically, which was confirmed experimentally for the spectral range between 1500–1640 nm.
The Role of Gendered Entitlement in Understanding Inequality in the Bedroom

Five studies (using U.S. samples) examined whether men’s higher entitlement contributes to a sexual pleasure gap that disadvantages women. Participants indicated that men receive more sexual pleasu...
Sleep Disturbance, Sleep Duration, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies and Experimental Sleep Deprivation

Background Sleep disturbance is associated with inflammatory disease risk and all-cause mortality. Here, we assess global evidence linking sleep disturbance, sleep duration, and inflammation in adult humans.
Landscript 3: Topology: Topical Thoughts on the Contemporary Landscape

In his essay ‘Four Trace Concepts in Landscape Architecture’ (1999), landscape architect and educator Christophe Girot noted that ‘a designer seldom belongs to the place in which he or she is asked...
Partial Suppression of Bacteriophage T4 Ligase Mutations by T4 Endonuclease II Deficiency: Role of Host Ligase

Endonuclease II-deficient, ligase-deficient double mutants of phage T4 induce considerably more deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis after infection of Escherichia coli B than does the ligase-deficient single mutant. Furthermore, the double mutant can replicate 10 to 15% as well as wild-type T4, whereas the single mutant fails to replicate. When the E. coli host is also deficient in ligase, the double mutant resembles the single mutant. The results indicate that host ligase can substitute for phage ligase when the host DNA is not attacked by the phage-induced endonuclease II.
An uncommon treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder : A case study

This article describes the unorthodox, but successful treatment of a 32-year-old male client suffering from chronic obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The client was first diagnosed with OCD at age 18, and since then had received all of the standard treatments (both therapeutic and pharmacological) for OCD without showing any improvement. The treatment described here focused on alleviating the client's symptoms of depression, forcefully discouraging the client's talk about his OCD symptoms, and behavioral assignments derived from systemic-constructivist theory. Decisions made by the therapist at various stages of treatment were based on several well-known marriage and family therapy techniques.
Uncertainty in Hurricanes and Global Warming

The marked increase in land-falling hurricanes in Florida and Japan in 2004 has raised questions about whether global warming is playing a role. In his Perspective, Trenberth explains that the observational hurricane record reveals large natural variability from El NiA±o and on multidecadal time scales, and that trends are therefore relatively small. However, sea surface temperatures are rising and atmospheric water vapor is increasing. These factors are potentially enhancing tropical convection, including thunderstorms, and the development of tropical storms. These changes are expected to increase hurricane intensity and rainfall, but the effect on hurricane numbers and tracks remains unclear.
Efficient Parallel Algorithms for Dense Cholesky Factorization

Dense Cholesky factorization arises in area such as linear programming, boundary element methods and radiosity computations. In this paper we focus on designing efficient parallel algorithms for Cholesky factorization.
Affinity labeling of the active site of staphylococcal nuclease. Reactions with bromoacetylated substrate analogues.

Abstract The reaction of staphylococcal nuclease with stoichiometric amounts of 3'-(N-14C-bromoacetyl-p-aminophenylphosphoryl)-deoxythymidine 5'-phosphate, an alkylating reagent that is a derivative of a strong competitive inhibitor, deoxythymidine 3',5'-diphosphate, results in inactivation of enzymatic activity. No reaction occurs in the presence of the competitive inhibitor, or when Ca++, which is required for binding of substrates and inhibitors, is omitted from the reaction mixture. The modified enzyme derivative was readily purified and separated from unreacted enzyme since it did not adsorb to a column containing Sepharose to which the competitive inhibitor, deoxythymidine 3'-p-aminophenylphosphoryl 5'-phosphate, was covalently bound. The radioactivity of this protein derivative was accounted for by N-carboxymethyllysine 48 (36%) N-carboxymethyllysine 49 (40%), and O-carboxymethyltyrosine 115 (15%) in the primary structure of the protein. Only one of these residues is alkylated in a given protein molecule. These residues are presumed to be located in the region of the tertiary structure of the enzyme which affords specific affinity for substrates and inhibitors, but which does not determine the hydrolytic rate constants. Staphylococcal nuclease is also inactivated, stoichiometrically, in the presence of Ca++, by the 14C-bromoacetyl derivative of the poorly hydrolyzed substrate, deoxythymidine 5'-p-aminophenylphosphate. This reagent selectively alkylates tyrosine 85, which is thought to occupy a position near the hydrolytic portion of the active site. The reaction occurs either by alkylation followed by hydrolysis, or by both processes occurring in a concerted fashion, possibly through the initial formation of a phosphorylated enzyme-substrate intermediate. The enzyme derivative modified by alkylation at tyrosine 85 is adsorbed to the specific nucleaseinhibitor Sepharose column, indicating that it possesses residual binding function. The derivative is catalytically active, although its affinity for DNA and synthetic substrates is severely depressed. Reaction of staphylococcal nuclease with the bromoacetyl derivative of deoxythymidine 3'-p-aminophenylphosphate, a weak inhibitor of the enzyme, results in considerable nonspecific and random alkylation. Reaction nevertheless occurs selectively with a residue important for catalysis (lysine 24). Although the amount of this specific reaction is small compared to the total reaction with the protein, as judged by incorporation of 14C, no other single residue appears to be as highly labeled.
The Social Life of Emotions: Emotional Variation in Work Groups

The human tendency toward homogeneity is a cornerstone of social psychology. Classic studies going back to at least Asch (1955, 1956) and Sherif (1936) suggest that, when interacting with others, variance in human thought and action disappears as people conform to other group members and group norms. Convergence is considered to be a primary consequence of social interaction and group life. In fact, group life often becomes synonymous with uniformity and conformity among members. So, it is not surprising that research on emotion as a group-level construct focuses on homogeneity and on the mechanisms that propel group members to share emotional reactions (see Anderson & Keltner, this volume; Barsade & Gibson, 1998; Bartel & Saavedra, 2000; Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1994; Hatfield & Rapson, this volume). Although group dynamics researchers have documented powerful pressures that drive out variance, variance within groups has also been a persistent, if less frequent, theme as well (Cartwright & Zander, 1960; Schein, 1965). Groups do not transform members into clones: Variance persists in even the most homogenous groups, and such variation can have important consequences. Some modern research on group cognition does imply the value of examining variation in groups. The widely studied notion of transactive memory, for example, is predicated on the heterogeneity of information held by group members – that group members know and remember different things (e.g., Liang, Moreland, & Argote, 1995; Moreland, 1999; Wegner, 1986).
Virginia Mason Medical Center (Abridged)

In 2000, Dr. Gary Kaplan became CEO of the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. The hospital was facing significant challenges: It was losing money for the first time in its history, staff morale had plummeted, and area hospitals presented ardent competition. Considerable change was imminent. Within his first few months, Kaplan had rallied the organization around a new strategic direction: to become the quality leader in health care. What Kaplan and his administrators lacked was an effective tool to execute their strategy. Soon thereafter, a series of serendipitous events led to the discovery of the Toyota production system, and the Virginia Mason Medical Center became entrenched in an overwhelming challenge: how to institute a production model in health care.
Vitamin C suppresses oxidative lipid damage in vivo, even in the presence of iron overload.

Ascorbate is a strong antioxidant; however, it can also act as a prooxidant in vitro by reducing transition metals. To investigate the in vivo relevance of this prooxidant activity, we performed a ...
Analysis of antibody responses to predominant linear epitopes of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus.

Abstract Using synthetic peptides, we have defined the major linear antibody epitopes of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), i.e., A1A (VP1(12-25)), A1Ba (VP1(146-160)), A1Cb (VP1(262-276)), A2A (VP2(2-16)), A2B (VP2(165-179)), and A3A (VP3(24-37)). A time course study with either pooled or individual sera indicates that susceptible SJL mice intracerebrally infected with TMEV strongly and selectively recognize the A1Cb epitope of VP1, compared with resistant BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice, which broadly recognize most of the epitopes on the different capsid proteins. However, antibodies from SJL mice subcutaneously immunized with TMEV recognize primarily A1Ba, A1Cb, and A2A epitopes. A similar predominant recognition of the A1Cb epitope was found with antibodies from the cerebrospinal fluid of intracerebrally virus-infected SJL mice. Interestingly, a substantial level of antibodies against the A1Cb epitope in virus-infected SJL mice is of the immunoglobulin G2a subclass, in contrast to an undetectable level of this immunoglobulin G subclass in virus-immunized SJL mice. The level of in vitro viral neutralization by antibodies did not correlate with the clinical signs. Antibodies to A1Cb, A2A, and A2B were able to neutralize viral plaque formation in vitro, while antibodies to A3A, A1A, and A1Ba were not.
Apsidal Alignment in Upsilon Andromedae

One of the parameters fitted by Doppler radial velocity measurements of extrasolar planetary systems is omega, the argument of pericenter of a given planet's orbit referenced to the plane of the sky. Curiously, the omega's of the outer two planets orbiting Upsilon Andromedae are presently nearly identical: Delta-omega = omega_D - omega_C = 4.8 deg +/- 4.8 deg (1 sigma). This observation is least surprising if planets C and D occupy orbits that are seen close to edge-on (sin i_C, sin i_D > 0.5) and whose mutual inclination Theta does not exceed 20 deg. In this case, planets C and D inhabit a secular resonance in which Delta-omega librates about 0 deg with an amplitude of 30 deg and a period of 4000 yr. The resonant configuration spends about one-third of its time with |Delta-omega| 40 deg, either Delta-omega circulates or the system is unstable. This instability is driven by the Kozai mechanism which couples the eccentricity of planet C to Theta to drive the former quantity to values approaching unity. Our expectation that Theta < 20 deg suggests that planets C and D formed in a flattened, circumstellar disk, and may be tested by upcoming astrometric measurements with the FAME satellite.
MECHANICS OF ENAMEL ADHERENCE, XI

The effect on adherence of the variation in the amount of cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, and manganese oxide, and the effect of atmosphere, air, oxygen, and nitrogen on ad- herence were studied. Enamels of same base but with varying amounts of the special oxides were made up, fired in the various atmospheres, and tested for adherence by drop- hammer impact methods and by flexure methods. A number of photographs of metallographic sections showing contact line between enamel and metal are given. General conclusions are (1) that adherence is not a function of the roughness of contact line, (2) that the adherence promoting effect of cobalt oxide is higher at 1.25% than at 2.5% or 5.0%, and (3) that the effect of oxygen and nitrogen in general is to decrease the adherence as measured by impact strength.
Women as Producers and Consumers of Tourism in Developing Regions

Women as Producers and Consumers of Tourism in Developing Regions. Yorghos Apostolopoulos. Sevil Sonmez. and Dallen J. Timothy. eds. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001. 272 pp.
Dual processor VHSIC MIL-STD-1750 A computer module

The design of a MIL-STD-1750 A computer implemented on a SEM-E size module is described. The module features a unique multi-processor architecture with two 1750 A-compatible processors and two intelligent PI-bus interface devices sharing a common on-board memory. The module implements the 1750 A memory mapping scheme, includes circuitry for processor control during software debug, and circuitry for built-in-test. The module has external interfaces for a dual PI-bus, a dual TM-bus, an IEEE-488 bus, discretes, and interrupts. Several novel technologies have come together in order to implement all of these features on single-width SEM-E size module. First, VHSIC-class technology was utilized to develop seven complex ICs in submicrometer CMOS to implement the primary functions. Next, fine-pitch leadless ceramic chip carrier packages were developed to reduce the size of the high pinout devices. Finally, advanced, high density, surface mount compatible, board technology was required for enhanced solder-joint reliability. >
The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the US Population: Emerging American Identities

Images and interpretations of the past, present, and future of the American racial and ethnic landscape are contradictory. Many accounts focus on the increasing diversity that results from immigration and differential natural increase as well as the proliferation of racial and ethnic categories in census data. Less attention has been paid to the formation and erosion of racial and ethnic identities produced by intermarriage and ethnic blending. The framers and custodians of census racial classifications assume a “geographic origins” definition of race and ethnicity, but the de facto measures in censuses and social surveys rely on folk categories that vary over time and are influenced by administrative practices and sociopolitical movements. We illustrate these issues through an in-depth examination of the racial and ethnic reporting by whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics in the 2000 census. The emerging pattern, labeled here as the “Americanization” of racial and ethnic identities, and most evident for whites and blacks, is of simplified racial identities with little acknowledgment of complex ancestries. National origin is the predominant mode of reporting racial and ethnic identities among Asians and Hispanics, especially first-generation immigrants. The future of racial and ethnic identities is unknowable, but continued high levels of immigration, intermarriage, and social mobility are likely to blur contemporary divisions and boundaries.
Prognosis Informed Design Framework for Operation and Maintenance of Wind Turbines

Advances in high performance sensing and signal processing technology enable the development of failure prognosis tools for wind turbines to detect, diagnose, and predict the system-wide effects of failure events. Although prognostics can provide valuable information for proactive actions in preventing system failures, the benefits have not been fully utilized for the operation and maintenance decision making of wind turbines. This paper presents a generic failure prognosis informed decision making tool for wind farm operation and maintenance while considering the predictive failure information of individual turbine and its uncertainty. In the presented approach, the probabilistic damage growth model is used to characterize individual wind turbine performance degradation and failure prognostics, whereas the economic loss measured by monetary values and environmental performance measured by unified carbon credits are considered in the decision making process. Based on the customized wind farm information inputs, the developed decision making methodology can be used to identify optimum and robust strategies for wind farm operation and maintenance in order to maximize the economic and environmental benefits concurrently. The efficacy of proposed prognosis informed maintenance strategy is compared with the condition based maintenance strategy and demonstrated with the case study.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Effects of ion irradiation on cobalt nanocomposite

Abstract The effects of ion irradiation of 3-dimensional arrays of Co nanoparticles were investigated. Arrays were obtained by electron beam deposition of 15 Co/SiO2 bilayers 0.5 and 20 nm thick, respectively. The Co layers consist of Co nanoparticles 3.2 nm in diameter with a standard deviation of 16%. Irradiation was carried out using combinations of 150 kV Ar2+ and 90 kV Ar+ ion bombardments with a Ar+:Ar2+ fluence ratio of 1:4. The effects of ion irradiation were followed by Rutherford backscattering, measurements of hysteresis loops at 5 K and of temperature-dependent field-cooled (FC) and zero-field-cooled (ZFC) measurements of the magnetic susceptibility. A decrease of the peak temperature in the ZFC curve for displacements per atom (DPA) up to 1.1 was observed. Irradiation also induces progressively lower coercivity values. The Co particles showed a remarkable high resistance to ion irradiation, surviving damage up to 33 DPA.
Measuring Technological Change of Heterogeneous Products

Abstract Technological-change measures of heterogeneous products must account for their diverse characteristics. The central task of this report is to develop and apply such measures. The following definition focuses on the heterogeneous nature of products: Technological change of a product whose characteristics and prices change over time is the change in total factor inputs required to produce the product while holding characteristics (output) constant. The authors develop a theory of technological design and production to provide an explicit framework in which to place empirical measures of technological change, hedonic price indexes, and cost-estimating relationships. Technological change equations were estimated for milling machines, turbine-powered airliners, and turbine engines. On the basis of the empirical findings, the authors conclude that, because of omitted variables, the use of product characteristics as a shortcut to measures of value and performance is an uncertain undertaking and cannot be counted on to produce adequate measures of productivity, hedonic prices, or technological change.
Contact pH of rectal mucosa in humans and dogs.

A technique to measure the pH on the surface of rectal mucosa of humans and dogs is described.
Demonstration of concept for fabrication of lunar physical assets utilizing lunar regolith simulant and a geothermite reaction

Abstract NASA's anticipated return to the Moon by 2020 and subsequent establishment of a lunar base will necessitate the development of methods to utilize lunar resources for various construction and resource extraction applications. In this study the design of a lunar physical asset utilizing in-situ resources available at the lunar surface was examined. The design incorporated a voussoir dome type of architecture that has been in use for centuries on Earth. Production of the desired dome elements was accomplished by initiating a geothermite reaction in a mixture of lunar regolith simulant and aluminum powder. Shaping of voussoir elements was accomplished during the reaction using a custom fabricated silica-slip crucible to contain the geothermite reactant mixture. The product of the reaction retained the shape of the crucible.
Reconstruction of cavopulmonary pathway for the patient with persistent arteriovenous malformations due to offset flow from hepatic vein

The hypoxemia caused by arteriovenous malformations after cavopulmonary shunt in patients with heterotaxy, an interrupted inferior vena cava and single ventricle physiology have been treated by incorporation of hepatic vein flow into the pulmonary circulation. However, some patients have persistent arteriovenous malformations because of offset hepatic venous flow to one pulmonary artery. Various approaches have been used to change offset flow to achieve balanced hepatic flow to the lungs in this patient population. This case report highlights the challenges that may be associated with anastomosis of the azygos vein to the inferior vena cava at the level of the diaphragm and illustrates an alternative technique to direct hepatic venous blood into an affected lung with arteriovenous malformations. The redirection of hepatic venous flow to the affected pulmonary artery resulted in resolution of symptoms within months of surgery.
The Influence of Rheumatic Fever on Serum Concentrations of the Enzyme, Glutamic Oxalacetic Transaminase

Variations in serum concentration of the enzyme, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, in 64 patients with rheumatic fever were studied. Elevations were noted in 17 of 26 patients with carditis of definite or questionable activity and transiently in one rheumatic subject with viral myocarditis. Except for one patient with polyarthritis and equivocal evidence of acute cardiac involvement, serum concentrations were normal during noncardiac rheumatic manifestations and inactive carditis. There was no relationship to temperature, sedimentation rate, white blood count or C-reactive protein. Intermittent necrosis of myocardial fibers probably leads to these increased serum transaminase concentrations.
Macroinvertebrate communities in Wheeler Reservoir (Alabama) tributaries after prolonged exposure to DDT contamination

Quarterly measurements were conducted of the structure, abundance, and diversity of macroinvertebrates comprising two distinct, but overlapping zoobenthic communities in backwaters to Wheeler Reservoir Alabama. The study area included portions of Huntsville Spring Branch (HSB) and Indian Creek (IC) which contain massive quantities of DDT residues (DDTR = DDT, DDD, DDE). Additionally, sewage effluents entering HSB just upstream from the study area have resulted in nutrient enrichment, especially at the two uppermost stations. Herpobenthos (burrowed in bottom sediments) and haptobenthos (attached to substrates) were collected at seven stations along an east-west gradient including a control site above the DDT contamination, and sites with mean sediment residues ranging from 2,730 ppm DDTR in HSB down to 12 ppm DDTR at the mouth of IC. Fifty taxa were collected from dredge samples of the herpobenthos; Tubificid oligochaetes and chironomid larvae comprised 97% of the herpobenthos. At the two uppermost stations in HSB, the control site and the site with the highest sediment DDTR, oligochaete density averaged twice that of chironomids. Downstream, densities of both groups were similar. Mean density at the upper two stations was 9431 and 10 644 organisms m−2, respectively, significantly (P < 0.05) higher than downstream stations. Herpobenthos was dominated by detrital-algal feeders in HSB while in IC, predaceous chironomids were more numerous. Taxa diversity was also lowest (P < 0.05) at the two upper sites. Forty-five taxa were collected from artificial substrate (Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers) samples of the haptobenthos. Naidid oligochaetes and chironomids dominated the haptobenthos, although nematodes were occasionaly abundant. Chironomids were more abundant than oligochaetes at all sites except the control station, which received the greatest nutrient enrichment from sewage effluents. Mean haptobenthic density in the middle portion of the study area ranged from 31 163 to 37 310 organisms m−2 and was diferent (P < 0.05) from upper and lower stations. Taxa diversity was lowest at the upper-most station, but no trends were evident among stations. Nutrient enrichment from sewage effluents apparently had greater impact on zoobenthic communities in the HSB-IC System than did DDT contamination. However, the presence of DDTR undoubtedly contributed, in part, to the few Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera collected at contaminated stations. Based on the density of oligochaetes and chironomid larvae at station 2 (highest DDTR), macroinvertebrates in this system are resistant to DDTR.
Intraoperative Retrograde Ureteral Stent Placement and Manipulation During Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty Without Need for Patient Repositioning

Ureteral stent placement during adult laparoscopic pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction can be performed preoperatively or intraoperatively either in a retrograde or antegrade approach. Intraoperative retrograde stent placement is the most commonly used technique. Comparative studies, however, suggest that there is a significant component added to the overall operative times because of the need for patient repositioning from the lithotomy to the flank position before pyeloplasty. During our laparoscopic pyeloplasty surgery, we position the patient in the lateral decubitus position and incorporate a lower extremity support device for female patients. This allows initial open-ended catheter placement and subsequent access to the perineum and final stent placement throughout the procedure without need for patient repositioning. In addition, our technique allows for intraoperative fluoroscopy to delineate the complete ureteral anatomy. Since 2004, we have used this approach in 111 consecutive patients without complications. We describe our technique for intraoperative ureteral stent placement in the flank position during adult laparoscopic pyeloplasty without need for patient repositioning.
Optical Data Links For Point-Of-Sale (POS) Electronic Terminals, Communications And Control

This paper describes an optical data link designed to meet high performance, reliability, and cost requirements at 1.25 and 10 Mb/s. Several new technologies are embodied in this design. This link utilizes a fast, broad-area, low-brightness light-emitting diode (LED) optical source, a low-loss optical fiber having a large core and high numerical aperture (N.A.), and a PIN photodiode detector. Rather simple circuitry is used to drive the LED and to regenerate the received optical signal at the PIN. The optical interfacing hardware is designed to provide simultaneous transmission of the optical and electrical signals, making the optical data link compatible with mainframe hardware and providing relocatability and reduced installation costs. The data link has met the various performance specifications for point-of-sale (POS) terminals in the laboratory, and it is presently being evaluated more extensively.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Continuous outdoor operation of an all-sky polarization imager

With the increasing use of polarization as an added dimension in imagery for a variety of scientific, defense, and civilian applications comes a need for better understanding of how the natural environment affects polarization signatures. In the visible and near-infrared spectral range, the most important environmental component is polarized skylight. To provide data to help improve understanding of how atmospheric polarization varies with aerosols, clouds, and surface reflectance, an all-sky polarization imager has been designed, built, calibrated, and operated in a variety of field experiments. This paper describes modifications made to that instrument to enable continuous, unattended outdoor operation. The primary modifications were development of a weather-proof housing and an automated sun occulter incorporating an on-board microcontroller that continually calculates solar position and moves an occulting disk on a thin metal band to prevent direct sunlight from falling on the polarimeter lens. This occulter is designed to not obstruct the principal scattering plane, defined as the plane containing the zenith, the Sun, and the observer.
Calbindin-like immunoreactivity in epithelial cells of the newborn and adult human vomeronasal organ

The vomeronasal organs (VNOs) of two humans, a male neonate and a female adult, were examined for immunolocalization of calbindin-D28k (calbindin) which has been immunolocalized to VNO receptor cells in other mammals. The present study demonstrates that epithelial cells within the VNOs of both subjects expressed calbindin-like immunoreactivity. These results suggest that human VNO epithelial cells of both genders express calbindin during development and in the adult.
Electro-cortical and cardiac rate correlates of psychophysical judgment.

Nine undergraduate volunteers participated in a frequency discrimination task. They were asked to rank five different pure tones, presented individually, and report their judgment several seconds after each tone terminated. Tones generally ranked correctly in frequency yielded larger fast-cortical potential* and evoked heart rate respoases. Stimuli which occasioned frequent errors prompted a specific, negative, slow cortical wave, which could be distinguished both from eye movement artifact, and the slow wave changes associated with orienting and anticipation. The physiological data were analyzed in ternvs ot'two conceptions of the cognitive processing involved in psychophysical judgments.
An optimum finite element automatic grid generator for electromagnetic field computations

An automatic two-dimensional finite-element (FE) grid generator that greatly assists in improving preprocessing operations and geometry handling for electromagnetic field computations is described. The algorithm triangulates a set of points defining a field region into optimal finite-element meshes. The mesh generator uses an approach proved to be user-friendly and efficient, especially in the analysis of medical devices. This is because instead of the node-insertion techniques used in most grid generators, the user gives dimensions and characteristics of each subregion in the large region to be analyzed. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or modify a region configuration and grid without gross effort. >
Acute bacterial endocarditis in the aged

Abstract In an effort to clarify the disease pictures encountered in the aged, nine cases of acute bacterial endocarditis, with autopsy, have been reported among patients whose ages ranged from 60 to 80 years. In none of these cases was the diagnosis made clinically. The bacteriologic, pathologic, and clinical features are discussed, and it is pointed out that the diagnosis is obscured by the multiplicity of symptoms and signs, as well as by the prostration of the patient. It is believed that these cases will be detected more often if the possibilty of this complication is borne in mind, especially when positive blood cultures are found in old people, and even in cases in which the diagnosis seems to be obvious. Clarification of the clinical problems posed by the aged patient offers many fascinating opportunities to the discerning physician.
The relationship between load and penetration for a rigid, flat-ended punch of arbitrary cross section

Abstract Numerical methods are used to compute the pressure distributions and displacements in an elastic half-space due to indention by a rigid, flat-ended punch. Square as well as symmetrical and unsymmetrical L-shaped punches are considered. The lower bound load-penetration relationship suggested by Galin is found to give excellent results. Loadings which cause the punch to rotate as well as displace are also treated. It is found that the line of action of the load applied to the punch must pass through a point very near to the centroid of the indented area if the punch is not to rotate.
50X, 75X mask cleaning effects on EUV lithography process and lifetime: lines and spaces, contacts, and LER

In this study we examine the effects on lithographic performance due to repetitive cleans on a mask patterned for use in extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). Exposures were carried out at the SEMATECH Berkeley micro-exposure tool (MET) on both a cleaned mask and a reference (uncleaned) mask with the same mask architectures. The performance is measured against the process window for lines and spaces, line edge roughness (LER), and contact size variation measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mask properties such as surface roughness were used as metrics of the cleaning process effects. We also introduce a new method involving the correlation in LER of a single line from exposure to exposure at the same dose and focus. If mask cleaning were to introduce significant damage to either the capping layer or the absorber, we might expect an increase in LER correlation from exposure to exposure of the same feature, as uncorrelated effects due to the resist cause a second order change depending on aerial image contrast loss. We look at these metrics on the same mask used in previous cleans studies, now for a 50X and 75X cleans.
Collision cross-section determination and tandem mass spectrometric analysis of isomeric carotenoids using electrospray ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Carotenoids are natural pigments with provitamin A and antioxidant activities. Biosynthesized in plants as their all-trans isomers, carotenoids isomerize in solution and in humans to multiple cis isomers which can have different bioavailabilities and functions. Since separation and characterization of isomeric carotenoids using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) or liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC−MS/MS) is time-consuming, the potential for ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to resolve and characterize carotenoid isomers rapidly without chromatography was investigated using traveling-wave ion mobility spectrometry on a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The all-trans isomers of lycopene and β-carotene were separated by several milliseconds from the cis-isomers which were detected as partially overlapping peaks. The collision cross-section values of these carotenoid isomers were determined using IM-MS to be 180 and 236 A2 for cis-lycopene and all-trans-lycopene, and ...
A ‘missing link’ in the social rate of discount literature

Abstract This note claims that recent work on the social rate of discount does not provide convincing answers to the question of the appropriate discount rate. This insufficiency results from a ‘missing link’ in the theorizing. The ‘missing link’ is explained, and previous work given a different interpretation.
Search with Copernicus for ultraviolet emission lines in the planetary nebula NGC 3242

The high-excitation planetary nebula NGC 3242 has been observed with the ultraviolet telescope-spectrometer aboard Copernicus. Wavelength intervals corresponding to the emission lines of O VI at 1032 A, He II at 1085 A, Si III at 1206 A, and N V at 1239 A have been scanned. Upper limits to the observed fluxes are reported and compared with predicted emission-line fluxes from this object.