cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zero-temperature ordering in the two-dimensional quantum XY model

Abstract We have calculated the probability distribution for the staggered magnetization at T=0 for the 2D antiferromagnetic quantum XY model on finite lattices. For the ground state, the distribution shows evidence of isotropic magnetization ordering on the xy-plane. Based on data on seven lattices up to 26 sites, the extrapolated value of the staggered magnetization is 0.448±0.003 in the thermodynamic limit.
Wafer Plane Inspection with Soft Resist Thresholding

ABSTRACT Wafer Plane Inspection (WPI) is an inspection mode on the KLA-Tencor TeraScan platform that uses the high signal-to-noise ratio images from the high numerical aperture mi croscope, and then models the entire lithographic process to enable defect detection on the wafer pl ane[1]. This technology meets the needs of some advanced mask manufacturers to identify the lithographically-significant defects while ignorin g the other non-lithographically-significant defects. WPI accomplishes this goal by performing defect detection base d on a modeled image of how the mask features would actually print in the photoresist. There are several advantag es to this approach: (1) the high fidelity of the images provide a sensitivity advantage over competing approaches; (2) the ability to perform defect detection on the wafer plane allows one to only see those defects that have a printing impact on the wafer; (3) the use of modeling on the lithographic portion of the flow enables unprecedented flexibility to support arbitrary illuminati on profiles, process-window inspection in unit time, and combination modes to find both printing and non-printing defects. WPI is proving to be a valuable addition to the KLA-Tencor detection algorithm suite. The modeling portion of WPI uses a single resist threshold as the final step in the processing. This has been shown to be adequate on several advanced customer layers, but is not id eal for all layers. Actual resist chemistry has complicated processes including acid and base-diffusion and quench that are not consistently well-modeled with a single resist threshold. We have considered the use of an advanced re sist model for WPI, but reject ed it because the burdensome requirements for the calibration of the model were not practical for reticle inspection. This paper describes an alternative approach that allows for a soft resi st threshold to be applied that provides a more robust solution for the most challenging processes. This approach is just finishing beta testing with a customer developing advanced node designs.
Adopting a commercial clinical decision support for imaging product: our experience.

WHY COMMERCIAL DECISION SUPPORT Clinical decision support (CDS) has emerged as a tool to improve patient care across many specialties [1]. Broadly defined, CDS is a method of delivering organized clinical knowledge and recommendations to a clinician to assist in selecting the best course of action for a specific clinical scenario. With regard to imaging, the purpose of CDS is to assist a referring physician in requesting the most appropriate imaging study for a specific clinical scenario [2]. CDS for imaging has been integrated into electronic ordering systems at other institutions with success. Some institutions have reported adoption across virtually all specialties, reduction in low-yield imaging, and even elimination of the need for preauthorization by thirdparty payers when using CDS [3-6]. Therefore, one can reasonably infer that a successful CDS system for imagingcouldnotonly improvepatientcare but might also aid in cost containment and compliance with meaningful use requirements [7,8]. As a result of the positive gains reported at other institutions, our department embraced CDS for computerized physician order entry (CPOE) of imaging studies. However, successful implementation of CDS into the CPOE for imaging studies has only been reported at institutions with “homegrown” CDS programs, which are programs developed by and for the institutions at which they were ultimately used, an approach that likely mitigated or eliminated many of the potential problems associated with CDSCPOE integration. The objective of this paper is to describe our experience at the University of Colorado attempting to integrate a third-party commercial CDS product into our health care system.
Miscue Analysis: A Critical Review:

Miscue analysis procedures are becoming increasingly popular for both research and evaluation purposes. Although there are no normative data available to guide the interpretation of a reader's oral...
Oxidative Stress Induces Reactivation of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Death of Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cells

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells are predominantly infected with latent Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), presenting a barrier to the destruction of tumor cells. Latent KSHV can be reactivated to undergo lytic replication. Here we report that in PEL cells, oxidative stress induced by upregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to KSHV reactivation or cell death. ROS are upregulated by NF-κB inhibition and are required for subsequent KSHV reactivation. Disruption of the intracellular redox balance through depletion of the antioxidant glutathione or inhibition of the antioxidant enzyme catalase also induces KSHV reactivation, suggesting that hydrogen peroxide induces reactivation. In addition, p38 signaling is required for KSHV reactivation induced by ROS. Furthermore, treatment of PEL cells with a higher concentration of the NF-κB inhibitor than that used for inducing KSHV reactivation further upregulates ROS and induces massive cell death. ROS, but not p38 signaling, are required for PEL cell death induced by NF-κB inhibition as well as by glutathione depletion. Importantly, anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin and arsenic trioxide, also induce KSHV reactivation and PEL cell death in a ROS-dependent manner. Our study thus establishes a critical role for ROS and oxidative stress in the regulation of KSHV reactivation and PEL cell death. Disrupting the cellular redox balance may be a potential strategy for treating KSHV-associated lymphoma.
Bench-to-bedside review: Burn-induced cerebral inflammation – a neglected entity?

Severe burn injury remains a major burden on patients and healthcare systems. Following severe burns, the injured tissues mount a local inflammatory response aiming to restore homeostasis. With excessive burn load, the immune response becomes disproportionate and patients may develop an overshooting systemic inflammatory response, compromising multiple physiological barriers in the lung, kidney, liver, and brain. If the blood–brain barrier is breached, systemic inflammatory molecules and phagocytes readily enter the brain and activate sessile cells of the central nervous system. Copious amounts of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, proteases, cytokines/chemokines, and complement proteins are being released by these inflammatory cells, resulting in additional neuronal damage and life-threatening cerebral edema. Despite the correlation between cerebral complications in severe burn victims with mortality, burn-induced neuroinflammation continues to fly under the radar as an underestimated entity in the critically ill burn patient. In this paper, we illustrate the molecular events leading to blood–brain barrier breakdown, with a focus on the subsequent neuroinflammatory changes leading to cerebral edema in patients with severe burns.
An integrated architectural framework for power conversion systems

Advances in electric power conversion systems have generally lagged far behind the pace of advances in the field of digital signal electronic systems. This has been a result of the rich and complicated coupling that exists among various design variables and manufacturing processes used in power electronics. There are significant obstacles that defy scaling which hold back the progress of power electronic systems. This paper presents an integrated architectural framework capable of systematically overcoming these obstacles using a top-down conceptual approach. General principles of the proposed framework based on "bricks and buses" are presented along with a discussion of the details that constitute the framework.
Visual Culture and the Politics of Locality in Modern India: A Review Essay

“The fundamental event of the modern age is the conquest of the world as picture.”Martin Heidegger“Historical monuments, we can argue, live their modern lives primarily as images.”Tapati Guha-Thakurta
The Crisis of the Salon Nude and a Search for its Resolution: Raphaël Collin's Au bord de la mer

This article concerns the work of Raphael Collin and his effort–and failure in the eyes of critics–to overcome the ideological obstacles that he and other painters of the Salon nude encountered at the end of the nineteenth century. Critics often found his nudes perplexing because of the figures' lack of solidity; rather than paint ‘real’ bodies, Collin seemed to be painting with great frequency the ghostly presence of them. He attempted to reinvigorate the female nude at times by nearly erasing the female body from the canvas. Furthermore, he clumsily mixed traditional academic techniques of painting with distinct visual qualities found in the paintings of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Collin's attempt to incorporate some aspects of Puvis's achievement serves only to demonstrate the intensity of the Academy's final crisis. This effort is most strangely evident in Collin's 1892 Au bord de la mer, a painting analysed in relation to the critical reaction to the image.
Highly Specific and Sensitive Hybridoma Antibodies against the α-Subunit of Human Glycoprotein Hormones*

The free alpha-subunit of human CG (hCG-alpha) has been detected in pregnancy as well as in several endocrine and nonendocrine tumors. In order to facilitate the detection of these tumors, we have developed, by hybridoma technology, very sensitive and highly specific antibodies to hCG-alpha, A2D4 and A2-58. Employing these antibodies, assays were developed to detect picogram levels of the free alpha-subunit. These antibodies have negligible cross-reactivity with intact hCG (A2D4, 0.17%; and A2-58, 1.75%). Pituitary hormone standards of human LH, human FSH, and human TSH from NIH showed cross-reactivity with these antibodies. However, the cross-reactivity was found to be due to the contamination of the hormone preparations with alpha-subunit. The antibodies have no effect on the binding of hCG to its receptor. They cross-react to the same extent with the deglycosylated hCG-alpha and alpha-subunits of all other human glycoprotein hormones but do not react with alpha-subunits of glycoprotein hormones from other species. We have purified these antibodies to homogeneity by DEAE Affi-Gel Blue and affinity chromatography. Both these antibodies belong to immunoglobulin M subclass.
Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity

Although previous scholarship has examined the relationship between religious involvement and a wide range of family outcomes, the relationship between religion and extramarital sexual behavior remains understudied. The authors investigate how religious affiliation, participation, and biblical beliefs explain differences in self-reported marital infidelity. This study examines data from the 1991-2004 General Social Surveys and finds that religious factors are associated with the likelihood of marital infidelity. Both church attendance and biblical beliefs are associated with lower odds of self-reported infidelity. Additionally, the authors find substantial denominational variations in the odds of marital infidelity, particularly among those who strongly affiliate with their religious group.
Improving the specificity of the nitrosonaphthol procedure for urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.

The nitrosonaphthol procedure for urinary 5-HIAA has been modified by using an excess of NaCl and adjusting the urine to a constant pH during the first chloroform purification step. Thus, the variable salt concentration of different urine samples, which has been claimed to be responsible for the reported inconsistency of the method, has been eliminated.
Topographic analysis and Weibull regression for prediction of strain localisation in an automotive aluminium alloy

We fit a two-parameter Weibull regression model by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to filtered surface roughness data. These data were acquired with scanning confocal laser microscopy performed on aluminium alloy AA 5754-O surfaces that were subjected to a range of plastic strain intensities in three different in-plane strain modes. Noting that one of the two Weibull regression parameters is, to a good approximation, invariant with strain intensity for a given strain mode, the authors find that the variation of the second parameter with strain intensity conforms to a simple quadratic function. These functions may then be used to generate accurate, statistically significant, single parameter predictors of both strain intensity and strain mode up to and including the onset of critical strain localisation and/or failure.
Kelp as a Bioindicator: Does it Matter Which Part of 5 M Long Plant is Used for Metal Analysis?

Kelp may be useful as a bioindicator because they are primary producers that are eaten by higher trophic level organisms, including people and livestock. Often when kelp or other algae species are used as bioindicators, the whole organism is homogenized. However, some kelp can be over 25 m long from their holdfast to the tip of the blade, making it important to understand how contaminant levels vary throughout the plant. We compared the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury and selenium in five different parts of the kelp Alaria nana to examine the variability of metal distribution. To be useful as a bioindicator, it is critical to know whether levels are constant throughout the kelp, or which part is the highest accumulator. Kelp were collected on Adak Island in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska from the Adak Harbor and Clam Cove, which opens onto the Bering Sea. In addition to determining if the levels differ in different parts of the kelp, we wanted to determine whether there were locational or size-related differences. Regression models indicated that between 14% and 43% of the variation in the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, manganese, mercury, and selenium was explained by total length, part of the plant, and location (but not for lead). The main contributors to variability were length (for arsenic and selenium), location (mercury), and part of the plant (for arsenic, cadmium, chromium and manganese). The higher levels of selenium occurred at Clam Cove, while mercury was higher at the harbor. Where there was a significant difference among parts, the holdfast had the highest levels, although the differences were not great. These data indicate that consistency should be applied in selecting the part of kelp (and the length) to be used as a bioindicator. While any part of Alaria could be collected for some metals, for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and manganese a conversion should be made among parts. In the Aleutians the holdfast can be perennial while the blade, whipped to pieces by winter wave action, is regrown each year. Thus the holdfast may be used for longer-term exposure for arsenic, cadmium, chromium and manganese, while the blade can be used for short-term exposure for all metals. Cadmium, lead and selenium were at levels that suggest that predators, including people, may be at risk from consuming Alaria. More attention should be devoted to heavy metal levels in kelp and other algae from Adak, particularly where they may play a role in a subsistence diets.
Block code design based on metric-spectrum

We generalize our previous work and present a generic block code design based on a metric-spectrum. That is, based on the communication system and the metric dominating its pairwise error probability, we employ various code search methods to come up with good codes for the corresponding communication problem. Besides generalizing the design methodology, we present also new good complex codes for the AWGN channel as well the coherent Rayleigh fading channel, based on existing and new unitary matrices.
Critical roles of Clostridium difficile toxin B enzymatic activities in pathogenesis

TcdB is one of the key virulence factors of Clostridium difficile that is responsible for causing serious and potentially fatal colitis. The toxin contains at least two enzymatic domains: an effector glucosyltransferase domain for inactivating host Rho GTPases and a cysteine protease domain for the delivery of the effector domain into host cytosol. Here, we describe a novel intrabody approach to examine the role of these enzymes of TcdB in cellular intoxication. By screening a single-domain heavy chain (V(H)H) library raised against TcdB, we identified two V(H)H antibodies, 7F and E3, that specifically inhibit TcdB cysteine protease and glucosyltransferase activities, respectively. Cytoplasmic expression of 7F intrabody in Vero cells inhibited TcdB autoprocessing and delayed cellular intoxication, whereas E3 intrabody completely blocked the cytopathic effects of TcdB holotoxin. These data also demonstrate for the first time that toxin autoprocessing occurs after cysteine protease and glucosyltransferase domains translocate into the cytosol of target cells. We further determined the role of the enzymatic activities of TcdB in in vivo toxicity using a sensitive systemic challenge model in mice. Consistent with these in vitro results, a cysteine protease noncleavable mutant, TcdB-L543A, delayed toxicity in mice, whereas glycosyltransferase-deficient TcdB demonstrated no toxicity up to 500-fold of the 50% lethal dose (LD50) when it was injected systemically. Thus, glucosyltransferase but not cysteine protease activity is critical for TcdB-mediated cytopathic effects and TcdB systemic toxicity, highlighting the importance of targeting toxin glucosyltransferase activity for future therapy.
Pharmacology Review: Drug Therapy for Neonatal Seizures: Part 2

Immediate management of seizures includes stabilization, identification of the cause and specific treatment, and if needed, administration of an antiepileptic drug (AED) to prevent seizure recurrence. AED therapy is divided into standard (traditional) and alternative therapies. Alternative therapies include vitamins or cofactors specific for certain inborn errors of metabolism. Part 1 of this two-part Pharmacology Review examines some basic neonatal seizure concepts and the standard therapies (phenobarbital, phenytoin, fosphenytoin, and benzodiazepines); Part 2 reveiws alternative therapies and when to stop treatment. Seizures represent the most specific indication of neonatal neurologic insults. (1)(2) The incidence of neonatal seizures ranges from 1 to 5:1,000 live births. (2) It is vital to recognize neonatal seizures, determine their cause, and treat them because if they continue, they could interfere with supportive functions, such as respirations and feeding, and cause brain damage. (1)(2) Although seizures in an older child may be idiopathic or genetic, most neonatal seizures have a specific cause. In the series by Mizrahi and Kellaway, (3) the most common cause was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (32%), followed by intracranial hemorrhage (17%), central nervous system infection (14%), infarction (7%), metabolic abnormalities (6%), inborn errors of metabolism (3%), and unknown (10%). The clinical manifestations of seizures may differ in the neonate compared with the older child and may not be as obvious. Volpe classified neonatal seizures as subtle or fragmentary seizures (more common in the preterm infant), clonic (focal or multifocal), tonic (focal or generalized), and myoclonic (focal, multifocal, or generalized). (1)(2) The generalized tonic-clonic seizure is unusual in the newborn, but it may be seen in genetic epilepsies. Electroencephalography (EEG) may be useful for confirming neonatal seizures when they are suspected. However, not all seizures have an EEG correlate, which makes diagnosis difficult. Mizrahi and Kellaway categorized seizures as …
Plasticity in the Adrenocorticotropin-Related Peptides Produced by Primary Cultures of Neonatal Rat Pituitary

Intermediate pituitary lobe cells from newborn rats were maintained in culture to determine the extent to which they continue to exhibit the tissue-specific properties of the newborn and adult intermediate pituitary lobes. At all times examined these cultures contained mostly aMSH-sized and corticotropin- like intermediate lobe peptide-sized peptides; the aMSH-sized peptides were predominantly diacetyl-ACTH-(l- 13)NH2. After 6 days in culture, the intermediate pituitary lobe cells retained the ability to synthesize diacetyl-ACTH-(l- 13)NH2. Compared to that of the adult, the newborn anterior pituitary lobe is enriched in high mol wt forms of ACTH-related molecules. Therefore, the ability of newborn anterior pituitary lobe cell cultures to develop the adult processing pattern in culture was investigated. After 6 days in culture, peptides the size of αMSH predominated rather than ACTH-(l–39), which is the major form found in the adult. Immunocytochemical studies showed that all cultured newborn corticotrope...
Calculation of dipole moment changes due to peptide librations in the dynamic β-spiral of the polypentapeptide of elastin

It has been proposed that the polypentapeptide of elastin, (L·Val1-L·Pro2-Gly3-L·Val4-Gly5)n, on increasing temperature in water, develops a dynamic β-spiral conformation within which occurs a Val4-Gly5-Val1 suspended segment capable of large, low-frequency rocking motions referred to as peptide librations. This has given rise to a proposed librational entropy mechanism of elasticity. Peptide librations, suggested by the proposed structure, have recently been observed by means of dielectric relaxation studies over the temperature range of 7 – 70°C, and an experimental dipole moment for the dielectric relaxation has been estimated. In this report is presented a calculation of the dipole moment change to be expected from the peptide librations of a pentamer in the β-spiral conformation of the elastin polypentapeptide and of the D·Ala5-polypentapeptide analog. While the experimentally derived and the theoretically calculated values are approximate, the comparison of experimental and calculated values is satisfactory and permits continued serious consideration of the dynamic β-spiral conformation proposed for the elastomeric polypentapeptide of elastin.
Alcohol-Induced Inhibition of Fetal 25-[3H]Hydroxyvitamin D and α-[14C]Aminoisobutyric Acid Accumulation in the Pregnant Rat

Since placental nutrient transport plays a vital role in the development of the fetus, we have evaluated the effect of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy on placental and fetal accumulation of 25-[3H]hydroxyvitamin D and alpha-[14C]aminoisobutyric acid. Pregnant rats were allowed to ingest rat chow ad libitum and were given 20% ethanol in their drinking water from days 6-19 of pregnancy. Ethanol constituted 51% of the caloric intake and resulted in circulating levels of 97 +/- 27 mg/dl. Control rats were pair fed with rat chow, and dextrimaltose was isocalorically substituted for ethanol in the drinking water. Despite pair feeding, alcohol ingestion resulted in decreased maternal and fetal weight gain but increased placental weight gain. Alcohol decreased the fetal accumulation of 25-[3H]hydroxyvitamin D. The transfer ratio of disintegrations per min/g fetal weight to disintegrations per min/g placental weight was lower in the alcohol-exposed animals, whereas the transfer ratio of disintegrations per min/g placental weight to disintegrations per min/ml serum was not altered. Fetal levels of alpha-[14C]aminoisobutyric acid were also decreased. The transfer ratio of disintegrations per min/g fetal weight to disintegrations per min/g placental weight was greater in the alcohol-exposed animals, whereas the transfer ratio of disintegrations per min/g placental weight to disintegrations per min/ml serum was not altered. The data indicate that maternal alcohol ingestion during pregnancy may affect fetal nutrient accumulation by alterations in both maternal metabolism and direct effects on placental function.
Characterization of uterine epidermal growth factor during early pregnancy in pigs.

Genomic research has identified a quantitative trait locus for uterine capacity, a component trait contributing to litter size, on porcine chromosome 8. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) gene, on porcine chromosome 8, may influence uterine capacity because of its growth-promoting activities. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and iterative screening of a porcine reproductive tissue cDNA library, 4932 bp cDNA sequence coding for porcine EGF precursor was obtained. The predicted protein sequence of the EGF precursor contained 1214 amino acids, similar to human EGF precursor (1207 amino acids, 81% identity). Curiously, the sequence of the mature peptide was less homologous between species than other regions of EGF precursor. The presence of conserved regions outside the mature peptide may suggest that these regions are functionally important. Expression of EGF mRNA in the endometrium of White crossbred gilts (n 5 3 to 5 each) was determined by Northern blotting using 20 mg of total RNA from endometrium of D 10, 13, and 15 cyclic, and D 10, 13, 15, 20, 30, and 40 of pregnant gilts. A 3342 bp probe from EGF precursor was used. The bands corresponding to EGF mRNA were quantified by densitometry and results were analyzed by ANOVA. EGF mRNA expression decreased significantly from D 13 to 15 of the cycle and pregnancy (P 5 0.04), and from D 30 to 40 of pregnancy (P 5 0.01). These findings show that EGF mRNA expression is temporally regulated during the cycle and early pregnancy, and this pattern of gene expression may be important during early conceptus development. © 2001 Elsevier Science
Arsenic Deactivation in Silicon

In this paper we examine the properties of arsenic in silicon, using ab initio calculations and a statistical theory. Good agreement is found between theory and experiment for the electronic concentration as a function of temperature and total arsenic concentration. We show that for low arsenic concentrations, full activation is the equilibrium condition. In equilibrium, the neutral complex composed of a lattice vacancy surrounded by four arsenic (VAs4) is the dominant means by which high concentrations of arsenic are rendered inactive. Under constrained equilibrium conditions in which VAs4 cluster formation is prohibited, we show that VAs3Si1 cluster populations increase dramatically and can account for nearly the same degree of compensation as the VAs4 clusters. Even VAs2 clusters alone can account for substantial deactivation in the absence of VAs3 and VAs4 clusters. These smaller complexes are essential not only to the establishment of equilibrium, since SiAs4 clusters are extremely rare, but can also explain some degree of deactivation, even if the formation of VAs4 clusters are kinetically inhibited.
Application of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique for the detection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K99 pilus antigen in paraffin-embedded tissues

The peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique was evaluated as a method for detecting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K99 pilus antigen in paraffin-embedded tissues of swine. Antigenic reactivity was optimal when tissues were processed in cold methanol according to a modified method of Sainte-Marie. This method of processing adequately preserved tissue morphology. The PAP technique was applicable to tissues where endogenous peroxidase activity was minimal.
Surveillance of Human Rabies by National Authorities – A Global Survey

Effective prevention of deaths due to human rabies is currently hampered by a lack of understanding of the scale of the problem, and the distribution of both animal and human cases across countries, regions and continents. Unfortunately, despite the severity of the disease, accurate data on which to assess these questions and to prioritize and direct public health interventions are not available for many parts of the world. This survey sought to understand the current global situation regarding the surveillance of human rabies. Data were collected from 91 countries across all continents and all categories of human rabies risk, generating the most complete and representative global data set currently available. Respondents were asked key questions about whether human rabies was a notifiable disease, how the surveillance system for human rabies operated and whether the respondent considered that the surveillance system was working effectively. Across the 91 countries from which data were collated, human rabies was a notifiable disease in all but eight. Despite international guidance, surveillance systems were very varied. Even where rabies is a notifiable disease, many countries had surveillance system judged to be ineffective, almost all of these being high and moderate rabies risk countries in Africa and Asia. Overall, 41% of the population covered by this survey (around 2.5 billion people) live in countries where there is no or ineffective rabies surveillance. The lack of robust surveillance is hindering rabies control efforts. However, whilst worldwide rabies surveillance would be improved if rabies were notifiable in all countries, many other challenges to the implementation of effective global human rabies surveillance systems remain.
Small Business Apparel Retailing in Jamaica: An Exploratory Investigation into Product Development Processes and Practices

While the process and practices of retail product development in developed countries have been documented, a void exists in descriptive analysis regarding retail product development in an international setting. The primary purpose of this study was to explore small business apparel retailing, and specifically the retail product development process and practices in Jamaica. Using the case study approach, five apparel retailers in Jamaica who engaged in retail product development are profiled. Indepth interviews, observations, and documents were used to collect data and results were presented after analysis. The findings revealed that the process of product exclusivity, training of workers, modern technological devices, networking, and product quality were of major concern to apparel retailers in Jamaica, which is shown to be very similar to the retail product development process carried out in the U.S.A. Key Words: Apparel Retailing, Jamaica, Small Business, Product Development, and Qualitative Research.
One-pot synthesis of semicrystalline/amorphous multiblock copolymers via divinyl-terminated telechelic polyolefins

A simple, one-pot approach to synthesize random semicrystalline/amorphous multiblock copolymers (12–17 blocks per chain on average) is demonstrated that takes advantage of acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization of α,ω-divinyl-terminated telechelic polyolefins. This synthetic approach offers a generic, viable and economical route to polyolefin-based multiblock copolymers and may be extendable to broader families of multiblock materials.
Kinetics of the CH3O2 + NO Reaction: Temperature Dependence of the Overall Rate Constant and an Improved Upper Limit for the CH3ONO2 Branching Channel

The overall rate constant and an upper limit for the CH3ONO2 product channel for the CH3O2 + NO reaction have been measured using the turbulent flow technique with high-pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry for the detection of reactants and products. At room temperature and 100 Torr pressure, the rate constant (and the two standard deviation error limit) was determined to be (7.8 ± 2.2) × 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The temperature dependence of the rate constant was investigated between 295 and 203 K at pressures of either 100 or 200 Torr, and the data was fit to the following Arrhenius expression: ( × 10-13) exp[(600 ± 140)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1. Although the room-temperature rate constant value agrees well with the current recommendation for atmospheric modeling, our values for the rate constant at the lowest temperatures accessed in this study (203 K) are about 50% higher than the same recommendation. No CH3ONO2 product was detected from the CH3O2 + NO reaction (using direct CH3ONO2 detection...
APSA Teaching and Learning Conference: A Summary of Four Tracks: Track Two: Civic Education and Service Learning

Service-learning and civic education have become popular pedagogical themes as higher education attempts to embody diversity and innovation in our teaching models. This trend, however, has resulted in disagreement over the means by which service-learning and the civic education theme should be incorporated into the classroom. Some educators have sought to jump on the bandwagon without really attempting to learn exactly what these tools entail, resulting in a diffusion of their effectiveness.
Rubber Photogelling Agents. II

Abstract A previous paper detailed the evaluation of oxygen and other photogelling agents under insolation. This paper deals similarly with various pro- and antioxygens, and it is shown that in small proportions all these act as mild photogelling agents, the effect being rather abruptly reversed when the proportion exceeds the optimum. The relevant factors are discussed.
After interaction

Alex S Taylor (2015) , Interactions 22(5), p. 48-53. It is, arguably, where it all began for interaction. Doug Engelbart’s retrospectively titled “The Mother of All Demos” spectacularly set the scene for what we do in HCI and especially for what we imagine interaction to be. Engelbart and his team showcased a remarkable collection of technologies for seeing and manipulating data. The demo is best known for the introduction of the mouse as an input device, but also presented was an integrated teleconferencing system and the simultaneous collaborative editing of a text document. Think computing in the late 1960s, but with the mouse and something akin to Skype and Google Docs. It’s hard to imagine how extraordinary this must have seemed at a time when telephone adoption was only just reaching a plateau in the U.S. and, for all but the technological elite, the idea of networked computers was the stuff of science fiction or, more likely, just unthought of.
Effect of drying period and soil moisture on egg hatch of the tadpole shrimp (Notostraca: Triopsidae).

Tadpole shrimp ( Triops (spp.) are potential biological control agents against larval mosquitoes in temporary ponds and flood-irrigated fields. In some rice field situations, however, they may become pests that uproot and eat young rice plants. In cursory observations, it has been reported that tadpole shrimp eggs do not readily hatch on flooding when the soil or substrate containing eggs is moist before flooding. The relationship between drying (moisture content) of soil and tadpole shrimp hatch was determined in studies conducted in mesocosms at the University of Cali fomi a Aquatic and Vector Control Research facilities at Riverside and at Oasis in the Coachella Valley of southern California. In laboratory hatching trials, an increase in hatch of Triops longicaudatus (LeConte) with declining soil moisture content was demonstrated ( t = 8.4, P 0.05). The effect of flooding regimens on tadpole shrimp hatch is an important facet of shrimp biology that may be used to predict or control their densities in flood-irrigated habitats.
Petrophysically constrained geophysical inversion using Parzen window density estimation

Geophysicists have long recognized the importance of constraining geophysical inversions with independent information from geology such as petrophysical information available from well logging or laboratory measurements. However, the ability of effectively utilizing such information in geophysical inversions still remains a challenge in practice mostly because of the statistical nature of petrophysical data. We develop a new inversion approach that can adequately incorporate a priori petrophysical information into inversions through probability density function (PDF) constructed from Parzen-window density estimation method. The resulting models show both better structural characteristics and improved physical properties. We also propose several classification methods that transform the inverted geophysical models from this new approach into a geology map that shows the distribution of different geologic units in the subsurface.
Spatial Distributions of Cereal Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Winter Wheat and Spring Oats in South Dakota

Taylor's power law, Iwao's patchiness regression, and the negative binomial distribution with a common value of k were used to model variance/mean relationships of populations of four species of cereal aphids, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), Macrosiphum avenae (F), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), and Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), occurring in winter wheat and spring oat fields in South Dakota. Taylor's power law generally provided a better model of variance/mean relationships than did the other models. Intercepts of Taylor's power law regressions (log a ) varied among populations of some cereal aphid species occurring on different host crops. Regression slopes ( b ) generally did not differ among populations inhabiting different crops; however, b did differ among populations of R. padi sampled from spring oats and winter wheat. Power-law parameters were independent of field and year at which populations were sampled and time during the growing season at which samples were taken. These results suggest that marked changes in environment (e.g., different host crops) influenced spatial distributions of cereal aphid populations and, hence, the value of power-law parameters. However, for populations inhabiting either host crop, power-law parameters seemed to be independent of temporal and spatial variation.
Sex Pheromones of Noctuid Moths. Xxvii. Influence of Wind Velocity on Sex Pheromone Releasing Behavior of Trichoplusia ni Females

The pheromone releasing behavior of Trichoplusia ni (HA¼bner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) females was greatly influenced by prevailing air velocities. The length of time per night that females spent releasing pheromone when exposed to air velocities ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 meter per second was about 2 times that of females held in calm air. Release time per night gradually approached zero as the wind velocity was increased to 4.0 meters per second. Each female that released pheromone typically did so on several separate occasions per night. The length of individual pheromone release periods increased with decreasing wind velocity. The precopulatory behavior of T. ni females is described in detail and adaptive features of this behavior as related to wind velocity are discussed.
The pth Root of an Analytic Function

This note is addressed to those who, like me, begin to feel uneasy when confronted with the necessity of extracting analytic pth roots of analytic functions. Recently, while teaching an introductory function theory course, I decided to confront the issue squarely by asking the following painfully unsubtle question: Precisely when does an analytic function have an analytic pth root? A perusal of many texts, popular and unpopular, extant and extinct, failed to produce any that addressed the question. A (very limited) poll of function theorists was similarly unproductive though I finally found a Riemann surface expert who knew the answer. A problem in the popular text of Ahlfors (see [1, p. 147, problem 4]) reads in part: Show that a single-valued analytic branch of V/1 Z2 can be defined in any region such that the points + 1 are in the same component of the complement. This is clearly in the right direction but is never pursued further. At any rate, my conclusion was that although neither the question nor the answer is novel, they deserve to be more widely known by both professionals and students. The theorem we prove below permits, in a large variety of cases, a quick and painless determination of just which pth roots exist. First we need a little notation and one elementary fact. D will denote a connected open set in the finite complex plane C, and A(D) will denote the class of functions analytic on D. To save space, we agree that "curve" means "piecewise smooth curve." Also, we write dz' for dz/2rri. We will use the fact (see [2, p. 219]), that for each closed curve C lying in D, fc(f'(z)/f(z)) dz' is an integer if f E A(D).
Dravet syndrome with favourable cognitive and behavioral development due to a novel SCN1A frameshift mutation

Children with Dravet syndrome (DS) often have severe cognitive, behaviour and motor impairments. Patients with truncating mutations would logically have the more severe phenotype. Here we present a case of DS with an unusually favourable cognitive and behavioral development with a novel SCN1A frameshift mutation (c.4233-4234insAT). Under regular following up for ten years, the patient had normal expressive language and mild motor clumsiness. It is suggested that besides the type of SCN1A mutation, other mechanisms may be existed to influence the SCN1A phenotype, such as modifier genes, developmental variability, accumulation of somatic mutation in lifetime and environmental insults can all contribute to the cognitive and behavioral outcome.
Research on organic agriculture structure in Taiwan

In order to analyze the recent development situation of organic agriculture in Taiwan, statistic analysis was made on the overall size and industrial structure, with related agricultural, economic and social statistics. The results showed that, in 2004—2011, the overall size of Taiwan's organic agriculture grew rapidly, the certificated farmers increased by 140.59%, the organic farming area increased by 302.40%, and the average organic farming area per household increased by 67.26%. Meanwhile, the industrial structure changed extremely. The vegetable, replacing the rice, became the first organic crop in Taiwan, except rice, vegetable, fruit and tea developed very fast recently. The critical influences were the trend of agricultural structure adjustment, strengthening certification supervised system and strategic opportunity in economics cycle.
Research and Implementation of Graphics Lib Based on JavaScript

This paper involved in graphics drawing on web pages with HTML and JavaScript only.After a deep research on JavaScript technical,we designed and also implemented a basic graphics library for drawing on web pages.In the paper,we described the arithmetic of several common used graphics in detail;it demonstrated that the arithmetic is feasible thought lots of experiments;finally the effects of the graphics which were drawn by the library we proposed were shown.
Surgical lesions of the upper abdomen.

To honor the memory of Dr. Arthur G. Sullivan, who was Managing Director of the Interstate Postgraduate Medical Association for the 17 years preceding his death in 1954, the Association has established the Arthur G. Sullivan Memorial Lecture as a part of the program of its annual assemblies. First recipient of the lectureship was Dr. Waltman Walters, who was assisted in his presentation by Dr. George Hallenbeck.
Multi-aperture processing for improved target detection in forward-looking GPR applications

An advanced imaging procedure that exploits the intrinsic multi-aperture nature of a ground-based forward-looking GPR is presented. The imaging algorithm takes into account the near-field nature of the sensing configuration. Numerical data based on electromagnetic modeling of shallow buried targets in ground with a rough-surface profile are used in conjunction with a likelihood ratio test detector to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Analysis of Natural and Industrial Lead in Marine Ecosystems

Sequential food chain relationships in benthic and pelagic systems, obscured previously by gross analytical errors, are in fact characterized by large initial bioenrichments of the Pb/Ca ratio in going from seawater to plant because of selective passive adsorption processes. This ratio is subsequently biodepleted in successive transfers to higher trophic levels because of inefficient transport of lead across membranes in animals. Concentrations of Pb in organism tissues are quite sensitive to changes in the ambient concentrations of dissolved rather than particulate Pb in seawater. The preparation and standardization of water containing 1 ng Pb/kg is an essential prerequisite to be met before embarking on a program to reliably determine Pb levels in any component of a marine ecosystem. Gross analytical errors for Pb in US and UK regulatory agency laboratories have been responsible, in part, for the exposure of entire populations to deleterious chronic Pb insult.
Does Dietary Cholesterol Matter

An ongoing dispute in the nutrition field is whether dietary cholesterol contributes significantly to elevated serum cholesterol and to atherosclerotic disease. Carefully controlled metabolic studies have shown that high-cholesterol intakes cause moderate increases in serum cholesterol levels. It is been difficult to verify this in population studies because of confounding factors. Nonetheless, meta-analysis of controlled studies documents a cholesterol-raising action of dietary cholesterol. Most of this effect occurs in low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), but the cholesterol content of other lipoproteins can be increased as well. Moreover, population studies strongly suggest that dietary cholesterol is atherogenic beyond any rise in LDL concentrations. It must be emphasized that dietary cholesterol is only one of several dietary factors influencing serum cholesterol levels. Others include saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, soluble fiber, and total caloric intake. To achieve substantial serum cholesterol lowering, favorable changes in all of these factors must be combined. To maximize cardiovascular risk reduction, a lifetime of a healthy diet is needed. Reduced cholesterol intake is only one of several factors required to achieve such a diet. In addition, reduction of cholesterol absorption can enhance serum cholesterol lowering. This can be attained by the addition of plant sterols or plant stanols to the diet or by use of ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption blocker. By combining dietary cholesterol reduction with other cholesterol-lowering modalities, it should be possible to substantially reduce atherosclerosis throughout life short of using cholesterol-lowering drugs that act systemically.
DNA testing of pancreatic cyst fluid: is it ready for prime time?

Summary Pancreatic cysts are a clinical quandary in both diagnosis and management. Although many cysts, such as pseudocysts and serous cystadenomas, are benign and can be monitored clinically, mucinous cysts, such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and mucinous cystic neoplasms, have the potential to progress to pancreatic cancer. Considering the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, the detection of a pancreatic cyst can be a source of anxiety for both the patient and physician. This diagnosis in turn can lead to expensive, invasive, and even harmful surveillance and treatment options. As a consequence, several national and international guidelines for the management of pancreatic cysts have been developed over the past decade. However, these guidelines rely on standard clinical assessment, radiographical imaging, and ancillary fluid studies that have insufficient sensitivity and specificity. The application of DNA-based molecular techniques has emerged as an adjunct to the assessment of pancreatic cysts. The cellular content of pancreatic cyst fluid aspirate is often suboptimal for analysis, but DNA isolated from lysed or exfoliated cells within the cyst can be analysed for genetic abnormalities. Moreover, whole exome sequencing and targeted sequencing of the major pancreatic cysts has identified unique mutational profiles for cyst type and genetic alterations that coincide with the development of pancreatic cancer. In this Review, we discuss the major cystic lesions of the pancreas and their underlying molecular pathology, current management guidelines for pancreatic cysts, and integration of DNA-based molecular testing within this field.