cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbonate adsorption on goethite under closed and open CO2 conditions

Abstract Measurements of carbonate sorption to goethite in equilibrium with aqueous carbonate concentrations ranging from 10 μM to 5 mM were performed as a function of pH and ionic strength. Adsorbed carbonate was determined indirectly from knowledge of total carbonate added and headspace P CO 2 . Adsorption was investigated under both closed (fixed total CO 2 ) and open (fixed P CO 2 ) conditions. In closed systems maximum adsorption occurred between pH 6 and 7 (up to 0.5 μmol/m 2 , for 133 μM [CO 2 ] tot ). Open systems around atmospheric P CO 2 (240–410 matm) and at 5.5 μatm CO 2 showed continuously increasing sorption with pH, where maximum surface coverage was measured around 1.2–1.4 μmol/m 2 , corresponding to equilibrium [CO 3(aq) ] of 1.5 mM and 5.5 mM, respectively. Ionic strength affected sorption considerably. Below pH 7 increasing ionic strength decreased adsorption, but above it no ionic strength effect was observed, and possibly an enhancement of carbonate adsorption. Carbonate uptake enhanced proton sorption, by direct adsorption or ligand exchange of surface >OH. An average of 1.5 protons sorbed per carbonate moiety adsorbed was determined and remained approximately constant with pH for all systems studied. The conditions investigated are representative of natural aqueous settings and suggest the potential for coverage of nearly half the total number of surface sites, or more, in soils and sediments. This has importance in the potential repercussions for enhancement of trace element mobility and dispersion through subsurface environments.
Stereoscopic imaging velocimetry for space material processing experiments

Measurement of 3D three-component velocity fields is of profound importance in microgravity fluid experiments including crystal growth, two-phase flows, and thermocapillary phenomena. Stereoscopic imaging velocimetry (SIV) is an optical nonintrusive technique for measuring gross-field flow, which is advantageous in system simplicity for building compact hardware and in software efficiency for continual near-real-time velocity monitoring. However, the challenge is how to increase spatial resolution, that is, marker particle density while maximizing data recovery rate. In this paper, the new SIV algorithms which utilize neural networks, are presented. Preliminary results from both simulating calculation and experiment show that the neural network algorithms offer very good potential for performance enhancement and has proven to be very useful for the SIV technique.
Inosine from liver as a possible energy source for pig red blood cells.

Abstract Adult pig red blood cells are unable to metabolize glucose due to a membrane permeability barrier to glucose developed shortly after birth. In vitro , pig red cells incubated in their own plasma are unable to maintain normal ATP levels, thus the question has been raised as to the nature of the metabolic energy source. We have suggested that organs, such as the liver, might supply low levels of substrate to the red cells as they transit through the organ. In this paper, evidence is presented to show that perfused pig livers supply a metabolic substrate used by pig red cells. This substrate has been tentatively identified as inosine.
Binding and degradation of 125I-insulin by isolated rat renal brush border membranes: evidence for low affinity, high capacity insulin recognition sites

The kidney plays a major role in the handling of circulating insulin in the blood, primarily via reuptake of filtered insulin at the luminal brush border membrane. 125I-insulin associated with rat renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBV) in a time- and temperature-dependent manner accompanied by degradation of the hormone to trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble fragments. Both association and degradation of 125I-insulin were linearly proportional to membrane protein concentration with virtually all of the degradative activity being membrane associated. Insulin, proinsulin and desoctapeptide insulin all inhibited the association and degradation of 125I-insulin by BBV, but these processes were not appreciably affected by the insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II or by cytochrome c and lysozyme, low molecular weight, filterable, proteins, which are known to be reabsorbed in the renal tubules by luminal endocytosis. When the interaction of 125I-insulin with BBV was studied at various medium osmolarities (300-1100 mosM) to alter intravesicular space, association of the ligand with the vesicles was unaffected, but degradation of the ligand by the vesicles decreased progressively with increasing medium osmolarity. Therefore, association of 125I-insulin to BBV represented binding of the ligand to the membrane surface and not uptake of the hormone or its degradation products into the vesicles. Attempts to crosslink 125I-insulin to a high-affinity insulin receptor using the bifunctional reagent disuccinimidyl suberate revealed only trace amounts of an 125I-insulin-receptor complex in brush border membrane vesicles in contrast to intact renal tubules where this complex was readily observed. Both binding and degradation of 125I-insulin by brush border membranes did not reach saturation even at concentrations of insulin approaching 10(-5) M. These results indicate the presence of low-affinity, high-capacity binding sites for 125I-insulin on renal brush border membranes which can clearly distinguish insulin from the insulin-like growth factors and other low molecular weight proteins and polypeptides, but which do not differentiate insulin from its analogues as do the biological receptors for the hormone. The properties and location of these binding sites make them attractive candidates for the sites at which insulin is reabsorbed in the renal tubule.
Stochastic approximation to optimize the performance of human operators

Motivated by optimizing the performance of human operators of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), we consider the use of stochastic approximation algorithms in this paper. With the increasing levels of automation available for both military and civilian unmanned vehicle systems, the human operators are expected to contribute as high-level planners and decision makers more than as remote-control pilots. Humans and, to a lesser extent, unmanned vehicles, are limited by workload. To improve the performance of the mixed systems of humans and unmanned vehicles, it is important to find the workload for human operators that will achieve the best rate of correct decision making. Although the performance of human operators is known to be a concave function of their arousal level, as described by the Yerkes-Dodson law, precise descriptions of such a function and how workload related to arousal level remain unknown in general. Furthermore, assessing the correctness of decisions is difficult in practice due to uncertainties in real situations, and due to the small number of data sets available for training of operators, and cost of such training. To bypass these difficulties and optimize operators' performance, we adjusted traditional stochastic approximation formulation and developed algorithm to solve it. Our approach can be used to optimize the performance of multiple human operators without knowing the correctness of any individual's decisions.
Therapist-Initiated Patient Transfer in the Residency Training Setting

Therapist-initiated transfers of dynamic psychotherapy patients, precipitated by the need for residents to have a broad exposure to varied services, are common phenomena in residency training settings. Both the transferring therapist and the patient may experience these transfers as distressing. The inexperienced therapist may initiate inappropriate transfers, incomplete terminations, or social behavior toward the patient. A case example is presented and discussed in light of the relevant literature. Recommendations for prophylactic measures include education, strong supervisory support to explore countertransference issues, and the use of a case conference at points of transfer.
METABOLISM OF THE STEROID HORMONES: THE ISOLATION OF ETIOCHOLANEDIOL-3(α), 17(α) FROM HUMAN URINE1

Etiocholanediol-3(α), 17 (α) has been isolated from the urine of two patients. One patient was a male with Addison’s disease (Patient A) who received 1350 mg. of dehydroisoandrosterone. The other patient was a young woman (Patient B) who had symptoms of virilism and a high excretion of androgens and 17-ketosteroids (Schiller et al., 1945a). No isolation of etiocholanediol-3(α), 17 (α) has been reported at the present time. A small amount of a non-ketonic compound which appeared to be an impure sample of etiocholanediol-3(α), 17 (α) was reported by Dorfman et al. (1939). Butenandt (1937) described the isolation of this diol from a urinary extract which had been reduced with aluminum amalgam. It was not found in urinary extracts not treated with aluminum amalgam. experimental Patient A The urine was collected for 3 days during oral administration of 450 mg. per day of dehydroisoandrosterone.2 The non-ketonic digitonic soluble fraction was prepared from acid hydrolyzed urine by a method previously described ...
Fabrication of Mullite and Mullite-Matrix Composites by Transient Viscous Sintering of Composite Powders

Mullite was fabricated by a process referred to as transient viscous sintering (TVS). Composite particles which consisted of inner cores of α-alumina and outer coatings of amorphous silica were used. Powder compacts prepared with these particles were viscously sintered to almost full density at relatively low temperatures (∼1300°C). Compacts were subsequently converted to dense, fine-grained mullite at higher temperatures (∼1500°C) by reaction between the alumina and silica. The TVS process was also used to fabricate mullite/zirconia/alumina, mullite/silicon carbide particle, and mullite/silicon carbide whisker composites. Densification was enhanced compared with other recent studies of sintering of mullite-based composites. This was attributed to three factors: viscous flow of the amorphous silica coating on the particles, avoidance of mullite formation until higher temperatures, and increased threshold concentration for the development of percolation networks.
Multivariate Analysis: An Introduction for Consumers of Behavioral Research

A diagram is used to aid discussion of how several of the frequently used multivariate statistical techniques are interrelated. All of those discussed can be regarded as special cases of canonical correlation.
Novel Parameters in Blood Cell Counters

Many modern automated cell counters offer novel parameters. Some of these, such as the CHr, reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent, or immature platelet fraction, schistocytes have been accepted by many clinicians; the CHr has even become part of clinical practice guidelines for dialysis patients. Other parameters are still research-use only and lack well-defined reference ranges. One important albeit rare clinical problem is to characterize platelet volume in case of inherited thrombocytopenia. Most novel parameters are specific for certain instrument platforms, and results of even similar parameters from different manufacturers are often difficult to compare.
A Content Analytic Comparison of Learning Processes in Online and Face‐to‐Face Case Study Discussions

While much research has shown that asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) can produce learning equivalent to face-to-face (FTF) classrooms, there has been little research that explicitly explores similarities and differences between the learning processes that occur in ALN and FTF activities. This study used a content analytic framework (derived primarily from previous work of Anderson, Archer, Garrison, and Rourke) to analyze transcripts from eight case study discussions, four FTF and four ALN. While previous authors developed a model that studies cognitive, social, and teaching processes in ALN discussions, the current scheme also considers characteristics of the discourse process. The findings provide evidence that ALNs generate high levels of cognitive activity, at least equal to, and in some cases superior to, the cognitive processes in the FTF classroom. The findings also suggest that students assume some aspects of the teacher's role in ALNs, and that student-to-student interactions contain a greater proportion of high-level cognitive indicators than do student-to-teacher interactions.
Some applications of atomic analytical wave functions

Calculations of certain atomic quantities were carried out, using our accurate analytical self-consistent-field (SCF) wave functions for the ground and excited states. The total weighted electric dipole oscillator strength for certain optical multiplets of Al, Cr3+, Cr, and Mn3+, and Fe3+, was calculated with the determinantal wave functions, while comparing various approximations. Orientational calculations of the electric quadrupole multiplet strength were carried out for some transitions in Cr3+, Cr, and Fe3+. Our SCF wave functions were also used for the calculation of the estimates of the electronic density at the nucleus, considered in the Mossbauer isomer shift studies.
A Methodology for Evaluating the Fidelity of Ground-Based Flight Simulators

An analytical and experimental investigation was undertaken to model the manner in which pilots perceive and utilize visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular cues in a ground-based flight simulator. The study was part of a larger research effort which has the creation of a methodology for determining flight simulator fidelity requirements as its ultimate goal. The study utilized a closed-loop feedback structure of the pilot/simulator system which included the pilot, the cockpit inceptor, the dynamics of the simulated vehicle and the motion system. With the exception of time delays which accrued in visual scene production in the simulator, visual scene effects were not included in this study. The NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator was used in a simple, single-degree of freedom rotorcraft bob-up/down maneuver. Pilot/vehicle analysis and fuzzy-inference identification were employed to study the changes in fidelity which occurred as the characteristics of the motion system were varied over five configurations. The data from three of the five pilots that participated in the experimental study were analyzed in the fuzzy-inference identification. Results indicate that both the analytical pilot/vehicle analysis and the fuzzy-inference identification can be used to reflect changes in simulator fidelity for the task examined.
Equilibrium of partially dried porous media influenced by dissolved species and the development of new interfaces

The equilibrium state of partially dried porous media is modeled using continuum thermodynamics as a framework for identifying the equilibrium state. Entropy of the interfaces within the porous material are taken into account in the thermodynamic analysis of the system. Additionally, the effect on the equilibrium condition of increasing concentration of dissolved species in the fluid within the pores caused by moisture loss to the surroundings is examined. Both the presence of dissolved species in the fluid within the pores and the development of new interfaces during the drying process suppress internal vapor pressure, indicating that the equilibrium internal vapor pressure within the porous media will be lower than that of the boundary at equilibrium.
Economic development, foreign aid, and neoclassical growth

This paper examines the impact of foreign aid on economic development in the context of a neoclassical growth model. Its conclusion is that foreign aid, whether in the form of capital goods or consumer goods, has a purely transitory effect on an underdeveloped country's per capita consumption (which is used as the welfare criterion) in the context of the usual neoclassical growth model; when, however, alternative assumptions (which may be more appropriate to an underdeveloped country) about the rate of population growth and the propensity to save are grafted into this model, foreign aid, in the form of capital goods or consumer goods, does have a permanent effect on an underdeveloped country's per capita consumption, if the aid exceeds a critical minimum. Section I develops the properties of a simple neoclassical growth model that are essential to the analysis; section II analyses the impact of foreign aid in this context; in section III, appropriate modifications are made to the simple model and the impa...
Computer representation of continuous vibratory systems using normal modes and bond graph techniques

The general features of normal-mode analysis are dis cussed using both equations and bond-graph representa tions. The problem of truncating the infinite series of normal modes in order to produce a finite-order model for analog or digital simulation purposes is discussed, and the notion of appending a residual compliance and a residual inertance to account for neglected modes is ex plained. Using the bond graphs, a number of questions concerning the choice of boundary conditions and the computing causality of the system forcing are studied.
Cavity Specific Control of Melt Flow During Injection Molding Processes

The competitive global marketplace of the new century requires that industrial organizations develop capabilities to rapidly produce increasingly complex products with improved quality at lower cost. To do so successfully, significant innovations in manufacturing process technology need to be developed and implemented. The present paper describes a new research concept targeted at the development of “intelligent” or “adaptive” injection molding technology. More specifically, the effort is focused on the establishment of a capability to improve injection molding processing by monitoring shot to shot product quality and controlling the filling of multi-cavity molds in real time. During the first phase of the research, a target product having features and dimensional characteristics matching anticipated future requirements was selected. A two-cavity mold with which to manufacture the target product was then designed and fabricated. Candidate methodologies through which to implement control and assure proper filling of all product cavities at the individual cavity level were identified and evaluated. Based on this analysis, several types of mechanical valves for inclusion in runner systems were designed and fabricated. The resultant valve systems were tested on the prototype two-cavity mold, with important process as well as product quality variables monitored and/or measured during testing. All initial testing was performed using a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material from Hoechst Celanese. The results of the testing trials were analyzed to both validate the concept of individual cavity filling modification and identify an optimal valve type through which this can be accomplished. It was concluded that the flow control concept developed was experimentally validated, and that a custom characterized valve type appears most promising for future utilization at industrial manufacturing facilities. The future directions for the continuing project are also discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Brian Jungen's Verfremdungseffekt: Strange Comfort at the National Museum for the American Indian

Canadian artist Brian Jungen has achieved international fame for taking mass-produced goods — plastic chairs, gas cans, basketball sneakers — and transforming them into intricately wrought pieces that resemble First Nations art objects. Displayed in the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, Jungen's pieces produced a Brechtian Verfremdungseffekt .
Defense spending and foreign policy in the House of Representatives

Since the end of World War II many in elite circles have felt that economic prosperity in the US is immediately underpinned by the war economy and that desperate economic-and so political-problems might well arise should there be disarmament and genuine peace.... Leading corporations now profit from the preparation of war. In so far as the corporate elite are aware of their profit interests-and that is their responsible business-they press for a continuation of their sources of profit, which often means a continuation of the preparation for war.
An unusual internal growth associated with multiple watery cysts in a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Abstract A Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas , with multiple watery cysts was examined histologically and found to possess an unusual proliferation of tissue. The proliferative growth, thought to be a ganglioneuroma, had replaced much of the normal tissue and was accompanied by an intense inflammatory reaction. The cause of the neural lesions and their relationship to the watery cysts is unknown.
1214 ROPERTIES OF RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC) FROM FETUSES OF DIABETIC RATS

Hyperbilirubinemia in human infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) can be explained in part by elevated bilirubin production as assessed by endogenous carbon monoxide excretion (Veco). We have explored the hypothesis that elevated Veco in IDM may result from abnormal RBC deformability and decreased life span by studying properties of RBC from fetuses of diabetic rats (FDM). Wistar rats were made diabetic by i.v. injection of 40 mg/kg streptozotooin, mated and offspring studied at 21-days gestation. FDM were hyperglycemic and had elevated glycosylated hemoglobin vs. controls (C), but comparable serum insulin. Using polycarbonate filters with 5 μm pore dia., filtration ratio (ratio of filtration time of red cell suspension to buffer) was markedly increased in FDM (6.60 ± 1.15 for FDM vs. 18.1 ± 0.10 for C, p < .001). RBC survival was determined by cross-transfusion of 51Cr-labeled fetal RBC to normal adult recipients: We conclude that RBC from FDM are less deformable and have decreased survival vs. C. Since serum insulin is equivalent in FDM and C, these abnormalities must be secondary to hyperglycemia and/or its concomitant effects and may be the result of non-enzymatic glycosylation of critical RBC membrane proteins.
Posterior interhemispheric approach: surgical technique, application to vascular lesions, and benefits of gravity retraction.

Objective To review an experience with the posterior interhemispheric approach applied to vascular lesions in the posterior midline, to examine the effects of patient position and gravity retraction of the occipital lobe, and to identify circumstances requiring increased exposure by sectioning the falx and tentorium. Methods During a 6.5-year period, 46 posterior interhemispheric approaches were performed to treat 28 arteriovenous malformations, 10 dural arteriovenous fistulae, seven cavernous malformations, and one posterior cerebral artery aneurysm. Twenty-three patients were positioned prone and 23 patient were positioned laterally. Results A standard posterior interhemispheric approach was used in 38 patients, and the occipital bitranstentorial/falcine approach was used in seven patients. A contralateral occipital transfalcine approach was used with one thalamic cavernous malformation. All lesions were resected completely and/or obliterated angiographically, with good neurological outcomes in 83% of patients and no operative mortality. Blood loss was lower, operative durations were shorter, postoperative cerebral edema was decreased, and visual outcomes were improved in patients positioned laterally. Conclusion The posterior interhemispheric approach, without additional dural cuts, is appropriate for most vascular lesions in the posterior midline. Gravity retracts the occipital lobes when patients are positioned laterally, enhancing operative exposure and reducing morbidity. Extension of the posterior interhemispheric approach to a transtentorial or transfalcine approach is required for falcotentorial dural arteriovenous fistulae and vein of Galen arteriovenous malformations, but is not usually necessary with cavernous malformations or other arteriovenous malformations.
Evidence that removal of an endogenous metal that stabilizes the untransformed glucocorticoid receptor in cytosol allows ligand-independent receptor transformation.

Abstract Cytosol preparations contain an endogenous heat-stable factor which stabilizes the glucocorticoid receptor in its untransformed, non DNA-binding form. Elution of a partially purified preparation of this stabilizing factor through a metal chelating resin (Chelex-100) leads to the loss of its ability to inhibit temperature-mediated transformation of the receptor. Sodium molybdate mimicks the ability of this endogenous metal to stabilize the untransformed receptor, and it too is adsorbed by Chelex resin. When an L-cell cytosol preparation containing the glucocorticoid receptor is passed through a column of Chelex-100 resin and then incubated at 15°C, the receptor is rapidly transformed to the DNA-binding state, regardless of whether it is steroid-bound or not. In contrast, whole cytosol containing endogenous metals is transformed to the DNA-binding state only when the receptor is both steroid-bound and exposed to elevated temperature, these data suggest that a metal (or metals) may be involved in conferring the property of ligand-dependency to the transformation process.
Mevalonate biosynthesis in the fly, Sarcophaga bullata

Abstract Radioactive mevalonic acid (MVA), the committed substrate in isoprenoid biosynthesis, is synthesized from [2-14C]acetate in the presence of various co-factors by enzyme fractions from non-axenic and axenic Sarcophaga bullata larval homogenates. This mevalonic acid, in the lactone form, has been rigorously characterized by several chromatographic and physical analyses. Since the axenic and non-axenic homogenate incubations were very similar, the role of microflora in this synthesis is not considered significant. Of several larvae tissues examined, gut was the most active in MVA synthesis and fat body the least. However, all tissues examined had some MVA synthetic activity. Non-radioactive MVA was isolated quantitatively from larvae, pupae, and adults, and thus it would appear that there is a pool of MVA available for isoprenoid biosynthesis throughout development.
Small eye (Sey): cloning and characterization of the murine homolog of the human aniridia gene.

Abstract Phenotypic parallels and genetic evidence from comparative mapping suggest that the murine Small eye (Sey) and human aniridia (AN) disorders are homologous. This report describes the isolation of a murine embryonic cDNA that is structurally homologous to the AN cDNA we recently cloned. The murine cDNA detects a 2.7-kb transcript in the adult mouse eye and cerebellum and in human glioblastomas, suggesting a neuroectodermal involvement in the etiology of Sey/AN. Sequence comparison between the murine and the human cDNAs revealed extensive homology in nucleotide sequence (>92%) and virtual identity at the amino acid level. None of the differing amino acids was located within the paired box and homeobox DNA-binding domains. These results provide evidence for a common molecular basis underlying the two genetic disorders and suggest that the Sey system would be an authentic model for human AN.
Redescription of Dixella humeralis (Tonnoir) with notes on the immature stages (Diptera: Dixidae)

The adult male of Dixella humeralis is redescribed and adult female and immature life stages are described for the first time. Originally described from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, the current range is extended to include the pasture lands of the Dorrigo Plateau. Larval and pupal chaetotaxy are illustrated and their putative homology with the Culicidae is discussed. Adult and larval characters are presented that separate the known endemic Australian Dixella species.
Electron-electron interactions and superconducting fluctuations in weakly localized K3C60.

Magnetotransport studies on superconducting ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ films are presented. These films are a three-dimensional (3D) weakly localized system with strong electron-electron interactions, reflected by the large positive magnetoresistance (MR). The effects of superconducting fluctuations on the MR are observed in this 3D weakly localized system. The localization is primarily caused by doping-induced disorder rather than granularity and the upper critical field ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}2}$(T) follows the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg model. An electron mean free path of 10\char21{}20 \AA{} is estimated in the normal state just above ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$.
Remarks on the Lee-Zumino Summation Method

A method proposed recently by Lee and Zumino for calculating higher-order corrections to the $S$ matrix in nonpolynomial field theories is investigated. When applied to a perturbed harmonic oscillator, grave difficulties are encountered. The reason is found to lie not in the specific summation method, but in the behavior of the perturbing potential at infinity. In the more realistic field-theoretical case, it is shown that perturbation theory gives anomalous values for the vacuum self-energy and the wave-function renormalization constant under certain circumstances.
Employing a metamaterial inspired small antenna for sensing and transceiving data in an underground soil sensor equipped with a GUI for end-user

A methodology to extract sensor data from underground, in-situ, multi-frequency soil content sensors is presented. The underground sensor, that contains a small metamaterial inspired antenna that doubles up as a sensing element, measures the impedance of the surrounding soil by sending multiple signals of known frequencies in the range 1-40 MHz and comparing the magnitude and phase of reflected signal to those of incident signal. The amplitude and phase values that represent the reflection coefficient are stored in an internal register. In each transmission cycle, this packet is transmitted to an over ground receiver. The receiver decodes the data and processes it to extract the impedance value at the sensing element. The impedance values are then used to extract soil contents by solving certain dielectric mixing and relaxation models. A user-friendly graphical interface is developed that can support the automation of the whole process, and display the estimates of soil content as the output to help an end-user make effective decision about irrigation and fertilization.
Self-assembly of well-aligned gallium-doped zinc oxide nanorods

Highly oriented Ga-doped ZnO nanorod arrays have been fabricated on GaN and sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction shows that these nanorods are grown epitaxially with the c-axis normal to the substrate. The ZnO nanorod formation proceeds as follows. After a wetting layer of ZnO film grows to approximately 14 nm in thickness, the Stranski–Krastanov instability takes place due to interface strain. As a result, ZnO nanodots are formed uniformly on the ZnO layer. These nanodots then serve as nucleation sites for the subsequent electric-field-assisted growth of nanorods. Ga-doping level plays a key role in the formation of ZnO nanorods, while the oxygen partial pressure and the substrate temperature also affect the morphology of nanorods. These self-assembled and ordered ZnO nanorod arrays may be used in field emission and optoelectronic applications.
Development of gene probe-based biosensors for environmental analysis

This work involves the design and development of species specific gene (DNA) probes designed to detect Pseudomonas species. A non radioactive detection system for DNA was designed to detect the presence of these microbes in environmental samples for biomonitoring applications. The details of the methodology and their applicability for various environmental analyses is discussed below.
Six new species of Microstigmus wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), with notes on their biology

Six new species of Microstigmus are described and illustrated. Nests and other aspects of their biology, when known, are also described. Microstigmus puncticeps sp. n. (northern Brazil and Peru) and M. xanthosceles sp. n. (Central America and western Colombia) belong to two distinct groups not closely related to previously described species. Microstigmus cooperi sp. n. and M. crucifex sp. n. (both from northern Brazil and Colombia) represent basal lineages within the large group including M. brasiliensis, M. theridii, M. lobifex, etc. Microstigmus flavus sp. n. (southeastern Brazil) is closely related to M. lobifex. Microstigmus simplex sp. n. (northern Brazil) is a basal lineage within the group containing M. guianensis and M. arlei. Reuse of nests of M. nigrophthalmus by M. flavus sp. n. and of M. crucifex sp. n. by a species of the M. theridii complex is reported for the first time for Microstigmus.
he-said-she-said: formal cultural procedures for the construction of a gossip dispute activity

Formal cultural procedures utilized by urban black female children to construct a type of gossip dispute they call “he-said-she-said” are analyzed. The procedures employed to construct opening accusations produce utterances with a characteristic syntactic structure as well as a field of activity constituted through particular types of events, actions, and identities for the participants and rules for sequencing these phenomena through time. These procedures thus generate not only linguistic structures but also social configurations and cultural events, [conversation analysis, social organization, ethnography of communication, legal anthropology, Black English Vernacular]
Optimizing 1.5-Tesla and 3-Tesla Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Breasts

The technical requirements for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breasts are challenging because high temporal and high spatial resolution are necessary. This article describes the necessary equipment and pulse sequences for performing a high-quality study. Although imaging at 3-Tesla (T) has a higher signal-to-noise ratio, the protocol needs to be modified from the 1.5-T system to provide optimal imaging. The article presents the requirements for performing breast MRI and discusses techniques to ensure high-quality examinations on 1.5-T and 3-T systems.
382 EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INCREASE PROTECTION OF INFANTS IN CARS

Three in-hospital educational programs for post-partum women, designed to increase the crash protection of infants in cars, were evaluated in comparison to a group that received no education. The programs consisted of: (a) literature, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; (b) literature, plus a personal discussion, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; and (c) literature, plus the offer of a free infant carrier. The programs increased the extent to which infant carriers were used to transport babies in cars, but had little or no effect on the key outcome measure: use of infant carriers fastened by the car seat belt so that crash protection is provided. Rates of such use were low in all groups. It is concluded that ways of providing increased crash protection to infant and child travelers in addition to use of restraint systems requiring the active, voluntary cooperation of parents must be encouraged. “Passive” (automatic) protection techniques, such as air bags and vehicle interior modifications, have great potential in this regard.
Flow Measurement and Efficiency Modeling of Cyclones for Particle Collection

Gas flow within a Stairmand high efficiency cyclone was visualized using small, helium-filled soap bubbles that had the same density as air. The bubbles were illuminated using a modulated arc lamp. The resultant bubble streaks were photographed and digitized to determine radial and tangential components of velocity. Axial velocity was determined indirectly based on the conservation of mass. All measurements were made assuming azimuthally symmetric flow. A smooth-spline fitting algorithm was applied to the radial and tangential velocity profiles to compensate for the instability of the measurements. After obtaining velocity profiles for the cyclone, a Lagrangian description of particle trajectories within the cyclone was written and run for different particle sizes to determine the cyclone's grade efficiency. Results compared well with efficiency data obtained from experiments by Iozia and Leith (1990). Agreement appeared better with this model than models of Barth (1956), Dietz (1981), and Iozia and Leith...
Resistance to Classroom Participation: Minority Students, Academic Discourse, Cultural Conflicts, and Issues of Representation in Whole Class Discussions.

When trying to utilize class discussions as an effective pedagogical tool, teachers need to be aware of the conflicts that may arise due to issues of personal and cultural representation, linguistic differences, and misunderstandings of the tacit “rules” for participation. Because of cultural and linguistic variances in student populations, not all students are equally adept at class participation nor are all students equally prone to participate. Educators must understand and take into account in their grading practices that a failure to participate does not necessarily reflect disrespect for the teacher or the class, a disinterest in the subject matter, or apathy in general. Sometimes, minority students choose not to participate in an effort to maintain their sense of personal and cultural identity and/or because they lack a full understanding of the kinds of academic discourse employed in classroom discussions.
Oxygen in Stem Cell Biology: A Critical Component of the Stem Cell Niche

The defining hallmark of stem cells is their ability to self-renew and maintain multipotency. This capacity depends on the balance of complex signals in their microenvironment. Low oxygen tensions (hypoxia) maintain undifferentiated states of embryonic, hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and neural stem cell phenotypes and also influence proliferation and cell-fate commitment. Recent evidence has identified a broader spectrum of stem cells influenced by hypoxia that includes cancer stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. These findings have important implications on our understanding of development, disease, and tissue-engineering practices and furthermore elucidate an added dimension of stem cell control within the niche.
Cost effectiveness of competing strategies to prevent or treat GORD-related dysphagia.

Objective: The variety of influences that contribute to the occurrence of dysphagia in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) provide the physician with many options to intervene in the pathophysiology of the disease process. The aims of the present analysis were to compare the relationships between the costs and effectiveness of competing therapeutic interventions in preventing dysphagia.
A multi-instrument study of Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) at 2.1 AU (pre-perihelion) from the Sun

We observed Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) on UT 2011 September 8th and 9th at a large heliocentric distance of 2.1 AU upon its entry to the inner Solar System. The observations were performed using high-resolution infrared spectrometers (NIRSPEC at Keck II and CSHELL at IRTF), allowing us to obtain strong detections of H_2O, CO, CH_4 and HCN and sensitive upper-limits for C_2H_6, C_2H_2, NH_3 and HC_3N. We oriented the slit at 45° from the projected Sun–comet vector and obtained spatial profiles of H_2O, CH_4, and HCN that revealed notable differences among these species. In particular, we observed a strong excess of water in the projected sunward direction, probably due to a solar-activated jet releasing water-rich icy grains.
Simultaneous demonstration of phagocytosis-connected oxygen consumption and corresponding NAD(P)H oxidase activity: direct evidence for NADPH as the predominant electron donor to oxygen in phagocytizing human neutrophils.

Abstract Phagocytosis-connected oxygen consumption by human neutrophils and corresponding NAD(P)H oxidase were measured by an oxygen electrode with sequential additions of opsonized zymosan, Renex 30 (0.067%), and NAD(P)H. At a concentration of 0.15 mM substrate, NADPH oxidase activity of stimulated neutrophils was twice that required to account for accompanying oxygen consumption, and was about 20 times higher than that activity obtained from resting cells. NADH oxidase activity of phagocytizing cells, however, was negligible at the same concentration of substrate. With high recovery of oxidase activity, these results strongly suggest that NADPH is the dominant electron donor to oxygen in phagocytizing human neutrophils.
Fast texture database retrieval using extended fractal features

The increase in the number of multimedia databases consisting of images has created a need for a quick method to search these databases for a particular type of image. An image retrieval system will output images from the database similar to the query image in terms of shape, color, and texture. For the scope of our work, we study the performance of multiscale Hurst parameters as texture features for database image retrieval over a database consisting of homogeneous textures. These extended Hurst features represent a generalization of the Hurst parameter for fractional Brownian motion (fBm) where the extended parameters quantize the texture roughness of an image at various scales. We compare the retrieval performance of the extended parameters against traditional Hurst features and features obtained from the Gabor wavelet. Gabor wavelets have previously been suggested for image retrieval applications because they can be tuned to obtain texture information for a number of different scales and orientations. In our experiments, we form a database combining textures from the Bonn, Brodatz, and MIT VisTex databases. Over the hybrid database, the extended fractal features were able to retrieve a higher percentage of similar textures than the Gabor features. Furthermore, the fractal features are faster to compute than the Gabor features.
Intensity analysis to unify measurements of size and stationarity of land changes by interval, category, and transition

This article presents a quantitative method to analyze maps of land categories from several points in time for a single site by considering cross-tabulation matrices, where one matrix summarizes the change in each time interval. There are three levels of analysis, starting from general to more detailed levels, where each level exposes different types of information given the previous level of analysis. First, the interval level examines how the size and speed of change vary across time intervals. Second, the category level examines how the size and intensity of gross losses and gross gains in each category vary across categories for each time interval. Third, the transition level examines how the size and intensity of a category's transitions vary across the other categories that are available for that transition. At each level, the method tests for stationarity of patterns across time intervals. The unique contribution of this article is that it combines all three levels of analysis into one unified framework that we call intensity analysis, where the more detailed levels are conditional on the less detailed levels. The illustrative case study is for seven categories at the Plum Island Ecosystems site in northeastern Massachusetts, USA, where the largest transition is from Forest to Built during 1985, 1991, and 1999. We compare our approach to other established methods such as the Markov approach in order to show how our proposed intensity analysis gives more information concerning five possible reasons to explain why the transitions vary across time and space.
Creating Procedural Discourse and Knowledge for Software Users: Beyond Translation and Transmission

Although most theorists agree that discourse creates meaning, they have not adequately described how this process emerges within the creation of procedural knowledge. This article explores how technical communicators in diverse settings based discourse decisions on their knowledge of (a) users, (b) organizational image and constraints, (c) software structure and features, and (d) genre conventions in order to create communication artifacts designed to help users develop procedural knowledge. The transformations in which they engaged indicated that these technical communicators were skilled in forming images in these four areas and then using these images as they created meaning in procedural discourse. In this process, they moved beyond merely translating or transmitting technical knowledge.
Current Capabilities and Challenges for Optical Coherence Tomography as a High-Impact Cardiovascular Imaging Modality

Impact, the ability to have a long-lasting significant influence in the field, has become the focus not only of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation but also of science in general. An article in this issue, “Optical Coherent Tomographic Analysis of In-Stent Neoatherosclerosis After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation,” deals with 2 high-impact areas of cardiology: extending the diagnostic capabilities of cardiovascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the cause of late drug-eluting stent failure.1 With respect to the latter, the article looks at atherosclerotic progression after drug-eluting stent placement and late development of different plaque morphologies, predominantly at the stent site. It suggests variability of plaque progression in the peristent area as a potential reason for failure. The article reviews the literature on this topic, so the cardiovascular OCT aspects of the paper, mainly the strengths and weaknesses of the technology, are the focus of the remainder of this editorial. The primary topic in particular is the effectiveness of OCT for plaque lipid identification. Article see p 2954 As cardiovascular OCT now enters its 17th year, it is still widely held that its greatest potential for impact is in risk stratifying thin-cap fibroatheromas (TCFAs) and reducing stent placement failures.2,3 Kang et al1 address both these areas. More broadly, as with other studies done over the last several years, the article represents a new direction in the OCT field. With the recent commercialization of OCT imaging systems, we are seeing a new era of cardiovascular OCT studies directed by skilled clinical scientists at hypotheses that will affect patient outcomes (ie, high impact) and are not simply observational studies.4 The progress of OCT in the last 17 years has been dramatic from the original embodiment that had a penetration of <500 μm, a frame …