cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overview of OMVPE optoelectronic material growth at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Recent advances in the development of high purity starting materials and OMVPE reactor design are quickly making OMVPE technology the technique of choice for the manufacturing of epitaxial material needed for optoelectronic devices. Within the past year, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory we have used a single state-of-the-art AIXTRON 200/4 OMVPE reactor to produce high quality optoelectronic devices from three different material systems; InGaAsP/InP, AlInAs/InAs and AlGaAs/GaAs. Within the InGaAsP/InP family of materials we have been able to develop a regrowth protocol to preserve first order DFB gratings, with a grating depth of 400 degree(s)a. In addition, we have been able to fabricate InGaAs(P)/InP heterostructures with near monolayer abruptness. However, most important, we have been able to develop a dual flow adjustment scheme that results in lattice matched and wavelength matched InGaAsP layers within six to seven iterations of the growth parameters.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Light transmittance by goldfish eyes of different sizes

The transmittance of the optic media was measured in eyes from small (4.3-5.5 cm standard body length), medium (8.3-10.0 cm) and large (14.2-17.5 cm) goldfish. Few differences were observed over this size range, despite a doubling in diameter of the globe. Relative transmittance was constant (+/- 0.04 log unit) between 450-700 nm, and absolute transmittance through the lens was approximately constant as well. Changes did occur, however, in the shorter wavelengths: at 350 nm, transmission of large eyes was diminished by about 0.40 log unit relative to small eyes.
Contrast effects as a function of shifts in delay of water reward.

Following stable performance in the acquisition (preshift) phase, subjects receiving either 0, 8, or 16 sec delay of water reward were subdivided and either continued on the preshift delay, or shifted to the other preshift delay intervals. The postshift performance was examined for evidence of positive and negative contrast effects. It was found that delay produced significant differences in acquisition such that, the shorter the delay interval, the faster the running speed. This effect was also found in the second phase in which the same relationship held between length of delay and speed, regardless of earlier acquisition experience. Although a graphical, albeit statistically nonsignificant, PCE was observed in all sections of the runway, no NCE was found. The results were discussed in terms of several theories of behavior.
Proficiency of surgical faculty and residents with ethical dilemmas: is modeling enough?

Objective Professionalism, an Accreditation Commission for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency, embraces the concept of adherence to ethical principles. Despite this, most surgical residencies do not currently include ethics as part of their core curriculum. Further, expertise in effectively managing ethical dilemmas is frequently obtained via modeling after the attending physician. This study evaluated surgical faculty (SF) and residents (SR) on their understanding of basic ethical principles and their overall confidence in translation of these principles into clinical practice. The objective was to determine if there are any differences in the overall levels of knowledge and confidence in ethics between SR and SF. Design and Setting Immediately before the first session of a Kamangar Grant supported monthly Ethics Forum, all SF and SR completed a Pre-Curriculum Questionnaire (PCQ) on their knowledge about ethical principles and their confidence in dealing with ethical issues. PQC contained 13 multiple-choice and true/false knowledge questions and 8 questions evaluating confidence rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Participants Surgical faculty (SF) (n = 16) and SR (n = 36). Knowledge and confidence scores were compared between SR and SF, using Student t-test analysis to evaluate differences between groups. Results No significant differences were found in ethical knowledge scores between faculty and residents. Faculty confidence is higher than resident (p Conclusions While SF are more confident in their ethical decision-making, their fundamental knowledge base in ethics is not different from that of SR. Female SF report greater self-confidence over their male counterparts. In total, SF may not possess the foundation to effectively mentor residents in appropriate ethical principles and their translation to clinical practice. This study supports the need for both SR and SF to engage in an integrated education program in ethics to promote on-going dialogue in this complex topic.
The production of monoclonal antibodies against aldosterone

We have prepared several monoclonal antibodies against aldosterone-3-carboxy-methyloxime-BSA conjugate by fusing spleen lymphocytes from an immunized mouse with the mouse myeloma line HL-1 Friendly. A total of 6 different clones were isolated and expanded. All of the antibodies exhibited low cross-reactivities against most of the compounds tested. Antibodies A5A3, A2E11, and C1E2 exhibited low cross-reactivity with 18-hydroxycorticosterone and 18-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone and showed no detectable displacement of tritiated aldosterone from the antibodies with cortisol, corticosterone, and related steroids. The only steroid that showed moderate cross-reactivity was 3 alpha,5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone (around 3%). Clone A5H12 antibodies exhibited high cross-reactivity with tetrahydroaldosterone (19.3%) but otherwise was very similar to the above clones. Antibody of clone C1E4 showed high cross-reactivity to tetrahydroaldosterone (41.2%) and 18-hydroxyDOC (2%) with relatively low cross-reactivity to DOC (0.078%). Clone A2G9 antibodies were the only ones for which cortisol and corticosterone displaced tritiated aldosterone with cross-reactivities of 0.0042% and 0.125%, making them unsuitable for a direct radioimmunoassay of plasma aldosterone. The monoclonal antibodies were very sensitive to freezing and thawing. The cross-reactivities of the first three clones' antibodies compare favorably with those polyclonal antibodies that have been described to be suitable for use in direct radioimmunoassays of plasma aldosterone. Their advantage is the reliable supply of an antibody with consistent, predictable properties.
Fast optimization-based conservative remap of scalar fields through aggregate mass transfer.

Abstract We develop a fast, efficient and accurate optimization-based algorithm for the high-order conservative and local-bound preserving remap (constrained interpolation) of a scalar conserved quantity between two close meshes with the same connectivity. The new formulation is as robust and accurate as the flux-variable flux-target optimization-based remap (FVFT-OBR) [1] , [2] yet has the computational efficiency of an explicit remapper. The coupled system of linear inequality constraints, resulting from the flux form of remap, is the main efficiency bottleneck in FVFT-OBR. While advection-based remappers use the flux form to directly enforce mass conservation, the optimization setting allows us to treat mass conservation as one of the constraints. To take advantage of this fact, we consider an alternative mass-variable mass-target (MVMT-OBR) formulation in which the optimization variables are the net mass updates per cell and a single linear constraint enforces the conservation of mass. In so doing we change the structure of the OBR problem from a global linear-inequality constrained QP to a singly linearly constrained QP with simple bounds. Using the structure of the MVMT-OBR problem, and the fact that in remap the old and new grids are close, we are able to develop a simple, efficient and easily parallelizable optimization algorithm for the primal MVMT-OBR QP. Numerical studies on a variety of affine and non-affine grids confirm that MVMT-OBR is as accurate and robust as FVFT-OBR, but has the same computational cost as the explicit, state-of-the-art FCR.
Response of a Spectrometer to a Modulated Plane Wave

This paper presents a derivation of the response of a simple grating spectrometer to a plane wave that is modulated in both phase and amplitude by arbitrary functions. The spectrometer is characterized by its familiar frequency-domain response and by its less familiar time-domain response. It is found that the time-domain characterization is a useful form for studying the response of a spectrometer to a modulated plane wave. The quasi-static response for low modulation rates is clearly revealed by the time-domain characterization. Furthermore, the response of the first moment of the light intensity in the focal plane of the spectrometer can be derived easily from the time-domain characterization.The technique described here is used to compute the time-domain response of a spectrometer to a plane wave with a linearly sweeping frequency.
Phytohemagglutinin induced changes of membrane lipid packing , c-myc and c-myb encoded protein expression in human lymphocytes during aging

Abstract Three parameters which signal different stages of cell activation were analyzed in lymphocytes from young and old subjects. Merocyanine 540 (MC-540) incorporation into the membrane lipid phase was used as a very early marker of activation and was measured after 1 h of phytohemaglutinin (PHA) stimulation. The proteins coded by c-myc and c-myb protooncogenes were determined by appropriate antibodies and were taken as markers of the G0/G1 and G1/S phase transition, respectively. The number of cells which increased the uptake of MC-540 following PHA stimulation did not differ when comparing young and old individuals. Both the number of the responding cells and the size of the response were decreased during aging when the presence of the c-myc protein was taken into account. A consistent decrease of the percentage of lymphocytes able to express the c-myb protein was observed in the cells from old donors as compared to those from the young ones, but the amount of detectable protein per cell remained unchanged. Our data suggest that the deficiency of responsiveness which accompanies aging is due to impairments at different points of the cell cycle. The very low number of cells expressing the c-myb protein is likely the result of step by step elimination of those cells not able to fulfill the requirements to progress along the cell cycle.
How much does number matter to a monkey (Macaca mulatta)

Although many animal species can represent numerical values, little is known about how salient number is relative to other object properties for nonhuman animals. In one hypothesis, researchers propose that animals represent number only as a last resort, when no other properties differentiate stimuli. An alternative hypothesis is that animals automatically, spontaneously, and routinely represent the numerical attributes of their environments. The authors compared the influence of number versus that of shape, color, and surface area on rhesus monkeys’ (Macaca mulatta) decisions by testing them on a matching task with more than one correct answer: a numerical match and a nonnumerical (color, surface area, or shape) match. The authors also tested whether previous laboratory experience with numerical discrimination influenced a monkey’s propensity to represent number. Contrary to the last-resort hypothesis, all monkeys based their decisions on numerical value when the numerical ratio was favorable.
Suggestions for crops grown in controlled ecological life-support systems, based on attractive vegetarian diets

Assuming that crops grown in controlled ecological life-support systems (CELSS) should provide a basis for meals that are both nutritious and attractive (to taste and vision), and that CELSS diets on the moon or Mars or in space-craft during long voyages will have to be mostly vegetarian, a workshop was convened at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. on 19 to 21 January, 1994. Participants consisted of trained nutritionists and others; many of the approximately 18 presenters who discussed possible diets were practicing vegetarians, some for more than two decades. Considering all the presentations, seven conclusions (or points for discussion) could be formulated: nutritious vegetarian diets are relatively easily to formulate, vegetarian diets are healthy, variety is essential in vegetarian diets, some experiences (e.g., Bios-3 and Biosphere 2) are relevant to planning of CELSS diets, physical constraints will limit the choice of crops, a preliminary list of recommended crops can be formulated, and this line of research has some potential practical spinoffs. The list of crops and the reasons for including specific crops might be of interest to professionals in the field of health and nutrition as well as to those who are designing closed ecological systems.
The effect of deviations from linearity on the detection of dotted line patterns

Abstract Four experiments were carried out to determine the detectability of dotted line stimulus patterns embedded in backgrounds of randomly dotted visual noise. The results indicate that straight lines are more easily detected than curves or angles. This finding holds robustly even though interdot spacings (local geometry) are held constant in each experiment. The global organization of the stimulus, therefore, is a strong determinant of the ease of visual pattern detection. The implications of these findings for pattern recognition theory are considered using an optical computer.
Oncologic applications of endoscopy.

Endoscopy represents a relatively inexpensive and noninvasive diagnostic tool that is increasingly available in clinical practice. Many neoplastic disorders are easily and accurately diagnosed endoscopically, with lower patient morbidity than invasive, surgical procedures. This article reviews the neoplasms that are most commonly diagnosed with the use of endoscopy; discussion focuses on clinical presentation, endoscopic appearance and diagnosis, and current treatment strategies.
Citizen (in) action: the limits of civic discourse in city council meetings

This paper presents an analysis of the city council meetings of a northeast Ohio city government. Drawing on grounded theory, conversation analysis, and critical discourse analysis, the paper investigates the participants of the council meetings and the roles they occupy, the kinds of discourse practiced, and the extent of participation in the discourse. The results demonstrate the potential for citizen participation in city government due to citizen access to the council meetings, solicitation of citizen participation, and citizen allotment of designated times to participate in the meetings. However, the findings also demonstrate that the role citizens played, the discourse they used, and the extent of their participation was disproportionate to that of government officials and was significantly limited in both size and scope.
Social Facilitation of Eating Behavior in Armadillos

The fact that organisms eat more in the presence of other members of the same species than when alone has been well documented in a wide variety of species (James, 1960). In only one study (Platt, Sutker, & James, 1967), utilizing opossums, has this effect not been demonstrated, and these results could be accounted for as a function of the amount of early social stimulation. The current study reports an attempt to demonstrate social facilitation of eating behavior, as evidenced by increased food intake under social versus solitary feeding conditions, in the armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctzls) . Utilizing a method similar to that reported in detail in a previous study with opossums (Platt & James, 1966), 5 adult armadillos were fed, on randomly alternated days, under either a social or isolated condicion. Under the social condicion Ss ate in a large enclosed area 30 in. X 48 in., while under the solitary condition Ss ate in individual enclosures approximately 18 in. X 30 in. Ss were weighed daily upon removal from the home cage, before being placed in the feeding area, and again upon being removed from the feeding area. Ss were allowed 25 min. daily to eat, the daily feeding sessions always starting and terminating at approximately the same time. Water was available ad lib. in the common home cage, and Ss were fed their normal ration, moistened Purina cat chow, during the experiment. Over a period of 22 sessions, 11 under each condition, Ss ate significantly more under the social than under the isolated condition. The results, calculated in terms of food intake as percentage of daily body weight, were analyzed by means of a 2 X 11 repeated measures analysis of variance design. The results were significant for condition of feeding (2; = 7.51; df = 1/8; p < .05) but not for days or condition of feeding X days interaction. These results suggest that the armadillo, like a number of other animals, is responsive to social cues received from the presence of other members of the same species.
Improving sterological estimates for the volume of structures identified in three-dimensional arrays of spatial data

Investigators frequently measure the volumes of anatomic structures. These volumes can answer important scientific questions such as whether a structure differs between two groups, which structures a disease affects, or how the size of a structure relates to its function. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, X-ray computed tomography and confocal microscopy are used more and more frequently in anatomic studies; each yields information that is spatially organized as a three-dimensional array. We describe how to improve an efficient stereological technique for estimating the volumes of structures that are identifiable in these arrays. As an example, we apply the technique to measuring brain volumes by MR imaging. We then show how the results of the technique may be used for solving a typical problem in experimental design. This technique is applicable to a wide range of experimental problems. We discuss its limitations and offer some suggestions and observations relating to its use.
Medical Student Attitudes Toward Inclusion of a Research Year within Diagnostic Radiology Residency

Abstract Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study was to solicit medical student opinion regarding establishment of a research track within diagnostic radiology residency and to determine the method of implementation most favorable to candidates who self-identified as future researchers. Materials and Methods After the deadline for submitting rank lists (February 21, 2002), a questionnaire was mailed to 588 U.S.-resident medical students who applied to the authors' residency in the 2002 match. Returned questionnaires postmarked before match day (March 21, 2002) were included in the analysis. Students were asked to rate their level of interest in different residency curricula; to indicate whether they were most likely to pursue a position in private practice, clinical academics, or research academics; and to indicate their preferred time of choosing a training track, preferred duration of the residency to dedicate to research, and when they most wished to undertake research. Results A total of 161 students (27.4%) responded. Overall, students preferred institutions with both clinical and research tracks rather than a single track for all residents, to delay their choice of track for as long as possible, and to do research during postgraduate year 4. Students indicated greatest interest in 3–6 months of research. Among those who self-identified as future academic researchers, interest in a research residency track was greater than among those who indicated the greatest interest in private practice positions. Conclusion Many students are interested in performing research during their radiology residency. Interest in a research track is positively correlated with interest in a research academic career and negatively correlated with interest in private practice.
Iron(II)-bleomycin. Biochemical and spectral properties in the presence of radical scavengers

Abstract Consistent with a recent literature report (Repine, J. E. et al. (1981) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 7 8 , 1001–1003), the release of [3H]-thymine from PM-2 DNA by Fe(II)-H2O2-generated ·OH was suppressed by dimethyl sulfoxide. In contrast, DMSO did not affect [3H]-thymine release mediated by Fe(II)-bleomycin. Under aerobic conditions in the presence of t -butyl phenylnitrone, Fe(II)-BLM produces an epr signal that has been presumed to arise by transfer of ·OH or O 2 • from the “active complex” of bleomycin to the spin trap. Remarkably, high concentrations (80 mM) of PBN had no effect on the ability of Fe(II)-BLM to solubilize [3H]-thymine, although the ability of authentic ·OH to degrade DNA was completely suppressed under these condition. The suproxide dismutase catalyst tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphineiron(III) also failed to suppress BLM-mediated DNA degradation. Moreover, the epr signal observed with 1.6 mM Fe(II)-BLM in the presence of 80 mM PBN was found to be much less intense than that produced by 1.6 mM Fe(II) and 290 mM H2O2, but equivalent in intensity to that obtained with 45 mM Fe(II) and exoess H2O2. We conclude that the fragmentation of DNA produced by Fe(II)-BLM can be due neither to free ·OH nor to O 2 • . We suggest that DNA degradation is initiated by an “active complex” consisting of BLM, metal and oxygen that functions by abstracting H· from susceptible sites on DNA.
Early Computer Interface Design: Two Archival Documents

Introduction The documents transcribed herein represent two crucial moments in the design of the computer. The first is a short memorandum— really more like a slightly formalized set of notes—written by the art and architecture critic Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. to Eliot Noyes in mid–1957. In 1956, Noyes had hired Kaufmann, along with Charles Eames, George Nelson, and Paul Rand, to aid him in the “IBM Design Consultancy”—a twenty-year campaign to redesign every aspect of IBM and develop for the corporation an autonomous means of designing and redesigning itself. Kaufmann’s notes detail his “impressions” and “hunches” regarding the design of computer interfaces,1 formed in part through his encounters with both the Noyes-designed IBM showroom for the IBM 702 and 705 computers, at the company’s Madison Avenue headquarters, and with the most recent line of computers produced by General Electric. As he noted in his cover to Noyes, the latter visit “served to confirm [his] ideas” regarding the shortcomings of IBM’s computers, whose interfaces were also designed by Noyes in collaboration with the industrial design firm Sundberg-Farrar and IBM’s own team of engineers. As I have detailed in my recent book The Interface, 2 Kaufmann’s notes wholly transformed the approach that Noyes had taken towards redesigning IBM’s products. In true modernist fashion, Noyes’s initial response to what he called IBM’s “design schizophrenia” had been to “strip away” the mannered, cluttered and inelegant surfaces of these complex machines.3 By opening up these opaque surfaces, he had aimed to reveal—and here his language of revelation and overt Biblical reference is telling— the “coat of many colors” that was concealed within. Encased not in elaborate steel containers, but rather simple frameworks, covered only by clear and sheer panes of glass, the computer’s operators would be able, Noyes reasoned, to grasp the computer’s true essence. 1 Edgar Kaufmann, jr. to Eliot Noyes, 13 June 13, 1957, Eliot Noyes Archive. The other memoranda reproduced here providing the context for Kaufmann’s notes are from the same string of correspondence, running from February 26 to June 17, 1957, all attached to one another in the same file. 2 John Harwood, The Interface: IBM and the Transformation of Corporate Design, 1945–1976 (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011), chap. 2. 3 Eliot Noyes, speech at Yale University, December 8. 1976, quoted in Gordon Bruce, Eliot Noyes: A Pioneer of Design and Architecture in the Age of American Modernism (London: Phaidon, 2006), 146.
Documenting laryngeal change following prolonged loud reading: A videostroboscopic study

This study investigated the effects of prolonged loud reading on trained and untrained subjects. Subjects were eight young women singers, and eight young women with limited musical experience. Each subject underwent videostroboscopic examination prior to and following 1 h of prolonged loud reading. The pretest and posttest videotaped samples were randomized and presented to three experienced judges, who evaluated various aspects of laryngeal appearance and vibratory characteristics. Analyses of group data revealed that untrained subjects showed a small but significant increase in amplitude of vocal fold excursion following the experimental task. No significant differences were noted in the trained singer group. When individual variation was analyzed, it was found that most subjects did not show many changes from pretest to posttest. It was concluded that a l-h loud-reading task was not sufficient to induce notable laryngeal alterations.
Definition and mapping of STSs at STR and RFLP loci in Xp11-Xq22.

Abstract New primer pair sequences specific for 25 loci in the Xp11-q22.1 region are described. Eighteen of the pairs span segments containing significant CA dinucleotide repeats, with 9 of these revealing polymorphisms of greater than 50% heterozygosity. Four of the CA-containing segments occur in probes previously reported to detect RFLPs, while the remaining 14 are from newly isolated clones. STSs were also developed for 7 other RFLP-only loci. All of these 25 STSs plus 11 other published STR markers have been fine-mapped with respect to chromosomal breakpoints, defining 15 subintervals in Xpll-Xq22. This map of 36 STSs, nearly all of which are associated with markers that are genetically mapped and/or highly polymorphic, will significantly aid efforts to construct a complete physical map of this region and to correlate it with the high-density genetic map.
Bioabsorbable glycolide copolymer staple-line reinforcement decreases internal hernia rate after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Background Internal hernias (IHs) can occur after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP), perhaps because of a lack of adhesion formation at the cut edges of the mesentery and a cutting through of sutures with a decrease in fat from weight loss. In patients undergoing reoperation after LRYGBP, we observed that bioabsorbable glycolide copolymer staple-line reinforcement (SLR) placed to mitigate staple-line bleeding had evoked adhesiogenesis and tissue fusion at the mesentery edges; therefore, we investigated whether use of this material decreases post-LRYGBP IH rates.
A behavioral link between the oculomotor and cardiovascular systems.

Among the more consistent and intriguing findings relating to tonic levels of accommodation and vergence is that individual differences are large. Previous research into the functional consequences of these individual differences has been impressive. Less is known, however, about the physiological source of inter-subject variations in dark focus and dark vergence. Given that the autonomic nervous system appears to be involved in determining both oculomotor and cardiovascular tone, it is possible that shared autonomic control could be reflected by behavioral similarities across these two systems. This chapter reviews evidence that addresses this possibility and highlights three recent studies that included psychophysiological measures of cardiovascular behavior.
Alkaline and acid phosphatases in white blood cells and blood platelets.

Abstract 1. 1. Phosphatase activity in leucocytes and blood platelets of horse blood was studied for different substrates and at different pH's. 2. 2. Linear relation between the number of leucocytes and their phosphatase activity is detectable only within a limited enzyme concentration for a given concentration of the substrate. 3. 3. Dialysis against distilled water, freezing and thawing, and homogenizing enhance the yield of inorganic phosphorus liberated. 4. 4. Freezing of undialyzed cell suspensions preserves the enzyme for a considerable length of time. 5. 5. Glucose-6-phosphatase and β-glycerophosphatase in leucocytes are alkaline phosphatases. 6. 6. Blood platelets carry an acid phosphatase. The peak of β-glycerophosphatase activity in horse blood leucocytes at pH 5.0 is an artifact, produced by the blood platelets.
Dependence of lumped mass transfer coefficient on scale and reactions kinetics for biologically enhanced NAPL dissolution

Abstract Residual dense non-aqueous liquids (NAPLs) in aquifers constitute a great challenge for groundwater cleanup. Active engineered treatment of regions that contain residual NAPLs is often required to shorten the long-term impact of NAPLs on groundwater quality. Enhanced residual NAPL cleanup can be achieved by promoting biodegradation of NAPL components in the aqueous phase, thereby increasing contaminant fluxes from the NAPL phase. Reaction-enhanced NAPL dissolution is often mathematically simulated under the assumption that lumped mass transfer coefficients, used to describe the dissolution behavior of the NAPL phase, are independent of the reactions. However, this assumption is not warranted because reactions occurring near the water–NAPL interface can reduce characteristic mass transfer lengths, which tend to enhance mass transfer over the no-reaction case. In this study, we mathematically investigated the connections between lumped mass transfer coefficients and reaction kinetics over an idealized residual NAPL domain. Since mass transfer is frequently a scale-dependent process, we also examined the influence of system extent on mass transfer coefficients. For our idealized domain with an assumed first-order decay reaction, the results show that lumped mass transfer coefficients depend on reaction kinetics and system scale. The mass transfer coefficient derived from the non-reactive case cannot properly represent the mass transfer process under the reactive conditions. When the advection time scale is long in comparison to the transverse dispersion time scale in the system, a fast reaction can increase significantly the lumped mass transfer coefficient. The mass transfer coefficient used for simulation was also found to be affected by the nature of the numerical scheme used.
The personality disorders: A review and critique of contemporary assessment strategies.

Despite the prevalence of personality disorders, only recently have they become the topic of extensive clinical research. Unfortunately, much of this research suffers from various assessment problems including poor interrater agreement, an overreliance on cross-sectional assessment, and inconsistencies across measures. The present review examines the strategies used to assess personality disorders. Three comprehensive tables are used to provide a quantitative review of existing studies. Although specific measures are examined, the focus remains on general strategies for assessment. Personality disorder assessment may be enhanced through the use of aggregation methods. Aggregating over raters can reduce the subjective biases inherent in any one person's perception. Aggregating data over time reduces the instability of personality assessment, while aggregating data across measures reduces the reliance on any one measure to assess personality disorders accurately. Thus, future research should be able to refine the strategies used to study personality disorders.
Causal efficacy and the normative notion of sustainability science

Sustainability science requires both a descriptive understanding and a normative approach. Modern science, however, began as purely descriptive knowledge, the core of which is that matter is dynamically inert and without purpose. The British philosopher David Hume concluded that the only type of causation in the material world is “efficient causation,” which supported this purposeless view of a deterministic world “governed” by the causal laws of dynamics. But Hume did not argue against the existence of efficacious causation, only the error of humans projecting the mind’s efficacy to objects. Though dynamically inert, a material object away from equilibrium can be thermodynamically reactive, suggesting the possibility of the object being efficaciously managed for a purpose. Furthermore, quantum physics has replaced classical physics as the fundamental theory of the material world. Its basic equation, the Schrodinger waveequation, is deterministic but causally inert—it cannot govern, leaving the determinism door unlocked. This causal gap, according to the von Neumann-Stapp quantum measurement/activation theory, necessitates the pragmatic existence in an irreversible universe of the causal efficacy of mental effort and information management. The resulting “bigger” empirical science has room for “descriptive determinism” and “normative action,” both of which are utterly essential in formulating sustainability science as an integral discipline.
How Technical Communicators Feel about Their Occupation: Facets, Attitudes, and Implications for the Future of the Profession

To study the affective states of technical communicators, we administered a survey to examine three areas: first, the traditional facets or aspects of job satisfaction; second, any possible differences between male and female technical communicators in job satisfaction; and third, any influences on job satisfaction such as job stress that might be unique to the technical communication profession. To ensure the reliability and validity of the measures, the survey included the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), the most widely used measure of job satisfaction in the world. The sample from the Society for Technical Communication's (STC's) membership list yielded 323 usable responses. Our analyses included: a comparison of our subjects' responses to national norms for all occupations, an examination of male and female differences on satisfaction measures, and the use of various appropriate statistical procedures to select only the most significant results for discussion. The results indicate that technical communic...
Long- and Short-term Weight Change and Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Weight gain increases the prevalence of obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, unintentional weight loss can be a harbinger of health problems. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (1987–2009) included 15,792 US adults aged 45–64 years at baseline and was used to compare associations of long-term (30 years) and short-term (3 years) weight change with the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke. Age-, gender-, and race-standardized incidence rates were 4.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.6, 5.2) per 1,000 person-years for CHD and 2.5 (95% CI: 2.3, 2.8) per 1,000 person-years for stroke. After controlling for baseline body mass index and other covariates, long-term weight gain (since age 25 years) of more than 2.7% was associated with elevated CHD risk, and any long-term weight gain was associated with increased stroke risk. Among middle-aged adults, short-term (3-year) weight loss of more than 3% was associated with elevated immediate CHD risk (hazard ratio = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.81) and stroke risk (hazard ratio = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.92). Risk tended to be larger in adults whose weight loss did not occur through dieting. Avoidance of weight gain between early and middle adulthood can reduce risks of CHD and stroke, but short-term, unintentional weight loss in middle adulthood may be an indicator of immediate elevated risk that has not previously been well recognized.
Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions

This essay starts with a discussion of the literature review, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework as components of a manuscript. This discussion includes similarities and distinctions among these components and their relation to other sections of a manuscript such as the problem statement, discussion, and implications. The essay concludes with an overview of the literature review, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework as separate types of manuscripts. Understanding similarities and differences among the literature review, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework can help novice and experienced researchers in organizing, conceptualizing, and conducting their research, whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods.
Learning structurally discriminant features in 3D faces

In this paper, we derive a data mining framework to analyze 3D features on human faces. The framework leverages kernel density estimators, genetic algorithm and an information complexity criterion to identify discriminant feature-clusters of lower dimensionality. We apply this framework on human face anthropometry data of 32 features collected from each of the 300 3D face mesh models. The feature-subsets that we infer as the output establishes domain knowledge for the challenging problem of 3D face recognition with dense 3D gallery models and sparse or low resolution probes.
Phase-scanning experiments with two-reflector antenna systems

The two-reflector antenna system is widely used in its Cassegrain form for many applications because it has considerable versatility in the optimization of its design parameters. By replacing either one of its continuous reflecting surfaces with a discrete-element phased array, additional versatility is created. Both cases are discussed herein and key experiments are reported which verify that such modifications are practical. When the main reflector becomes a phased array, a fairly large region of space can be scanned rapidly. The configuration investigated indicates that a modest reduction in the number of array elements, as compared to conventional arrays, can be obtained by absorption of the array factor grating lobe structure. Excellent monopulse pattern characteristics are also shown throughout the scan region. When the subreflector becomes a phased array, a small region of space can be scanned rapidly with very few array elements. The configuration investigated indicates that phase control based on geometrical optics analyses is sufficient to overcome the usual aperture phase aberrations which occur with displaced and/or multiple feed antenna geometries. Conventional array beam-steering expressions become somewhat complex when exact results are to be implemented. A major advantage of the two-reflector antenna wherein one surface is a phased array is the possibility of making modifications to existing systems at reasonable costs through a redesign of only one subunit in the configuration.
Erythropoiesis and the approach to anemia in premature infants

Objective: To review causes of anemia in preterm infants and to suggest potential preventive measures. Methods: Data for this review is obtained from review of the literature. Results: An approach to investigating and treating causes of neonatal anemia is outlined. Conclusions: Clinical practices can significantly impact anemia in premature infants. Delayed cord clamping, decreasing phlebotomy loss and optimizing nutritional support are practices that may decrease the severity of anemia, thereby decreasing the need for transfusions or erythropoietin treatment.
Support for a Dimensional View of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Toddlers

We examined whether clinically distinct subgroups can be derived from a sample of toddlers (n = 186) who failed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, received a comprehensive clinical evaluation, and were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three subgroups emerged from cluster analysis distinguished by (a) social, communication, and intellectual skills and (b) the rate and intensity of repetitive behaviors and abnormal sensory response. Preoccupations, compulsions, and rituals did not distinguish resultant subgroups. These results support a dimensional diagnostic view of ASDs in toddlers since subgroup differences were based on symptom severity rather than different symptom profiles. Results also identify specific types and levels of behavioral deficit relevant to toddler populations. Implications for early diagnosis are discussed.
Technical modifications and decision-making to reduce morbidity in thoracic disc surgery: An institutional experience and treatment algorithm

Abstract Background Symptomatic thoracic disc herniation (TDH) is an uncommon condition with significant treatment risks. Objective To evaluate strategies to avoid and manage complications from thoracic disc surgery. Methods All TDH cases by the senior author were retrospectively reviewed from 2000 to 2012. Complications were recorded, together with avoidance and management strategies. To reduce access-related morbidity, a thoracoscopic-tubular retractor approach was developed later in the series. Results 64 patients were treated for TDH, the majority undergoing an anterior minimally-invasive approach. Complications occurred in 15 patients (23%). Three patients with intercostal neuralgia persisting for >3 months had pain resolution after intercostal nerve blocks and radiofrequency lesioning. Five of the six patients with dural tears during anterior surgery had no further events following dural repair, lumbar drain insertion, and placement of chest tube to water seal. One case of persistent CSF leakage was successfully treated with a laparoscopically-mobilized omental flap. Preoperative metallic marker placement was effective at guiding correct-level surgery. For anterior operations, no pneumothorax occurred with routine chest tube placement. Our approach and techniques evolved based on early experience, allowing us to reduce surgical morbidity. The thoracoscopic-tubular retractor approach was associated with low morbidity (no complications among 13 cases other than temporary intercostal neuralgia). Conclusions Several strategies may reduce morbidity from thoracic disc surgery: careful approach selection, preoperative level marking, use a tubular retractor with thoracoscopic guidance, rib resection at the mini-thoracotomy site, routine chest tube placement for anterior operations, and routine lumbar drain insertion in the event of a dural tear. Prospective comparative studies are needed to assess the efficacy of these techniques.
Gynecologic Brachytherapy-II: Intravaginal Brachytherapy for Carcinoma of the Endometrium

Brachytherapy plays a significant role in the management of endometrial cancer. In the adjuvant setting, based on pathologic risk factors, intravaginal brachytherapy alone, external radiation therapy alone, or a combination of the two is recommended. For patients who are medically inoperable, brachytherapy with or without external beam therapy is the mainstay of treatment. In recurrent disease, to achieve improved local regional control interstitial and/or intravaginal brachytherapy is used as a boost. This article will highlight the indications and technical aspects of postoperative intravaginal brachytherapy, which is the most common application of brachytherapy in endometrial cancer.
The Non-Working Patient in Therapy: A Confrontational Approach

The theme of this workshop is that the non-working patient must be returned to work. I believe that to conduct successful psychotherapy with such patients, we must confront them with the idea that their not working is unacceptable — to a large sector of their community and especially to us as members of the community. As therapists we must reject a role as participants in the welfare system.
Faculty Scholarship at Community Colleges: Culture, Institutional Structures, and Socialization

This chapter looks at community college faculty engagement in scholarship. Community college faculty spend the majority of their time engaged in teaching, and therefore their scholarship typically focuses on strengthening curriculum and instruction. The paper identifies some of the structural and cultural challenges and supports to scholarship at community colleges. The author concludes that mechanisms for encouraging and rewarding scholarship at community colleges remain underutilized.
Modeling of Microscale Flow in Unidirectional Fibrous Porous Media

The permeability of the preform materials used in liquid molding processes such as resin transfer molding and structural reaction injection molding is a complex func tion of weave pattern, packing characteristics, tow structure, and intra-tow properties. The development of tools for predicting permeability as a function of these parameters is of great practical importance because such capability would speed process design and op timization and provide a step towards establishing processing-performance relations. In this study, microscale flow in unidirectional-fiber porous media has been investigated. The effect of tow shape, packing, and intra-tow permeability on the overall bed permeability has been modeled by the simulation of axial flow through rectangular arrays of porous elliptical cylinders. The Brinkman equation was used to model flow inside the porous structures, and the Stokes equation was used to model flow in the open media between the structures. The calculations show that the influence of th...
Multirate, two-dimensional channel coding for optical page memories

Digital holographic data storage (DHDS) shows promise for next-generation, highly-parallel, random-access, multidimensional data and image storage. Distortion and noise promote detection errors in DHDS systems. Trellis-coded modulation (TCM) combines modulation and error-correction coding to reduce the bit error rate. This paper describes a method of using position-dependent modulation codes with the author's Split TCM architecture for practical TCM in these page memories. Modulation coding with position dependence is shown to provide better resistance to symbol detection errors in high-distortion regions. The architecture provides relative computational efficiency, facilitating high-throughput page access.
Gene patents at the Supreme Court: Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics.

In June 2013, the Supreme Court unanimously decided Assn. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics Inc., ruling that isolated naturally occurring sequences of genomic DNA (gDNA) cannot be patented. The Court left open the possibility of patenting complementary DNA (cDNA)—synthetic DNA containing the same protein-coding information as a segment of natural DNA but omitting non-coding portions called introns—and novel methods of manipulating genes or applying the information contained therein.1 Myriad is thus likely to trigger a series of follow-on suits to clarify the holding. Myriad's patents covered the precise location and sequence of two human genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, mutations of which have been linked to breast2 and ovarian3 cancer.4 Myriad began as a suit filed by medical researchers, cancer patients, advocacy groups, doctors, and the American Civil Liberties Union, aiming to invalidate Myriad's patents on (1) BRCA1, BRCA2, and their associated cDNA, and (2) methods for testing drug efficacy and interpreting genetic test outputs by analyzing DNA sequences for BRCA mutations. Myriad held a patent-protected monopoly in U.S. screening tests targeting the genes.
The Synthesis of a Class of Branch-Line Directional Couplers

The design of a class of branch-line couplers comprising coupled-line branches is presented. The method employs classical network synthesis to derive a distributed network prototype from which the modal sub-networks of the coupler are found. The branch-line couplers overcome realization difficulties that are often encountered with conventional couplers. The synthesis of a 3-dB branch-line coupler is presented in detail and further implemented on a microstrip board. The measured performance of the fabricated device shows close agreement with the underlying theory.