cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunizations in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies may be at increased risk for complications of vaccine preventable diseases, including influenza, varicella, and pneumococcus. However, studies suggest that patients with chronic illness may be inadequately immunized. In part, this is because of a paucity of formal vaccine studies in immune compromised populations. This review discusses the methods one uses to assess vaccine efficacy and provides an update on currently known data on the vaccine antibody responses in immune compromised hosts. Currently published studies suggest that influenza vaccine can be safely administered to patients with IBD on immunosuppression, and is effective in the majority of patients. Further formal studies with other inactivated vaccines (e.g., pneumococcal vaccine, meningitis vaccine) should be conducted. While some studies in immune compromised hosts suggest the live attenuated varicella vaccine can be given without adverse events, administration of this vaccine in patients on immunosuppression remains controversial.
Hymenopterous Parasites of Biotype C Greenbug in the High Plains of Texas

The braconid wasp, Lysiphlebus testaccipes (Cresson) was the major primary parasite attacking Biotype C Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) on grain sorghum, johnsongrass, barley, wheat, oats, and rye in the High Plains of Texas in 1970. Other parasites reared from mummies of S. graminum collected on one or more of these grass hosts in the High Plains were the braconid, Diaeretiella rapae (M'lntosh.), a primary parasite, and the following hymenopterous hyperparasites: a cynipid, Charips sp.; two pteromalids, Pachyneuron siphonophorae (Ashmead) and Asaphes lucens (Provancher); and an encyrtid, Aphidencyrtus aphidivorus (Mayr). S. graminum is apparently a new host record for D. rapae . Another apparently new parasite record for S. graminum is that of the eulophid Tetrasticluis minutus (Howard), which is probably a secondary parasite of S. graminum . It was not recovered in the High Plains, but it did emerge from collections of parasitized S. graminum collected on grain sorghum in Hunt County, Texas. Seasonal parasitization, as determined by the appearance of mummies in the population of S. graminum on untreated grain sorghum, was a delayed density-dependent action; that is, percent parasitization by primary parasites reached a peak level (100%) about 4 weeks after the population of S. graminum had peaked. A large percentage of the mummies infested with primary parasites did not produce the adults of these parasites, however, because of the attack by hyperparasites, primarily Cliarips sp. and P. siphonophorae .
Hypnotizability as affected by attitudinal and motivational variables

Abstract The purpose of the study was two-fold: to discover whether task-motivated Ss would be more hypnotizable than those not given task-motivation instructions, and to discover whether the attitude of the E would affect Ss hypnotizability. The Barber Suggestibility Scale was employed for measuring susceptibility to hypnosis. Ss were divided randomly into 6 groups of 10: Group 1 (task-motivated-E neutral); Group 2 (non task-motivated-E neutral); Group 3 (task-motivated-E friendly); Group 4 (task-motivated-E harsh); Group 5 (non task-motivated-E friendly); and Group 6 (non task-motivated-E harsh). Analyses of variance, both for objective and subjective scores, did not yield significant results for the task-motivation variable but did yield significant results (p = .01) for the variable dealing with E attitude.
Extraction and Dispersion of Large Gold Nanoparticles in Nonpolar Solvents

Gold nanoparticles up to 70 nm in diameter could be extracted from aqueous solutions into nonpolar organic solvents by tetrathiolated resorcinarenes 1 and 2. The resorcinarene-coated nanoparticles formed stable dispersions in toluene and chloroform and could be passed through a crosslinked polystyrene column without significant degradation, but exhibited variable resistance to alkanethiol-induced flocculation. Gold nanoparticles encapsulated by resorcinarene 2 were found to be exceptionally stable even in the presence of propanethiol and dodecanethiol, with an approximate dispersion half-life of one month at room temperature.
Environment and Goals Jointly Direct Category Acquisition

Developing categorization schemes involves discovering structures in the world that support a learner's goals. Existing models of category learning, such as exemplar and prototype models, neglect the role of goals in shaping conceptual organization. Here, a clustering approach is discussed that reflects the joint influences of the environment and goals in directing category acquisition. Clusters are a flexible representational medium that exhibits properties of exemplar, prototype, and rule-based models. Clusters reflect the natural bundles of correlated features present in our environment. The clustering model Supervised and Unsupervised Stratified Incremental Adaptive Network (SUSTAIN) operates by assuming the world has a simple structure and adding complexity (i.e., clusters) when existing clusters fail to satisfy the learner's goals and thus elicit surprise. Although simple, this operation is sufficient to address findings from numerous laboratory and cross-cultural categorization studies.
Scleritis as an initial manifestation of choroidal malignant melanoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the unusual circumstances in which malignant melanoma of the choroid can masquerade as scleritis, thus confounding its diagnosis. Methods: Three cases of plaque-like malignant melanomas of the choroid are reported that, on initial examination, had features of scleritis. The events leading to their eventual correct diagnosis also are presented. Results: In each case, there was ocular pain, blurred vision, anterior chamber and/or vitreous cavity cellular reaction, and an exudative retinal detachment associated with an ill-defined, relatively flat variably pigmented choroidal mass. In all three cases, the inflammatory component responded promptly to corticosteroid treatment and was accompanied by visual improvement. In two eyes, shrinkage of the choroidal mass accompanied the corticosteroid treatment, lending support to a working diagnosis of scleritis. By demonstrating expansion of the choroidal masses, examination of sequential fundus photographs influenced the decision to enucleate the eyes for presumed malignant choroidal melanoma. Conclusion: Clinicians should be alert to the circumstances in which malignant melanomas of the choroid can masquerade as scleritis. Careful evaluation by ophthalmoscopy, ultrasonography, fundus photography, and subsequent sequential examination is necessary to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
Redline multiple-array controller for SpeX

The NASA IRTF is building a multiple digital signal processor (DSP) based array electronics control system for SpeX, an NSF funded 1 to 5 micron medium resolution spectrograph. SpeX will use a 1024 X 1024 InSb array for spectroscopy and one 512 X 512 quadrant of another 1024 X 1024 InSb array for slit field viewing and IR guiding. An additional system is also being produce at the Institute for Astronomy for the SUBARU IR camera and spectrograph (IRCS). Plans for IRCS include the use of a 1024 X 1024 InSb array for spectroscopy and one 1024 X 1024 InSb array for IR imaging. This document will provide the instrument derived requirements, an overall system description, and some of the tradeoffs and technical choices made. The design for both system is an evolutionary upgrade of the current IRTF array control electronics system used in a 256 X 256 InSb based imager, a 256 X 256 InSb and 512 X 512 CCD in an echelle spectrograph, an 800 X 800 CCD based tiptilt correction system and a non-IRTF 128 X 128 Si:As BIB array based imager.
Mode of neutralization of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus by polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies

Neutralization of the infectivity of [3H]uridine-labeled lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) by polyclonal mouse or rabbit antibodies to the envelope glycoprotein of LDV, VP-3, or by neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that recognize a different epitope on VP-3 than the polyclonal antibodies correlated with an increase in the sedimentation rate of LDV from 230 S to ≧270 S. Incubation of LDV with normal mouse plasma or nonneutralizing mAbs to LDV VP-3 had no effect on its sedimentation rate. Similarly, incubation of a neutralization escape variant of LDV with the mAb used in its selection had no effect on its sedimentation rate, whereas neutralization of this variant by polyclonal mouse or rabbit anti-VP 3 antibodies increased the sedimentation rate. Neutralization of LDV infectivity was only observed at high antibody/virion ratios and often was followed by loss of the viral RNA. The results suggest that neutralization of LDV infectivity results from binding of multiple antibody molecules that recognize specific epitopes on the viral envelope glycoprotein and ultimately leads to disintegration of the virions.
Linking the Crime and Arrest Processes to Measure Variations in Individual Arrest Risk per Crime (Q)

The magnitude and variation in the arrest risk per crime for individual offenders, termed Q,1 are fundamental to any characterization of crime and crime control. Obviously, Q has intrinsic value as an indicator of criminal justice performance, as well as a measure of the risk of detection faced by offenders. The variation in Q across offenders is also important as a methodological support to enable use of the widely available arrest data to make inferences about offending behavior. In particular, knowing Q is vital in attempts to estimate individual crime rates, λ, from such arrest data (Blumstein and Cohen 1979; Cohen 1986).
cGAS Dimerization Entangles DNA Recognition

Detection of foreign DNA in the cell cytosol triggers potent antiviral responses. In this issue of Immunity, Li et al. (2013) provide new structural and biochemical data indicating that a cytosolic DNA sensor, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), is activated by DNA-induced dimerization.
Cognitive and typing outcomes measured simultaneously with slow treadmill walking or sitting: implications for treadmill desks.

Purpose This study compared cognitive (attention, learning, and memory) and typing outcomes during slow treadmill walking or sitting. Seventy-five healthy individuals were randomly assigned to a treadmill walking group (n=37; 23 female) or sitting group (n=38; 17 female). Methods The treadmill walking group completed a series of tests while walking at 1.5 mph. The sitting group performed the same tests while sitting at a standard desk. Tests performed by both groups included: the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and a modified version of the Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test. In addition, typing performance was evaluated. Results Participants in the treadmill walking group performed worse on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test for total learning than the sitting group; the main effect was significant (F(1,73)=4.75, p=0.03, ηp2=0.06); however, short- and long-delay recall performance did not differ between groups (p>0.05). For the Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test, total number of correct responses was lower in the treadmill walking group relative to the sitting group; the main effect was significant (F(1,73)=4.97, p=0.03, ηp2=0.06). The performance of both groups followed the same learning slope (Group x Trial interactions were not significant) for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test. Individuals in the treadmill walking group performed significantly worse for all measures of typing (p<0.05). Conclusion Walking on a treadmill desk may result in a modest difference in total learning and typing outcomes relative to sitting, but those declines may not outweigh the benefit of the physical activity gains from walking on a treadmill.
Supporting wayfinding through patterns within procedurally generated virtual environments

Procedurally generated 3D worlds pose their own problems in terms of user's navigation. The rules for supporting wayfinding through specific world generation have to be categorized and implemented in the generative algorithms. Our answer to this problem is based on a combination of the architectural theories by Lynch and Alexander. We adjusted a procedural world generator to include selected patterns as suggested by these theorists. Unlike other research, we put our main focus not on an arrangement of obvious landmarks but instead on the organization of objects that form patterns of much smaller scale in their spatial combination to trace how players structure and comprehend these environmental patterns. Our hypothesis was that these smallscale patterns would assist player navigation in procedural worlds. We tested our model in the procedural world generator Charbitat. Statistical analyses showed no significant effect of environmental patterns on player navigation. However, post-experiment questionnaires indicated that users were aware of the patterns and had used them for orientation. This suggests that while patterns were sought after, they alone apparently were not sufficient to improve user navigation in the 3D world.
The role of delayed hypersensitivity and toxicity of BCG in the development of lesions at sensitization sites.

SummarySubcutaneous nodules were induced at sensitization sites in guinea pigs injected subcutaneously with BCG organisms. When the organisms were suspended in water-in-oil emulsions, the size of the nodule was inversely related to the dose: 1.0 mg induced a larger lesion than 10 mg or 100 mg. Lesions induced by 1.0 mg of BCG were due primarily to delayed hypersensitivity, while lesions induced by 10 or more mg were due initially to toxicity and later to delayed sensitivity.
PHOSPHORESCENCE OF CALCIFIED TISSUES.

Abstract An instrument has been designed and tested for the study of phosphorescent intensities and lifetimes of calcified tissues and other biologic materials in the solid state. Particles of mesh size ≧ 200 were compressed in KBr discs, cooled to 93 °K and exposed to u.v. light (311 mμ). Phosphorescence was measured at 45 ° from the excited surface and 90 ° from the light source. Emitted light was filtered so that no energy at less than 415 mμ fell on the phototube (1P21). Scattered light was eliminated by a rotating shutter. Super-cooling was accomplished by transfer of heat through a copper rod to a reservoir of liquid nitrogen. Human dentine and bone displayed nearly equal phosphorescent intensities. Enamel was approximately 1 3 less luminescent. Phosphorescent lifetimes were calculated from oscillographic presentations of the interval from LO (original luminance, arbitrary value) to about LO × 10−3. For dentine, bone and enamel the experimental lifetimes of phosphorescence were 31 ± 2 sec. Ferric ion and deep stained caries quenched the phosphorescence of dentine. Neither enamel hypoplasia or caries diminished phosphorescent intensities. Phosphorescence of calcified tissues apparently stems principally from the organic moiety.
Oxygen stoichiometry, phase stability, and thermodynamic behavior of the lead-doped and lead-free Bi-2212 systems

Abstract Electromotive-force (EMF) measurements of oxygen fugacities as a function of stoichiometry have been made on lead-doped and lead-free Bi2−zPbzSr2Ca1Cu2Ox superconducting ceramics in the temperature range ≈ 700–815°C by means of an oxygen-titration techique that employs an yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte. Equations for the variation of oxygen partial pressure with composition and temperature have been derived from our EMF measurements. Thermodynamic assessments of the partial molar quantities Δ H (O2) and Δ S (O2) for lead-doped Bi-2212 and lead-free Bi-2212 indicate that the solid-state decomposition of these bismuth cuprates at low oxygen partial pressure can be represented by the diphasic CuOCu2O system.
Ultrasound-Guided Genitourinary Interventions

Ultrasound has made a significant impact in the field of urinary interventions, with the principle role being imaging guidance. Ultrasound guidance makes procedures safer and shorter, limiting the number of needle punctures and decreasing radiation exposure. In most cases it is complementary to fluoroscopy for providing image guidance for different urinary procedures. This article describes in detail the application of ultrasound in percutaneous nephrostomy and renal cyst management.
An antigen receptor (NCCRP-1) on nonspecific cytotoxic cells is a phosphoprotein associated with the JAK-STAT activation pathway.

The antigen receptor (nonspecific cytotoxic cell receptor protein-1/NCCRP-1) on nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) is a 32-kDa predicted Type III membrane protein. The N-terminal cytoplasmic portion of this receptor contains full length and truncated BOX-1 motifs. These motifs are also found on cytokine, erythropoietin and growth hormone receptors and provide docking sites for JAK kinases. In the present study, we investigated a relationship between NCCRP-1 and JAK2 kinase binding. A possible association with further downstream STAT activation was suggested. NCCRP-1 was phosphorylated on C-terminal domain serine residues. To examine the possibility that NCCRP-1 was associated with JAK kinase(s), NCC were purified and lysates were probed by Westen blotting (WB) for the presence of JAK2 kinase. Unlike their mammalian counterparts, NCC JAK2 kinase existed as a 90-95-kDa primary and a 35-40-kDa secondary breakdown product. Both mol wt. forms were significantly smaller than those reported for human JAK kinases. To determine if NCCRP-1 was physically associated with JAK2 kinase, chemical cross-linking experiments were conducted. NCC membrane preparations were treated with the chemical cross-linker DSS, solubilised and immunoprecipitated with anti-NCCRP-1 (e.g., 32 kDa) mab 5C6. WB analysis using anti-JAK2 mab and mab 5C6 demonstrated that the immunoprecipitate contained both the 32-kDa NCCRP-1 and 85-90-kDa JAK2 kinase. To examine further the possibility that STAT proteins may be associated with NCC/NCCRP-1 activation, NCC lysates were probed (WB) with various anti-STAT mabs. The strongest signal was produced by a 100-kDa STAT-6 protein. Lysates were negative for STAT-1, STAT-3 and STAT-5. These data indicate that the N-terminus of NCCRP-1 may initiate cytokine gene transcription by the JAK-STAT signalling pathway.
Correction of hemorrhage-induced anemia with intra-amniotic iron in the ovine fetus

Abstract Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that intra-amniotic iron treatment would enhance fetal red blood cell production after an acute, severe fetal hemorrhage of 40% of estimated blood volume over 2 hours. Study Design: Three groups of late-gestation ovine fetuses were studied for 10 days: (1) control fetuses (n = 8), (2) fetuses hemorrhaged on day 3 (n = 11), and (3) similarly hemorrhaged fetuses supplemented with a single bolus of 60 mg of iron injected intra-amniotically immediately after the hemorrhage (n = 7). Statistical analysis was by 3-factor analysis of variance. Results: At 24 hours after hemorrhage, red blood cell mass increased 5% in the control group and was reduced equally in both hemorrhage groups by 32% below day 3 prehemorrhage values. At 7 days after hemorrhage, red blood cell mass increased 27.8% ± 2.6% (SE) above day 3 baseline values in the control fetuses. In the nonsupplemented hemorrhaged fetuses, red blood cell mass was not different from prehemorrhage values after 7 days (+3.7% ± 4.1%), whereas red blood cell mass increased by 29.9% ± 6.1% above prehemorrhage values in the iron-supplemented hemorrhage group ( P Conclusion: Intra-amniotic iron supplementation resulted in full restoration of red blood cell mass within 7 days after a large loss of blood in fetal sheep, whereas restoration failed without iron supplementation. Intra-amniotic iron treatment may be of therapeutic value in restoring red blood cell mass in human fetuses with certain types of anemia such as that resulting from fetal or fetomaternal hemorrhage. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:214-20.)
Salinity Resistance, Water Relations, and Salt Content of Crested and Tall Wheatgrass Accessions

Salinity is a significant factor in reducing stand establishment and productivity of grasses on certain rangeland sites. Research was undertaken to identify crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult.] accessions potentially useful in breeding salt-resistant populations and to determine physiological factors associated with the superior salinity resistance of tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkw. & Dewey] compared to crested wheatgrass. Forage production under saline (irrigation with -0.6 MPa NaCl solution) and nonsaline conditions was examined in plants grown in sand culture (...)
Effect of Arterial Signalization and Level of Service on Measured Vehicle Emissions

The effect of arterial traffic signal timing and coordination on vehicle emissions is studied. Traffic signal timing improvement is one of the most common practices for congestion management in the United States. Although the benefits of improved signal timing for reduced fuel consumption are well documented, its effectiveness as a transportation control measure for emissions has not been clearly investigated. An empirical approach based on real-world, on-road vehicle emissions measurements was used. A total of 824 one-way runs representing 100 h and 2,020 vehicle miles of travel were conducted involving four drivers and eight gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicles on two signalized arterials in Cary, North Carolina: Walnut Street and Chapel Hill Road. Modal analyses of the data indicate that emissions rates were highest during acceleration and tend to decrease (in descending order) for cruise, deceleration, and idle. A modal approach is used to quantify the effect of arterial traffic signal timing and coordination on emissions. A key result is that signal coordination on Walnut Street yielded measurable improvements in arterial level of service and emissions reduction. For Chapel Hill Road, emissions were substantially lower under uncongested conditions [level of service (LOS) A/B] than under congested conditions (LOS D/E) for travel in the same direction at different times of day. Findings confirm the utility of signal coordination and congestion management as effective tools for controlling emissions.
Political Science, Political Theory, and the Liberal Arts

What does it mean to think about political science as a liberal arts discipline? This paper examines that question in relation to three sets of relationships: between the disciplinary practice(s) of studying politics (“political science,” broadly speaking) and the practice(s) of politics; between political science research or scholarship and the teaching of political science; and between political theory and the rest of political science (and more broadly the social sciences). The paper proposes that to conceive of political science as a liberal arts discipline is (at least in part) to have a special concern with the problem of the continuities both within and among each of these sets of relations.
On the semilattice of weak orders of a set

Abstract Order theoretic and combinatorial properties of the semilattice of weak orders on a set are developed. In the case of a finite set, an order theoretic characterization of this semilattice is obtained.
Evaluation and performance characteristics of a novel ELISA using monoclonal antibody to glycated albumin

To evaluate the clinical utility of a highly specific monoclonal antibody directed against the glycated epitopes residing in human albumin, we developed an ELISA using this antibody to measure glycated albumin in plasma samples from nondiabetic and diabetic individuals. The assay is predicated on the ability of immobilized monoclonal antibody to distinguish glycated albumin from all other plasma proteins, followed by detection and quantitation of the bound glycoalbumin with an enzyme-conjugated second antibody directed against human albumin. The relative percent concentration of glycated albumin in a sample is then determined by dividing the microgram glycated albumin in the sample by the total microgram albumin in the sample. The mean glycoalbumin level in samples from 12 non-diabetic subjects was 2.4% +/- 0.22% (mean +/- SD). In samples from 30 diabetic subjects, glycated albumin levels ranged from 1.6% to 14.9%, and individual values correlated positively and significantly with glycohemoglobin levels measured in simultaneously collected red cells. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of the method were 6.8 and 7.4%, respectively. The findings indicate that this ELISA allows sensitive, specific and reproducible measurement of glycoalbumin, and provides a clinically relevant objective parameter of integrated glycemic control.
Real-Time X-Ray Diffraction Measurements of the Phase Transition in KCl Shocked along [100]

X-ray diffraction measurements and analyses were developed and used to examine the phase transition in KCl shocked to 7 GPa. Diffraction data were obtained below and above the transition stress, and related quantitatively to macroscopic compression in the two phases. Interplanar spacing measurements revealed isotropic compression of the unit cell. Above the transition stress, a diffraction peak from the (110) planes in phase II was observed consistently and the orientation of the transformed crystal structure was determined with respect to the phase I structure. This determination provides a mechanism for the atomic rearrangement from the rocksalt to the cesium chloride structure in KCl shocked along [100].
Entity set expansion in opinion documents

Opinion mining has been an active research area in recent years. The task is to extract opinions expressed on entities and their attributes. For example, the sentence, "I love the picture quality of Sony cameras," expresses a positive opinion on the picture quality attribute of Sony cameras. Sony is the entity. This paper focuses on mining entities (e.g., Sony). This is an important problem because without knowing the entity, the extracted opinion is of little use. The problem is similar to the classic named entity recognition problem. However, there is a major difference. In a typical opinion mining application, the user wants to find opinions on some competing entities, e.g., competing or relevant products. However, he/she often can only provide a few names as there are too many of them. The system has to find the rest from a corpus. This implies that the discovered entities must be of the same type/class. This is the set expansion problem. Classic methods for solving the problem are based on distributional similarity. However, we found this method is inaccurate. We then employ a learning-based method called Bayesian Sets. However, directly applying Bayesian Sets produces poor results. We then propose a more sophisticated way to use Bayesian Sets. This method, however, causes two major problems: entity ranking and feature sparseness. For entity ranking, we propose a re-ranking method to solve the problem. For feature sparseness, we propose two methods to re-weight features and to determine the quality of features. These methods help improve the mining results substantially. Additionally, like any learning algorithm, Bayesian Sets requires the user to engineer a set of features. We design some generic features based on part-of-speech tags of words for learning, which thus does not need to engineer features for each specific domain. Experimental results using 10 real-life datasets from diverse domains demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
A tidal front in winter influenced by river discharge

Water quality of Osaka Bay is greatly influenced by freshwater discharge from rivers, to the effect of salinity playing a major role in forming the stratification. The tidal front is expected to appear in such an area even in winter considering the theory of the formation of a tidal front. From the field observation, we recognized a tidal front in winter for the first time in Osaka Bay. The critical value of a parameter log(H/U3) for generation of a tidal front is obtained as a function of river discharge and cooling effect through sea surface. Differences of nutrients (NH4−N, PO4−P) concentration across the front are not clear, probably because they are utilized by phytoplankton easily. But in (NO2−N)+(NO3−N), DIN, PP and T−P, there is a discontinuity structure across the front, even if the absolute value of concentration difference is small.
“Bottom–up” study of in-use nickel stocks in New Haven, CT

Abstract We have carried out an assessment of the in-use stock of nickel in New Haven, CT, by “bottom–up” methods. To our knowledge, this is only the second characterization of in-use nickel stock in any locale and at any epoch. We find that the City of New Haven contains about 321 Mg (1 Mg = 1 metric tonnes = 1000 kg) of nickel, primarily in the form of nickel-containing alloys. For every resident of New Haven, there is approximately 2.6 kg of nickel stock in use. The principal uses accounting for these totals are identified and quantified in this paper.
Whispering gallery mode-based micro-optical sensors for structural health monitoring of composite materials

Development of smart materials with inherent damage sensing capabilities is of great interest to aerospace and other structural applications. Most of the existing smart materials are based on using embedded sensors for structural health monitoring. However, embedded sensors can lead to undesirable effects such as stress concentration and can cause premature failure. Therefore, using microstructural components for additional function of sensing of the structural health is the only option. Such possibilities exist only in selected few materials. The present study investigates the feasibility of developing fiber- and particle-reinforced composites into smart materials. The sensing approach considered is based on the morphology-dependent shifts of optical modes, referred to as the whispering gallery modes (WGMs), of spherical dielectric micro-particles. The WGMs are excited by coupling light from a tunable diode laser using single mode fibers. The WGMs of the micro-particles can be observed as sharp dips in the transmission spectrum through the fiber and are highly sensitive to the morphology of the particle. A minute change in the size, shape, or refractive index causes a shift of the optical modes, which can be interpreted quantitatively in terms of the parameter that caused the change. A theoretical framework is developed for such sensor systems that provides quantitative relations between the stress applied on the micro-particles and corresponding shift in WGMs. These relations are validated against the available experimental results.
POM research productivity in U.S. business schools

Abstract This study examines the publication output of individuals and business schools in the field of Production and Operations Management (POM). A ranking system was devised based upon publications in the leading POM journals. Two ranking approaches were applied to business schools: productivity and quality. Articles were counted in two ways: one ranking counted each article as one unit, and authors “shared” the unit equally, and the second ranking gave each contributor credit for one “distributed” unit. These are the first publication productivity rankings for the field of POM, and are based upon publications in the years 1989–1993.
Optimal Replenishment Policies for Multiechelon Inventory Problems Under Advance Demand Information

Customers and downstream supply chain partners often place, or can be induced to place, orders in advance of future requirements. We show how to optimally incorporate advance demand information into periodic-review, multiechelon, inventory systems in series. While the state space for series systems appears to be formidably large, we decompose the problem across locations, as in Clark and Scarf (1960), and reduce the state space at each location by using modified echelon inventory positions (that nets known requirements). We prove the optimality of state-dependent, echelon base-stock policies for finite and infinite horizon problems. We also show that myopic policies are optimal and very easy to compute when costs and demands are stationary. We provide managerial insights into the value of advance demand information through a numerical study.
Neuroglobin Genetic Polymorphisms and Their Relationship to Functional Outcomes after Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Neuroglobin has shown rich neuroprotective effects against cerebral hypoxia, and therefore has the potential to impact outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, to date an association between genetic variation within the human neuroglobin (NGB) gene and recovery post-TBI has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NGB genotypes and outcomes (as assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS], the Disability Rating Scale [DRS], and the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-Revised [NRS-R]) after severe TBI. Genotyping using TaqMan allele discrimination for two tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) that represent the two haplotype blocks for NGB (rs3783988 and rs10133981) was completed on DNA obtained from 196 Caucasian patients recovering from severe TBI. Patients were dichotomized based on the presence of the variant allele for each tSNP. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare characteristics between groups. Multivariate line...
Health Span Approximates Life Span Among Many Supercentenarians: Compression of Morbidity at the Approximate Limit of Life Span

We analyze the relationship between age of survival, morbidity, and disability among centenarians (age 100–104 years), semisupercentenarians (age 105–109 years), and supercentenarians (age 110–119 years). One hundred and four supercentenarians, 430 semisupercentenarians, 884 centenarians, 343 nonagenarians, and 436 controls were prospectively followed for an average of 3 years (range 0–13 years). The older the age group, generally, the later the onset of diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and stroke, as well as of cognitive and functional decline. The hazard ratios for these individual diseases became progressively less with older and older age, and the relative period of time spent with disease was lower with increasing age group. We observed a progressive delay in the age of onset of physical and cognitive function impairment, age-related diseases, and overall morbidity with increasing age. As the limit of human life span was effectively approached with supercentenarians, compression of morbidity was generally observed.
Grain Growth in Two‐Phase Ceramics: Al2O3 Inclusions in ZrO

The effect of Al2O3 inclusions with a greater average size (0.6 μm) than the average particle size of the major phase powder (<0.1 μm) on grain gowth was examined by sintering ZrO2/Al2O3 composites (0,3,5,10, and 20 vol%) at 1400°C and then heat-treating at temperatures up to 1700°C. Normal grain growth was observed for all conditions. The inclusions appeared to have no effect on grain growth until the ZrO2 grain size was ∼1.5 times the average inclusion size. Grain growth inhibition increased with volume fraction of the Al2O3 inclusion phase. At temperatures 1600°C, the inclusions were relatively immobile and most were located within the ZrO2 grains for volume fractions <0.20; at higher temperatures, the inclusions could move with the grain boundary to coalesce. Grain growth was less inhilited when the inclusions could move with the boundaries, resulting in a larger increase in grain size than observed at lower temperatures. Analogies between mobile voids, entrapped within grain at lower temperature due to abnormal grain growth during the last state of sintering, and the observations concerning the mobile inclusions are made suggesting that grain-boundary movement can “sweep” voids to grain boundaries and eventually of four-grain junctions, where they are more likely to disappear by mass transport.
Hicks theorem: Effects of technological improvement in the Ricardian model

Abstract Using the Ricardian model, we formally prove Hicks' [Hicks, John (1953), “An Inaugural Lecture,” Oxford Economic Papers 5(2), 117–135.] insight into the effects of technological improvement: uniform technological improvement at home benefits all countries (or at least does not hurt); export-biased technological improvement at home benefits the foreign country (or at least does not hurt), but import-biased technological improvement at home can hurt the foreign country as long as the comparative advantage is not reversed. We then study optimal strategies of technological improvement and show that for a small country it is optimal to choose export-biased technological improvement. For a large country, it is optimal to improve technology in both sectors at a rate proportional to the consumers' expenditure share. Therefore, if the expenditure share of the import sector is larger than that of the export sector, a large country will choose a relatively import-biased technological improvement, which will hurt its trading partner.
Functional status at discharge and 30-day readmission risk in COPD

Summary Background Efforts to reduce 30-day readmissions are resource intensive. Healthcare systems need to target interventions at patients with the highest risk. Information on physical functioning has been found to increase the performance of previously published risk prediction models. We examined whether functional status documented during routine nursing care in the 24 h prior to discharge was an independent predictor of 30-day readmission risk in patients with COPD. Methods Patients from a large integrated healthcare system were included in this retrospective cohort study if they were hospitalized for COPD and discharged between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012, age 40+, on a bronchodilator or steroid inhaler, alive at discharge, and continuously enrolled in the health plan 12 months prior to the index admission and at least 30-days post discharge. Our main outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission. Functional status was documented as part of routine nursing care within 24 h prior to discharge as follows: bed bound (Level I), able to sit (Level II), stand next to bed (Level III), walk 50 feet (Level V). Results The sample included 2910 patients (n = 3631 index admissions) with a mean age of 72 ± 11. The 30-day readmission rate was 19%. Multivariate analyses showed that patients who were non-ambulatory at discharge (Levels I–III) were more than twice as likely to be re-admitted within 30-days compared to patients who were able to walk more than 50 feet (RR: 2.14, 95% CI 1.62–2.84, p .05). Conclusion Patients with COPD who were non-ambulatory within 24 h prior to discharge were at significantly greater risk of readmission compared to ambulatory patients. Functional status should be used to risk stratify patients for more intensive supportive interventions post discharge.
Effect of milk chocolate product on week-1 feed intake and growth performance of weanling pigs.

Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of dried whey (DW; 70% lactose) or milk chocolate product (MCP; 20% lactose and 60% sugars) on wk-1 feed intake and growth performance of pigs. Diets contained 1.60, 1.40, 1.40, and 1.20% total Lys for phase 1 (d 0 to 7), 2 (d 7 to 14), 3 (d 14 to 21), and 4 (d 21 to 35), respectively. Pigs were blocked by initial BW; sex and littermates were balanced across treat- ment; treatments were replicated with a minimum of 5 pens of 4 pigs each. Pigs were weaned at 24, 19, and 24 d of age with an initial BW of 6.5, 6.0, or 6.3 kg for Exp. 1 to 3, respectively. In Exp. 1 and 2, the treat- ments were 1) negative control (NC), no lactose added, 2) positive control (PC) with DW, 3) 25% replacement of the level of DW of the PC diet with MCP (25MCP), and 4) 50% replacement of the level of DW of the PC diet with MCP (50MCP). The level of DW or combina- tions of DW and MCP were 20, 10, and 5% for phases 1, 2, and 3 respectively. A common diet with no lactose was fed during phase 4. In Exp. 3, the treatments were 1) NC, 2) PC, and 3) 100% replacement of the level of DW of the PC diet with MCP (100MCP). In the com- bined data of Exp. 1 and 2, daily collected feed intake during wk 1 was increased (P 0.10) on any day of wk 1 among pigs fed the PC and MCP diets. During phase 1, ADG and ADFI were increased (P 0.10). During phases 2, 3, 4, and overall, there were no dif- ferences (P > 0.10) in growth performance among pigs fed the PC and MCP diets. In Exp. 3, collected daily feed intake during wk 1 was increased (P 0.10) on any day of wk 1 between the PC and 100MCP pigs. Growth performance was not affected (P > 0.10) during any phase of the experi- ment. Combined data from Exp. 1, 2, and 3 using the NC and PC diets indicated that dietary DW increased (P < 0.10) final BW and increased ADG and ADFI during phases 1, 2, 3, and overall. These results indicate that partial or total replacement of DW with MCP had no effect on wk-1 feed intake or growth performance of weanling pigs and that MCP could be considered as a formulation alternative to DW.
Effects of a magnetic field applied during the curing of a polymer loaded with magnetic filler

Premier essai d'obtention d'alignement de particules de charge spheriques pour donner l'anisotropie des proprietes mecaniques similaire a celle obtenue dans le cas des charges fibreuses
Jordanian married Muslim women's intentions to use oral contraceptives.

Background: High fertility rates and moderate to low contraceptive use in the Arab Islamic countries and Jordan in particular are issues of international nursing importance. Aim: By using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the conceptual framework the relationships between married Jordanian Muslim women’s previous contraceptive use type of experience and intention to use oral contraceptive (OCs) were examined. The relationship between selected demographic variables and intention to use OCs was also examined. Methods: The study was part of a large-sectional survey. The Intention to Use Oral Contraceptive Tool was used to elicit participant’s intentions and beliefs regarding oral contraceptive use. Sample: The study sample was composed of 245 Jordanian married Muslim women. Results: Results revealed a significant relationship between previous oral contraceptive use and intention to use OCs. The relationships between type of experience whether successful or unsuccessful with previous OC use and intention to use OCs were not significant. Conclusion: Nursing implications regarding the provision of family planning services that are sensitive to Jordanian Muslim women’s religious preferences are discussed. (authors)
New building blocks and growth processes for high-performance self-assembled electro-optic materials

The design rationale, synthesis, and characteristics of organic chromophores exhibiting very large EO response is presented along with new methodologies to assembled them in a noncentrosymmetric fashion.
Papoose Flat pluton: A granitic blister in the Inyo Mountains, California

The Papoose Flat pluton (75 to 81 m.y. old) is one of several Mesozoic granitic bodies in the White-Inyo Range which are regarded as satellites of the Sierra Nevada batholith. The pluton, composed chiefly of quartz monzonite with K-feldspar megacrysts, crops out as an elongated east-trending dome, 16 km long and 8 km wide. It was emplaced within the southwest limb of the major southeast-plunging Inyo anticline, consisting of virtually unmetamorphosed late Precambrian and Cambrian sedimentary rocks. Stratigraphic units around the western half of the pluton have a regionally metamorphosed aspect and are tectonically and concordantly thinned to as little as 10% of their regional thicknesses without loss of Stratigraphic identity or continuity. Around the discordant eastern contact, however, wall-rock textures are hornfelsic, and there is little or no attenuation of the stratigraphic succession. Foliation, lineation, and preferred orientation of minerals are well developed in the western half of the pluton and its wall rocks and, together with the boudinaged wall rocks, are consistent with the geometry of strain required for attenuation of the stratigraphic succession. The structural evidence indicates that the granite penetrated discordantly through lower formations in the anticline and formed a “blister” in the fold limb beneath the stretched higher formations. Metamorphic mineral assemblages of the wall rocks suggest a maximum temperature of metamorphism of less than 600 °C and a pressure of less than 2.5 kb.
Improving QoS in Multicasting Through Adaptive Redundancy

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), Quality of Service (QoS) of a multicast protocol is one of the most important performance metrics. Channel conditions and network topology frequently change, and in order to achieve a certain QoS, complex algorithms and protocols are needed. Often channel conditions are neglected during the design of a multicast protocol. However, vulnerability against channel errors can severely cripple the performance of a multicast protocol. Mesh networking inspired multicasting approaches introduce increased redundancy in the routing process to overcome the performance loss due to channel errors. Although utilizing multiple paths from senders to receivers results in higher reliability, under better channel conditions the additional redundancy may not be needed in terms of reliability, and increased redundancy causes increased overhead. Therefore, we propose a mesh networking inspired approach that adapts the amount of redundancy according to the current link conditions. We show that this approach can achieve good QoS levels for real-time traffic scenarios while simultaneously reducing unnecessary energy dissipation.
Scheduling Multiclass Single Server Queueing Systems to Stochastically Maximize the Number of Successful Departures

We wish to schedule heterogeneous jobs on a single machine to stochastically maximize the number of jobs that are correctly completed before a random due date. Jobs arrive according to an arbitrary arrival process. Job i has probability ci, that it will be correctly completed, and a processing time that has distribution Fi. Jobs that are incorrectly processed cannot be reprocessed, and jobs that are not completed by the due date are assumed to be incorrectly processed. The machine is subject to breakdowns and repairs. Both premptive and non-preemptive policies are considered. We give conditions under which simple index rules are optimal. This generalizes and extends the results of Derman et al. [3], Pinedo and Rammouz [9], and Buyukkoc et al. [2], who derive policies that maximize the expected number of jobs correctly completed by the due date. We also consider policies that stochastically minimize the number of correct job completions. For single class systems, we give conditions under which FCFS (first-come-first-served) or LAST (least-attained-service-time) service disciplines stochastically minimize or maximize the number in the system.