cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Estimation of Mass Loss Due to Exfoliation Corrosion From Vibration Spectrum

Corrosion is a major concern to the aerospace community when evaluating the structural integrity and service-life potential of an airframe. The estimation of corrosion and characterization of material parameters due to such corrosion is of the paramount interest. In this study, corrosion characterization and estimation is considered by using vibration spectrum that can be obtained from non-destructive testing. To that end, aluminum 7075-T6 extrusions were exposed to the exfoliation corrosion environment specified in ASTM G 34 for various times, and the resultant mass loss was measured for each exposure. The corrosion attack was confined to a narrow band centered on the length of a beam specimen by masking the extrusion. Theoretical modeling and lab scale dynamic testing were conducted to establish the correlation between the mass loss and the associated spectral characteristics of the beam (natural frequencies). This research program demonstrates that changes in mass due to exfoliation corrosion may be identified by the measurable change in the spectrum. Estimation/characterization techniques based upon a low dimensional mathematical model as well as based only upon experimental data (natural frequencies) are developed. Successful non-destructive dynamic characterization of aluminum extrusions, therefore, can be the basis of corrosion evaluation and health monitoring of structures operating in corrosive environments.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Coupled-channels method for rearrangement collisions

Classification and construction of open-channel projection operators for rearrangement collisions using subspaces of total Hilbert space of system
Time dependence of the vacuum-ultraviolet emissions in krypton excited by 250-KeV electrons

Time-dependent studies of the vacuum-ultraviolet emissions in krypton were performed using 250-keV electrons. Measurements as a function of pressure were made at the wavelengths of the $^{1}P_{1}$ and $^{3}P_{1}$ resonance lines and the 1250- and 1425-\AA{} continuum emissions. The suggest that at early decay times the $^{3}P_{1}$ atomic state is responsible for the 1250-\AA{} molecular radiation. From the time-dependent studies it is proposed that the $^{1}P_{1}$ state is converted to a highly excited molecule by two-body collisions. This molecule undergoes rapid vibrational relaxation resulting from two- and three-body collisions. The vibrationally relaxed molecule then radiates the 1425-\AA{} continuum. At high pressures (about 1000 torr) the vibrationally relaxed molecule decays with a nearly pressure-independent lifetime of about 0.30 \ensuremath{\mu}sec.
Thermoelectric properties of vibrating molecule asymmetrically connected to the electrodes

Abstract Here we present a theoretical analysis of inelastic effects on the thermoelectric properties of molecular-scale junction in both linear and nonlinear response regimes. Considered device is composed of molecular quantum dot (with discrete energy levels) asymmetrically connected to metallic electrodes (treated within the wide-band approximation) via potential barriers, where molecular vibrations are modeled as dispersionless phonon excitations. Nonperturbative computational scheme, used in this work, is based on Green's function theory within the framework of polaron transformation (GFT-PT), which maps the many-body electron–phonon interaction problem into a one-body multi-channel single-electron scattering problem. It is shown that all the thermoelectric characteristics are dominated by the quantum transport of virtual polarons due to a strong electron–phonon coupling.
What is a profession? The ethical implications of the FTC order and some supreme court decisions

Abstract The professions have sought to formulate and maintain their own codes of conduct and ethics, in order to safeguard relationships of trust between client and professional and uphold a commitment to care and service. Recent court decisions reviewed here have asserted the supremacy of competition in professional as well as commericial relationships, where it is up to the buyer to “beware”. The implications of these decisions have posed a moral challenge. By adhering to high standards, physicians will merit the trust of the public, so that the traditional distinction between the ethics of service and the ethics of the marketplace may be preserved.
The Association of State Law to Breastfeeding Practices in the US

We assessed the relationship between breastfeeding initiation and duration with laws supportive of breastfeeding enacted at the state level. We analyzed breastfeeding practices using the 2003–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We evaluated three measures of breastfeeding practices: Mother’s reported breastfeeding initiation, a proxy report of infants ever being breastfeed, and a proxy report of infants being breastfeed for at least 6 months. Survey data were linked to eight laws supportive of breastfeeding enacted at the state level. The most robust laws associated with increased infant breastfeeding at 6 months were an enforcement provision for workplace pumping laws [OR (95 % CI) 2.0 (1.6, 2.6)] and a jury duty exemption for breastfeeding mothers [OR (95 % CI) 1.7 (1.3, 2.1)]. Having a private area in the workplace to express breast milk [OR (95 % CI) 1.3 (1.1, 1.7)] and having break time to breastfeed or pump [OR (95 % CI) 1.2 (1.0, 1.5)] were also important for infant breastfeeding at 6 months. This research responds to breastfeeding advocates’ calls for evidence-based data to generate the necessary political action to enact legislation and laws to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. We identify the laws with the greatest potential to reach the Healthy People 2020 targets for breastfeeding initiation and duration.
Comparison of aggregating agents for the surface-enhanced Raman analysis of benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed compounds and are commonly present in many toxicological screens. They are also of concern forensically in cases of drug facilitated sexual assault. Currently these compounds are predominantly analyzed using immunoassay techniques; however more specific screening methods are needed. This paper demonstrates the applicability of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy as a method for the analysis and detection of benzodiazepines. The procedure involves mixing urine extracts with gold nanoparticles and appropriate aggregating agents for trace detection of these compounds and their metabolites. In this paper we will discuss the optimization of various parameters of this technique as well as its application to screening urine samples. Eleven different benzodiazepines and metabolites were examined, including 1,2-triazolo-benzodiazepines and 1,4-benzodiazpines. Experiments were performed using four different chloride salts, MgCl2, CaCl2, KCl, and NaCl, as aggregating agents for the colloidal gold nanoparticles. Overall it was found that each aggregating agent produced different levels of signal enhancement for each drug. MgCl2 provided the lowest limit of detection at 2.5 ng mL−1, and linearity over a wide range of concentrations for a variety of drugs chosen. It was also determined that the optimum MgCl2 concentration was 1.67 M. This method has shown the applicability of SERS for the detection of trace quantities of benzodiazepines in aqueous solutions as well as the optimization of the technique over a wide range of compounds. This technique can be utilized in the detection of trace benzodiazepines in toxicological samples following extraction of the analyte.
Proton NMR chemical shifts and coupling constants for brain metabolites.

Proton NMR chemical shift and J-coupling values are presented for 35 metabolites that can be detected by in vivo or in vitro NMR studies of mammalian brain. Measurements were obtained using high-field NMR spectra of metabolites in solution, under conditions typical for normal physiological temperature and pH. This information is presented with an accuracy that is suitable for computer simulation of metabolite spectra to be used as basis functions of a parametric spectral analysis procedure. This procedure is verified by the analysis of a rat brain extract spectrum, using the measured spectral parameters. In addition, the metabolite structures and example spectra are presented, and clinical applications and MR spectroscopic measurements of these metabolites are reviewed.
Detection of 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole within silver-doped silica sol- and aerogels using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Silver nanoparticle doped silica sol-gels and aerogels were investigated as possible substrates for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based detection of small molecules. The target molecule chosen for this study was 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), a fluorescent organic dye known to bind to DNA. Sol-gels were prepared by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) in the presence of DAPI and colloidal silver. Aerogels were prepared via carbon dioxide supercritical fluid drying of the sol-gels. SERS measurements of the sol- and aerogels were obtained following synthesis, and suggest that the materials tested are viable substrates for the SERS detection of DAPI.
Serial computerized tomographic scanning and the prognosis of severe head injury.

Serial (two or three) computerized tomographic (CT) scans were performed on a series of 58 patients with severe head injury. The protocol called for scans to be done upon admission and on Days 3 and 7 after injury. New lesions (i.e., lesions not visualized on the initial CT scans but appearing on subsequent scans) were a frequent finding, occurring in over half of all patients. For the purposes of this study a new lesion was classified as edema involving two or more lobes, extra-axial hematoma, parenchymal hemorrhage, or infarction. Significant correlation was found between good outcome and the absence of new lesions and between bad outcome and the development of new lesions (p less than 0.001). Several patients did well in spite of the development of new lesions, but these patients were unique in that most had small, unilateral parenchymal hematomas located at or near the frontal or temporal poles. In most cases, patients who did poorly in spite of not developing new lesions had severe injuried visualized on their initial scans (massive intracerebral hematoma, hemorrhage of the corpus callosum) or succumbed to medical complications. The pertinent literature is reviewed, and other CT findings associated with a poor prognosis are noted. The authors suggest that serial CT scanning may be used to make prognostic assessments in severely head-injured patients and may be of value in increasing the confidence in and accuracy of assessments made on clinical grounds alone. (Neurosurgery, 5: 566--569, 1979).
Radiation of the Huggins-Bol, type A, high-pressure mercury lamp

The light output of the Huggins-Bol, type A, high-pressure mercury arc discharge was measured. It was correlated to Baum and Dunkelman’s earlier comparison of the xenon arc to other ultraviolet sources including the General Electric AH-6 mercury lamp. It was found that the Huggins lamp is, at full load, about 1.5–1.8 times brighter than the AH-6 depending on wavelength. Self-reversal of radiation in the vicinity of the mercury resonance line is markedly decreased as compared with the AH-6.
Regional left ventricular systolic function in patients with segmental early relaxation and single-vessel coronary artery disease.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether systolic function is compromised in segments of the left ventricle that manifest early relaxation and are supplied by a diseased coronary artery. Regional fractional area of shortening (FAS) was evaluated from resting ventriculograms of 24 patients. Nine patients had no cardiac disease or segmental early relaxation (SER) and served as controls. Fifteen patients had single-vessel coronary artery disease (60% to 95% diameter stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery). Among these 15 patients, seven had no evidence of SER and eight had SER localized to the anterior wall. In patients with coronary disease and SER, the FAS of the anterolateral segment, 1.30 ± 0.08, was greater than either controls, 1.07 ± 0.12 (p
Linearization and sensitivity functions of dynamic robot models

The authors have implemented the computer program Algebraic Robot Modeler (ARM) to generate symbolically the forward solution and complete dynamic robot model for control engineering applications. ARM incorporates the Q-matrix formulation of the Lagrangian (Lagrange-Euler) dynamic robot model. The symbolic formulation of dynamic robot models is extended in two directions: Q-matrices and the Bejczy theorem are applied to linearize symbolically the Lagrangian dynamic robot model about a nominal trajectory; and a methodology is developed to generate symbolically the trajectory sensitivity models of a manipulator with respect to the kinematic and dynamic link parameters. The classical sensitivity point method is thereby extended to include dynamic robot models. Control engineering applications of the linearized and sensitivity models are described. The properties and structural characteristics of these models are identified, and the computational requirements for their implementation in ARM are estimated. The results are illustrated through the double pendulum.
Dimensional and temporal controls of three-dimensional cell migration by zyxin and binding partners

Spontaneous molecular oscillations are ubiquitous in biology. But to our knowledge, periodic cell migratory patterns have not been observed. Here we report the highly regular, periodic migration of cells along rectilinear tracks generated inside three-dimensional matrices, with each excursion encompassing several cell lengths, a phenotype that does not occur on conventional substrates. Short hairpin RNA depletion shows that these one-dimensional oscillations are uniquely controlled by zyxin and binding partners α-actinin and p130Cas, but not vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein and cysteine-rich protein 1. Oscillations are recapitulated for cells migrating along one-dimensional micropatterns, but not on two-dimensional compliant substrates. These results indicate that although two-dimensional motility can be well described by speed and persistence, three-dimensional motility requires two additional parameters, the dimensionality of the cell paths in the matrix and the temporal control of cell movements along these paths. These results also suggest that the zyxin/α-actinin/p130Cas module may ensure that motile cells in a three-dimensional matrix explore the largest space possible in minimum time.
Religious beliefs as purpose claims

Religious assertions about transcendent realities, particularly Christian assertions about these things, possess a peculiar logical feature a feature which philosophers of religion would do well to dwell on as they seek to clarify the nature of dogmatic claims. The feature that I have in mind is this: claims about the nature of God, the relation among the persons of the Trinity, the character of the afterlife, the "sonship" of Christ, the reasons for evil in the world, and so forth, all rest on mysteries. The most important claims of the faith float, as it were, over a sea of unknowns which cannot be plumbed by human understanding. Yet at the same time that theologians admit the sea of mystery lying beneath religious claims, they expect their claims to be believed believed in spite of the fact that the objects of these claims are drowned in obscurity. The curiousness of this situation should not be passed over lightly. How can one be asked to believe statements made about things which cannot be understood? How can "transcendent" things be described and yet shrouded in mystery? The traditional answer is that religious claims about divine realities are analogically true of their objects. That is to say, such claims are not literally true but only figuratively or metaphorically suited to the realities to which they point. They give what is supposedly the best possible description of their objects, but at the same time this description falls short of a completely adequate account. The doctrine of analogy (or a theory of metaphorical language) holds these two aspects of belief together: the claim to have given the best possible description and the claim to have failed to give an account that is descriptively adequate. This general view, whether it employs the notion of analogical predication or the notion of metaphorical description, still presumes knowledge of the objects being described. For one must know (1) that there are such realities to be described, and (2) that certain descriptions are more appropriate to them than other descriptions. One must know enough about them, in other words, to tell that certain descriptions are inadequate. He must be able to contrast a. knowledge of a transcendent object in itself with the way in which this object is represented in human discourse. That is what enables one to say that the dogmatic description of this object is only partially or analogically true. The only problem is that the knowl-
II–VI/III–V heterointerfaces: Epilayer-on-epilayer structures

The integration of several optoelectronic device functions onto a common substrate material is an area which is currently being actively pursued. In an effort to achieve this objective, experiments are under way to examine the epitaxial growth and material properties of a variety of both II–VI and III–V compounds grown on a substrate where the II–VI/III–V heterostructure can be utilized. This paper describes some recent developments involving the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth and characterization of two important II–VI/III–V heterostructures: ZnSe/GaAs and InSb/CdTe; a comparison is made between epitaxial layer/substrate interfaces and epilayer/epilayer interfaces for both heterostructures. The ZnSe/GaAs heterointerface, having a 0.25% lattice constant mismatch, has potential for use in passivation of GaAs devices. The InSb/CdTe heterointerface possesses an even closer lattice match, ~0.05% (comparable to the (Al,Ga)As/GaAs material system), and is motivated by possible device applications provided by InSb/CdTe quantum wells.
Remote Sensing Instruments Used for Measurement and Model Validation of Optical Parameters of Atmospheric Aerosols

With the dramatical climate changing that we are facing today, atmospheric monitoring is of major importance. Several atmospheric monitoring instruments are already being deployed for real-time surface-level retrieval of atmospheric composition, optical coefficients, particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), aerosol optical depth (AOD), and particle size distribution. However, these measurements are, in general, very cost intensive and can realistically be deployed only over very limited areas. Therefore, it is very important that advanced modeling methods be employed to fill these gaps and provide air quality predictions that can be used for forecasts as well as a better understanding of the interplay of meteorology, atmospheric emissions, and chemistry. In particular, for the New York State area, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation uses Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to couple meteorology to local emissions, and there is intense interest in trying to assess the model performance beyond current surface network measurements. In particular, a deeper understanding of boundary layer processes can be made by experimentally exploring the vertical distribution model forecasts to better understand the underlying causes when model forecast results are not accurate. To this end, we develop a comprehensive Mie-scattering-based procedure including the effects of relative humidity that allows us to convert CMAQ aerosol distribution data into vertical-profile multiwavelength optical parameters that can be compared to column-integrated and vertical-profiling measurements to assess model performance and point to areas where the model is deficient. In particular, we make use of multiwavelength light detection and ranging (LIDAR), sunphotometer, ceilometer, and existing tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) measurements to assess various vertical and column-integrated parameters of the CMAQ model under different stability conditions. In particular, we find that, for cases where the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is stable, the column-integrated AOD comparisons are in good agreement unlike the days with dynamic PBL. This is also consistent with observations that the TEOM PM2.5 trends are closely followed by the CMAQ model during these stable conditions. On the other hand, significant errors between the surface CMAQ PM2.5 and TEOM measurements can occur which can be traced to unphysically high particulate concentration profiles distributed too close to the surface not seen in ceilometer/LIDAR profiles. Finally, we note that, even for the stable cases, the multiwavelength optical depth data show that, for sufficiently low wavelengths, the column AOD in the model is underestimated, illustrating that there is a general underestimation of ultrafine (Aitken) particulates which can dramatically affect health.
Teachers, School Boards, and the Curriculum: Who Is in Control?.

Disagreements over the First Amendment academic freedom/free speech rights of teachers in curricular contexts are once again receiving judicial attention. Two recent federal cases have upheld the longstanding rule that school boards have the authority to control curriculum content in disagreements over subject matter and language that teachers can permit students to use.
Towards a polariton-based light emitter based on non-polar GaN quantum wells

Abstract A polariton-based light emitter is a extraordinary concept as an alternative to a light-emitting diode (LED) or laser diode. The physics of a polariton laser is fundamentally different from the spontaneous emission process of an LED or the inversion and stimulated emission process of a laser diode. The rapid decay and emission from this polariton–exciton state bypasses the normal irreversible spontaneous emission and associated non-radiative decay mechanisms. An AlGaN/AlN nucleation bilayer was employed on r -plane sapphire to deposit non-polar GaN quantum wells embedded in an AlGaN-based cavity surrounded by top and bottom distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). The reflectance data show that the exciton and photon states can be tuned (by changing the angle of the sample) to the same energy. The characteristic strong coupling was observed in the reflectance data where the states of the exciton and photon do not overlap; rather they split into an upper polariton state and a lower polariton state. The photoluminescence (PL) showed a strong emission at a low stimulation level at a similar energy and angle.
Trihexosylceramide α-galactosidase of human leucocytes

Trihexosylceramide, isolated from human kidney and labelled in the terminal galactose position by oxidation with galactose oxidase and reduction with sodium boro[3H]hydride, was used to study some of the properties of human leucocyte alpha-galactosidase. The enzyme was inactive in the absence of detergent. Of all the detergents tested a crude sodium taurocholate preparation displayed the greatest activity. The optimal detergent concentration varied from 2 to 4 mg/ml depending on the protein concentration and indicating that the enzyme activity was dependent on the protein/detergent ratio. Because of its influence in regulating enzyme activity, it is essential that care must be taken to ensure that the protein/detergent ratio of all incubation mixtures is kept relatively constant whenever the diagnosis of Fabry's disease is attempted.
Impacts of a mushy-layer thermodynamic approach in global sea-ice simulations using the CICE sea-ice model

We perform global simulations of the Los Alamos sea-ice model, CICE, with a new thermodynamics component that has a fully prognostic, variable bulk salinity vertical profile based on mushy layer physics. The processes of gravity drainage, melt-water flushing and snow-ice formation are parameterized to allow the bulk salinity to evolve with time. We analyze the seasonal and spatial variation of sea-ice bulk salinity, area, volume and thickness and compare these quantities to simulations using the previous thermodynamic component. Adjusting one of the gravity drainage parameters, we find good agreement between simulation results and fieldwork ice-core observations of sea-ice bulk salinity. As expected, bulk salinity is highest during periods of ice growth and lowest after periods of ice melt. In the northern hemisphere the new thermodynamics component produces thicker ice than the previous thermodynamics component. Of the nine major differences between the two models, differences in how salinities are calculated and how melt-pond flushing is parameterized are the principal causes of this thickness difference. Thickness differences are smaller in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere since a greater fraction of ice melts, and differences cannot accumulate year-on-year. Model differences in how ice thickness changes and snow-ice formation are calculated are the most important causes of the different thickness between the two thermodynamic components in the southern hemisphere. The melt-pond area and volume are found to be highly sensitive to a parameter choice controlling drainage through macroscopic holes in the ice, in both hemispheres.
A self-sensing structure with printed sensors

Recently, printed electronics have received growing attention as a new method to produce low-cost large-area electronics on flexible substrates. Much of the current research relies mainly on an inkjet printing technique to deposit electrically functional material solutions onto plastic substrates in order to fabricate various electronic components such as resistors, capacitors and transistors. In this paper, we propose to apply the printed electronics technology to the development of strain sensors for the purpose of measuring structural vibration. To accomplish this, we have developed an aerosol printing system that exhibits better performance in printing on various types of substrates. The system consists of a moving platform, an ultrasonic atomizer, and a shutter to control the flow of the aerosol. Using the system, we demonstrate that a functional strain sensor can be printed directly on the surface of a nonmetallic structure. To form a strain sensor, a water-based conductive polymer, PEDOT-PSS, was deposited on a plastic substrate using the aerosol printer. Then, the piezoresistive response of the printed strain sensor was measured for three different low frequency dynamic strain loadings. The results showed that this type of printed strain sensor can be used to measure the vibration of the host structure. The result of this research will serve as a critical step toward the fabrication of self-sensing structures with printed sensors and accompanying electronics.
Implantation of Immature Neonatal Cardiac Cells Into the Wall of the Aorta in Rats A Novel Model for Studying Morphological and Functional Development of Heart Cells in an Extracardiac Environment

Background— Morphological and functional development of implanted neonatal cardiac cells in the wall of the abdominal aorta in rats was investigated. Methods and Results— Cardiomyocytes from neonatal Fischer rats (both sexes) or medium were injected into the wall of the abdominal aorta in female Fischer rats (n=22 in each group). Two or 6 weeks later, the grafted site was exposed and fixed for histological and immunohistological examination. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the SRY gene to identify male cells was performed in the treated aortas. Seven of 10 cell-treated aortas but none of 10 medium-treated aortas showed spontaneous rhythmic beating at the grafted site after excision of the heart at 2 weeks. Polymerase chain reaction of the SRY gene was positive in 3 cell-treated aortas and none of 3 medium-treated aortas at 6 weeks. Hematoxylin-and-eosin staining showed viable grafts in 9 of 10 aortas at 2 weeks and 9 of 9 aortas at 6 weeks in the cell-treated group but in none of the aortas receivin...
Cyber attack-resilient control for smart grid

The smart grid further intensifies the dependence of power system operation on cyber infrastructure for control and monitoring purposes. With the advent of new-generation applications like wide-area measurement systems and demand side management, power utilities are in the process of planing/ building additional communication infrastructure to support their operational requirements. This expansion increases the effective attack surface available to an adversary and exposes the control applications that depend on it. Hence, in addition to improving cyber security of the communication network, it becomes imperative to develop control system algorithms that are both, attack resilient and tolerant. In this paper, we identify the types of cyber attacks that are directed at industrial control systems. We then identify key control loops in power systems operation and then determine the types of attacks that will be effective against each control loop. In the end, we present basic concepts of attack resilient control.
“Ask a Librarian” Pages as Reference Gateways to Academic Libraries

A library's web site is a virtual “front door” to its services and collections. Libraries can use their “Ask a Librarian” pages to promote reference services and to inform patrons about the different options available. Much variation is found in the naming of those pages and the number and type of reference contact options they include. This article reports the results of an examination of the reference assistance pages of libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries. In particular, the study attempted to determine whether virtual modes of reference service are being promoted at the expense of traditional options.
5-Year mammography rates and associated factors for older women

BACKGROUND Major national interventions occurred in the early and mid-1990s to increase mammography screening rates among older women. The current study examined mammography utilization by older women during this period. Relation between mammography utilization and demographic measures and health care-related factors also were examined. METHODS A cross-sectional design examined variations in mammography during the 5 years between 1993 to 1997 in a representative sample of 10,000 female Medicare beneficiaries in Michigan age ≥ 65 years in 1993. Medicare and census data were used. Separate analyses were performed for having undergone any mammogram and, for the 5680 women who had undergone a mammogram, the number of mammograms. Relations were examined between mammography utilization and 15 demographic variables (e.g., age and African-American race) and health care-related variables (e.g., inpatient admissions and number of physicians involved in care). RESULTS In the 5 years 43% of older women had no evidence of having undergone a mammogram. Those with any mammogram averaged 2.8 mammograms. Meaningful independent predictors of both having undergone a mammogram and having more than one mammogram were more physicians involved in care, fewer inpatient admissions, and younger age. Having undergone a mammogram also was found to be associated with seeing an obstetrician/gynecologist. CONCLUSIONS Even with screening mammography as a covered benefit and after several national informational campaigns, the current study found that in 5 years, 60% of older women either had not undergone a mammogram or had undergone only 1. Intervention efforts should emphasize screening based on functional status, not age. This message should be targeted to physicians as well as to older women without claims for recent mammograms and who are likely to be in good health. Cancer 2003;97:1147–55. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11172
Effects of channel geometries on FET output conductance in saturation

This work presents an experimental and theoretical study of the effects of nonrectangular channel geometries on FET electrical characteristics. In particular it is shown that substantial variations of the channel width in vicinity of the drain have significant consequences on the output conductance in saturation. It is, consequently, suggested that the channel geometry can be considered as a further relevant design parameter, to be used in controlling excessive output conductance.
Disparities in psychological distress impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender cancer survivors.

Objective Recent studies have highlighted disparities in cancer diagnosis between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and heterosexual adults. Studies have yet to examine disparities between LGBT and heterosexual cancer survivors in prevalence of psychological distress. Methods Data for the current study were drawn from the LIVESTRONG dataset, a US national survey that sampled 207 LGBT and 4899 heterosexual cancer survivors (all cancer types, 63.5% women, mean age 49) in 2010. Symptoms of psychological distress were assessed with dichotomous yes/no items in three symptom clusters (depression related to cancer, difficulties with social relationships post-cancer, fatigue/energy problems). We selected a sample of 621 heterosexual survivors matched by propensity score to the 207 LGBT survivors and assessed disparities in count of symptoms using Poisson regression. We also performed subgroup analyses by self-reported sex. Results Relative to heterosexuals, LGBT cancer survivors reported a higher number of depression and relationship difficulty symptoms. Exploratory analyses revealed that disparities in number of symptoms were visible between gay, bisexual, and transgender versus heterosexual men but not between lesbian, bisexual, and transgender versus heterosexual women. Conclusions This study highlights several disparities in psychological distress that exist between LGBT and heterosexual survivors. A need remains for interventions tailored to LGBT survivors and for studies examining disparities within subgroups of LGBT survivors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DNA Self-Assembly For Constructing 3D Boxes

We propose a mathematical model of DNA self-assembly using 2D tiles to form 3D nanostructures. This is the first work to combine studies in self-assembly and nanotechnology in 3D, just as Rothemund and Winfree did in the 2D case. Our model is a more precise superset of their Tile Assembly Model that facilitates building scalable 3D molecules. Under our model, we present algorithms to build a hollow cube, which is intuitively one of the simplest 3D structures to construct. We also introduce five basic measures of complexity to analyze these algorithms. Our model and algorithmic techniques are applicable to more complex 2D and 3D nanostructures.
A Sequential Approach for Gas Turbine Power Plant Preventative Maintenance Scheduling

Traditionally, gas turbine power plant preventive maintenance schedules are set with constant intervals based on recommendations from the equipment suppliers. Preventive maintenance is based on fleet-wide experience as a guideline as long as individual unit experience is not available. In reality, the operating conditions for each gas turbine may vary from site to site and from unit to unit. Furthermore, the gas turbine is a repairable deteriorating system, and preventive maintenance usually restores only part of its performance. This suggests a gas turbine needs more frequent inspection and maintenance as it ages. A unit-specific sequential preventive maintenance approach is therefore needed for gas turbine power plant preventive maintenance scheduling. Traditionally, the optimization criteria for preventive maintenance scheduling is usually cost based. However, in the deregulated electric power market, a profit-based optimization approach is expected to be more effective than the cost-based approach. In such an approach, power plant performance, reliability, and the market dynamics are considered in a joint fashion. In this paper, a novel idea that economic factors drive maintenance frequency and expense to more frequent repairs and greater expense as equipment ages is introduced, and a profit-based unit-specific sequential preventive maintenance scheduling methodology is developed. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, a conceptual level study is performed using a base load combined cycle power plant with a single gas turbine unit.
Differential presence of anthropogenic compounds dissolved in the marine waters of Puget Sound, WA and Barkley Sound, BC

Organic compounds were evaluated in March 2010 at 22 stations in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island Canada and at 66 locations in Puget Sound. Of 37 compounds, 15 were xenobiotics, 8 were determined to have an anthropogenic imprint over natural sources, and 13 were presumed to be of natural or mixed origin. The three most frequently detected compounds were salicyclic acid, vanillin and thymol. The three most abundant compounds were diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), ethyl vanillin and benzaldehyde (600 ng L 1 on average). Concentrations of xenobiotics were 10–100 times higher in Puget Sound relative to Barkley Sound. Three compound couplets are used to illustrate the influence of human activity on marine waters; vanillin and ethyl vanillin, salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid, and cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid. Ratios indicate that anthropogenic activities are the predominant source of these chemicals in Puget Sound. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Can Targeted Killing Work as a Neutral Principle

This paper casts doubt on the prospects for legitimizing what is known as “targeted killing” - the use of assassins, death squads, or other murderous techniques - against identified civilians whose continued existence is thought to pose a serious threat of some kind to a given community and its members. We are familiar with the use of such techniques by Israel against Palestinian terrorists and also by the United States against Taliban and other jihadist leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many other countries use death squads against internal and external enemies, but do not seek to sanitize their characterization with the terminology of “targeted killing.” Whatever the terminology, my paper considers whether these actions could possibly be supported by “neutral principles” of the kind that figure in most accounts of ius in bello - i.e. principles (like the principle requiring discrimination between military and civilian targets) that can be used by both sides and whose use and application does not presuppose judgments about who is waging a just war etc. In particular I examine the prospect of abuse of such principles, not only by our enemies but also by our own governments. We have to imagine, based on our experience over the past 50 years - how our governments would be likely to use such powers - or how they would have been likely to use such powers in the past if they had been endowed with them. In other words, the paper considers how war, the management of insurgency, the pursuit of national security, and international relations generally might be transformed by licensing every government to arrange for the killing of named civilians (either its own citizens or foreigners) whose existence it regards as particularly threatening. It argues that the potential for abuse is inherent in principles of the sort that are envisaged to legitimaze targeted killing. And it puts forward the proposition that arguments of the sort that philosophers and lawyers bring forth to justify such principles are particularly troubling, inasmuch as they represent an unraveling of the central norm against killing on the basis of dubious analogy and moral opportunism.
In-situ Al: Ti-co-doped La3 Ga5.5 Ta0.5O14 films for High-Q Resonators

High-quality single-crystalline La3 Ga5.5 Ta0.5O14 (LGT) films, in-situ co-doped with Al and Ti, have been grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) on LGT substrates. The chemical composition of the films and substrates was analyzed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) and Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS). The abrupt change of dopant concentration at the substrate-film interface allow a precise measurement of film thickness, typically 0.5 to 2?m, for given growth conditions. Quantitative SIMS was performed by using Al/Ti ion-(co)-implanted LGT substrates as standards. The Al and Ti dopants are extremely homogeneously distributed, and their concentration is constant within the film thickness. The concentration of the constituent ions (La, Ga, Ta) in the LGT substrates and in the doped LGT films are slightly different. In-situ doping of LGT LPE films by selected ions can potentially be used to adjust the materials properties to specific bulk and surface acoustic wave applications requirements.
Geophones on a board

We examined the feasibility of using seismic reflections to image the upper 10 m of the earth’s surface quickly and effectively by rigidly attaching geophones to a wooden board at 5-cm intervals. The shallow seismic reflection information obtained was equivalent to control‐test data gathered using classic, single‐geophone plants with identical 5-cm intervals. Tests were conducted using both a .22-caliber rifle source and a 30.06-rifle source. In both cases, the results were unexpected: in response to our use of small, high‐resolution seismic sources at offsets of a few meters, we found little intergeophone interference that could be attributed to the presence of the board. Furthermore, we noted very little difference in a 60-ms intra‐alluvial reflection obtained using standard geophone plants versus that obtained using board‐mounted geophones. For both sources, amplitude spectra were nearly identical for data gathered with and without the board. With the 30.06 source, filtering at high‐frequency passbands...
Learning Features in an Open, Flexible, and Distributed Environment

The Internet, supported by various digital technologies, is well-suited for open, flexible, and distributed e-learning. Designing and delivering instruction and training on the Internet requires thoughtful analysis and investigation, combined with an understanding of both the Internet’s capabilities and resources and the ways in which instructional design principles can be applied to tap the potential of the Internet. This article identifies seven categories of e-learning components or tools that can be used in e-learning programs to provide various features conducive to learning.
Human circulating fibrocytes have the capacity to differentiate osteoblasts and chondrocytes.

Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived cells. Fibrocytes can differentiate into adipocyte- and myofibroblast-like cells. Since fibrocytes can behave like mesenchymal progenitor cells, we hypothesized that fibrocytes have the potential to differentiate into other mesenchymal lineage cells, such as osteoblasts and chondrocytes. In this study, we found that fibrocytes differentiated into osteoblast-like cells when cultured in osteogenic media in a manner similar to osteoblast precursor cells. Under these conditions, fibrocytes and osteoblast precursor cells displayed increased calcium deposition, and increased expression of specific osteogenic genes. In addition, dephosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein was associated with the increased ratio of Receptor activator of the NF-κB Ligand/osteoprotegerin gene expression and enhanced gene expression of osterix in these cells under these conditions. Both events are important in promoting osteogenesis. In contrast, fibrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells cultured in chondrogenic media in the presence of transforming growth factor-β3 were found to differentiate to chondrocyte-like cells. Fibrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells under these conditions were found to express increased levels of aggrecan and type II collagen genes. Transcription factor genes associated with chondrogenesis were also found to be induced in fibrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells under these conditions. In contrast, β–catenin protein and the core binding factor alpha1 subunit protein transcription factor were decreased in expression under these conditions. These data indicate that human fibrocytes have the capability to differentiate into osteoblast- and chondrocyte-like cells. These findings suggest that such cells could be used in cell-based tissue-regenerative therapy.
Macrophage ABCA1 reduces MyD88-dependent Toll-like receptor trafficking to lipid rafts by reduction of lipid raft cholesterol.

We previously showed that macrophages from macrophage-specific ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) knockout (Abca1-M/-M) mice had an enhanced proinflammatory response to the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In the present study, we demonstrate a direct association between free cholesterol (FC), lipid raft content, and hyper-responsiveness of macrophages to LPS in WT mice. Abca1-M/-M macrophages were also hyper-responsive to specific agonists to TLR2, TLR7, and TLR9, but not TLR3, compared with WT macrophages. We hypothesized that ABCA1 regulates macrophage responsiveness to TLR agonists by modulation of lipid raft cholesterol and TLR mobilization to lipid rafts. We demonstrated that Abca1-M/-M vs. WT macrophages contained 23% more FC in isolated lipid rafts. Further, mass spectrometric analysis suggested raft phospholipid composition was unchanged. Although cell surface expression of TLR4 was similar between Abca1-M/-M and WT macrophages, significantly more TLR4 was distributed in membrane lipid rafts in Abca1-M/-M macrophages. Abca1-M/-M macrophages also exhibited increased trafficking of the predominantly intracellular TLR9 into lipid rafts in response to TLR9-specific agonist (CpG). Collectively, our data suggest that macrophage ABCA1 dampens inflammation by reducing MyD88-dependent TLRs trafficking to lipid rafts by selective reduction of FC content in lipid rafts.
Opportunistic Capacity and Error Exponent Region for the Compound Channel With Feedback

Variable length communication over a compound channel with feedback is considered. Traditionally, capacity of a compound channel without feedback is defined as the maximum rate that is determined before the start of communication such that communication is reliable. This traditional definition is pessimistic. In the presence of feedback, an opportunistic definition is given. Capacity is defined as the maximum rate that is determined at the end of communication such that communication is reliable. Thus, the transmission rate can adapt to the realized channel. Under this definition, feedback communication over a compound channel is conceptually similar to multiterminal communication. Transmission rate is a vector rather than a scalar; channel capacity is a region rather than a scalar; error exponent is a region rather than a scalar. In this paper, variable length communication over a compound channel with feedback is formulated, its opportunistic capacity region is characterized, and lower bounds for its error exponent region are provided.
Comparison of Techniques for Longitudinal Tuning of the SNS Drift Tube Linac

It is important to bring the cavity rf field amplitude and phase to the design for a high intensity linac such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) linac. A few techniques are available such as the longitudinal acceptance scan and phase scan. During the SNS linac commissioning, tuning of cavities was conducted using the acceptance scan and phase scan technique based on multiparticle simulations. The two techniques are compared.
Compact couplers between dielectric and metal-dielectric-metal plasmonic waveguides

We theoretically investigate the properties of compact couplers between high- index-contrast dielectric waveguides and metal-dielectric-metal subwavelength plasmonic waveguides. We show that they can be designed to have high transmission efficiency over a broad range of wavelengths.