cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin of low-coherence enhanced backscattering

The origin of low-coherence enhanced backscattering (EBS) of light in random media when the spatial coherence length of illumination is much smaller than the transport mean free path has been poorly understood. We report that in weakly scattering discrete random media low-coherence EBS originates from time-reversed paths of double scattering. Low spatial coherence illumination dephases the time-reversed waves outside its finite coherence area, which isolates the minimal number of scattering events in EBS from higher-order scattering. Moreover, we show the first experimental evidence that the minimal number of scattering events in EBS is double scattering, which has been hypothesized since the first observation of EBS.
Stress Measurements in Silicon Microstructures

Raman spectroscopy is used as a non-contact probe of stress with high spatial resolution in micro-machined silicon structures. The motivation for this work is that reliability or cycle life can be substantially increased by understanding the origin of stress including residual stress. Excessive stresses induced by workmanship shortcomings or design constraints may be addressed by Raman measurements. In microelectronics, stress is known to play a significant role in interconnects which limits reliability, life, and ultimately cost of many circuits. We wish to demonstrate the utility of Raman spectroscopy as a tool for the development and design of silicon microstructures. The equations for a general 2D stress field are discussed. Calibration studies using macro-mechanical fixtures for single crystal silicon specimens under 2D stress field are presented. Our measurements show good agreement with the theoretical values and thus validate the approach taken. Stress maps of conventionally fabricated test structures, laser machined, and polysilicon structures are presented.
The Application of Boundary Element Method to Pressure Behaviour Analysis in a Composite Reservoir With Lateral Drilling

With the increase of lateral wells, it becomes more and more important to evaluate pressure performance and formation damage in a composite reservoir with lateral drilling. Considering the properties of lateral drilling in a composite reservoir, this paper presents a mathematical model for 3D unsteady flow which is solved using the boundary element method and regional division technique for pressure performance of a lateral drilling well produced at a constant rate or a constant bottom-hole pressure. By the reasonable incorporation of pseudo skin factor, dimensionless damaged radius, dimensionless wellbore storage coefficient, and permeability of damaged region, we can get the type curves which can be used to evaluate formation damage caused by lateral drilling. The application to test data for a lateral drilling well in the Liaohe Oilfield in East China shows that the model is reliable and the analysis is valid.
Effects of 12-h tobacco deprivation on event-related potentials elicited by visual smoking cues

Rationale: A cigarette smoker's reactivity to smoking cues, or cue-reactivity, traditionally has been indexed by self-report and/or measures of autonomic nervous system activity. Recent evidence suggests that measures of central nervous system activity in the form of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) may also index cue-reactivity in smokers. Objective: The present study sought to confirm the sensitivity of ERPs to smoking cues and to investigate the question of whether 12 h of smoking deprivation would enhance ERP cue-reactivity to such stimuli. Methods: Scalp ERPs were recorded to 80 smoking-related pictures and 80 neutral pictures, i.e., similar pictures with a nonsmoking theme, in 19 tobacco-deprived smokers, 17 nondeprived smokers, and 19 nonsmokers. Results: Smokers' N300 amplitudes over fronto-central scalp were larger to neutral than to smoking-related stimuli, thus reflecting N300 smoking cue-reactivity. N300 cue-reactivity was greater for deprived than for nondeprived smokers. Smokers' P300 values were greater to smoking-related than to neutral stimuli, particularly over the centro-parietal area; however, nonsmokers also showed a P300 main effect to smoking cues. Smoking deprivation did not affect P300 cue-reactivity, nor did deprivation affect self-reported urges to smoking relative to neutral cues. Conclusions: These data confirm the sensitivity of ERPs to tobacco cues in smokers and suggest, additionally, that the cue-reactivity of the N300 component is modulated by smoking deprivation. N300 cue-reactivity may reflect an internally generated priming of the semantic network related to the smokers' need states. Stimulus-category differences in P300 may reflect cue-reactivity in smokers and/or nonaddiction-specific factors in both smokers and nonsmokers.
Second-stage enrichment in the laser separation of carbon isotopes

There is a general agreement that efficient infrafed laser induced separation of carbon isotopes requires a two-stage process. An efficient first stage 1%→50%13C enrichment was shown by Gauthier et al. [1] to be feasible and competitive with conventional technology. In this work, second-stage CO2 laser enrichment of equimolar mixtures of12CHClF2 and13CHClF2 has been demonstrated yielding tetrafluoroethylene containing 95% or 99%13C. Forward enrichment by selective decomposition of the13CHClF2 fraction was very efficient, absorbing only 6 and 16 eV, respectively, per carbon atom produced at 95% and 99%13C content.
Nanometer-scale complexity, growth, and diagenesis in desert varnish

Nanometer-scale element mapping and spectroscopy of desert varnish from the northern Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona reveal a dynamic disequilibrium system characterized by postdepositional mineralogical, chemical, and structural changes activated by liquid water. Lack of equilibrium is suggested by the large variety of coexisting Mn phases. Sparse secondary Ba and Sr sulfates also occur, as do carbonaceous particles. Individual Mn-oxide particles contain variable concentrations of Ba and Ce, reflecting their role as repositories of trace elements, presumably derived from atmospheric aerosols. Desert varnish is analogous to more familiar sediments in displaying authigenic and diagenetic structures, but with total sediment thicknesses <1 mm and structures at the nanometer scale. As such, it is neither a weathering rind nor patina, but a unique subaerial sediment that is in dynamic disequilibrium. Our results suggest continuing adjustment of varnish to changing environmental conditions.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Hepatocyte Growth Factor Gene by the Nuclear Receptors Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter Transcription Factor and Estrogen Receptor

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that controls the growth and differentiation of various tissues. Previously, we described the existence of a negative cis-acting regulatory element(s) within the −1- to −0.7-kilobase pair (kb) portion of the 5′-flanking region of the mouse HGF promoter. In the present study, we show that the repressor element is located at position −872 to −860 base pairs and comprises an imperfect estrogen-responsive element 5′-AGGTCAGAAAGACCA-3′. We demonstrate that chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF), a nuclear orphan receptor belonging to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, through binding to this site effectively silences the transcriptional activity of the HGF promoter. We show that estrogen receptor, on the other hand, relieves the repressive action of COUP-TF, resulting in the induction of the HGF promoter. Using mice transgenic for either 2.7 or 0.7 kb of the HGF promoter region linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, we found that injection of estradiol stimulates HGF promoter activity in tissues such as the mammary gland and ovary of mice harboring 2.7 but not 0.7 kb of the mouse HGF promoter region. Potential involvement of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors in the regulation of HGF gene expression is also discussed.
Multiperiod hedging in the presence of stochastic volatility

Abstract In this paper, we characterize the multiperiod minimum-risk hedge strategy within the stochastic volatility (SV) framework and compare it to other hedge strategies on the basis of hedging performance. Using crude oil markets as an example, we demonstrate that the SV model is appropriate in depicting price behaviour. However, ex ante and ex post comparisons indicate that the SV strategy is inferior to conventional hedging strategies. There is also evidence that the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) strategy may be better than the SV strategy, at least in terms of variance reduction.
Grating-over-lens concentrating photovoltaic spectrum splitting systems with volume holographic optical elements

In grating-over-lens spectrum splitting designs, a planar transmission grating is placed at the entrance of a plano-convex lens. Part of the incident solar spectrum is diffracted at 15-30° from normal incidence to the lens. The diffracted spectral range comes to a focus at an off-axis point and the undiffracted spectrum comes to a focus on the optical axis of the lens. Since the diffracted wave is planar and off-axis, the off-axis focal points suffer from aberrations that increase system loss. Field curvature, chromatic and spherical aberrations are compensated using defocusing and a curved focal plane (approximated with each photovoltaic receiver). Coma is corrected by modifying the off-axis wavefront used in constructing the hologram. In this paper, we analyze the use of non-planar transmission gratings recorded using a conjugate object beam to modify the off-axis wavefront. Diverging sources are used as conjugate object and reference beams. The spherical waves are incident at the lens and the grating is recorded at the entrance aperture of the solar concentrator. The on-axis source is adjusted to produce an on-axis planar wavefront at the hologram plane. The off-axis source is approximated to a diffraction limited spot producing a non-planar off-axis wavefront on the hologram plane. Illumination with a planar AM1.5 spectrum reproduces an off-axis diffraction-limited spot on the focal plane. This paper presents ray trace and coupled wave theory simulations used to quantify the reduction in losses achieved with aberration correction.
Extensions to Basu's theorem, factorizations, and infinite divisibility

Abstract We define a notion of approximate sufficiency and approximate ancillarity and show that such statistics are approximately independent pointwise under each value of the parameter. We do so without mentioning the somewhat nonintuitive concept of completeness, thus providing a more transparent version of Basu's theorem. Two total variation inequalities are given, which we call approximate Basu theorems. We also show some new types of applications of Basu's theorem in the theory of probability. The applications are to showing that large classes of random variables are infinitely divisible (id), and that others admit a decomposition in the form YZ, where Y is infinitely divisible, Z is not, both are nondegenerate, and Y and Z are independent. These applications indicate that the possible spectrum of applications of Basu's theorem is much broader than has been realized.
Insulin pump therapy for pregnancy: a primer

Current knowledge and advances in insulin formulations, insulin pump technology, and blood glucose monitoring techniques have improved practitioners’ ability to achieve diabetic people’s blood glucose targets. Practitioners and pregnant women should bear in mind that important differences exist in glucose metabolism during pregnancy and require a different approach from non-pregnant people to avoid pregnant women’s experience being adversely affected. Insulin pump therapy, if used skillfully by practitioners and their pregnant patients, can be especially beneficial for some diabetic women during their pregnancies. Women’s healthcare practitioners should endeavor to be familiar with this therapy, even if they are not experts in its full complexity.
Single-Chip Heterogeneous Computing: Does the Future Include Custom Logic, FPGAs, and GPGPUs?

To extend the exponential performance scaling of future chip multiprocessors, improving energy efficiency has become a first-class priority. Single-chip heterogeneous computing has the potential to achieve greater energy efficiency by combining traditional processors with unconventional cores (U-cores) such as custom logic, FPGAs, or GPGPUs. Although U-cores are effective at increasing performance, their benefits can also diminish given the scarcity of projected bandwidth in the future. To understand the relative merits between different approaches in the face of technology constraints, this work builds on prior modeling of heterogeneous multicores to support U-cores. Unlike prior models that trade performance, power, and area using well-known relationships between simple and complex processors, our model must consider the less-obvious relationships between conventional processors and a diverse set of U-cores. Further, our model supports speculation of future designs from scaling trends predicted by the ITRS road map. The predictive power of our model depends upon U-core-specific parameters derived by measuring performance and power of tuned applications on today's state-of-the-art multicores, GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs. Our results reinforce some current-day understandings of the potential and limitations of U-cores and also provides new insights on their relative merits.
CourseCast: a new angle on course capture technology

To address the increasing need to deliver, improve upon the quality, and track usage of class review sessions, the Valparaiso University School of Law has invested resources in course capture software called CourseCast offered by Panopto Systems. The ability to provide a discounted service to educational institutions through Panopto's Socrates Program was a high selling point to our school. While the software was free, some minimal costs were incurred for non-proprietary hardware. CourseCast's ability to synchronize audio, video, and screen captures with PowerPoint was an option that was highly desired. Additional benefits beyond the original scope of the system included the ability to capture other events, such as lectures, class sessions, interviews, instructional sessions, and self/peer-review of teaching styles. Some risks, challenges, and rewards in both the technical and instructional aspects of the system were encountered during the implementation of this project. The evaluation of current uses and strategic planning for the future use of CourseCast at the Valparaiso University School of Law continues to be a high priority.
Dominant fault plane orientations of intermediate-depth earthquakes beneath South America

The South American subduction zone exhibits considerable variation: the subduction angle alternates between flat and steep; the subducting plate has complex structures; and arc volcanism in the overlying plate has gaps. I investigate the effect of these differences in incoming plate structure and slab geometry on intermediate-depth earthquakes, specifically their fault orientations and rupture characteristics, and find that slab geometry has the largest impact on fault orientation. I use rupture directivity to estimate rupture direction and rupture velocity and to distinguish the fault plane from the auxiliary plane of the focal mechanism. From analysis of 163 large (Mw≥5.7) intermediate-depth (60–360 km depth) earthquakes from along the length of South America, estimated rupture azimuths and plunges show no trends, appearing to be randomly distributed on the determined population of fault plane orientations, and a majority of earthquakes are made up of multiple subevents. As seen in other subduction zones, subduction segments descending at normal angles have predominantly subhorizontal faults. Flat slab segments also have a dominant fault orientation, but those earthquakes slip along the conjugate nodal plane of the focal mechanism. In strongly curved slab segments, such as at the downdip edge of flat segments where the slab resubducts, earthquakes may slip along either nodal plane orientation. While both fault orientations could be consistent with the reactivation of fossil outer rise faults, the fault orientations are also consistent with expectations for newly created faults in agreement with the ambient stress field. Fault reactivation alone does not explain why different fault orientations are active in segments with different geometries, so the preferred explanation for having regionally consistent fault orientations is that they minimize the total work of the system. The previously observed predominance of subhorizontal faults appears to be a consequence of slab geometry.
Using partial shape knowledge for stereo reconstruction

We describe a scheme for reliable and accurate surface reconstruction when the stereoscopic images contain only fine texture and no stable high level features. The approach uses partial shape information to improve the reliability of the surface computation process-by first fitting an approximate, global, parametric model, and then refining this model via local correspondence processes. A simple yet adequate parametric shape model is adopted, and the partial shape information is used to constrain the search for the optimal parameters. We show that even with very limited information regarding the surface shape (e.g., the surface is higher in the middle than on either side) a significant improvement is achieved, in the accuracy and reliability of the reconstruction.
Upgrading real-time control software in the field

The new millennium heralds the convergence between computing, communication, and the intelligent control of our physical environments. Embedded systems often have a long life cycle. This paper reviews our research group's work on how to upgrade embedded control systems without shutting them down, and how to protect the system from bugs and attacks that could be introduced by software upgrades.
Metabolic Bone Disease Screening Practices Among U.S. Neonatologists

Preterm, low-birth-weight neonates are predisposed to metabolic bone disease (MBD). This survey aimed to assess screening, diagnostic, and treatment practices in U.S. level IIIB/IIIC neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). A 29-question anonymous online survey was e-mailed to American Academy of Pediatrics Perinatal Section members. 338 neonatologists, representing 246 IIIB/IIIC NICUs, responded. 86% reported MBD screening. Screening was primarily based on gestational age (71%), with thresholds 500 U/L (58.6%). 52% used X-ray for diagnosis. Treatment included human milk fortification (83%), vitamin D (67%), calcium (65%), and phosphorus (65%) supplementation. Our survey confirms widespread awareness of MBD but highlights lack of consensus regarding definition, screening, and treatment. Further research is needed to develop and optimize strategies to prevent, recognize, and manage MBD.
Family Owned Business Fraud: The Silent Thief

The ACFE 2002 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse shows “The per-employee losses from fraud in the smallest businesses are 100 times the amount of their largest counterparts.” Further, major factors contributing to small business fraud include: inadequate employee prescreening; limited controls and too much trust. The focus of the paper is on issues raised by questions such as should family businesses be concerned about fraud and to what extent can control measures be adopted to help reduce losses caused by this condition? It is an examination of a survey sent to 167 female business owners and their responses to questions about fraud.
Cutting Edge: AIM2 and Endosomal TLRs Differentially Regulate Arthritis and Autoantibody Production in DNase II-Deficient Mice

Innate immune pattern recognition receptors sense nucleic acids from microbes and orchestrate cytokine production to resolve infection. Inappropriate recognition of host nucleic acids also results in autoimmune disease. In this study, we use a model of inflammation resulting from accrual of self DNA (DNase II(-/-) type I IFN receptor [Ifnar](-/-)) to understand the role of pattern recognition receptor-sensing pathways in arthritis and autoantibody production. Using triple knockout (TKO) mice deficient in DNase II/IFNaR together with deficiency in either stimulator of IFN genes (STING) or absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), we reveal central roles for the STING and AIM2 pathways in arthritis. AIM2 TKO mice show limited inflammasome activation and, similar to STING TKO mice, have reduced inflammation in joints. Surprisingly, autoantibody production is maintained in AIM2 and STING TKO mice, whereas DNase II(-/-) Ifnar(-/-) mice also deficient in Unc93b, a chaperone required for TLR7/9 endosomal localization, fail to produce autoantibodies to nucleic acids. Collectively, these data support distinct roles for cytosolic and endosomal nucleic acid-sensing pathways in disease manifestations.
Selection and initial characterization of novel peptide ligands that bind specifically to human blood outgrowth endothelial cells

Using phage display technology, we have isolated 12-mer peptide ligands that bind to human blood outgrowth endothelial cells (HBOEC). To avoid non-specific binding we apply negative–positive selection approach by pre-incubating the library with non-HBOEC. The selected phage clones bind to their target cell population with high recovery. Moreover, the isolated clones display outstanding cell specificity as no significant binding is observed on a panel of other cell types. We anticipate the findings from this work to be exploited in the development of future cell-based therapeutic revascularization approaches to ischemic disease and endothelial injury or in combination with biomedical devices. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 98: 306–312. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
COMPARING UNION AND NONUNION STAFF PERCEPTIONS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION WORK ENVIRONMENT

Evidence of substantial growth in unionization among university noninstructional staff over the past 20 years (Hurd and Woodhead, 1987) and the emergence of a quality movement in higher education linking employee attitudes toward the work environment with increased productivity point to the need for additional research into union and nonunion staff perceptions of the work environment. This paper describes a conceptually oriented, exploratory study of the university work environment as perceived and defined by union and nonunion noninstructional staff.
La muerte cerebral y su significado

The diagnosis of brain death is considered in Occidental World as a new way of being dead. Nevertheless, in our country, this concept has not been completely accepted by the general population neither by health workers. In our experience, a significant percentage of the professionals working in pediatric services believe that a child in brain death is not dead. Considering this situation it seems very important that pediatric services should receive special training about the meaning of this condition. Those professionals that do not accept brain death, as the death of the individual should be allowed to stay away from any decision concerning that child. The Chilean Legislation is reviewed and an ethical analysis is also done.
Goals guiding design: PVM and MPI

PVM and MPI, two systems for programming clusters, are often compared. The comparisons usually start with the unspoken assumption that PVM and MPI represent different solutions to the same problem. In this paper we show that, in fact, the two systems often are solving different problems. In cases where the problems do match but the solutions chosen by PVM and MPI are different, we explain the reasons for the differences. Usually such differences can be traced to explicit differences in the goals of the two systems, their origins, or the relationship between their specifications and their implementations. For example, we show that the requirement for portability and performance across many platforms caused MPI to choose approaches different from those made by PVM, which is able to exploit the similarities of network-connected systems.
Minimal order observers for linear functions of the state vector

The problem of estimating linear functions of a state vector in a multi-input/output system is considered. A simple lower bound on the observer order with arbitrary eigenvalues is established. Algorithms to construct minimal-order stable (or arbitrary dynamics) observers are also outlined.
Dietary Calcium Intake and Obesity

Obesity is increasing in the United States in epidemic proportions. Epidemiologic data suggest that people with high calcium intake have a lower prevalence of overweight, obesity, and insulin resistance syndrome. Studies in transgenic mice have demonstrated that calcium influences adipocyte metabolism. High calcium intake depresses levels of parathyroid hormone and 1,25-hydroxy vitamin D. These decreased hormone levels cause decreases in intracellular calcium, thereby inhibiting lipogenesis and stimulating lipolysis. High dietary calcium intakes also increases excretion of fecal fat and may increase core body temperature. Calcium from dairy products seems to have more of an impact than calcium from dietary supplements. Primary care providers should include recommendations about adequate calcium intake in standard dietary counseling about weight management.
Isotropic covariance matrix functions on all spheres

This paper reviews and introduces characterizations of the covariance function on all spheres that is isotropic and continuous, and characterizations of the covariance matrix function on all spheres whose entries are isotropic and continuous. These characterizations are used to derive some covariance (matrix) structures on all spheres, with certain polynomials obtained, besides some rational, (negative) power, and logarithmic models.
Black Skin—Brass shields: Assessing the presumed marginalization of Black law enforcement executives

This article examines the presumed marginalization of Black law enforcement executives. In particular, it was hypothesized that study participants (n=123) would report experiencing social isolation from various support and reference groups such as subordinate personnel of both races, White peers of equivalent rank, and family/friends. Several research hypotheses, logically derived from the available literature, were not supported by the data, thereby suggesting that Black law enforcement executives are more socially welladjusted and integrated in their leadership roles than anticipated. These results suggest a reconsideration of the assumptions surrounding the contemporary working world experiences of this growing segment of leaders in the law enforcement community.
Unsteady viscous jet flow into stationary surroundings

Abstract The unsteady constant-property uniform pressure flow of a viscous laminar axisymmetric jet into stationary surroundings is analyzed with the aid of the boundary layer approximations and an integral method. Numerical solutions of the resulting non-linear system of equations are presented for the response of an initially steady jet to monotonic mass flow variations which are imposed at the initial axial station of the jet. Significant departures from quasi-steady behaviour arise for sufficiently large streamwise distances and/or rates of change of the boundary conditions. Among these effects are overshoots in mass and momentum flux, a dynamic effect on flow entrainment, and a tendency toward discontinous behavior. The influence of the kinematic viscosity on the transient flow is examined, and an estimate is made of the applicability of quasi-steady approximations in this problem.
Mesenchymal involvement in arteriosclerosis.

In this presentation I should like to speak of some of the qualities of vascular mesenchyme and some of the range of its structural responses — including reference on occasion to some of the responses it may not make.
Silica Nanoparticles as Substrates for Chelator-free Labeling of Oxophilic Radioisotopes

Chelator-free nanoparticles for intrinsic radiolabeling are highly desirable for whole-body imaging and therapeutic applications. Several reports have successfully demonstrated the principle of intrinsic radiolabeling. However, the work done to date has suffered from much of the same specificity issues as conventional molecular chelators, insofar as there is no singular nanoparticle substrate that has proven effective in binding a wide library of radiosotopes. Here we present amorphous silica nanoparticles as general substrates for chelator-free radiolabeling and demonstrate their ability to bind six medically relevant isotopes of various oxidation states with high radiochemical yield. We provide strong evidence that the stability of the binding correlates with the hardness of the radioisotope, corroborating the proposed operating principle. Intrinsically labeled silica nanoparticles prepared by this approach demonstrate excellent in vivo stability and efficacy in lymph node imaging.
A Small Country for Big Pharma: Costa Rica

The organization and quality of the Costa Rican health care system has attracted the attention of clinical research sponsors since the 1960s. This small country concentrates a disproportionate number of clinical trials, especially with pediatric populations, which are conducted by a handful of physicians. The regulation of clinical trials is incomplete and its analysis reflects the tensions among four different interest groups: (1) The Ministry of Health; (2) Physicians involved in clinical research; (3) Members of the Legislative Assembly who oppose the use of public facilities for private gain and advocate for the protection of the human rights of trial participants; and (4) Employees of the Costa Rican Social Security Institute and non-governmental organizations who oppose the use of public resources for private gain. Using publicly available documents, including those of the Legislative Assembly, audits by the Costa Rican Social Security Institute and the Supreme Court pronouncements, this chapter describes the evolution of clinical trials and its progressive privatization, the ups and downs in establishing an appropriate regulatory framework, and the conflicts between the four groups mentioned above. The relatively small number of players and Costa Rica’s democratic tradition has enabled access to insights and information rarely available in larger and not so open societies.
Phenomenological Chemical Kinetics

IN CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL PROCESSES, one is concerned not only with whether a reaction can take place but also with the speed of the reaction. This must generally be neither too slow nor too fast. One may proceed empirically, measuring the rate of the given reaction as a function of time under precisely imposed conditions. Or, one may proceed theoretically, investigating what molecules are involved and how they interact.
Metabolism of gardona by gypsy moth larvae.

The metabolic products of the insecticide Gardona®, (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate), in 3rd-stage Porthetria dispar (L.) larvae, were determined after exposing the larvae for 24 hours to a topical LD30 of the insecticide. The unabsorbed portion of the dose, the frass, and the larvae were assayed for Gardona and its metabolic products by solvent extraction and acid hydrolysis followed by electron capture gas liquid chromatography. The following metabolic products were found: 2,4,5-trichloroacetophenone; 1-(2',4',5'-trichlor-ophenyl) ethan-1-ol; 2,4,5-trichlorophenacyl chloride; and 1-(2',4',5'-trichlorophenyl)-2-chloroelhan-1-ol. These products could be extracted from the frass and larvae in quantity following acid hydrolysis of the brei, for only small amounts were found prior to acid hydrolysis. The presumption is that these products form conjugates in the larvae which are un extractable by solvents. Approximately 47% of the applied dose was recovered as Gardona and its products. A pathway for the metabolism of Gardona in gypsy moth Larvae is proposed.
Medium-sized mammal hosts of Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) at Land Between the Lakes, Tennessee, and effects of integrated tick management on host infestations.

The abundance and distribution of Amblyomma americanum (L.) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) among nine species of medium-sized mammals were examined at an integrated tick management site at Land Between the Lakes, Tennessee, from 1984 to 1986. The most important hosts (mean abundance) during April to October for immature A. americanum were the raccoon, striped skunk, Eastern cottontail rabbit, and Virginia opossum. The medium-sized mammals examined had low numbers of adult A. americanum . Immature D. variabilis were mostly on raccoon and gray squirrel. The main hosts of adult D. variabilis were raccoons and opossums. Acaricide treatment and mowing of campsites, playgrounds, and roadways reduced the number of subadult A. americanum on opossums (64% nymphs, 76% larvae) and cottontail rabbits (86% nymphs, 86% larvae), but appeared to have no effect on D. variabilis infestation of opossums. Deer removal contributed to a reduction in the number of subadult A. americanum on opossums and rabbits inside and outside a deer exclusion. The importance of medium-sized mammals in reinfesting recreation areas with ticks is discussed.
Flexible, Transferable, and Thermal-Durable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Photoanode Consisting of TiO2 Nanoparticles and Electrospun TiO2/SiO2 Nanofibers

Flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) often face the dilemma of the high temperature sintering of TiO2 photoanode to achieve superior performance and low thermal durability of the flexible substrate. Herein, we report a photoanode that combines the flexibility and high-temperature durability, which circumvents the long-standing challenge in flexible photoanode of DSSC. A hybrid mat consisting of anatase-phased TiO2 nanofibers and structurally amorphous SiO2 nanofibers is first prepared via the method of dual-spinneret electrospinning followed by pyrolysis. The hybrid fibrous mat is then impregnated with binder-free TiO2 nanoparticles and sintered at 480 °C to form a flexible composite photoanode for DSSC. The DSSC based on this composite photoanode achieves a power conversion efficiency of 6.74 ± 0.33% on FTO/glass substrate. Device characterization and phototransient measurement, dye-loading experiment, and structural characterization indicate that, in the composite photoanode, the TiO2 nanoparticl...
Standardization and Decomposition Analysis: A Useful Analytical Method for Outcome Difference, Inequality and Disparity Studies

Standardization and decomposition analysis (SDA) is a traditional demographic analytical method that is widely used for comparing rates between populations with difference in composition. The method can be readily applied to many other research fields. SDA decomposes the observed outcome difference between populations into component effects that are attributed to: (1) the “real” outcome difference; and (2) compositional difference of specific confounding factors between populations. The results of SDA are easy to interpret and understand, and it can be readily applied not only to cross-sectional outcome comparisons, but also to studying outcome changes in longitudinal studies. Importantly, SDA does not need the assumptions that are usually required for statistical analysis. Traditionally SDA has no statistical significance testing for component effects. However, the author of this chapter has developed a Windows-based computer program that employs bootstrapping techniques to estimate standard errors of the component effects, thus significance testing for component effects becomes possible in SDA.
Error analysis and specialty research of application of capillary method in measurement of liquid surface tension

The real contact angle has been obtained by use of Bashforth-Adams equation.The error source of liquid surface tension measurement by capillary method has been analyzed.Some issues with disputes have been solved.Particular characteristics of capillary method for liquid surface tension measurement have been figured out and discussed.
RESEARCH ON THE METHODS OF TOTAL-NITROGEN DETECTION IN WATER

The paper deals with the methods of total-nitrogen detection in water.These methods include national standard method and rapid detection method.National standard method is alkaline potassium peroxydisulfate digesting ultraviolet spectrophotometry.And absorbance ratio(A275/A220×100%)should be lower than 20%.The other rapid method had been discussed for the water sample which contains only nitrate nitrogen without ammonia nitrogen、nitrite nitrogen.The rapid detection is made under the such conditions as no oxidant-adding 、no heating and no high pressure.So the method is rapid.
Real-time RT-PCR and methods of cell culture for use in the detection of influenza virus

Objective To examine use of a real-time fluorescent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(rRT-PCR) assay to detect influenza virus and to compare the differences between this technique and conventional methods of cell culturing in order to determine which of the two methods is best suited to different uses.Methods At two national sentinel hospitals in the City of Yantai,throat swab samples were collected from patients with influenza-like illness(ILI).Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect influenza virus RNA.In virus RNA-positive samples,MDCK cells were used to separate and culture influenza viruses.The sensitivity of the two methods of detection and associated differences were compared.Results Of 617 samples,152 tested positive according to real-time fluorescence RT-PCR at a rate of 24.64%.Seventy-nine strains of influenza virus were isolated by MDCK cell culture and tested positive at a rate of 12.80%.The difference in rates of positivity was statistically significant(χ2=28.38,P0.01).Conclusion Real-time fluorescence RT-PCR and cell culturing have the same specificity with regard to detecting influenza virus.Real-time RT-PCR can be used as a quick and effective method of detecting influenza virus nucleic acids and can be used in public health laboratories to rapidly diagnose outbreaks.Cell culturing provides the basis for monitoring influenza virus pathogens and can be used to verify a laboratory diagnosis of an outbreak and analyze the antigenic and genetic characteristics of influenza virus.
“We Are Not Bad Jews, Because We Believe We Are Good and True Germans”: Another Beginning and Persisting Difference, 1945–1948

On October 1, 1946, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) in Nuremberg pronounced its verdicts in the trial of twenty-two high-ranking Nazi leaders. In September 1935, almost exactly eleven years earlier, the city had hosted the Nazi Party Rally and special Reichstag meeting, which passed the racial legislation that embodied the Hitler state's key definitions of Jewishness. On this October day, the presiding American, Soviet, British, and French IMT judges sentenced more than half of the defendants to death by hanging. Among the condemned men were Alfred Rosenberg, Wilhelm Frick, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the last head of the Reich Security Main Office. In their widely published opinions, the judges found the condemned defendants guilty of all or most points of the indictments, ranging from conspiracy to waging a war of aggression to war crimes. Three defendants, including Hans Fritzsche, a former head of the Propaganda Ministry's press department, were acquitted. Adolf Hitler and SS-chief Heinrich Himmler, the architects of Nazi terror and genocide, had committed suicide to evade capture by the victorious Allied troops in the spring of 1945 and could no longer be punished. Allied officials prosecuted the Nazi regime's genocide of the German and European Jews by adding the new charge of crimes against humanity, defined as the deportation and destruction of civilians “on the basis of political, racial, and religious grounds.
Collaborative Authoring in a Social Media World

Narrative interaction is driven by agency, dialogism, and collaboration that together with the material presence of content, form, and medium constitute the narrative experience. The first section of this book provides examples of different levels of collaboration that interactive narrative has offered people over the centuries. It shows that digital interactive narrative followed interactive print in providing readers opportunities for manipulating characters and events and determining direction through a story. The narrative experience has been shaped by the mechanics (analog or digital) that delineate the interaction between people and narrative content, whether as author or as reader or both.
Using Self-Study to Evaluate a Pedagogical Approach for Navigating Conflict in a Science Content Course for Preservice Teachers

This self-study describes a conflict that occurred between a teacher educator (TE) and a class of preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) in a science content course. The conflict centered on the widely disparate views of the quality of classwork produced by the PSTs. While the TE initially evaluated the classwork in a way that was highly critical of the PSTs, he chose to halt the course progression and use reflection activities (e.g., journaling) to better understand the perspectives of the PSTs as well as consider how his pedagogical approach was contributing to the conflict. Through careful analysis of journal responses, in conjunction with a critical friend, insight into the particular needs of the PSTs was achieved. The TE was then able to design and implement targeted instructional activities to navigate the conflict and support the PSTs’ professional identity development.
Chapter 46 Contributions of National Agricultural Research Systems to Crop Productivity

Abstract This chapter describes the impact of national agricultural research systems on the unfolding of the Green Revolution in four regions: Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Although international institutions contributed much of the research that led to the Green Revolution, national programs also proved important in the development and diffusion of modern varieties. This chapter documents the Green Revolutions that occurred in 11 food crops – wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, millets, lentils, groundnuts, beans, cassava and potatoes. The chapter traces the overall role of national institutions and the growing importance of national agricultural research systems in the developing world. It also discusses the interaction of National Agricultural Research Systems and International Agricultural Research Centers, which have largely played complementary roles. Finally, it discusses the political economy of support for national agricultural research.
Prognosis of Intracranial Ependymomas

Grading and localization of 67 intracranial ependymomas operated on in children less than 15 years of age from 1951 to 1990 were correlated with prognosis in a retrospective study at the University of Koln, Germany.
Age-related differences in the sensitivity of the fish immune response to a coplanar PCB.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread environmental pollutants. Because of their persistence and bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms (among other factors), the biological impact of PCB exposure on resident fish populations is of particular concern. To assess the effect(s) of an environmentally relevant coplanar PCB congener on the fish immune response, juvenile and aged Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were injected i.p. with either vehicle or PCB 126 (at 0.01 or 1.0 µg/g BW) and examined after 3 and 14 days. CYP1A protein levels, examined as an indicator of PCB exposure, were significantly increased (compared to controls) in all fish treated with the highest PCB dose. Kidney phagocyte superoxide (O2 ·−) production was examined to indicate effects upon innate immune function. After 14 days, unstimulated O2 ·− production by kidney phagocytes from juvenile and aged medaka treated with the highest PCB dose was significantly increased compared to controls. Stimulated O2 ·− production by aged PCB-treated fish was unaffected (compared to controls) at both post-exposure timepoints. However, phagocytes from PCB-treated juvenile medaka demonstrated reduced O2 ·− production at 3 days post-exposure and increased levels after 14 days (compared to controls). These results demonstrate the sensitivity of medaka phagocyte function for examining PCB-induced immunotoxicity.
Fast transient digitizer chip for capturing single-shot events

An externally triggered analog sampling circuit used as an alternative to a high speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in microcontroller systems is designed, fabricated and characterized. High speed ADCs are expensive in terms of cost and power dissipation, the fast transient digitizer (FTD) is a low cost alternative and has no appreciable DC power dissipation. The transient digitizer uses cells with a process dependent delay element to sample data onto hold capacitors. The hold capacitor drives a PMOS source follower that is activated by an NMOS switch. The switch is controlled by on-chip logic that reads each sample sequentially in conjunction with an external counter. The FTD can capture an input signal with a maximum duration of 25 ns and an input range of 0 V to 2 V. The output is a reconstruction of the input signal on a timescale up to a few hundred μs. Two FTD circuits are fabricated on a 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm die using a 500 nm CMOS process; one FTD circuit occupies an area of 1.057 mm × 0.461 mm on the die.
The Out Loud Assignment: Articulating Library Contributions to First-year Student Success

Abstract As more and more libraries consider GPA and year-to-year retention as relevant and meaningful measures of interest, it is important to consider whether these measures are locally appropriate. Several limitations of broadly applying GPA and first-year retention as measures of student success were recently discovered while completing a large exploratory research project. The project assessed the impact of a library assignment offered to students during their first term on campus at a large public research university. Findings revealed the assignment had a greater impact on regional campus students in contrast to the larger central campus, where changes in admission requirements has created an increasingly high-performing cohort of first-year students. Other indicators which may better locally articulate library contributions to student success are needed.
Vanadium dioxide switchable components based on wiregrids for mid-infrared applications

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a polycrystalline material that exhibits reversible transition from a monoclinic semiconducting phase to a tetragonal metallic phase at 68°C. During this phase transition, both the real part and the imaginary part of the refractive index undergoes a dramatic change. Furthermore, the finite conductivity of the VO2 in both phases allows for ohmic heating as the source of the temperature change, which circumvents the need for an external heat source. This provide an attractive means for designing switchable optical components such as sub-wavelength polarizers and beam steerers. In this work, VO2 films were grown by ion-assisted deposition (IAD) using electron beam evaporation on sapphire substrates. Since the VO2 thin film is difficult to etch, we designed a unique lift-off process to obtain the VO2 wire grids that is compatible with the high temperature deposition process. Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) was applied to the wiregrid polarizer to study its polarization properties in the mid-infrared region. The polarizers extinction was modeled at room temperature when the polarizer is at the OFF state and the 68°C when it is at the ON state.