cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Operational efficiency versus financial mobility in the global airline industry: a data envelopment and Tobit analysis

Abstract The events of September 11th, 2001 precipitated an almost unprecedented financial crisis for the world airline industry. However, it is not clear that these events represent a discrete, industry disruption or whether, in fact, airlines were already entering a period of economic challenges that would demand new strategic orientations on their part. This study investigates the structural drivers of operational efficiency as well as the financial posture of airlines on the eve of September 11th. A sample of 38 airlines from North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East was utilized to investigate whether relative operational efficiency implied superior financial mobility (as defined by Donaldson). Data envelopment analysis was utilized to derive efficiency scores for individual airlines. The underlying structural drivers of efficiency were then investigated. It was found that the traditional framework developed in the literature still provided reasonable explanatory power for realized relative operational efficiency. However, the second stage of the analysis found that relative operational efficiency did not inherently imply superior financial mobility. As such, airlines that had chosen relatively efficient operational strategies found themselves in positions of vulnerability with regard to financial mobility and thus suffered the consequences in the post-September 11th environment.
Nanostructure Evolution during Photopolymerization in Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Templates

The ability to direct polymer structure on the nanometer scale has provided access to enhanced material properties that may be tailored to accommodate a growing number of advanced biological and industrial applications. A promising method of generating nanostructure in organic polymers uses self-assembling lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) mesophases as templates for polymerization. Unfortunately, thermodynamically driven phase separation often prevents polymer morphology from being precisely controlled. As the demand for polymers with accurately engineered properties increases, a detailed understanding of the phase separation process is needed to control the nanostructure and properties of LLC templated polymers. In this study, photopolymerization kinetics are utilized to identify phase separation events occurring during the photopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and hexanediol diacrylate monomers templated in the normal hexagonal or lamellar LLC mesophases. Discontinuities are found in...
Neural computation for collision-free path planning

Automatic path planning plays an essential role in planning of assembly or disassembly of products, motions of robot manipulators handling part, and material transfer by mobile robots in an intelligent and flexible manufacturing environment. The conventional methodologies based on geometric reasoning suffer not only from the algorithmic difficulty but also from the excessive time complexity in dealing with 3-D path planning. This paper presents a massively parallel, connectionist algorithm for collision-free path planning. The path planning algorithm is based on representing a path as a series ofvia points or beads connected by elastic strings which are subject to displacement due to a potential field or a collision penalty function generated by polyhedral obstacles. Mathematically, this is equivalent to optimizing a cost function, defined in terms of the total path length and the collision penalty function, by moving thevia points simultaneously but individually in the direction that minimizes the cost function. Massive parallelism comes mainly from: (1) the connectionist model representation of obstacles and (2) the parallel computation of individualvia-point motions with only local information. The algorithm has power to deal effectively with path planning of three-dimensional objects with translational and rotational motions. Finally, the algorithm incorporates simulated annealing to solve a local minimum problem. Simulation results are shown.
Cu(I)-amido complexes in the Ullmann reaction: reactions of Cu(I)-amido complexes with iodoarenes with and without autocatalysis by CuI.

A series of Cu(I)−amido complexes both lacking ancillary ligands and containing 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as ancillary ligand have been prepared. These complexes react with iodoarenes to form arylamine products, and this reactivity is consistent with the intermediacy of such complexes in catalytic Ullmann amination reactions. The stoichiometric reactions of the Cu(I)−amido complexes with iodoarenes are autocatalytic, with the free CuI generated during the reaction serving as the catalyst. Such autocatalytic behavior was not observed for reactions of iodoarenes with copper(I) amidates, imidates, or phenoxides. The selectivity of these complexes for two sterically distinct aryl halides under various conditions imply that the autocatalytic reaction proceeds by forming highly reactive [CuNPh2]n lacking phen. Reactions with radical probes imply that the reactions of phen-ligated Cu(I)−amido complexes with iodoarenes occur without the intermediacy of aryl radicals. Density functional theory calculations on the...
Developing wisdom in a business school? Critical reflections on pedagogical practice

This essay considers the question of whether, and if so, how wisdom may be developed in a business school. It begins with a critical exegesis of a passage from the recent Carnegie report Rethinking Undergraduate Business Education: Liberal Learning for the Profession, unpacking the term ‘practical reasoning,’ situating it within a broader set of philosophical and organizational considerations, and framing it in terms of John Dewey’s conceptualization of wisdom as a habit. An exemplary case drawn from the author’s experience illustrates the challenges associated with the development of wisdom in an undergraduate program at a large business school in the United States. The essay concludes by gesturing toward as possible avenues for future research and pedagogical experimentation.
A Newman-Penrose formalism for gravitational instantons

A Euclidean version of the Newman-Penrose formalism is developed for the study of gravitational instantons. The formalism is explicitly based on theSU(2)×SU(2) spin structure of positive definite metrics. A Geroch-Held-Penrose formulation is also presented. The Euclidean analogues of several fundamental results in relativity are proved, including the Petrov classification and the Ehlers-Sachs, Goldberg-Sachs, and Mariot-Robinson theorems. In addition, the connection between Petrov type and the admissibility of complex structures is elucidated.
The pattern of iron--sulfur centers in brown adipose tissue mitochondria: preponderance of ETF dehydrogenase and invariance with the thermogenic state.

Most of the resonances observed in heart mitochondria by e.p.r. spectroscopy at presently attainable sensitivities have been recently identified (for review, see [ 1 ] ) inculding the so-called iron-sulfur (Fe-S) ‘center 5’ [2], recognized by its low field resonance (gz = 2.086) in the reduced state of mitochondria from a variety of species and tissues [l] . The assignment of this e.p.r. line was based on the purification of a thus far unknown iron-sulfur (Fe-S) flavoprotein from beef heart mitochondria [3]. Since the purified Fe-S flavoprotein was most readily reduced by fatty acyl-CoA in the presence of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF), it was suggested [3] that this Fe-S flavoprotein may function as an electron transfer protein between the fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase system [4] and the terminal part of the respiratory chain. In support of this conclusion, we would like to present further experimental evidence based on e.p.r. spectra of mitochondria from brown adipose tissue, a tissue highly specialized for fatty acid oxidation and non-shivering thermogenesis (for review, see [5]). Furthermore, we want to present results of e.p.r. measurements on whole brown adipose tissue during the entire period of adaptation to a cold environment, which establishes the suitability of e.p.r. spectroscopy as a non-
Survival Outcomes for Patients With Pelvic Lymph Node-Positive Stage IVB Vulvar Cancer: Time to Reconsider the FIGO Staging System?

with and without radiation following surgery in patients with vulvar cancer. Materials/Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified node-positive women with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva treated with and without external beam radiation following surgery. OS was compared using the Kaplan-Meier approach, log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: From 1988 2008, 420 patients received surgery alone vs 753 women who received adjuvant radiation. Patient characteristics were well balanced between comparison groups, including tumors or > than 2 cm, grade, marital status, provider type, and AJCC stage. Both groups also had similar incidence of biopsy of any kind, lymph node dissection, median number of nodes excised, and type of surgery. Women who did not receive adjuvant radiation were older (median age: 75 vs 70 y, p < 0.01) and had a higher proportion of whites (94% vs 89%, p Z 0.01). Median survivor follow-up was 45 m (range, 0 236 m). Adjuvant radiation was associated with OS across all node-positive patients (22 vs 29 m, p < 0.01), as well as in the subset of women with just one positive lymph node (37 vs 70 m, p < 0.01) or 2+ positive lymph nodes (14 vs 18 m, p < 0.01). On multivariable Cox regression with adjustment for age and race, adjuvant radiation (95% CI 0.85 0.96), diameter (CI 1.28 2.01), the number of positive nodes (CI 1.06 1.11), and the ratio of positive-to-excised nodes (CI 1.61 2.98) were all associated with OS (p < 0.01 for each). Conclusions: In this comparative effectiveness study of a large cohort of node-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, we found that adjuvant radiation is associated with OS. Studies have reported that adjuvant radiation may provide a survival benefit in women with 2+ positive lymph nodes. Our findings suggest patients with one positive lymph node also may benefit from adjuvant radiation. Author Disclosure: E. Xanthopoulos: None. N. Mitra: None. S. Grover: None. M.N. Corradetti: None. M. Mangaali: None. M. Heskel: None. L. Lin: None.
K-SVD dictionary learning using a fast OMP with applications

K-SVD method has recently been introduced to learn a specific dictionary matrix that best fits a set of training data vectors. K-SVD is flexible in that any preferred pursuit method of sparse coding can be used to represent the data. In this paper, we show how K-SVD method can be used in conjunction with a fast orthogonal matching pursuit implemented using orthogonal projection updating. Geometric interpretation of this learning is also presented. The method was then applied to underwater target detection problem using a dual-channel sonar imagery data.
Progressing waves radiated from a moving point source in an inhomogeneous medium

The “progressing wave formalism,” which is discussed in [I], provides a method for obtaining approximate solutions of suitable problems for the wave equation and other linear hyperbolic partial differential equations. This method is related to geometrical optics. It involves the construction of rays along which waves propagate. The object of this paper is to apply the method to a problem which can be solved by another procedure and to compare the results obtained by the two methods of solution. In this way we obtain a partial verification of the validity of the progressing wave formalism. The problem we treat is the computation of the field produced by a moving point source in a plane stratified medium. The problem is stated precisely in Section 2. In Section 3 we outline briefly the progressing wave formalism, and in Section 4 we apply it to the problem at hand. This problem can also be solved by “classical” methods of applying Fourier transforms and asymptotic expansions with respect to a parameter. This classical method is based on rigorous W. K. B. theory for ordinary differential equations. This is done in Section 5. The results obtained in Section 4 and Section 5 do indeed agree and thus our aim is realized. The problem considered illustrates the relative simplicity and directness of the progressing wave method as opposed to the classical methods. For a general medium no “classical” method exists, but the progressing wave solutions are still possible.
An Evaluation of Hydroclone Operation for the Removal of Micronsized Particles from Viscous Liquids

Abstract The performance of a 1-cm-diam, Dorr-Oliver hydroclone with slurries containing about 5 wt % solids in water-glycerin solutions was studied to evaluate the effects of fluid viscosity. Micron-sized particles of low-density solids (kaolin) were removed from solutions with viscosities ranging from 1 to 13 cP. Pressure drop across the hydroclone increased with increasing feed rate and viscosity. Gross and centrifugal efficiencies were found to increase with flow rate and decrease with viscosity. The particle diameter, corresponding to a point efficiency of 50%, decreased as the inlet Reynolds number increased.
Upper-atmospheric effects of magnetic storms: a brief tutorial

Abstract The physical processes underlying several phenomena of upper-atmospheric storms are described: magnetospherically driven ion convection and Joule heating and their impact on the high-latitude thermosphere and ionosphere; global changes in thermospheric circulation and composition; traveling atmospheric disturbances; and effects of electric-field penetration to middle and low latitudes. Examples from the 1997 January 10–11 storm are used to illustrate some of these features. It is pointed out that not only the magnitude, but also the sign of many storm-time changes at any given location depend sensitively on the temporal and spatial variations of auroral particle precipitation and high-latitude electric fields. In order for simulation models to be able to predict upper-atmospheric storm effects accurately, improved determination of the high-latitude inputs will be required.
Response characteristics of knollenberg light-scattering aerosol counters

Abstract Response calculations are presented for four commercially available “Knollenberg” light-scattering aerosol counters: the classical scattering aerosol spectrometer probe (CSASP), the active scattering aerosol spectrometer probe (ASASP), the forward scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP) and the axially scattering spectrometer probe (ASSP). The results show sensitivity of the response to aerosol refractive index for values of indexes characteristic of atmospheric aerosols, and for a particular index, multivalued response for particles in the 0.5–4 μm radius range. The response calculations have been validated for two of these instruments (the CSASP and ASASP) by measurement of monodisperse spherical particles. The size resolution of these two instruments is significantly less than advertised by the manufacturer and measurement of irregular particles causes additional loss of resolution.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome, metabolic acidosis, and respiratory acidosis associated with citalopram overdose

We report a 53-year-old man who ingested 2400 mg of citalopram and presented to the emergency department three hours post-ingestion with altered mental status, somnolence, and a blood pressure of 67/45 mmHg. He failed to respond to three boluses of normal saline (1000 ml each) and required vasopressors. The patient developed serotonin syndrome with hyper-reflexia, rigidity, and ankle myoclonus. He had a tonic-clonic seizure in the ER requiring intravenous lorazepam and phenytoin. An ECG showed QT prolongation. Chest x-ray on presentation was normal. Within 32 hours the patient developed acute respiratory distress, hypoxemia, a wide A-a gradient, PaO2/FiO2< 200, and chest x-ray changes compatible with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). He had normal central venous pressures, normal cardiac biomarkers, normal systolic and diastolic functions on echocardiography, and no acute ST/T wave changes. His ABG showed a metabolic acidosis and a respiratory acidosis. The patient required intubation and ventilation. Citalopram has been associated with seizures and ECG abnormalities after overdoses. The respiratory complications and metabolic acidosis have been reported only a few times in the literature. We are reporting the second case of ARDS and the fifth case of metabolic acidosis due to citalopram overdose and suggest that the metabolic acidemia is explained by propionic acid. The respiratory acidosis seen in this patient has not been reported previously.
Initial Studies on The Heteroepitaxial Growth of Thin Films of (AI/In)N on Ain-Seeded (00.1) Sapphire by Single-Target Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Thin films of (Al/In)N alloys have been deposited on AIN-nucleated (00.1) sapphire by reactive (pure N2 gas) magnetron sputtering and characterized by X-ray scattering, stylus profilometry, optical spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements. Initial efforts have concentrated on producing films with compositions near Al0.31In0.69N (bandgap tailored to GaN). The alloy sputtering targets were disks fabricated by cold pressing appropriate molar mixtures of beads of 99.99% purity Al and In. The resulting thin films are composed of heteroepitaxial grains {(00.1)InN‖(00.1)sapphire (10.0)InN‖(11.0)Sapphire} and their chemical composition has been deduced from the variation in the a cell constant (as measured by the X-ray precession method) to yield equilibrium film compositions near Al0.04In0.96N and Al0.25In0.75N, respectively. Preliminary results are presented on the dependence of the quality of heteroepitaxial growth and electrical and optical properties of these AlxIn1-xN alloy films on various growth parameters: such as chemical composition; film thickness; morphology; and substrate temperature.
Vitamin D and prostate cancer prevention and treatment

with increases indifferentiation and apoptosis, and decreases in prolifer-ation, invasiveness and metastasis. These ﬁndingsstrongly support the use of vitamin D-based therapiesfor prostate cancer and/or as a second-line therapy ifandrogen deprivation fails. The association betweeneither decreased sun exposure or vitamin D deﬁciencyand the increased risk of prostate cancer at an earlierage, and with a more aggressive progression, indicatesthat adequate vitamin D nutrition should be a priorityfor men of all ages. Here we summarize recent advancesin epidemiological and biochemical studies of the endo-crine and autocrine systems associated with vitamin Dand their implications for prostate cancer and in theevaluation of vitamin D
Integrating disciplinary contributions to achieve community resilience to natural disasters

Community resilience to natural disasters is a complex social problem that can benefit greatly from truly interdisciplinary research (IDR). While funders and universities frequently endorse interdisciplinarity, much of what actually happens can best be described as multidisciplinary, that is, parallel and additive rather than integrated and synergistic. Moving beyond that is harder than it might initially seem. Doing so requires understanding both the benefits of and barriers to its successful implementation. Benefits include better addressing questions at disciplinary intersections; providing more cohesive, useful recommendations to practitioners; improving assumptions in disciplinary studies based on input from other disciplines; and facilitating idea sharing across analogous parts of the problem, such as different hazards. Barriers include institutional systems that discourage researchers from engaging in IDR, and disciplinary differences that make it difficult to do. The paper concludes with thoughts ...
Testing of telescope optics: a new approach

Results recently obtained for the use of the curvature-sensing method as a substitute for slope sensing in optical wavefront reconstruction, using long-exposure CCD images of the beam cross-section on either side of the telescope focal plane. A program based on the solution to the Poisson equation is then applied in order to reconstruct the wavefront. Relative to the existing Hartmann sensing methods, curvature-sensing yields sensitivity comparable to that of the Shack-Hartmann test. Additional optics and reference plane-based calibration are obviated. Tests of the new method on an 88-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope have yielded a map of residual wavefront errors as a solution of the Poisson equation.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Space versus other limiting resources for a colonial tunicate, Botrylloides leachii (Savigny), on fouling plates

Abstract To examine the possible importance of limiting factors other than space for fouling organisms, a fouling panel study was carried out in Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. The growth rate of the colonial tunicate Botrylloides leachii (Savigny) alone on fouling plates was significantly higher (P
Neural substrates underlying impulsivity.

: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder whose three main symptoms are impulsiveness, inattention, and hyperactivity. Although ADHD is an early developmental disorder, it may persist into adulthood, resulting in deficits associated with poor academic performance, frequent job changes, poor and unstable marriages, and increases in motor vehicle accidents. Of the three primary symptoms of ADHD, deficits in impulse control are the most challenging to the social network and the judicial system. While the etiology of ADHD remains unknown, recent work suggests that the central deficits in ADHD may be due to poor response inhibition that is linked to monoamine and prefrontal lobe deficiencies. In the past, preclinical studies designed to understand the lack of impulse control have generally been relegated to studies linked to aggression and drug abuse. With the use of innovative noninvasive techniques, like anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging, selective neurochemical and behavioral paradigms have converged with preclinical reports and lend support to the premise that monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and the cortio-striatal circuitry are essential to impulse control. Furthermore, new emerging data on neural substrates underlying impulsivity have incorporated brain regions involved in reinforcement, reward, and decision making such as the nucleus accumbens, cerebellum, and amygdala. As noninvasive brain imaging, neurochemical, and behavioral approaches are combined, our knowledge of the neural networks underlying impulsivity will hopefully give rise to therapeutic approaches aimed at alleviating this disorder.
Comments on Monte Carlo Probability of Initiation Estimates for Neutron Fission Chains

This technical note shows that it is possible and effective to use Monte Carlo variance-reduction methods for the probability of initiation problem. The benefits are threefold. First, the proper us...
A Criterion for a Process to Be Prime.

A criterion for a measure preserving transformation to be “prime” is given. The criterion allows the transformation to have uncountable centralizer.
Late Pleistocene Cosmogenic 36Cl Glacial Chronology of the Southwestern Ahklun Mountains, Alaska

Thirty-two cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure ages constrain the timing of two late Pleistocene glacial advances in the western Ahklun Mountains, southwestern Alaska. Boulders were sampled from one early Wisconsin (sensu lato) and six late Wisconsin moraines deposited by ice-cap outlet glaciers and local alpine glaciers. Four moraine boulders deposited during an extensive early Wisconsin ice-cap outlet glacier advance have a mean surface exposure age of 60,300±3200 yr. A moraine deposited by an ice-cap outlet glacier during the restricted late Wisconsin advance has a mean surface exposure age of 19,600±1400 yr. Five moraines deposited by late Wisconsin alpine glaciers have mean ages that range between 30,000 and 17,000 yr. The 36Cl ages are consistent with limiting 14C and thermoluminescence ages from related deposits and indicate that Ahklun Mountains glaciers reached their most extensive position of the last glaciation early during the late Pleistocene, in contrast to the deep-sea isotopic record of global ice volume.1
Integration of LIBOR and Treasury bill yields over different monetary regimes

Abstract In this paper, tests are conducted for cointegration and Granger-causality relationships between monthly yields on 90-day maturities for London Interbank Borrowing Rate (LIBOR) and Treasury bills (T-bills). Unlike prior studies, there is no evidence of increased integration between LIBOR and T-bill yields over time. Findings in this study suggest that tests of integration of global dollar markets are sensitive to sample periods and different monetary regimes. Integration relationships are strongest under interest rate target regimes and weakest under non-borrowed reserve regimes, as predicted. Under the current regime of borrowed reserve targets, a hybrid of money supply and interest rate targeting, LIBOR and T-bill yields are integrated to a lesser extent than under interest rate target regimes prior to 1979.
C-MOD Cryopump Design and Analysis

MIT, PSFC is in the process of designing and installing a cryopump in the Alcator C-MOD vessel. Similar to that used at D-III-D, the cryopump will be used for density and impurity control during h-mode, ITB, and lower hybrid current drive operation on C-MOD. Performance goals are discussed in a companion paper at this conference on testing and installation. The mechanical design and analysis of the pump is presented in this paper. Significant loading includes differential contraction, pressurization due to up to to air fault in the vessel, disruption eddy currents, and halo currents in the tile shelf and supporting structures. The cold component support system is described and simulations of cooldown and pressurization are presented. Eddy currents are computed from a transient electromagnetic ANSYS simulation. This provides toroidal currents which in turn are input to a simulation of the pulse in which the cryopump disruption eddy currents are assumed to occur at any time in the pulse when there is a plasma. Cryopump eddy currents are treated as another poloidal coil current and loads on the pump are derived for all the points in the pulse. Uncertainties in the entry points of the halo current are discussed and loads and stresses on the tile shelf structure are calculated for worst case halo current distributions. Sizing of components and attachment details is presented
Just-in-Time Remediation of Medical Students During the Preclinical Years

Many medical schools have adopted competency-based education where educators identify the necessary knowledge and skills expected of their students and design activities and assessments to help determine whether students have achieve these competencies. Inevitably, some students will fail to demonstrate the desired competencies after standard instruction and require remediation. A Just-In-Time remediation program was implemented in the Foundations of Medicine course at the University of Minnesota Medical School. After each week’s instruction, all students participated in a Friday assessment. Students performing below the 70 % pass rate were encouraged to: (1) attend a Saturday morning discussion session; (2) reflect on their performance; and (3) take a reassessment on Monday. Twenty-two out of 60 students failed at least one assessment and remediating students’ significantly improved from Friday to Monday on five of the six assessments. There was a correlation between the number of assessments students successfully remediated and their performance on the final examination. On the post-course survey, remediating students agreed with statements that the Saturday discussion sessions and the Monday reassessments helped support student learning. Free response comments indicated the option of re-testing decreased students’ stress levels. Incorporating regular assessments, a collaborative learning environment, self-reflection, and the opportunity to reassess, facilitated remediation of students during the course.
WATERBORNE NON-A, NON-B HEPATITIS

Waterborne non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANB) is responsible for outbreaks of hepatitis with a predilection for young adults. The disease is usually mild, except in pregnant women, who have a high case-fatality rate from fulminant hepatic failure. Diagnosis is largely based on the epidemiological findings of faecal contamination of drinking water and serological exclusion of hepatitis A and B virus infection. Histological features of liver biopsy specimens are characteristic and virus-like particles in the stool are aggregated by antibody present in acute and convalescent phase sera of the test subject. NANB is widespread in India and several countries of South-East Asia; it is increasingly recognised in Africa and may occur in Latin America. Control measures include provision of clean water supplies, safe disposal of human excreta, and sound personal and food hygiene practices. Passive immunisation with immunoglobulin derived from healthy donors resident in the countries affected by the disease may protect vulnerable groups.
"For whom the bell tolls": emotional rubbernecking in Facebook memorial groups.

Facebook memorial groups are often formed as a way for people to remember a deceased loved one. Because of the public nature of communication on Facebook, people who did not intimately know the deceased (emotional rubberneckers) can locate memorial groups and watch as people grieve the loss of their friend or family member. Using grounded theory methods, the author identified and examined the function of the rubberneckers’ messages posted on 10 Facebook memorial group walls. Emotional rubberneckers identified with the deceased and expressed sadness at their death, indicating a connection with the deceased stranger.
Use of Colloidal Graphite Coating to Reduce Magnetic Resonance Imaging Artifacts Caused by Metallic Objects

Magnetic susceptibility mismatch, between human tissue and a foreign metallic object, is one of several factors responsible for image distortions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Combining diamagnetic materials such as bismuth or carbon with paramagnetic materials such as nitinol or titanium can reduce the mismatch in bulk susceptibility of a foreign object and the surrounding tissue. Muller-Bierl et al. have succeeded in reducing MRI field distortion by coating titanium wire with bismuth. Wilson et al. used a pyrolytic graphite mouth shim to improve brain functional MRI performance. Conolly et al. have successfully used pyrolytic graphite in foam to reduce image artifacts at air-tissue interfaces. In this study, it was hypothesized that coating a metallic object with carbon particles suspended in a polymer can reduce the size of image artifacts. Four 6Al-4V titanium discs (2.3mm×9.5mm∅) were encapsulated in an epoxy-graphite mixture. Mixtures of graphite and epoxy were poured around the titanium discs in molds and allowed to cure. A specimen of titanium was encapsulated in plain epoxy to serve as the control sample. Polycrystalline graphite was mixed at mass ratios of 1:2 and 1:1 to epoxy for two of the samples. Pyrolytic graphite flakes were mixed at a 1:2 mass ratio to epoxy. The sample discs were placed in an aqueous solution of copper sulfate and gadolinium contrast agent inside a wrist imaging coil at the isocenter of a 3 Tesla MRI machine; disc axes were perpendicular to the B0 direction. A T2-weighted gradient echo MRI image was taken in the coronal plane. Echo time, relaxation time, flip angle, and phase encode direction set to 71 ms, 3430 ms, 80 degrees, and right to left respectively. The control sample produced an arrowhead artifact sweeping in the same direction as the static magnetic field vector, B0. The two samples containing powdered polycrystalline graphite produced arrowhead shaped artifacts. The direction of image distortion, however, was opposite from that of the control sample. The change in direction of the image artifact is attributed to the change in bulk magnetic susceptibility of the sample from paramagnetic behavior of titanium encapsulated in plain epoxy to a diamagnetic behavior from the added carbon powder. The titanium sample encapsulated in the pyrolytic graphite-epoxy mixture produced an artifact with irregular outline and no discernable directional bias relative to B0. The hypothesized cause for this difference in artifact shape between the polycrystalline and pyrolytic graphite samples is an increase in air bubble entrapment due to the planar structure of the pyrolytic graphite flakes during the epoxy mixing process. Further study is underway to find a specific carbon-polymer mass ratio and coating thickness that will reduce MR image artifacts that would otherwise appear due to the presence of a metallic object in the MRI region of interest. This work is supported by MIMTeC, a National Science Foundation Industry University Collaborative Research Center and by NIH Grant P30NS057091.
V. A Study of Enamel‐Metal Contact Zones by Chemical Methods

Analyses were made of the material from the steel-enamel contact zones of a series of enamels containing varying amounts of cobalt oxide. The impact resistance of these enamels was determined and a method for determining cobalt in enamels was developed.
Tax sugar, save muscle?

debates are currently raging in the United States over healthcare reform. Certain political circles are advocating the implementation of a tax on sugary products to reign in ballooning costs associated with treating the one in three individuals in the United States now classified as obese. Now, this
Sensitivity, uncertainty and time dependence of parameters in a complex land surface model

This paper explores the use of Monte Carlo carbon cycle data assimilation within the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) framework to evaluate the sensitivities of a well-known complex land surface model (SiB v2.5) to its parameterization and the predictive uncertainty of simulated fluxes on a monthly basis, and for an entire year, at the WLEF tall-tower site in Park Falls, Wisconsin. An analysis is described wherein randomly generated parameter sets were ranked based on their capacity to simulate fluxes of latent (LE) and sensible heat (H) and the net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) for each month of the year 1997 and for the entire year. Two criteria were used to evaluate the success of the simulations; the first evaluated the ability of SiB2.5 to simulate LE and H, the second included NEE as an additional constraint. The best-performing parameter sets for each criterion were used to assess model sensitivity to parameters, to calculate uncertainty bounds for predicted LE, H and NEE and to assess the information content of eddy covariance data on the analyzed time scales. Patterns in the sensitivity of the model to its parameterization and the uncertainty of the predictions were related to the physiological and phenological characteristics of the ecosystem, model structure and the relationship between deterministic models and comparatively stochastic measurements. The results show that model sensitivity varies through time for a larger set of parameters than those typically considered time varying in LSMs, thus optimization of model parameters on tower flux data should allow for variability at sub-annual time scales in order to capture the most information and best simulate fluxes. Further, constraining predictions annually versus monthly showed that some quantities (e.g. nighttime NEE) were on average better constrained annually, whereas other quantities that show more variability with vegetation phenology and structure (e.g. daytime NEE and LE) were better constrained monthly. The addition of the net ecosystem exchange of carbon in the data assimilation scheme improved model results by (a) constraining model parameterization (optimal parameter values), particularly during times of the year when the land surface was rapidly changing (spring and fall), and increasing the number of influential parameters, and (b) decreasing the uncertainty in NEE simulations (but not appreciably reducing uncertainty in LE and H simulations). We also found that there was an irreducible level of mismatch between the simulated and observed fluxes that could not be overcome through optimization due to variability in the observations and/or structural problems with the model. The uncertainty estimates can be used to characterize uncertainty in the simulations at multiple time scales.
Land in the American West: Private Claims and the Common Good . Edited by William G. Robbins and James C. Foster. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2000. Pp. xi, 222. $20.00.

Over the years, land use has been the focus of much attention by students of the American West. A recurring theme in a large number of scholarly studies has been a marked tension, in many contexts, between private land use and the so-called common good. Private land use practices, which include water use, mining, grazing, and timber cutting, often appear to militate against the common good, loosely defined as the best interests of society at large. This has led to numerous calls for regulation or planning efforts in order to promote the common good, often in the face of fierce resistance from private land owners and proponents of smaller government. Such real-world conflicts have spurred considerable debate among economists regarding the relative virtues of largely free-market solutions versus some form of government policy. In recent years, as population growth in the West and environmental advocacy in general have both boomed, so have the frequency and sheer economic magnitude of land-use conflicts. Consequently, the rift between the governmental and free-market positions relating to land use in the West has widened into a full-fledged gulf.
Polarized light-pulse transport through scattering media

The propagation of a polarized pulse in random media is investigated using the discrete-ordinates method to solve the transient vector radiative transfer. The angular analysis of the transient polarized features of scattering fluxes makes it possible to investigate subtle details of the polarization flip encountered for circularly polarized waves. We found that, depending on the geometry, the state of polarization, and the angle of detection, the degree of polarization decays at either a slower or faster rate when the beam is impinging at an angle far from the normal incidence. At normal incidence, our results confirm that, for large particles, the circular polarization maintains a greater degree of polarization.
Remote pulsed laser Raman spectroscopy system for detecting water, ice, and hydrous minerals

For exploration of planetary surfaces, detection of water and ice is of great interest in supporting existence of life on other planets. Therefore, a remote Raman spectroscopy system was demonstrated at NASA Langley Research Center in collaboration with the University of Hawaii for detecting ice-water and hydrous minerals on planetary surfaces. In this study, a 532 nm pulsed laser is utilized as an excitation source to allow detection in high background radiation conditions. The Raman scattered signal is collected by a 4-inch telescope positioned in front of a spectrograph. The Raman spectrum is analyzed using a spectrograph equipped with a holographic super notch filter to eliminate Rayleigh scattering, and a holographic transmission grating that simultaneously disperses two spectral tracks onto the detector for higher spectral range. To view the spectrum, the spectrograph is coupled to an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD), which allows detection of very weak Stokes line. The ICCD is operated in gated mode to further suppress effects from background radiation and long-lived fluorescence. The sample is placed at 5.6 m from the telescope, and the laser is mounted on the telescope in a coaxial geometry to achieve maximum performance. The system was calibrated using the spectral lines of a Neon lamp source. To evaluate the system, Raman standard samples such as calcite, naphthalene, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol were analyzed. The Raman evaluation technique was used to analyze water, ice and other hydrous minerals and results from these species are presented.
Sex differences in the content and style of medical advertisements.

Abstract An analysis of drug advertisements from four leading American medical journals was performed to determine if content and style were related to the sex of the patient portrayed. Content differences emerged in that advertisements for psychoactive drugs tended to show women while those for nonpsychoactive drugs showed men. Within the psychoactive drug category alone, women were shown with diffuse emotional symptoms while men were shown with anxiety because of pressures from work or from accompanying organic illness. Stylistic differences were also found. The parallel relationship between the advertising, physician attitudes and rates of psychoactive drug usage by women was discussed.
User experiences with an unobtrusive decision aid for deception detection

This work describes a prototype system that examines kinesic and linguistic behavior. The prototype is not a fully functional, autonomous system; numerous steps in linguistic and kinesis analysis are currently manual. However, the system represents a reasonable proof-of-concept. Using the system, novice lie-catchers experienced improvement in their assessment ability. However, had they incorporated more of the systempsilas recommendations, they would have performed better. An examination of the reasons behind the novicespsila judgments indicates that novices most frequently turned to the system when they were unsure of their own, unaided judgment.
The Attributes of a Costly Recall: Evidence from the Automotive Industry ¤

While researchers have extensively documented the equity response to product recalls and subsequent shareholder losses, less attention in the literature has been given to examining the damaging recall attributes. Using 1973–1998 automotive safety recall data, this study identifies the kinds of recalls that cause significant shareholder losses. After constructing an equally-weighted automotive market index to control for industry effects and adjusting the abnormal returns to account for the degree of surprise in the recall announcement, the study estimates both percentage and real dollar abnormal returns. We find that the indirect costs of automotive recalls are likely larger than the direct costs.
The Impact of Behavioral Risk Assessments and Tailored Health Information on Pediatric Injury

Background. Integrating age appropriate injury prevention messages during a well-child visit is challenging in the face of competing demands. Purpose. To describe a 7-month pilot using technology to facilitate injury prevention risk assessment and education integration. Methods. We prospectively tracked responses to the computer-based injury prevention self-assessment tool, safety product distribution, and any subsequent contact with the local hospital system for related unintentional injuries. Results. A total of 2091 eligible visits by 1368 unique patients were assessed. Eight hundred forty-three unique patients completed the Safe N’ Sound assessment and 7 were subsequently injured, with an injury related to a Safe N’ Sound target area. Conclusions. A kiosk-based tailored injury assessment tool can be successfully integrated into a busy pediatric practice. Unintentional injury outcomes can be linked to the tailored anticipatory guidance and can identify the effectiveness of this electronic integration o...
The role of chemisorption in current flow in insulating CdS crystals

Abstract From a study of the dependence on the illumination level of the change in the photocurrent during oxygen adsorption, a semi-quantitative model for photo-induced chemisorption on insulating CdS crystals is given. The examination of atmosphere sensitive trapping is extended to thermally-stimulated-current measurements which show, in agreement with Bube, that a crystal with an oxygen free surface can store 10 5 times more trapped charge than a crystal on whose surface oxygen had been photo-adsorbed. A model is proposed to explain this effect. The dark current is similarly atmosphere dependent; both its magnitude and activation energy are sensitive to oxygen exposure. It is found that the adsorbed oxygen ions lie 0.91 eV below the conduction band and, in the dark, act as deep-lying donors which surface compensate the shallower bulk donors. Photoinduced adsorption of nitrous oxide is described and its relevance to barrier catalysis is briefly discussed.
The effects of castration on histamine levels and 24-hour rhythm in the male rat hypothalamus.

Holtzman male rats were castrated or sham-operated at 22 days of age and raised in a 12 h light: 12 h dark illumination cycle. At age 63 days they were sacrificed by decapitation at six different times during the light:dark (L:D) cycle, and hypothalamic histamine (H) concentrations were measured using a modified single isotope-enzyme microassay. Hypothalamic H was significantly elevated in the castrated rats at all but two of the six times sampled during the L:D cycle, when compared with the sham-operated controls. Both surgical groups had similar 24-h rhythms of hypothalamic H concentrations, with the peak concentration occurring during the light phase followed by a rapid drop to the minimum 2/3 h later. However, the castrated rats appeared to attain both maximal and minimal concentrations somewhat earlier in the day. These results provide circumstantial evidence that hypothalamic H may have a role in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal axis in the male rat.
The distribution of life cycle stages of two deep-water pleuronectids, Dover sole ( Microstomus pacificus) and rex sole ( Glyptocephalus zachirus), at the northern extent of their range in the Gulf of Alaska

Abstract Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) and rex sole (Glyptocephalus zachirus) are both commercially valuable, long-lived pleuronectids that are distributed widely throughout the North Pacific. While their ecology and life cycle have been described for southern stocks, few investigations have focused on these species at higher latitudes. We synthesized historical research survey data among critical developmental stages to determine the distribution of life cycle stages for both species in the northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Bottom trawl survey data from 1953 to 2004 (25 519 trawls) were used to characterize adult distribution during the non-spawning and spawning seasons, ichthyoplankton data from 1972 to 2003 (10 776 tows) were used to determine the spatial and vertical distribution of eggs and larvae, and small-meshed shrimp trawl survey data from 1972 to 2004 (6536 trawls) were used to characterize areas utilized by immature stages. During the non-spawning season, adult Dover sole and rex sole were widely distributed from the inner shelf to outer slope. While both species concentrated on the continental slope to spawn, Dover sole spawning areas were more geographically specific than rex sole. Although spawned in deep water, eggs of both species were found in surface waters near spawning areas. Dover sole larvae did not appear to have an organized migration from offshore spawning grounds toward coastal nursery areas, and our data indicated facultative settling to their juvenile habitat in winter. Rex sole larvae progressively moved cross-shelf toward shore as they grew from April to September, and larvae presumably settled in coastal nursery areas in the autumn. In contrast with studies in the southern end of their range, we found no evidence in the GOA that Dover or rex sole have pelagic larval stages longer than nine months; however, more sampling for large larvae is needed in winter offshore of the continental shelf as well as sampling for newly settled larvae over the shelf to verify an abbreviated pelagic larval stage for both species at the northern end of their range.