cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tree-Ring Investigation of Holocene Flood-Deposited Wood From the Oneida Lake Watershed, New York State

ABSTRACT Glacial deposition and fluvial/lacustrine sedimentation interact over terrains in central New York State to preserve a history of geological and hydrological events as well as hydroclimatic transitions. The lower reach of Fish Creek draining the eastern watershed of Oneida Lake, NY, is an area with prominent wood remains. This study explores a collection of 52 logs encased in organic-rich deposits exposed by bank erosion at three locations along Fish Creek near Sylvan Beach, NY, with respect to radiocarbon ages, species, and the crossdating potential of tree rings. Radiocarbon ages and successful tree-ring crossdating document what we interpret as seven major hydrologic episodes ca. 10 ka (i.e. ca. 10,000 cal yr BP), 7.4 ka, 6.8 ka, 6.4 ka, 5.5 ka, 3.1 ka and 2.2 ka cal BP, during which channel aggradation and tree burial may have been associated with abruptly increased flood frequency and/or high water tables. This pilot study establishes four floating tree-ring records: [1] early Holocene hemlo...
Allowing Myself Room To Speak: The Journey Of An Artist/Teacher

Abstract: This paper explores one artist/teacher’s experience in the journey to arts education. In navigating multiple identities, the author explores and gives voice to the loss and gain of considering self as artist and teacher, and the freedom necessary to linger within those experiences. It is this contact with our own storied lives that leads to a greater understanding of self and allows us to be in correspondence with others, teaching and living more effectively. Here, the author allows herself the space to question, to linger, and to remember the stories that have led to more whole consideration of self as learner, teacher, artist, and researcher; inviting the reader to do the same.
OPO-based lidar system for differential absorption measurements of methane and mid-IR trace gases

A ground-based lidar system for differential absorption lidar measurements of methane and trace gases in the 1.45 - 4 micrometer wavelength region is described. An optical parametric oscillator pumped by an injection-seeded frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser is employed as a radiation source. The expected minimum detectable range of the system is about 1000 meters for range resolved measurements of methane. The system performance is being tested through measurements of sources of atmospheric methane and aerosols.
Tamoxifen elicits its anti-estrogen effects in growth plate chondrocytes by inhibiting protein kinase C.

Abstract 17β-Estradiol (E 2 ) regulates growth plate cartilage cells via classical nuclear receptor mechanisms, as well as by direct effects on the chondrocyte membrane. These direct effects are stereospecific, causing a rapid increase in protein kinase C (PKC) specific activity, are only found in cells from female rats and are mimicked by E 2 -bovine serum albumin (BSA), which cannot penetrate the cell membrane. E 2 and E 2 -BSA stimulate alkaline phosphatase specific activity and proteoglycan sulfation in female rat costochondral cartilage cell cultures, but traditional nuclear receptors do not appear to be involved. This study examined the effect of the anti-estrogen tamoxifen on these markers of chondrocyte differentiation; the gender-specificity of tamoxifen’s effect on PKC, if tamoxifen has an effect on vitamin D metabolite-stimulated PKC, which is mediated via specific membrane receptors (1,25-mVDR; 24,25-mVDR) and whether the effect of tamoxifen is mediated by nuclear estrogen receptors. Tamoxifen dose-dependently inhibited the effect of E 2 -BSA on PKC, alkaline phosphatase and proteoglycan sulfation in confluent cultures of female resting zone (RC) cells and growth zone (GC) (prehypertrophic/upper hypertrophic zones) cells, suggesting that its action is at the membrane and not cell maturation-dependent. Neither the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182780 nor the ER agonist diethylstilbesterol affected E 2 or E 2 -BSA-stimulated PKC in female chondrocytes. Tamoxifen also inhibited the increase in PKC activity due to 1α,25-(OH) 2 D 3 or 24R,25-(OH) 2 D 3 in growth plate cells derived from either female or male rats. Inhibition of PKC by tamoxifen may be a general property of membrane receptors involved in rapid responses to hormones.
Biofuels production from hydrothermal decarboxylation of oleic acid and soybean oil over Ni-based transition metal carbides supported on Al-SBA-15

Abstract Several Ni-based transition metal carbide catalysts supported on Al-SBA-15 were studied for the hydrothermal decarboxylation of oleic acid and soybean oil to produce diesel range hydrocarbons with no added H2. The effect of pre-reduction, sub-critical, and super-critical water conditions on the catalyst activity and selectivity was investigated. Both the conversion of oleic acid and selectivity of decarboxylation products under super-critical conditions for each catalyst were about two times greater than at sub-critical conditions. In addition, the potential of these catalysts for utilizing aqueous phase reforming (APR) of glycerol for in situ H2 production to meet process demands was demonstrated. The performance of the catalysts increases with the addition of glycerol, especially for the NiWC/Al-SBA-15 catalyst. With the addition of glycerol, the NiWC/Al-SBA-15 catalyst showed greater conversion of oleic acid and selectivity to heptadecane; however, most of the oleic acid was hydrogenated to produce stearic acid. The highest conversion of oleic acid and selectivity for heptadecane was 97.3% and 5.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the NiWC/Al-SBA-15 catalyst exhibited good potential for hydrolyzing triglycerides (soybean oil) to produce fatty acids and glycerol, and then generating H2 in situ from the APR of the glycerol produced. A complete conversion of soybean oil and hydrogenation of produced oleic acid were obtained over the NiWC/Al-SBA-15 at super-critical conditions.
Spectrally balanced detection for optical frequency domain imaging

In optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) or swept-source optical coherence tomography, balanced detection is required to suppress relative intensity noise (RIN). A regular implementation of balanced detection by combining reference and sample arm signal in a 50/50 coupler and detecting the differential output with a balanced receiver is however, not perfect. Since the splitting ratio of the 50/50 coupler is wavelength dependent, RIN is not optimally canceled at the edges of the wavelength sweep. The splitting ratio has a nearly linear shift of 0.4% per nanometer. This brings as much as ±12% deviation at the margins of wavelength-swept range centered at 1060nm. We demonstrate a RIN suppression of 33dB by spectrally corrected balanced detection, 11dB more that regular balanced detection.
Combination therapy of prostate cancer with HPMA copolymer conjugates containing PI3K/mTOR inhibitor and docetaxel

Combination therapies have been investigated to address the current challenges of anti-cancer therapeutics. In particular, a novel paradigm of combination therapy targeting both cancer stem/progenitor cells and bulk tumor cells is promising to improve the long-term therapeutic benefit against prostate cancer. Among the therapeutic agents with anti-CSC activities, the PI3K/mTOR inhibitors exhibit preferential inhibitory effect on prostate cancer stem/progenitor cells and potent cytotoxicity against bulk tumor cells. The combination of PI3K/mTOR inhibitor and traditional chemotherapy docetaxel may show superior therapeutic effect over single drug treatment. Aiming to further improve the combinational anti-tumor and anti-CSC effect, we developed the combination therapy containing two HPMA copolymer-drug conjugates, incorporated with PI3K/mTOR inhibitor GDC-0980 (P-(GDC-0980)) and docetaxel (P-DTX), respectively. The anti-tumor and anti-CSC effects of the single and combination therapy were investigated in vitro and on PC-3 prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice. Our evaluations showed that P-(GDC-0980) suppressed CD133+ prostate stem/progenitor cell growth even at the low dose which does not cause significant growth inhibition in bulk tumor cells. The combination therapy exhibited effective anti-CSC effect as well as enhanced anti-bulk tumor effect in vitro. Among all the single and combination dosing regimens of free drugs and conjugates, the macromolecular combination therapy showed significantly prolonged mice survival in vivo.
Prediction of the folding of short polypeptide segments by uniform conformational sampling.

A procedure, CONGEN, for uniformly sampling the conformational spaceof short polypeptide segments in proteins has been implemented. Because thetime required for this sampling grows exponentially with the number of residues, parameters are introduced to limit the conformational space that has to be explored. This is done by the use of the empirical energy function ofCHARMM [B. R. Brooks, R. E. Bruccoleri, B. D. Olafson, D. J. States, S. Swaminathan and M. Karplus (1983) J. Comput. Chem.4, 187-217] and truncating the search when conformations of grossly unfavorable energy are sampled. Tests are made to determine control parameters that optimize the search without excluding important configurations. When applied to known protein structures, the resulting procedure is generally capable of generating conformations where the lowest energy conformation matches the known structure within a rms deviation of 1 A.
On the Classical Equations of Motion of Point Charges

Recent attempts to obtain the force of radiative reaction in the classical equations of motion of point charges have proceeded from two different viewpoints. Each of these has to introduce one basic assumption in addition to Maxwell's equations, namely the conservation law for the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor in field theory and the relation between the Lorentz force and the momentum of the particle in action-at-a-distance theory. In previous field-theoretical derivations the Lorentz-Dirac equations including radiation damping are obtained only if one takes the field produced by the particle to be the retarded field; but equations of motion without the damping term are obtained if one uses half the sum of retarded and advanced fields. On the other hand, the theory of action at a distance as developed by Wheeler and Feynman was able to obtain the radiation damping using fields symmetric in time. It is noted that the need for the exclusive use of retarded fields arose only in the field-theoretical derivations for the one-particle problem. The considerations of Wheeler and Feynman on the total field due to all particles of the universe are, however, applicable to field theory in the symmetric form as well as to action-at-a-distance theory. The acceptance of their condition of "complete absorption" again leads to the radiation damping term in the equations of motion of the many-body problem. Some implications of this result are discussed.
Autopotentiation of pressor responses by subpressor angiotensin II in rats.

The mechanisms whereby the continuous administration of initially subpressor doses of angiotensin II (ANG II) leads to pressor hyperresponsiveness and gradual development of hypertension were investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (350 to 400 g) were given ANG II intraperitoneally, 200 ng/kg/min, for 24 h, 7 to 10 days, or 6 weeks. Vehicle-infused rats were controls. Pressor responses to incremental doses of ANG II, norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin were measured in chloralose-anesthetized rats, before and after neurohumoral blockade, and the main findings were confirmed in awake, free-moving rats with implanted catheters. Pressure responses to ANG II and NE were also measured in the isolated, pump-perfused mesenteric circulation of rats after 7 to 10 days of ANG II or sham infusion. Compared with control rats, there were no hemodynamic changes in ANG II-treated rats at 24 h. After 7 to 10 days of ANG II treatment, tail systolic blood pressure rose by 13 mm Hg (P < .01) and pressor responses to ANG II (P < .01) but not to NE or serotonin were increased. Pressor hyperresponsiveness was due in part to potentiation of vascular responses because pressure responses to ANG II (P < .002) but not to NE were also increased in the mesenteric circulation of ANG II-treated rats. By 6 weeks, mild hypertension was well established in ANG II-treated rats and pressor responses were increased to both ANG II (P < .05) and NE (P < .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantitative study of the effects of denervation and castration on the levator ani muscle of the rat

The levator ani muscle (LA) of the rat is highly androgen-sensitive and, like all skeletal muscles, deteriorates structurally and functionally when denervated. In order to elucidate the interplay of neural and endocrine influences, the separate and combined effects of denervation and castration on myofiber cross-sectional area and nuclear populations were quantitatively studied. In one group of 4-month-old male rats (A), the LA was denervated. Another group (B) was surgically castrated and a third group (C) was both denervated and castrated. The control rats (D) remained both gonad- and nerve-intact. After two months, the LA was obtained for myofiber and nuclear enumeration, cross-sectional area and satellite cell frequency determination. In the denervated muscle of gonad-intact rats (Group A), myofiber cross-sectional area was markedly diminished (265.84 6 11.38µm 2 ; compared with controls [Group D]: 1519.98 6 79.41µm 2 ; P , 0.05). Satellite cell nuclei, as a percentage of total sublaminar nuclei (i.e., satellite cell ratio), increased significantly (4.26%, from a control value of 1.91%). Castration alone (Group B) resulted in pronounced myofiber atrophy (mean crosssectional area: 754.03 6 89.63µm 2 ) but had no significant effect on satellite cell ratio (2.36%). The combination of castration and denervation (Group C) elicited the same degree of myofiber atrophy as denervation alone (Group A) but had no significant impact on satellite cell ratio. Instead, the nuclear count per myofiber declined to about a third of the control level (300.5 6 38.49 compared with 861.7 6 24.8; P , 0.05). The results indicate that the atrophic effects of denervation and castration on the LA are non-synergistic and mechanistically similar. They also show that the inability of satellite cells to respond mitotically to the withdrawal of neural input under disandrogenized conditions is a factor in the myonuclear depletion of the denervated muscle of castrated rats. Anat Rec 255:324‐333, 1999. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Spontaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema

Subcutaneous cervical emphysema often appears as a result of surgery or trauma. However, when it occurs spontaneously, the patient may present with clinically impressive and dramatic features. The etiology is related to the rupture of terminal alveoli and dissection of air along the pulmonary vasculature. Exercise may contribute to the process by increases in intrathoracic pressure. Six cases of spontaneous cervical emphysema, all related to SCUBA diving training at a Naval facility, were recently seen at our institution. Proper management entails having a high index of suspicion for diagnosis, and then being able to identify potentially life-threatening complications.
Feeling good, feeling bad: influences of maternal perceptions of the child and marital adjustment on well-being in mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder.

Mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder (n = 49) participated in a 30-day diary study which examined associations between mothers’ positive and negative perceptions of their children, marital adjustment, and maternal well-being. Hierarchical linear modeling results revealed that marital adjustment mediated associations between positive perceptions and maternal well-being. Mothers who reported higher levels of positive perceptions of the child were higher in marital adjustment and well-being. Results also revealed that marital adjustment moderated the relation between negative perceptions and negative maternal affect. Mothers low in marital adjustment had a positive association between negative maternal perceptions of the child and negative maternal affect. These findings highlight the dynamic roles that mothers’ perceptions and marital adjustment play in determining maternal psychological outcomes.
A note on tension reduction in the national railroad adjustment board system

This paper examines a government agency as a behavioral system and tests certain hypotheses derived from the application of systems theory to this agency.
Shifting Patterns in the Premedical Education of African Americans and the Role of the HBCU

In today's highly competitive educational environment, becoming a physician requires that the students attend a high school that offers both a challenging curriculum and advanced course work. Ideally, the learning will occur in classroom environments with certified and nurturing teachers. Once accepted to college the students must survive two years of intense science coursework across the three disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or better. Still very few African American students reach these final steps on the challenging road to a career in medicine. This paper describes some of the historical and contemporary barriers African American physicians have faced as well as their underrepresentation as medical students including the differences in acceptance rates. The paper also discusses the impact of undergraduate science education on African American students’ medical school admissions. The importance of this review relates to the fact that there is currently an insufficient number of physicians and that African American physicians are underrepresented in that group.
A Linearized Convective Overturning Model for Prediction of Thunderstorm Movement

Abstract A linearized model of convective overturning in shear for prediction of storm propagation is presented. Good correspondence between the model and observation is found for a number of case studies of real storms. Supercell storms, however, are an exception—the tendency to move to the right of the mean winds is not reproduced.
John Nash's Postdelusional Period: A Case of Transformed Narcissism

This article concludes the psychoanalytic study of mathematical genius John Nash begun in previous articles (Capps 2003a, 2003b) by focusing on his “recovery” from paranoid schizophrenia after more than a decade of being under control of his delusions. I develop the idea that Nash was a highly narcissistic personality, the primary focus of which was his “beautiful mind,” in the years preceding his mental breakdown. I attribute his “recovery” primarily to the transformation of his narcissistic personality and support this attribution by means of Heinz Kohut's identification of five major expressions of transformed narcissism in his classic essay on the forms and transformations of narcissism.
Probing the interaction between two single molecules: fluorescence resonance energy transfer between a single donor and a single acceptor

Abstract We extend the sensitivity of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to the single molecule level by measuring energy transfer between a single donor fluorophore and a single acceptor fluorophore. Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) is used to obtain simultaneous dual color images and emission spectra from donor and acceptor fluorophores linked by a short DNA molecule. Photodestruction dynamics of the donor or acceptor are used to determine the presence and efficiency of energy transfer. The classical equations used to measure energy transfer on ensembles of fluorophores are modified for single-molecule measurements. In contrast to ensemble measurements, dynamic events on a molecular scale are observable in single pair FRET measurements because they are not canceled out by random averaging. Monitoring conformational changes, such as rotations and distance changes on a nanometer scale, within single biological macromolecules, may be possible with single pair FRET.
Ductile details for welded unreinforced moment connections subject to inelastic cyclic loading

Abstract The results of a 3-D finite element study of welded unreinforced flange beam-to-column moment connections in steel special moment resisting frames are presented. Computer models of connection subassemblies were developed using the general-purpose nonlinear finite element program abaqus . Several issues were addressed in the study: (1) geometry and size of the weld access hole; (2) benefit of a welded beam web; (3) control of inelastic panel zone deformations; and (4) effectiveness of continuity plates in reducing local demand on the connection. The analytical results provided information related to basic performance and the effects that these connection parameters have on inelastic cyclic performance, thereby furthering the current understanding of welded moment connection behavior under seismic loading conditions and leading to improved design criteria. Based on the results of the analytical study, recommendations for the seismic design of connections are given. The incorporation of the recommendations into an experimental test program showed good connection ductility in the test specimens.
Should academic therapeutic patents go to the highest bidder

Universities conduct biomedical research with the self-stated goal of disseminating the benefits to the global public. Licensing therapeutic patents to the highest bidder is counterproductive to this aim, as it prioritizes income maximization over dissemination. We believe that licensing strategies focused on promoting broad access to university-discovered therapeutics better serve both the mission of universities and the public good.
Stability of interfaces which separate compressible bulk phases

Abstract Criteria are developed for the prediction of the stability of equilibrium of an interfacial system involving disjoint interfaces separating bulk phases some of which may be compressible. The system must be contained within a rigid enclosure with the exception that some of the bulk phases may be connected to external regions of prespecified pressures. The criteria are formulated in terms of capillary pressure-volume data for elements which are formed by partitioning the system with impermeable barriers, together with compressibility data for the bulk phases. Body forces are ignored, and either all interfaces have constant specific Helmholtz surface energies or all fluid-fluid interfaces have constant specific Helmholtz surface energies and the remaining interfaces are such as to guarantee fixed three phase contact lines at their boundaries. In order to motivate the general development, simple examples (for which the incompressible theory is well known) are worked out in detail, new results being obtained for spherical and cylindrical interfaces. A dimensionless criterion is developed which provides rapid identification of cases where compressibility matters.
Enhancement of dielectronic recombination in crossed electric and magnetic fields

We report the enhancement of dielectronic recombination from a continuum of finite bandwidth in combined electric and magnetic fields. Specifically, we have examined the process Ba $6{p}_{3/2}8g\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6{p}_{1/2}ng\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6{s}_{1/2}ng+h\ensuremath{\nu}$ for $32\ensuremath{\le}n\ensuremath{\le}47$ in combined fields ranging from 0 to 7 V/cm and 0 to 250 G. The results demonstrate that it is the component of $B\ensuremath{\perp}E$ that leads to enhancement. The experimental results indicate that the $\mathit{B}$ field coupling must exceed the radiative rate, the autoionization rate, and the Stark splitting of the intermediate autoionizing Rydberg states.
Water distribution valve topology for reliability analysis

Abstract This paper points out the importance of adequate valving in providing water distribution system reliability and the problems in assessing the reliability of a water distribution system, using a link-node representation commonly found in pipe network models. The paper suggests using an approach involving ‘segments’ of a distribution system that can be isolated with valves as the basic unit for assessing reliability, and illustrates the use of a graphical approach to analyze the adequacy of valving.
Quantitative analysis of mixture of particles of similar chemical composition and same crystal structure

Abstract The quantitative analysis of mixtures of particles of similar chemical composition and the same crystal structure but different surface chemical groups may be performed using diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. This was demonstrated by analyzing a dolomite-dolomite mixture, only one component of which had isolated surface hydroxyl groups.
Towards a top-down approach to teaching an undergraduate grid computing course

Early undergraduate Grid computing courses generally took a bottom-up approach to Grid computing education starting with network protocols, client-server concepts, creating Web and Grid services, and then progressing through the underlying Grid computing middleware, security mechanisms and job submission all using a Linux command-line interface. We describe a new approach to teaching Grid computing beginning with a production-style Grid portal, registration process, and job submission, and then leading into infrastructure details. We incorporate seven assignments, several of which require students to install Grid computing software on their own computer or lab computers rather than using centralized servers. Students complete a "capstone" mini-project. Typical projects included creating a JSR 168 portlet user interface for an application. We describe our experiences using this new course structure.
Silicidation reactions with Co–Ni bilayers for low thermal budget microelectronic applications

Interfacial reactions between ultra-thin Ni/Co bilayer films and single crystal Si (100) substrate were studied at 600°C using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In very thin bilayer films (<20 nm), only CoSi 2 and NiSi 2 were detected in the reaction layer. When the total thickness of the film was increased to 30 nm along with an increase of thickness of the Co layer with respect to the Ni layer, NiSi formed along with CoSi 2 and NiSi 2 . The resulting silicide film also had a very low sheet resistance. The concept of effective heat of formation has been used to explain the experimentally observed reaction layer structure.
Social Context and Reaction to Separation in Peer-reared Pigtail Macaques: Some Preliminary Observations

The social environment affects both behavioral and physiological responses to separation from the mother. Less information is available on the impact of the social environment on the response to separation in peer-reared infant monkeys. This study reports the responses of peer-reared pigtail macaque infants to repeated separations, and the impact of social versus isolation housing during the separation. The responses of two pairs of monkeys were studied during four three-day separations. One of each pair was housed in isolation during the separation, and the other was with another pair of peers, with whom they had been living for one month prior to the separation. The isolation-housed peer responded to the separation with behavioral agitation, but no depression. The socially-housed peer's behavior did not differ from baseline during the separation. During successive reunions, all the separated monkeys, regardless of housing condition, exhibited declining levels of behaviors related to maintaining proximity to their attachment figure. Although the number of subjects is small, the results suggest that the presence of social support, in the form of a familiar peer, can ameliorate the response to separation, and that with repeated separations the responses of the monkeys changes significantly.
Tax Audit Uncertainty and the Work-Versus-Leisure Decision:

The possibility of being audited provides an incentive for the more larcenous among us to accurately report taxable income when underreporting income carries a penalty. It seems safe to assume that by increasing either the likelihood of an income tax audit or the penalty for underreporting taxable income, the tax authority can reduce the extent to which conscious cheating takes place. That seemingly safe assumption, however, becomes much less so when the linkage between posttax income and the work-versus-leisure decision is taken into account. This article explores the ubiquitous and confounding effects on both reported income and work effort for non-risk-preferring taxpayers of changes in the audit probability, the sanction rate, the tax rate, and taxpayer wealth. It is shown that contrary to intuition and popular wisdom, raising the audit probability or the sanction rate will not necessarily lead to higher reported incomes, and neither increases in the tax rate nor greater taxpayer wealth will necessari...
Explanation of change (EoC) study: Approach and findings

This study investigated thirty historical NASA science missions to explain the cost change experienced. The study included investigation of historical milestone and monthly status report documentation followed by interviews with key project personnel. Based on the information collected, the reasons for cost change were binned, at the highest level, into four separate categories: NASA External, Project External, Internal Planning, and Internal Execution. The results identified that roughly a third of the change is outside of the project's control, a third is due to assumptions made in project planning, and a third is due to the inherent difficulty of building highly complex, one-of-a-kind, cutting edge, Earth and space science missions. The different causes for growth are discussed.
Cloud Computing Considerations for Biomedical Applications

This poster considers the practical barriers to public cloud use for biomedical applications and the advantages of private cloud use for such applications. In addition, it discusses operating environment statistics that are relevant to correctly allocating resources in a private cloud.
The hemodynamics of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: Color Doppler echocardiographic study

Fig. 3. Histologic cross-sections of the diseased portion in the right coronary artery. The atheromatous plaque had fissuring (B), through which debris extruded into the coronary lumen (A and B). A small amount of debris remained within the plaque (C). The plaque in all panels contains contrast medium used during postmortem angiography. (Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification X30.)
Harsh environment temperature sensor based on 4H-Silicon carbide PN diode

In this paper, we present a high-performance temperature sensor based on 4H-SiC pn diode which can stably operate in a temperature range from 20 to 600°C. The linear temperature dependence of the forward voltage at a constant current and the exponential temperature dependence of the reverse current at a constant voltage are used for sensing temperature variation. At a forward current of 1 μA, the device achieves a sensitivity of 2.8 mV/K. In the reverse biased mode, the linear relationship of logI versus 1/T can be used for temperature sensing. For the first time, a 4H-SiC pn diode is used for the development of high temperature sensor operating up to 600°C. This type of sensor can be integrated with SiC circuitry to create a sensing module that is capable of working at extremely high temperatures.
Donepezil treatment and the subjective effects of intravenous cocaine in dependent individuals

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors increase synaptic levels of acetylcholine (ACh) by inhibiting its breakdown. Donepezil is a reversible AChE inhibitor that is clinically available and relatively selective for inhibiting AChE but not other cholinesterases. Because AChE inhibitors have been shown to decrease the reinforcing effects of cocaine in animals, our hypothesis was that pretreatment with donepezil would attenuate the perceived value and other positive subjective effects of cocaine. We conducted a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled, laboratory-based evaluation of the subjective effects produced by intravenous cocaine in human subjects receiving oral donepezil. Following three days of daily treatment with 5mg of donepezil or oral placebo, participants received intravenous placebo or cocaine (0.18 and 0.36 mg/kg). After a three-day washout period, participants were crossed over to the opposite oral treatment, which was followed by identical intravenous infusions. Donepezil was well-tolerated with only two drug-related adverse events reported that were mild and self-limiting. Treatment with donepezil increased ratings of 'any' and 'good' drug effect produced by low-dose cocaine, without modifying the response to high-dose cocaine. When collapsed across intravenous dose, treatment with donepezil decreased dysphoric effects and somatic symptoms, but did not modify the value of cocaine injections as determined by the Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ). In summary, pretreatment with donepezil potentiated some measures for nonspecific and positive effects of low-dose cocaine. Across all intravenous treatments, participants receiving donepezil reported fewer somatic-dysphoric effects. Neither of these actions support the value of donepezil as a treatment for cocaine dependence.
A general orthogonal polynomial approach to the sensitivity analysis of linear systems

Abstract A new computational approach for the sensitivity analysis of linear systems is proposed. In this approach, the state variables are approximated using a set of orthogonal functions that need not satisfy the initial conditions a priori . An approach, similar to a variational virtual work approach with weighing functions, is used to convert the system state differential equations into a set of STate Algebraic Equations (STAEs) and a Lagrange multiplier technique is used to enforce the initial conditions. The STAEs are differentiated with respect to system parameters, which may vary, to obtain a set of SEnsitivity Algebraic Equations (SEAEs) thus eliminating the need for integrating the state and the sensitivity differential equations. The coefficient matrix in the SEAEs is the same as in the STAEs. Also, the coefficient sensitivity terms satisfy some properties. These facts are used to reduce the computational time. An example is solved using three different sets of orthogonal polynomials and the power series to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of this approach.
Clinical applications of esmolol during noncardiac surgery

Summary To be considered a clinical advance, a drug should have improved pharmacokinetics and dy- namics, should have an easier or more effective means of administration, and should be safer to use. The introduction of the ultrashort-acting, cardioselective β-blocker, esmolol, to the perioperative setting, has provided such an advance for the clinician by allowing greater control of adrenergic breakthrough (hypertension and tachycardia) that may result in myocardial ischemia in the patient with a compromised myocardial oxygen balance.
Transient ischemic attacks with external carotid artery stenosis and a normal internal carotid artery.

Transient ischemic attacks have been attributed to emboli from the external carotid artery in patients with complete occlusion of the internal carotid artery. We report a patient with an external carotid stenosis and normal internal carotid who developed ipsilateral transient ischemic attacks. Real time B-mode ultrasonography demonstrated that the plaque obstructing the exter nal carotid artery extended into the carotid sinus. This may have served as a source of emboli into the internal carotid circulation.
Ethnicity, Citizenship, and the Migration–Development Nexus: The Case of Moroccan Migrants in Spain’s North African Exclaves

In this paper, I conduct a paired comparative analysis of the Moroccan migrant communities in two Spanish cities, Ceuta and Melilla, to examine how migrants’ sub-national ethnic heritage influences...
Combination chemotherapy of multiple myeloma with Alkeran, Cytoxan, vincristine, prednisone, and BCNU

Thirty-six patients with myeloma have been treated with a combination drug protocol (M2) including Alkeran, Cytoxan, prednisone, BCNU, and vincristine. Thirty-two patients have been adequately treated and evaluated. Sixty percent have had excellent subjective and objective responses (I-A). An additional 30% have had significant subjective or objective responses, but without suitable parameters present to qualify as I-A. The M2 treatment is well tolerated and is easy to administer. It appears to be more effective in the treatment of myeloma than previous Alkeran regimens used at Memorial Hospital. Although survival data is not significant at this time, only three adequately-treated cases have died within the first 14 months. This represents a distinctly better survival pattern than we experienced prior to M2. Two patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia have also responded well to die M2. The “B-lymphocyte” malignancies, as a group, may well be candidates for further investigation by the M2 type of therapeutic approach.
X-ray micro-computed tomography and tortuosity calculations of percolating pore networks

Synchrotron source X-ray micro-computed tomography was used for non-destructive three-dimensional (3-D) imaging of porous alumina structures, in which the porosity was induced by a granular porogen, added in amounts of 10–60 vol.%. Microstructural characteristics related to transport properties, including connectivity and tortuosity, were measured from the resulting 3-D data sets. Connectivity of 94.5–99.6% was measured for samples produced with 35–60% porogen (30.8–49.6% porosity). Two methods of calculating tortuosity, path length ratio and gas phase flux were compared, and the effect of sample volume on calculated tortuosity value and computational time was examined. Average sample tortuosity calculated using the two methods generally agreed, although significant directional anisotropy was detected in some cases for the gas phase flux calculation method. Tortuosity values as low as 1.5 were measured for alumina components with 49.6% porosity.
Critical dimension photomask metrology tool requirements for 0.25 um and future microlithography

Resolution enhancement techniques, such as optical proximity correction and phase shifting mask, have been extensively examined to extend the optical lithography capability to meet advanced lithography requirements. It also challenges the mask technology. As the minimum feature size decreases, the effect of proximity effect, resist slope, chrome slope, chrome edge roughness, and pattern corner rounding on defining the true critical dimension is significant. Increasing the sample size of mask CD measurement is inevitable to support the wafer fabs to characterize the wafer lithography process and product performance. The need to define the pattern fidelity, such as corner rounding of the optical proximity correction patterns, is emerging. Low voltage CD SEM, confocal microscope, and Atomic Force Microscope have been developed to improve the precision of sub-micron mask CD measurement. The AIMS system, applying microlithography simulation techniques, provides a promising method to predict the linewidth versus stepper dose, linewidth versus depth of focus, and correction between mask and wafer geometries. At Intel, we have developed a technique to magnify the image on the microscope to improve the precision and linearity of the CD metrology system. This newly developed technique which digitizes the measurement image and uses a gray level selective display improves the signal to noise ratio and enhances the image contrast and pattern edge detectability. This enables us to measure high resolution patterns, contacts, and curves of rounded features with high precision. The automatic measurement file creation software developed by Intel through downloading coordinates, automating measurements, and uploading data improves the measurement throughput in the production environment. In this paper, the current issues concerning CD measurements will be discussed. These issues include the effects of proximity effect, resist slope, chrome slope, chrome edge roughness, and pattern corner rounding on the true critical dimension. This paper will also present the user with a discussion on the current CD metrology tool capability. Most importantly, this paper will outline the requirements of future CD metrology tools, which will be vital to the accurate and descriptive measurement of photomask critical dimensions.
652 EOSINOPHILS IN THE COLONIC EPITHELIUM OF INFANTS

Little information exists about histologic change in the colonic mucosa of infants with possible colitis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and pathologic specimens of infants 3 mos. of age who had rectal biopsies from 1976–1983. All biopsies were coded and read without knowledge of clinical information. Three groups of patients were studied: the control group, (n=7) who had no rectal bleeding and had suction biopsies for suspected Hirschsprung's disease; a disease control group (n=8) who were identified subsequently to have enteric infections; and the study group (n=27) with rectal bleeding, negative bacterial cultures and examinations for ova and parasites. The frequency of clinical symptoms (bleeding, mucus in stool, colic, fever, vomiting, diarrhea) and laboratory findings did not differ between the disease control and study group. The overall architecture was normal in all 3 groups. Epithelial cell injury was not present. In contrast with controls, in both disease control and study group, eosinophils were present in the surface and crypt epithelium. Eosinophils were increased around the base of the crypts in the study (26±8/10 HPF) group compared to that of combined control and disease control (8±3/10 HPF) (p< 0.05 by student's t-test).
Management Briefs: Sample Sizes for Estimating and Comparing Proportion-Based Indices

Abstract Fishery managers often compute proportion-based indices to describe, compare, or monitor changes in fish populations. Knowledge of the sample size required to estimate these indices would reduce wasted effort by avoiding undersampling and oversampling. I review methods for determining the sample size needed to estimate a proportion with a preset confidence interval, to detect a specified difference between two proportions, and to detect a change in a proportion.
Clinician awareness of adherence to hypertension guidelines

Purpose Little is known about how well clinicians are aware of their own adherence to clinical guidelines, an important indicator of quality. We compared clinicians' beliefs about their adherence to hypertension guidelines with data on their actual performance. Methods We surveyed 139 primary care clinicians at three Veterans Affairs medical centers, asking them to assess their own adherence to hypertension guidelines. We then extracted data from the centers' clinical databases on guideline-concordant medication use and blood pressure control for patients cared for by these providers during a 6-month period. Data were collected for patients with hypertension and diabetes, hypertension and coronary disease, or hypertension with neither of these comorbid conditions. Results Eighty-six clinicians (62%) completed the survey. Each clinician saw a median of 94 patients with hypertension (mean age, 65 years). Patients were treated with an average of 1.6 antihypertensive medications. Overall, clinicians overestimated the proportion of their patients who were prescribed guideline-concordant medications (75% perceived vs. 67% actual, P P r = 0.18 for medications, r = 0.14 for blood pressure control; P ≥0.10 for both). Clinicians with relatively low actual guideline performance were most likely to overestimate their adherence to medication recommendations and blood pressure targets. Conclusion Clinicians appear to overestimate their adherence to hypertension guidelines, particularly with regards to the proportion of their patients with controlled blood pressure. This limited awareness may represent a barrier to successful implementation of guidelines, and could be addressed through the use of provider profiles and point-of-service feedback to clinicians.
Cleavage Activation of Human-adapted Influenza Virus Subtypes by Kallikrein-related Peptidases 5 and 12

A critical step in the influenza virus replication cycle is the cleavage activation of the HA precursor. Cleavage activation of influenza HA enables fusion with the host endosome, allowing for release of the viral genome into the host cell. To date, studies have determined that HA activation is driven by trypsin-like host cell proteases, as well as yet to be identified bacterial proteases. Although the number of host proteases that can activate HA is growing, there is still uncertainty regarding which secreted proteases are able to support multicycle replication of influenza. In this study, we have determined that the kallikrein-related peptidases 5 and 12 are secreted from the human respiratory tract and have the ability to cleave and activate HA from the H1, H2, and H3 subtypes. Each peptidase appears to have a preference for particular influenza subtypes, with kallikrein 5 cleaving the H1 and H3 subtypes most efficiently and kallikrein 12 cleaving the H1 and H2 subtypes most efficiently. Cleavage analysis using HA cleavage site peptide mimics revealed that the amino acids neighboring the arginine cleavage site affect cleavage efficiency. Additionally, the thrombolytic zymogens plasminogen, urokinase, and plasma kallikrein have all been shown to cleave and activate influenza but are found circulating mainly as inactive precursors. Kallikrein 5 and kallikrein 12 were examined for their ability to activate the thrombolytic zymogens, and both resulted in activation of each zymogen, with kallikrein 12 being a more potent activator. Activation of the thrombolytic zymogens may therefore allow for both direct and indirect activation of the HA of human-adapted influenza viruses by kallikrein 5 and kallikrein 12.
Alive and well: Optimizing the fitness of an organization

Grounded in the work of W. Edwards Deming, this article describes the basics of systems thinking, viewing a business as a system, and contrasts improving a system with solving a problem. The article uses the human body as a metaphor to describe the various aspects of viewing a business as a system at the concept level and maps the Deming cycle, the improvement model, and the human performance technology model to show their conceptual relationships.
Ionic reaction of halogens with terminal alkenes: the effect of electron-withdrawing fluorine substituents on the bonding of halonium ions.

Ionic reactions of terminal alkenes with chlorine (Cl2), bromine (Br2), and iodine monochloride (ICl) are sensitive to the alkyl substituents, and the positions and number of vinyl fluorine atoms. These perturbations influence the symmetry of the halonium ion intermediates, which can be determined by the distribution of the Markovnikov to anti-Markovnikov products. A vinyl fluorine on the number-2 carbon favors an unsymmetrical intermediate with greater charge on the number-2 carbon unless the alkyl group is electron withdrawing. A vinyl fluorine on the terminal number-1 carbon favors positive charge development on that carbon unless a resonance stabilizing group is on the number-2 carbon. The symmetry of halonium ions with vinyl fluorines on both carbons-1 and -2 depends primarily on the characteristics of the alkyl substituent. Intermediates range from open-ions with the positive charge on carbon-2, to various bridged species, to open-ions on the terminal carbon.