cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbonate adsorption on perovskite surfaces. II. raman spectroscopic evidence for non-adsorption on cubic SrTiO3

The Raman spectrum of polycrystalline SrTiO3 prepared at 1070 K by a liquid mix technique has been recorded at room temperature. No reversible adsorption and desorption of surface carbonate (CO2-3) was observed and this may be due to absence of a hexagonal phase which was found to act as a precursor for surface carbonate adsorption in BaTiO3 powders as reported by Eror et al10.
Letter to the Editor---Transportation Programs at the Center for Transportation Studies, M.I.T.

I bring attention to some special transportation programs that should be of special interest to readers of Transportation Science. The Center for Transportation Studies at MIT will offer a coordinated set of seven Transportation Programs during August 1979. These programs are designed for transportation scientists and analysts, managers, planners, and engineers in both industry and government, as well as university faculty. Each of the courses will discuss current management, planning, policy and research issues in its subject area, and will describe new methodologies for analysis of these issues. For most of the Programs offered, students may attend one or both weeks.
Clonal spread of invasive Ludwigia hexapetala and L. grandiflora in freshwater wetlands of California

Ludwigia hexapetala and L. grandiflora are recent, aggressive invaders of freshwater wetlands in California. To assess the relative role of sexual versus clonal reproduction in invasive spread, we used AFLP markers to genotype 794 ramets of L. hexapetala sampled from 27 populations in three watersheds of California, and 150 ramets of L. grandiflora from five populations in a fourth watershed. We then used two analytical methods, similarity thresholds and character incompatibilities, to distinguish genotypic variation within genets (clones) from variation between genets. Our analyses revealed extremely limited genotypic and genet variation in invasive L. hexapetala and L. grandiflora within California. Within L. hexapetala, 95% of the ramets analyzed represented a single genet. The genet was the only one detected in 20 populations. The remaining seven populations contained two to nine genets. Within L. grandiflora, all ramets were of only one genotype. Thus, invasive spread within and between populations, and across watersheds, appears to be almost exclusively clonal and brought about by the dispersal of vegetative propagules. The extremely low seedling recruitment indicates that management should target vegetative dispersal and growth.
Atomistic simulation of stacking fault tetrahedra formation in Cu

Atomistic simulations based on the embedded atom method (EAM) are used to model the formation of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) in face centered cubic (fcc) Cu. SFTs are observed in fcc metals following both irradiation and plastic deformation and have significant impact on defect accumulation and microstructural evolution of the irradiated material. Many authors have proposed SFT formation mechanisms; however, a concise atomistic view is lacking. Starting from the vacancy-rich regions produced in high-energy displacement cascades, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at a range of temperatures and observed SFT formation. In this work, we provide an atomistic picture of SFT formation.
New Line Intersection Procedure for the Equivalent Point Method of Thermal Evaluation

A new Line Intersection (LI) procedure for determining sterilization value (F o ) and quality or nutrient retention (cook value: C o ) was developed using the original Equivalent Point Method (O-EPM). Analysis of 30 conventional and 5 simulated thermal curves showed excellent agreement between F o values determined by the new LI method and the traditional General Method (GM). The new LI method performed better than the O-EPM in yielding more accurate estimates of F o and C o values as shown by the relatively low errors. The difference between F o (GM) and F o (LI) expressed as percent of F o (GM) for conventional curves ranged from -0.01% to 0.78% while that between F o (GM) and F o (O-EPM) ranged from -0.18% to 38.78%. Similar results were obtained for C o values.
A photon spectrometric dose-rate constant determination for the Advantage Pd-103 brachytherapy source.

Purpose: Although several dosimetric characterizations using Monte Carlo simulation and thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) have been reported for the new Advantage™ Pd-103 source (IsoAid, LLC, Port Richey, FL), no AAPM consensus value has been established for the dosimetric parameters of the source. The aim of this work was to perform an additional dose-rate constant (Λ) determination using a recently established photon spectrometry technique (PST) that is independent of the published TLD and Monte Carlo techniques. Methods: Three Model IAPD-103A Advantage™ Pd-103 sources were used in this study. The relative photon energy spectrum emitted by each source along the transverse axis was measured using a high-resolution germanium spectrometer designed for low-energy photons. For each source, the dose-rate constant was determined from its emitted energy spectrum. The PST-determined dose-rate constant (PSTΛ) was then compared to those determined by TLD (TLDΛ) and Monte Carlo (MCΛ) techniques. A likely consensus Λ value was estimated as the arithmetic mean of the average Λ values determined by each of three different techniques. Results: The average PSTΛ value for the three Advantage™ sources was found to be (0.676±0.026) cGyh−1 U−1. Intersource variation in PSTΛ was less than 0.01%. The PSTΛ was within 2% of the reported MCΛ values determined by PTRAN, EGSnrc, and MCNP5 codes. It was 3.4% lower than the reported TLDΛ. A likely consensus Λ value was estimated to be (0.688±0.026) cGyh−1 U−1, similar to the AAPM consensus values recommended currently for the Theragenics (Buford, GA) Model 200 (0.686±0.033) cGyh−1 U−1, the NASI (Chatsworth, CA) Model MED3633 (0.688±0.033) cGyh−1 U−1, and the Best Medical (Springfield, VA) Model 2335 (0.685±0.033) cGyh−1 U−1103Pd sources. Conclusions: An independent Λ determination has been performed for the Advantage™ Pd-103 source. The PSTΛ obtained in this work provides additional information needed for establishing a more accurate consensus Λ value for the Advantage™ Pd-103 source.
A framework on surface-based connectivity quantification for the human brain

Quantifying the connectivity between arbitrary surface patches in the human brain cortex can be used in studies on brain function and to characterize clinical diseases involving abnormal connectivity. Cortical regions of human brain in their natural forms can be represented in surface formats. In this paper, we present a framework to quantify connectivity using cortical surface segmentation and labeling from structural magnetic resonance images, tractography from diffusion tensor images, and nonlinear inter-subject registration. For a single subject, the connectivity intensity of any point on the cortical surface is set to unity if the point is connected and zero if it is not connected. The connectivity proportion is defined as the ratio of the total connected surface area to the total area of the surface patch. By nonlinearly registering the connectivity data of a group of normal controls into a template space, a population connectivity metric can be defined as either the average connectivity intensity of a cortical point or the average connectivity proportion of a cortical region. In the template space, a connectivity profile and a connectivity histogram of an arbitrary cortical region of interest can then be derived from these connectivity quantification values. Results from the application of these quantification metrics to a population of schizophrenia patients and normal controls are presented, revealing connectivity signatures of specified cortical regions and detecting connectivity abnormalities.
LTO cartridge reel deflection under tape packing stresses

Flange measurements of LTO cartridge reels from several manufacturers with different packing conditions are presented. More specifically, the axial flange deflections are recorded with and without tape at four radial locations on both top and bottom flanges. This work introduces a novel means of characterizing flange deflection by measuring the outer surface of the flanges. By subtracting out the flange height with no tape, the change in flange taper with packing can be observed. Tape tension, number of wraps, and packing propensity are studied across three cartridge types. Taper changes of up to 160 μm are observed. An axisymmetric finite element model is developed to explain the observed deflections.
Phosphorus bioavailability in sediments of a sludge-disposal lake

Sediments from a hypereutrophic sludge-disposal lake (Mitchell Lake, Texas) were analyzed for total, inorganic, organic, and bioavailable phosphorus. Total phosphorus was analyzed using two methods, the Environmental Protection Agency SW 3050B method for analyzing sludge samples and the traditional ignition method for analyzing soil samples. Both methods yielded comparable results. The ignition method generally extracted less phosphorus than the 3050B method, but the high degree of correlation between the two methods indicate that they are extracting phosphorus from the same pool. There was clear evidence of spatial variability in sediment-phosphorus concentrations caused by indiscriminant disposal of sewage sludge over time. Four chemical extraction techniques were employed to assess readily desorbable phosphorus, algae-available phosphorus (AAP), Olsen phosphorus, and Mehlich III phosphorus. Although the Mehlich III method extracted the greatest amount of phosphorus, this acid extraction method is quite possibly overestimating the bioavailable fraction caused by dissolution of the alkaline phosphate precipitates. Readily desorbable phosphorus and AAP extracted the least amounts and yielded the poorest correlations with both total and inorganic phosphorus. The Olsen method, which employs an alkaline extraction scheme, was deemed most suitable for determining phosphorus bioavailability under the specific geochemical conditions of Mitchell Lake. Hence, careful evaluation of the physicochemical properties of sediments is necessary prior to deciding on the optimal bioavailability procedure
Interface synthesis for heterogeneous multi-core systems from transaction level models

This paper presents a tool for automatic synthesis of RTL interfaces for heterogeneous MPSoC from transaction level models (TLMs). The tool captures the communication parameters in the platform and generates interface modules called universal bridges between buses in the design. The design and configuration of the bridges depend on several platform components including heterogeneity of the components, traffic on the bus, size of messages and so on. We define these parameters and show how the synthesizable RTL code for the bridge can be automatically derived based on these parameters. We use industrial strength design drivers such as an MP3 decoder to test our automatically generated bridges for a variety of platforms and compare them to manually designed bridges on different quality metrics. Our experimental results show that performance of automatically generated bridges are within 5% of manual design for simple platforms but surpasses them for more complex platforms. The area and RTL code size is consistently better than manual design while giving 5 orders of improvement in development time.
IMPROVED TESTS OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY VIA LIGHT SPEED ANISOTROPY MEASUREMENT

The Mansouri–Sexl theory is a well-known test theory of relativity. In the following paper we demonstrate a novel way of detecting second-order effects in terms of both lab and ion speed for light speed anisotropy detection. Prior literature15,18–21 has shown the way of constraining the Mansouri–Sexl parameter "a" via the Ives–Stilwell experiment, however, the prior approaches have proven to be incomplete in managing to constrain only one parameter, the "a" parameter. In the current paper we will take the unprecedented step of reconstructing the Mansouri–Sexl formalism for the Ives–Stilwell experiment and by showing how to improve on the theoretical and experimental bases such as to constrain both the parameter "a" and the parameter "b". Our paper is organized as follows: in the first section we give a new and more complete derivation of the Mansouri–Sexl Doppler effect. In the second part, we apply the newly expanded Mansouri–Sexl Doppler formalism in order to revise the principles of the Ives–Stilwell experiment. We continue by showing how the revised experiment is to be used in order to constrain both the parameter "a" and the parameter "b" in a measurement of light speed isotropy. This turns the Mansouri–Sexl Ives–Stilwell experiment into a very powerful tool for constraining light speed anisotropy.
Abstract 5133: Transcriptional repression of VEGF by ZNF24: Mechanistic studies and vascular consequencesin vivo

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of both normal and pathological angiogenesis. It plays critical roles in physiological processes such as maintaining vascular stability and promoting skeletal muscle differentiation. Under pathological conditions such as cancer, VEGF serves as a principle proangiogenic factor to facilitate tumor angiogenesis. To date, although many trans-activating factors of VEGF have been well described, transcriptional repression of VEGF remains much less understood. We have previously reported the identification of a SCAN domain-containing C2H2 zinc finger protein, ZNF24, which functions to repress the transcription of VEGF via direct binding to the proximal VEGF promoter. In the current study, we have focused on mapping the ZNF24 binding site within the VEGF promoter and exploring its functions in vivo. Utilizing electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we have identified an 11bp fragment of the proximal VEGF promoter as the ZNF24 binding site and show that it is essential for ZNF24-mediated repression. In addition, this fragment can modulate VEGF transcription as a decoy for ZNF24 when introduced into human breast cancer cells. Using transgenic zebrafish as an in vivo model system, we have demonstrated that expression of human ZNF24 induces vascular defects similar to those induced by VEGF knockdown. Importantly, these defects can be rescued by overexpression of VEGF. Analysis of human breast cancer tissues has shown that ZNF24 protein levels are significantly decreased in malignant tissues compared to normal adjacent tissues. Our data support the conclusion that ZNF24 represses VEGF transcription through direct binding to an 11bp fragment of the VEGF proximal promoter and that it may function as a negative regulator of tumor growth by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. (Supported by NIH P01 CA045548 and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5133. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5133
Crisis in Adolescence: Parental Attitudes about Children's Behavior

This paper presents data from a Parental Attitude Scale completed by 132 parents of adolescents in crisis admitted to the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. Factor analysis of the attitude scale delineated three bipolar factors: (1) the gratifying adolescent versus the nongratifying adolescent, (2) the nondelinquent self-controlled adolescent versus the prodelinquent impulse-ridden adolescent, and (3) the loving adolescent versus the rebellious adolescent.
A high SPF sunscreen's effects on UVB-induced immunosuppression of DNCB contact hypersensitivity

Several studies in mice of the protection afforded by sunscreens from UVB-induced suppression of contact hypersensitivity have yielded conflicting reports ranging from complete protection to no protection. Firstly, we sought to determine the effects of sunscreen and UVB on Langerhans cells; secondly we sought to determine whether the effect of preapplication of sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 could prevent local UVB-induced suppression of contact hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene in humans. In the first part of the study we compared a control group with a sunscreen plus UVB group and enumerated the number of Langerhans cells in each group. In the second part of the study we had four groups: a control group, a UVB group, a sunscreen group, and a sunscreen plus UVB group. Our results show that application of a sunscreen prior to UVB can prevent the decrease in number of Langerhans cells in an irradiated site. In the second part of the study, our results indicate that sunscreen, in itself, does not interfere with contact hypersensitivity, and that a high SPF sunscreen applied prior to UVB irradiation partially prevents suppression of contact hypersensitivity.
Can Research-Based Teacher Evaluation Be Saved?

This article provides a brief version of the arguments for moving toward what will be referred to as a “style-free approach” to personnel evaluation (and away from the “research-based approach”), in a way that may avoid some of the problems that Peterson, Kromrey, and Smith1 (hereafter, PKS) had with previous formulations in this journal, and it addresses some difficulties they raise.
Realistic simulated lung nodule dataset for testing CAD detection and sizing

The development of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) methods for the processing of CT lung scans continues to become increasingly popular due to the potential of these algorithms to reduce image reading time, errors caused by user fatigue, and user subjectivity when screening for the presence of malignant lesions. This study seeks to address the critical need for a realistic simulated lung nodule CT image dataset based on real tumor morphologies that can be used for the quantitative evaluation and comparison of these CAD algorithms. The manual contouring of 17 different lung metastases was performed and reconstruction of the full 3-D surface of each tumor was achieved through the utilization of an analytical equation comprised of a spherical harmonics series. 2-D nodule slice representations were then computed based on these analytical equations to produce realistic simulated nodules that can be inserted into CT datasets with well-circumscribed, vascularized, or juxtapleural borders and also be scaled to represent nodule growth. The 3-D shape and intensity profile of each simulated nodule created from the spherical harmonics reconstruction was compared to the real patient CT lung metastasis from which its contour points were derived through the calculation of a 3-D correlation coefficient, producing an average value of 0.8897 (±0.0609). This database of realistic simulated nodules can fulfill the need for a reproducible and reliable gold standard for CAD algorithms with regards to nodule detection and sizing, especially given its virtually unlimited capacity for expansion to other nodule shape variants, organ systems, and imaging modalities.
Aripiprazole augmentation in treatment-resistant depression.

Background. Evidence is accumulating to support the use of atypical neuroleptics as adjunctive treatment for refractory mood disorders, although there are currently no published data on the efficacy of an atypical neuroleptic in treatment-resistant depression when a previous trial of drug from the same class has failed. The authors hypothesized that aripiprazole would be efficacious in augmenting antidepressant treatment in resistant patients with non-psychotic unipolar depression who had previously failed a trial of another atypical neuroleptic.Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review of the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation in 30 treatment-resistant unipolar depression patients who had failed multiple previous antidepressant trials and had also failed augmentation with at least one other atypical neuroleptic. Prospective Global Assessment of Functioning and Clinical Global Impressions—Improvement scores were completed on each patient throughout treatment.Results. Utilizing an intent-to-t...
Mitogenic action, regulation, and localization of insulin-like growth factors in the human fetal adrenal gland

Polypeptide growth factors may play an important role in the regulation of human fetal adrenal cortical growth by mediating the tropic actions of ACTH. The abundance of mRNA encoding insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is high in the human fetal adrenal gland and is stimulated by ACTH in cultured fetal adrenal cortical cells. Therefore, we studied the mitogenic action, regulation, and localization of IGF-II and a closely related peptide, IGF-I, in primary cultures of human fetal adrenal cortical cells and whole human fetal adrenal glands. Recombinant human IGF-I and IGF-II stimulated proliferation of fetal adrenal cortical cells in a dose-dependent fashion (1-1000 ng/mL; 0.133-133 nM). At 1000 ng/mL (133 nM), both peptides increased cell number 1.8- to 2-fold. Combinations of IGF-I or -II (100 ng/mL; 13.3 nM) with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; 0.1 ng/mL; 6 pM) or epidermal growth factor (EGF; 1.0 ng/mL; 0.17 nM) had a greater effect on proliferation than bFGF, EGF, or either of the IGFs alone, ...
Redox reactions of plasma membranes isolated from soybean hypocotyls by phase partition

Ninety-five percent pure plasma membranes were isolated from the microsomal fraction of soybean hypocotyls (Glycine max L. Merr. cv. Wayne) by phase partition in an aqueous polymer system. It was found that isolated plasma membranes could reduce ferricyanide, cytochrome c or various iron complexes with NADH as an electron donor. The rates of these reactions varied from 300 nmol (mg protein)−1 min−1 for NADH-ferricyanide reductase to 21 nmol (mg protein)−1 min−1 for NADH-cytochrome c reductase. The flavin content on these membranes was 2.4 nmol flavin/mg protein. The membranes also showed evidence of a b-type cytochrome in the oxidized minus reduced difference spectrum (λmax 561 nm) upon addition of dithionite. The Soret band peak for this b-type cytochrome was at 428 nm in the difference spectrum. The cytochrome content of the isolated plasma membranes was 0.5 nmol/mg protein. The reductase activity of plasma membranes isolated from soybean hypocotyls by two-phase partition was stimulated from 88 to 175% by low concentrations of Triton X-100. The reductase reactions in these membranes were inhibited from 33 to 83% by several nucleotides, manganese and zinc ions, p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS) and 4-nitrophenyl acetate. These inhibitions were affected differently by Triton X-100 in the assay.
Morphological Alterations and Elevations in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interleukin (IL)-1α, and IL-6 in Mixed Glia Cultures Following Exposure to Trimethyltin: Modulation by Proinflammatory Cytokine Recombinant Proteins and Neutralizing Antibodies

Abstract Trimethyltin (TMT), is a hippocampal neurotoxicant characterized by neuronal degeneration, astrogliosis, and microglia reactivity with an associated elevation in proinflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. To examine the role of proinflammatory cytokines in the TMT-induced glia response, mixed cortical glia cultures were exposed to TMT and morphological and cytokine responses were examined. Morphological changes in the glia monolayer, enlarged, rounded cell bodies and retraction of the monolayer into distinct GFAP+ dense processes, displayed a dose (1, 5, and 10 μM TMT) and temporal response (6–48 h), accompanied by clustering of OX-42+ microglia. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), interleukin (IL)-1α, and IL-6 mRNA levels were elevated by 3 and 6 h of TMT (10 μM) and proteins by 24 h. Recombinant proteins for IL-1α (100 pg/ml) and IL-6 (10 ng/ml) exacerbated the morphological response to TMT while those for TNFα (150 pg/ml) did not. Neutralizing antibodies (1:100) to IL-1α and IL-6 showed a slight decrease in the severity of the morphological response to TMT while, at 24 h, TNFα antibodies (1:100) and an antibody cocktail offered a significant level of protection. At 6 h, the neutralizing antibodies to TNFα or IL-1α did not elevate basal cytokine mRNA levels, however, IL-6 and the cocktail of antibodies significantly elevated IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 mRNA levels. The specific elevation in IL-1α and IL-6 mRNA levels induced by TMT remained evident only in cells coexposed to anti-TNFα. Similar responses in cytokine mRNA levels were seen in cocultures of hippocampal neurons and glia exposed to TMT. These data suggest a relationship between microglia activation, proinflammatory cytokine release, and glia morphological responses, the significance of which remains to be determined, as well as, the impact on neuronal degeneration.
Shaping Morally Responsible Leaders: Infusing Civic Engagement into Business Ethics Courses

Civic engagement in the form of social and moral awareness projects has grown in popularity among higher education practitioners in the past decades, and even more among business schools as a response to the many embarrassingly self-centered business CEO acts in recent years. Research thus far shows a wide variety of advantages tied to social and moral awareness projects, varying from greater understanding of students about the needs in society, and improved connections between the sponsoring institution and the community, to more focus in students’ selection of future careers, and greater personal and professional emotional intelligence levels among these students. This article reviews the achievements of 156 undergraduate and graduate business students in regards to their social and moral responsibility projects, and the preferences they displayed in selecting the topics of these projects.
Nonuniform temporal weighting of interaural time differences in 500 Hz tones.

The discrimination and lateralization of interaural time differences (ITD) in rapidly modulated high-frequency sounds is dominated by cues present in the initial portion of the sound (i.e., at sound onset). The importance of initial ITD at low frequencies is, however, less clear. Here, ITD discrimination thresholds were measured in 500 Hz pure tones with diotic envelopes and static or dynamic fine-structure ITD. Static-ITD thresholds improved as tone duration increased from 40 to 640 ms but by an amount less than expected from uniform temporal weighting of binaural information. Dynamic conditions eliminated ITD from either the beginning or end of the sound by presenting slightly different frequencies to the two ears. While overall thresholds were lower when ITD was available at sound onset than when it was not, listeners differed appreciably in that regard. The results demonstrate that weighting of ITD is not temporally uniform. Instead, for many listeners, ITD discrimination at 500 Hz appears dominated by ITD cues present in the initial part of the sound. To a variable degree, other listeners rely more equally on ITD cues occurring near sound onsets and offsets, although no listeners appear to utilize such cues uniformly throughout the sound's duration.
The optical advantages of curved focal plane arrays.

The design of optical systems for digital cameras is complicated by the requirement that the image surface be planar, which results in complex and expensive optics. We analyze a compact optical system with a curved image surface and compare its performance to systems with planar image surfaces via optics analysis and image system simulation. Our analysis shows that a curved image surface provides a way to lower the number of optical elements, reduce aberrations including astigmatism and coma, and increase off-axis brightness and sharpness. A method to fabricate curved image focal plane arrays using monolithic silicon is demonstrated.
The first aboriginal intermediaries: Interpreting and interpreted

The challenges of interlinguistic and crosscultural communication at their extreme are epitomized in the initial contacts between Europeans and Aboriginal Australians. After sketching the linguistic encounters of the Australian continent’s original inhabitants with Asians and pre-settlement European explorers, this paper focuses on the circumstances, role and representations of the first identifiable Aboriginal interpreters — man, woman, child — in the early years of the colony. How do contact narratives represent interpreting and how might these fragmentary records — and their gaps and distortions — be interpreted through a close reading? Were the Aboriginal interpreters able to retake some of their lost agency by appropriating the colonizer’s language to their own purposes or manipulating the interpreting situations? Were they successful in bridging worlds, and how were they viewed by the two sides between which they mediated? This paper foregrounds these marginal figures who were nevertheless key lingu...
Allelic exclusion and control of endogenous immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in κ transgenic mice

Hybridomas were produced from spleen cells of kappa transgenic mice to investigate expression of the transgenic kappa gene, its effect on allelic exclusion and its effect on the control of light-chain gene rearrangement and expression. Our results show that the transgene is expressed normally and that the production of a complete immunoglobulin molecule turns off light-chain gene rearrangement.
A Formalization of Postmodern Theory

Postmodern theory is examined from the perspective of explanatory scientific theory. Although this kind of effort would be rejected by postmodernists as imposing a failed epistemology, this article nonetheless translates the arguments of prominent postmodern theorists into a series of propositions. By developing these propositions, it is possible to see how they might generate testable hypotheses that can guide the empirical assessment of the substantive arguments of sociological postmodernists. The propositions are organized under four basic headings: (1) the increasing importance of culture; (2) the destabilization and dereification of culture; (3) the increasing importance of the individual; and (4) the viability of the subject. While there is inevitably a certain amount of selectivity involved in this exercise, our hope is that the core arguments of postmodern theory are arrayed in a manner that can facilitate their empirical assessment by researchers.
LIQUID ARGON DETECTORS FOR NEUTRINO PHYSICS

In this paper we give a short review of liquid argon detectors for neutrino physics. We will first introduce noble liquid detectors with particular emphasis on liquid argon and detectors of the time projection chamber variety, and we will explain why liquid argon detectors are good for neutrino physics, in particular the measurement of the mixing angle θ13, CP-violating phase δCP and determination of the mass hierarchy through νe appearance on a νμ beam. We will stress what we consider the main achievements and the main challenges facing liquid argon detectors for neutrino physics.
Analysis of a ''Coanda'' type flow.

The steady, two-dimensional, incompressible laminar flow of a jet sheet over the surface of a circular cylinder is investigated analytically. A similarity analysis is applied to obtain a solution that approximates this flow. Closed-form expressions for the stream function and its derivatives, and for the similarity variable are obtained in terms of a single parameter. Expressions for mass entrainment, thrust, and jet-sheet thickness are obtained as functions of turning angle. It is shown that no thrust augmentation is created for the flow considered.
Soil chemical and microbial effects of simulated acid rain on clover and soft chess

Effects of simulated acid rain, comprised of HNO3 and H2SO4 in the mole ratio of 3:1, at pH 5.6, 4.5, 4.0 and 3.0, were tested on the grass, soft chess (Bromus mollis L.) and on clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. var. Woogenellup) in a sandy soil of granodiorite parent material. Soft chess was grown in unfertilized soil, whereas clover was grown in both unfertilized soil and soil fertilized with NH4NO3 and CaSO4·2H2O at the rates of 224 kg ha−1 N and 78 kg ha−1 S. Two acid-spray irrigation periods of 31 and 26 weeks duration, each delivering 400 mm and separated by a dry period of 23 weeks, simulated typical rainfall of northern California rangeland. Plants were harvested after each of the two spray periods. There were very few deleterious effects of acid rain on plant growth or soil and microbial processes. No significant (p<0.05) effects were shown by soil microbial biomass, CO2 production, nodules per unit weight of clover root, acetylene reduction, denitrification and nitrification potentials, or for soft chess plant weights, and N and P uptake. Mineralizable-N was unaffected also, except in one case. However, pH of soil to 10 mm depths was significantly lower in the pH 3.0 treatment after the first spray period, with a corresponding decrease in exchangeable soil Ca; these effects became significant at greater soil depth only after the second spray period. There were significant effects of acid treatments shown by clover, some of which may be advantageous. Treatments of intermediate acidity generally provided added N and S, which acted as fertilizers, and compensated for possible decreases in plant productivity attributable to acidity per se. There was also evidence of decreased P uptake in unfertilized soil at pH 3. In conclusion, effects of simulated acid rain were minimal, and in some cases were advantageous because of the added N and S having a fertilizer effect on plant nutrition and growth.
ART and offspring anomalies: How concerned should we be?

The use of assisted reproductive technologies has become commonplace, particularly in the United States and other wealthy regions of the world. But how well do we understand the effects of these interventions on the infant's health? Do conceptions involving ART bring risk? At this point, the numbers are mostly reassuring.
Cytological evidence for serotonin-containing fibers in an abdominal neurohemal organ in a hemipteran.

Abstract The abdominal neurohemal organs of the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus contain an extensive serotonin containing arborization. Endogenous serotonin within fibers and terminals in the neurohemal area were detected with histochemical and immunocytological techniques. The abdominal nerves which contain the neurohemal organs selectively sequester exogenous serotonin. Serotonin and its metabolites are biochemically detected within the mesothoracic ganglion, which is a known source of projections into the neurohemal organ. However, the source of the cell bodies which might send serotonergic fibers to the neurohemal organ remains undetermined because no correspondence was found between immunocytological maps of serotonin-containing cells in the ganglion, and projection maps into neurohemal organ (determined by cobalt back-filling).
Angiogenesis and melanoma

Angiogenesis is a process that is central to tumor growth and survival. This process is stimulated by a variety of intrinsic growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, basic and acid fibroblast growth factor, and platelet-derived endothelial growth factor, among others. The process of neo-angiogenesis has been shown to be key in the proliferation of melanoma, and primarily believed to be so in the metastatic process. Biologic markers of angiogenesis are being evaluated for correlations with prognosis and biologic behavior of the tumor. These markers may also indicate susceptibility to targeted therapy. Interruption of the tumor-sustaining process of angiogenesis has become a major focus of anticancer drug development. Promising agents are in both preclinical and clinical development. Several may prove to be clinically important.
Characterizing square and triangular waveforms

A method has been developed for determining the parameters and errors of square and triangular waveforms relative to idealized waveforms, even when the waveforms are highly distorted. The method is based on measurements obtained by sampling the waveform. Then, an idealized waveform is fitted to this sampled data using a least squared error algorithm. The errors in the waveform are defined as the deviations between the data samples and the ideal waveform. Also, the parameters of the measured waveform are defined as the corresponding parameters of the fitted ideal waveform.
Effect of liquid on interparticle forces in gas-fluidized beds

In an investigation of the behavior of an air-fluidized bed of glass spheres under varying interparticle forces, the results obtained are explained by hypothesizing the coexistence of particulate and aggregative fluidization. As interparticle forces are increased, a greater portion of the particles are in aggregative fluidization, resulting in a decrease in bed height. In this study water added to the fluidizing air increased the interparticle forces. Up to 0.5 mass % water was used, with a fluidized bed of glass spheres 0.013 to 0.035 in. in diameter. The resulting decrease in bed height has been correlated by means of a theoretical equation for the increase in interparticle forces due to the added water.
An investigator's journey in cardiology.

SUMMING up 60 years in academic medicine, in hospital wards, and in research laboratories is a difficult task: memories and impressions converge and the resonance from past events continually changes. How is one to judge one's past? Many would rate it by honors received, societies elected to, or fortune amassed. I judge my life by the degree of happiness I have received from my work, from my music, and from my family. I have been fortunate in having all my life done what I love most: pursuing the science of medicine and creating music. These have formed the anchor that has given my life stability and a continuous sense of value. Student Years in Europe From the beginning of medical school I was interested in science and felt that the purely clinical side was only half the coin, for without a strong emphasis on science, medicine would become stagnant. But
State-of-the-art of field emission displays

Field emission displays (FEDs) are being developed for a number of applications including military and commercial aircraft cockpit displays. This new type of display promises sunlight readability, high power efficiency, full color, high contrast, wide-angle viewing with no change in contrast or color as a function of angle, large dynamic range of light output including god dimmability, fast refresh, very high spatial resolution, and high pixel count in a window- pane thin package which has a viewing area which is from very small to very large.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interleukin-18 null mutation increases weight and food intake and reduces energy expenditure and lipid substrate utilization in high-fat diet fed mice.

Objective The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) putatively modulates food intake and energy metabolism, but the effects of IL-18 in high-fat diet fed animals are unknown. Whether IL-18 alters basal metabolic rate or metabolic processes of living is unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that IL-18 modulates weight gain, energy intake, whole-body energy expenditure, and utilization of lipid as a fuel substrate in high-fat diet fed mice.
Time-dependent response of ionic polymer networks to pH and ionic strength changes

Abstract Changes of ionic strength or pH of a swelling medium may lead to expansion or contraction of ionic polymer networks or charged hydrogels which have been immersed in this swelling medium. This phenomenon is analyzed by using a Boltzmann superposition equation which relates the strain to the applied ionic strength or pH. A material property, the ionic mechanochemical compliance, L ( t - τ ), is introduced which describes the viscoelastic response of a gel to the swelling environment. Experiment results of swelling of anionically charged hydrogels are presented and analyzed.
A comparison of holding strength of various surgical clips

Due to advances in clip design, new types of surgical ligation clips are available that may reduce clip failure and improve function, especially for 5-mm clip appliers. We tested a preformed spring clip based on a 5-mm applier against other commonly used clips from 5- and 10-mm multiloading clip appliers. Five different clips were compared using a digital force gauge to test perpendicular pulloff force after application to tubing of varying thickness and compliance. The average pull-off force for commonly used 5-mm and 10-mm clip appliers was 0.29 ± 0.06 and 0.35 ± 0.05 kg, respectively. Average pull-off force for the new preformed spring clip was 0.53 ± 0.07 kg (p <0.0001). The new clip technology has significantly higher pull-off force than other currently used clips. This may be particularly beneficial in procedures requiring 5-mm clip appliers, which are known to place clips with lower holding force.
Characterizing Performance Variation of Product Designs

Quality and reliability design practitioners have utilized Taguchi's methodology of matrix experimentation to generate computer simulation data for characterizing performance variation of product designs. However, the sampling strategy employed renders computer implementation of matrix experimentation cumbersome and statistically invalid. Weaknesses of this approach also include sample size limitation and overestimation of performance variation. An alternative approach that combines Monte Carlo simulation with the strategies of independent sampling across runs and correlated sampling between runs is presented. An application case study shows that the proposed approach constitutes an improvement on the matrix approach with respect to statistical validity and estimation accuracy.
Primary and Secondary Products of Ionization in Hydrogen

Previous results obtained by the magnetic deflection method of analysis have been extended, using a new but similar apparatus in which ions produced by accelerated electrons are accelerated through a slit into a chamber where a magnetic field bends them around a semi-circle whose radius depends on the speed, field and ratio of mass to charge. Those going into a Faraday cylinder are measured by means of an electrometer. The conclusion that ions produced at 16 volts are diatomic is confirmed, but no evidence of simultaneous ionization and dissociation, which was previously thought to occur for voltages above 20.2, is obtained. However, atomic ions ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ are readily produced by secondary dissociation of molecular ions $\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ even when the maximum electron energy is just above 16 volts. Triatomic ions $\mathrm{H}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ also appear in large numbers as secondary products, for any voltage above 16. A mathematical theory of the dependence of the relative numbers of $\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ ions on pressure, gives curves in general agreement with experiment and leads to the conclusions that the probability of dissociation of $\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ is about 15 times the probability of a collision with a molecule according to the ordinary kinetic theory, and that the probability of the formation of ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ by dissociation is greater for $\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ than for $\mathrm{H}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$. The processes involved in ionization followed by dissociation are discussed, and it is shown that the apparent discrepancy between the heat of dissociation computed from the ionization potentials and Langmuir's result for the heat of thermal dissociation may perhaps be explained by the energy radiated, which is at present unknown.
Commit Sociology Learn to Be a Critical Thinker

This article elaborates how C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” invites us to “commit sociology.” We argue critical thinking is the foundation of a liberal arts education, and its purpose i...
Profile of chicken cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide is modulated by dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate

Previously, we found that 25 to 50 IU/kg of dietary vitamin E (VE) had very different immunoregulatory effects than high VE levels (200 IU/kg), and we hypothesized that this difference was due to different cytokine profiles. Chicks were fed 0, 30, or 200 IU/kg supplemental VE and percentages of CD4+CD8-, CD4-CD8+, CD4+CD8+, and CD4-CD8- lymphocytes, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes was determined. The expression of chicken splenic interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), myelomonocytic growth factor (MGF), interferon (IFN-gamma), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) mRNA was determined by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR after intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Due to a tendency for increased CD4-CD8+ lymphocytes at 30 IU/kg VE (P=0.072), the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was significantly lower for 30 IU/kg VE compared with 0 IU/kg VE (P=0.041). The VE dose of 200 IU/kg decreased the constitutive (prior to LPS) expression of TGFbeta. The LPS caused an increase in IL-1beta, MGF, and IFNgamma expression at all VE concentrations and had no effect on IL-2 and TGFbeta mRNA expression. Dietary VE decreased MGF mRNA (P=0.049) in a dose-dependent manner but had no effect on the expression of other cytokines. The decreased expression of MGF could explain the immunomodulatory effect of VE in inflammation.
Generating and detecting matrices with positive principal minors

A brief but concise review of methods to generate P-matrices (i.e., matrices having positive principal minors) is provided and motivated by open problems on P-matrices and the desire to develop and test efficient methods for the detection of P-matrices. Also discussed are operations that leave the class of P-matrices invariant. Some new results and extensions of results regarding P-matrices are included.
Building and maintaining overlay networks for bandwidth-demanding applications

The demands of Internet applications have grown significantly in terms of required resources and types of services. Overlay networks have emerged to accommodate such applications by implementing more services on top of IP (Internet Protocol). However; while overlay networks are successful in circumventing limitations of IP, the task of building and maintaining an overlay network is still challenging. In an overlay network, participating hosts are virtually fully-connected through the underlying Internet. However, since the quality of overlay connections varies, the performance of the overlay network is dependent on which connections are chosen to be utilized. Therefore, maintaining a "good" overlay network topology is crucial in achieving high performance. To demonstrate how much performance gain can be achieved through topology changes, a distributed algorithm to build an overlay multicast tree is proposed for streaming media distribution. The algorithm finds an optimal tree such that the average bandwidth of receivers is maximized under an abstract network model. However, increasing bandwidth does not necessarily lead to a better overlay topology; in overlay networks, interference between overlay connections should be taken into account. Since such interference occurs when different overlay connections pass through a congested link simultaneously, detecting congestion shared by multiple overlay connections is necessary to avoid bottlenecks. For shared congestion detection, a novel technique called DCW (Delay Correlation with Wavelet denoising) is proposed. Previous techniques to detect shared congestion have limitations in applying to overlay networks; they assume a common source or destination node, drop-tail queueing, or a single point of congestion. However, DCW is applicable to any pair of paths on the Internet without such limitations. It employs a signal processing method, wavelet denoising, to separate queueing delay caused by network congestion from various other delay variations. The proposed technique is evaluated through both simulations and Internet experiments. They show that for paths with a common synchronization point, DCW provides faster convergence and higher accuracy while using fewer packets than previous techniques. Furthermore, DCW is robust and accurate without a synchronization point; more specifically, it can tolerate a synchronization offset of up to one second between two packet flows. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)