cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PRENATAL ANTIHISTAMINE EXPOSURE AS A POTENTIAL CAUSE OF RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA (RLF)

The occurrence of RLF was investigated on the basis of data collected in a large clinical trial on the management of patent ductus arteriosus in the premature neonate. An unanticipated association was noted between the occurrence of RLF and maternal use of antihistamines during the last two weeks of pregnancy (but not with earlier use). The incidence of RLF (of any grade) was .22 (19/86) among the exposed and .11 (324/2940) among the non-exposed (p <0.001). This association was not confounded by birthweight or by total amount of oxygen supplementation, as reflected by either duration of ventilatory support or diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In addition, there was no confounding by episodes of exposure to high levels of oxygen concentration, as inferred from recorded episodes of apnea or bradycardia. Other medications had been used more often by mothers who had taken antihistamines than by those who had not (74% vs. 50%). None of these other medications, however, were associated with the occurrence of RLF. Indications for antihistamine use could not be examined as potential confounders, as such information had not been recorded.
Female Chief Academic Officers in Evangelical Christian Colleges and Universities: Part II-- Reflections on Careers, Marriage, and Faith.

This article is the second in a two-part series of case studies of sixteen female chief academic officers (CAO) serving in evangelical colleges and universities. The earlier article discussed each administrator's personal and academic background. This continues the reflections of these women regarding their careers, marital status and faith as factors that influenced their professional lives. The typical female administrator was 50, married, and the mother of one or more children. Although she had aspired to teach and received most of her early career experience in the professoriate, she had not aspired to be an administrator. Her family and professional roles were sometimes in conflict and required her to juggle her responsibilities. Regarding her spiritual convictions and personal disciplines, she adamantly believed both affected her daily work and personal life. The majority were appointed to their administrative positions. Only five reported applying for the position. A comparison needs to be made to ...
Intrapixel response test system for multispectral characterization

We report on the design of a system used to measure the multispectral intrapixel response of imaging sensor arrays. An Airy disk spot size of approximately 4 micrometers has been achieved for wavelength bands that extend from the visible blue to near IR. The automated system does rapid intrapixel row and/or column spatial mapping of individual pixels as well as rastered 2D spatial scans over multi-pixel girds. Commercially available equipment including a photometric eyepiece, a reflective objects, programmable pushers, and light-emitting diodes are utilized in the system. Scanned results using the system are presented for both front- and back-illuminating charge-coupled device imagers. The intrapixel response of a front-illuminated device shows good correlation with the physical cross section of the devices tested.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Salmonella: The chickens and the eggs

Abstract While poultry meat remains a major vehicle for human salmonella infections, epidemiologic data indicate that the current increase in outbreaks of SE arises from an important new source—intact shell eggs. Studies in the U.S. and U.K. have documented the ability of SE to cause invasive disease in young and old hens (i.e., infection of ovaries, oviducts, and peritoneum that allow for transovarian infection of the developing ovum prior to shell deposition). The persistence of the disease in chickens, and the immune response to various serotypes of SE are unknown and need to be addressed as better test procedures for identifying infected flocks and eggs are designed. Given the probable low minimal infective dose, and the ability of the organism to survive and grow in intact eggs and to survive various cooking procedures, care must be taken in storing and preparing eggs and foods containing eggs. In hospitals, nursing homes, and restaurants, particular care should be taken to reduce the risk of exposure by using pasteurized egg products. The costs of preventing salmonellosis are not known but the cost of a single hospital-based outbreak (involving 242 people and 3 deaths) was estimated to be between $340,000 and $1,530,000 at 1985 prices (31). In order to control the rise in SE and eradicate SE from broiler and layer flocks, the basis for the differences in virulence among SE phage types needs to be identified. Such basic information will provide the foundation for specific identification of flocks infected with epidemiologically important strains, and permit the design of suitable systems for intervention and control.
Glutamate-induced gamma oscillations in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices.

Abstract In this paper we show that gamma oscillations can be elicited by brief (≤200 ms) local applications of glutamate in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices. Dentate gamma oscillations show an initial peak frequency of ∼70 Hz and last for up to 4 min. The network activity involves functional GABA A receptors as it is drastically reduced by GABA A receptor antagonists. The oscillations can be observed in the whole dentate gyrus–CA3-network and are coherent between the dentate gyrus and area CA3 for variable periods. Thus, long-lasting gamma oscillations can be experimentally induced in the dentate gyrus and are propagated into the hippocampus proper.
The relationship between dendritic growth of cortical neurons and the ontogeny of conditioned and unconditioned reflex control.

Summary Suppression of an infantile reflex (circling behavior) to electric shock in a straight-alley escape problem increased as a function of age and trials in male Swiss-Webster mice trained at 7, 9, or 11 days of age and retested 24 h later. Twenty-four hours retention of prior training, indicated by the superior performance of trained subjects relative to yoked-shock and age controls, was not evident until 9 days of age. Analyses of Golgi-Cox preparations of parieto-temporo-preoccipital cortices, taken immediately following testing, revealed that behavioral development was paralleled by age-related changes in apical, oblique, and basilar dendritic networks and number of apical dendritic spines of layer V pyramidal cells. Correlations between behavioral and histological measures, indicated no consistent association of retention capacity with any of the physiological measures. However, basilar dendritic growth was significantly correlated with unconditioned reflex control as well as initial learning ability.
Vibrational spectroscopic study of lithium intercalation into LiTi2(PO4)3

Abstract Ex situ vibrational spectra are recorded during the first discharge of LiTi2(PO4)3. Spectral changes are consistent with a two-phase model for the electrochemical insertion of Li+ ions. Differences in the frequencies and relative intensities of the LiTi2(PO4)3 and Li3Ti2(PO4)3 bands are due to changes in the effective force constants, dipole moment derivatives, and polarizability derivatives as Li+ is inserted into LiTi2(PO4)3. The intramolecular PO43− bending modes (ν2 and ν4) are found to be more sensitive to Li+ insertion than the intramolecular PO43− stretching modes (ν1 and ν3). This is because ν2 and ν4 are less localized than ν1 or ν3 and are more susceptible to small structural changes in the unit cell. Furthermore, a band at 487 cm− 1 appears in the infrared spectrum of Li3Ti2(PO4)3. This band is assigned as a Li+ ion cage mode and is due to Li+ ions that occupy the M(3) and M′(3) sites in the Li3Ti2(PO4)3 structure. A small degree of band broadening is also detected in the vibrational spectra when Li+ ions are inserted, which might indicate some disordering in the cathode material.
Sympathetic neurotransmission modulates expression of inflammatory markers in the rat retina

Recent evidence suggests that diabetic retinopathy may involve some components of chronic inflammation. Since surgical sympathectomy produces most of the retinal changes noted in the retina of an STZ-treated rat in a non-diabetic rat, we wanted to determine whether sympathetic neurotransmission regulates gene and protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the prostaglandin (PGE2) receptor, as well as the levels of PGE2. Real-time PCR was conducted on retinal samples from rats that were surgically sympathectomized to investigate steady-state mRNA expression of iNOS in the sympathectomized and contralateral retina. Western blot analysis was done on protein samples from the sympathectomized and contralateral retina for iNOS and PGE2-EP2 receptor. An ELISA assay was done on retinal supernatant fractions to measure PGE2 levels. Additionally, human retinal endothelial cells were grown in either low (5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose medium and stimulated with isoproterenol (beta-adrenergic receptor agonist), xamoterol (beta1-adrenergic receptor subtype agonist), or BRL37344 (beta3-adrenergic receptor subtype agonist) and the effects of agonist stimulation on iNOS and PGE2 levels in low and high glucose was investigated. Sympathectomy significantly increases gene and protein expression of iNOS, as well as levels of PGE2 and protein expression of PGE2-EP2 receptor subtype. Isoproterenol treatment for 6 h to human retinal endothelial cells grown in high glucose medium reduced iNOS protein expression, but had no effect on PGE2 levels or PGE2 receptor protein expression. iNOS expression was attenutated by stimulation with xamoterol, while BRL37344 had no effect, suggesting that the iNOS effects are mediated by beta1-adrenergic receptors. These results suggest that loss of sympathetic activity, as occurs in diabetes, results in an upregulation of iNOS and PGE2-EP2 receptor protein expression, as well as PGE2 levels. Isoproterenol stimulation of human retinal endothelial cells cultured in a hyperglycemic environment decreased iNOS expression with no change in PGE2 levels, suggesting that only iNOS expression is modulated by sympathetic neurotransmission in endothelial cells. Overall, these results further the idea that alterations in sympathetic neurotransmission may result in many of the changes noted in the retina of the STZ-treated rat.
Recovery of function after brain damage: The extrinsic stimulus specificity of spared neural traces☆

Previous research has demonstrated that while primary visual cortex lesions in rats will disrupt performance of a learned brightness discrimination, the neural traces associated with this discrimination are spared. Moreover, the spared neural traces may, in certain instances, influence the postoperative reinstatement of a brightness discrimination. The present research was designed to determine the generality of this postoperative influence. The results indicate that while the normal rat and the visual decorticate rat may readily transfer learning between discriminations involving different discriminative cues, a visual lesion between two discriminations prevents this transfer. These data are interpreted as indicating that the postoperative influence of a spared neural trace is dependent upon the reoccurrence of specific extrinsic stimulus cues.
The Role of Annuities in Retirement

Deciding how to generate reliable, lifetime retirement income is a critical retirement planning task. Retirees and their advisors can make the best decisions by informing themselves as to the merits of annuities compared with other methods of generating retirement income. An important part of this analysis is comparing the amounts of retirement income generated by the various approaches. The various approaches generate significantly different amounts of income throughout retirement, and they react differently to unfavorable and favorable economic scenarios. This article provides the reader with methods to make these comparisons, and attempts to dispel some of the misinformation and misperceptions surrounding annuities. It also explains that annuities can be used strategically as an important part of an individual’s retirement income portfolio.
Distributed security services in Microsoft Windows 2000 (Windows NT 5.0: Protecting data in the enterprise

Abstract Windows 2000 provides a number of security features that make the protection of data within the Enterprise a simpler task: • ⊎ The Security Configuration Manager — provides a single, easy to use graphical interface for configuring and analyzing system security policy. • ⊎ Encrypting File System — implements a further layer of services on top of NTFS, providing public key encryption of files and directories. EFS provides a useful tool for protecting data on workstations and servers. This article discusses the Windows 2000 (Windows NT 5.0) Distributed Security Services. Microsoft recently delivered Beta 2 of Windows 2000.
A comparison of trajectory and air mass approaches to examine ozone variability

Back trajectory analysis is a commonly-used tool for understanding how short-term variability in surface ozone depends on transport into a given location. Lesser-used but equally effective methods are air-mass based approaches that are primarily driven by changes in temperature and humidity conditions. We compare and combine these two fundamentally different approaches by evaluating daily near-surface afternoon warm-season ozone concentrations from 2001 to 2006 in and around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Analysis of variance is used to compare summer afternoon ozone levels between air masses as identified by the Spatial Synoptic Classification to clusters of 72-h back trajectories estimated by the HYSPLIT model. Ozone concentrations vary significantly across both air masses and trajectory clusters at all ozone monitors. Concentrations are highest for air masses characterized by dry, warm conditions and for air originating from the north and west of the study area or circulating over the mid-Atlantic region. In many cases, the interaction between synoptic types and back trajectory clusters produce results not evident from the examination of simple trajectories or air masses alone. For example, ozone concentrations on Moist Moderate days are 30 ppb higher when air parcels travel moderate distances into the Shenandoah Valley from the west than when they travel longer distances from the north or northeast. Combining air mass and trajectory approaches provides a more useful characterization of air quality conditions than either method alone.
The Desired Political Entropy

In an article published in the December 30, 1967 issue of the Dutch weekly magazine Vrij Nederland, Mr. Frans Grosfeld suggested the following modification of the procedure of parliamentary representation of political parties. Instead of the conventional method of allocating to each party a number of representatives proportional to the number of votes cast for the party, he proposed to allocate a number of representatives which is proportional to the square of the number of votes. Thus, when there are n parties and when p 1 ,…, p n are the proportions of the total number of votes obtained by these parties, the idea is to allocate a fraction q i of the representatives to the ith party determined by $$ {q_i} = p_i^2/\sum\limits_{{j = 1}}^n {p_j^2\;\;\;i = 1, \cdots, \;n} $$ (1.1)
Limitations to the small scale yielding approximation for crack tip plasticity

Recent finite-element results by S. G. Larsson and A. J. Carlsson suggest a limited range of validity to the 'small scale yielding approximation,' whereby small crack tip plastic zones are correlated in terms of the elastic stress intensity factor. It is shown with the help of a model for plane strain yielding that their results may be explained by considering the non-singular stress, acting parallel to the crack at its tip, which accompanies the inverse square-root elastic singularity. Further implications of the non-singular stress term for crack tip deformations and fracturing are examined. It is suggested that its effect on crack tip parameters, such as the opening displacement and J-integral, is less pronounced than its effect on the yield zone size.
Bringing lives to light: lives and event representation in temporal and geographic context

Our demonstration system consists of a set of tools for identifying life events in biographical texts and linking them to relevant contextual resources.
A Diamond is Born in a Lab? The Role of Ritual in the Production Process Conservatism (WITHDRAWN)

Why technological innovations are not always accepted in the market, even when they provide a clear benefit? A number of studies suggest that people may care about the process by which a product is...
Spectroscopic studies of cutaneous photosensitizing agents--III. Spin trapping of photolysis products from sulfanilamide analogs.

The photodecomposition of sulfanilamide (4-aminobenzenesulfonamide), sulfacetamide. sulfathiazole. sulfadiazine, carbutamide and tolbutamide has been studied using the spin traps 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropanc and 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-l-oxide. The following radicals were trapped during the photolysis of sulfanilamide in aqueous solution: H' and HNC6H4SO2NH, (α-fission). SO2NH2 and C6H4NH2 (δ fission). H2NC6H4SO2 and NH2 (δ-fission). Although the C.,H4SO2NH2 and the SO; radicals were also detected these were not formed directly by homolytic bond fission. Homolytic bond fission was also observed during the irradiation of sulfacetamide (α.δ), sulfadiazine (α). carbutamide (α,δ) and tolbutamide (δ). All of the analogs, with the exception of tolbutamide, generated the SO; radical. Sulfacetamide, sulfadiazine and carbutamide generated the C6H4SO2;NHR radical by some process that did not involve homolytic bond fission. The free radicals generated by these agents may play an important role in their phototoxic and photoallergic effects.
Thermal oxidation of sputtered TiN diffusion barriers

Abstract The oxidation of thin (up to 3000 A) TiN layers was studied experimentally. It was found that the TiN layers transform into TiO2 with a rutile structure during heat treatment at temperatures around 500 °C in oxidizing ambient. The growth of the oxide layer has a dependence that follows the square root of time. Measurements of the optical properties of the oxide layers so formed indicate that they can be used as antireflecting coatings on solar cells.
RF Transmission Lines on Silicon Substrates

A review of RF transmission lines on silicon substrates is presented. Through measurements and calculated results, it is shown that attenuation is dominated by conductor loss if silicon substrates with a resistivity greater than 2500 ?-cm are used. Si passivation layers affect the transmission line attenuation; however, measured results demonstrate that passivation layers do not necessarily increase attenuation. If standard, low resistivity Si wafers must be used, alternative transmission lines such as thin film microstrip and CPW on thick polyimide layers must be used. Measured results presented here show that low loss per unit length is achievable with these transmission lines.
Drug Treatment of Hypertension in Older Hypertensives

There is strong evidence supporting the benefit of antihypertensive treatment in older patients. Blood pressure goal and drug selection in the elderly is similar to that in younger populations, but there are a few special considerations in these patients. A number of studies have been conducted to determine the drugs or drug classes most effective for reducing cardiovascular complications in older patients with hypertension. This article reviews the evidence for drug treatment in this population.
Structural Integrity Redesign Through Neural-Network Inverse Mapping

A neural-network inverse mapping approach was used in a structural integrity redesign problem to achieve the desired strength, corrosion, and fatigue properties. Also, through the inverse-mapping procedure the relative importance of damage parameters was obtained for two trained neural-network models. The damage parameters corresponding to a given strength and corrosion rate are predicted in one network, whereas the damage parameters corresponding to a given corrosion fatigue life are predicted in the other network. The results obtained from the inverse mapping procedure are compared with actual panel configurations and environments and experimental data. The results obtained through the inverse-mapping procedure are found to agree well with the experimental data, thus demonstrating the feasibility of the approach for the structural integrity redesign of aging aircraft structures.
Clinical stage B non-seminomatous germ cell testis cancer: The Indiana University experience (1965–1989) using routine primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection

Between 1965 and 1989, 1180 patients at Indiana University, U.S.A., underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for non-seminomatous germ cell (NSGC) testis cancer of whom 638 cases had primary RPLND. A subset of 174 cases were considered clinical stage B (or II) before surgery (retroperitoneal nodal metastases by clinical staging). Surgery revealed that 23% (n = 41) had pathological stage A disease (no cancerous nodes). This error rate in clinical staging has decreased somewhat with improved techniques, but remains approximately 20% over the last decade. The relapse rate in pathological stage A (n = 41) was 5% (n = 2), both of whom were cured by chemotherapy. The relapse rate in pathological stage B without postoperative adjuvant treatment (n = 54) was 35% (n = 19); 2 patients died. This indicates that 65% of pathological stage B cases were cured by RPLND alone. From 1979 to 1989, the 140 pathological stage B cases participated in a randomised prospective trial of post-RPLND adjuvant chemotherapy versus no postoperative treatment. Forty two per cent (n = 59) received postoperative platinum-based therapy (two cycles), and there has been no relapse after RPLND for stage B disease. While advances in chemotherapy for NSGC testis cancer have led to its application by several study groups to clinical stage B (or II) testis cancer (with surgery reserved only for those in partial remission), the equivalent cure rate with RPLND surgery with chemotherapy rescue reserved for those who relapse appears to have both cost and risk-benefit advantages.
The spectacle of anorexia nervosa

Critical examinations of post‐industrial culture have identified the body as an important site of ideological labor. By questioning the existence of essences and the possibility of a subjectivity untainted by power mechanisms, scholars from numerous disciplines examine various body practices to show that articulations of the body are always positioned in, and productive of, particular cultural, historical, and ideological conditions. Placed in performative terms, Dwight Conquergood, Judith Butler, Sandra Bartky, among others, suggest that everyday body performances, far from being artificial or fictional enactments, represent an active negotiation of the normalizing strategies and categorical schemes of cultural life. This essay examines anorexia nervosa as a spectacle of femininity in contemporary society. The enactment of anorexia is shown to be a spectacle characterized by a crisis of the female body and its quest for identity within a cultural climate that demands of its actors a concealment of perfor...
Synthesis of 18F-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucose with reactor-produced 18F

Abstract A rapid synthesis of very high specific-activity 18 F-3-deoxy-3-fluoro- D -glucose from reactor-produced 18 F-tetraethylammonium fluoride is reported. The radiochemical yield (not corrected for decay) is 5 to 10% in about 2 h. Radiochemical purity, determined by thin-layer chromatography, is greater than 90% When carrier fluoride is added, the chemical purity is also very high; when the synthesis is done without added carrier, glucose is the dominant (>95%) product.
Scorekeeping in a Language Game

EXAMPLE 1: PRESUPPOSITION’ At any stage in a well-run conversation, a certain amount is presupposed. The parties to the conversation take it for granted; or at least they purport to, whether sincerely or just “for the sake of the argument”. Presuppositions can be created or destroyed in the course of a conversation. This change is rule-governed, at least up to a point. The presuppositions at time r’ depend, in a way about which at least some general principles can be laid down, on the presuppositions at an earlier time r and on the course of the conversation (and nearby events) between r and r’. Some things that might be said require suitable presuppositions. They are acceptable if the required presuppositions are present; not otherwise. ‘me king of France is bald” requires the presupposition that France has one king, and one only; “Even George Lakoff could win” requires the presupposition that George is not a leading candidate; and so on. We need not ask just what sort of unacceptability results when a required presupposition is lacking. Some say falsehood, some say lack of truth value, some just say that it’s the kind of unacceptability that results when a required presupposition is 1acking;and some say it might vary from case to case. Be that as it may, it’s not as easy as you might think to say something that will be unacceptable for lack of required presuppositions. Say something that requires a missing presupposition, and straightway that presupposition springs into existence, making what you said acceptable after all. (Or at least, that is what happens if your conversational partners tacitly acquiesce - if no one says “But France has three kings! ” or ‘Vhadda ya mean, ‘even George’? “) That is why it is peculiar to say, out of the blue, “All Fred’s children are asleep, and Fred has children.” The first part requires and thereby creates a presupposition that Fred has children; so the second part adds nothing to what is already presupposed when it is said; so the second part has no conversational point. It would not have been peculiar to say instead “Fred has children, and all Fred’s children are asleep.”
Mechanosensing through Cooperative Interactions between Myosin II and the Actin Crosslinker Cortexillin I

Summary Background Mechanosensing governs many processes from molecular to organismal levels, including during cytokinesis where it ensures successful and symmetrical cell division. Although many proteins are now known to be force sensitive, myosin motors with their ATPase activity and force-sensitive mechanical steps are well poised to facilitate cellular mechanosensing. For a myosin motor to experience tension, the actin filament must also be anchored. Results Here, we find a cooperative relationship between myosin II and the actin crosslinker cortexillin I where both proteins are essential for cellular mechanosensory responses. Although many functions of cortexillin I and myosin II are dispensable for cytokinesis, all are required for full mechanosensing. Our analysis demonstrates that this mechanosensor has three critical elements: the myosin motor where the lever arm acts as a force amplifier, a force-sensitive bipolar thick-filament assembly, and a long-lived actin crosslinker, which anchors the actin filament so that the motor may experience tension. We also demonstrate that a Rac small GTPase inhibits this mechanosensory module during interphase, allowing the module to be primarily active during cytokinesis. Conclusions Overall, myosin II and cortexillin I define a cellular-scale mechanosensor that controls cell shape during cytokinesis. This system is exquisitely tuned through the enzymatic properties of the myosin motor, its lever arm length, and bipolar thick-filament assembly dynamics. The system also requires cortexillin I to stably anchor the actin filament so that the myosin motor can experience tension. Through this cross-talk, myosin II and cortexillin I define a cellular-scale mechanosensor that monitors and corrects shape defects, ensuring symmetrical cell division.
Muons in gamma showers from Cygnus X-3?

The Kiel experiment found that the average density of muons in gamma showers from Cygnus X-3 is 80% of that of nucleon-induced air showers. We therefore calculated again the muon content of photon-induced showers. Our calculations confirm the widely held belief that gamma showers should be ..mu..-poor and that this should indeed be a discriminating signature for electromagnetic origin of a shower.
Monte Carlo evaluation of CTDI∞ in infinitely long cylinders of water, polyethylene and PMMA with diameters from 10 mm to 500 mm

Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the radiation dose to infinitely long cylinders of water, polyethylene, and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) from 10 to 500 mm in diameter. Radiation doses were computed by simulating a 10 mm divergent primary beam striking the cylinder at z = 0 , and the scatteredradiation in the − z and + z directions was integrated out to infinity. Doses were assessed using the total energy deposited divided by the mass of the 10 - mm - thick volume of material in the primary beam. This approach is consistent with the notion of the computed tomography dose index(CTDI) integrated over infinite z , which is equivalent to the dose near the center of an infinitely long CT scan. Monoenergetic x-ray beams were studied from 5 to 140 keV , allowing polyenergetic x-ray spectra to be evaluated using a weighted average. The radiation dose for a 10 - mm - thick CT slice was assessed at the center, edge, and over the entire diameter of the phantom. The geometry of a commercial CT scanner was simulated, and the computed results were in good agreement with measured doses. The absorbed dose in water for 120 kVp x-rayspectrum with no bow tie filter for a 50 mm cylinder diameter was about 1.2 mGy per mGy air kerma at isocenter for both the peripheral and center regions, and dropped to 0.84 mGy ∕ mGy for a 500 - mm - diam water phantom at the periphery, where the corresponding value for the center location was 0.19 mGy ∕ mGy . The influence of phantom composition was studied. For a diameter of 100 mm , the dose coefficients were 1.23 for water, 1.02 for PMMA, and 0.94 for polyethylene (at 120 kVp ). For larger diameter phantoms, the order changed—for a 400 mm phantom, the dose coefficient of polyethylene (0.25) was greater than water (0.21) and PMMA (0.16). The influence of the head and body bow tie filters was also studied. For the peripheral location, the dose coefficients when no bow tie filter was used were high (e.g., for a water phantom at 120 kVp at a diameter of 300 mm , the dose coefficient was 0.97). The body bow tie filter reduces this value to 0.62, and the head bow tie filter (which is not actually designed to be used for a 300 mm object) reduces the dose coefficient to 0.42. The dose in CT is delivered both by the absorption of primary and scatteredx-rayphotons, and at the center of a water cylinder the ratio of scatter to primary (SPR) doses increased steadily with cylinder diameter. For water, a 120 kVp spectrum and a cylinder diameter of 200 mm , the SPR was 4, and this value grew to 9 for a diameter of 350 mm and to over 16 for a 500 - mm - diam cylinder. A freely available spreadsheet was developed to allow the computation of radiation dose as a function of object diameter ( 10 – 500 mm ) , composition (water, polyethylene, PMMA), and beam energy ( 10 – 140 keV , 40 – 140 kVp ) .
Parasites physically block host copulation: a potent mechanism of parasite-mediated sexual selection

Research on the role of parasites in sexual selection has focused mainly on host mate choice favoring relatively unparasitized males. But parasites can also generate variance in host reproductive success by influencing the ability of individual hosts to directly compete among themselves for mates or fertilizations, a subject area that has received far less attention. We demonstrate experimentally that parasitism by mites can drive sexual selection by way of a novel mechanism involving male competition: physical inhibition of host copulation. Mite resistance in natural populations is heritable, emphasizing the evolutionary potential of parasite-mediated sexual selection in this system and indicating that females should be receiving indirect fitness benefits as a result of this process. We show that parasitism by mites, Macrocheles subbadius, reduces mating success of male Drosophila nigrospiracula. Smaller males were more strongly compromised, identifying host body size as a tolerance trait. As parasite load increased, the rate at which males attempted to copulate but failed because of obstruction by mites increased. When mites were removed from infested males, host mating success was restored. Thus, the physical presence of the mites per se generates differential mating success, in this case by interrupting the normal flow of mating behaviors. This study elucidates a potent mechanism of parasite-mediated sexual selection in a system wherein parasite resistance is demonstrably heritable, and as such expands our understanding of the evolutionary potential of sexual selection.
A new model for service businesses in product‐centric firms

Purpose – Confronted by lower product sales prospects, increased margin pressures and customer demands for free service support, many firms are entering the service business. Yet most of these firms will be unable to scale their service operations to develop a viable stand‐alone services capability. In the rare cases where they are successful in establishing a services business it will often fail to deliver the expected profit margins. However, when properly planned and executed, a products to services business transformation generates impressive results. this paper aims to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper defines how to scale services business. Key challenges and mitigation approaches as well as case studies are provided to effectively execute on services transformation. Various challenges and their effects are examined separately. Several tactics to overcome some of the key challenges identified.Findings – When managed properly, new services businesses can deliver solid eco...
Vertical distribution of clouds over Hampton, Virginia observed by lidar under the ECLIPS and FIRE ETO programs

Intensive cloud lidar observations have been made by NASA Langley Research Center during the two observation phases of the ECLIPS project. Less intensive but longer term observations have been conducted as part of the FIRE extended time observation (ETO) program since 1987. We present a preliminary analysis of the vertical distribution of clouds based on these observations. A mean cirrus thickness of just under 1 km has been observed with a mean altitude of about 80 percent of the tropopause height. Based on the lidar data, cirrus coverage was estimated to be just under 20 percent, representing roughly 50 percent of all clouds studied. Cirrus was observed to have less seasonal variation than lower clouds. Mid-level clouds are found to occur primarily in association with frontal activity.
Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk?

Abstract Purpose: To assess whether alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in elementary school may have serious implications for continued ATOD use in middle school and beyond. Methods: Longitudinal analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from 331 middle school students who had previously provided ATOD-use data during elementary school. Non-school personnel administered questionnaires in three participating school districts in three different states. The sample of students was ethnically and geographically diverse, including students from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds living in rural, urban or inner-city environments. Results: Middle school alcohol use was almost three times as likely to occur if alcohol use had occurred in elementary school (OR = 2.94, p p p Conclusions: Early use of ATOD is associated with greatly increased odds of later use, which has important implications for the timing of drug prevention programs. Preventive interventions designed for use in pediatric practice settings should commence no later than elementary school, during the middle childhood years.
High-performance polymer waveguide devices via low-cost direct photolithography process

All-optical networks provide unique opportunities for polymer waveguide devices because of their excellent mechanical, thermo-optic, and electro-optic properties. Polymer materials and components have been viewed as a viable solution for metropolitan and local area networks where high volume and low cost components are needed. In this paper, we present our recent progress on the design and development of photoresist-like highly fluorinated maleimide copolymers including waveguide fabrication and optical testing. We have developed and synthesized a series of thermally stable, (Tg>150 oC, Td>300 oC) highly fluorinated (>50%) maleimide copolymers by radical co-polymerization of halogenated maleimides with various halogenated co-monomers. A theoretical correlation between optical loss and different co-polymer structures has been quantitatively established from C-H overtone analysis. We studied this correlation through design and manipulation of the copolymer structure by changing the primary properties such as molecular weight, copolymer composition, copolymer sequence distribution, and variations of the side chain including photochemically functional side units. Detailed analysis has been obtained using various characterization methods such as (H, C13, F19) NMR, UV-NIR, FTIR, GPC and so forth. The copolymers exhibit excellent solubility in ketone solvents and high quality thin films can be prepared by spin coating. The polymer films were found to have a refractive index range of 1.42-1.67 and optical loss in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 dB/cm at 1550nm depending on the composition as extrapolated from UV-NIR spectra. When glycidyl methacrylate is incorporated into the polymer backbone, the material behaves like a negative photoresist with the addition of cationic photoinitiator. The final crosslinked waveguides show excellent optical and thermal properties. The photolithographic processing of the highly fluorinated copolymer material was examined in detail using insitu FTIR. The influence of various polymer structural parameters on the photosensitivity and photo contrast of the polymer has been evaluated in detail. The same polymeric material has been tested using hot micro-embossing and Ebeam lithography to fabricate channel waveguides and other microstructures. The versatility of this unique photocrosslinkable thermoplastic material for various passive and active optical components is discussed in detail.
Contract Design for Supply Chain Quality Management

Cost reduction has been a major driver of outsourcing. However, recent product recalls suggests that purchasing cost reduction alone is not enough. In this paper, we incorporate the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) perspective into a two-stage leader-follower game to analyze the decisions made by one buyer and one supplier with a quality cost-sharing contract in a supply chain. Our analysis suggests that the optimal quality chosen by the supplier increases in its own cost efficiency, the buyer’s profit margin and the wholesale price offered by the buyer, the optimal wholesale price set by the buyer decreases in the supplier’s cost efficiency level and its own profit margin and an appropriate cost-sharing percentage exists between the buyer and the supplier. Our research provides managerial insights on how to induce the supplier to offer quality products along the supply chain in today’s global outsourcing environment.
The WomanStats Project Database: Advancing an Empirical Research Agenda

This article describes the WomanStats Project Database — a multidisciplinary creation of a central repository for cross-national data and information on women available for use by academics, policy-makers, journalists, and all others. WomanStats is freely accessible online, thus facilitating worldwide scholarship on issues with gendered aspects. WomanStats contains over 260 variables for 174 countries and their attendant subnational divisions (where such information is available) and currently contains over 68,000 individual data points. WomanStats provides nuanced data on the situation and status of women internationally and in so doing facilitates the current trend to disaggregate analyses. This article introduces the dataset, which is now publicly available, describes its creation, discusses its utility, and uses measures of association and mapping to draw attention to theoretically interesting patterns concerning the various dimensions of women’s inequality that are worthy of further exploration. Two of nine variables clusters are introduced — women’s physical security and son preference/sex ratio. The authors confirm the multidimensionality of women’s status and show that the impact of democracy and state wealth vary based on the type of violence against women. Overall, the authors find a high level of violence against women worldwide.
Effect of Bi alloying on the hole transport in the dilute bismide alloy GaAs 1 − x Bi x

We studied the effect of Bi incorporation on the hole mobility in the dilute bismide alloy GaAs${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Bi${}_{x}$ using electrical transport (Hall) and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Our measurements show that the hole mobility decreases with increasing Bi concentration. Analysis of the temperature-dependent Hall transport data of $p$-type GaAsBi epilayers along with low-temperature PL measurements of $p$-doped and undoped epilayers suggests that Bi incorporation results in the formation of several trap levels above the valence band, which we attribute to Bi-Bi pair states. The decrease in hole mobility with increasing Bi concentration can be explained as being caused by scattering at the isolated Bi and the Bi-Bi pair states. We also observed a decrease in hole concentration with Bi incorporation. We believe that Bi${}_{\mathrm{Ga}}$ heteroantisite defects compensate the acceptors, thus reducing the effective hole concentration.
Ground state properties of 16O, 40Ca and 48Ca in a relativistic Hartree theory of nuclear matter

Abstract A relativistic field theory model of nuclear matter is solved in a Hartree approximation for finite nuclei. We show that the theory predicts small shell effects for the charge-density distributions in magic nuclei and is in agreement with recent electron scattering data. The effects of the small component of the relativistic wave function are investigated as well as the role of the isospin-dependent force generated by the rho field.
Erratum: Competition and cooperation among huddling infant rats

FIGURE 2 Representative infrared (IR) images of PD2 and PD8 huddles at 20 C and 15 C, respectively. Balanced saline huddles (top row) show higher huddle temperatures than the other two huddle conditions. In unbalanced huddles (middle row), saline-treated pups are easily distinguishable from chlorisondamine-treated pups. Finally, balanced chlorisondamine huddles (bottom row) are barely warmer than the ambient environment.
A new computational approach to crystal plasticity: fcc single crystal

Abstract An algorithm is proposed for the calculation of the finite deformation of fcc single crystals, using a rate-dependent slip model. The method also applies to bcc and hcp crystals. The history of the deformation is divided into three regimes, depending on the number of active slip systems, and a computational strategy is proposed for each regime. The proposed algorithm uses a combination of the forward-gradient and the plastic-predictor elastic-corrector methods. The efficiency and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by comparing the results with those of the conventional method.
Francis bacon and the commonplaces

Examining scholarship and historical interpretations of Bacon's project and the Renaissance, this essay argues that, in respect to the commonplaces of rhetoric and poetic, Bacon's work was compatible with his contemporaries’, yet in its historical thrust provides a valuable perspective on the declining oral tradition of its age.
Flow Boiling Heat Transfer on Micro Pin Fins Entrenched in a Microchannel

Flow boiling of 1-methoxyheptafluoropropane (HFE 7000) in 222 μm hydraulic diameter channels containing a single row of 24 inline 100 μm pin fins was studied for mass fluxes from 350 kg/m2 s to 827 kg/m2 s and wall heat fluxes from 10 W/cm2 to 110 W/cm2. Flow visualization revealed the existence of isolated bubbles, bubbles interacting, multiple flow, and annular flow. The observed flow patterns were mapped as a function of the boiling number and the normalized axial distance. The local heat transfer coefficient during subcooled boiling was measured and found to be considerably higher than the corresponding single-phase flow. Furthermore, a thermal performance evaluation comparison with a plain microchannel revealed that the presence of pin fins considerably enhanced the heat transfer coefficient.
Spatial interpolation: an overview

The interpolation of spatial data has been considered in many different forms. The various forms of kriging are among the best known in the earth sciences although techniques such as inverse distance weighting were and are in use for spatially located data. In the numerical analysis literature various forms of splines and more recently radial basis functions have been developed and used. Because these techniques have been developed in very different contexts the relationship between them has not always been apparent. Various forms of kriging are considered as well as kernel estimators, splines and radial basis functions. By using the dual form of kriging and the positive definiteness property of the variogram connections are shown between splines, kriging and radial basis functions. One of the distinctions between kriging and other interpolators is the incorporation of the support of the samples and explicit estimation of linear functionals such as spatial integrals.
Food deprivation modulates chronic stress effects on object recognition in male rats : role of monoamines and amino acids

An object recognition task was used to determine if chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 21 days) impairs non-spatial memory, since chronic restraint is known to impair spatial memory. In addition, food deprivation was tested as a possible modulating factor of any stress effect in this non-reward-dependent task. Following 3 weeks of daily restraint, subjects were tested for open field activity and object recognition (over different delay intervals) during one week in two separate experiments. Experiment 1 involved testing under low demand conditions (small arena) while experiment 2 involved testing under higher-demand conditions (large arena). Basal monoamine and amino acid levels (home cage) were assessed in experiment one and monoamine arousal levels (following a sample trial) were assessed in experiment two. We observed that chronic stress impaired object recognition when the delay was extended beyond 1 h, and that food deprivation could attenuate the degree of impairment. In addition, chronic stress was associated with increased norepinephrine levels in both the amygdala and hippocampus, and dopamine (HVA/DA, DOPAC/DA) in prefrontal cortex. These changes were not observed in stress subjects that were subsequently food deprived. Food deprived subjects had higher basal serotonin activity in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus as well as higher serum CORT levels. Results suggest that food deprivation may act as a novel stress, thereby increasing subjects' arousal and attention toward the objects, which aids stressed subjects, especially in low-demand conditions. Both restraint and food deprivation affected select limbic areas associated with memory functioning.