cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing Systematic Errors in a Polarimeter for the Storage Ring EDM Experiment

The EDDA plastic scintillator detector system at the Cooler Synchrotron (COSY) has been used to demonstrate that it is possible using a thick target at the edge of the circulating beam to meet the requirements for a polarimeter to be used in the search for an electric dipole moment on the proton or deuteron. Emphasizing elastic and low Q-value reactions leads to large analyzing powers and, along with thick targets, to efficiencies near 1%. Using only information obtained comparing count rates for oppositely vector-polarized beam states and a calibration of the sensitivity of the polarimeter to rate and geometric changes, the contribution of systematic errors can be suppressed below the level of one part per million.
The 3-channel Lissajous' trajectory of the auditory brain-stem response. V. Effects of stimulus intensity in the cat

Abstract Three-channel Lissajous' trajectories (3-CLTs) of the cat auditory brain-stem response (ABR) were recorded using click stimuli ranging from 10 to 70 dB impulse SPL and were analyzed using planar analysis. The number of planar segments increased from typically 4 at 10 dB to 12 at 70 dB but certain shape features of the 3-CLT (apices) were preserved across stimulus levels. As stimulus level was raised, size of individual planar segments increased. There were progressive decreases in apex latency as stimulus level was increased. The combined durations of groups of high intensity planar segments were similar to those of their low intensity forms. Shape, size and orientation of planar segments tended to change more across stimulus intensities below 40 dB than above and appear to relate to the number of planar segments at any given stimulus level. These results suggest that changes in latency seem to be primarily cochlear in origin, whereas the origin of other observed changes is uncertain. The 3-CLT ABR is sensitive to intensity, especially below 40 dB, and can thus detect changes in auditory system function in response to changes in stimulus intensity, regardless of electrode position.
Gramene: a growing plant comparative genomics resource

Gramene (www.gramene.org) is a curated resource for genetic, genomic and comparative genomics data for the major crop species, including rice, maize, wheat and many other plant (mainly grass) species. Gramene is an open-source project. All data and software are freely downloadable through the ftp site (ftp.gramene.org/pub/gramene) and available for use without restriction. Gramene's core data types include genome assembly and annotations, other DNA/mRNA sequences, genetic and physical maps/markers, genes, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), proteins, ontologies, literature and comparative mappings. Since our last NAR publication 2 years ago, we have updated these data types to include new datasets and new connections among them. Completely new features include rice pathways for functional annotation of rice genes; genetic diversity data from rice, maize and wheat to show genetic variations among different germplasms; large-scale genome comparisons among Oryza sativa and its wild relatives for evolutionary studies; and the creation of orthologous gene sets and phylogenetic trees among rice, Arabidopsis thaliana, maize, poplar and several animal species (for reference purpose). We have significantly improved the web interface in order to provide a more user-friendly browsing experience, including a dropdown navigation menu system, unified web page for markers, genes, QTLs and proteins, and enhanced quick search functions.
American Sign Language: Acceptance at the University Level

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual–gestural language identified as the first or natural language of many persons who are deaf in the United States. For over 200 years, it has been the focal point of a heated controversy regarding optimal teaching methodologies for deaf children in the American elementary and secondary educational systems. One perspective is that deaf people should assimilate into American culture by learning to respond verbally as hearing people do, and the opposing perspective is that deaf people are bicultural and have the right to be educated using their native language. In tandem with this debate over language use in the classroom have been the civil rights struggles of deaf Americans to attain recognition of ASL as a language and to obtain interpreting services in educational, medical, legal, and employment settings. Following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), ASL began to gain recognition as a language at the post-secondary level, and is accepted as a ...
Effect of acute magnesium deficiency (MgD) on aortic endothelial cell (EC) oxidant production

Magnesium deficiency (MgD) has been associated with production of reactive oxygen species, cytokines, and eicosanoids, as well as vascular compromise in vivo. Although MgD-induced inflammatory change occurs during “chronic” MgD in vivo, acute MgD may also affect the vasculature and consequently, predispose endothelial cells (EC) to perturbations associated with chronic MgD. As oxyradical production is a significant component of chronic MgD, we examined the effect of acute MgD on EC oxidant production in vitro. In addition we determined EC; pH, mitochondrial function, lysosomal integrity and general cellular antioxidant capacity. Decreasing Mg2+ (<250μM) significantly increased EC oxidant production relative to control Mg2+ (1000μM). MgD-induced oxidant production, occurring within 30min, was attenuated by EC treatment with oxyradical scavengers and inhibitors of eicosanoid biosynthesis. Coincident with increased oxidant production were reductions in intracellular glutathione (GSH) and corresponding EC alkalinization. These data suggest that acute MgD is sufficient for induction of EC oxidant production, the extent of which may determine, at least in part, the extent of EC dysfunction/injury associated with chronic MgD. Research Supported in Part by: NHLBI, 5RO1 HL49232-02.
Creative catalysis: pieces of the RNA world jigsaw

Abstract Novel ribozymes produced by in vitro selection techniques provide insights into the possible mechanisms of protein synthesis evolution. The availability of such ribozymes also paves the way for experiments to explore the evolution of RNA–protein enzymes.
Overwintering strategies of a population of anthelmintic-resistant Haemonchus contortus within a sheep flock from the United States Northern Great Plains.

Haemonchus contortus infections have been increasingly reported in ungulates from cold climates even though past studies have shown that the free-living juveniles from this species survive poorly under freezing conditions. Overwintering strategies of H. contortus have not been documented in the Unites States Northern Great Plains. A PCR survey identified H. contortus as vastly predominant trichostrongyle species present (in addition to occasional detections of Teladorsagia sp.) in a closed farm flock of sheep from Brookings County, SD. Benzimidazole (BZ) and avermectin (AV) anthelmintics had been used intensely for many years on this flock. During the autumn season, three fecal egg count reduction tests (doramectin, albendazole, and moxidectin) were performed over a 4 year span to assess drug effectiveness within the flock. Significant drug resistance was found in Haemonchus adults with doramectin (69% efficacy), marginal resistance was found with albendazole (90% efficacy) and no resistance was found in moxidectin (100% efficacy). The following spring, pre-lambing and post-lambing fecals were obtained from albendazole and moxidectin treatment years to assess the resistance of the tissue-dwelling fourth-stage juveniles (J4s) at those times. Albendazole treated pre-lambing fecals averaged only 4 EPG and treated post-lambing fecals increased to 454 EPG, indicating that many of the J4s were not killed during the autumn treatment. Moxidectin pre-lambing fecals averaged only 1 EPG, and post-lambing fecals only increased to 6 EPG in the treated moxidectin population and 1422 EPG in the untreated moxidectin population. In addition to evaluating the ability of H. contortus to overwinter as drug resistant tissue-dwelling J4s, this study also evaluated the overwintering ability of pasture-dwelling, free-living third-stage juveniles at this farm. In the summers of 2010 and 2011, naive tracer lambs were placed on a H. contortus contaminated pasture for 3 weeks to assess J3 winter survival. In 2010, tracer lambs only averaged 7 EPG whereas drylotted control lambs averaged 2 EPG; in 2011, tracer lambs averaged 2 EPG while the control lambs averaged 1 EPG. These results suggest that at this northern plains farm, yearly transmission of H. contortus is predominately through drug-resistant J4s. This is consistent with other cold-climate, overwintering studies involving H. contortus from Europe.
Interpretation in Group Counseling: Theoretical and Operational Issues.

Abstract This article examines theoretical and practical considerations for interpretation in group counseling. Application issues include the interpretation process, providers, recipients, content, depth, timing, and form.
Myocardial degeneration with hypertrophy and failure of unknown cause

Abstract Five cases of fatal heart failure, with necropsy, are reported. All of the patients showed cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial degeneration, without evidence of hypertension, valvular disease, coronary artery disease, or any of the less common causes of these structural changes. Four of the five patients presented suggestive evidence of syphilis in the history, serologic reaction, or aorta, and the possible etiologic relationship of this disease to the myocardial lesions is discussed.
An application of adaptive algorithms to image processing

An algorithm for sequentially estimating object boundaries in noise corrupted black and white images is briefly discussed. The value of introducing adaptation into the algorithms is demonstrated both analytically and experimentally. Indirect adaptive algorithms are introduced which involve identification of key model parameters. Finally performance of the adaptive and non-adaptive algorithms is compared.
Theory of the Earth-synchronous rotation of Venus

CARPENTER1 noted in 1966 that the radar observations of the rotation period of Venus gave a figure remarkably close to one at which Venus would present the same aspect to the Earth at each inferior conjunction. Goldreich and Peale2 discussed this as a possible resonance with a gravitational couple exerted by the Earth on a permanent transverse quadrupole moment of Venus, but noted that such a couple would be expected to be much smaller than that due to the Sun acting on the solid body tide. The rotation would continue to slow down due to tidal friction, and could not have been arrested in the resonance. We therefore proposed3 that the solar couple on thermal atmospheric tides might be expected to apply an acceleration to the spin of Venus, thus opposing the body tidal frictional deceleration. (An effect in that sense occurs for the Earth.) The two opposed torques would have a different dependence on the rotation speed of Venus, and might balance at a particular value. As the rotation speed approached this value, the torque necessary for capture into a resonance would have become very small, and the effect exerted by the Earth might then be sufficient. A diurnal pressure wave of as little as 1 mbar could balance the body tide. Ingersoll and Dobrovolskis4 have reconsidered this suggestion, and attempted a quantitative calculation of the atmospheric tide. Although their result seems to favour the theory, we show here that their approach is not valid. Ingersoll and Dobrovolskis consider a quasi-static atmosphere heated diurnally, and then calculate the mass distribution and hence the solar couple that results. But the quasi-static assumption is not justified for the known circumstances on Venus. Wind speeds must be expected5, and have indeed been observed6, that cause an advection of heat substantially faster than the motion of the subsolar point over the surface (∼4 m s−1); in these circumstances the atmospheric mass distribution will be determined by the dynamics of the convecting atmosphere. (The acceleration terms rather than temperature make the main contribution to horizontal variations of pressure and density.) A secure result cannot be obtained until the flow patterns and velocities are known, from a detailed theory of planetary convection, or from direct observation.
The New Science of Mind and the Future of Knowledge

Understanding mental processes in biological terms makes available insights from the new science of the mind to explore connections between philosophy, psychology, the social sciences, the humanities, and studies of disorders of mind. In this Perspective we examine how these linkages might be forged and how the new science of the mind might serve as an inspiration for further exploration.
Performance of 6FDA–6FpDA polyimide for propylene/propane separations

Abstract This work addresses the challenges faced by previous researchers with 6FDA–6FpDA polyimide for propylene/propane separations due to plasticization. A study of film annealing temperature is reported to optimize plasticization suppression in elevated temperature permeation on properly annealed dense films made with high molecular weight polymer. A detailed analysis of pure and mixed gas results using different permeability models is shown in this work. The annealing effects in terms of plasticization suppression and permeability and selectivity changes are discussed in detail. According to our best knowledge, this is for the first time plasticization suppression for propylene/propane has been reported with any polyimide dense film membrane. Results of pure gas sorption experiments using a pressure decay method with un-annealed and annealed films are discussed and used to analyze the permeation data using the dual-mode model. Mixed gas permeation results also are explained with dual mode and bulk flow transport models.
Transmission losses in left-handed materials

We numerically analyze the origin of the transmission losses in left-handed structures. Our data confirms that left-handed structures can have very good transmission properties, in spite of the expectable dispersion of their effective permeability and refraction index. The large permittivity of the metallic components improves the transmission. High losses, observed in recent experiments, could be explained by the absorption of the dielectric board.
Thrashing Downtown: Play as resistance to the spatial and representational regulation of Los Angeles

Abstract This paper examines the way in which public space has been appropriated by commercial real estate interests in Los Angeles and how varied forms of resistance have developed. The paper examines the serious outcomes of play in the downtown and the importance of studying human interactions in the grander narratives of urban development.
The perineural sheath in the urodele amphibian

The perineural epithelial cells of the peripheral nerve sheath in Triturus are elongated flat cells with long and thin cytoplasmic processes. Structural characteristics of the processes include a relative absence of common cytoplasmic organelles of the periniuclear cytoplasm but an abundance of vesicular profiles similar to fully formed pinocytotic vesicles. Unlike pinocytotic vesicles, vesicles of the processes often contain an 8-nm thick filament attached to their cytoplasmic face. Vesicles are also interconnected by similar filaments or by tubules. In addition, almost all vesicles appear to have openings at the cell surface, a feature not seen for pinocytotic vesicles. The concentration of exogenous peroxidase in the vesicles, and the subsequent appearance of peroxidase in the endoneural fluid, myelin sheath and axon, support the notion that the vesicles function in the exchange of substances between extraneural and endoneural fluids.
Apparent Treatment-resistant Hypertension Among Individuals with History of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack

Abstract Background Blood pressure control is a paramount goal in secondary stroke prevention; however, high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure and use of multiple antihypertensive medication classes in stroke patients suggest this goal is not being met. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension in persons with/without stroke or transient ischemic attack. Methods Data came from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national, population-based cohort of 30,239 black and white adults aged ≥45 years, enrolled 2003-2007, restricted to 11,719 participants with treated hypertension. Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension was defined as (1) uncontrolled blood pressure (systolic ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg) with ≥3 antihypertensive medication classes, or (2) use of ≥4 antihypertensive medication classes, regardless of blood pressure level. Poisson regression was used to calculate characteristics associated with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension. Results Among hypertensive participants, prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension was 24.9% (422 of 1694) and 17.0% (1708 of 10,025) in individuals with and without history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, respectively. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, the prevalence ratio for apparent treatment-resistant hypertension for those with versus without stroke or transient ischemic attack was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.27). Among hypertensive participants with stroke or transient attack, male sex, black race, larger waist circumference, longer duration of hypertension, and reduced kidney function were associated with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension. Conclusions The high prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension among hypertensive persons with history of stroke or transient ischemic attack suggests the need for more individualized blood pressure monitoring and management.
Biodistribution Studies of Nanoparticles Using Fluorescence Imaging: A Qualitative or Quantitative Method?

Purpose The biodistribution of Lipid/Calcium/Phosphate (LCP) nanoparticles (NPs) in tumor-bearing mice was investigated using fluorescence imaging. A quantitative validation of this method was done by 3H and 111In labeling of the nanoparticles.
Treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis persisting into adulthood.

AbstractPurpose: We evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of treating monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) that has persisted into adulthood.Materials and Methods: Patients older than 18 years with persistent monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis were treated with 20 to 40 micro g. desmopressin (DDAVP) nightly for 6 months. If the patients remained incontinent on maximal pharmacotherapy or if they became incontinent after cessation of DDAVP we initiated treatment with an enuretic alarm for 6 months. Patients not responsive to DDAVP or the enuresis alarm were given a trial of 50 mg. imipramine nightly. All patients were reassessed for continence 18 months after initiation of the treatment protocol.Results: We treated 29 patients of a median age of 20 years (range 18 to 33) who were enuretic more than 4 nights per week. With the initial DDAVP treatment 19 (66%) became continent (enuresis 0 or 1 night a month) but after discontinuation of DDAVP only 2 (7%) remained continent. Of the 27 pati...
Changing ideas in hydrology — The case of physically based models — Comment

Baven K., 1987, Towards a new paradigm in hydrology, IASH Publ., N°.164: 393-403. Baven K., 1989, Changing ideas in hydrology--the case of physically based models, J Hydrol., 105: 157-172.
Econometric Studies of Higher Education.

This paper surveys the various strands of the literature on the econometrics of higher education that have developed during the last 40 years and indicates how the papers in the special issue of the Journal of Econometrics fit into this literature. It discusses in turn the estimation of rates of return to higher education, studies of the academic labor market, studies relating to institutional behavior and studies relating to higher education as an industry. It concludes by suggesting a number of important areas for future research.
Factors Associated with Diet and Weight in Rural Older Women

Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify factors that may contribute to variability in dietary and weight status in a group of rural older women (n = 180). Subjects completed a questionnaire regarding personal, behavioral and social/environmental variables followed by three random 24-hour recalls. Dietary factors, such as diet variety, were derived from the recalls. The dietary outcome measures were: energy, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), percent kilocalories from fat, sodium, and weight, expressed as body mass index (BMI). Results indicate that diet variety and number of meals together explained 36% of the variation in energy intake and 26% of the variation in MAR. BMI was related to a number of factors including following a weight-loss diet, and being diagnosed with hypertension.
Improved Stability of Polycrystalline Bismuth Vanadate Photoanodes by Use of Dual-Layer Thin TiO2/Ni Coatings

Ultrathin dual layers of TiO_2 and Ni have been used to stabilize polycrystalline BiVO_4 photoanodes against photocorrosion in an aqueous alkaline (pH = 13) electrolyte. Conformal, amorphous TiO_2 layers were deposited on BiVO_4 thin films by atomic-layer deposition, with Ni deposited onto the TiO_2 by sputtering. Under simulated air mass 1.5 illumination, the dual-layer coating extended the lifetime of the BiVO4 photoanodes during photoelectrochemical water oxidation from minutes, for bare BiVO4, to hours, for the modified electrodes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that these layers imparted chemical stability to the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the structure and morphology of the polycrystalline BiVO_4 film as well as of the thin coating layers. This work demonstrates that protection schemes based on ultrathin corrosion-resistant overlayers can be applied beneficially to polycrystalline photoanode materials under conditions relevant to efficient solar-driven water-splitting systems.
Ionospheric data bases

A guidebook to The Worldwide Ionsopheric Data Base published in NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S's report series (No. 89-03). The document surveys and describes the different information sources about the ionosphere in nearly 100 pages, including ground-based, satellite, and rocket data, empirical and theoretical models, journals, books, and prediction services. It explains how and where the data, software codes and information materials can be obtained. The book is intended for the novice or expert who needs to find data and information about the ionospheric plasma. It pulls together all the strings leading to the worldwide ionospheric data banks. Data holdings explained in this document include the satellite data base of NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S, the ionosonde data base of NGDC/WDC-A-STP (Boulder) and the other WDCs, the NCAR incoherent scatter data base and many more.
Application of satellite data in a regional model to improve long-term ozone simulations

To investigate an alternative technique of providing background and transboundary transport inputs for ozone (O3) simulations on a regional scale, the EPA’s Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was integrated with high spectral resolution data from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) aboard the NASA’s Aura satellite. This study presents a comprehensive model evaluation of O3 for the entire year of 2009 over the contiguous United States with a focus on the State of Texas using both ozonesonde and ground measurements. While improving model performance in the upper atmosphere, CMAQ’s initial and boundary conditions (IC/BC) derived from the original TES data do not improve model performance in the troposphere because the satellite data exaggerated concentration of tropospheric O3. With a 10-ppb deduction of O3 concentration from TES, the IC/BC derived from the adjusted TES improves model performance from ground level through the upper atmosphere. The mean bias of daily maximum 8-h average concentration of O3 (MDA8) from the ground monitored in Texas decreased from 7 ppb to 4 ppb. Model results also show small influences of O3 from the upper troposphere on the concentrations at the ground level. With a complete exclusion of stratospheric layers, changes of annual mean MDA8 of O3 concentrations at ground-level were smaller than 1.1 % in Dallas and Houston. In addition, limitations of satellite data are discussed and recommendations are provided regarding the future application of satellite data in regional O3 simulations.
A general user modelling facility

An important component of adaptable interactive systems is the ability to model the system's users. Previous systems have relied on user models tailored to the particular needs of that system alone. This paper presents the notion of a general user model, and describes some of our research on building a general user modelling facility that could be used by a variety of applications. This work focuses on the representation, maintenance, and acquisition issues of modelling long-term beliefs of the user, and describes a general facility for accomplishing these tasks.
Acute lung injury after exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum

Summary An association between exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum, a ubiquitous environmental mold, and respiratory disease in humans has been suggested but remains poorly defined [Hossain MA, Ahmed MS, Ghannoum, MA. Attributes of Stachybotrys chartarum and its association with human disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 113: 200–08]. We report a patient who presented with acute respiratory failure and histopathological evidence of diffuse alveolar damage shortly after exposure to S. chartarum in her home.
Mitomycin C induced leaf mosaicism in Glycine max (L.) Merrill in relation to the post-germination age of the seed.

The frequency of mitomycin C induced somatic crossing over in variety L65-1237 of Glycine max is shown to be dependent upon the (physiological) age of the seed during post germination period. Effect of mitomycin C during the first four hr of germination is significantly lower than during later periods. This increase in the frequency of somatic crossing over is observed up to about 20–24 hr and is then followed by a decrease. These changes did not appear to be related to the onset and pattern of synthesis of DNA or/and proteins in the embryonic tissues. However, mitomycin C is effective even when no DNA synthesis is going on.
Virtual compton scattering at high energy

Abstract The virtual compton scattering (VCS) reaction ( ep → e ′ p ′ γ ) at high energy will provide new information on the proton structure. The invariant momentum transfer ( t = ( q − q ′) 2 ) dependence of high energy VCS is related to the flavor dependent vector and axial-vector form factors of the the proton. Thus VCS can provide information that is complementary to parity violating electron scattering measurements. For small t and large Q 2 , VCS generalizes the structure functions of deep inelastic lepton scattering. These generalized structure functions have a sum rule which yields the net contribution of quark spin and orbital angular momentum to the proton spin. A large acceptance detector such as the MEMUS design, capable of running at a luminosity 10 35 / cm 2 /sec at incident electron energies from 10 to 30 GeV can measure the VCS process in a broad and exciting kinematic range.
Numerical solution of the bioelectric field of the e.r.g.

A numerical solution of a model of the bioelectric field of the e.r.g. was developed utilising a finited-difference successive overrelaxation technique. The difference equations implemented by the algorithms are applicable to any spherical volume conductor problem involving axial symmetry. The nodal network utilised was characterised by a variable and nonuniform spacing between the nodes and a pointwise variation of conductivity. An excellent accuracy was demonstrated when the numerical solutions were compared with the analytical solutions for several simplified test cases. When simulating the more realistic physiological configurations the model demonstrated a reasonably good agreement with the experimental data obtained from the literature.
Prospects for ultrafast optical control of coherent charge oscillations in semiconductors

Considerable interest has arisen recently in the prospect of using specially crafted ultrashort laser pulses for coherent control of atomic and molecular systems. The aim in these studies is to utilize control over femtosecond optical waveforms as a tool to manipulate constructive and destructive interferences associated with quantum mechanical wave packets motions, which could ultimately lead to optical manipulation of chemical reactions and in the shorter term should make possible preparation of well-defined quantum mechancial states for precise spectroscopic determination of molecular Hamiltonians. At Purdue we have initiated a project aimed at applying these coherent control concepts in a new setting--namely, in specially designed layered semiconductor materials. A key motivation for using layered semiconductors as a coherent control laboratory is the ability to engineer the Hamiltonian through the epitaxial growth process, so that one may have better knowledge of and control over the Hamiltonian than one has in studies of complex molecules. Here we review the femtosecond pulse shaping technology crucial for our coherent control studies and discuss our plans and progress in applying pulse shaping to manipulate coherent charge oscillations in double coupled quantum wells and superlattices in the GaAs/GaAlAs material system.
Ferroelectric PZT thin films on Si and SBN substrates

The sol-gel technique has been used to produce perovskite PZT thin films on lattice-matched SBN:60 and LaAlO3 substrates. These films were spin-coated and then annealed in the range of 500-700 degrees C in an oxygen atmosphere. Highly grain oriented films showed high polarization and the potential for a large electro-optic response.In all cases, the PZT thin films were highly crystalline, with dielectric constants > 1300. PZT films were also deposited on Pt- metallized Si using the same deposition technique in order to establish the effect of annealing conditions on the formation of pyrochlore phase.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computing the PSVD of two 2 X 2 triangular matrices

In tins paper, we propose a method for computing the SVD of a product of two 2 x 2 triangular matrices. We show that our method is numerically desirable in that all relevant residual elements will be numerically small.
The Enron debacle: more than a perfect storm

Abstract Despite the claims from several accounting authorities, the Enron matter was much more than a “perfect storm,” i.e., a concurrence of unpredictable, rare and unusual conditions that combined to create a unique, devastating event. While the effects of Enron seriously and adversely affected the accounting profession, a critical analysis of Enron’s financial statements shows that a corporate collapse was inevitable. The collapse arose in part from accountants moving away from competently auditing financial statements that would have provided real assurance to their readers. The purpose of this paper is to show that if accountants had ethically applied the lessons of the financial reporting literature on fraud to produce effective and informative audits the Enron debacle would likely never have happened. In fact, what some deemed accounting errors were most likely intentional misstatements. The Enron debacle suggests that the profession should adopt more of a “back to basics” approach to auditing.
Effect of emittance and energy spread on a free-electron laser in the gain-focusing regime.

A free-electron laser operating in the gain-focusing regime is discussed. The variation of growth rate, radius of curvature of wave fronts, filling factor, and efficiency with emittance and energy spread is derived. The results, which are based on the Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations, are obtained by minimizing a variational functional. When plotted as a function of emittance, the efficiency at maximum growth rate peaks at a nonzero value of emittance. For small values of energy spread, the efficiency at maximum growth rate increases with energy spread, in contrast to intuitive expectations
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and Renal Transplantation

Primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major cause of nephrotic syndrome and eventual end-stage renal disease. It is known to be due to an abnormality of the visceral epithelial cells (podocytes) of the glomerulus. The morphological hallmark of primary FSGS is diffuse effacement of podocyte foot processes. The etiology of the podocyte damage is not been clearly established. FSGS can also be a secondary process due to underlying conditions including obesity and heroin use. In the secondary processes, the mechanism appears to be a decreased ratio of podocytes to the glomerular filtration surface area. Familial forms of FSGS also exist due to alterations of several different podocyte proteins. Primary FSGS is an increasing cause of end-stage renal disease. Recurrence of severe FSGS in renal allograft recipients presents a major challenge to transplant physicians. The incidence of recurrence is generally accepted to be between 20% and 30%. Risk factors for and characteristics of recurrence include a rapid progression of the primary disease to end-stage renal failure, early onset of nephrotic range proteinuria after allografting, frequent loss of the allograft, a high frequency of recurrence in subsequent allografts, and children less than 15 years of age. Some investigators have identified a circulating factor called the FSGS factor that appears to be associated with recurrence after transplantation. This factor has been shown to be a protein between 30 and 50 kd molecular weight. Logically, the possibility of a circulating factor associated with recurrence of FSGS led investigators to treat patients with plasmapheresis. Several studies have been reported with varying success. The response of patients to plasmapheresis seems to be completely individual. Other studies have added cyclophosphamide and/or mycophenolate mofetil to the plasmapheresis protocol. Again success in these studies has been variable. However, because some patients show complete recovery with plasmapheresis, individuals who develop recurrent FSGS after transplantation usually are given a trial of plasmapheresis therapy.
Candidate Preference and Hostile Humor in the 1968 Elections

Hostile jokes about Wallace, Nixon, Humphrey, and Senator McCarthy's “disaffected liberal” were rated by college students on the day before the 1968 election. The difference in their response to jo...
Comment on "Explanation of the inverse Doppler effect observed in nonlinear transmission lines".

A Comment on the Letter by Alexander B. Kozyrev and Daniel W. van der Weide, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 203902 (2005). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Diuretics and Arrhythmias in the Medical Research Council Trial

Direct visual interpretation of a daytime and night-time hour of ambulatory ECG recording was possible in 287 of 324 Medical Research Council mild hypertension trial participants. The prevalence of arrhythmias in 103 unselected participants was similar before and 8 weeks after initiation of placebo or thiazide treatment. However, in 164 unselected participants studied during long term therapy (average, 24 months) the prevalence of daytime and night-time ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs) ⩾ 5/hour was greater in thiazide recipients (32% and 23%, respectively) than in their placebo counterparts (20% and 9%, respectively). In addition, special VEBs such as multifocal beats, couplets, R-on-T beats and bigeminy were more common during long term thiazide (33%) than placebo (15%) treatment. Ventricular ectopic beats ⩾ 5/hour and special VEBs were also common (45% and 40%, respectively) in 20 selected hypokalaemic participants studied during long term thiazide therapy.
Conflicted identities and sexism in computing graduate programs

Stereotypes about women's place among creators of technology still exist. As a result, women engineers and computer scientists must find ways to manage the conflict between their identities as women and as creators of technology. Many women manage the conflict by hiding or denying their feminine identity. We found that this strategy becomes particularly evident when discussing experiences of sexism. Focus groups with women graduate students identified many instances of sexism, but found that women tended to deny or ignore the sexism. Because sexism communicates the view that women do not fit in the culture of computing, it increases the difficulty of combining a feminine gender identity with a technical identity. Many women try to meet this challenge by minimizing their femininity, or acting like one of the guys. These coping strategies may be effective for enabling individual persistence, but they permit persistence of an inhospitable environment. Adopting practices known to reduce the incidence of sexism and mitigate its negative impact could help retain women graduate students in computing.
Modulation of parathyroid hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase and arginine vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase by calcium and GTP

Abstract Arginine vasopressin (AVP)- and parathyroid hormone (PTH)-sensitive adenylate cyclase were studied in the renal tissue of thyroparathyroidectomized dogs. The results indicate that AVP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity was highest in the inner medulla followed by the middle medulla, outer medulla, and cortex, in declining order. In contrast, PTH-sensitive adenylate cyclase was absent in the inner medulla, and the highest stimulation was found in the cortex with lesser activity in outer and middle medulla. When 1 m m EGTA was included in the incubation mixture, the addition of both AVP- and PTH to the middle medullary homogenate resulted in additive responses suggesting two separate receptors for each hormone. This EGTA-induced additive effect was eliminated by the addition of calcium into the system, indicating that calcium concentration may be critical in modulating the interaction of AVP and PTH-sensitive adenylate cyclase. In contrast to some previous reports, a particulate fraction prepared from the middle medullary tissue was completely insensitive to either AVP or PTH. Hormonal sensitivity was restored by the addition of GTP or the supernatant.
Formulation of artemisinin tablets

Abstract Since artemisinin is known to be absorbed very fast from gastrointestinal fluid, while its solubility is very low, the formulation of the dosage form may be an important factor that might limit absorption after oral administration. The purpose of this investigation was to study the influences of some formulation variables on the time required to achieve a fast and complete dissolution of artemisinin. An experimental design that generated a maximum of information for a minimum of experimental work was used. The response selected for the factorial design was the time required for dissolution of 50% of the content (T50), determined with a previous described two phase partition-dissolution method.
Management of the female HIV-infected patient.

Management of women with HIV infection or AIDS should follow the established guidelines for antiretroviral therapy and prevention and treatment of opportunistic complications of HIV infection. Gynecological manifestations of HIV are primarily cervical dysplasia and cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaginal and mucocutaneous candidiasis. Human papillomavirus-associated cervical dysplasia/neoplasia is more common in women with advanced rather than early HIV disease, and monitoring with Pap smears should probably increase to every 6 months in patients with CD4+ cell counts 350 cells/μl, cryotherapy is probably adequate, but therapy should be increasingly aggressive at lower CD4+ cell counts. Results of ongoing studies should be available soon to guide therapy. Optimal treatment of candidiasis in HIV-infected women include...
Class Acts: An Anthropology of Service Workers and Their Union

Class Acts: An Anthropology of Service Workers and Their Union. E. Paul Durrenberger and Suzan Erem. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2005. 216 pp.
Physical insights on passivity-based TORA control designs

Jankovic et al. (ibid., vol.4, p.292-7, 1996) developed a series of cascadeand passivity-based control designs for the control of a translational oscillation rotational actuation (TORA) benchmark example. Two of the passivity-based control designs have strong mechanical underpinnings. In this brief letter, valuable physical insight into the passivity-based control is demonstrated using a basic theory of vibration analysis.
Searching for the Starting Points of Scientific Inquiry: Durkheim's Rules of Sociological Method and Schopenhauer's Philosophy*

Durkheim's methodological classic is frequently read from Kantian, positivistic, or other Enlightenment contexts despite the fact that Durkheim criticizes these doctrines. Durkheim also tends to be read as a deductive analyst. Using Schopenhauer's philosophy as an alternative starting point in reading the Rules, it is demonstrated that Schopenhauer and Durkheim agree that perceptual, inductive knowledge of “things” is superior to conceptual, deductive knowledge; that causal explanations are merely phenomenal; and that the one, well-designed experiment is sufficient for the establishment of scientific laws. Durkheim's distinction between the normal and the pathological is also addressed in this context. The implications of Durkheim's focus on induction are discussed with regard to its similarity to the works of Claude Bernard, Florian Znaniecki, and Max Weber, as well as current epistemological crises in sociology.
p27 and Barrett's esophagus: a review*.

SUMMARY. The rising prevalence of Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's associated adenocarcinoma in the Western world has stimulated increasing interest in this disease. This has resulted in a plethora of articles concerning its molecular biology, but the tumor suppressor gene, p27, has received little attention. In this article, we review the literature concerning the role of p27 in Barrett's esophagus and its malignant transformation, and we evaluate its possible role as an important clinical biomarker, as well as potential chemopreventive clinical agents aimed at substituting its antitumoral activity.
It's Not Always Just About the Grade: Exploring the Achievement Goal Orientations of Pre-Med Students

This qualitative study investigated the achievement goal orientations of a group of all male pre-med students attending a small, urban undergraduate college. Semi-structured interviews examined under what circumstances students adopted extrinsic goals, mastery goals, or a mixture of the two. Findings indicated that while nearly all students possessed an underlying or baseline extrinsic goal orientation, a sizable number of students (32%) were primarily mastery oriented and only a small percent (13%) were primarily extrinsically oriented. A large number of students did not fit either category, with many best described as being mastery oriented within certain subject areas and extrinsically oriented within others. Furthermore, this study found that social comparison (performance) goals were rarely mentioned spontaneously by students. The study concluded that the goal orientations of many students could best be described as complicated and conflicted with students experiencing a strong tension between a desi...
Dy-doped chlorides as gain media for 1.3 /spl mu/m telecommunications amplifiers

We propose that Dy/sup 3+/-doped chloride crystals be considered as candidates for amplification of the 1.3 /spl mu/m signal used by the telecommunications network. While several of these types of crystals can provide gain at the specified operating wavelength of 1.31 /spl mu/m, and furthermore offer adequate bandwidth, we have focused our attention on LaCl/sub 3/:Dy as an illustrative case to explore in greater depth. Spectroscopic measurements were made on un-oriented samples of this material; excited-state lifetimes and LaCl/sub 3/:Dy/sup 3+/ Judd-Ofelt parameters are reported. Wavelength-resolved absorption and emission cross sections are presented for the 1.3 /spl mu/m W/spl rlhar2/Z band. Pump-probe measurements (using 0.92 /spl mu/m and 1.32 /spl mu/m, respectively) prove that the observed gain properties of LaCl/sub 3/:Dy are consistent with those predicted on the basis of the spectroscopic cross sections. The Dy:chloride gain media appear to have fundamental optical characteristics amenable to superior 1.3 /spl mu/m telecom amplifier performance, although many fabrication issues would have to be addressed to produce a practical amplifier.
CT-on-rails-guided HDR brachytherapy: single-room, rapid-workflow treatment delivery with integrated image guidance.

ABSTRACT: Brachytherapy is an important component of multidisciplinary cancer care for a variety of solid tumors. Most systems require moving the patient to multiple locations for treatment planning and delivery after the applicator is placed. A dedicated computed tomography (CT)-on-rails brachytherapy suite was installed at our institution to allow image-guided brachytherapy and a rapid scan–plan–treat workflow that is well suited to a busy quaternary care medical center. The suite consists of an OR couch with CT-compatible insert, a CT-on-rails imaging unit, a Varian Varisource iX HDR afterloader and full anesthesia capabilities. The explicit goal was to provide the ability to perform applicator placement, CT-guided treatment planning, and treatment delivery efficiently and without moving the patient. The dedicated CT-on-rails suite for high-dose-rate brachytherapy offers image-guided brachytherapy capabilities with a rapid workflow that lends itself well to efficient, high-quality care that can meet t...
Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy: The Cases of Ukraine and Egypt

1. Introduction 2. Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy: The Search for an Analytical Framework 3. Rhetoric and Tools: The Genesis of EU Human Rights and Democracy Policies 4. Reluctant Engagement: EU Foreign Policy towards Ukraine 5. Implementing Human Rights and Democracy: Press Freedom in Ukraine 6. Implementing Human Rights and Democracy: Elections in Ukraine and the Orange Revolution 7. Searching for an EU Policy towards Egypt 8. Implementing Human Rights and Democracy: Torture in Egypt 9. Implementing Human Rights and Democracy: Elections in Egypt 10. Conclusions
Pulse broadening induced by dispersion fluctuations in optical fibers

A general theory is presented to describe the effects of dispersion fluctuations on optical pulses propagating inside single-mode fibers modeled as a linear dispersive medium. It is shown that the pulse broadening induced by dispersion fluctuations can be quite large in dispersion-managed lightwave systems, especially at high bit rates, and can exceed that induced by third-order dispersion and polarization mode dispersion.