cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Design Considerations for Resistive Impedance-Based Flow Cytometry

Recent developments in impedance-based flow cytometry have shown it to be a promising alternative to conventional optical approaches for point-of-care (POC) applications. While analysis tools such as finite element analysis provide unique insight for designers of such systems, they provide limited utility for system-level design and are computationally prohibitive for large design space explorations. In this work, an electrical model is presented for resistive impedance-based cytometry to inform system-level design choices such as bandwidth requirements and to provide a flexible way of simulating particle transits for arbitrary arrangements of particles and electrodes. The model is validated using measured results from a microfluidic flow cell.
Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Experiences Among Low-Income Women in the US: A Qualitative Evaluation

Objectives Positive experiences with breastfeeding counseling is a key, but often overlooked aspect of high-quality, person-centered, and equitable breastfeeding services. We explored the experiences of women enrolled in the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program (BHP), an evidence-based breastfeeding peer counseling program serving predominately low-income minority women in Connecticut and Massachusetts throughout pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.
Vision & Enterprise : Exploring the History of Phelps Dodge Corporation

Phelps Dodge Corporation has shaped the landscape of America from the industrial revolution to the information technology revolution. A name synonymous with copper, Phelps Dodge has grown from a cotton and metal trading firm founded in 1834 to its present position as the world's largest publicly traded copper company. Carlos Schwantes has written a sweeping corporate history of Phelps Dodge. Using landscape as an organizing concept to underscore the company's impact and accomplishments, he offers a close look at this corporate giant within the context of American technological and social history. In tracing the progress of Phelps Dodge through its 165-year history, Schwantes takes readers from the streets of Bisbee, Arizona, to the boardrooms of New York and Phoenix in order to examine the impact the company has had on the many landscapes in which it figures so prominently. Considering factors ranging from the environment to labor, he examines how Phelps Dodge has influenced, and has been influenced by, such forces as the global economy, technological innovation, urban growth, and social change. Exhaustively researched and profusely illustrated with over 200 photographs, Vision and Enterprise makes a unique contribution to the history of the United States and the evolution of industry by considering the changing face of labor, the environment, and technology from one dynamic company's point of view.
Diffuse Small Lymphocytic or Plasmacytic B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Plasmacytic B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma contains multiple subgroups, and has been reported to occur more often in agricultural settings. Inherited chromosomal abnormalities are sometimes associated with this low-grade form of lymphoma and its causes are unknown. This variety of non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs somewhat more frequently among men than women, and occurs with roughly equal frequency among residents of Los Angeles County and other regions of North America and Europe. Whites are at higher risk in comparison with the members of other racial/ethnicity groups. These malignancies are more common among those of a higher social class. They have decreased in frequency over time, both in the county as a whole and among the residents of high-risk census tracts. The reasons for the higher incidence among whites of a higher social class and the decrease over time are unknown. No systematic pattern of geographical occurrence is apparent, and therefore speculation about local sources of causation is precluded.
Groupwise registration with sharp mean

Groupwise registration has received more and more attention in the area of medical image analysis, due to its importance in analysis of population data. One popular way for groupwise registration is to alternatively estimate the group mean image and register all subject images to the estimated group mean. However, for achieving better registration performance, it is important to always keep the sharpness of the group mean image during the registration, which has not been well investigated yet in the literature. To achieve this, we propose to treat each aligned subject, as well as its anatomical regions, differently when constructing the group mean image. Specifically, we propose a new objective function to generalize the conventional groupwise registration method by using a dynamic weighting strategy to weight adaptively across subjects and spatial regions, to construct a sharp group mean image in each stage of registration. By integrating this strategy into diffeomorphic demons algorithm, the performance of our groupwise registration can be significantly improved, compared to the conventional groupwise registration method that starts with a fuzzy group mean image.
Improving Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasting With Theoretically-Based Statistical Models

Abstract : The goal of this research is to improve tropical cyclone intensity prediction through a theoretical study of the hurricane inner core (i.e., within 100-km), the role of ocean structure on hurricane intensity, and the incorporation of those results in a simplified intensity prediction system. The intensity prediction system will be tested in an operational framework in the western North Pacific and provided to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) for evaluation. The intensity model is based on the statistical-dynamical logistic growth equation model (LGEM), which has generally been the most accurate operational intensity model in the Atlantic basin during the last several hurricane seasons.
“What Is Life?” Revisited

The question “What is life?” was proposed as “An activity to convey the complexities of this simple question” by Prud’homme-Genereux (2013). As supplementary material to the activity in that ABT article, I suggested, in a letter to ABT , some examples of physical/chemical systems that appear to have some of the features of living organisms (Stansfield, 2013). Since then, a group of …
Autonomy, Participation, and Learning in Argentine Schools : Findings and Their Implications for Decentralization

According to a theoretical model, school autonomy and parental participation in schools, can increase student learning through separate channels. Greater school autonomy increases the rent that can be distributed among stakeholders in the school, while institutions for parental participation (such as school board) empower parents to command a larger share of this surplus - for example, through student learning. Using a rich cross-sectional data set from Argentine schools (sixth and seventh grades), the authors find that autonomy, and participation raise student test scores for a given level of inputs, in a multiplicative way, consistent with the model. Autonomy has a direct effect on learning (but not for very low levels of participation), while participation affects learning only through the mediation of the effect of autonomy. The results are robust to a variety of robustness checks, and for sub-samples of children from poor households, children of uneducated mothers, schools with low mean family wealth, and public schools. It is possible that autonomy, and participation are endogenously determined, and that this biases the results - the data available do not allow this to be ruled out with certainty. Plausible predicators of autonomy, and participation are also plausible predicators of test scores, and they fail tests for the over-identifying restrictions. Heuristically argued, however, the potential for correlation with unobserved variables may be limited: the data set is rich in observed variables, and autonomy and participation show very low correlation with observed variables. Subject to these caveats, the results may be relevant to decentralization in two ways. First, as decentralization moves responsibility from the central, toward the provincial or local government, the results should be directly relevant if the decentralization increases autonomy, and participation in schools. Second, if the results are interpreted as representing a more general effect of moving decision-making toward users, and the local community, the results are relevant even if little happens to autonomy, and participation in schools. More important, perhaps, the authors illustrate empirically the importance of knowing who is empowered when higher levels of government loosen control.
A direct digitizing seismograph

abstract A seismograph is described in which capacitance transducers on either side of the inertial reactor determine the frequencies of two Clapp oscillators. The oscillators are heterodyned and the resulting frequency, varying between 10 kc and 100 kc, is detected by a frequency or period counter and an analog output. The latter drives a self-balancing potentiometer through a cathode follower and an adjustable twin-T filter. It also drives a circuit with a very long time constant which keeps the boom centered through a coil and magnet transducer. The electronic noise corresponds to a boom displacement of less than 1.25 m μ . The sensitivity is about 400 cps per micron. The dynamic range is about 100 db at constant resolution. The digital output is temporarily in the form of printed or punched tape. A special magnetic tape recorder is being built.
Urban transport : can public-private partnerships work?

Cities exist, grow, and prosper because they take advantage of scale economies and specialization wrought by agglomeration. But output growth inevitably stresses transport infrastructure because production requires space and mobility. To prevent congestion from crowding out agglomeration benefits and to expand the supply of urban land, cities must invest in transport infrastructure. Yet balancing the growing demand for infrastructure with its supply is often difficult. In particular, many cities lack the funding to maintain and expand streets and urban highways. Also problematic is that roads are managed like a social service rather than subjected to market discipline. This leads to the central question of this chapter: Can public-private partnerships (PPPs) deal with these problems better than conventional public provision and ensure proper maintenance, timely expansion, and less congestion? And if so, how? To answer these questions, the paper examines what PPPs can do and what they need to work, focusing in particular on the role of institutions. This is followed by an investigation of common PPP pitfalls and the ways in which they can be avoided. The paper concludes with a case study of a successful transportation PPP in Chile that emphasizes the importance of planning.
Demographic and clinical variables affecting mid‐ to late‐life trajectories of plasma ceramide and dihydroceramide species

It has been increasingly recognized at the basic science level that perturbations in ceramide metabolism are associated with the development and progression of many age‐related diseases. However, the translation of this work to the clinic has lagged behind. Understanding the factors longitudinally associated with plasma ceramides and dihydroceramides (DHCer) at the population level and how these lipid levels change with age, and by sex, is important for the clinical development of future therapeutics and biomarkers focused on ceramide metabolism. We, therefore, examined factors cross‐sectionally and longitudinally associated with plasma concentrations of ceramides and DHCer among Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants (n = 992; 3960 total samples), aged 55 years and older, with plasma at a mean of 4.1 visits (range 2–6). Quantitative analyses were performed on a high‐performance liquid chromatography‐coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationships between plasma ceramide and DHCer species and demographics, diseases, medications, and lifestyle factors. Women had higher plasma concentrations of most ceramide and DHCer species and showed steeper trajectories of age‐related increases compared to men. Ceramides and DHCer were more associated with waist–hip ratio than body mass index. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, prediabetes, and diabetes were associated with ceramides and DHCer, but the relationship showed specificity to the acyl chain length and saturation. These results demonstrate the importance of examining the individual species of ceramides and DHCer, and of establishing whether intra‐individual age‐ and sex‐specific changes occur in synchrony to disease onset and progression.
The relation of short-range order to the deformation behaviour of copper-rich copper-aluminium alloys

Abstract The relation of short-range order to the deformation behaviour of copper-aluminium alloys containing nominally 6, 11 and 15 at. % aluminium was investigated by x-ray diffraction, resistivity measurements and tensile tests. X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the short-range order in these alloys. Resistivity changes served as a measure of changes in the short-range order resulting from different heat treatments. The deformation behaviour of single crystal specimens was investigated by means of tensile tests. The yield drop of quenched single crystals showed a high degree of correlation with the short-range order; a reduction in the order before deformation was associated with a reduction in the yield drop. Changes in the short-range order had no measurable effect on the deformation behaviour beyond the yield drop. The stress required to reduce the short-range order by slip (Fisher stress) appears to be closely associated with the dislocation pinning resulting from short-range order.
Brain magnetic resonance imaging in suspected extrapyramidal cerebral palsy: Observations in distinguishing genetic-metabolic from acquired causes

Experienced clinicians recognize that some children who appear to have static cerebral palsy (CP) actually have underlying genetic-metabolic disorders. We report a series of patients with motor disorders seen in children with extrapyramidal CP in whom brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities provided important diagnostic clues in distinguishing genetic-metabolic disorders from other causes. One cause of static extrapyramidal CP, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at the end of a term gestation, produces a characteristic pattern of hyperintense signal and atrophy in the putamen and thalamus. Other signal abnormalities and atrophy in the putamen, globus pallidus, or caudate can point to genetic-metabolic diseases, including disorders of mitochondrial and organic acid metabolism. Progress in understanding and treating genetic diseases of the developing brain makes it essential to diagnose disorders that masquerade as static CP. Brain magnetic resonance imaging is a useful diagnostic tool in the initial evaluation of children who appear to have CP.
Characterization of phosphopeptides from protein digests using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and nanoelectrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A two-step mass spectrometric method for characterization of phosphopeptides from peptide mixtures is presented. In the first step, phosphopeptide candidates were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) based on their higher relative intensities in negative ion MALDI spectra than in positive ion MALDI spectra. The detection limit for this step was found to be 18 femtomoles or lower in the case of unfractionated in-solution digests of a model phosphoprotein, β-casein. In the second step, nanoelectrospray tandem mass (nES-MS/MS) spectra of doubly or triply charged precursor ions of these candidate phosphopeptides were obtained using a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. This step provided information about the phosphorylated residues, and ruled out nonphosphorylated candidates, for these peptides. After [32P] labeling and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) to simplify the mixtures and to monitor the efficiency of phosphopeptide identification, we used this method to identify multiple autophosphorylation sites on the PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), a recently discovered mammalian stress-response protein. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Confidence interval estimation of P(Y<X) in the gamma case

This paper is concerned with the problem of interval estimation of R = P(Y<X) when X and Y are independent gamma random variables. We compare ten different confidence interval estimators. An important thrust of this paper is to employ bootstrapping methodology to address the problem of robustness with respect to the shape parameters of the gamma distributions. We believe that bootstrapping provides a powerful methodology for studying these problems. Seven of the ten confidence interval estimators considered are based on bootstrapping. Simulation results are presented and discussed, with robustness recommendations.
Strontium-calcium ratios in Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera

The SrCa ratio and other parameters have been measured in fossil planktonic foraminifera from the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins in order to evaluate the SrCa ratio of seawater during the last 75 million years. Results on well-preserved samples indicate that the ratio has increased to its present value by 10–15% during the Cenozoic, and that minima occurred between 55-45 Ma and 10-5 Ma, when the ratio was 15–25% less than at present. The long-term increase may reflect either decreasing deposition of aragonite with a high SrCa ratio in shallow seas, or decreasing seafloor spreading rates and consequently decreasing hydrothermal supply of Ca during the Cenozoic. Other geologic evidence suggests that the Eocene minimum (near 50 Ma) may have resulted from increased aragonite sedimentation, while the Late Miocene minimum (between 10-5 Ma) may have been caused by an increased rate of seawater-basalt exchange when seafloor spreading rates increased on the East Pacific Rise near 10 Ma.
Evaluative comparisons of distributions of a social variable: Basic issues and criteria

A distribution of a social variable over a population is a function that assigns a level or value of the variable to each person in the population. Evaluative comparisons of distributions of the variable occur when some distributions are judged to be more conducive to social well being than others, or when some distributions are judged to be better than others from the viewpoint of an individual. The meaningfulness of social and individual preference/value judgments for a social variable in isolation from other aspects of a social system is discussed from a systems perspective. Granting the independence conditions that give meaning to such judgments, criteria that relate social preferences to the preferences of the individuals in the population are examined. Aspects of the social ordering relations that arise from these criteria are discussed along with the compatibility or incompatibility of various criteria.
Detection and analysis of drive-by-download attacks and malicious JavaScript code

JavaScript is a browser scripting language that allows developers to create sophisticated client-side interfaces for web applications. However, JavaScript code is also used to carry out attacks against the user's browser and its extensions. These attacks usually result in the download of additional malware that takes complete control of the victim's platform, and are, therefore, called "drive-by downloads." Unfortunately, the dynamic nature of the JavaScript language and its tight integration with the browser make it difficult to detect and block malicious JavaScript code.This paper presents a novel approach to the detection and analysis of malicious JavaScript code. Our approach combines anomaly detection with emulation to automatically identify malicious JavaScript code and to support its analysis. We developed a system that uses a number of features and machine-learning techniques to establish the characteristics of normal JavaScript code. Then, during detection, the system is able to identify anomalous JavaScript code by emulating its behavior and comparing it to the established profiles. In addition to identifying malicious code, the system is able to support the analysis of obfuscated code and to generate detection signatures for signature-based systems. The system has been made publicly available and has been used by thousands of analysts.
Splenic torsion presenting as a twisted hemorrhagic ovarian cyst

Torsion of a wandering spleen is rare, usually presenting as an acute abdomen and commonly misdiagnosed. In our case, a 14-year-old girl was diagnosed preoperatively as having a twisted hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. On laparotomy, an infarcted spleen that was twisted on its pedicle was found in the lower abdomen. The patient recovered uneventfully. The clinical spectrum of wandering spleen is discussed briefly.
Does the number of forceps deliveries performed in residency predict use in practice

Objective We aimed to determine whether a threshold number of forceps deliveries in residency predicts use of forceps in independent practice. Study Design We surveyed obstetrics and gynecology residency graduates of 2 academic programs from 2008 through 2012 regarding the use of operative vaginal delivery in practice. At these programs, residents are trained in both forceps and vacuums. Individual case log data were obtained with the number of forceps deliveries performed by each respondent during residency. Respondents were grouped as currently using any forceps or vacuums alone. A logistic regression model estimated the probability of forceps use, predicted by the number of residency forceps deliveries. From the resulting receiver-operating characteristic curve, we assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and area under the curve. Results The response rate was 85% (n = 58) and 90% (n = 52) practice obstetrics. Seventy-nine percent (n = 41) use forceps in practice. The mean number of forceps performed during residency was 22.3 ± 1.3 (mean ± SE) in the any-forceps group and 18.5 ± 2.1 in the vacuums-only group ( P = .14). Although the model performed only moderately (area under the curve, 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42–0.81), more than 13 residency forceps deliveries corresponded to a 95% sensitivity (95% CI, 84–99) and a positive predictive value of 83% (95% CI, 69–92) for using forceps in practice. The specificity of this threshold is 27% (95% CI, 6–61). Conclusion Although exceeding 13 forceps deliveries made it highly likely that obstetricians would use them in practice, further study is necessary to set goals for a number of resident forceps deliveries that translate into use in practice.
Finite outer scale considerations for beam-steering optimization

Finite turbulence outer scale attenuates turbulence power at low spatial frequencies, providing a finite variance for turbulence-induced phase. The temporal properties of low spatial-frequency aberrations such as tilt are affected directly by finite outer scale turbulence models. When optical estimation techniques are used in beam-steering applications, the estimator form and its performance are related directly to the correlative properties of tilt and higher-order modes as determined by the value of Lo/D. In this work, we consider the effect of finite turbulence outer scale on the performance of optical tilt compensation incorporating time-delayed tilt plus higher-order modes. The results indicate that while smaller values of Lo/D provide for higher Strehl ratios after tilt compensation, the Strehl ratio gain obtained through optimal compensation is reduced with decreasing values of Lo/D. For the relative aperture diameter D/r0 equals 5 and using time-delayed tilt plus higher-order modes through Zernike 15, the Strehl ratio gain with time delay vr/D equals 0.5 is approximately 15 for L0D equals 100. Under the same conditions, the Strehl ratio gain for L0D equals 2 is approximately 3.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The PML gene is linked to a megabase-scale insertion/deletion restriction fragment length polymorphism

The PML gene located on chromosome band 15q22 is involved with the RAR alpha locus (17q21) in a balanced reciprocal translocation uniquely observed in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Physical mapping studies by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the PML gene is flanked by two CpG islands that are separated by a variable distance in normal individuals. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that this is the consequence of a large insertion/deletion polymorphism linked to the PML locus: (1) overlapping fragments obtained with a variety of rare-cutting restriction enzymes demonstrated the same variability in distance between the flanking CpG islands; (2) mapping with restriction enzymes insensitive to CpG methylation confirmed that the findings were not a consequence of variable methylation of CpG dinucleotides; (3) the polymorphism followed a Mendelian inheritance pattern. This polymorphism is localized 3' to the PML locus. There are five common alleles, described on the basis of BssHII fragments, ranging from 220 to 350 kb with increments of approximately 30 kb between alleles. Both heterozygous (61%) and homozygous (39%) patterns were observed in normal individuals. Megabase-scale insertion/deletion restriction fragment length polymorphisms are very rare and have been described initially in the context of multigene families. Such structures have been also reported as likely regions of genetic instability. High-resolution restriction mapping of this particular structure linked to the PML locus is underway.
Hydrodynamic modeling of particle rotation for segregation in bubbling gas-fluidized beds

A multi-fluid Eulerian model has been improved by incorporating particle rotation using kinetic theory for rapid granular flow of slightly frictional spheres. A simplified model was implemented without changing the current kinetic theory framework by introducing an effective coefficient of restitution to account for additional energy dissipation due to frictional collisions. Simulations without and with particle rotation were performed to study the bubble dynamics and bed expansion in a monodispersed bubbling gas-fluidized bed and the segregation phenomena in a bidispersed bubbling gas-fluidized bed. Results were compared between simulations without and with particle rotation and with corresponding experimental results. It was found that the multi-fluid model with particle rotation better captures the bubble dynamics and time-averaged bed behavior. The model predictions of segregation percentages agreed with experimental data in the fluidization regime where kinetic theory is valid to describe segregation and mixing.
Crystal Engineering of the Composition of Pharmaceutical Phases: Multiple-Component Crystalline Solids Involving Carbamazepine

The crystal engineering design strategy facilitates supramolecular synthesis of 13 new crystalline phases of carbamazepine (CBZ), an analgesic and anticonvulsant with known problems related to solubility and polymorphism. CBZ forms supramolecular complexes with the following molecules, all of which are complementary to CBZ in terms of hydrogen bonding and can therefore act as cocrystal formers: acetone (1a); DMSO (1b); benzoquinone (1c); terephthalaldehyde (1d); saccharin (1e); nicotinamide (1f); acetic acid (1g); formic acid (1h); butyric acid (1i); trimesic acid (1j); 5-nitroisophthalic acid (1k); adamantane-1,3,5,7-tetracarboxylic acid (1l); and formamide (1m). Two distinct strategies based upon selection of complementary hydrogen-bond functionalities and previously known supramolecular synthons were utilized: strategy I exploits the exofunctional nature of the carboxamide dimer as either a hydrogen-bond donor or a hydrogen-bond acceptor and thereby retains the carboxamide dimer that is present in al...
Digitally synthesized power calibration source

A digitally synthesized source of “phantom” power for calibrating electrical power and energy meters is described. Independent sources of voltage, current, and phase angle are programmable between 0 and 240 V, 0 and 5 A, and 0 and 360 deg, respectively. The accuracy of the active and reactive power is estimated to be within ±100 ppm of the full-scale apparent power (volt-amperes).
Host preference: parasitism, emergence and development of Trissolcus semistriatus (Hym., Scelonidae) in various host eggs

Trissolcus semistriatus is an important egg parasitoid of the sunn bug, Eurygaster integriceps. Conservation and the supportive augmentation of populations of egg parasitoids appears to offer high potential for the biological control of sunn bug in an integrated pest management system. The present study was conducted to determine the host preference of T. semistriatus on various heteropteran host eggs. When each host species was examined separately, the eggs of E. integriceps, Dolycoris baccarum, Graphosoma lineatum, Carpocoris pudicus and Holcostethus vernalis, were parasitized at high levels, namely 88.0, 83.6, 94.8, 87.3 and 80.8%, respectively, whereas a smaller portion of Eurydema ornatum eggs were parasitized (24.0%). There was no parasitism in Nezara viridula eggs by T. semistriatus. Similar high rates were recorded for the percentage of adult emergence in each host species, with the exception of E. ornatum. The average development time was shorter for males than for females. The average development period for both male and female was significantly longer in eggs of E. ornatum than in those of the other host species. These results and observations recorded during the experiments showed that G. lineatum and D. baccarum were available, cheap hosts and it was demonstrated that these hosts could be used for the mass production of egg parasitoids.
Update on laser usage in treatment of decorative tattoos

This report updates our most recent series of 60 tattoos treated in 1980 and followed for at least 12 months. An initial rate of hypertrophic scarring of 35% at 3 months eventuated in 23% after 1 year. Factors such as sex, complexion, and body location were correlated to scars and hypopigmentation. Over 50% excellent to good results were achieved overall in this series.
Haloaldehyde polymers. XXIII: Thermal and mechanical properties of chloral polymers

Samples of chloral homopolymers and copolymers with aromatic isocyanates of high chloral content were prepared by cryotachensic polymerization as films of 0.1 to 5 mm thickness. Thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of these polymers were measured. Polychloral is unlike most other linear polymers as it does not show any melting or glass transition below 220°C, at which temperature the polymer starts to degrade by depolymerization to monomer. The polymer is of moderate crystallinity and shows properties characteristic of engineering plastics.
Recent advances in the hearing assessment of children.

The remarkable specificity and sensitivity of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in identifying cochlear dysfunction, and the speed and objectivity with which the test can be conducted has made the OAE procedure the ‘standard-of-care’ in pediatric audiology assessment. Together with the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), the OAE procedure not only separates sensory from neural impairment, but also facilitates early audiologic diagnosis and management. This article describes some unique applications of the OAE procedure in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of auditory dysfunction.
A Strategic Analysis of Product Recalls: The Role of Moral Degradation and Organizational Control

abstract Although product recalls are neither new nor unique to China, China bears much of the bitter criticism from the media and negative reactions from the public. This essay discusses the reasons behind recalls from a moral degradation perspective, grounded in the larger framework of anomie theory. While making remarkable economic progress, China is also moving toward a society with degraded moral standards. This moral degradation propels illicit and immoral business practices. This essay further presents an analysis of recall from the organizational control perspective, tackling the issue of how safety and quality problems damage a firm's long-term corporate credibility, legitimacy, trust and governance in a competitive environment. Strategic repercussions of recalls include impairing capability building, organizational learning and resource allocation. The essay ends with a call for action by the Chinese government, firms and management researchers to address and further understand this complex issue.
Chemical versus Mechanical Perturbations on the Protonation State of Arginine in Complex Lipid Membranes: Insights from Microscopic pKa Calculations

Charged amino acids such as Arginine play important roles in many membrane-mediated biological processes such as voltage gating of ion channels and membrane translocation of cell penetration peptides. It is well established that local membrane deformation and formation of water defects are crucial to the stabilization of charged species in contact with the membrane, which suggests that mechanical properties of the membrane are relevant although a clear connection has not been established. As a quantitative measure, we study how changes in the composition and therefore mechanical properties of a lipid bilayer influence the pKa of Arg in the membrane center using free energy simulations. Compared to previous studies in a single-component lipid bilayer containing saturated lipids or lipids with a modest degree of unsaturation, substantially larger pKa shifts are observed in the presence of highly unsaturated lipid tails and cholesterol. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms for the pKa perturbation are distinct in different systems, with the unsaturated lipid tails mainly destabilizing the charged state of Arg and the cholesterol stabilizing the neutral state of Arg. The observed behaviors in both cases are at odds with predictions based on mechanical considerations at a mesoscopic level—highlighting that, while mechanical considerations are useful for stimulating hypothesis, their applicability to dissecting phenomena at the molecular-length scale is rather limited.
Hypertext and pluralism: from lineal to non-lineal thinking

One goal of American and Northern European higher education is to promote acquisition of a pluralistic cognitive style, which has as an important property— non-lineality. This paper investigates the effects of using of an advanced hypertext/hypermedia system, Intermedia, to develop instructional materials for two university courses in English and Biology intended to promote acquisition of non-lineal thinking. Use of Intermedia is shown to produce significant learning effects, which are somewhat more pronounced for persons involved in developing materials than for students using the system.
Are Argumentative People Better or Worse at Seeing Both Sides

This study investigated the relationship between argumentativeness and perspective taking in interpersonal conflicts. Previous research suggests that those high in argumentativeness may be more open-minded and able to see both sides of an argument than those low in argumentativeness. However, their chronic motivation to argue may lead them to respond less evenhandedly to arguments in which they possess a strong personal preference. Participants high and low in argumentativeness responded open-endedly to two conflicts differing in degree of personal preference. High argumentatives were more evenhanded in the low-preference conflict than were low argumentatives, but less evenhanded in the high-preference conflict. Results highlight the importance of underlying preferences and motivations in perspective taking, as well as the importance of underlying mechanisms for predicting situation–personality interactions.
Heinrich Klüver and the temporal lobe syndrome

Heinrich Kluver and Paul Bucy described a constellation of symptoms in monkeys following large resections of the temporal lobe that they termed the "temporal lobe syndrome"; now commonly referred to as the Kluver-Bucy syndrome. The aim of this paper is threefold: (1) to review Heinrich Kluver's behavioral studies on monkeys that led up to his temporal lobe experiments with Paul Bucy; (2) to understand why Brown and Schafer dismissed the behavioral changes in temporal lobe monkeys they had observed fifty years prior to the studies of Kluver and Bucy; and (3) to show that Kluver's phenomenologically motivated conceptual paradigm helped to unify both neuropsychological and neuroanatomical theories regarding the visual and emotive functions of the non-human primate temporal lobe.
The effect of pressure on the mechanical properties of polymers. IV: Measurements in torsion

Stress relaxation was studied in torsion under superposed hydrostatic pressure using a newly constructed device. Two materials, a styrene–butadiene rubber and a butadiene rubber, were studied in the range from −60 to 30°C at pressures up to 500 MPa. The time–temperature–pressure superposition of the data can be described by the FMT form of the free-volume theory which uses input from relaxation experiments at high pressure. The applicability of the Havlicek–Ilavský–Hrouz form of the Adam–Gibbs theory was also examined. This theory, which does not require information from high-pressure relaxation experiments, offers less flexibility than the FMT theory and is less successful in predicting superposition. The data are also examined in light of an adaptation of the Simha–Somcynsky equation of state to the free-volume theory. Prediction of the effect of pressure by the theory requires a single adjustable parameter. It was possible to calculate the free-volume parameters of several polymers without use of information from high-pressure experiments.
Parallel algorithms for merging and sorting

We present an O(log(min(m,n,j))-time sequential algorithm to select the jth-smallest element of an array resulting from the merging of two sorted arrays A and B of sizes m and n. This algorithm is then used to design two parallel algorithms to partition A and B into p subarrays of size O((m + n)p) in O(Np + log N) and O(Np + log p log N) times on crew pram and erew pram models with p processors, where N = m + n. A third parallel algorithm has been presented that partitions A and B in O(Np + log p log N) time into p pairs of subarrays of size O(Np) on erew pram with p processors without using any selection algorithm. Finally, these partitioning algorithms are used to obtain optimal parallel merging and sorting algorithms on crew prams and erew prams.
Fabrication and optical properties of single-crystal YAG fiber optics

Single-crystal (SC) fiber optics have been grown for many years for use as passive fibers for the delivery of IR laser radiation and as active fibers useful as minirod lasers. By analogy with doped-YAG, bulk laser crystals it is expected that pure YAG SC fibers would be capable of transmitting extremely high laser energies. In this study we report on the growth of SC yttrium aluminum garnet, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), fibers from undoped SC YAG source rods using the Laser Heated Pedestal Growth (LHPG) technique. The YAG transmits IR wavelengths up to approximately 4 μm which is a little beyond the transmission range for SC sapphire fibers. The garnet family of crystals is one of the most commonly used oxide crystal hosts for lasing ions in high power solid-state lasers, with the most commercially common laser host being YAG. The optical losses for 400-μm diameter YAG fibers have been measured to be about 1 dB/m at 2.94 μm. The longest length of YAG fiber grown has been about 65 cm.
A phase I study of vorinostat in combination with bortezomib in patients with advanced malignancies

Background A phase I study to assess the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), pharmacokinetics (PK) and antitumor activity of vorinostat in combination with bortezomib in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods Patients received vorinostat orally once daily on days 1–14 and bortezomib intravenously on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of a 21-day cycle. Starting dose (level 1) was vorinostat (400 mg) and bortezomib (0.7 mg/m2). Bortezomib dosing was increased using a standard phase I dose-escalation schema. PKs were evaluated during cycle 1. Results Twenty-three patients received 57 cycles of treatment on four dose levels ranging from bortezomib 0.7 mg/m2 to 1.5 mg/m2. The MTD was established at vorinostat 400 mg daily and bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2. DLTs consisted of grade 3 fatigue in three patients (1 mg/m2,1.3 mg/m2 and 1.5 mg/m2) and grade 3 hyponatremia in one patient (1.5 mg/m2). The most common grade 1/2 toxicities included nausea (60.9 %), fatigue (34.8 %), diaphoresis (34.8 %), anorexia (30.4 %) and constipation (26.1 %). Objective partial responses were observed in one patient with NSCLC and in one patient with treatment-refractory soft tissue sarcoma. Bortezomib did not affect the PKs of vorinostat; however, the Cmax and AUC of the acid metabolite were significantly increased on day 2 compared with day 1. Conclusions This combination was generally well-tolerated at doses that achieved clinical benefit. The MTD was established at vorinostat 400 mg daily × 14 days and bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of a 21-day cycle.
Nickel-niobium alloys obtained by picosecond pulsed laser quenching

Abstract NixNb100−x alloys were quenched from the melt by irradiation of a crystalline surface with a 30 ps Nd:YAG laser pulse with a fluence of about 1 J cm−2. The crystalline starting materials were multilayered films, prepared by d.c. sputtering from alternating elemental targets, with a layer repeat length of less than 30 A to ensure homogenization during the ~ 1 ns lifetime of the melt. For average compositions 40⩽ x ⩽ 79, the as-deposited films were amorphous, probably due to a solid state reaction during deposition, and the films still showed the X-ray peak corresponding to the composition modulation. For all other compositions, the as-deposited films were microcrystalline. The laser-quenched alloys in the range 23 ⩽ x ⩽ 82 were amorphous. This range exceeds that in which amorphous alloys have been prepared by other melt quenching techniques or by sputtering. Laser quenching resulted in glass formation even below the T0-line and at intermetallic compound compositions. In the range 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 18, homogeneous supersaturated b.c.c. solutions were formed. In the range 89 ⩽ x ⩽ 100, homogeneous supersaturated f.c.c. solutions containing many twins and stacking faults were formed.
The Involvement of Protein Phosphatases in the Activation of ICE/CED-3 Protease, Intracellular Acidification, DNA Digestion, and Apoptosis

Many events in apoptosis have been identified but their temporal relationships remain obscure. Apoptosis in human ML-1 cells induced by etoposide is characterized by intracellular acidification, enhanced Hoechst 33342 fluorescence, DNA digestion, chromatin condensation, and proteolysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. This proteolysis is a marker for the action of ICE/CED-3 proteases, which are critical activators of apoptosis. We observed that three serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitors, okadaic acid, calyculin A, and cantharidin, prevented all of these apoptotic characteristics. To determine which protein phosphatase was involved, we investigated the dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma susceptibility protein Rb, a substrate for protein phosphatase 1 but not protein phosphatase 2A. Rb was dephosphorylated during apoptosis, and each inhibitor prevented this dephosphorylation at the same concentrations that prevented apoptosis. No increase in protein phosphatase 1 activity was observed in apoptotic cells suggesting that dephosphorylation of Rb may result from loss of Rb kinase activity in the presence of a constant level of protein phosphatase activity. Long term inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 (>8 h) also led to the appearance of dephosphorylated Rb, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and apoptosis, suggesting these events are not solely dependent upon protein phosphatase 1. Rb dephosphorylation was also observed in several other models of apoptosis. Hence, an imbalance between protein phosphatase 1 and Rb kinase may be a common means to activate ICE/CED-3 proteases resulting in the subsequent events of apoptosis.
An Interest-Group Theory of Population Growth

This paper applies the interest-group theory of government to explain population growth. The main argument is that countries whose populations are more ethnically heterogeneous will tend to have higher fertility rates because there are more interest groups which compete for control of the political process of wealth redistribution. The theoretical model is supported by empirical evidence using data on 130 countries for 1980.
Magnetic interaction between rare-earth moments in high-temperature superconductors RBa2Cu3O7-x.

It is shown on the basis of a simple model that a modified Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction involving electrons at energies away from the Fermi level can stabilize the three-dimensional magnetic order of the rare-earth moments in R${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$, where R=Gd and possibly Sm, Dy. The interaction favors antiferromagnetism.
The role of cystoscopy before radical prostatectomy.

Objective To determine the role of pre-operative cystoscopy in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Patients and methods One hundred men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate were evaluated for coexisting bladder pathology from a retrospective review of their charts and records. Results Four of 100 men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer were found to have synchronous bladder tumours. Two of these had superficial low-grade transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), one had a poorly differentiated invasive TCC and the last was found to have an inverted papilloma during radical retropubic prostatectomy. The patient with invasive disease died before the initiation of definitive therapy. The other three men are free of disease 2 years after diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion Because of the low cost and minimal morbidity of pre-operative flexible cystoscopy, we recommend that this procedure be performed on the operating table before prostatectomy. In patients with gross or microscopic haematuria, a significant history of smoking, a prior history of urothelial malignancy or symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction, cystoscopy would be best performed before surgery in an out-patient setting.
Periodic solutions of nonlinear hyperbolic problems

Abstract We discuss two different approaches to study the problem of existence of periodic solutions of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations. These approaches are motivated by the recent results for existence of periodic solutions of systems of ordinary differential equations.
Ptinus hispaniolaensis, a new species of spider beetle (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from Hispaniola.

ABSTRACT A new species of Ptinus, collected in the Dominican Republic, is described and compared to the known West Indian fauna. The species is distinguished by the pronotum with 2 lateral spines and dorsally with 2 loose setal tufts medially on rounded protuberances, and an elytral setal pattern approximately in a triangular or heart-shaped outline. A checklist of the known West Indies Ptinidae (excluding the Anobiidae) is given.