cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zooplankton measurements using a conductance cell

The fact that plankton are near insulators relative to the ocean allows them to be counted and their volume and volume-to-length ratio determined by the use of a tubular conductance cell with ring electrodes spaced along it. The system described employs DC current in a tubular cell with three equally spaced potential electrodes, an I.D. of 3 to 5 mm. and a measuring zone length of 1 to 2 cm. Displacement of the potential of the central electrode relative to the other two by a plankton gives a characteristic shaped signal which can be distinguished from all spurious ones, and which contains information on size and length of the plankton and on towing speed. This information is transmitted to the deck readout system by a combination of time interval and digital coding.
Injectable silicone and the diabetic foot: a 25-year report

Abstract Between 1966 and 1989, 30 diabetic patients received fluid silicone injections as a subdermal soft tissue prosthesis for treatment of 39 insensitive foot ulcers and 16 painless plantar keratoses without prior ulceration. There was a history of prior keratoses at 38 of 39 ulcer sites, all but 3 of which were injected after healing. Each patient wore regular shoes postinjection. Significant findings were an absence of complications and a marked reduction of ulcer and keratosis recurrence. Histologic study of 18 autopsied skin specimens concluded that fluid silicone provides a relatively stable fibrosis and histiocytosis with prominent perivascular and perineural distribution. The fluid is not approved for human injection by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Effects of prostaglandins on cyclic AMP levels in isolated cells from developing chick limbs

Effects of prostaglandins (PGs) on accumulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor were investigated in cells isolated from avian limb buds at various stages of development. Cells were responsive to PGE2 at the earliest stage investigated (stage 20-21) which was well in advance of specific cytodifferentiation of limb tissues. At three later stages (24-25; 26-28; 30-32), the responsiveness of cells isolated from the developing skeletal anlagen of the limb progressively increased coincident with the differentiation and maturation of the cartilage phenotype. Cells isolated from stage 26-28 cartilage rods were responsive also to prostacyclin (PGI2); however, the response produced was only about 50% of the response to an equivalent concentration of PGE2. Cells were not responsive to either PGF2 alpha or 6-keto PGF1 alpha, at concentrations of 30-33 micrograms/ml demonstrating a degree of specificity for PGE2 and PGI2. In the absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, PGE2 increased cAMP accumulation two-fold over the controls and produced a concentration-dependent response between 0.3-30 micrograms/ml. The results demonstrate that PGs are capable of modulating cAMP levels of undifferentiated limb mesenchymal cells as well as embryonic cartilage cells and suggest a role for these compounds in limb chondrogenesis.
Digital libraries, value, and productivity

A digital library is popularly viewed an electronic version of a public library. But replacing paper by electronic storage leads to three major differences: storage in digital form, direct communication to obtain material, and copying from a master version. These differences in turn lead to a plethora of further differences, so that eventually the digital library no longer mimics the traditional library. Furthermore, a library is only element in the process of creating, storing, culling, accessing, selecting, and distributing information to customers. While the technical focus of digital library research is on the central functions of storage and access, major changes will occur in the interaction within the new systems.
A comparative study of the lipid composition of the brain of chicken and rat during myelination. A chromatographic and densitometric analysis

The lipid profiles of brain from 10- and 18-day-old chick embryo, 1-day-old chick, and adult chicken as well as of full-term fetus rat, 21-day-old male, young adult male, and pregnant female rats were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and densitometry. The emphasis was on the major glycolipids of brain during myelination (i.e., galactocyl diglyceride (GDG) normal fatty acid and hydroxyl fatty acid ceramide monohexosides (n-CMH, h-CMH, respectively)), and sulfatides (S) as well as the choline lipids sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidyl choline (PC) and the two species of phosphatidyl ethanolamine plasmalogen (PE1 and PE2).Ten-day-old chick embryo brain revealed a low concentration of glycolipids, which increased gradually during development, and reached the highest level in the adult chicken brain. Rat brain did not begin to show the presence of these glycolipids until 21 days old. In addition, PE (i.e., PE1 and PE2) was shown to be the only alkenyle phospholipid in all samples analyzed. PE2 was shown to c...
Prostate brachytherapy under local anesthesia; lessons from the first 600 patients.

Abstract Purpose: Local anesthesia for prostate brachytherapy was instituted at the Puget Sound Veterans Hospital in 1999, peforming the procedure in our own department without anesthesia personnel in attendance. Materials and Methods: The patient is brought into the simulator suite in the radiation oncology department, an i.v. line is started, a cardiac monitor attached, and a urinary catheter is inserted. He is then placed in the lithotomy position, using stirrups attached to the simulator table. A 6–8 cm patch of perineal skin and subcutaneous tissue is anesthetized by local infiltration of 1% lidocaine. The transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe is then inserted and positioned to reproduce the planning images. A 3.0 inch 22-gauge spinal needle is used to inject lidocaine up to the prostatic apex, in a pattern around the periphery of the prostate. Once the pelvic floor and prostatic apex are anesthetized, a 7.0-inch, 22-gauge spinal needle is inserted through an 18-gauge 3 inch spinal needle into the peripheral planned needle tracks, monitored by TRUS. As the needles are advanced to the prostatic base, about 1.0 cc of lidocaine solution is injected in the intraprostatic track. A total of 200 to 500 mg of lidocaine is used. Results: As of December 2000, more than 600 patients have received implants under local anesthesia at Seattle, WA. Patients tolerate brachytherapy under local anesthesia surprisingly well. Post-implant CT-defined target coverage has ranged from 80% to 95%, well within published criteria for technical adequacy. Patients' typical implant pain score is 3, on a scale of 0–10. After a series of patient acceptance quality studies, we have abandoned the routine use of sedation, and relied instead on local lidocaine infiltration alone. Conclusion: In addition to a high degree of patient satisfaction, performing implants under local anesthesia allows for phenomenal logistical efficiencies and cost advantages.
Formation of Polymeric Foams from Aqueous Foams Stabilized Using a Polymerizable Surfactant

Polymerization of foams formed by purging with nitrogen an aqueous precursor system made up of a polymerizable surfactant, a monomer, and a cross-linking agent yielded stable polymeric foams. The precursor system for foaming contained hydrophobic components (methyl methacrylate as monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linking agent) in water and was stabilized using the polymerizable surfactant potassium acrylamidostearate. The phase-behavior study for the precursor system was conducted followed by an investigation of the stability of the foams obtained on purging with nitrogen. Sonicating the precursor systems during the process of purging with nitrogen gas followed by polymerization resulted in aqueous foams having a uniform cell size. The aqueous foams were polymerized by a free-radical mechanism using photoinitiated and thermal techniques to form stable polymeric foams. The morphology and density of the polymeric foams obtained was determined and observed to be significantly dependent on the composition of the aqueous precursor that was foamed. These results indicate the feasibility of synthesizing polymeric foams without using hydrocarbon solvents or blowing agents during polymerization. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Process control concepts

Many technical phrases are used rather loosely today when the interplay between computers and processes is discussed. These phrases are defined and their intended meaning is made clear by examples. Described are the philosophy behind the use of computer control over a generalized process, the levels of sophistication in applying computer control, and the characteristics which make a process suitable for computer control. Several examples are given in detail to show the various ways in which justification for computer control has been established.
A 3D System for Culturing Human Articular Chondrocytes in Synovial Fluid

Cartilage destruction is a central pathological feature of osteoarthritis, a leading cause of disability in the US. Cartilage in the adult does not regenerate very efficiently in vivo; and as a result, osteoarthritis leads to irreversible cartilage loss and is accompanied by chronic pain and immobility 1,2. Cartilage tissue engineering offers promising potential to regenerate and restore tissue function. This technology typically involves seeding chondrocytes into natural or synthetic scaffolds and culturing the resulting 3D construct in a balanced medium over a period of time with a goal of engineering a biochemically and biomechanically mature tissue that can be transplanted into a defect site in vivo 3-6. Achieving an optimal condition for chondrocyte growth and matrix deposition is essential for the success of cartilage tissue engineering. In the native joint cavity, cartilage at the articular surface of the bone is bathed in synovial fluid. This clear and viscous fluid provides nutrients to the avascular articular cartilage and contains growth factors, cytokines and enzymes that are important for chondrocyte metabolism 7,8. Furthermore, synovial fluid facilitates low-friction movement between cartilaginous surfaces mainly through secreting two key components, hyaluronan and lubricin 9 10. In contrast, tissue engineered cartilage is most often cultured in artificial media. While these media are likely able to provide more defined conditions for studying chondrocyte metabolism, synovial fluid most accurately reflects the natural environment of which articular chondrocytes reside in. Indeed, synovial fluid has the advantage of being easy to obtain and store, and can often be regularly replenished by the body. Several groups have supplemented the culture medium with synovial fluid in growing human, bovine, rabbit and dog chondrocytes, but mostly used only low levels of synovial fluid (below 20%) 11-25. While chicken, horse and human chondrocytes have been cultured in the medium with higher percentage of synovial fluid, these culture systems were two-dimensional 26-28. Here we present our method of culturing human articular chondrocytes in a 3D system with a high percentage of synovial fluid (up to 100%) over a period of 21 days. In doing so, we overcame a major hurdle presented by the high viscosity of the synovial fluid. This system provides the possibility of studying human chondrocytes in synovial fluid in a 3D setting, which can be further combined with two other important factors (oxygen tension and mechanical loading) 29,30 that constitute the natural environment for cartilage to mimic the natural milieu for cartilage growth. Furthermore, This system may also be used for assaying synovial fluid activity on chondrocytes and provide a platform for developing cartilage regeneration technologies and therapeutic options for arthritis.
World Patterns of the Distribution of the Monthly Comfort Index

A previously developed Comfort Index based on subjective reactions of man was applied to the entire earth. It was calculated for every month. A preliminary attempt was made to show some of the aspects of the annual regime of the monthly Comfort Index. The maps presented do not generally conform to patterns established by climatic classifications which utilize non-physiological parameters.Amarked zonal character is apparent on the maps. The northern hemisphere Afro-Eurasian region exhibits greatest physioclimatic extremes. In contrast, areas associated with coolcurrent littorals and low latitude highlands show conditions most desirable to man.
Thermometry and Thermal Transport in Micro/Nanoscale Solid-State Devices and Structures

We review recent advances in experimental methods for high spatial-resolution and high time-resolution thermometry, and the application of these and related methods for measurements of thermal transport in low-dimensional structures. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) achieves lateral resolutions of 50 nm and a measurement bandwidth of 100 kHz: SThM has been used to characterize differences in energy dissipation in single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Picosecond thermoreflectance enables ultrahigh time-resolution in thermal diffusion experiments and characterization of heat flow across interfaces between materials; the thermal conductance G of interfaces between dissimilar materials spans a relatively small range, 20<G<200 MW m -2 K -1 near room temperature. Scanning thermoreflectance microscopy provides nanosecond time resolution and submicron lateral resolution needed for studies of heat transfer in microelectronic, optoelectronic and micromechanical systems. A fully-micromachined solid immersion lens has been demonstrated and achieves thermal-radiation imaging with lateral resolution at far below the diffraction limit, <2 μm. Microfabricated metal bridges using electrical resistance thermometry and joule heating give precise data for thermal conductivity of single crystal films, multilayer thin films, epitaxial superlattices, polycrystalline films, and interlayer dielectrics. The room temperature thermal conductivity of single crystal films of Si is strongly reduced for layer thickness below 100 nm. The through-thickness thermal conductivity of Si-Ge and GaAs-AlAs superlattices has recently been shown to be smaller than the conductivity of the corresponding alloy. The 3ω method has been recently extended to measurements of anisotropic conduction in polyimide and superlattices. Data for carbon nanotubes measured using micromachined and suspended heaters and thermometers indicate a conductivity near room temperature greater than diamond.
Mixing patterns in networks.

We study assortative mixing in networks, the tendency for vertices in networks to be connected to other vertices that are like (or unlike) them in some way. We consider mixing according to discrete characteristics such as language or race in social networks and scalar characteristics such as age. As a special example of the latter we consider mixing according to vertex degree, i.e., according to the number of connections vertices have to other vertices: do gregarious people tend to associate with other gregarious people? We propose a number of measures of assortative mixing appropriate to the various mixing types, and apply them to a variety of real-world networks, showing that assortative mixing is a pervasive phenomenon found in many networks. We also propose several models of assortatively mixed networks, both analytic ones based on generating function methods, and numerical ones based on Monte Carlo graph generation techniques. We use these models to probe the properties of networks as their level of assortativity is varied. In the particular case of mixing by degree, we find strong variation with assortativity in the connectivity of the network and in the resilience of the network to the removal of vertices.
The role of race in the Out-of-school suspensions of black students: The perspectives of students with suspensions, their parents and educators

The disproportionate out-of-school suspension of Black students is a persistent racial and social justice issue nationwide. We approached this issue sensitized by social construction and critical race theories. Thirty-one youth, 28 caregivers and 19 educators participated in in-depth, semi-structured audio recorded interviews. Most participants viewed racial bias and cultural differences as responsible for the disproportionate suspension of Black youth. Many highlighted educators' negative attitudes toward Black students. Students and caregivers argued that Black students are treated more harshly than White students and are targeted as disciplinary problems. These perspectives suggest that racial bias results in a school culture that pathologizes Black students and their families. Educators also described challenges to responding to student misbehavior including the cultural diversity of the Black student population and their disproportionate exposure to social problems such as poverty that impact school engagement. We discuss implications for how social workers may support the partnering of caregivers, educators and community members to reduce racial bias in schools.
Quasiparticle interference in temperature dependent-STM as a probe of superconducting coherence

Abstract In this proceeding we explore the behavior of the quasiparticle interference pattern (QPI) of scanning tunneling microscopy in moderately underdoped cuprates as a function of temperature, T . After ensuring a minimal consistency with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we find that the QPI pattern is profoundly sensitive to quasiparticle coherence and that it manifests two energy gap scales. In particular, we show that the superconducting QPI pattern vanishes at the same temperature as that at which the Fermi arcs appear. Experimental support for this conclusion comes from the observation of a nearly dispersionless QPI pattern which appears above T c in moderately underdoped cuprates. To illustrate the important two energy scale physics we present predictions of the QPI-inferred energy gaps as a function of T in moderately underdoped cuprates. This defines the so-called “Bogoliubov arcs”, which possess an extinction point which is controlled by the size of the superconducting order parameter. A second larger energy scale is obtained by extrapolating the low-energy gap to the antinodes, presuming a simple d -wave shape. The validity of this extrapolation procedure is supported by our analysis of the ARPES gap and reveals the pseudogap energy scale.
Maps preserving the joint numerical radius distance of operators

Abstract Denote the joint numerical radius of an m-tuple of bounded operators A = ( A 1 , … , A m ) by w ( A ) . We give a complete description of maps f satisfying w ( A - B ) = w ( f ( A ) - f ( B ) ) for any two m-tuples of operators A = ( A 1 , … , A m ) and B = ( B 1 , … , B m ) . We also characterize linear isometries for the joint numerical radius, and maps preserving the joint numerical range of A .
Establishment limitation reduces species recruitment and species richness as soil resources rise

Summary 1 At local spatial scales, species richness tends to fall as productivity rises. Most explanations have focused on increased extinction, but, instead, we test experimentally whether increased soil fertility reduces recruitment. Specifically, we test whether variation in recruitment is due to source limitation, germination limitation or establishment limitation, and how litter accumulation and seed predation contribute to these processes. 2 We established four crossed experimental treatments in a perennial-dominated early successional plant community over 3 years. We added seed of 30 species, manipulated access by selected seed predators, removed litter and added slow release fertilizer at four levels (0, 8, 16 and 32 g N m−2). 3 Species recruitment and richness both decreased with increasing fertility, but, counter to our expectations, we found that neither seed additions nor litter removal could counteract the negative effects of fertilizer. 4 Seed additions increased seedling density at all fertilizer levels, and seed predation appeared to have no influence on seedling densities. In spite of high seedling densities at all fertilizer levels, final stem density declined by 70% as fertilizer increased. A strong stem density–species richness relationship suggests that declines in final stem density caused more than half of the decline in species richness along this fertility gradient. 5 These results suggest that establishment limitation, i.e. the reduction of growth and survival from seedling to adult, controls species recruitment in highly fertile sites. 6 The high degree of recruitment limitation commonly observed in productive habitats suggests that high productivity causes establishment limitation, thereby isolating these communities from the regional species pool. We suggest that such isolation provides a mechanism to explain why the species composition of productive communities exhibits higher variability than the composition of less productive communities within the same regional source pool.
Steady-state fuel behavior modeling of nitride fuels in FRAPCON-EP

Abstract Fuel material properties and mechanistic fission gas models in FRAPCON-EP were updated to model the steady-state behavior of high-porosity nitride fuel operating at temperatures below half of the melting point. The fuel thermal conductivity and fuel thermal expansion models were updated with correlations for UN and (U,Pu)N fuels. Hot-pressing of the as-fabricated porosity was modeled as a function of the hydrostatic pressure and creep rate. The solid fission product swelling was assumed to increase linearly with burnup. Fission gas swelling constitutive models were updated to appropriately capture the intragranular gas bubble evolution in nitride fuel. Intergranular gas swelling was neglected due to the assumed high porosity of the fuel. The fission gas release behavior was modeled by fitting the fission gas diffusion coefficient in UN to FRAPCON’s default fission gas release model. This fitted gas diffusion coefficient reflects the effects of porosity, burnup, operating temperature, fission rate, and bubble sink strength. Fission gas release and fuel swelling benchmarks against irradiation data were performed. The updated code was applied to UN fuel in typical PWR geometry and operating conditions, with an extended cycle length of 24 months. The results show that swelling of the nitride fuel up to 60 MWd/kg burnup did not lead to excessive straining of the cladding. Furthermore, this study showed that a porous (>15% porosity) nitride fuel pellet could achieve a much higher margin to failure from the cladding collapse and grid-to-rod fretting.
Composition constants for raising the orders of unconventional schemes for ordinary differential equations

Many models of physical and chemical processes give rise to ordinary differential equations with special structural properties that go unexploited by general-purpose software designed to solve numerically a wide range of differential equations. If those properties are to be exploited fully for the sake of better numerical stability, accuracy and/or speed, the differential equations may have to be solved by unconventional methods. This short paper is to publish composition constants obtained by the authors to increase efficiency of a family of mostly unconventional methods, called reflexive.
A new approach to Advance Directives.

Objective To martial arguments for listing simplified Advance Directives on the Medicare card. Design and main results Literature review shows that 90% of patients do not have advance directives, that patients and doctors are both remiss in discussing end-of-life issues, and that Medicare, insurance companies, and hospitals do little to remedy this lapse. Conclusion A case is made for listing simplified Advance Directives on the Medicare card.
Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus supernatants on body weight and leptin expression in rats

Background Lactobacillus extracts and supernatants have been used as probiotics in human and veterinary medicine for their ability to enhance wound healing and immunity. Previous data from our laboratory demonstrated that Lactobacillus supernatant (LS) stimulated wound healing, angiogenesis and proliferation of embryonic cells after topical application. This current study shows that LS after its administration into the cerebral ventricles of male rats exerts systemic effects.
Explanatory Observational Studies

tended to be explanatory. That is, I am talking about studies of such phenomena as program effectiveness, in which an attempt is made to explain why the students in some programs achieve more than the students in others. This is in contrast to descriptive studies like National Assessment, which attempt to describe such things as the levels of achievement obtained in various sectors of American schooling. As f6reskog (1976) put it:
Multiattribute Decision-Making Methods for Optimal Selection of Traffic Signal Control Parameters in Multimodal Analysis

The selection of optimal traffic signal timing parameters has traditionally been based on improving traffic operation for motorized vehicles. This approach is rapidly changing. Other modes of transportation, such as pedestrians, bicycles, and transit, are being considered, and multiple attributes are used in the decision-making process. This research explores the use of three well-known methods for multiattribute decision making (MADM) to select optimal traffic signal control parameters in a multimodal scenario. For policy makers MADM methods provide enough flexibility to incorporate a variety of characteristics from different modes of transportation to operate traffic signals, including demands, occupancy of each moving unit, and priority. The methods explored are simple additive weighting, analytical hierarchical process, and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution. These methods are used with three performance measures: delay based on unit, delay based on occupancy, and delay bas...
The Effect of Under-Reaming on the Cup/Bone Interface of a Press Fit Hip Replacement

This paper explores the effect of under-reaming on micromotion at the cup/bone interface of a press-fit acetabular cup. A cadaver experiment was performed on 11 acetabuli implanted with a cementless acetabular cup. The loading profile simulated hip impingement at the extremes of motion and subluxation relocation of the hip joint. Micromotion of each cup was measured in a custom made jig with linear variable differential transducers. A CAT scan and DEXA scan of the acetabulum and femoral head respectively were used to construct a three-dimensional patient specific finite element model of the hemi-pelvis. The model predicted cup micromotion under loading conditions and stresses in the acetabulum as a result of cup insertion. Micromotion was then calculated as a function of variable bone density and variable degree of underreaming. Simulated cup insertion with under-reaming of 2 mm or more approached or exceeded the yield strength of bone in acetabula with reduced bone mass density.
Bayesian hierarchical modeling of personal exposure to particulate matter

Abstract In the US EPA's 1998 Baltimore Epidemiology-Exposure Panel Study, a group of 16 residents of a single building retirement community wore personal monitors recording personal fine particulate air pollution concentrations (PM2.5) for 27 days, while other monitors recorded concurrent apartment, central indoor, outdoor and ambient site PM2.5 concentrations. Using the Baltimore panel study data, we develop a Bayesian hierarchical model to characterize the relationship between personal exposure and concentrations of PM2.5 indoors and outdoors. Personal exposure is expressed as a linear combination of time spent in microenvironments and associated microenvironmental concentrations. The model incorporates all available monitoring data and accounts for missing data and sources of uncertainty such as measurement error and individual differences in exposure. We discuss the implications of using personal versus ambient PM2.5 measurements in characterization of personal exposure to PM2.5.
METHYL TESTOSTERONE ADMINISTERED ORALLY TO PATIENTS WITH MARKED TESTICULAR DEFICIENCY1

SEARCH for a potent testicular hormone has been rewarded with the discovery and development of testosterone and related androgenic steroids. The effectiveness of the various preparations of testosterone, administered by injection, by pellet implantation and by inunction has been attested by numerous observers (1, 2, 3). All methods of testosterone treatment have produced striking responses in various metabolic activities as well as in the sexual functions. However, testosterone and testosterone propionate are only slightly active when given by mouth. More recently the introduction of methyl testosterone for oral administration has produced encouraging results. This method gives promise of becoming a most acceptable form of treatment.
Nucleus circularis and lateral preoptic regulation of osmotic thirst

Small bilateral lesions of the nucleus circularis in rats produced a deficit in osmotic thirst, whereas subjects with similar-sized lesions of the lateral preoptic hypothalamus were almost identical to sham-operated rats in response to an osmotic challenge. Therefore, osmosensitive cells probably are more concentrated in the area of the nucleus circularis than in the lateral preoptic area. However, moderate-sized lesions in the lateral preoptic area resulted in a deficit in osmotic thirst, particularly when the damage was posterior to the anterior commissure. This research suggested that osmosensitive cells are diffusely represented in the preoptic area but become more concentrated in the anterior hypothalamus. This conclusion raised questions about the functional importance of the preoptic for osmoregulation and pointed to a more critical role for the nucleus circularis.
The origin of the sulfur atom in thiamine.

Abstract The mode of biosynthesis of the thiazole moiety of thiamine, 4-methyl-5β-hydroxyethyl thiazole (MHET) was studied using Salmonella typhimurium as test organism. It was shown by isotope incorporation experiments, that the sulfur atom, but not carbon-3, of cysteine is incorporated into MHET, indicating a separation of the sulfur atom of cysteine from the carbon chain during incorporation. Isotope competition experiments revealed that the incorporation of [ 35 S]cysteine is not significantly diluted by the presence of methionine, homocysteine, and glutathione. No incorporation of label from [ 14 C]glutamate and [ 14 C]formate was observed, leaving the origin of the five-carbon unit still in doubt.
SU-GG-T-404: Demonstration of the Ability to Morph an Existing Whole-Body Phantom to a Different Individual

Purpose: Although patient‐specific partial‐body phantoms can be created from CT data, whole‐body phantoms are desired for the assessment of organdoses in CT, internal nuclear medicine and external‐beam radiation treatment procedures. This study proposes an innovative strategy for developing patient‐specific whole‐body phantoms by morphing a pair of deformable phantoms. Adjustments were made to the original data to make these phantoms compatible with anatomical parameters and the tissue/organ surfaces matching the values specified by patient‐specific image data. Method and Materials: In order to match tissue/organ surfaces to the patient‐specific data, three different adjustment approaches to the mesh deformation are considered as follows: (1) uniform scale factor adjustment: displacement of each vertex point by a uniform scale factor in relation to the organ centroid; (2) unique scalar factor adjustment: translation of each vertex point along the direction of vertex normals by a unique scalar factor; (3) mesh‐based deformation: tracking of mesh surface geometry by a union of direction vectors at the center of each vertex of the polygon mesh surfaces using ray casting algorithm. This approach is mainly used for deforming the primary organ meshes to patient‐specific organs collected from scanned image data through the general radiological modalities. The new mesh‐based phantoms need to be converted to voxels with correct tissue density and elemental composition information for Monte Carlo dose calculations. Results: The final organ volume and mass values of the RPI patient‐specific phantoms in mesh representation have an acceptable relative error, less than 0.5%, according to the acceptance criteria in mesh deformation algorithms. To accomplish acceptable results, several iterations were required for some of the internal organs.Conclusion: This study has demonstrated patient‐specific computational phantom modeling methods with the feasibility of the size‐adjustable RPI‐AM and RPI‐AF base phantoms. The anatomical details were accurately and consistently persevered through this approach.
Dimers from cyclic α‐diketones. Confirmation of structure by solid‐phase CPMAS 13C NMR spectroscopy

Etude du spectre RMN (CP MAS) de 13 C des dimeres a l'etat solide des α-dicetones cycliques a 10, 12 et 14 chainons; les structures trouvees sont en parfait accord avec celles des dihydroxy-2,5cyclohexane-1,4 dione tricycliques symetriques etudiees auparavant sur la base de formules moleculaires et de spectres IR
Wave Zone in General Relativity

It is shown that in general relativity a "wave zone" may be defined for systems which are asymptotically flat. In this region, gravitational radiation propagates freely, independent of its interior sources, and obeys the superposition principle. The independent dynamical variables of the full theory which describe the radiation are shown to be coordinate invariant in the wave zone and to satisfy the linearized theory's equations there. Thus, the basic properties of free waves in linear field theories (e.g., electrodynamics) are reproduced for the gravitational case. True waves are also clearly distinguished from so-called "coordinate waves." Reduction to asymptotic form (taking leading powers of $\frac{1}{r}$), is not identical to linearization, since, for example, the Newtonian-like $\frac{1}{r}$ part of the metric begins quadratically in the linear theory's variables. The Poynting vector of the full theory, which measures energy flux in the wave zone, is correspondingly shown to be given by the linearized theory's formula. This Poynting vector is also shown to be coordinate-invariant in the wave zone. All the physical quantities may therefore be evaluated in any frame becoming rectangular sufficiently rapidly. A brief discussion of measurements of the canonical variables in the wave zone is given. The relation between the present work and other treatments of gravitational radiation is examined.
Individual Reactions to Leadership Succession in Workgroups

We integrate theories of cognitive appraisal, relational leadership, and trust to develop a model of how individual affective reactions to leadership succession influence work attitudes and behaviors. We predict that the quality of the relationship with the prior leader will influence an affective reaction to that leader's departure. This affective reaction will influence the group member's initial trust in the new leader, task communication with the new leader, organizational citizenship behaviors, motivation to perform, job satisfaction, and turnover.
Environmental Influences on the Developing Premature Infant: Theoretical Issues and Applications to Practice

The neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) environment may interfere with the maturation and organization of premature infants' central nervous systems and may fail to meet these infants' developmental needs. In particular, immature distance receptors (i.e., hearing and vision) may receive overwhelming stimulation, whereas more mature tactile and vestibular pathways receive little stimulation. Furthermore, research on fetal learning suggests that the NICU environment should sensitively address requirements for learning by providing contingent experience. Nurses are ideally suited to reorganize the NICU and intervene to optimize infants' growth and development.
Cross-cultural validation of the Michill Adjective Rating Scale (MARS)

Data on the Michill Adjective Rating Scale (MARS) were collected from 413 persons in the United States and 353 persons in Pakistan. The Americans were given the English version and the Pakistanis, the Urdu version of the MARS on which each person rated self and several significant others. The Pearson rs among the 48 MARS items were computed separately for the ratings of self, father, mother, worst teacher, and Mao Tse-Tung for subjects classified into 10 groups on the basis of their culture, sex and educational level. The r matrices were analyzed to extract four factors for each of the 10 groups and for each of the five types of ratings by means of the principal axis method. Tucker's coefficients of congruence were computed for each of the 10 groups and for each of the five ratings. Comparison of the coefficients of congruence for the various pairings indicated a reasonable degree of generality in most cases.
Acute and chronic effects of neonatal lead exposure on development of the visual evoked response in rats

Abstract Developmental electrophysiologic studies of the visual evoked response (VER) provided a means for evaluating the effects of lead on central nervous system (CNS) ontogeny. Newborn rats exposed to Pb via dams' milk (dams' consuming 0.2% lead acetate solution) on Days 1 through 21 exhibited no changes in growth rate, age of eye opening, or brain weights (wet and dry). At 21 days of age, the lead concentrations in blood and brain of controls were 6 ± 1 and 7 ± 1 μg/100 ml, respectively while rats treated with lead had 65 ± 9 and 53 ± 4 μg/100 ml, respectively. VERs were recorded on Days 9–13, 16, 20, and 100. Lead exposure produced a significant increase in the latency of the primary (P 1 N 1 ) and the secondary (P 2 N 2 ) components of the VER throughout the neonatal period. Significantly longer latencies were also seen in adult rats (Day 90) exposed to Pb only during suckling. Lead concentrations in blood and brain of adult controls were 5 ± 1 and 11 ± 1 μg/100 ml, respectively. Adult lead-treated rats had 7 ± 1 and 13 ± 2 μg/100 ml, respectively. Exposed adults also exhibited a significantly decreased CNS recoverability function, as indicated by an increased latency to paired flashes, and a significantly decreased ability to follow repetitive light flashes compared to controls.
A distributed device paradigm for commodity, applications

Virtualization has proven to be a powerful technique used for resource partitioning and resource aggregation. Although this concept has been widely utilized in cluster computing, distributed systems and system consolidation; it has not been equally applied to improve performance of commodity operating systems and applications. This paper introduces a client-driven paradigm for harnessing specific system components and presenting them to the operating system as local devices (Virtual Devices). This client-driven approach based on the Transparent Remote Execution Environment (TREx) not only allows for systems inside a network to share individual resources such as memory, graphics cards or co-processors, but is also completely transparent to users, applications and operating systems. Additionally, this paper presents specific architectural designs necessary for achieving maximum performance with these Virtual Devices, and presents the implementation of two of them: a Distributed RamDisk and a Distributed Graphics Device.
Transient radiation-induced absorption at 1061 nm in LiNbO/sub 3/ and MgO:LiNbO/sub 3/

The transient radiation-induced 1061 nm absorption in pure and MgO doped lithium niobate has been measured using Sandia National Laboratories' SPR III pulsed nuclear reactor. The samples are subjected to neutron fluences up to 10/sup 13//cm/sup 2/ (1 MeV Si) and total doses up to 7.5 krad. By using various shields, it has been found that gamma rays are the major contributors to the induced absorption at this wavelength. A plot of the natural logarithm of the transmittance versus time is given along with the peak induced absorption coefficient versus dose. The data indicate color centers with different time dependencies. A log-log plot of the transmission loss in dB/cm versus time indicates a 1/t/sup 1/4 / time dependence initially. >
III-V compound semiconductor devices: Optical detectors

This article presents a review of the historical developments in optical detectors and discusses the motivations for interest in III-V semiconductors for optical-detector applications. Early device work in both depletion-mode photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes in III-V semiconductors is covered as well as the improvements that have been made in avalanche photodiode structures through work in silicon. Also, the results of ionization coefficient measurements on III-V compounds are summarized. Finally, several examples of recent avalanche photodiodes that utlilize the unique properties of heterostructures are presented.
An epistemic characterization of zero knowledge

Halpern, Moses and Tuttle presented a definition of interactive proofs using a notion they called practical knowledge, but left open the question of finding an epistemic formula that completely characterizes zero knowledge; that is, a formula that holds iff a proof is zero knowledge. We present such a formula, and show that it does characterize zero knowledge. Moreover, we show that variants of the formula characterize variants of zero knowledge such as concurrent zero knowledge [Dwork, Naor, and Sahai 2004] and proofs of knowledge [Feige, Fiat, and Shamir 1987; Tompa and Woll 1987].
Spatial and temporal variations in the grain-size characteristics of historical flood plain deposits, Blue River, Wisconsin, USA

This study examined vertical, lateral, and downstream variations in the grain-size characteristics of historical (post-1830) overbank deposits in a watershed that has experienced high rates of accelerated flood plain sedimentation. More than 800 samples were collected from 53 cores along nine flood plain transects. Overbank deposits exhibit a coarsening-upward sequence attributed to historical changes in the sand content of source materials. The erosion of loess-capped soils increased the exposure, erosion, and transport of sandy parent materials. The average sand content of near-channel cores increases moderately downstream along two of the reaches because sandy source materials are increasingly exposed in larger main valleys in the northern part of the watershed. The two northernmost reaches are coarser overall, but do not display significant downstream trends. The sand content of surface and early historical overbank deposits generally decreases laterally as an exponential function of distance from the channel, suggesting transport by turbulent diffusion. The presence of sand throughout the transects and lateral coarsening at two of the transects, however, suggests that sediment transport by convection is also important.
Sociochemosensory and Emotional Functions Behavioral Evidence for Shared Mechanisms

Olfaction and emotion are distinctively different systems. Nevertheless, there are reasons to suspect that they influence each other on the social level. Functionally, olfactory chemosensory communication is used by a wide range of animals to convey individual and group identity, as well as attraction or repulsion. Anatomically, the olfactory brain overlaps with the socioemotional brain, and is believed to have contributed to the evolution of the latter. Little is known about how the functional and anatomical links are manifested in behavior, however. Using human olfaction as a model, we demonstrate that chemosensory recognition of individuals—one of the most ubiquitous forms of social communication—is interconnected with both the cognitive and the visual processing of emotion. Our results provide the first behavioral evidence for mechanisms being shared by a sensory system and emotion.
Evaluation, feedback, and remediation in anesthesiology residency training: a survey of 124 United States programs.

Abstract Study Objective: To provide a review of evaluation, feedback, and remediation methods in United States residency programs during 1995 to 1996. The information gathered is to serve as a framework for discussions within and among programs regarding ways to enhance their current processes of evaluation, feedback, and remediation, and to serve as a baseline for future assessments. Design, Setting and Subjects: A three-page survey was mailed to program directors of each of the 145 anesthesiology programs listed in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME/NRMP) Directory. Measurements and Main Results: Quantitative and qualitative responses were sought about the resident evaluation process (including techniques of gathering information, frequency of evaluations, faculty compliance, and modes of offering feedback), departmental clinical competence committee, probation and remediation policies for problem residents, and the use of formal examinations. There was an 85.5% response rate. Frequency of evaluation of residents ranged from daily to quarterly: evaluations used both narrative comments and rating scales in 89% of institutions. Faculty compliance in the evaluation process was greater than 75% in 45.1% of programs. Only 25 (20.2%) programs offered formal training about resident evaluation to their faculty. Clinical competence committee meetings averaged five times annually. Ninety-five percent of committees were chaired by someone other than the department chairperson and 27% had resident members. A written policy regarding problem residents was used by 67.7% of programs, a formal probation policy by 82.2%. Standardized tests to provide feedback and guidance to residents existed in 48.3% of programs. Conclusions: There is a tremendous variety of techniques and methodologies employed among anesthesiology residency programs with regard to evaluation, feedback, and remediation, within the framework of the ACGME guidelines. Faculty training in the assessment of and feedback to residents is one area in which many programs can begin to strengthen their current procedures.
Serum prolactin levels in galactorrhea.

Abstract Some patients with galactorrhea will have normal serum prolactin levels but many will have elevated serum prolactin levels. The galactorrhea may be due to drug ingestion, nipple afferent nerve stimulation, nonneoplastic disease or injury, and intracranial tumors. Serum prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 17 women with galactorrhea. Levels 5 and 6 times normal values were found in two women who had proved pituitary adenomas. The latter condition must be strongly considered and functional tests may help in diagnosis prior to enlargement of a prolactin-secreting tumor to the size where changes in the sella are seen on x-ray or visual field changes occur. If galactorrhea persists when no evidence of tumor can be found, the patient must be periodically re-evaluated, as the tumor may have been too small for detection at the time of the previous examination.