cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensor Biocompatibility and Biofouling in Real‐Time Monitoring

The development of reliable implantable electrochemical sensors for long-term continuous in vivo monitoring of clinically important analytes remains one of the great challenges of biomedical engineering technology today. Although significant advances in the intravascular and subcutaneous biosensor development have been achieved, the biological response to the implantable biosensors continues to have a limiting impact on the performance and lifetime of such sensors, preventing their long-term use in real-time monitoring of critical analytes. Here, we examine the current status of research and development in this area, emphasizing the effect of the inflammatory and wound healing response on sensor biofouling. Also, the biocompatibility aspects of sensor implantation are discussed, as they are part of the inseparable dynamic continuum of biocompatibility and biofouling initiated by the presence of any foreign material/device in vivo. Keywords: biocompatibility; biofouling; electrochemical biosensor; in vivo; continuous monitoring; analyte; glucose; blood gases
A Very Hot Day: Using an Opinionnaire to Promote Discussion in a Literature Class

(1992). A Very Hot Day: Using an Opinionnaire to Promote Discussion in a Literature Class. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 47-50.
An adaptive recommendation trust model in multiagent system

This work presents the design of a trust model to derive recommendation trust from heterogeneous agents. The model is a novel application of neural network in evaluating multiple recommendations of various trust standards with and without deceptions. The experimental results show that 97.22% estimation errors are less than 0.05. The results also show that the model has robust performance when there is high estimation accuracy requirement or when there are deceptive recommendations.
A hybrid cache and prefetch mechanism for scientific literature search engines

CiteSeer, a scientific literature search engine that focuses on documents in the computer science and information science domains, suffers from scalability issue on the number of requests and the size of indexed documents, which increased dramatically over the years. CiteSeerχ is an effort to re-architect the search engine. In this paper, we present our initial design of a framework for caching query results, indices, and documents. This design is based on analysis of logged workload in CiteSeer. Our experiments based on mock client requests that simulate actual user behaviors confirm that our approach works well in enhancing system performances.
Production of organometallic polymers by the interfacial technique. XI. Synthesis of poly(organotin esters) and a study of some associated reaction variables

Polyesters of the form below are prepared by the interfacial method. Isolation procedures are presented and discussed. Polymer yield is constant as stirring rate, stirring time and nature of the organic solvent are varied. Molecular weight is constant as stirring rate and organic solvent nature are varied. Molecular weight increases as reaction time increases. No correlation is found between polymer molecular weight and polymer softening range. Durch Grenzflachenpolykondensation wurden Polyester der folgenden Struktur hergestellt. Verschiedene Methoden der Isolierung werden angegeben und diskutiert. Die Ausbeute ist dabei unabhangig von der Ruhrgeschwindigkeit, der Ruhrzeit und der Art des organischen Losungsmittels. Das Molekulargewicht steigt mit langerer Reaktionszeit an, es wird jedoch weder von der Ruhrgeschwindigkeit noch von der Art des organischen Losungsmittels beeinflust. Zwischen dem Molekulargewicht und dem Erweichungsbereich besteht keine Beziehung.
Stalking: Does it Leave a Psychological Footprint? ∗

Objectives. This article offers new evidence on whether stalking damages the mental health of female victims. This study advances the literature by accounting for age of initialstalkingvictimization,mentalhealthstatuspriortobeingstalked,andexposure to other forms of traumatic victimization. Methods. Using logistical analysis, we utilize data drawn from three large national data sets. Results. We find that being the victim of stalking as a young adult, ages 18‐45, significantly increases the odds of initial onset of psychological distress; however, this is not the case for victims ages 12‐17. Conclusions. Stalking has emerged as a deeply disturbing public issue because of its prevalence and the fear it creates in victims. Unfortunately, little is known about the psychological consequences of being stalked because the emerging literature typically is based on small, nonrandom samples. Our findings highlight the benefits of reducing stalking and the importance of supporting victims. Stalking, the willful, malicious, and repeated pursuit of another person threatening his or her safety, is a criminal offense that takes many forms, including frequent unwelcome telephone calls, e-mails, letters, loitering nearby, and following. The perception that stalking is largely confined to strangers pursuingcelebritiesorpoliticalfigureswascommonuntilthe1990s.However, overthepasttwodecadesstalkinghasemergedasadeeplydisturbingpublicissuebecauseof itsprevalenceand the fearitcreates inits victimsin partbecause of the violence perpetrated by stalkers. One in 20 Americans (12 percent of women and 4 percent of men) report being stalked at some point in their lives
Mapping algorithms to VLSI array processors

The authors present a systematic methodology for mapping commonly used digital signal processing algorithms to VLSI array processors, such as the systolic array and the wavefront array. A concise description of the proposed methodology is presented to show the flexibility and usefulness of the method. The advantages of this methodology include: (1) algorithms in different expressions, such as sequential programs, signal flow graphs, or dataflow graphs can be mapped to array processors easily; (2) the mapping procedure is systematic and optimal designs can be efficiently searched; and (3) the methodology can be automated as software tools to assist the array processor designers. >
Influence of dietary fiber on lipid metabolism in meal-fed rats

The effects of the four major components of dietary fiber--cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin--on lipid metabolism were studied in meal-fed Wistar rats maintained on a cholesterol-free semipurified diet for 21 days. Transit time was decreased and fecal weight increased compared to rats fed a fiber-free diet. Rats fed cellulose or lignin gained significantly less weight than rats fed hemicellulose or pectin. The fibers had no effect on serum cholesterol levels, but serum triacylglycerol levels were significantly higher in rats fed cellulose. Liver cholesterol levels were higher in cellulose-fed rats but liver triacylglycerol levels were highest in rats fed hemicellulose or pectin. Hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase and HMG-CoA reductase activities were highest in rats fed cellulose and pectin, respectively. Epididymal fat cell size was similar in all groups but fat cell number was highest in pectin-fed rats. Perirenal fat cell size was greatest in rats fed cellulose or lignin and fat cell number in rats fed cellulose or hemicellulose. Lipoprotein lipase activity (per 10(6) cells) was elevated in epididymal fat of rats fed pectin and in perirenal fat of rats fed hemicellulose. Carcass lipid accumulation was highest in rats fed cellulose or lignin. Rats fed cellulose accumulated significantly higher levels of carcass cholesterol and triacylglycerol. Of the fibers fed, cellulose led to an accumulation of serum, liver and carcass lipid. The four fibers fed represent purified and altered forms of cellular components and the observed effects cannot be extrapolated to diets containing foods rich in one or another of these components.
Two meridic diets for Perillus bioculatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), a predator of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Abstract Two artificial diets, devoid of insect components, were developed for the predator Perillus bioculatus (Fabricius). The diets based on chicken liver and tuna fish were designed to approach the nutritional characteristics of the primary insect prey, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) eggs. P. bioculatus was reared on diet 2 for 11 consecutive generations without cumulative detrimental effects on its biology. Developmental time and preovipositional period were significantly longer, and egg viability, survival from egg to adult, and fecundity were significantly lower in P. bioculatus individuals reared on artificial diets than in those reared on L. decemlineata eggs. A significant reduction in developmental time, increase in survival from egg to adult, and reduction in length of the preovipositional period were observed after 11 generations of in vitro reared P. bioculatus on diet 2. These changes may indicate that the predators experience some degree of adaptation to the diet after several consecutive generations of in vitro rearing. No changes in egg viability were observed after 11 generations of in vitro rearing. Adult female weight was unaffected when reared on artificial diet, but a significant increase was observed after 11 generations of in vitro rearing. Females under all treatments weighed an average of 11.6 mg more than the males.
Entropically mediated polyolefin blend segregation at buried sapphire and air interfaces investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy.

The segregation behavior of binary polymer blends at hydrophilic solid sapphire and air interfaces was investigated by infrared−visible sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. SFG spectra were collected from a bulk miscible blend consisting of identical molecular weight (∼54 000) and similar surface free energy (29−35 dyn/cm) components of atactic polypropylene (aPP) and aspecific poly(ethylene-co-propylene) rubber (aEPR). Characteristic CH resonances of the blend were contrasted with those of the individual components at both buried (sapphire/polymer) and free (air/polymer) interfaces. Preferential segregation of the aPP component was observed after annealing at both air/polymer and sapphire/polymer interfaces. SFG spectra revealed ordering of the polymer backbone segments with the methylene (CH2) groups perpendicular to the surface at the sapphire interface and the methyl (CH3) groups upright at the air interface. The SFG results indicate that the surface composition can be determined f...
Treatment of chlorinated organic contaminants with nanoscale bimetallic particles

Abstract Nanoscale bimetallic particles (Pd/Fe, Pd/Zn, Pt/Fe, Ni/Fe) have been synthesized in the laboratory for treatment of chlorinated organic pollutants. Specific surface areas of the nanoscale particles are tens of times larger than those of commercially available microscale metal particles. Rapid and complete dechlorination of several chlorinated organic solvents and chlorinated aromatic compounds was achieved by using the nanoscale bimetallic particles. Evidence observed suggests that within the bimetallic complex, one metal (Fe, Zn) serves primarily as electron donor while the other as catalyst (Pd, Pt). Surface-area-normalized reactivity constants are about 100 times higher than those of microscale iron particles. Production of chlorinated byproducts, frequently reported in studies with iron particles, is notably reduced due to the presence of catalyst. The nano-particle technology offers great opportunities for both fundamental research and technological applications in environmental engineering and science.
Paganism to Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England

In Anglo-Saxon as in Christian history, many roads lead to Rome. This has been correctly and at times overemphasized in matters ranging from Augustine to Whitby, from numismatics to law, from banners to Bede. Indeed the Roman road has been so broad and so well marked with recorded miliaria that we may have missed the growth-ridden Germanic by-paths which were actually trod by the tribes in England. But surely the impact of culture on cult is as important in history as the reverse, and the terms in which the newly converted Anglo-Saxons interpreted the Christian religion were shaped by the tribal culture, impregnated, as it was, by the heathenism of the old religion. Gregory the Great's famous letter to the Abbot Mellitus, advising that pagan temples in England be used for the worship of the Christian God that the people “ad loca quae consuevit, familiarius concurrat,” and that the sacrificial animals of heathenism be now devoted to Christian festivals, agrees with the responsa of the same pope to Augustine concerning the choosing of local customs best suited to the conditions of the converted. In a way, this study is a scandalous footnote to that wise anthropological advice, with the intention of setting forth some of the similarities of the old and new religion which allowed a syncretic merging. Thus many features of the Conversion period which have been interpreted post eventum as Christian were undoubtedly seen with other—and familiar—overtones by the Woden-sprung rulers and their people.
Static and Kinetic Study of a Pressure Induced Order−Disorder Transition: Birefringence and Neutron Scattering

We utilize birefringence and neutron scattering to study the statics and kinetics of a pressure-induced order−disorder transition (ODT) in a solvated diblock copolymer. We find that birefringence is an excellent technique to measure the order−disorder transition at high pressure, yielding sharp changes in its intensity at the transition. Small-angle neutron scattering exhibits a corresponding change in the width of the scattering peak at the ODT. Both techniques indicate a nearly linear increase of the ODT temperature as a function of pressure. The combination of pressure as a controlling thermodynamic variable and birefringence as the measurement tool permits short time scale kinetics experiments. We find the time scale of the disordering process to be significantly shorter than the ordering time, as revealed by profound asymmetries in the response of the system upon pressurization compared with depressurization. Disordering times as small as 0.5 s are observed in rapid pressure drop experiments.
Evaluation of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes for detection of atmospheric NO2 by photolysis - chemiluminescence

Commercially available ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) are evaluated in the laboratory as a light source for photolysis of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) followed by chemiluminescence detection (P-CL) of the resulting nitric oxide (NO). Sensitivity, selectivity, and engineering simplicity of three UV-LED sources are compared. The most powerful source uses two 9-W Nichia LED modules and provides an NO2 photolysis frequency (j) of 8.4 s−1 corresponding to a nine-fold improvement over a 100-W Hg arc lamp; this source provides the most sensitivity, but requires water cooling. A pair of Hamamatsu 0.25-W LED modules provides intermediate sensitivity with photolysis efficiency comparable to a 100-W Hg arc lamp. The Hamamatsu LEDs require no additional cooling and are a simple and inexpensive package, providing sensitivity and stability appropriate for long-term, unattended measurements at remote surface sites. A Droplet Measurement Technologies Blue-Light Converter (BLC) represents the most complete off-the-shelf system available for atmospheric measurements of NO2. The BLC provides the least sensitivity of the LED-based converters, but is less subject to interference from HONO. Implementing the Nichia LEDs into the NOAA WP-3D aircraft P-CL instrument, in conjunction with improved sample gas handling, improves instrument time response by a factor of eight and permits 1-Hz retrieval of ambient NO and NO2 using a single detector simply by modulating the LEDs on and off. The performance and stability of the Nichia LEDs are further assessed during the CalNex (California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) field study in May and June of 2010.
Photochemical production of hydrogen peroxide and methylhydroperoxide in coastal waters

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been observed in significant concentrations in many natural waters. Because hydrogen peroxide can act as an oxidant and reductant, it participates in an extensive suite of reactions in surface waters. Hydrogen peroxide is produced as a secondary photochemical product of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) photolysis. Apparent quantum yields for the photochemical production of hydrogen peroxide were determined in laboratory irradiations of filtered surface waters from several locations in the Chesapeake Bay and in Arctic coastal waters with varying levels of CDOM. The apparent quantum yield for H2O2 decreases by about an order of magnitude from 280 nm to 500 nm, and the majority of H2O2 production occurs at wavelengths less than 340 nm. The apparent quantum yield for H2O2 production at 290 nm ranged from 4.2 � 10 � 4 to 2.1 � 10 � 6 mol H2O2 (mol photons) � 1 from freshwater to marine waters. A linear relationship was found between the production of H2O2 and change in CDOM absorbance characterized as photobleaching (loss of absorbance). No significant relationship was observed between DOC concentration and peroxide production. Methylhydroperoxide (CH3O2H) was the only short chain peroxide produced during the irradiations, and its production is at least an order magnitude less than that of hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide production was greatest in waters containing significant amounts of terrigenous C in the form of humic substances. Surface waters whose synchronous fluorescence spectra indicated the presence of polyaromatic and/ or extensive conjugated compounds exhibited the greatest peroxide production. CDOM photobleaching is not significantly linked to apparent quantum yields for peroxide production. 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.
REGIONAL DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS, REGIONAL DRIVING CYCLES

Abstract The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) MOBILE6 driving cycles were developed by combining chase car data collected in three cities: Baltimore, Spokane, and Los Angeles, and then organizing the data by facility and level of service (LOS) to eliminate regional variability in driving. EPA’s approach to driving cycle construction presumes that regional driving variability is insignificant when controlling for facility type and LOS. In this study we re-visit the issue of regional driving variability and its potential impact on emissions using driving data recently collected in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Stanislaus, California. We begin by examining regional driving characteristics for four types of driving conditions: un-congested and congested freeway driving, and un-congested and congested arterial driving. The results suggest regional similarities in terms of the average speeds and accelerations, but marked differences in frequency, duration, and intensity of both steady state and acceleration modal events. A one-way ANOVA analysis indicates that regional driving variability exists even after controlling for LOS and facility type. We also show how these regional differences can result in driving cycles with significantly different compositions of modal events (i.e., cruise, idle, acceleration and deceleration) using a new method for constructing driving cycles. An examination of the cycles with respect to steady state driving and acceleration/deceleration modal events confirms that regional driving differences are sufficiently large enough to result in important driving cycle differences, which may also translate into important regional variability in vehicle emissions estimation.
SU-EE-A2-06: An Integrated Software Platform for Treatment Documentation and Outcome Analysis for Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Hypo-Fractionated Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

Purpose: Outcome analysis is an important and challenging task in radiationoncology. We have developed an integrated software platform that facilitates evaluation of outcomes for patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) and hypo‐fractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT).Method and Materials: An outcomes‐study database was designed, under IRB‐approval, to store medical information of patients who undergo SRS or SBRT. The outcomes‐study database is integrated with a record‐and‐verify system (ARIA, Varian Medical Systems) and with an in‐house developed hospital database. A software package with GUI was developed using Visual Studio.Net (Microsoft, USA) to evaluate treatment plans. Biological dosemodels including TCP, EUD (Niemierko's model), NTCP (Lyman, Fdam, relative seriality models, etc.) as well as biologically effective doses are determined from dose distributions and DVHs, automatically imported from the treatment planning systems. Patient clinical data (from physician on‐treatment and followup visits) and image data (including planning CT scans and followup CT scans) are imported for outcomes analysis. Results: Thus far approximately 700 SRS/SBRT patients medical records have been populated into the outcomes database. The database contains all medical information, including demographic, social, diagnostic, treatment and follow‐up information. As it is linked to the hospital database,treatmentinformation encompasses multi‐disciplinary‐based treatments including surgery and chemotherapy. The web‐based interface enables access and information management remotely. The calculation of biological dose indices provides useful means to correlate dose distributions with clinical outcome with respect to tumor control and healthy tissue complications assessed from followup physical examinations as well as image data used to inspect possible recurrent disease or radiation‐induced damage. Conclusion: The goal of the database is to study the various factors of significance related to the outcomes of patients treated with SRS and SBRT, using non‐standard, hypo‐fractionated RT doses. Parameters specific to biological dosemodels will be updated using maximum likelihood analysis. Acknowledgement: NIH‐R01CA106770.
Striatal [125I]RTI-55 binding sites in cocaine-abusing humans

1. 1. Previous experiments in this laboratory found that striatal [3H]WIN 35428 binding was increased in post mortem specimens from human cocaine users (Little et al, 1993a). Although structurally similar, preliminary studies have suggested that [3H]WIN 35428 and the related cocaine congener [125I]RTI-55 differ in some respects pharmacologically. 2. 2. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that striatal [125I]RTI-55 binding would be increased, as was [3H]WIN 35428 binding, in post mortem specimens from cocaine users compared to matched controls. 3. 3. However, computer-generated parameters derived from saturation experiments found only trends toward increased Bmax and decreased affinity (increased KD) in the cocaine users. The magnitude of the increases were notably smaller than the statistically significant increases previously found in high affinity [3H]WIN 35428 binding in these same subjects. 4. 4. Evidence from the present and earlier experiments suggests that cocaine exposure may induce conformational changes in the dopamine transporter.
Need there be implicit narrators of literary fictions

The question of whether there are fictional narrators who are not characters within fiction films has become a hotly contested issue in the philosophy of film, in part because of the careful and exacting work of George Wilson. In his book, Narration in Light, Wilson paid careful attention to the precise manner in which the narratives or stories of fiction films were narrated or told (Wilson 1986). In that book, Wilson was skeptical about the existence of cinematic narrators whose existence was merely implicit. He didn't think that it made sense to see the pictures and sounds of the film as the product of a narrator unless the narrator was explicitly figured in the film, as when Walter Neff (Fred McMurray) narrates the events that form the bulk of Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder 1944). In "Elusive Narrators in Literature and Film," Wilson outlines a theory of implicit narration in both film and literature that departs from his earlier view (Wilson 2007). Non-explicit narrators of fictional works now seem pretty widespread to Wilson, though he won't go as far as claiming that they are ubiquitous. In regard to film, Wilson is still somewhat tentative about claiming the presence of implicit narrators of their fictions, though he is clear that he now believes that it at least makes sense to claim there are implicit narrators of fiction films. But despite occasional forays into film, the majority of Wilson's essay is taken up with a defense of claim that a wide range of literary fictions have implicit narrators. Although I am very interested in the question of whether fiction films have implicit narrators, I will restrict my remarks to the issue of whether literary fictions can have merely implicit narrators. I do so because this is the claim that Wilson defends at length and quite explicitly in this paper. I will have to reserve a discussion of cinematic narrators to a later date. In his essay, Wilson joins an already well-articulated debate on the existence of implicit narrators of literary fictions. The advocates for such shadowy beings
Reverse Transformation and Genome Exposure in the C6 Glial Tumor Cell Line

Reexpression of growth control and differentiation in response to physiological inducers can be demonstrated in some malignant cell lines, showing that they are not irreversibly transformed. This switch in phenotype is likely to reflect a changing pattern of gene expression, but it has not been known whether such cellular transitions involve major or only minor modulation of chromatin structure. We have studied growth control and accessibility of chromatin to DNase I in C6 glioma cells subjected to different growth regimens using an in situ nick translation assay to label the most exposed regions of nuclear chromatin. In fibroblasts and primary glia, exposed chromatin was localized mainly at the nuclear lamina. This readily labeled DNA structure was largely lacking in the malignant C6 glioma. When C6 cells were treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, exposed chromatin was reestablished around the nuclear periphery. This restoration of a normal genome exposure pattern required cytoskeletal integrity. Thus large...
Surface elastic waves in body-centered cubic lattices

Abstract Surface elastic waves in a monatomic body-centered cubic lattice are investigated using a Born-von Karman lattice model. The model includes central force interactions between nearest and next-nearest neighbors and non-central forces corresponding to angular stiffness terms in the strain energy. A dispersion curve for surface waves is obtained, which lies below the dispersion curve for bulk shear waves. In the long wave approximation, the results match those given by the continuum theory of elasticity which predicts nondispersive surface waves.
Numerical Models of Translational Landslide Rupture Surface Growth

We analyze the initiation and enlargement of the rupture surface of translational landslides as a fracture phenomenon using a two-dimensional boundary-element method. Both processes are governed largely by the stress field and the pre-existing planes of weakness in a slope. Near the ground surface, the most compressive stress becomes either parallel or perpendicular to the slope, depending on the topography and regional stresses. The shear stress available to drive slope-parallel sliding in a uniform slope thus is small, and therefore pre-existing weaknesses are required in many cases for sliding. Stresses in a uniform slope favor the initiation of sliding near the slope base. Sliding can progress upslope from there in retrogressive fashion. Most slopes are not uniform and notches in a slope will concentrate stresses and generally promote sliding there. As the region of sliding at depth enlarges, the stress concentration near the edge of the area of slip will tend to rise. Stress concentrations can become sufficient to open fractures above and below a basal slide plane, in keeping with observations. If one tip of a slide plane intersects the ground surface, then stresses near the other tip can increase markedly, as can slip. Our analyses show that slope-parallel sliding along a plane at depth will cause downslope extension in the upslope half of a slide mass and shortening in the downslope half, consistent with observations. Displacement profiles that could be interpreted as rotational can result from sliding along such a plane, however careful analysis of surface deformation can be used to understand sliding at depth.
Interaction of dimethylamine with clean and partially oxidized copper surfaces

Abstract The interaction of dimethylamine (DMA) with partially oxidized polycrystalline copper [Cu(poly)] and clean and partially oxidized Cu(110) between 110 and 500 K has been examined using electron stimulated desorption (ESD), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). ESD mass spectra of the DMA adsorbed on O/Cu(poly) between 112 and 230 K consistently display peaks at 44 amu [(CH3)2N]+ and 46 amu [(CH3)2NH–H]+, but no significant parent peak at 45 amu [(CH3)2NH]+, even though this last feature is prominent in the gas-phase mass spectrum. OH- is not observed at temperatures below 184 K and the yield at higher temperatures is much less than that of O+. HREELS of DMA on clean and oxygen covered Cu(110) obtained at temperatures between 100 and 320 K show characteristic vibrational spectra for molecular DMA and no OH(a) vibrational modes. TPD results show that the desorption profiles of all the major peaks in the DMA mass spectrum follow that of the parent peak with no evidence for production of H2O. The ESD, HREELS and TPD results all indicate that DMA is molecularly and reversibly adsorbed, with no significant formation of surface hydroxyl species. The results indicate that preferential adsorption of amines from amine/epoxy mixtures onto metal oxide surfaces could passivate the surface and prevent subsequent bonding to the epoxy resin.
Radiation effects in homopolymers and dilute copolymers of vinyl acetate

Abstract The effects of small doses of gamma radiation on linear and branched poly(vinyl acetate) were investigated. When irradiated in vacuum at ambient temperature and then heated to 60°C after irradiation, the linear polymer increases in molecular weight with dose as expected for a random cross-linking process. The branched polymer undergoes an additional reaction which appears to involve rapid, preferential scission at approximately one sixth of the branch locations and which goes to completion well before the gel point. Copolymers with trace amounts of a -methyl groups (0.1–10 groups per 1000 main chain carbon atoms) were prepared to simulate branching. These materials were highly sensitive to post-irradiation heat treatment compared with the homopolymers, although the numbers of trapped radicals were the same in all samples according to e.s.r. measurements. Crosslinking rate increases with a -methyl content as judged by gel point values on annealed samples, reaching a maximum near three a -methyl groups per 1000 vinyl acetate units and decreasing again at high a -methyl contents.
Neuropathology of Immunosuppression

Traditionally, the brain has been considered an “immunologically privileged” organ. Under normal conditions, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is highly effective in preventing both cellular and humoral constituents of the blood from entering the brain parenchyma. In certain pathological conditions, such as viral infections and demyelinating disorders, the BBB may become altered, activated T cells and monocytes may gain access to the brain parenchyma, and microglia may assume the functions of antigen-presenting cells and macrophages. Naturally-occurring or clinically-induced immunosuppression may dramatically alter various cellular and/or humoral aspects of the immune system. Consequently, the brain may become susceptible to disorders that would otherwise be excluded or may develop more severe manifestations of diseases, such as certain infections. This review considers the neuropathologic aspects of various conditions that may be encountered in the setting of both acquired and inherited immunosuppression. The major categories include infectious, neoplastic, vascular, and metabolic disorders. The review also briefly addresses the neuropathology of complications of chemo-therapeutic agents, radiotherapy, and organ transplantation inasmuch as they often occur in the clinical setting of acquired immunosuppression.
Reconsidering the pseudo-family/gang gender distinction in prison research

This study examines the discourse used to describe experiences within those social groupings, existing within female prisons among inmates, which are generally referred to as pseudo-families among researchers. The data for this study were obtained from interviews with female inmates and correctional staff at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW). Through examination of inmate and staff descriptions, the functions of these so-called pseudo-families are shown to be synonymous with those of male prison gangs. For example, the following functions of social groupings within female prisons were gleaned from the data in the current study: emotional support, economic support, vehicles for coercion and aggression, and the need for protection from intimidation and assault. We contend that pseudo-families are indeed serving the same functions that gangs serve in male prisons and that the distinction that has been drawn between these two social groupings was constructed more from our stereotypical expectations of men and women, which also have infiltrated the prison environment, than from any real distinctions. The importance of this study is that it challenges the gender bias among researchers in interpretations of male and female behavior and experiences.
Picosecond light scattering measurements of cataract microstructure

A picosecond range-gated light scattering technique is used to measure the microstructure of cataracts in the living eye, with a resolution of the order of the wavelength of light. The cataract is illuminated with ultrashort pulses of light derived from a mode-locked Nd:glass laser. The pulses backscattered by the opacity are collected at several angles simultaneously by an array of fiber-optic light guides whose outputs are sequentially sampled by a multichannel picosecond Kerr shutter. This shutter transmits only that light which is scattered from the desired depth in the eye, while blocking from the detector any light scattered by foreground or background tissue and reducing multiple scattering effects. The size distribution of scatterers in the cataract is deduced from the angular distribution of scattering intensities by application of Mie theory. The results of experiments with suspensions of latex microspheres and with rabbit cataracts in vivo are presented. Cataract microstructure down to 0.5 μm has been measured in a rabbit eye and verified with electron microscopy.
Active Nucleolus Organizers Are Precisely Positioned in Adult Central Nervous System Cells but Not in Neuroectodermal Tumor Cells

Active nucleolus organizing regions (NOR) were stained with silver in isolated nuclei and chromosomes, monolayer cultures, and tissues for electron microscopy. In nuclei isolated in 0.8–1.3 M urea, only the NOR stained with silver, and round or fiber-like regions with a diameter of 200–250 nm with a substructure were delineated at appropriate nucleolar or acrocentric chromosomal sites. In whole cells, additional (non NOR) silver binding regions were noted. Electrophoresis studies on nuclear isolates indicated at least two different nuclear protein subsets were responsible for the observed silver binding; the NOR protein(s) was most tightly bound with respect to urea. Interphase cells displayed a more extensive NOR network than mitotic cells, suggesting an increase in rDNA transcription during interphase. Mature sperm cells showed no active NOR regions. Interphase neuroectodermal tumor cells generally contained large multiple NOR indicating extensive activity; the position of NOR in the nucleus was variable from cell to cell, even in cloned lines. In contrast to tumor lines, central nervous system (CNS) cells from various species all showed highly reproducible or non-random NOR locations within the nucleus of each cell type. The NOR of large neurons were always central and single, whereas small granule cell neurons displayed a few small NOR that were positioned more peripherally. These findings suggest that in highly differentiated cells, the NOR region is precisely positioned in the nucleus, regardless of non-identical chromosome locations of the NOR in different species. The variability of NOR in tumor cells indicates profound changes in nuclear structure that may be part of the neoplastic transformation.
Effects of Cement Bases on the Stresses and Deflections in Composite Restorations

A model was used to investigate stresses and deflections in cement bases and in a composite restorative material induced in a posterior Class I restoration. Deflections in the composite were highest when it was supported by a base with a low modulus; however, the maximum tensile stress (12 MN/meter2) occurring in the composite restoration at the interface with the base was well below the maximum tensile strength of most composite materials (30 to 40 MN/ meter2). Tensile and shear stresses occurring in the cement bases were of sufficient magnitude to exceed the strength of the cement when a 1.5-mm layer of zinc phosphate cement (base consistency) was supported by a 0.5-mm layer of ZOE lining material. Lowest values of stress were observed when a 2-mm layer of a zinc polyacrylate base was used to support the composite restoration. An ideal situation would be to have a cement base with a modulus of elasticity equal to that of the composite material. Finally, the maximum stress and deflection values obtained here can be easily exceeded in a clinical situation when wider variations can be easily introduced, making the choice of a cement with the proper modulus even more critical.
Atomic Selectivity in the Chemisorption of ICl (Iodochloride) on Silicon Surfaces

When ICl adsorbs on a clean silicon (111)-(7×7) surface, the reaction is chemically selective. This process has been studied with the use of scanning tunneling microscopy and Auger spectroscopy. The dominant mechanism is the formation of silicon monoiodide by abstraction and the ejection of the chlorine atoms back into the gas phase. This pathway is not only chemically selective but also the least exothermic of all the possible reaction mechanisms. Although atomic chemical selectivity in gas-phase reactions is quite common, atomic chemical selectivity is unexpected in gas-surface reactions on clean surfaces because of the high density of reactive sites.
Age-related differences in health complaints: the Hilo women's health study.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the age distribution of health-related complaints and symptom groupings from a random postal survey carried out in the multi-ethnic city of Hilo, Hawaii. Symptom frequencies and factor analyses were compared across three age categories: 60 years (19%), (n = 1,796). Younger women were most likely to report headaches, menstrual complaints, irritability, and mood swings. Women at midlife were most likely to report fluid retention, trouble sleeping, loss of sexual desire, vasomotor symptoms, and nervous tension. Older women reported the least number of symptoms overall. Using multiple linear regression, menopause status, ethnicity, and alcohol intake were significantly associated with the factor scores for symptoms of menopause, after controlling for age, education, BMI, exercise, smoking habits, and financial comfort.
Randomized trial showed that an "embedded" survey strategy optimized authorization rates compared with two "after survey" strategies in veterans with PTSD.

Abstract Objectives To test methods to optimize mail survey response and authorization rates (i.e., allowing one's survey to be linked to medical records) when the survey is sensitive and the targeted population has a mental disorder. Study Design and Setting Randomized controlled trial of 1,099 veterans treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a Midwestern Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Subjects were randomized to one of three groups: (1) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization form embedded in the survey (checking “yes” for consent); (2) HIPAA form requiring signature for consent sent after the survey; or (3) HIPAA form requiring a signature and social security number (SSN) for consent sent after the survey. Results The “embedded” strategy yielded the lowest survey response rate (67.5%) but highest authorization rate (59.1%). Requiring respondents' signatures and SSNs after the survey was returned generated the highest survey response rate (74.2%) but lowest authorization rate (48.7%). However, the response rate difference was not statistically significant. Reported emotional upset was low (1.5%) and primarily directed to the survey, not the HIPAA form. Older age and greater trustfulness were associated with higher authorization rates. Conclusion Even with our most optimized strategy, authorization rates were disappointingly low.
An Evaluation Model for Criminal Justice

This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the evaluation of criminal justice programs. Although experimental research is the preferred design, oftentimes it is infeasible for a variety of reasons. No matter what design the researcher is using, a variety of problems can be anticipated. When there is a conflict between the evaluation design and the needs of the criminal justice system, the design will have to be changed. The author proposes that traditional research designs be supplemented by the utilization of general evaluation models which are applicable to all criminal justice programs. Such models would focus on those attributes which are common across sub-systems and programs. Goal effectiveness and efficiency models are discussed, with emphasis on the weaknesses of goal-oriented evaluation models. The author proposes that evaluation focus on the program's societal impact. This would eliminate the consideration of program goals and means; the focus would be on the program's social benefits and...
HEMOGLOBIN INFUSION DOES NOT ALTER MURINE PULMONARY VASCULAR TONE

Plasma hemoglobin (Hb) scavenges endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO), producing systemic and pulmonary vasoconstriction in many species. We hypothesized that i.v. administration of murine cell-free Hb would produce pulmonary vasoconstriction and enhance hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) in mice. To assess the impact of plasma Hb on basal pulmonary vascular tone in anesthetized mice we measured left lung pulmonary vascular resistance (LPVRI) before and after infusion of Hb at thoracotomy. To confirm the findings obtained at thoracotomy, measurements of right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and systemic arterial pressure (SAP) were obtained in closed-chest wild-type mice. To elucidate whether pretreatment with Hb augments HPV we assessed the increase in LPVRI before and during regional lung hypoxia produced by left mainstem bronchial occlusion (LMBO) in wild-type mice pretreated with Hb. Infusion of Hb increased SAP but did not change pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), left lung pulmonary arterial flow (QLPA) or LPVRI in either wild-type or diabetic mice with endothelial dysfunction. Scavenging of NO by plasma Hb did not alter HPV in wild-type mice. Inhibition of NO synthase with l-NAME did not change the basal LPVRI, but augmented HPV during LMBO. Our data suggest that scavenging of NO by plasma Hb does not alter pulmonary vascular tone in mice. Therefore, generation of NO in the pulmonary circulation is unlikely to be responsible for the low basal pulmonary vascular tone of mice.
Qubit placement to minimize communication overhead in 2D quantum architectures

Regular, local-neighbor topologies of quantum architectures restrict interactions to adjacent qubits, which in turn increases the latency of quantum circuits mapped to these architectures. To alleviate this effect, optimization methods that consider qubit-to-qubit interactions in 2D grid architectures are presented in this paper. The proposed approaches benefit from Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) formulation for the qubit placement problem. Simulation results on various benchmarks show 27% on average reduction in communication overhead between qubits compared to best results of previous work.
Cultural representations of gender among u. s. computer science undergraduates: statistical and data mining results

Worldwide, there is substantial evidence that cultural contexts may either support or hinder the number of women versus men participating in computing. There is also evidence that certain computing disciplines have more appeal to women than others. Hence research on any computing gender gap should be specific to a culture and a computing discipline. In the United States (US) a popular belief is that Computer Science (CS) has a decidedly 'masculine culture'. This paper reports on research that investigates this perception, comparing CS undergraduates to undergraduates in non-computing disciplines (NCD). The data were collected in a nationwide purposeful sampling of US citizens attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) with an ethnic compositional focus on African Americans and Caucasians. The paper describes a survey scale developed in the US to characterize a person's gender role as feminine, masculine, or androgynous. The data were analyzed using statistical and data mining techniques. Surprisingly, CS students were found to be more androgynous than masculine.
Continuum shell model and nuclear physics at the edge of stability

Studies of nuclei far from the valley of stability are currently in the center of modern nuclear physics. For such loosely bound systems, the continuum effects are vitally important. We develop the continuum shell model based on an effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. This rigorous quantum-mechanical method is powerful for description of open quantum systems unifying their structure and reactions. The formalism is explained and examples of its application are given; the results are in a very good agreement with recent experiments on exotic nuclei. We show also how this approach can be successfully applied to a general problem of a signal transmission through an open quantum system.