cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of frequency-dependent plasmonic enhancement of a circular disk nano-optical antenna array using a femtosecond laser frequency comb

In this paper, we report the study of the frequency-dependent plasmonic enhancement of a circular disk nano-optical antenna array and the photo-response of the optical antenna enhanced photodetector at different frequencies using a femtosecond (fs) laser frequency comb. A fs-laser frequency comb can provide hundreds of evenly spaced harmonic frequencies and thus allows simultaneous measurement of the plasmonic optical antenna enhancement effect at these harmonic frequencies. This offers a highly efficient frequency-dependent measurement approach compared to the conventional method of modulating of a c.w. laser, which measures the frequency response at each frequency. The impulse response of the circular disk nano-optical antenna array and the electric-field (E-field) distribution profile are simulated under a fs laser illumination. The light intensity spectrum is simulated and verified to have uniform intensities on the harmonic frequencies within the ±5 GHz frequency range. The photocurrent densities in different regions of a GaAs p-i-n photodetector are analyzed together with their frequency dependence at the harmonic frequencies of the fs laser frequency comb with a repetition rate of MHz. A circular disk nano-optical antenna array enhanced GaAs p-i-n photodetector was fabricated and measured using a fs laser frequency comb with the same repetition rate. The nano-optical antenna can provide ~20 dB enhancement for the harmonic frequencies and extend the detector cut-off frequency from 2.4 GHz to 4.2 GHz.
MIT studies on dendritic solidification from 1950 to 1970

Abstract A number of circumstances combined in the years following the Second World War to bring about much increased interest in solidification from both engineering and science perspectives. These included the advent of new casting processes such as continuous casting, superalloy casting for engine parts, silicon crystal growing for the electronics, and new basic understandings including the advent of constitutional supercooling. This paper recalls developments in solidification processing during the two decades following 1950, focusing primarily on work at MIT in those years.
1628 Use of Fundamentals Of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) Testing to Assess Gynecologic Surgeons: 10 Years of Experience

Study Objective To assess Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) exam scores among OBGYN and general surgery providers. Design This is a descriptive study of all FLS examinees in OBGYN and general surgery and at a single academic institution (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center [BIDMC], Boston, MA) from July 2007 to May 2018. We compared categorical and continuous variables with Chi-square, t, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Setting N/A Patients or Participants N/A Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results 205 BIDMC trainees and faculty took the FLS exam between July 2007 and May 2018 of which 176 were identified to be OBGYN or general surgery providers. The FLS pass rate was high for both specialties (98.7% OBGYN, 99.0% surgery, p= 0.42). When comparing providers in OBGYN and general surgery, no difference was found in manual skills score (mean 594.9 OBGYN vs 601.0 surgery, p=0.59), however, a significant difference was noted in the cognitive scores with surgery providers scoring higher than OBGYN providers (mean 533.8 OBGYN vs 583.4 surgery, p=0.0003). In a multivariate linear regression model adjusting for specialty, level of training, age, sex, and test year, none of the variables were significant predictors for manual scores. However, age, sex, and test year were predictors for cognitive scores with greater scores associated with younger age, male sex, and advancing calendar year. Surgical specialty was not a predictor for manual or cognitive scores. Conclusion Overall, both OBGYN and surgery residents had a high FLS pass rate. The manual skills test scores were comparable between specialties, but the cognitive scores were lower for OBGYN compared to surgery providers. Further investigation regarding validity of the cognitive component of the FLS exam for OBGYN providers may be warranted.
The 911 Covenant: Policing Black Bodies in White Spaces and the Limits of Implicit Bias as a Tool of Racial Justice

In this article, I argue that the regular and recurrent examples of white people calling 911 on black people constitute a new sort of racially restrictive covenant – an updated version of the now outlawed racially restrictive housing covenants of the past – that work in a similar way by invoking the power of the state to construct and maintain “white spaces” where people of color are by default deemed suspect and out of place. I argue first, that we need to consider how the legal framework of implicit bias actually has reinforced conservative approaches to racial justice, (culminating most recently in the cases of in Trump v. Hawaii (the Muslim travel ban) and Abbot v. Perez (racial gerrymandering)), by accepting the idea that explicit racism is largely a thing of the past. Second, I elaborate how a more direct and explicit engagement with the present reality of racism has the potential to reinvigorate both liberal jurisprudence and liberal activism. Third, focus on recent incidents such as Starbucks and Roseanne’s tweet to argue that we need to revisit, update, and extend the work of Jody Armour from the 1990s that uses the cases of Palmore v. Sidoti and Shelley v. Kraemer to consider how the state can be implicated in ratifying societal racism in ways the violate Equal Protection. I will further consider the need to shift from Armour’s frame of implicit bias to issues of explicit racism and apply this to situations such as the rising spate of 911 calls where private citizens, in effect, enlist the police to enforce their own personal discomfort at seeing black people who seem to be “out of place” in public spaces. This not only constitutes the state enforcing private racism but also amounts to a literal inversion of one of the original purposes of the Equal Protection clause which was enacted, in part, to protect newly freed black people from private vigilante mobs. Now, in these recent incidents we have the police being used, in effect, to enforce the racist attitudes of private vigilantes instead of protecting blacks from those attitudes. I conclude that only by acknowledging the ways current racist practices such as the 911 covenant can we hope to understand and address the new and recurring manifestations of legal complicity in the perpetual of racial injustice in this country.
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE SOUTH

Dominant imaginaries of espionage presume that all states surveil their populations but that only the powerful ones can play the “great game” of spying outside their borders. How, then, does a poor postcolonial state spy abroad? Drawing on an ethnography of Arab migrants and jihad fighters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this essay suggests one answer: powerful states have their spies pose as diplomats, while weak ones exploit their diasporas. This realization takes one step toward demystifying and de-exceptionalizing state intelligence apparatuses and understanding them as socially embedded institutions.
Petroclival meningiomas and the petrosal approach

As with other meningiomas, the goal of petroclival meningioma treatment should be curative total removal by achieving a Simpson I resection of the tumor, dura, and bone. Petroclival meningiomas particularly pose a great technical challenge because of their deep location and intimate relation with vital neurovascular structures. They require adequate exposure and trajectory to achieve total removal while minimizing the manipulation and risk to critical neurovascular structures, such as the vertebrobasilar system, the brainstem, and the cranial nerves. Here, we describe the indications and technical nuances of the posterior and combined posterior-anterior petrosal approaches for petroclival meningiomas.
Filter Media Design for High Purity Air Applications

The design of high performance filter media for HEPA and ULPA applications is examined comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data. The analysis employs a hybrid filtration model. Pressure drop and particle collection efficiency in the region of minimum efficiency where particle diffusion is decreasing and particle interception is increasing as the particle size increases are examined as functions of particle diameter, velocity, and media geometry including fiber diameter, solidity, and thickness.Several grades of filter media are characterized and tested for particle sizes in the region of the point of minimum efficiency at typical media rating and application velocities. Filter media performance comparisons are made that show how the point of minimum efficiency can be altered by velocity and media geometry changes. This information is used for a discussion of HEPA and ULPA media performance rating criteria with respect to test and application conditions.Based upon the results of this study,...
The Case of Jihadology and the Securitization of Academia

This paper goes to the heart of this special issue by exploring the case of the web site, Jihadology, which the author founded and has managed for the past ten-plus years. It explores various issue...
Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation - Unit 1: Writing a Legal Blog Post

This is Unit 1 from Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation, an open-source textbook authored by Samantha Prince. Unit 1 covers the following topics: • The Importance of Blogging • Writing to your audience • Choosing a topic • Planning out your Blog Post.
Exome sequencing reveals a novel WDR45 frameshift mutation and inherited POLR3A heterozygous variants in a female with a complex phenotype and mixed brain MRI findings.

WDR45 and POLR3A are newly recognized genes; each is associated with a distinct neurodegenerative disease. WDR45 is an X-linked gene associated with a dominant form of Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA), manifested by progressive disabilities, dystonia, cognitive decline, spastic paraplegia, neuropsychiatric abnormalities and iron deposition in the basal ganglia on brain imaging. POLR3A, on the other hand, is an autosomal gene, and its mutations cause a recessive form of a hypomyelination with leukodystrophy disease, also known as 4H syndrome, characterized by congenital Hypomyelination with thinning of the corpus callosum, Hypodontia and Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism. We report on a female child with severe intellectual disability, aphasia, short stature, ataxia, failure to thrive and structural brain abnormalities. Brain MRI obtained in late infancy showed hypomyelination involving the central periventricular white matter and thinning of the corpus callosum with no evidence of iron accumulation. Brain MRI obtained in childhood showed stable hypomyelination, with progressive iron accumulation in the basal ganglia, in particular in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) identified a novel WDR45 frameshift deleterious mutation in Exon 9 (c.587-588del) and also revealed three POLR3A missense heterozygous variants. The first is a maternally inherited novel missense variant in exon 4 (c.346A > G). Exon 13 carried two heterozygous missense variants, a maternally inherited variant (c.1724A > T) and a paternally inherited variant (1745G > A). These variants are considered likely damaging. The patient's complex clinical phenotype and mixed brain MRI findings might be attributed to the confounding effects of the expression of these two mutant genes.
The Application of Event Methodology in Municipal Finance Research

This article explains how event methodology can be applied in municipal finance research. Event methodology examines the impact of specific events on the rate of return on financial securities and can be utilized to study the impact of political, legal, and economic events on municipal bond returns (Epple and Spatt 1986). One advantage of this methodology is that seasoned (previously issued) bonds rather than just new bond issues can be used in the research. Frequently, no new bonds or only a few new bonds are issued by governmental units around the time of the event under investigation. Hence, a study based only on new bond issues may have a sample size that is too small or may include bonds that have unique characteristics different from the typical issuer impacted by the event.
Less common house pets.

This chapter focuses on the most common "house pets" (but not every species that can be kept as pets) and the major health threats that they can represent. Only a brief discussion at the end of the chapter is devoted to more uncommon pets, especially ferrets and primates. However, because of the outbreak of monkeypox in prairie dogs and humans which occurred in the spring of 2003 in the United States, a few words are devoted to the risk of ownership of exotic pets. Zoonoses potentially transmitted by pet rabbits and rodents have been discussed. The main pathogens acquired topically from fish (through spine puncture or open wounds) are Aeromonas hydrophila, Edwardsiella tarda, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Mycobacterium marinum, Streptococcus iniae, Vibrio vulnificus, and V. damsela. Despite the fact that ferrets are enjoyable pets, much concern has been raised following severe injuries to children by ferrets kept as house pets. In a recent study of non-occupational-exposure incidents involving macaques in the United States, children were more than three times as likely to be bitten as adults. Herpes B virus must be assumed to be a potential health hazard from macaque bite wounds; this risk makes macaques unsuitable as pets.
Performance of Securities Investment Funds in China

Using daily data from May 2000 to January 2004, this study examines the risk, return, securities selection, and market timing performance of China's securities investment funds (SIFs), in compariso...
Effects of fesoterodine on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy volunteers.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Drug–drug interactions with warfarin are common with potentially harmful consequences. Preclinical in vitro studies suggest that fesoterodine or 5-hydroxymethyl tolterodine are not likely to affect warfarin metabolism, but a lack of interaction has not been demonstrated in a clinical study. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • This study shows that the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin 25 mg in healthy adults are unaffected by fesoterodine 8 mg, and that co-administration of warfarin 25 mg and fesoterodine 8 mg is safe and well tolerated. AIMS To confirm the lack of an interaction of fesoterodine 8 mg with warfarin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy adults. METHODS In this open-label, two-treatment, crossover study, subjects (n= 14) aged 20–41 years with normal prothrombin time (PT) and International Normalized Ratio (INR) were randomized to receive a single dose of warfarin 25 mg alone in one period and fesoterodine 8 mg once daily on days 1–9 with a single dose of warfarin 25 mg co-administered on day 3 in the other period. There was a 10-day washout between treatments. Pharmacokinetic endpoints were area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC(0,∞)), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), AUC from time 0 to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC(0,last)), time to Cmax (tmax), and half-life (t1/2) for S- and R-warfarin. Pharmacodynamic endpoints were area under the INR-time curve (AUCINR), maximum INR (INRmax), area under the PT-time curve (AUCPT) and maximum PT (PTmax). RESULTS Across all pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparisons, the point estimates of treatment ratio (warfarin co-administered with fesoterodine vs. warfarin alone) were 92–100%. The 90% confidence intervals for the ratios of the adjusted geometric means were contained within (80%, 125%). There were no clinically relevant changes in laboratory tests, vital signs or ECG recordings. CONCLUSIONS The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin 25 mg in healthy adults are unaffected by fesoterodine 8 mg. Concomitant administration of fesoterodine and warfarin was well tolerated.
Product Lifecycle Engineering (PLE): An Application

Product Lifecycle Engineering (PLE) is the application of Systems Design and Analysis (SDA) to the Systems Engineering (SE) activities during the various phases along a system/product lifecycle. SE is an interdisciplinary approach and means for enabling the realization and deployment of successful systems. Systems engineers deal with whole systems having many separate contributing components/parts. They rely on other engineers to design, analyze, and deliver the individual components/parts which together make up the whole system. The SE effort spans the whole system lifecycle. SE focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, and then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem from cradle to grave. This chapter will address PLE during the critical transition from product development to production where necessary Integrated Design and Manufacturing (IDM) tradeoffs are made. The redesign of the wing of an F-86 Strato Sabre Vintage Jet Fighter, as a case study example for IDM through Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), will be presented. A Georgia Tech Professional Education Certificate Program with a large aerospace company during 2008–2009 served as the basis for this case study example. Keywords: product lifecycle engineering; product lifecycle management; integrated product and process development; systems engineering; integrated design and manufacturing tradeoffs; quality function deployment; morphological matrix; pugh concept evalution matrix; computer aided design; computer aided manufacturing
Failure localization on a Low-Dropout Voltage Regulator with Reset Automotive Device due to wire bonding issue

There is a recent failure on a Low-Dropout Voltage Regulator with Reset Automotive Device of which customer is experiencing an out of specification output voltage. This paper aims to pinpoint the exact failure mechanism for this automotive customer using detailed fault localization analysis and identify the root cause of broken stitch bond.
Molecular characterization of the mitochondrial DNA of a new stopper mutant ER-3 of Neurospora crassa

An ethidium bromide-induced stopper mutant of Neurospora crassa is characterized at the molecular level. The mutant has two populations of mitochondrial DNA: a defective predominant mutant molecule and a basal level of the wild-type molecule. The aberrant DNA resulted after a 25-kbp deletion from the wild-type mitochondrial chromosome, which included major genes such as cytb, co1 and oli2. The deletion endpoints are located in the second intron of the ND5 gene, and in a sequence 250 nucleotides upstream of the co2 gene. The recombination has taken place between two nine nucleotide repeats CCCCGCCCC, one of which is close to a PstI palindrome at its 5' end. Thus the mutant ER-3 differs from all the other stopper mutants described previously in the extent and location of the deletions in the mtDNA.
Molt-4 rho(0) cells up regulate stress-induced survival genes in an attempt to overcome the potentially lethal consequence of mitochondrial DNA depletion

Molt-4 rho(0) (Molt-4 0) cells are a pyruvate and pyrimidine auxtophic cell line derived from Molt-4 cells, a T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia cell line. The ρ0 mutant cells were generated by continuous long-term (28 day) incubation of Molt-4 wild-type (Molt-4 WT) cells in ethidium bromide (50ng/ml) supplemented with uridine and pyruvate. The absence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the Molt-4 ρ0 cells has been confirmed by Southern analysis and PCR. The objective of these experiments was to determine the effects on nuclear gene expression of deleting mtDNA in this cell line compared to the wild-type control. RNA was purified from both cell lines using Qiagen RNeasy columns. The methods for generation of fragmented biotin-labeled cDNA, hybridization to Affymetrix human genome U133A gene chips, washes, streptavidin phycoerythrin staining, and scanning were per the Affymetrix protocol. Microarray data was then analyzed using the software program GeneTraffic and genes that were expressed ≥ or ≤ H4 fold compared to the Molt-4 WT were identified. Confirmation of expression is ongoing via RT-PCR and Western-blot analysis. Data analysis suggested that, in Molt-4 ρ0 cells, 16 gene probes were up regulated and 6 were down regulated compared to Molt-4 WT. The majority of up-regulated genes in the Molt-4 ρ0 cells identified are critical to stress-induced survival pathways and included VEGF, FGFR1, ATF5 and SCL7A11 while down regulated gene expression appeared to be related to inhibition of differentiation (CD2, DNTT) or inhibition of apoptosis (EIF5A). Molt-4 ρ0 cells appear to attempt to survive via up regulation of stress-induced survival gene transcription while down regulating transcription of differentiation and apoptotic genes. Confirmation of our results via RT-PCR and Western-blot analysis is ongoing and will be presented. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P17–P17; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.064
Designing Intelligent Software Agents for Auctions with Limited Information Feedback

This paper presents analytical, computational, and empirical analyses of strategies for intelligent bid formulations in online auctions. We present results related to a weighted-average ascending price auction mechanism that is designed to provide opaque feedback information to bidders and presents a challenge in formulating appropriate bids. Using limited information provided by the mechanism, we design strategies for software agents to make bids intelligently. In particular, we derive analytical results for the important characteristics of the auction, which allow estimation of the key parameters; we then use these theoretical results to design several bidding strategies. We demonstrate the validity of designed strategies using a discrete event simulation model that resembles the mechanisms used in treasury bills auctions, business-to-consumer (B2C) auctions, and auctions for environmental emission allowances. In addition, using the data generated by the simulation model, we show that intelligent strategies can provide a high probability of winning an auction without significant loss in surplus.
Changes in the retirement process among older men in the United States: 1972-1980.

Recent changes in older men’s retirement patterns are investigated for the United States. The results show that labor force incumbents, particularly those in secondary occupations, experienced increases in the volume of both retirement and reentry to the labor force. In addition, although working life expectancy remained relatively stable across occupations, men in secondary occupations spent increasingly greater portions of their work lives in postretirement jobs. Finally, large increases in nonworking life expectancy occurred because of substantial increases in life expectancy. In several occupations, however, declines in working life expectancy were major contributors to increases in nonworking life expectancy.
Morphology and orientation of nanocrystalline AlN thin films

Abstract This paper describes the surface morphology, composition, and structure of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films formed by single ion-beam sputtering of Al. Either pure N 2 or a N 2 (75%) + H 2 (25%) gas mixture was used as the feed gas for the ion gun. The films formed from the hydrogen containing feed gas were deposited on substrates either at room temperature or at 200°C. The film surface was extremely smooth for films grown under all the deposition conditions: scanning force microscopy indicated ⩽ 1 nm average roughness over a 500 × 500 nm 2 area. Transmission electron microscopy examination of the films showed that they were highly textured: the c axis of the AlN grains is preferentially oriented perpendicular to the film/substrate interface. The films grown with pure N 2 consisted of grains in the order of 100 nm in diameter whereas films formed with a hydrogen containing feed gas had at least an order of magnitude smaller grain size.
Glant, Tibor. 2013. "Amerika, a csodák és csalódások földje." (America, the Land of Wonders and Disappointments.)

Glant, Tibor. 2013. Amerika, a csodak es csalodasok foldje. Az Amerikai Egyesult Allamok kepe a hosszu XIX. szazad magyar utazasi irodalmaban (America, the Land of Wonders and Disappointments - the Picture of the United States of America in the Hungarian Travel Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century) . Debrecen: University of Debrecen Press. 259 pp. Reviewed by Susan Glanz, St. John's University
The Effects of Visual Realism on Search Tasks in Mixed Reality Simulation

In this paper, we investigate the validity of Mixed Reality (MR) Simulation by conducting an experiment studying the effects of the visual realism of the simulated environment on various search tasks in Augmented Reality (AR). MR Simulation is a practical approach to conducting controlled and repeatable user experiments in MR, including AR. This approach uses a high-fidelity Virtual Reality (VR) display system to simulate a wide range of equal or lower fidelity displays from the MR continuum, for the express purpose of conducting user experiments. For the experiment, we created three virtual models of a real-world location, each with a different perceived level of visual realism. We designed and executed an AR experiment using the real-world location and repeated the experiment within VR using the three virtual models we created. The experiment looked into how fast users could search for both physical and virtual information that was present in the scene. Our experiment demonstrates the usefulness of MR Simulation and provides early evidence for the validity of MR Simulation with respect to AR search tasks performed in immersive VR.
Signal Reconstruction From Fourier Transform Amplitude

In this paper, we show that a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional sequence is uniquely specified under mild restrictions by its Fourier transform amplitude (magnitude and one bit of phase information). In addition, we develop a numerical algorithm to reconstruct a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional sequence from its Fourier transform amplitude. Reconstruction examples obtained using this algorithm are also provided.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Metabolic interactions between restraint stress and l-lysine: The effect on urea cycle components

We studied the effects of L-lysine on wrap-restraint stress-induced changes in ureagenesis. An exposure to wrap-restraint stress did not affect the plasma concentration of L-lysine, but did decrease plasma urea and arginine. Oral L-lysine (1 g/kg) blocked the effect of stress on ureagenesis, and enhanced the effect of stress on L-arginine. No influence of L-lysine were found in controls. The results imply a stress-specific, ureagenesis-stimulating effect of L-lysine, and suggest an increased requirement for L-arginine during the above conditions.
High-speed circuit training vs hypertrophy training to improve physical function in sarcopenic obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Progressive loss of muscle and strength with age is often coincident with increases in adiposity, leading to a condition called sarcopenic obesity. Studies have shown sarcopenic obese adults to be at higher risk for declines in physical function. Despite this rising public health concern, no intervention studies currently exist in this population. Methods A total of 21 sarcopenic obese adults, 60 years or older, were randomized into two groups, strength/hypertrophy (SH, n = 9) and high-speed circuit (HSC, n = 8) and were trained for 15 weeks. The primary outcome was the SPPB modified as a measure of physical function, assessed by assessors blinded to randomization. Secondary outcomes were lower body and upper body power and strength, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), body fat % (BF%), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and grip strength (GRP). Results For the SPPB results favored HSC over SH (1.1, 95% CI (− .1 to 2.4), p = .08) and showed a moderate effect size (Hedge g = 0.6, 95% CI (− 0.4, 1.6)). For secondary outcomes, lower body power (mean difference = 158 W, 95% CI (2, 315); p = .01) and RPE (mean difference = − 1.5, 95% CI (− 2.9, − 0.12); p = .04) also favored HSC. IADL, SMI, BF%, upper and lower body strength and upper body power, showed no statistically significant differences between groups. Conclusions Considering the moderate effect size, the large treatment effect shown by the upper limit of the 95% CI, the low perceived exertion, and no adverse effects, HSC training should be further investigated with a larger sample size in sarcopenic obese adults.
The H II regions of the galaxy M101

The physical properties and composition of the H II region population of the spiral galaxy M101 (NGC 5457) were examined using spectrophotometrically calibrated CCD imagery of two overlapping 16-arcmin fields in the M101, in which individual H II regions were identified and mapped using an automated algorithm. The characteristics obtained for the H II region population of M101 include the H II region luminosity function and radial variations in extinction; the forbidden O III line/H-beta, O/H, and forbidden S II line/H-alpha ratios; the ionization parameter U; and the numbers of ionizing photons. Global variations of physical properties of the H II regions in M101 are compared to model expectations derived for other galaxies. The evident star formation in the M101 galaxy is discussed.
A New Technique for a Routine Azimuth Disambiguation of Solar Vector Magnetograms

We introduce a nonpotential magnetic field calculation (NPFC) technique to perform azimuth disambiguation in solar vector magnetograms. It is shown that resolving the 180° ambiguity would be a numerically fully determined problem if the vertical electric current density was known a priori. Since this is not the case, we enforce a minimum-magnitude current density solution. The NPFC disambiguation is otherwise assumption-free, with the quality of the results depending on the quality of the measurements. The NPFC method first infers the nonpotential magnetic field component responsible for the assumed vertical currents and then determines the vertical magnetic field whose potential extrapolation, added to the nonpotential field, best reproduces the observationally inferred horizontal magnetic field. The technique is fast, effective, and physically sound, so it may be instrumental in a routine, real-time, disambiguation of future space-borne solar vector magnetograms.
Accurate measurement of LED lens surface temperature

Radiant power emitted by high power light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been steadily increasing over the past decade. High radiation, especially short wavelength, can increase the temperature and negatively affect the primary lens performance of high-power LEDs. In this regards, assessment of lens temperature during operation is important. Past studies have shown large errors when thermocouples are used for measuring temperature in high radiant flux environments. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the problem in using thermocouples to measure LED lens surface temperature and to find a solution to improving the measurement accuracy. A laboratory study was conducted to better understand the issue. Results showed that most of the error is due to absorption of visible radiant energy by the thermocouple. In this study, the measurements made using an infrared (IR) thermal imaging system were used as the reference temperature because the IR imaging system is unaffected by radiant flux in the visible range. After studying the thermocouple wire metallurgy and its radiation absorption properties, a suitable material was identified to shield the thermocouple from visible radiation. Additionally, a silicone elastomer was used to maintain the thermal interface between the lens surface and the thermocouple junction bead. With these precautions, the lens temperature measurements made using the J-type thermocouple and the IR imaging system matched very well.
Unprecedented Homochiral Olefin−Copper(I) 2D Coordination Polymer Grid Based on Chiral Ammonium Salts as Building Blocks

4-Vinylbenzylcinchonidinium chloride ([VB-N-CIN]Cl; 1), prepared from the corresponding cinchona alkaloid and 4-vinylbenzyl chloride in refluxing acetone and N,N-dimethylformamide, solvothermally reacts with CuICl to afford the unprecedented 2D homochiral copper(I)−olefin coordination polymer Cu5Cl6(VB-N-CIN)2·C2H5OH (2·EtOH) with a 2D layered network. A preliminary enantioseparation investigation shows that the 2D layered network in 2 is capable of selectively intercalating (R)-2-butanol.
Cytological and reproductive differentiation in sedum section gormania (crassulaceae)

Analysis of the chromosomal status of the 12 taxa ofSedum sectionGormania reveals a euploid series ofn = 15, 30, and 45. Although plants of all taxa are self-compatible in varying degrees, those of the narrow endemics exhibit a high level of self-compatibility while the plants of all but one of the more widely distributed taxa tend to be weakly self-compatible or rarely selfincompatible. The narrow endemics include four diploids, all putative relicts, and two tetraploids. The widely distributed taxa include four diploids, one tetraploid, and one hexaploid. The differences in ploidal level and the degree of self-compatibility are assessed with respect to their possible roles in the evolutionary history of sectionGormania.
The Effect of Varicocelectomy on Serum Testosterone Levels in Infertile Men with Varicoceles

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the effect of varicocelectomy on serum testosterone.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the effect of varicocelectomy on serum testosterone levels in 53 infertile men with varicoceles.Results: Mean serum testosterone increased from a preoperative level of 319 plus/minus 12 to 409 plus/minus 23 ng./dl. postoperatively (p less than 0.0004). Men with at least 1 firm testis preoperatively had a greater increase in serum testosterone (p less than 0.005). An inverse correlation was noted between preoperative testosterone levels and change in testosterone after varicocelectomy (r = −0.34, p less than 0.013).Conclusions: Varicocelectomy can increase serum testosterone for infertile men with varicoceles. Although improvement in serum testosterone does not necessarily cause a direct improvement in semen quality, varicocelectomy may improve hormonal and spermatogenic function.
Hip Actuations Can be Used to Control Bifurcations and Chaos in a Passive Dynamic Walking Model

We explored how hip joint actuation can be used to control locomotive bifurcations and chaos in a passive dynamic walking model that negotiated a slightly sloped surface (gamma<0.019 rad). With no hip actuation, our passive dynamic walking model was capable of producing a chaotic locomotive pattern when the ramp angle was 0.01839 rad<gamma<0.0190 rad. Systematic alterations in hip actuation resulted in rapid transition to any locomotive pattern available in the chaotic attractor and induced stability at ramp angles that were previously considered unstable. Our results detail how chaos can be used as a control scheme for locomotion.
EVALUATING COMPENSATORY EDUCATION: OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME SHOULD ACHIEVEMENT BE MEASURED?

An assumption fundamental to compensatory education is that greater achievement can change the academic future of disadvantaged students, which may in turn enhance their “life chances.” Therefore, one of the goals of compensatory education is to increase the achievement of disadvantaged students. To change students' futures, this increase in achievement should be evident subsequent to participation in a compensatory-education program. At a minimum, an increase in achievement should persist over the summer following a school-year program. Evaluations of compensatory education in general, however, and of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in particular, have not included measures of sustained achievement. Instead, judgments of program success have been based on students' achievement during the school year: that is, on a spring posttest score adjusted in some way for the preceding fall pretest score.
Endoscopic image-guided transoral approach to the craniovertebral junction: an anatomic study comparing surgical exposure and surgical freedom obtained with the endoscope and the operating microscope.

OBJECTIVE: The transoral approach is the most direct and commonly used method to access the ventral craniocervical junction. Recently, an endonasal, endoscopic approach to the craniovertebral junction was proposed. We reasoned that the coupling of the endoscope with the direct transoral approach and image guidance could result in a minimally invasive, simple approach to the ventral craniovertebral junction. We inves- tigated the potential usefulness of such an approach in a cadaver model. METHODS: A direct transoral approach to the craniovertebral junction was performed using computed tomography-based image guidance in 9 fresh adult head specimens. Endoscopic odontoidectomy was performed in 5 specimens. In the remaining 4 specimens, the sur- gical working area and surgical freedom associated with an endoscopic and a microscopic approach to the ventral craniovertebral junction were evaluated and compared. In these 4 specimens, we also measured and compared the exposure of the clivus provided by the endoscope and by the operating microscope without splitting the soft palate. RESULTS: With variously angled endoscopic assistance and image guidance, it was possible to tailor the excision of the anterior arch of the atlas and to precisely identify the odontoid process and its related ligaments intraoperatively, resulting in a complete and controlled odontoidectomy. The surgical area exposed over the posterior pharyngeal wall was significantly improved using the endoscope (606.5 ± 127.4 mm 3 ) compared with the operating microscope (425.7 ± 100.8 mm 3 ), without any compromise of surgical freedom (P < 0.05). The extent of the clivus exposed with the endoscope (9.5 ± 0.7 mm) without splitting the soft palate was significantly improved compared with that associated with microscopic approach (2.0 ± 0.4 mm) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: With the aid of the endoscope and image guidance, it is possible to approach the ventral craniovertebral junction transorally with minimal tissue dissection, no palatal splitting, and no compromise of surgical freedom. In addition, the use of an angled-lens endoscope can significantly improve the exposure of the clivus without splitting the soft palate. An endoscope-assisted transoral approach is a direct and powerful tool for the treatment of surgical pathology at the craniovertebral junction.
The CLIPR display terminal experiment system

The Display Terminal Experiment System (DTES) is a specialized system for preparing, executing, and analyzing experiments involving the presentation of text materials and the recording of response latencies. The system includes: materials preparation routines, an experiment description language and translator, a real-time experiment monitor program, and data recovery and data analysis programs. DTES is intended to enable users with little or no computer programming experience to construct and run sophisticated real-time experiments. The major features of this system are: (1) a complete package for handling every phase of the experiment from materials preparation to elementary data analysis, and (2) the experimenter is permitted to run an arbitrary number of subjects concurrently with each in a different experimental condition.
Future Options for Improving Sexual Satisfaction in Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries

Sexual satisfaction is known to decrease in persons with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). SCI is also known to predictably alter sexual response. Recent research has shed light on exactly how sexual response is affected. Techniques are also now being tested to facilitate subjective sexual arousal and physiologic genital response in women with SCIs. This information, coupled with recent developments for improvement of sexual function in the able-bodied, should be utilized to develop new treatment methods to improve sexual satisfaction in persons with SCIs.
A mechanistic evaluation of Soret diffusion in heptane/air flames

Abstract The influence of Soret diffusion on the structure and response of n-heptane/air flames is investigated numerically with detailed reaction mechanism and transport. Unstretched freely-propagating planar premixed flames as well as stretched counterflow premixed and diffusion flames are studied, with emphasis on the separate and combined Soret effects of heptane and its oppositely-directed decomposition species H2 and H, as well as those of the major species O2, N2, CO2 and H2O. Results show that, in the unstretched case for which the flame temperature remains at its adiabatic value, Soret diffusion primarily affects the chemical kinetics embedded in the flame structure and the net effect is small; while in the stretched cases, its impact is mainly through those of heptane and the secondary fuel H2 in modifying the flame temperature, with substantial effects, while H2 and H also affect the chemical kinetics especially when the active reaction zone is localized. The dilution/enrichment of the reactant concentrations in the flame through the Soret diffusion of the major species O2, N2, CO2 and H2O further exert finite effects on the flame burning intensity.
Analysis of the spectrum of four-times-ionized lutetium (Lu v)

Spectra of Lu obtained with a sliding spark discharge at peak currents of 50–500 A were recorded with a 10.7 m normal incidence spectrograph in the range of 500–2100 A. Intercomparison of spectra revealed a distinct separation of Lu iii, iv, and v, the first two of which have already been anlayzed. The present work contains an interpretation of Lu v in which 419 lines are classified as transitions among 136 energy levels of the 4f13, 4f125d, 4f126s, and 4f126p configurations. Calculated energy levels and eigenvectors, obtained with fitted values for the radial integrals, are given.
MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND MACHINABILITY IMPROVEMENT OF UDIMET 720 VIA CRYOGENIC MILLING

The objective of this research is to improve the milling process performance for Udimet 720. In order to do so, both material microstructure and tool failure conditions are studied with different milling processes, such as cryogenic-assisted machining and conventional milling. To gain an understanding of the mechanism behind the smearing and plucking phenomena, which are used as a measure of quality and also a limiting factor to machining speed, the post machined microstructure has been investigated. The dynamic forces of machining, chip morphology, microstructure, deformation layer, and maximum cutting velocity are considered for the optimization of the milling process of Udimet 720. The tool life during milling of Udimet 720 is also determined under two different machining arrangements with an oil-base coolant and cryogenic cooling. In cryogenic milling, it has been discovered through these experiments, that there exists a concentration of gamma phase in the material. The experimental cryogenic milling ...
Disposition and metabolism of the antitumor agent pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide in mouse and beagle dog.

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide have been studied in the beagle dog and mouse. When pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide was administered to beagle dogs at a dose of 18.6 mg/kg (428 mg/m2) by i. v. bolus, the plasma half-life (t1/2) was 7.3 min, the apparent volume of distribution (Vd) 577 ml/kg, and the total body clearance (Cl) 55 ml/min per kg. In mice given pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide by i. v. bolus at 100 mg/kg (428 mg/m2), the t1/2 was 5.8 min, the Vd 250 ml/kg, and the Cl 30 ml/min per kg. When [2-14C]pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide was infused i. v. to mice at 100 mg/kg over 8 h, the Cl for parent drug was 122 ml/min per kg. The major product formed from pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide was 2-hydroxypyrazine, which accounted for 80% of the total radioactivity in the plasma after a 6-h drug infusion. These were three other metabolites in plasma, two more polar than pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide, which accounted for 7% of the radioactivity, and one less polar, which accounted for 5% of the radioactivity. Following an i. v. bolus dose of [2-14C]pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide, 79% of the radioactivity was excreted in the urine in 24 h, 3% in the feces, and 0.4% in the expired air; 18% remained in the carcass. The liver and kidney showed the highest tissue levels of radioactivity. 2-Hydroxypyrazine accounted for 45% of the urinary radioactivity, pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide for 14%, and a glucuronide or sulfate conjugate of 2-hydroxypyrazine for 17%. Twenty-four percent of the radioactivity eluted near the void volume on high-performance liquid chromatography and was not identified.
Femtosecond x-ray dynamical diffraction by perfect crystals

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) designed to operate at approximately 1A wavelengths are currently being proposed by several laboratories as the basis for the next (4th) generation of synchrotron radiation sources. The unique radiation properties of these proposed sources, which include 200 fs pulse duration and peak beam brilliance in excess of 1033 photon (2 .1%-bw mrad2 mm2), offer the possibility of ultrafast time-resolved experiments, perhaps down to 10- fs resolution levels using pulse compression or slicing techniques. Motivated by such potential applications, this paper addresses the relevant instrumentation issue of perfect crystal dynamical diffraction of ultrashort x-ray pulses when the pulse lengths become comparable to the extinction length scales. The basic calculations reported here show the transient time-dependent diffraction from perfect crystals excited by plane-wave delta-function electromagentic impulses. Time responses have been calculated for 8 keV photon energy, for reflected and transmitted beams in both Bragg and Laue cases. Interesting diffraction effects arise, and their implications for XFEL optics are discussed.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Acrylic intraocular lens placement in conjunction with pars plana vitrectomy.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report the results of placing a foldable acrylic intraocular lens through a clear cornea incision in eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS: This interventional case series is a retrospective report of 15 eyes of 15 consecutive patients undergoing foldable (acrylic) intraocular lens insertion in conjunction with pars plana vitrectomy in a single academic institution. Outcome measures included visual acuity and complications. RESULTS: The intraocular lens was successfully implanted and retained in position in all 15 cases. The intraocular lens did not pose difficulty in examining the fundus or cause any vitreoretinal complications. With mean follow-up of 4.5 months (range, 1–10 months), final median postoperative visual acuity range was 20/200 (range, 20/40–2/200) and consistent with the level of vitreoretinal disease. CONCLUSION: Acrylic intraocular lenses may be safely implanted in conjunction with pars plana vitrectomy in selected cases.
Cutaneous features predict paraspinal neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1

In neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1), malignant transformation of internal plexiform neurofibromas carries a poor prognosis, in part because they are not evident clinically. In this issue, Sbidian et al. describe a novel "NF-1Score" equation that employs four easily observable traits to predict the presence of paraspinal neurofibromas. This tool can identify at-risk patients during regular screening to help reduce mortality.