cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Propagation Losses in THz and Optical Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging

We investigate the propagation losses in terahertz (THz) non-line-of-sight (NLoS) imaging and compare the performance to the optical counterpart. NLoS imaging exploits the multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves from surrounding surfaces to reconstruct the geometry and location of hidden objects. THz and visible/infrared radiations are attractive for NLoS imaging due to the short wavelengths and practical apertures that can support this non-conventional imaging. However, the scattering mechanisms vary significantly and determine the quality of the reconstructed images. This work compares for the first time the free-space path loss and rough surface scattering losses of a simple THz and optical NLoS imaging topology. Because specular reflections are dominant in THz scattering while optical systems suffer from strong diffuse scattering, THz NLoS imaging systems can receive considerably stronger backscattered signals.
Role of template layers for heteroepitaxial growth of lanthanum oxide on GaN(0001) via atomic layer deposition

La2O3 has been reported as a good gate dielectric for GaN-based high electron mobility transistor and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor applications. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was selected as the deposition technique, and the growth behavior and structure of La2O3 films on GaN(0001) were investigated. Unlike La2O3 deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at 450 °C that can form a two-dimensional film directly on GaN(0001), island growth mode was observed when a La2O3 film was deposited directly on GaN(0001) at 250 °C by ALD using tris(N,N′-diisopropylformamidinato)-lanthanum as the precursor and H2O as the coreactant. Only with the use of a template layer, a 2 nm-thick hexagonal La2O3 film deposited by MBE or a 3 nm-thick cubic Er2O3 film deposited by ALD, can a two-dimensional crystalline ALD-La2O3 thin film be formed on GaN(0001). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy were conducted to verify the films’ crystalline nature and structure. The ALD-La2O3 film retains a cubic structure on ALD-Er2O3 templated-GaN(0001), while it transforms from the cubic phase to a mix of cubic and hexagonal phases on MBE-La2O3 templated-GaN(0001) when the film is thicker than 15 nm. The stabilization of a thin cubic La2O3 phase could be related to a difference in the surface energy and the ALD growth temperature.La2O3 has been reported as a good gate dielectric for GaN-based high electron mobility transistor and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor applications. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was selected as the deposition technique, and the growth behavior and structure of La2O3 films on GaN(0001) were investigated. Unlike La2O3 deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at 450 °C that can form a two-dimensional film directly on GaN(0001), island growth mode was observed when a La2O3 film was deposited directly on GaN(0001) at 250 °C by ALD using tris(N,N′-diisopropylformamidinato)-lanthanum as the precursor and H2O as the coreactant. Only with the use of a template layer, a 2 nm-thick hexagonal La2O3 film deposited by MBE or a 3 nm-thick cubic Er2O3 film deposited by ALD, can a two-dimensional crystalline ALD-La2O3 thin film be formed on GaN(0001). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy were conducted to verify the ...
Pervasive nonlinear vibrations due to rod-obstacle contact

Simple mechanical contact between a deformable body and a rigid obstacle can lead to rich nonlinear behavior even when the equations governing the body’s motion are otherwise linear. We study the nonlinear dynamics of contact both numerically and analytically in a model problem of an Euler–Bernoulli beam and a flat substrate. This problem is relevant to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and marine structures. We show the nonlinearity to be dominantly quadratic, thereby giving rise to superharmonic and combination resonances of order two. We then demonstrate that similar nonlinear dynamics can in fact arise in far more general circumstances with nonlinear rods in contact with curved surfaces.
Matrix Fisher-Gaussian Distribution on SO(3) x R^n and Bayesian Attitude Estimation

In this paper, a new probability distribution, referred to as the matrix Fisher-Gaussian distribution, is proposed on the product manifold of three-dimensional special orthogonal group and Euclidean space. It is constructed by conditioning a multivariate Gaussian distribution from the ambient Euclidean space into the manifold, while imposing a certain geometric constraint on the correlation term to avoid over-parameterization. The unique feature is that it may represent large uncertainties in attitudes, linear variables of an arbitrary dimension, and angular-linear correlations between them in a global fashion without singularities. Various stochastic properties and an approximate maximum likelihood estimator are developed. Furthermore, two methods are developed to propagate uncertainties through a stochastic differential equation representing attitude kinematics. Based on these, a Bayesian estimator is proposed to estimate the attitude and time-varying gyro bias concurrently. Numerical studies indicate that the proposed estimator provides more accurate estimates against the multiplicative extended Kalman filter and unscented Kalman filter for challenging cases.
Nationwide Analysis of Integrated and Independent Interventional Radiology Residency Websites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze current interventional radiology residency program websites based on validated criteria and highlight areas for improvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ACGME-accredited interventional radiology residency programs were identified from the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) public database, including 91 independent and 89 integrated programs. Program Webpages were then evaluated during September and October 2020 based on the presence of 48 criteria, organized into seven main categories including visibility & communication, program information, curriculum information, faculty description, research, recruitment, and salary and benefits. Programs were also evaluated based on region and research ranking. Additionally, 166 programs with accreditation for Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) were assessed for the presence or absence of ESIR pathway acknowledgement on program webpages. RESULTS: The online search yielded information on all integrated programs (89/89, 100%) and 74 independent programs (74/91, 80.3%). For the ESIR programs, the online search for accreditation acknowledgement yielded 108 programs (108/166, 65%) approved for this pathway. Only seven of the 89 integrated programs met at least 75% of the criteria. Of the 91 independent programs, only one met at least 75% of the criteria. On average, integrated programs met more criteria (25, 52%) than independent programs (17, 36%). When comparing programs based on national rank, the visibility & communication category met more criteria on average than the lower ranked programs (integrated =73% vs. 64%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), (independentâ¯=â¯73% vs. 45%, pâ¯=â¯0.01). When comparing programs regionally, statistical significance was found only in the research category (pâ¯=â¯0.01). When comparing the integrated programs with the independent programs for averages in the 7 categories and the total criteria, statistical significance was found in all categories except facility description: visibility & communication (67.5% vs. 53. 7%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), program information (75.7% vs. 58%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), curriculum information (54.8% vs. 31.4, pâ¯=â¯0.01), research (42.5% vs. 27.5%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), recruitment (42.6% vs. 26.8%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), salary & benefits (47.8% vs. 26.8%, pâ¯=â¯0.01), and total criteria (52% vs. 35.8%, pâ¯=â¯0.01. CONCLUSION: IR residency programs across the country are proficient in providing curricular, and logistical information online. However, improvement is needed in providing nonacademic highlights unique to programs that can aid in maximizing applicant match and compatibility. The information provided by online resources has the potential to influence residency applicant's program ranking and chosen pathway, particularly during the COVID19 pandemic.
QML Algorithms II

The first quantum computers were built a few years ago. Currently, QC technology has various choices of platforms, each of which exhibits efficiency in certain areas. Applications can benefit from quantum computing. You just need to find the right device. When developing an application, it is important to know which device serves the purpose best for the solution of a specific problem and which algorithms are best supported on the same platform.
FIR oversampled filter banks and frames in ℓ 2 (Z)

Perfect reconstruction FIR filter banks implement a particular class of signal expansions in l2(Z). These expansions are studied in this paper. Necessary and sufficient conditions on an FIR filter bank to implement a frame or a tight frame decomposition are given, as well as the necessary and sufficient condition for a feasibility of perfect reconstruction using FIR filters. Complete parameterizations of FIR filter banks satisfying these conditions are given. Further, we study the condition under which the minimal dual frame to the frame associated to an FIR filter bank is also FIR, and give a parameterization of a class of filter banks having this property. We then concentrate on the least constrained class, namely nonsubsampled filter banks, for which these frame conditions have particular forms.
Intelligence Legalism and the National Security Agency’s Civil Liberties Gap

This paper examines the National Security Agency, its compliance with legal constraints and its respect for civil liberties. But even if perfect compliance could be achieved, it is too paltry a goal. A good oversight system needs its institutions not just to support and enforce compliance but also to design good rules. Yet as will become evident, the offices that make up the NSA’s compliance system are nearly entirely compliance offices, not policy offices; they work to improve compliance with existing rules, but not to consider the pros and cons of more individually-protective rules and try to increase privacy or civil liberties where the cost of doing so is acceptable. The NSA and the administration in which it sits have thought of civil liberties and privacy only in compliance terms. That is, they have asked only “Can we (legally) do X?” and not “Should we do X?” This preference for the can question over the should question is part and parcel, I argue, of a phenomenon I label “intelligence legalism,” whose three crucial and simultaneous features are imposition of substantive rules given the status of law rather than policy; some limited court enforcement of those rules; and empowerment of lawyers. Intelligence legalism has been a useful corrective to the lawlessness that characterized surveillance prior to intelligence reform, in the late 1970s. But I argue that it gives systematically insufficient weight to individual liberty, and that its relentless focus on rights, and compliance, and law has obscured the absence of what should be an additional focus on interests, or balancing, or policy. More is needed; additional attention should be directed both within the NSA and by its overseers to surveillance policy, weighing the security gains from surveillance against the privacy and civil liberties risks and costs. That attention will not be a panacea, but it can play a useful role in filling the civil liberties gap intelligence legalism creates. Part I first traces the roots of intelligence legalism to the last generation of intelligence disclosures and resulting reform, in the late 1970s. Part I then goes on to detail the ways in which intelligence legalism is embedded in both the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) and Executive Order 12,333, which governs American intelligence practices, and why the result is a civil liberties gap. Part II discusses the ways in which NSA’s compliance and oversight institutions likewise embody intelligence legalism. I then move in Part III to some shortcomings of this system, and in particular the ways in which the law and NSA’s compliance regulations and infrastructure fall short of full civil liberties policy evaluation. In Part IV, I examine some of the many reforms that have recently been proposed, analyzing in particular those that might fill that gap. In light of the existing institutional arrangements, I sketch some thoughts on how they could do so most effectively.
Segmentation of myocardial volumes from real-time 3D echocardiography using an incompressibility constraint

Real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography is a new imaging modality that presents the unique opportunity to visualize the complex three-dimensional (3-D) shape and the motion of left ventricle (LV) in vivo. To take advantage of this opportunity, automatic segmentation of LV myocardium is essential. While there are a variety of efforts on the segmentation of LV endocardial (ENDO) boundaries, the segmentation of epicardial (EPI) boundaries is still problematic. In this paper, we present a new approach of coupled-surfaces propagation to address this problem. Our method is motivated by the idea that the volume of the myocardium is close to being constant during a cardiac cycle and takes this tight coupling as an important constraint. We employ two surfaces, each driven by the image-derived information that takes into account the ultrasound physics by modeling speckle using shifted Rayleigh distribution while maintaining the coupling. By evolving two surfaces simultaneously, the final representation of myocardium is thus achieved. Results from 328 sets of RT3D echocardiographic data are evaluated against the outlines of three observers. We show that the results from automatic segmentation are comparable to those from manual segmentation.
Computerized Prescribing Alerts and Group Academic Detailing to Reduce the Use of Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older People

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of replacing drugspecific computerized prescribing alerts with age-specific alerts on rates of dispensing potentially inappropriate medications in older people and to determine whether group academic detailing enhances the effectiveness of these alerts. DESIGN: Cluster-randomized trial of group academic detailing and interrupted time-series analysis. SETTING: Fifteen clinics of a staff-model health maintenance organization. PARTICIPANTS: Seven practices (113 clinicians, 24,119 patients) were randomly assigned to receive age-specific prescribing alerts plus the academic detailing intervention; eight practices (126 clinicians, 26,805 patients) received alerts alone. Prior implementation of drug-specific alerts established a downward trend in use of target medications that served as the baseline trend for the present study. INTERVENTION: The computerized age-specific alerts occurred at the time of prescribing a targeted potentially inappropriate medication (e.g., tertiary tricyclic amine antidepressants, long-acting benzodiazepines, propoxyphene) and suggested an alternative medication. Clinicians at seven sites were randomized to group academic detailing, an interactive educational program delivering evidence-based information. MEASUREMENTS: Number of target medications dispensed per 10,000 patients per quarter, 2 years before and 1.5 years after the replacement of drug-specific with agespecific alerts. RESULTS: Age-specific alerts resulted in a continuation of the effects of the drug-specific alerts without measurable additional effect (P 5.75 for level change), but the agespecific alerts led to fewer false-positive alerts for clinicians. Group academic detailing did not enhance the effect of the alerts. CONCLUSION: Age-specific alerts sustained the effectiveness of drug-specific alerts to reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people and resulted in a considerably decreased burden of the alerts. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:963–968, 2006.
Foreign Currency Lending and Banking System Stability - New Evidence from Turkey

Regulators in developing countries have started to strict banks' foreign currency (FC) lending. Following others, in June 2009, in what is considered "a surprise development" the Turkish Government removed a provision from its existing laws that had allowed Turkish residents to borrow in foreign currency from banks operating in Turkey. The development ended a long era of foreign currency lending for consumer loans. This paper studies the determinants and consequences of foreign currency lending for banks in Turkey in the run-up to this significant policy change. By using detailed balance sheet data on the Turkish lira and foreign currency composition of bank assets and liabilities between 2002 and mid-2009 when the policy change was initiated, we evaluate the drivers of FC lending by banks in Turkey along with consequences for the banking system in particular and for the economy in general. We highlight possible risks to the Turkish banking system as a result of the system's heavy exposure to exchange rate and default risks. In doing so, we show that the policy change was not necessarily a surprise but a cautionary step in the right direction to help keep Turkish banking system stable.
Building market institutions

Abstract Functioning wholesale markets are crucial if market reforms are to succeed in Russia. In the agricultural sector, wholesale markets are needed to provide private farmers an outlet for their production. This article traces the development of commodity exchanges in the last years of the Soviet Union and into the post-Soviet period in Russia. Based upon interviews, published, and unpublished information, the article also examines in detail how agricultural commodity exchanges operate, and how cultural and logistical problems complicate commodity exchange trade. However, the article concludes that the state's agricultural pricing policy represents the greatest obstacle to the further development of trade.
Structure and mechanism of the ATPase that powers viral genome packaging

Many viruses package their genomes into procapsids using an ATPase machine that is among the most powerful known biological motors. However, how this motor couples ATP hydrolysis to DNA translocation is still unknown. Here, we introduce a model system with unique properties for studying motor structure and mechanism. We describe crystal structures of the packaging motor ATPase domain that exhibit nucleotide-dependent conformational changes involving a large rotation of an entire subdomain. We also identify the arginine finger residue that catalyzes ATP hydrolysis in a neighboring motor subunit, illustrating that previous models for motor structure need revision. Our findings allow us to derive a structural model for the motor ring, which we validate using small-angle X-ray scattering and comparisons with previously published data. We illustrate the model’s predictive power by identifying the motor’s DNA-binding and assembly motifs. Finally, we integrate our results to propose a mechanistic model for DNA translocation by this molecular machine.
Diagnosis of Polistes wasp hypersensitivity

Patients referred from the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area were evaluated for allergic reactions to insect stings. Forty-eight persons reported at least one systemic reaction caused by a Polistes paper-nest wasp sting. Honey bees, imported fire ants, and other types of Hymenoptera were identified in that order by 19 other subjects with systemic allergic reactions. Life-threatening airway obstruction and/or hypotension were noted by most of our patients. Wasp venom skin testing was positive in 65% of subjects reporting sensitivity to this insect. Skin testing was correlated quantitatively with basophil histamine release, and qualitatively with RAST assays using Polistes wasp venom. Venoms from common species of Polistes were highly cross-reactive as shown by RAST and basophil histamine release. Patients having a positive history and laboratory response (by skin testing, histamine release, or RAST) to Polistes wasp venom also were positive to bee venom about 20% of the time and to another vespid (hornet or yellow jacket) over 50% of the time.
Anatomy of Herpes Simplex Virus DNA. VIII. Properties of the Replicating DNA

Abstract This paper concerns the properties of herpes simplex virus 1 DNA replicating in HEp-2 and human embryonic lung cells. The results were as follows. (i) Only a small fraction of input viral DNA entered the replicative pool. The bulk of the input viral DNA cosedimented with marker viral DNA and did not appear to be degraded or dissociated into L and S components. (ii) Nascent DNA sedimented faster and banded at a higher density than that of mature viral DNA extracted from virions. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that nascent DNA acquires the sedimentation rate and buoyant density of viral DNA within 30 to 40 min after its synthesis. (iii) Electron microscopic studies indicated that the DNA extracted from cells replicating viral DNA and banding at the density of viral DNA contained: (a) linear, full-size molecules with internal gaps and single-stranded regions at termini; (b) molecules with lariats, consisting of a linear segment up to 2× the size of mature DNA and a ring ranging from 0.5 × 106 to 100 × 106 in molecular weight, showing continuous and discontinuous forks; (c) circular, double-stranded molecules, both full-size and multiples of 18 × 106 in molecular weight, but without forks or loops; (d) molecules showing “eye” and “D” loops at or near one end of the DNA; (e) large, tangled masses of DNA, similar to those observed for T4 and pseudorabies virus replicating DNAs, containing loops and continuous and discontinuous forks. The electron micrographs are consistent with the hypothesis that the single-stranded ends on the DNA anneal to form a hairpin, that the DNA synthesis is initiated at or near that end and proceeds bidirectionally to form a lariat, and that resulting progeny derived by semiconservative replication are “head-to-head” and “tail-to-tail” dimers.
Stroke and Neurodegenerative Disorders: 3. Poststroke Rehabilitation

Objective This self-directed learning module highlights rehabilitation strategies in poststroke rehabilitation. It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on typical clinical presentations, recovery patterns, and traditional and innovative therapeutic interventions in poststroke rehabilitation such as constraint-induced movement therapy, treadmill training, functional electrical stimulation, robot-aided therapy, virtual reality treatment, cortical stimulation, speech therapy for aphasia, and orthotic management. The goal of this article is to influence the learner's knowledge on the delivery of poststroke rehabilitation treatment.
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in a wastewater-irrigated oldfield ecosystem in Michigan

The incidence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) in wastewater irrigated and non-irrigated oldfield soils in Michigan was studied. Soil and root samples were taken monthly from field plots on the second and third years of consecutive irrigation with municipal wastewater at rates of 0, 5 and 10 cm wk−1. The oldfield ecosystem contained a high VAM fungal spore population density, but low species diversity. The most common VAM fungal species were Glomus mosseae and G. fasciculatum. Both spore density and root colonization were higher in irrigated than in non-irrigated plots. Irrigation effects were largest early in the growing season. In addition to increasing VAM incidence, wastewater irrigation shifted VAM fungal species composition. Irrigation favored G. mosseae over G. fasciculatum. Bioassays using either Sorghum vulgare or Daucus carota, an oldfield native species, indicated that the VAM systems were still functioning after the third year of consecutive wastewater irrigation. The data from experiments using nutrient solutions at wastewater concentrations suggest that the effects of wastewater irrigation on VAM are due to the effects of both water and nutrients. Since VAM are a very important component of the plant's water and nutrient uptake system and equally important in structuring plant communities under limiting growth conditions, it is suggested that the stimulatory effect of wastewater irrigation on VAM in an oldfield ecosystem enhances the ecosystem's ability to function as a living filter for wastewater clean up.
On a suspected ring external to the visible rings of Saturn

The reexamination of a photograph of Saturn taken on 15 November 1966 when the earth was nearly in the ring plane is investigated which indicates that ring material does exist outside the visible rings, extending to more than 6 Saturnian radii. The observed brightness in blue light was estimated per linear arc second, implying a normal optical thickness, for ice-covered particles.
Palmitoylation of SARS-CoV S protein is necessary for partitioning into detergent-resistant membranes and cell-cell fusion but not interaction with M protein

Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses that generally cause mild disease in humans. However, the recently emerged coronavirus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) is the most pathogenic human coronavirus discovered to date. The SARS-CoV spike (S) protein mediates virus entry by binding cellular receptors and inducing fusion between the viral envelope and the host cell membrane. Coronavirus S proteins are palmitoylated, which may affect function. Here, we created a non-palmitoylated SARS-CoV S protein by mutating all nine cytoplasmic cysteine residues. Palmitoylation of SARS-CoV S was required for partitioning into detergent-resistant membranes and for cell-cell fusion. Surprisingly, however, palmitoylation of S was not required for interaction with SARS-CoV M protein. This contrasts with the requirement for palmitoylation of mouse hepatitis virus S protein for interaction with M protein and may point to important differences in assembly and infectivity of these two coronaviruses.
Asymmetric “Min” Condition and Estimation for Disequilibrium Markets in Centrally Planned Economies

Based on the institutional arrangements and enterprise behavior in centrally planned economies (CPEs), we argued that the disequilibrium state in the goods market in CPEs can be characterized by an asymmetric “min” condition. The condition provides new directions in disequilibrium modeling and empirical testing for CPEs. The advantages of the models developed from the asymmetric “min” condition are computational simplification and robustness with respect to data errors, as compared with the canonical model. In the paper we also provide an application of the theory to the Chinese economy. The results are quite consistent with the general observations.
Sparse multipass 3D SAR imaging: applications to the GOTCHA data set

Typically in SAR imaging, there is insufficient data to form well-resolved three-dimensional (3D) images using traditional Fourier image reconstruction; furthermore, scattering centers do not persist over wide-angles. In this work, we examine 3D non-coherent wide-angle imaging on the GOTCHA Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) data set; this data set consists of multipass complete circular aperture radar data from a scene at AFRL, with each pass varying in elevation as a result of aircraft flight dynamics . We compare two algorithms capable of forming well-resolved 3D images over this data set: regularized l p least-squares inversion, and non-uniform multipass interferometric SAR (IFSAR).
City planning and development using geographic information systems

In recent years, GIS technology is used for managing natural disasters such as landslides to habitat mapping through remote sensing. GIS system has also been used to address land use issues. Many local governments are adding GIS technology as part of their regular administrative management system. High cost of GIS system, shortage of appropriate GIS specialists, lack of understanding and policies for homogeneous integration of GIS into planning are making the system, in many public sector cases, less than successful. We worked with a city government in the middle USA and participated in evaluating their system. Although small in size (population - thirty thousand), it's location next door to a large metropolitan city made things complicated. The city incorporated a GIS system into many aspects of public sector development, offered Web-based services to its community and published maps with search tools. The GIS based services gave the city government a high-tech reputation and a need-based analysis of public sector projects. The system gave the city officials access to real and accurate data which were not previously available. This often added more policy debates on sensitive and long range issues. It added a new dimension to city development and helped to find a combination of solutions in city wide constructions, drainage system, traffic control, and other engineering applications. Overall, the GIS system improved the efficiency of the city government and their administration processes as well as improved quality of decisions made by the city planners and managers.
Isolation and characterization of variable microsatellite loci in Lilium philadelphicum (Liliaceae)

Here we describe the characterization of six polymorphic microsatellite loci for Lilium philadelphicum (Liliaceae). Polymorphism levels ranged from 7 to 30 alleles per locus with a mean number of 15 alleles per locus. Observed heterozygosity (HO) ranged from 0.17 to 0.82 and did not deviate from Hardy–Weinberg expectations in the three western Montana populations included in the analysis. These loci are proving useful in studying gene flow between populations of this species distributed across its range in North America.
The effects of process variations on residual stress in laser peened 7049 T73 aluminum alloy

This paper reports measurements of the distribution of residual stress with depth from the surface in laser peened coupons made of a high-strength aluminum alloy. Residual stresses were measured using slitting (also known as the crack compliance method). Measurements were made on several coupons to: compare laser peening (LP) and shot peening (SP) residual stresses; ascertain the influence of LP parameters on residual stress; determine whether tensile residual stress existed outside the peened area; assess the variation of residual stress with in-plane position relative to the layout of the laser spots used for peening; and, determine the importance of a uniform spatial distribution of laser energy within the spot. Residual stress 0.1 mm from the surface due to LP and SP were comparable and the depth of the compressive stress for LP was far greater than for SP. Variations of most LP parameters did not significantly alter residual stress at shallow depths, but greater laser energy and larger layer overlap increased residual stress at depths between 0.2 and 0.6 mm from the surface. Residual stresses adjacent to the peened area were found to be compressive. Decreased levels of surface residual stress were found when laser spots had a non-uniform distribution of laser intensity.
Induction of Chromosome Aberrations by in Vivo and in Vitro Gamma-irradiation of Swine Leukocytes

SummaryChromosome aberration rates were determined among cultured leukocytes taken from swine immediately after their exposure to 100, 200, 300, or 400 R of gamma-radiation and from samples of their blood simultaneously exposed in vitro to like doses. The higher rates obtained from in vitro samples seemed in line with the expected influence of body-shielding on in vivo cells. A pronounced variation among individual animals was obvious, especially at the higher doses. Coefficients for single-break aberration induction were within the range of those reported for human cells, whereas rings and dicentrics were somewhat lower than those for man.
Low-level lead exposure and intelligence in children

Numerous prospective and cross-sectional studies of the relation between low-level lead exposure and cognitive functioning in children have suggested that intellectual and academic performance declines as lead burdens increase. Kaufman [Arch. Clin. Neuropsychol. (2001)] raises questions regarding interpretive issues along these lines, and therein challenges the wisdom of using the available lead/IQ data complex as an essential element of the decision-making process that leads to policy statements. In this article, we address some of the concerns expressed by Kaufman, and conclude that each of his five points are logically or statistically flawed, as is his overall strategy of critiquing individual studies after methodologically sound meta-analyses have been performed. Kaufman is perhaps correct that the findings from correlational research on low lead levels and IQ loss should be interpreted with caution, but the caution extends equally if not more greatly in the direction of previous research having underestimated the relationship between the two variables in question.
High-precision isotopic measurement of lithium by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract An improved procedure for the determination of the Li isotopic ratio based on the use of Li2B4O7 as the loading material has been investigated. The 6Li+/7Li+ ion ratio is measured by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using a double filament technique to minimize fractionation. Optimal filament temperatures were established, and the effects of sample loading parameters, such as sample size and purity, and the B:Li ratio have been evaluated. Lithium isotopes in standard solutions have been measured with precisions of 0.023% rsd. Using this procedure, we have determined the Li isotope composition in urine samples.
School Counseling: An Evolving Specialty

School counseling as a specialty area of the counseling profession emerged, and continues to evolve, as a result of social, educational, political, and economic trends. Specifically, at the beginning of the twentieth century, divergent needs of public school populations required the inclusion of specialized assistance for students beyond that which was commonly and previously offered by teachers (Schmidt, 1993). The need for such specialized assistance for students remains apparent today. Demographic information (Glosoff & Koprowicz, 1990; Hodgkinson, 1985) describes a context for children and adolescents that includes divorce, poverty, violence, and neglect as well as the anticipated transitions associated with the process of growing up.
Seismic stratigraphy of the Mississippi-Alabama shelf and upper continental slope

Abstract The Mississippi-Alabama shelf and upper continental slope contain relatively thin Upper Pleistocene and Holocene deposits. Five stages of shelf evolution can be identified from the early Wisconsinan to present. The stages were controlled by glacioeustatic or relative sea-level changes and are defined by the stratigraphic position of depositional and erosional episodes. The stratigraphy was identified on seismic profiles by means of geomorphic pattern, high-angle clinoform progradational deposits, buried stream entrenchments, planar conformities, and erosional unconformities. The oldest stage (stage 1) of evolution occurred during the early Wisconsinan lowstand; the subaerially exposed shelf was eroded to a smooth seaward-sloping surface. This paleosurface is overlain by a thin ( These Upper Quaternary shelf and slope deposits provide models for analogous deposits in the geologic record. Primarily, they are examples of cyclic sedimentation caused by changes in sea level and may be useful in describing short-term, sandy depositional episodes in prograding shelf and slope sequences.
Physiologic and endocrinologic effects of the insecticide kepone in the Japanese quail.

Abstract Japanese quail fed Kepone (chlordecone) developed a characteristic whole-body tremor prior to death. Hepatic enlargement, often twice the size of controls, was the most characteristic abnormality observed in both sexes. The hepatic cell had accumulated numerous lipid vacuoles and possessed a fatty appearance. Kepone exerted a strong “estrogenic” effect on the oviduct of the quail, most noticeable in the immature female. Not only was a direct “estrogenic” effect on the quail oviduct demonstrated but also a possible indirect effect operating via the hypothalamoadenohypophyseal axis. The hematocrit was lowered, and the refractive index was elevated. The width of the cloacal gland was reduced, and the testes were affected in an unpredictable manner.
Amyloid precursor protein mediates monocyte adhesion in AD tissue and apoE(-)/(-) mice.

Abstract Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a type 1 integral membrane protein, which is highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed. Numerous data suggest it functions in cellular adhesion. For example, APP binds components of the extracellular matrix to propagate intracellular signaling responses. In order to investigate adhesion-related changes in inflamed vasculature, brains from apolipoprotein E−/− (apoE−/−) mice were examined for changes related to APP then compared to human Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains. Cerebrovasculature from mouse apoE−/− and human AD brains revealed strong immunoreactivity for APP, APP phosphorylated at tyrosine residue 682 (pAPP) and Aβ. Further, Western blot analyses from mouse apoE−/− and AD brains showed statistically higher protein levels of APP, pAPP and increased APP association with the tyrosine kinase, Src. Lastly, utilizing a modified Stamper–Woodruff adhesion assay, we demonstrated that adhesion of monocytic cells to apoE−/− and AD brain endothelium is partially APP dependent. These data suggest that endothelial APP function coupled with increased Aβ production are involved in the vascular dysfunction associated with atherosclerosis and AD.
LEG INJURIES AND SHIN GUARDS

Soccer players have a high risk of soft-tissue injuries to their legs. Fractures of the tibia and fibula represent a serious potential injury; despite this, the incidence of these fractures in soccer players is unknown. Shin guards have become the only protective devices that are required by international and collegiate soccer associations. Nonetheless, the protective ability of shin guards has only been studied to a limited extent. Shin guards are assumed to be most effective at reducing leg abrasions and contusions. The role of shin guards in protecting against fractures has yet to be determined. Further analysis of the clinical effectiveness and biomechanical properties of shin guards is necessary to reduce the rate of leg fractures.
Analysis of single-incision versus dual-incision fasciotomy for tibial fractures with acute compartment syndrome.

Objectives To analyze the rate of postoperative infection and nonunion after tibial fractures in patients treated for acute compartment syndrome (ACS) using (1) single-incision versus (2) dual-incision fasciotomy technique. Design Retrospective. Setting Level I trauma center. Patients Review of all adult tibial fractures operatively treated (n = 2756) over a 12-year period identified 175 patients with concurrent ACS requiring fasciotomy. Of 60 patients treated with intramedullary nails, 36 patients had single-incision fasciotomy and 24 had dual-incision fasciotomy. Of 81 patients treated with plate fixation, 59 patients had single-incision fasciotomy and 22 had dual-incision fasciotomy. Intervention Tibial fixation with fasciotomy for ACS. Main outcome measurements Occurrence of postoperative infection and nonunion. Results Both fasciotomy groups were similar across recorded patient and treatment characteristics. Need for skin graft was similar between fasciotomy groups. For patients treated with intramedullary nail (n = 60), 1 infection (2.8%) occurred in single-incision group versus 2 (8.3%) in dual-incision group (P = 0.558). Seven nonunions (19.4%) occurred in single-incision group versus 3 (12.5%) in dual-incision group (P = 0.726). For plate fixation patients (n = 81), 15 infections (25.4%) occurred with single-incision fasciotomy versus 5 infections (22.7%) with dual-incision fasciotomy (P = 1.000). Seven nonunions (11.9%) occurred with single-incision group versus 4 nonunions (18.2%) with dual-incision group (P = 0.479). Conclusions This is the first study to compare a single-incision fasciotomy technique to a dual-incision technique in the setting of tibial fractures with ACS, with similar infection and nonunion rates with either technique. The choice of fasciotomy technique can be based on surgeon experience or patient condition as opposed to a suspected elevated infection or nonunion risk with either technique. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Plasma desorption mass spectrometry of small straight-chain and cyclic alkenes

The plasma desorption mass spectra of straight-chain and cyclic alkenes and cyclic alkadienes were examined to gain a better understanding of the influence of structure on mass spectral characteristics. The results are compared with electron impact data because the excitation and ionization mechanisms are influenced by electronic transitions, and are also compared with chemical ionization data because of the possibility that ion–molecule reactions may occur during the desorption process. Several ions related to the molecular ion by gain or loss of hydrogen are produced in all spectra. For plasma desorption, our data suggest that energy dissipation in the solid phase influences the intensity of these ions. A chemical ionization-like process is proposed to explain the gain or loss of hydrogen atoms. The spectra of conjugated and unconjugated cyclooctadienes give evidence of the formation of benzene-like ions. The fragment ions produced from these compounds indicate an electron impact-like fragmentation mechanism, while fragments from other compounds suggest a chemical ionization-like fragmentation process.
A type I ovine interferon with limited similarity to IFN-α, IFN-ω and IFN-τ: gene structure, biological properties and unusual species specificity

A gene encoding a 195 amino-acid (a.a.) polypeptide with a putative 23 a.a. signal sequence that had about 60% a.a. sequence identity to ovine interferon-omega (OvIFN-omega) and 55% or less identity to BoIFN-tau, OvIFN-tau and all known IFN-alpha and -beta has been identified from an ovine genomic DNA library. Surprisingly, it shared almost complete identity to genes for rabbit IFN-omega within its coding sequence and proximal promoter region, although the two were different in their 3'-ends. This IFN (tentatively termed ovine IFN-omega variant, OvIFN-omegav), purified in recombinant form from E. coli, had normal antiviral activity when tested on sheep fetal tongue and brain cells and rabbit kidney cells, but very low activity towards bovine, goat and human cells. It competed with 125I-labeled BoIFN-tau for binding to IFN receptors on ovine cells. Expression of OvIFN-omegav was not detected by reverse transcription-PCR either in ovine peripheral blood leukocytes infected with Sendai virus, or in any other tissues examined. OvIFN-omegav may represent a previously unrecognized, non-virally inducible type I subtype distinct from IFN-alpha, -beta, -omega and -tau. The presence of a conserved gene in rabbit and sheep could reflect a recent interspecies transfer.
S‐Adenosyl‐L‐(1‐14C)‐homocysteine

S-Adenosyl-L-(1-14C)-homocysteine (3) was prepared from commercially available L-(1-14C)-methionine (1) by conversion first to S-benzyl-L-(1-14C)-homocysteine (2), which upon treatment with sodium in liquid ammonia gave the disodium salt of L-(1-14C)-homocysteine. Reaction of this sodium salt with 5′-O-tosyladenosine gave 3.
An examination of Köhler theory resulting in an accurate expression for the equilibrium radius ratio of a hygroscopic aerosol particle valid up to and including relative humidity 100

[1] The equilibrium hygroscopic behavior of an aqueous solution drop is investigated using the Kohler model to relate the radius ratio ξ ≡ r/rdry, where rdry is the volume-equivalent dry radius, and the fractional relative humidity h. The Kohler equation is derived and results obtained from it are presented for three situations: when the effect of surface tension can be neglected, for h = 1, and for cloud-drop activation. The exact solution to this equation is presented, as is an accurate approximate solution for h < 1 that yields insight into the dependences of the equilibrium radius on relative humidity, surface tension, and dry radius. The approximations made in the derivation of the Kohler equation are examined, errors in quantities obtained from this equation are quantified, and the so-called Debye approximation is introduced which allows accurate parameterization of these errors as a function of rdry. Errors in the radius ratio at activation obtained from the Kohler equation are up to 20% for ammonium sulfate solution drops of the size that typically form cloud drops. Attempts to extend the Kohler model to higher concentrations are examined, and it is seen that the primary cause of inaccuracy in the model is the assumption that the practical osmotic coefficient is unity. On the basis of this analysis, a simple two-parameter expression is presented for the equilibrium radius ratio as a function of h and rdry that is accurate over a wide range of rdry and for h up to and including unity.
Examining Temporal Associations between Perceived Maternal Psychological Control and Early Adolescent Internalizing Problems

The present study examined a) the associations between adolescent-reported maternal psychological control and self-reported internalizing problems one year later, while simultaneously examining the opposite direction of effects and b) the equivalence of these associations across gender. Participants were 479 10-to-14-year old adolescents (55% female) participating in two waves of a study. Results from multi-group, cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that although early adolescents’ depressive symptoms and social anxiety predicted change in perceived maternal psychological control one year later, perceived maternal psychological control did not predict change in early adolescents’ internalizing problems. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms were associated with increased levels of perceived maternal psychological control one year later, whereas elevated levels of social anxiety were associated with decreased levels. Aforementioned findings were consistent across boys’ and girls’ data. Study findings extend limited research on adolescent effects, demonstrating that early adolescents’ internalizing problems play a role in perceived maternal psychological control.
Device Fabrication by Easy Soft Imprint Nano-Lithography

A new robust and exceptionally simple procedure for soft nano-imprint lithography (Soft-NIL) is described, which provides easy access to nanoscale patterns of a host of active materials on a Si/SiOx surface. Partial curing of a thiol-ene based UV cross-linkable resin (<1 μm) for 30−40 s prior to imprinting resulted in sufficient buildup of resin molecular weight to prevent its absorption into polydimethylsiloxane molds yet maintain a low enough viscosity to allow for rapid molding of nanoscale features during the subsequent imprint-and-cure stage of the process. Imprinted features were easily transferred to the underlying substrate by traditional reactive ion etching and lift-off processes. Easy soft imprint nano-lithography (ESINL) permitted the use of untreated PDMS molds for replicating patterns in gold, nickel, and complex aluminum capped silicon structures. ESINL was used to fabricate organic field effect transistors (poly(3,3′′′-didodecylquaterthiophene, W/L = 204, μsat = 6.0 × 10−3 cm2/(V·s)), demo...