cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of IL-5 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by naive human mast cells activated by high-affinity IgE receptor ligation

Abstract Background: The late-phase allergic reaction is an eosinophilic inflammatory response that begins several hours after allergen exposure, may persist for 24 hours, and is an important pathogenic mechanism in allergic disease. Objective: Cultured naive human mast cells were used to investigate whether mast cells are a direct source of the eosinophil-promoting cytokines IL-5, IL-3, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Methods: Naive human mast cells were derived from bone marrow mononuclear cells cultured in the presence of stem-cell factor. Cytokine message and protein production in response to high-affinity IgE receptor ligation of cultured mast cells were measured by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction and ELISA, respectively. Results: IL-5, IL-3, and GM-CSF messenger RNA increased within 2 hours of mast cell activation, with IL-5 and GM-CSF message remaining elevated for 24 hours, whereas IL-3 mRNA rapidly declined. IL-5 and GM-CSF protein were measurable 4 to 6 hours after stimulation and peaked by 24 and 12 hours, respectively. IL-3 protein was not detectable. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that naive mast cells do not constitutively produce IL-5 or GM-CSF protein but are a major source of these eosinophilotropic cytokines on high-affinity IgE receptor ligation. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99:508-14.)
Recognition Memory and Intelligence.

Abstract The assumption that individual differences in recognition memory are associated with individual differences in intelligence was explored by administering intelligence tests and tests of immediate visual recognition memory to a sample of 52 5-year-old children expected to vary widely from one another in intelligence. Each child was given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Form L) and two tests of immediate recognition memory: one test for 27 abstract patterns and one test for 27 unfamiliar cartoon faces. The mean PPVT-IQ for the sample was in the average range at 98.1. Interindividual variability in IQ proved to be high as reflected in the group SD of 22.6, with scores ranging from 40 to 136. The recognition tasks proved to be of moderate difficulty. Individual differences in memory for patterns were highly related to memory for faces ( r = .76), indicating that the overall recognition test was reliable. The most important result of the present study was the strong association between recognition memory performance and PPVT-IQ of .70. The relation between recognition memory and IQ could not be accounted for by the inclusion of a few very low IQ children, since the association remained high at .61 when children with IQs below 75 were omitted from analysis. In short, the present results indicate that immediate recognition memory is highly associated with intelligence.
First‐Trimester Prenatal Counseling in Private Practice

First-trimester prenatal counseling to women receiving private care can reduce the confusion and anxiety that precede childbirth and can create an interest in gravidas to learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Presented below is a description of one nurse's prenatal class offered at a private obstetrician-gynecologist's office.
Laminin inhibits estrogen action in human breast cancer cells

Breast tumors that lack estrogen responsiveness have a poor prognosis. Despite the critical importance to breast cancer treatment, little is known about the loss of estrogen responsiveness and the development of antiestrogen resistance. We have examined the regulation of estrogen-induced proliferation, estrogen regulation of progesterone receptor (PR) expression, and estrogen signaling pathways in estrogen receptor (ER) positive (MCF-7 and T47D) breast cancer cell lines by specific extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) under serum-free conditions. Estrogen, supplemented with submaximal concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), stimulated DNA synthesis of MCF-7 cells 7- to 10-fold and T47D cells 2-fold on collagen I or fibronectin. However, estrogen-induced proliferation was greatly reduced on laminin. In contrast, IGF-I or EGF, alone, stimulated proliferation of MCF-7 and T47D cells on all ECM. Thus, ER1 breast cancer cells were not refractory to mitogens when cultured on laminin. Similarly, estrogen induction of PR occurred on fibronectin or collagen I, but not on laminin. While ER content was similar on all ECM, estrogen stimulation of estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase activity was significantly lower in MCF-7 cells cultured on laminin. Therefore, changes in ECM composition that occur in breast cancer may alter estrogen-responsiveness and the effectiveness of antiestrogen therapies in ER1 breast cancer cells. (Endocrinology 141: 2814 ‐2821, 2000)
Dynamic balance control during sit-to-stand movement: An examination with the center of mass acceleration

The purpose of this study was to establish the region of stability of balance control using the center of mass (COM) acceleration and to characterize age-related differences during sit-to-stand (STS) movement. Whole body motion data were collected from 10 young and 10 elderly subjects while performing STS at their self-selected manners. In addition, young subjects were asked to perform another block of trials with their trunk purposely bent forward prior to seat-off. With the use of a single-link-plus-foot inverted pendulum model, boundaries for the region of stability were determined based on the COM position at seat-off and its instantaneous velocity or its peak acceleration (ROSv or ROSa, respectively). No significant group differences were detected in COM velocities at seat-off. However, peak COM accelerations differed significantly between groups and conditions. This suggested that even though a similar COM momentum was observed at seat-off, this momentum was controlled differently prior to seat-off. Young and elderly subjects utilized similar strategies but with different COM acceleration profiles to perform STS. Furthermore, data from an elderly subject who complained of difficulty in STS during the experiment were located outside the forward boundary of the ROSa, demonstrating a potential use of ROSa to differentiate individuals with declined balance control ability. The ROSa could provide insights into how the COM is controlled prior to seat-off, which may allow us to better identify elderly individuals who are most likely at a risk for imbalance or falls.
Prediction and Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Amorphous Dielectric Layers

Thermal conduction in amorphous dielectric layers affects the performance and reliability of electronic circuits. This work analyzes the influence of boundary scattering on the effective thermal conductivity for conduction normal to amorphous silicon dioxide layers, k n,eff . At 10 K, the predictions agree well with previously reported data for deposited layers, which show a strong reduction of k n,eff compared to the bulk conductivity, k bulk
Development of the multicast flow oriented routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks

This research project is geared towards the implementation of a multicast routing protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). MANET nodes operate on a limited battery power and move freely within a dynamically created network. Due to autonomous node movement and limited transmission range, nodes frequently reconfigure links between neighboring nodes making it imperative those nodes know there position in relation to other nodes in the network. The frequent changes in connectivity between nodes can cause various problems such as unwanted battery usage due to large amounts of information overhead and the loss of information during transmissions. In an effort to find the best routing protocol to cut down on route discovery overhead, this research involves the development of a stable multicast routing protocol based on the Flow-Oriented Routing Protocol (FORP), one of the best stable path unicast routing protocol. The developed protocol will be called M-FORP. Simulations of M-FORP will be conducted under different conditions of node mobility and density. We will also compare the performance of M-FORP with a couple of other routing protocols such as node velocity-based stable path (NVSP) and Bandwidth Efficient Multicast Routing Protocol (BEMRP). The results will be used to determine which routing protocol would be most efficient in solving the excess information overhead problem.
The effect of active serum albumin on PC12 cells: I. Neurite retraction and activation of the phosphoinositide second messenger system

Abstract Vertebrate blood sera contain a factor that triggers oscillatory chloride currents in Xenopus oocytes through activation of the phosphoinositide/Ca2+ second messenger system. The active serum component consists of lipids bound to an isoform of serum albumin that we have named active serum albumin (ASA). In undifferentiated PC12 cells, micromolar concentrations of ASA inhibit the early morphological changes induced by NGF, whereas in differentiated PC12 cells ASA caused a rapid withdrawal of neurites, which was reversible and dependent upon culture age. In contrast to normal serum, plasma and thrombin did not cause neurite retraction. Preincubation of ASA with monospecific antibodies to serum albumin suppressed its ability to induce neurite retraction in a dose dependent fashion. As in the oocyte, ASA activated the phosphatidylinositol second messenger system of PC12 cells, causing a several fold increase in Ins1,4,5P3 levels within minutes of application. The Ins1,4,5P3 increase was also blocked, in a titratable fashion, when ASA was preincubated with monospecific antibodies to serum albumin. This suggests that ASA-induced neurite retraction in PC12 cells may depend, at least in part, on activation of the phosphatidylinositol second messenger system. Results involving albumin-depleted sera show that ASA is the main factor responsible for serum vulnerability of neurites in PC12 cells. These findings point to some limitations in the use of serum in culture media, and raise the possibility that the serum factor may impair neuronal plasticity in disorders that are accompanied by the activation of blood coagulation together with a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.
Garden of joint transform correlators: an account of recent advances

This article reviews the development and recent advances of joint transform correlators. In optical correlation detection, there are two basic architectures; one uses the Fourier-domain matched filter and the other uses the spatial-domain filter. Pros and cons of these types of correlators are addressed. The recent development of joint transform correlators are also stressed.
Modeling urban and regional aerosols—Application of the CMAQ-UCD Aerosol Model to Tampa, a coastal urban site

Abstract The University of California at Davis (UCD) aerosol module, an internally mixed, sectional aerosol model with dynamic mass transfer between the gas and particle phases, has been coupled to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. This paper describes the application of the CMAQ-UCD model to simulate air quality in Tampa, a large city with a population of 2M on the west coast of Florida, USA. Modeled aerosol size and composition distributions are evaluated against size-segregated ambient measurements of SO 4 2 - , NH 4 + , NO 3 - , Na + , and Cl - collected at three Tampa-area sites during May 2002, and against semi-continuous HNO3 and total aerosol SO 4 2 - , NH 4 + , NO 3 - , and Cl - measurements collected at a single site. Sea-salt emissions over the open ocean and the surf zone are parameterized as a function of modeled wind speed and relative humidity. Modeled total aerosol sulfate and ammonium concentrations and size distributions agree with measurements, with an overall normalized mean bias (NMB) of 2% and −23% and normalized mean error (NME) of 46% and 38%, respectively, and correctly identifying the size bin in which the peak concentration is observed. Sea-salt size distributions are also simulated well, with the distribution dominated by the coarse mode and total aerosol sodium and chloride NMB of −2% and 17% and NME of 32% and 38%. Though the model correctly identifies that nitrate is predominantly in the coarse ( D p > 2.5 μ m ) size sections, aerosol nitrate concentrations are underpredicted by a factor of two. The availability of highly time-resolved measurements provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the model's partitioning of total nitrate and the simulation of chloride depletion as a function of particle size.
Predicting the impact of optimizations for embedded systems

When applying optimizations, a number of decisions are made using fixed strategies, such as always applying an optimization if it is applicable, applying optimizations in a fixed order and assuming a fixed configuration for optimizations such as tile size and loop unrolling factor. While it is widely recognized that these fixed strategies may not be the most appropriate for producing high quality code, especially for embedded systems, there are no general and automatic strategies that do otherwise. In this paper, we present a framework that enables these decisions to be made based on predicting the impact of an optimization, taking into account resources and code context. The framework consists of optimization models, code models and resource models, which are integrated for predicting the impact of applying optimizations. Because data cache performance is important to embedded codes, we focus on cache performance and present an instance of the framework for cache performance in this paper. Since most opportunities for cache improvement come from loop optimizations, we describe code, optimization and cache models tailored to predict the impact of applying loop optimizations for data locality. Experimentally we demonstrate the need to selectively apply optimizations and show the performance benefit of our framework in predicting when to apply an optimization. We also show that our framework can be used to choose the most beneficial optimization when a number of optimizations can be applied to a loop nest. And lastly, we show that we can use the framework to combine optimizations on a loop nest.
Spectral function in the two-dimensional Hubbard model.

The spectral function of a single hole in the two-dimensional Hubbard model is studied numerically through exact diagonalization for a nine-site cluster over a wide range of interaction strengths U. In the weak-interaction limit, the spectral function consists of sharp quasiparticle peaks corresponding to the allowed single-particle excitations of the noninteracting system. As the interaction strength increases, the spectral weight begins to spread over a large range of energies, and satellite structures appear at higher excitation energy. The band-narrowing effect and the quasiparticle weight are investigated. The results are discussed in connection with other analytical and numerical studies on the spectral function.
Towards a Nomadic Geography: Rethinking Space and Identity for the Potentials of Progressive Politics in the Contemporary City

This article investigates the concept of the public sphere as a specific way of reading the city. In the light of current ambiguities of the urban condition, it poses the question of whether the concept does still, in fact, generate a solid geography for understanding the urban landscape. It explores the history and concept of the liberal public sphere, uncovers its rigid regime of identity formation in space, and problematizes its performative dimension by illustrating how this tends to envisage space as a merely passive and abstract stage on which dramatization takes place. In search of alternative ways of reading the city, it subsequently explores the complexity in relations between space and identity. It reconceptualizes space as a palimpsest of historical layers and rethinks identity by recognizing the workings of the strange(r) in constructions of space and identity. Finally, the article suggests the development of a nomadic geography that would allow for a progressive politics to open up gaps and folds in the homogeneous space and discover new spaces that are neither friends nor enemies, neither inside nor outside. Cet article etudie le concept de sphere publique comme methode de lecture specifique de la ville. Etant donne les ambiguites actuelles de la situation urbaine, on peut se demander si ce concept genere encore, dans les faits, une geographie solide permettant de comprendre le paysage urbain. Explorer l’historique et le concept de sphere publique liberale revele son systeme rigide de formation des identites dans l’espace, et interroge sa dimension performative en montrant comment l’espace est pense en tant que simple scene passive et abstraite ou a lieu une theâtralisation. Recherchant d’autres modes de lecture de la ville, l’article examine ensuite la complexite des relations entre espace et identite. Il reconceptualise l’espace en tant que palimpseste de couches historiques et repense l’identite en admettant les mecanismes de l’etrange(r) dans les constructions spatiales et identitaires. Pour finir, l’article propose l’elaboration d’une geographie nomade permettant a une politique progressiste de creer fosses et plissements dans un espace homogene et de decouvrir de nouveaux espaces qui ne seraient ni amis ni ennemis, ni interieurs ni exterieurs.
Detecting and resolving unsound workflow views for correct provenance analysis

Workflow views abstract groups of tasks in a workflow into high level composite tasks, in order to reuse sub-workflows and facilitate provenance analysis. However, unless a view is carefully designed, it may not preserve the dataflow between tasks in the workflow, i.e., it may not be sound. Unsound views can be misleading and cause incorrect provenance analysis. This paper studies the problem of efficiently identifying and correcting unsound workflow views with minimal changes. In particular, given a workflow view, we wish to split each unsound composite task into the minimal number of tasks, such that the resulting view is sound. We prove that this problem is NP-hard by reduction from independent set. We then propose two local optimality conditions (weak and strong), and design polynomial time algorithms for correcting unsound views to meet these conditions. Experiments show that our proposed algorithms are effective and efficient, and that the strong local optimality algorithm produces better solutions than the weak local optimality algorithm with little processing overhead.
Detection and Classification of Volatile Organic Amines and Carboxylic Acids Using Arrays of Carbon Black-Dendrimer Composite Vapor Detectors

Carbon black-insulator composite chemiresistive vapor detectors have been prepared using dendrimers as the polymeric constituent of the composite. Amino-terminated dendrimer-carbon black composites exhibited an enhancement in detection sensitivity of ∼103 for volatile carboxylic acids as compared to nondendrimeric insulating polymer-carbon black composites. Similarly, protonated carboxylato-terminated and protonated amino-terminated dendrimer-carbon black composites showed an ∼103−104 increase in sensitivity for detection of volatile amines relative to the response of nondendrimeric insulating polymer-carbon black composites. The protonated amino-terminated dendrimer carbon black composite detectors exhibited a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 22.4 ± 0.9 upon exposure to 2.7 ppb of butylamine in air, whereas poly(ethylene oxide)-carbon black composites exhibited a S/N of 3.5 ± 1.2 at 54 ppm of butylamine. The protonated amino-terminated dendrimer-carbon black detectors additionally exhibited relatively smal...
Some Experimental Observations on the Behavior of Composite Random Number Generators

We describe a series of experiments with composite random number generators using shuffling tables. The research explores the issues of improvement in statistical behavior claimed for composite generators and the overhead incurred by shuffling. On the basis of the limited experimental work, three observations are warranted: 1 Shuffling does not effect significant improvement in the statistical behavior of good simple generators implemented on large-word-length machines with large periods. 2 Shuffling can significantly improve the behavior of generators on small-word-length machines, at least partly by increasing the maximum period obtained. 3 A table size of two leads to results comparable with larger tables and incurs less overhead.
The direction of the dipole moments of phosphabenzene and arsabenzene

THE DIRECTION OF THE DIPOLE MOMENTS OF PHOSPRABENZENE AND ARSABENZENE Arthur J. Ashe, III *1 and Woon-Tunq Chan Department of Chemistrv, Universitv of Michigan Ann Arbor, Wichiqan 48104 (Bcceived in USA 2 June 1975; received rn UK for publication 26 June 1975) Preliminary studies of the spectral properties of phosphabensene (phosphorin) ,? and arsabenzene (arsenin) 2 have emphasized their similarities to 2-6 pyridine . Recently we reported the gas phase dipole moment of phosphabenzene as 1.54D5 and that of arsabenzene as l.10D6. The magnitude is considerably less than that for pyridine ,& (2.215D)7. The direction of the dipole was not determined. Since the difference in electronegativity8 between nitrogen (3.04) and carbon (2.55) relative to phosphorus (2.19) and carbon (2.55) and to arsenic (2.18) and carbon (2.55) changes sign, one might naively expect a change in the dipole moment direction as well. On the other hand both CNDO/2g'10 and ab initio 11 -MO calculations have predicted that all three heterobenzenes have the same direction of polarization. It was felt desirable to test this prediction. A compariscn of the dipole moments of 4-substituted heterobenzenes with those of the parents should unambiguously define the direction of the moments. We now wish to report on the synthesis of 4-methylphosphabenzene 2 and 4-methylarsabenzene
Are You Willing to Treat AIDS Patients

Are you willing to treat the HIV infected? Six out of 10 U.S. dentists say they are willing to treat patients infected with the AIDS virus, according to an NIDR-supported study by Drs. Sadowsky and Kunzel.
Are low-volume ERCPists a problem in the United States? A plea to examine and improve ERCP practice—NOW

p t o m m a l u e In this issue of the Journal, Cote et al report their assessment of current ERCP practice and attitudes toward it from an online survey of U.S. gastroenterologists. More than 1000 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) members responded. An important feature is that they asked practitioners to categorize themselves by annual volume, defining low volume as fewer than 50 ERCPs per year, moderate at 50 to 200, and high as more than 200. Their most striking and worrying data are that 40% of the respondents were in the low-volume category. They had less training (77% had not performed 180 ERCPs in fellowship); only 58% “enjoyed” and only 60% were “very comfortable” with ERCP. Because only 18% responded to the survey, it seems likely that the overall situation is even worse than stated. This raises fundamental and sensitive questions. Should low-volume ERCPists (and hospitals) be doing it? Are we comfortable with the state of ERCP practice in the United States? ERCP has changed substantially over its 40-year history. It is difficult to overstate the impact and excitement when it was introduced widely in the 1970s. There were no scans at that time, and biliary and pancreatic diseases were usually diagnosed at a late stage by laparotomy, with poor outcomes. Surgery for bile duct stones carried a mortality rate of 5% to 10% in the best of hands. To be able to image the ducts accurately and then to remove stones and drain obstructions noninvasively was truly a remarkable revolution in medicine. No wonder it was embraced enthusiastically by many gastroenterologists. Most advertisements
Permutable subgroups of a direct product

Abstract A subgroup S of a group G is a permutable subgroup of G if for all subgroups X of G , SX = XS . In this article, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for a subgroup of the finite group G × H to be permutable. Then, we attempt to improve this theorem by making conjectures that would simplify these conditions. Counterexamples to these conjectures are presented, demonstrating that in some way, the aforementioned characterization is the best one possible. We conclude by showing how our conjectures do provide further insight into permutability in some special cases.
Determinants of customer satisfaction with hospitals: a managerial model

States that rapid changes in the environment have exerted significant pressures on hospitals to incorporate patient satisfaction in their strategic stance and quest for market share and long‐term viability. This study proposes and tests a five‐factor model that explains considerable variation in customer satisfaction with hospitals. These factors include communication with patients, competence of the staff, their demeanour, quality 0of the facilities, and perceived costs; they also represent strategic concepts that managers can address in their bid to remain competitive. A probability sample was selected and a multiple regression model used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that all five variables were significant in the model and explained 62 per cent of the variation in the dependent variable. Managerial implications of the proposed model are discussed.
Consistency of local renormalization group in d=3

We discuss Weyl anomaly and consistency conditions of local renormalization group in d=1+2d=1+2 dimensional quantum field theories. We give a classification of the consistency conditions and ambiguities in most generality within the power-counting renormalization scheme. They provide many non-trivial constraints on possible forms of beta functions, anomalous dimensions and Weyl anomaly of general d=1+2d=1+2 dimensional quantum field theories. We perform modest checks of our results in conformal perturbation theories, supersymmetric field theories and holographic computations.
Chemical vapor deposition of tantalum nitride with tert-butylimino tris(diethylamino) tantalum and atomic hydrogen

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to study the reaction of tert-butylimino tris(diethylamino) tantalum (TBTDET) with atomic hydrogen on SiO2 and organosilicate glass (OSG) substrates. The results on both substrates indicate that, at 300 K, TBTDET partially dissociates, forming Ta–O bonds with some precursor still attached. Subsequent bombardment with atomic hydrogen at 500 K results in stoichiometric TaN formation, with a Ta(4f7/2) feature at binding energy 23.2 eV and N(1s) at 396.6 eV, leading to a TaN phase bonded to the substrate by Ta–O interactions. Subsequent depositions of the precursor on the reacted layer on SiO2 and OSG followed by atomic hydrogen bombardment result in increased TaN formation. These results indicate that TBTDET and atomic hydrogen may form the basis for a low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for the formation of ultraconformal TaNx or Ru/TaNx barriers.
The variety generated by the truth value algebra of type-2 fuzzy sets

This paper addresses some questions about the variety generated by the algebra of truth values of type-2 fuzzy sets. Its principal result is that this variety is generated by a finite algebra, and in particular is locally finite. This provides an algorithm for determining when an equation holds in this variety. It also sheds light on the question of determining an equational axiomatization of this variety, although this problem remains open.
Increased pulmonary artery perforating potential of pulmonary artery catheters during hypothermia.

The rate of major complications from the use of pulmonary artery (PA) catheters has been reported to be as high as 9%, 0.2% of which may be attributed to PA perforation, a catastrophe with a fatal outcome more than 50% of the time. Although an uncommon event generally, more than one third of catheter-related PA perforations occur during cardiac surgery. Several factors act to advance the balloon-tipped PA catheter into the distal PA, where, during hypothermia, the catheter hardens and, thus, may be more likely to perforate the vessel. The relative contribution of hypothermia, itself, to the perforating potential of previously used, triple-lumen PA catheters (n = 5) was examined in vitro by mounting them in a temperature-controlled testing chamber, at a 90° incident angle to a polyethylene membrane, which represented the PA wall. The membrane was made to pulsate 80 times/min against the PA catheter until it was perforated. Each catheter was tested 5 times each at 3 temperatures. At 35°C, 30°C, and 25°C, the number of pulsations to produce perforation (perforation rate) was 488 ± 280, 309 ± 242, and 97 ± 234, respectively. The perforation rates differed significantly between temperatures (P < 0.01), but not between catheters or tests at the same temperature. This study demonstrates that perforation of a model PA by a triple-lumen PA catheter is 500% more likely during hypothermia.
A Note on Boston's Racial Problems

This article offers an explanation of the underlying factors concerning relations among the blacks, Italians and Irish in Boston. Two studies were examined involving the economic situation of the Italians and Irish in Boston in order to understand this city's racial problems. These three groups (Italians, Irish and blacks) have been over represented in the lower occupation level and in the poorer housing areas. It is shown that the racial problems between the white ethnics (Irish and Italians) and blacks are caused by a lack of job and housing opportunities.
High resolution gamma ray telescope using scintillating fibers and position sensitive photomultipliers

Abstract Recently high photon yielding and long attenuation length step index scintillating plastic fibers have been developed. Scintillating fibers of 1 mm diameter made of polystyrene doped with butyl-PBD and POPOP ( λ = 420 nm), and clad with PMMA (poly-methylmetacrylate) have resulted attenuation lengths over 2 meters. Scintillating fibers stacked up into scintillating fiber planes U, V and W that are rotated by 60° angle relative to each other and coupled to position sensitive photomultipliers can be used as high resolution imaging gamma-ray detectors. We are presenting the design of a large area gamma-ray telescope with high angular and energy resolution for space based experiments, using scintillating fibers and recently developed position sensitive photomultiplier tubes.
Natural convection boundary layer flows in isothermal ternary systems: role of diffusive coupling

The effects of diffusive cross-coupling on an isothermal natural convection boundary layer in a large Sc fluid has been studied. Results show that the off-diagonal diffusion coefficient is important when the appropriate ratio, β12β22 or β21β22. is larger than approximately 10−1. Uphill diffusion and accompanying compositional extrema may result when β12 > β22 or β12 1 or β21 < 0 for component 2. Counterflow may result when β21 < 0 or β12 < 0 even for positive buoyancy ratios. Effective binary diffusion coefficients are inadequate for representing multicomponent systems with large off-diagonal diffusion coefficients. Published determinations of the full diffusion matrix for several multicomponent systems imply that neglect of off-diagonal contributions to the chemical flux may lead to large errors in mass transfer rates in multicomponent systems of geochemical and industrial importance
Effect of castration on growth and carcass traits in hair goat kids under a semi-intensive system in the south-Marmara region of Turkey

The effect of castration on growth and carcass composition of Turkish hair kids was studied from weaning at 160–216 days (56 days total). Average daily weight gain did not differ between intact males and castrates (102 and 77 g, respectively). Dressing percentage based on full weight and empty body weight was lower (P < 0.01) for intact males than castrates. Castration had no significant effect on percentage contributions to the whole carcass of priminal cuts, excluding the long leg and ribs. Castration did not affect tissue distribution in the carcass except for intermuscular fat. It was concluded that castration on hair kids of Turkey improves carcass value by increasing dressing percentage, eye muscle area and intermuscular fat.
The Use of Priority Information in Performance Feedback

To provide the most value to an organization, individuals must focus efforts on those outputs that have maximum value to the organization. However, the realities of the workplace are that information about performance and how individuals can add value to an organization is complex; that is, determining which activities to focus on is a fairly complex task because such information is nonlinear, whereby the importance of a certain activity may change depending on the level of performance at any given time. This article empirically examines whether providing complex, nonlinear feedback that reflects the complexities of the real world will result in a change in work outputs that reflect these nonlinearities. This article assesses whether employees can and do use complex feedback that reflects the complexity of the real world in the intended ways. In addition, this article examines whether individuals use feedback that includes priority information beyond feedback that reports on simple relative importance. Da...
Dealing with Test Automation Debt at Microsoft

At Microsoft, substantial time and resources are expended in test case development, execution and verification. Thousands of new tests are added to existing test suites without any kind of review regarding their unique contribution to test suite effectiveness or impact on test suite efficiency. This talk describes how we leverage existing code coverage data, together with reduction and prioritization techniques, to help each test team analyze its test suite and guide them in improving their suite's effectiveness and efficiency. The analysis focuses on identifying and deprecating/prioritizing groups of tests cases, given specific tactical goals for example, increasing current test suite stability and reliability, better structuring of test suite migration efforts, reducing test suite execution time and testing with limited hardware resources.
Cultural Models and Metaphors for Marriage: An Analysis of Discourse at Japanese Wedding Receptions

This article uses metaphor analysis to delineate the cultural model of marriage expressed in speeches at Japanese wedding receptions. Wedding speakers used three main metaphors for talking about marriage: marriage as a joint creation, marriage as a physical union, and marriage as a journey. These metaphors were used to express a number of themes including the concepts that marriage is a new beginning, requires joint effort and cooperation, is ideally a lasting union, and involves love, trust, and emotional unity. A comparison with earlier studies of U.S. discourse reveals that people in Japan and the United States share many of the same metaphors and ideas about marriage, but differ in their understanding of the “work” required in marriage. Whereas people in the United States talk of the need to “work on” the relationship, particularly through open communication of needs and emotions, speakers at Japanese weddings emphasized the couple “working together” and emotional unity was presented as a part of that cooperation rather than an end in itself.
Mulaik on atomism, contraposition and causation

Causal inference using statistical models plays a central role in many areas of behavioral science, but the underlying metatheory of causal explanation remains poorly developed. Mulaik’s work on causation offers a useful foray into this topic. Evaluation of two negative arguments applied to a broad range of theories of causation offer overdue critical assessment of this contribution. More broadly, the critical evaluation of Mulaik’s arguments speak to the need for better integration of substantive theories and statistical models in causal research.
Explaining the Recent Decline in Domestic Violence

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the incidence of domestic violence decreased during the 1990s. Understanding the causes of this decline could offer important insight into designing effective policies to continue this trend. This article uses the Area-Identified National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the same data used to generate the DOJ's national estimates, merged with county-level variables, to examine the determinants of women reporting abuse. The results indicate that there are three important factors that likely contribute to the decline: (1) the increased provision of legal services for victims of intimate partner abuse, (2) improvements in women's economic status, and (3) demographic trends, most notably the aging of the population.
Overproduction of d-xylose isomerase in Escherichia coli by cloning the d-xylose isomerase gene

Abstract The Escherichia coli d -xylose isomerase ( d -xylose ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.5) gene , xyl A, has been cloned on various E. coli plasmids. However, it has been found that high levels of overproduction of the d -xylose isomerase, the protein product of the xyl A gene, cannot be accomplished by cloning the intact gene on high copy-number plasmids alone. This is believed to be due to the fact that the expression of the gene through its natural promoter is highly regulated in E. coli. In order to overcome this, the xyl A structural gene has been fused with other strong promoters such as tac and lac, resulting in the construction of a number of fused genes. Analysis of the E. coli transformants containing the fused genes, cloned on high copy-number plasmids, indicated that a 20-fold overproduction of the enzyme can now be obtained. It is expected that overproduction of the enzyme in E. coli can still be substantially improved through additional manipulation with recombinant DNA techniques .
Interactive color graphical postprocessing as a unifying influence in numerical analysis research

The general capabilities and the hardware environment of an interactive color graphical postprocessor for three-dimensional numerical analysis are described as well as the synergistic influence of this aspect of interactive graphics on the research environment. Areas of practical concern include finite element analysis, fracture propagation, surface and framed structures. The interactive color graphical postprocessor, POSTPRO3D, is capable of displaying the scalar, vector, and tensor results of finite difference, finite element, and boundary element analysis. In the case of fatigue cracking in steel crane-rail girders, it was shown that POSTPRO3D offers a high level of flexibility, interactivity and features which minimize response time.
Warranties, extended warranties, and product quality

Abstract We analyze the effect of extended warranties on a manufacturer's warranty policy under conditions of producer moral hazard. When all consumers in the market are identical, the manufacturer offers a full warranty. If consumers differ in their valuations of a working unit, then the manufacturer may offer partial warranties (and low quality) to low valuation consumers, and full warranties (and high quality) to high valuation consumers. The availability of extended warranties from an independent insurer has an important effect on this menu of warranty/quality choices. If such an insurer enters the market, the manufacturer may increase or decrease the warranty, price, and quality that it offers low valuation consumers. The result can be an increase in the manufacturer's profits.
Uterine Leiomyoma in a 14-Year-Old Girl

Uterine leiomyomas are common benign tumors of the uterus in adult females but are rare in adolescents. This is a review of the literature and a case report of a 14-year-old female who presented with increasing, intermittent back pain and abdominal distention due to a large uterine leiomyoma treated by myomectomy. This is the 9th reported case of a uterine leiomyoma in an adolescent female under the age of 18 years in the English literature.
Objective Assessment and Thematic Categorization of Patient-audible Information in an Emergency Department.

Objectives The objective was to assess and categorize the understandable components of patient-audible information (e.g., provider conversations) in emergency department (ED) care areas and to initiate a baseline ED soundscape assessment. Methods Investigators at an academic referral hospital accessed 21 deidentified transcripts of recordings made with binaural in-ear microphones in patient rooms (n = 10) and spaces adjacent to nurses' stations (n = 11), during ED staff sign-outs as part of an approved quality management process. Transcribed materials were classified by speaker (health care provider, patient/family/friend, or unknown). Using qualitative analysis software and predefined thematic categories, two investigators then independently coded each transcript by word, phrase, clause, and/or sentence for general content, patient information, and HIPAA-defined patient identifiers. Scheduled reviews were used to resolve any data coding discrepancies. Results Patient room recordings featured a median of 11 (interquartile range [IQR] = 2 to 33) understandable words per minute (wpm) over 16.2 (IQR = 15.1 to 18.4) minutes; nurses' station recordings featured 74 (IQR = 47 to 109) understandable wpm over 17.0 (IQR = 15.4 to 20.3) minutes. Transcript content from patient room recordings was categorized as follows: clinical, 44.8% (IQR = 17.7% to 62.2%); nonclinical, 0.0% (IQR = 0.0% to 0.0%); inappropriate (provider), 0.0% (IQR = 0.0% to 0.0%); and unknown, 6.0% (IQR = 1.7% to 58.2%). Transcript content from nurses' stations was categorized as follows: clinical, 86.0% (IQR = 68.7% to 94.7%); nonclinical, 1.2% (IQR = 0.0% to 19.5%); inappropriate (provider), 0.1% (IQR = 0.0% to 2.3%); and unknown, 1.3% (IQR = 0.0% to 7.1%). Limited patient information was audible on patient room recordings. Audible patient information at nurses' stations was coded as follows (median words per sign-out sample): general patient history, 116 (IQR = 19 to 206); social history, 12 (IQR = 4 to 19); physical examination, 39 (IQR = 19 to 56); imaging results, 0 (IQR = 0 to 21); laboratory results, 7 (IQR = 0 to 22); other results, 0 (IQR = 0 to 3); medical decision-making, 39 (IQR = 10 to 69); management (general), 118 (IQR = 79 to 235); pain management, 4 (IQR = 0 to 53); and disposition, 42 (IQR = 22 to 60). Medians of 0 (IQR = 0 to 0) and 3 (IQR = 1 to 4) patient name identifiers were audible on in-room and nurses' station sign-out recordings, respectively. Conclusions Sound recordings in an ED setting captured audible and understandable provider discussions that included confidential, protected health information and discernible quantities of nonclinical content.
From laboratory to clinic: rationale for biologic therapy

Traditional systemic therapy for psoriasis is limited by either lack of efficacy or the long-term side effect profile of the medications used. Newer information about the pathophysiology of the disease has led to new perspectives on developing novel techniques for attacking psoriasis. This article discusses the pathogenesis of psoriasis, looks at the immunologic factors that contribute to forming a psoriatic plaque, reviews how novel biologic therapies are made, and explores how biologics can target each of these specific parts of the immunologic cascade.
Kainic acid lesioning of alkaloid-sensitive brain sites and ethanol ingestion in the rat

Abstract A control alcohol (ethanol) preference test was first goven to adult male Sprague-Dawleyrats which were provided water together with alcohol increased in concentrations from 3 to 30% over 8 days. Then each rat was anesthetized and a two-stage, bilateral lesion was made stereotaxically by microinjection of kainic acid in a dose of 0.5 μg into the hippocampus, cingulate gyrus or periaqueductal gray. Specifically selected sites were based on earlier experiments in which the application of a tetrahydrisoquinoline alkaloid was found to induce an increase in alcohol drinking. Two weeks later, the 8-day test of self-selection for alcohol was repeated. Although neurological signs of kainic acid lesions were apparent, no significant differences in alcohol drinking in terms of proportion or g/kg intake occured after either the first or second stage of the lesion. These results show that local destruction of an alkaloid-sensitive site does not appear to be responsible for induction of aberrant dinking of alcohol.
Open social learning communities

With the advent of open education resources, social networking technologies and new pedagogies for online and blended learning, we are in the early stages of a significant disruption in current models of education. The disruption is fueled by a staggering growth in demand. Open Social Learning systems open a new venue for self-motivated learners to access high quality learning materials. In this paper, we describe our vision of open social learning and introduce a cyber-infrastructure that supports a large-scale open social learning community in order to facilitate self-guided learning.
Variable selection for semiparametric regression models with iterated penalisation

Semiparametric regression models with multiple covariates are commonly encountered. When there are covariates that are not associated with a response variable, variable selection may lead to sparse...
Grassmann invariants, almost zeros and the determinantal zero, pole assignment problems of linear multivariable systems

The strucxpects of the rationxr spaces x c, x fwhere x c is the columxof the transfer function matrix G(s) and x f, is the space associated with right matrix fracxcriptions of G(s), are investigated. For x f gcanonixqb;s] Grassmgesentax g(x c) and g(x f) arxd, and are shown xmplete basis free invariants for x c and x f respectively. The almost zeros (AZ) and almost decoupling zeros (ADZ) of G(s)gdefinex local minima of a normgn defix g(x c) and g(x f) respectively. The computation, and certain aspects of the distribution in the complex plane of AZs and ADZs are examined. The role of AZs and ADZs in the determinantal zero and pole assignment problems respectively is examined next. Two important families of systems are defined : the strongly zero non-assignable (SZNA) and the strongly pole non-assignable (SPNA) systems. For SZNA and SPNA systems minimal radius discs Dem e[z, R em e(z)] and Dem f[zb centred at an AZ and ADZ respectively are defined. It is shown that Dem e[R em e(z)] contains at least one zer...