cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management motives for takeovers in the petroleum industry

This paper tests the proposition that takeovers involving major petroleum companies are due to poor management performance by the target companies. Among the performance variables used to distinguish firms subject to takeover were the following: the ratio of market value to book value, rate of return, dividend payout ratio, reserve replacement ratio, and finding costs. The results do not indicate that there is a clear cut distinction between the firms that were taken over and those that were not. As a result, the managerial incompetence hypothesis receives no support from this analysis.
Phase Studies Concerning Sintering in Aluminas Doped with Ti4

Previous solid state analyses of sintering in Ti4+-doped-commercial alumina are shown to be in error because a liquid phase exists in the appropriate region of the Al2O3−TiO3−Na2Ophase diagram at least by 1350°C, a temperature lower than that at which “solid state” studies were conducted. It is suggested that liquid-phase sintering is a much more common occurrence than was realized formerly.
Synchronous cryoablation of multiple renal lesions: short-term follow-up of patient outcomes.

Objectives To report on various perioperative and short-term clinical outcomes of 7 patients who underwent cryoablation of multiple renal lesions during the same operative setting. Cryotherapy is the most well studied minimally invasive ablative technique for the treatment of renal tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis of our institutional renal cryotherapy database yielded a total of 7 patients who underwent synchronous cryoablation of > 1 renal lesion between August 2005 and May 2007. Results Mean patient age was 63.9 years, and median follow-up was 23.3 months (range 7-28 months). Five patients had ablation of 2 renal lesions, 1 had 3 lesions, and 1 had 4 lesions. The mean greatest diameter of any single lesion was 2.0 cm (range 0.7-7.5 cm). Mean preoperative serum creatinine was 1.5 mg/dL (range 0.7-3.6 mg/dL), which increased to a mean of 1.7 mg/dL (range 0.7-3.6) at last follow-up. Mean estimated blood loss was 138 mL (range 38-300 mL). There were 2 complications—ureteral stenting because of postoperative renal colic, and blood transfusion for decreased hematocrit. Of the 17 lesions, 7 were found to be conventional renal cell carcinoma, 4 papillary, 2 myelolipoma, and 1 oncocytoma (unavailable for 3 lesions). Mean length of hospital stay was 2.3 days (range 1-6 days). At last follow-up, computed tomography scanning demonstrated no recurrences in any patient. Conclusions Cryoablation of multiple renal lesions at one setting may be successfully performed with few complications, with minimal short-term loss of renal function as estimated by serum creatinine, and with short-term evidence of tumor destruction.
The STEM-II regional scale acid deposition and photochemical oxidant model—I. An overview of model development and applications

Abstract The STEM-II pollutant transport/transformation/removal model has been enhanced to include scavenging by clouds and precipitation. The Advanced Scavenging Model (ASM) and Reactive Scavenging Model (RSM) have been coupled to STEM-II to enable comprehensive simulation and diagnosis analysis of field experiments designed to study acid deposition. In this paper, the STEM-II/ASM/RSM model is described. The coupled model is being used to analyze the PRECP-I field studies on an urban/suburban scale (Philadelphia), mesoscale (lower Ohio River Valley), and regional scale (eastern U.S.). The time period selected for detailed simulations and analysis is 29 April–5 May 1985. Subsequent papers will detail the results of these simulations.
Short-term and long-term effects of albuterol aerosol therapy in cystic fibrosis: a preliminary report.

The effectiveness of maintenance albuterol aerosol therapy in cystic fibrosis (CF) was assessed by comparing spirometric measurements at the beginning and end of 1 year. Peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR) were measured twice daily to determine bronchodilator responsiveness and spontaneous diurnal variation (SDV), and results were compared with groups of normal and asthmatic children. CF patients not receiving regular albuterol therapy served as a control group. In the treatment group, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) were significantly increased (12.2% and 18.4%, respectively) over the course of the treatment year, as contrasted with a significant decrease during the preceding year. During the study year the CF control group had a significant decrease in FEV1 and FEF25-75%, and the difference between treatment and control groups was significant for FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75%. PEFR increased from the first to the last week of the year-long observation period (from 71.8% to 78.7% of predicted values, P 15% was present in 25.8% of CF patient days, but there was considerable interpatient variability. Frequent bronchodilator responders were accurately predicted by their baseline bronchodilator responsiveness, but not by age or personal or family history of asthma or atopy. No difference in long-term pulmonary function improvements were noted between frequent and infrequent responders. The results suggest that maintenance albuterol aerosol treatments reversed the progressive downward course in lung function in the CF treatment group. A double-blind placebo-controlled study is required to confirm these preliminary findings.
Landscape perspectives on possible land use patterns for Early Pleistocene hominids in the Olduvai Basin, Tanzania

Abstract We present an ecologically derived model of the distribution of potential resources probably available to hominids among the landscapes that are, following Hay (1976), postulated to exist in the Olduvai Basin during lowermost Bed II times. On the basis of preliminary surveys of the resource structure of modern East African saline lake basins, the differential availability across the Olduvai Basin of potable water, fruit and edible rootstocks, refuge trees, scavengeable carcasses and stone/wood for tool manufacture, are hypothesized for a riparian corridor and stream-mouth dominated land system at two climate extremes. At both climate extremes, the stream-traversed Piedmont Alluvial Plain and slopes of the Crater Highlands to the east of the lake apparently would have provided the greatest availability and diversity of essential resources. In contrast, the Eastern Lacustrine Plain, to which current in situ archaeological evidence for hominid activities is restricted, was probably not as rich in resources. The resource distribution model suggests that hominid activities were concentrated in landscapes that have not been intensively studied. One of these, the Piedmont Alluvial Plain, is partially preserved in the geological record, and is predicted to contain a strong land use signature despite having experienced reworking of materials. This and other predictions of the model are amenable to testing through the landscape archaeological research being conducted on lowermost Bed II deposits, which also have a bearing on understanding the different land use strategies of contemporaneous hominid taxa.
Constancy of Pharmacokinetic Properties of the Lymphocyte Insulin Receptor During Aging

Carbohydrate metabolism is altered during aging. Alterations at the pancreatic beta cell and at the level of peripheral sensitivity to insulin have been invoked. The T lymphocyte insulin receptor from five younger and five older men were studied. Pharmacokinetic characteristics (affinity, kd, and receptor sites per cell) were the same for both. Peripheral insensitivity at the level of the hormone receptor does not explain the altered metabolism.
The NX/2 operating system

NX/2 is the operating system which runs on the nodes of the Intel iPSC®/2 concurrent supercomputer. NX/2 provides all of the standard system services found in the original iPSC node operating system, such as memory management, multiple process control, message passing services, and intertask protection.This paper focuses on the major node operating system enhancements brought about by two different requirements. First, NX/2 had to support very high speed and high throughput message passing. In this regard, we show how NX/2 was tuned to the 32-bit architecture of the iPSC/2 nodes and the Direct Connect technology used to implement the communication subsystem.Second, NX/2 had to support a more streamlined and flexible set of message passing service calls. In this regard, we describe the new set of message passing system calls and discuss how NX/2 implements them. The calls range from a simple, effective set of synchronous calls to advanced asynchronous calls which allow overlap of message passing and processing as well as interrupt-driven message handling.
Spinal Cord Injury With a Narrow Spinal Canal: Utilizing Torg’s Ratio Method of Analyzing Cervical Spine Radiographs ☆

Abstract A 65-year-old inebriated mancrashed his car and presented with spinal shock and neurogenic shock from a cervical spinal cord injury without cervical spine fracture or dislocation. The lateral cervical spine radiography was initially read as normal, except for degenerative disk disease; however, Torg’s ratio method of analyzing cervical spinal canal sagittal width indicated the spinal canal was congenitally narrow. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed this and showed bulging and herniation of multiple invertebral disks between C2 and C7. This case illustrates the value of using Torg’s ratio method of analyzing lateral cervical spine radiographs. Although Torg’s method has not been prospectively validated, it may be useful to identify patients at risk for cervical spinal cord injuries without fractures or dislocations. An abnormal Torg’s ratio may be the only clue to the fact that the patient is at higher risk of spinal cord injury when the patient’s history or examination is questionable because of head injury, drug intoxication, or therapeutic sedation and paralysis.
Minimal test collections for retrieval evaluation

Accurate estimation of information retrieval evaluation metrics such as average precision require large sets of relevance judgments. Building sets large enough for evaluation of real-world implementations is at best inefficient, at worst infeasible. In this work we link evaluation with test collection construction to gain an understanding of the minimal judging effort that must be done to have high confidence in the outcome of an evaluation. A new way of looking at average precision leads to a natural algorithm for selecting documents to judge and allows us to estimate the degree of confidence by defining a distribution over possible document judgments. A study with annotators shows that this method can be used by a small group of researchers to rank a set of systems in under three hours with 95% confidence. Information retrieval metrics such as average precision require large sets of relevance judgments to be accurately estimated. Building these sets is infeasible and often inefficient for many real-world retrieval implementations. We present a new way of looking at average precision that allows us to estimate the confidence in an evaluation based on the size of the test collection. We use this to build an algorithm for selecting the best documents to judge to have maximum confidence in an evaluation with a minimal number of relevance judgments. A study with annotators shows how the algorithm can be used by a small group of researchers to quickly rank a set of systems with 95% confidence.
Optimal P/N width ratio selection for standard cell libraries

The effectiveness of logic synthesis to satisfy increasingly tight timing constraints in deep-submicron high-performance circuits heavily depends on the range and variety of logic gates available in the standard cell library. Primarily, research in the design of high-performance standard cell libraries has been focused on drive strength selection of various logic gates. Since CMOS logic circuit delays not only depend on the drive strength of each gate but also on its PM width ratio, it is crucial to provide good PM width ratios for each cell. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a theoretical framework through which library designers can determine "optimal" PM width ratio for each logic gate in their high-performance standard cell library. This theoretical framework utilizes new gate delay models that explicitly represent the dependence of delay on P/N width ratio and load. These delay models yield highly accurate delay for CMOS gates in a 0.12 /spl mu/m L/sub eff/ deep-submicron technology.
Dark matter with time-varying leptophilic couplings

Two general problems arise when interpreting the recent cosmic ray data as signals of dark matter (DM) annihilation: (i) the required cross section is too large by O(100), and (ii) the annihilation products seem to be mostly leptonic. We propose to address these two problems by assuming that the couplings of DM to leptons grow with time. This can be achieved by a dynamic localization of DM in extra dimensions. A possible outcome of this proposal is a time (redshift) dependent annihilation signal, in terms of strength and dominant final states.
Data Preparation Process for Construction Knowledge Generation through Knowledge Discovery in Databases

As the construction industry is adapting to new computer technologies in terms of hardware and software, computerized construction data are becoming increasingly available. The explosive growth of many business, government, and scientific databases has begun to far outpace our ability to interpret and digest the data. Such volumes of data clearly overwhelm the traditional methods of data analysis such as spreadsheets and ad-hoc queries. The traditional methods can create informative reports from data, but cannot analyze the contents of those reports. A significant need exists for a new generation of techniques and tools with the ability to automatically assist humans in analyzing the mountains of data for useful knowledge. Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and data mining (DM) are tools that allow identification of valid, useful, and previously unknown patterns so that the construction manager may analyze the large amount of construction project data. These technologies combine techniques from machin...
Characterization of English ivy ( Hedera helix ) adhesion force and imaging using atomic force microscopy

English ivy (Hedera helix) is well known for its ability to climb onto and strongly adhere to a variety of solid substrates. It has been discovered that the ivy aerial rootlet secretes an adhesive composed of polysaccharide and spherical nanoparticles. This study aims to characterize the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite adhesive using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The adhesive was first imaged by AFM to visualize the nanocomposite. Mechanical properties were then determined at various time points, from secretion to hardening. The experimental results indicate that the ivy adhesive exhibited strong adhesion strength and high elasticity. There was a decrease in adhesive force over time, from 298 to 202 nN during the 24-h study. Accompanying with it were the limited changes in extension length and Young’s modulus. The limited curing process of the ivy adhesive helps fill gaps in the attaching surface, leading to more intimate contact and increased van der Waals interactions with the surface. However, study based on a mechanical model indicated that van der Waals force alone is not significant enough to account for all of the measured force. Other chemical interactions and cross linking likely contribute to the strong adhesion strength of ivy.
Fluid therapy in the emergency unit

Many children entering emergency units require immediate vascular access and intravenous fluid administration. Choosing the correct fluid and administering effective and safe amounts of fluid for resuscitation are important determinants of morbidity and mortality outcomes. CME January 2013 Vol. 31 No. 1
Cross-validation of an equating method linking aerobic FITNESSGRAM® field tests.

Background Field tests measuring the same construct, in this case, aerobic capacity, use different scales, which makes fitness assessment of children and youth potentially confusing. The Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method has been developed to set tests on the same scale, as illustrated by the conversion of Progressive Aerobic Capacity Endurance Run (PACER) scores to 1-mile run/walk times to estimate VO 2 max. Purpose The purpose of this study was to cross-validate the Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method by using a data set of middle school students to assess its effectiveness. Methods PACER scores of 135 middle school students were converted to 1-mile run/walk times (Mile PEQ) using the proposed method. Several estimates of VO 2 max using PACER scores were then compared to estimated VO 2 max using Mile PEQ and measured VO 2 max. The obtained measures were classified according to the healthy fitness zone (HFZ; FITNESSGRAM ® , version 9) and compared to measured VO 2 max. BMI estimates based on the sample data and the national average also were considered to assess the method's flexibility. Results Agreement levels with actual values were similar for VO 2 max predicted using Mile PEQ and predictions using PACER laps and speed (73%–75%). The t -tests showed no significant difference between actual VO 2 max (M=44.43, SD=8.36) and VO 2 max predicted using Mile PEQ (M=44.33, SD=5.88). Using BMI averages from sample data and the national data to estimate VO 2 max using Mile PEQ also yields high agreement levels, 70% and 73%, respectively. Conclusions The Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method performs as well or better in estimating VO 2 max as several other models using PACER scores, especially for boys, and thus may be successfully used in practice. More research is needed to understand the relatively low prediction and classification accuracy in girls.
Attention-based design of augmented reality interfaces

The objects and surfaces of a task-based environment can be layered with digital interfaces to make them easier and safer to use. Once information can be projected anywhere in the space, it becomes crucial to design the information to make optimal use of users' attention. We have prototyped and evaluated a real-world augmented reality kitchen where user-centered interfaces and displays can be projected anywhere in the space to improve its usability. The augmented environment is designed to support the activities of a variety of people in diverse kitchen environments.This paper presents five intelligent kitchen systems that layer useful interfaces onto the refrigerator, range, cabinets, countertops and sink. The interface design is driven by human factors, especially attention theory and user evaluations. By projecting interfaces where they require the least cognitive load, we hope to improve the performance and confidence of users. The design employs cueing and search principles from attention theory. We present the results of pilot studies and future directions for our work.
Investigating the evolutionary history of the Pacific Northwest mesic forest ecosystem: hypothesis testing within a comparative phylogeographic framework.

We examine the evolution of mesic forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest of North America using a statistical phylogeography approach in four animal and two plant lineages. Three a priori hypotheses, which explain the disjunction in the mesic forest ecosystem with either recent dispersal or ancient vicariance, are tested with phylogenetic and coalescent methods. We find strong support in three amphibian lineages (Ascaphus spp., and Di- campton spp., and Plethodon vandykeiand P. idahoensis) for deep divergence between coastal and inland populations, as predicted by the ancient vicariance hypothesis. Unlike the amphibians, the disjunction in other Pacific Northwest lineages is likely due to recent dispersal along a northern route. Topological and population divergence tests support the northern dispersal hypothesis in the water vole (Microtus richardsoni) and northern dispersal has some support in both the dusky willow (Salix melanopsis) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis). These analyses demonstrate that genetic data sampled from across an ecosystem can provide insight into the evolution of ecological communities and suggest that the advantages of a statistical phylogeographic approach are most pronounced in comparisons across multiple taxa in a particular ecosystem. Genetic patterns in organisms as diverse as willows and salamanders can be used to test general regional hypotheses, providing a consistent metric for comparison among members of an ecosystem with disparate life-history traits.
Mating Competitiveness of Male Oriental Fruit Flies from a Translocation Strain (Diptera: Tephritidae)

A major advance in sterile insect release programs against tephritid fruit fly pests has been the development of genetic sexing strains, which allow the production of males-only lines for field release. Genetic sexing strains both reduce the costs associated with mass rearing and enhance the mating effectiveness of sterile males. Research and application of genetic sexing strains has been limited largely to the Mediterranean fruit fly. However, translocation-based genetic sexing strains based on pupal color mutants have been constructed in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Here, we describe the results of laboratory tests on B. dorsalis that compared the relative success of males from a translocation-based sexing strain and wild males in mating competition for wild females. Additional tests examined the effect of irradiation and exposure to methyl eugenol on the mating frequency of males from the genetic sexing strain.
Finite automata approximations with error bounds for systems with quantized actuation and measurement: a case study

We consider stable, discrete time, first order LTI systems with finite input alphabets and quantized outputs. We propose an algorithm for generating deterministic finite state machine approximations of these systems with computable bounds on approximation error, and we describe the conditions under which the bounds are valid.
RESOURCE AND COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS SHAPE THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC GOODS COOPERATION IN A PLANT PATHOGEN

Cooperative benefits depend on a variety of ecological factors. Many cooperative bacteria increase the population size of their groups by making a public good available. Increased local population size can alleviate the constraints of kin competition on the evolution of cooperation by enhancing the between-group fitness of cooperators. The cooperative pathogenesis of Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes infected plants to exude opines--resources that provide a nearly exclusive source of nutrient for the pathogen. We experimentally demonstrate that opines provide cooperative A. tumefaciens cells a within-group fitness advantage over saprophytic agrobacteria. Our results are congruent with a resource-consumer competition model, which predicts that cooperative, virulent agrobacteria are at a competitive disadvantage when opines are unavailable, but have an advantage when opines are available at sufficient levels. This model also predicts that freeloading agrobacteria that catabolize opines but cannot infect plants competitively displace the cooperative pathogen from all environments. However, we show that these cooperative public goods also promote increased local population size. A model built from the Price Equation shows that this effect on group size can contribute to the persistence of cooperative pathogenesis despite inherent kin competition for the benefits of pathogenesis.
Electrical Properties of Group IV B Metallocene Polyoximes

The synthesis and characterization of organometallic polymers is an ongoing portion of our research program. Recently we reported the synthesis of polyoximes of form I when M = Ti. More recently we synthesized the analogous Group IV B polyoximes where M = Zr and Hf.
Tutorial I: Security and privacy of big data in a cloud environment

Security and privacy of big data is of primary concern for many applications. For example, in case of smart meters, data of the consumers must be protected else private information can be leaked. Similarly, due to the cost-efficiency, reduced overhead management and dynamic resource needs, content owners are outsourcing their data to the cloud who can act as a service provider on their behalf. However, by outsourcing their data to the cloud, the owners may lose access control and privacy of data as cloud becomes a third party. By using these data storage services, the data owners can relieve the burden of local data storage and maintenance. However, since data owners and the cloud servers are not in the same trusted domain, the outsourced data may be at risk as the cloud server may no longer be fully trusted. Therefore, data integrity is of critical importance. Cloud should let the owners or a trusted third party to check for the integrity of their data storage without demanding a local copy of the data. Owners often replicate their data on the cloud servers across multiple data centers to provide a higher level of scalability, availability, and durability. However, the data owners need to be strongly convinced that the cloud is storing data copies agreed on in the service level contract, and data-updates have been correctly executed on all the remotely stored copies. In this tutorial, some of these problems will be explored. Some of the topics to be covered include: Security and Privacy Issues in Big Data Management, Secure Data Processing and Access Control of Big Data in Cloud, Data Integrity Verification of Big Data in Cloud, and Security and Privacy of Sensing Data for Big Data Applications.
Personal and Organization Charters

Conversations about "business strategy," "vision," "goals," and "values" are often unclear because people fail to distinguish among these terms meaningfully. This short note presents a simple, powerful way of talking about the elements of a business strategy that comprises what we might call an organizational charter. The note discusses the sequencing and differences among "mission," "vision," "values," "strategy," and "operating goals" and their relationship to leadership. The note is useful in a business-strategy course or macro-OB module to create a common language.
Modeling and Numerical Simulation of the Nonlinear Dynamics of the Parametrically Forced String Pendulum

The string pendulum consists of a mass attached to the end of an inextensible string which is fastened to a support. Applying an external forcing to the pendulum’s support is motivated by understanding the behavior of suspension bridges or of tethered structures during earthquakes. The forced string pendulum can go from taut to slack states and vice versa, and is capable of exhibiting interesting periodic and chaotic dynamics. The inextensibility of the string and its capacity to go slack make simulation and analysis of the system complicated. The string pendulum system is thus formulated here as a piecewise-smooth dynamical system using the method of Lagrange multipliers to obtain a system of differential algebraic equations (DAE) for the taut state. In order to develop a formulation for the forced string pendulum system, we first turn to similar but simpler pendulum systems, such as the classic rigid pendulum, the elastic spring pendulum and the elastic spring pendulum with piecewise constant stiffness. We perform a perturbation analysis for both the unforced and forced cases of the spring pendulum approximation, which shows that, for large stiffness, this is a reasonable model of the system. We also show that the spring pendulum with piecewise constant stiffness can be a good approximation of the string pendulum, in the limit of a large extension constant and a low compression constant. We indicate the behavior and stability of this simplified model by using numerical computations of the system’s Lyapunov exponents. We then provide a comparison of the spring pendulum with piecewise constant stiffness with the formulation of the taut-slack pendulum using the DAE for the taut states and derived switching conditions to the slack state.
Effect of Oestrin and Gonadotropic Hormone Injections upon Hypophysis of the Adult Rat

Moore and Price1 studied the effect of gonad hormones upon the anterior pituitary lobe cells. The writer examined the similarity between the hypophyses of normal adult rats injected with oestrin and those injected with gonad-stimulating preparations. The material includes the hypophyses from 23 males, 21 females, 32 castrated males, and 23 spayed females which had been injected daily with from 15 to 50 R. U. of oestrin, as Theelin in oil,∗ for 28 to 48 days; 22 males and 29 females injected daily with 50 to 150 R. U. of Antuitrin-S for 14 to 35 days; 11 males and 23 females injected daily with 15 R. U. of a sheep pituitary extract for 12 to 25 days; and 5 males and 7 females injected daily with 30 to 40 R. U. of an extract of pregnant mare serum. In addition, the hypophyses from 13 castrated males, 11 spayed females, and 14 cryptorchid males which had received daily 50 to 100 R. U. of Antuitrin-S for 10 to 30 days have been studied.2At the termination of an experiment the hypophyses were removed with the ...
INVESTIGATIONS OF EGG NICHES, EGGS, AND RATE OF OVIPOSITION FOR DENDROCTONUS FRONTALIS (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

Relationships of egg niches and eggs per unit (cm) of gallery were studied. On average egg niches were found to overestimate eggs by 36%. The rate of egg deposition in the mid-portion of the infested bole was found to be less than the upper and lower portion.
Observations on the effects of glucocorticoid administration in pernicious anemia.

The present study was an attempt to document further the changes that occur in patients with pernicious anemia during and after prednisolone. Therefore, 11 such patients were studied before, during 9–14 weeks of prednisolone administration, and up to 12 months afterwards. Schilling urinary excretion tests (UET) became normal in 5 patients, and 3 others had suboptimal improvement. Gastric juice intrinsic factor (IF) was demonstrated in 3 patients before prednisolone administration and 8 had increased amounts during therapy. Four patients had serum IF antibodies, and all titers declined. Parietal cells were present in gastric mucosal specimens from 9 of 11 individuals before, and from 7 of 9 individuals at the end of prednisolone administration. No clear relationship between an improvement of UET was demonstrable with the following: dosage or duration of prednisolone administration, degree of hypercorticism induced, presence of IF antibodies, or changes in gastric mucosa. The initial UET and/or gastric juice IF assay appeared higher in those who responded by improving their UET to normal, compared to those who had suboptimal or no UET improvement.
Attachment of Marine Bacteria to Submerged Slides

Winogradsky,1 Cholodny,2 and Conn3 have shown that a different bacteriological picture is presented when the microorganisms which attach themselves to glass slides incubated in the soil are observed directly, than when the same soil is studied microbiolog-ically by the conventional cultural methods. Henrici4 studied freshwater bacteria by such a direct microscopic method. We used a somewhat similar procedure to study marine bacteria on the coast of southern California. Our experiments were designed to supplement the work of Coe and Allen (Coe5) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on “fouling organisms” so destructive to navigation equipment and other marine structures (Visscher6).Standard slides, bacteriologically clean, were submerged off the end of the Institution pier, and after one to 7 days' submergence the slides were taken with aseptic precautions to the laboratory for examination. Results indicate that attachment of bacteria and, to a lesser extent, diatoms and actinomycetes, usually preced...
Analysis of a Decade in Library Literature: 1994-2004

The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in publication and citation in library and information science journals over a decade (1994–2004) of the literature. This examination revealed the areas of concentration within the research, frequently published subjects through the years, and the characteristics of the top-cited authors and resources during this time. This information allows those in the field to follow the trends in publication, gives researchers the tools to determine which journals might give their work the most exposure and recognition, and can help libraries to make collection management decisions in this subject area.
Antibiotic bonding to vascular prostheses.

This study examines the efficacy of biochemically bonding an antibiotic (oxacillin) to a vascular graft using benzalkonium as a bonding agent. In both an in vitro bioassay and a subcutaneous pocket in the rats, the antibiotic-bonded graft demonstrated superior antibacterial activity when compared to the control graft and a graft simply soaked in the antibiotic. The possibility is raised that such a vascular prosthesis may be useful in eradicating graft infections.
Molecular Engineering of Acoustic Protein Nanostructures.

Ultrasound is among the most widely used biomedical imaging modalities, but has limited ability to image specific molecular targets due to the lack of suitable nanoscale contrast agents. Gas vesicles—genetically encoded protein nanostructures isolated from buoyant photosynthetic microbes—have recently been identified as nanoscale reporters for ultrasound. Their unique physical properties give gas vesicles significant advantages over conventional microbubble contrast agents, including nanoscale dimensions and inherent physical stability. Furthermore, as a genetically encoded material, gas vesicles present the possibility that the nanoscale mechanical, acoustic, and targeting properties of an imaging agent can be engineered at the level of its constituent proteins. Here, we demonstrate that genetic engineering of gas vesicles results in nanostructures with new mechanical, acoustic, surface, and functional properties to enable harmonic, multiplexed, and multimodal ultrasound imaging as well as cell-specific ...
Utility-scale solar and public attitudes toward siting: A critical examination of proximity

Public opinion polls show that the American public strongly supports the development of large-scale solar power facilities. Yet, often with renewable energy development, when specific developments are proposed, they are met with local opposition. In the past, many scholars relied upon explaining such opposition in terms of a NIMBY (Not In My Backyard). However, NIMBYism is criticized as an overly simple, incorrect, and pejorative characterization of opposition. Yet, while some criticize NIMBY explanations, other research demonstrates that distance indeed matters. Research also demonstrates that place attachment, socio-demographic characteristics, and project-related characteristics also matter. Our study integrates these different factors to better understand the nature of support for large-scale solar developments. Specifically, we consider visual impact of large-scale solar facilities and what effects distance between different types of land and the proposed solar facility might have on public support. Therefore, we examine proximity but not just proximity to one’s residence but rather to different types of land. Our data are from a 2013 telephone survey (N = 695) from six Southern Californian counties (Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura), selected based on existing and proposed solar developments in those areas and available suitable land. Findings suggest that the visual impact of large-scale solar facilities does matter for support and that preference for buffer sizes, and thus proximity of proposed large-scale solar facilities, do change depending on the type of land being considered.
An Overview of the Current Understanding of Corrosion in SCWO Systems for the Destruction of Hazardous Waste Products

During the Workshop on Corrosion in SCWO Systems held at MIT in 1993 the attendees recognized the potential for corrosion to restrict the commercialization of SCWO for aggressive waste streams. At ...
Exploring Cognitive Relations Between Prediction in Language and Music

The online processing of both music and language involves making predictions about upcoming material, but the relationship between prediction in these two domains is not well understood. Electrophysiological methods for studying individual differences in prediction in language processing have opened the door to new questions. Specifically, we ask whether individuals with musical training predict upcoming linguistic material more strongly and/or more accurately than non-musicians. We propose two reasons why prediction in these two domains might be linked: (a) Musicians may have greater verbal short-term/working memory; (b) music may specifically reward predictions based on hierarchical structure. We provide suggestions as to how to expand upon recent work on individual differences in language processing to test these hypotheses.
A technique for preparing ciliated rumen protozoa for scanning electron microscopy.

SUMMARY A rapid and effici'ent method of preparing ciliated rumen protozoa for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was developed. Rumen contents were removed from a fistulated sheep and filtered through cheesecloth. The rumen fluid was then placed in a separatory funnel and incubated for 45 min at 39 C. The protozoal sludge which settled to the bottom of the flask was removed and fixed with glutaraldehyde. The fixed cells were collected on a membrane filter, washed with buffer, dehydrated in ethanol and then soaked in amyl acetate. The protozoa were subjected to critical point dehydration using CO2 as the intermediary fluid and then coated with gold or gold-palladium alloy before being viewed under the scanning elec
Optimal load balancing algorithms for Jacksonian networks with acknowledgement delays

The load-balancing problem for centralized Jacksonian networks is investigated. The networks are subject to end-to-end flow control with nonzero acknowledgement delay. To analyze these networks, a closed queuing network controlled by a queue with a variable service rate is investigated. The load balancing problem is reduced to one of combined routing and flow control. The objective is to maximize the throughput of the network such that the end-to-end expected time delay does not exceed an upper bound. The optimal routing balances the traffic in the network, and the optimal flow-control policy guarantees the upper bound constraint. Iterative algorithms that derive the optimal routing and flow-control parameters are presented. >
Printed Electroluminescent Fabrics

Electroluminescence offers a versatile and simple route to printed light sources. A layer of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was inkjet printed onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh fabrics. The conductivity–transparency relationship is determined for textile-based conductors with different thicknesses of the printed PEDOT:PSS film. Alternating current powder electroluminescent devices were made by extrusion printing a layer of phosphor onto aluminum foil and then covering this with a fabric electrode. These devices are compared with indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrodes on a similar device. Textiles coated with conducting polymers are a potential alternative to coated polymer films for flexible, transparent conductors. The strain response of these electrodes was improved by incorporating carbon nanotubes into the conductor. These bridge cracks that form on stretching.
According to, Student Motivations… : A Theory of Planned Behavior Investigation of Students’ Intention to Orally Cite Sources

This study employs the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand the role of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on students’ intent to orally cite sources using complete, rather than partial, citations. Undergraduates (N = 326) enrolled in general education oral communication courses completed a self-report survey testing the TPB variables and students’ citation intentions. Findings demonstrate that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predict student intention to cite sources and do so completely. Tensions between credibility gains and time constraints are also evident. Implications for teaching students in basic courses about oral citations are discussed.
Dimension from covariance matrices

We describe a method to estimate embedding dimension from a time series. This method includes an estimate of the probability that the dimension estimate is valid. Such validity estimates are not common in algorithms for calculating the properties of dynamical systems. The algorithm described here compares the eigenvalues of covariance matrices created from an embedded signal to the eigenvalues for a covariance matrix of a Gaussian random process with the same dimension and number of points. A statistical test gives the probability that the eigenvalues for the embedded signal did not come from the Gaussian random process.
Statistical QoS-Driven Power Adaptation over Q-OFDMA-Based Full-Duplex D2D 5G Mobile Wireless Networks

To support the emerging next generation wireless networks, researchers have made a great deal of efforts in investigating promising techniques in multimedia services - the statistical quality-of-service (QoS) technique, which has been proved to be effective in statistically guaranteeing delay-bounded video transmissions over the time-varying wireless channels. On the other hand, as the two 5G-promising candidate techniques, the multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) based full-duplex (FD) and device-to-device (D2D) can also significantly enhance the performance of statistical QoS for time- sensitive traffics over the 5G mobile wireless networks. However, how to efficiently integrate these advanced techniques in supporting statistical QoS impose many new challenges not met before. To effectively overcome the difficulties, in this paper we propose the QoS-driven power adaptation scheme by applying Quadrature- OFDMA (Q-OFDMA) to implement MIMO FD D2D based multimedia services in 5G mobile wireless networks. In particular, under the Nakagami-m channel model, we establish the PHY-layer Q-OFDMA system model and FD D2D model. Given the statistical QoS constraint, we derive and analyze the effective capacity under our proposed optimal power adaptation policy over 5G mobile wireless networks. Also conducted is a set of simulations which show that our proposed scheme outperforms the other existing schemes in terms of self-interference cancellation to efficiently implement the statistical QoS over 5G mobile wireless networks.
Erythromycin Resistance in Human Cells

The biogenesis of mitochondria depends on the cooperation of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The remarkable nature of the interaction is best seen in the assembly of the mitochondrial protein-synthesizing apparatus and the respiratory enzyme complexes of the inner mitochondrial membrane (Schatz and Mason, 1974; Borst and Grivell, 1978; Tzagoloff et al., 1979). Our understanding of the role of the mitochondrial genome in the biogenesis of mitochondria in lower eukaryotes has benefited from the vast number of mutants affecting mitochondrial function (Borst and Grivell, 1978; Tzagoloff et al., 1979). Many of these mutants were selected by virtue of their resistance to specific inhibitors of mitochondrial protein synthesis and respiration. A similar approach has been applied to somatic cells in recent years. Resistance to the mitochondrial protein synthesis inhibitors chloramphenicol (Bunn et al., 1974; Wallace et al., 1975; Mitchell and Attardi, 1978; Munro et al., 1978) and erythromycin (Doersen and Stanbridge, 1979) has been shown to be cytoplasmically inherited. Noncytoplasmically inherited resistance to carbomycin (Bunn and Eisenstadt, 1977a) and erythromycin (Molloy and Eisenstadt, 1979) has also been reported. Respiration deficiency resulting from defects in mitochondrial protein synthesis has been shown to be both cytoplasmically (Wiseman and Attardi, 1979) and nuclearly (Soderberg et al., 1979) inherited. Cytoplasmic inheritance of resistance to inhibition of respiration (Harris, 1978) and oxidative phosphorylation (Lichtor and Getz, 1977; Breen and Scheffler, 1980) has also been demonstrated. It is hoped that the continued characterization of these mutants and isolation of additional ones will enhance our understanding of the expression of the mammalian mitochondrial genome, the organization and sequence of which has resulted from elegant molecular studies (Attardi, 1981).
Hydralazine-associated vasculitis: Overlapping features of drug-induced lupus and vasculitis

Abstract Introduction Hydralazine is an antihypertensive medication that has been associated with drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DIL) as well as ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Although rare, early diagnosis is critical since drug cessation is the mainstay of therapy. This retrospective study aims to characterize the clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic features of this disease. Methods Once approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the University of Iowa, all patients carrying a diagnosis of vasculitis (ICD9 code: 447.6 or ICD10 code: I77.6, I80, L95, M30, or M31) and positive ANCA lab results over the past 15 years were identified. Age, gender, comorbid conditions, medications taken over the prior 6 months, laboratory data, including electrolytes, urine studies and serologies, chest x-rays, CT scans, and pathologic biopsy records were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Results 323 cases of AAV were identified, of which 12 were exposed to hydralazine, all at the time of diagnosis. The average duration of hydralazine therapy was 22 months and mean cumulative dose was 146 g. Patients were typically older (70.3 years old) with slight female preponderance (7 females). Eleven patients presented with dyspnea, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss. Five had polyarthralgias and 8 had lower extremity petechiae. All 12 patients were both ANA and ANCA positive. ANA titers ranged from 1:160 and 1:2560. Ten were of diffuse pattern while 2 were nucleolar. ANCA titers ranged from 1:320 to 1:2560. Eleven had a pANCA pattern while one had cANCA. All 12 patients were positive for histone and 11 were positive for myeloperoxidase antibodies. Eleven also had dsDNA antibodies, and 4 had anti-cardiolipin IgG or IgM antibodies. Nine patients were also hypocomplementemic (mean C3 level: 88.4 mg/dL; mean C4 level: 16.5 mg/dL). All patients had variable levels of proteinuria (1+ to 3+) and eleven had active urine sediment. Urine protein:creatinine ratios ranged from 0.2 to 1.7. Of the 6 patients who underwent kidney biopsy, all 6 showed pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. Seven patients had bilateral pulmonary interstitial infiltrates and four had pleural effusions on CT scan. Four had pericardial effusions as demonstrated by echocardiography. Conclusions Hydralazine-associated vasculitis is a drug-associated autoimmune syndrome that presents with interstitial lung disease, hypocomplementemia, and pauci-immune glomerulonephritis. Patients have elements of both DIL and DIV, as manifested by high ANA and ANCA titers as well as the presence of histone and MPO antibodies. Further research is needed to understand the etiopathogenesis of this condition.
Widening the Lens: An Ecological Review of Campus Sexual Assault.

Varying prevalence rates of sexual violence across colleges and universities indicate the need to understand institutional factors underlying such variation; however, research often focuses exclusi...