cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron and Material Interaction Studies for the Optimization of a Novel Tritium Based Radioisotope Power Source

Radiation interaction with materials can have beneficial uses, such as in radioisotope power sources where the ionizing particles provide a direct energy source for conversion into electricity; similar to photovoltaic cells. Radioisotope power sources in the past did not succeed: limited low power applications, rapid semi-conductor degradation, availability and cost of suitable radioisotopes. Now, the power generated is compatible with present electronic devices. Novel and compelling need-based applications for long-life radioisotope power sources are emerging in the military, intelligence, commercial and medical markets. However, the net efficiency is still below 10% due to the isotropic emission and self-shielding losses in the source, electron-hole recombination and interactions of a beta particle. Evaluating the effects of beta particle interaction with a p-n junction is the key to optimizing a betavoltaic cell design. The radioisotope source needs to be safe, robust and affordable; a design using tritium and a modified silicon structure could offer a comprehensive and optimal advance to the state-of-the art.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Aging women in Minnesota: Rural—non-rural differences in life-history text☆

Abstract Much of the literature on rurality attempts to identify a point on a ‘size-of-place’ continuum at which the social organization of a given place begins to take on attributes defined as ‘rural’. The size of place which exhibits characteristically rural features has declined in our increasingly urbanized society. In looking at rural-urban differences of the elderly and the aging experience then, we ought to focus on even smaller places to detect the differences that a rural-non-rural gradient makes. The present study focuses on the more rural end of the rural-urban continuum and makes comparisons within a single region. The present discussion is based on life histories collected from a sample of thirty older rural women in a four-county area in central Minnesota during the summer and fall of 1986. Several themes are attributed to rural residents more than those living in non-rural settings. If these themes are important, life-orienting themes, they can be expected to structure individual accounts of life histories. The thirty subjects were grouped according to two classifications of rurality. A self-identification classification system is used throughout the discussion which groups the women into ‘rural’, ‘mixed’ and ‘non-rural’ groups. The life history texts were analyzed using the Minnesota Contextual Content Analysis program (MCCA), which scored meanings in the life history texts in two ways. Differences between scores of the three groups are discussed, along with the orienting themes contained in these life histories. Our conclusion is that the rural-non-rural segment of the rural-urban continuum is somewhat more complex than a single gradient.
A cell surface alteration in mouse L cells induced by interferon

Abstract Mouse L cells grown in suspension culture when treated with L cell interferon have a greater electrophoretic mobility toward the anode than control cells. This change in electrophoretic mobility depends on the concentration of interferon in the medium and the duration of interferon interaction with the cells. It is concluded that the interferon-treated cells have a greater net negative charge on the cell surface than control cells and it is suggested that the cell surface is altered because of the interaction with interferon.
Hadrons and correlation function modification in hot hadronic matter

For various hadrons propagating in hot hadronic matter we calculate the momentum-dependent optical potentials (both real and imaginary parts), using experimental data on binary collisions. Due to the non-trivial compensations, hadron modification is rather small, except probably very close to Tc. Jumping over the phase transition region, we consider quark propagation in the plasma at high T. Another interesting compensation effect is found, excluding the contribution of states with energies E ⪡ T. As a result, mesonic (baryonic) correlation functions decay with decrease x as exp (-nπTx) with n=2,3 being a number of quarks. We also make a critical discussion of applications of QCD sum rules at finite temperatures, and also consider recent lattice data.
Nurse visitation for adolescent mothers: two-year infant health and maternal outcomes.

Background: Children of adolescent mothers have higher rates of morbidity and unintentional injuries and hospitalizations during the first 5 years of life than do children of adult mothers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 2-year postbirth infant health and maternal outcomes of an early intervention program (EIP) of home visitation by public health nurses (PHNs). Methods: In a randomized controlled trial a sample of predominantly Latina and African American adolescent mothers was followed from pregnancy through 2 years postpartum. The experimental group (EIP n= 56) received preparation-for-motherhood classes plus intense home visitation by PHNs from pregnancy through 1 year postbirth; the control group (TPHNC n= 45) received traditional public health nursing care (TPHNC). Health outcomes were determined based on medical record data; other measures evaluated selected maternal behaviors social competence and mother-child interactions. Results: The total days of non-birth-related infant hospitalizations during the first 24 months was significantly lower in the EIP (143 days) than the TPHNC group (211 days) and episodes of hospitalization were fewer; more EIP than THHNC infants were never seen in the emergency room. The EIP mothers had 15% fewer repeat pregnancies in the first 2 years postbirth than TPHNC mothers. The TPHNC mothers significantly increased marijuana use over time whereas EIP mothers did not. Conclusions: The EIP improved in selected areas of infant and maternal health and these improvements were sustained for a period of 1 year following program termination. These findings have important implications for healthcare services. (authors)
Manifesting the Ethics of Listening: Forum Introduction

This Forum represents an experiment in scholarly genres and the dialogic process of knowledge creation. It asks four scholars to offer provocation: to articulate three positions on the ethics of li...
Assessing environmental impact on mass balance, carrying capacity and growth of exploited populations

Abstract Population models that have been applied for assessment of exploited populations are also useful for assessment of environmental impacts. Surplus production models have been applied for both fishery and environmental impact assessment; environmental impacts with three different modes of action can be incorporated into the surplus production model. For each of these possible modes of action the equilibrium relations among biomass, yield, level of fishing and level of environmental stress are developed. The resulting equations are applied to describe the results of laboratory experiments in which exploited populations were manipulated to alter the growth coefficient, carrying capacity, or mass balance. The models describe the experimental results.
A Wide-Range Level Shifter Using a Modified Wilson Current Mirror Hybrid Buffer

Wide-range level shifters play critical roles in ultra- low-voltage circuits and systems. Although state-of-the-art level shifters can convert a subthreshold voltage to the standard supply voltage, they may have limited operating ranges, which restrict the flexibility of dynamic voltage scaling. Therefore, this paper presents a novel level shifter, of which the operating range is from a deep subthreshold voltage to the standard supply voltage and includes upward and downward level conversion. The proposed level shifter is a hybrid structure comprising a modified Wilson current mirror and generic CMOS logic gates. The simulation and measurement results were verified using a 65-nm technology. The minimal operating voltage of the proposed level shifter was less than 200 mV based on the measurement results. In addition to the operating range, the delay, power consumption, and duty cycle of the proposed level shifter were designed for practical applications.
Practical applications of OR in an underdeveloped nation

Abstract This paper discusses 13 specific problematic situations, which were presented to the author by the government of Somalia, an underdeveloped nation in East Africa. These situations are totally different from the ones for which decision methods have already been developed by OR specialists. Each one of these emerged under extremely poor and harsh economic and political environments. The primary objective pursued in each case was to make the situation tolerable for as many people as possible. We could group these situations into two categories — 1) micro-level, and 2) national level. Each situation is described and analyzed in a separate subsection. First, the background conditions are highlighted; next, the government objectives for the situation are brought into focus. Before starting with the analysis, all the existing constraints and limits impinging upon the situation in question are elaborated upon. This is followed by discussions about the assumptions which had to be made for developing each model or decision methodology. Further, the paper outlines the possible surprises or management dilemmas which may pop up during implementation of the decision. Next, certain precautions or remedies to deal with such surprises are suggested. Finally, a realistic assessment of the effectiveness of each of these models or decision methodologies is provided. In conclusion, the paper adds a few comments in relation to some of the possible questions or arguments likely to be raised by some OR experts.
Using software reliability models for security assessment — Verification of assumptions

Can software reliability models be used to assess software security? One of the issues is that security problems are relatively rare under “normal” operational profiles, while “classical” reliability models may not be suitable for use in attack conditions. We investigated a range of Fedora open source software security problems to see if some of the basic assumptions behind software reliability growth models hold for discovery of security problems in non-attack situations. We find that in some cases, under “normal” operational use, security problem detection process may be described as a Poisson process. In those cases, we can use appropriate classical software reliability growth models to assess “security reliability” of that software in non-attack situations.
Structure-activity relationships of selected pyridines II. Principal components analysis

Abstract Principal components analysis was used in conjunction with linear regression analysis to examine the structure-activity relationships of a diverse group of 20 para-substituted pyridines. Eight substituent constants were used as initial molecular descriptors. Principle components analysis was used to define four new orthogonal variables which in turn were used as independent variables to describe the biological activity of the pyridines. These results agree with previously completed multiple regression analyses and reveal that shape/size and hydrophobic factors are more important than electronic factors in predicting the toxicity of para-substituted pyridines.
Evaluation Of 3D Voxel Rendering Algorithms For Real-Time Interaction On An SIMD Graphics Processor

The display of three-dimensional medical data is becoming more common, but current display hardware and image rendering algorithms do not generally allow real-time interaction with the image by the user. Real-time interactions, such as image rotation, utilize the motion processing capabilities of the human visual system, allowing a better understanding of the structures being imaged. Recent advances in general purpose graphics display equipment could make real-time interaction feasible in a clinical setting. We have evaluated the capabilities of one type of advanced display architecture, the PIXAR1 Image Computer, for real-time interaction while displaying three-dimensional medical data as two-dimensional projections. It was discovered during this investigation that the most suitable algorithms for implementation were based on the rendering of voxel rather than surface data. Two voxel-based techniques, back-to-front and front-to-back rendering produced acceptable, but not real-time, performance. The quality of the images produced was not high, but allowed the determination of an image orientation which could then be used by a later, high-quality rendering technique. Two conclusions were reached: first, the current performance of display hardware may allow acceptable interactive performance and produce high-quality images if a scheme of adaptive refinement is used wherein succesively higher quality images are generated for the user. Second, the correct algorithm to use for fast rendering of volume data is highly dependent upon the architecture of the display processor, and in particular upon the ability of the processor to randomly access image data. If the processor is constrained to sequential or near-sequential access to the voxel data, the choice of algorithms and the utilization of parallel processing is severely limited.
A 6700 MW membrane protein is encoded by region E3 of adenovirus type 2.

Abstract There is an open reading frame between ATG1022 and TGA1205 in the E3 transcription unit of adenovirus 2 that could encode a protein of MW 6700 (6.7K) (61 amino acids). To address whether this protein is expressed, we prepared an antiserum against a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 47–61 in the 6.7K protein. This antiserum immunoprecipitated two series of protein bands, a 7K–8K doublet and a 15K–16K doublet or triplet, as observed by electrophoresis on 10–18% gradient SDS-polyacrylamide gels. These bands were not obtained from cells infected with mutants that lack the 6.7K gene. Most, if not all, of the 7K–8K and 15K–16K bands were detected by immunoblot, indicating that they are modified versions of the 6.7K protein. Only an 8K band was observed after cell-free translation of hybridization-purified mRNA, suggesting that this may be the primary translation product. As judged by DNA sequence, the 6.7K protein has a hydrophobic domain of at least 22 residues (residues 16–37), suggesting that 6.7K may be a membrane protein. Consistent with this, the 7K–8K and 15K–16K bands were observed in the crude membrane but not the cytosol or nuclear fractions of biochemically fractionated cells. The 6.7K protein was underproduced by mutants which under-produce E3 mRNAs a and c, indicating that 6.7K is translated from these mRNAs. Since the E3-gp19K protein is also translated from mRNAs a and c, these mRNAs are bicistronic. The 6.7K protein is well-conserved in Ad5 (Ad2 and Ad5 are group C adenoviruses), and appears to be marginally conserved in Ad3 (group B).
The Continued Evolution of Web Traffic

Over the last decade web content has evolved from relatively static pages often delivered by one or two servers, to websites rich with interactive media content served from numerous servers. This content change has affected the associated network traffic. Quantifying and analyzing these changes can lead to updated traffic models and more accurate web traffic simulations for testing new protocols and devices. In this work we analyze the TCP/IP headers in packet traces collected at various times over 13 years on the link that connects the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) to its ISP. We show that while the decade-old methodology for inferring web activity from these packet traces is still viable, it is no longer possible to infer all page boundaries given only the TCP and IP headers. We propose a novel method for segmenting web traffic into Activity Sections, in order to obtain comparable higher level statistics. Using these methods to analyze our data set, we describe trends in the HTTP request and response sizes, and a trend towards longer connection durations. We also show that the number of servers supporting web activity has increased, and present empirical evidence that suggests the number of unused connections has risen, likely due to new speculative TCP preconnect features of popular browsers.
The effects of high temperature processing on the structural and optical properties of oxygenated CdS window layers in CdTe solar cells

High efficiency CdTe solar cells typically use oxygenated CdS (CdS:O) window layers. We synthesize CdS:O window layers at room temperature (RT) and 270 °C using reactive sputtering. The band gaps of CdS:O layers deposited at RT increase when O2/(O2 + Ar) ratios in the deposition chamber increase. On the other hand, the band gaps of CdS:O layers deposited at 270 °C decrease as the O2/(O2 + Ar) ratios increase. Interestingly, however, our high temperature closed-space sublimation (CSS) processed CdTe solar cells using CdS:O window layers deposited at RT and 270 °C exhibit very similar cell performance, including similar short-circuit current densities. To understand the underlying reasons, CdS:O thin films deposited at RT and 270 °C are annealed at temperatures that simulate the CSS process of CdTe deposition. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and UV-visible light absorption spectroscopy characterization of the annealed films reveals that the CdS:O films deposited at RT undergo grain regrowth and/or crystallization and exhibit reduced band gaps after the annealing. Our results suggest that CdS:O thin films deposited at RT and 270 °C should exhibit similar optical properties after the deposition of CdTe layers, explaining the similar cell performance.
Tissue-Specific Effects of Allergic Rhinitis in Mouse Nasal Epithelia

Allergic rhinitis (AR) can cause significant olfactory loss, but few studies have specifically investigated AR effects on olfactory and nasal respiratory tissues per se. To address this, we used a murine AR protocol employing nasal allergen infusion for both sensitization and challenges. Seven- to 11-week BALB/c mice were bilaterally infused with 1% ovalbumin (OVA) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or PBS alone for 6 or 11 weeks, given single bilateral PBS or OVA infusions 24 h before sacrifice, or left untreated. High OVA-specific IgE serum levels and eosinophil infiltration confirmed AR induction. Olfactory (OE) and respiratory (RE) epithelia showed distinctly different responses, most conspicuously, massive eosinophil infiltration of immediately RE-subjacent lamina propria. In OE, such infiltration was minimal. Significant RE hypertrophy and hyperplasia also occurred, although OE organization was generally maintained and extensive disruption localized despite a 20% reduction in sensory neurons and globose basal cells after 11 weeks OVA. Pronounced Bowman's gland hypertrophy crowded both OE and olfactory nerve bundles. Cellular proliferation was widely distributed in RE but in OE was localized to normally thinner OE and RE-proximal OE, suggesting possible indirect RE influences. Terminal deoxynucleotide transferase (TdT) nick end labeling was greater in OE than RE and, in contrast to other effects, occurred with acute infusions and chronic PBS alone, often unilaterally. Following chronic OVA, AR-related bilateral increases appeared superimposed on those. These findings indicate AR effects on olfactory function may be complex, reflecting various levels of RE/OE responses and interactions.
Women Contrasted to Men in the Industrial Salesforce: Job Satisfaction, Values, Role Clarity, Performance, and Propensity to Leave:

Empirical investigations of differences between females and males in the industrial salesforce have not been published. This study is an attempt to begin to fill this void. Women and men are compar...
MorphCache: A Reconfigurable Adaptive Multi-level Cache hierarchy

Given the diverse range of application characteristics that chip multiprocessors (CMPs) need to cater to, a “one-cache-topology-fits-all” design philosophy will clearly be inadequate. In this paper, we propose MorphCache, a Reconfigurable Adaptive Multi-level Cache hierarchy. Mor-phCache dynamically tunes a multi-level cache topology in a CMP to allow significantly different cache topologies to exist on the same architecture. Starting from per-core L2 and L3 cache slices as the basic design point, MorphCache alters the cache topology dynamically by merging or splitting cache slices and modifying the accessibility of different cache slice groups to different cores in a CMP. We evaluated MorphCache on a 16 core CMP on a full system simulator and found that it significantly improves both average throughput and harmonic mean of speedups of diverse multithreaded and multiprogrammed workloads. Specifically, our results show that MorphCache improves throughput of the multiprogrammed mixes by 29.9% over a topology with all-shared L2 and L3 caches and 27.9% over a topology with per core private L2 cache and shared L3 cache. In addition, we also compared MorphCache to partitioning a single shared cache at each level using promotion/insertion pseudo-partitioning (PIPP) [28] and managing per-core private cache at each level using dynamic spill receive caches (DSR) [18]. We found that MorphCache improves average throughput by 6.6% over PIPP and by 5.7% over DSR when applied to both L2 and L3 caches.
Coping with hydrogeomorphic variations in a prairie river: resiliency in young-of-the-year fishes

Young-of-the-year (YOY) fish in sand-bed rivers of grassland ecoregions frequently encounter dynamic habitat conditions produced by highly variable flow and resulting changes in geomorphic complexity of the river. How these vulnerable life history stages cope with changes in habitat condition and location is largely unknown. Therefore, we examined biodiversity and abundance of YOY fish (larvae and juveniles) at two spatiotemporal scales in response to dynamic flow conditions in the Kansas River. During the summer of 2004, we collected and identified 13 745 YOY fish from various moderate to zero-flow habitats. Patterns of community structure through time were compared with the river's hydrogeomorphic characteristics, as determined by aerial photographs and measurements of instream flow rate and other water quality characteristics. Our initial hypothesis was that species richness and total YOY abundance would be maximized in larger and longer-lived slackwater habitats. In contrast, our data suggest that dominant fishes in these highly dynamic ecosystems have adapted to hydrological variations with a more generalist lifestyle by either: (i) temporarily using higher flow habitats (except possibly the thalweg) to cope with intermittent loss of prime habitat; or (ii) extending spawning through favourable and demanding conditions. In contrast to current theories, our results suggest that conditions for YOY success are optimized in dynamic prairie rivers during the intermediate flows that maximize habitat heterogeneity and availability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In Defence of Reason in Religion

In his article, «In Defense of Reason in Religion,» Jones reacts to current trends to minimize the role of reason in religion by attempting to show that if religionists desire their religious beliefs to correspond to knowledge, the noetic tool most likely to achieve this goal is reason. This he does by reviewing the leading epistemological ap- proaches to metaphysical knowledge, and showing that each relies to some extent on reason. He further argues that all of them must utilize reason if they wish to at- tempt to critically verify their findings. Then he argues that religious knowledge is a type of metaphysical knowl- edge. He shows that the leading approaches to obtaining religious knowledge parallel the various approaches to metaphysical knowledge, and have similar reliance on reason. Even in the case of supernatural revelation, rea- son is used in identifying and interpreting the revelation. Therefore, Jones concludes, «reason is the primary mechanism for obtaining religious knowledge.»
Improving web information indexing and retrieval based on center block duplication detection

Duplicated information in today's Web has serious negative impact to Web search engines in that it increases the size of the index and results in low efficiency for Web information retrieval. One important fact is that a large amount of Web content duplication happens at block level in addition to site and page level due to various reasons. Besides, when searching through the Web, in most cases the desired information is located at the center block of a relevant page. Based on these two observations, we propose an efficient block level duplication detection algorithm based on resemblance transitivity, and index center blocks instead of entire Web pages for Web information retrieval. Experiments show that these strategies can effectively reduce index size and index construction time without sacrificing the effectiveness of Web information retrieval.
A compilation of photonuclear reaction products and associated gamma-energies

High-energy bremsstrahlung from high-intensity electron linacs can produce activation through a variety of photonuclear reactions. A great range of activities by half-lives can be used. Some discrimination between target elements can be obtained through the choice of bremsstrahlung end-point energy. The high resolution of Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometers permits much of the analysis to be accomplished without chemical separation of resulting nuclei; hence, non-destructive analysis can be applied to many materials. To facilitate the use of such analysis, a compilation of photonuclear reactions with their resulting gamma-rays has been prepared.
The American religious depression, 1925-1935

“It is too early to assess the impact of the Great Depression upon American Protestantism,” wrote Robert Moats Miller in his recent study of American Protestantism and social issues in the period between the world wars. No doubt it is too early for any overall assessment, yet it is becoming steadily clearer that American religion passed through an important transition in the depression period. If we are to gain a fuller understanding of developments in American Christianity since the 1930's, then serious attention needs to be given to that bleak period. Inasmuch as our understanding of times long past are significantly influenced by our definitions of the present situation, attempts to deal with that particular period of crisis in our recent past may help us more adequately to see the whole story of American religion in fairer perspective. Furthermore, a number of recent dissertations, articles and books have dealt in whole or in part with the period between the wars; they provide guidance for handling the vast array of sources relevant for an understanding of religion in the depression, supply material for at least prcliminary interpretations, and point to the need for further analysis. This paper is one effort to suggest some interpretative guide lines for further exploration into an important topic.
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of two biphasic defibrillator waveforms for the conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm

The overall efficacy of transthoracic biphasic shocks delivered for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated. We compared 2 different energy waveforms, either the biphasic rectilinear (BRL) waveform or the biphasic truncated exponential (BTE) waveform, in the conversion of AF to sinus rhythm. The relation between energy required for the conversion of AF, the type of biphasic waveform, and patient characteristics were examined. Serum levels of cardiac troponin I were measured before and after cardioversion, as well as postprocedural skin erythema and discomfort. In this prospective trial, 101 patients (mean age 61 +/- 15 years, 72 men [71%]) referred for elective electrical cardioversion of AF were randomized to either a BTE or a BRL device. Shocks were delivered in a step-up fashion beginning with 50 J (then 100 J, 200 J, repeat 200 J, and then crossover to 360 J). One hundred patients were successfully converted to sinus rhythm (99% success rate). There was no difference in efficacy at any energy level used, regardless of the duration of the arrhythmia. In addition, there was no difference in cumulative success. Troponin I did not significantly increase after cardioversion, regardless of the total energy used. A positive correlation between skin erythema and skin discomfort after shock (24 to 48 hours) was seen with increasing cumulative energies. There was also a positive trend toward increasing energy requirements as chest circumference and body mass index increased. Thus, biphasic waveforms are safe and effective at converting AF to sinus rhythm. In this study population, there was no clinical difference between the BRL and the BTE waveforms.
3D Shape Reconstruction and Realistic Rendering of Flowering Rape (Brassica napus L.)

This paper presents a fast and efficient method for modeling the flowering rape (Brassica napus L.). Based on the analysis and observation of the morphological structure of rape, Ball B-splines based method has been used for modeling the shape of rape organs, with use of template technology to describe local detail features and to augment the realistic effects, and several principal control parameters with explicit biological background for these geometric models of organs were extracted. The proposed methods for modeling the 3D shape of organs and simulating rape could be integrated easily with agricultural knowledge, and the generated morphological models have realistic effects. The flexibility and suitability of the proposed methods can be applied to the visual simulation of the different varieties of plant.
The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the normal ferret and its postnatal development

The anterograde transport of 3H proline and of horseradish peroxidase has been used to study the retinogeniculate pathway in normal adult ferrets and in young ferrets during postnatal development. the lateral geniculate nucleus in adults shows a characteristic "carnivore" pattern, with layers A, A1, C, C1, C2, and C3, and a medial interlaminar nucleus recognizable either cytoarchitectonically or on the basis ofth retinogeniculate innervation. In addition, there is a well-defined, rather large perigeniculate nucleus. At birth the lateral geniculate nucleus is unlaminated and essentially all parts are reached by afferents from both eyes. The crossed component is by far the larger. It extends from the optic tract medially well into the perigeniculate field, in contrast to the uncrossed component which barely reaches the perigeniculate field. During the first 3 postnatal days the uncrossed fibers restrict their arbors to a small posterior and medial region, the precursor of the biocular segment of the nucleus. The crossed fibers gradually retreat from the region within which the uncrossed fibers have concentrated. Between the fourth and eighth postnatal days the field occupied by the ipsilateral component expands again to form a major focus that will define lamina A1 and a minor focus that will define C1. At this stage the crossed and the uncrossed fibers overlap at the borders of lamina A1 and the whole region of lamina C1 is also occupied by arbors of the crossed component. The perigeniculate field becomes clearly distinguishable from the lateral geniculate nucleus and the medial interlaminar nucleus is becoming clearly recognizable between days 3 and 8. Between days 8 and 15 the cytoarchitectonic borders between layers A and A1 become clearly defined, but the retinogeniculate axons from each eye still extend across this border. These axons retreat into their appropriate lamina after the 15th postnatal day an the nucleus reaches its essentially adult structure by about the fourth postnatal week. Segregation of retinofugal axons in the C layers occurs after segregation in the A layers, but many of the cells within the C layers show signs of cytological maturity earlier than those of the A layers. The nucleus undergoes a series of migrations and changes of shape as the ipsilateral and contralateral components become segregated. Whereas in teh newborn the nucleus is roughly comma-shaped and on the lateral aspect of the dorsal thalamus, in the adult it is "L"-shaped and mainly on the posterior aspect of the dorsal thalamus.
A New Model for Secure Dissemination of XML Content

The paper proposes an approach to content dissemination that exploits the structural properties of an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document object model in order to provide an efficient dissemination and at the same time assuring content integrity and confidentiality. Our approach is based on the notion of encrypted postorder numbers that support the integrity and confidentiality requirements of XML content as well as facilitate efficient identification, extraction, and distribution of selected content portions. By using such notion, we develop a structure-based routing scheme that prevents information leaks in the XML data dissemination, and assures that content is delivered to users according to the access control policies, that is, policies specifying which users can receive which portions of the contents. Our proposed dissemination approach further enhances such structure-based, policy-based routing by combining it with multicast in order to achieve high efficiency in terms of bandwidth usage and speed of data delivery, thereby enhancing scalability. Our dissemination approach thus represents an efficient and secure mechanism for use in applications such as publish-subscribe systems for XML Documents. The publish-subscribe model restricts the consumer and document source information to the routers to which they register with. Our framework facilitates dissemination of contents with varying degrees of confidentiality and integrity requirements in a mix of trusted and untrusted networks, which is prevalent in current settings across enterprise networks and the Web. Also, it does not require the routers to be aware of any security policy in the sense that the routers do not need to implement any policy related to access control.
Meta‐Ethical Realism with Good of a Kind

There is a difference between an object's being good simpliciter and an object's being good of its kind, and the vast majority of philosophers have supposed that it is the former variety of goodness that is relevant to ethics. I argue that one may be a meta-ethical realist while employing the notion of good of a kind to the exclusion of good simpliciter; I call such a view kindism. I distinguish between two varieties of kindism, explicate the details of one of those varieties, and defend (that variety of) kindism against possible objections.
Fabrication of Continuous‐Fiber‐Reinforced Polycrystalline Oxide Composites via Molten Salt Infiltration

A novel molten nitrate salt infiltration technique was developed for the fabrication of continuous-fiber-reinforced polycrystalline-alumina-matrix composites containing a high volume fraction (47%) of small-diameter fibers (Du Pont PRD 166 alumina/zirconia; 20-μm diameter). A single infiltration resulted in sufficient matrix yield to permit densification of the resulting composites to >93% of theoretical density with excellent microstructural uniformity. Hot-pressed composites fabricated in this manner exhibited Young's modulus of 270GPa, flexural strengths of 272 ± 20 MPa, and fracture toughness of 3.35 ± 0.37 MPa·ml/2. Primary fracture origins were localized regions of interfiber porosity, which were attributed to incomplete fiber tow infiltration. Fractographic analysis revealed lack of fiber pullout, and emphasized the need for interfacial debonding agents (coatings) to achieve further toughening. Results have demonstrated the utility of molten-salt-matrix precursors for the fabrication of polycrystalline-matrix composites containing high volume fractions of continuous, small-diameter ceramic fibers.
A transient phase of cell death in the developing medial forebrain of the perinatal ferret.

Abstract A transient bilateral population of cells immediately rostral to the ferret corpus callosum was examined at weekly intervals between embryonic day 28 and postnatal day 7. This region is tentatively identified as the medial forebrain apoptosis zone (MFAZ) because of the specific nature of cell death, and the limited area or zone in which it was observed. No other region within the brain or retina exhibited a similar pattern or amount of cell death. Only scattered apoptotic cells were found throughout the remainder of the brain — including the cerebral cortical plate, subplate, and white matter — with the exception of the ventricular zone of the lateral ventricles which contained a significant population of apoptotic cells. This study addressed three questions about apoptosis in the MFAZ: (1) does apoptotic cell death in this region signal the appearance of phagocytic macrophages, (2) does cell degeneration and phagocytosis in this region lead to the formation of an extracellular space analogous to the cavum septi pellucidi of rodents, and (3) what is the duration of degeneration, or clearance rate, of cell death in this defined region. The MFAZ was first found to contain apoptotic nuclei and macrophages late in gestation, at E34. Numbers of apoptotic nuclei and macrophages peaked one week later at birth in this area, but disappeared early in postnatal life. During this period, formation of a space rostral to the corpus callosum due to the removal of apoptotic cells was not observed. Finally, presence of apoptotic cells in the MFAZ over a period of ≥ 9 days suggests a clearance rate of many hours. The close spatiotemporal correlation of the distribution of apoptotic cells and their removal by macrophages suggests that these are interrelated, and perhaps interdependent events.
Radiation Hardened Proton Meter for Fermilab External Beam Lines

A beam line current and charge monitor has been in use for several months with the following characteristics: (1) beam toroid in high radiation area 200 feet from electronics, and within 30 feet of the 140, 000 ampere pulsed neutrino horn, (2) response time adequate to permit accurate (1%) measurement of 1 turn fast-extracted beam, (3) digital and analogue readouts for full scale ranges of 2 × 1012, 1 × 1013, and 5 × 1013 protons per pulse, (4) computer readout and standardization via CAMAC, (5) pulse-to-pulse repeatability is 1 in 1000 on test pulses. There is no interference from the horn, which pulses at the same time as the beam.
Social networking in academic libraries: the possibilities and the concerns

Purpose – The goal of this paper is to examine the use of the major social networking tools in academic libraries in the USA. As college students are heavy users of social networking, such efforts provide academic libraries with outreach possibilities to students who do not use the physical library. The paper also seeks to examine the concerns about their use both from students and within the academic library.Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes findings from articles published since 2006 found in the Library Literature and Information Full Text database. The first author also examined librarian blogs and library accounts in various social networking sites.Findings – Social networking can be an effective method of student outreach in academic libraries if libraries take care to respect student privacy and to provide equal coverage for all subject areas.Research limitations/implications – Most information about social networking is anecdotal with very little statistical analysis of its effect...
Gender Differences in Achievement and Affiliation Attributions A Five-Nation Study

This study examines attributions (ability, effort, task, and luck) for success and failure in both achievement and affiliation domains across cultures as a means of evaluating whether gender differences are associated with cultural variations. Participants included 684 university students (314 males; 370 females)from India, Japan, South Africa, the United States, and Yugoslavia currently enrolled in teacher training, physicial science, and social science. While there were statistically significant differences between males and females across all five countries for achievement attributions to task and for the internal/ external dimension, the differences of attributions to ability, effort, and luck, as well as for the stable/unstable dimension, were not significant.
Steric bulkiness of pyrrole substituents and the out-of-plane deformations of porphyrins: nickel(II) octaisopropylporphyrin and its meso-nitro derivative

Sterically bulky substituents at the β-carbons of the pyrrole rings of porphyrins are sufficient to cause large out-of-plane porphyrin distortions even in the absence of substituent groups at the meso carbons. It is well established that substituents at the meso-positions only or at both the β-pyrrole and the meso-positions are sufficiently bulky to result in large non-planar distortions of the macrocycle. However, no systematic studies of the effects of bulky β-pyrrole substituents alone have been reported. Herein, molecular simulations and X-ray crystallography of nickel(II) 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octa(isopropyl)porphyrin reveal that large out-of-plane distortions (>1.5 A) are induced by the steric repulsion of the β-isopropyl groups but fail to lead to a single strongly energetically favored conformer. The molecular simulations indicate that multiple conformers differing in the orientation of the isopropyl groups and the macrocycle conformation coexist in solution and this is confirmed by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Large downshifts in the structure-sensitive lines result from the non-planar distortion, and line broadenings result from structural heterogeneity. The heterogeneity originates from tradeoffs between energy contributions from steric repulsion and macrocycle distortion. Simulations for 5-nitro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octa(isopropyl)porphyrin suggest two possible orientations of the nitro group with respect to the macrocycle mean plane — one nearly vertical (as in the crystal structure) and another that is nearly parallel. INDO/S semiempirical calculations indicate an orbital of the NO2 group resides between the porphyrin frontier orbitals with significant mixing of the nitro and porphyrin orbitals.KEYWORDS: porphyrin, non-planar, resonance Raman, X-ray crystallography, crystal structure, isopropyl, nitro, conformer, molecular mechanics, molecular simulations, density functional theory, steric crowding, conformational heterogeneity.
The influence of conditioned fear on human pain thresholds: does preparedness play a role?

Emotionally charged facial expressions (happy, fear) served as conditioned stimuli in a differential fear conditioning procedure. Expressions were presented in pseudo-random order on a computer monitor. For half of the participants, the fear expression was paired with an aversive electric stimulation (UCS), whereas the happy expression was unpaired. The other participants had the opposite pairing. To assess the influence of conditioned fear on pain, expressions were shown again in the absence of the UCS and pain threshold was assessed during each expression. The latency of finger withdrawal from a radiant heat device was used to index pain threshold. Skin conductance response (SCR) and self-reported emotion were measured to assess fear conditioning. Consistent with preparedness theory, differential fear conditioning was only present when the fear expression was paired with the UCS. Moreover, pain threshold was only influenced by fear conditioning in persons for whom the fear expression was paired with the UCS. Specifically, finger withdrawal latencies were lower (suggesting hyperalgesia) during the fear expression than during the happy expression; an effect that was not present before CSUCS pairing. This work suggests that some stimuli are more readily associated with an aversive event and can lead to pain enhancement. Perspective: Although preliminary, these results suggest that fear-relevant environmental stimuli (including facial expressions) may provide important environmental cues during aversive events that influence the level of pain experienced.
Expression of light meromyosin in Dictyostelium blocks normal myosin II function

The ability of myosin II to form filaments is essential for its function in vivo. This property of self association is localized in the light meromyosin (LMM) region of the myosin II molecules. To explore this property in more detail within the context of living cells, we expressed the LMM portion of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain gene in wild-type Dictyostelium cells. We found that the LMM protein was expressed at high levels and that it folded properly into alpha-helical coiled-coiled molecules. The expressed LMM formed large cytoplasmic inclusions composed of entangled short filaments surrounded by networks of long tubular structures. Importantly, these abnormal structures sequestered the cell's native myosin II, completely removing it from its normal cytoplasmic distribution. As a result the cells expressing LMM displayed a myosin-null phenotype: they failed to undergo cytokinesis and became multinucleate, failed to form caps after treatment with Con A, and failed to complete their normal developmental cycle. Thus, expression of the LMM fragment in Dictyostelium completely abrogates myosin II function in vivo. The dominant-negative character of this phenotype holds promise as a general method to disrupt myosin II function in many cell types without the necessity of gene targeting.
MICs of Selected Antibiotics for Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus mycoides from a Range of Clinical and Environmental Sources as Determined by the Etest

This paper presents Etest determinations of MICs of selected antimicrobial agents for 76 isolates of Bacillus anthracis chosen for their diverse histories and 67, 12, and 4 cultures, respectively, of its close relatives B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. mycoides derived from a range of clinical and environmental sources. NCCLS breakpoints are now available for B. anthracis and ciprofloxacin, penicillin, and tetracycline; based on these breakpoints, the B. anthracis isolates were all fully susceptible to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, and all except four cultures, three of which had a known history of penicillin resistance and were thought to originate from the same original parent, were susceptible to penicillin. Based on NCCLS interpretive standards for gram-positive and/or aerobic bacteria, all cultures were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and gentamicin and 99% (one with intermediate sensitivity) of cultures were susceptible to vancomycin. No group trends were apparent among the different categories of B. cereus (isolates from food poisoning incidents and nongastrointestinal infections and food and environmental specimens not associated with illness). Differences between B. anthracis and the other species were as expected for amoxicillin and penicillin, with all B. anthracis cultures, apart from the four referred to above, being susceptible versus high proportions of resistant isolates for the other three species. Four of the B. cereus and one of the B. thuringiensis cultures were resistant to tetracycline and a further six B. cereus and one B. thuringiensis cultures fell into the intermediate category. There was a slightly higher resistance to azithromycin among the B. anthracis strains than for the other species. The proportion of B. anthracis strains fully susceptible to erythromycin was also substantially lower than for the other species, although just a single B. cereus strain was fully resistant. The Etest compared favorably with agar dilution in a subsidiary test set up to test the readings, and it compared with other published studies utilizing a variety of test methods.