cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new measure of the cognitive, metacognitive, and experiential aspects of residents' learning

PURPOSE Psychometric data are presented for the Cognitive Behavior Survey: Residency Level (rCBS), a survey that profiles cognitive, metacognitive, and experiential aspects of residents' learning. METHOD The authors asked 963 residents from seven medicine residencies of large academic medical centers to participate in their study and gathered data from the respondents during a three-year period, 2000-2002. A factor analysis cross-validation design guided the development of rCBS's seven scales: memorization, conceptualization, reflection, independent learning, critical thinking, meaningful learning experience, and attitude toward educational experience. Interscale correlations and MANOVA provided preliminary evidence of scale construct validity. RESULTS A total of 424 residents (44%) responded. With several minor exceptions, items for each scale loaded .40 or higher. Memorization did not correlate with any other scale, except correlating negatively with critical thinking. Higher-order thinking scales (conceptualization, reflection, independent learning, critical thinking) correlated with one another and with meaningful learning experience and attitude toward educational experience. The one exception: conceptualization did not correlate with critical thinking. MANOVA results reveal that residents who scored in the top 20% on the reflection scale conceptualized, learned independently, and thought critically more than did the bottom 20%. CONCLUSIONS Results provide preliminary support for scale reliability and construct validity. As residencies seek to meet expectations of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Outcome Project, rCBS could prove useful in program evaluation, residents' self-assessment, and assessment by serving as a means to explore how residents learn, how residency programs affect learning behavior, and how clinically strong and weak residents differ in learning behaviors.
Comparative study of visual and verbal short-term memory in English and Spanish speakers: Testing a linguistic hypothesis

It has been proposed that differences in digit span performance between English and Spanish speakers are due to the greater number of syllables per digit in the Spanish language. To test this hypothesis, we studied the performance of 30 English- and 30 Spanish-speaking elders on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Digit Span Subtest, a modified digit span test that was linguistically comparable for both languages, and the Corsi Block Test. Consistent with previous reports, we found that English speakers scored significantly higher than Spanish speakers on WAIS-R Digit Span Forward. Group differences were reduced on the modified Digit Span Forward, but remained significant. English and Spanish speakers scored comparably on Digit Span Backward (WAIS-R and modified) and Visual Span. We suggest that although differences in the number of syllables per digit string are in part responsible for the lower performance of Spanish speakers on Digit Span Forward, cultural and educational issues also contribute to the observed differences between English and Spanish speakers.
Oscillating Evolution of a Mammalian Locus with Overlapping Reading Frames: An XLαs/ALEX Relay

XLαs and ALEX are structurally unrelated mammalian proteins translated from alternative overlapping reading frames of a single transcript. Not only are they encoded by the same locus, but a specific XLαs/ALEX interaction is essential for G-protein signaling in neuroendocrine cells. A disruption of this interaction leads to abnormal human phenotypes, including mental retardation and growth deficiency. The region of overlap between the two reading frames evolves at a remarkable speed: the divergence between human and mouse ALEX polypeptides makes them virtually unalignable. To trace the evolution of this puzzling locus, we sequenced it in apes, Old World monkeys, and a New World monkey. We show that the overlap between the two reading frames and the physical interaction between the two proteins force the locus to evolve in an unprecedented way. Namely, to maintain two overlapping protein-coding regions the locus is forced to have high GC content, which significantly elevates its intrinsic evolutionary rate. However, the two encoded proteins cannot afford to change too quickly relative to each other as this may impair their interaction and lead to severe physiological consequences. As a result XLαs and ALEX evolve in an oscillating fashion constantly balancing the rates of amino acid replacements. This is the first example of a rapidly evolving locus encoding interacting proteins via overlapping reading frames, with a possible link to the origin of species-specific neurological differences.
Reduction Of Unevenly Spaced Potential Field Data To A Horizontal Plane By Means Of Finite Harmonic Series

Conventional reductions of gravity and magnetic data do not lead to values that are effectively on the same horizontal plane, although it is common practice to regard them so. In regions of high topographic relief, failure to take into account local differences in vertical gradients can result in appreciable error. In this study a method is developed for reducing to a common level gravity or magnetic anomaly data observed at unevenly spaced stations at various elevations above a reference plane. The reduction is effected by means of finite harmonic series approximations in which the coefficients are determined by matrix methods and least squares. Traditional Fourier methods are not applicable because uneven station spacing and relative vertical displacement of stations preclude the use of the orthogonality properties of the trigonometric functions. The number of terms required to represent the data adequately is discussed in terms of “cutoff” wavenumbers empirically determined from residual variance estim...
Magnetic anisotropy in the Trenton Limestone: Results of a new technique, anisotropy of anhysteretic susceptibility

A new method for determining magnetic anisotropy using anhysteric remanence susceptibility is described. The magnetic fabric of a collection of Trenton Limestone specimens has been determined using this method, as well as by conventional anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the new method for finding the magnetic fabric of rock units such as the Trenton in which the bulk magnetic susceptibilities are low. A model is proposed to explain the observed foliated and lineated fabric as a consequence of overburden compaction and regional horizontal stresses. The original fabric is inferred to have been isotropic; the anisotropy resides in secondary magnetite of Late Paleozoic age. It is argued that the observed magnetic fabric must therefore be Alleghenian or younger in age. Our method has the potential to determine paleostress directions in carbonates elsewhere, provided our assumptions are correct.
Strategies for Improving Surgical Quality — Should Payers Reward Excellence or Effort?

Payers are pursuing three strategies to improve surgical care. The centers-of-excellence approach steers patients to doctors and hospitals with low surgical morbidity and mortality. Pay for perform...
Alternative MBR configurations: using membranes for gas transfer

This paper discusses the use of membranes for gas transfer in water and wastewater treatment. Typically, membrane bioreactors use microporous membranes to enhance treatment through improved solids separation. In a number of recent research studies, however, gas-permeable membranes have also been used to treat water and wastewater. These membranes have the potential to reduce the energy costs associated with gas transfer; a major operating cost in waste water treatment. As a low energy technology, membrane gas transfer holds promise for application in both developed and developing countries. Although there have been some successes in applying the technology, significant engineering challenges remain to be solved if the technology is to find wide application.
Barbara McClintock's long postdoc years.

The story that Barbara McClintock “didn't find a permanent job until she was 40” (NetWatch, “Mother of the jumping gene,” 23 Nov., p. 1623) is a laboratory legend that, although intended to buoy the spirits of long-term postdocs, might dampen those of junior faculty. In 1935, at the age of 33, McClintock became an assistant professor in botany at the University of Missouri. By 1940, she had become rather wary about academic politics; she seems to have believed she was about to be fired, so she took a leave of absence with no intention of returning. But in early 1941, Lewis Stadler, who had gotten her the job, wrote to Marcus Rhoades, McClintock's closest friend, that McClintock was “definitely slated for a promotion this spring, and Tucker (botany department chairman) has told her so.” Stadler continued, “God knows no one can guarantee permanence in times like these, though I think the job here is pretty permanent as jobs go.” When McClintock had been hired, the university “gave official assurance that the research jobs would be just as permanent as teaching appointments. Presumably her promotion this year would make her an associate professor, which is the grade here at which permanent tenure becomes automatic” ( 1 , p. 64-65). Instead, McClintock got, through Rhoades, a visiting professorship at Columbia University, spent the summer of 1941 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and was offered a stopgap position while Milislav Demerec, the director of Cold Spring Harbor, pushed through a permanent appointment, which took effect on 1 April 1942. Cold Spring Harbor was ideal for McClintock in many ways, but a center of maize genetics it was not. One wonders how different the story of maize-controlling elements might be had she stayed one more year at Missouri. As I see it, the moral for junior faculty approaching tenure is—hang in there. 1. Lewis Stadler to Marcus Rhoades, 18 March 1941, Marcus Rhoades collection, Indiana Univ., cited in N. C. Comfort, The Tangled Field: Barbara McClintock's Search for the Patterns of Genetic Control (Harvard Univ. Press, 2001).
Simulation of Equilibrium Segregation in Alloys Using the Embedded Atom Method

The Embedded Atom Method (EAM) is combined with Monte Carlo simulation techniques to determine the equilibrium segregation at internal defects and surfaces. This approach has been applied in the Ni-Cu alloy system to the calculation of the surface composition profiles and the segregation at an edge dislocation. The surface composition profile of these alloys as a function of distance from the surface is found to vary non-monotonically with the top atomic layer strongly enriched in Cu and the near surface atomic layers enriched in Ni. The compositional variation in the core region of an edge dislocation shows enrichment of Ni in the compressed regions of the partial dislocation core and Cu enrichment in the expanded regions. In addition, the composition changes abruptly at the slip plane of the dislocation.
FACTRETRIEVAL2: A PASCAL program for assessing someone’s recall of general-information facts, confidence about recall correctness, feeling-of-knowing judgments for nonrecalled facts, and recognition of nonrecalled facts

FACTRETRIEVAL (Shimamura, Landwehr, & Nelson, 1981) was a BASIC program for general-information recall, pairwise relative feeling-of-knowing judgments, and forced-choice recognition of nonrecalled facts. Requests for diskette versions of that program were received from Europe, Asia, Canada, and throughout the United States. FACTRETRIEVAL2 is an updated version that has many new options and is written in PASCAL so as to be easier to modify by the individual user. FACTRETRIEVAL2 presents up to 240 generalinformation questions from the Nelson and Narens (1980b) norms. The program consists of five main routines (in addition to the data-analysis routine): recall, confidence judgments of recall, relative feeling-of-knowing judgments for nonrecalled facts, absolute feeling-o~­ knowing judgments for nonrecalled facts, and recogmtion of nonrecalled facts. General-information questions such as "What is the last name of the man who invented the phonograph?" and "What is the capital of Chile?" are presented singly on a video monitor, and the subject types an answer to each question on a typewriter keyboard. This sequence continues until the subject fails to recall a preset number of facts, either in terms of commission errors only or omission errors only, or errors without regard to commission versus omission (ramifications of these different types of retrieval failure are discussed in Krinsky & Nelson, in press). The user can opt to have six-place ratings of confidence for each of the subject's guesses, regardless of the correctness of those guesses. The program continues with a feeling-of-knowing routine that elicits one-item-at-a-time absolute feeling-ofknowing judgments (Hart, 1965) or/and relative feelingof-knowing judgments (Nelson & Narens, 1980a) on all possible N-tuples of nonrecalled items, where 1 < N < 6. [Note: For 2-tuples, the user can have n = 4 t~ 12 items for n(n 1) paired comparisons, i.e., 6 to 66 paired comparisons, respectively; for 3-tuples, the user can have
Stability of Supersonic Boundary Layers on a Cone at an Angle of Attack

The stability and receptivity of a three-dimensional hypersonic boundary layer over a 7deg half-angle straight cone at an angle of attack of 6deg is numerically investigated at a freestream Mach number of 6.0 and a Reynolds number of 10.4x10(exp 6)/m. The generation and evolution of stationary crossflow vortices are also investigated by performing simulations with three-dimensional roughness elements located on the surface of the cone. The flow fields with and without the roughness elements are obtained by solving the full Navier- Stokes equations in cylindrical coordinates using a fifth-order accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for spatial discretization and a third-order total-variation-diminishing (TVD) Runge-Kutta scheme for temporal integration. Stability computations produced azimuthal wavenumbers in the range of m approx. 20-50 for the most amplified traveling disturbances and in the range of m approx.30-70 for the stationary disturbances. The frequency of the unstable second-mode ranges from 400 kHz to 900 kHz along the windward ray. The N-Factor computations predicted transition would occur more forward on the sides of the cone as compared to the transition fronts near the windward and the leeward rays. The simulations also show the crossflow vortices originating from the nose region propagate towards the leeward ray. No perturbations were observed toward the windward half of the cone.
Isomer Shift of Fe 57 in Iron

The contributions to the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{57}$ isomer shift in bcc iron are calculated. Both the direct density at the nucleus due to $4s$-like conduction electrons and the modification of the $3s$ density at the nucleus through $3d$ shielding are considered. Wave functions for the solid are calculated using Stern's modified tight-binding (MTB) method. These are coupled with a decomposition of the total density of states, obtained by Wood and by Cornwell and Wohlfarth, into separate components associated with $s\ensuremath{-}$, $p\ensuremath{-}$, and $d$-like character of the conduction-band wave functions. Special attention is given the variation of the isomer shift with atomic volume, and the amount of $s$ and $d$ character on the iron atom. One is able to account qualitatively for the measured volume dependence of the isomer shift, as well as the anomalies at the Curie-point, bcc-fcc, and bcc-hcp transitions. However, the constant of proportionality between isomer shift and density at the nucleus cannot be determined here with much accuracy.
High temperature resistance studies of thin nickel foils exposed to hydrogen and oxygen

Abstract Resistance measurements were performed on thin nickel foils exposed to argon-oxygen gas mixtures at elevated temperatures. The resistance initially increased very rapidly then at oxygen pressures less than 0.08 atm, the resistance change decreased substantially before slowly increasing. At higher oxygen pressures no decrease in the resistance change occurred. These results are interpreted in light of hydrogen-oxygen-nickel interactions which occur as a result of hydrogen dissolution in nickel prior to oxidation The hydrogen originates from long-term hydrogen anneals prior to the oxidation.
ARMA-model-based region-growing method for extracting lake region in a remote sensing image

Recently the lake area detection has been a popular topic for time series remote sensing images analysis. The two-dimensional Markov model is one of the efficient mathematical models to describe an image especially when the within-object interpixel correlation varies significantly from object to object. The unsupervised Region Growing is a powerful image segmentation method for use in shape classification and analysis. In this paper, the Region Growing method based on two-dimensional Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) model is proposed for lake region detections. Some of the statistical techniques, such as Gaussian distributed white noise error confidence interval, and sample statistics based on mean and variance properties have been used for thresholding during calculations. The linear regression analysis with least mean squares estimation is still of ongoing interest for statistical research and applications especially with the remote sensing images. The LANDSAT 5 database in the area of Italy's Lake Mulargias acquired in July 1996 was used for the computing experiments with satisfactory preliminary results.
Constrained minimization for monotonic reconstruction

The authors present several innovations in a method for monotonic reconstructions. It is based on the application of constrained minimization techniques for the imposition of monotonicity on a reconstruction. In addition, they present extensions of several classical TVD limiters to a genuinely multidimensional setting. In this case the linear least squares reconstruction method is expanded upon. They also clarify data dependent weighting techniques used with the minimization process.
Quantum-Mechanical Measurement Operator

A unitary operator is defined, connecting the states of the measured system and the measuring-instrument system before and after interaction, by means of which the post-interaction values of $S$ in the instrument can be used to calculate the pre-interaction ${〈R〉}_{\mathrm{av}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{2}R$ in the measured system, where $R$ and $S$ are Hermitian operators. The premeasurement state of the instrument need not be known, and the same measurement operator is applicable whether the system to be measured is originally described by a pure case or a mixture. Finally, this theory is contrasted briefly with the measurement theory of von Neumann.
A study of the tryptic activity of pancreatin U. S. P

The official assay for pancreatic trypsin is not an assay for a single enzyme but for a mixture of proteolytic enzymes. Many samples labeled Pancreatin U. S. P. possess three times the minimum U. S. P. trypsin requirements. Triple-strength pancreatin is frequently no stronger than ordinary U. S. P. Pancreatin.
D-branes, moduli and supersymmetry

We study toroidal compactifications of type II string theory with D-branes and nontrivial antisymmetric tensor moduli and show that turning on these fields modifies the supersymmetry projections imposed by D-branes. These modifications are seen to be necessary for the consistency of T duality. We also show the existence of unusual BPS configurations of branes at angles that are supersymmetric because of conspiracies between moduli fields. Analysis of the problem from the point of view of the effective field theory of massless modes shows that the presence of a two-form background must modify the realization of supersymmetry on the brane. In particular, the appropriate supersymmetry variation of the physical gaugino vanishes in any constant field strength background. These considerations are relevant for the E{sub 7(7)}-symmetric counting of states of four-dimensional black holes in type II string theory compactified on T{sup 6}. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Callus induction and plant regeneration from anther and inflorescence culture of Sorghum

Twenty-five inbred lines, including grain and forage types from the USA and China, two hybrids, one Sorghum almum, and one Parasorghum (S. versicolor) were tested for their response to anther culture. Three nutrient media were effective in inducing anther calli from six cultivars (Xin White, TX 403-TSB, DDY Sommer Milo, TX 2779, Brawley, and Spur Federal) and one was effective for plant regeneration for one cultivar, Xin White. Averaged over media, callus induction frequency (number of calli per 100 anthers) was highest in cultivars Xin White and TX 403-TSB (6.7 and 3.9%, respectively). The means of cultivars for media C17-2 and Ms-t-z-2, 4.3 and 3.2%, respectively, were superior to that for medium 85D3-2 (0.1%). Expressed as an average of the six cultivars and three media the mean calli induction frequency was 2.6%; however, differential responses of genotype and medium were noted. Among the 10 regeneration media tested, medium MS-d-4 containing Murashige and Skoog basal components plus 2.0 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 2.5 mg/l kinetin was the most effective for plant regeneration. Numbers of albino plants and calli developing only roots increased directly with callus-induction time, whereas the frequency of plant regeneration decreased. Regenerated plants had varied numbers of chromosomes in root tip cells: 10, 15, 20, 40, and 60. The 29 regenerated plants that reached maturity, however, were highly fertile and contained only 10 bivalents in pollen mother cells. Normal chromosome number and behavior for the regenerated plants suggest that induced calli originated from cells other than microspores. However, spontaneous chromosome doubling in microspore-derived haploids may occur. The appearance of albinos also implies that haploids may have been produced from anther culture.
Inversion Asymmetry Effects on Oscillatory Magnetoresistance in HgSe

A beat frequency in the oscillatory magnetoresistance of zincblende HgSe is interpreted as arising from the inversion-asymmetry splitting, which is shown to be about 0.007 eV at the Fermi level appropriate to 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ electrons/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$.
The preparation of aflatoxins labeled with tritium

Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were labeled with tritium by reaction with tritiated water in the presence of a catalyst. Although considerable decomposition occurred, it was possible to purify the products by thin layer chromatography and crystallization following addition of unlabeled compound. The products were chemically homogeneous and the radiochemical purity was above 82 %. When the exchange was carried out with a natural aflatoxin mixture, the specific activity of the purified G1 was only one-tenth that of the B1. When the aflatoxin G1 was tritiated alone, the specific activity after dilution was 194 μCi/mg. Similarly, the specific activity of purified tritium labeled aflatoxin B1 was 300 μCi/mg. The problems encountered in labeling with tritium such unstable molecules as the aflatoxins are discussed.
Genetic factors in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

The authors study the role of thiamine-deficient diets in genetic variations contributing to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Regulators of ribonucleotide reductase inhibit Ty1 mobility in saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Background Ty1 is a long terminal repeat retrotransposon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a replication cycle similar to retrovirus replication. Structurally, Ty1 contains long terminal repeat (LTR) regions flanking the gag and pol genes that encode for the proteins that enable Ty1 mobility. Reverse transcriptase produces Ty1 complementary (c)DNA that can either be integrated back into the genome by integrase or recombined into the yeast genome through homologous recombination. The frequency of Ty1 mobility is temperature sensitive, with optimum activity occurring at 24-26°C.
A protein modulator stimulates C kinase-dependent phosphorylation of a 90K substrate in synaptic membranes.

We have identified and partially purified an acidic, heat-stable, noncalmodulin protein from bovine brain cytosol that stimulates Ca2+ -dependent phosphorylation of an Mr 90K substrate in crude rat brain synaptic membranes. We show that this modulator of phosphorylation (MOP) enhances Ca2+ - and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C kinase) phosphorylation of this 90K substrate. The 90K substrate is a higher Mr form of an 87K substrate that is a major C kinase substrate in rat brain. The Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation of both substrates is inhibited by the Ca2+-binding proteins S-100 and calmodulin. Both substrates yield phosphopeptide fragments of Mr 9K and 13K after limited proteolysis with V8 protease. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals that they have similar acidic iso-electric points (pI 5.0). MOP enhances Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation of the 90K substrate whereas the phosphorylation of 87K is diminished. This reciprocal relationship suggests that the mobility of the 87K substrate in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels is decreased to 90K with increasing phosphorylation. MOP may be a novel protein modulator of C kinase-mediated phosphorylation in the nervous system.
DENSITY-DEPENDENT SELECTION ON GAMETE TRAITS IN THREE CONGENERIC SEA URCHINS

Because male distribution and abundance strongly influence female fertilization success, density-dependent selection might act on gamete traits to maximize reproductive success. Intra- and interspecific variation in female fertilization success was investigated in the sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. franciscanus, and S. droebachiensis. Male and female urchins of each species were induced to spawn within 25-m2 plots. The percentage of eggs fertilized, along with six covariates (male density, male–female distance, number of males, surge velocity, advection, and water depth), was measured for each spawning event. S. purpuratus had the highest levels of fertilization (94%), followed by S. franciscanus (64%) and S. droebachiensis (23%). The species with the highest densities, most males, and closest neighbors had the highest levels of fertilization. Depth and surge were not significant factors, but advection was associated with fertilization negatively in S. purpuratus and positively in S. droeba...
Are patients more likely to see physicians of the same sex? Recent national trends in primary care medicine.

PURPOSE: Women may prefer female physicians, particularly for preventive health services. We assessed national trends in the proportion of women among patients seeing female physicians, and compared visit characteristics and preventive services among visits to female and male primary care physicians. METHODS: We assessed the characteristics of 92,389 visits from the 1995-2000 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative survey of office-based physicians in the United States, using linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: Female physicians were more likely than male physicians to see female patients in the specialties of primary care (73% vs. 56%), psychiatry (72% vs. 54%), dermatology (67% vs. 56%), and pediatrics (52% vs. 46%; P <0.01 for all). In primary care, the difference increased over time, such that by 2000, 78% of visits to female primary care physicians were from women, compared with 56% for male primary care physicians (P <0.01). Female primary care physicians saw younger patients (mean age, 45 vs. 49 years, P = 0.04), reported longer visits (19 vs. 17 minutes, P <0.01), and reported performing more preventive services than did male primary care physicians when seeing female patients, including Papanicolaou testing (11% vs. 4.7%, P <0.01) and mammograms (9% vs. 4%, P <0.01). CONCLUSION: The phenomenon of sex concordance between patient and physician has increased in recent years, particularly in primary care. Nearly four of five patient visits to female primary care physicians are from women, and female physicians report performing more preventive health services for their female patients.
Life history analysis of five dominant infaunal polychaete species from the continental slope off North Carolina

Observations were made on the reproduction and life history of five species of polychaetes collected from the continental slope off North Carolina, USA. Three species were studied at a 2000-m lower slope station off Cape Lookout (Aurospio dibranchiata, Microrbinia linea, and Pholoe anoculata) and the other two at a 600-m upper slope station off Cape Hatteras (Cossura longocirrata and Scalibregma inflatum). Aurospio dibranchiata, a surface feeding spionid, exhibited seasonally in egg diameter and size-frequency data, with the larger sizes occurring in late summer months. Pholoe anoculata, a small carnivorous scale worm, did not exhibit any evidence of seasonality in size-frequency data at the 2000-m station. Sexually mature specimens were absent from this population, but were present at shallower slope depths, indicating year-round recruitment into the lower slope from middle and upper slope populations.
In situ ultrasonic monitoring of surface fatigue crack initiation and growth from surface cavity

Abstract A surface acoustic wave method for in situ monitoring of fatigue crack initiation and evolution from a pit-type surface flaw is described. The method is demonstrated for fatigue tests on Al 2024-T3 and Inconel 718 samples with different surface pit sizes. The surface acoustic wave signature is acquired continuously during the fatigue cycle without stopping the fatigue test. Crack initiation and propagation are identified clearly from the ultrasonic surface wave reflection signals. Crack initiation in the Inconel 718 sample is observed to occur at a much later stage of fatigue life than in the Al-2024-T3 sample. The ultrasonic results are supported by fractographs of fracture surfaces. Small crack sizing is performed from the ultrasonic signatures using the low frequency scattering model.
Hollow‐fiber liquid chromatography

Modules containing from 120 to 27,000 parallel hollow fibers 100 μm in diameter can separate mixtures by reversed phase chromatography. The mixtures separated include aqueous solutions of ketones using alkanes as the stationary phase, and aqueous solutions of the proteins myglobin and cytochrome-c using an octane solution of reversed micelles as the stationary phase. The dispersion observed in these separations is comparable to that predicted from the Aris-Taylor theories. Modules of these fibers promise a lower pressure drop and a greater reproducibility than columns of spheres of equivalent surface area per volume. Such modules can facilitate scale-up of liquid chromatography.
SCG10 expresses growth-associated manner in developing rat brain, but shows a different pattern to p19/stathmin or GAP-43

The gene encoding SCG10 was originally isolated as a neuronal marker from neural crest derivatives, implying that this protein may contribute to fundamental neuronal properties. To examine the developmental change of SCG10 expression in brain, immunoblot analysis and in situ hybridization were performed in embryonic day 15 (E15), E19, postnatal day 0 (P0), P6, P14, P30 and P90 rat brains. The distribution of SCG10 mRNA was compared to those of its homologue, p19/stathmin, and the well-characterized growth-associated protein GAP-43. Overall expression of SCG10 in brain reached a peak at E19 and decreased gradually by P30 to the adult level. The expression pattern of SCG10 in E15 whole body was identical with that of GAP-43; both mRNAs were specifically detected in developing neuronal structures. p19/stathmin mRNA, on the other hand, showed widespread expression throughout the whole body. Expression patterns of the three mRNAs overlapped in many structures in the perinatal brain, yet each showed unique expression during postnatal development. For example, in the developing cerebellum, strong GAP-43 expression was found in the external granule cells, which are presumably extending parallel fibers, while SCG10 strongly hybridized in the internal granule cells which have reached their final position and begun dendrite outgrowth. The unique transient expression of p19/stathmin was found in the subventricular zone in the cortex, the white matter in the cerebellum, the optic nerve layer of the superior colliculus and the inner edge of the dentate granule layer in the hippocampus. Considering the timing, all of these areas are known to produce neurons or glia. This is consistent with the suggestion that p19/stathmin is related to differentiation. SCG10 may be a new member of growth-associated proteins and this protein may contribute to neurite extension in perinatal brain as does GAP-43. However, the differential expression between SCG10 and GAP-43 in later developmental stages suggests their diverse functions, which indicates these proteins may play different roles during postnatal brain development.
Taylor-Couette flow of helium II

Abstract The wealth of experience and information available about the classical Taylor–Couette system makes it an ideal candidate for studies of the flow of helium II. In particular, the stability of Couette flow of helium II has proven to be an excellent test bed for the equations of motion. As early as 1957 Chandrasekhar and Donnelly began examining the stability of flowing helium II. Progress, however, has been slow due to the quantum ‘two-fluid’ nature of helium II. In helium II the Navier–Stokes equation is transformed into a pair of coupled non-linear equations significantly complicating any analysis. Furthermore, there has been some debate over which terms are to be included in the equations. Recent efforts by Barenghi and Jones have produced a computational linear stability program which is based upon the modern ‘HVBK’ equations. For rotation of the inner cylinder only, they have made predictions of the critical Taylor number as a function of temperature. Data from experiments performed by two different groups corroborate the computed temperature dependence putting the modern equations of motion on a firm footing. In addition to the determination of the onset of instability, studies have been made of flow beyond the instability, of flow between counter-rotating cylinders, and of high Reynolds number flow. With the inner cylinder rotating at a Reynolds number just above the instability, the flow exhibits Taylor rolls. In counter-rotating flow, the appearance of instability has been correctly computed by linear stability analysis. Finally, at high Reynolds number, flow visualization shows Taylor rolls very similar in size to classical rolls.
Properties of cavity-backed slot-ring antennas at 95 GHz

Slot-ring antennas with plane backshorts designed for operation at 95 GHZ have been fabricated and their properties measured. Using optical lithography, we fabricated the slot-ring antennas, along with integrated niobium thin-film bolometers, on dielectrically thin silicon substrates. We have performed a theoretical analysis of the slot-ring antennas with planar backshorts and compared the theoretical results with our measured beam patterns. The measured antenna patterns have highly circular main beams with full -3 dB beam widths of 21. The patterns have low sidelobe levels of about -15 dB in the H-plane and below -25 dB in the E-plane and a directivity of 17 dB. We are investigating a focal-plane array of slot-r9ng antenna- coupled bolometers for use in a concelaed-weapons imaging system.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Kinase activation of ClC-3 accelerates cytoplasmic condensation during mitotic cell rounding.

“Mitotic cell rounding” describes the rounding of mammalian cells before dividing into two daughter cells. This shape change requires coordinated cytoskeletal contraction and changes in osmotic pressure. While considerable research has been devoted to understanding mechanisms underlying cytoskeletal contraction, little is known about how osmotic gradients are involved in cell division. Here we describe cytoplasmic condensation preceding cell division, termed “premitotic condensation” (PMC), which involves cells extruding osmotically active Cl− via ClC-3, a voltage-gated channel/transporter. This leads to a decrease in cytoplasmic volume during mitotic cell rounding and cell division. Using a combination of time-lapse microscopy and biophysical measurements, we demonstrate that PMC involves the activation of ClC-3 by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in human glioma cells. Knockdown of endogenous ClC-3 protein expression eliminated CaMKII-dependent Cl− currents in dividing cells and impeded PMC. Thus, kinase-dependent changes in Cl− conductance contribute to an outward osmotic pressure in dividing cells, which facilitates cytoplasmic condensation preceding cell division.
A Perceptual Evaluation of JPEG 2000 Image Compression for Digital Mammography: Contrast-Detail Characteristics

In this investigation the effect of JPEG 2000 compression on the contrast-detail (CD) characteristics of digital mammography images was studied using an alternative forced choice (AFC) technique. Images of a contrast-detail phantom, acquired using a clinical full-field digital mammography system, were compressed using a commercially available software product (JPEG 2000). Data compression was achieved at ratios of 1:1, 10:1, 20:1, and 30:1 and the images were reviewed by seven observers on a high-resolution display. Psychophysical detection characteristics were first computed by fitting perception data using a maximum-likelihood technique from which CD curves were derived at 50%, 62.5%, and 75% threshold levels. Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference in the perception of mean disk thickness up to 20:1 compression except for disk diameter of 1 mm. All other compression combinations exhibited significant degradation in CD characteristics.
Special session - inventive courses: Blending engineering and the liberal arts

Union College hosted a symposium on Engineering and a Liberal Education in May, 2008. This Symposium brought together scholars and administrators from several academic institutions interested in better integrating engineering and the liberal arts. One of the trends discussed at the symposium was a move away from a focus on content - specific knowledge that a student should learn - and toward a focus on abilities or capabilities. A second Symposium is scheduled for June, 2009. This special session follows the theme of the Symposia and addresses C. P. Snow's “two cultures” problem in the context of the undergraduate curriculum. The goal of the session is to foster discussion about multidisciplinary learning using a course design exercise as the vehicle. Session participants will work in small groups to develop a new upper-level undergraduate course that would appeal to both engineering and non-engineering students. While there are many examples of introductory courses that are available to mixed groups of students, this session will explore ideas for courses beyond the introductory level. The session will result in ideas for innovative courses which develop students' capacity for multidisciplinary work.
Temporal and spatial characterization of regenerate bone in the lengthened rabbit tibia

A rabbit model of bilateral tibial lengthening was used to investigate temporal and spatial changes in new bone volume and architecture during regenerate bone formation. Tibiae were lengthened 9.0 mm at 0.75 mm/day after a 6-day latency period. Animals were euthanized at four time points, and new bone volume and architecture within the distraction gap were assessed by microcomputed tomography and histomorphometry. New bone formation began before day 18 postsurgery and increased markedly between day 18 (completion of distraction) and day 24. This period of high bone formation activity might therefore be optimal for biologic and mechanical interventions aimed at enhancing bone regeneration. Regions of both endochondral and intramembranous bone formation were observed throughout the consolidation period. Significant increases in bone volume fraction were observed early in the consolidation period and were attributed to significant increases in trabecular thickness. This suggested that increased mineral density in the gap tissue with time was a consequence of increased osteoblast activity and associated trabecular thickening. New bone formation was shown to be highly oriented toward the distraction axis throughout lengthening. More bone formed consistently in lateral and proximal regions of the distraction gap, perhaps due to improved blood supply or progenitor cell availability in these areas. No differences in trabecular architecture were detected between regions having more or less bone volume, suggesting that bony tissue differentiation in all regions of the distraction gap was similar. Homotypical variations in measures of bone architecture were small; thus, these outcome variables seem appropriate for determining the effects of biological and mechanical interventions on bone regeneration in this animal model.
Can we use a complex systems framework to model community-based learning?

The classroom is bustling with activity and Miss Lawson calls out, "five more minutes." Scattered throughout the room are groups of four and five students crowded around each of the five low-standing circular work desks. A palpable buzz of enthusiasm fills the air as these groups deliberate amongst themselves before hurriedly filling in the large sheets of poster paper sitting on their work desks.
A modified self-consistent computational model for an electrostrictive graft elastomer

An electrostrictive graft elastomer, as recently developed by NASA, is a type of electro-active polymer. In this paper, a 2D computational model with a self-consistent boundary is developed. Firstly, three-dimensional deformations, induced by both bending angle and dihedral torsional angle changes, are projected onto a two-dimensional plane. Using both theoretical and numerical analyses, the projected 2D equilibrium bending angle is shown to have the same value as the 3D equilibrium bending angle. The 2D equivalent bending stiffness is derived using a series model based upon the fact that both bending and dihedral torsion produce a configurational change. Equivalent stiffness is justified by polymer chain end-to-end distance characteristics. Secondly, a self-consistent scheme is developed to eliminate the boundary effect. Eight images of the unit cell are created peripherally, with the original unit cell in the center. Thus the boundary can only affect the rotation of the eight images, not the central unit cell. A computational model is employed to determine the electromechanical properties of the electrostrictive graft elastomer. Relations between electric field induced strain and electric field strength are calculated. The effect of molecular scale factors, such as free volume fraction, graft weight percentage and graft orientation, are also discussed.
Use of a Novel, Web-Based Educational Platform Facilitates Intraoperative Training in a Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program

Introduction Systems for assessing surgical trainee competence must be practical, reliable, and valid. We developed a novel system, the Surgical Training and Assessment Tool (STAT), for longitudinal competency assessments of surgical trainees’ operative performances. We hypothesized the tool would be both practical and reliable within an academic surgical oncology training program.
New models for four- and five-layer channel routing

The author proposes two routing models for the four- and the five-layer routing environments based on the HHVH and HHVHH models, respectively. The layers for horizontal routing and the other for vertical routing are referred to as H and V layers, respectively. Since more layers are available for horizontal routing in the proposed models and the introduced via-violations in the new models are appropriately handled, the routing performance of the proposed multilayer router has outperformed all existing multilayer routers in the four- and five-layer routing environments. The experimental results are given and one detailed five-layer routing solution is outlined. The extension to a general multilayer router is discussed. >
THE 1999 JOSEPH A. CUSHMAN AWARD

JOHN J. LEE The Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research announces the selection of Professor John J. Lee for the 1999 Joseph A. Cushman Award, in recognition of his lifetime contributions to foraminiferal research. John’s lifelong fascination with science began during his ninth summer, when he found fossil brachiopods in New York’s Catskill Mountains (USA). His father took John and his fossils to the American Museum of Natural History, where Dr. Normal Newell took the time to examine and explain the child’s treasures. John took away a crucial lesson and that was, no matter how busy as a parent or scientist, one must take time to engage and encourage youngsters. A lifelong New Yorker, John earned a B.S. in Biology in 1955 from Queens College. He briefly left New York to pursue a Master’s degree in Zoology from the University of Massachusetts, then returned home to attend New York University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Biology and Proto-zoology in 1960. His dissertation topic included research on the morphology, physiology and nutrition of parabasalians, parasites in snakes. Although he sampled a variety of deadly snakes, including cobras, a bite from a water snake nearly killed him and changed his career path to the more benign realm of foraminifers. John was working at Haskins Laboratory under …
An empirical method for estimating travel times for wet volcanic mass flows

Travel times for wet volcanic mass flows (debris avalanches and lahars) can be forecast as a function of distance from source when the approximate flow rate (peak discharge near the source) can be estimated beforehand. The near-source flow rate is primarily a function of initial flow volume, which should be possible to estimate to an order of magnitude on the basis of geologic, geomorphic, and hydrologic factors at a particular volcano. Least-squares best fits to plots of flow-front travel time as a function of distance from source provide predictive second-degree polynomial equations with high coefficients of determination for four broad size classes of flow based on near-source flow rate: extremely large flows (>1 000 000 m3/s), very large flows (10 000–1 000 000 m3/s), large flows (1000–10 000 m3/s), and moderate flows (100–1000 m3/s). A strong nonlinear correlation that exists between initial total flow volume and flow rate for "instantaneously" generated debris flows can be used to estimate near-source flow rates in advance. Differences in geomorphic controlling factors among different flows in the data sets have relatively little effect on the strong nonlinear correlations between travel time and distance from source. Differences in flow type may be important, especially for extremely large flows, but this could not be evaluated here. At a given distance away from a volcano, travel times can vary by approximately an order of magnitude depending on flow rate. The method can provide emergency-management officials a means for estimating time windows for evacuation of communities located in hazard zones downstream from potentially hazardous volcanoes.