cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast and Efficient Constraint Evaluation of Analog Layout Using Machine Learning Models

Placement algorithms for analog circuits explore numerous layout configurations in their iterative search. To steer these engines towards layouts that meet the electrical constraints on the design, this work develops a fast feasibility predictor to guide the layout engine. The flow first discerns rough bounds on layout parasitics and prunes the feature space. Next, a Latin hypercube sampling technique is used to sample the reduced search space, and the labeled samples are classified by a linear support vector machine (SVM). If necessary, a denser sample set is used for the SVM, or if the constraints are found to be nonlinear, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) is employed. The resulting machine learning model demonstrated to rapidly evaluate candidate placements in a placer, and is used to build layouts for several analog blocks.
Bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances in a Lake Ontario food web

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals detected throughout the environment. To better understand the distribution of PFAS in an aquatic system (the Laurentian Great Lakes), stable isotope enrichment (δ13C and δ15N), fatty acid (FA) profiles, and PFAS were measured in various species from the Lake Ontario (LO) aquatic food web. Sampled organisms included top predator fish, prey fish, and benthic and pelagic macroinvertebrates. The trophic level of each species in the LO food web was determined using δ15N, and FA concentrations (range: C8) did not exhibit increasing biomagnification factors (BMFs) and trophic magnification factors (TMFs) with log Kow, suggesting hydrophobicity does not govern the movement of PFAS from low to high trophic levels in the LO food web.
The Sensitivity of a Unionid Mussel (Lampsilis Siliquoidea) to a Permitted Effluent and Elevated Potassium in the Effluent.

Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of animals in the world and are among the most sensitive species to a variety of chemicals. However, little is known about the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to wastewater effluents. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess the toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River, Oklahoma (USA), to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and to two standard test species (cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia; and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas) in short-term 7-day effluent tests; (2) evaluate the relative sensitivities of the three species to potassium (K), an elevated major ion in the effluent, using 7-day toxicity tests with KCl spiked into a Deep Fork River upstream reference water; (3) determine the potential influences of background water characteristics on the acute K toxicity to the mussel (96-h exposures) and cladoceran (48-h exposure) in four reconstituted waters that mimicked the hardness and ionic composition ranges of the Deep Fork River; and (4) determine the potential influence of temperature on acute K toxicity to the mussel. The effluent was found to be toxic to mussels and cladocerans, and it contained elevated concentrations of major cations and anions relative to the upstream Deep Fork River reference water. The K concentration in the effluent was 48-fold greater than in the upstream water. Compared with the standard species, the mussel was more than 4-fold more sensitive to the effluent in the 7-day effluent tests and more than 8-fold more sensitive to K in the 7-day K toxicity tests. The acute K toxicity to the mussel decreased by a factor of 2 when the water hardness was increased from soft (42 mg/L as CaCO3 ) to very hard (314 mg/L as CaCO3 ), whereas the acute K toxicity to the cladoceran remained almost the same as hardness increased from 84 to 307 mg/L as CaCO3 . Acute K toxicity to the mussel at 23 °C was similar to the toxicity at an elevated temperature of 28 °C. The overall results indicate that the two standard test species may not represent the sensitivity of the tested mussel to both the effluent and K, and the toxicity of K was influenced by the hardness in test waters, but by a limited magnitude. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3410-3420. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Anti-Hapten Idiotype Models in Studies of Aging and Idiotype Networks

There now are considerable data which are consistent with the view, originally formalized by Jerne (1) that the immune system is self-regulated through the existence of a network of idiotypes (ids) and anti-ids. The elements in this network (B cells, T cells, and serum antibodies) normally exist in a steady state. Introduction of antigen results in expansion of specific clones thereby perturbing the steady state. Subsequent shifts in the distribution of ids and anti-ids occur which constitute the cellular basis of the immune response and immunologic memory.
Antimicrobial Peptides: Effectors of Innate Immunity

Antimicrobial peptides are evolutionarily ancient weapons, which along with regulatory proteins such as the Toll receptor families have provided complex multicellular organisms with the defenses needed to effectively compete in a world dominated by microbes. Antimicrobial peptides from plants and animals have been discussed in the chapter. The amphipathic property of antimicrobial peptides permits them to achieve high concentrations both in the aqueous solution through which they must travel to reach their targets and in the fatty membranes of microbes into which they must penetrate. The discovery that Toll and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) played a role in antimicrobial peptide gene expression in insects and mammals led to a search for additional human homologues, driven by the hypothesis that the innate immune system utilizes specially tuned receptors to recognize specific and unique microbial chemical constituent patterns presented when microbes attack a multicellular organism. Antimicrobial peptides provide epithelial surfaces with protective agents that permit an animal to construct a physical barrier out of materials that could otherwise serve as a source of nutrients for microbes. Antimicrobial peptides, including both α- and β-defensins, are widely expressed in the male reproductive tracts of rats, mice, and humans. Antimicrobial peptides, released from circulating cells or induced in epithelia, can alert the adaptive immune system to trouble brewing. Over the past several years the functional categorization of antimicrobial peptides has been blurred somewhat by the discovery that numerous peptide hormones and cytokines exhibit potent antimicrobial activity in vitro.
General Infrared System Analysis

The design and evaluation of infrared image-forming systems for infrared medical radiography (thermography) is based on the interaction of the characteristics of detectors, optics, displays, and the characteristics of the subject and the background. Infrared technology has advanced so much in recent years that systems can be designed and built such that: the optics are limited only by diffraction effects; the detectors are limited only by photon noise; and the system is virtually ideal. Accordingly, this chapter starts with a derivation of an expression for the signal-to-noise ratio of an ideal infrared imaging system and then considers the efficiency factors of each of the components in turn.
An Information Paper on Pharmacist Prescribing Within a Health Care Facility

INTRODUCTION In the traditional model of health care, physicians have the authority to prescribe medications, order laboratory tests, and conduct or supervise procedures consistent with a patient’s diagnosis. More recently, prescribing privileges have been extended to other health care professionals, such as nurse practitioners (NP), expanded role nurses (ERN), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), registered midwives, and optometrists. While the roles of some of these health care professionals have evolved to fill gaps in the health care system where physicians are unavailable, most work within a hospital or specialized clinic affiliated with a health care facility. There is a continuing attempt in Canadian health care to contain or reduce costs by reducing patient length of stay in hospital and eliminating inefficiencies and duplication of effort. Pharmacists are increasingly aware that the current process of delivering health care to patients frequently results in drug therapy outcomes that are not as effective, appropriate, safe, or economical as possible and desirable.1-3 They have a responsibility to work toward establishing a better system that could improve the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of drug therapy. It has been postulated that by granting prescribing authority to pharmacists the fragmented and disjointed process of health care delivery could be improved. Improved medication management and continuity of care may be achieved by decreasing the number of steps a patient must take to obtain the optimal medication regimen for their condition.4 It has been argued that if pharmacists truly intend to practise and implement pharmaceutical care, then every pharmacist should be able to maximally utilize their extensive pharmaceutical knowledge by prescribing drugs.5 Having the authority to prescribe medications would facilitate the delivery of more effective pharmaceutical care by some pharmacists. Yet, given the present practice of most pharmacists, it has also been suggested that those with delegated prescribing authority have little advantage over those without it in the overall delivery of pharmaceutical care to patients.6 Currently, many pharmacists in organized health care settings in Canada have some form of authority and responsibility for prescribing. It is important to note that in a survey of Canadian institutions, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists Task Force on Pharmacist Prescribing found a significant amount of pharmacist prescribing occurring with limited control or regulation7 (see below). This paper is not intended to examine the current state of provincial legislation regarding prescribing authority in Canada. Various degrees of prescribing authority for pharmacists are currently being examined and implemented in a number of provinces (e.g., specially instructed and certified pharmacists prescribing post-coital contraception).
Incorporating Item Sets into an Introductory Investments Course

An item set, often called a multiple-choice minicase, is a short case accompanied by several multiple choice items keyed to the case. Item sets are used heavily in professional certification exams in finance, including exams for the CFA, CPA, and CFP. This paper provides background for faculty who may wish to employ this exam format and for students who may wish to gain experience taking exams that include item sets. The paper includes several item sets that are designed to be used in an introductory investments course.
Successful implementation of structured testing

This paper describes techniques developed to successfully implement structured testing into the manufacturing flow. Analysis and discussion of the main techniques will be presented to show how these techniques are optimized through systematic learning.
Somatosensory Functions and the Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe is the middle lobe of the cerebrum, is found on the lateral surface of the hemisphere, and consists of postcentral gyrusa and superior and inferior parietal lobules. In this region of the cerebrum, one finds major functional differences between the left hemisphere which is dominant for language and the right hemisphere that is important for body imagery. The pain pathway has been discussed in Chap. 3, spinal cord; Chap. 4, brain stem; and Chap. 6, diencephalon. In this chapter, we will cover the pathways subserving tactile information for (1) the extremities, the thorax and abdomen, and the posterior columns and (2) the trigeminal systems subserving tactile information from the head. The importance of these pathways is apparent when one walks in the dark, drinks, or eats.
Friction and wear behavior of tungsten and titanium carbide coatings

Abstract The sliding friction and wear behaviors of the detonation-gun sprayed (W,Ti)CNi and WC-Co ceramic coatings on 1044 steel and Ti-6A1-4V substrates were studied. Sliding wear tests were run under dry and lubricated conditions in a block-on-ring wear test set-up where the coated specimens served as the block and the hardened tool steel as the ring. The WC-Co coating on both the steel and titanium substrates showed higher resistance to dry sliding wear than the (W,Ti)CNi coating. The wear resistance of these coatings on the titanium substrate was higher than that on the steel substrate. The heat treatment of the coated steel specimens resulted in cracking of the coated layer which decreased the wear resistance. The ring wear was always higher than the block wear. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the wear surfaces revealed material removal by the mechanisms such as micropolishing, adhesion, delamination, and cracking and provided the evidence of some material transfer from the ring to the block but none in the opposite direction.
Simulations and Analysis of the Reshocked Inclined Interface Richtmyer–Meshkov Instability for Linear and Nonlinear Interface Perturbations

A computational study of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) is presented for an inclined interface perturbation in support of experiments being performed at the Texas A&M shock tube facility. The study is comprised of 2D, viscous, diffusive, compressible simulations performed using the arbitrary Lagrange Eulerian code, ARES, developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These simulations were performed to late times after reshock with two initial interface perturbations, in the linear and nonlinear regimes each, prescribed by the interface inclination angle. The interaction of the interface with the reshock wave produced a complex 2D set of compressible wave interactions including expansion waves, which also interacted with the interface. Distinct differences in the interface growth rates prior to reshock were found in previous work. The current work provides in-depth analysis of the vorticity and enstrophy fields to elucidate the physics of reshock for the inclined interface RMI. After reshock, the two cases exhibit some similarities in integral measurements despite their disparate initial conditions but also show different vorticity decay trends, power law decay for the nonlinear and linear decay for the linear perturbation case.
Time development of trap fluorescence following pulsed excitation

Abstract We analyze the tine development of the fluorescence from trapping centers following pulsed, broad-band excitation of the donor ions. We obtain exact results for the trap excitation probability at arbitrary trap concentration for two cases: the rapid donor-donor transfer limit where all traps have an equal probability of being excited and in the case where there is no donor-donor transfer, the excitation being transferred directly to the traps. Comparisons are made with various approximate calculations.
Comment on A. C. Spaulding, “Statistical Techniques for the Discovery of Artifact Types”

First let me say that I am thoroughly sympathetic to all efforts toward development of more accurate Methodology. But the application of statistics and other techniques to our problems, without regard for basic culture theory, cannot be regarded as an advance in technique.
CELL DEATH AND IMMUNE PRIVILEGE

The host response to pathogens involves complex inflammatory responses and immune reactions. While these are central to host defense and vital to clearing infections, they are often accompanied by injury to surrounding tissue. Most organ systems can tolerate these responses without permanent consequences. However, there are sites that limit the spread of inflammation because it can threaten organ function. The most prominent examples of these are the eye, brain, and reproductive organs (testis, ovary), where even minor bouts of inflammation can have long-term consequences for the survival of the organism. In these organs immune responses either do not proceed, or proceed in a manner different from other areas; thus, they are called "immunologically privileged." Here a functioning immune response can be the culprit that leads to disease.
Energy-conservation approach to modeling PWM DC-DC converters

A systematic method is presented for including parasitic resistances and offset voltage sources of power switches in averaged dynamic large-signal, DC, and small-signal circuit models of pulse-width modulated (PWM) converters operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM). This method is based on the principle of energy conservation. The approach takes into account the inductor current ripple. For zero-ripple current, the method gives the same results as the state-space averaging method. Reflection rules are introduced and used to simplify the models. As an example, a modeling procedure for the PWM buck converter is detailed. >
Texture development and hardening characteristics of steel sheets under plane-strain compression

Crystallographic texture development and hardening characteristics of a hot-rolled, low-carbon steel sheet due to cold rolling were investigated by idealizing the cold rolling process as plane-strain compression. The starting anisotropy of the test material was characterized by examination of the grain structure by optical microscopy and the preferred crystal orientation distribution by x-ray diffraction. Various heat treatments were used in an effort to remove the initial deformation texture resulting from hot rolling. The plastic anisotropy of the starting material was investigated with tensile tests on samples with the tensile axis parallel, 45°, and perpendicular to the rolling direction. The grain structure after plane-strain compression was studied by optical microscopy, and the new deformation texture was characterized by x-ray diffraction pole figures. These figures are compared with the theoretical pole figures produced from a Taylor-like polycrystal model based on a pencil-glide slip system. The uniaxial tensile stress-strain curve and the plane-strain, compressive stress-strain curve of the sheet were used to calibrate the material parameters in the model. The experimental pole figures were consistent with the findings in the theoretical study. The experimental and theoretical results suggest that the initial texture due to hot rolling was insignificant as compared with the texture induced by large strains under plane-strain compression.
Development toward an all-silicon integrated thermal management system: the integrated MCM

A new all-silicon multichip module with integrated thermal management system is presented. Our new packaging approach combines the benefits of wafer-scale integration with the flexibility of independently fabricated and pre-tested devices, allowing the development of highly integrated systems. Wet anisotropic etching is used for the dicing of silicon integrated circuits as well as for the fabrication of the chip-receiving cavities in the silicon substrate. The etching exposes {1 1 1} type planes in both chip and receiving surface, assuring a virtually perfect mating of the assemblage. The system is complemented with an integrated silicon heat sink, which can maintain heat fluxes in excess of 100 W/cm2.
Using the Benner intuitive-humanistic decision-making model in action: A case study

Nurse educators make decisions that affect students in profound ways. This decision-making process may follow an intuitive-humanistic decision-making model. The author most connected with developing the intuitive model and the distinction between theoretical knowledge and experiential knowledge in the discipline of nursing is Patricia Benner (Thompson, 1999). Educators use intuition in forming judgments regarding educational planning. The educator may not be aware of subtleties that influence the decision but rely on a 'gut' instinct as they determine the appropriate action. Utilizing six key concepts identified by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (Benner and Tanner, 1987) this process utilizes what is known to the educator from previous situations to determine a course of action appropriate for the given situation. This paper describes a method one nursing educator used and identifies outcomes that could impact the career path for the student when determining if they were safe to continue in a practice based course.
Tailored airworthiness standards for unmanned aircraft systems

As the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has increased, so has the desire to integrate them into the National Airspace System (NAS). UAS possess unique airworthiness characteristics in a variety of technical disciplines. Therefore, a key area of focus must be the development and validation of airworthiness standards for UAS-unique considerations. This paper examines a UAS-specific tailoring of a manned aircraft airworthiness standard to bring to light some of the key technical areas that must be addressed in tailoring airworthiness standards. By understanding some of the ways in which these requirements are tailored for UAS, development of civil airworthiness standards for UAS can be advanced.
The organizational empowerment scale

The purpose of the present research is to develop a reliable and valid scale to distinguish and measure the three environmental factors of dynamic structural framework, control of workplace decisions, and fluidity in information sharing that are conceptually related to and affect an employee's perception of empowerment. By quantifying the environmental factors that facilitate empowerment through a valid and reliable scale human resource departments will be provided with information that will suggest environmental changes they can implement to improve perceptions of empowerment on the part of employees. Strengths and weaknesses of the scale developed, the organizational empowerment scale, are also discussed.
Ergodicity of 2D Navier–Stokes Equations with¶Random Forcing and Large Viscosity

The stochastically forced, two-dimensional, incompressable Navier–Stokes equations are shown to possess an unique invariant measure if the viscosity is taken large enough. This result follows from a stronger result showing that at high viscosity there is a unique stationary solution which attracts solutions started from arbitrary initial conditions. That is to say, the system has a trivial random attractor. Along the way, results controling the expectation and averaging time of the energy and enstrophy are given.
The Name of the Gid Parasite

IN 1910 (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bull. 125) Dr. Maurice C. Hall published a most interesting historical account of the gid parasite, a cestode worm which is exceedingly destructive to sheep. He showed that the first available specific name for the worm was Taenia multiceps of Leske, 1780. At the same time he rejected the familiar name Coenurus of Rudolphi because Goeze in 1782 had said that the parasite might be called “Vielkopf (multiceps)”. I protested at the time to Dr. Hall that “multiceps” could scarcely be taken as a valid generic name. Goeze was not a binomial writer; he actually called the gid parasite Taenia vesicularis cerebrina. Multiceps seems to have been introduced simply as the Latin form of the common name proposed, vielkopf. Now, after the passage of years, I again have occasion to refer to the gid parasite and I find no ground for altering my opinion. Apparently the animal should be called Coenurus multiceps (Leske). The matter is important, on account of the injuries caused by the parasite, and consequent frequent references to it. I observe that Railliet and Henry (1915) and Railliet and Marullaz (1919) accept multiceps as a valid generic name.
School Counselor Beliefs about ASCA National Model School Counseling Program Components Using the SCPCS

A study of 3,000 school counselors was undertaken to assess their beliefs about necessary components of a school counseling program. This study was part of the database that the American School Counselor Association used to develop The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs. The School Counseling Program Component Scale was developed for the study and demonstrated adequate reliability and validity as a measure of school counselor beliefs about school counseling program components. Suggestions for future school counselor research regarding school counseling program component beliefs are encouraged as the ASCA National Model® has been in use for over 5 years.
Decomposition of simple alcohols, ethers and ketones in a microwave discharge

The decomposition of various oxygen-containing organic compounds including alcohols, ketones and ethers was studied in a microwave discharge at 0.3–2.0 torr in the absence of a diluent. Both gases and polymeric films were formed in each case and the extent of decomposition approached 100%. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide accounted for 90% of the total gaseous products. Trace amounts of gaseous low molecular-weight hydrocarbons were also observed. The effect of pressure on the distribution of gaseous products was small. The gaseous products were similar to those predicted from reported high-temperature equilibrium calculations. The C:O and the H:C ratios in the parent molecules were important parameters which determined the amount and the composition of the polymer film, respectively. The polymeric films formed in the discharge were characterised by several techniques including carbon-hydrogen analysis, and i.r. and e.s.r. spectroscopy. The films were shown to have an average empirical formula of CH1.41O0.06 and to contain structural moieties of CO, CH3, CH2, CH and CC. The insoluble films were amorphous and contained free radicals. The polymeric films were thermally stable up to 200°c and decomposed at higher temperatures. The polymeric films formed were similar in all cases and independent of the nature of the parent molecule. It was inferred from the decomposition products that both the gases and the polymeric films were-formed by the reaction of simple species such as CH and H in the microwave discharge.
Intraoperative color Doppler assessment of mitral and tricuspid valvuloplasty.

Intraoperative color Doppler offers rapid and accurate information about the presence and severity of mitral regurgitation at the time of surgery. This technique provides instantaneous evaluation of the adequacy of mitral and tricuspid valvuloplasty and appears capable of predicting their postoperative outcome. This approach may ultimately allow for valve repair procedures to be performed in greater numbers of patients with better control over outcome and lower reoperation rates.
Reversible DNA methylation regulates seasonal photoperiodic time measurement

In seasonally breeding vertebrates, changes in day length induce categorically distinct behavioral and reproductive phenotypes via thyroid hormone-dependent mechanisms. Winter photoperiods inhibit reproductive neuroendocrine function but cannot sustain this inhibition beyond 6 mo, ensuring vernal reproductive recrudescence. This genomic plasticity suggests a role for epigenetics in the establishment of seasonal reproductive phenotypes. Here, we report that DNA methylation of the proximal promoter for the type III deiodinase (dio3) gene in the hamster hypothalamus is reversible and critical for photoperiodic time measurement. Short photoperiods and winter-like melatonin inhibited hypothalamic DNA methyltransferase expression and reduced dio3 promoter DNA methylation, which up-regulated dio3 expression and induced gonadal regression. Hypermethylation attenuated reproductive responses to short photoperiods. Vernal refractoriness to short photoperiods reestablished summer-like methylation of the dio3 promoter, dio3 expression, and reproductive competence, revealing a dynamic and reversible mechanism of DNA methylation in the mammalian brain that plays a central role in physiological orientation in time.
On smoothing operations and their generating functions

In this paper we are mainly concerned with two kinds of linear transformations, the sequence convolution transformation $$ {y_n} = \sum\limits_{v = - 8}^\infty {{a_{n - v}}{x_v}} $$ (1) and the integral convolution transformation $$ g\left( x \right) = \int_{ - \infty }^\infty {\Lambda \left( {x - 1} \right)f\left( t \right)} dt, $$ (2) where the sequence a n and the function Δ(x) are thought of as given. In §2 we also consider the ordinary linear transformation $$ {y_i} = \sum\limits_{k = 1}^n {{a_{ik}}{x_k}} \quad \quad \left( {i = 1, \cdots ,m} \right). $$ (3) The loosely connected topics to be discussed concerning these transformations are perhaps best brought together under the general subject of smoothing operations.
Ultrafast dynamics of surface electromagnetic waves in subwavelength nanohole array on metallic film

The ultrafast dynamics of surface electromagnetic waves photogenerated on the surfaces of an Al film perforated with 2D subwavelength hole array was studied by the pump-probe correlation spectroscopy. The time-resolved differential transmission exhibits a fast rise on subpicosecond time scale followed by a plateau with subsequent slow decay. This dynamics is accompanied by a blue shift in transient spectra of the anomalous transmision band. A theoretical model is developed that explains both time-resolved and spectrally-resolved data.
Automated change feature extraction systems in remote sensing

To enhance the ability of remote sensing system to provide accurate, timely, and complete geospatial information at regional and/or global scale, an automated change detection system has been and will continue to be one of the important yet challenging problems in remote sensing. This research was designed to evaluate the requirements and develop the techniques for an automated change detection system at landscape level using various geospatial data including multisensor remotely sensed imagery and ancillary data layers. These techniques are included in three subsystems: automated computer image understanding, multisource data fusion, and database updating and visualization. This paper summarizes what has been achieved so far in this research. The experiments have been focusing on three major interrelated components. In the first component, the impact of misregistration on the accuracy of remotely sensed land cover change detection was quantitatively investigated under Landsat Thematic Mapper images. In the second components, a new feature-based approach to automated multitemporal and multisensor image registration was developed. Feature matching was done in both feature space and image space based on moment invariant distance and chain code correlation. The characteristic of this technique is that it combines moment invariant shape descriptors with chain code correlation to establish the correspondences between regions in two images. In the third component, the algorithms for an automated change detection system utilizing neural networks were developed and implemented. This work has implications on improving the efficiency and accuracy of the change feature extraction and quantification at all levels of applications ranging from local to global in scale.
How Much Is That Head CT? Price Transparency and Variability in Radiology.

Abstract Purpose To extend the investigation of price transparency and variability to medical imaging. Methods Eighteen upper-tier academic hospitals identified by U.S. News & World Report and 14 of the 100 largest private radiology practices in the country identified by the Radiology Business Journal were contacted by telephone between December 2013 and February 2014 to determine the cash price for a noncontrast head CT. The price for a noncontrast head CT was chosen to assess price transparency in medical imaging because it represents a standard imaging examination with minimal differences in quality. Results Fourteen upper-tier academic hospitals (78%) and 11 private practices (79%) were able to provide prices for a noncontrast head CT. There was no significant difference between the proportions of upper-tier academic hospitals and private practices that were able to provide prices for a noncontrast head CT ( P = .96). The average total price for the upper-tier academic hospitals was $1,390.12 ± $686.13, with the price ranging from $391.62 to $2,015. The average total price for the private practices was $681.60 ± $563.58, with the total price ranging from $211 to $2,200. Conclusions Prices for a noncontrast head CT study were readily available from the vast majority of upper-tier academic hospitals and private practices, although there was tremendous variation in the price estimates both within and between the upper-tier academic hospitals and private practices. Routine medical imaging thus appears to be more price transparent compared with other health care services.
Regulation of Aspartokinase Activity in Non-Fermentative, Marine Eubacteria

Cell-free extracts of gram-negative, non-fermentative, marine eubacteria were assayed for aspartokinase activity. The organisms tested included polarly flagellated species and groups which had GC contents in their DNAs of 46 to 64 moles % (Alteromonas, Pseudomonas) as well as species which had peritrichous flagellation and moles % GC contents of 53 to 68 (Alcaligenes). The results of these studies suggested that in all the strains tested, aspartokinase activity was catalyzed by a single enzyme. On the basis of the effect ofl-threonine,l-lysine,l-methionine, andl-isoleucine on activity, five different types of aspartokinases (designated I through V) were delineated. In aspartokinase types I through IV,l-threonine andl-lysine inhibited activity by means of a concerted feedback inhibition; in type V, activity was inhibited byl-threonine but unaffected byl-lysine. In types I, III, and IV,l-threonine andl-lysine alone were inhibitory, while in type II these effectors had virtually no effect on activity when tested singly. Three distinct responses were observed in the presence of two other end products of the aspartate pathway,l-methionine andl-isoleucine. In types I and II, these two amino acids usually stimulated activity and overcame the inhibition byl-threonine andl-lysine; in types IV and V,l-methionine andl-isoleucine had no effect; and in type III these amino acids inhibited activity. The results of this study indicate that the aspartokinases of a number of species and groups of marine bacteria have similarities and differences which should be of use in making future taxonomic groupings.
Surface-structure transformations and advertising slogans: The case for moderate syntactic complexity

Since its introduction in 1957, Noam Chomsky's theory of transformational grammar has been the subject of much psycholinguistic research. Through several metamorphoses, the theory has remained controversial as to whether it represents how the mind actually processes language. Psycholinguists have studied this area over several decades. Syntactic structure has been studied in terms of recall and effects on reaction time to secondary tasks, but little is known about syntactic structure and attitude formation. Advertising researchers have looked at the effects of many types of complexity (e.g., semantic and visual), but few have investigated the effects of syntactic complexity on attitude formation. This study used a within-subjects experiment to examine how surface-structure transformations affected readers' comprehension, recognition, recall, and attitudes toward slogans. As expected, syntactic complexity did not affect the comprehension of advertising slogans, but simple-syntax versions—especially the active voice—showed an advantage in recognition. Slogans with moderate syntactic complexity showed a significant positive effect on free morphemic recall and attitude toward the advertisement, but a high degree of syntactic manipulations resulted in significantly lower free morphemic recall and attitudes toward the ad, suggesting a possible curvilinear relationship. These findings and implications for advertising professionals and educators are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC RAYLEIGH--TAYLOR BULK INSTABILITY.

A stability criterion is found for an initially static, stratified fluid subject to an electric stress. The equilibrium fluid density, permittivity, viscosity, and space charge distributions are functions of the vertical spatial coordinate, with gradients directed parallel to the imposed electric field intensity and gravitational acceleration. In the limit where the fluid is perfectly insulating, sufficient conditions for stability are found; the principle of exchange of stabilities is shown, and variational principles derived for the eigenfrequencies and, in the case of no space charge, for the critical field strength. An experiment demonstrates instability in the dielectrophoretic limit of no bulk free charge. The property gradients are induced thermally, and incipience of instability, as measured by the Schmidt‐Milverton heat‐transfer technique, is successfully predicted by the theoretical criterion.
The Development of a New-type Atmosphere Visibility Meter

A new type of direct transmission visibility measuring device is developed. The device can obtain the visibility by measuring the atmosphere transmittance ratio of laser beam in sampling space. The measuring principle and the design scheme of the device are described. The measuring comparison experiments of this device and the reference transmittance meter are carried out. The experiment results verify the correction of test theory and technique scheme. The relative measurement error is under 20% within the test range of 10 km.
Government policy and the development and use of biopesticides

Abstract Biopesticides developed and used in the future will emerge against the backdrop of the environmental effects associated with the use of conventional pesticides and government policies designed to control these effects. In the final analysis, farmers' choices on pesticides will be influenced by the prevailing costs and benefits of conventional pesticides and their alternatives including biopesticides. The outlook for pesticide use is complicated, though some directions can be perceived. There are a number of factors that will serve potentially to impact pesticide use which in turn will affect the development of biopesticides. These include pesticide regulation, the FAIR Act, the crops planted, the management of ecologically-based systems, and consumer demand for `green' products.
Bile acid structure and bile formation in the guinea pig

The effects of intravenous infusions (1-4 mumol/min/kg) of 14 bile acids, cholic, deoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic, dehydrocholic, and their glycine and taurine conjugates, on bile flow and composition and on the biliary permeation of inert carbohydrates have been studied in the guinea pig bile fistula. Hydroxy bile acids were eliminated in bile without major transformation, except for conjugation (over 90%) when unconjugated bile acids were infused. During infusion of dehydrocholate and taurodehydrocholate, 77-100% of the administered dose was recovered in bile as 3-hydroxy bile acids, thus indicating that reduction of the keto group in position 3 was virtually complete. All bile acids produced choleresis at the doses employed: the strongest choleretic was deoxycholate (81.78 microliters/mumol), the weakest was taurodehydrocholate (10.2 microliters/mumol). Choleretic activity was directly and linearly related to bile acid hydrophobicity, as inferred by HPLC, both for similarly conjugated bile acids, and for bile acids having the same number, position, or configuration of the hydroxyl groups. In all instances, the rank ordering was: deoxycholate greater than chenodeoxycholate greater than cholate greater than ursodeoxycholate. During choleresis produced by any of the bile acids tested, bicarbonate concentration in bile slightly declined, but the calculated concentration in bile-acid-stimulated bile (45-57 mmol/l) was always higher than that measured in plasma (23-26 mmol/l). Biliary concentrations of cholesterol (20-68 mumol/l) and phospholipid (14-63 mumol/l) were very low during spontaneous secretion, and declined even further following bile acid choleresis. None of the infused bile acids consistently modified biliary excretion of cholesterol and phospholipid. Consistent with a previous observation from this laboratory, all hydroxy bile acids reversibly diminished [14C]erythritol and [14C]mannitol biliary entry during choleresis, while they increased or failed to modify that of [3H]sucrose and [3H]inulin. The rank ordering for the inhibitory effect on [14C]erythritol and [14C]mannitol permeation was: 3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy greater than 3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy greater than 3 alpha,7 beta-dihydroxy greater than 3 alpha,12 alpha-dihydroxy bile acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Density effects of flowering phenology and mating potential in Nicotiana alata.

We investigated effects of plant density on floral phenology and potential mating in artificial populations of the outcrossing ornamental Nicotiana alata planted at three densities. Path analysis revealed that increasing plant density yielded significantly earlier peak flowering dates, significantly earlier last flowering dates, and significantly lower plant biomass. Direct effects of density on final flower number were not significant. Variation among replicate plots for first date of flowering was larger than variation among densities, indicating that factors other than density influence floral initiation.
Enhancement of transport from drops by steady and modulated electric fields

We consider the problem of transport of heat or mass from circulating droplets that are both settling and subject to an axial electric field. The electric field can be either steady or oscillatory in time and drives an electrohydrodynamic flow, called the Taylor circulation, which augments the Hadamard circulation caused by steady translation. The problem is governed by four dimensionless groups: the Peclet number Pe, the dimensionless amplitudes of both the steady and unsteady electric field, and the dimensionless frequency ω of the modulation. The convective diffusion equation is solved numerically by an efficient finite-difference scheme that allows a wide range of parameters—in particular, very large Peclet numbers—to be covered. The results are characterized by the asymptotic rate of extraction of heat or mass from the droplet, which is found to be exponential in time. The enhancement factor, defined as the ratio of this rate to that of a stagnant drop, is studied as a function of parameters. For steady drops, we find that transport remains diffusion controlled, but the enhancement factor is significantly higher with the Taylor flow than without. For modulated electric field the enhancement factor is not a simple function of parameters and exhibits spectral “resonant peaks” at particular values of ω for which the enhancement factor is extremely large. Movies of the simulations are used to study the underlying time-periodic spatial structures of the concentration field (so-called strange eigenmodes) and the complex time dependence that is responsible for these resonances.
Spatializing Globalization: A “Geography of Quality” in the Seafood Industry

The sociospatial structure of global industries may be characterized by difference and plurality as much as by the coordination of practices over space. One important factor that shapes these dynamics in contemporary food industries is the quality of products. Challenging recent perspectives that define quality as an alternative to global, industrial forms of production, this analysis finds that quality is also important for industrial food production and for the global geography of the surimi seafood industry. Surimi, a fish paste used in a wide assortment of products, such as fish cakes and imitation crab, was once exclusively Japanese. Now, this industry is global in scope, with production and consumption encompassing sites across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Interactions among types of products, market differences, processing strategies, and the characteristics of fish form fluid definitions of product quality that shape patterns of supply and demand within the global industry. Terming these spatial interactions a "geography of quality," this article shows that differences in how quality is constructed influence the development of dynamic transnational trade patterns and new regional, industries in each market. This changing geography of quality provides insight into the creation and maintenance of a geographically differentiated yet still global-scale industry. The geography of quality in this industry is such that relative dis-integration between different commodity chains characterizes the movement toward global-scale production and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Brief communication: How much larger is the relative volume of area 10 of the prefrontal cortex in humans?

It has long been thought that the prefrontal cerebral cortex has been greatly expanded in the human brain. Semendeferi et al. ([2001] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 114:224-241) showed that Brodmann's area 10 is relatively larger in the human compared to pongid brains. The question is: how much larger relatively is it? Using their data, it can be shown that the relative increase for human prefrontal area 10 is only 6% larger. Looking at the data base of neural structures provided by Stephan et al. ([1981] Folia Primatol. (Basel) 35:1-29), it is apparent that 6% is a relatively low residual value from a predicted value based on allometric considerations between total brain weight and any given neural structure. When this small increase is combined with their earlier findings on area 13 of prefrontal cortex (Semendeferi et al. [1997] J. Hum. Evol. 32:375-388), it appears that the prefrontal cortex in humans is not some 200% larger as claimed by some researchers (Deacon [1997] Symbolic Species, New York: W.W. Norton; cf. Holloway [1998] Am Sci 86:184-186), and that the findings of Semendeferi et al. ([2001] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 114:224-241) are in agreement with the earlier work (Semendeferi and Damasio [2000] J. Hum. Evol. 38:317-332; Semendeferi et al. [1997] J. Hum. Evol. 32:375-388), showing that the human frontal lobe volume is what would be expected for a primate of its brain size. While the prefrontal cortex may have increased relatively in Homo sapiens, the increase is likely to have been far less than currently believed.