cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen diffusion in ? lattice: a trapping diffusion process

X-ray diffraction, thermoconductivity and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments have been carried out in order to study the diffusion mechanism of N atoms in the lattice. These experiments reveal that a small number of N atoms which enter the lattice, but do not occupy the octahedral interstitial sites, are mobile at the nitrogenation temperature, while most of the N atoms, which enter the octahedral sites, are immobilized. Based on the characteristics of nitrogenation observed in (were R is the rare-earth element) systems, a tripping diffusion model has been proposed and discussed in detail. The previously proposed free diffusion model is the high-temperature approximation of the trapping diffusion model. The experiments and theoretical analysis show that it is the N - lattice interaction, instead of N - N interaction, that leads to the formation of the observed nitrided - unnitrided configuration, causes a tremendous decrease of the apparent diffusion frequency factor and is responsible for the N uptake stability and irreversibility. Also, this work shows how the N - lattice interaction affects the N uptake in various nitrogenation conditions.
A Model for Bright Extreme-Ultraviolet Knots in Solar Flare Loops

EUV observations often indicate the presence of bright knots in flare loops. The temperature of the knot plasma is of the order of 1 MK, and the knots themselves are usually localized somewhere near the loop tops. We propose a model in which the formation of EUV knots is due to the spatial structure of the nonflare active region heating. We present the results of a series of one-dimensional hydrodynamic, flare-loop simulations, which include both an impulsive flare heating and a background, active region heating. The simulations demonstrate that the formation of the observed knots depends critically on the spatial distribution of the background heating during the decay phase. In particular, the heating must be localized far from the loop apex and have a magnitude comparable to the local radiative losses of the cooling loop. Our results, therefore, provide strong constraints on both coronal heating and postflare conditions.
Poly-3- and 4-Hydroxymethylbenzoates: Future Engineering/Fiber “Plastics”?

Abstract Engineering plastics are predicted to have increased growth in the years ahead [1]. Aromatic polyesters are employed primarily as engineering plastics [2a]. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (Dacron, Terylene) is an aromatic polyester used as both fiber and plastic, and p l y (1,4-dihydroxymethylcyclohexylterephthalate) (Kodel) is used as a textile fiber [2a]. Polyesters prepared from phenolic monomers are commonly called polyarylates, a term coined by Soviet workers [2b, 3]. Poly-4-hydroxybenzoate (1) (trade name, Ekonol) is commercially the most important polymer of this type. It has excellent thermal stability, the highest reported stiffness, thermal conductivity, electrical insulating character, and solvent resistance of any available polymer [4], very good friction and wear properties [5], high elastic modulus [4], and has found use as an additive to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) [5]. It has been synthesized by polymerization ofp-hydroxybenzoic acid (Eq. 1) [6], alcoholysis of the phenyl ester (...
Diffuse interactions between two herbivores and constraints on the evolution of resistance in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense

Interactions between plants and herbivores are considered “diffuse” if the ecological interactions between two species, or their evolutionary responses, differ depending on the presence of a third species. I looked for evidence of diffuse interactions among horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) and two common herbivores. Plants experimentally protected from lace bugs (Gargaphia solani) were twice as susceptible to attack from flea beetles (Epitrix fuscula) once transplanted into the field. Thus, the selective benefit to horsenettle of resistance against lace bugs in nature would likely be diminished by increased attack from flea beetles. Moreover, the relative rank among horsenettle genotypes for resistance against flea beetles was changed by prior exposure to lace bugs. Thus, the genetic expression of resistance to flea beetles would depend on the “lace bug environment.” By affecting selective pressures or response to selection, these sorts of diffuse interactions in a plant-herbivore community can slow the host plant’s evolution of resistance to its herbivores.
Dust metal loadings and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We evaluated the relationship between the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the levels of metals in carpet dust. A dust sample was collected from the homes of 142 ALL cases and 187 controls participating in the California Childhood Leukemia Study using a high volume small surface sampler (2001-2006). Samples were analyzed using microwave-assisted acid digestion in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Eight metals were detected in at least 85% of the case and control homes; tungsten was detected in <15% of homes. Relationships between dust metal loadings (μg metal per m(2) carpet) and ALL risk were modeled using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for the child's age, sex, and race/ethnicity and confounders, including household annual income. A doubling of dust metal loadings was not associated with significant changes in ALL risk (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): arsenic: 0.96 (0.86, 1.07), cadmium: 0.92 (0.81, 1.05), chromium: 1.01 (0.90, 1.14), copper: 0.97 (0.91, 1.03), lead: 1.01 (0.93, 1.10), nickel: 0.95 (0.82, 1.09), tin: 0.96 (0.86, 1.08), and zinc: 0.94 (0.84, 1.05)). Our findings do not support the hypothesis that metals in carpet dust are risk factors for childhood ALL.
Goal-seeking neural net for recall and recognition

Neural networks have been used to mimic cognitive processes which take place in animal brains. The learning capability inherent in neural networks makes them suitable candidates for adaptive tasks such as recall and recognition. The synaptic reinforcements create a proper condition for adaptation, which results in memorization, formation of perception, and higher order information processing activities. In this research a model of a goal seeking neural network is studied and the operation of the network with regard to recall and recognition is analyzed. In these analyses recall is defined as retrieval of stored information where little or no matching is involved. On the other hand recognition is recall with matching; therefore it involves memorizing a piece of information with complete presentation. This research takes the generalized view of reinforcement in which all the signals are potential reinforcers. The neuronal response is considered to be the source of the reinforcement. This local approach to adaptation leads to the goal seeking nature of the neurons as network components. In the proposed model all the synaptic strengths are reinforced in parallel while the reinforcement among the layers is done in a distributed fashion and pipeline mode from the last layer inward. A model of complex neuron with varying threshold is developed to account for inhibitory and excitatory behavior of real neuron. A goal seeking model of a neural network is presented. This network is utilized to perform recall and recognition tasks. The performance of the model with regard to the assigned tasks is presented.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Embryoscopic demonstration of hemorrhagic lesions on the human embryo after placental trauma

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate embryoscopically the effect of placental trauma on the human embryo. STUDY DESIGN: Patients undergoing elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy underwent transcervical embryoscopy both before and after chorionic villus sampling. If hemorrhagic lesions were not observed on the fetus after chorionic villus sampling, partial placental detachment was performed with a blunt instrument, and the fetus was again observed. RESULTS: Hemorrhagic lesions were observed in 20 of 43 fetuses. In 13 of them, the lesions occurred after placental trauma with the chorionic villus sampling catheter alone (30%), whereas lesions were observed in the remaining seven patients after additional blunt placental disruption. The lesions were located most frequently on the cephalic region, and they grew in size during the observation period. Gestational age or amount of chorionic villus sampling tissue was not different between fetuses with or without lesions. CONCLUSION: Placental trauma results in embryoscopically demonstrable hemorrhagic lesions on the human embryo. Whereas some of these lesions may be of no consequence, others may lead to permanent changes. If similar lesions occur in deeper tissues, they could cause disruptions in development and conceivably could be related to anomalies reported in infants born to women who have had chorionic villus sampling procedures. Embryoscopy affords the opportunity to study possible mechanisms involved in the occurrence of anomalies.
Descent of mammalian alpha globin chain sequences investigated by the maximum parsimony method.

Twenty-four alpha globin chain sequences were analyzed for degrees of mutational change during the descent of therian mammals. A new iterative computer procedure is described for constructing trees which depict plausible phylogenetic relationships for homologous polypeptide chains of different species. The procedure uses a least-squares coefficient defined on a network topology to search for that topology in which the mutation distance between two species most closely approximates the sum of mutation lengths for the link path connecting the two species. Next, a method, based on three theorems, is described for constructing maximum parsimony ancestral codon residues, i.e. residues which minimize mutational change over the network. Using this maximum parsimony method, a number of topologies of alpha chain sequences were analyzed. The findings suggest that during the initial radiation of eutherian mammals alpha globin genes evolved more rapidly than later in mammalian phylogeny, with the slowing rate of change being more apparent in higher primates than in other mammals.
The monocular vertical prism dissociation test.

Abstract Purpose To determine if the monocular vertical prism dissociation test can differentiate between organic and nonorganic visual loss. Design A prospective, single-masked observational study. Methods Three institutional neuro-ophthalmology practices. Group 1 consisted of 30 normal controls. Group 2 included 30 patients with known organic visual loss. Group 3 contained 35 patients with suspected nonorganic monocular visual loss. Participants were asked to describe what they saw while viewing a single Snellen letter when a 4-prism diopter base-down prism was placed in front of their better eye. Outcome was measured by whether the participant sees one or two letters with the prism in place. Results Vision-appropriate results were given by all members of Group 1 (two images) and by all members of Group 2 (one image). Two images were seen by 31 of 35 members of Group 3, indicating nonorganic visual loss. The other 4 subjects in Group 3 saw one image; each was subsequently found to have occult pathology. Conclusion The vertical prism test quickly differentiates organic from nonorganic monocular visual acuity loss.
A Review of Medical School Programs That Train Medical Students as Teachers (MED-SATS)

Background: Medical students represent medicine's future teachers. The objective of this literature review was to identify programs teaching medical students how to teach (MED-SATS). Summary: Electronic searches were conducted and identified 39 programs (1966–2005). Students have assumed varied teaching roles: group facilitator, standardized patient, tutor, teaching assistant, standardized learner, course director, and peer teacher. Most participants were 4th-year students. The teaching techniques varied: group sessions, lectures, and individual teaching. To evaluate student teaching, programs used checklists, videotape review, group discussion, observation, examination scores, course grades, self-assessment exercises, and follow-up with residency training programs. Conclusions: Reports on how students are trained in medical schools to be teachers are limited. Of the programs identified, it is difficult to determine which programs are ongoing. Data on MED-SATS graduates teaching skills as resident and att...
Locomotor activity responses to ethanol in selectively bred long- and short-sleep mice, two inbred mouse strains, and their F1 hybrids.

Locomotor activity responses to sub-hypnotic doses of ethanol (ETOH) were assessed in selected lines of mice (LS and SS), inbred strains, and their F1 hybrids. Data were obtained as photocell beam interruptions in a 15-min test for a dose range of 0 to 2.75 or 3.5 g/kg for LS and SS mice, respectively. Biphasic dose-response curves were obtained for LS and SS mice with the SS mice showing a sedative limb of the dose-response curve shifted to the right. The effects of 2.0 g/kg ETOH were also assessed in a diallel cross of the selected LS/SS lines and C57BL/6Abg and MOLD/RkAbg inbred strains. The 2.0 g/kg dose produced a wide range of responses, from sedation in C57BL/6Abg mice to extreme activation in SS and MOLD/RkAbg mice, and no effect in LS mice. The responses of F1 hybrids reflected a typical pattern of partial dominance, with heterosis in some crosses. When present, dominance was in the direction of greater locomotor activation. These patterns were confirmed by biometrical genetic analysis of the 4 × 4 diallel cross of the two lines and the two inbred strains. The data indicate that loci in addition to those responsible for selection for sedative sensitivity in LS and SS mice can influence locomotor activation produced by sub-hypnotic ETOH doses, and that SS and MOLD mice show locomotor activation for different genetic reasons.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae 60 S ribosome biogenesis factor Tif6p is regulated by Hrr25p-mediated phosphorylation.

The biosynthesis of 60 S ribosomal subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires Tif6p, the yeast homologue of mammalian eIF6. This protein is necessary for the formation of 60 S ribosomal subunits because it is essential for the processing of 35 S pre-rRNA to the mature 25 S and 5.8 S rRNAs. In the present work, using molecular genetic and biochemical analyses, we show that Hrr25p, an isoform of yeast casein kinase I, phosphorylates Tif6p both in vitro and in vivo. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping of in vitro phosphorylated Tif6p by Hrr25p and 32P-labeled Tif6p isolated from yeast cells followed by mass spectrometric analysis revealed that phosphorylation occurred on a single tryptic peptide at Ser-174. Sucrose gradient fractionation and coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that a small but significant fraction of Hrr25p is bound to 66 S preribosomal particles that also contain bound Tif6p. Depletion of Hrr25p from a conditional yeast mutant that fails to phosphorylate Tif6p was unable to process pre-rRNAs efficiently, resulting in significant reduction in the formation of 25 S rRNA. These results along with our previous observations that phosphorylatable Ser-174 is required for yeast cell growth and viability, suggest that Hrr25p-mediated phosphorylation of Tif6p plays a critical role in the biogenesis of 60 S ribosomal subunits in yeast cells.
Correlations of performance for activated sludge using multiple regression with autocorrelation

Abstract A method is developed to correlate activated sludge response variables, such as SVI, effluent volatile suspended solids or effluent BOD, with state variables such as F/M ratio, influent BOD, dynamic sludge age, etc. The method is based on multiple linear regression with autocorrelated errors. The method was applied to three data sets from two full-scale activated sludge plants; one a regional municipal utility, the other an industrial facility. Highly statistically significant models were found which could explain 65–82% of the variability in effluent total oxygen demand, 22–60% in effluent volatile suspended solids and 48–88% in sludge volume index. It was only necessary to model up to second order lags. The models were tested for bias using different data sets and produced correlation coefficients between predicted and observed values as high as 0.96. These results show that useful predictive relationships can be developed for full-scale activated sludge processes. The methods could be used to develop a range of automatic process control schemes.
Blue single photon emission from a single InGaN/GaN quantum dot in nanowire up to 200K

Short wavelength single photon sources are useful for quantum optical devices, in particular for applications such as free space quantum cryptography. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have proven to be ideal for the generation of single photons and single photon sources have been demonstrated with InAs, InP, ZnSe and GaN quantum dots at temperatures ranging from 4K to 300K.1–4 GaN nanowires with InGaN disks inserted in them have been successfully grown on (001) and (111) Si by us and other groups.5–7 By shrinking the diameter of these nanowires to 15–20nm, the disks electronically behave like quantum dots. The optical emission from the InGaN dots can be varied over a wide range of the visible spectrum by varying the In composition. We report here, single photon emission at λ=403nm (blue) from a single InGaN dot in a GaN nanowire at 200K.
The effects of a hardiness educational intervention on hardiness and perceived stress of junior baccalaureate nursing students

Summary Baccalaureate nursing education is stressful. The stress encompasses a range of academic, personal, clinical, and social reasons. A hardiness educational program, a tool for stress management, based on theory, research, and practice, exists to enhance the attitudes and coping strategies of hardiness (Maddi, 2007; Maddi et al., 2002). Research has shown that students who completed the hardiness educational program, subsequently improved in grade point average (GPA), college retention rates, and health (Maddi et al., 2002). Little research has been done to explore the effects of hardiness education with junior baccalaureate nursing students. Early identification of hardiness, the need for hardiness education, or stress management in this population may influence persistence in and completion of a nursing program (Hensel and Stoelting-Gettelfinger, 2011). Therefore, the aims were to determine if an increase in hardiness and a decrease in perceived stress in junior baccalaureate nursing students occurred in those who participated in a hardiness intervention. The application of the Hardiness Model and the Roy Adaptation Model established connections and conceptual collaboration among stress, stimuli, adaptation, and hardi-coping. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group with pre-test and post-test was used with a convenience sample of full-time junior level baccalaureate nursing students. Data were collected from August 2011 to December 2011. Results of statistical analyses by paired t-tests revealed that the hardiness intervention did not have a statistically significant effect on increasing hardiness scores. The hardiness intervention did have a statistically significant effect on decreasing perceived stress scores. The significant decrease in perceived stress was congruent with the Hardiness Model and the Roy Adaptation Model. Further hardiness research among junior baccalaureate nursing students, utilizing the entire hardiness intervention, was recommended.
Effects of obesity on lipid profiles in neutered male and female cats.

Objective—To examine whether obese cats, compared with lean cats, have alterations in lipoprotein metabolism that might lead to a decrease in glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. Animals—10 lean and 10 obese adults cats (5 neutered males and 5 neutered females each). Procedure—Intravenous glucose tolerance tests with measurements of serum glucose, insulin, and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations were performed. Lipoprotein fractions were examined in serum by isopycnic density gradient ultracentrifugation. Results—Obese cats had insulin resistance. Plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were significantly increased in obese cats, compared with lean cats. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations were increased in obese cats, compared with lean cats; however, the composition of various fractions remained unchanged between obese and lean cats, indicating greater synthesis and catabolism of VLDL in obese cats. Serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations...
Filamentary AC electroluminescence in ZnS:Mn

Steady state and switching behavior of single luminescence filaments in a-BaTiO3/ZnS:Mn/a-BaTiO3 ac thin film electroluminescence devices have been studied. The brightness-voltage amplitude hysteresis, or memory effect, of these devices results from the ensemble behavior of luminescing filaments that are bistable in their luminescence level. A trap depth of 1-1.2eV is estimated on the assumption that the voltage threshold for luminescence involves electric field emission from traps. The temperature dependence of electroluminescence near the threshold voltage is investigated.
Heterodyne frequency measurements on N2O between 1257 and 1340 cm−1

Abstract Frequency measurements are given for the 00 0 1-00 0 0 and 01 1 1-01 1 0 bands of N 2 O from 1257 to 1340 cm −1 . The measurements utilize heterodyne techniques by measuring small frequency differences between a tunable diode laser locked to the center of an N 2 O absorption line and harmonic combinations of frequencies of radiation from two CO 2 Lamb-dip-stabilized lasers. The measurements are facilitated by the use of the CO laser as a transfer laser whose frequency is also measured. These measurements have been combined with other data to provide new band constants and frequency calibration tables for several band systems of N 2 O in the following regions; 1215 to 1340, 1816 to 1930, and 2135 to 2268 cm −1 . A correction factor is also provided for existing calibration tables near 590 cm −1 .
Differential Production of Estradiol by Subpopulations of Porcine Granulosa Cells

Investigation of regulation of estradiol production by porcine granulosa cells is hindered by lack of a culture system that consistently produces estradiol for extended periods. Granulosa cells that are characterized by their strong attachment to each other (TB-cells) were compared to cells that lack such attachments (WA-cells) for their responses to FSH, LH, and EGF in androstenedione supplemented medium. TB-cells were separated from WA-cells by filtration and were predominantly aggregates that had a smooth contour on one side of the aggregate. After enzymatic disruption, TB-cells had greater estradiol production than WA-cells when cultured initially, and they maintained this advantage through day 8 when stimulated with FSH or LH. Progesterone production was greater for TB- than WA-cells during initial culture, but by day 8 FSH and LH stimulated progesterone production was similar for these two subpopulations. EGF increased DNA concentrations and decreased production of estradiol and progesterone by similar amounts for each cell type. When TB-and WA-cells were cultured together, estradiol, but not progesterone, production was reduced disproportionately. This indicates that WA-cells or some component of these pools of cells interact with TB-cells to reduce estradiol production. We conclude that TB-cells are primarily from the mural layers within the follicle and are more differentiated at time of collection. The means through which TB-cells sustain FSH stimulated estradiol production in culture and why WA-cells fail to achieve this level of production are unknown.
Excited state properties of peridinin: Observation of a solvent dependence of the lowest excited singlet state lifetime and spectral behavior unique among carotenoids

The spectroscopic properties and dynamic behavior of peridinin in several different solvents were studied by steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and transient optical spectroscopy. The lifetime of the lowest excited singlet state of peridinin is found to be strongly dependent on solvent polarity and ranges from 7 ps in the strongly polar solvent trifluoroethanol to 172 ps in the nonpolar solvents cyclohexane and benzene. The lifetimes show no obvious correlation with solvent polarizability, and hydrogen bonding of the solvent molecules to peridinin is not an important factor in determining the dynamic behavior of the lowest excited singlet state. The wavelengths of emission maxima, the quantum yields of fluorescence, and the transient absorption spectra are also affected by the solvent environment. A model consistent with the data and supported by preliminary semiempirical calculations invokes the presence of a charge transfer state in the excited state manifold of peridinin to account for the observat...
Why some cells are "more equal" than others?

In this issue of Blood , Chung and colleagues reported that undifferentiated hematopoietic cells are characterized by a genome-wide undermethylation dip around the transcription start site and a hierarchical epigenetic plasticity. Every somatic cell with the exception of B and T lymphocytes, which
Absolute Photoionization Cross-Section of the Methyl Radical†

The absolute photoionization cross-section of the methyl radical has been measured using two completely independent methods. The CH3 photoionization cross-section was determined relative to that of acetone and methyl vinyl ketone at photon energies of 10.2 and 11.0 eV by using a pulsed laser-photolysis/time-resolved synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry method. The time-resolved depletion of the acetone or methyl vinyl ketone precursor and the production of methyl radicals following 193 nm photolysis are monitored simultaneously by using time-resolved synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry. Comparison of the initial methyl signal with the decrease in precursor signal, in combination with previously measured absolute photoionization cross-sections of the precursors, yields the absolute photoionization cross-section of the methyl radical; σCH3(10.2 eV) = (5.7 ± 0.9) × 10−18 cm2 and σCH3(11.0 eV) = (6.0 ± 2.0) × 10−18 cm2. The photoionization cross-section for vinyl radical determined by photo...
Modulation of bovine papillomavirus DNA replication by phosphorylation of the viral E1 protein.

Abstract E1 is the DNA replication origin recognition protein for bovine papillomavirus (BPV), and it carries out enzymatic functions required for initiation of viral DNA replication. Cellular mechanisms likely play a role in regulating BPV DNA replication. We are investigating the role of phosphorylation of E1 on viral replication in vivo and on E1 activity in vitro. Serine 109 is a phosphoacceptor in vivo and is targeted by protein kinase A and protein kinase C in vitro. A viral genome carrying a serine 109 to alanine mutation replicates more efficiently than wild-type in vivo in a transient replication assay. Furthermore, purified mutant protein, while having wild-type levels of ATPase activity, is able to bind more origin-containing DNA than wild-type E1. Phosphorylation therefore appears to play a selective role in modulating a specific E1 function during viral DNA replication.
Specific and sensitive quantitation of transforming growth factor β3 by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Abstract Transforming growth factors beta (TGF-β) consist of a highly homologous family of 25 kDa dimers involved in a diverse array of biological functions. Progress in understanding the biology of the third isoform (TGF-β3) of this family has been limited by the absence of a quantitative assay for TGF-β3. Here we report the development of a sensitive and specific sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SELISA), which is based on an anti-TGF-β mouse monoclonal IgG as the capture antibody and chicken anti-recombinant-hTGF-β3 IgY as the secondary antibody. This assay can quantitate TGF-β3 in complex biological fluids, with a detection limit of 2 pg and no cross-reactivity or inteference with as high as 1000-fold molar excesses of either TGF-βs 1, 2 or 1.2. This TGF-β3 SELISA is the first reported assay for the direct and sensitive quantitation of TGF-β3 in complex biological fluids.
Indoor wireless infrared channel characterization by measurements

Use of infrared light for indoor wireless communications has received considerable attention recently. We present results obtained from a large set of measurements performed at the University of Ottawa. We investigate impacts of receiver rotation and shadowing on the properties of indoor infrared channels. This paper contains a description of a measurement system developed and used throughout the experiments. Measurement results are used to find and present methods to estimate variations of channel path loss for small changes in the receiver direction, using statistical techniques. This would be useful for generating samples of channel path loss for system performance simulations and modulation analysis. Using the measurement results, it is shown that variations of channel path loss are smooth and a simple curve-fitting algorithm can be used to accurately interpolate intermediate values. It is also shown that for a receiver changing its elevation angle from 0/spl deg/ to 180/spl deg/, five points along the entire path are sufficient to predict variation of channel path loss for the entire rotation range. The results also demonstrate a correlation between the channel delay spread and channel path loss for both diffuse and line-of-sight configurations. A simple formula can provide an estimate of channel delay spread for a known path loss of a given configuration. It is demonstrated that variations of channel path loss for small changes of receiver rotation can be described by a gamma distribution. This enables generation of samples of channel path loss under general conditions for system-level simulation algorithms. Measurements have also been performed to investigate effects of shadowing on indoor infrared channel characteristics. Some important parameters that specify the impact of shadowing on the channel characteristics are included in the measurement plans. Variations of channel path loss due to shadowing and due to these parameters are investigated and detailed results are reported. It is shown that shadowing affects the channel delay spread. For the measured shadowing results, it is shown that channel path loss and delay spread are correlated and their relationship is provided.
Challenging the “Asian Pacific American” Rubric: Social Constructions of Ethnic Identity Among Samoan Youth in Hawaii

ABSTRACT In recent years, a number of Asian American scholars have attempted to incorporate Pacifititle Islanders into the Asian American rubric by coining the term “Asian Pacific American.” Using qualitative interview data, this paper suggests that by including Pacific Islanders into Asian American Studies, Asian American scholars have glossed over unique concerns pertinent to Pacific Islander communities. Specifically, this paper examines the identity constructions of Samoan adolescents that serve to perpetuate marginalization in the population, in order to illustrate the distinct differences between Pacific Island and Asian American youth. The article recommends that Pacific Islander communities be referenced independently under a more appropriate rubric identified by the population itself.
A University/Corporate Solution to Closing the Executive Development Gap

Management development programmes often do not capture senior managers and executives as attendees, leading to a developmental gap among organizational leaders. Even when the need is obvious, training and development managers can seldom require executive attendance. Issues of status, time, perceived importance, and other barriers often leave top management outside the developmental loop. Addresses an ongoing, university/corporate partnership which provides targeted development opportunities for top management in a way which bypasses many typical barriers and partially closes the senior‐management development gap.
Ecological ranking of Phanerozoic biodiversity crises: ecological and taxonomic severities are decoupled

Abstract The past two decades have seen extensive analyses of the taxonomic severity of major biodiversity crises in geologic time. In contrast, we propose here an alternative analysis of the ecological severity of biodiversity crises. It is clear that the ecological impacts of the five Phanerozoic biodiversity crises were not all the same. Ranking the five Phanerozoic biodiversity crises by ecological severity reveals that the taxonomic and ecological severities of the events are decoupled. The most striking example of the decoupling is the end-Cretaceous biodiversity crisis, which is the least severe in terms of taxonomic diversity loss yet is ecologically the second most severe event in the entire Phanerozoic. A second striking example is the end-Ordovician biodiversity crisis: the environmental degradation produced by the end-Ordovician glaciations precipitated a major loss of marine diversity, yet the extinction failed to eliminate any key taxa or evolutionary traits, and was of minimal ecological impact. We suggest that the decoupled severities indicates that the ecological importance of component species in an ecosystem is at least as important as species diversity in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem and that this ecological phenomenon operates on geological timescales. The selective elimination of dominant and/or keystone taxa that occurs in the ecologically most devastating biodiversity crises indicates that a strategy emphasizing the preservation of taxa with high ecological value is necessary to mitigate the ecological effects of the current ongoing loss of global biodiversity.
One stop high performance computing user support at SNL

To improve the quality of user support for scientific, engineering, and high performance computing customers, the HPC OneStop Team unified the customer support activities of ten separate groups at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). To our user communities, this team has been successful in providing a single, “one stop” interface for all engineering and scientific computing support, for everything from scientific applications on workstations, through small cluster operations, to large problems on the largest capability systems. To the service providers, HPC OneStop has promoted synergies, reduced redundancy of ticketing tools, and improved the capabilities for sharing problems and solutions among groups. HPC OneStop successfully accomplished the task of providing a “one stop shop” for our customers by: creating a unified portal for information access, integrating one ticketing tool to help improve collaboration among the various support groups, and developing a tiered HPC support structure focused on the customer.
Time-Dependent Stokes Shift and Its Calculation from Solvent Dielectric Dispersion Data

The time-dependent solvation correlation function (the Stokes shift response function), which describes the solvent response to a sudden change in the charge distribution of a solute molecule, is calculated here directly from experimentally measured dielectric dispersion data, e(ω), of the solvent. In the calculation a reaction field with the dielectric continuum assumption is used. This simple model is applied to the experimental results of Jimenez et al. for photoexcited coumarin and water as a solvent, and encouraging agreement is obtained using the experimental data on e(ω).
Arts Integration and the Success of Disadvantaged Students: A Research Evaluation

Does arts integration contribute to student success for disadvantaged student populations? The introduction to this article compares students’ academic performance and arts education in countries outperforming the United States on the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and makes the argument for using arts integration as a way to teach the Common Core standards and align instruction to the Universal Design for Learning principles. This evaluation of research helps to support the evidence base by examining the quality of studies published between 1995 and 2011 investigating the use of arts integration with disadvantaged student populations, including economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Four hundred fifty-three studies were explored, resulting in the inclusion of forty-four studies in this analysis. Studies were categorized as the following: single art in...
The 16O(3He, n)18Ne double-stripping reaction

The angular distributions of two neutron groups from the reaction 16O(3He, n)18Ne, at E(3He) = 11 MeV, were investigated with a double scatter time-of-flight spectrometer. The data were analysed with Newns' plane wave, double-stripping theory. The transitions to the ground state and first excited state were well fitted with L = 0 and 2, respectively. The corresponding peak cross sections are 21±4 and 11±2 mb/sr. The results are compared with those obtained for the mirror reaction 16O(t, p)18O.
The Relationship of Acculturation and Social Integration to Assaults on Intimate Partners Among Mexican American and Non-Mexican White Students

This study examined the role that Mexican ethnicity, acculturation into Anglo American society, and social integration play in intimate partner violence among a sample of 348 college students. The results indicated that Mexican American ethnicity and acculturation into Anglo American society by Mexican American college students had no relation to intimate partner violence. However, integration into society was associated with a decreased probability of severely assaulting a partner among both Mexican Americans and Non-Mexican Whites. The results support a control theory perspective (social integration) on intimate partner violence.
Innovation, change, and order: Reflections on science and technology in India, China, and the United States

Abstract A comparative analysis of science and technology policies in China, India, and the United States shows striking similarities and sharp contrasts. These differences reveal much about the current problems and likely prospects in each country. This review distills the contributions of 15 distinguished leaders in science and technology who assess national goals and international ambitions. The review covers five themes: education, defense and space, R&D performers, science and technology in the economy, and governmental policies and funding. Other issues include: economic freedom, global competitiveness, energy and the environment, and population and demographic trends. Brief historical highlights provide context for understanding past trends in the present socioeconomic setting.
4D parathyroid CT as the initial localization study for patients with de novo primary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND:Preoperative localization of parathyroid tumors of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is required for minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). Parathyroid four-dimensional computed to ...
MR imaging with a reduced number of encoding steps

Several methods have been used to obtain complete MR images from a reduced set of measured encodes. All of these techniques use some sort of a priori information to complete the incomplete data set. These techniques have had varying degrees of success in a variety of applications: imaging contrast uptake, interventional procedures, spectroscopy, fMRI contrast changes, and routine scans of a given population. In this paper we make three points: First, significant effort has been made toward finding the set of phase encodes that minimizes the expected L2 norm of the encoding error. We show that in experiments many sets of phase encodes come close to attaining the Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) limit. However, second, we show that other image quality metrics result in much more pleasing images that have much better detail than images where the L2 norm is optimized. For this purpose we use best basis algorithms to find a local trigonometric and wavelet packet bases which optimizes several cost functions including the Lp norms and entropy; the L0.25 norm gave the most pleasing results. Lastly, we show that although ringing produced by undersampling cannot be eliminated it can be effectively controlled when the general shape of the object is known. Ringing renders techniques like SLIM impractical. We are able to control ringing by fitting the reconstructed signal to a piecewise monotonic function. The larger peaks are kept and the fast oscillations characteristic of ringing are eliminated. The signal can be pulled out of noise or fast oscillations when the signal energy is only one quarter of the noise energy.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Liposarcoma : Outcome and prognostic factors following conservation surgery and radiation therapy

Purpose : Liposarcoma is among the more common types of soft-tissue sarcoma. This retrospective review was performed to determine the outcome and delineate prognostic factors for this disease when treated by conservation surgery and radiation. Methods and Materials : Between 1964 and 1992, 112 consecutive patients with liposarcoma were treated with conservation surgery and radiotherapy. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to evaluate the outcome with local control, metastatic relapse, and survival as end points, and to delineate independently significant prognostic factors. Results : Preoperative radiation to a mean dose of 50 Gy was used in 36 patients and postoperative radiation to a mean dose of 61 Gy was used in 76 patients. At a median follow-up of 9 years (range 2-25), 34 patients (30%) developed disease progression at some site. Local recurrence developed in 14 patients (13%), and the actuarial local relapse rate was 13% at at years. Metastases developed in 23 patients (21%) with an actuarial metastatic rate of 23% at 10 years. Five-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 79%, 69%, and 61%, respectively. The most important factor influencing outcome-whether local control, metastases, or survival-was tumor histologic subtype. Well-differentiated (15 patients) and myxoid (including round cell) (71 patients) subtypes had a local control rate exceeding 90% at 10 years. No patient with well-differentiated liposarcoma developed metastases. The actuarial metastatic rate for myxoid tumors was 22% at 10 years and was higher for large than small tumors. The pattern of metastases for this variant was atypical with a preponderance of extrapulmonary sites. Pleomorphic liposarcoma (26 patients) was a highly malignant tumor with a high local recurrence rate of 37% and a metastatic rate of 41 % at 10 years. Larger pleomorphic tumors had a significantly higher metastatic rate than smaller ones. These biologic factors were reflected in progressively decreasing 10-year survival rates from 87% for well-differentiated lesions, through 76% for myxoid tumors, to 39% for pleomorphic tumors. Although other factors such as positive resection margins and prior local recurrence were also independently significant determinants of outcome, histology was the overriding factor. Conclusion : Liposarcoma is a highly pleomorphic disease whose outcome is greatly determined by its histologic subtype : so greatly that results reported without histologic stratification are likely meaningless. Conservation surgery and radiation achieve excellent local results and with relatively little metastatic risk for patients with well-differentiated and myxoid liposarcomas. The same treatment strategy appears appropriate for pleomorphic liposarcoma, but with a much smaller expectation of a satisfactory outcome. The development of effective systemic therapy is an important goal for this variant of liposarcoma.
Acid catalyzed isomerization of large ring bicyclic alkenes: a reevaluation of some betweenanene synthetic strategy

Abstract Acid treatment of cis -bicyclo[10.10.0]docos-1(12)-ene (Ib) affords bicyclo[10.10.0]docos-1-ene ( 11 ) as the sole product. Contrary to a previous report, [10.10]betwwenanene (IIb) is not produced under acidic conditions. Attempts to convert cycloalkylidenecycloalkanes and spiro systems to fused ring alkenes by acid treatment were also unsuccessful.
Proximal Hypospadias: Effect of Urethral Plate Mobilization on Release of Chordee

Objective To accurately measure the correction obtained by the release of the skin and dartos fascia and that obtained by mobilization of the urethral plate and resection of the underlying fibrous tissue (according to Koyanagi and Mollard), in the release of chordee. Methods From February 1996 to February 2011, 234 patients underwent surgery for proximal hypospadias by 1 surgeon. Lateral photographs were taken during successive saline erection tests for 205 patients. The first test was performed at the beginning of the operation, the second test after the release of the skin and dartos fascia, the third test after possible mobilization of the urethral plate and resection of the underlying fibrous tissue, and the last test at the end of surgery. Results Preservation of the urethral plate was possible in 191 patients (93%). Analysis of the lateral photographs showed that stripping of the penis resulted in complete correction of all chordee 90°, stripping of the penis was insufficient in 88% of the cases. However, mobilization of the urethral plate with resection of the underlying fibrous tissue resulted in very low correction (10°-20°), although the blood supply to this plate was preserved. Conclusion The results of the present study have shown that correction of the curvature that accompanies proximal hypospadias is obtained mainly by release of the skin and dartos fascia.
RELATIVE POWER OF t TYPE TESTS FOR STATIONARY AND UNIT ROOT PROCESSES

. This paper shows numerically that the lack of power and size distortions of the Dickey-Fuller type tests for unit roots (very well documented in the unit root literature) are similar to and in many situations even smaller than the lack of power and size distortions of the standard Student t tests for stationary roots of an autoregressive model.
Expression of amino acid transporter genes in developmental stages and adult tissues of Antarctic echinoderms

Epithelial cells in the body wall of adult and developmental stages of marine invertebrates absorb dissolved organic material directly from seawater. Despite over a century of study, little is known about the molecular biological mechanisms responsible for this transport process. Previous studies on embryonic and larval Antarctic echinoderms show that amino acid uptake could provide an important supplement of metabolic substrates. In the present study, partial cDNA sequences of 11 putative amino acid transporter genes were isolated from six species of Antarctic echinoderms including the Antarctic sea stars Acodontaster hodgsoni, Diplasterias brucei, Odontaster meridionalis, Odontaster validus, and Perknaster fuscus, and the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri. Conserved domains of cDNA-deduced amino acid sequences characterized these genes as being members of a family of amino acid transporters (solute carrier family 6). Expression of these genes was detected throughout embryonic and larval development of two species that have contrasting developmental modes (A. hodgsoni: lecithotrophic; O. meridionalis: planktotrophic). In all six species studied, the expression of amino acid transporter genes was detected in tube feet and digestive organs of adult animals, demonstrating that members of a single amino acid transporter gene family are expressed during the entire life history of a marine invertebrate. The identification of these genes is an important step toward developing a mechanistic understanding of amino acid transport capacities in Antarctic marine invertebrates.