cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infrared multiple photon absorption in a static electric field

The infrared multiple photon process in the presence of a static electric field has been examined theoretically by employing a classical model. It is found that even a relatively small electric field (in comparison to the electric field of the laser) can significantly increase the fraction of molecules in an ensemble that absorbs energy from the laser. This effect is most prominent at low laser powers. Although these results are for hydrogen fluoride they are in qualitative agreement with recent experiments for CF2HC1.
Purification and properties of a bovine milk lipase.

Abstract A low molecular weight lipase was isolated from clarifier slime. It was precipitated from a water extract of an aceton powder prepared from clarifier slime at 20 to 45% of saturation with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and was purified by ultrafiltration. Final isolation was with Sephadex G-75. Estimated molecular weight was 8,500 for the enzyme which contained 7.6% carbohydrate. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at pH 9.2 and 37C. It hydrolyzed a simple short-chain fatty acid triglyceride faster than long-chain fatty acid triglycerides, but had little specificity for natural oil emulsions. Enzyme activity rapidly decreased at 37C and only 16% of the original activity existed after 5 hr. Storage for 48 hours at 23 and at 4C decreased lipase activity 75 and 23% with complete inactivation after 1hour at 45C.
Self-reported Exposure to Neurotoxic Chemical Combinations in the Gulf War: A Cross-sectional Epidemiologic Study

Objective. —To identify risk factors of factor analysis-derived Gulf War-related syndromes. Design. —A cross-sectional survey. Participants. —A total of 249 Gulf War veterans from the Twenty-fourth Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion. Data Collection. —Participants completed standardized booklets measuring self-reported wartime exposures and present symptoms. Main Outcome Measures. —Associations of factor analysis—derived syndromes with risk factors for chemical interactions that inhibit butyrylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase. Results. —Risk of syndrome 1 ("impaired cognition") was greater in veterans who reported wearing flea collars during the war (5 of 20,25%) than in those who never wore them (7 of 229, 3%; relative risk [RR], 8.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.024.7;P Conclusion. —Some Gulf War veterans may have delayed, chronic neurotoxic syndromes from wartime exposure to combinations of chemicals that inhibit butyrylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase.
Protein Nitration in Cardiovascular Diseases

There is growing evidence that cardiovascular disease is associated with progressive changes in the production of free radicals and radical-derived reactive species. These intermediates react with all major cellular constituents and may serve several physiological and pathophysiological functions. The nitration of protein tyrosine residues has been used as a footprint for in vivo production of radical and nonradical reactive species. Tyrosine nitration may alter protein function and metabolism and therefore, provides for further dysfunctional changes. This review focuses on an appearance of tyrosine nitrated proteins in cardiovascular tissues under different settings of cardiovascular disease. Sources of reactive species, putative mechanisms of protein nitration in vivo, as well as protein nitration under normal physiological conditions, are also described. The goal of this review is to attract more attention to identification of specific proteins, which undergo tyrosine nitration and to study a correlation between their altered function and pathology. Understanding how protein nitration affects disease progression may offer a unique option for design of antioxidant therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular complications. At the same time, protein nitration can be a biological marker of efficiency of antioxidant therapy.
A new method for the calculation of photodissociation cross sections

A time‐independent quantum mechanical approach to the calculation of photodissociation cross sections is developed. The method is based on the use of a discrete variable representation (DVR) and the application of absorbing boundary conditions (ABC). Both total photodissociation cross sections and partial cross sections (hence product state distributions) are obtained using the same basic technique, but the calculation is particularly efficient when only the former quantity is required. The method is applied to the photodissociation of HCl+ for which accurate potential energy curves and dipole moment functions are available, to the photodissociation of ClCN which is a direct process, involving a single excited electronic state, and to the photodissociation of ICN which involves several strongly coupled excited electronic states. The applicability of the suggested scheme to a variety of other field–matter interaction processes is pointed out.
Formal Sequentialization of Distributed Systems via Program Rewriting

Formal sequentialization is introduced as a rewriting process for the reduction of parallelism and internal communication statements of distributed imperative programs. It constructs an equivalence proof in an implicit way, via the application of equivalence laws as rewrite rules, thus generating a chain of equivalent programs. The variety of the possible sequentialization degrees which are attainable is illustrated with an example. The approach is static, thus avoiding the state explosion problem, has an impressive state-vector reduction in many cases, and could be combined, as a model simplification step, with model checking and interactive theorem proving in system verification. Prior grounding results needed in formal sequentialization are overviewed; more specifically, an algorithm for the automatic elimination of communications under the scope of sequential and parallel compositions, elimination laws which the algorithm applies, and a suitable equivalence criterion for the sequentialization process. The main contribution of this work is the extension of these results to encompass the formal elimination of both synchronous communications embedded within a subclass of selection statements, and of non-disjoint synchronous communication pairs. None of these cases has been treated in the literature before, and their solution considerably widens the application domain of formal sequentialization.
Neuronal nicotinic alpha7 receptors modulate early neutrophil infiltration to sites of skin inflammation.

Background A major site of initiation of inflammatory responses upon physical perturbation(s) and infection by invading organisms is the skin. Control of responses in this organ is, in part, modulated by the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) alpha7.
Automated identification of rock boundaries: An application of the Walsh transform to geophysical well-log analysis

A system of orthogonal functions, known as Walsh functions, which assume only the values +1 and −1, are presented as a tool appropriate for the analysis of well-log data. Many of the characteristics of these rectangular waveforms, such as discrete transitions in signal level, make them ideal for processing borehole data. Using the generalized Fourier transform, the basic equations for the Walsh transform and Walsh power spectrum are developed showing how the energy in a given signal is distributed among these rectangular wave components. As a first application of the Walsh transform to logging data, a method of computeraided rock boundary identification is developed and demonstrated on a set of well logs from a continental basalt sequence. This technique provides a fast, simple yet accurate means of dividing well-log data into groups of measurements corresponding to different rock units.
production of antifungal metabolites by the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius strain SMF

An ectomycorrhizal fungus,Pisolithus tinctorius strain SMF, isolated from a basidiocarp removed from the roots of a recently fallen old growth fir in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, was characterized for its in vitro production of antifungal metabolites. On solid mediumP. tinctorius SMF strongly inhibited growth of strains ofFusarium solani, Geotrichum candidum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, andVerticillium dahliae, all species known to be plant pathogens. Evidence from paired colony growth inhibition studies on agar plates indicated that production of antifungal agents byP. tinctorius SMF may be enhanced by close physical contact with other fungi. The antifungal activity ofP. tinctorius SMF was much greater than that of several culture collection strains ofP. tinctorius. The culture collection strains either showed no or very limited activity. The antifungal activity was associated with an apparently inducible metabolism ofP. tinctorius SMF and with the production of darkly colored water soluble phenolic metabolites. Small scale fermentation studies showed that the phenolics are readily producible by submerged culture fermentation. This is the first report of submerged culture production of antifungal metabolites by an ectomycorrhizal fungus.
Tc1-Like Transposable Elements in the Genome of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush).

This study reports on the DNA sequence of a Tc1-like transposable element Tsn1 from lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Tc1-like elements were amplified by PCR using an oligonucleotide primer based on the Tdr1 element of zebrafish. One full-length and two partial-length copies of the transposon were sequenced. In addition, partial Tsn1 elements were recovered from PCR reactions run with primers specific to the 3′ terminus of the 28S rDNA. However, sequence analysis of cloned fragments found that these sequences were not associated with the rDNA cistron. Sequence comparisons indicate that Tsn1 is a type A element common to both salmonid and cyprinid fishes. The consensus sequence of the full-length element (Tsn1) was 1643 nucleotides with long terminal repeats (LTRs) of 225 nucleotides. Tsn1 contains a transposase coding region corresponding to 340 amino acids that includes all of the functional elements of Tc1-like transposons. Southern analysis found a high proportion of the Tsn1 transposons in the lake trout genome to be full-length copies.
Usefulness of preoperative and postoperative Tc-99m (Sn)-pyrophosphate scans in patients with ischemic and valvular heart disease.

To assess the usefulness of myocardial imaging with technetium-99m-stannous pyrophosphate for detecting acute myocardial necrosis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, 66 such patients were studied. Tc-99m (Sn)-pyrophosphate scans were obtained in all patients 3 to 6 days postoperatively and in 45 preoperatively. Electrocardiograms and serum samples for measuring myocardial isoenzyme of creatine kinase (MB CK)* levels were obtained before and serially after cardiac surgery. Seven of the 46 patients undergoing myocardial revascularization had a definite new myocardial infarction as indicated by electrocardiogram and MB CK isoenzyme concentrations, and postoperative pyrophosphate scans were abnormal in all but one. In addition, six of the eight patients with possible myocardial infarction (elevated MB CK levels and persistent ST-T wave depressions) had an abnormal scan postoperatively. Seven of the 20 patients undergoing aortic or mitral valve replacement, or both, had a possible postoperative myocardial infarction by electrocardiogram and MB CK criteria and the myocardial scan was positive in two. All the patients with a normal electrocardiogram and normal MB CK levels had a normal pyrophosphate scan. Preoperative scans were obtained in 22 patients with valvular heart disease and were positive in two with a heavy calcified mitral valve on fluoroscopy and in one with a calcified aortic valve. After valve replacement, the pyrophosphate scan became normal in two patients and remained abnormal in the third patient with electrocardiograms and MB CK levels suggesting acute myocardial infarction. We conclude that the Tc-99m (Sn)-pyrophosphate scan is useful for analyzing the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and that, in conjunction with the electrocardiogram, it permits confirmation or exclusion of that diagnosis. Furthermore, false positive pyrophosphate scans may occur in patients with heavy valve calcifications.
An attempt to correlate non-predicted variations of distribution coefficients with mineral grain internal inhomogeneity using a field example studied near Sudbury, Ontario

This study is an attempt to understand anomalous distribution coefficient values in the light of the fact that many metamorphic minerals are internally inhomogeneous. A number of models are proposed to show how the non-sytematic variation of distribution coefficient values may be produced by partial re-equilibration (and/or reaction) of ions between minerals and which samples would give the values most closely corresponding to those expected from the index minerals. It is suggested that the irregularity of the distribution coefficients is due to chemical variations of the bulk chemistry, both from handspecimen to handspecimen and in different parts of a single handspecimen. Samples from a field area containing the Staurolite-Quartz, Kyanite-Muscovite and Sillimanite-K feldspar subfacies of the Almandine Amphibolite facies, located near Sudbury, Canada, were submitted to mineral separation and analysis as well as electronmicroprobe analysis. Despite the fact that much scatter occurs between distribution coefficients due to partial re-equilibration, the values of Mg and Fe+2 of D biotite/Garnet decrease and Mn and Ca increase recognizably across the area. Generally, the model(s) proposed seem applicable to the field data presented.
Optomechanical study and optimization of cantilever plate dynamics

Optimum dynamic characteristics of an aluminum cantilever plate containing holes of different sizes and located at arbitrary positions on the plate are studied computationally and experimentally. The objective function of this optimization is the minimization/maximization of the natural frequencies of the plate in terms of such design variable s as the sizes and locations of the holes. The optimization process is performed using the finite element method and mathematical programming techniques in order to obtain the natural frequencies and the optimum conditions of the plate, respectively. The modal behavior of the resultant optimal plate layout is studied experimentally through the use of holographic interferometry techniques. Comparisons of the computational and experimental results show that good agreement between theory and test is obtained. The comparisons also show that the combined, or hybrid use of experimental and computational techniques complement each other and prove to be a very efficient tool for performing optimization studies of mechanical components.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ultrasonic evaluation of semi-solid metals during processing

Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements for three different semi-solid (SS) aluminum (Al) alloy billets (A356, A357 and 86S) and one dendritic sample (A356) were performed in the temperature range between room temperature and ~575 °C using a non-contact laser-ultrasonic technique. It was found that there are measurable differences in ultrasonic velocity and attenuation between SS and dendritic samples and these differences are larger as the temperature becomes closer to the complete melt state. In a laboratory setup simulating the barrel section of a thixomoulding or a rheomoulding machine, a clad buffer rod (high temperature probe) was used to perform real time ultrasonic monitoring. We have observed 10 MHz ultrasonic signals of 30 dB signal-to-noise ratio reflected from a rotating screw with a distance of 5.5 mm between the probe end and the root of the screw in a viscous liquid Al alloy (A356) at 610 °C. This information should enable us to determine whether the processed part has the desired thixotropic structure or not, and then to properly adjust heating and other process parameters.
Alcohol use among Latino migrant workers in South Florida.

BACKGROUND: A significant segment of the Latino migrant worker population in the United States is at high risk for alcohol abuse and related risk behaviors. Information about the prevalence of alcohol use and abuse and its association with sociodemographic and psychological variables is needed for designing effective intervention prevention strategies. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were drawn from a baseline assessment that was part of a randomized controlled trial of 278 Latino migrant workers (LMWs) conducted between 2008 and 2010. RESULTS: About one-third (32%) of participants engaged in heavy drinking in the past 30 days prior to baseline interview. More females than males reported no alcohol use in the past 30 days (53.5% vs. 20.5%). On the other hand, more males reported drinking every day or nearly (25.2% vs. 7.1%). Five factors-gender, country of origin, relationship status, living arrangements, and acculturation-were significantly associated with frequency of alcohol consumption. Multivariate analyses indicated that gender, country of origin, education attainment, relationship status, living arrangement, living with children, length of stay in the US, religious beliefs, acculturation, and depression were associated with frequent heavy drinking, alcohol abuse/dependence, and unprotected sex under the influence of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant variation in alcohol use among Latino migrant workers. Although a substantial proportion of this population abstains from alcohol, an equally substantial proportion report levels of alcohol use that pose significant risk. More research is needed to better understand drinking patters in this community in order to design prevention strategies specifically tailored for this population. Language: en
Isolation and Chemistry of Aluminum Compounds Containing (S)-3,3‘-Bis(triphenylsilyl)-1,1‘-bi-2,2‘-naphthoxide Ligands

The reaction of the resolved, bulky binol (S)-3,3‘-bis(triphenylsilyl)-2,2‘-dihydroxy-1,1‘-binaphthyl, (S)-H2O2C20H10{SiPh3}2-3,3‘ (1), with a variety of alkyl and amide compounds has been investig...
Acculturation and functional impairment among older Chinese and Vietnamese in San Diego County, California

Level of acculturation and the relationship to functional impairment was examined among a group of Chinese (n = 50) and Vietnamese (n = 50) 45 years and older in San Diego County, California. Prevalence of functional impairment and level of acculturation, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlations were utilized to examine differences between ethnicity, gender and age groups, as well as significant relationships between various dimensions of impairment and levels of acculturation. Findings indicated that lack of English language skills and lack of use and exposure to English were associated with social and economic resource impairment, mental and physical health impairment, and ADL impairment, as measured by a modified OARS instrument. Data suggested that the visibility and extensiveness of the Vietnamese community may serve to buffer the negative effects associated with the acculturation process for the Vietnamese.
Results on nonsingular, cyclide transition surfaces

Abstract In this paper, we generate nonsingular, transition surfaces between natural quadrics using possibly singular cyclides. Both Dupin cyclides (ring, spindle, and horned) and parabolic cyclides (singular and nonsingular) are considered. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of cyclide transition surfaces and easily implementable tests of these conditions are given in each quadric/quadric case. The relationship of the existence of cyclide transition surfaces to the common inscribed sphere condition is examined. Also, we show that except in one special case, blends and joins cannot simultaneously exist between two quadrics.
The Dynamics of Molecular Material within 15 Parsecs of the Galactic Center

We report the results of a five-field mosaic of the central 15 pc of the Galaxy in the (1, 1) and (2, 2) lines of NH3. Two narrow filaments or streamers are seen running parallel to the Galactic plane. The southern streamer appears to carry gas directly toward the nuclear region from the 20 km s-1 cloud. The eastern streamer, which we will denote the molecular ridge, appears to be the denser part of the 50 km s-1 cloud that lies immediately east of the Sgr A East complex and extends in the south toward the 20 km s-1 cloud. This ridge of gas carries the kinematical signatures of interactions with Sgr A East as well as a supernova remnant that lies south of the Galactic center. The bulk motion of the gas, the enhanced line widths, and the heating of the molecular material all suggest an active evolutionary phase for the gas immediately adjacent to the nucleus.
Characterization of unknown unknowns using separation principles in case study on Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Unidentified risks, also known as unknown unknowns, have traditionally been underemphasized by risk management. Most unknown unknowns are believed to be impossible to find or imagine in advance. But this study reveals that many are not truly unidentifiable. This study develops a model using separation principles of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (whose Russian acronym is TRIZ) to explain the mechanism that makes some risks hard to find in advance and show potential areas for identifying hidden risks. The separation principles used in the model are separation by time, separation by space, separation upon condition, separation between parts and whole, and separation by perspective. It shows that some risks are hard to identify because of hidden assumptions and illustrates how separation principles can be used to formulate assumptions behind what is already known, show how the assumptions can be broken, and thus identify hidden risks. A case study illustrates how the model can be applied to the Deep...
Influence of perceived and assessed risk on STD clinic clients' acceptance of HIV testing, return for test results, and HIV serostatus

Abstract Abstract The provision of counselling and testing (CT) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important component of publicly funded HIV prevention efforts in the US and is routinely provided in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. We examined data from 51,359 client visits to Illinois STD clinics from 1991 to 1993 to evaluate the relationships of self-perceived and assessed risk for HIV infection with: (1) receiving HIV pretest counselling, (2) having blood drawn for HIV testing, (3) returning for HIV test results and post-test counselling, and (4) HIV serostatus. Overall, 22.7% of clients perceived themselves to be at risk, while 28.7% were assessed at-risk, with more than two-thirds of all clients correctly perceiving their assessed risk for HIV. Individuals who perceived themselves to be at risk were more likely than those without perceived risk to complete each stage of CT. Assessed risk was not, however, significantly associated with returning for test results. Those with eithe...
Dynamics of numerical approximations

Assuming that a differential equation has a hyperbolic invariant set, we discuss the existence of a similar invariant set for the map defined by a numerical approximation, as well as the closeness of these sets in the C^1-topology. Particular emphasis is given to equilibrium points, periodic orbits and invariant tori for the differential equation. We present also a result on the preservation of structural stability for gradient systems.
A Phase I/II Trial of Zidovudine, Interferon-α, and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

Twenty-four patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) who had CD4+ counts of 0.2-0.5 x 10(9) cells/l received granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in combination with zidovudine plus escalating doses of daily subcutaneous interferon-alpha. Mean neutropenia-inducing doses of interferon-alpha were 9.4 x 10(6) and 10.6 x 10(6) IU/day for groups receiving 100 or 200 mg zidovudine every 4 h, respectively. Mean GM-CSF doses used to reverse neutropenia were 0.64 and 0.63 microgram/kg/day for these two groups, respectively, although the mean minimum effective GM-CSF dose for both was only 0.30 microgram/kg/day. Serum p24 antigen declined greater than 70% in all 5 antigenemic patients. Toxicities included a dose-dependent increase in lymphokine-like side effects (100%), anorexia and weight loss (42%), fatigue (42%), and anemia (50%). While toxicities of the combination can be significant, low-dose GM-CSF readily ameliorated neutropenia associated with zidovudine and interferon-alpha therapy without adversely affecting the antiviral properties of the combination.
A socio-technical analysis of an attempted innovation: The clash of cultures

Abstract This article analyzes an attempt to design and implement a computer-based system for managing discretionary scientific and technical information (STI). Socio-technical and organizational culture theory are used to explain why corporate technical information service (TIS) groups championed the innovation while intended users, line product development groups, were indifferent and uninterested. The article highlights the importance of building working relationships among organizational subcultures and encourages TIS groups to develop a different perspective on their role in STI management.
Antidepressants do not improve event-free survival in patients with heart failure when depressive symptoms remain.

Objective The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to compare event-free survival among four groups of patients with heart failure (HF) that were stratified by presence of depressive symptoms and antidepressants.
Sucrose Translocation and Storage in the Sugar Beet

Several physiological processes were studied during sugar beet root development to determine the cellular events that are temporally correlated with sucrose storage. The prestorage stage was characterized by a marked increase in root fresh weight and a low sucrose to glucose ratio. Carbon derived from 14C-sucrose accumulation was partitioned into protein and structural carbohydrate fractions and their amino acid, organic acid, and hexose precursors. The immature root contained high soluble acid invertase activity (Vmax 20 micromoles per hour per milligram protein; Km 2 to 3 millimolar) which disappeared prior to sucrose storage. Sucrose storage was characterized by carbon derived from 14C-sucrose uptake being partitioned into the sucrose fraction with little evidence of further metabolism. The onset of storage was accompanied by the appearance of sucrose synthetase activity (Vmax 12 micromoles per hour per milligram protein; Km 7 millimolar). Neither sucrose phosphate synthetase nor alkaline invertase activities were detected during beet development. Intact sugar beet plants (containing a 100-gram beet) exported 70% of the translocate to the beet, greater than 90% of which was retained as sucrose with little subsequent conversions.
Testing Models of Stellar Evolution for Metal-poor Stars: An Interferometric-spectroscopic Orbit for the Binary HD 195987

We report spectroscopic and interferometric observations of the moderately metal-poor double-lined binary system HD 195987, with an orbital period of 57.3 days. By combining our radial-velocity and visibility measurements, we determine the orbital elements and derive absolute masses for the components of MA = 0.844 ± 0.018 M⊙ and MB = 0.6650 ± 0.0079 M⊙, with relative errors of 2% and 1%, respectively. We also determine the orbital parallax, πorb = 46.08 ± 0.27 mas, corresponding to a distance of 21.70 ± 0.13 pc. The parallax and the measured brightness difference between the stars in V, H, and K yield the component absolute magnitudes in those bands. We also estimate the effective temperatures of the stars as T = 5200 ± 100 K and T = 4200 ± 200 K. Together with detailed chemical abundance analyses from the literature giving [Fe/H] ≈ -0.5 (corrected for binarity) and [α/Fe] = +0.36, we use these physical properties to test current models of stellar evolution for metal-poor stars. Among the four that we considered, we find that no single model fits all observed properties at the measured composition, although we identify the assumptions in each one that account for the discrepancy, and we conclude that a model with the proper combination of assumptions should be able to reproduce all the radiative properties. The indications from the isochrone fits and the pattern of enhancement of the metals in HD 195987 are consistent with this being a thick disk object, with an age of 10–12 Gyr.
Manufacturing Parameters and Rheological Characteristics of Cheddar-Like Hard Goat Cheese

Abstract Raw milk from French Alpine goats was processed to Cheddar-like hard goat cheese. After milling, the curd was split into three portions and salted separately at the rate of 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0% of the curd for each of the three replicates. Cheeses were stored at 4 to 5°C for 24 wk. The percentages of salt in moisture of the cheeses were 2.70, 3.73, and 4.41%, respectively. The pH ranged from 5.27 to 5.33 at 1 d to 5.60 to 5.81 at 24 wk. Rheological properties were determined using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. The force required to deform cheese was used to measure cheese firmness. Cheese firmness at 95% compression decreased significantly during aging. The firmness of cheeses with different ratios of salt to moisture differed during the ripening period. The force at fracture of the cheese was higher for cheese with higher salt content; the force increased until wk 12 of aging and then decreased until the end of the aging period. Mean bulk elasticity of cheese at 20% compression differed among all treatments. The mean elasticity increased significantly until wk 12 of aging and then remained unchanged for the rest of the ripening period.
Stress, satisfaction, and the work-family interface: a comparison of self-employed business owners, independents, and organizational employees

Using data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) (N = 3,504), we examined differences among organizational employment and two categories of self-employment: independent contractors and small business owners. Our results suggest that self-employment, either as owner or independent, may allow individuals to achieve greater autonomy than would be available to them as organizational employees. However, the greater pressure associated with ownership of a small business detracts from the advantages of having autonomy, making small business ownership a double-edged sword. Those working as independent contractors appear to reap the benefits of greater autonomy as well as lower levels of job pressure.
The 14-year course of alcoholism in a community sample: do men and women differ?

Abstract Objective To investigate the course of alcoholism in males and females in a 14-year follow-up of persons with DSM-III alcoholism compared to very heavy drinkers and unaffected controls in a community sample. Methods Case–control study based on data from the 1997 Health Services Use and Cost study, a 14-year follow-up survey of 442 individuals who participated in two waves of the 1981–1983 St. Louis Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Cases met criteria for DSM-III alcohol abuse (AA) or dependence (AD) at both waves of the ECA: “Two-times Alcohol Use Disorder Positives (ECA 2t-AUDPs).” Two comparison groups were frequency matched to 2t-AUDPs: (1) ECA Very Heavy Drinkers/One-time Alcohol Use Disorder Positives (ECA VHD/1t-AUDPs) and (2) ECA alcohol-unaffecteds. Lifetime and past year alcohol use disorders, patterns of drinking and recovery among males and females are reported. Results 84.6% of 2t-AUDPs again met lifetime DSM-III criteria at 14-year follow-up. At follow-up, only 9.3% male 2t-AUDPs and 20.7% female 2t-AUDPs met past year DSM-IV AUD criteria. Past year drinking patterns, however, revealed higher rates of DSM-IV AA or AD, problem or risk drinking among 2t-AUDPs (61.7%) compared to both ECA VHD/1t-AUDPs (41.2%) and ECA alcohol-unaffecteds (22.1%). Conclusions In a community sample, the rate of past year DSM-IV alcohol dependence was lower among male 2t-AUDPs than females, though both groups showed past year rates substantially lower than lifetime rates. However, less than half of ECA 2t-AUDPs exhibited low-risk or abstinent alcohol use behaviors, indicating that while remission from diagnosis is common, clinical relevance persists.
AG:CD and CD:AG implantations into high purity silica

Abstract Silica composites containing nanometer dimension colloids were fabricated by implantation of Ag ions followed by Cd ions, and by implantation of Cd ions followed by Ag ions. These samples were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy. Doses used for the sequential implantations were 6×1016 ions/cm2 of Ag and Cd in a 1 to 1 ratio. Single element colloids were also fabricated by implantation of Ag or Cd using the same nominal dose and implantation energy as the sequential implantations. Sequential implantation of Ag and Cd leads to the formation of multi-component metal nanoclusters and elemental nanoclusters. Different microstructures were obtained depending on the order of implantation. Optical responses are consistent with results expected from effective medium theory.
Propulsion Ground Testing: Planning for the Future

Advanced planners are constantly being asked to plan for the provision of future test capability. Historically, this capability is provided either by substantial investment in new test facility capabilities, or in the substantial investment in the modification of pre- existing test capabilities. The key words in the previous sentence are "substantial investment". In the evolving environment of increasingly constrained resources, how is an advanced planner to plan for the provisions of such capabilities? Additionally, the conundrum exists that program formulation decisions are being made based upon both life cycle cost decisions in an environment in which the more immediate challenge of "front-end" capital investment? Often times is the linch-pin upon which early decisions are made. In such an environment, how are plans and decisions made? This paper cites examples of decisions made in the past in the area of both major test facility upgrades, as well as major new test facility investment.
On simulation studies of cyber attacks against LTE networks

Because of ever-increasing performance and capacity gains, the popularity of LTE as a 4G technology has skyrocketed. Unfortunately, cyber adversaries may launch attacks against the LTE network. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to systematically explore the attack space which consists of three dimensions: communication services attacked, planes of attack, and network components under attack. Based on the developed framework, we carried out extensive simulations to evaluate the impact of some representative attacks on LTE network performance. Our developed framework and simulation models enables a foundation for advancing the understanding of threats on the LTE network and assists in developing countermeasures to secure LTE networks.
A Catastrophic Death Assemblage of a New Species of Cormorant and Other Seabirds from the Late Pliocene of Florida

ABSTRACT A new late Pliocene (upper Pinecrest beds, 2.4–2.0 Ma) fossil locality in Florida has produced thousands of bones and 137 whole and partial skeletons of a new species of cormorant, Phalacrocorax filyawi, that is related phylogenetically to Recent taxa currently restricted to the eastern north Pacific. Evidence from the bones and the stratigraphy of the site indicate that the cormorants died in a single catastrophic event, perhaps a red tide. At least eight other taxa of seabirds and shorebirds also were recovered from the site and include two new species of gull, Larus perpetuus and L. lacus, described herein. The depositional environment reflected by this fauna is a coastal lagoon and beach or shoreline habitat that rarely is preserved in the fossil record of Florida. The fossil cormorant and other seabirds from the Pliocene support molluscan evidence that the Florida Gulf Coast was characterized then by cold-water up welling and a highly productive marine system. Marine cormorants in the easter...
Digging deep into derivatives: trying to make life easier – techniques for measuring derivative credit exposure

The widespread use of derivatives in asset and liability management raises the issue of appropriate measurement of credit exposure. However, nearly all industry literature focuses on the needs of the most sophisticated dealers, which presents a problem for those users who want to improve the measurement of derivative credit exposure, but are unable to commercially justify the expense of cutting edge techniques. This article attempts to fill this gap by examining the range of pragmatic approaches available, together with their key pros and cons.
The infrared spectra and theoretical calculations of frequencies of fac-tricarbonyl octahedral complexes of manganese(I).

Abstract The carbonyl stretching frequencies in the infrared spectra of 38 fac-tricarbonyl octahedral complexes of manganese(I) prepared in this laboratory were determined. These complexes may be grouped into three types: (a) neutral complexes of the structure (CO)3Mn(P-P)Z where P-P represents depe, dppe, or dppp, and Z represents various anionic functional groups bonded to the manganese; (b) ionic complexes of the structure [(CO)3Mn(P-P)Z]+BF4− where Z represents various neutral molecules possessing one phosphorous, nitrogen, or oxygen atom coordinated to the manganese; (c) complexes of the structure (CO)3Mn(pn)Z where the chelating pn represents 1,1-diphenylphosphino-2,2-dimethylaminoethane, Ph2PCH2CH2NMe2. All of these complexes show three carbonyl stretching modes (2A′+A′′). The effects on the frequencies of these modes induced by both the various Z groups and the various ligands are discussed. Theoretical calculations (B3LYP/6-31G) with optimization of the full molecule make it possible to distinguish between the three stretching modes and to make unambiguous assignments of appropriate symmetry species to each.
Estrogen replacement therapy and breast cancer: analysis of age of onset and tumor characteristics.

Background: The use of exogenous estrogen has been scrutinized as a risk factor for breast cancer formation. This prospective study addresses the relationship between the use of estrogen replacement therapy and the age of onset of breast cancer. In addition, an analysis of differences in pathological features of breast cancer between estrogen users and non-estrogen-users was evaluated. Methods: A total of 425 women (age, ≥ 50 years) were evaluated during a 4-year period (1994–1997). Data, including the age at diagnosis, method of detection, family history, use of estrogen therapy, and tumor ploidy, S-phase fraction, histological category, estrogen receptor positivity, and grade, were prospectively collected. Data from a control group of 657 women without a diagnosis of breast cancer were obtained from the Evanston Northwestern division of the Women’s Health Initiative. Significant associations between the use of estrogen and pathological parameters were determined using the χ2 test and t-test (P < .05). Results: At the time of breast cancer diagnosis, 140 patients were currently receiving estrogen and 202 patients had no history of estrogen use. Eighty-three patients were excluded from analysis (76 patients had a history of previous but not current use of estrogen therapy, four women used only progesterone, and three patients provided incomplete information). There was no difference between patients with breast cancer using estrogen at the time of diagnosis and those with no history of estrogen use with respect to tumor size, age of menopause, family history, mammographic sensitivity, axillary lymph node status, and histological features. Women using estrogen at the time of diagnosis were younger at the time of breast cancer diagnosis, by an average of 5.1 years (61.3 years vs. 66.4 years, P < .001). Women without a history of breast cancer who were receiving estrogen therapy were an average of 2.4 years younger (63.3 years vs. 65.7 years, P < .001) than women without a history of breast cancer who were not receiving estrogen therapy. Patients with breast cancer receiving estrogen also tended to have more grade II tumors (45.9% vs. 36.5%, P = .045) and fewer grade III tumors (25.6% vs. 37.0%, P =.015), compared with women not receiving estrogen therapy at the time of their diagnoses. Estrogen receptor positivity was noted to be more frequent for estrogen users presenting with lobular carcinoma (85% vs. 76%, P =.042) and less frequent for estrogen users presenting with ductal carcinoma (72% vs. 85%, P = .003). Conclusions: A significantly earlier age of diagnosis for women receiving estrogen therapy suggests that exogenous estrogen may accelerate the pathogenesis of postmenopausal breast cancer. Estrogen therapy may also play a role in altering the grade and estrogen receptor positivity for certain histological types of breast cancer.
Surface-wave effects with large antenna earth screens

It is pointed out that a perfectly conducting earth screen may not be the optimum if low-angle radiation is to be maximised for a given antenna current. This is a consequence of the surface wave excited for an earth screen with finite inductive reactance.
A centralized control strategy for a mobile off-shore base

We study the problem of controlling a mobile off-shore base (MOB). After examining some special features of the system equations for the MOB group, we propose a centralized 'leaderless' control scheme and discuss its performance potential relative to a decentralized 'follow-the-leader' control. The proposed control scheme appears to offer significant performance advantages while remaining simple and robust.
Angular homeostasis: IV. Polygonal orbits

Some properties are discussed of regular polygons that may result from angular homeostatic processes in stable orbit. To characterize these “homeostatic polygons” we need to discuss the winding number, the sidedness (integer, fractional and irrational), multiplicity, envelopes, and density. A regular (i.e., equilateral, equiangular) polygon may be closed in one revolution about its unique center, in multiple revolutions, or not at all. A homeostatic polygon can be generated only if all vertices are included in a single polygon, which occurs if and only if the number of vertices and the number of revolutions required to complete the polygon are relatively prime. For the homeostatic polygon to have a finite number of sides (without repeating itself) the angle subtended by any two successive vertices at the center must be a rational multiple of 2π. Biological implications of these properties are illustrated.
Attenuation of age-dependent oxidative damage to DNA and protein in brainstem of Tg Cu/Zn SOD mice.

Abstract Age-dependent accumulation of oxidative DNA and protein damage in brainstem and striatum was assessed in normal and transgenic (tg) mice which overexpress human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (h-SOD1). A marker of oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (oxo8dG), was measured at 3, 12, and 18 months of age in control and tg mice. Cu/Zn SOD, but not MnSOD, activities in brainstems and striata from tg mice were increased compared to controls at all ages. At 18 months, oxo8dG levels were increased by 58% in brainstem and by 21% in striatum of control mice. In the tg mice, brainstem and striatal oxo8dG levels were increased to a lesser extent than in the corresponding controls. Protein oxidation (carbonyl content), was increased by 59% at 18 months in control brainstem, but not in striatum, and the increase was significantly attenuated in the tg mice. In summary, oxidative damage to DNA and protein increased with age in brainstem (and to a lesser extent in striatum), and augmented Cu/Zn SOD activity modified the extent of DNA and protein damage.
Application of Computational Biomechanics in Bioprosthetic Heart Valve Design

For more than 40years, the replacement of diseased natural heart valves with prosthetic devices has dramatically improved the quality and length of the lives of millions of patients. Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV), which are composed of biologically derived tissues, have good hemodynamic performance and do not require the anticoagulation therapy necessary when mechanical heart valves are implanted. However, these bioprostheses continue to fail due to structural failure resulting from poor tissue durability and faulty design. AHA∕ACC guideline recommends use of BHV for patients 65years or older, primarily due to its current 10–15years of limited durability. Clearly, an in-depth understanding of the biomechanical behavior of BHV is essential to improving BHV design to reduce rates of failure and increase its durability. Objective: develop a robust computational model to simulate BHV deformations and optimize its design. Methods: Experimentally driven, nonlinear, anisotropic material models are used for modeling the mechanical properties of valve leaflets; A novel method of constructing parametric finite element models is used to rapidly generate 3D free-from geometries of BHV for valve design optimization; Valve design parameters, such as peak stresses and effective orifice area (EOA) are evaluated. Results: multiple applications of the approach demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing computational biomechanics in BHV design. The computational approach provides us with an efficient new platform to develop and optimize the next generation heart valve design such as transcatheter valve and valve repair device design.
Reduced expression of voltage-gated sodium channels in neurons cultured from trisomy 16 mouse hippocampus

Abstract Voltage-gated sodium channels are responsible for the initial depolarizing phase of the action potential. In hippocampal neurons cultured from trisomy 16 (Ts16) mice (a model for Down's syndrome), the maximum inward conductance mediated by these channels was reduced 47% relative to control diploid neurons. This reduced conductance was reflected in a 35% decrease in binding of radiolabeled saxitoxin, a sodium channel-specific ligand, indicating expression of fewer channels in these neurons. The mRNAs encoding the α and β 1 subunits were, however, present at the same levels in Ts16 neurons and control diploid neurons. Thus, the altered regulation of voltage-gated sodium channels in Ts16 neurons is apparently a post-transcriptional event and possible mechanisms are discussed.