cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffuse X-Ray Scattering in Fast-Neutron-Irradiated Copper Crystals

Nearly perfect copper crystals with dislocation densities less than \ensuremath{\sim} ${10}^{3}$/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ have been irradiated with fast neutrons at doses up to 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{19}$/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, and the diffuse x-ray scattering resulting from the defects produced has been studied in a variety of situations. Measurements were made with a double-crystal spectrometer to allow observations of the scattering very close (\ensuremath{\sim} seconds of arc) to the Bragg peaks, for which a theoretical analysis of the data can be made. The diffuse scattering can be explained as resulting from defect clusters or dislocation loops \ensuremath{\sim} 100 \AA{} in diam; there is an asymmetry of the diffuse scattering which appears to result from a predominance of large interstitial loops. This interpretation is consistent with electron-microscopy observations on these crystals. Diffuse scattering observations as well as anomalous x-ray transmission studies on irradiated crystals are suggested as very valuable tools to study the possibility of clustering phenomena in the annealing stages of various irradiated crystals.
Parametric sensitivity functions for hybrid discrete/continuous systems

Abstract The general equations for the parametric sensitivity functions of a broad class of hybrid discrete/continuous dynamic systems where the continuous part is described by differential–algebraic equations (DAEs) are presented. For the cases where this continuous part is an ordinary differential equation system (ODEs) or a linear time invariant DAE, sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the sensitivity functions are derived. Numerical computation of these sensitivity functions has been implemented as a generic functionality in a mathematical modeling environment. Special cases and application examples are used for illustration.
Event calculus and temporal action logics compared

We compare the event calculus and temporal action logics (TAL), two formalisms for reasoning about action and change. We prove that, if the formalisms are restricted to integer time, inertial fluents, and relational fluents, and if TAL action type specifications are restricted to definite reassignment of a single fluent, then the formalisms are not equivalent. We argue that equivalence cannot be restored by using more general TAL action type specifications. We prove however that, if the formalisms are further restricted to single-step actions, then they are logically equivalent.
l-Tryptophan in affective disorders: Indoleamine changes and differential clinical effects

Large oral doses of l-tryptophan yielded negligible antidepressant effects in unipolar depressed patients, but partial antidepressant and antimanic effects in some patients with bipolar affective disorder. Marked changes in cerebro-spinal fluid, platelet and urinary levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in these patients during l-tryptophan administration suggest that the low response rate of severely depressed patients is probably not attributable to impaired l-tryptophan metabolism during depression.
A Case Study: Harmonization of Veterinary Drug Maximum Residue Levels Between the U.S. and Canada

The Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Canada (FTA) went into effect January 1, 1989. To implement certain provisions of the agreement on technical regulations and standards, the United States Center for Veterinary Medicine, the Canadian Bureau of Veterinary Drugs, and Agriculture Canada established the Working Group on Veterinary Drug Tolerances. The primary charges to the Working Group on Veterinary Drug Tolerances were (1) to harmonize the procedures used for evaluating new animal drugs, performing risk assessments and calculating tolerances, and (2) to harmonize the tolerances (or maximum residue levels, MRLs) for approved drugs, with the goal of having the same tolerances in each country. The first of these charges was met early in the negotiations. Both the US and Canada will use a 6-step evaluation procedure for the human food safety evaluation of new animal drugs. On September 29, 1990, Canada published a list of MRLs for 38 drugs that had been harmonized through the FTA. The progr...
Effect of processing conditions on the dynamic mechanical properties of starch and anhydride functional polymer blends

Abstract Reactive blending of starch with ethylene-propylene-g-maleic anhydride (EPMA) and styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymers was carried out in a batch mixer. The effect of processing conditions, such as mixer speed and mixing time, on the dynamic mechanical properties and morphology, was studied. Starch/EPMA blends showed two distinct glass transitions in the G′ and G″ plots, one corresponding to the starch and the other corresponding to EPMA. Starch/SMA blends exhibited one broad transition, since the glass transition temperatures of starch and SMA were in close proximity to one another. The starch in the blend was sensitive to the processing conditions used in this study. Increasing the mixing time from 10 to 20 min and increasing mixing speed from 50 to 100 rev min−1 resulted in increased melting of starch granules. Increasing the mixing speed and mixing time also resulted in increased degradation of starch, as evident from the gel permeation chromatography.
Determination of Thermal Boundary Conditions for the Casting and Quenching Process with the Optimization Tool OptCast

OptCast is an integrated thermal optimization tool coupling commercial casting simulation software with optimization software iSIGHT. Two types of optimizations are realized in OptCast: one uses an inverse modeling approach to determine boundary conditions such as interfacial heat-transfer coefficients (HTCs), and the other optimizes casting process variables by minimizing cycle time while maintaining casting quality. In this article, the global architecture and the development of OptCast for the commercial casting simulation software MagmaSoft is described. The determination of interfacial HTCs with OptCast for the casting process and the water quenching process is discussed. The optimized HTCs for a specific casting process are applied to a V8 engine block for thermal analysis with sufficient accuracy to enable prediction of microstructures and mechanical properties. The optimized HTCs for a water quenching process were applied to a cylinder head for residual stress analysis.
Current fluctuations and magnetization dynamics symmetry in spin-torque-induced magnetization switching

We studied spin-torque-induced magnetization switching with current fluctuations using models and experiment measurements. It was found that the efficiency of accelerating magnetization reversal by noisy current strongly depends on the symmetry of magnetization dynamics. The efficiency of noisy current on accelerating magnetization switching is quite different for a magnetic thin-film element without rotational symmetry and a uniaxial anisotropy magnetic element with rotational symmetry. The study reveals that interactions between magnetization dynamics symmetry and system fluctuations are critical for predicting the switching behavior of spin-torque excited magnetic system with noise.
Transient analysis of memristors

Development of resistance-switching random access memory (RRAM) employing memristors would be greatly facilitated once their transient behavior is properly understood. In this paper, we report transient behavior of memristors. The analysis is based on the dynamical characteristics derived analytically. A transient circuit model is also developed and simulated in cadence using HSPICE simulator.
A multi‐dimensional empirical exploration of technology investment, coordination and firm performance

As economic activities span the supply chain boundary, the effective use of technology as the medium for coordination (or integration) among and within organizations has received much attention. In the US manufacturing sector, IT usage is increasingly becoming a source of sustained competitiveness and an opportunity for improvement. And there is a growing demand to achieve conflicting performance objectives (revenue versus profitability versus efficiency, for example). This article explores the relationships between information technology investment, performance, and productivity. While management should continue to evaluate IT investments by any practical means that satisfies company needs, the development of IT competencies and investment policies so as to optimize the firm’s performance seems to be a worthwhile goal. Our empirical findings clearly suggest that IT investment has a positive impact on market performance as a result of better coordination in the value chain, but that larger investments do not seem to lead to higher financial performance. Additionally, coordination productivity seems to benefit from increased investment by reducing, say, working capital requirements. Given the diversity of firms represented, we conclude that the way in which these firms compete may also have a direct influence on the extent of IT investment and competencies.
RAM, a gene of yeast required for a functional modification of RAS proteins and for production of mating pheromone a-factor

We have identified a gene (SUPH) of S. cerevisiae that is required for both RAS function and mating by cells of a mating type. supH is allelic to ste16, a gene required for the production of the mating pheromone a-factor. Both RAS and a-factor coding sequences terminate with the potential acyltransferase recognition sequence Cys-A-A-X, where A is an aliphatic amino acid. Mutations in SUPH-STE16 prevent the membrane localization and maturation of RAS protein, as well as the fatty acid acylation of it and other membrane proteins. We propose the designation RAM (RAS protein and a-factor maturation function) for SUPH and STE16. RAM may encode an enzyme responsible for the modification and membrane localization of proteins with this C-terminal sequence.
Survey for immune complexes in disseminated gonococcal arthritis-dermatitis syndrome.

Seventeen patients with characteristic disseminated gonococcal arthritis-dermatitis syndrome were studied for the presence of immune complexes, and circulating gonococcal antigen and antibody. The two immune complex techniques, monoclonal rheumatoid factor assay and cryoglobulin survey, did not reveal any consistent abnormalities. Complement levels (CH50, C″3, C″4) were not consistent with peripheral consumption except in 2 patients with coinciding systemic lupus erythematosus. Gonococcal antibody was detected in 47% of patients when they presented with the syndrome. However, gonococcal antigen was not found in either serum or synovial fluid. These results do not support the hypothesis that circulating immune complexes are involved in the pathogenesis of disseminated gonococcal arthritis-dermatitis syndrome.
Role of calcium and differentiation in enhanced sesquiterpene elicitation from calcium alginate-immobilized plant tissue

Abstract Calcium alginate immobilization of Hyoscyamus muticus plant tissue culture is shown to enhance the rapid formation of sesquiterpenes in response to exposure to extracts of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani . The studies were carried out with suspension-cultured cells and roots at low tissue loadings to demonstrate that the enhancement is not due to either the degree of differentiation or the presence of metabolic gradients. The fungally elicited response of root tissue is shown to be much less sensitive to both the physical and chemical environment than free cell suspensions. By examining the effects of the immobilization components (Ca 2+ , alginate), and immobilization in barium alginate gels, it is concluded that the enhanced sesquiterpene production in immobilized tissue is mediated through calcium.
A new type of microcantilever based mass sensors

Based on mass-loading effect on a microcantilever, there are two approaches for sensing the presence of molecules: dynamic and static methods. In this note, we demonstrate that the two methods actually use the same form of relationships for their sensing purposes, and that if the designed adhesion region of a cantilever is only partially occupied by molecules then neither method can be applied to accurately determine the number of molecules adsorbed.
Disklike Micelles in Water from Polyethylene-Containing Diblock Copolymers

Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)−polyethylene (AE) diblock copolymers were synthesized by the combination of living anionic and reversible addition−fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerizations. By dir...
Comparative proteome analysis of psychrophilic versus mesophilic bacterial species: Insights into the molecular basis of cold adaptation of proteins

Background Cold adapted or psychrophilic organisms grow at low temperatures, where most of other organisms cannot grow. This adaptation requires a vast array of sequence, structural and physiological adjustments. To understand the molecular basis of cold adaptation of proteins, we analyzed proteomes of psychrophilic and mesophilic bacterial species and compared the differences in amino acid composition and substitution patterns to investigate their likely association with growth temperatures.
High performance MBE-grown N-face microwave GaN HEMTs with >70% PAE

Recently, N-face GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) have been successfully demonstrated [1–3]. The reversed polarization in N-face (000 1) GaN compared to the Ga-face (0001) offers design advantages for the scaling of GaN HEMTs. Fig. 1 shows an illustrative N-face HEMT consisting of Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 N (cap)/GaN (channel)/AlN (barrier)/GaN (buffer) [2]. The large dipole moment in the strained AlN (ΔE P ) enables the accumulation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and positive charges (hole traps [4]) at its top and bottom interfaces with GaN, respectively, pinning the Fermi level (E F ) at the conduction and valence band edges. The Si δ-doping supplies charges to the 2DEG and prevents dc-RF dispersion caused by the modulation of the hole traps close to the valence band edge (E V ) of the bottom AlN/GaN interface [1,4] — effectively, the ionized Si donors deplete the positive trapped charges via the field-effect. The GaN-spacer reduces remote ionized impurity scattering to the 2DEG due to the Si. With its large polarization field, the AlN provides an inherent strong back-barrier to the 2DEG for reducing short channel effects. Moreover, it is easy to engineer N-face HEMTs for low Ohmic contact resistances since the layer with narrower bandgap is exposed to the surface [5]. The polarization field in the Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 N cap reduces gate leakage with minimal 2DEG depletion.
Partial area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of energy detectors in fading channels

This article exploits an exponential-type finite-range integral representation of the generalized Marcum Q-function Q v (a,b) (that is valid for positive integer order v but for any ratio of a/b) to unify the analysis of the partial area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (partial AUC) measure for a class of modified energy detectors with diversity reception in a myriad of fading environments (including the η-μ, κ-μ, α-μ, K, G, and K G generalized fading distributions). This metric facilitates the task of comparing the performance of different diversity-enabled energy detectors within a specified detection threshold range and also encapsulates the total AUC measure as a special case. Numerical results reveal that the partial AUC measure of an average energy detector is superior to that of the classical total energy detector with the increasing sample size owing to the noise averaging effect. In particular, we demonstrate that our proposed analytical framework facilitates the investigation of the effects of dissimilar fading parameters, shadowing, branch correlation, diversity order and different diversity combining techniques on the partial AUC metric of energy detectors.
Attribute-Oriented Fuzzy Generalization in Proximity- and Similarity-Based Relational Database Systems

In this article we investigate an attribute-oriented induction approach for acquisition of abstract knowledge from data stored in a fuzzy database environment.We utilize a proximity-based fuzzy database schema as the medium carrying the original information, where lack of precise information about an entity can be reflected via multiple attribute values, and the classical equivalence relation is replaced with the broader fuzzy proximity relation. We analyze in detail the process of attribute-oriented induction by concept hierarchies, utilizing the original properties of fuzzy databases to support this established data mining technique. In our approach we take full advantage of the implicit knowledge about the similarity of original attribute values, included by default in the investigated fuzzy database schemas. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Attribute-oriented induction ~AOI ! is a descriptive database mining technique, which gradually transforms the original, massive set of data ~i.e., initial relation! into a concise form at the higher abstraction level, called a generalized relation. The induction is achieved via hierarchical aggregation of similar data collections, stored originally in a database at the low ~primitive! level. The different attribute values are merged into the common and more abstract conceptual representations based on the background knowledge reflected in the concept hierarchy. The aggregation of database records in the AOI approach is performed on an attribute-by-attribute basis, where a separate concept hierarchy is employed for generalization of each of the attributes included in the relation of task-relevant data. Those hierarchies are indispensable for the AOI technique and were originally considered as a part of expert’s knowledge about generalized attributes. In
The antagonists but not partial agonists of glucocorticoid receptor ligands show substantial side effect dissociation.

A synthetic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand with the efficacy of a glucocorticoid, but without the accompanying side effects, would meet an unmet medical need for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. It was hypothesized that a GR ligand that shifted helix 12 in a manner distinct from an agonist and an antagonist would confer a distinct GR conformation, resulting in differential gene expression and, ultimately, dissociation of antiinflammatory activity from side effects. A structural feature expected to interfere with helix 12 was incorporated into a nonsteroidal, tricyclic scaffold to create novel, high-affinity, and selective GR ligands that manifested a dual function in cellular assays, partial but robust agonist activity for inflammatory cytokine inhibition, and full antagonist activity for reporter gene activation. In contrast, analogs not likely to hinder helix 12 exhibited partial agonist activity for reporter gene activation. The requirement of full antagonist activity for substantial side e...
Worker insurgency, radical organization, and new deal labor legislation

Debates over the reasons for the passage of class legislation during the New Deal era have been of continuing interest to social scientists. Of special importance has been the problem of explaining the passage of the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), often considered the most significant and radical bill of the period. In this article, I examine the influence of worker insurgency and radical organization on the passage and final form of the NLRA. I argue that other analytic approaches fail to take into account the importance of this influence and the degree to which it constrained and structured the responses of key political actors. I conclude that the theories that downplay the importance of worker insurgency and radical organization are both wrong in the particulars and suspect as general theories; this applies especially to the perspective that emphasizes the autonomy of the state from societal forces.
Effects of collisions on current-driven ion-electrostatic waves

Abstract The Landau (Fokker-Planck) equation is used to determine the effects of ion-ion collisions on ion-electrostatic waves in a magnetized plasma carrying a field-aligned electron current.
Ready or not: Associations between participation in subsidized child care arrangements, pre-kindergarten, and Head Start and children’s school readiness

Abstract Research has found disparities in young children's development across income groups. A positive association between high-quality early care and education and the school readiness of children in low-income families has also been demonstrated. This study uses linked administrative data from Maryland to examine the variations in school readiness associated with different types of subsidized child care, and with dual enrollment in subsidized child care and state pre-kindergarten or Head Start. Using multivariate methods, we analyze linked subsidy administrative data and portfolio-based kindergarten school readiness assessment data to estimate the probability of children's school readiness in three domains: personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking. Compared to children in subsidized family child care or informal care, those in subsidized center care are more likely to be rated as fully ready to learn on the two pre-academic domains. Regardless of type of subsidized care used, enrollment in pre-kindergarten, but not Head Start, during the year prior to kindergarten is strongly associated with being academically ready for kindergarten. No statistically significant associations are found between type of subsidized care, pre-kindergarten enrollment, or Head Start and assessments of children's personal/social development.
First Report of Cytospora punicae Causing Wood Canker and Branch Dieback of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) in the United States.

Pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) are an expanding industry in the United States with California growing approximately 32,000 acres with a crop value of over $155 million (1). During June and July of 2012, we observed severe limb and branch dieback in pomegranate orchards cv. Wonderful located in Contra Costa, Kings, and Kern counties of California. Disease symptoms included yellowing of leaves, branch and limb dieback, wood lesions, and canker formation. Dark brown Cytospora-like cultures were consistently isolated from active cankers on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 100 mg l−1 tetracycline hydrochloride. Three isolates (UCCE1223, UCCE1233, and UCCE1234) representative of each orchard were sub-cultured onto PDA and incubated at 22°C under fluorescent intermittent light (12 h light, 12 h dark). Fungal colonies had whitish mycelia that turned olive green to dark brown with maturity and formed globose and dark brown pycnidia after 12 days. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, allantoid, and (4) 4.5 to ...
Performance of the kallestad pathfinder enzyme immunoassay in the diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infections

The Kallestad Pathfinder enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the rapid detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen was compared with virus culture and direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) to determine the reliability of the EIA. During two consecutive winter respiratory seasons, 270 nasopharyngeal wash specimens were tested. RSV was detected in culture by the presence of cytopathic effect and/or an indirect immunofluorescence assay. The sensitivity of the Pathfinder EIA in comparison with isolation in tube culture was 72% (73 of 101) and the specificity was 99% (167 of 169). During the second year of the evaluation period, DFA was performed on all specimens. The sensitivity of the DFA compared with isolation in tube culture was 94%. This study indicates that the Pathfinder EIA is a very specific test for diagnosis of RSV infections, but lacks sensitivity in comparison with tube culture or direct immunofluorescence.
A smart camera application: DSP-based people detection and tracking

As an application of smart cameras, this paper presents an algorithm and its real-time implementation for detecting and tracking multiple people moving in a surveillance scene. The algo- rithm is devised to work for low resolution image frames and any camera angle. First an adaptive background subtraction module is used to obtain potential moving target areas. Second a human body detection module is activated to locate the heads. Third a multitarget tracking module is deployed to resolve ambiguities associated with crosspaths and merged targets. The algorithm is implemented on the Texas Instruments TMS320C6201 fixed-point DSP processor for real-time processing of video signals. This real-time capability allows field deployment for the purpose of collecting surveillance data such as the number of people and their crossing frequency in a certain area. © 2000 SPIE and IS&T. (S1017-9909(00)01802-X)
Electrostatic Regulation of Genome Packaging in Human Hepatitis B Virus

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a contagious human pathogen causing liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. An essential step during HBV replication is packaging of a pregenomic (pg) RNA within the capsid of core antigens (HBcAgs) that each contains a flexible C-terminal tail rich in arginine residues. Mutagenesis experiments suggest that pgRNA encapsidation hinges on its strong electrostatic interaction with oppositely charged C-terminal tails of the HBcAgs, and that the net charge of the capsid and C-terminal tails determines the genome size and nucleocapsid stability. Here, we elucidate the biophysical basis for electrostatic regulation of pgRNA packaging in HBV by using a coarse-grained molecular model that explicitly accounts for all nonspecific interactions among key components within the nucleocapsid. We find that for mutants with variant C-terminal length, an optimal genome size minimizes an appropriately defined thermodynamic free energy. The thermodynamic driving force of RNA packaging arises from a combination of electrostatic interactions and molecular excluded-volume effects. The theoretical predictions of the RNA length and nucleocapsid internal structure are in good agreement with available experiments for the wild-type HBV and mutants with truncated HBcAg C-termini.
Measuring Teacher Implementation in Delivery of a Bullying Prevention Program: the Impact of Instructional and Procedural Adherence and Competence on Student Responsiveness

Although there is evidence that school-based prevention programs can produce positive effects on students’ academic and behavioral functioning, the ability of teachers to sustain high-quality implementation remains an open and vexing question. Because teachers are often the intervention agents in school-based prevention programs, assessing both their adherence to program procedures and their competence in program delivery is critical for ensuring student responsiveness to prevention programs, which in turn may impact their efficacy. The current study assessed treatment fidelity of implementation of the Olweus’ Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in two urban middle schools. Trained observers completed 280 observations of teachers’ delivery of the class meeting component of the OBPP and rated teachers’ instructional and procedural adherence and competence of delivery and students’ responsiveness. Analyses using multilevel modeling indicated that competence of delivery was significantly related to student responsiveness above and beyond teacher instructional behavior adherence, such that class meetings conducted with higher instructional adherence and procedural competence resulted in higher student responsiveness to the program after controlling for the clustered nature of teachers, and several observation-level and teacher-level covariates. This study highlights the need for strategies to increase teacher use of effective instructional practices and competence with program procedures to enhance the efficacy of prevention programming in schools.
Breast cancer 2004: Progress and promise on the clinical front.

Abstract Carcinoma of the breast is the most common cancer in u.s. women (excluding skin cancer), and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. In 2004, it is estimated that 215,000 u.s. women will develop invasive breast cancer, and 40,000 women will die of the disease. Advancing age and female sex are the two greatest risk factors for the development of breast cancer, although family history, reproductive and hormonal history, lifestyle and environmental factors all contribute to risk. Models are available to help estimate risk of developing breast cancer in individual patients. Inherited mutations, specifically in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, account for approximately 5–10% of all breast cancer cases. Significant advances have recently been made in both the primary prevention of breast cancer (including chemoprevention), and secondary prevention (early detection through breast imaging). Breast mri as a tool for screening high risk women is a particularly exciting new tool. When breast cancer is diagnosed, optimal treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach, including surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapies. In the field of breast surgery, breast conservation and sentinel lymph node biopsy techniques have allowed substantially decreased surgery in appropriated selected patients with corresponding decreases in complication rates and long-term sequelae. Radiation oncologists are comparing partial breast irradiation versus conventional whole breast radiation in an attempt to minimize toxicity and treatment time, and maximize efficacy. The field of breast medical oncology has evolved at a rapid pace in the past decade, with numerous new hormonal agents, chemotherapeutic agents, and biologically targeted therapies in clinical use and under investigation. The addition of ‘adjuvant’ systemic therapy to the treatment of early stage breast cancer patients has dramatically reduced relapse and death rates. Unfortunately, metastatic recurrence still occurs. Once the cancer has spread beyond the breast and locoregional nodal areas it is felt to be incurable, although still treatable. A better understanding of breast cancer biology has led to the development of a host of new biologically targeted agents, many of which hold substantial promise for improving quality of life and survival rates in metastatic breast cancer patients.
Technology User Groups and Early Childhood Education: A Preliminary Study

This article presents a preliminary examination of the potential of Technology User Groups as a professional development venue for early childhood education professionals in developing operational and functional competence in using hardware and software components of a Technology toolkit. Technology user groups are composed of varying numbers of participants having an interest in technology, and are led by one or more skilled facilitators who meet with participants across time to help them acquire and demonstrate new technology skill sets. A series of these groups were conducted with seven early education professionals serving young preschool children who were at risk or who had disabilities. The impact of these technology user groups was examined using self-reports subsequent to individual participation. Specific data were collected regarding the types of technologies that had been used, and the types of classroom instructional products that had been created and implemented in classrooms using the technologies. A discussion of the value of technology user groups is presented.
First do no harm

A 9 day old infant presented to hospital with an erythematous, diffusely swollen right foot, shown in figs 1 and 2. Figure 1 Figure 2 The infant had been slow to establish breast feeding and was not discharged from hospital until day 7 of life. Her father had noticed the inflamed foot during a nappy change earlier that morning. Both parents felt the infection was the result of a tight …
A characterization of exponential distributions by a waiting time property

A characterization of exponential distributions based on the property that the waiting time variable Z = Tn-Y has the same distribution as each one of the independent random variables , provided Y has a uniform prior is presented.
The Sensitivity and Specificity of Tests for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Vary with the Comparison Subjects

The performance of a variety of common office-based clinical tests for detection of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) was assessed in 119 subjects with and without electrophysiological evidence of CTS. Symptoms compatible with CTS and electrophysiological tests positive for median mononeuropathy at the wrist were observed in 57 hands, symptoms compatible with CTS and normal electrophysiological test results were observed in 58 hands, and no symptoms compatible with CTS and normal electrophysiological test results were observed in 123 hands. For all the diagnostic tests studied, the proportion of subjects who had a false positive clinical test result was much higher in the electrophysiologically normal subjects who had CTS compatible hand symptoms than in the electrophysiologically normal subjects who were asymptomatic. These results suggest that many studies that have evaluated diagnostic tests for CTS have produced falsely optimistic estimates of the test's performance because of their use of asymptomatic comparison subjects.
New voltage ramp dielectric breakdown methodology based on square root E model for Cu/low-k interconnect reliability

A new voltage ramp dielectric breakdown (VRDB) methodology based on square root (SQRT) E model for dielectrics reliability evaluation was developed. We conducted VRDB and time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) experiments on dielectrics in Cu/low-k interconnect for reliability assessment. The experimental results show very good correlation between VRDB and TDDB data underlying SQRT E model. The electric field acceleration parameter of SQRT E model can be estimated with our methodology by applying dual ramping rate during VRDB test. Furthermore, we derived a relation to transform the shape factor of statistic distribution of VRDB breakdown voltage (Vbd) to shape factors expected for TDDB failure time distributions. As a result, our novel methodology allows to define a reliability criteria of VBD that is equivalent to meet a TDDB specification lifetime.
Linear G-functions †

Let be a given set of n2 (n − 1) nonnegative numbers. We characterize those sets for which the following statement is true: for every complex matrix A, every eigenvalue of A lies in the. union of the n disks Many generalizations of Gerschgorin's theorem are shown to be consequences.
Permanent Cardiac Pacemakers in Children: Technical Considerations

Placement of permanent cardiac pacemakers in children presents technical problems that are not encountered in the adult. Problems unique to pacemaker implantation in children are related to the patient's size, the relative bulkiness of pulse generators, the lack of subcutaneous tissue, and the child's growth and long life expectancy. Based on our experience with implantation of 27 permanent cardiac pacemakers in 13 children, we have found that the use of small pulse generators, placement of epicardial leads, insertion of properitoneal pulse generators, and use of recharabeable pacemakers are satisfactory methods in children.
Transhiatal Esophagectomy in the Profoundly Obese: Implications and Experience

Background Historically, obesity contraindicated an abdominal approach to the esophagogastric junction. The technique of transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) evolved without specific regard to body habitus. The dramatic increase in obese patients requiring an esophagectomy for complications of reflux disease prompted this evaluation of the impact of obesity on the outcomes of esophagectomy to determine whether profound obesity should contraindicate the transhiatal approach. Methods We used our Esophagectomy Database to identify 133 profoundly obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥35 kg/m 2 ) from among 2176 undergoing a THE from 1977 to 2006. This group was matched to a randomly selected, non-obese (BMI, 18.5 to 30 kg/m 2 ) control population of 133 patients. Intraoperative, postoperative, and long-term follow-up results were compared retrospectively. Results Profoundly obese patients had significantly greater intraoperative blood loss (mean, 492.2 mL versus 361.8 mL, p = 0.001), need for partial sternotomy (18 versus 3, p = 0.001), and frequency of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (6 versus 0, p = 0.04). The two groups did not differ significantly in the occurrence of chylothorax, wound infection, or dehiscence rate; length of hospital stay or need for intensive care unit stay; or hospital or operative mortality. Follow-up results for dysphagia, dumping, regurgitation, and overall functional score were also comparable between the two groups. Conclusions With appropriate instrumentation, transhiatal esophagectomy in obese patients has similar morbidity and outcomes as in non-obese patients. Obesity, even when profound, does not contraindicate a transhiatal esophagectomy.
Spectral Emissivity of Hydrogen Chloride from 1000–3400 cm −1 *

The spectral emissivity of hydrogen chloride from 1000–3400 cm−1 is calculated as a function of temperature, pressure, and amount of radiating gas. The emissivity was calculated with the aid of an electronic computer from the usual expressions for the energy and intensity taking into account up to 2900 spectral lines at 2400°K. The harmonic oscillator approximation was used to evaluate the electric dipole matrix element for the higher vibrational states where no experimental measurements have been made. The emission from HCl35, HCl37, DCl35, and DCl37 was included in the calculation. The statistical model and the random Elsasser model were used to calculate the emissivity from the line strengths. The characteristic shift of the emission to lower frequencies as the temperature increases is quantitatively explained. The emission in this frequency region of any flame containing HCl can readily be obtained from these results.
Spectrofluorometric Determination of Hypohalites and Peroxyacids Using Kojic Acid

Abstract A spectrofluorometric assay for the determination of hypohalites and peroxyacids is described. Hypobromite and hypochlorite served as model hypohalites; peroxyacetic and peroxyproprionic acids were examples of peroxyacids. The method is based on the detection of fluorescence generated by the reaction of hypohalites with kojic acid. Peroxyacids did not react with kojic acid but oxidized bromide to hypobromite. Coupling this reaction to the reaction of hypobromite with kojic acid enabled fluorescent determination of peroxyacids. Peaks of fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of the reaction products occurred at 395 and 495 nm, respectively. Hydrogen peroxide had no effect on assay results nor did it react with kojic acid per se unless peroxidase was present. In the latter case, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra were virtually identical to those from the hypohalite reaction, indicating molecular similarities of the component fluorophores.
Decomposition of nearly singular control systems

In this paper, the problem of decomposing a nearly singular control system (SCS) will be addressed. It is shown that a singular or nearly singular system can be decomposed into two interconnected subsystems in lieu of singular value decomposition (SVD). An approach for achieving model reduction based upon the decomposed subsystems is derived and then compared with the two-time-scale separation. The theory presented will be illustrated by computer simulation results of a power control system.
The private and social value of information: Exploration for exhaustible resources☆

Abstract In this paper, I develop a model where “exploration” yields information about the size and location of the stock of an exhaustible resource. This information is valuable in two ways. First, before production takes place, reserves must be located through exploration. The process of exploration changes “unproven reserves,” which cannot be produced, into “proven reserves,” which can. One value of exploration, then, is that it allows total production over time to expand (the expansion effect). Second, by exploring in an early time period, a producer gains information about the true stock size prior to making a decision about how fast to exploit reserves. With better information, the extraction rate chosen by the producer will yield higher expected returns from the stock (the timing effect). I show that the expansion effect is undervalued by a firm relative to a social planner. An increase in proven reserves increases production and lowers prices improving consumer welfare. The timing effect, however, can be over- or undervalued by a firm relative to a social planner. If the exploring firm makes up a relatively small portion of industry, and if consumers are not highly risk averse, then the firm will overvalue the timing effect. As a result, firms may not explore some tracts where it is efficient to do so. If, however, a firm finds it valuable to explore a tract, it may explore earlier in time than is optimal.
Dietary Fat, Fiber, and Carbohydrate Intake and Endogenous Hormone Levels in Premenopausal Women

The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the associations of fat, fiber, and carbohydrate intake with endogenous estrogen, androgen, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) levels among 595 premenopausal women. Overall, no significant associations were found between dietary intake of these macronutrients and plasma sex steroid hormone levels. Dietary fat intake was inversely associated with IGF-I and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels. When substituting 5% of energy from total fat for the equivalent amount of energy from carbohydrate or protein intake, the plasma levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were 2.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3, 5.3) and 1.6% (95% CI 0.4, 2.8) lower, respectively. Animal fat, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat intakes also were inversely associated with IGFBP-3 levels (P<0.05). Carbohydrates were positively associated with plasma IGF-I level. When substituting 5% of energy from carbohydrates for the equivalent amount of energy from fat or protein intake, the plasma IGF-I level was 2.0% (95% CI 0.1, 3.9%) higher. No independent associations between fiber intake and hormone levels were observed. The results suggest that a low-fat/high-fiber or carbohydrate diet is not associated with endogenous levels of sex steroid hormones, but it may modestly increase IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels among premenopausal women.
Ethanol inhibits electrically-induced calcium transients in isolated rat cardiac myocytes

The fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2 was used to follow cytosolic Ca2+ transients during excitation-contraction coupling in suspensions of isolated rat heart cells induced to beat synchronously by electrical field stimulation. The Ca2+ transient reached a maximum at about 30 ms after application of the electrical stimulus and then relaxed to the basal level over the following 200 ms. Treatment of the myocytes with 0.25 to 2.0% ethanol (40 to 340 mM) caused a decrease in the peak of the Ca2+ transient, with no apparent change in the time to peak. This effect of ethanol occurred progressively over a period of about 1 min before a new stable state was achieved. At 1% ethanol the peak Ca2+ level was reduced by 50%. Ethanol reversed the stimulatory effect of isoproterenol on peak Ca2+ and at high levels of ethanol the beta-adrenergic agonist no longer caused any enhancement of the Ca2+ transient. Ethanol did not cause any marked change in the basal Ca2+ level between beats. The effects of ethanol were readily reversible. These results suggest that the negative inotropic effect of ethanol observed in intact cardiac muscle preparations may result in part from interference with the Ca2+ fluxes responsible for excitation-contraction coupling in ventricular myocytes.
Diversity in the Mechanisms of Neuronal Cell Death

Neurons may die as a normal physiological process during development or as a pathological process in diseases. The best-understood mechanism of neuronal cell death is apoptosis, which is regulated by an evolutionarily conserved cellular pathway that consists of the caspase family, the Bcl-2 family, and the adaptor protein Apaf-1. Apoptosis, however, may not be the only cellular mechanism that regulates neuronal cell death. Neuronal cell death may exhibit morphological features of autophagy or necrosis, which differ from that of the canonical apoptosis. This review evaluates the evidence supporting the existence of alternative mechanisms of neuronal cell death and proposes the possible existence of an evolutionarily conserved pathway of necrosis.
Photosynthetic Enhancement at High Light Intensities

Enhancement of photosynthetic oxygen evolution by Chlorella pyrenoidosa (211-8b) decreased almost linearly as the rate of photosynthesis was increased. The observed decrease was predicted most accurately by a model assuming exponential rate versus intensity curves as opposed to a model assuming hyperbolic light curves. The decrease in enhancement was not changed significantly upon changing from 0.03% to 5% carbon dioxide.
Research and oncology nursing practice

Objective: To trace the evolution of oncology nursing research and to discuss its contribution to oncology nursing practice and health care. Data Sources: Articles, textbooks, organizational documents, conference proceedings, and personal communication. Conclusions: Placing research in perspective will help suggest where we should go as a nursing specialty to provide excellent cancer care to patients, families, communities, and populations. It will also suggest directions for research priorities and for conceptual, methodologic, and health policy activities. Implications for Nursing Practice: To influence oncology care, it is essential that oncology nurse researchers be responsive to trends that are relevant to both the conduct and utilization of oncology nursing research.
Integrated spatial and feature image query

We present a new system for querying for images by regions and their spatial and feature attributes. The system enables the user to find the images that contain arrangements of regions similar to those diagrammed in a query image. By indexing the attributes of regions, such as sizes, locations and visual features, a wide variety of complex joint spatial and feature queries are efficiently computed. In order to demonstrate the utility of the system, we develop a process for the extracting color regions from photographic images. We demonstrate that integrated spatial and feature querying using color regions improves image search capabilities over non-spatial content-based image retrieval methods.
Barrier penetration and spontaneous fission in the time-dependent mean-field approximation

A mean-field theory is obtained for the spontaneous decay of unstable nuclei by applying the stationary-phase approximation to a functional integral expression for Tr(H-E)/sup -1/. The method is applied first to the lifetime of a metastable state in one-dimensional quantum mechanics and subsequently generalized to many-fermion systems. Solutions to the resulting nonlinear self-consistent field equations are presented for a self-bound, saturating many-body system of fermions in one spatial dimension.
U2 RNA from yeast is unexpectedly large and contains homology to vertebrate U4, U5, and U6 small nuclear RNAs

I have determined the structure of the gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae coding for the yeast homolog of vertebrate U2 snRNA. Surprisingly, the RNA is 1175 nucleotides long, six times larger than U2 RNAs from other organisms, including Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Nearly 100 nucleotides of the large RNA share sequence homology and potential secondary structure with metazoan U2. The large RNA also contains homology to vertebrate U4, U5, and U6 snRNAs, implying a "poly-snRNP" structure for the RNP containing the large RNA. The gene LSR1, encoding the large RNA, is essential for growth, suggesting that the yeast spliceosome can be dissected using genetic approaches. The different organization of spliceosomal RNA may underlie differences in splicing between yeast and metazoans.