cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabarcoding Fecal DNA Reveals Extent of Halichoerus grypus (Gray Seal) Foraging on Invertebrates and Incidence of Parasite Exposure

Halichoerus grypus (Gray Seal) is a top predator in New England waters, yet little data exists on seals foraging on invertebrate prey. We combined analysis of hard parts of scat samples (n = 98) from 2 breeding sites in Massachusetts with metabarcoding of fecal DNA. Invertebrates were detected in 4 samples via analysis of hard parts (4.1%) but in 35 samples (35.7%) using a metabarcoding approach. Metabarcoding also detected parasite DNA in 82.7% of scat samples. Nematode DNA (78.6%) was more prevalent than trematode (28.6%) or cestode (22.5%) DNA. Prey species, biomass, and diversity within each sample were not affected by seal sex, parasite exposure, or type of parasitic exposure. Previous diet studies may have underestimated the diversity and abundance of invertebrates in the diet of Gray Seals.
Evaluating Student Evaluations of Teaching: a Review of Measurement and Equity Bias in SETs and Recommendations for Ethical Reform

Student evaluations of teaching are ubiquitous in the academe as a metric for assessing teaching and frequently used in critical personnel decisions. Yet, there is ample evidence documenting both measurement and equity bias in these assessments. Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) have low or no correlation with learning. Furthermore, scholars using different data and different methodologies routinely find that women faculty, faculty of color, and other marginalized groups are subject to a disadvantage in SETs. Extant research on bias on teaching evaluations tend to review only the aspect of the literature most pertinent to that study. In this paper, we review a novel dataset of over 100 articles on bias in student evaluations of teaching and provide a nuanced review of this broad but established literature. We find that women and other marginalized groups do face significant biases in standard evaluations of teaching – however, the effect of gender is conditional upon other factors. We conclude with recommendations for the judicious use of SETs and avenues for future research.
Fifteen-year experience with pericardiectomy at a tertiary referral center.

Purpose Pericardiectomy has traditionally carried relatively high perioperative mortality and morbidity, with few published reports of intermediate- and long- term outcomes. We investigated our 15-year experience performing pericardiectomy at our institution. Methods Retrospective study of all patients who underwent pericardiectomy at our institution between 2005 and 2019. Baseline demographics, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes including long-term survival were analyzed. Results Sixty-three patients were included in the study. 66.7% of subjects underwent isolated pericardiectomy while 33.3% underwent pericardiectomy concomitantly with another cardiac surgical procedure. The most common indications for pericardiectomy were constrictive (79.4%) and hemorrhagic (9.5%) pericarditis. Preoperatively, 76.2% of patients were New York Heart Association class II and III, while postoperatively, 71.4% were class I and II. One-, three-, five-, and ten- year overall mortality was 9.5, 14.3, 20.6, and 25.4%, respectively. Overall pericarditis recurrence rate was 4.8%. Conclusion Pericardiectomy carries relatively high overall mortality rates, which likely reflects underlying disease etiology and comorbidities. Patients with prior cardiac intervention, history of dialysis, and immunocompromised state are associated with worse outcomes.
Clinical Biomarkers in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature and compile promising and clinically relevant biomarkers in otolaryngology—head & neck surgery not related to autoimmune disorders.Stu...
Key predictors of soil organic matter vulnerability to mineralization differ with depth at a continental scale

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon, and potential carbon-climate feedbacks involving SOM decomposition could exacerbate anthropogenic climate change. However, our understanding of the controls on SOM mineralization is still incomplete, and as such, our ability to predict carbon-climate feedbacks is limited. To improve our understanding of controls on SOM decomposition, A and upper B horizon soil samples from 26 National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites spanning the conterminous U.S. were incubated for 52 weeks under conditions representing site-specific mean summer temperature and sample-specific field capacity (−33 kPa) water potential. Cumulative carbon dioxide respired was periodically measured and normalized by soil organic C content to calculate cumulative specific respiration (CSR), a metric of SOM vulnerability to mineralization. The Boruta algorithm, a feature selection algorithm, was used to select important predictors of CSR from 159 variables. A diverse suite of predictors was selected (12 for A horizons, 7 for B horizons) with predictors falling into three categories corresponding to SOM chemistry, reactive Fe and Al phases, and site moisture availability. The relationship between SOM chemistry predictors and CSR was complex, while sites that had greater concentrations of reactive Fe and Al phases or were wetter had lower CSR. Only three predictors were selected for both horizon types, suggesting dominant controls on SOM decomposition differ by horizon. Our findings contribute to the emerging consensus that a broad array of controls regulates SOM decomposition at large scales and highlight the need to consider changing controls with depth.
The Mechanism by which Interferon Gamma Blocks the Growth of Toxoplasma Gondii in Cultured Fibroblasts

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite. Overt disease, except in the context of transplacental infection or of immunosuppression, is rare. The immunological basis for the prevention of symptomatic infection is not completely understood. Experiments with passive transfer of immunity in mice suggest that the cellular component is more important than the humoral. To explore the role of T-cells, we concentrated on the activity of interferon gamma (IFN-γ).
Strange Xenon Isotope Ratios in Jupiter

In January 1998, the public release of the data collected by the Galileo space probe’s mass spectrometer on its descent into Jupiter’s atmosphere allowed scientists a glance at the composition of the giant planet (Goldin, 1998). Most importantly, the spectrometer took a direct measurement of the isotopic composition of a planet previously untouched since the birth of the solar system. One of the most studied and debated elements, xenon, provided a good point of focus both because of the controversy surrounding it and because of its place in a high-mass, low-contamination region of the spectrum. A full analysis of the isotopes of xenon and contamination showed the presence of isotopically “strange” xenon like that found in carbonaceous chondrites. Interestingly, the nebular model (Wood, 1999) for making the solar system does not explain these anomalies.
Microsoft's Employee Option Transfer Program

In recent years several companies have offered employees the opportunity to transfer out-of-the-money options to a financial institution. This paper is a clinical study of a high-profile program offered by Microsoft in 2003. This program contained some complexities that likely made it unattractive and contributed to a low rate of participation. The counterparty, JPMorgan Chase, though profiting up front, failed to hedge an element of the risk it accepted from the employees and lost nearly the entire value it paid for the options. The experience has important implications for the design of programs that offer liquidity to employee stock options.
Pattern of thermal fluctuations in a recovery boiler floor

The floor of a black liquor recovey boiler at a mill in central Canada has experienced cracking and delamination of the composite tubing near the spout wall and deformation of the floor panels that is most severe in the vicinity of the spout wall. One possible explanation for the observed damage is impacts of salt cake falling from the convective section onto the floor. In order to determine if such impacts do occur, strain gauges and thermocouples were installed on the boiler floor in areas where cracking and deformation were most frequent. The data obtained from these instruments indicate that brief, sudden temperature fluctuations do occur, and changes in the strain experienced by the affected tube occur simultaneously. These fluctuations appear to occur less often along the spout wall and more frequently with increasing distance from the wall. The frequency of these temperature fluctuations is insufficient for thermal fatigue to be the sole cause of the cracking observed on the tubes, but the data are consistent with what might be expected from pieces of falling salt cake.
THE NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION REVISITED1

: In 1973 the National Water Commission concluded its five-year study of national water policy by issuing a massive report containing over 200 recommendations for improvements in the way the Nation deals with its water resources. The Carter Administration is now engaged in another water policy review which incorporates many of the policies espoused by the National Water Commission. In this paper, presented at the 13th American Water Resources Conference in Tucson in November of 1977, the author describes the work of the National Water Commission and the actions taken on its recommendations.
CHAPTER 5 – Copying and Mate Choice

Animal psychologists have been studying social learning for close to a century. However, with the exception of work on imprinting the ethologists and the evolutionary ecologists have only recently begun studying this subject in earnest. This lag time may in part be due to the lack of a sound theoretical framework for the evolution of culture. A framework has begun to emerge, as population geneticists, anthropologists, and evolutionary ecologists have begun developing models for the evolution of cultural behavior, including social learning. The study of copying and mate choice is clearly still in its infancy. This subject is examined in only a handful of animals and under artificial conditions. Although work to date has uncovered some interesting results, many fundamental questions remain completely unexplored. This chapter focuses on areas believed to be particularly interesting for future work on female mate choice. Experiments on female mate choice copying may serve as a bridge between these fields. The ontogeny of behavior is of interest to both animal psychologists and behavioral ecologists, and mate choice copying experiments that have elements of interest for both fields are quite feasible.
Gate tunneling current in In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As junction field-effect transistors

Data are presented which conclusively eliminate channel current impact ionization as the dominant source of gate leakage current in InGaAs JFETs based on both the temperature and channel current dependence. At the same time, strong evidence is presented which indicates that band-to-band tunneling at the gate-drain interface is the dominant source of gate leakage current. Based on these and previous results, it is concluded that InGaAs JFETs in linear preamplifiers such as optical receivers have an optimum channel doping of approximately 9*10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ at a bandwidth of 1 GHz. This value is obtained based on a tradeoff between gain, bandwidth, and noise. >
Challenges in PCS antenna design

We review some of the challenges facing the designers of personal communication services (PCS) antennas and provide some examples that have been proposed to meet these challenges. Approaches to size reduction include the use of high dielectric constant materials, employing dielectric resonator, inverted-F or meander patch antennas.
Solid state coordination chemistry: secondary metal–ligand influences on the structures of vanadium oxides. Hydrothermal syntheses and structures of [Zn(tpytrz)2V2O6], [Zn3(tpytrz)2(H2O)2V6O18]·6H2O and [Cu3(tpytrz)2(H2O)2V8O23]·3H2O (tpytrz = 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine)

The hydrothermal reactions of Zn(SO4)·5H2O, V2O5 and 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tpytrz) yield [Zn(tpytrz)2V2O6] (1) at pH 6.5 and [Zn3(tpytrz)3(H2O)2V6O18]·6H2O (2·6H2O) at pH 3.5. Substitution of Cu(II) as the secondary metal in the reaction of Cu(SO4)·5H2O, V2O5 and tpytrz yields [Cu3(tpytrz)2(H2O)2V8O23]·3H2O (3·3H2O). The structure of 1 consists of a bimetallic oxide layer, decorated on both surfaces by monodentate tpytrz groups. The structure of 2 is three-dimensional and constructed from a 3-D bimetallic oxide framework with the organic subunit entrained within larger channels in the oxide scaffolding. While the structure of 3 is grossly similar to that of 2, the different coordination preferences of Zn(II) and Cu(II) are manifested in the detailed structural features. Thus, while the vanadate substructure of 2 is one-dimensional, that of 3 is two-dimensional. Similarly, 2 exhibits both tetrahedral and octahedral secondary metal sites, while 3 possesses only ‘4 + 2’ axially distorted Cu(II) sites.
The TOEFL Test of Written English: Causes for Concern

Owned and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken by approximately 600,000 students a year, influences access to or exclusion from colleges and universities in North America. This article provides background information about the TOEFL and ETS; describes the development of ETS tests of composition for native speakers of English and of the most recent addition to the TOEFL testing program, the Test of Written English (TWE); and explores seven areas of concern with respect to the TWE: the comparability of topic types; the lack of topic choice; the lack of distinction between graduate and undergraduate students; the scoring system; the question of what the test measures; the question of whether both the TOEFL and the TWE are needed; and the backwash effect of the TWE, including the proliferation of coaching and test-specific instructional materials. The article urges careful scrutiny of new developments in ETS testing as they affect our students, and ends with seven recommendations for action.
Effect of strain and sex on μ opioid receptor-mediated G-protein activation in rat brain

Abstract Strain and sex differences in μ opioid-mediated antinociception have been reported in rodents. The present studies evaluated μ opioid receptor-mediated G-protein activation in Lewis and Fischer 344 (F344) male and female rats using agonist-stimulated [ 35 S]GTPγS binding. Compared to Lewis rats, F344 rats exhibited a 35% higher level of net DAMGO-stimulated [ 35 S]GTPγS binding in striatum. Basal [ 35 S]GTPγS binding was ∼30% lower in thalamus of Lewis than F344 rats. Female Lewis rats also exhibited slightly (∼15%) lower basal [ 35 S]GTPγS binding in cingulate cortex relative to F344 rats of either sex. The relative efficacies of the μ partial agonists, morphine and buprenorphine, were also examined. Buprenorphine exhibited ∼40% lower relative efficacy in the periaqueductal gray in Lewis compared to F344 rats, but no other relative efficacy differences were found between strains or sexes. Moreover, regional differences in the relative efficacy of buprenorphine were also detected in Lewis but not F344 rats. In contrast to these results, the only difference found between sexes was the 13% lower basal [ 35 S]GTPγS binding in the cingulate cortex of female compared to male Lewis rats. These results suggest that differences in μ opioid receptor-mediated G-protein activation may contribute to strain differences in opioid antinociception, whereas sex differences may result predominantly from other mechanisms.
The Clinical Situation in Psychotherapy, Dependency Government, and Applied Anthropology

At a recent seminar where "Perspectives in Psychiatry" was the topic of discussion,1 I was struck by a parallel development in modern psychiatry, dependency government administration, and applied anthropology. The psychiatrists made several points, emphasizing a change which has occurred in the concepts of "patient" and of "therapist," as well as in the role of each in the clinical situation, and in the relationship between the two. From being regarded almost like lower animals unworthy of humane consideration, or as fallen souls possessed by demons, or as sinners being justly punished by the Lord, the mentally ill have gradually come to be viewed as persons. As such, they are treated as sick people who respond sensitively to their environments and, if given adequate treatment, have a good chance to recover.2 At the same time, the therapist's role has evolved from that of witch doctor or custodian to that of personal friend, adviser, and therapist. A new component has emerged in the situation—namely, the ...
Surgical management of intractable interstitial cystitis

Interstitial cystitis represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Most patients can be managed conservatively, but a small number of patients do not respond to conservative therapy and for them surgical treatment is indicated. This article reviews the historical and currently used surgical modalities. Enterocystoplasty is the surgical treatment of choice for intractable interstitial cystitis. The results of enterocystoplasty are satisfactory in approximately 80% of patients. However, no histological findings, such as mast cell density or degree of inflammation, can be used as a preoperative predictor of treatment results. The best results of cystoplasty seem to be achieved in patients who have a small bladder capacity, determined preoperatively under anesthesia. Approximately 10%–20% of patients may not be able to void spontaneously after surgery and require self-catheterization. Because of the unpredictable results, cystoplasty must be recommended with caution for certain patients. There is no evidence to indicate that a supratrigonal cystectomy and substitution cystoplasty offer a therapeutic advantage over augmentation cystoplasty alone. The choice of bowel segment does not affect the final outcome provided that it is tubularized and made spherical in configuration.
The effect of large melt fraction on the deformation behavior of peridotite

To determine the influence of a large melt fraction, 0.15 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.30, on the rheological behavior of partially molten rocks, we performed a series of high-temperature, triaxial compressive creep experiments on dry, synthetic peridotites in both the diffusion and dislocation creep regimes. We deformed samples with an olivine grain size of either 10 or 50 μm in a gas-medium apparatus at a confining pressure of 300 MPa and temperatures from 1498 to 1556 K. Stress vs. strain rate data reveal a drop in rock viscosity of several orders of magnitude when the melt fraction is increased from ϕ = 0.25 to ϕ = 0.30, indicative of a rheologically critical melt fraction (RCMF). In all of these experiments, we observed only a small amount of grain growth. Over the range 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.25, the flow behavior in both the diffusion and grain size sensitive dislocation creep regimes is well described by the published flow law for partially molten samples of olivine + MORB deformed under anhydrous conditions in which e˙ ∝ exp(αϕ) with α = 21 for diffusion creep (Newtonian) and α = 32 for dislocation-accommodated GBS (grain boundary sliding) creep.
Caregiver Social Problem Solving Abilities and Family Member Adjustment Following Congestive Heart Failure

Family members have a considerable impact on the health and well-being of others in the family. The characteristics of family caregivers that relate to care recipients' positive and negative outcomes associated with chronic disease have received scant empirical attention. We reasoned that family caregiver social problem solving abilities would be associated with depression and life satisfaction reported by persons with congestive heart failure (CHF). Correlational analyses found that caregiver negative orientation toward solving problems was significantly predictive of higher depression and with decreased life satisfaction of persons with CHF. These findings indicate that family caregiver problem solving abilities are important factors in adjustment following CHF. Implications for clinical interventions and theoretical models of problem solving are discussed.
The effects of hydrogen on the deformation and fracture of β-titanium

Abstract The hydrogen-induced ductile–brittle transition in the BCC β -titanium alloy, Timetal® 21S, occurs abruptly at a critical hydrogen concentration that decreased with decreasing tensile test temperature. Mechanical property tests showed that solute hydrogen reduced the yield strength of ductile specimens and decreased the fracture stress of brittle specimens. To identify the operative mechanism a series of experiments were performed to test the applicability of the stress-induced hydride mechanism, the hydrogen-enhanced plasticity mechanism, and the decohesion mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement. The experiments showed that no hydrides were associated with the fracture process, indicating that the stress-induced hydride mechanism was not responsible for the observed sharp ductile–brittle transition. In situ straining experiments in a controlled environment transmission electron microscope showed that hydrogen enhanced the mobility of dislocations in both uncharged and hydrogen charged alloys, showing that the hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity mechanism cannot account for the observed behavior. The experimental results are, however, fully consistent with the decohesion mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement.
The role of the WOx ad-component to Pt and PtRu catalysts in the electrochemical CH3OH oxidation reaction

High surface area carbon-supported platinum-based catalysts, Pt/C, PtWOx/C, PtRu/C and PtRuWOx/C, were prepared via a chemical reduction route using single metal precursor salts. The catalyst particles were found to be in the nanoscale range, and the addition of Ru clearly decreased the particle size. The Ru was found to be partially incorporated into the face centered cubic lattice of Pt and to form a single Ru catalyst component. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photon spectroscopy did not provide evidence for electronic interactions between WOx and Pt as well as WOx and Ru. However, the addition of tungsten to the PtRuWOx/C catalyst resulted in a high degree of catalyst particle agglomeration. Both Ru containing catalysts showed significantly higher activities for the CH3OH oxidation reaction in terms of Pt + Ru mass as well as electroactive Pt + Ru surface area than the Pt/C and PtWOx/C catalysts. The addition of tungsten appeared to mainly result in some ‘physical’ modification of the catalytically active Pt and Ru surface components such as differences in electroactive surface area rather than promotion of the CH3OH oxidation reaction via a true catalytic mechanism.
Trends in γ-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Related Drug Intoxication: 1999 to 2003

Study objective To analyze changes in γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) case reporting, we review GHB or congener drug cases reported to the California Poison Control System, comparing these to other data sets. Methods We identified cases from the California Poison Control System computerized database using standardized codes and key terms for GHB and congener drugs ("gamma butyrolactone," "1,4-butanediol," "gamma valerolactone"). We noted California Poison Control System date, caller and exposure site, patient age and sex, reported coingestions, and outcomes. We compared California Poison Control System data to case incidence from American Association of Poison Control Centers and Drug Abuse Warning Network data and drug use prevalence from National Institute for Drug Abuse survey data. Results A total of 1,331 patients were included over the 5-year period (1999-2003). California Poison Control System–reported GHB exposures decreased by 76% from baseline (n=426) to the final study year (n=101). The absolute decrease was present across all case types, although there was a significant proportional decrease in routine drug abuse cases and an increase in malicious events, including GHB-facilitated sexual assault ( P =.002). American Association of Poison Control Centers data showed a similar decrease from 2001 to 2003. Drug Abuse Warning Network incidence flattened from 2001 to 2002 and decreased sharply in 2003. National Institute for Drug Abuse survey time trends were inconsistent across age groups. Conclusion Based on the precipitous decrease in California Poison Control System case incidence for GHB during 5 years, the parallel trend in American Association of Poison Control Centers data, and a more recent decrease in Drug Abuse Warning Network cases, a true decrease in case incidence is likely. This could be due to decreased abuse rates or because fewer abusers seek emergency medical care. Case reporting may account for part of the decrease in the incidence of poison center contacts involving GHB.
Decision Problems Under Risk and Chance Constrained Programming: Dilemmas in the Transition

Some important conceptual problems concerning the application of chance constrained programming CCP to risky practical decision problems are discussed by comparing CCP to stochastic programming with recourse SPR. We expand on Garstka's distinction between mathematical equivalence and economic equivalence showing that much of practical usefulness is lost in the transition between SPR and CCP. By examining the literature on CCP applications we conclude that there is little evidence that CCP is used with the care that is necessary. Finally we conclude that CCP is seriously deficient as a modeling technique and of limited value as a computational device.
A DS-CDMA Interference Cancellation technique for body area networks

A low complexity Parallel Interference Cancellation (PIC) technique that is applicable to body area networks (BANs) is presented. Using Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA), the technique aims at suppressing interference caused by rapid changes in relative sensors position due to body parts motion as well as interference from adjacent BANs. Interference signal is estimated using a relationship between cyclic correlation of the received signal and interferer code without requiring any knowledge of the channel condition. The codes for the multi-sensor DS-CDMA communication are constructed by using a set of m-sequences. The cyclic correlation is performed using Fast Walsh-Hadamard Transform (FWHT) which exhibits low computational complexity. In addition to low complexity, the proposed technique does not require complicated channel condition estimation and has no convergence issues. The uncoded Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of the proposed interference cancellation over a body-surface channel is calculated and compared with the conventional scheme.
Detection of hotspot mutations and polymorphisms using an enhanced PCR-RFLP approach.

Ethidium gel-based PCR-RFLP is widely used, and is perhaps the simplest method for detection of known mutations in cancer-related genes and for genotyping a wide range of other human diseases. However, its application is limited by the fact that it can only detect mutant alleles that are present in more than 5-10% of wild-type alleles. Here we present a method that allows a 1-2 order enhancement in the sensitivity of the widely used PCR-RFLP without substantially increasing the effort and cost associated with it. This method is a modification to our previously reported amplification via primer ligation at the mutation (APRIL-ATM) method, which utilizes ligation of a primer at a restriction site formed by a mutation, followed by a ligation-mediated PCR amplification which amplifies only the mutation-containing DNA molecules. By combining this method with the artificial introduction of restriction sites during PCR, we demonstrate that assays can be designed and validated for detecting hot-spot mutations in codons 273, 158, and 248 of the TP53 gene (p53) and potentially for most mutations of interest. This approach is validated by using samples where the mutation was artificially introduced at these p53 positions. The increased sensitivity offered by the method further allows us to rapidly screen for low frequency polymorphisms in pooled DNA samples. The frequency of an MSH2 missense polymorphism (965G>A) was quantified in pooled genomic DNA samples from 205 and 221 U.S. and Polish colorectal cancer patients, respectively, and an equal number of ethnicity-matched controls. The data revealed a 3-5% prevalence of this polymorphism in the patient and the control populations. Individual sequencing of all 852 patient samples demonstrated an excellent agreement among the two independent approaches. The present enhanced PCR-RFLP reduces the effort involved in high throughput polymorphism studies and promises to find applications in genotyping and association studies involving low frequency polymorphisms and mutations.
THE FUTURE OF PERCEPTUAL CARTOGRAPHY

In the recent past, research in perceptual cartography has been criticized for a variety of reasons. In the paper that follows, the role of perceptual cartography in the future of cartography is discussed and guidelines for a more productive research program are offered. Depuis quelque temps et pour diverses raisons on a critique la recherche en cartographie perceptive. L'article traite du role de la cartographie perceptive dans l'avenir de la cartographie et propose des lignes directrices pour une recherche plus productive.
Electrically Tunable Evanescent Mode Half-Mode Substrate-Integrated-Waveguide Resonators

Electrically tunable evanescent mode half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) resonators are implemented for S band applications. An HMSIW loaded with a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) achieves forward electromagnetic wave transmission below the characteristic waveguide cutoff frequency due to evanescent wave amplification. A variable capacitor connected to one of the conductors of the CSRR changes its effective capacitance to ground, resulting in frequency tuning of the resonator. Three different configurations are investigated with a varactor diode connected between the ground and three different contact points of the CSRR. The external Q factor is slightly affected by the frequency tuning. More than 15% tunability is achieved around 3.4 GHz. Full wave structure simulation results are in good agreement with those of measurement.
Machine-assisted human classification of segmented characters for OCR testing and training

NIST needed a large set of segmented characters for use as a test set for the First Census Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Systems Conference. A machine-assisted human classification system was developed to expedite the process. The testing set consists of 58,000 digits and 10,000 upper and lower case characters entered on forms by high school students and is distributed as Testdata 1. A machine system was able to recognize a majority of the characters but all system decisions required human verification. The NIST recognition system was augmented with human verification to produce the testing database. This augmented system consists of several parts, the recognition system, a checking pass, a correcting pass, and a clean up pass. The recognition system was developed at NIST. The checking pass verifies that an image is in the correct class. The correcting pass allows classes to be changed. The clean-up pass forces the system to stabilize by making all images accepted with verified classifications or rejected. In developing the testing set we discovered that segmented characters can be ambiguous even without context bias. This ambiguity can be caused by over- segmentation or by the way a person writes. For instance, it is possible to create four ambiguous characters to represent all ten digits. This means that a quoted accuracy rate for a set of segmented characters is meaningless without reference to human performance on the same set of characters. This is different from the case of isolated fields where most of the ambiguity can be overcome by using context which is available in the non-segmented image. For instance, in the First Census OCR Conference, one system achieved a forced decision error rate for digits of 1.6% while 21 other systems achieved error rates of 3.2% to 5.1%. This statement cannot be evaluated until human performance on the same set of characters presented one at a time without context has been measured.
On the condensed water mass in rising air

Condensed water in a vertical column is related through continuity equations to the updraft speed, column depth, height of the condensation level, and strength of microphysical processes. When the ratio of updraft to characteristic particle fall speed is small, as in stratiform rain, the mass of precipitation in the steady state is proportional to the product of that ratio, column depth, and condensation function. When the ratio is only slightly above unity, two water content regimes are defined by continuity equations. The regime of large water content, an extension of the case described above, occurs when the condensation level is low and when there is rapid conversion of cloud to precipitation. Another regime characterized by a water mass about one-third as large (or less), and absence of precipitation at the ground beneath the updraft column, appears if the condensation level is high enough or cloud conversion slow enough. When the ratio is large, the total water content is usually much smaller than when updrafts and fall speeds are similar, and declines slowly toward a limiting value with increasing ratio. As updrafts intensify, precipitation is more limited near the top of the column, with increasing depth and amount of cloud beneath. In the limit of very fast updraft and weak cloud conversion process, the condensate profile is simply the profile of cloud in air risen from the condensation level without conversion of cloud to precipitation. These findings contrast substantially with those presented by Sulakvelidze,et al., who proposed that the water mass associated with strong updrafts increases with the square of the updraft speed. The difference in results is traced to its origins in different model assumptions.
Rhenium oxides having an ordered or related perovskite-type structure

Abstract Further structural and magnetic observations on compounds of the type A 2 BReO 6 (where A = Ca, Sr, Ba; B = Ca, Sr) having the perovskite-related structure were carried out. The thermal decomposition of Ca 5 Re 2 O 12 in vacuo yielded single crystals of a perovskite related phase having the composition Ca 3 ReO 5.5 . The crystallo-graphic properties for all the derivatives were obtained from powder diffraction studies. Magnetic and electrical results on these phases are reported.
Psychocultural characteristics of college-bound and noncollege-bound Chicanas.

Summary The purpose of the present exploratory study was to determine if college-bound and noncollege-bound Chicanas differed on a number of psychocultural variables. The Ss were Chicana high school senior girls and included 25 college-bound and 30 noncollege-bound students. Discriminant analysis was used to compare the two groups of Ss on sex-role identity (masculinity and femininity), biculturalism, and family income. Results indicated that, with the exception of femininity, the psychocultural variables discriminated significantly between the two groups of Chicanas. The college-bound group was found to be more masculine and bicultural, and also had higher family incomes. Results were discussed in terms of (a) the relative importance of the psychocultural variables for differentiating college-bound and noncollege-bound Chicanas and (b) the possibility that masculinity and biculturalism may develop as a function of family income.
Prostate cancer screening: Promise and peril - A review

This review summarizes the current status of and recommendations for prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen in light of recent reductions in prostate cancer incidence and mortality. It describes how the uncertain effectiveness of aggressive treatment for prostate cancer and a reservoir of unsuspected indolent cancers make prostate cancer fit poorly into conventional screening models. The large proportion of men with unsuspected prostate cancers that may not cause morbidity or mortality and are unlikely to benefit from aggressive treatment decrease the effectiveness of a screening program. In addition, indolent, unsuspected prostate cancers in the screening population accentuate the detrimental effects of length bias on studies evaluating the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening. Screening tests for prostate cancer will continue to improve, but chemoprevention or nutritional prevention with vitamins and micronutrients such as tocopherols or selenium may prove to be effective methods of reducing prostate cancer incidence and should be aggressively investigated.
THE ETIOLOGY AND MAINTENANCE OF SEVERE ANIMAL PHOBIAS

Abstract Twenty-two outpatients who sought behavioral treatment for a severe animal phobia were questioned via structured interview to obtain information on the mode of onset and course of development of their fear. Information was also obtained regarding feared consequences and distressing stimulus characteristics of their feared animal. In each case, the phobia began in early childhood and remained stable or worsened with age. Mode of onset was unclassifiable in 15 cases (68%) because of patient inability to remember precipitants. Of the remaining 7 patients, 5 ascribed their fear to a frightening encounter with the animal (‘conditioning’); indirect (‘instructional’ and ‘vicarious’) causes were cited in the remaining cases. Virtually all patients feared panic and its consequences following an unavoidable encounter with the phobic animal, whereas less than half reported fear that the animal would attack. Stimulus features, especially movement, were found to be salient fear-eliciting cues.
IFR results for repairable systems

Consider a k-out-of-n system with independent repairable components. Assume that the repair and failure distributions are exponential with parameters {μ1, ,μn} and {λ1, ,λn}, respectively. In this article we show that if λi – μi = Δ for all i then the life distribution of the system is increasing failure rate (IFR).
Growth and performance of superlattice-based long wavelength complementary barrier infrared detectors (CBIRDs)

We have demonstrated the use of bulk antimonide based materials and type-II antimonide based superlattices in the development large area long wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays (FPAs). Barrier infrared photodetectors (BIRDS) and superlattice-based infrared photodetectors are expected to outperform traditional III-V MWIR and LWIR imaging technologies and are expected to offer significant advantages over II-VI material based FPAs. Our group has developed a novel complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD) which utilizes properties unique to the antimonide material system to incorporate unipolar barriers on either side of a superlattice absorber region. We have used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technology to grow InAs/GaSb CBIRD structures on large area 100mm GaSb substrates with excellent results. Furthermore, we have fabricated initial 1024x1024 pixels superlattice imaging FPAs based on the CBIRD concept.
Enhancing the Education and Understanding of Research in Community Health Workers in an Intervention Field Site in South India

Background : Community-level public health research engages a wide range of staff cadres. Community level workers with limited formal education are usually in first contact with the community and require training so that research interventions are carried out to high standards. Method : In a community-based TB study in South India, a Professional Development Programme (PDP) was developed to optimize the quality of the research, and to make involvement in research more meaningful for all members of the research team. The programme started with a set of modules that were considered relevant for a community-based epidemiological study. Subsequently, new modules were developed based on the expressed needs of the study staff. Pre and post-tests were conducted for all modules. A qualitative assessment was conducted after 3 years. Results : While initial 'pre-test' knowledge across modules was lower amongst community level field workers than staff of higher cadres, they achieved passing grade scores (>75%) with the programme. Longer term retention of knowledge over 6 months for the basic modules, was in excess of 75% for all staff. Focus groups discussions revealed that while many in the research team began work with an incomplete understanding of research methods and community health principles, investing time and resources in education beyond protocol training via the PDP realized long-term benefits to the research study and the individual staff, particularly the community level workers. Conclusions : There is a need to enhance the capabilities of community health workers to be part of a research team in field settings, so as to optimize their performance while utilizing their existing skill sets.
An examination of multi-frequency excitation of the buckled beam

Abstract The dynamics of a magnetically buckled beam excited by a two-frequency forcing function are examined to determine the nature and cause of the system behavior into and outside the parameter range where chaotic oscillations are observed. To facilitate the analysis, the beam is modelled by Duffing's equation with a negative linear stiffness. Bispectral analysis is performed on the trajectories in order to examine the nature and effect of frequency coupling in the motion. Results indicate that varying the relative phase angle of the higher frequency term can result in driving the system in and out of chaos. Bispectral analysis indicates that this controlling behavior of the high-frquency excitation term can be explained by quadratic interactions that transfer energy to the lowest non-linear natural frequency of the beam.
Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of phenyl-cycloalkyl carbenes

Abstract Phenyl-cyclohexyl, phenyl-cyclopentyl, phenyl-cyclobutyl, phenyl-l-benzylcyclobutyl, and phenyl-l-benzylcyclopropylcarbone were photochemically generated in a matrix at low temperature and studied by ESR.
From Play Areas to Natural Areas: The Role of Zoos in Getting Families Outdoors

ABSTRACT Zoos have the potential to help families recreate in nearby natural areas, increasing the likelihood of children playing in nature. The Paws On Children's Exhibit at Brevard Zoo (Melbourne, FL) was designed to provide a fun, educational children's play environment and to increase familiarity with and encourage family visits to the local upland and estuarine ecosystems. In this article, the authors explore through observation and survey data how children's play at a zoo exhibit can influence parents’ knowledge, perceptions, and intention to visit nearby natural areas. Survey responses reveal that adults believe the exhibit allows children to play in a more educational and imaginative manner than typical play. Most adult respondents are very satisfied with their experience at the exhibit and report increased knowledge of and interest in visiting local natural areas with their family.
Sources and terminations of callosal axons related to binaural and frequency maps in primary auditory cortex of the cat

The distributions of sources and terminals of callosal fibers in the high-frequency representation of AI were related to binaural and frequency maps in combined anatomical and electrophysiological experiments. Sources of callosal axons were retrogradely labeled with HRP. Distributions of axon terminals were determined by autoradiographic labelling with [3H]-proline and anterograde degeneration following callosal section. Regions in which cells exhibit summation or ipsilateral dominance and suppression contain higher concentrations of sources and terminals of callosal fibers than do regions in which cells exhibit monaural contralateral responses or contralateral dominance and suppression. Callosal axon terminals aggregate into columns. In Sections cut parallel to the cortical surface callosal columns take on complex forms that exhibit certain consistent features. Two prominent elongated columns separated by a narrow zone of sparse callosal innervation run in a rostrodorsal to caudoventral direction through AI crossing several octaves of the frequency representation. Ventral to these columns, along the AI-AII border, less densely labeled callosal columns are in evidence. Low frequency representations of AI are interconnected but details of their innervation patterns were not worked out. Outside of AI there are regions that contain complex configurations of callosal columns. Several morphologically distinct types of neurons, located in laminae III through VI, were retrogradely labeled following injections of HRP into the opposite AI. About 94% of callosal neurons are pyramidal cells of layers III and IV.
Comment on “On the atmospheric input of sulfur into the ocean” by E. Mészáros

(1983). Comment on “On the atmospheric input of sulfur into the ocean” by E. Meszaros. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology: Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 290-293.
An Examination of Job Satisfaction of General Managers Based on Hotel Size and Service Type

ABSTRACT Because of the flatter organizational structure and decentralized hierarchical configuration of limited-service and extended-stay hotels, managerial job responsibilities may differ between these types of hotels and their full-service counterparts. As job responsibilities vary, so too might approaches to ensuring job satisfaction. This study examined how hotel size and service type affect the job satisfaction of general managers. After hypotheses testing and an analysis of the item correlations, it was concluded that neither hotel size nor service type significantly impacted general manager job satisfaction and gender, age, educational level, and longevity in the hospitality industry or as a hotel manager all had minimal impact on job satisfaction.
Relationship between Water Withdrawals and Freshwater Ecosystem Water Scarcity Quantified at Multiple Scales for a Great Lakes Watershed

AbstractEven in relatively water-rich regions, withdrawal and consumption of water has the potential to create instream freshwater ecosystem water scarcity, especially at seasonal and local scales....
Can the Quark Mass Matrix Be Real

Abstract We study the possibility of solving the strong CP problem in a theory where CP is broken spontaneously and the quark mass matrix, Mij, not just its determinant, remains real to one part in 108. We find that it is difficult to build natural models consistent with the known CP violation phenomenology. We find that such models require new fermions and possess a hierarchy problem. We present an SO(10) example which succeeds at the one-loop level, however, two-loop effects will introduce phases into Mij.