cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viability of Interceptor Trenches for Monitoring Groundwater Quality Near Landfills

Computer models were used to quantify the detection capability of four alternative groundwater monitoring systems in a shallow aquifer near a 50-m by 75-m landfill oriented oblique to groundwater flow. The monitoring systems included a network of five wells, and 1-m, 3-m, and 5-m wide gravel interceptor trenches. Each trench was 42-m long. Wells and trenches were positioned on a monitoring locus located 15-m, in the direction parallel to groundwater flow, from the landfill's downgradient boundary. There was an equal spacing, in the direction perpendicular to groundwater flow, between monitoring wells, and the trenches were positioned near the middle of the monitoring transect. The five-well network detected 81% of contaminant plumes originating within the landfill's footprint before they reached a buffer zone boundary located 50-m from the landfill's downgradient corner. By comparison, the 1-m, 3-m, and 5-m wide trenches detected 77, 84, and 88% of the contaminant plumes, respectively. Convergent flow induced by wider trenches yielded slightly higher detection efficiencies. Although the well and trench monitoring systems registered similar detection capability, estimated costs for installing the trench systems were more than 10 times those of constructing the wells. Overall, results of this study suggest that, even for shallow aquifers, gravel interceptor trenches are not a cost effective method for detecting leaks from landfills.
ODD MAN (OR WOMAN) OUT: DEMOGRAPHIC DISSIMILARITY AND THE SOCIALIZATION OF NEWCOMERS.

The article discusses newcomer socialization in business. Research on the subject typically assumes that organizations treat most incoming employees in the same way or the individual newcomers' behavior has an impact on the socialization they receive, with individuals deviant from the workgroup treated differently than those who conform. The authors investigate group identity in both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, as well as the reactions of majority group members to the introduction of similar and dissimilar newcomers.
SOLVENT EFFECTS ON THE INFRARED FREQUENCY OF INORGANIC CARBONYL AND NITROSYL BANDS

Abstract The infrared spectra of a number of transition metal carbonyl and nitrosyl compounds have been recorded in a series of solvents. The behavior of the various bands is discussed in terms of the relative frequency shift plots of B ellamy and co-workers. The magnitude of the frequency shifts is correlated with the relative electron density around the metal atom in a series of compounds in which the ligands are varied. Solvent effects on NO and CO vibrators appear to be fairly similar in character, with the NO band shift greater in magnitude. This is discussed in terms of dative metal-ligand π-bonding in these complexes. It is found that in molecules with more than one CO band, the frequency shifts of these bands correlate fairly well among themselves but do not correlate with those of complexes having only one CO band. The bridging carbonyl band in Co2(CO)8 has a solvent shift behavior very similar to organic ketones. In certain solvents, however, there is evidence for the formation of the Co(CO)4− anion.
Connexionist-Systems-Based Long Term Prediction Approaches for Prognostics

Prognostics and Health Management aims at estimating the remaining useful life of a system (RUL) , i.e. the remaining time before a failure occurs. It benefits thereby from an increasing interest: prognostic estimates (and related decision-making processes) enable increasing availability and safety of industrial equipment while reducing costs. However, prognostics is generally based on a prediction step which, in the context of data-driven approaches as considered in this paper, can be hard to achieve because future outcomes are in essence difficult to estimate. Also, a prognostic system must perform sufficient long term estimates, whereas many works focus on short term predictions. Following that, the aim of this paper is to formalize and discuss the connexionist-systems-based approaches to ensure multi-step ahead predictions for prognostics. Five approaches are pointed out: the Iterative, Direct, DirRec, Parallel, and MISMO approaches. Conclusions of the paper are based, on one side, on a literature review; and on the other side, on simulations among 111 time series prediction problems, and among a real engine fault prognostics application. These experiments are performed using the exTS (evolving extended Takagi-Sugeno system). As for comparison purpose, three types of performances measures are used: prediction accuracy, complexity (computational time), and implementation requirements. Results show that all three criteria are never optimized at the same time (same experiment), and best practices for prognostics application are finally pointed out.
The Role of Cytokinin in the Regulation of Growth, DNA Synthesis and Cell Proliferation in Cultured Soybean Tissues (Glycine max var. Biloxi)

Changes in protein content and cell proliferative activity were followed after a cytokinin-requiring strain of cultured Glycine max tissue was transferred to freshly prepared media which either contained or lacked cytokinin. Cell numbers doubled within the first two days after transfer, both in the presence and absence of cytokinin. However, after the second day no further increase in cell number was observed in the absence of cytokinin, while cell numbers continued to increase logarithmically in the presence of cytokinin. The size of the cell population attained after the first six days of growth was a function of the cytokinin concentration of the culture medium. However, the amount of 3H-thymidine incorporated into nuclear DNA bore no relation to the rate of cell proliferation. Tissues cultured on medium lacking cytokinin incorporated the greatest amount of 3H-thymidine per microgram of DNA, while the actively dividing tissues incorporated somewhat less. Using autoradiography and isopycnic CsCl gradient centrifugation, it was shown that the radioactivity derived from 3H-thymidine was associated with nuclear DNA in the cytokinin-deprived cells. Biochemical measurements demonstrated that cells cultured for six days without cytokinin had approximately twice the DNA content of the actively proliferating cells cultured on cytokinin-containing medium. Furthermore, in autoradiographs labeled cells were found to average nearly three times as many silver grains per nucleus in tissues cultured without cytokinin as the cytokinin-grown tissues. This suggests that the 3H-thymidine incorporation in the non-proliferating soybean cells results from nuclear DNA synthesis and that some of the cells became polypoid in the absence of cytokinin. These findings would be consistent with the idea that cytokinin acts as a specific trigger for cytokinesis.
THERMOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF PHOSPHINE LIGAND SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS INVOLVING TRANS-(PR3)2CL2RU=CH-CH-CPH2 COMPLEXES

The enthalpies of reaction of (PPh3)2Cl2RuCH−CHCPh2 (1) with a series of tertiary phosphine ligands, leading to the formation of (PR3)2Cl2RuCH−CHCPh2 complexes (PR3 = PiPr3, PBz3, PPh2Cy, PPhCy2, P...
Lack of graft-versus-host disease after fetal intestine transplantation

Clinical small bowel transplantation has often been complicated by lethal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), attributed to the numerous allogeneic immunocompetent lymphocytes contained in the graft. Because the fetal immune system is relatively immature, the authors hypothesized that the risk of GVHD after small bowel transplantation might be diminished by using the fetal intestine as the donor organ. This experiment tested this hypotheses in a rat model. Jejunoileal segments harvested from Lewis (LEW) rat fetuses were transplanted subcutaneously into adult recipients of either syngeneic LEW or semiallogeneic LEW x Brown-Norway F1 (LBNF1) strains. The recipients had follow-up for 21 days after transplantation to assess the growth of the intestinal grafts ("neogut") and evaluate for GVHD. Growth of the intestinal grafts was observed in 65% (53 of 82) of the recipients, with a neogut weight of 4.5 +/- 3.7 g and length of 2.8 +/- 2.1 cm. No significant difference in graft survival rate or neogut weight and length was found between the LEW and LBNF1 recipients. Histopathologic examination of the neogut showed a mature intestinal architecture similar to that of normal adult rat intestine, with well-developed enteric lymphoid tissues including Peyer's patches. However, no clinical or histopathologic evidence of GVHD was found in any of the LBNF1 recipients. These results are consistent with the author's hypothesis and suggest that the use of fetal donor intestine for small bowel transplantation might have some immunologic advantages over the adult (immunologically mature) donor intestine.
Fluid-phase radial transport in packed beds of low tube-to-particle diameter ratio

Abstract Mass transfer experiments were carried out in packed beds of spheres of low tube-to-particle diameter ratio (3 ⩽ d t p ⩽ 12) to determine, by analogy, the fluid-phase contribution to the heat transfer effective radial Peclet number and the apparent wall Biot number. The asymptotic Peclet number was shown to be between 8 and 11 for the entire d t d p range, contradicting standard correlations. A correlation for the wall Sherwood number is given that extends those of previous studies: Sh wf = (1.0−1.5( d p d t ) 1.5 )(Sc) 1 3 (Re) 0.59 . These results are in good agreement with data obtained directly from heat transfer experiments.
Chemical theory for mixtures containing any number of alcohols

Abstract In a previous paper (Pradhan et al., 1993. Fluid Phase Equilibria, 84: 183–206) Flory-Huggins theory, regular solution theory, and the use of chemical equilibria to model hydrogen bonding were combined to form a simple association model for ternary mixtures containing two alcohols and an alkane. In this paper the model is extended to represent systems containing any number of alcohols and alkanes. The chemical equilibria approach, thought to be complicated for systems containing more than two alcohols, is actually found to be quite feasible if a suitable means of counting the associated complexes is used. The model does not require cross-association equilibrium constants for alcohols to be the geometric mean of the self-association constants. However, this assumption is tested on binary vapor-liquid equilibrium data for alcohol systems and is found to provide acceptable results. In addition to binary mixtures of alcohols, the model is applied to binary mixtures of an alcohol and an alkane, ternary mixtures containing two alcohols and an alkane, and ternary mixtures comprising three alcohols. It compares favorably with the Wilson equation and has potentially fewer adjustable parameters. Finally, the model is compared with statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) and the two approaches are found to be strikingly similar.
Toward a new taxonomy for understanding the nature and consequences of contingent employment

Purpose – The main goal of this article is to present a new taxonomy of contingent employment that better represents the wide variety of part‐time, temporary, and contract employment arrangements that have emerged since Feldman's review.Design/methodology/approach – Reviews the literature over the past 15 years.Findings – The paper suggests that contingent work arrangements can be arrayed along three dimensions: time, space, and the number/kind of employers. In addition, analysis of the recent research on contingent employment should be expanded to include worker timeliness, responsiveness, job embeddedness, citizenship behaviours, quality of work, and social integration costs.Originality/value – The article suggests that a wider range of individual differences (including education, race, citizenship, career stage, and rational demography) all serve to moderate the relationships between different kinds of contingent work arrangements and outcome variables.
Recent progress in thin film growth analysis by multichannel spectroscopic ellipsometry

In this article we review recent advances in instrumentation for multichannel spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and its applications in real time analysis of thin film growth. An established approach for multichannel SE utilizes the rotating polarizer configuration to provide 50- to 100-point spectra in the ellipsometric angles and the polarized reflectance for photon energies ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 eV, with a minimum acquisition time of 15 ms. In a recent advance, the upper photon energy limit in rotating-polarizer multichannel SE has been extended to 6.5 eV for the study of wide bandgap thin films. In addition, multichannel SE in the rotating-compensator configuration has also been developed recently. This new instrument configuration provides spectra in the four parameters that define the Stokes vector of the light beam reflected from the film surface, with a minimum acquisition time of 25 ms. The additional information in the Stokes vector allows one to assess sample non-idealities that lead to depolarization of the incident beam upon reflection. Real time SE data analysis procedures have been developed to handle a variety of problems in thin film deposition including (i) nucleation and bulk layer growth on smooth and rough substrates, (ii) nucleation and bulk layer growth on rough substrates accompanied by modification of the substrates, and (iii) graded layer growth with rough surfaces. Illustrative examples from our studies of amorphous semiconductor materials and devices demonstrate these capabilities.
Maintenance of Pregnancy in Castrate Rats by Means of Progesterone.

SummaryRats castrated on the 4th day of pregnancy were maintained in pregnancy until the 21st day with daily doses of progesterone of 1 or 2 Rb.U.
Urinary Excretion of Amines in Phenylketonuria and Mongolism

Children with phenylketonuria excrete considerably less serotonin and tryptamine and somewhat less normetanephrine and p-tyramine than normal children. The excretion of these amines was not decreased in mongolism. Even during monoamine oxidase blockade, o-tyramine could not be detected in the urine of phenylketonurics. These findings are discussed in relation to the mental defect of phenylketonuria.
Serial, Parallel, and Integrated Models of Dual-Diagnosis Treatment

AgrA©A¢t DEAL of interest has recently developed in the area of dual diagnosis, which is defined here as a co-occurrence of mental disorder and substance-use disorder. Much of the focus on dual diagnosis has come from the public mental health system, which is confronted with increasing numbers of young chronically mentally ill patients who also have problems related to substance use. Research shows that the dual disordered population has poor treatment compliance, is hospitalized more frequently than are psychiatric patients, and has poor outcome in both psychiatric1 and chemical dependency treatment.2 A number of programs have been developed to address dual disordered patients. These include outpatient programs3, case-managed pro- grams4, and inpatient programs.5"8 There are relatively few outcome studies in the area, probably due to several factors: 1. dual diagnosis is a relatively new area of interest; 2. dual-diagnosis programs and clinics have developed only in the last few years;
Thirty U.S. Poison Center reports later: greater demand, more difficult problems

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) submitted the 30th annual report for the year ending 2012, and much has changed, while much remains the same.1Early poison center annual r...
A theoretical analysis of L 1 regularized Poisson likelihood estimation

A standard variational formulation for solving the linear operator equation Au = z is to compute the function u that minimizes ‖Au − z‖ L 2(Ω). This is often an ill-posed problem that requires regularization, which is to say that there may exist infinitely many minimizers or that the solution may not be stable with respect to measurement errors. In many cases, however, the measured function z is contaminated by the noise of both Gaussian and Poisson types. If the Poisson noise is mathematically significant but not of high values, then solving the operator equation via the ubiquitous least-squares minimization problem may not produce an appropriate reconstruction, and the Poisson negative log-likelihood estimator may lead to a more accurate result. The Poisson likelihood minimization is also generally an ill-posed problem, and we require a regularization term to impose stability or to pick out which of the infinitely many minimizers is appropriate. Many possible regularizations have been analysed, includin...
Induction of GRP78 by ischemic preconditioning reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress and prevents delayed neuronal cell death.

Although the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is implicated in neuronal degeneration in some situations, its role in delayed neuronal cell death (DND) after ischemia remains uncertain. The authors speculated that ER stress is involved in DND, that it is reduced by ischemic preconditioning, and that ER stress reduction by preconditioning is due to ER molecular chaperone induction. The phosphorylation status of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and RNA-dependent protein kinase–like ER eIF2α kinase (PERK) was investigated in the rat hippocampus after ischemia with and without preconditioning. PERK is phosphorylated by ER stress, which phosphorylates eIF2α. To investigate the role of ER molecular chaperones in preconditioning, the authors examined GRP78 and GRP94 expression, both of which are ER chaperones that inhibit PERK phosphorylation, and compared their induction and ischemic tolerance time windows. Phosphorylation of eIF2α and PERK was confirmed after severe ischemia but was inhibited by preconditionin...
Anaerobes into heavy metal: Dissimilatory metal reduction in anoxic environments.

Within the last decade, a novel form of microbial metabolism of major environmental significance has been elucidated. In this process, known as dissimilatory metal reduction, specialized microorganisms, living in anoxic aquatic sediments and ground water, oxidize organic compounds to carbon dioxide with metals serving as the oxidant. Recent studies have demonstrated that this metabolism explains a number of important geochemical phenomena in ancient and modern sedimentary environments, affecting not only the cycling of metals but also the fate of organic matter. Furthermore, this metabolism may have practical application in remediation of environments contaminated with toxic metals and/or organics.
Embodying transcendence: on the literal, the material, and the cinematic sublime

ABSTRACTThis essay looks at the phenomenological relation between immanence and transcendence, the material and the immaterial, in films focused on “spiritual” or “religious” subject matter and themes. These films employ a variety of cinematic strategies meant not only to represent but also to present and solicit transcendent or “spiritual” states of being from the viewer. Each of these strategies is also an act of belief about the relationship between immanence and transcendence and about the relationship between the viewer's lived and sensual body and the visions and sounds expressed on the screen. Thus, certain strategies sublimate the experience of ek-stasis in literal dramatizations that emphasize the transcendent as “other” than material immanence, others emphasize the transcendent as located in immanence and thus sublimate the experience of ek-stasis in the materiality of existence—and still others emphasize the transcendent as immaterial and ungraspable except as an apprehended gap and/or opening ...
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Internal Wave Forcing on a Coral Reef

The deployment of a dense spatial array of temperature sensors on a coral reef in the Florida Keys provided a unique view of the interaction of cool water incursions generated by internal waves with the three-dimensional reef bathymetry. Water temperature on the reef surface was sampled every 5 s at 100 points on a 100 m by 150 m grid with concomitant measurements of water column velocity and temperature from mid-May through mid-August 2003. Episodic incursions of cool, subsurface water were driven by periods of strong semidiurnal internal tide and higher-frequency internal wave activity. For every time step in the data record the mean profile of temperature as a function of depth is calculated with a 3-m vertical averaging length scale. Subtracting this mean profile from the raw record yields a within depth, horizontal temperature anomaly. Visualization through time of the anomaly mapped onto the measured reef bathymetry reveals episodic variability of thermal patchiness across the reef as well as persistent features associated with reef bathymetry. Variation in the nature of the cooling and resulting thermal heterogeneity among events and seasons suggests multiple modes of cool water incursion ranging from unbroken, tidal period internal waves to packets of higher-frequency, energetic, broken internal bores.
Human factor integration into the development of a realistic tree-rendering system based on lidar remote sensing

This paper introduces application of the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) to forest visualization and user studies which were designed to gain insight into human factors for system development. This interdisciplinary research project was undertaken by the Visualization, Analysis, and Imaging Laboratory and the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University (MSU). The purpose was to create a forest management tool for remote examination of stands in a stereoscopic environment which allows users to observe and interact with realistic virtual stands. The datasets used in this study include measurements such as total height, Diameter at the Breast Height (DBH), and crown radii. The datasets were directly and indirectly generated from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. The datasets from immature (eight-years-old) high density and mature (40-years-old) low density loblolly pine (Pinus taeda ) stands were used to generate three types of tree models. These three models represent trees in different graphic-complexities and thus interactivity. In general, higher fidelity is preferred in visualization. However, there is a trade-off between graphic details and interaction speed. To determine an optimal model, a user study was designed to examine the influence photo-reality and interactivity have on the viewer's perception. Human subjects recruited from MSU's Department of Forestry will explore virtual stands rendered with one of the tree models in the CAVE and estimate forest parameters.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of advanced glycation end product modification on proximal tubule epithelial cell processing of albumin.

Aim: The goal of this work is to understand the cellular effects of advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified protein on renal proximal tubule cells. Background:</i&
Autistic Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The present case study examined an adolescent boy who initially was evaluated at our clinic and was found to meet DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder. After placement in a residential school using Daily Life Therapy for autistic disorder, the subject reported being physically abused by a staff member. Additional psychiatric evaluation revealed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including symbolic anxiety and repetition of the trauma. The diagnosis of PTSD should be considered in children with autistic disorder and other severe developmental disorders who have experienced physical and sexual abuse. Furthermore, parents, professionals, educators, and child care workers struggle with emotional reactions to children with severe developmental disorders and may have difficulty accepting the reality of the child rather than the fantasy of the "wished-for child." The disappointment of this fantasy and the equating of the child's weaknesses as one's own may lead to personal devaluation and increase the risk of abusive behavior.
Regional Entrainment of Atrial Fibrillation in Man

Entrainment of Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: The feasibility of entrainment of macroreentrant atrial arrhythmias such as atrial flutter is well documented. Recently, it has been shown that regional entrainment of atrial fibrillation is feasible in dogs. Methods and Results: Three patients with chronic atrial fibrillation underwent electrophysiologic evaluation with attempted entrainment of atrial fibrillation prior to successful endocardial atrial defibrillation. A 16-pole catheter was positioned in the trabeculated right atrium, and in two patients a multipolar catheter was positioned along the septum. In addition, two large surface area defibrillation catheters were placed, one in the lateral right atrium and one in the coronary sinus. Regional entrainment was attempted in the right atrium and from the catheter in the coronary sinus. Entrainment was achieved in the right atrium in all three patients over a cycle length range of 28, 17, and 13 msec, respectively, and over a radius of atrial tissue of at least 2.8 cm. Regional entrainment was demonstrated from the coronary sinus in one patient during simultaneous right atrial entrainment. Termination of atrial fibrillation during entrainment was not observed. Conclusion: Regional entrainment of chronic atrial fibrillation is feasible in humans.
Energy-dependent quantum-state-resolved relaxation of highly vibrationally excited pyridine (Evib = 36 990-40 200 cm-1) through collisions with CO2

The energy dependence of "strong" collisional deactivation that transfers energy from highly vibrationally excited pyridine to a CO 2 bath has been investigated for pyridine with internal energy between E v i b = 36 990 and 40 200 cm - 1 . Highly excited pyridine was prepared by absorption of tunable pulsed UV laser light at four wavelengths, λ = 251, 259, 266, and 273 nm, followed by prompt radiationless decay from S 1 (or S 2 ) to the vibrationally excited levels of the ground electronic state. High-resolution transient IR absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the nascent rotational and translational energy distributions of scattered CO 2 molecules in high J states of the ground vibrationless (00 0 0) level that result from collisions with hot pyridine. Our results reveal that substantial amounts of rotational and translational energy are imparted to CO 2 (00 0 0) molecules for all four pyridine energies and that the magnitude of the CO 2 rotational and translational energy gains changes very little for a 3000 cm - 1 change in the vibrational energy of the pyridine donor. State-resolved energy-transfer rate constants were measured at each UV wavelength and were also found to be fairly insensitive to changes in the donor internal energy content for the excitation energies studied here. These results indicate that the relaxation mechanism and the energy-transfer probability distribution function for the V → RT pathway for pyridine(E)/CO 2 collisions are invariant to this change in internal energy. A consideration of energy-transfer rates using Fermi's Golden Rule is consistent with the observed behavior. Comparison with previous energy-dependent collisional quenching studies [Elioff, M. S.: Wall, M.; Lemoff, A.; Mullin, A. S. J. Chem. Phys. 1999, 110, 5578-5588] on vibrationally hot pyrazine with CO 2 suggests that this may be a general phenomenon in the collisional relaxation of highly excited molecules.
Gel electrolytes from co-substituted oligoethyleneoxy/trifluoroethoxy linear polyphosphazenes

Four new co-substituted linear phosphazene polymers have been synthesized with controlled ratios of oligoethyleneoxy (MEEP-type) and trifluoroethoxy side groups. The polymers were synthesized as models for gel electrolyte systems with more dimensional stability than can be achieved by MEEP-type electrolytes alone. The conductivity is significantly influenced by the ratios of the two side groups and by the concentration of small-molecule organic additives. Insights are suggested into the mechanism of ionic conduction within polyphosphazene gels.
X-rays from the eclipsing pulsar 1957 +20

The detection of soft X-rays of about 1 keV energy from the eclipsing pulsar PSR1957+20 is reported. This high-energy radiation should be a valuable diagnostic of the wind in this recycled pulsar system. Possible sources of the X-ray emission are the interstellar nebula driven by the pulsar wind, the interaction between the pulsar and its evaporating companion, and the pulsar itself. The small apparent size of the X-ray object argues against the first of these possibilities and suggests that the X-rays are produced within the binary.
Estimation of linear parametric models of non-Gaussian discrete random fields

Finite-dimensional linear parametric models for multidimensional random signals have been found useful in many applications such as image coding, enhancement, restoration, synthesis, classification,a nd spectral estimation. A vast majority of this work is based upon exploitation of only the second-order statistics of the data either explicitly or implicitly. A consequence of this is that either the underlying models should be quarter-plane (or, half plane) causal and minimum phase, or the impulse response of the underlying parametric model must possess certain symmetry (such as 'symmetric noncausality'), in order to achieve parameter identifiability. I consider a general (possibly asymmetric noncausal and/or nonminimum phase) 2D autoregressive moving average random field model driven by an independent and identically distributed 2D non-Gaussian sequence. Several novel performance criteria are proposed and analyzed for parameter estimation of the system parameters given only the output measurements (image pixels). The proposed criteria exploit the higher order cumulant statistics of the data and are sensitive to the magnitude as well as phase of the underlying stochastic image model.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sensitivity of polarization-maintaining fibers to temperature variations

An experimental study is conducted to investigate temperature effects on the polarization characteristics of three polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers designed to operate in the 1.3 micrometers wavelength region. A conventional single-mode (SM) fiber is used for a comparison. The polarization stability of the test fibers is evaluated as a function of temperature (between -60 degree(s)C and 100 degree(s)C). Significant changes are observed in the extinction ratio at -60 degree(s)C for one of the PM fibers containing a UV-cured buffer coat. It is believed that lateral compressive forces due to the buffer coat shrinking onto a nonuniform glass fiber at low temperature cause microbending and mode coupling. While the test fibers containing the UV-cured buffer coats are in general more sensitive to temperature changes, some fiber designs seem to perform better according to the experimental results.
Differences in Overall Satisfaction by Consumptive and Nonconsumptive Recreationists: A Comparative Analysis of Three Decades of Research

This article extends a previous comparative analysis (Vaske, Donnelly, Heberlein, & Shelby, 1982) by analyzing differences in overall satisfaction by consumptive and nonconsumptive recreationists over a 30-year period. Based on theory and previous research, two hypotheses were advanced: (a) consumptive recreationists will report significantly lower satisfaction than will nonconsumptive recreationists and (b) this pattern will remain consistent over time. Data were obtained from published and unpublished studies in 57 consumptive (e.g., hunters) and 45 nonconsumptive (e.g., kayakers) recreation contexts. Each study used the same overall satisfaction question (i.e., “overall, how would you rate your experience”). Following Vaske et al. (1982), responses were collapsed into three categories (i.e., “poor/fair,” “good/very good,” “excellent/perfect”). The independent variables were activity type and year. Consistent with the hypotheses, consumptive recreationists reported lower satisfaction than did nonconsump...
Addition of L-glutamine to total parenteral nutrition and its effects on portal insulin and glucagon and the development of hepatic steatosis in rats.

Infusion of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with excess carbohydrate calories leads to hepatic steatosis in rats and is associated with an elevated portal insulin/glucagon molar ratio. Previously we have shown that adding glucagon to TPN prevents and reverses hepatic steatosis in rats, possibly by increasing hepatic lipid export. It has been reported that steatosis is eliminated in rats by the addition of l-glutamine to TPN. In this study, we examined the effect of glutamine on portal insulin and glucagon levels and the development of hepatic steatosis. Adult rats (n = 19) received internal jugular catheters: Group 1 (n = 6), saline (3 cc/hr) and chow ad libitum; Group 2 (n = 7), 25% dextrose base TPN; Group 3 (n = 6), 25% dextrose base TPN with 2% glutamine. The infusion rate of TPN was 1.2 cc/100 g body wt/hr. Daily nitrogen balance was determined and at 7 days, portal venous blood was drawn for insulin and glucagon radioimmunoassay, livers were removed for histology and lipid content determination, and the small intestines were removed for mucosal protein and DNA content determination. Panlobular vacuolization of the hepatocytes was noted on histology in Group 2 (TPN) while Group 1 (chow) and Group 3 (TPN + glutamine) showed normal liver morphology. Hepatic lipid content was significantly elevated in Group 2 (P < 0.05). The portal insulin/glucagon molar ratio was increased because of excessive portal venous insulin in Group 2 (TPN). In contrast, portal glucagon was significantly elevated while the insulin/glucagon ratio and hepatic lipid content did not increase above control levels in the glutamine-supplemented Group 3 rats. The results suggest that addition of l-glutamine to hypertonic dextrose TPN prevents the development of hepatic steatosis, possibly by stimulating glucagon secretion and thus lowering the portal insulin/glucagon ratio and increasing hepatic lipid export.
Effects of Accounting-Method Choices on Subjective Performance-Measure Weighting: Experimental Evidence on Precision and Error Covariance

Performance-measure weights for incentive compensation are often determined subjectively. Determining these weights is a cognitively difficult task, and archival research shows that observed performance-measure weights are only partially consistent with the predictions of agency theory. Ittner, Larcker and Meyer (2003) have concluded that psychology theory can help to explain such inconsistencies. In an experimental setting based on Feltham and Xie (1994), we use psychology theories of reasoning to predict distinctive patterns of similarity and difference between optimal and actual subjective performance-measure weights. The following predictions are supported. First, most individuals in our setting use the measures' error variance (precision) and error covariance to determine performance-measure weights. Second, directional errors in the use of these measurement attributes are relatively frequent, resulting in a mean under-reaction to the accounting-method change. Third, individuals seem insufficiently aware that a change in the accounting for one measure has spillover effects on the optimal weighting of the other measure in a two-measure incentive system, and in consequence, they make performance-measure weighting choices that are likely to result in misallocations of agent effort.
Social and Economic Inequality and Asian Americans in the United States

ABSTRACT Describing social and economic inequality within the Asian American community is difficult. Depending on how “Asian American” is defined, there are twenty to thirty cultures, countries of origin, and a wide range of identities and circumstances that influence economic and social well-being. It is almost presumptuous to attempt to categorize such a diverse collection of identities as one group. At the same time, Asians and Pacific Islanders have been an increasing population group in the U.S. over the past thirty years. A common conception of them now is that of the “model minority”; i.e., as a minority group which has through hard work rather than political confrontation achieved the American Dream. Simple economic and educational comparisons suggest that Asian Americans have done quite well. Yet those comparisons are misleading. When controlling for educational status, Asian Americans have lower incomes than their White counterparts. Asian Americans, especially recent immigrants, also have highe...
Who's using whom?

Will China gain influence from having one of its people at the head of WHO or will the winner be WHO itself as China becomes more engaged in fighting infectious disease? Anne Glusker reports
Direct two-dimensional reconstruction algorithm for an inverse-geometry CT system

An inverse-geometry computed tomography (IGCT) system uses a large source array opposite a smaller detector array. A previously described IGCT reconstruction algorithm uses gridding, but this gridding step produces blurring in the reconstructed image. In this article, the authors describe a two-dimensional (2D) IGCT reconstruction algorithm without gridding. In the transverse direction, the raw data of the IGCT system can be viewed as being composed of many fan beams. Because the spacing between source spots is larger than the spot width, each fan beam has undersampled projection data, but the missing samples are effectively provided by other undersampled fan beam views. In the proposed method, a direct fan beam reconstruction algorithm is used to process each undersampled fan beam. Initial images with this method showed ring artifacts caused by nonuniform sampling in the radial direction as compared to an ideal fan beam. A new method for correcting this effect was developed. With this correction, high quality images were obtained. The noise performance of the proposed 2D IGCT reconstruction algorithm was investigated, and it was comparable to that of the fan beam system. A MTF study showed that the proposed method achieves better resolution than the gridding method.
Adjacent segment disease: An uncommon complication after cervical expansile laminoplasty: Case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Adjacent segment disc disease is a well-described phenomenon that occurs after anterior cervical spinal fusion. One of the advantages of cervical laminoplasty over anterior approaches is that although the treated segments are stiffened, no formal fusion is performed. This is thought to reduce the biomechanical stresses placed on adjacent levels and thus decrease the likelihood of adjacent level degeneration. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old man presented with myelopathy attributable to cervical spondylosis and underwent a C3-C7 laminoplasty, improvements in gait were followed 2 years later by symptomatic disc degeneration and spinal cord compression at T1-T2, which rendered him wheelchair bound. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with a laminectomy at the level of stenosis accompanied by posterior instrumentation and fusion from C5 to T3. This resulted in clinical improvement, and the patient was returned to his baseline ambulatory status. CONCLUSION: Adjacent segment disease is an uncommon complication that occurs after laminoplasty. Careful attention to preserving facet joint motion in the cervical spine may minimize the stresses placed on adjacent motion segments.
Complications and nonclosure rates of fasciotomy for trauma and related risk factors.

p = 0.043). The rate was highest among the vascular/lower extremity group (60.5%) and lowest among the nonvascular/upper extremity group (15.4%). We concluded that fasciotomies in lower extremities, the presence of underlying vascular injuries, fasciotomies performed prophylactically, and a time between the injury and fasciotomy of more than 8 hours are associated with an increased risk for local complications. The same factors are associated with an increased need for skin grafting the wound.
Granulocytic Sarcoma of the Spine

Objective Granulocytic sarcomas (chloromas) are tumors consisting of primitive myeloid cells. They are rare manifestations of acute and chronic leukemias and can occasionally precede the development of systemic disease by weeks to years. Spinal complications of chloromas, such as cord compression secondary to epidural tumor or cauda equina syndrome, have been described but are uncommon. Methods We present eight new cases of spinal chloroma. Three patients displayed significant motor deficit in the form of paraparesis or paraplegia. All patients complained of lower back pain, with other complaints including generalized pain, abdominal pain, numbness and pain in the lower extremities and perianal region, and poor appetite. The average age of the patients was 37 years. Treatment strategies included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Three patients underwent surgical decompression. Six patients received chemotherapy, and six patients received radiotherapy at doses of 2000 to 3000 cGy in up to 30 fractions. Results Patient survival ranged from 18 days to 9.5 years after diagnosis. A review of the previously reported cases of granulocytic sarcoma in addition to our new cases reveals that the most effective treatment is multimodality therapy coupled with early diagnosis. Conclusion Increased awareness of this entity will facilitate early diagnosis and minimize potentially preventable neurological morbidity.
Criterion for material selection in design of bulk piezoelectric energy harvesters

Vibration energy harvesting has gained tremendous attention in the past decade and continues to grow rapidly. There are various transduction mechanisms for converting the vibration energy into electrical energy, out of which the piezoelectric mechanism has been shown to provide advantages at the micro-to-meso scale. In the past few years, several studies have tried to address the question of which piezoelectric composition is better for energy harvesting; however, discussion on this subject continues. The intent of this letter is to provide an answer for this question through a simple criterion which can be used in routine material evaluation.
Lepton Degeneracy and Cosmological Constraints on the Number of Neutrinos

Abstract It is shown that the possible loophole of neutrino degeneracy in the cosmological arguments constraining the number of neutrino types is unlikely to be significant. For degeneracy to be important, the electro neutrino number ( ΔN v e = N v e − N v e ) must be some nine orders of magnitude larger than the baryon number ( ΔB ) whereas in the context of baryon and lepton number violating grand unified theories it is expected that ΔN v e ≈ ΔB .
The prevalence of sexually stressful events among females in the general population

Five hundred sixteen adult females were administered a questionnaire inquiring into the nature of sexually stressful events in their lives. There were 500 responses, and, of those, 298 (59.9%) had experienced an event of this type. A total of 416 different incidents were reported. They were categorized by the authors as either noninvasive (harassment, obscene calls, exposures, “peepers”) or invasive (fondling, attempted rape, rape). The invasive incidents were most often initiated by a friend, acquaintance, or relative. The noninvasive events were almost always perpetrated by strangers. The subjects were asked to report the emotional impact of the events. All were reported to be stressful, with rape being the most stressful event. Regardless of whether formal therapy was sought, all victims reported lowered stress levels over time. There were 98 incidents reported when the subjects were 13 years of age or younger. There were 45 invasive events, including 9 rapes. All the rapes were committed by acquaintances or relatives. Only one victim of childhood rape received professional attention. Of the 41 women who were raped, nearly 75% were raped by acquaintances or relatives. This does not parallel existing emergency room data, suggesting that the group of patients who report to medical authorities may be a skewed sample of rape victims. Only four victims reported their rapes to either legal or medical authorities.
“Semi-Random” Multichromophoric rr-P3HT Analogues for Solar Photon Harvesting

We introduce a new family of semi-random alkylthiophene-based copolymers, which broadly absorb sunlight due to the randomized incorporation of small amounts of acceptors in the polymer backbone. The so-called semi-random structure is defined by a random polymerization that is based on a restricted linkage pattern of the monomers due to regiospecific placement of the reactive functional groups. As a consequence, the polymers are designed to retain a higher degree of structural order than purely random analogues. We have described a family of semi-random donor-acceptor copolymers based on regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). In our preliminary investigations, we have found that the attractive properties of P3HT are retained, and despite the randomized polymerization, semicrystalline polymers with high charge carrier mobilities are realized. In addition, broad and intense spectral absorption is achieved with only a limited content (10-17.5%) of acceptor units in the polymer backbone using a simple polymerization method based on easily synthesized monomers. Rigorous optimization of bulk-heterojunction solar cells based on these promising polymers is underway, along with more detailed characterization of the polymer electronic structures and synthesis of tailored structural analogues.
Transverse Hall Effect in the Electric Quantum Limit

When a current density $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{J}}$ and a magnetic induction $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{B}}$ are in the plane of a layer thin enough to quantize the motion perpendicular to the plane of the layer, the Hall voltage arises from deformation of the quantized states. If the layer is asymmetric, the Hall voltage will in general contain a term in ${B}^{2}$, as well as a term in $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{J}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{B}}$. Numerical results are given for $n$-type inversion layers on (100) silicon surfaces.
Microindentation testing of rat brain tissue slices

In addition to traditional testing methods, which generally involve complex sample preparation, indentation exists as an alternative, non-destructive testing technique for measuring the mechanical properties of materials. Indentation is increasingly being used in the mechanical assessment of soft hydrated materials, e.g., biological tissues, because of its non-destructive nature, small sample capacity, and ability to hone in on localized regions of interest.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Strategic cost measurement for flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract The rise in global competition has induced manufacturing firms to adopt flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). Flexible automation brings both economic and non-economic advantages to a firm. These changes in manufacturing environments have shifted the emphasis on management reports and are creating information needs that cannot be fulfilled by traditional cost measurements and reports. Information reporting is now expected to focus more on influencing and supporting the long-term goals and strategies of firms. This paper discusses the impact of FMS and its implications in terms of information reporting, strategic cost analyses and control. We compare the traditional cost measurements and reporting with the changes that are taking place in firms that have adopted FMS. Our study shows that in firms where FMS is already in place, several changes are needed in cost and financial evaluation procedures and organization structures in order for planners and managers to perform effectively.