cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primordial neon in high-3He/4He Baffin Island olivines

Abstract Paleocene basaltic lavas exposed on Baffin Island have the highest 3He/4He found in any terrestrial igneous rocks and potentially contain the most pristine primordial mantle material exposed on Earth's surface. By vacuum-crushing large (1–3 g) olivine mineral separates, we extracted enough magmatic gas to obtain the first coupled helium, neon, and argon isotopic compositions of Baffin Island lavas. The five Baffin Island olivine samples have 3He/4He ranging from 36.2 ± 0.6 to 48.6 ± 1.3 (1σ) times the atmospheric ratio (Ra), overlapping with the highest known mantle values. Neon isotopic results fall on a mixing line between atmosphere and a high 20Ne/22Ne mantle endmember (with a maximum 20Ne/22Ne of 12.2). The slope of this mixing line is indistinguishable from that in subglacial Holocene glass from Iceland, but distinct from other hotspots and mid-ocean ridge basalt trends. This result supports the hypothesis that Baffin Island and Iceland lavas share a common high-3He/4He mantle component, despite the fact that recent paleogeographic reconstructions place the Iceland hotspot far from Baffin Island at the time of eruption (61 Ma). Our results also demonstrate that high-3He/4He mantle reservoirs have 3He/22Ne variability that either reflects ancient mantle heterogeneity or helium addition in the upper or lower mantle.
Deconvoluting the Effect of Chromium and Aluminum on the Radiation Response of Wrought FeCrAl Alloys After Low-Dose Neutron Irradiation

Abstract FeCrAl alloys have been extensively investigated over the past decade as a candidate material for accident-tolerant fuel cladding in light water reactors. This work completes a first of its kind study where Al and Cr concentrations are varied systematically under neutron irradiation to elucidate the post irradiation microstructural and mechanical response as a direct result of alloying content. Neutron irradiations were performed on alloys with composition Fe-(10-13)Cr-(5-7)Al in wt.% at temperatures of 214, 357, and 557°C to a dose of ~1.8 dpa (displacements per atom). Dislocation loop sizes and dispersion characteristics did not show strong compositional dependence. However, there were noticeable effects of composition on the dispersion of Cr-rich α ′ -precipitates, particularly a decrease in number density with increasing Al content or a decrease in Cr content. The present results confirm previous studies indicating the Cr concentration in these precipitates is lower than that expected in binary FeCr alloys and that Al can act as a destabilizing alloying element for the deleterious α ′ -phase.
The Effect of Titanium Carbide and Spark Plasma Sintering Processing on Nickel–Titanium Carbide Composites

The influence of variations in the titanium carbide (TiC) content employed during spark plasma sintering (SPS) of nickel–titanium carbide (Ni-TiC) composites on its microstructure and mechanical properties has been investigated systematically. Mechanical alloying (MA) uses a technique of cold welding and repetitive fracturing of composite powder to make homogenous alloys powder. The SPS consolidates alloy powder into dense samples using joule heating at a lower temperature. Mechanical alloying was performed using a planetary high energy ball mill with 400 rpm and ball to powder ratio 15:1 for 24 h. Bulk Ni-TiC composites (with TiC content varying from 5 to 25 wt.%) consolidated via mechanical alloying followed by SPS at 65 MPa pressure and 900 °C temperature. All consolidated Ni-TiC samples exhibit significant improvement in microhardness, compression strength, and grain size due to the addition of titanium carbide (TiC) particles. The grain size of Ni reduces to approx. 40 nm from approx. 55 nm. The microhardness increases from 294 to 483 HV by increasing the weight percentage of TiC from 5 to 25.
Results of preoperative screening for COVID-19 correlate with the incidence of infection in the general population -a tertiary care experience.

Objectives: Many hospitals have recently instituted policies mandating preoperative COVID-19 testing. However, it is uncertain whether institutions can dictate such policies based on infection rates found in the general population. Therefore, the main aims of the study were to determine (1) what proportion of preoperative patients tested positive, (2) what percentage was asymptomatic, and (3) whether variations throughout time in numbers of positive patients reflected changes observed in our state.Methods: All COVID-19 preoperative screening tests (nasopharyngeal-swab RT-PCR testing) performed in our hospital between 04/13/2020 and 08/27/2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The unit of analysis was number of patients who tested negative/positive. Medical records of positive patients were reviewed to determine the presence of COVID-19 symptoms. A curve was created showing our number of positive patients per week and another one presenting the number of positive patients per day in Florida, both figures were compared.Results: A total of 7,213 patients from all specialties were preoperatively tested, out of which 85 were positive for an overall infection rate of 1.2%. In 18% (15/85) of positive patients, it was not possible to determine symptomatology. Among remaining patients, 49% (34/70) were asymptomatic while 51% (36/70) were symptomatic for COVID-19. Peak of positive cases occurred in mid-July in both curves, and the upward and downward tendencies in positive numbers mirrored each other.Conclusion: COVID-19 infection rate among our preoperative patients was very low. Nearly 50% of positive patients were asymptomatic. Our data suggest that a tertiary hospital can promulgate COVID-19 preoperative screening policies based on infection trends observed in the general population. However, in addition to the test, patients should be encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days before surgery.
Do Standardized Scripts Improve Interpreter Use by Spanish-Speaking Patients?

Patients with limited English-proficiency (LEP) who need but do not receive interpreters have lower satisfaction and poorer understanding. A knowledge gap remains regarding the optimal way to offer interpreters. Using standardized scripts, we will determine whether the questions we use to offer interpreters increase utilization. Pilot prospective cohort study of postpartum mothers with LEP. Subjects were assigned one of three unique scripted question offering an interpreter. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test. Fifty-five LEP patients were randomized into three study arms with similar sociodemographics. Overall interpreter use was 80% (44/55). There was a significant difference in interpreter utilization: 82.4%, 63.6%, 100%, respectively by arm (p = 0.015). Highest interpreter utilization occurred with “In what language do you prefer to receive your medical care?”. There is opportunity for providers to refine the way they offer interpreters to optimize utilization.
Survey of industrial perceptions for the use of nanomaterials for in-home drinking water purification devices

Abstract As businesses, specifically technology developers and industrial suppliers, strive to meet growing demand for higher quality drinking water, the use of engineered nanomaterials in commercial point-of-use (POU) in-home water purification devices are becoming an increasingly important option. Anecdotally, some businesses appear wary of developing and marketing nanomaterial-enabled devices because of concerns that they will face onerous regulation and consumer pushback. However, little of substance is known about business perceptions of and attitudes toward the use of engineered nanomaterials in POU water purification devices, or how these compare with consumer perceptions. To address this knowledge-gap, we administered a 14-question survey among 65 participants from US-based industrial companies focused on drinking water purification. Our results indicate that the dominant concerns for businesses are costs and public perceptions associated with nanomaterial-enabled POU devices for drinking water purification. Cost-specific barriers include competition from more conventional technologies, and tensions between operational versus capital costs. 57% of respondents were concerned or very concerned that public perceptions will influence the long-term viability of nanomaterial-enabled POU devices for drinking water purification. 49% of respondents stated that government regulation of nanomaterials would be the preferred approach to ensure public safety, followed by the certification of POU devices (28%). When asked about specific nanomaterials and their potential use in POU devices for drinking water purification, respondents ranked carbon nanotubes as the nanomaterial with highest concern for environmental health and safety, followed by silver, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and copper. Respondents ranked nanoclays as the nanomaterial with highest likelihood for public acceptance, followed by silica, cerium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide.
Feasibility of Contrasting Brain Connectivity Patterns in Cognitive and Motor Cerebral Networks to Clinical Outcomes in Patients Surviving Acute Respiratory Failure: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND There is a paucity of research regarding the feasibility and association of cerebral cortex function to patient outcomes after acute respiratory failure (ARF). PURPOSE To determine the feasibility of functional connectivity measures and examine the association of functional connectivity to a multifaceted battery of outcomes in survivors of ARF. METHODS Eight ARF patients (age:58±3.7, ICU days:10.4±8.6) completed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), cognitive, physical-function, anxiety, depression, and driving simulator tests at one month post-hospital discharge. Pearson's correlations assessed the relationship between functional connectivity within the default mode network (FPN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and frontoparietal network (FPN) to outcomes. RESULTS Low physical-function (r=0.75, p=0.03) and divided-attention (r=-0.86, p=0.03) during the driving simulator task correlated with low FPN connectivity. Low SMN connectivity demonstrated relationships to slower gait speed (r=0.82, p=0.01) and low short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores (r=0.81, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS fMRI is feasible to assess ARF patients' post-ICU limitations, as low post-ARF brain connectivity may be linked to low physical function, providing potential development of therapeutic interventions.
Data Monitoring Technology for Testing Process of New Generation Dispatching and Control System

Application function of new generation dispatching and control system needs to be tested before online running. A functional testing environment for new generation of control system is constructed. The data monitoring and performance monitoring software of the testing process is deployed on the simulation server, the new generation monitoring system, and the new generation analysis decision center. Multi-source data information are aggregated and analyzed to comprehensively monitor the testing data, testing processes and indicators, so that the application of dispatching and control system can be evaluated more objectively.
Transparency and Accountability: Rethinking Corporate Fiduciary Law's Relevance to Disclosure

This article explores the duty of “disclosure/complete candor” (among directors, from boards to shareholders and from controllers to minority shareholders) within state corporate fiduciary law (especially Delaware’s, the most developed). It observes the odd minimization of the candor/disclosure duty within the core doctrines of fiduciary care, loyalty and good faith. It analyzes the evolution of the fiduciary disclosure duty and its “moment of truth” in the watershed litigation in Malone v. Brincat. The belated appearance of the fiduciary disclosure duty is partly the result of historical, customary and political understandings which have dwarfed logic and conceptual coherence in this area of law. The customary dividing line between “corporate” law and governance and what’s deemed “federal securities law” and “market regulation,” has been grossly overstated and was untenable, as demonstrated by Congress’ subsequent enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and corporate law’s humbled stature in (minimally) responding to the massive financial frauds of ’01-’02. A central claim is that the fiduciary disclosure/candor duty is the core principle within fiduciary law: it addresses the informational/power asymmetry that is the root of agency cost problems, inter alia. Too often technical problems relating to the quantification of remedies has derailed corporate law’s force in this area. But adjudicated fiduciary wrongs without remedies are far from trivial: they undermine the legitimacy and vitality of corporate law, even Delaware’s. Recent doctrinal expansion in the duty of disclosure supports this claim, as does the ongoing trend to a ‘knowledge’ based economy. Insights about corporate law pedagogy are also blended into the discussion.
Best practices in sponsored research

Summary form only given. Whether basic research or problem solving is required, companies are depending more and more on outsourcing using university or independent laboratories for work that was previously done inside the corporation. At the same time, companies are attempting to reduce the cycle time for product development and to accelerate the rate of new product introduction. To meet these challenges requires the timely and effective use of the R&D solutions generated by sponsored research and external partners. To address this problem, the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) sponsored development of a workshop. This paper presents the findings of this work. The workshop used the experienced experts from industry, research universities and the SRC to identify the biggest problems in cooperative research and best practices which can address them. The workshop program consisted of the following elements: expert presentations, exercises and discussions, and a panel presentation on university Total Quality Programs. The objective was to identify best practices that could be used to make the research process more effective. The findings of the workshop will be useful, not only to those involved in sponsored research but also to those working in other research settings.
Meteorites. The long trip to Earth

How is the material that reaches Earth as meteorites moved out of the asteroid belt and into Earth-crossing orbits? Although some details remain to be worked out, a quantitative model of the suite of processes involved provides a satisfying answer.
Lost Laborers in Colonial California: Native Americans and the Archaeology of Rancho Petaluma

Native Americans who populated the various ranchos of Mexican California as laborers are people frequently lost to history. The "rancho period" was a critical time for California Indians, as many were drawn into labor pools for the flourishing ranchos following the 1834 dismantlement of the mission system, but they are practically absent from the documentary record and from popular histories. This study focuses on Rancho Petaluma north of San Francisco Bay, a large livestock, agricultural, and manufacturing operation on which several hundred perhaps as many as two thousand Native Americans worked as field hands, cowboys, artisans, cooks, and servants. One of the largest ranchos in the region, it was owned from 1834 to 1857 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, one of the most prominent political figures of Mexican California. While historians have studied Vallejo, few have considered the Native Americans he controlled, so we know little of what their lives were like or how they adjusted to the colonial labor regime. Because Vallejo's Petaluma Adobe is now a state historic park and one of the most well-protected rancho sites in California, this site offers unparalleled opportunities to investigate nineteenth-century rancho life via archaeology. Using the Vallejo rancho as a case study, Stephen Silliman examines this California rancho with a particular eye toward Native American participation. Through the archaeological record tools and implements, containers, beads, bone and shell artifacts, food remains he reconstructs the daily practices of Native peoples at Rancho Petaluma and the labor relations that structured indigenous participation in and experience of rancho life. This research enables him to expose the multi-ethnic nature of colonialism, counterbalancing popular misconceptions of Native Americans as either non-participants in the ranchos or passive workers with little to contribute to history. Lost Laborers in Colonial California draws on archaeological data, material studies, and archival research, and meshes them with theoretical issues of labor, gender, and social practice to examine not only how colonial worlds controlled indigenous peoples and practices but also how Native Americans lived through and often resisted those impositions. The book fills a gap in the regional archaeological and historical literature as it makes a unique contribution to colonial and contact-period studies in the Spanish/Mexican borderlands and beyond.
Agassiz, Jean Louis Rodolphe

1807–1873 Swiss -born American zoologist, palaeontologist and geologist who introduced scientific zoology to the United States. Keywords: fossils; cuvier; zoology; harvard
Simulation: learning through role playing and design

Role plays and simulations are familiar methods in the pedagogy of many areas of peace and conflict studies. In some fields, such as those of negotiation and mediation, they have long been considered a central element of classroom study (Ebner & Efron, 2005; Druckman & Ebner, 2008). In other areas, ranging from the policy sciences to peacebuilding, they enjoy an important place in the educator's toolbox (see Truger, 2001), although the way they are used depends on preferences of teachers or trainers.
Closing the loop through communication networks: the case of an integrator plant and multiple controllers

The subject of controlling an integrator via a communication network finds many applications in modern control systems such as ATM network VBR control, load balancing in computer networks, etc. Stability conditions in closed form are derived for the arising feedback system, which consists of multiple controllers, an integrator and time-variant links between integrator and controllers. It is shown, that these derived stability conditions are computationally feasible, even for systems with long delays. In order to draw from a recent result on time-variant discrete system stability, FIR controllers are assumed.
Evaluating the effects of tracker reliability and field of view on a target following task in augmented reality

We examine the effect of varying levels of immersion on the performance of a target following task in augmented reality (AR) X-ray vision. We do this using virtual reality (VR) based simulation. We analyze participant performance while varying the field of view of the AR display, as well as the reliability of the head tracking sensor as our components of immersion. In low reliability conditions, we simulate sensor dropouts by disabling the augmented view of the scene for brief time periods. Our study gives insight into the effect of tracking sensor reliability, as well as the relationship between sensor reliability and field of view on user performance in a target following task in a simulated AR system.
Calcium Influx Factor from Cytochrome P-450 Metabolism and Secretion-like Coupling Mechanisms for Capacitative Calcium Entry in Corneal Endothelial Cells

Notwithstanding extensive efforts, the mechanism of capacitative calcium entry (CCE) remains unclear. Two seemingly opposed theories have been proposed: secretion-like coupling (Patterson, R. L., van Rossum, D. B., and Gill, D. L. (1999) Cell 98, 487-499) and the calcium influx factor (CIF) (Randriamampita, C., and Tsien, R. Y. (1993) Nature 364, 809-814). In the current study, a combinatorial approach was taken to investigate the mechanism of CCE in corneal endothelial cells. Induction of cytochrome P-450s by beta-naphthoflavone (BN) enhanced CCE measured by Sr(2+) entry after store depletion. 5,6-Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-EET), a proposed CIF generated by cytochrome P-450s (Rzigalinski, B. A., Willoughby, K. A., Hoffman, S. W., Falck, J. R., and Ellis, E. F. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 175-182), induced Ca(2+) entry. Both BN-enhanced CCE and the 5,6-EET-induced Ca(2+) entry were inhibited by the CCE blocker 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, indicating a role for cytochrome P-450s in CCE. Treatment with calyculin A (CalyA), which causes condensation of cortical cytoskeleton, inhibited CCE. The actin polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin D partially reversed the inhibition of CCE by CalyA, suggesting a secretion-like coupling mechanism for CCE. However, CalyA could not inhibit CCE in BN-treated cells, and 5,6-EET caused a partial activation of CCE in CalyA-treated cells. These results further support the notion that cytochrome P-450 metabolites may be CIFs. The vesicular transport inhibitor brefeldin A inhibited CCE in both vehicle- and BN-treated cells. Surprisingly, Sr(2+) entry in the absence of store depletion was enhanced in BN-treated cells, which was also inhibited by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate. An integrative model suggests that both CIF from cytochrome P-450 metabolism and secretion-like coupling mechanisms play roles in CCE in corneal endothelial cells.
Susceptibility and resistance of the rock crab, Cancer irroratus, to natural and experimental bacterial infection☆

Abstract The incidence of naturally occuring bacterial infection in a Connecticut population of rock crab, Cancer irroratus, varied between 10 and 60% of the population. The fluctuation in incidence was correlated significantly with hemocyte concentrations. Twelve percent of the crabs sampled during Jenuary were found to be infected with a previously undescribed Vibrio. The Vibrio was demonstrated as pathogenic over a wide range of temperatures. High mortalities in experimentally infected crabs appear to result from hemocyte clumping and extensive intravascular clotting triggered by an endotoxin. The lobster pathogen, Aerococcus viridans var. homari, was found to be pathogenic at 25°C to C. irroratus, a prey species of the lobster. Results suggest that this species can act as a reservior host for A. viridans var. homari.
Raloxifene Lowers Serum Calcium and Markers of Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Women with Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) decreases total serum calcium by about 0.5 mg/dl in postmenopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We investigated the ability of raloxifene, which has skeletal antiresorptive properties similar to those of ERT, to decrease serum calcium concentrations and markers of bone turnover in PHPT. Eighteen postmenopausal women with asymptomatic PHPT were randomized to 8 wk of raloxifene (60 mg/d) or placebo, followed by a 4-wk washout. At baseline, the groups were well matched. The calcium concentration decreased significantly by 8 wk of raloxifene administration (10.8 +/- 0.2 to 10.4 +/- 0.2 mg/dl; P < 0.05), as did markers of bone resorption and formation [osteocalcin, 11.4 +/- 1.6 to 9.9 +/- 1.6 nmol/liter (P < 0.05); serum N-telopeptide, 21.2 +/- 3.4 to 17.3 +/- 2.8 nmol bone collagen equivalents/liter (P < 0.05)]. Four weeks after raloxifene was discontinued, indices were indistinguishable from baseline. Raloxifene administration did not affect serum PTH, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, total alkaline phosphatase, or urinary calcium excretion. Calcium and bone marker changes were therefore similar to those observed with ERT in PHPT. This short-term study suggests that raloxifene may be a useful approach to the treatment of postmenopausal women with mild PHPT.
Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by mevinolin stimulates low density lipoprotein receptor activity in human monocyte-derived macrophages

Abstract Mevinolin inhibited the incorporation of [ 14 C]acetate into cholesterol by human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMD macrophages) when both mevinolin and [ 14 C]acetate were added simultaneously to the culture medium. Longer incubation with mevinolin, 24 h, led to a marked increase in the degradation of [ 125 I]low density lipoprotein (LDL) via the high affinity receptor for LDL by HMD macrophages. Furthermore, this increased LDL receptor activity in cells incubated for 24 h with mevinolin and lipoprotein-depleted serum (LPDS) led to a nearly 3-fold increase in the formation of cholesteryl esters when these cells were then incubated with LDL for 24 h. Continuous exposure to mevinolin did not result in a constant increase in LDL receptor activity. Cells exposed to mevinolin for 24 h on day 3 had increased LDL receptor activity, but continuous exposure to mevinolin with 5% human serum (HS) from day 3–9 resulted in degradation of [ 125 I]LDL at the same rate as observed in cells incubated with 5% HS alone. Cholesterol synthesis from [ 14 C]acetate was decreased in cells incubated for 24 h in 5% HS + mevinolin compared with 5% HS alone, and in 10% LPDS + mevinolin compared with 10% LPDS alone; however, cells incubated with LPDS + mevinolin synthesized cholesterol at higher rates than did cells cultured in 5% HS alone. Continuous culture with 5% HS + mevinolin for 5 days resulted in cholesterol synthesis at control levels. These data show that following inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by mevinolin, HMD macrophages maintain cholesterol homeostasis by increasing LDL receptor activity to obtain cholesterol from LDL.
The Party Official Next Door: Some Consequences of Friendship for Political Involvement

Consistent with renewed interest in using social phenomena to explain political orientations, we analyze the impact of a personal relationship with a party official on the political involvement of a group of citizens ("nigh-dwellers") in Winnipeg and Vancouver who reside near the party officials and are like them with respect to sex, age, and occupational status. The data indicate that the closer the relationship the greater the likelihood that (1) the two will have discussed politics, and that (2) the nigh-dweller will identify with the official's party, will be a frequent voter, will be approached to participate in campaign activities, and actually will participate. In contrast, there is no evidence of similarity in specific political orientations or even that the party official may have influenced the party identification of as many as half of the close friends. Analysis suggests that close relationships grow out of coincidental circumstances from which any relationship may arise, suggesting that polit...
Just between Friends: Bilateral Cooperation and Bounded Sovereignty in the “Global War on Terror”

The “Global War on Terror,” led by the United States, emphasizes the role of international alliances in tackling terrorist threats. By their very nature, international counterterrorism efforts challenge state sovereignty by requiring changes to both foreign and domestic policies. This, in turn, creates complex sovereignty issues and raises some interesting questions for closer examination. How has cooperation in counterterrorism altered the perceptions and behavior of allies of the United States? Has the post-9/11 security environment constrained the sovereignty of other nations? This article explores these questions in the context of Canada's cooperation with the United States. The study argues that Canada's sovereignty has been bounded, but not determined, by U.S. demands. Examining the relationship between the United States and Canada can help us understand both the limitations and the continuing relevance of the traditional concepts of power, sovereignty, and interdependence in international relations. La “Guerra Global contra el Terrorismo,” encabezada por los Estados Unidos, enfatiza el rol de las alianzas internacionales para afrontar las amenazas terroristas. Por su propia naturaleza, las acciones contra el terrorismo ponen a prueba la soberania de los estados al requerir cambios tanto en su politica exterior como en la interna. Esto, a su vez, genera complejos problemas de soberania y crea algunas preguntas interesantes para ser examinadas. ?Como ha alterado la cooperacion contra el terrorismo la percepcion y el comportamiento de los aliadosde Estados Unidos? ?Ha restringido la soberania de otras naciones el ambiente de seguridad posterior a 11/9? Este articulo explora estas cuestiones en el contexto de la cooperacion Canadiense con los Estados Unidos. El estudio argumenta que la soberania Canadiense ha sido limitada, pero no determinada, por las demandas estadounidenses. Examinar la relacion entre los Estados Unidos y Canada puede ayudarnos a comprender tanto las limitaciones y la continua relevancia de las concepciones tradicionales de poder, soberania, e interdependencia en las relaciones internacionales.
Esterase polymorphisms in the skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis.

Abstract 1. 1. Five groups of esterases, identified by their migration rates, substrate specificities and inhibitor sensitivities, were resolved by starch gel electrophoresis. 2. 2. Electrophoretic variations of three esterases are described and genetic schemes are proposed to explain the variations of two of them. 3. 3. Esterase III is assumed to be a dimer. A single locus ( e - III ) with four alleles is proposed to account for the four observed phenotypes. 4. 4. Each isozyme of esterase Ib appears to be either a monomer, or a polymer of the same sub-unit. A single locus ( e - Ib ) with seven alleles, one of them a null allele, is proposed to explain the observed variations.
GENERAL STRAIN THEORY: ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE USING CROSS‐CULTURAL DATA*

Data from random samples of residents in major cities of Russia, Ukraine, and Greece are employed to test hypotheses about linkages among objective strain, subjective strain, anger, and criminal probability specified in general strain theory (GST). In addition, the potential conditioning effects of religiosity and self-control on the strain/criminal probability relationship are investigated. Results show more challenge than support for GST. In particular, all supportive results are for the Ukrainian sample with the Greek and Russian samples providing little confirmation to the study's hypotheses. Although analyses show some support for the basic premises of GST, using a measure of subjective strain does not improve results, and self-control and religiosity do not seem to condition the effects of strain on criminal probability. Overall, the findings point to contextual specificity of GST as currently formulated and suggest the need for further theorizing.
Antioxidant enzyme response of creeping bentgrass clonal lines with marine peptide and chitosan oligosaccharide.

The effect of antioxidant stimulators on low phenolic and high phenolic single seed originating creeping bentgrass [Agrostis stolonifera var. palustris (Huds.) Farw.] clonal lines were investigated to understand whether these natural compounds could improve the physiological adjustments of creeping bentgrass under low temperature exposure. A marine peptide hydrolysate, and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) derived from marine chitin were applied to creeping bentgrass foliage and then subjected to cold temperature (4°C, day/night temperature) for 3 wk. Significant stimulation of total phenolic content (8%-CB 27 to 75%-CB 15) and antioxidant enzyme response (16%-CB 27 to 44% CB 13) was observed in creeping bentgrass clonal lines following application of marine peptide + COS. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (13-50%), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity (58-99%) increased significantly after treatments in all creeping bentgrass clonal lines, and stimulation of antioxidant enzyme activity was more profound in low phenolic creeping bentgrass clonal lines. Higher glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and higher proline dehydrogenase (PDH) activity was also observed in these lines following application of marine peptide + COS. Stimulation of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and a probable proline oxidation in creeping bentgrass clonal lines after foliar application of marine peptide ± COS suggest a role for the enzymes in the improvement of these lines.
Propylene glycol-associated renal toxicity from lorazepam infusion.

Objectives. Using data from patients who developed elevations in serum creatinine concentrations while receiving continuous-infusion lorazepam, we sought to determine the correlations between the magnitude of serum creatinine concentration rise and each of the following variables: serum propylene glycol level, cumulative lorazepam dose, and duration of lorazepam administration. An additional objective was to identify clinical markers for propylene glycol toxicity. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Medical-surgical intensive care unit and burn unit at a university hospital. Patients. Eight patients who developed elevations in serum creatinine concentrations while receiving continuous-infusion lorazepam (range 2–28 mg/hr). Measurements and Main Results. The mean cumulative dose of lorazepam was 4305 mg (range 1200–10,920 mg), and the mean propylene glycol level determined at the time of peak serum creatinine concentration was 1103 μg/ml (range 186–3450 μg/ml). Serum creatinine concentrations increased in all eight patients during lorazepam infusion and decreased in seven within 3 days after stopping infusion. A weak-to-moderate correlation existed between the magnitude of the rise in serum creatinine concentration and propylene glycol level (r=0.53). A weak-to-moderate correlation also was identified between cumulative lorazepam dose and magnitude of serum creatinine concentration rise (r=0.43), and a strong-to-moderate correlation was found between duration of lorazepam infusion and magnitude of serum creatinine concentration rise (r=0.60). Propylene glycol levels were strongly correlated with both serum osmolality and osmol gap. Conclusion. The patients' increased serum creatinine concentrations are likely to have resulted from exposure to propylene glycol as a result of lorazepam infusion. Serum osmolality and osmol gap may be useful markers for propylene glycol toxicity.
Interactive k-d tree GPU raytracing

Over the past few years, the powerful computation rates and high memory bandwidth of GPUs have attracted efforts to run raytracing on GPUs. Our work extends Foley et al.'s GPU k-d tree research. We port their kd-restart algorithm from multi-pass, using CPU load balancing, to single pass, using current GPUs' branching and looping abilities. We introduce three optimizations: a packetized formulation, a technique for restarting partially down the tree instead of at the root, and a small, fixed-size stack that is checked before resorting to restart. Our optimized implementation achieves 15 - 18 million primary rays per second and 16 - 27 million shadow rays per second on our test scenes.Our system also takes advantage of GPUs' strengths at rasterization and shading to offer a mode where rasterization replaces eye ray scene intersection, and primary hits and local shading are produced with standard Direct3D code. For 1024x1024 renderings of our scenes with shadows and Phong shading, we achieve 12-18 frames per second. Finally, we investigate the efficiency of our implementation relative to the computational resources of our GPUs and also compare it against conventional CPUs and the Cell processor, which both have been shown to raytrace well.
Oesophageal atresia: what has changed in the last 3 decades?

The aim of the study was to analyse the outcomes of children born with oesophageal atresia over the last 3 decades. The records of 104 patients born between 1973 and 1999 were reviewed retrospectively. To evaluate changes over time, the analysis was done for three consecutive time periods: 1973–79, 1980–89, and 1990–99. Mean birth weight was 2553 g (SD 640), and mean gestational age was 39 weeks (SD 4). Forty-two newborns (40%) had one or more associated congenital malformations, and 30% had associated cardiac malformations. There was no change in incidence of associated anomalies over the three time periods studied. Mortality of patients decreased from 33% to 14% ( p =0.048). There was a significant association between the presence of a major cardiac malformation and survival (survival: 88% vs. 57%, p =0.004). Analysing the three different time periods separately reveals that cardiac disease was not a significant risk factor in the first period but became significant in the period from 1980–99 (relative risk: 6.76, 95% CI 1.44–31.77). Birth weight was significantly higher in infants who survived (2626 g, SD 642) compared with those who died (2290, SD 570, p =0.028). This effect, however, is mainly based on the difference during the first period and is lost later. Early and late postoperative complications occurred in 44/102 patients. Strictures developed in 33/91 patients who survived the first month of life (33%). The rate of symptomatic strictures decreased significantly over the three time periods, from 50% to 23% ( p =0.022). In summary, this study shows no significant change in patient characteristics over the last 3 decades, but mortality and postoperative complication rates decreased, and associated cardiac anomalies became the far most important risk factor for mortality.
Causal Attribution and Economic Voting in American Congressional Elections

This article examines the ways in which political sophistication conditions economic voting in U.S. congressional elections. At the congressional level, evidence of economic voting has been generally mixed and sometimes contradictory. In our view, much of the inconsistency in existing studies may result from a tendency to overlook significant heterogeneity in voter decisionmaking. Specifically, we argue that an individual’s ability to attribute responsibility for economic outcomes to congressional actors is a function of political sophistication. According to our theory, less sophisticated voters tend to focus their attributions of responsibility on the President (the most obvious national political figure), ignoring the influence of Congress on the national economy. More sophisticated individuals, by contrast, are capable of more diffuse attributions. Thus, to the extent that conventional economic voting occurs in congressional elections, it should be confined to the more sophisticated portion of the ele...
Discovering the Human Connectome

Karl Popper (2002) once instructed a group of physics students to carefully write down what they observed. Popper relates that the students asked what he wanted them to observe and said that the so...
Identification of Functionally Distinct Isoforms of the N-Type Ca2+ Channel in Rat Sympathetic Ganglia and Brain

Abstract The N channel is critical for regulating release of neurotransmitter at many synapses, and even subtle differences in its activity would be expected to influence the efficacy of synaptic transmission. Although several splice variants of the N channel are expressed in the mammalian nervous system, their biological importance is presently unclear. Here, we show that variants of the α 1B subunit of the N channel are expressed in sympathetic ganglia and that alternative splicing within IIIS3-S4 and IVS3-S4 generate kinetically distinct channels. We further show a striking difference between the expression pattern of the S3-S4 variants in brain and peripheral ganglia and conclude that the brain-dominant form of the N channel gates 2- to 4-fold more rapidly than that predominant in ganglia.
Male copulatory behavior triggers nightly prolactin surges resulting in successful pregnancy in rats.

Abstract A positive correlation between the number of preejaculatory intromissions that a female receives during copulation and the probability of successful pregnancy has been demonstrated previously. In the present investigation the nocturnal secretion of prolactin (PRL) was followed for 4 days after mating in female rats receiving either 3–5 intromissions before ejaculation (low intromission group) or 15–18 intromissions (high intromission group). Nightly PRL surges occurred in most of the females ( 9 12 ) in the high intromission group and the same 9 females became pregnant. Only 2 9 females in the low intromission group exhibited nightly PRL surges and again only these 2 females became pregnant. This study demonstrates that the stimulation which the female receives from multiple intromissions during mating is effective in setting off nightly PRL surges. We propose that the so-called pregnancy-inducing neuroendocrine reflex which is triggered in this manner is expressed in a characteristic pattern of nightly surges of prolactin, the hormone known to be essential for the activation of the corpora lutea and their secretion of progesterone.
The Peculiar Nodal Generator: A Speculation:

Economically abandoned cities as well as urban cores depopulated because of catastrophic events have spawned urban renewal projects of all varieties. Often these projects promote civic programs such as arenas, theaters, museums, and aquariums as replacements for what was once an interactive public realm. Unfortunately the realization of these large programs promotes a disconnected series of sequestered activities rather than the prospect of a lively and potentially frenetic urban center governed by chance interactions. As an intervening strategy, this paper considers the possibility of implementing Nodal Generators, responsive systems that sense and adapt to environmental fluctuations to create localized microclimates capable of providing unscripted public space in the discarded and interstitial regions of the modern city. Inspired biotically and explored digitally, the Nodal Generators provide a linkage between community and technology using smart materials and adaptive assemblies. This paper details sev...
Dosage requirements for runt in the segmentation of Drosophila embryos

The runt gene is required in a Drosophila embryo for normal segmentation. We investigate this requirement by analyzing runt mutations of varying strength and by manipulating wild-type gene dosage. Elimination of runt causes periodic deletions in the segmentation pattern which are spaced at two segment intervals along the antero-posterior axis. The pattern deletions produced by partial loss of function mutations and by halving the normal wild-type gene dosage reveal a gradation in the requirement for runt, with the centers of the affected regions being most sensitive to deletion. Significantly, increased runt+ dosage causes an anti-runt phenotype consisting of periodic pattern deletions that are out of phase with those caused by runt mutations.
A Minimally Invasive Cage for Spinal Fusion Surgery Utilizing Superelastic Hinges

A prototype cage implant for spinal fusion surgery has been designed and developed. Spinal fusion surgery is sometimes performed to alleviate low back pain. The cage implant is a spacer that sits in between two vertebrae to allow for bone growth and fusion, all while relieving compression of the spinal cord. The cage implant is minimally invasive in nature, utilizing embedded nitinol hinges as dual purpose actuators and assembly structural elements. The cage implant utilizes elliptical shaped nitinol hinge pins as actuators to allow the cage to be in a straightened before deployment and manipulate its shape to an oblong octagon once within the disc space. A new modeling technique was developed to aid with the design of the nitinol ellipses. The model is MATLAB based and accounts for the non Mises behavior of nitinol through a correction factor for mapping the effective stress and strain. A nitinol rod and an elliptical geometry were examined experimentally and show the robustness of the developed model. These experiments were conducted to design the nitinol hinges for the cage implant. The cage implant is made of two different materials, nitinol hinge actuators and the containing titanium structural segments. The nitinol hinge actuators are completely enclosed within the medical grade titanium segments through the use of selective laser sintering.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Ion composition and ion chemistry in an aurora

Auroral ion composition and chemistry from rocket-borne mass spectrometer measurements, investigating oxygen density and green line excitation
Low-temperature processing of shallow junctions using epitaxial and polycrystalline CoSi 2

Cobalt disilicide is grown epitaxially on (100) Si from a 15 nm Co/2 nm Ti bilayer by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 900°C. Polycrystalline CoSi2 is grown on (100) Si using a 15 nm Co layer and the same annealing condition. Silicide/p+-Si/n-Si diodes are made using the silicide as dopant source:11B+ ions are implanted at 3.5–7.5 kV and activated by RTA at 600–900°C. Shallow junctions with total junction depth (silicide plus p+ region) measured by high-resolution secondaryion mass spectroscopy of 100 nm are fabricated. Areal leakage current densities of 13 nA/cm2 and 2 nA/cm2 at a reverse bias of -5V are obtained for the epitaxial silicide and polycrystalline silicide junctions, respectively, after 700°C post-implant annealing.
Diversity Issues: Exploring “Critical” Through Multiple Lenses

The ProblemSocial identity diversity is a concept that links an individual to the social world and to other contexts where interactions occur. However, issues that emerge from social identity diversity may not necessarily be viewed as mono-causal, or based on a single form of difference. Because some individuals may experience simultaneously multiple forms of difference that causes oppression, frameworks are needed to critically analyze how these individuals navigate the complexities of their social identities to gain acceptance, satisfaction, and high levels of performance.The SolutionIntersectionality will be used as an analytical tool to highlight multiple, interlocking forms of societal oppression experienced by historically marginalized groups and to serve as a means of making sense of these experiences.Key StakeholdersHuman resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners who are committed to social justice advocacy.
Laser projection imaging for measurement of pediatric voice

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of the study was to present the development of a miniature laser projection endoscope and to quantify vocal fold length and vibratory amplitude of the pediatric glottis using high-speed digital imaging coupled with the laser endoscope. Study Design: For this prospective study, absolute measurement of entire vocal fold length, membranous length of the vocal fold, and vibratory amplitude during phonation were obtained in one child (9 years old), one adult male (36 years old), and one adult female (20 years old) with the use of high-speed digital imaging, coupled with a custom-developed laser projection endoscope. Methods: The laser projection system consists of a module slip-fit sleeve with two 3-mW 650-nm laser diodes in horizontal orientation separated by a distance of 5 mm. Calibration involved projecting the laser onto grid patterns at depths ranging from 6 to 10 cm and tilt angles of 15 to −5 degrees to obtain pixel-to-millimeter conversion templates. Measurements of vocal fold length and vibratory amplitude were extracted based on methods of image processing. Results: The system demonstrated a method for estimating vocal fold length and vibratory amplitude with a single laser point with high measurement precision. First measurements of vocal fold length (6.8 mm) and vibratory amplitude (0.25 mm) during phonation in a pediatric participant are reported. Conclusions: The proposed laser projection system can be used to obtain absolute length and vibratory measurements of the pediatric glottis. The projection system can be used with stroboscopy or high-speed digital imaging systems with a 70-degree rigid endoscope.