cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel colour-opponent pathways to primary visual cortex

The trichromatic primate retina parses the colour content of a visual scene into ‘red/green’ and ‘blue/yellow’ representations1,2. Cortical circuits must combine the information encoded in these colour-opponent signals to reconstruct the full range of perceived colours3. Red/green and blue/yellow inputs are relayed by the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of thalamus to primary visual cortex (V1), so understanding how cortical circuits transform these signals requires understanding how LGN inputs to V1 are organized. Here we report direct recordings from LGN afferent axons in muscimol-inactivated V1. We found that blue/yellow afferents terminated exclusively in superficial cortical layers 3B and 4A, whereas red/green afferents were encountered only in deeper cortex, in lower layer 4C. We also describe a distinct cortical target for ‘blue-OFF’ cells, whose afferents terminated in layer 4A and seemed patchy in organization. The more common ‘blue-ON’ afferents were found in 4A as well as lower layer 2/3. Chromatic information is thus conveyed to V1 by parallel, anatomically segregated colour-opponent systems, to be combined at a later stage of the colour circuit.
Potential genotoxicity of sediments from the Great Lakes

Thirty-eight organic extracts of sediment samples collected from 28 sites in three Great Lakes priority areas (Grand Calumet River, Buffalo River, and Saginaw River) were evaluated with the new activated Mutatox Genotoxicity Assay. This in vitro procaryotic assay used rat hepatic S9 for exogenous metabolic activation and a dark mutant strain of the luminescent bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum for detection of environmental DNA-damaging substances (genotoxins). A genotoxic response was indicated when the test chemical restored the luminescent state in bacteria; the degree of light increase identified the relative genotoxicity of the sample. Within the three priority areas sampled, 27 sites showed evidence of genotoxins, 23 of 28 sites (82%) were designated genotoxic; 4 were suspect (14%), and 1 was negative (3%). Assay sensitivity to known progenotoxins arylamines (2-aminoanthracene and 2-aminofluorene) and polycyclic arylhydrocarbons [benzo(α)pyrene and pyrene] in complex sediment mixtures was ⩾1 μg per cuvette. The activated Mutatox Assay was a sensitive, specific, predictive, and short-term test for detecting the presence of genotoxins in complex environmental sediments.
Methane dissociative chemisorption on Pt(111) explored by microscopic reversibility

Abstract Angle-resolved thermal programmed reaction was used to investigate the hydrogenation of methyl radicals on Pt(111). The angular distribution of desorbing methane produced at 240 K was strongly peaked towards the surface normal and the reaction displayed little kinetic isotope effect. When microscopic reversibility arguments are applied, these observations suggest that dissociative chemisorption of CH4 on an extensively H covered Pt(111) surface will display a sharply angle dependent sticking coefficient and little evidence for tunneling.
Recurrent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Following First Rib Resection

Five years ago, a follow-up study of first rib resections in patients with the thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) disclosed a recurrence rate of over 15%. Many patients were re-explored supraclavicularly, and in every case the anterior scalene muscle was found reattached to the bed of the first rib. The invariable success of scalenectomy led to a study of this procedure as the first operation for all cases of persistent thoracic outlet syndrome.Most patients with TOS gave a history of neck trauma and had symptoms of paresthesias of the hands and weakness of the arms, as well as neck pains and headaches. The common physical findings were tenderness over the scalene muscles and duplication of symptoms with the arms raised. A scalene muscle block with a local anesthetic was the most useful diagnostic test.The good to excellent long-term results following 239 scalenectomies and 214 first rib resections were almost identical, 68% and 69% respectively, with fair results in 20% and 13% respectively.
Simulating Temperature Programmed Desorption of Oxygen on Pt(111) Using DFT Derived Coverage Dependent Desorption Barriers

The dissociative adsorption energy of oxygen on Pt(111) is known to be coverage dependent. Simple Redhead analysis of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments that assumes a coverage independent desorption barrier can lead to errors in estimated properties such as desorption barriers and adsorption energies. A simple correction is to assume a linear coverage depen- dence of the desorption barrier, but there is usually no formal justification given for that functional form. More advanced TPD analysis methods that are suitable for determining coverage dependent adsorption parameters are limited by their need for large amounts of high quality, low noise data. We present a method to estimate the functional form of the coverage dependent desorption barrier from density functional theory calculations for use in analysis of TPD spectra. Density functional theory was employed to calculate the coverage dependence of the adsorption energy. Simulated TPD spectra were then produced by empirically scaling the DFT based adsorption energies utilizing the Bronstead-Evans-Polyani relationship between adsorption energies and desorption barriers. The resulting simulated spectra show better agreement with the experimental spectra than spectra predicted using barriers that are either coverage-independent or simply linearly dependent on coverage. The empirically derived scaling of the desorption barriers for Pt(111) is shown to be useful in predicting the low coverage desorption barriers for oxygen desorption from other metal surfaces, which showed rea- sonable agreement with the reported experimental values for those other metals.
Spatial and Temporal Variations of Groundwater Arsenic in South and Southeast Asia

Over the past few decades, groundwater wells installed in rural areas throughout the major river basins draining the Himalayas have become the main source of drinking water for tens of millions of people. Groundwater in this region is much less likely to contain microbial pathogens than surface water but often contains hazardous amounts of arsenic--a known carcinogen. Arsenic enters groundwater naturally from rocks and sediment by coupled biogeochemical and hydrologic processes, some of which are presently affected by human activity. Mitigation of the resulting health crisis in South and Southeast Asia requires an understanding of the transport of arsenic and key reactants such as organic carbon that could trigger release in zones with presently low groundwater arsenic levels.
Real time topography with X-ray image magnification

Abstract An X-ray optical configuration for real time synchrotron ratiation topography is described. Asymmetric diffraction from perfect Si crystals is used to control the beam size, wavelength, and collimation before the sample, and to magnify the X-ray image after the sample. Preliminary results using this system are reported. Video images of moving magnetic domain walls under a varying magnetic field were obtained from Ni single crystals in the anomolous transmission geometry.
Abstract 361: PET imaging of antitumor responses with anti-4-1BB (anti-CD137)

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Agonistic antibodies to 4-1BB (CD137), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family expressed on activated T cells, are being tested for immunotherapy in patients with advanced cancers. Being able to study the mechanism of 4-1BB action in vivo using non-invasive approaches would help guiding its clinical development. We used positron emitting tomography (PET) with [18F]FDG to study how 4-1BB mAb modulates the immune system in a mouse model for cancer treatment. The administration of 1mg/kg of the 4-1BB mAb to Balb/c mice induced reproducible CT26 tumor regressions and improved survival (n=8 mice per group, p = 0.006 for survival by log rank test). The mean tumor size (mm) was also strikingly different (5.8 ± 0.20 4-1BB mAb group vs 8.3 ± 0.19 control, on day 7 after 4-1BB mAb; p < 0.0009). All mice responded to the treatment and complete tumor shrinkage was achieved in 75% of cases, 14 days after 4-1BB mAb administration. Using microPET imaging there was markedly increased mean signal (% ID/g) of [18F]FDG at the tumor site and draining lymph nodes (18.4 ± 1.6 4-1BB mAb group vs. 10.3 ± 0.418 control group). Due to the shrinkage of the tumor in the treated group, we hypothesized this higher PET signal is the result of higher activity of immune cells in the site. In a metabolic probe in vitro uptake assay, there was a 7-fold increase in uptake of [3H]DDG in lymphocytes extracted from tumor-draining lymph nodes and a 2-fold increase in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILS) of mice treated with 4-1BB mAb compared to untreated mice, supporting the in vivo PET data. In conclusion, increased uptake of [18F]FDG by PET scans visualizes 4-1BB mAB-induced anti-tumor immune responses and can be used as a pharmacodynamic readout to guide the development of this class of antibodies in the clinic. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 361. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-361
Spacing repetitions and solving problems are not the same

Recall of items given spaced repetitions is generally superior to recall of items given immediate repetitions. L. L. Jacoby ( Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior , 1978, 17 , 649–667) has proposed that this spacing effect can be accounted for by the distinction between problem solving and remembering. On an immediate repetition any encoding processes and problem-solving operations used on the first presentation can be remembered. On a spaced repetition the operations must be reemployed, thus enhancing the strength of the mnemonic representation of the event. This hypothesis was tested by factorially combining spacing of repetitions, necessity for problem solving at the second presentation, and type of memory test. Requiring problem solving on second presentations did attentuate the spacing effect on a recognition test, but contrary to the hypothesis, no attenuation was found on a recall test.
Documentation of spontaneous reduction of childhood intussusception by ultrasound.

Spontaneous reduction of a presumed ileo-colonic intussusception was demonstrated by ultrasound examination followed by a barium enema. No premedication or anesthetic had been given to the child. This case illustrates the possible natural history of intussusception rarely confirmed by imaging studies. Intussusception is the most common abdominal emergency of early childhood [1]. Diagnosis and therapy is usually performed with a contrast enema. If unsuccessful, surgical reduction is indicated. We wish to report a case of spontaneous reduction of a presumed ileocolonic intussusception. This was initially diagnosed by ultrasound examination, but had spontaneously reduced by the time a barium enema was performed.
Comparison of Placebo, Nitroglycerin, and Isosorbide Dinitrate for Effectiveness of Relief of Angina and Duration of Action

Each of 13 patients with angina had either chewable isosorbide dinitrate, nitroglycerin (sublingual therapy), or placebo administered on each of three different days when mild anginal pain had been induced by walking on a treadmill. Both therapy with isosorbide dinitrate and therapy with nitroglycerin were effective in bringing about complete relief of the angina in less than ten minutes of uninterrupted continuons walking on the treadmill in 11 of the 13 subjects, while administration of placebo afforded complete relief in none. The duration of action of the drug was determined by following the first effort (during which the tested drug was given) by successive ten-minute walks at the same workload that first induced anginal pain. Half-hour resting periods separated the repeated periods of exercise, and the duration of action was taken to be the time from administration of the agent to the return of angina on one of the repetitive efforts. No prolonged protection was afforded by administration of the placebo. Nitroglycerin protected for slightly longer than one hour, while isosorbide dinitrate protected for 2½ to 3 hours.
Effects of Noncondensible Gases on Fluid Recovery in Fractured Geothermal Reservoir

Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effects of noncondensible gases (CO/sub 2/) on fluid recovery and matrix depletion in fractured geothermal reservoirs. The model is of a well producing at a constant bottomhole pressure (BHP) from a two-phase fractured reservoir. The recoverable fluid reserves are shown to depend strongly on the amount of CO/sub 2/ present in the reservoir system. The results obtained revealed a complex fracture/matrix interaction caused by the thermodynamics of H/sub 2/O/CO/sub 2/ mixtures. Although the matrix initially contributes fluids (liquid and gas) to the fractures, the flow directions later reverse and the fractures backflow fluids into the matrix. The amount of backflow depends primarily on the flowing gas saturation in the fractures; the lower the flowing gas saturation in the fractures, the more backflow. An analytic expression has been derived that allows for the determination of mass backflow on the basis of wellhead measurements of noncondensible gases and flowing enthalpy.
A clinical risk stratification tool for predicting treatment resistance in major depressive disorder.

Background Early identification of depressed individuals at high risk for treatment resistance could be helpful in selecting optimal setting and intensity of care. At present, validated tools to facilitate this risk stratification are rarely used in psychiatric practice. Methods Data were drawn from the first two treatment levels of a multicenter antidepressant effectiveness study in major depressive disorder, the STAR⁎D (Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression) cohort. This cohort was divided into training, testing, and validation subsets. Only clinical or sociodemographic variables available by or readily amenable to self-report were considered. Multivariate models were developed to discriminate individuals reaching remission with a first or second pharmacological treatment trial from those not reaching remission despite two trials. Results A logistic regression model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve exceeding .71 in training, testing, and validation cohorts and maintained good calibration across cohorts. Performance of three alternative models with machine learning approaches—a naive Bayes classifier and a support vector machine, and a random forest model—was less consistent. Similar performance was observed between more and less severe depression, men and women, and primary versus specialty care sites. A web-based calculator was developed that implements this tool and provides graphical estimates of risk. Conclusion Risk for treatment resistance among outpatients with major depressive disorder can be estimated with a simple model incorporating baseline sociodemographic and clinical features. Future studies should examine the performance of this model in other clinical populations and its utility in treatment selection or clinical trial design.
Rates of antibody synthesis during first, second, and hyperimmune responses of rabbits to bovine gamma globulin.

Determinations of the rates of antibody synthesis during first, second, and hyperimmune responses to bovine gamma globulin using S35-labelle aminod acids indicate the following: 1. In all three responses the rate of antibody synthesis increases while antigen is circulating and then begins to decline rapidly after elimination of detectable circulating antigen. 2. The initial rates of decline of antibody synthesis are approximately the same for all three responses. 3. There is a relatively persistent source of antibody production which appears after repeated stimulation and increases in proportion to the number of repeated stimuli.
Nature of the 2-, 3-, 4-cyanopyridine, 3-aminocrotononitrile, and 3-aminobutyronitrile complexes of copper(I) in propylene carbonate

Abstract The stoichiometry, stability, and mode of coordination of the 2-, 3-, 4-cyanopyridine, 3-aminocrotononitrile, and 3-aminobutyronitrile complexes of copper(I) in propylene carbonate were investigated by polarography, potentiometry, and infrared spectroscopy. No evidence for the formation of the 1:1 complexes was observed. 2-Cyanopyridine, 3-cyanopyridine, and 3-aminobutyronitrile form 2:1 complexes, while 4-cyanopyridine and 3-aminocrotononitrile form 2:1 and 3:1 complexes over the range of copper(I) and ligand concentrations examined. The cyanopyridines are coordinated to copper(I) ion through the pyridine nitrogen, and the two aminonitriles are coordinated through the amine nitrogen.
A Direct Dynamics Trajectory Study of F- + CH3OOH Reactive Collisions Reveals a Major Non-IRC Reaction Path

A direct dynamics simulation at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory was used to study the F- + CH3OOH reaction dynamics. The simulations are in excellent agreement with a previous experimental study (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 3196). Two product channels, HF + CH2O + OH- and HF + CH3OO-, are observed. The former dominates and occurs via an ECO2 mechanism in which F- attacks the CH3- group, abstracting a proton. Concertedly, a carbon-oxygen double bond is formed and OH- is eliminated. Somewhat surprisingly this is not the reaction path, predicted by the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC), which leads to a deep potential energy minimum for the CH2(OH)2...F- complex followed by dissociation to HF + CH2(OH)O-. None of the direct dynamics trajectories followed this path, which has an energy release of -63 kcal/mol and is considerably more exothermic than the ECO2 path whose energy release is -27 kcal/mol. Other product channels not observed, and which have a lower energy than that for the ECO2 path, are F- + CO + H2 + H2O (-43 kcal/mol), F- + CH2O + H2O (-51 kcal/mol), and F- + CH2(OH)2 (-60 kcal/mol). Formation of the CH3OOH...F- complex, with randomization of its internal energy, is important, and this complex dissociates via the ECO2 mechanism. Trajectories which form HF + CH3OO- are nonstatistical events and, for the 4 ps direct dynamics simulation, are not mediated by the CH3OOH...F- complex. Dissociation of this complex to form HF + CH3OO- may occur on longer time scales.
Dependence of the inelastic electron tunneling intensity on adsorbate concentration

Abstract Contrary to previous theories, it is shown that the intensity of molecular vibrational energy loss peaks in Inelastic Electron Tunneling varies as n 1.3 rather than as n , where n is the concentration of adsorbate molecules on the insulator surface in metal-insulator-metal junctions. Even though obtained with a simple model for the junction, this dependence agrees quantitatively with experimental results of Langan and Hansma.
Answering the Call of the Court: How Justices and Litigants Set the Supreme Court Agenda. By Vanessa A. Baird

Answering the Call of the Court: How Justices and Litigants Set the Supreme Court Agenda. By Vanessa A. Baird. Charlottesville and London: Univ. of Virginia Press, 2007. Pp. xii+225. $45.00 cloth. In Answenng the Call of the Court: How Justices and Litigants Set the Supreme Court Agenda, Baird attempts to explain the relationship between justices and litigants early in the agenda-setting process. Baird implements a remarkable research design that yields a well-written volume. The primary theoretical contribution of this project is in the notion that in order to create social change, the Court depends on the support structure of extrajudicial players. Legal entrepreneurs pay heed to signals concerning justices' priorities and then sponsor cases in the appropriate issue areas. The cases sponsored present the type of legal questions and case facts that make them good vehicles for policy change. In other words, litigants have a pivotal role in translating shifts in the priorities of justices into actual changes in the agenda. The upshot of this symbiotic relationship is increased policymaking power to both justices and legal entrepreneurs. Agenda-setting, according to Baird, begins earlier than anybody else has ever argued. To a significant degree, it starts with politically salient decisions handed down by the Court approximately four years before the decision to grant certiorari in the current case. The pattern of the Court's changing interests is clear-when Baird employs different measures for justices' priorities, the result is that four to five years after the Court signals its interest in a certain issue area, the number of cases in this area on the Court's agenda swells significantly. Quantitative and qualitative analyses are sophisticatedly combined in this volume. Despite "black-boxing" some of the processes in her statistical analyses, Baird carefully outlines what happens in the box in the qualitative sections of the book. For instance, using various illustrative examples from Supreme Court cases, in Chapter 2 the author discusses the signals the Court sends to litigants. These include separate opinions registered by justices (e.g., the separate opinions in Furman v. Georgia [1972]) and unexpected actions (e.g., Justice Anthony Kennedy's decision to join the majority in Lawrence v. Texas [2003]). Baird also offers an in-depth analysis of how the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF) took advantage of legal cues in recent Supreme Court decisions to devise a legal strategy challenging the Personal Responsibility Act passed by Congress in 1996. In this case (Latino Coalition for a Healthy California v. Belshe [1997]), based on former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's approach to federalism in New York v. United States (1992), the MALDEF chose federalism over equal protection as grounds for litigation. …
Vicarious calibration of Aqua and Terra MODIS

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is onboard both the Terra and Aqua platforms. An important aspect of the use of MODIS, and other Earth Science Enterprise sensors, has been the characterization and calibration of the sensors and validation of their data products. The Remote Sensing Group at the University of Arizona has been active in this area through the use of ground- based test sites. This paper presents the results from the reflectance-base approach using the Railroad Valley Playa test site in Nevada for both Aqua and Terra MODIS. The key to the approach is the measurement of surface reflectance over a 1-km2 area of the playa and results from this method shows agreement with both MODIS sensors to better than 5%. Early results indicate that while the two sensors both agree with the ground-based measurements to within the uncertainties of the reflectance-based approach, there were significant differences between the Aqua and Terra MODIS for data prior to September 2002. Recent results indicate that this bias, if any, is now within the uncertainties of the reflectance-based method of calibration.
Reduction Process of High Phosphorus Oolitic Hematite

The changing characteristics of iron mineral along with the reduction time in reduction of a high phosphorus oolitic hematite by carbon were discussed in the paper. The grain growth of metallic iron was investigated in detail. The results showed that the iron mineral in reduction of the oolitic hematite changed as Fe2O3→Fe3O4→FeO→Fe, and finally was reduced to metallic iron. As the reduction time elongated, the small grain of metallic iron gathered toward the larger one and grew up. The metallic iron existed in the reduction products in the form of larger grains of metallic iron.
An economic analysis of debt swaps and case study of the Harvard debt for education swap

Abstract Evaluation of Harvard University's debt for education swap with Ecuador yields a clear bottom line: Harvard unambiguously gains from the deal, since tuition receipts more than double initial outlays, and the university acquires assets to fund research in Ecuador. Ecuador's economic benefits, however, are less clear, since the dollar outflow from Ecuador may exceed the amount of new scholarship aid plus the true buyback value. Participants in future debt for education deals must consider both the uncertainty of economic gains and possible macroeconomic consequences for the debtor country.
Bigger is better: honeybee colonies as distributed information-gathering systems

In collectively foraging groups, communication about food resources can play an important role in the organization of the group's activity. For example, the honeybee dance communication system allows colonies to selectively allocate foragers among different floral resources according to their quality. Because larger groups can potentially collect more information than smaller groups, they might benefit more from communication because it allows them to integrate and use that information to coordinate forager activity. Larger groups might also benefit more from communication because it allows them to dominate high-value resources by recruiting large numbers of foragers. By manipulating both colony size and the ability to communicate location information in the dance, we show that larger colonies of honeybees benefit more from communication than do smaller colonies. In fact, colony size and dance communication worked together to improve foraging performance; the estimated net gain per foraging trip was highest in larger colonies with unimpaired communication. These colonies also had the earliest peaks in foraging activity, but not the highest ones. This suggests they may find and recruit to resources more quickly, but not more heavily. The benefits of communication we observed in larger colonies are thus likely a result of more effective information-gathering due to massive parallel search rather than increased competitive ability due to heavy recruitment.
“They were not humans, but devils in human bodies”: Depictions of Sexual Violence and Spanish Tyranny as a Means of Fostering Identity in the Dutch Republic

From 1609 to 1648, the inhabitants of the nascent Dutch Republic faced various challenges as they worked to justify and ensure its continued existence. Many authors and artists deployed depictions of sexual violence as a potent tool to patch over political and religious disagreements among the Dutch by encouraging them to focus on the larger threat—their Spanish enemy. They propagated stories that vilified the Spanish in two ways: focusing on the literal raping women of the Low Countries as Phillip II's troops attempted to reassert his control there and the metaphoric violence of a people ruled by a tyrant who violated the traditional rights of the Dutch nation imagined as a vulnerable woman. Through depictions of rape, these authors and artists not only created an enemy against whom the Dutch could unite; they also generated the idea that treating women with proper care and respect was part of a Dutch (male) national character.
The effect of diffusion on the trapping of membrane-bound receptors by localized coated pits.

Abstract Localized coated pits are considered in the primary steps of receptor-mediated endocytosis. According to the pit reinsertion mechanism, we have modified our previous kinetic model and studied the effect of diffusion on the trapping rate constant ( k + ). Using experimental data for low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors on fibroblast cells, we found that the binding of receptors to coated pits is not totally diffusion controlled. For example, the process is less than 78% diffusion controlled if receptors are not allowed to escape the coated pits. However, due to the large uncertainties in the experimental parameters, a diffusion-controlled process cannot be ruled out. The greatest differences between localized and random reinsertion were found when the escaping rate constant ( k + ) is much greater than the rate constant for invagination of the pits (λ 1 ). Under this condition, k + for localized reinsertion is no less than 39% diffusion controlled, while k + for random reinsertion shows no diffusion effect at all.
Adjustable discretized population balance equations: Numerical simulation and parameter estimation for fractal aggregation and break-up

Abstract Improved adjustable discretized population balance equations (PBEs) are proposed in this study. The authors extended an improved particle coagulation model previously developed to an adjustable geometric size interval ( q ), where q is a volume ratio of class k + 1 particle to class k particle (υ k+ 1 /υ k = q ). This model was verified with the time derivative of the zero and first moments to show mass conservation and compared with previous analytical and numerical solutions. Also, the self-preserving distribution test was conducted by using size-independent and size-dependent kernels. After direct numerical simulations (DNS), the proposed model was found to have excellent agreement with the analytical and continuous numerical solutions. In addition, this proposed model was converted to a dimensionless form to enhance computational efficiency in order to be coupled with computational fluid dynamic solutions in the future. Furthermore, a parameter estimation scheme was created to computationally determine the two key parameters, the collision efficiency ( α ) and the break-up coefficient ( K B ), from orthokinetic experimental data. To verify the estimation procedure the fractal aggregate orthokinetic experimental data of Li and Zhang (a primary d o of 2.8 μm in dia., D f of 2.0, a fluid strain-rate of 15 (1/s)) was used [X. Li, J. Zhang, Numerical simulation and experimental verification of particle coagulation dynamics for a pulsed input, J. Coll. Interf. Sci. 262 (2003) 149–161]. Considering fractal aggregation and break-up, two major parameters were found to be collision efficiency α of 0.3938 and aggregate break-up coefficient K B of 4.4105 using a parameter estimation scheme coupled with an improved discretized population balance equation. This parameter estimation scheme was able to compute the coefficients in the coagulation model rapidly, especially in particle systems having a fractal aggregate structure.
Blood Conservation in Acute Care and Critical Care

Blood conservation has evolved into an important issue in hospital-based medicine. Increased awareness of and worry about transfusion-associated diseases have prompted a focus on this important area. New technologies, including continuous intraarterial monitoring devices, microchemical technologies, new drug development (recombinant human erythropoietin and aprotinin) and intraoperative salvage techniques have made the concept of clinically important blood conservation possible. In this article, the authors review clinically important areas regarding blood conservation, which are subsequently detailed in this issue of AACN Clinical Issues. Emphasis is placed on the need for blood conservation in acute and critical care practice and the technologies available to achieve this goal.
A Procedure for On-Farm Weighing of Eggs

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to develop an efficient and accurate method for on-farm weighing of eggs. In the first experiment 480 eggs were weighed individually, in groups of 10, and in groups of 30. The average weight and standard error of the mean were 60.0 ± .21, 60.1 ± .23, and 59.9 ± .23 when the eggs were weighed individually, in groups of 10, and in groups of 30, respectively. In the second experiment 540 eggs from the same house were weighed in groups of 30 on three different days. The standard error of the mean decreased as the number of eggs weighed increased. In the third experiment, 300 eggs were weighed in groups of 30 from three different houses on a farm. The standard error of the mean decreased until 300 eggs were weighed. The data from these experiments indicate that an accurate average weight from a flock can be obtained by weighing 300 eggs in groups of 30. This procedure is suggested as a management practice for monitoring the performance of commercial laying hens.
Articulating circumstance, identity and practice : toward a discursive framework of organizational changing

The literature on organizational change abounds with models that map the trajectory of change with ordered stages or episodes. However, limited progress has been made in understanding the dynamic process of changing or becoming from one stage or episode to another. To enhance our knowledge of changing, this study intends to offer a discursive framework grounded in a process-oriented perspective of organization. The framework highlights key discursive dynamics of changing by integrating recent developments in several streams of research. It conceptualizes changing as discursive struggles over articulating multiple layers of meaning. These layers comprise the articulation of organizational circumstance, organizational and individual identities and organizational practice.To illustrate the utility of this framework, the author undertook a discourse analysis of real-time communication among members in a large US insurance corporation. The interpretation was grounded in data from a four-month ethnographic stud...
Viscoelastic and Viscoplastic Mechanical Behavior of Polymeric Nanofibers: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

The viscous behavior of polymers in nanometer scale volumes can significantly differ from bulk, due to the large free surfaces and the dominating molecular heterogeneity at nanoscale. In this study, we present the first experimental investigation on the creep and strain rate behavior of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. The apparatus used in this study was a MEMS-based platform, developed by the authors with the addition of a feedback loop to (a) maintain constant force on a nanofiber during a creep experiment and (b) vary the applied strain rate to investigate the viscoplastic response of amorphous polymer nanofibers. The creep compliance was found to be highly dependent on the nanofiber diameter, increasing with its diameter. In agreement with previous literature studies, it was concluded that the higher stiffness of thinner nanofibers was due to higher molecular alignment. A semi-empirical model was proposed to describe the experimentally determined viscous response of the PAN nanofibers, was composed of a Langevin spring and an Eyring’s dashpot to capture the strain rate sensitive yield stress and the orientation hardening observed in our experiments. The present experiments coupled with the semi-empirical model are among the first efforts to understand viscous phenomena at the nanoscale.
Adaptive SRAM design for dynamic voltage scaling VLSI systems

In this paper, we present an adaptive eight-transistor SRAM design that is capable of extending the operation of SRAM cells in the subthreshold region as well as maintaining high performance at the nominal supply voltages. The effective PMOS transistor size is dynamically adjusted according to the value of the supply voltage in order to sustain a balanced voltage transfer characteristics over the range of supply voltage operation. Simulation results demonstrate a power saving of up to 25% using our adaptive SRAM cell designed to maintain acceptable static noise margins under supply voltage in the range of 0.2 V to 1.2 V. The adaptive SRAM is very efficient for VLSI systems working under dynamic voltage scaling schemes, where the system is required to function at a variable supply voltage that extends to the subthreshold region of operation.
Customer satisfaction with order fulfillment in retail supply chains: implications of product type in electronic B2C transactions

Abstract This paper focuses on the proverbial “last mile” of the retail supply chain – i.e., delivering products to the end-customer – and highlights the need for recognizing product type differences in configuring order fulfillment processes in electronic business-to-customer (B2C) transactions. The following two questions serve as the motivation for the study: Do customer expectations of order fulfillment processes vary across product types? Should the product type matter in configuring order fulfillment processes? From the studies in the marketing literature, we infer that customer satisfaction assessments are based on customer expectations of order fulfillment processes, and that these expectations systematically vary across the three product types: convenience goods (e.g., groceries, home and office supplies), shopping goods (e.g., ready-to-wear men, women, and kids’ apparel), and specialty goods (e.g., desktop and notebook computers, and wedding dresses). In particular, we posit that ceteris paribus , customer satisfaction with order fulfillment will decrease moving along a continuum of product types, from convenience goods to specialty goods. The empirical analysis for this study is based on data collected on dimensions of customer satisfaction with order fulfillment from a sample of 256 firms engaged in electronic B2C transactions. Firms included in our study sample are such that their products can be classified into only one of three product types: convenience, shopping, or specialty goods. In essence, each firm in the study sample is a proxy for one of three product types. The results of the empirical analysis indicate that, on average, customers tend to have higher satisfaction levels with the order fulfillment process of convenience and shopping goods than with the order fulfillment process of specialty goods. We discuss the managerial implications of our results, contributions of the paper to the literature, limitations, and directions for future research.
PHYTOSTEROL STRUCTURE AND ITS IMPACT ON FEEDING BEHAVIOUR IN THE GENERALIST GRASSHOPPER SCHISTOCERCA AMERICANA

.Sixth-stadium nymphs of the grasshopper Schistocerca americana (Drury) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) were observed in a series of experiments designed to measure feeding behaviour in response to suitable and unsuitable phytosterols. In the first experiment, grasshoppers were presented with artificial diet that contained either sitosterol, a suitable phytosterol, or a spinach lipid extract which contained only unsuitable sterols as well as other spinach lipids. The diet with the spinach lipid extract, but not the sitosterol diet, evoked a deterrent response. To determine if the spinach sterols were responsible for the deterrent response, a second experiment was performed where the spinach lipid extract was separated into three lipid classes, including desmethyl sterols, dimethyl sterols and the remaining spinach lipids. Grasshoppers presented with artificial diet containing the desmethyl sterols (the end-product sterols in spinach) exhibited deterrent responses. Finally, feeding behaviour to a suite of different sterols, including cholesterol (suitable), stigmasterol (unsuitable), and lathosterol (unsuitable), was observed; these sterols were selected because they show variation in the position of double bonds. Grasshoppers presented with diets containing unsuitable sterols again exhibited deterrent responses. Overall, the deterrent effect was strongest when sterols with a double bond at position 22 were in the diet.
Biochemical markers of alcohol use in pregnant women.

Abstract Objectives To describe the serious health consequences of alcohol (ethanol) use, especially as they relate to pregnancy and the development of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). The classic markers of alcohol exposure, including blood/breath alcohol, γ-glutamyl transferase (γGT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin-associated acetaldehyde (HAA) and carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), are valuable and their methods of analysis are reviewed. Conclusions Since both FAS and FAE represent two of the leading preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects, identification of alcohol use early in pregnancy is important to avoid adverse fetal outcomes. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of FAS and FAE is usually made after birth, when alcohol damage has become irreversible and permanent. The clinical laboratory can help prevent this damage and make a valuable contribution in assessing prenatal alcohol use. The clinical utility of blood/breath alcohol, γGT, MCV, HAA and CDT in alcohol use identification, especially in pregnancy, is substantial. Although none of the markers singularly has adequate sensitivity and specificity for screening, their diagnostic utility increases when measured as a panel. This is especially true in detecting alcohol use in pregnancy where the presence of several positive markers was correlated with the presence of alcohol-related fetal effects.
Impact History of Eros: Craters and Boulders

Abstract Preliminary measurements of craters and boulders have been made in various locations on Eros from images acquired during the first nine months of NEAR Shoemaker's orbital mission, including the October 2000 low altitude flyover. (We offer some very preliminary, qualitative analysis of later LAF images and very high-resolution images obtained during NEAR's landing on 12 February 2001). Craters on Eros >100 m diameter closely resemble the saturated crater population of Ida; Eros is more heavily cratered than Gaspra but lacks the saturated giant craters of Mathilde. These craters and the other large-scale geological features were formed over a duration of very roughly 2 Gyr while Eros was in the main asteroid belt, between the time when its parent body was disrupted and Eros was injected into an Earth-approaching orbit (probably tens of Myr ago). Saturation equilibrium had been expected to shape Eros' crater population down to very small sizes, as on the lunar maria. However, craters
SRTM C-band topographic data: quality assessments and calibration activities

In February 2000 the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) mapped the topography of the world's landmasses between /spl plusmn/60/spl deg/ using radar interferometry. The radar instrument, designed for global coverage, is a two-aperture C-band interferometer, comprising a modified SIR-C C-band system and an added receive antenna mounted at the end of a 60 m deployable boom. Full coverage of the Earth was possible in the 10 day mission by operating the radar in two two-beam ScanSAR modes, one with vertical polarization, and the other with horizontal polarization. The four beams together covered about a 225 km ground swath. An additional X-band interferometer was also flown on the shuttle, with a narrower swath. One of the key components of the interferometer was the Attitude and Orbit Determination Avionics (AODA), comprising a suite of instruments to measure the shuttle position and attitude and the boom tip location relative to the shuttle. Absolute position information was determined from two GPS receivers located on the deployed radar antenna structure. Attitude information was derived from a combination of star tracker and IRU measurements. The boom tip location was determined with an optical target tracker, which measured the angles to several targets located on the tip structure, and an electronic ranging device used to measure the distance to the boom tip.
Cloud computing: Retro revival or the new paradigm?

“Cloud computing” is one of the most recently hyped concepts in information technology (IT). While some argue that it is just the old “time-sharing” mainframe model transformed, others contend that it is a dramatic change in how we will expand computing possibilities. Which is correct? Is it something that your company should consider? The author explains what cloud computing is and examines its advantages and disadvantages. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Active Control of a Wing Tip Vortex

*† ‡ § Active control of a wing tip vortex was studied by deflecting a flap mounted at the tip of a semi-span wind tunnel model and then varying the degree of boundary layer separation by means of zero mass-flux perturbations. Qualitative trends were predicted based on wellknown theoretical approaches. Static and dynamic pressure measurements were made to assess the loads on the wing and particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to map the flow above the flap and in the wake. Varying the degree of flow separation, and even eliminating separation completely on the tip-flap, was seen to have a small effect on the overall aerodynamic loads. Nevertheless, the flow above the flap was also seen to be amenable to separation control, requiring small control momentum to produce large changes to the vortex. Reduction of the flap-separated region eliminated the axial velocity deficit and ultimately generated an axial velocity surplus near the center of the vortex. This was accompanied by significant increases in streamwise vorticity. Separation control was found to be well suited to dynamically perturbing the trailing vortex from arbitrarily long wavelengths to wavelengths very much shorter than the wingspan. Dynamic perturbation of the vortex at length-scales less than the wing chord were achieved at the separation control frequencies. Longer wavelengths were perturbed using dynamic separation and attachment control.
Interpretation of SPECT/CT Myocardial Perfusion Images: Common Artifacts and Quality Control Techniques

Nuclear medicine has long played an important role in the noninvasive evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease. The development of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) led to improved assessments of myocardial perfusion, and the use of electrocardiographic gating made accurate measurements of ventricular wall motion, ejection fractions, and ventricular volumes possible. With the use of hybrid SPECT/computed tomography (CT) scanning systems, the cardiac functional parameters can be measured in a single imaging session. These recent advances in imaging technology have not only enhanced image quality but also improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in the detection of clinically relevant coronary artery disease. The CT-based attenuation maps obtained with hybrid SPECT/CT systems also have been useful for improving diagnostic accuracy. However, when attenuation correction and other advanced image data postprocessing techniques are used, unexpected artifacts may arise. The artifacts most commonly encountered are related to the characteristics either of the technology or of the patient. Thus, close attention to the details of acquisition protocols, processing techniques, and image interpretation is needed to ensure high diagnostic quality in myocardial perfusion studies.
Effects of Microadditions of Cerium on Annealing Embrittlement in FeBSi Glasses

Microadditions of cerium retard annealing embrittlement in some but not all metallic glass compositions in the FeBSi system. Effects on embrittlement of doping with both cerium and oxygen have been determined for a series of compositions, Fe x B 13 Si 87-x . For X > 80, cerium retards annealing embrittlement and oxygen promotes it, suggesting that the beneficial effect of cerium additions results from gettering of impurities. The results indicate that for those compositions in the FeBSi system with the highest values of the saturation magnetization, Ms, microadditions of cerium can prevent annealing embrittlement until the onset of crystallization.