cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ohmic contacts to gallium oxide

Abstract The deposition of a metal onto a semiconductor surface to provide low contact resistance, high-reliability electrical contacts without adversely affecting the device during the metallization process is one of the most important challenges in device fabrication. Consequently, a fundamental understanding of how contacts work is essential for successful device manufacturing and commercialization. The physics of carrier transport across the metal-semiconductor junction renders metal contacts either rectifying (a.k.a. Schottky) or nonrectifying. A nonrectifying contact whose relationship between current and voltage has a low interfacial contact resistance Rc, and is preferably linear, is referred to as an Ohmic contact. Achieving low contact resistance Rc (Ω mm) or contact resistivity ρc (Ω cm2) has required a great amount of investigation for every relevant semiconductor material in the past. Typically, the successful formation of an Ohmic contact has relied on three constituent requirements: highly or degenerately doped semiconductor, choice of metallization, and thermal annealing. Recent advances in bulk growth of single-crystal β-Ga2O3 have changed how this material is regarded in the device community and have brought it into the spotlight as an emerging wide bandgap semiconductor with potential for radio frequency (rf) and power electronics applications. The academic study of the mechanism of forming Ohmic contacts to Ga2O3 has been a less pressing topic while fundamental issues in growth and devices have been addressed. A sufficient body of literature to date has established a preliminary understanding of how Ohmic contacts to Ga2O3 work. In this chapter, we review the fundamentals of Ohmic contact operation, review the existing body of literature on Ohmic contacts to Ga2O3, and recommend future directions of research.
Plant flavonoids to improve productivity of ruminants – A review

Use of plant polyphenols in production animal agriculture is increasingly being investigated, especially in the face of heavier restrictions on antibiotic use. Flavonoids are a class of polyphenols known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative functions. The aim of this review is to discuss the use of flavonoids in the areas of neonatal health, animal growth, efficiency of rumen fermentation, milk production, and resilience to stress in dairy cows. Bioavailability of flavonoids is typically greater in the aglycone form in humans and monogastric species; however, in ruminants the aglycone can be quickly degraded by rumen microbes. Bioavailability studies have demonstrated that although the aglycone form is the more bioavailable source in neonatal calves, as the rumen develops, the glycosylation of flavonoids provides a degree of ruminal protection and therefore improves bioavailability. Flavonoid supplementation appears to be most beneficial during periods of stress. In growing ruminants, flavonoid supplementation had little impact on metabolism, health status, or growth parameters, but did reduce the severity of pathogenic and nonpathogenic diarrhea. Flavonoids lessened the drop in ruminal pH and reduced the inflammatory state of cows fed a high grain diet and during induced subacute ruminal acidosis. Several studies supplementing different flavonoids to dairy cows during the transition period showed their potential to reduce postpartum inflammation, endoplasmic reticular stress, and hepatic lipid accumulation. In addition, milk yield was increased in most studies over the transition to lactation, but milk component responses were varied. Milk somatic cell concentration was often reduced by dietary flavonoids, and they have been effective at suppressing inflammation and apoptosis in pathogen-induced mouse mastitis models. Further research is warranted to investigate the potential of flavonoids to reduce mastitis in dairy cows. Overall, flavonoids can increase ruminant productivity with beneficial effects exhibited under a variety of stressful conditions; however, unexplained variability in response to flavonoid supplementation is likely due to differences in dose, specific compound efficacy, and mode of action.
Exchange and Transaction as a Form of Life and Meaning in the Logic of Tantric Concepts

This essay examines conceptual metaphors from Śaiva-Śākta traditions of Hindu tantra. It explores how conceptual metaphors associated with heterodox ritual exchanges between humans and fierce divinities were employed and used to transform other ideas (bodily fluids, sacrificial products, sexualized symbols, celibacy, states of consciousness, ideas about kinship) to express a new kind of kinship or family (kula) that replaced or supplemented orthodox concepts (such as class and caste). It then considers the combination or blending of these conceptual systems with other ideas about concentration and miniaturization (intensifying something to its essence). The resulting conceptual metaphors are then directly related to the way that tantric traditions moved over time to semanticized, abstract, orthodox, and mystical expressions and concepts. There is a diverse body of scholarship that examines and interprets the historical traditions of Hindu tantra. This body of scholarship is seldom considered outside of conversations among area specialists. Some of this is due to the heterodox nature of some tantric practices, especially concepts or rituals that use sex or sexual symbolism. Tantric focus on these heterodox conceptual frameworks conflicts directly with purity-oriented conceptual systems of orthodox Hindu traditions. Through a kind of meta-analysis of some of these conceptual metaphors, this essay seeks to consider a kind of conceptual logic that makes their heterodox content more understandable and accessible to other areas of religious studies and philosophy. The study relies on certain insights drawn from metaphor theory to formulate the concepts (such as exchange metaphors) it examines.
Early Tracheostomy for Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury is Associated with Reduced Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay and Total Ventilator Days

Objectives:To determine whether, similar to adults, early tracheostomy in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) improves inhospital outcomes including ventilator days, intensi...
Sunlight Converts Polystyrene to Carbon Dioxide and Dissolved Organic Carbon

Numerous international governmental agencies that steer policy assume that polystyrene persists in the environment for millennia. Here, we show that polystyrene is completely photochemically oxidiz...
“Please Let This be the Crassest Thing My Child Reads!”: Exploring Community Perceptions of Challenged Children’s Literature

Research suggests fear of parental backlash is a primary reason why teachers preemptively censor books, yet parents’ beliefs about challenged children’s books are understudied. This study’s purpose...
Emergency department medication dispensing reduces return visits and admissions.

Abstract Objectives Return visits to the emergency department (ED) and subsequent readmissions are common for patients who are unable to fill their prescriptions. We sought to determine if dispensing medications to patients in an ED was a cost-effective way to decrease return ED visits and hospital admissions for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methods A retrospective review of ED visits for SSTIs, during the 24 weeks before and after the implementation of a medication dispensing program, was conducted. Charts were analyzed for both ED return visits and hospital admissions within 7 days and 30 days of the initial ED visit. Return visits were further reviewed to determine if the clinical conditions on subsequent visits were related to the initial ED presentation. A cost analysis comparing the cost of treatment to cost savings for return visits was also performed. Results Before the implementation of the medication dispensing program, the return rate in 7 days for the same condition was 9.1% and the rate of admission was 2.8%. The return rate for the same condition in 8–30 days was 2.1% and the rate of admission was 1.0%. After the implementation of the medication dispensing program, the return rate for the same condition in 7 days was 8.0%, and the admission rate was 1.7%. The return rate for the same condition in 8–30 days was 0.8%, and the admission rate was 0%. The total cost of dispensed medications was $4050, while total cost savings were estimated to be $95,477. Conclusion A medication dispensing program in the ED led to a reduction in return visits and admissions for SSTIs at both 7 days and 30 days. For a cost of only $4050, an estimated total of $95,477 was saved. A medication dispensing program is a cost-effective way to reduce return visits to the ED and subsequent admissions for certain conditions.
Clinician Perceptions of Robotic Exoskeletons for Locomotor Training After Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Approach.

Abstract Objective To describe the experiences of clinicians who have used robotic exoskeletons in their practice and acquire information that can guide clinical decisions and training strategies related to robotic exoskeletons. Design Qualitative, online survey study, and 4 single-session focus groups followed by thematic analysis to define themes. Setting Focus groups were conducted at 3 regional rehabilitation hospitals and 1 Veteran’s Administration (VA) Medical Center. Participants Clinicians (N=40) reported their demographic characteristics and clinical experience using robotic exoskeletons. Twenty-nine clinicians participated in focus groups at regional hospitals that use robotic exoskeletons, as well as 1 VA Medical Center. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Clinicians’ preferences, experiences, training strategies, and clinical decisions on how robotic exoskeleton devices are used with Veterans and civilians with spinal cord injury. Results Clinicians had an average of 3 years of experience using exoskeletons in clinical and research settings. Major themes emerging from focus group discussions included appropriateness of patient goals, patient selection criteria, realistic patient expectations, patient and caregiver training for use of exoskeletons, perceived benefits, preferences regarding specific exoskeletons, and device limitations and therapy recommendations. Conclusions Clinicians identified benefits of exoskeleton use including decreased physical burden and fatigue while maximizing patient mobility, increased safety of clinicians and patients, and expanded device awareness and preferences. Suitability of exoskeletons for patients with various characteristics and managing expectations were concerns. Clinicians identified research opportunities as technology continues to advance toward safer, lighter, and hands-free devices.
The role of beam geometry in population statistics and pulse profiles of radio and gamma-ray pulsars

We present results of a pulsar population synthesis study that incorporates a number of recent developments and some significant improvements over our previous study. We have included the results of the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey in our select group of nine radio surveys, doubling our sample of radio pulsars. We adopted with some modifications the radio beam geometry of Arzoumanian, Chernoff & Cordes (2002). For the $\gamma$-ray beam, we have assumed the slot gap geometry described in the work of Muslimov & Harding (2003). To account for the shape of the distribution of radio pulsars in the $\dot P-P$ diagram, we continue to find that decay of the magnetic field on a timescale of 2.8 Myr is needed. With all nine surveys, our model predicts that EGRET should have seen 7 radio-quiet (below the sensitivity of these radio surveys) and 19 radio-loud $\gamma$-ray pulsars. AGILE (nominal sensitivity map) is expected to detect 13 radio-quiet and 37 radio-loud $\gamma$-ray pulsars, while GLAST, with greater sensitivity is expected to detect 276 radio-quiet and 344 radio-loud $\gamma$-ray pulsars. When the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey is excluded, the ratio of radio-loud to radio-quiet $\gamma$-ray pulsars decreases, especially for GLAST. The decrease for EGRET is 45%, implying that some fraction of EGRET unidentified sources are radio-loud $\gamma$-ray pulsars. In the radio geometry adopted, short period pulsars are core dominated. Unlike the EGRET $\gamma$-ray pulsars, our model predicts that when two $\gamma$-ray peaks appear in the pulse profile, a dominant radio core peak appears in between the $\gamma$-ray peaks. Our findings suggest that further improvements are required in describing both the radio and $\gamma$-ray geometries.
Live-Problem Project v. Client-Based Project: Which Is Most Effective for Perceived Learning of MBA-Level Marketing Concepts?

We utilize a research design of the same professor teaching consistent course material across a core MBA marketing course to test whether a live-problem project (LPP) or a client-consulting project (CCP) is perceived by students as more effective for learning fundamental marketing concepts. Using teaching evaluation data, MBA students reported higher perceived learning from classes featuring a LPP versus those featuring a CCP. We speculate that LPPs may be more appropriate for teaching core marketing classes and CCPs for more advanced, integrative classes, such as the MBA capstone. Study limitations and future research issues are discussed.
Electrostatic Levitation on Atmosphere-Less Planetary Bodies with Ionic-Liquid Ion Sources

This paper presents an initial feasibility study on the use of ionic-liquid ion sources for electrostatic actuation on atmosphere-less planetary bodies. The natural surface charging of atmosphere-l...
The use of bilateral transversus abdominis plane blocks with liposomal bupivacaine on postoperative cesarean delivery patients during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with reduced narcotics use and reduced length of stay.

BACKGROUND: The use of transversus abdominis plane blocks has been previously shown in both large-scale studies and our own institution to significantly reduce postoperative pain and opioid use. In addition, the use of bilateral transversus abdominis plane blocks using liposomal bupivacaine in combination with neuraxial morphine significantly reduced post-cesarean-delivery pain and opioid use. During the COVID-19 crisis, our anesthesia department in a collaborative effort with our obstetric colleagues thought that the use of bilateral transversus abdominis plane blocks with liposomal bupivacaine could reduce the use of opioids to treat postoperative pain and might result in decreased length of stay. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, a retrospective study of 288 patients who underwent cesarean delivery under spinal or epidural (neuraxial) anesthesia at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY was conducted. Historical controls were from 142 consecutive patients from 1 January 2012 through 12 May 2012. An additional set of controls consisted of 30 consecutive patients from 10 March 2020 through 13 April 2020. The primary outcome data analyzed were the use of opioids and length of stay. RESULTS: Post cesarean delivery, patients who received both bilateral transversus abdominis plane blocks with liposomal bupivacaine and neuraxial morphine was associated with a significant decrease in the number of patients using post operative opioids, 54%-60% decreased to 18% (p < 0.001), and a decreased length of stay; 3.1 days was reduced to 2.39 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Neuraxial opioids combined with liposomal bupivacaine transversus abdominis plane blocks provided significant pain relief for patients post cesarean delivery, required less post operative opioids, and facilitated earlier discharge that may aid in reducing patient exposure and hospital burden secondary to COVID-19.
Stationary Components of Earnings and Stock Prices

I estimate a model for earnings containing a cyclical (stationary) component, in addition to a random walk trend modeled in extant studies, and investigate the extent to which the earnings cycle is capitalized in stock price. I estimate the cyclical component utilizing the Kalman filter. I find that the cyclical component of earnings is priced in addition to the trend component at a multiple of approximately one-half. I further decompose the stock price series into trend and cyclical components and find that the cyclical component of stock prices is related to that of earnings. Further tests reveal that cyclical swings in GNP and interest rates do appear to explain a portion, but not all, of the association between cyclical components of earnings and stock prices. The pricing of the cyclical component of earnings appears to capture a different phenomenon from those previously hypothesized as contributors to mean reversion in stock prices. Finally, I form hedge portfolios of firms at cyclical peaks (troughs) in earnings and report positive market adjusted returns similar to those reported in extant studies. Further tests indicate that these excess returns are not a function of firm size or betas.
New technology adoption

We examine the product decisions of an incumbent and an entrant in a deterministic, dynamic model featuring learning by doing and costly product development. Each firm may produce either a product which incorporates a new, improved technology; or a product which uses the pre-existing technology; or it may not produce. We solve for a closed loop equilibrium in a discrete-time model. In contrast to results in the existing literature on the adoption of new technology, we show instances where the entrant adopts the new technology product first, to be imitated later by the incumbent. Indeed, we can show conditions under which various industry scenarios emerge. Our results contribute to understanding the relationship between market structure and basic demand and cost conditions in an industry.
Two photoviscoelasticity experiments using analog data reduction

Tensile analog data reduction technique for determination of principal stress differences history at points of two nonhomogeneous photoviscoelastic models
Calibration of parallel /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ ADCs

A method of calibrating the gain and offset of each channel in parallel /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is presented. It uses a digital /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulator to perform fast and simple offline calibration. Simulations performed on the converter show greater than 30-dB reduction in unwanted tones when this calibration algorithm is used on an eight-channel second-order time-interleaved parallel converter with a 1% gain mismatch and 1-mV offset mismatch. The calibration method is general and can be used with any parallel /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ ADC including time-interleaved- and Hadamard-modulation-based architectures.
Temporal and spatial dynamics of long-distance Conyza canadensis seed dispersal

Summary 1 Glyphosate-resistant Conyza canadensis populations now infest more than 44 000 ha of arable land in eastern USA, only 5 years after the first resistant population was reported. Seed dispersal, the expansive use of glyphosate and the lack of tillage are all factors contributing to this high invasion speed. 2 Seed collected from deliberately established C. canadensis source populations were found at the furthest seed traps in our empirical studies, providing one of the most complete dispersal kernels for studying long-distance dispersal. The results indicate that seed regularly disperses at least 500 m from source populations. While a relatively small number of seeds moves long distances, 99% of the seed was found within 100 m of the source. 3 Empirical and mechanistic models were fitted to the data to predict the dispersal in the prevailing wind direction. Both models underestimated seed deposition beyond 200 m but the mechanistic model provided a better fit to the data (lower Akaike information criterion). A two-dimensional analysis examined the correlation between angular directions of wind and seed movement. All trials were anisotropic but only the cumulative wind and seed direction were significantly correlated (P < 0·05). 4 The empirical model was used to explore the effect of increasing source strength, which would be expected as an infestation of glyphosate-resistant C. canadensis expands on a producer's farm. At infestation levels consistent with a heavy infestation in a 5-ha field, seed dispersed further than 1·5 km, easily affecting 10s to 100s of surrounding farms. 5 Synthesis and applications. Emigration of C. canadensis seed, from a source farm to adjacent farms, means that population dynamics and weed management are dependent on both intra- and interfield dispersal phenomena. Wind-dispersed plants challenge the common practice of single field management as a viable management option for herbicide-resistant weeds. Farms coupled by seed dispersal require proactive management practices by every producer to prevent and minimize the development of glyphosate-resistant infestations of undesirable and alien plants.
Aerosol growth due to heterogeneous reaction: I. A continuous stirred tank reactor system for the study of aqueous aerosol chemistry

A continuous stirred tank reactor system for measuring particle growth as a result of heterogeneous aqueous-phase SO_2 reaction is described. Special attention was focused on the aerosol measurement instruments and care was taken to minimize size biasing as a result of humidity changes within the instruments. The differential mobility analyzer (DMA) inversion method developed by Hoppel was tested for its ability to predict distribution peak diameter. Less than 1% error in the diameter determination was found for experimentally plausible levels of either random particle number count error or instrument flowrate error. The DMA was determined to be capable of resolving a 0.001- to 0.002-μm-diameter change which is crucial in the particle growth experiments.
Neuromodulators of the lingual von Ebner gland: an immunocytochemical study.

The serous lingual glands of von Ebner secrete lingual lipase, an enzyme that begins fat digestion in the stomach. The objective of this study was to characterize the neuromodulators in the rat tongue and von Ebner glands using immunocytochemical techniques. Rat lingual tissues were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 4 μm for light microscopic studies. Immunocytochemical localization of neuromodulators was performed with monospecific anti-rat neuromodulator IgG or control (preimmune) IgG as the primary antibody, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique. No staining was seen with control antirat IgG. Immunospecific staining for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), tyrosine hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) was observed in nerves in the tongue, and cells containing immunospecific staining for serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) were seen in the stroma between the lingual glands. Selected cells in the serous glands stained positively for the presence of substance P and somatostatin. Adrenergic, VIP-containing and cholinergic nerves appear to innervate the tongue and serous glands. Substance P and somatostatin were identified in cells of the lingual serous glands and may be additional local modulators regulating lingual lipase release.
Prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts among Black Americans in later life

This article provides the first national estimates of the prevalence and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior among older Black Americans. There is a lack of national data on suicide ideation and attempts across ethnic classifications of Blacks in a nationally representative sample. Data are a subsample from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a national U.S. adult household probability sample of 5,191 Black Americans. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess older Blacks for nonfatal suicidal behavior and 14 DSM-IV disorders. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to delineate patterns and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior. The estimated lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among older Blacks in the United States was 6.1% and 2.1%, respectively. On an average it took 2.5 and 5.7 years respectively to go from ideation to attempts or from planning to attempts. Surprisingly, among older Black adults, men reported attempting suicide and seriously consider taking their own lives more than women. Older Blacks at higher risk for suicide attempts were middle aged, had poorer health, were anxious, and had multiple DSM-IV disorders. The results also show that approximately 1 in 4 attempters and 2 in 5 ideators have never sought treatment for their emotional or psychological problems. Preventative care, particularly screening in primary care settings, should consider these findings when treating older Black Americans for psychiatric-related risk.
Biliary metabolites of all-trans-retinoic acid in the rat

Abstract Biliary metabolites from physiological doses of all- trans -[10- 3 H]retinoic acid were examined in normal and vitamin A-deficient rats. The bile from normal and vitamin A-deficient rats contained approximately 60% of the administered dose following a 24-h collection period. However, vitamin A-deficient rats show a 6-h delay in the excretion of radioactivity compared to normal rats. Retinoyl-β-glucuronide excretion was particularly sensitive to the vitamin A status of the rats. In normal rats, retinoyl-β-glucuronide reached a maximum concentration of 235 pmol/ml of bile 2 h following the dose and then rapidly declined. Vitamin A-deficient rats show a relatively constant concentration of this metabolite (100–150 pmol/ml of bile) over a 10-h collection period. Retinoic acid excretion was low in both normal and deficient rats. The concentration of retinotaurine, a recently identified biliary metabolite, was approximately equal to retinoyl-β-glucuronide in normal rats and appeared in the bile 2 h later than the glucuronide.
Frequency Modulated Pulse For Ultrasonic Imaging

Ultrasonic diagnosis depends on the information obtained as a result of ultrasonic sonation (irradiation) of the patient. If the exposure is too low, useful information is not obtained; if it were to be too high, harm to the patient could result. Most diagnostic Ultrasound imaging systems use short microsecond pulses as a sonation source and construct the image from the back-scattered signal. There is now growing theoretical and experimental evidence to suggest that these microsecond pulses have temporal peak intensities high enough to produce free radicals through the mechanism of transient cavitation. Within the framework of short pulses, it is not possible to decrease the intensity without sacrificing signal to noise ratio. In this paper we propose the use of a new frequency modulated pulse to resolve the above dilemma. A bandwidth similar to that of a short pulse is maintained, but the total energy of the pulse is now spread over a longer duration with the result that the temporal peak intensity can be reduced significantly. For the purpose of theoretical simulation, we have modeled the back-scattered signal as a convolution of the tissue impulse response with the incident pulse. A necessary post-processing step of pulse compression required to regain the resolution is also outlined. While maintaining the resolution, increase in sensitivity (signal to noise) is demonstrated by a comparison with the response from a conventional short pulse. This increase in sensitivity can be used to reduce the temporal peak intensity of the pulse, thereby reducing the possible bio-effects. Experimental setup to acquire and process the data for imaging is also described.
History and geochemistry of a metalliferous sediment core from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 26°N

Fourteen thousand years of hydrothermal deposition are recorded in a metalliferous sediment core recovered from the Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse (TAG) Hydrothermal Field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 26°N. An estimated 26 to >96% of the sediment at this core site is hydrothermally derived as determined from the CaCO3, Al and Fe data. Layers of essentially pure vent precipitates contain <3% CaCO3 and <0.5% Al, with high concentrations of Fe (43%), Cu (4.1%), Zn (1.2%), Mn (1.1%), V (480 ppm), Pb (175 ppm), Cd (32 ppm) and Hg (3.8 ppm). Sediment accumulation rates vary from ~ 1 to >30 g/cm2/1000 y throughout the core, a function of the intensity of hydrothermal inputs. Distinct hydrothermal events are recorded at 6000 and 8500 y B.P. in layers containing >90% vent-derived material. Vertical metal profiles and interelement relationships in the core result from variable deposition of oxides and sulfides, oxidation and dissolution of sulfide phases and scavenging of metals from seawater.
Cumene cracking catalyzed by impregnated and cogelled silica-alumina☆

Abstract Cumene cracking catalyzed by silica-alumina in a differential reactor was studied from 390–500 °C at cumene partial pressures from 0.06–1.00 atm. Four low aluminum concentration catalysts were made by impregnation; a fifth of much higher aluminum concentration was prepared by cogelling. The results are consistent with the rate law given by Prater and Lago; some of the rate law constants were determined. Active sites in the different impregnated catalysts are of the same type, and their number is directly proportional to aluminum concentration. There are fewer, but more active, sites in the cogelled catalyst. If the pre-exponential factor of absolute rate theory holds, then less than 0.01% of the aluminum atoms are associated with active sites in all the catalysts.
Brain activation patterns during memory of cognitive agency

Abstract Agency is the awareness that one's own self is the agent or author of an action, a thought, or a feeling. The implicit memory that one's self was the originator of a cognitive event – the sense of cognitive agency – has not yet been fully explored in terms of relevant neural systems. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we examined brain activation patterns differentiating memory for the source of previously self-generated vs. experimenter-presented word items from a sentence completion paradigm designed to be emotionally neutral and semantically constrained in content. Accurate memory for the source of self-generated vs. externally-presented word items resulted in activation of dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) bilaterally, supporting an emerging body of work that indicates a key role for this region in self-referential processing. Our data extend the function of mPFC into the domain of memory and the accurate retrieval of the sense of cognitive agency under conditions where agency was encoded implicitly.
Circulating immunoreactivities of gastrin, glucagon and VIP after jejuno-ileal bypass

Abstract Seven Sprague-Dawley rats (404–440 g) underwent a 90% jejuno-ileal bypass (JIB); the functional loop consisted of 1 3 ileum and 2 3 jejunum with the bypassed loop being anastamosed to the ascending colon. Seven control rats were sham-operated. After 35 days, the rats were fasted 18 hours and venous blood was collected. Immunoreactivity of gastrin, measured with an antibody binding equally to G17 and G34, was higher in the plasma of the JIB (256±55 SEM pg/ml) than control (85±9 pg/ml) rats. This agrees with recent human studies but is in conflict with results in less mature rats. VIP levels were not significantly different. Glucagon-like immunoreactivity measured with antibodies specific for the C- and N-terminal regions of the hormone, respectively, were also higher in the JIB (510±40 and 129±15 pg/ml) rats.
The retroarticular process, streptostyly and the caecilian jaw closing system

Caecilians have two functionally separate sets of jaw closing muscles. The jaw adductor muscles are parallel fibered muscles positioned close to the jaw joint and their lever mechanics suggests they are well suited to rapidly closing the jaws. A second set of muscles, the hypaxial interhyoideus posterior (IHP), levers the jaws closed by pulling on the retro-articular process (RA) of the lower jaw. Models of the lower jaw point out that the angle and length of the RA has a profound effect on the closure force exerted by the IHP. The caecilian skull is streptostylic - the quadrate-squamosal apparatus (QSA) moves relative to the rest of the skull, a condition that seems at odds with a well-ossified cranium. Modeling the contribution of this streptostylic suspension of the lower jaw shows that rotational freedom of the QSA amplifies the force of the IHP by redirecting force applied along the low axis of the lower jaw. Measurements from several species and life stages of preserved caecilians reveal a large variation in predicted bite force (as a multiple of IHP force) with age and phylogeny.
Estimation of the ratio of the scale parameters of two exponential distributions with unknown location parameters

We consider the estimation of the ratio of the scale parameters of two independent two-parameter exponential distributions with unknown location parameters. It is shown that the best affine equivariant estimator (BAEE) is inadmissible under any loss function from a large class of bowl-shaped loss functions. Two new classes of improved estimators are obtained. Some values of the risk functions of the BAEE and two improved estimators are evaluated for two particular loss functions. Our results are parallel to those of Zidek (1973, Ann. Statist., 1, 264–278), who derived a class of estimators that dominate the BAEE of the scale parameter of a two-parameter exponential distribution.
Notes concerning an application of the Sydney code of botanical nomenclature to Salvia Dorrii (Lamiaceae)

In compliance with the 1981 Sydney Code of Botanical Nomenclature, the combinationSalvia dorrii var.incana (Benth). Strachan is made for what has previously been calledS. dorrii var.carnosa (Greene) Cronq.
Simple shear flow round a rigid sphere: inertial effects and suspension rheology

An analysis is presented of the flow field near a neutrally-buoyant rigid spherical particle immersed in an in compressible Newtonian fluid which, at large distances from the particle, is undergoing simple shear flow. Subject to conditions of continuity of stress at the particle surface and to conditions of zero net torque and zero net force on the sphere, the effect of fluid inertia on the velocity and pressure fields in the vicinity of the particle has been computed to for a dilute (non-interacting) suspension of spheres. In addition it is found that inertial effects give rise to a non-isotropic normal stress.
Is an Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure? Comparing Demand for Public Prevention and Treatment Policies

Background. Public policy can affect the allocation of resources between programs designed to prevent illnesses or injuries and programs designed to treat those who are already sick or injured. Information about preferences for treatment and prevention policies can help policy makers more effectively allocate public health resources among alternative uses. Our objective is to assess preferences for publicly funded health policies designed to prevent or treat major health threats. We use national surveys that employ discrete choice experiment formats. The surveys allow respondents to make trade-offs between policies designed to prevent or treat most major health threats. The surveys were administered to a nationally representative sample of over 3000 respondents. Methods. We estimate a random utility model of preferences for treatment and prevention policies and explore sources of systematic heterogeneity in preferences. Results. We estimate marginal utility associated with avoided deaths to be about twice...
The correlation between benzol[a]pyrene-induced mutagenicity and DNA adduct formation in Salmonella typhimurium TA100

Abstract In an attempt to stabilize the dose response in the Salmonella typhimurium test (STT), the use of DNA-bound products from BP was evaluated as a measure of the biologically effective dose. In addition to the previously documented interlaboratory variation, we observed a 3-fold difference in the dose response of TA100 to BP even when the assay was repeated with the same experimental conditions. When overall BP-DNA adduct formation was related to the level of His + revertants, a series of responses emerged with two predominating. In the first type of response around 70 revertants per plate were generated for every BP molecule bound per 10 6 nucleotides of cellular DNA. The second response gave about 1400 revertants per plate for one BP bound in every 10 6 nucleotides. Several intermediates curves were also detected. The variation in the mutational response to binding levels occured regardless of the source of S9 or the growth stage of the cells. These experiments indicate that there was no constant level of DNA damage that would lead to a specified number of revertants of TA100 by BP and that DNA modification was not solely responsible for mutagenic potency. It is possible that an induction of an error-prone repair function of the muc gene carried by the plasmid pKM101 in TA100 may be affecting the relationship between the measured adduct level and reversion frequency.
Binding of cis- and trans-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) to DNA: evidence for unwinding and shortening of the double helix

The antitumor drug cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) and the inactive trans isomer bind and produce cooperative changes in closed and nicked circular duplex DNA's. Covalent binding of both platinum complexes to the closed circular DNA alters the degree of supercoiling, presumably by disrupting and unwinding the double helix. Electron micrographs show the platinated DNA's to be shortened by up to 50 percent of their original length. At similar ratios of bound platinum per nucleotide, the electrophoretic mobilities of the DNA's in gels containing the dye ethidium bromide are the same for both isomers. The only detectable difference in the binding of the two platinum isomers is an increase in the electrophoretic mobility in nondye gels of closed circular DNA having small amounts of bound cis-DDP that is not apparent for the trans complex.
DiLight: an ontology-based information access system for e-learning environments

EXTENDED ABSTRACT Educating students on Digital Library (DL) research and practices has become an important course taught in many universities. Due to the rapid development of DL field and students’ diverse backgrounds and learning preferences, students face a steep learning curve when they try to grasp core concepts/topics and understand different DL views/approaches. DiLight is an interactive, integrated and active e-learning environment. One of the goals of DiLight is to organize course-related materials into an ontology [1] to support students to learn DL related topics and complete their learning tasks quickly and easily. DiLight is built on top of DSpace 1 , a leading open-source digital repository system, to take advantage of DSpace’s powerful content management and search tools. Our demonstration will concentrate on DiLight’s ontology-based information access functions.
Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Co: Evidence for magnetism-stabilizing structure.

Total-energy local-spin-density energy-band calculations are employed to study the different structural phases (hcp, fcc, and bcc) and magnetic states of Co metal as a function of volume. In the paramagnetic state, the fcc phase is lowest in energy with magnetic order stabilizing the hcp phase as the (observed) ground state. Unlike the case of Mn, Cr, and Fe which have stable antiferromagnetic states in the fcc phase, the ferromagnetic state is the most stable for all three phases of Co.
Preclinical Toxicology Studies with Acyclovir: Genetic Toxicity Tests

Acyclovir (ACV), an antiviral drug active in the treatment of oral and genital Herpes infections, has been evaluated for mutagenic and carcinogenic potential in a battery of in vitro and in vivo short-term assays. Negative results were obtained in the following in vitro tests: Ames Salmonella, plate incorporation and preincubation modification assays; E. coli polA+/polA- DNA repair; yeast (S. cerevisiae D4) gene conversion; Chinese hamster ovary cells (HGPRT, APRT loci and ouabain-resistance marker); L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells (HGPRT locus and ouabain-resistance marker); and C3H/10T1/2 mouse fibroblast neoplastic transformation assay. All except the last assay were performed in the presence and absence of an exogenous metabolic activation system. ACV was positive at high concentrations X exposure times in the absence of exogenous metabolic activation in the following in vitro systems and at the indicated concentrations: BALB/c-3T3 neoplastic transformation (50 micrograms/mL, 72 h exposure); human lymphocyte cytogenetics (250-500 micrograms/mL, 48 h exposure); and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells (TK locus, 400-2400 micrograms/mL, 4 h exposure; predominantly small colony mutants of chromosomal origin produced). No effects were seen in vivo (mouse dominant lethal assay; rat and Chinese hamster bone marrow cytogenetics) at up to maximum tolerated doses (MTD). An unusual clastogenic effect was seen in Chinese hamsters at 5 times the MTD. Overall, positive effects were seen only at either high concentrations (greater than or equal to 250 micrograms/mL in vitro or plasma levels) or prolonged exposure (72 hr in the BALB/c-3T3 neoplastic transformation assay). These studies support the view that ACV is a chromosomal mutagen, i.e., one which causes multi-locus damage but not single gene effects. The significance of these results for the genetic risk of ACV to man is discussed.
A Proposal for a Dimensional Classification System Based on the Shared Features of the DSM-IV Anxiety and Mood Disorders: Implications for Assessment and Treatment

A wealth of evidence attests to the extensive current and lifetime diagnostic comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders. Research has shown that the considerable cross-sectional covariation of DSM-IV emotional disorders is accounted for by common higher-order dimensions such as neuroticism/behavioral inhibition (N/BI) and low positive affect/behavioral activation. Longitudinal studies have indicated that the temporal covariation of these disorders can be explained by changes in N/BI and in some cases, initial levels of N/BI are predictive of the temporal course of emotional disorders. Moreover, the marked phenotypal overlap of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorder constructs is a frequent source of diagnostic unreliability (e.g., temporal overlap in the shared features of generalized anxiety disorder and mood disorders, situation specificity of panic attacks in panic disorder and specific phobia). Although dimensional approaches have been considered as a method to address the drawbacks associated with the extant prototypical nosology (e.g., inadequate assessment of individual differences in disorder severity), these proposals do not reconcile key problems in current classification such as modest reliability and high comorbidity. The current paper considers an alternative approach that emphasizes empirically supported common dimensions of emotional disorders over disorder-specific criteria sets. The selection and assessment of these dimensions are discussed along with how these methods could be implemented to promote more reliable and valid diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning. For instance, the advantages of this classification system are discussed in context of current transdiagnostic treatment protocols that are efficaciously applied to a variety of disorders by targeting their shared features.
Direct nitric oxide detection in aqueous solution by copper(II) fluorescein complexes

A series of FLn (n = 1−5) ligands, where FLn is a fluorescein modified with a functionalized 8-aminoquinoline group as a copper-binding moiety, were synthesized, and the chemical and photophysical properties of the free ligands and their copper complexes were investigated. UV−visible spectroscopy revealed a 1:1 binding stoichiometry for the Cu(II) complexes of FL1, FL3, and FL5 in pH 7.0 buffered aqueous solutions. The reactions of FL2 or FL4 with CuCl2, however, appear to produce a mixture of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes, as suggested by Job's plots. These binding modes were modeled by the synthesis and X-ray crystal structure determination of Cu(II) complexes of 2-[(quinolin-8-ylamino)methyl]phenol (modL), employed as a surrogate of the FLn ligand family. Two kinds of crystals, [Cu(modL)2](BF4)2 and [Cu2(modL‘)2(CH3OH)](BF4)2 (modL‘ = 2-[(quinolin-8-ylamino)methyl]phenolate), were obtained. The structures suggest that one oxygen and two nitrogen atoms of the FLn ligands most likely bind to Cu(II). Introduction...
Fire History, Stand Origins, and the Persistence of McNab Cypress, Northern California, USA

Despite their substantial contribution to the uniqueness and diversity of the California Floristic Province’s flora and vegetation, surprisingly little is known about the region’s native cypress species (genus Hesperocyparis Bartel & R.A. Price). Current ideas about the fire regimes that maintained these species in the past are based largely or solely on assumptions about the expression and function of life-history characteristics. Empirical studies of fire history are generally lacking. I used a combination of dendrochronological methods, field observations, and contemporary fire records to investigate the history of fire and its role in stand development in McNab cypress (Hesperocyparis macnabiana [A. Murray bis] Bartel), an uncommon serotinous cypress endemic to northern California. Although even-aged stands were present within all 20 populations surveyed, 4 populations also contained stands exhibiting uneven age structure. Fire records and field observations confirmed that even-aged stands originated following stand-replacing fires, but no link between fire and recruitment was found for uneven-aged stands. Rather, trees within uneven-aged stands were generally older, larger, and exhibited higher rates of senescence than those found in even-aged stands, suggesting that inter-fire tree mortality and inter-fire establishment may be linked. When aggregated, the dates of stand-replacing fires (derived from stand recruitment dates and fire records) revealed that relatively few stand-replacing fires occurred in McNab cypress populations during the 50 yr period between 1940 and 1989 (1 fire per decade) compared to either the previous 100 yr period (at least 3 fires per decade) or the subsequent 20 yr period (3.5 fires per decade). This suggests that short fire return intervals do not appear to be a significant threat to McNab cypress persistence at the present time, and there is little ecological justification for fire exclusion.
Ion pair binding by a urea in chloroform solution

Abstract An arylurea has been found to bind very strongly to ion pairs containing sulfonates, phosphates, and carboxylates in chloroform. The data suggest that complexation is due to hydrogen bonding between the urea and the anion. Applications to the design of molecular catalysts are envisioned.
Drop Test Results for the Combustion Engineering Model No. ABB-2901 Fuel Pellet Shipping Package

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) contracted with the Packaging Review Group (PRG) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to conduct a single, 30-ft shallow-angle drop test on the Combustion Engineering ABB-2901 drum-type shipping package. The purpose of the test was to determine if bolted-ring drum closures could fail during shallow-angle drops. The PRG at LLNL planned the test, and Defense Technologies Engineering Division (DTED) personnel from LLNL's Site-300 Test Group executed the plan. The test was conducted in November 2001 using the drop-tower facility at LLNL's Site 300. Two representatives from Westinghouse Electric Company in Columbia, South Carolina (WEC-SC); two USNRC staff members; and three PRG members from LLNL witnessed the preliminary test runs and the final test. The single test clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of the bolted-ring drum closure to shallow-angle drops-the test package's drum closure was easily and totally separated from the drum package. The results of the preliminary test runs and the 30-ft shallow-angle drop test offer valuable qualitative understandings of the shallow-angle impact.