cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial statistics and interpolation methods for TOF SIMS imaging

Multivariate statistical methods such as principal components analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA) have been applied to mass spectral data to extract higher quality information from ion intensities in the mass spectrum. This often leads to better image quality in the resulting image analysis of principal components or factors. This paper presents a second multivariate statistical approach by examining the spatial statistics of the two dimensional image data. Geographic information is analyzed using two and three dimensional spatial statistical methods focused on interpolating spatial distributions. Methods such as Kriging and inverse squared distance weighting are often used to develop spatial distributions of common surface features distributed over geographic distances of meters, kilometers, miles, etc. Geospatial statistics have not been widely applied to spatial chemical distributions of microscopic dimensions. In this paper, we compare ordinary Kriging and inverse squared distance weighting for the analysis of ToF SIMS image data. By selectively eliminating pixels from the original image, we evaluate the accuracy of images reconstructed from 50 to 0.5% of the original dataset. Accurate image reconstruction from small datasets can provide added speed to ToF SIMS image collection and analysis, a potential advantage for on-line ToF SIMS analysis.
Food choice questionnaire revisited in four countries. Does it still measure the same

Abstract This study focuses on the implementation of the food choice questionnaire (FCQ) across four countries. The first objective is to examine the degree to which the factor structure of the FCQ is invariant across different populations. The second objective is to analyse the motives for food choice in different countries. The cross-sectional sample of 1420 consumers consisted of Belgians (N = 458), Hungarians (N = 401), Romanians (N = 229) and Filipinos (N = 332). Data analyses included estimation of five multi-group confirmatory factor analysis models; calculation of mean importance ratings for each food choice factor across countries; ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests; and a rank order test of most to least important factors within each country. The results confirm that the factorial structure of the FCQ is invariant with respect to factor configuration, factor loadings and item intercept. Sensory appeal is the most important factor among all European consumers, while health, convenience and price were all among the five most important factors shaping food choice in Belgium, Hungary and Romania. For Filipinos, the most important were health, price and mood. Sensory appeal ranked on the fourth place.
Do looks really matter? the effect of 3-Dimensional product representations on the customers' buying decision in electronic commerce

This study aimed at determining the effects of three-dimensional product representations on e-commerce shoppers' purchasing decisions. An experiment was designed and conducted with twenty graduate student electronic shoppers. Three representation types were used: 2-Dimensional (2D), 3-Dimensional Low-Interaction (3DL), and 3-Dimensional High-Interaction (3DH) product representations. A reliable survey with 0.89 Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was presented to participants after they completed product viewing tasks on each product representation type. Results indicated that as interactivity significantly increased with three-dimensional representation types, participants became more likely to purchase a product with three-dimensional representations. Participants were also more satisfied with three-dimensional representations of the products, and their satisfaction level and likelihood to purchase a product were more closely related in three-dimensional representations. Future studies can explore product-spec...
Angular homeostasis. IX. Polygonal orbits with a moving target: implications for anomalous numbers of digits in congenital heart disease.

This paper explores properties of discrete processes in which a pursuer seeks a target that is moving at constant velocity r that is a fixed proportion of the speed of the pursuer. The pursuer is subjected to proportional angular homeostasis, so chosen that the number of steps per circuit is small. The orbits relative to the target may assume any of four forms: polygons that reverse their sense an infinite number of times; or polygons that after a finite number of reversals ultimately come to have an integer numbers of sides; or have a rational numbers of sides; or have an irrational number of sides that densely fill an annulus. None of the polygons is regular. In the parameter space, the boundary line between the first of these sets and the other three has a somewhat bizarre pattern and may possibly be fractal, but no proof is forthcoming. Unlike the pattern with a stationary target, there may be a set or catchment of diverse values of the speed ratio, r, and the correction coefficient, b that all result in figures of some specified number, n, of sides (although with vertices in differing locations). Catchments have been found for only those polygons that have the winding number of 1. The implications are discussed that this property has for the genetic coding of biological traits that are countable. Some attention is also paid to the relevance of polygons with few sides to ontogenic growth when the correction coefficient is cyclically arc- or time-dependent. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Vascular injuries during gynecological laparoscopy: the vascular surgeon's advice

CONTEXT: Iatrogenic vascular problems due to laparoscopy are a well recognized problem and lead to significant repercussions. In this context, a ten-year review of cases topic is presented, based on experience gained while heading two important vascular surgery services. CASES: Five patients with vascular injuries during elective laparoscopy are described. These patients presented with seven lesions of iliac vessels. All cases were evaluated immediately and required laparotomy, provisional hemostasis and urgent attendance by a vascular surgeon. Direct suturing was performed in three cases. One aortoiliac bypass and one ilioiliac reversed venous graft were made. Venous lesions were sutured. One case of a point-like perforation of the small bowel was found. There were no deaths and no complications during the postoperative period. DISCUSSION: Important points on this subject are made, and advice is given. There needs to be immediate recognition of the vascular injury, and expert repair by a vascular surgeon is recommended, in order to significantly reduce the degree of complications.
Background levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in the U.S. population.

Abstract Background Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures are encountered by the general public by eating contaminated food or living near a previously operating PCB factory or hazardous waste site. PCBs affect the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems and are carcinogens. PCBs were banned in the United States in 1977. For public health, it is important to be able to estimate individual risk, especially for vulnerable populations, to monitor the decline in risk over time and to alert the public health community if spikes occur in PCB exposures, by measuring serum PCB levels. The historical decline in PCB exposures cannot be documented within a repeatedly tested general population, since there is no such population. Therefore, our aim was to model serum PCB levels in the US general population over time using published data. Methods Models were developed based on 45 publications providing 16,914 background PCB levels in sera collected 1963–2003. Multiple linear regression and exponential decay were used to model the summary PCB levels. Results Background levels of higher-chlorinated PCBs (five or more chlorines) in sera increased before 1979 and decreased after 1979; a quadratic model was the best fit. However, the exponential decay model explained better the low PCB serum levels still seen in the general population. For lower-chlorinated serum PCBs, no increase or decrease was shown (1.7 ppb for all years). Conclusions Limitations for both models were lack of repeated measures, non-randomly selected study participants, selected years, concentration on geographic areas centered on PCB waste sites, lack of adjustment for BMI or for laboratory methods. Despite the limitations, this analysis shows that background PCB levels in the general population are still of concern. Future work should focus on uncertainties governing how to interpret the levels with respect to possible long term health effects.
Mass casualty incident surveillance and monitoring using identity aware video analytics

In this paper, we propose an identity aware video analytic system that can assist securing the perimeter of a mass casualty incident scene and generate identity annotated video records for forensics and training purposes. Establishing a secure incident scene perimeter and enforcing access control to different zones is a demanding task for current video surveillance systems which lack the ability to provide the identity of the target and its security clearance. Our system which combines active RFID sensors with video analytic tools recovers the identity of the target enabling the activation of suitable alert policies. The system also enables annotation of incident scene video with identity metadata, facilitating the incident response process reconstruction for forensics analysis and emergency response training.
Stochastic properties of scalar quantities advected by a non-buoyant plume

A model probability density equation is obtained by approximating the convective and diffusive terms in a single-point density formulation of homogeneous turbulent scalar transport, with first-order reaction, in a plume. The equation, which includes the intermittency factor of the scalar field explicitly, is then shown to support similarity solutions under some constraining assumptions. Comparison of the similarity solutions with field measurements of conditioned concentrations shows that they can reproduce the general features of the data for both low intermittency and high intermittency measurement regimes. On the basis of these asymptotic results a speculative modelling of the terms representing entrainment at the plume interface is proposed and a class of similarity solutions for the intermittency factor is obtained by numerical integration.
Medication errors reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, 2000–2012

AbstractContext. Previous studies of medication errors have largely focused on healthcare facilities and have not reported generalizable national trends among out-of-hospital medication errors. Objective. We sought to understand U.S. trends in medication errors, including the age-related risks, the involved medications, and the medical outcomes. Materials and methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of National Poison Data System (NPDS) data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers for years 2000–2012. Medication error cases were analyzed by age, gender, pharmaceutical involved, substance rank, dosing error type, management site, level of healthcare received, and medical outcome. Trends in medication error rates were analyzed using Poisson regression. Results. From 2000 to 2012, the NPDS recorded 2,913,924 calls reporting unintentional pharmaceutical-related errors that met inclusion criteria. Non-healthcare facility calls comprised 99.2% calls related to unintentional therapeutic err...
Diminished polymorphonuclear leukocyte adherence and chemotaxis following protein-calorie malnutrition in newborn rats.

Abstract: Recent advances in neonatal care have permitted the survival of very low birth weight infants who are difficult to nourish, and ultimately develop clinical and biochemical signs of malnutrition. These infants may be at greater risk for nosocomial infection than normally nourished hosts. We have compared neutrophil adherence and chemotactic responses in a newborn rat model of proteincalorie malnutrition. Wistar rats at 14 days gestation received either a normal (24% protein) or isocaloric (2.5% protein) diet. On day 5, rat pups were divided into three groups: 1) pups allowed to nurse on their own dam (normal); 2) normally nourished pups foster nursed onto a malnourished mother (depleted); or 3) malnourished pups foster nursed to a normal dam (repleted). Granulocytes from depleted pups demonstrated significantly diminished adherence and chemotaxis when compared to normal or repleted pups. Thus, abnormalities of neutrophil function in malnourished newborn rats may contribute to increased susceptibility to bacterial infection.
Organizing for better synthesis

To sieve out one molecular species from another, reach for a zeolite; or now that they are available, choose a microporous inorganic oxide tailor-made for the job by taking a miniature 'plaster cast' of assemblies of organic molecules. On page 430 of this issue, Archibald and Mann show how this method can be stretched to produce microtubules or stacks of lamellar crystals.
Morphology of individual axons projecting from area V2 to MT in the macaque

Efferent axons from area V2 to the middle temporal area (MT) were anterogradely labeled by Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) or biocytin and analyzed in serial reconstructions. Five of seven reconstructed axons had three arbors (each < or = 200 microns in diameter) in layers 3-4, separated by 200-600 microns. Two axons terminated in what was apparently a single focus in layers 3-4. Of 15 additional single arbors analyzed, 12 were concentrated in layers 3-4, and measured 200-250 microns across at their widest point. Three of these arbors were more columnar in shape (about 400 microns in diameter), and extended from layer 4 toward layer 1. This system differs in several features from MT-projecting axons originating from V1. Namely, V2 axons terminating in MT are thinner (approximately 1.0 microns vs. 3.0 microns), their terminal specializations are more delicate, and their arbors are concentrated in layer 4 and overlying layer 3, with no collaterals to layer 6. These differences may reflect the distinctive neuronal populations giving rise to these two connectional systems (different sizes of pyramidal neurons in layer 3 of V2, and a mix of pyramidal and spiny stellate cells in area V1). Differences may have implications for timing factors; that is, impulses from V1, subserved by large-caliber axons, may arrive in MT coincidentally with indirect connections via V2 to MT. Another consideration may be the functional architecture of MT. Regularly spaced clusters of neurons have been described in MT which have similar directionality preferences. The interarbor spacing of cortical efferents is consistent with a columnar organization, but the laminar specificity may indicate recruitment of different combinations of postsynaptic populations by V1 or V2 terminations.
Evaluation of the leukoproliferative response of English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) as a biomarker for immune dysfunction

The leukoproliferative (LP) response of splenic leukocytes from the marine benthic fish, English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus), stimulated with the mitogens lipopolysaccharide (LPS), concanavalin A (Con A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was examined as a biomarker of immunotoxic effects. English sole were exposed to an organic-solvent extract of a sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) or placed on a reference sediment modified with the PAC contaminated sediment. For both treatments, English sole had an augmented LP response to Con A, no significant change in the response to LPS, and the LP response to PWM showed no consistent relationship to exposure to PACs. In a field study, English sole from a contaminated site had a significantly augmented LP response to Con A and PWM. Fish from a non-urban site also had an augmented LP response to Con A and to LPS relative to fish from another non-urban reference site. Overall, the results demonstrated that although the LP response in splenic leukocytes of English sole to Con A was linked to contaminant exposure, the LP response to Con A did not exhibit high specificity as an indicator of chemical contaminant exposure. However, the concerted use of Con A, LPS, and PWM allowed for identification of apparent chemical-contaminant induced alterations of the LP response in English sole from an urban area of Puget Sound.
Making sense of civil service reform: Policing, politics and power in eugene, oregon during the great depression

In February 1936, a vice scandal rocked the town of Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A. Evidence was produced to show that local police had allowed gambling and prostitution to continue contrary to law. Within a year, civil service rules had been introduced at the Eugene Police Department. These rules ‘reformed’ policing by breaking the direct links between police and ward politicians. By accessing a range of primary source materials including newspapers, oral histories, census data and crime statistics, and, by situating the ‘scandal’ within a broader historical framework, this article explores the ways in which civil service reform might best be understood.
A New Scientific Paradigm may be Needed to Finally Develop an HIV Vaccine.

The bulk of current HIV vaccine research is conducted within the infectious disease paradigm that has been very successful in developing vaccines against many other viral diseases. Different HIV vaccine concepts, based on the induction of neutralizing antibodies and/or cell mediated immunity, have been developed and clinically tested over the last 30 years, resulting in a few small successes and many disappointments. As new scientific knowledge is obtained, vaccine concepts are constantly modified with the hope that the newly introduced tweaks (or paradigm drifts) will provide the solution to one of the most difficult challenges that modern biomedical research is confronting. Efficacy trials have been critical in guiding HIV vaccine development. However, from the five phase III efficacy trials conducted to date, only one (RV144) resulted in modest efficacy. The results from RV144 were surprising in many ways, including the identified putative correlates of protection (or risk), which did not include neutralizing antibodies or cytotoxic T-cells. The solution to the HIV vaccine challenge may very well come from approaches that persist in exploring the current paradigm. However, at the same time out-of-the-paradigm ideas should be systematically explored to complement the current efforts. New mechanisms are needed to identify and support the innovative research that will hopefully accelerate the development of an urgently needed HIV vaccine.
Immune precipitation of purified chicken antibody at low pH.

Abstract Increased immune precipitation of purified chicken anti-DNP antibody with homologous antigen at physiological salt concentrations was measured by lowering the pH to 5·0. Ultracentrifuge studies indicated that at pH 5·0 the antibody molecule was not aggregated and existed as a monomer with a S 20, w of 6·75 and a molecular weight of 172, 600. Electrofocusing profiles of chicken anti-DNP antibody gave a pI value of 6·6 for the monomeric form. Binding studies of chicken anti-DNP by fluorescence quenching indicated that pH 5·0 had little or no effect on the direct interaction between antigen and antibody. Equilibrium dialysis studies with 3 H-∈-DNP- l -lysine at pH 5·0 gave an average intrinsic association constant of 1·7 × 10 6 M −1 identical to that at pH 8·0. The number of ligand binding sites per antibody molecule, based on a molecule of 172, 600 was 2·0.
Postoperative nomogram predicting the 9-year probability of prostate cancer recurrence after permanent prostate brachytherapy using radiation dose as a prognostic variable.

Purpose: To report a multi-institutional outcomes study on permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) to 9 years that includes postimplant dosimetry, to develop a postimplant nomogram predicting biochemical freedom from recurrence. Methods and Materials: Cox regression analysis was used to model the clinical information for 5,931 patients who underwent PPB for clinically localized prostate cancer from six centers. The model was validated against the dataset using bootstrapping. Disease progression was determined using the Phoenix definition. The biological equivalent dose was calculated from the minimum dose to 90% of the prostate volume (D90) and external-beam radiotherapy dose using an alpha/beta of 2. Results: The 9-year biochemical freedom from recurrence probability for the modeling set was 77% (95% confidence interval, 73-81%). In the model, prostate-specific antigen, Gleason sum, isotope, external beam radiation, year of treatment, and D90 were associated with recurrence (each p < 0.05), whereas clinical stage was not. The concordance index of the model was 0.710. Conclusion: A predictive model for a postimplant nomogram for prostate cancer recurrence at 9-years after PPB has been developed and validated from a large multi-institutional database. This study also demonstrates the significance of implant dosimetry for predicting outcome. Unique to predictive models, these nomograms may bemore » used a priori to calculate a D90 that likely achieves a desired outcome with further validation. Thus, a personalized dose prescription can potentially be calculated for each patient.« less
Transition density of the octupole vibration in 208Pb determined by electron scattering

Abstract Cross sections for the excitation by electrons of the 3 − level at 2.61 MeV in 208 Pb have been obtained between 0.5 fm −1 and 2.8 fm −1 momentum transfer. The data at small momentum transfer can be understood in terms of the modified Tassie-model. The data at high momentum transfer, however, indicate that the transition density has a detailed structure. A transition density which fits the data is presented and compared to theoretical predictions.
A role for amino acids in the induction of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in liver.

Abstract Nuclear DNA synthesis and mitosis are induced in the parenchymal liver cells of unoperated rats after a shift from a protein-free to a protein- or amino acid-containing diet. Protein or amino acids in the preparatory mash block the responses of the liver to the second diet. The formation of liver DNA after the nutritional shift begins several hours earlier than after partial hepatectomy. A small number of changes in the hepatic levels of amino acids and other ninhydrin-positive compounds result from the nutritional shift and some of these changes occur as well after 70% hepatectomy and the infusion of intact rats with the TAGH solution.
Isolation of full-length cDNAs encoding abundant adult human skeletal muscle mRNAs

Abstract We have used a method [Gunning et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 3 (1983) 787–795] of cDNA clone isolation from a cDNA library that selects for clones corresponding to abundant mRNAs and simultaneously yields a large number of different cDNA clones containing a high fraction of nearly full-length inserts. We screened an adult human skeletal muscle (skm) cDNA library and have isolated 46 cDNA clones which correspond to different mRNAs expressed at significant levels in adult skm. Of these cDNA clones 17 appear to be muscle-specific. Eleven are expressed in both cardiac muscle and skm but six are expressed primarily in skm. The remainder are expressed in muscle as well as in human fibroblasts. Comparison of cDNA insert size with mRNA size for the 17 clones expressed only in skeletal plus cardiac muscle revealed that eight are full-length, five are not and four recognize multiple transcripts which prevent a definitive conclusion. These cDNA clones will greatly facilitate the characterization of genes which are regulated during human muscle development.
MDX-MYCIN: the MDX paradigm applied to the MYCIN domain

Comparison of different approaches to expert system design for a given task, such as diagnosis, is difficult since they are eoften embodied in systems for domains with very different characteristics. It is a priori difficult to decide if a given difference in the approaches is necessitated by the differences in the domain. For example, it might be suggested that MYCIN's global and numeric uncertainty calculus is needed in domains such as MYCIN's, apparently characterized by a great deal of uncertainty in knowledge and data, while the approach of MDX, another medical system, which uses local combinations of qualitative probabilities only, may be too weak in such domains. In order to study the relationship between the domain characteristics and problem-solving approaches of the two systems, we constructed an MDX-like system for a subdomain of MYCIN and conducted a number of experiments on the resulting system. The results demonstrate that the MDX paradigm is effective in this domain and, additionally, offers knowledge engineering advantages along the dimension of debugging ease and system extensibility.
Temporal patterns of variable relationships in person-oriented research: longitudinal models of configural frequency analysis.

This article reviews the premises of configural frequency analysis (CFA), including methods of choosing significance tests and base models, as well as protecting alpha, and discusses why CFA is a useful approach when conducting longitudinal person-oriented research. CFA operates at the manifest variable level. Longitudinal CFA seeks to identify those temporal patterns that stand out as more frequent (CFA types) or less frequent (CFA antitypes) than expected with reference to a base model. A base model that has been used frequently in CFA applications, prediction CFA, and a new base model, auto-association CFA, are discussed for analysis of cross-classifications of longitudinal data. The former base model takes the associations among predictors and among criteria into account. The latter takes the auto-associations among repeatedly observed variables into account. Application examples of each are given using data from a longitudinal study of domestic violence. It is demonstrated that CFA results are not redundant with results from log-linear modeling or multinomial regression and that, of these approaches, CFA shows particular utility when conducting person-oriented research. Language: en
Comparison of neural activity during closed-loop control of spike- or LFP-based brain-machine interfaces

Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have been developed using a variety of neural signals, including neuron action-potentials and local field-potentials (LFPs). However, little is known about the neural dynamics underlying closed-loop BMI control in these systems, and whether they might be shaped by the signal used for control. Better understanding the relationship between neural signals in closed-loop BMI could inform the design of future systems. We analyzed spiking and LFP activity in pre- and primary-motor cortices as a nonhuman primate performed closed-loop BMI driven by either spiking or LFP signals. Spike- and LFP-based BMI were done on different days. and all comparisons of activity are indirect. Both LFP and spiking activity showed significant task-related modulations in both types of BMI control. However, the neural dynamics varied with the control signal type. LFP signals, in particular, showed more directional modulation when BMI was controlled with LFPs.
Influence of soil mixing and sterilization on growth and nutrient uptake of black walnut seedlings

Abstract The effects of soil mixing (disturbance) and sterilization on nutrient solubility and uptake, and on growth of potted black walnut seedlings in forest and field soils were studied under glasshouse conditions. Seedlings were grown for 16 weeks in soils that were either disturbed or undisturbed only, and in combination with two methods of sterilization. Both pre‐ and post‐harvest soil data showed that the forest soil had higher concentrations of all elements tested (except Mg) than the field soil. With the exception of Ca in the field soil, both disturbed forest and field soils had higher concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg and Mn than undisturbed soils. The effects of sterilization on extractable nutrients were variable, with higher amounts resulting from the autoclave treatment. Foliar concentrations of N, P, and Ca in seedlings grown in disturbed forest and field soils were higher than for other treatments. Nutrient concentrations were usually higher in seedlings grown in autoclaved than in fumigated...
Effects of surface diffusion on thin-film morphology: a computer study

A two-dimensional hard-disk model of thin-film deposition is described; the model is of the type originally introduced by Henderson et al.1 We have implemented a simple (and necessarily approximate) way to incorporate the effects of surface diffusion in our model, and a means to connect the input parameters of the computer algorithm to the evaporation parameters of substrate temperature and evaporation rate. The effects of surface diffusion and vapor-incidence angle on film structure are explored; the effects of surface diffusion predicted by the model correlate with the transition in film structure (Zone 1 to Zone 2) first described by Movchan and Demchishin.2
A computer assisted instructional course in diagnosis and treatment of the rheumatic diseases.

A computer-assisted simulation of the “chart method” of teaching has been developed and used to provide instruction in clinical decisionmaking in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The course requires a student to reach and defend a diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment for each of 10 simulated cases. Evaluation of performance and immediate feedback and correction of errors of commission and omission are an integral part of the course. The course provides a model for the development of additional programs in other subject areas.
An improved simple morphological filter for the terrain classification of airborne LIDAR data

Abstract Terrain classification of LIDAR point clouds is a fundamental problem in the production of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). The Simple Morphological Filter (SMRF) addresses this problem by applying image processing techniques to the data. This implementation uses a linearly increasing window and simple slope thresholding, along with a novel application of image inpainting techniques. When tested against the ISPRS LIDAR reference dataset, SMRF achieved a mean 85.4% Kappa score when using a single parameter set and 90.02% when optimized. SMRF is intended to serve as a stable base from which more advanced progressive filters can be designed. This approach is particularly effective at minimizing Type I error rates, while maintaining acceptable Type II error rates. As a result, the final surface preserves subtle surface variation in the form of tracks and trails that make this approach ideally suited for the production of DEMs used as ground surfaces in immersive virtual environments.
Complete phase-locking in a one-dimensional series biased Josephson-junction array

The RF power at approximately 300 GHz coupled to a 52- Omega load by a one-dimensional DC series biased Josephson junction array has been measured using an on-chip Josephson detector. The array was fabricated using the planarized all-refractory technology for low-T/sub c/ superconductivity (PARTS). From the measured RF power and DC voltage levels, it is concluded that the 100 junctions in this array were locked in-phase. The effects of the finite inductance, associated with the junction's shunt resistor, on the array output power and detector's current-voltage characteristics are also discussed. >
Generalized Effects of Social Stories with Task Analysis for Teaching Menstrual Care to Three Young Girls with Autism

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have distinctive needs with respect to sexual development and education. This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of a parent-implemented Social Story intervention with an embedded visual task analysis to teach menstrual care skills to three young girls with ASD. Skill generalization was evaluated using two different types of pads and a simulated condition (i.e., a pad with red syrup). Social validity of target behaviors, intervention procedures and intervention effects were evaluated. Additionally, qualitative changes in participant behaviors were measured via phone interviews with the participants’ mothers (Bruess and Greenberg 1994) 1 year later. Results indicate that participants were more knowledgeable about reproductive development and were able to independently care for their menses regardless of pad type (wings vs. no-wings) and condition (clean vs. dirty). Parents reported high satisfaction with the intervention procedures and outcomes. Implications of the study and future research are discussed.
Topological entropy of transitive maps of the interval

We give a new formula for the topological entropy of a continuous map f of the interval to itself with f2 topologically transitive. This leads to stronger forms of well-known results about horseshoes and periodic orbit patterns for continuous maps of the interval in the special case of topologically transitive maps.
Linear and nonlinear response of the avalanche breakdown far-infrared photodetector

Abstract It is found that the Avalanche Breakdown far-infrared photodetector responds linearly with incident power, i s ∝ P s , when subjected to a specially coherent signal, for example to the beam of a free electron laser, but responds according to a law, i s ∝ P β s , with 0.5 ⩽ β ⩽ 1.0, when irradiated with incoherent radiation, as from a multimode far-infrared laser. Here the detector signal current is i s and the incident signal intensity is P s .
Supramolecular hydrogels based on the epitope of potassium ion channels

Imparting aromatic–aromatic interactions to the potassium binding epitope affords a supramolecular hydrogelator that responds to the K+ concentration by self-assembly into nanofibers of different widths and crosslinking patterns, which illustrates a simple approach to generate biomimic materials based on tunable, hierarchical self-assembly of small molecules.
Motivating and evaluating game development capstone projects

Designing an effective capstone course can be a challenge, particularly at a university on the quarter system. The capstone course is generally an integrative experience, designed to help students pull together skills they have learned throughout their college careers. Determining how to effectively evaluate the work that students do in a capstone course is a difficult task, particularly when the capstone is in a game development program. There are many measures of the quality of a game, some of which are less important in a curriculum focused on programming and production. Here we propose a set of metrics tailored to a game development capstone course. We consider two main metrics: technology metrics that focus the integration of standard, specific game technologies and design metrics that consider how well the implementation matches the game design at different stages of development. We also discuss several factors that we believe have contributed to success in the game development capstone course, including industry involvement as a student motivator and the use of XNA in the curriculum.
Unions and Employee Ownership: A Road to Economic Democracy?*

In the relationship between unions and employee share ownership, neither threatened the other, and their combination led to benefits for employees, particularly where unionized employees were majority owners. Companies adding communication, training, and participation reported performance gains. These practices were more common among majority-owned companies and in companies facing economic threats. Economic performance and benefits were comparable, whether unionized employees owned a majority of the stock, a minority, or none at all.
Earth tides and polar motion

Abstract We establish a general theory that describes the rotational motion of a layered, oblate, elastic Earth under the influence of tidal forces when account is taken of the liquid outer core. We obtain a linearized version of the Navier-Stokes equation; within it not only have we retained the Coriolis and centrifugal acceleration terms, but also have included the nutational terms. We also make use of the Euler equation for angular momentum to analytically relate the nutational motion of the rotational axis with the oscillations of the liquid core and obtain a constraint for the nutational amplitude. Consideration of the Poisson equation for density variation completes our analytical model. We primarily discuss the equations of motion for the liquid core and present the solution as the sum of two terms: one being a component of the spheroidal displacement field, the other of the toroidal field. We also formulate the equations valid for the solid mantle when rotational effects are included, and establish the boundary conditions that must hold at the various interfaces in order that a complete integration of the differential system of equations be accomplished. We assume that the outer core consists of an inviscid fluid and ignore the existence of any boundary layer. We do not impose, however, any restriction on the stratification of the fluid. The dynamical coupling between liquid core and solid mantle is represented by a torque which is generated by the forced oscillations within the liquid core; these oscillations are in turn triggered by the diurnal tides. The expected influence of the liquid core/solid mantle boundary on the nutational motion is discussed in view of Poincare's results concerning a liquid core surrounded by a rigid shell. Comparison is finally made of our model with Molodenskii's 1961 theory for a neutral core and the 1976 Shen-Mansinha nutational theory for an unrestricted core.
Yttrium and lanthanide trishexafluoroisopropoxide diammoniates

Yttrium and some rare earth trishexafluoroisopropoxide diammoniates, M(HFiP)3 · 2NH3, have been synthesized by the reaction of the appropriate anhydrous metal chlorides with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol in the presence of anhydrous ammonia. The diammoniates of the metal fluoroisopropoxides were characterized by chemical analysis, infrared spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, and proton and fluorine nmr studies. These compounds are all extremely moisture sensitive, crystalline, low melting (60–80°C), and distil in a temperature range of 120–140°C at 0.08 mmHg. The infrared spectra (4000-300 cm−1) of the trishexafluoroisopropoxide diammoniates of yttrium and some of the lanthanides were recorded and compared with one another. TGA indicates that the volatilities of the fluoroalkoxides increase as the ionic radii of the metal ions decrease.
Further studies on the effects of blocking agents on protein synthesis in goldfish brain.

— In further experiments on the effects of antibiotic agents on protein synthesis in the goldfish brain, doses of intracranially-injected puromycin or acetoxycycloheximide higher than those previously employed did not hasten the onset of inhibition of incorporation of intraperitoneally-injected [3H]leucine into brain protein. The antibiotic-resistant incorporation was not due to the presence of labelled blood protein in the brain. After the intracranial injection of labelled puromycin, the appearance of radioactivity in the acid-soluble fraction of brain was blocked by acetoxycycloheximide. Repeated daily intracranial or intraperitoneal injections of puromycin were lethal, and acetoxycycloheximide was not protective, indicating that peptidyl-puromycin was present in the brain but did not account for the lethality of puromycin. Behavioural experiments argued against but did not totally exclude the possibility that peptidyl-puromycin was responsible for the amnestic effect of puromycin. Puromycin aminonucleoside, O-methyl tyrosine and 5-guanylyl methylenediphosphonate had little or no effect on protein synthesis in brain, but gougerotin was slightly inhibitory.
Prototype electrostatic ground state approach to predicting crystal structures of ionic compounds: Application to hydrogen storage materials

We have developed a procedure for crystal structure generation and prediction for ionic compounds consisting of a collection of cations and rigid complex anions. Our approach is based on global optimization of an energy functional consisting of the electrostatic and soft-sphere repulsive energies using Metropolis Monte Carlo (MMC) simulated annealing in conjunction with smoothing of the potential energy landscape via the distance scaling method. The resulting structures, or prototype electrostatic ground states (PEGS), are subsequently relaxed using first-principles density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to obtain accurate structural parameters and thermodynamic properties. This method is shown to produce the ground state structures of $\mathrm{Na}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ and $\mathrm{Mg}{(\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{4})}_{2}$, as well as the mixed cation alanate ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Li}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$. For $\mathrm{Li}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, the PEGS search produces a structure with a static DFT total energy equal to that of the experimentally observed structure; the latter is stabilized by vibrational contributions to the free energy. For mixed-valence hexa-alanates, $XY$ $\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$, where $X=(\mathrm{Li},\mathrm{Na},\mathrm{K})$, and $Y=(\mathrm{Mg},\mathrm{Ca})$, the PEGS method predicts six unsuspected structure types, which are not found in the existing structure databases. The PEGS search yields energies that are, on the average, better than the best database structures with the same number of atoms per unit cell, demonstrating the predictive power and usefulness of the PEGS structures. In addition to the recently synthesized $\mathrm{Li}\mathrm{Mg}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$ compound, we predict that $\mathrm{Li}\mathrm{Ca}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$, $\mathrm{Na}\mathrm{Ca}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$, and $\mathrm{K}\mathrm{Ca}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$ are also thermodynamically stable with respect to phase separation into other alanates and metal hydrides. In contrast, $\mathrm{Na}\mathrm{Mg}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$ and $\mathrm{K}\mathrm{Mg}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$ are slightly unstable (by less than $3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kJ}∕\mathrm{mol}$) relative to the phase separation into $\mathrm{Na}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, $\mathrm{K}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, and $\mathrm{Mg}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. We suggest that solid-state ion-exchange reactions between ${X}_{3}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{H}}_{6}$ $(X=\mathrm{Li},\mathrm{Na},\mathrm{K})$ and $Y{\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$ $(Y=\mathrm{Mg},\mathrm{Ca})$ could be used to synthesize the predicted mixed-valence hexa-alanates.
The Neurogenic Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor NeuroD6 Concomitantly Increases Mitochondrial mass and Regulates Cytoskeletal Organization in the Early Stages of Neuronal Differentiation

Mitochondria play a central role during neurogenesis by providing energy in the form of ATP for cytoskeletal remodelling, outgrowth of neuronal processes, growth cone activity and synaptic activity. However, the fundamental question of how differentiating neurons control mitochondrial biogenesis remains vastly unexplored. Since our previous studies have shown that the neurogenic bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) transcription factor NeuroD6 is sufficient to induce differentiation of the neuronal progenitor-like PC12 cells and that it triggers expression of mitochondrial-related genes, we investigated whether NeuroD6 could modulate the mitochondrial biomass using our PC12-ND6 cellular paradigm. Using a combination of flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and mitochondrial fractionation, we demonstrate that NeuroD6 stimulates maximal mitochondrial mass at the lamellipodia stage, thus preceding axonal growth. NeuroD6 triggers remodelling of the actin and microtubule networks in conjunction with increased expression of the motor protein KIF5B, thus promoting mitochondrial movement in developing neurites with accumulation in growth cones. Maintenance of the NeuroD6-induced mitochondrial mass requires an intact cytoskeletal network, as its disruption severely reduces mitochondrial mass. The present study provides the first evidence that NeuroD6 plays an integrative role in co-ordinating increase in mitochondrial mass with cytoskeletal remodelling, suggestive of a role of this transcription factor as a co-regulator of neuronal differentiation and energy metabolism.
Spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations of color lamellae in natural pink diamonds

Abstract Nineteen natural, untreated, type IaAB pink diamonds from various localities were studied. They display microscopic (∼ 1 μm thick) pink lamellae along {111} in an otherwise colorless diamond. This coloration concentrated in lamellae is commonly referred to as “ graining ”. The diamonds were examined using high spatial resolution spectroscopic methods and transmission electron microscopy. TEM revealed that a pink lamella consists of a cluster of paired microtwins created under stress by plastic deformation. Raman line shift and broadening associated with the twinned pink lamellae indicate the presence of residual stress. Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra from each of the samples showed a broad absorption band centered at ∼ 550 nm, the source of the pink color. Cathodoluminescence spectra of the pink lamellae are different from those of the bulk, colorless diamond matrix. Within the lamellae only, the H3 center is observed along with a less intense N3 center. In some samples, instead of the N3 center a new center with a zero phonon line at 405.5 nm is observed. This previously unreported 405.5 nm center has phonon sidebands qualitatively identical to the N3 center, and may be an N3 center modified by a specific environment. These results suggest that lattice vacancies were created during twinning resulting from plastic deformation, and that impurity centers (such as those containing nitrogen) trap some of the diffusing vacancies. Since the pink lamellae are still under residual stress, new or modified defect centers are created, e.g. H3 and N3. The color center(s) responsible for the pink color (550 nm absorption) was not identified, but likely is only present in diamonds that experienced plastic deformation. Reported annealing of plastically deformed brown diamonds, which results in a residual pink color, suggests that the pink color is stable under these high pressure, high temperature conditions. The reported observations that annealing plastically deformed brown diamonds results in a residual pink color and that the pink color does not anneal out under similar high pressure, high temperature conditions, suggests that the deformation inducing pink color occurs inside the Earth's mantle, whereas brown coloration might be induced during a more recent event such as the ascent of the diamond to the surface in a kimberlitic/lamproitic eruption.
Numerical techniques for the analysis of lossy films

Abstract Two fast and simple algorithms for reducing ellipsometric data are described. The first determines the complex film index given the film thickness and data from a single measurement. The second determines the film index and thickness(es) from two independent measurements.