cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A computational successive improvement scheme for adaptive optimal control processes

To computationally solve an adaptive optimal control problem by means of conventional dynamic programming, a backward recursion must be used with an optimal value and optimal control determined for all conceivable prior information patterns and prior control histories. Consequently, almost all problems are beyond the capability of even large computers.
Expression of the Aspergillus fumigatus rheb homologue, rhbA, is induced by nitrogen starvation.

Abstract A gene encoding a ras protein with homology to the rheb family was cloned from Aspergillus fumigatus. Although conserved ras domains are present, the predicted RhbA protein sequence deviates from the ras consensus in a manner that is characteristic of rheb proteins. The invariant Gly–Gly in the first GTP-binding domain of ras proteins is replaced by Arg–Ser in RhbA, and a conserved Asp in the effector region of ras proteins is replaced by Asn in RhbA. The rhbA mRNA was detected throughout the A. fumigatus asexual developmental cycle, and accumulated over 5-fold in response to nitrogen starvation. The rhbA gene was able to complement the canavanine hypersensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Δrhb1 mutants, suggesting that the two proteins share overlapping function.
Temperature Effects on Early Season Cotton Growth and Development

Temperature is a primary environmental factor controlling growth and developmental rates of plants, yet little specific information is available regarding cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) responses to temperature. Information covering a wide range of temperatures would be useful for predicting both developmental and growth rates in cotton. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in naturally lit, temperature- and CO₂-controlled cabinets from soon after emergence until 56 d after emergence (DAE). The cabinets were maintained at 20/12, 25/17,30/22,35/27, and 40/32°C day/night cycles. Plant heights, number of nodes, and leaf areas were determined weekly throughout the experiment, and dry weight measurements were obtained at three intervals. Mainstem elongation, leaf area growth, and biomass accumulation rates were very sensitive to temperature about 3 wk after emergence. Prior to that time, they were relatively insensitive to temperature. The temperature optimum for stem elongation, leaf area expansion, and biomass accumulation was 30/22°C. Developmental rates, as depicted by number of mainstem nodes produced, number of fruiting branches, and fruiting branch nodes, were not as sensitive to temperatures above 30/22°C as were growth rates. Four times as many fruiting branches were produced at 30/22°C as at 20/12°C; whereas more vegetative branches were produced at low temperatures. All flower buds (squares) abscised from plants grown at 40/32°C. Essentially, all bolls and squares were retained at 30/22 °C while a 10% boll and square loss was observed at 35/27 °C during the early reproductive period. Less time was required for this cultivar to produce squares at any temperature, suitable for growing cotton, than was suggested by previous experiments. Contribution from Mississippi State Dep. of Agronomy as paper J7641, and the USDA-ARS Crop Simulation research Unit, Crop Sci. Res. Lab., Mississippi State, MS.
Advances in high power fiber laser and amplifier components for space environments

An overview of fiber based components is presented that lead to robust all-fiber lasers and optical amplifiers suitable for space environments. Critical issues impacting the monolithic integration of high power rare earth doped fiber based optical lasers and amplifiers are presented. Optical performance of various all fiber components are reported with emphasis on temperature effects of fiber based pump combiners with polarization maintaining (PM) fiber feed throughs. The all fiber pump combiner is a key component that enables efficient high power pump coupling into double clad rare earth doped optical fibers. A new pump combiner design that injects two fiber coupled pumps plus one PM signal fiber directly into a single polarization maintaining double clad fiber is reported.
The Semiconductor System with Temperature Effect

In this paper we study the semiconductor system with temperature effect. The electric conductivity in the system is assumed to be temperature-dependent. By taking the Joule heating produced by the current flow into consideration, we obtain a strongly coupled elliptic-parabolic system. The existence of a weak solution is proved by using a compactness argument. Regularity of the weak solution is also investigated.
O-1-(1,3-butadienyl) carbamates as diels-alder dienes: Stereospecific synthesis of (±)-Hernandulcin and congeners

Abstract The TiCl 4 -catalyzed addition of the title reactants to vinyl ketones regio- and stereospecifically yields cis -disubs, cyclohexenes which add RMgX stereospecifically to the ketone. A final product in this sequence is the intensely sweet sesquiterpene, hernandulcin.
Special Issues in the Care of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Psychiatric In-Patients

This article reviews the literature regarding psychiatric care of ultra-orthodox Jewish patients. The discussion describes common areas of difficulty working with members of this population in an in-patient setting, including ritual observance, gender dynamics, and countertransference. It provides guidelines for mental health professionals to distinguish between culturally-appropriate and pathological behavior in an effort to avoid misdiagnosis, and offers strategies for overcoming these challenges. It suggests possible adjustments to standard treatment plans which may prove effective in this population and recommends further resources, including the involvement of trained chaplains, for especially complicated situations.
Identifying men diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer who are at high risk for death from prostate cancer.

Purpose: We identified factors at diagnosis that are significantly associated with time to prostate cancer specific mortality following radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy.Materials and Methods: The study cohort included 1,453 men treated with radical prostatectomy (1,095) or external beam radiation therapy (358) for localized prostate cancer between 1989 and 2002. Cox regression multivariate analysis was used to evaluate whether prostate specific antigen, prostate specific antigen velocity, biopsy Gleason score and clinical tumor category at diagnosis were significantly associated with time to prostate cancer specific mortality following radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy.Results: In addition to increasing prostate specific antigen (p ≤0.04) and biopsy Gleason score 8 to 10 disease (p ≤0.02), prostate specific antigen velocity more than 2 ng/ml yearly was significantly associated with shorter time to prostate cancer specific mortality in patients treated with ra...
Automated gas chromatographic-electron-capture assay for the selective serotonin uptake blocker sertraline.

This report describes a modified assay that permitted the automated analysis of a few thousand human plasma samples. The major changes from the previous assay included a derivatization step with trifluoroacetic anhydride to enhance electron-capture sensitivity and improve peak shape, improvements in sample clean-up to permit quantitation of 1.0 ng/ml by electron-capture detection and alterations in GC conditions to permit direct on-line injection for automated sample analysis
Neutron star accretion in dense environments

Abstract For a neutron star in a dense environment, the gravitational energy of accreting matter can be lost to neutrinos. One such environment surrounds a newly formed neutron star in a supernova; for the conditions in SN 1987A, ≲ 0.1 M ⊙ may have fallen back onto the central neutron star on a timescale of hours after the explosion. The mass accretion rate subsequently drops more rapidly than t −1 , but steady accretion solutions with an extended shocked envelope around the neutron star and neutrino emission close to the surface are possible. Radiation is trapped in the flow until the mass accretion rate drops to 2 × 10 −4 M ⊙ yr −1 at which point radiation can begin to escape from the shocked envelope at an Eddington limit luminosity. Between this neutrino limit and the Eddington limit, 3 × 10 −8 M ⊙ yr −1 , there are no steady, spherical solutions for neutron star accretion. SN 1987A should have reached the neutrino limit within a year of the explosion; the current lack of an Eddington luminosity can be attributed to black hole formation or to a clearing of the neutron star envelope. There should be some conditions under which an explosion plus black hole formation occur, because of either accretion of matter brought back to the center by a reverse shock front or accretion of central matter that a low energy explosion is unable to unbind. Accretion above the neutrino limit also occurs for neutron stars in stellar envelopes. In massive stars, the neutron star may be converted to a black hole if the spiral-in is by gas drag.
Laser-Electron Storage Ring

A compact laser-electron storage ring (LESR) is proposed for electron beam cooling or x-ray generation. The LESR uses an intense laser pulse stored in a high-finesse resonator to interact repetitively with a circulating electron beam in the energy range from a few MeV to a few hundred MeV. The rapid damping caused by laser-electron interaction counterbalances the intrabeam scattering effect, thus allowing electron beams with relatively low energy to be cooled or stabilized in the storage ring to very low transverse emittances. Intense x rays are produced simultaneously from Compton backscattering and can be used for x-ray lithography and other applications.
Effect of the pH of isolation on the quantities and properties of histones extractable from calf thymus and rat liver nuclei

Abstract The loss of histone from rat liver and calf thymus nuclei has been followed by analyzing nuclei for ammonia-precipitable and ammonia-soluble histone as the pH of isolation is lowered from 5.8 to 1.2. The total histone of rat liver nuclei isolated at pH 5.8 is approximately the same as that of nuclei isolated at pH 3.8, but there is a rapid loss of ammonia-precipitable histone between pH 3.8 and pH 3.4. Thereafter histone is lost at a slower rate down to pH 1.2, below which no more histone is extracted. Nuclei isolated from rat liver at pH 3.8 and then subjected to various lower pH values down to pH 1.2 behave similarly to nuclei in homogenates, in regard to histone loss. Histones remaining in rat liver nuclei after subjection of homogenates or pH 5.8 nuclei to pH values down to pH 3.0 have approximately the same amino acid composition as the total histone of pH 3.8 or pH 5.8 rat liver nuclei. Undamaged histone cannot be extracted from pH 3.8 or 5.8 rat liver nuclei by lowering the pH to 3.4, apparently because the histone is heavily damaged by proteolytic enzymes as it is extracted. The curve showing the total histone content of rat liver nuclei isolated at different pH values, taken together with the curve showing the quantity of histone remaining in pH 3.8 rat liver nuclei after lowering the pH to various extents, suggests the possibility that histone may be extracted from the nuclei in at least two different classes. The ratio of ammonia-soluble to ammonia-precipitable histone increases as the pH of isolation of rat liver nuclei decreases. The curve showing the quantity of histone left in calf thymus nuclei as the pH of isoation is lowered indicates that down to pH 2.5, no histone is lost. Below this pH value there is a steady loss of histone down to pH 1.0, where the histone remaining in the nuclei becomes essentially zero. The above findings are discussed in relationship to a previously proposed idea concerning the quantity of total histone in different types of nuclei and the possibility that histones can be divided into two classes, depending upon the ease of their extraction.
"Dip-Pen" nanolithography on semiconductor surfaces.

Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) uses an AFM tip to deposit organic molecules through a meniscus onto an underlying substrate under ambient conditions. Thus far, the methodology has been developed exclusively for gold using alkyl or aryl thiols as inks. This study describes the first application of DPN to write organic patterns with sub-100 nm dimensions directly onto two different semiconductor surfaces: silicon and gallium arsenide. Using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) as the ink in the DPN procedure, we were able to utilize lateral force microscopy (LFM) images to differentiate between oxidized semiconductor surfaces and patterned areas with deposited monolayers of HMDS. The choice of the silazane ink is a critical component of the process since adsorbates such as trichlorosilanes are incompatible with the water meniscus and polymerize during ink deposition. This work provides insight into additional factors, such as temperature and adsorbate reactivity, that control the rate of the DPN process and paves the way for researchers to interface organic and biological structures generated via DPN with electronically important semiconductor substrates.
Consumer and descriptive sensory analysis of black walnut syrup.

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Catastrophe theory as applied to the social and biological sciences: A critique

Examen critique approfondi de la theorie des catastrophes appliquee, principalement au domaine biologique (E. C. Zeeman). Que ce soit dans ses applications neurophysiologiques ou ethologiques, etc., cette theorie, qui n'est pas discutee ici sur le plan mathematique pur, se revele peu feconde, et surtout peu informative.
Grazing responses of tropical freshwater fishes to different scales of variation in their food

Grazing fishes in neotropical streams confront variation in their attached algal food that ranges in scale from differences in quality among algal cells to differences in the primary productivity of habitats available to the fishes. Fishes may respond to this variation on some scales but not others. For example, loricariid catfish in a Panamanian stream tracked variation in algal productivity among pool habitats very closely. In sunny pools where algae grew about seven times faster than in shaded pools, loricariids were six to seven times denser. Consequently, growth rates of pre-reproductiveAncistrus spinosus (the most common species in pools) were similar in pools of different canopies, corresponding to predictions from the ‘ideal free distribution’ hypothesis. But on a smaller scale, within pools, avoidance of avian and terrestrial predators outweighed foraging considerations. Larger species and size classes avoided water shallower than 20 cm, where (as a result) the only standing crops of attached algae large enough to be measurable by scraping occurred. During the dry season when food was. most limiting, loricariids overlapped more in their substrate use as different species sought cover in common refuges such as logs and root tangles in pools. Seasonal variation in growth rates of pool-dwelling loricariids reflect these constraints.
Molecular recognition of DNA by small molecules.

Chemists, like artists, are able to construct new three-dimensional objects, molecules and materials that exist only in the mind of a person. I became interested in creating novel molecular shapes with properties different from those found in nature shortly after arriving at Caltech in 1973. One cannot design without the brushes and paint of the craft. Indeed, modern organic chemists, standing on the shoulders of the pioneering achievements of Woodward, Corey, Merrifield, and others are able to apply the power of synthetic chemistry and the logic of incremental change to the field of structure–function. In early 1973, I was inspired by the work of Lehn and Cram in the field of host–guest chemistry where early studies were largely conducted in organic solvents (e.g., cation–crown complexation). I decided that a pivotal path forward would be to understand in a predictive mechanistic sense how to create ensembles of weak bonds between synthetic ligands and biological macromolecules in water, the solvent of life.
The assessment of the expected value of information in the binary decision model

The expected value of information represents the maximum amount the decision maker should spend on inquiry before making a decision. This amount depends upon the accuracy of the information. In many cases of inquiry, prior objective knowledge of the accuracy is not available. This paper presents and compares two methods of subjectively assessing the value of imperfect information in the binary decision model. In the first method, the decision maker provides a likelihood function for the inquiry and hence the probabilities of error. The second method is the preposterior approach, in which the decision maker provides the prior distribution for the posterior probability.
Travel Distance: a Tool for Nature‐Based Tourism Market Segmentation

The purpose of this study was to determine if there are distinct socio‐demographic and behavioral characteristics among nature‐based visitors based on distance traveled. The study used two concepts—“gravity” and “inertia”—to explain the effect of distance on travel behavior. The results based on a sample of 642 visitors to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, USA showed that more distant visitors participated more in viewing activities; were more likely to be first time and day visitors; did less camping; spent more money on activities, private lodging, and transportation; visited the destination less frequently; spent longer periods away from home; and had less place attachment than those traveling shorter distances. The implications of distance‐based market segmentation are discussed.
Effect of N–H⋯S amide–thiolate hydrogen bonding on bond lengths in rubredoxin models [(CH3)3NCH2CONH2]2[M(S2-o-xyl)2]

Abstract The complexes [(CH 3 ) 3 NCH 2 CONH 2 ] 2 [M(S 2 - o -xyl) 2 ], M=Fe ( 1 ), Co ( 2 ), and [(CH 3 ) 4 N] 2 [Co(S 2 - o -xyl) 2 ]·1/2C 2 H 5 OH ( 3 ) have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and vibrational spectroscopy. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit linear one-dimensional concatenated hydrogen bonded structures. In complex 2 there is an increase in the average metal–ligand bond length in the hydrogen-bonded form relative to 3 , which contains a non-hydrogen bonded congener.
Spectroscopic slope temperature measurements using a noncalibrated tungsten lamp as a reference light source

The spectroscopic slope method for temperature measurements requires the calibration of the spectrometer spectral response, unless the spectral lines or band components all occur in such a small wavelength interval that the response is constant. A calibrated tungsten lamp is generally used when a spectral response calibration is required. Accurately calibrated tungsten lamps are relatively expensive and generally do not have long term stability. To circumvent this problem, a method has been developed for which noncalibrated tungsten lamps may be used as reference light sources for calibrating the spectrometer wavelength response when the true tungsten filament temperature of the reference source is equal to the unknown source temperature. Then, a plot of the proper qualities vs the lower energy level of the spectral lines provides the source temperature. The absolute calibration of the tungsten lamp is not required.
A collaborative and experiential learning model powered by real-world projects

Information Technology (IT) curricula's strong application component and its focus on user centeredness and team work require that students experience directly real-world projects for real users of IT solutions. Although the merit of this IT educational tenet is universally recognized, delivering collaborative and experiential learning has its challenges.Reaching out to identify projects formulated by actual organizations adds significantly to course preparation. There is a certain level of risk involved with delivering a useful solution while, at the same time, enough room should be allowed for students to experiment with, be wrong about, review, and learn. Challenges pertaining to the real-world aspect of problem-based learning are compounded by managing student teams and assessing their work such that both individual and collective contributions are taken into account. Finally, the quality of the project releases is not the only measure of student learning. Students should be given meaningful opportunities to practice, improve, and demonstrate their communication and interpersonal skills.In this paper we present our experience with two courses in which teams of students worked on real-world projects involving three external partners. We describe how each of the challenges listed above has impacted the course requirements, class instruction, team dynamics, assessment, and learning in these courses. Course assessment and survey data from students are linked to learning outcomes and point to areas where the collaborative and experiential learning model needs improvement.
Image plates for registration of far-ultraviolet spectra

We have tested an autoradiographic photostimulable phosphor image storage plate as a medium for recording spectra in the wavelength region from 50 to 550 A and have compared the results with spectra obtained with conventional photographic emulsions. The image plate shows sensitivity comparable with the photographic plates but has a linear intensity response over a much wider dynamic range. Resolution of current image-plate systems is limited by the scanner that reads the stored image from the phosphor plate, but this limitation is not fundamental. These initial results suggest that optimized image plates with an improved scanner would provide a favorable alternative to photographic plates in this spectral region.
FORMATION AND ALIGNMENT OF ELONGATED, FRACTAL-LIKE WATER-ICE GRAINS IN EXTREMELY COLD, WEAKLY IONIZED PLASMA

Elongated, fractal-like water-ice grains are observed to form spontaneously when water vapor is injected into a weakly ionized laboratory plasma formed in a background gas cooled to an astrophysically relevant temperature. The water-ice grains form in 1–2 minutes, levitate with regular spacing, and are aligned parallel to the sheath electric field. Water-ice grains formed in plasma where the neutrals and ions have low mass, such as hydrogen and helium, are larger, more elongated, and more fractal-like than water-ice grains formed in plasmas where the neutrals and ions have high mass such as argon and krypton. Typical aspect ratios (length to width ratio) are as great as 5 while typical fractal dimensions are ~1.7. Water-ice grain lengths in plasmas with low neutral and ion masses can be several hundred microns long. Infrared absorption spectroscopy reveals that the water-ice grains are crystalline and so are similar in constitution to the water-ice grains in protoplanetary disks, Saturn's rings, and mesospheric clouds. The properties and behavior of these laboratory water-ice grains may provide insights into morphology and alignment behavior of water-ice grains in astrophysical dusty plasmas.
Role of RIE in microchip bond pad corrosion

The discoloration of microchip bond pads due to the corrosive effects of the chemistries they are exposed to, poses a special problem for subsequent wire bonding operations. Such corrosion constitutes not only a cosmetic defect, but also interferes with the adhesion of the gold ball bonds to the bonding pads and compromises electrical connections to the device. These defects pose a serious reliability problem, and precautions must be taken in the manufacture of microelectronic devices to ensure that bond pad corrosion does not occur. This paper describes the phenomenon of bond pad staining/corrosion as well as the factors which influence its occurrence. A series of experiments were conducted to isolate and understand the corrosion mechanism, and the results of these experiments are presented. Finally, two different process modifications are presented which eliminate the occurrence of bond pad corrosion: a double sintering process, and the elimination of rf sputter etch prior to TiN ARC deposition on top layer metal.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stimulation of adenosine triphosphatase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum by adenylyl methylene diphosphate

Abstract The effects of adenylyl methylene diphosphate (AMD), a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, were examined in sarcoplasmic reticulum veiscles isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. The Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity measured at 5°C and pH 7.0 in 5.2 μM [γ-32P]ATP and in the absence of added alkali metal salts was stimulated by added AMD. The steady state level of phosphoenzyme, however, was not decreased greatly by added AMP under these conditions. The hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme formed at the steady state in the absence of added alkali metal salts was accelerated by added AMD to an extent that can account alkali metal salts was accelerated by added AMD to an extent that can account for the stimulation of the ATPase activity. at 5°C and pH 7.0 the maximum stimulation of phosphoenzyme hydrolysis by AMD and the K m value for this ATP analogue was 4.3-fold and 40 μM, respectively. These results provide further support for our previous conclusion (Shigekawa, M., Dougherty, J.P. and Katz, A.M. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 1442–1450) that 2 classes of ATP site exist in the calcium pump ATPase in the absence of added alkali metal salts, one being the catalytic site and the other being the regulatory site which activates the activity of the catalytic site.
Mentoring Women in Physical Oceanography: MPOWIR Pattullo Conference; Charleston, South Carolina, 23–26 May 2010

Initiated in 2004, Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women to Increase Retention (MPOWIR) is a community-initiated and community-led program aimed at providing mentoring to junior women in physical oceanography to improve their retention in the field. The centerpiece of the MPOWIR program is the Pattullo Conference, a two-and-a-half-day mentoring event held biannually. The second conference was held in South Carolina. The conference is named for June Pattullo, the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physical oceanography. The goals of the Pattullo Conference are to build community networks among junior and senior scientists, to provide junior scientists with feedback on their current and planned research projects, to provide advice to junior scientists on their career goals, to introduce both senior and junior scientists to aspects of professional development, and to raise awareness of issues confronting junior women among the senior scientist community.
Evidence for voltage-dependent block of cardiac sodium channels by tetrodotoxin.

Abstract The effects of tetrodotoxin (TTX) on cardiac sodium channels in guinea-pig ventricular muscle were investigated. Membrane potential was controlled using a single sucrose gap voltage clamp method, and the maximum upstroke velocity of the ventricular action potential ( V max ) was used as an indicator of drug-free sodium channels. Reduction of V max by TTX was found to be both voltage- and time-dependent, similar to the effects of many local anesthetic drugs, with the exception that TTX concentrations high enough to produce significant use-dependent block (e.g. 2 μ m ), also produced significant tonic block, even at potentials negative to −85 mV. The mechanism underlying use-dependent block was determined by defining the time course of block development at potentials between −40 and +20 mV, and the time course of recovery at −85 mV. In 2 μ m TTX, the time course of block development at +20 mV contained two phases, a fast phase (τ V max , and a slow phase (τ = 429 ± 43 ms) having an amplitude of 35 ± 2% of control V max (n = 5). Recovery from use-dependent block at −85 mV occurred with a time constant of 324 ± 58 ms (n = 5). The effects of TTX could be well-described by a modulated receptor model with an estimated 12 mV drug-induced shift of inactivation, and state-dependent dissociation constants of 10, 4 and 0.3 μ m for rested, activated and inactivated channels. These same drug rate constants could also be used to adequately simulate the reported effects of TTX on plateau sodium currents in a variant model with slow inactivation kinetics.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Adipocyte Lipid-Binding Protein: Effect of Electrostatics and Acyl Chain Unsaturation

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed on adipocyte lipid-binding protein, using the apo and holo forms, bound with stearic and oleic acid. The contribution of electrostatics to protein dynamics and ligand stabilization was assayed by perturbing the electrostatic charge of Arg106 and Arg126 (positive → neutral) and the fatty acid (132H) headgroup (negative → neutral). MD simulations for charged holo forms demonstrated significantly greater electrostatic binding energy and a more stabilized hydrogen bond network than simulations performed using neutral forms. Electrostatics, however, appeared to have little effect on fatty acid behavior, e.g., fluctuation of the dihedral head group; number of dihedral transitions within the acyl chain; and change in the end-to-end distance for fatty acid. Instead, fatty acid behavior appeared to be dictated by the presence or absence of an unsaturated bond within the acyl chain. A significantly greater number of transitions were observed during MD simulati...
Breakable fire resistant glass performance criteria

More than half of the fire protection authorities surveyed believed that there is a need for breakable fire resistant glass. A product has been tested, and a proposal has been made for a test method to measure performance and for acceptance criteria.
Remote temperature sensing of oestrous cycles in cattle

Abstract Radio transmission of deep-body temperature changes in cattle was found to be a feasible method of collecting information for husbandry decisions. Oestrous cycles were plotted and ovulations detected so that cattle were effectively bred artificially. Abnormalities of the cycle pattern accurately indicated abnormal reproductive phenomena. The presence of febrile illness was also detectable. The occurrence of silent oestrus was clearly demonstrated.
Modeling intracranial second tumor risk and estimates of clinical toxicity with various radiation therapy techniques for patients with pituitary adenoma.

This study was designed to estimate the risk of radiation-associated tumors and clinical toxicity in the brain following fractionated radiation treatment of pituitary adenoma. A standard case of a ...
Impedance and switching of GaAs p-i-n diodes

The impedance of GaAs p-i-n diodes under forward bias is modeled using the two-dimensional simulation program PISCES. A parallel equivalent circuit gives almost constant resistance and capacitance over a wide range of frequencies. The intrinsic turn-off switching time of the diode, neglecting contact resistance, is determined by the sweep out time of the carriers, not by the carrier lifetime, unless this is very short. The diode current is recombination dominated at low forward bias. At higher applied voltages, this current becomes diffusion dominated if not masked by high injection conditions. >
Magnetic structure and magnetoelectric coupling in bulk and thin film FeVO 4

We have investigated the magnetoelectric and magnetodielectric response in ${\text{FeVO}}_{4}$, which exhibits a change in magnetic structure coincident with ferroelectric ordering at ${T}_{N2}\ensuremath{\approx}15\text{ }\text{K}$. Using symmetry considerations, we construct a model for the possible magnetoelectric coupling in this system and present a discussion of the allowed spin structures in ${\text{FeVO}}_{4}$. Based on this model, in which the spontaneous polarization is caused by a trilinear spin-phonon interaction, we experimentally explore the magnetoelectric coupling in ${\text{FeVO}}_{4}$ thin films through measurements of the electric field-induced shift of the multiferroic phase transition temperature, which exhibits an increase of 0.25 K in an applied field of 4 MV/m. The strong spin-charge coupling in ${\text{FeVO}}_{4}$ is also reflected in the significant magnetodielectric shift, which is present in the paramagnetic phase due to a quartic spin-phonon interaction and shows a marked enhancement with the onset of magnetic order which we attribute to the trilinear spin-phonon interaction. We observe a clear magnetic field-induced dielectric anomaly at lower temperatures, distinct from the sharp peak associated with the multiferroic transition, which we tentatively assign to a spin-reorientation crossover. We also present a magnetoelectric phase diagram for ${\text{FeVO}}_{4}$.
Therapeutic Use of Companion Animals in Health Care

Purpose: To explore research that lends credibility to the therapeutic use of animals in health care. By integrating research from other disciplines and applying it to nursing, the art of nursing is fostered through the creative application of knowledge to practice. Significance: Positive physiological and psychological benefits have been linked to the presence of companion animals. For example, researchers suggest that decreases in blood pressure, heart rates, and stress levels, as well as increases in emotional well-being and social interaction are benefits of the human-animal bond. Conclusions: Compiling what has been learned in earlier scientific studies provides direction for future research in nursing to enhance nursing knowledge and expand nursing theory to improve care. Further investigation is necessary to clarify the concepts of animal assisted therapy (AAT) to build a body of useful knowledge for practice.
Reversible Surface Properties of Glass Plate and Capillary Tube Grafted by Photopolymerization of N-Isopropylacrylamide

A new, simple, and effective method to modify the surface of glass plate and quartz capillary tube by ultraviolet (UV) photopolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) has been developed. A photosensitizer, silane coupling agent with the dithiocarbamate group, was synthesized by the condensation reaction between chloropropyltrimethoxysilane and sodium N,N‘-diethyldithiocarbamate. The thiocarbamate groups were installed on the glass surface by coupling the silane agent with the hydroxyl groups on the glass surface. Subsequently, the silane-modified surface was photografted by NIPAAm in the presence of N,N‘-methylenebisacrylamide. The characteristics of the glass surfaces were examined by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the static and dynamic contact angle techniques. The thickness of grafted PNIPAAm film is less than 320 nm, and the surface showed a completely hydrophilic nature at about room temperature and a hydrophobic nature above 40 °C. The water meniscus height in a capillary tube (2 mm...
Determining phenomenological rate coefficients from a time-dependent, multiple-well master equation: “species reduction” at high temperatures

In this article we discuss at length the determination of phenomenological rate coefficients from the solution to a time-dependent, multiple-well master equation. Both conservative and non-conservative formulations are considered. The emphasis is placed on how to handle the situation when a CSE (chemically significant eigenvalue of the transition matrix) merges with the quasi-continuum of IEREs (internal energy relaxation eigenvalues), indicating that one or more chemical reactions begin to take place on vibrational-rotational relaxation time scales. The methodology is illustrated with four examples.
Breastfeeding in Children's Books: Reflecting and Shaping Our Values

Children's books reflect and reinforce our society's message that bottlefeeding is the normal way to feed human babies. Even books that include breastfeeding may unwittingly undermine their intended message of support. It is important for lactation consultants to be aware of and help to promote those books that show or describe breastfeeding in a positive light. No book is perfect, and no one book will fit all needs, but a number of helpful books that include breastfeeding are available today. We can help to bring them to the attention of parents and children and to encourage their use in libraries, schools, clinics, childbirth classes, and similar settings.
An Overlap Removal Algorithm for Macrocell Placement in VLSI Layouts

An efficient overlap removal algorithm in the context of macrocell placement is presented in this paper. The algorithm works on a novel augmented constraint graph and removes overlap in the presence of fixed location, spacing and boundary constraints imposed on macro cells. We propose a modified parallel plane shadowing sweep algorithm for creation of constraint graph and an augmentation scheme to handle constraints effectively. The spatial relations that exist among the macro cells in an overlapping placement are retained in the overlap free placement. A peripheral placement of macro cells is made feasible by utilizing the information in the constraint graph to compact the macro cells towards the periphery in conjunction with the legalization of the macro cells. Experimental results obtained with and without compaction on randomly generated testcases based on GSRC floorplanning benchmarks are presented. The runtime of the algorithm has been shown to scale linearly with increasing number of blocks
Emotional Closeness between Grandparents and Grandchildren in Rural China: The Mediating Role of the Middle Generation

Grandparent-grandchild relationships are important in Chinese society and the middle generation plays an important role in them. The present study drew on data from the 2009 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China, to examine variation in emotional closeness between grandparents and their grandchildren. Our focus was on the middle generation as a relational bridge to grandchildren in terms of grandparents’ gender, emotional closeness to their adult children, and kinship status (paternal versus maternal lineage). We analyzed reports from 926 grandparents about their relationships with 1,982 grandchildren. Logistic cluster regression analyses revealed that closeness between grandparents and their adult children was strongly associated with grandparent-grandchild closeness. Paternal grandparents reported closer relationships with their grandchildren than did maternal grandparents, and these relationships were particularly strong for paternal grandmothers. Contrary to what we h...
Metabolic Control, Self-care Behaviors, and Parenting in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes A Correlational Study

PurposeThe purpose of this pilot study was to explore relationships among metabolic control, self-care behaviors, and parenting in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.MethodsTwenty-nine adolescents (m...
An ultra-wideband microwave radar sensor for characterizing pavement subsurface

A new ultra-wideband (UWB) stepped-frequency radar sensor operating from 0.6 to 5.6 GHz has been developed using microwave integrated circuits for pavement subsurface characterization. UWB microstrip quasi-horn antennas have also been designed and tested for use in the sensor. A new simple yet effective, accurate procedure was developed to compensate the amplitude deviations and non-linear phase errors of the complex I/Q vectors due to the inherent imperfection of the system. The system has been used to assess a pavement sample with good accuracy.
Advanced bladder and urothelial cancers.

Abstract After more than 40 years of use, cytotoxic chemotherapy has an evolving role in the management of advanced bladder cancer. Standard single-agent regimens, such as methotrexate, doxorubicin, vinblastine and cisplatin, have produced objective response rates of 15–25%, and combination chemotherapy causes objective regression in 50–75% of cases. Novel compounds such as ifosfamide, the taxanes and gemcitabine are now being incorporated into combination regimens, having shown activity in this disease, both in previously treated and untreated cases. The phenomenon of stage migration, with increased precision of imaging, leads to the inclusion of different populations of patients with advanced disease into protocols of assessment of chemotherapy. This may cause an artifact of improved outcome, when in fact the higher response rates and longer survival figures may reflect a reduced burden of disease and case selection. It is thus essential to validate novel approaches in well structured, randomised clinical trials that compare new strategies against established standard protocols. Historical comparisons serve only to confuse the issue by introducing errors from case selection bias, stage migration and differences in duration of follow-up and supportive technologies.
On Life, Death, and Abortion

Morally speaking, is abortion murder? This is what I am calling the ‘abortion problem’. I claim that neither pro-life nor pro-choice advocates have the correct solution; that the correct solution is instead one considered correct by relatively few people. But if this solution really is correct, then why, after years of intense debate, is this solution not more widely accepted? Many, no doubt, are precluded from accepting it by religious dogma. But others, I think, fail to arrive at a correct solution because they have been approaching the problem from the wrong theoretical framework. Or they have been approaching it without any theoretical framework at all. That is, they have no theoretical framework beyond that of merely examining their moral intuitions and, if anything is clear so far from the abortion debate, it is that intuitions alone, which differ radically from person to person, are not sufficient to solve the problem. In short: one is unlikely to arrive at the correct solution unless one starts from a sound theoretical framework. I shall, in what follows, sketch what I take to be a sound theoretical framework. Then I shall try to show what solution to the abortion problem follows from it.
In-utero treatment of fetal bladderoutlet obstruction by a ureterocele

Fetal bladder-outlet obstruction by ureteroceles is usually treated at birth. However, such obstruction may be detrimental to the health of the fetus and so in-utero correction is preferable. We describe the successful cytoscopy guided laser incision, with no complications, of a uterocele that was causing bladder-outlet obstruction in a fetus of 19 weeks and 6 days gestation.
Perceptions of young adults with sickle cell disease concerning their disease experience

Aim To describe the perceptions of young adults with sickle cell disease concerning their disease experience. Background Sickle cell disease is a lifelong, genetic condition with both acute and chronic painful exacerbations. Little is known of the experiences of young adults with sickle cell disease. Design This study used a qualitative, descriptive design with semi-structured, life review interviews. Methods Between August 2010–September 2012, purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with a known sickle cell disease diagnosis who were ages 18–35 years, were being seen in an outpatient sickle cell clinic and were English speaking. Participants provided demographic information and responded to two interviews. A content analysis was then used to interpret participants’ narratives of their experiences of living with sickle cell disease. Results/findings A sample of 29 young adults with sickle cell disease consisted of 79·3% females, 35·6% employed full-time or part-time, 71·6% single/never married and 57·8% with sickle cell anaemia. Their mean age was 25·8 with 13·2 years of education. Four major interview themes were identified: (1) struggles to maintain or achieve good quality of life or life satisfactions; (2) strategies to maintain self-care; (3) interruptions to family, work and social roles; and (4) difficulties accessing needed health care. Conclusion Young adults face many challenges while living with sickle cell disease. With a better understanding of their disease experience and how it influences their quality of life, researchers can begin tailoring appropriate interventions to improve health outcomes in this vulnerable, minority population.
Vehicle Impact Simulation

Improvement in impact simulation between vehicles and roadside safety hardware is investigated. The use DYNA3D, a nonlinear, explicit, three-dimensional, public-domain, finite-element code for vehicle impact numerical calculations is described. A preliminary example problem of a spherical impactor and a circular plate is used to model an impact between two deformable bodies. Numerical qualitative and quantitative results are compared with other known solutions. Finite element models of an actual vehicle and some examples of the roadside safety hardware are discussed. As a practical example, an impact simulation of a compact car with a light post is examined. The paper shows that even relatively small numbers of degrees of freedom used in DYNA3D program can accurately predict kinematics of highway vehicle impacts. These results conclude a preliminary feasibility study to develop the next generation of roadside safety computer software for vehicle impact simulation and analysis.