cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responsibility for unreliable software

Unreliable software exposes software developers and distributors to legal risks. Under certain circumstances, the developer and distributor of unreliable software can be sued. To avoid lawsuits, software developers should do the following: determine what the risks are, understand the extent of the risks, and identify ways of avoiding the risks and lessening the consequences of the risks. Liability issues associated with unreliable software are explored in this article.
Crisis nurseries: Important services in a system of care for families and children

Abstract This paper reports the results of an evaluation of crisis nursery services for five crisis nurseries in Illinois from 2000 to 2003 based on analysis of administrative data reported to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Crisis nursery services, sometimes called “respite” services, provide temporary emergency care for children. The results demonstrate the vital importance of availability of emergency support services for young children and their caregivers. By describing how crisis nurseries respond to needs of families of young children and provide the after-crisis care. It describes the important role crisis nurseries currently play in crisis intervention and after-crisis services for children and their families.
The ototoxic effects of kanamycin sulfate in infants and children.

K A N A M Y C I N S U L F A T E has been available for clinical use for 3 years. During this time it has proved to be effective in the management of serious infections due to the staphylococcus and to many of the gramnegative bacilli. Since the antibiotic was isolated from a strain of streptomyces and its chemical structure closely resembles that of streptomycin and neomycin, its nephrotoxic and ototoxic potentials were recognized by both the manufacturer and the clinical investigators. Animal experiments with kanamycin suggested that nephrotoxicity was a more serious side effect than ototoxicity. However, clinical experience has proved the reverse to be true. Nephrotoxicity has not been a frequent serious problem whereas the
The treatment and prognosis of dermatomyositis: An updated review

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. The mainstay of treatment for DM is oral corticosteroids. However, the dose and length of treatment is debated. Adding to the confusion, there have been no randomized controlled studies comparing the use of various corticosteroid doses and taper rates, and no controlled long-term studies assessing the hypothesis that, unlike systemic lupus erythematous, patients with DM can often achieve long-term remission off therapy. This literature review supports an approach that prednisone should be started at about 1 mg/kg/d, which is then tapered slowly based on the response. As patients respond differently to prednisone, additional therapies may be necessary. When to initiate these therapies requires clinical judgment. In addition, as we learn more about the pathophysiology of DM, newer medications that target specific mechanisms in the immune response may help us better treat the disease. Evidence-based data with long-term follow-up will allow for selection of the best treatment to maximize long-term remission, not simply short-term lowering of the systemic corticosteroid dose.
Neuromuscular system of Limulus leg closer muscle

Abstract 1. 1. The pattern of innervation for the closer muscle of Limulus polyphemus was studied. Six excitor axons were found to innervate the muscle with up to but not more than three excitors to any given fiber. Stimulation of the nerve elicited excitatory junctional potentials in most of the fibers with occasional spike-like responses in the distal portion of the muscle. 2. 2. Mechanical responses resulted from single stimuli applied to any axon. Mechanical responses to all excitor axons showed similar rise times and half-decay times with no indication of the classical division into “fast” and “slow”. 3. 3. The possibility of inhibition was investigated. The response to stimuli above that which gave maximum tension was a decrease in tension. This decrease was to a distinct level different from that for any of the excitors and the concomitant excitatory junctional potentials were reduced. This response was mimicked by GABA and blocked by picrotoxin. 4. 4. 10 −5 M glutamate and 10 −4 M phenylethylamine induced contracture of the muscle. Strychnine was without effect.
Current Concepts in Post-bariatric Body Contouring

Background The advent of bariatric surgery has led to a new subspecialty in plastic surgery for contouring the skin and fat remaining after massive weight loss. This field is increasingly recognized as a vital component to the multi-disciplinary treatment approach to care for the obese patient. The author sought to review key concepts in patient selection, technical advancements, and post-operative care in body contouring following weight loss surgery.
A General Method for Kinematic Analysis of Robotic Wrist Mechanisms

The paper presents a novel and simple technique for the kinematic analysis of bevel gear trains (BGT). The approach is based on edge-oriented graphs for efficient computation of BGT’s absolute and relative velocities of links using incidence matrices. The kinematic equations are generated in matrix form using a cycle basis from a cycle matroid. The set of independent equations is automatically obtained from matrix orthogonalities and not by taking derivatives. Equation coefficients are expressed as function of speed ratios and have minimal variables. Then the relationships between the output and input angular velocities can be determined. In addition, a simple procedure is demonstrated to check for mechanism singularities. The method presented here has general applicability and can be employed for spatial geared mechanisms with any number of gears and degrees of freedom (DOF) as illustrated by numerical examples of robotic wrist mechanisms.
Antigenic and transforming properties of the DB strain of the human polyomavirus BK virus.

Abstract The analysis of the antigenic and transforming properties of the DB strain of the human polyomavirus BK Virus [BKV(DB)) is presented. Two genomes were molecularly cloned from a single virus preparation and were shown to represent viable virus; one clone [pBKV(DB)dl82) contained an 82 nucleotide deletion in the regulatory region relative to the second clone [pBKV(DB)]; pBKV(DB)dl82 demonstrated enhanced lytic and transforming activities relative to pBKV(DB). BKV(DB) is antigenically distinct from the prototype Gardner strain of BK Virus, and 50 to 60% of the population display serological evidence of BKV(DB) infection. Implications of the existence of antigenic variants on estimation of BK virus prevalence in the population are discussed.
The subcontracting behavior of single vs. multiplant enterprises in US manufacturing: Implications for economic development

Abstract In this paper we explore the factors shaping the production subcontracting (“make-buy”) decisions of managers in the plants of both small and large firms in 21 industries that constitute the US metalworking and machinery manufacturing sector. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of original survey data collected in 1986–1987 lead us to infer that a regional economic development strategy that promotes those manufacturing firms with a single, relatively large plant making a diverse range of products and having close ties to customers but limited internal machining capacity has the greatest potential for generating local backward linkages. In this respect, we find empirical — if nuanced — support for certain normative aspects of the industrial district (or “networking”) approach to economic development policy.
Epidermal growth factor binding to neonatal mouse skin explants and membrane preparations--effect of triiodothyronine.

ABSTRACT: Daily treatment of newborn Swiss-Webster mice with triiodothyronine (T3, 500 ng/day) increased epidermal growth factor (EGF) content in whole skin (epidermis + dermis). Separation of the epidermis using 0.01 M dithiothreitol followed by processing for radioimmunoassay measurement reveals levels of EGF 2-to 3-fold higher in epidermis than in whole skin. In vitro flotation of circular skin sections from control and T3 treated neonatal mice in medium containing [I125]EGF showed increased uptake of label following 5 days of in vivo T3 treatment. Mouse skin membrane preparations exhibit saturable, specific binding of [I125]EGF. T3 treatment for 5 days in vivo significantly increased EGF binding capacity in skin membrane preparations but did not alter EGF receptor affinity (Kd 4.5 nM). Protein, RNA, and DNA concentrations were significantly increased in whole neonatal mouse skin following T3 administration. These results suggest one mechanism by which thyroid hormones increase skin EGF concentration is augmentation of skin EGF receptor binding.
Pitfalls in the Staging Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx

To accurately interpret pretreatment and posttreatment imaging in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), one must understand the complex anatomy of this part of the aerodigestive system. Common patterns of spread must be recognized, andpitfalls in imaging must be understood. This article reviews the epidemiology, anatomy, staging, treatment, and pitfalls in imaging of hypopharyngeal SCC.
Chemical and physical oral findings in a case of anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

The deleterious effect on enamel of continual acid challenge from regurgitation of gastric contents in bulimic subjects is well documented. No previous reports, however, have been published on chemical and physical measurements of teeth from such subjects, or on the importance of fluoride in maintaining their dentition. Teeth were obtained from a deceased anorexic and bulimic patient. Shortly before death this patient had saliva analyses and in vivo enamel biopsies at our clinic, before and after a 3-week regimen of daily rinsing with 0.05% NaF. After 4 years of daily regurgitation there was an almost normal thickness of the enamel surfaces typically "at risk", i.e. the palatal surfaces of the maxillary anterior teeth, with normal hardness measurements 10 micron away from the outer surface. SEM micrographs showed an irregular topography, with crystalline deposits rich in calcium, phosphate and fluoride. These surfaces were more reactive to uptake of additional fluoride when given as a daily rinse, than the more protected, and therefore, presumed unaffected surfaces. Our findings suggest that frequent and meticulous oral hygiene measures can substantially minimize the erosive effect on tooth enamel of gastric contents in bulimic patients, especially if fluoride products are used regularly.
AVOIDANCE OF TOWED NETS BY ZOOPLANKTON1

Expcrimcnts wcrc condnctcd to dctcrminc the effect of behavior on the accuracy oE sampling populations composed of several spccics of marine copepods and mysids held in a large, cncloscd scawnter pool. Plankton nets having mouth arcas of 1,600, 800, and 400 cm” were towed in rcplicatc sets during midday and midnight under three light conclitions in plankton populations of diffcrcnt densities. Statistical trcatmcnt of the results showed that smaller nets wcrc more cffcctively avoided and that the dcgrcc of avoidance varied among spccics. Estimates of the pcriphcrnl escape zone were obtained. More mysids, InIt not Inorc copcpocls, wcrc caught in darkness than in light, and avoidance tcndcd to 1~ less in dcnscr populations. Time of day had no cffcct on avoitlancc bcllnvior. Escape mcchanisms and the possible cffcct of population tlcnsity arc discussed.
Upper and lower bounds to eigenvalues by weighting function approximations

Abstract A method is developed making use of variational principles and Rayleigh's quotient which yields lower bounds to eigenvalues. The method is the counterpart of the Rayleigh-Ritz method in the sense that the results obtained from both methods will improve, i.e. approach to the exact value, as more and more terms are considered, both rely on variational principles, they are similar systematically and conceptually, and this method yields lower bounds to eigenvalues which cannot be obtained from the Rayleigh-Ritz method. Therefore, with the results from both methods the eigenvalues can be bracketed into a small region. The most important advantage of the method is the lower bounds to all eigenvalues can be obtained from the solution of one transcendental equation.
LOGISTICS SERVICE DRIVEN LOYALTY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Based upon the extant literature and a qualitative study of buyer-seller relationships, an exploratory model of the relationship between supply chain power, dependence, satisfaction, and loyalty is developed and presented. Four fundamental objectives are accomplished through this research and presented here. The first was to use a qualitative method to gain a deeper understanding of the logistics service driven loyalty that exists between suppliers and customers. The second was to develop a more thorough understanding of the gap in logistics service expectations between a supplier and their customers. The third objective was to examine how the power/dependence relationship affects both customer service expectations of the parties, and the actual logistics service delivered by the supplier. Finally, this research is intended to build a basis for future quantitative research of loyalty in supplier/customer relationships.
A new framework for echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular mechanics: sensitivity to heart failure.

Abstract A recent report describes an approach to ventricular mechanics that employs mean end-systolic fiber stress and an exact mathematical strain index based on wall thickness referenced to myocardial mass. We used echocardiography and mean arterial pressures to determine the strain index and wall stress in (1) normal hearts from patients and swine, (2) swine with pacing-induced congestive heart failure, and (3) patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Pigs were also studied under afterload variation with phenylephrine. Paired values of stress and strain index from control hearts (both swine and human) were tightly clustered. Values from animals and patients with congestive heart failure deviated from this cluster. Excellent separation (sensitivity 83%, specificity 94%) was displayed between control and paced pigs, despite confounding effects of varying afterload. We conclude that these variables display little change over a large range of normal cardiac mass, but deviate from this range during heart failure. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2000;13:969-79.)
Professional as Agent: Knowledge Asymmetry in Agency Exchange

In this article I examine those business exchanges in which firms hire professional service organizations and give them limited decisionmaking authority to perform knowledge-intensive tasks. I frame such exchanges within agency theory perspective and invoke the extant literature on professions to delineate several attributes that make principal-professional exchanges intrinsically distinct from others. such as owner-manager agency. In doing so. I question and complement same key assumptions in agency theory and also discuss explicitly how the study of principal-professional exchanges helps highlight important considerations not addressed in the mainstream theory. I then present an expanded framework that integrates agency theory and the literature on the professions and present several propositions to outline four types of restraints on potential opportunistic behavior of professional agents; (1) self-control, (2) community control, (3) bureaucratic control, and (4) client control. The article ends with t...
Intersection rules for consensus n-trees

Abstract We prove a theorem that offers an axiomatic characterization of a class of generalized intersection rules for consensus n-trees. By modifying one of the axioms, there is a corresponding result for the Adams consensus rule.
Ureteral Graft in Urological Reconstruction: Clinical Experience and Review of the Literature

We report 7 cases in which grafts of ureter were used as tube and patch segments in urethral reconstruction and formation of a continent catheterizable stoma. The ureteral grafts survived without long-term stricture in all cases. Meticulous preparation of the graft and recipient bed is required for success, as previously demonstrated experimentally. When available, ureter is an excellent source of tissue for urological reconstruction.
Biliary mobilization of cadmium by 2,3‐dimercaptopropanol and some related compounds

No effective therapeutic agent for mobilizing tissue Cd has been reported to date, but the results presented here demonstrate that 2,3‐dimercaptopropanol (BAL), at doses approaching and surpassing the maximum tolerated, can produce a rapid transient enhancement of Cd excretion in the rat. When BAL (75 mg/kg) was administered by a single injection 24 h after a tracer dose of 109 Cd, as much as 32% of the administered Cd appeared in the bile. A correlation between the appearance of radiocadmium and the biliary sulfhydryl concentration was found. There was indirect evidence for a 1:3 Cd‐BAL complex in the bile, which may explain the efficacy of higher doses of BAL. A comparative study with some selected dithiol compounds suggests that vicinal sulfhydryl groups on an aliphatic chain are the more effective Cd mobilizing compounds, but BAL was the most effective agent. Although suspending vehicles alone showed no Cd mobilizing ability, the combination of BAL and oil was far superior to any other BAL‐vehicle com...
SU-FF-T-272: Investigation of Small IMRT Beamlets with a Wellhöfer CC01 “Pinpoint” Chamber

Introduction: Most investigators of small IMRT beamlets rely heavily on ion chamber measurements. The PTW Pinpoint chamber (0.015 cm3) has recently been reported1 to be overly sensitive to low energy scatter X‐rays. It is therefore appropriate to normalize the PTW Pinpoint response to a 5×5 cm field rather than the conventional 10×10 cm field. For a 10×10 cm field, 10 cm depth, the over response was reported to be 1.4%, whereas for a 1×1 cm field an under‐response of 12% was determined. Therefore the PTW Pinpoint chamber is of limited use for fields smaller than 2×2 cm. Here, we used a Wellhofer CC01 chamber, which is smaller (0.01 cm3) than the PTW Pinpoint, but has a comparable geometry. Technique: We investigated Varian 6 MV beamlets generated with a 120 leaf MLC, with the chamber axis instead parallel to the direction of the beam and perpendicular to the water surface. Hence the primary radiation of the beam “sees” only a 2 mm diameter cross section of the chamber before reaching the chamber's stem. A special scanning technique was utilized to position the center of the chamber's 3.6 mm height effectively at the water surface. Oblique “fan‐line” beamlets were also examined. The gantry was rotated so the oblique beamlets would have nearly a perpendicular incidence on the water surface. An average of 18 individually radiated micro‐TLDs were used per beamlet to measure the dose for comparison purposes. Results: Superior accuracy (< 2%) of the CC01 response was determined for 1×1 cm beamlets along the central axis. This agreement is significantly better than the reported performance of the PTW Pinpoint and allows use of the CC01 for small IMRT beamlets.
A Bayesian Adjustment for Covariate Misclassification with Correlated Binary Outcome Data

Abstract Estimated associations between an outcome variable and misclassified covariates tend to be biased when the methods of estimation that ignore the classification error are applied. Available methods to account for misclassification often require the use of a validation sample (i.e. a gold standard). In practice, however, such a gold standard may be unavailable or impractical. We propose a Bayesian approach to adjust for misclassification in a binary covariate in the random effect logistic model when a gold standard is not available. This Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach uses two imperfect measures of a dichotomous exposure under the assumptions of conditional independence and non-differential misclassification. A simulated numerical example and a real clinical example are given to illustrate the proposed approach. Our results suggest that the estimated log odds of inpatient care and the corresponding standard deviation are much larger in our proposed method compared with the models ignoring...
A Model for the Study of Development Processes in Dental Research

In studying developmental processes in dental research, variables other than chronological age must often be taken into account if we are to characterize di$erences in the developmental patterns of the groups under consideration. In particular, in addition to age, appropriate developmental models may have to incorporate cohort, time-of-measurement, and learning effects. One such model is described in this article and applied to caries development and gingival condition in the Nymegen Growth Study.
Isolation of a uranium(III) benzophenone ketyl radical that displays redox-active ligand behaviour.

The first uranium(III) charge separated ketyl radical complex, Tp*2U(OC·Ph2), has been isolated and characterized by infrared, 1H NMR, and electronic absorption spectroscopies, along with X-ray crystallography. Tp*2U(OC·Ph2) is a potent two-electron reductant towards N3Mes (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) and (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO), with reducing equivalents derived from the metal centre and the redox-active benzophenone.
Optimizing Process-to-Core Mappings for Two Dimensional Broadcast/Reduce on Multicore Architectures

In today's high performance computing, many MPI programs (e.g., ScaLAPACK applications, High Performance Linpack Benchmark HPL, and many PDE solvers based on domain decomposition methods) organize their computational processes as multidimensional process grids. Communications are often necessary in each dimension. Multidimensional broadcast, where a broadcast has to be performed in each dimension, is one of the many operations in applications that use multidimensional process grids. In this paper, we study the impact of the MPI process-to-core mapping on the performance of multidimensional broadcast operations. We show that the default process-to-core mappings in today's state-of-the-art MPI implementations are often sub-optimal for multidimensional broadcast. We propose an application-level multicore-aware process-to-core re-mapping scheme that is capable of achieving optimal performance for multidimensional broadcast operations. The proposed multicore-aware process-to-core re-mapping scheme improves the performance of multidimensional broadcast operations by up to 64% over the default mapping scheme on the world's current eighth fastest supercomputer, Kraken, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
A comparison of left atrial size by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and magnetic endocardial catheter mapping.

PATEL, V.V., et al.: A Comparison of Left Atrial Size by Two-Dimensional Transthoracic Echocardiography and Magnetic Endocardial Catheter Mapping. This study sought to validate the accuracy of magnetic electroanatomic mapping (MEAM) for determining cardiac chamber size in a clinically relevant situation. The authors chose to compare LA size measured by MEAM to that assessed by two-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiography. The study included 37 patients with drug refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent two-dimensional echocardiography and a detailed MEAM of the LA. The entire LA was mapped with a mean of 132 ± 50 points with attention to identifying the mitral annulus and posterior wall of the LA. The MEAM measurement of LA size was taken as the distance from the anterior wall of the LA to the posterior wall in a plane parallel to the mitral valve annulus at atrial end-diastole. LA dimension determined by M-mode echocardiography was assessed in a plane parallel to the mitral valve annulus in the parasternal long-axis view during atrial end-diastole. LA size assessed by M-mode echocardiography was 41.2 ± 5.0 versus 40.9 ± 4.5 mm as assessed by MEAM, with good correlation (r = 0.87, P 0.3 cm between the two measurement techniques. Thus, it appears that LA anteroposterior dimension as determined by electroanatomic mapping is similar to that determined by two-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiography. MEAM appears to be an accurate method by which LA size can be assessed in patients with drug refractory atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial ablation procedures.
Practical Obstacles to the ‘Standard’

Changes of units of account are faced with severe practical difficulties, argues Tyler Cowen, Post-doctoral Fellow in Economics at George Mason University, Virginia. The Preferoble alternative to commodity based units of account is to be found in the private supply of new medio of exchange.
A microcomputer thermal analysis of a Gunn diode in microstrip circuits

A microcomputer finite-element code has been used to analyze the steady-state thermal behavior of a microstrip Gunn diode circuit with the goal of reducing the device temperature by varying microstrip thicknesses. Although the microstrip is designed mainly for electronic purposes, the analysis has shown that it can also provide a favorable thermal environment to alleviate the device temperature. A two-step modeling approach that can reduce the computer memory needed for computation was used to allow the present study to be conducted on a microcomputer. In this approach, the temperature increases in the device and in the heat sink are considered separately. The device temperature is analyzed by the microcomputer finite-element technique. The heat-sink resistance is calculated by simplified analytical schemes. >
Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a frequent cause of liver injury. The predominant clinical presentation is acute hepatitis and/or cholestasis, although almost any clinical pathological pattern of acute or chronic liver disease can occur. The pathogenesis of drug-induced liver disease usually involves the participation of the parent drug or metabolites that either directly affect the cell biochemistry or elicit an immune response. Each hepatotoxin is associated with a characteristic signature regarding the pattern of injury and latency. However, some drugs may exhibit >1 signature. Susceptibility to drug-induced hepatotoxicity is also influenced by genetic and environmental risk factors. Unpredictable, low-frequency, idiosyncratic reactions often occur on a background of a higher rate of mild asymptomatic liver injury and, although difficult to predict, they may be detected by monitoring serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Recent and future advances in toxicogenomics and proteomics should improve the identification of risk factors and the understanding of idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.
MgATP-Stimulated Release of Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone from Isolated Hypothalamic Granules: Evidence for a Selective Requirement for Monovalent Cations

: The purpose of this study was to characterize the kinetics and monovalent ion requirements of the MgATP-stimulated release of Iuteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) from isolated hypothalamic granules. LHRH granules were obtained from homogenates of hypothalami of adult male rats by differential centrifugation and then incubated in buffered media containing KCl. Under these conditions, the pH optimum for the MgATP-stimulated release of LHRH was between 7.5 and 8.0; the rate of release was linear for the first 5 min of incubation; and the magnitude of the release was a saturable function of KCl concentration. When the potassium in the incubation mixture was replaced with various monovalent cations (Li+, Na+, Cs+, choline, or tetraethylammonium), the magnitude of the MgATP-stimulated release of LHRH was inversely related to the size of the cation; release in the presence of Li+ was 12%, whereas release in the presence of tetraethylammonium was 0% of the total LHRH. When the chloride in the incubation mixture was replaced with various monovalent anions (Br−, I−, or isethionate), the magnitude of the MgATP-stimulated release of LHRH was not related to the size of the anion. Moreover, inclusion of anion transport inhibitors in the incubation mixture did not affect LHRH release, suggesting that anion transport is not required for the MgATP-stimulated release of LHRH. In summary, we suggest that the MgATP-stimulated release of LHRH from isolated hypothalamic granules involves an enzymatic event and that this release process does not have a selective requirement for monovalent anions, but has a selective requirement for monovalent cations.
Constructing Media Artifacts in a Social Constructivist Environment to Enhance Students’ Environmental Awareness and Activism

Current science education reforms and policy documents highlight the importance of environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. As “environmental problems are socially constructed in terms of their conceptualized effects on individuals, groups, other living things and systems research based on constructivist principles provides not only a coherent framework in which to theorize about learning, but also a context for understanding socially constructed issues” (Palmer and Suggate in Res Pap Educ 19(2), 2004, p. 208). This research study investigated the impacts of the learning processes structured based on the theories of constructionism and social constructivism on students’ environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. Students constructed multimedia artifacts expressing their knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and activism about environmental issues through a constructionist design process. In addition, a social networking site was designed and used to promote social interaction among students. Twenty-two high school environmental science students participated in this study. A convergent mixed methods design was implemented to allow for the triangulation of methods by directly comparing and contrasting quantitative results with qualitative findings for corroboration and validation purposes. Using a mixed method approach, quantitative findings are supported with qualitative data (student video projects, writing prompts, blog entries, video projects of the students, observational field notes, and reflective journals) including spontaneous responses in both synchronous and asynchronous conversations on the social network to provide a better understanding of the change in students’ environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. The findings of the study indicated that students’ environmental awareness and perceived need for activism were improved at different scales (personal, community, global) throughout the constructionist and social constructivist learning processes.
Citrate anticoagulation and the dynamics of thrombin generation.

Summary. Background: Sodium citrate has been used as an anticoagulant to stabilize blood and blood products for over 100 years, presumably by sequestering Ca++ ions in vitro. Anticoagulation of blood without chelation can be achieved by inhibition of the contact pathway by corn trypsin inhibitor (CTI). Objective: To evaluate the influence of citrate anticoagulation on the performance of blood, platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma assays. Methods: Blood was anticoagulated in three ways: by collection into citrate, CTI and citrate with CTI. Plasma was prepared using each anticoagulation regimen. Functional analyses included calibrated automated thrombography, thromboelastography, plasma clotting, the synthetic coagulation proteome and platelet aggregation. Coagulation reactions were initiated with tissue factor–phospholipid and Ca++ (when indicated).Results: In all cases, citrate anticoagulation resulted in reaction dynamics significantly altered relative to blood or plasma stabilized with CTI alone. Subsequent experiments showed that calcium citrate itself impairs coagulation dynamics.Conclusion: Coagulation analyses using blood that has been exposed to citrate and recalcified do not yield reliable depictions of the natural dynamics of blood coagulation processes.
Cd 1−x Mg x Te film characteristics and optical emission spectroscopy during sputtering

Cd 1−x Mg x Te is an attractive II–VI semiconductor alloy candidate for obtaining energy gaps wider than the 1.5 eV of CdTe needed for polycrystalline thin-film tandem cells. Reaching an ideal 1.7 eV bandgap for a doublejunction tandem requires only x≈0.13, and results in only a slight perturbation of the lattice constant from CdTe. Cd 1−x Mg x Te can be doped either p or n type and is completely miscible across the alloy range. We have shown that these alloy films can easily be prepared by sputtering, however, the sputtering rate is substantially lower than for CdTe and the attainable cell performance has been poor, both before and after activation treatments with chlorine-containing vapors. In this work we have applied optical emission spectroscopy (OES) using selected peaks of Ar+, Cd+, Mg, Te+ and correlated the results with characteristics of the deposited films. Results were obtained as a function of rf sputter power and sputter gas pressure.
Designing Stable Inverters and State Observers for Switched Linear Systems with Unknown Inputs

We present a method for estimating the inputs and states in discrete-time switched linear systems with unknown inputs. We first investigate the problem of system invertibility, which reconstructs the unknown inputs based on knowledge of the output of the system, the switching sequence, and the initial system state. We then relax the assumption on the knowledge of the initial system state, and construct observers that asymptotically estimate the state. Our design, which considers a general class of switched linear observers that switch modes based on the known (but arbitrary) switching sequence, shows that system invertibility is necessary in order to construct state observers. Furthermore, some portion of the observer gain must be used to recover the unknown inputs, and the remaining freedom must be used to ensure stability. The state of the observer is then used to asymptotically estimate the unknown inputs (i.e., it forms the dynamic portion of a stable inverter for the given switched system).
Conceptualising Constraint: Mouzelis, Archer and the Concept of Social Structure:

This paper outlines and evaluates recent contributions by Nicos Mouzelis and Margaret Archer to the structure-agency debate. Mouzelis offers an internal reconstruction of Giddens's structuration theory; Archer an external alternative. I show that, although representing an advance on Giddens's position, Mouzelis's account fails because he relies on the former's definition of structure as comprising rules and resources. I then examine Archer's solution to the problem. I argue that her definition of activity-dependence makes her account of the relationship between agents and structures unclear. I outline an alternative account in terms of super- venience, and argue that it contains the minimum ontological claim necessary for a realist understanding of the structure-agent relationship. This paper evaluates two recent attempts to prune the hardy perennial of structure and agency. In their recent writing, both Nicos Mouzelis and Margaret Archer offer alternatives to Anthony Giddens's structuration theory (Mouzelis 1995, 1996; Archer 1995, 1996b). The renewed attention paid to older writing in this field, and particularly to the work of David Lockwood, has caused McLennan (1995:117) to note 'a loose but noticeable neo- traditionalist revival' in sociological theory. The two authors exemplify this trend in different ways. Mouzelis says we should go 'back to sociological theory,' whereas Archer sees Lockwood as a forebear but explicitly tries to formulate a new research paradigm. I begin by outlining the problem as inherited from Giddens. I then discuss Mouzelis's and Archer's solutions in detail. Mouzelis's work is a careful internal critique and reconstruction of Giddens's theory. Archer's is a distinct, external alternative to it. Both authors try to make a clear distinction between agents and structures in order to make these concepts (and particularly the latter) coherent and useful. In their efforts to give the concept of social structure back its bite, both Archer and Mouzelis draw on Lockwood's (1956, 1964) distinction between social and system integration. Mouzelis attempts to build the distinction into Giddens's account. In doing so, he points to a number of important aspects of structure and agency that Giddens cannot grasp. However, Giddens's key idea that structure should be thought of as rules and resources is left largely untouched. I show that Mouzelis's refinements run into difficulty because of this.
Cadavers versus pigs: which are better for procedural training of surgery residents outside the OR?

Background Our objective was to compare the value of porcine versus cadaveric models for procedural training of general surgery residents outside the operating room (OR). Methods Two procedural workshops for general surgery residents based on the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery national skills curriculum were administered. During each workshop, 7 surgery faculty taught 16 residents level-appropriate operative procedures on 4 training models (2 cadaver torsos; 2 pigs). Participants compared the 2 models at the end of the workshops using a 10-point Likert scale and indicated their training model preference. Ratings were compared using a paired t test. Results Among the 39 participants (9 faculty and 30 residents) who provided ratings, the porcine models were rated lower for anatomic relevance (6.8 ± 2.1 vs 9.1 ± 1.5; P Conclusion Based on resident and faculty evaluations, both porcine and cadaveric models are deemed necessary and valuable for procedural training outside the OR. Such skills workshops should be incorporated into the surgical curriculum.
Recent developments in micromilling using focused ion beam technology

The application of focused ion beam (FIB) technology in microfabrication has become increasingly popular. Its use in microfabrication has advantages over contemporary photolithography or other micromachining technologies, such as small feature resolution, the ability to process without masks and being accommodating for a variety of materials and geometries. An overview of the recent development in FIB microfabrication technology is given. The emphasis will be on direct milling, or maskless techniques, and this can distinguish the FIB technology from the contemporary photolithography process and provide a vital alternative to it. After an introduction to the technology and its FIB principles, the recent developments in using milling techniques for making various high-quality devices and high-precision components at the micrometer scale are examined and discussed. Finally, conclusions are presented to summarize the reviewed work and to suggest the areas for improving the FIB milling technology and for future research.
SINGLE-PARTICLE TRACKING

Single-particle techniques are a powerful approach to study systems with spatial or temporal inhomogeneity. The living cell is a prime example of both. Single-particle measurements give much more detailed information than ensemble-averaged measurements. One can find the distribution of properties or behavior, not just the average. Is the distribution Gaussian or does it have more extreme wings? Are there rare events or rare intermediates or interesting subpopulations? Here the term particle is defined very broadly, to include, for example, a lipid, a protein, a subnuclear body, a vesicle, an organelle, a virus, or a colloidal particle. In the discussion of dynamics a particle will be taken to be any object small enough to undergo Brownian motion. Why are these techniques so useful? One reason is that single-particle techniques give the ultimate resolution. The discovery of Brownian motion in 1828 was based on single-particle observations of particles in pollen grains and particles of similar size. The work of Perrin in the early 1900s on Brownian motion established the molecular nature of matter, evaluated Avogadro's number, and identified one of the first fractals known by describing the selfsimilarity of the path of a Brownian particle [1,2]. Another reason is that single-particle techniques provide an alternative approach to a basic requirement in kinetics measurements. Bulk measurements require synchronization, for example, by rapid mixing of reactants, a temperature shift, or photoactivation, to define experimentally the initial time t = 0. Living cells are harder to synchronize, though in some cases it may be done by these methods or by drug or nutrient treatment. Furthermore, even if the system can be synchronized initially, the initial synchronization is lost quickly in a multistep reaction [3]. A single-molecule approach resolves the steps in the sequence and makes it possible to define t = 0 for each reaction step after the fact. The proliferation of single-particle techniques was made possible by a combination of technical advances: digital imaging, computer image enhancement, high-sensitivity video cameras (as well as avalanche photodetectors and better photomultipliers for nonimaging instruments), improved microscope optics and lasers, and improved fluorescent labels. Also important was a
Macroscopic Lagrangian description of warm plasmas: 1. Formulation of the Lagrangian

A macroscopic Lagrangian is derived which includes a pressure tensor, heat conduction, and elastic collisions. Its Euler-Lagrange equations are shown to be the Maxwell equations and the macroscopic force law. The corresponding Hamiltonian is derived, and Hamilton's canonical equations are also demonstrated to lead to the Maxwell equations and the macroscopic force law. The treatment is facilitated by working in a mixture of Eulerian coordinates (for the fields) and Lagrangian coordinates (for the particle motions), and the introduction of a macroscopic potential expressed in terms of the plasma thermal energy and the energy losses by heat conduction. In paper 2 the macroscopic Lagrangian is applied to the description of nonlinear three-wave interactions.
The Physiologic Basis for the Extra-Anatomic Bypass

The effect of different factors on the hemodynamics of extra-anatomic by pass was studied in 12 adult mongrel dogs in an attempt to find a physiologic basis for such bypass operations. It was observed that increased demand of flow following the extra-anatomic bypass graft is met by increasing inflow in the do nor artery proximal to the anastomosis. In the absence of any restriction of in flow, no steal was observed even when the graft flow was increased to 10 times the normal by a fistula on the recipient side. Hypotension per se also failed to produce vascular steal. The graft flow was not affected by changes in the outflow of the donor artery. However, the most significant finding was that once the inflow into the donor artery was restricted down to a critical point, it led to vascular steal. The blood flow measurements 4 weeks after bypass showed an increased flow in all the vessels.
Channeling research into education: Synergy between research and education

By means of an example, this paper describes how research can be channeled into education and shows the synergy between research and education.
SHRINKAGE AND SUCTION PROPERTIES OF PLEDGER-ROEBUCK ALLUVIAL CLAY

The behavior of clays on drying leads to undesirable consequences with regard to high-plasticity clay subgrades and embankments. The soil suction and shrinkage properties of an alluvial clay soil were characterized. The CLOD shrinkage test procedure was found to be very effective in developing the experimental shrinkage curves. At the McCurtain County, Oklahoma, site, three types of samples were analyzed: undisturbed samples taken with thin-walled tubes, hand-augured soil chunks, and compacted standard Proctor samples. Results of the CLOD shrinkage tests for this site indicate consistent results regardless of the sample type and well-defined normal and residual segments of the shrinkage curve. Shrinkage limits estimated from the CLOD shrinkage curves were comparable with shrinkage limit test values. The effect of overconsolidation is reflected in the characteristic curves for different depths in the soil profile. A large suction range was calculated at the general air entry moisture content.
Systematic observations of anomalous refraction at millimeter wavelengths

It is well known that the water vapor in the troposphere plays a fundamental role in radio propagation. The refractivity of water vapor is about 20 times greater in the radio range than in near-infrared or optical regimes. As a consequence, phase fluctuations at frequencies higher than about 1 GHz are predominantly caused by fluctuations in the distribution of water vapor, and thus radio seeing at these frequencies is predominantly caused by tropospheric turbulence. Radio seeing shows up on lled-aperture telescopes as an anomalous refraction (AR), i.e. an apparent displacement of a radio source from its nominal position, corrected for large-scale refractive eects. The magnitude of this eect, as a fraction of the beam width, is bigger on larger telescopes and thus its impact on the pointing is likely to become critically important in the next generation of electrically large lled- aperture radio telescopes (D= > 10 4 ) and in particular on the Large Millimeter Telescope. AR eects are expected to reduce the total eective observing time at the highest frequencies and will aect on-the-fly mapping. Here we present the results of systematic AR measurements carried out with the 13.7-m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. The measured AR pointing errors range from 1 00 3 00 (winter) to about 20 00 (summer) and most of the events last less than about 4 s. We analysed the structure function, power spectrum and Allan variance of the data and we have carried out a statistical analysis to identify correlations of the statistical functions with selected observing parameters such as precipitable water vapor, time of day, season and elevation angle. Our results suggest that uncompensated AR may be the most important dynamic environmental source of pointing errors on the new large radio telescopes (ALMA, GBT, LMT, SRT) and may guide the design of active AR-compensation devices and help allocating suitable observing time through dynamic scheduling.
Investigative Data Analysis Technique for Magnetohydrodynamic Generators

A method of reduction and analysis of data is developed for MHD generators. The axial distributions of core properties are accurately determined without a detailed boundary-layer calculation and without accurate knowledge of wall temperature, wall roughness, absolute conductivity level, or inlet conditions. Using the overall fluid and electrical response of the channel, the technique also determines the distribution of the plasma resistance parameter and, with additional assumptions, evaluates the interframe leakage resistance and local boundary-layer size and shape. Data from joint U.S./USSR tests with the U-25B facility are examined; the extent to which a design code can be validated by comparison with overall generator data is discussed, with the U-25B data used as an example. Nomenclature A = channel area normal to x direction Ab = blocked area B = externally applied magnetic field C,5, K, W = parameters in the electrical model d = electrode pitch E = electric field h = specific enthalpy 7inv = inverter current
Teaching Analysis of Interaction in the 2 × 2 Factorial Design:

We review an approach, presented by Schaefer (1976), for teaching the analysis and interpretation of interaction in an undergraduate psychological statistics course. We present learning objectives based on this approach. Finally, we describe a Windows computer program used both for in-class lecture presentation of material and for student guided practice on each objective.