cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the Quality of Faculty and Administrative Worklife: Implications for College and University Campuses

There seems to be a presumption that the quality of worklife on college and university campuses has declined for faculty and administrative staff. What is not known is how generally true this is perceived to be, to what extent the quality of worklife varies by campus, and for what reasons it varies. Most importantly, it is not clear what impact the quality of worklife of faculty and staff members has on their performance or retention. The following article reviews the recent empirical literature devoted to this topic and offers a framework that conceptualizes these studies in three groups: those that describe and explore differences in the quality of worklife, those that determine the impact of worklife on attitudes, and those that attempt to explain behavioral outcomes. The implications of this work for practice and policy on college and university campuses is discussed. The author argues that campus leaders who want to improve the performance and retention of faculty and administrative staff must identify and address the particular issues that matter to those employed on their campuses.
The making of the Hungarian postcommunist elite: Circulation in politics, reproduction in the economy

Vilfredo Pareto once argued that "history is a graveyard of aristocracies."' Ruling elites are unable to reproduce themselves over long periods, because their members are subject to cyclical circulation. On the surface, the fall of communism in Central Europe appears to corroborate Pareto's claim. The highly publicized (re-)burial of Imre Nagy, the public execution of Nicolae Ceau?escu, and the political backlash against Erich Honecker collectively sent a clear message across the world about the defeat of the old bureaucratic order and the victory of a new political elite. Was this message merely symbolic or did it reflect a more fundamental reorganization of the class structure of postcommunist societies? This question has generated intense theoretical and political debates in Central Europe, as well as in the successor states of the former Soviet Union.
Simple Mathematical Models for Estimating the Bio-Contamination Transported from a Lander or a Rover to the Martian Soil

To enable reliable in situ, or sample return, life detection missions, it is critical that Mars Sample Return missions be free of any biological materials that originated from Earth.
First! Cultural circulation in the age of recursivity

This article develops a cultural theory of firstness and argues for its importance in understanding contemporary cultural circulation. It argues that firstness is a metaculture that plays a role in making culture circulation faster, more reliant on quantification, and more promotional. After drawing support from philosophical, historical, and theoretical understandings of firstness, the article pays particular attention to the cases of web-based comment threads and music blogs to showcase how the competition to be first is central to the cultural ecosystem, especially but not only online. The conclusion suggests how firstness might be indicative of a recursive cultural mode.
E.H. Christopherson Lecture: Lessons for the United States From the Worldwide Child Survival Revolution

It is time to apply in the United States9 principles that are emerging from a series of World Summits and United Nations Conferences on Children, Environment, Population, Women, and Social Development. After years of top-down programs supported by international agencies, which have made some significant contributions in promoting activities such as childhood immunization but are having problems of sustainability, we need to focus now on integrated human development. The past tendency in international assistance to concentrate on economic development has not helped the people in greatest need. There is growing realization that what improves the quality of life most is what people do for themselves. Sustainability requires social mobilization at the local level. There are thousands of integrated, social development projects around the world that demonstrate the power of community-based, participatory approaches and we know how such local programs can be made to work under any political or economic system. What we haven9t learned is how to "go to scale" in extending such projects to cover larger populations. A promising approach11 seems to be using successful local projects upgraded into Centers for Action Learning to promote the adaptation of science-based innovations to everyday life in a whole region of a country.
On the measurement of stationary electric fields in air

Applications and measurement methods for field measurements are reviewed. Recent developments using optical technology are examined. The various methods are compared. It is concluded that the best general purpose instrument is the isolated cylindrical field mill, but MEMS technology could furnish better instruments in the future.
An Overview of Spotfire for Gene‐Expression Studies

Spotfire DecisionSite for Functional Genomics (referred to here as Spotfire) is a powerful data mining and visualization application with use in many disciplines. This unit provides an overview of Spotfire's utility in analyzing gene expression data obtained from DNA microarray experiments. Analysis of microarray data requires software-based solutions able to handle and manipulate the enormous amount of data generated. Spotfire provides a solution for accessing, analyzing and visualizing data generated from microarray experiments. Spotfire is designed to allow biologists with little or no programming or statistical skills to transform, process, and analyze microarray data.
Demographic Variables and Credit Scores: An empirical study of a controversial selection tool

The widespread use of credit scores as a selection tool has raised flags with lawmakers and the general public, but little is known about what impact such practices might have on protected classes. To explore this issue, the reported research investigated the relationship between five demographic variables and individual consumer credit scores. Using demographic data from 142 employees and objective credit data obtained from the Fair Isaac Corporation, the reported research found minority status was negatively related to credit scores (including large effect sizes), whereas age and education level were positively related to credit scores. Implications for organizations currently using or planning to use credit scores as part of their selection practices are discussed.
High assurance engineering: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Over the past two decades, substantial research efforts have been devoted to the design and development of high assurance systems, including general approaches and specific systems. Researchers in fault tolerant systems have developed effective approaches to handle hardware and software failures and provide high system reliability and availability. Techniques for developing high assurance systems span a wide spectrum, ranging from informal to formal methods, from cost-effective to highly expensive approaches, and from ad-hoc to theoretically sound mechanisms. As an informal classification, the paper categorizes these techniques into the good, the bad, and the ugly.
A continuous-time nonlinear dynamic predictive modeling method for Hammerstein processes

This paper extends the method introduced by Rollins et al. (ISA Trans. 1998, 36, 293) to multiple-input, multiple-output systems that give an exact closed-form solution to continuous-time Hammerstein processes written in terms of differential equations and nonlinear inputs. This ability is demonstrated on a theoretical nonlinear Hammerstein process of complex dynamics where perfect identification of the closed-form model is assumed. This paper then demonstrates the simplicity of the proposed identification procedure to obtain an accurate estimate of the exact model using a theoretical Hammerstein model. A powerful attribute of this methodology is the ability to make full use of the statistical design of experiments for optimal data collection and accurate parameter estimation. Application of the proposed method is demonstrated on a household clothes dryer with four input and five output variables. Only 27 trials (input changes) of a central composite design were needed for accurate model development of al...
Magnetoresistance of UPt 3

We have performed measurements of the temperature dependence of the magnetoresistance up to 9 T in bulk single crystals of UPt3 with the magnetic field along the b-axis, the easy magnetization axis. We have confirmed previous results for transverse magnetoresistance with the current along the c-axis, and report measurements of the longitudinal magnetoresistance with the current along the b-axis. The presence of a linear term in both cases indicates broken orientational symmetry associated with magnetic order. With the current along the c-axis the linear term appears near 5 K, increasing rapidly with decreasing temperature. For current along the b-axis the linear contribution is negative.
Administration accuracy of the Wisconsin card sorting test

Abstract This investigation explored the types of examiner errors encountered during the administration of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Seven novice and 7 experienced examiners contributed a total of 70 WCST protocols (35 novice and 35 experienced). Only 28.6% of the protocols were error free and novices made 50% more mistakes than experts. Although no differences emerged between the groups in terms of the type of errors committed, examiners did differ when recording card attributes. Specifically, novices had more problems than experts recording the attribute of “form”, while experts had greater difficulty accurately recording “number”. Response cards that matched a given stimulus card on two attributes were most prone to error. Finally, the recording errors changed test scores and, therefore, may influence test interpretation.
Impact of Public Transit on Employment Status: Disaggregate Analysis of Houston, Texas

The impact of public transit on employment status of individuals is analyzed. The role of public transportation in employment appears in two policy debates regarding the spatial mismatch hypothesis and the role of public or private mobility to help the unemployed to gain employment. However, research studies dealing with the two debates produced conflicting results, and the impact of public transit has not been fully accounted for in explaining employment outcomes. A study was done to disaggregate analysis to explain employment status of individuals in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area as a function of the access to public transit, job accessibility by transit, and household car ownership. The results of the study indicate that job accessibility by public transit has significant impacts on employment levels. However, it is questionable if improving physical access to public transit can significantly help the poor, although it may be effective for enhancing the employment levels of individuals with regular access to private vehicles. Although private mobility also appears significant for improving employment status of the economically disadvantaged, job accessibility by public transit has a stronger effect in increasing the levels of employment than private vehicles. The study defies the contention that public transit is helpless for the underprivileged of the society. Therefore, it is important to continue policy efforts in progress to improve regional public transit service.
Repetitive DNA in differntiating chick tissues

Embryonic chick DNA from different tissues was examined for differences in relative content of highly repetitive DNA which might indicate specific DNA amplification in somatic cells. The content of repetitive sequences in DNA isolated from cerebrum, muscle, and neural retina tissues, at the same and at different embryonic stages, was determined by hydroxyapatite fractionation of partially reassociated DNA samples. An unrenatured marker DNA (C14-labeled E. coli DNA) was added to each chick DNA sample in order to monitor the nonspecific single-stranded DNA retention by each hydroxyapatite column. When chick DNA samples were sheared to a double-stranded length of 1,300 nucleotide pairs, an average of 20.2% +/- 2.2% of the DNA was found to reassociate at a Cot value of 10. The quantity of the fast reassociating sequences was found to constitute the same fraction of the DNA in all the tissues studied. In addition, all the reassociated DNA samples exhibited the same CsCl density classes. The studies also indicated that most chick DNA repetitive sequences are interspersed with nonrepetitive sequences.
Nature versus nurture: an examination of factors that contribute to IT service quality

As the IT unit increases its strategic alignment with the organization, technical people of all levels are required to become more customer-focused. It has been suggested that a service orientation on the part of IT personnel can be a contributing factor to the IT unit's service quality. However, IT workers do not exist in a vacuum, but must work within organizational constraints and incentives. Therefore, despite an IT worker's service orientation or lack thereof, these organizational factors may or may not encourage service oriented behaviors, which in turn affect perceived IT service quality. This research in progress examines the question: is a lack of service oriented skills on the part of IT workers, if such is the case, inherent in the individual personality (nature) or a function of the organizational environment in which he or she must function (nurture)?
Optimal Medical Therapy for Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) remains a major cardiovascular health problem, afflicting millions of people worldwide. Nearly 5 million patients in the United States have HF, and nearly 500000 patients are initially diagnosed with HF every year. Framingham databases estimate that a person has 1 in 5 chances of developing HF in their lifetime. The incidence of HF more than doubles with each decade after the age of 45 years, and approximately 35% of all new HF diagnosis result in hospitalization in the subsequent 12 months. The disorder is the underlying reason for 12 to 15 million office visits and 6.5 million hospital days each year. During the last 10 years, the annual number of hospitalizations has increased from approximately 550000 to nearly 900000 for HF as a primary diagnosis and from 1.7 to 2.6 million for HF as a primary or secondary diagnosis. Heart failure is primarily a disease of the elderly. Approximately 6% to 10% of people older than 65 years have HF, and approximately 80% of patients hospitalized with HF are older than 65 years. Heart failure is the most common Medicare diagnosis-related group, and more Medicare dollars are spent for the diagnosis and treatment of HF than for any other diagnosis. Heart failure is a syndrome that can be caused by a variety of conditions that result in damage to the myocardium. Coronary artery disease is the single most common cause of HF, with a significant increase in the number of patients who can be identified, from 29% to 40%, when coronary angiography is systematically used in addition to clinical criteria. In a minority of patients, isolated hypertension is regarded as the primary cause of HF; however, it frequently coexists with coronary artery disease. However,
On Using Color In Edge-Based Stereo Algorithms

One approach to developing faster, more accurate stereo algorithms is to seek a more complete and efficient use of information available in stereo images. The use of chromatic (color) information has been largely neglected in this regard. Motivations for using chromatic information are discussed, including strong evidence for the use of chromatic information in the human stereo correspondence process. To investigate the potential role of chromatic information in edge-based stereo algorithms, a novel chromatic matching constraint -- the chromatic gradient matching constraint -- is presented. A thorough analysis of the utility of this constraint in both the "match extraction" and "disparity selection" stages of the PMF Algorithm 1 is performed for a wide range of matching strength "support neighborhood" sizes. The performances of the algorithm with and without these constraints are directly compared in terms of disambiguation ability, matching accuracy and algorithm speed. The results demonstrate that the use of chromatic information can greatly reduce matching ambiguity, resulting in increased matching accuracy and algorithm speed.
Determination of melissyl alcohol by capillary column gas chromatography

For accurate determination of polar, high-boiling melissyl alcohol in mixtures containing also low-boiling components by capillary column gas chromatography with hot split injection, all experimental paramenters, such as the injection procedure, insert size and design, injector temperature, sample size, solvent and carrier gas nature, etc. must be optimized. Of the factors affecting the quantitation the nature of the insert packing material is of the greatest importance. With the commonly used packing material, quartz wool, in the insert, a much lower than true melissyl alcohol concentration was obtained. Accurate quantitation was only possible when stop-flow injection, together with an insert packed with glass beads was used.
A cyclical scheduling heuristic for lot sizing with capacity constraints

This paper proposes a heuristic procedure to solve cyclical scheduling problems. Lot sizes for two or more items must be chosen simultaneously for several periods into the future, while recognizing capacity constraints at several work centres. Solving this problem is important in its own right. It also has transfer value to even more complicated situations, such as when the items have parent-component relationships. The proposed heuristic, though in the spirit of Mamie's formulation, has fewer production sequences for each item. The simplified formulation can be solved with a general linear programming code. Another advantage is its use of fixed ordering intervals, which seems to be preferred in practice. Experimental results suggest that the heuristic gives near optimal solutions and requires less computational time. Of particular interest is the heuristic's ability to satisfy capacity constraints when selecting item lot sizes.
Opioid receptor interactions: Local and nonlocal, symmetric and asymmetric, physical and functional

The pharmacological effects of opioid drugs and endogenous opioid peptides are mediated by several kinds of receptors, the major ones being μ, δ and κ. Though classically it has been thought that a particular effect mediated by a drug or other ligand results from its interaction with a single type of receptor, accumulating evidence demonstrates that interactions between receptors play a major role in opioid actions. These interactions may be either local, involving receptors within the same tissue, or nonlocal, between receptors located in different tissues. Nonlocal interactions always involve intercellular mechanisms, whereas local interactions may involve either intercellular or intracellular interactions, the latter including physical association of receptors. Both local and nonlocal interactions, moreover, may be either symmetric, with ligand interaction at one receptor affecting interaction at the other, or asymmetric; and either potentiating or inhibitory. In this article we discuss major examples of these kinds of interactions, and their role in the acute and chronic effects of opioids. Knowledge of these interactions may have important implications for the design of opioids with more specific actions, and for eliminating the addictive liability of these drugs.
An Evidence-Based Guide to Writing Grant Proposals for Clinical Research

The competition for funds to conduct clinical research is intense, and only a minority of grant proposals receive funding. In particular, funding for patient-oriented research lags behind that allocated for basic science research. Grant writing is a skill of fundamental importance to the clinical researcher, and conducting high-quality clinical research requires funds received through successful grant proposals. This article provides recommendations for the grant-writing process for clinical researchers. On the basis of observations from a National Institutes of Health study section, we describe types and sources of grant funds, provide key recommendations regarding the process of grant writing, and highlight the sections of grants that are frequently scrutinized and critiqued. We also provide specific recommendations to help grant writers improve the quality of areas commonly cited as deficient. Application of this systematic approach will make the task more manageable for anyone who writes grants.
A Slowly Growing Extraparenchymal Mass: Imaging Considerations

Abstract: Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (SFTP) is a rare primary pleural neoplasm that most commonly arises from visceral pleural surfaces. SFTPs consist of spindle cells embedded within variable amounts of connective tissue, and may stain positive for vimentin and antibodies to CD 34. Grossly, SFTPs often are attached to pleural surfaces via a pedicle. Most SFTPs are benign, although malignant degeneration may occur in approximately 40% of lesions. Histopathologically, malignancy is favored when high mitotic counts (greater than 4–10 per high power fields), pleomorphism, high cellularity with crowding and overlapping nuclei, tumor giant cells, necrosis, and hemorrhage are encountered. Chest radiography may show a peripheral mass that may show characteristics suggestive of an extraparenchymal location: obtuse angles with the chest wall associated with a circumscribed border on one side of the lesion and a fading margin on the other side. Cross sectional imaging findings of SFTP include a variable sized mass in contact with the chest wall or diaphragm that shows enhancement following intravenous contrast administration. Calcification and effusion are uncommon. Magnetic resonance imaging may show decreased T1 and T2 signal, consistent with the fibrous nature of the lesion. The treatment of choice for SFTP is wide surgical resection.
Serological analysis of H-2 mutants

Serological absorption experiments showed that mutant B6.M505 (H-2 bd ) lacks an H-2K end specificity present in the parental B6 strain. It has a molecular weight of 45,000 dalton, indicating it is an H-2 antigen. It is a private specificity ofK b strains, and has been designated H-2.62.
Demonstration of exercise-induced painless myocardial ischemia in survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation.

Abstract To ascertain if myocardial ischemia is the mechanism of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF), left ventricular (LV) function was assessed at rest and during submaximal exercise in 15 patients who survived out-of-hospital VF. They were separated into asymptomatic (9 patients, group A) and symptomatic (6 patients, group S) groups for a history of angina or myocardial Infarction. Both groups had significant (at least 70% diameter stenosis) coronary artery disease. At catheterization no patient had angina during exercise, but 12 of 15 had ST depression or Increased ST depression (group A, 1.9 ± 1.4 mm; group S, 1.1 ± 1.2 mm) and 11 had abnormal wall motion. From rest to exercise, patients in group S had increased LV end-diastolic pressure (from 21 ± 9 to 37 ± 11 mm Hg, p = 0.0092) and volume (from 100 ± 25 to 107 ± 26 ml/m 2 , p = 0.006), with no significant change in LV ejection fraction (from 40 ± 13 to 42 ± 12%). In group A LV end-diastolic pressure increased from 19 ± 4 to 31 ± 8 mm Hg (p = 0.001), but neither end-diastolic volume nor ejection fraction changed significantly (from 83 ± 13 to 92 ± 23 ml/m 2 and from 55 ± 13% to 46 ± 13%, respectively). Thus, patients with coronary artery disease who survive out-of-hospital VF may have evidence of myocardial ischemia during exercise without pain. Painless ischemia may have a role In out-of-hospital VF.
Automatic disfluency removal for improving spoken language translation

Statistical machine translation (SMT) systems for spoken languages suffer from conversational speech phenomena, in particular, the presence of speech disfluencies. We examine the impact of disfluencies from broadcast conversation data on our hierarchical phrasebased SMT system and implement automatic disfluency removal approaches for cleansing the MT input. We evaluate the efficacy of proposed approaches and investigate the impact of disfluency removal on SMT performance across different disfluency types. We show that for translating Mandarin broadcast conversational transcripts into English, our automatic disfluency removal approaches could produce significant improvement in BLEU and TER.
Perceptions of date and stranger rape: A difference in sex role expectations and rape-supportive beliefs

The sex role expectations and rape-supportive beliefs which are differentially applied to date and stranger rape were assessed. A sample of 62 college females and 33 males read one of three rape scenarios which varied according to the victim-perpetrator relationship (steady dating partners/acquaintances on a first date/strangers). Then participants rated the extent to which several sex role expectations and rape-supportive attitudes were applicable to the assault. MANOVAS and univariate ANOVAS showed that females' and males' perceptions of date rape, more than stranger rape, incorporated sex role expectations and that rape-supportive beliefs, primarily of males, were stronger in relation to steady date than first date or stranger rape. These findings are discussed in the context of the sex role analysis of rape.
Effect of head and body tilt on flicker-induced nystagmus in monkeys.

Abstract Nystagmus was induced in four normal monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by monocular stroboscopic stimulation. The direction and frequency of the response were determined in electrooculograms at eight tilts in the frontal plane and four in the sagittal plane. Eight directions, 45° apart, were identified and the prevailing vector was selected as that showing the highest accumulation in histograms. This vector showed a component to the side of the stimulated eye in all positions tested, and varied sinusoidally with the angle of tilt in the frontal plane. It was minimally influenced by tilts in the sagittal plane. The direction of nystagmus at every tilt was strictly opposite when elicited by right or left eye stimulation. Frequency changes with tilts in the frontal plane were similar for both eyes, being maximal in the upside down and minimal in the lateral positions. There was a significant negative correlation between frequency and the deviation of the prevailing vector away from the horizontal plane of the eyes. With tilts in the sagittal plane, frequency was minimal in the prone posture. The changes in the prevailing vector may be attributed to the function of the otolith organ at a central level or through changes in the initial eye position due to ocular counterrolling or both. The changes in frequency can be interpreted as otolith excitatory or strongly inhibitory influences in the upside down or lateral positions, respectively. It could also reflect a property of the oculomotor system whereby it reacts more effectively in the horizontal plane and its efficiency decreases when oblique vectors are introduced. The phenomenon as a whole is discussed in terms of three possible mechanisms, and its modification by static tilts is offered as an experimental animal model of visuootolithic interactions.
Observations on the blood glucose of Lumbricus

Abstract 1. 1. Reducing sugars were observed to be extremely low or absent in the blood and coelomic fluid of Lumbricus. 2. . Injection of glucose solutions into the coelomic cavity lead to an equilibrium of this compound between the blood and coelomic fluid and its disappearance from both compartments in about 4–6 hr. 3. 3. The significance of these observations and a comparison with Pheretima are presented.
Cross Traffic Signing for Stop Signs

Signs warning motorists that traffic on the cross street does not stop can be found at some intersections that are not all-way stop controlled. These "cross traffic" signs have been installed to furnish a special warning where some motorists on the minor approaches may incorrectly assume that the major crossing street also has stop signs. The variety of cross traffic signs in use lack uniformity of message, color, shape, and placement location. A literature review and two surveys were conducted to examine (a) present usage of cross traffic signs, (b) circumstances under which these signs have been installed, (c) studies of the effectiveness of the signs, and (d) future actions. The accident data reviewed offered mixed results about the signs' effectiveness: at some locations the signs appeared to reduce accident frequencies; at others, accidents continued despite their presence. If the intersections at which these signs have been installed are experiencing right-angle accidents due to a number of differen...
Introducing high performance crystalfree™ pMEMS oscillators

High performance oscillators based on piezoelectrically transduced pMEMS™ resonators are introduced. pMEMS resonators consist of a piezoelectric material (AlN) on a single-crystal silicon layer substrate and typically have a quality factor of more than a few thousand and insertion loss close to −10dB. Plastic packaged pMEMS™ oscillators are immune to shock and vibration of 1500G and 20G, respectively, and have shown excellent long term frequency stability at 25°C, 125°C, −40C and hysteresis testing over −40°C to 125°C. Due to high quality factor and low motional impedance, oscillators based on pMEMS™ resonators can deliver low phase noise well below <1.0ps for bandwidth from 12kHz to 20MHz.
A “click-based” porous organic polymer from tetrahedral building blocks

A thermally and chemically stable “click-based” porous organic polymer with high surface area was synthesized from two tetrahedral building blocks.
Surgical Consent Factors That Influence Risk Recall for Midurethral Sling Surgery

was used to examine the effect of varying rates of the decision to pursue surgical treatment if conservative management failed (base case = 0.33) as well as varying rates of SUI cure with pessaries and PFMT (base case = 0.35 and 0.40, respectively). The primary outcome was an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) threshold of less than $50,000 USD, a commonly used threshold to determine cost effectiveness. Results: Compared to an incontinence pessary, initial treatment of SUI with PFMT was the most cost effective strategy with an ICER of 22,450.00 per quality adjusted life year (QALY). Initial treatment of MUS was not cost effective with an ICER above the acceptable threshold ($60,971 USD/ QALY) in our base case scenario. In two-way sensitivity analysis MUS becomes the most cost effective strategy if cure of SUI is less than 36% with PFMT or 32% for incontinence pessary. Conclusion: At 1 year, PFMT is the most cost effective initial treatment for SUI unless ‘‘cure’’ rates with PFMT fall below 36%. DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS:
Optimizing the layout of discrete objects in structures and materials: A projection-based topology optimization approach

Abstract This paper uses topology optimization to optimize the layout of discrete objects, such as fixed-shape void, stiffening, or functional inclusions, in structures and periodic materials. The methodology follows a material distribution approach and the Heaviside Projection Method (HPM) is manipulated to ensure that the designed objects are discrete, of fixed size (length scale) and shape, and satisfy minimum spacing requirements. These restrictions are achieved implicitly through projection without additional constraints or heuristics. The methodology is built in the spirit of free-form topology optimization and thus discrete objects are shown to appear, vanish, or translate across the design domain during the design evolution. The technique is demonstrated on problems governed by mechanical stiffness including the design of structures and material microstructures whose elastic stiffness is to be enhanced by optimizing the location of stiff, circular inclusions.
Effect of growth temperature gradients on residual stresses in halides

Abstract Thermal gradients experienced by alkali halide crystals during growth by the Czochralski process were measured. The optical homogeneity of the crystals was measured interferometrically. Refractive index variations are shown to result from the temperature gradients during growth which produce thermoelastic strains that are quenched and result in a stressed crystal. Minimization of thermal gradients is shown to produce crystals that have better optical uniformity.
Glial activation and brain aging

While basal forebrain cholinergic neurons degenerate in aging and Alzheimer's disease, the cholinergic groups of the upper brainstem are preserved. Since the brainstem reticular-like cholinergic neurons differ from the rostral cholinergic phenotype by their high expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA, we hypothesized that they contain biochemical mechanisms to protect themselves against self-induced damage by nitric oxide (NO). Our initial question was a source of the NO during the aging process. We found a significant correlation between cognitive function and markers for glial activation and oxidative stress using aged rats. This result indicates that oxidative stress accompanied by glial activation may be occurred in the cognitively impaired animals. We also found mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) was significantly damaged in these animals, while accumulation of oxidative damage was not evident in other molecules. Therefore, oxidative damage to the mDNA by glial activation may occur in the cells having poor protection against oxidative stress during aging. Then the dysfunction of mitochondria, induced by the mDNA damage, may induce cell death as well as produce another oxidative stress to cause neuronal damage. The damaged neurons induce further glial activation and such self-accelerated immune-like response results in progressive neurodegeneration.
A new BR neurone in the visceral ganglion of Helix pomatia: Effects of ACH and BA2+ on the firing pattern and I-V characteristics

Abstract 1. The new burster has been localized in the middle of the visceral ganglion under the superficial layer of neurones. It fires trains of 1–13 spikes and receives IPSP's from an unidentified sensory or interneurone. 2. Steady-state I–V membrane characteristics show inward going anomalous rectification and hysteresis but the slope membrane resistance and anomalous rectification character change from time to time depending on the functional state. 3. Acetylcholine (5 × 10 −5 M) increased the average spike frequency but hardly decreased the slope membrane resistance of this neurone. It could be characterized as a not very sensitive D- or DINHI-neurone. 4. Ba 2+ influenced the neuronal activity on two distinct ways. First of all it excited the neurone with a shorter time course and its excitatory effect strengthened if the Ca 2+ concentration in the medium was low. Ba 2+ inhibited the neuronal activity with a longer time course activating the inhibitory nerve terminals in a direct and/or indirect ways and this effect increased if the Ca 2+ concentration was elevated. 5. In the barium evoked inhibitory period the slope membrane resistance decreased, the hysteresis disappeared and linear I–V relation predominated.
Indexation and misorientation analysis of low-quality Laue diffraction patterns

A Laue X-ray diffraction pattern indexing scheme, similar to a method previously proposed for convergent beam and backscattered electron diffraction patterns, was implemented. Experimental diffraction patterns are compared with simulated templates corresponding to crystals of prescribed orientations. The orientation of a diffracting volume is determined by maximizing a normalized cross correlation index between experimental and theoretical patterns. The advantages of template matching include (i) elimination of the requirement for extensive peak search/fitting analysis; (ii) the ability to index overlapped diffraction patterns obtained from neighboring grains or second phase particles; and (iii) the ability to confidently index patterns of low quality. A best fit orientation can then be determined by a least-squares fitting approach based on singular value decomposition. The misorientation within a diffracting volume is calculated from `smeared' and/or `split' Laue patterns. The methodologies developed are illustrated using micro-Laue diffraction data obtained from the wake of a fatigue crack.
Perioperative Intravenous Steroid Treatment and Tonsillectomy

agnosis, and surgical and anesthetic technique. The anesthetic techniques varied from study to study. All used a single intravenous dose of dexamethasone, administered after anesthetic induction but prior to the surgical procedure, with some variation in dose. These studies were done on otherwise healthy individuals without chronic medical problems and in most cases specifically excluded patients with ulcers, diabetes, and steroid-dependent asthma or other conditions. PRO
Improved DC Reliability of Polysilicon Thin‐Film Transistors with Deuterium Plasma Treatment

We demonstrate the improved reliability of high-temperature (950°C) processed poly-Si TFTs passivated in a deuterium plasma ambient. Deuterated TFTs exhibit better resistance to performance degradation under dc stress than hydrogenated TFTs. In particular, VT shift is substantially reduced for deuterated TFTs. Our results indicate that the simple substitution of deuterium gas for hydrogen gas in plasma passivation of poly-Si TFTs can significantly improve device lifetime.
Cognitive, Behavioral, and Physiological Changes in Alzheimer Disease Patients as a Function of Incontinence Medications

Objective Authors evaluated the cognitive, neurophysiologic, and behavioral effects of incontinence medications in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods Nine patients were evaluated, both on and off incontinence medication, for cognitive status, neuropsychiatric status, activities of daily living, and serum anticholinergic level. Caregivers were interviewed to evaluate behavioral status and caregiver burden. Results Patients showed better performance on specific measures of cognition and behavior when not taking medication for incontinence. A significant, inverse correlation was found between mental status and anticholinergic level. Conclusion Although the sample size was small, the findings suggest that, in patients with AD, incontinence medications with anticholinergic properties may have detrimental effects on mental status and behavior.
Impact of sum of failure rates (SOFR) model on thermal design in SOC's for next generation game consoles

The SOFR model is modified for SOCs in consumer electronics applications such as game consoles for advanced logic technology nodes (~2X nm). Using a representative voltage/temperature dataset from XBOX ONE SOC operation, a quantitative measure of “degree of over-design coefficient (df)” is developed to better understand the impact of worst case reliability assumptions on thermal design. A simple analytical model is also developed to illustrate the relationship between silicon level failure rates and a system level thermal design parameter (h), or the heat transfer coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient (h) is also identified as a proxy for thermal design elements such as heat sink size, fan size and speed, which strongly influence user experience. It is thus emphasized that use of SOFR model minimizes thermal over-design, thereby improving user experience, without compromising reliability.
Changes in contraceptive method mix in developing countries.

Understanding shifts in contraceptive method mix is key to helping policymakers program managers and donor agencies meet current contraceptive demand and estimate future needs in developing countries. Data from Demographic and Health Surveys Reproductive Health Surveys and other nationally representative surveys were analyzed to describe trends and shifts in method mix among married women of reproductive age from 1980 to 2005. The analysis included 310 surveys from 104 developing countries. Contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age increased in all regions of the developing world reaching 66% in Asia and 73% in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2000-2005 though only 22% in Sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of married contraceptive users relying on the IUD declined from 24% to 20% and the proportion using the pill fell from 16% to 12%. The share of method mix for injectables rose from 2% to 8% and climbed from 8% to 26% in Sub-Saharan Africa while the share for condoms was 5-7%. The overall proportion of users relying on female sterilization ranged from 29% to 39% reaching 42-43% in Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2000-2005; on average the share of all method use accounted for by male sterilization remained below 3% for all periods. Use of traditional methods declined in all regions; the sharpest drop - from 56% to 31% of users - occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. To meet the rising demand for modern methods it is critical that future programmatic efforts provide methods that are both accessible and acceptable to users. (authors)
Text-based database searching

Abstract As the amount of biologically relevant data is increasing at such a rapid rate, knowing how to access and search this information is essential. There are three data retrieval systems of particular relevance to molecular biologists Entrez, Sequence Retrieval System (SRS) and DBGET.
The effect of organometallic vapor phase epitaxial growth conditions on Wurtzite GaN electron transport properties

The growth issues known to effect the quality of GaN organometallic vapor phase epitaxial films are reviewed and the best 300Kmobility vs electron concentration data are discussed. The data probably represent transport properties intrinsic to films grown on sapphire. From the results of Hall measurements, the unintentional donor in high quality GaN films cannot be Si since the donor ionization energy is much larger than that of films intentionally doped with Si (36 vs 26 meV). Electrical properties of a doped channel layer are shown not to be significantly different from those of thick films which implies a viable technology for conducting channel devices. It is argued that 77K Hall measurements are a useful indicator of GaN film quality and a compilation of unintentionally and Si doped data is presented. The 77K data imply that, at least over a limited range, Si-doping does not appreciably change the compensation of the GaN. The 77K data indicate that the low mobilities of films grown at low temperatures are probably not related to dopant impurities.
Characterization of 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium induced increased proenkephalin processing in bovine chromaffin cells

Acute stimulation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in culture with 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) gives rise to a significant increase in secretion of [Met5]-enkephalin immunoreactive material (ME-IRM) into the culture medium (1). Following this secretion the cellular ME-IRM levels do not decrease, suggesting the replenishment of the peptides. The repletion of the cellular ME-IRM appears to result from an increase in processing of large molecular weight peptides containing [Met5]-enkephalin and [Leu5]-enkephalin. Gel filtration chromatography on Bio-Gel P-10 was used to fractionate the enkephalin-like peptides (ELPs) present in the culture media and chromaffin cell extracts. Fractionation was done for samples before and after nicotinic receptor stimulation by DMPP to demonstrate the secretion and repletion of the ELPs. Gel chromatographic profiles of ELPs present in the culture media after DMPP stimulation revealed the presence of 4 peaks, representing different molecular forms of these peptides (Peaks 1-4), with a selective increase in secretion of Peaks 3 and 4. The chromatograms of ELPs extracted from cultured chromaffin cells showed similar patterns to those obtained from ELPs present in the culture medium after stimulation. Analyses of individual peaks after fractionation of cell culture extracts showed an increase in the amount of immunoreactive material found in Peak 4 with a concomitant decrease in the immunoreactivity found in the higher molecular weight peaks (Peaks 1-3). Further purification of Peak 4 from cell extracts on reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) showed a significant amount of ELPs existed as the sulfoxide derivative of [Met5]-enkephalin. The content of [Met5]-enkephalin sulfoxide (ME-O-enk) did not decrease following DMPP stimulation. We conclude that acute stimulation of nicotinic receptors in the chromaffin cells enhances the processing of proenkephalin precursors to keep pace with the secretion of low molecular weight peptides.
Study of androgen-binding cytosol proteins from rat prostate: Purification of androgen receptor

Abstract The crude 8 and 4 S androgen-binding cytosol fractions from castrated rat prostate have been fractionated by sequential chromatography on calf thymus DNA-cellulose and rat prostate DNA-cellulose. This procedure yields one specific DNA-binding 8 S protein fraction (A1 b ) showing selective affinity toward prostate DNA, one nonspecific DNA-binding protein fraction (A2 b ) which binds to both calf thymus DNA and rat prostate DNA, and a non-DNA-binding fraction (A1 a ) from the 8 S cytosol fraction. The 4 S cytosol fraction does not interact with DNA from either source. Studies of these androgen-binding fractions indicate that only fraction A1 b shows significant specific binding to [ 3 H]dihydrotestosterone. The [ 3 H] dihydrotestosterone-A1 b complex manifests active target tissue-specific translocation into the nucleus. The complex also stimulates transcription of DNA in vitro in an RNA polymerase II reaction as compared with the other androgen-binding cytosol fractions. The employment of selective DNA-affinity chromatography of the androgen-binding cytosol proteins results in considerable simplification of the molecular complexity of the crude 8 S fraction, with a partial purification of the active androgen receptor from prostate cytosol.
571 MEDICAL CARE AND THE LARGE PREMATURE INFANT

Large preterm infants (born before 37 completed weeks of gestation and weighing >2250 grams) experience a neonatal mortality risk almost 4 times higher than do term infants in the same weight range. In an analysis of the effect of hospital level of birth op neonatal mortality, such large preterm infants were found to experience higher mortality if born outside of a tertiary care (Level 3) center. For all singleton infants in this weight-gestation category born in New York City over a 3 year period (N=23,257), the relative mortality risk for Level 1 births (compared to Level 3) was 1.72 (p<.01) and for Level 2 births 1.47 (p <.05). The excess mortality at Level 1 and Level 2 units was almost entirely due to a more than twofold higher death rate in black infants born in these units. Several potentially confounding socio-economic, demographic and biological variables entered into a logistic regression model could not account for the higher mortality rates in Level 1 and Level 2 units. Deaths in large preterm black infants born at Level 1 hospitals were less likely to occur in a receiving tertiary care center than were deaths in low birthweight infants, or deaths in term normal weight infants, suggesting that the need for special care of large preterm infants is underestimated in hospitals without newborn intensive care units.