cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insurance Competition Under Asymmetric Categorization: Evidence from the Washington Automobile Insurance Market

To strategically segment a market a firm must categorize consumers more finely than its competitors and set its prices within those categories to simultaneously create adverse selection problems for its competitors and exploit those problems to increase its profits and market share. Recent research finds evidence of strategic segmentation but the extent to which segmentation is utilized in insurance markets is unclear. The evidence of segmentation is limited to rapidly developing and relatively high risk markets. This paper contributes to the literature on in three important respects. First, no evidence is found for the use of strategic segmentation in the Washington standard auto insurance market. Second, the predictions regarding the relationship between the distribution of consumers in terms of their cost of insuring and the profitability of segmentation are found to be consistent with data. Together these results imply that segmentation only conveys an advantage in markets with relatively high expected risk heterogeneity within existing categories. Finally, the results provide a robustness check for the empirical strategy used to identified strategic segmentation in the Washington non-standard auto insurance market.
Display Technologies Incorporated (DTI): What Went Wrong?

This case exemplifies the fact that how despite tremendous technological innovation, an organization faces extinction due to market innovation by its owners. This case serves a point of refute to the traditional management thinking that positively links technological innovation to unremitting competitive advantage. The success of DTI to meet their customer's (IBM and Toshiba, who were also it's owners) requirement and overcome the manufacturing bottlenecks is an example of managing radical technological innovation. It was Toru Shima's (President, DTI) vision of mixing the right strategies due to which they not only met the requirement of 100,000 units per month but also overcome the hurdles imposed by the complex technological and manufacturing process. As a result the production not only doubled but also tripled. But due to the increased competition and slumping that led to increased pressure on the manufactures of LCDs, led IBM and Toshiba seek for different market focus. While Toshiba saw opportunity in mid-to small scale sized LCDs display for cell phones and hand held devices, IBM focussed on larger, high resolution LCDs for computer monitors. This ended their common vision, which led to the formation of DTI. Thus, traditionally it could be said that the fate of DTI was inevitable and should not be discussed along with the lines of organizational failure or death/extinction. Yet such school of thought may not entirely impede a debate whether such a fate could have been reversed. Death of a firm is an inevitable alternative to self-renewal. A successful firm should always adapt itself or even change the ecosystem to its favor in which it belongs, it were to survive beyond a Strategic Infection Point (SIP). The market innovation of IBM and Toshiba had triggered a Strategic Inflection Point (SIP) that DTI should have realized and acted accordingly.
Chapter 18 Bioremediation of marine oil spills

Publisher Summary Marine seeps are widespread and are a major source of oil into the World's oceans. Such seeps have been occurring for millions of years, providing an important input of degradable carbon for local ecosystems and perhaps even major fisheries. A diverse group of microorganisms exploits this natural input. Oil-degrading microbes have been found in all marine environments where they have been looked for, and more than 70 genera of Eubacteria and Archaea and a 100 genera of fungi have been shown capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbons. These organisms remove oil seepage and spilled oil from the marine and terrestrial environment. Oil spill bioremediation technologies epitomize modern environmental techniques—working with natural processes to remove spilled oil from the environment while minimizing undesirable environmental impacts. If a floating oil slick cannot be collected or burnt, chemical dispersants will cause the oil to move into the water column as tiny droplets with a dramatically increased surface area that allow rapid biodegradation. If oil reaches a shoreline and cannot be removed physically, the careful addition of fertilizers will stimulate oil biodegradation without adverse environmental impact. These two tools are an important part of the toolkit for dealing with accidental and deliberate releases of oil into the marine environment.
Optimization of lasing in semiconductor micro-stadiums

In this paper, lasing in semiconductor micro-stadiums of various aspect ratio is studied to find out how the cavity shape affects the lasing frequency and threshold. The sample investigated contains a thin InAs quantum well between two 100 nm GaAs cladding layers. Numerical simulation using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are carried out.
Modulation of heparanase expression in myeloma tumor cell lines by defibrotide: A novel mechanism of anti-tumor activity

3100 Introduction: Heparanase is an endo-β-D-glucoronidase that cleaves heparan sulphate, the main polysaccharide component of extracellular matrix and basement membrane. Elevated heparanase expression in humans has been correlated with advanced progression and metastasis of many tumor types, including multiple myeloma (MM), where its presence may be particularly important because MM expresses high levels of heparin sulphate proteoglycan syndecan-1 (CD138). Defibrotide (DF) is a novel polydisperse oligonucleotide with anti-thrombotic, thrombolytic, anti-ischemic, and anti-adhesive properties. Recently, DF has been shown to increase in vivo sensitivity of MM cells to conventional chemotherapy by modulating interactions of MM tumor cells with their local microenvironment. Moreover, early phase clinical studies in MM of DF in combination with melphalan, prednisone and thalidomide have been promising, with increased activity and minimal toxicity reported. We investigated whether DF is effective in regulating the expression and activity of heparanase in two MM cell lines, U266 and RPMI 8226, in vitro. Methods: Immunostaining analysis using Steptavidin-FITC two step method, revealed a high expression of heparanase in U266 and RPMI 8226 cell lines. This result was confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. The potential effect of DF to regulate heparanase gene expression was evaluated through real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of cDNA prepared from the two lines of MM cells treated with DF or saline (as a control). Results showed a significant downregulation of heparanase gene expression by DF (at 150µg/ml) after 24h of treatment (p Conclusion: These data suggest DF not only has an effect in downregulation of heparanase gene expression, but also decreases its enzymatic activity in MM cell lines. Thus, DF may suppress tumor-associated angiogenesis and tumor dissemination through suppression of heparanase with a subsequent reduction in the release of stores of growth factors from extra-cellular matrix. This in part may explain DF’s anti-MM activity both in vitro and in vivo. Further studies utilising patient derived MM cells, and murine models to better define this mechanism of action are underway.
Thirty-plus functional families from a single motif

It is now possible to identify over 30 functional subfamilies among the WD-repeat-containing proteins found in the completed genomes. The majority of these subfamilies have at least one member for which experimental data allow assignment to a cellular pathway or process. Half of the 63 WD-repeat-containing proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, half of the 70 in Caenorhabditis elegans, and a third of the 100 plus predicted in Drosophila can be assigned to 23 of these functional subfamilies. Perhaps indicative of the future, 33 WD-repeat-containing proteins from the partial genome of Arabidopsis thaliana can now be assigned to 18 of these subfamilies. These assignments have been made possible by combining traditional sequence similarity with an implied common beta propeller structural context to obtain measures of protein-protein surface similarity. The beta propeller structural context is represented in the form of a Hidden Markov Model. The procedure is completely automated.
Sun-induced veiling glare in dusty camera optics

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to send two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) to Mars in 2003. Onboard these rovers will be a number of scientific and engineering cameras. Mars is a dusty place, so dust will accumulate on the front surface of the camera optics. When the sun shines on the dusty front surface, light will be scattered to the detector. This increases glare and reduces contrast. The rover lenses must work, even when the sun shines on the front element. Therefore, the veiling glare has been evalu- ated by experiments. We discuss these experiments and the results. © 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (DOI: 10.1117/1.1635835) Subject terms: Mars; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Mars exploration rovers; cam- era; sun; veiling glare; dust; optics.
Correlation of Web usage and exam performance in a human anatomy and development course.

Course materials for a Human Anatomy and Development Course were placed on the World Wide Web (WWW). The materials included a lab manual, lecture notes and slides, faculty-generated atlases, Web links, and examinations. The lab manual, lecture notes, and atlases were also provided as black-and-white hardcopy. The Office of Education assigned students a code name that allowed them to use the Web site and take exams anonymously. Student Web use was tracked and correlated with their performance on the final examination. Overall use patterns revealed that most students used the Web site to prepare for examinations, but not for daily studying. Old examinations were the most accessed documents; lecture notes were the least accessed. The access patterns of the students with top 20, middle 20 (closest to the mean), and bottom 20 scores on the final examination were compared. In general, there was little difference between the middle and top groups. Students in the bottom group used computer resources significantly less than the other groups. In a second analysis, the 10 students who used the Web site most frequently scored below the mean. The study suggests that interactive exercises will be heavily used, but that the preparation of all course materials for the WWW may not be an efficient use of institutional resources. Clin. Anat. 15:351–355, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of a dual-channel correlator

In 1986, the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) unveiled the world's smallest optical correlator to demonstrate the ability to make small rugged optical processors capable of surviving transportation and use outside the laboratory. That capability has now been extended. A new solid block correlator has been built for MICOM by the Optical Corporation of America Applied Optics Division. This advanced solid block correlator (ASBC) is based on the same designed used for the original solid block correlator, but incorporates liquid crystal televisions in both the input and filter planes. The ASBC also has the advantage of two separate filter channels to increase filter throughput or allow simultaneous monitoring to the response to two different filters. This paper will present the results obtained from evaluation tests performed with the ASBC.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Symmetrical Nitroxide Synthesis: Meso versus d,l Diastereomer Formation

The syntheses of C2-symmetrical isoindoline nitroxide 2a and meso-isoindoline nitroxide 2b have been achieved by two different routes. The chiral C2-symmetric nitroxide derives from the addition of a Grignard reagent from the least hindered face opposite the large phenyl group in nitrone intermediate 21, whereas the isoindoline 3b precursor to the meso nitroxide is formed by the addition of a Grignard reagent from the face opposite the large magnesium oxide group of the tight ion pair of iminium 19. The assignment of these structures is confirmed by preparation of several derivatives as well as by X-ray crystallography.
Chemical Fluid Deposition of Pt-Based Bimetallic Nanoparticles on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Application

A simple and green method of depositing platinum-based bimetallic nanoparticles (Pt−Ru, Pt−Cu, Pt−Au, Pt−Pd, and Pt−Ni) on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) is described. CO2-soluble metal precursors, such as metal acetylacetonates or hexafluoroacetylacetonates, were used in the experiments. Suitable temperature and pressure conditions for synthesizing each kind of bimetallic nanoparticle are studied. Characterizations of these nanocomposites, performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), all confirmed their presence. These MWCNT-supported bimetallic nanoparticles have average sizes varying from 2.8 to 9.3 nm. The application of these nanocomposites is demonstrated by using them as electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Their electrochemical activities are studied by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), and their efficiency to oxidize methanol to carbon dioxide is at...
Identification of three protein kinases which phosphorylate threonyl-tRNA synthetase from rat liver

Abstract Threonyl-tRNA synthetase is phosphorylated in Chinese hamster ovary cells labeled with 2 P i [(1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259,11160–11161]. Phosphorylation of the purified synthetase from rat liver has been examined with five different protein kinases. Three of the enzymes phosphorylate the synthetase, protease activated kinase I, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and the Ca 2+ , phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation occurs exclusively on seryl residues. Two-dimensional phosphopeptide maps of tryptic digests of the phosphorylated synthetase are distinct with each protein kinase. These data suggest that multiple phosphorylation of the synthetase may occur in vivo.
Methodological considerations in the study of population density and social pathology

A previous study of the effects of overcrowding on social behavior is discussed and replicated in this article. Consideration of two major methodological problems — the construction of the class and ethnicity indices and the measurement of social class — leads to reanalysis of the data and to results differing in several significant respects from the original results. Although these new results do not provide a definitive answer to the question of the effects of population density on social pathologies, they do show that studies of the problem are subject to several, possibly severe, measurement problems. Until these are more adequately dealt with, conclusions regarding the relation between density and human behavior must be both cautious and tentative.
Latina Early Childhood Teachers Negotiating Language Policies en la Frontera

Grounded in new language policy studies (McCarty, Collins, & Hopson, 2011), this qualitative study examines two bilingual Latina preschool teachers’ language views, experiences, skills, and goals in a Texas/Mexico border community to determine how these factors mediate their choice to use Spanish/English in their instructional practices with the emergent bilingual children in their classrooms. Despite a stated institutional language policy that valued the equal use of English and Spanish, case study teachers’ individual values of and practices with each language were shaped by their educational experiences acquiring English. Particularly, their language skills in each language were found to be influential factors in teachers’ negotiations of how much and in what ways Spanish was used for instruction. Implications for teacher training and professional development are discussed.
The origin and structure of icy cometary nuclei

The composition and structure of icy conglomerate comet nuclei formed by an accumulation process in the primordial solar nebula is examined. In addition to the constituents usually proposed more complex and reactive molecules are expected. A significant proportion of compounds stable only at low temperatures should occur also. The mixture of ices and meteoric matter would form an aggregate with a density of a few tenths of a gm per cm3. An H2O-ice nucleus is stable to radii of 10 km. For larger objects compression begins to occur at the center causing the structure of small comets and the outer regions of large comets to differ from that of the interior. Cometary meteor showers suggest that such differences do exist.
The effect of silica nanoparticle-modified surfaces on cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization and function.

Chemical and morphological characteristics of a biomaterial surface are thought to play an important role in determining cellular differentiation and apoptosis. In this report, we investigate the effect of nanoparticle (NP) assemblies arranged on a flat substrate on cytoskeletal organization, proliferation and metabolic activity on two cell types, Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) and mouse calvarial preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1). To vary roughness without altering chemistry, glass substrates were coated with monodispersed silica nanoparticles of 50, 100 and 300 nm in diameter. The impact of surface roughness at the nanoscale on cell morphology was studied by quantifying cell spreading, shape, cytoskeletal F-actin alignment, and recruitment of focal adhesion complexes (FAC) using image analysis. Metabolic activity was followed using a thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. In the two cell types tested, surface roughness introduced by nanoparticles had cell type specific effects on cell morphology and metabolism. While BAEC on NP-modified substrates exhibited smaller cell areas and fewer focal adhesion complexes compared to BAEC grown on glass, MC3T3-E1 cells in contrast exhibited larger cell areas on NP-modified surfaces and an increased number of FACs, in comparison to unmodified glass. However, both cell types on 50 nm NP had the highest proliferation rates (comparable to glass control) whereas cells grown on 300 nm NP exhibited inhibited proliferation. Interestingly, for both cell types surface roughness promoted the formation of long, thick F-actin fibers, which aligned with the long axis of each cell. These findings are consistent with our earlier result that osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal progenitor cells is enhanced on NP-modified surfaces. Our finding that nanoroughness, as imparted by nanoparticle assemblies, effects cellular processes in a cell specific manner, can have far reaching consequences on the development of “smart” biomaterials especially for directing stem cell differentiation.
Determining the instantaneous distance to the moon by direct triangulation

Details of a method for obtaining the instantaneous distance from the earth to the moon to within 5% by direct triangulation are described. Line of sight unit vectors are calculated based on azimuth and zenith angle measurements of the moon made simultaneously with ordinary surveying theodolites from two known points on the surface of the earth. These unit vectors and the baseline distance between the two observation points, typically several thousand kilometres apart, are used to compute the earth–moon distance. Recommendations for college and high school physics classes are included.
Towards an understanding of instructional design heuristics: an exploratory Delphi study

Evidence suggests that experienced instructional designers often use heuristics and adapted models when engaged in the instructional design problem-solving process. This study used the Delphi technique to identify a core set of heuristics designers reported as being important to the success of the design process. The overarching purpose of the study was: (1) to examine and describe the heuristics that guided instructional designers’ practice and (2) to identify the relationship between these heuristics and key competencies of the discipline, as outlined by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction. Sixty-one heuristics were ultimately identified (reached consensus). All 61 aligned with at least one of the four categories of IBSTPI, with some aligning with more than one. More specifically, 17 heuristics aligned with Professional Foundations competencies, 17 aligned with Planning and Analysis competencies, 18 aligned with Design and Development competencies and 10 aligned with Implementation and Management competencies. By examining instructional design heuristics, we hope to better understand the potential genesis and/or future application of each heuristic. Results provide insights into the specific heuristics experienced designers perceive as being effective during the ID process.
Premenstrual disorders: bridging research and clinical reality.

¶Introduction: As with a number of emotional disorders, premenstrual complaints lie on a continuum dictated by severity, number and type of symptoms experienced. Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) generally constitute the most symptomatic subgroup among those experiencing premenstrual symptoms. Included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) criteria for PMDD is a requirement for a minimum of 5 symptoms and for confirmation of these symptoms over two months by concurrent symptom ratings. These requirements likely influence critical patient characteristics rendering trial participants and typical patients seeking treatment, very different.
Microfluidic Shear Devices for Quantitative Analysis of Cell Adhesion

We describe the design, construction, and characterization of microfluidic devices for studying cell adhesion and cell mechanics. The method offers multiple advantages over previous approaches, including a wide range of distractive forces, high-throughput performance, simplicity in experimental setup and control, and potential for integration with other microanalytic modules. By manipulating the geometry and surface chemistry of the microdevices, we are able to vary the shear force and the biochemistry during an experiment. The dynamics of cell detachment under different conditions can be captured simultaneously using time-lapse videomicroscopy. We demonstrate assessment of cell adhesion to fibronectin-coated substrates as a function of the shear stress or fibronectin concentration in microchannels. Furthermore, a combined perfusion-shear device is designed to maintain cell viability for long-term culture as well as to introduce exogenous reagents for biochemical studies of cell adhesion regulation. In ag...
Influence of serotonergic and adrenergic antagonists on TRH-induced prolactin release in the monkey.

Abstract The influence of methysergide, cyproheptadine and SQ 10,631 (serotonergic receptor blockers) at the dose of 35 μg/kg, 50 μg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively, and propranolol, phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine (adrenergic receptor blockers) at the dose of 1 mg/kg on TRH-induced prolactin release was studied in sexually mature female monkeys. The serotonergic antagonists had no effect on TRH-induced prolactin release. Both β and α adrenergic antagonist gave a similar potentiation of the TRH-induced prolactin response but only phenoxybenzamine plus TRH was statistically different (P
Viscoelastic fracture behaviour for different rubber-modified epoxy adhesive formulations

Abstract The viscoelastic fracture behaviour of various rubber-modified epoxy formulations was analysed using a time-temperature superposition approach. The shift factors for all of these systems were quite similar. In addition, an equivalent analysis of yield stress data was performed for one of the samples; it gave shift factors similar to those from the fracture experiments thus indicating a close correlation between yield and toughening. A simple empirical equation was found to describe the fracture data for all the materials and, consequently, the parameters in this equation provide a good method to characterize the fracture behaviour and to compare different materials.
On the Forces Producing the Ultrasonic Wind

The ultrasonic wind has been erroneously ascribed to a pumping action of the quartz oscillator. Eckart has investigated it starting from the hydrodynamical equations. Without adding anything essentially new to his calculations, it is shown here that the cause of the wind is the linear momentum of the wave motion taken up by the liquid through sound absorption.
Piloting a personal protection equipment distribution program among Chicago day laborers

BACKGROUND: Occupational injury rates among day laborers have been estimated to be as high as 31%, where lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) use is repeatedly noted as a contributor to occupational injuries. METHODS: We distributed duffel bags containing nine pieces of PPE and provided training on their use to Chicago day laborers during six distribution sessions over two summers. Participants were contacted 4-8 weeks post-distribution and queried on PPE use. RESULTS: Of 117 participants who received the equipment, 42 completed the follow-up survey. Workers performed construction, demolition, and painting type tasks and most often used gloves, safety glasses, and respirators. Hardhats, coveralls, and earplugs were the least used. CONCLUSIONS: The PPE we provided was used during 94% of the jobs, and every one of the nine items was used. Hearing protection was underused. This project showed that providing PPE, along with training on its use, may increase PPE use among Chicago day laborers, likely preventing occupational injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
A structural protein complex in Moloney leukemia virus.

Abstract Comparison of the electrophoretic mobilities of the proteins of Moloney leukemia virus under reducing and nonreducing conditions has shown that approximately 50% of the gp69/71 glycoprotein is linked by disulfide bonds to a nonglycosylated protein(s) having a molecular weight of about 15,000.
Isoniazid prevented active tuberculosis in patients with HIV treated with antiretroviral therapy

Source Citation Rangaka MX, Wilkinson RJ, Boulle A, et al. Isoniazid plus antiretroviral therapy to prevent tuberculosis: a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2014 May 13. [...
Effect of Cross-Linking on the Structure and Thermodynamics of Lamellar Block Copolymers

Small-angle X-ray scattering, depolarized light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the dependence of structure and thermodynamics on cross-linking of a symmetric poly(styrene-block-isoprene) copolymer. The polyisoprene block was cross-linked well above the order−disorder transition (ODT) temperature of the un-cross-linked block copolymer. A mean-field theory based on a coarse grained free energy and an RPA-like formulation was developed to predict the dependence of the ODT temperature on cross-linking density. Our theory is limited to cross-linking densities below the gel point. In both experiments and theory the ODT temperature increases as the number of junctions is increased for cross-linking densities below the gelation point. We show that reversible order−disorder transitions are obtained in these materials even when the cross-linking density is larger than that required to obtain a gel. At cross-linking densities near the gel point, the depolarized light scattering s...
Kinetic and regiospecific interrogation of covalent intermediates in the nonribosomal peptide synthesis of yersiniabactin.

For interrogation of enzyme-bound intermediates in nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), mass spectrometry is used to read out the kinetics and substrate specificity of this medicinally important class of enzymes. The protein HMWP2 (230 kDa) catalyzes 11 chemical reactions, four of which could be resolved by fast quench approaches combined with mass spectrometry. The rate of complex intermediate accumulation at the PCP1 active site was observed to occur with a rate of 19 s-1, with the rate of cysteine acylation faster than that of intermediate translocation. Use of alternative substrates for salicylic acid (at the ArCP carrier domain) and l-cysteine (at the PCP1 carrier domain) revealed a high penalty for omission of the salicyl alcohol. For some substrates, large discrepancies were found between prior adenylation assays and the current MS-based readouts. Indirect evidence for condensation via a thiolate attack (vs an amino group) was also accumulated. This is the first report to correlate the percent...
The Internet as an Information Source for Geriatricians

Electronic storage of and access to medical data is becoming increasingly common. Advances in computer technology and telecommunications have made it possible to store vast amounts of information in databases and transmit this information rapidly to any place on the globe. At the forefront of this technology is the Internet, a worldwide computer network that links together over 10 million computers in more than 80 countries.
Flavor Comparisons in Gnotobiotic and Conventional Broiler Chickens

Abstract UNDERSTANDING the nature of chicken flavor has been complicated by the diverse factors which may influence flavor and the several approaches of studying them. One factor which may be implicated, but which as yet has received minimal consideration, is the role of the intestinal microflora during life. Harris et al. (1968) recently reported that the meat from germfree chickens was significantly different in flavor from that from conventional birds. Taste panel members indicated in their comments that the meat from the conventional birds had a stronger flavor or a more characteristic chicken flavor. Shrimpton (1966) found that dietary changes resulted in changes in the hydrogen sulfide of the intestine and hypothesized that the hydrogen sulfide may travel to the muscle and provide the gamey flavor associated with the birds. Grey and Shrimpton (1967) found volatiles in chicken muscle similar to those in the intestinal tract. The availability of germfree chickens…
Effects of couple interactions and relationship quality on plasma oxytocin and cardiovascular reactivity: empirical findings and methodological considerations.

Cardiovascular reactivity is a potential mechanism underlying associations of close relationship quality with cardiovascular disease. Two models describe oxytocin as another mechanism. The “calm and connect” model posits an association between positive relationship experiences and oxytocin levels and responses, whereas the “tend and befriend” model emphasizes the effects of negative relationship experiences in evoking oxytocin release. In this study of 180 younger couples, relationship quality had a small, marginally significant inverse association with plasma oxytocin levels, and neither positive nor negative couple interactions evoked change in plasma oxytocin. Negative couple interactions evoked significant cardiovascular reactivity, especially among women. Hence, in the largest study of these issues to date, there was little support for key tenets of the “calm and connect” model, and only very modest support for the ”tend and befriend” model. However, findings were consistent with the view that CVR contributes to the effects of relationship difficulties on health.
Use of silver-hydrogel urinary catheters on the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients

Abstract Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for 40% of all nosocomial infections, and about 80% of these are associated with the use of urinary catheters. They not only contribute to excess morbidity and mortality, but they also significantly add to the cost of hospitalization. Clinical trials with silver-coated urinary catheters have shown conflicting results. However, recent trials with silver-hydrogel urinary catheters have shown a reduction in nosocomial UTIs, and these catheters appear to offer cost savings. Method: The University of Massachusetts Medical Center is a teaching, tertiary hospital with 18% of its beds in intensive care units. The silver-hydrogel urinary catheters were introduced in October 1997. The rate of catheter-associated UTIs with silver-hydrogel urinary catheter use was compared with a historical baseline UTI rate that was established for January 1996 and January 1997 with the standard, noncoated catheters. The cost of a nosocomial catheter-associated UTI was estimated by calculating the hospital charges resulting from all urinary catheter-associated UTIs in 1 month. A cost-analysis of silver-hydrogel urinary catheter use was performed. Results: The rate of catheter-associated UTIs for noncoated catheters was 4.9/1000 patient-days compared with 2.7/1000 patient-days for the silver-hydrogel catheters, a reduction of 45% ( P =.1). The average cost (calculated with hospital charges) of a catheter-associated UTI at our institution was estimated to be $1214.42, with a median of $613.72. The estimated cost-saving ranged from $12,563.52 to $142,314.72. Conclusions: The use of silver-hydrogel urinary catheters resulted in a nonsignificant reduction in catheter-associated UTIs and a modest cost-saving. (Am J Infect Control 2002;30:221-5.)
Dilation characteristics of confined concrete

SUMMARY Confinement of concrete enhances its strength and ductility by restraining lateral dilation. The accuracy of a confinement model depends on how well it captures the dilation tendency of concrete. In recent years, external confinement of concrete by fibre composites has become increasingly popular for civil infrastructure applications. This includes fibre-wrapping of existing columns or encasement of concrete in a fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) shell. A total of 54-concrete-filled FRP tubes were tested in uniaxial compression under displacement control mode. Full instrumentation of the specimens has allowed the variation of tangent Poisson’s ratio for concrete to be captured. The dilation trend of confined concrete is shown to be a function of jacket stiffness. In steel-encased members, once steel yields, confining pressure becomes constant and the jacket renders itself ineffective in containing the dilation of concrete. On the other hand, for linear-elastic materials such as fibre composites, a strain reversal occurs that results in containment of dilation. A method for predicting the dilation is developed that can be easily adopted in any active confinement model. Moreover, a new confinement model for FRP-encased concrete is discussed. # 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accelerating convergence of one-step methods for the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations

Accelerating convergence of one step methods for numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, discussing various initial value problems
Current Mode Image Sensor With Improved Linearity and Fixed-Pattern Noise

Current mode active pixel sensors convert light intensity into an analog output current. A current mode image sensor enables simple implementation of focal plane algebraic functions but suffers from poor linearity and large fixed-patten noise. This paper analyzes the causes of the non-linearity of a current-mode image sensor including a theoretical derivation and numerical simulation. Previously reported linearity improvement methods are reviewed, while an architecture of a current mode image sensor with a voltage feedback loop between pixel output and the current conveyor for linearity enhancement is proposed. An image sensor array of 100 $\times$ 200 current mode pixels is fabricated in a 0.5 $\mu{\rm m}$ 2P3M standard CMOS processing technology. Experimental results illustrate a 45% improvement of the linearity of the proposed imager. Fixed pattern noise is reduced by 57.6% for the maximum readout current, which can be further reduced by another 51.5% after gain calibration. A signal to noise ratio of 49.6 dB is achieved.
Laser shock wave consolidation of nanodiamond powders on aluminum 319

Abstract A novel coating approach, based on laser shock wave generation, was employed to induce compressive pressures up to 5 GPa and compact nanodiamond (ND) powders (4–8 nm) on aluminum 319 substrate. Raman scattering indicated that the coating consisted of amorphous carbon and nanocrystalline graphite with peaks at 1360 cm−1 and 1600 cm−1 respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a wavy, non-uniform coating with an average thickness of 40 μm and absence of thermal effect on the surrounding material. The phase transition from nanodiamond to other phases of carbon is responsible for the increased coating thickness. Vicker's microhardness test showed hardness in excess of 1000 kgf/mm2 (10 GPa) while nanoindentation test indicated much lower hardness in the range of 20 MPa to 2 GPa. Optical surface profilometry traces displayed slightly uneven surfaces compared to the bare aluminum with an average surface roughness (Ra) in the range of 1.5–4 μm depending on the shock wave pressure and type of confining medium. Ball-on-disc tribometer tests showed that the coefficient of friction and wear rate were substantially lower than the smoother, bare aluminum sample. Laser shock wave process has thus aided in the generation of a strong, wear resistant, durable carbon composite coating on aluminum 319 substrate.
Base Hydrolysis of Methyltrioxorhenium. The Mechanism Revised and Extended: A Novel Application of Electrospray Mass Spectrometry.

The full kinetic pH profile for the base-promoted decomposition of MTO to CH4 and ReO4- was examined with the inclusion of new data at pH 7−10. Spectroscopic and kinetic data gave evidence for mono- and dihydroxo complexes: MTO(OH-) and MTO(OH-)2. Parallel unimolecular eliminations of methane from these species account for the rate−pH profile; the respective rate constants are MTO(OH-), k = 4.56 × 10-5 s-1 and MTO(OH-)2, k = 2.29 × 10-4 s-1 at 25 °C. Some kinetic data were acquired with electrospray mass spectrometry to monitor the buildup in the concentration of perrhenate ions. Reliable signals for each of the isotopomers of ReO4- were obtained by this method with initial MTO concentrations of 160 μM.
Psychological characteristics and strategies of expert decision makers

Abstract Previous studies of expert decision makers have concluded that experts, because of cognitive limitations, are generally inaccurate, unreliable, biased, lack self-insight, and gain little with experience. Overall, previous psychological studies have painted a rather bleak picture of the decision-making abilities of experts. The research reviewed here provides a different view of experts in two respects. First, expert decision makers have been found to use strategies, such as reliance on group feedback, willingness to make adjustments, and a divide-and-conquer approach, which help them overcome the effects of cognitive limitations. Second, top decision makers in agriculture, personnel selection, health care, accounting/auditing, and management have been observed to share psychological characteristics such as perceptiveness, communication skills, self-confidence, and creativity under stress. These findings have implications for (1) image and expectations of experts, (2) classifying different types of experts, (3) training and/or selecting novices to become experts, and (4) design of expert systems.
Microstructure and Physical Properties of Alloys for Partial Denture Castings

Four types of alloys were investigated from the viewpoint of effect of composition and casting technic on the microstructure and mechanical properties. The microstructures are shown and correlated with the mechanical properties.
v¯-Universality in high-energy hadron-nucleus collisions

The question of v ¯ -universality is discussed within the recently proposed DTU (Dual Topological Unitarization)-parton model for high-energy hadron-nucleus collisions. It is pointed out that the DTU-parton model can provide a natural explanation for an approximate v ¯ -universality.
Determination of the optical dielectric functions of thin absorbing films from IR reflectivity measurements

Abstract A method of determining the optical dielectric function of an absorbing thin film overlayed on an absorbing thick substrate by a classical oscillator fit to its experimental IR reflectivity spectra is reported. This simple method overcomes the difficulty that occurs in identifying those modes of the film with large damping. Using this method the optical dielectric function of a γ-Al 2 O 3 thin film overlayed on a single-crystal α-Al 2 O 3 substrate is determined.
Breeding guayule for commercial production

Abstract Breeding a new domestic crop, such as guayule, is not appreciably different from enhancement and breeding of conventional crops. In both instances, plant breeders take the available germplasm and search for genetic variability in the desired traits. The major differences are that in new crops plant breeders are often working with an unfamiliar species that is not yet fully domesticated and the available germplasm is often limited. The main objective of the guayule breeding program is to facilitate successful commercialization by developing higher yielding cultivars. Improvement has been accomplished, with newer lines yielding up to 250% more rubber than lines developed in the 1940s and 1950s. This is surprising because the genetic base from which improvements have been made appears to be very narrow, and because guayule reproduces predominately by apomixis (asexual reproduction by seed). Improvements through breeding are dependent upon genetic diversity within the available germplasm, and being able to identify different genotypes. The available germplasm exhibits extreme variability both within and between lines for morphological traits such as height, width, and biomass; chemical constituents such as rubber, resin, and latex contents; and genetic and chromosomal markers. The measured variation is due partly to the facultative (asexual reproduction and sexuality coexisting) nature of apomixis in guayule, which periodically releases genetic variation among progeny. A great amount of this measured variation is due to environment, and selections, to take advantage of genetic differences, must be made within the first 2 years of growth. There have been relatively few individuals involved in guayule breeding. Thus, with limited resources and time, most of the improvements have been made through single-plant selections from within populations. Although this method has the potential for only modest long-term gains, improvements occur relatively quickly. Indirect measures have been developed to increase breeding efficiency. For instance, most selections are made for plant height, width and biomass because they are highly correlated with rubber yield. As guayule approaches commercialization, breeding will become a priority and other breeding schemes will be tested and utilized such as: mass selection; recurrent selection among sexually reproducing diploids, followed by chromosome doubling; family selection; crossing high yielding apomictic plants; and crossing high yielding apomictic plants to sexual diploid plants to release new genetic combinations.
Genetic Dissection of Strain Dependent Paraquat-induced Neurodegeneration in the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta

The etiology of the vast majority of Parkinson's disease (PD) cases is unknown. It is generally accepted that there is an interaction between exposures to environmental agents with underlying genetic sensitivity. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that people living in agricultural communities have an increased risk of PD. Within these communities, paraquat (PQ) is one of the most utilized herbicides. PQ acts as a direct redox cycling agent to induce formation of free radicals and when administered to mice induces the cardinal symptoms of parkinsonism, including loss of TH+-positive dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral midbrain's substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Here we show that PQ-induced SNpc neuron loss is highly dependent on genetic background: C57BL/6J mice rapidly lose ∼50% of their SNpc DA neurons, whereas inbred Swiss-Webster (SWR/J) mice do not show any significant loss. We intercrossed these two strains to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that underlie PQ-induced SNpc neuron loss. Using genome-wide linkage analysis we detected two significant QTLs. The first is located on chromosome 5 (Chr 5) centered near D5Mit338, whereas the second is on Chr 14 centered near D14Mit206. These two QTLs map to different loci than a previously identified QTL (Mptp1) that controls a significant portion of strain sensitivity to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), suggesting that the mechanism of action of these two parkinsonian neurotoxins are different.
Growth and Nucleation of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon on Silicon (100) Surfaces

A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has been used to study the topology of the surfaces of a series of thin hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films deposited by rf discharge from pure silane. The substrates were atomically flat, oxide-free, single-crystal Si (100). Films were grown in our laboratory and transferred to the STM with no air exposure between growth and measurement. A series of thin films between 1 and 50 nm in thickness reveals the initial growth stage of a-Si:H on Si (100). Initial nucleation and islanding can be seen on these films. The surface has a distribution of island sizes. The rms roughness and a surface lateral correlation length were measured as functions of film thickness. The rms roughness grows sublinearly with thickness from 0.3–0.5 nm as the film thickness is raised from 1 to 50 nm. The lateral size of the surface features also grows with film thickness. The growth of the roughness and correlation length can be compared with the dynamic scaling model. In addition, the topographs reveal occasional structures of larger size and low density on the film surface. These structures are nanoparticles of silicon deposited from the plasma during film growth. The frequency of these features scales with film thickness, and represents 10−510−4 of the total film volume.
A quantitative study on the low frequency breakdown of EFIE

A quantitative study is presented for the low frequency breakdown of the electric-field integral equation (EFIE) with the Rao–Wilton–Glisson basis function. The low frequency limit is ascertained hereby. Numerical experiments validate the conclusion. The line testing method is also compared with the Galerkin testing to dispel the misconception in the literature. The study thus provides a guideline for the application of EFIE in the full-field regime. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 1159–1162, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23324
Cervical esophageal rupture after blunt neck trauma: Surgical primary repair and long-term follow-up

Summary Cervical esophageal rupture secondary to non-penetrating injury is exceedingly rare in pediatric patients. Less than 10 cases have been reported in the world literature. We report a case of a 9-year-old boy that suffered an esophageal perforation following cervical blunt trauma. The diagnosis was delayed 48 h but surgical primary repair was effective and recovery was uneventful. Early diagnosis and operative management options are discussed.