cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barely managing: Attitudes of information technology professionals on management technique

Abstract This paper presents findings from exploratory research into the attitudes of information technology (IT) professionals about the role management has played or could play in computing activities. It also looks at the subsidiary questions of what might be desirable preparation of managers for directing IT professionals, what the barriers to this are, and how this preparation might be stimulated. The paper is based on in-depth, ethnographic interviews conducted in 2001 with 30 IT professionals from both public and private sectors in New Mexico.
Cerebrovascular effects of carbon monoxide.

This review examines the influence of endogenous and exogenous carbon monoxide (CO) on the cerebral circulation. Although CO generated from neuronal heme oxygenase can modulate neurotransmission, evidence supporting its role in cerebral vasodilation is limited. In newborn piglets, heme oxygenase is enriched in microvessels and contributes to hypoxic vasodilation. Low CO concentrations dilate piglet arterioles by opening calcium-activated potassium channels. With inhalation of CO and formation of carboxyhemoglobin, cerebral vasodilation can be greater than that occurring with hypoxic hypoxia at equivalent reductions of arterial oxygen content. This additional vasodilation is probably attributable to additional release of hypoxic vasodilators secondary to increased oxyhemoglobin affinity, although direct effects of CO on cerebral arterioles may also occur. When CO exposure is prolonged, cerebral endothelium undergoes oxidant stress as evident by nitrotyrosine formation. As CO levels increase, modest decreas...
Variation of the Effective Fano Factor in a Ge(Li) Detector

Variations in the value of the effective Fano factor, F, have been observed in Ge(Li) detectors using a collimated beam of ?-rays to irradiate selected areas in the sensitive region between the n+-and p-contacts. For regions near the n+-contact where the trapping of electrons is minimized, F was found to be statistically less than 0.11.
WE‐A‐202‐01: Dose and Image Quality in C‐Arm CT Rotational Angiography

Conebeam CT using C‐arm mounted large area flat panels (FPs) is becoming more commonly used in neuro‐ and body‐interventional suites. The ability to visualize vascular geometry in 3D along with soft tissueduring an intervention is providing information that may increase accuracy, shorten procedure time and may even change the course of treatment. However, acquisition of the projection data required for volume imaging requires dose to the patient, and understanding the trade‐offs between acquisition parameters, dose and image quality is critical to the appropriate adoption of this imaging technique. Unlike conventional CT, the beam length in conebeam CT can cover the entire length of the object to be imaged or can be varied with the use of collimation, and the concept of CTDI is not, therefore, the metric of choice for measurement of dose. In addition, most C‐arm conebeam CT systems use a short‐scan (pi plus fan‐angle) acquisition, and the dose distribution within the object is not cylindrically symmetric. Finally, since FP design has been optimized for fluoroscopy,image quality when used for CT must be carefully evaluated. This lecture will describe a dose metric that is appropriate for conebeam CT and allows direct comparison with the CTDIw of conventional CT, and will summarize dose‐image quality trade‐offs. A discussion of measured dose metrics and recently published Monte Carlo‐based Effective Dose calculations for head and body applications will be presented. New results from our ongoing clinical study investigating the overall dose impact of 3D C‐arm CT on body interventions will be summarized. Research sponsored by Siemens AG, Healthcare Sector, by NIH grant R01 HL087917 and by the Lucas Foundation. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand how differences in acquisition geometry between conebeam and conventional CT affect dose measurement and dose distribution. 2. Understand the necessary dose‐image‐quality trade‐offs when using C‐arm CT in the interventional suite
Pseudospectral calculations of stress-induced concentration changes in viscometric flows of polymer solutions

We investigate the flow of dilute polymer solutions in viscometric devices where the polymer concentration is allowed to vary due to the existence of nonzero stress gradients. A spectral collocation method is used in order to solve for the axisymmetric steady-state solution of the full set of the governing equations. Two alternative continuum formulations are considered based on a single- and two-fluid concept, respectively. For the parallel-plate flow problem and for the two-fluid model, the analytical solution obtained by Brunn (1984) is recovered. This solution describes a polymer migration toward the centerline that depends solely on the Weissenberg number. The results obtained for the single-fluid model are qualitatively similar; however, they also depend on additional molecular parameters. Variations in the geometry which initiate even a small secondary recirculation are found to result in a significant decrease in the concentration gradients, as shown in the analysis of the cone-and-plate flow for a small angular inclination and a large centerline gap thickness. When the centerline gap thickness decreases, the results are dominated by the ideal, purely azimuthal cone-and-plate flow behavior, according to which substantial variations in the radial concentration are observed mainly close to the centerline. This is in agreement with the predictions of Aubert et al. (1980) and Brunn (1984).
Multi-Systems Life Course: A New Practice Perspective and Its Application in Advanced Practice With Racial and Ethnic Populations

To better respond to social work's directive of increased sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity, it is imperative that theory development includes explicit consideration of the complex experiences of racial and ethnic minorities. For a more advanced and culturally relative practice, the authors posit the development of an encompassing perspective referred to as multi-systems life course (MSLC). Using a case example, this article applies a MSLC perspective to practice with women of color experiencing intimate partner violence. Implications for social work practice and an overview on incorporating a MSLC perspective into a graduate social work curriculum are included.
New management of the pregnant patient to reduce the risk of transmitting herpes to the newborn.

Growing understanding of the mechanisms and epidemiology of neonatal herpes simplex virus acquisition allows for the development of a new management of the pregnant patient, one that will reduce the risk of transmitting herpes to the newborn. Maternal herpes simplex virus infection, especially acquired during pregnancy, can result in transmission to the newborn. Infection of the CNS of the newborn results in death or significant neurodevelopmental impairment in most of these infected babies. Herpes simplex virus infection acquired prior to or during pregnancy has a physical and psychologic impact on the health of the mother. Newer, more sensitive and specific serology testing for herpes simplex virus in combination with antiviral pharmacotherapy is now recognized as an important option for reducing the risk of herpes simplex virus transmission from mother to newborn. This review discusses new information concerning the prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for the management of herpes simplex virus ...
Towards improved characterization of high-risk releases using heterogeneous indoor sensor systems

The sudden release of toxic contaminants that reach indoor spaces can be hazardous to building occupants. For an acutely toxic contaminant, the speed of the emergency response strongly influences the consequences to occupants. The design of a real-time sensor system is made challenging both by the urgency and complex nature of the event, and by the imperfect sensors and models available to describe it. In this research, we use Bayesian modeling to combine information from multiple types of sensors to improve the characterization of a release. We discuss conceptual and algorithmic considerations for selecting and fusing information from disparate sensors. To explore system performance, we use both real tracer gas data from experiments in a three-story building, along with synthetic data, including information from door-position sensors. The added information from door-position sensors is found to be useful for many scenarios, but not always. We discuss the physical conditions and design factors that affect these results, such as the influence of the door positions on contaminant transport. We highlight potential benefits of multisensor data fusion, challenges in realizing those benefits, and opportunities for further improvement.
Comment on ‘‘A note on Poisson’s equation for pressure in a turbulent flow’’

A comment on a note on Poisson’s equation for pressure in a turbulent flow is presented. (AIP)
Nodular (Pseudosarcomatous) fasciitis, a nonrecurrent lesion: Clinicopathologic study of 134 cases

Clinicopathologic review of 134 patients originally diagnosed as having nodular (pseudosarcomatous) fasciitis is presented. In 114 patients with 116 lesions, no recurrence of the lesion was noted. Of the 114 patients, 85% were younger than 50 years of age, and the forearm and arm were the most common sites of presentation. Nonrecurrent lesions rarely exceed 4 cm and 71% were smaller than 2 cm. In at least six instances, incompletely resected lesions never recurred. Though all lesions were histologically reminiscent of reparative mesenchymal tissue, four subtypes--the reactive type, the densely cellular type, those with osteoid or cartilaginous metaplasia, and the so-called proliferative fasciitis--were distinguished from the majority of lesions that conform to the description given by Kornwaler. Recurrence of the tumor was noted in 18 patients. Fifteen of 18 lesions recurred within two years, and two more recurred at 30 months following initial excision. In all these cases, review of the histology and clinical course led to a revision of the original diagnosis. The greatest number of errors was made in incorrectly classifying of inflammatory fibrous histiocytoma. Recurrence of a lesion originally diagnosed as nodular fasciitis should lead to a careful reappraisal of the pathologic findings.
Efficient Modeling of Fretting of Blade/Disk Contacts Including Load History Effects

Fretting is a frictional contact phenomenon that leads to damage at the contact region between two nominally-clamped surfaces subjected to oscillatory motion of small.amplitudes. The region of contact between the blade and the disk at the dovetail joint is one of the critical locations for fretting damage. The nominally flat geometry of contacting surfaces in the dovetail causes high contact stress levels near the edges of contact. A numerical approach based on the solution to singular integral equations that characterize the two-dimensional plane strain elastic contact of two similar isotropic surfaces presents itself as an efficient technique to obtain the sharp near-surface stress gradients associated with the geometric transitions. Due to its ability to analyze contacts of any two arbitrary smooth surfaces and its computational efficiency, it can be used as a powerful design tool to analyze the effects of various factors like shape of the contact surface and load histories on fretting. The calculations made using the stresses obtained from the above technique are consistent with the results of the experiments conducted in the laboratory.
COPD in VA hospitals.

Abstract The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System is the largest integrated single payer system in the United States. Its primary mission is to provide primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services to veterans. Much time and resources are expended on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD, at VA hospitals and clinics, thereby justifying the development of multifaceted strategies to address this problem. This article discusses the special problems of COPD in veterans who use VA facilities. The article also highlights the contributions of the VA to the research, training, and development of clinical practice guidelines for the management of this pervasive disease and presents the challenges that threaten its role in this area.
Comment on “The directionality of acoustic T-phase signals from small magnitude submarine earthquakes” [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 3669–3675 (2006)]

In a recent paper, Chapman and Marrett [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 3669-3675 (2006)] examined the tertiary (T-) waves associated with three subduction-related earthquakes within the South Fiji Basin. In that paper it is argued that acoustic energy is radiated into the sound channel by downslope propagation along abyssal seamounts and ridges that lie distant to the epicenter. A reexamination of the travel-time constraints indicates that this interpretation is not well supported. Rather, the propagation model that is described would require the high-amplitude T-wave components to be sourced well to the east of the region identified, along a relatively flat-lying seafloor.
Geometric universality of plasmon modes in graphene nanoribbon arrays

Graphene plasmonics is a rapidly growing field with multiple potential applications. One of the standard ways to study plasmons in graphene is by fabricating an array of graphene nanoribbons where nanoribbon edges provide the efficient photon-plasmon coupling. We systematically analyze the problem of optical plasmonic response in such systems and demonstrate the purely geometric nature of the size quantization condition for graphene plasmons. Accurate numerical calculations allowed us to tabulate the universal geometric parameters of plasmon size quantization, which is expected to become useful in analysis of experimental data on plasmonic response of graphene nanoribbons. A simple analytical theory has also been developed, which accurately reproduces all the qualitative features of optical plasmonic response of graphene nanoribbons.
A unique hierarchy on the successive condensations of a digraph

Abstract We call a sequence of condensations of a digraph D a hierarchy on D. We define a particular hierarchy based on iterated condensations of directed cycles. When the nodes of D are interpreted as active computational elements and the arcs as communication links between these elements, the hierarchy is a structural model of a concurrent computational system. The cycles are also used to express conservation laws. In this interpretation, locally observable causal relationships, that is, those defined by the function composition of the computational elements, exist only within the levels of the cycle hierarchy.
The association of metalloendopeptidase EC 3.4. 24.15 at the extracellular surface of the AtT-20 cell plasma membrane

Endopeptidase EC 3.4.24.15 (EP24.15) is a soluble, neuropeptide-degrading metalloenzyme, widely expressed in the brain, pituitary and gonads. For the physiological metabolism of neuropeptides, the enzyme should be located extracellularly, either associated with the plasma membrane or in the extracellular milieu. Western immunoblot analyses of crude cytosolic and post-nuclear membrane fractions prepared by differential centrifugation revealed a slightly smaller molecular mass ( approximately 2 kDa) for EP24.15 in the post-nuclear membrane fraction. This smaller EP24.15 species was also present in an enriched fraction of plasma membrane prepared by Percoll gradient centrifugation. To ascertain whether EP24.15 is associated with the extracellular surface of plasma membrane, two sets of experiments were carried out. First, Western immunoblot analysis of AtT-20 cells treated with the membrane-impermeable, thiol-cleavable cross-linker, 3, 3'-dithio-bis(sulpho-succinimidyl-propionate) (DTSSP), indicated an extracellular membrane association. After cross-linking and thiol-reduction, a distinct band corresponding to EP24.15 was significantly diminished under non-reducing conditions. Second, immunocytochemical studies performed at 4 degrees C on non-permeabilized AtT-20 cells (i.e., non-fixed to prevent antibody internalization), indicated that EP24.15 was expressed on the surface of the AtT-20 cells. We furthermore determined that EP24.15 enzymatic activity is present on the extracellular surface of the cell discernable from the secreted enzyme. These results suggest that the EP24.15 is associated with the extracellular surface of the AtT-20 cell plasma membrane and is enzymatically active. Taken together, the results are consistent with a putative role in the degradation of neuropeptides acting at the external cell surface.
Xenopus Gastrulation without a blastocoel roof.

The objective of this paper is to determine the function in gastrulation of several of the five major regional morphogenetic processes in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. These regional processes are (1) epiboly of the animal cap (AC); (2) migration of the mesoderm on the roof of the blastocoel; (3) convergence and extension of the dorsal, noninvoluting marginal zone (NIMZ); (4) formation of the bottle cells at the site of blastopore formation; and (5) convergence and extension of the involuting marginal zone (IMZ). After the AC and the NIMZ were removed, thus eliminating the first three of these processes, the IMZ involuted, constricted, and closed the blastopore. It also converged and extended to form notochord and somites, although these tissues were often crooked and sank into or were covered over by the vegetal endoderm. When the AC was removed, the dorsal axial mesoderm involuted and stuck to the inner surface of the NIMZ. The IMZ and NIMZ converged and extended together to form a longer, straighter axis than that formed by the IMZ alone. Moreover, presence of the NIMZ also prevented the sinking of the IMZ into the endoderm. Misalignment of the available AC-NIMZ substratum and the IMZ at the beginning of gastrulation suggested that the IMZ determines the general direction of its own extension. Absence of the AC-NIMZ accelerated and increased the normal effects of bottle cell formation on the IMZ and vegetal endoderm. In absence of the AC-NIMZ as a substratum on which to migrate, prechordal mesoderm was pushed anteriorly by the converging and extending mesoderm behind it, but it did not spread normally. We conclude that (1) involution and blastopore closure by the IMZ can occur without pushing by epiboly and convergence and extension of the NIMZ-AC; (2) involution and blastopore closure can occur without migration of the mesoderm on the blastocoel roof; (3) convergence and extension of the IMZ are sufficient to bring about IMZ involution and blastopore closure; (4) the function of bottle cells in initiating involution is retarded by presence of the NIMZ-AC; (5) the associated dorsal NIMZ and IMZ together form an axis that extends better and is perhaps stiffer than the IMZ alone; and (6) the dorsal axial and paraxial mesoderm form the “skeleton” around which the mechanics of the other parts of the embryo are organized. These findings are important for the analysis of gastrulation by cellular, genetic, and molecular approaches. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effect of chlorpromazine on discrimination performance and the peak shift

Four groups of pigeons were given discrimination training between two angles of line. Following mastery of the discrimination, all Ss were tested for generalization to several angles under one of four doses of chlorpromazine (10, 20. 30. or 40 mg/kg) and a saline control test. For half the Ss, the saline test was first followed by the drug test, with the remaining Ss receiving the tests in the reverse order. The results of the generalization test indicate that under the influence of the drug, the peak shift tends to be reduced or eliminated. These results are discussed as suggesting that discrimination learning involves two separate processes. The first involves learning not to respond and requires the buildup of inhibition to S−, while the second maintains discrimination performance and involves no inhibition.
Are College Students’ Assessments of Threat Shaped by the Dangers of Their Childhood Environment?

Humans internalize environmental cues of mortality risk at an early age, which influences subsequent risk perceptions and behavior. In this respect, an individual's current risk assessment may be viewed as an adaptive response to the dangers present within his or her early local environment. Here we examine the relationship between several variables indicating threat within an individual's early environment (e.g., prevalence of violent and property crimes, registered sex offenders) and their perception of crime risk within both the childhood and current adult environments. We recruited a group of 657 students who hail from diverse geographic backgrounds to provide the zip code location of their childhood residence along with subjective ratings of danger of that and their current location, which enabled us to compare their ratings of risk/danger with the federally reported crime statistics of each setting. Our results indicate that the early prevalence of registered sex offenders indeed influences an individual's risk perception in adulthood, and that these factors have a differential effect on males and females. Our findings provide support for the theory that early environmental factors signaling danger affect how individuals assess risk within their adult environment.
Urinary oxalate and glycolate excretion patterns in the first year of life: A longitudinal study

To determine the range of normal values, we studied urinary excretion of oxalate and glycolate prospectively and longitudinally in a cohort of 30 healthy term infants. Random urine samples were obtained at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2, 4, 6, and 9 months of age. The results had a log-normal distribution. The mean oxalate/cretinine ratio, as determined by the oxalate oxidasee method, was 0.08 (in milligrams of oxalate to milligrams of creatinine) with a normalized range of 0.02 to 0.31. The mean ratio when oxalates were measured by using the Olthuis assay was 0.13 (range 0.03 to 0.53). The mean glycolate/creatinine ratio was 0.07 (range 0.02 to 0.26). These values did not correlate with increasing age. The oxalate/creatinine ratios were higher in formula-fed infants than in those who were fed human milk (0.14±0.16 vs 0.08±0.04; p
The incidence of "leukovirus" in cultured human hematopoietic cells.

A majority of cell lines derived from peripheral blood samples of patients with leukemia, lymphomas, and other malignancies and of normal individuals have a herpes-like virus (or EBV). This virus seems to be identical with one found in Burkitt lymphoma cell lines. The virus has biological activity to the extent of destroying some cells of the affected cell line, but is seemingly incapable of infecting some noninfected cell lines. No strong evidence of alteration of biological activity of the cells or their chromosomes by leukovirus was noted.
Radical cystectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy

Seventy-one radical cystectomies were performed at the University of Tennessee from June, 1976, through December, 1983. The operative mortality rate was 1.5 per cent. The early and late complication rate was 21 and 15 per cent, respectively. Single agent cisplatin was used as adjuvant chemotherapy in patients at high risk for development of metastatic disease and did not alter the poor survival of this group of patients.
Cardiac anesthesiology, professionalism and ethics: a microcosm of anesthesiology and medicine.

UNLABELLED The granting of professional status to medicine by society at large entails obligations by physicians. Those physicians in the young subspecialty of cardiac anesthesiology have fulfilled these obligations by developing a body of scientific and clinical knowledge and the technical bases to increase survival and decrease morbidity of patients with heart disease undergoing either cardiac or noncardiac surgery. Furthermore, they have contributed effectively to the broad practice of medicine. However, a strong argument can be made that these contributions, though benefiting many individual patients, do not by themselves completely fulfill our obligations. The concept of Civic Professionalism states that our moral responsibilities as physicians must be expanded beyond our immediate patients. Physicians have the obligation to use their knowledge and influence to promote the common good. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes access to health care as a basic tenet. The present health care system of the United States excludes many people. Thus, cardiac anesthesiologists have a moral obligation to actively advocate for universal access to health care until it is achieved. Doing so will make the specialty of cardiac anesthesiology an example to the entire profession of medicine. IMPLICATIONS Cardiac anesthesiologists have contributed to enhanced survival and decreased morbidity of patients with heart disease undergoing surgery. These achievements do not by themselves fulfill the moral obligations incurred by the concept of Civic Professionalism, however. Cardiac anesthesiologists, in common with all physicians, must share the obligation to advocate for the human right of universal access to health care.
Addressing FinFET metrology challenges in 1X node using tilt-beam CD-SEM

At 1X node, 3D FinFETS raise a number of new metrology challenges. Gate height and fin height are two of the most important parameters for process control. At present there is a metrology gap in inline in-die measurement of these parameters. In order to fill this metrology gap, in-column beam tilt has been developed and implemented on Applied Materials V4i+ top-down CD-SEM for height measurement. A low tilt (5°) beam and a high tilt (14°) beam have been calibrated to obtain two sets of images providing measurement of sidewall edge width to calculate height in the host. Evaluations are done with applications in both gate height and fin height. TEM correlation with R 2 being 0.89 and precision of 0.81nm have been achieved on various in-die features in gate height application. Fin height measurement shows less accuracy (R 2 being 0.77) and precision (1.49 nm) due to challenges brought by fin geometry, yet still promising as first attempt. Sensitivity to DOE offset, die-to-die and in-die variation is demonstrated in both gate height and fin height. Process defect is successfully captured from inline wafers with gate height measurement implemented in production. This is the first successful demonstration of inline in-die gate height measurement for 14nm FinFET process control.
Receipt of systemic corticosteroids during asthma visits to US emergency departments, 2007-2009.

Background. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommended emergency department (ED) asthma treatment includes both providing systemic corticosteroids in the ED and a steroid prescription at discharge. Objective. To examine the prevalence of three types of substandard ED asthma care–providing a discharge prescription only, providing corticosteroids in the ED only, and providing neither— and how care varies with exacerbation severity. Methods. We used the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey-Emergency Department (NHAMCS-ED) (2007, 2008, and 2009) to identify ED asthma visits (International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM codes 493.xx)) for patients aged 1 to <65 years. The primary outcome was the percent of visits receiving each type of substandard care, both overall and by exacerbation severity. Multinomial logistic regressions with predictive margins were used to obtain estimates adjusted for patient, visit, and hospital characteristics. R...
Experimental determination of the elastic-plastic boundary

An experimental method is investigated by which the elastic-plastic boundaries of a rectangular tapered beam having a single concentrated load acting at its free end can be determined. The method, based on the Tresca yield criterion, employs the isochromatics of the photoelastic stress pattern in birefringent coatings and is used to locate experimentally the elastic-plastic boundaries in a series of aluminum beams of small angles of taper. To check these boundary locations theoretically, the simple mechanics-of-materials elastic-plastic beam theory is used, and the comparisons of theoretical and experimental results are shown.
Electrodeposition on a filament with subsequent thermal atomization followed by excitation for spectroscopic analysis

Radio-frequency gas discharge excitation was applied to traces of silver plated onto a filament and subsequently evaporated into a stream of helium. Sensitivity of approximately 2x10−2 ng and a coefficient of variation of about 7% were achieved. The optimization of operating parameters and the effect of copper upon silver emission were also studied.
On the usability and security of pseudo-signatures

Handwriting has been proposed as a possible biometric for a number of years. However, recent work has shown that handwritten passphrases are vulnerable to both human-based and machine-based forgeries. Pseudosignatures as an alternative are designed to thwart such attacks while still being easy for users to create, remember, and reproduce. In this paper, we briefly review the concept of pseudo-signatures, then describe an evaluation framework that considers aspects of both usability and security. We present results from preliminary experiments that examine user choice in creating pseudo-signatures and discuss the implications when sketching is used for generating cryptographic keys.
Design of the double-y balun for use in GPR applications

The double-y balun, transitioning from a coplanar waveguide (CPW) to a coplanar strip (CPS), was originally designed for use with balanced mixers. In this paper, numerical analysis of the double-y balun is conducted using two commercial electromagnetic simulators, Momentum and HFSS. Using these numerical solvers, the effect of substrate thickness on the performance of the double-y balun is investigated. A dipole, along with the outer conductor of a coaxial feedline is modeled in NEC to illustrate the effects of an unbalanced feed on the antenna pattern of a dipole. To accurately measure the amplitude pattern of a dipole, an automated measurement system is constructed. Using this measurement system, amplitude patterns of a 3.3 GHz dipole are measured with and without the double-y balun and compared with patterns obtained via NEC.
EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF INVESTMENT PROJECTS ON THE FIRM'S CURRENCY EXPOSURE

Methods of capital budgeting have been well established in the finance literature as well as in corporate practice. In general, the discounted cash flow methods (IRR, NPV, PI) are considered to be superior. An investment project is therefore acceptable (at least in financial terms) when its net present value is positive or its internal rate of return is above the specified cut‐off rate. In case of capital rationing, we allocate funds and consequently approve projects in descending order of their profitability index to make sure we obtain the maximum present value per dollar invested.
Structure of Upper Cretaceous chalk benthic communities, southwestern Arkansas

Abstract Paleoecological investigation of chalk facies in the Saratoga and Annona Formations includes paleoenvironmental analysis as well as examination of benthic macro-invertebrate faunas. The Saratoga sandy chalk facies was deposited in a middle shelf environment (25–50 m depth), while the Annona chalk-marly chalk facies was deposited in a outer shelf environment (75–125 m depth). Each facies is characterized by a distinct community of benthic macro-invertebrate fossils dominated in occurence by epifaunal suspension-feeding bivalves and deposit-feeding echinoids. However, sandy chalk also contains moderately common infaunal suspension-feeding bivalves and gastropods, and rare infaunal deposit-feeding bivalves, while chalk-markly contains only rare infaunal bivalves and no reported gastropods. Differences in composition within and between the two communities apparently reflect original distribution of shelled taxa. Trace fossil preservation indicates that substrates in both facies were thixotropic. Functional analysis demonstrates that many taxa show adaptations for living on soft substrates. Differences in diversity within each facies may be owing to non-uniformity of substrate softness, because many suspension-feeders were unable to cope with the softest substrates and are therefore sparse in rocks apparently representing these substrates. Variations in substrate softness may have been caused by differing rates of bioturbation. Presence of infaunal suspension-feeding bivalves in the Saratoga, but relative lack in the Annona, may be primarily a manifestation of softer Annona substrates caused by generally finer grain size of Annona sediments. Several studies of chalk faunas have concluded that sparseness of originally aragonitic fossils was caused by secondary sea-floor dissolution or diagenetic processes. Results of this study demonstrate that primary organism-sediment interactions could have also played a significant role in causing the general lack of originally aragonitic fossils in Upper Cretaceous chalks.
Timeliness of Reporting and Earnings Information Transfers

This study examines earnings timeliness and its effect on earnings information transfers. Empirical analyses focus on a sample of approximately fifteen hundred earnings reports and nearly four thousand information transfers. The principal findings are: (1) earlier earnings releases yield negative information transfers, (2) earnings releases yield negative (nominal) information transfers to firms that previously (subsequently) release their earnings reports, and (3) earlier earnings releases yield negative information transfers to firms that have not yet disclosed earnings. These findings show that the timing of earnings reports has significant and far-reaching economic consequences.
EFFECTS OF DELAMINATIONS ON THE DAMPED DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES: ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTS

Analytical and experimental work is presented on the damped free vibration of delaminated laminates and beams. A laminate theory is developed in which the unknown kinematic perturbations induced by a delamination crack are treated as additional degrees of freedom. The generalized stiffness, inertia and damping matrices of the laminate are formulated. An analytical solution is developed for the prediction of natural frequencies, modes and modal damping in composite beams with delamination cracks. Evaluations of the mechanics on various cantilever beams with a central delamination are performed. Experimental results for the modal frequencies and damping of composite beams with a single delamination are also presented and correlations between analytical predictions and measured data are shown. The effects of delamination vary based on crack size, laminate configuration and mode order. The implications of the mechanics in developing delamination detection techniques are also discussed.
Translocation and Colocalization of ICP4 and ICP0 in Cells Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Mutants Lacking Glycoprotein E, Glycoprotein I, or the Virion Host Shutoff Product of the UL41 Gene

In wild-type herpes simplex virus 1-infected cells, the major regulatory protein ICP4 resides in the nucleus whereas ICP0 becomes dynamically associated with proteasomes and late in infection is translocated and dispersed in the cytoplasm. Inhibition of proteasomal function results in retention or transport of ICP0 to the nucleus. We report that in cells infected with mutants lacking glycoprotein E (gE), glycoprotein I (gI), or the product of the UL41 gene, both ICP4 and ICP0 are translocated to the cytoplasm and coaggregate in small dense structures that, in the presence of proteasomal inhibitor MG132, also contain proteasomal components. Gold particle-conjugated antibody to ICP0 reacted in thin sections with dense protein aggregates in the cytoplasm of mutant virus-infected cells. Similar aggregates were present in the nuclei but not in the cytoplasm of wild-type virus-infected cells. Exposure of cells early in infection to MG132 does not result in retention of ICP0 as in wild-type virus-infected cells. The results suggest that the retention of ICP4 and ICP0 in the nucleus is a dynamic process that involves the function of other viral proteins that may include the Fc receptor formed by the gE/gI complex and is not merely the consequence of expression of a nuclear localization signal. It is noteworthy that in ΔUL41-infected cells gE is retained in the trans-Golgi network and is not widely dispersed in cellular membranes.
Advanced Binaural Sound Localization in 3-D for Humanoid Robots

One of the key features of the human auditory system is its nearly constant omnidirectional sensitivity, e.g., the system reacts to alerting signals coming from a direction away from the sight of focused visual attention. Auditory signal processing already starts outside the head. The external sound field has to couple into the ear canals. The relative positions of the two ear canals and the sound source lead to a coupling that is strongly dependent on frequency. In this context, not only the two pinnae, but also the whole head have an important functional role, which is best described as a spatial filtering process. This linear filtering is usually quantified in terms of so-called head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), which can also be interpreted as the directivity characteristics of the two ears. In this paper, the HRTF constitutes the cornerstone of a sound localization algorithm, which uses Bayesian information fusion to increase the localization resolution in a 3-D reverberant environment. The localization performance is demonstrated through simulation and is further tested in a household environment. Compared with the existing techniques, the method is able to localize, with higher accuracy, 3-D sound sources under high reverberation conditions. The simplicity of the presented algorithm allows a cost-effective real-time implementation for robotic platforms.
New algebraic solutions for SO(6) ↔ U(5) transitional nuclei in the interacting boson model

Abstract Exact solutions for energy eigenvalues and eigenstates for SO (6) ↔ U (5) transitional (Class C) nuclei in IBM-1 and one case in IBM-2 are found by using an infinite dimensional algebraic method. As examples, the energy spectra and some E2 transition rates and quadrupole moments of the 100–108 Ru and 102–112 Pd isotopes are calculated in IBM-1 and compared with experimental results.
An optically-pumped silicon evanescent microring resonator laser

We demonstrate an optically-pumped hybrid silicon evanescent microring laser fabricated by a self-aligned process. Low threshold carrier densities (<2.5×1018 cm-3) are measured for both 15 and 25 μm diameter devices. Lasing up to 50 °C is achieved with 0.1 nm/°C wavelength red shift rate.
Apparent ileal amino acid digestibility of reduced-oil distillers dried grains with solubles fed to broilers from 23 to 31 days of age,

Abstract An experiment was conducted using male Ross × Ross 708 broiler chicks to determine the effect of oil extraction from corn distillers dried grains with solubles on apparent ileal amino acid digestibility from 23 to 31 d of age. On an as-fed basis, ether extract concentrations were determined as 5.4% (L-distillers dried grains with solubles), 7.9% (M-distillers dried grains with solubles), and 10.5% (H-distillers dried grains with solubles) for the 3 experimental distillers dried grains with solubles sources. Prior to experimentation, each sample (H-distillers dried grains with solubles (control), M-distillers dried grains with solubles and L-distillers dried grains with solubles) was analyzed on an as-fed basis for crude protein (29.2, 27.6, and 27.9%), starch (4.4, 5.2, and 6.1%), neutral detergent fiber (29.5, 33.2, and 29.9%), and total dietary fiber (31.4, 36.6, and 33.6 %). Four hundred and thirty-two male chicks (12 birds per cage; 0.04 m2 per bird) were randomly assigned to 36 battery grower cages. Broilers were fed one of 3 semi-purified diets, which were comprised of 76% L-distillers dried grains with solubles, M- distillers dried grains with solubles, or H-distillers dried grains with solubles as the sole amino acid source from 23 to 31 d of age. Apparent ileal amino acid digestibility coefficients were negatively affected (P
Nucleus pulposus replacement and regeneration/repair technologies: Present status and future prospects

Degenerative disc disease is implicated in the pathogenesis of many painful conditions of the back, chief among which is low back pain. Acute and/or chronic low back pain (A/CLBP) afflicts a large number of people, thus making it a major healthcare issue with concomitant cost ramifications. When conservative treatments for A/CLBP, such as bed rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy, prove to be ineffectual, surgical options are recommended. The most popular of these is discectomy followed by fusion. Although there are many reports of good to excellent outcomes with this method, there are concerns, such as long-term adverse biomechanical consequences to adjacent functional spinal unit(s). A surgical option that has been attracting much attention recently is replacement or regeneration/repair of the nucleus pulposus, an approach that holds the prospect of not compromising either mobility or function and causing no adjacent-level injury. There is a sizeable body of literature highlighting this option, comprising in vitro biomechanical studies, finite element analyses, animal-model studies, and limited clinical evaluations. This work is a review of this body of literature and is organized into four parts, with the focus being on replacement technologies, regeneration/repair technologies, and detailed expositions on 14 areas for future study. This review ends with a summary of the salient points made. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 100B: 1702–1720, 2012.
Baseline risk factors for the development of primary open-angle glaucoma in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study.

Purpose Higher baseline pattern standard deviation (PSD) and larger vertical cup-to-disk ratio (VC/D) were factors in the predictive model for the development of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Because early changes in PSD and VC/D may be indicative of early POAG damage, we repeated the prediction model excluding PSD and VC/D. Design Reanalysis of baseline factors for the development of POAG. Methods We compared the hazard ratios for baseline factors predictive of POAG in the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model that included PSD and VC/D and in the model that excluded them. Results Hazard ratios for baseline factors predictive of POAG in Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study were not substantially affected by the inclusion or exclusion of PSD and VC/D in the proportional hazards model. Conclusion Whether PSD or VC/D was included in the Cox proportional hazards model, the same baseline factors were statistically significant and their hazard ratios were essentially similar.
Activation of vitellogenin gene transcription is a direct response to estrogen in Xenopus laevisliver

Estrogen induces the synthesis of vitellogenin mRNA by activating transcription of the vitellogenin genes. Quantitative inhibition of liver protein synthesis by cycloheximide does not prevent activation of vitellogenin gene transcription. The relative transcription rate of the vitellogenin genes in estrogen stimulated liver is similar in control and cycloheximide treated animals (800-1000 ppm). Selective estrogen activation of vitellogenin gene transcription therefore represents a direct effect of estrogen on vitellogenin gene transcription which can occur without any change in the cells' protein complement. Two other cellular responses to estrogen, the induction of nuclear estrogen receptor, and an increased rate of total nuclear RNA synthesis, are blocked by cycloheximide administration. Since the overall rate of vitellogenin mRNA synthesis is a function of both the selective estrogen activation of vitellogenin gene transcription which is not blocked by cycloheximide and the increased rate of total nuclear RNA synthesis which is blocked by cycloheximide, the total rate of vitellogenin mRNA synthesis is markedly reduced following cycloheximide administration.
Supercritical extraction and HPLC analysis of taxol from Taxus brevifolia using nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide + ethanol mixtures

Abstract Taxol is an alkaloid which has been found to be exceptionally promising in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The major current sources of the drug are yew species which are in limited supply. As a result, there is a need for improved separation processes to effectively remove the drug from its natural sources. In this study, the separation of taxol from the bark of Taxus brevifolia has been achieved at 320 K and 331 K and at a pressure range of 10.3 to 38.10 MPa using supercritical nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide + ethanol mixtures. The extracts were quantified by high pressure liquid chromatography with photo diode array detection in the UV region. It was found that supercritical nitrous oxide + ethanol mixtures were able to extract most of the taxol present in the bark and that the extractions were more efficient than those using CO 2 + ethanol mixtures.
The relationship of the intensity of posttreatment prostate-specific antigen surveillance and prostate cancer outcomes: results from a population-based cohort.

Objective To determine whether higher intensity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) surveillance was associated with earlier detection of biochemical recurrence (BCR) or survival.
Caspase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Hepatitis C

Decreasing hepatocyte injury and death is an attractive therapeutic target in chronic hepatitis C and other liver diseases. Apoptotic cell death is a critical mechanism responsible for liver injury in hepatitis C, and contributes to hepatic fibrogenesis. At the cellular level, apoptosis is executed by a family of cysteine proteases termed caspases. Caspase inhibitors have been developed to inhibit these proteases and attenuate cellular apoptosis in vivo. By reducing hepatocyte apoptosis these agents have the potential to serve as hepatoprotective agents, minimizing liver injury and fibrosis. Studies on a variety of animal models, and time-limited studies in human patients with hepatitis C suggest these are promising therapeutic agents. However, although these agents hold promise, their usefulness requires further studies, especially longer duration studies using hepatic fibrogenesis as the end point before they can be considered further for the treatment of patients infected with the hepatitis C virus.
Learning to speak in the digital age: an examination of instructional conditions for teaching public speaking online

This study quantitatively analyzed the performance of 345 students who received instruction in the basic public speaking course through an online platform presented in one of six experimental condi...
Effects of Tactile and Kinesthetic Stimulation on Premature Infants

Forty premature infants, divided equally into matched treatment and control groups, were studied to determine the effect of compensatory tactile and kinesthetic stimulation on clinical course. The treatment group received a 15‐minute period of tactile and kinesthetic stimulaton once daily on Days 1–10 postpartum; control group received routine care. Treated infants showed increased stooling frequency on Days 5–10, and increased feeding intake on Days 6–10. Treated infants gained increasingly more weight each day, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that single daily stimulation treatments in the first 10 days postpartum were sufficient to enhance the clinical course of premature infants.