cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing exciton diffusion in organic photovoltaics cells incorporating dilute donor layers

In this work we measure the exciton diffusion length (L D ) of the electron donor material boron subphthalocyanine chloride (SubPc) as a function of concentration in a wide energy gap host material, effectively modulating the intermolecular separation. It is shown that the L D of neat SubPc (L D = 10.7 nm) can be increased by ∼50% at a concentration of 25 wt.% (L D = 15.4 nm). The enhancement in L D is attributed to the optimization of the parameters that control Forster energy transfer. Furthermore, we show that enhanced L D can be translated to dilute donor OPVs that demonstrate an enhanced power efficiency of η P = 4.4%, a ∼30% increase relative to OPV devices based on neat SubPc and rivaling the efficiency of corresponding bulk heterojunction devices based on SubPc and C 60 . Kinetic Monte Carlo modeling of exciton dynamics in these devices suggests that optimal incorporation of dilute donor layers with enhanced L D depends intimately on the interface. Specifically, an imbalance in energy transfer across the dilute donor interface imparts inhomogeneity in the energy transfer landscape, dramatically affecting exciton motion. Overall, this work highlights the opportunity for designing future organic semiconductors that have longer L D as well as OPV architectures that are directly optimized for enhanced exciton diffusion.
Information Literacy in Music History: Fostering Success in Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACTThe article describes the collaborative process between the authors in adapting course assignments in undergraduate music history courses to demonstrate actual learning of content and information literacy skills. Although the inclusion of the information literacy standards is an important step in developing critical thinking skills, other factors impede students to perform well such as lack of knowledge on how to structure a research paper or not understanding how to properly cite the information. By monitoring student performance, the faculty and instruction librarian can make changes to improve student learning and the acquisition of critical thinking skills.
A Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home and Research Platform

The Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home located at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of America's five federal service academies, is believed to be the first of its kind in New York State and perhaps the nation. It represents a synergy of alternative-energy equipment that uses the sun's energy to create electricity to power the home or surrounding community. Furthermore, it creates hydrogen gas that can be used as a fuel for a variety of applications. The hydrogen produced has two main purposes. First, the hydrogen supplies a fuel cell that produces electricity for the home in the evenings or during days when it is cloudy. Second, the hydrogen can be used to fill up the fuel tank of an environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered automobile after a typical day of operation. There are three primary objectives of this paper. The first objective is to provide a technical overview of the home's energy systems. This includes an overview of the various monitoring devices, followed by a discussion on how these types of energy systems can help meet the needs of sustainability and energy independence. Building upon this information, the second objective is to perform an analysis of the current system configuration, including the solar array capacity, fuel cell size, and quantity of hydrogen that can be produced versus what is required for the home to be energy self-sufficient. The third objective is to explore existing maritime and military applications and to suggest future applications that may stem from research of this cutting-edge Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home and research platform.
Composite predictive vector quantizer for encoding of still images

A predictive vector quantization scheme exploiting the intervector correlations of adjacent blocks (vectors) of pixels is developed. The model presented utilizes the statistical dependencies of the previously encoded pairs of adjacent blocks to predict future blocks of picture elements. The state of the vector predictor is represented by a subcodebook composed of a finite number of code vectors. These patterns constitute the most probable candidates for encoding purposes. The entries of the subcodebook are replenished at each state employing interblock dependencies. To further increase the performance of the quantizer, the difference between predicted pixels and original image samples was vector quantized in the second stage. Excellent subjective performance and SNRs were achieved for monochrome still images, while the range of the bit rates was lower than those of memoryless vector quantization schemes.
The effect of the metabolite glycerol on food intake and body weight in rats

Abstract Plasma glycerol levels are correlated with adipose tissue mass and adipose cell size. Glycerol thus has been proposed as a humoral signal reflecting the state of fat storage. Small decrements in body weight and food intake following subcutaneous injections (2–4 daily) of glycerol have been reported. Oral administration of glycerol (1 g/kg/day) but not equicaloric glucose is effective in reducing body weight gain and decreasing food intake in growing male Sprague Dawley rats. Mature obese and lean Zucker male rats are similarly responsive to orally-administered glycerol at either 1 g/kg or 2 g/kg/day. Subcutaneous administration of 160 mg/kg/day of glycerol but not glucose via Alzet Mini-Pumps is also effective in reducing body weight gain and food intake. It thus appears unlikely that decreases in body weight gain or food intake following oral or peripheral glycerol administration are due to caloric or taste factors or to a primary osmotic diuretic effect. The observed glycerol effects in these experiments, however, are small and transient, with recovery beginning within 3–4 days of treatment. One possible interpretation of these data is that the action of exogenously administered glycerol is a function of the ratio of plasma glycerol to some other metabolite(s) which change with weight loss.
Enzyme-induced coagulation of casein micelles : a number of different kinetic models

Several mathematical models are presented in an attempt to describe the kinetics of the enzyme-induced coagulation of casein micelles. In each model the primary phase of the clotting reaction is assumed to follow first order kinetics. The only differences amongst the various models centre on the definition of the flocculation rate constant, which is defined in seven different ways. The rate constants are defined and discussed in terms of activation energy and functionality theory. The first model is such that the number of functional sites is two. The second is such that the number is much larger. The third and fourth are such that there is an exponential energy barrier, one which has a magnitude proportional to the extent of proteolysis caused by the clotting enzyme. These two definitions differ only in the pre-exponent. In one case the pre-exponent is a constant, whereas in the other it is dependent on the size of clotting particles. The fifth and sixth definitions are also energy barrier rate constants, but the energy barrier changes in an arbitrary fashion with respect to time during proteolysis. The seventh definition assumes a large number of functional sites, but such that the number increases with extent of proteolysis. In the Payens nomenclature (Payens, 1989), all models could be considered to be ‘source’ models, and all are derived using the Drake moment equation (Drake, 1972). Only the first model has a truly constant flocculation rate parameter, and only this model has a relatively simple analytical solution. All other models yield analytical solutions only by way of infinite series expansions. Thus, all models are presented in terms of power series expansions, and only through the first five time-dependent coefficients. This confines all models to the early stages of coagulation. In all cases the first three coefficients are virtually the same. The first two coefficients involve only proteolysis, and the third includes initial flocculation information. Time-dependent changes in the flocculation rate constant begin to take effect in the fourth coefficient. When the fourth coefficients of the third and seventh models are compared, a simple relationship is suggested between free energy barrier removal and functional site generation, but only assuming that the number of functionalities is large.
Classical limit for Lie algebras

Abstract We present a general method to construct the classical canonical coordinates for any Lie algebra. The symplectic 2-form, which defines the Poisson structure is constructed explicitly. In this way we are able to define the corresponding classical action for a Lie algebra, which can be subsequently used in recovering the quantum limit, e.g., through a functional integral approach. We pay special attention to the topological structure of the classical phase space, which plays a crucial role in recovering the correct form of the classical equations of motion and eventually in the requantization procedure. The classical phase space turns out to be “curved” and this induces the appearance of “gauge potentials”. The classical mechanics of such systems is analogous to the Dirac's constrained dynamics. We detail these constructions for the case of SU(2) and SU(3) Lie algebras. The main differences for other Lie algebras arise from a larger number of degrees of freedom.
Extending the range of Beer's law in FTIR spectrometry by selection of the apodization functions

The capability of the Norton-Beer apodization functions to extend the linear range of the Beer's law in FT-IR for intense absorption bands was studied theoretically and experimentally.
Interactions During Inhibition of Growth of Aspergillus parasiticus by Gentian Violet

The interrelationships of gentian violet and the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 were investigated with static cultures in a yeast extract-sucrose liquid medium. The dye was fungistatic but not fungicidal at concentrations up to 32 microgram/ml. Growth inhibition was dependent on the concentration of the added dye and on the age of the culture. At 8 microgram/ml with a spore inoculum, growth was inhibited for 6 days while 32 microgram/ml added to a 4-day-old culture inhibited for only 24 hr. Initiation of a normal rate of growth coincided with disappearance of the dye from the medium. The disappearance followed first order kinetics. The dye appeared to bind to the mycelium prior to its apparent disappearance from the medium. Gentian violet appeared to inhibit spore germination by inhibiting a critical point in the spore swelling phenomenon. In addition, growth subsequent to germination was retarded.
A study of an endogenous nucleolytic reaction and of the action of micrococcal nuclease and DNAase I on a salt-soluble, compact form of chromatin

Abstract The endogenous nucleolytic reaction occurring in rabbit thymus nuclear lysates has been studied at extended incubation times (up to 4 h). Production of nucleosomal polymers containing multiples of 205 base pairs of DNA was observed. The stability of the bands and the low release (1%) of acid-soluble nucleotides indicated there was only a small fraction of sensitive DNA between the subunits. The salt-soluble chromatin formed in the endogenous reaction at short incubation times (14–24 min) and purified over Sephadex G-200 has been treated with micrococcal nuclease and DNAase I. With micrococcal nuclease, nucleosomal polymers containing multiples of 201 base pairs of DNA were formed. Extensive digestion revealed a core subunit containing 145 base pairs of DNA. With DNAase I only random degradation was observed and nucleosomal complexes were not produced.
OUTLINE OF A GENERAL PROBABILISTIC RETRIEVAL MODEL

For reasons of technical convenience, current retrieval algorithms based on probabilistic reasoning are derived from models that assume patrons evaluate documents using a two value relevance scale. This paper extends the theory by describing a model which includes a more general relevance scale. This model permits a re‐examination of the earlier theory as a special case of that developed here and leads to a more satisfying interpretation of the ranking principle of the earlier models.
I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke: One Culture Via Apps and Global Advertising

Global cultures are merging into one culture. What has been a difference in cultures that has existed for several millennia may be gone by the end of this century, possibly much sooner. Okay, you might be thinking, how? Ah, there’s the rub! For in order that multiple cultures will disappear, languages must merge, religions must disappear, governments must change, and all the other elements that constitute unique cultures must melt together into a singular pull-down menu bar or an easily updated app-driven hand-held (if not much smaller) device. So much of that is already happening that it is hard to claim much insight with much certainty. This article seeks to examine the roles of each—culture, applications, and advertising—in the change in the way we, as individuals, shift our own societies, our own communication. Yes, that’s a lot to cover in these few pages. Let’s consider this as adding to the multitude of researchers struggling with might be best described as a start in the conversation.
Vitamin D supplementation: a pharmacologic perspective.

Purpose of reviewVitamin D supplementation is expected to increase as clinicians try to optimize their patients' vitamin D status. This review integrates newer information into a perspective on vitamin D disposition and effect.Recent findingsVitamin D is being considered for indications beyond bone
Potts model simulation of grain size distributions during final stage sintering

The Potts Monte Carlo model was used to simulate microstructural evolution and characterize grain size distribution during the final stages of sintering. Simultaneous grain growth, pore migration and pore shrinkage were simulated in a system with an initial porosity of 10% with varying ratios of grain boundary mobility to pore shrinkage rates. This investigation shows that the presence of pores changes the grain size distribution and the topological characteristics due to pinning of grains by pores. As pores shrink away, their pinning effect decreases. Once pore shrinkage is complete, normal grain growth is achieved.
Registering the history of nursing.

As a school of nursing librarian, I received increasing numbers of inquiries about historical records from researchers in this country and abroad. Nursing schools and leaders were being honored with exhibits and films, biographies of American nurses appeared in the literature in greater numbers, and occasions, such as National Nurses’Day, were observed with historical displays. This lively interest in the history of nursing stimulated my curiosity about our own past and about the many apparently unrecorded documents and memorabilia that I kept finding in my attempts to answer some of these questions.
Nanostructures with small and large scale periodic and random rough surfaces and lateral fluctuations in the permittivity and permeability-scattered near fields

The scattered electromagnetic near fields due to fluctuations in the surface height and/or lateral variations in the electromagnetic me- dium parameters are evaluated using a full-wave approach. Since the scales of the height and medium fluctuations considered could be sig- nificantly smaller or larger than the electromagnetic wavelengths, the familiar perturbation and physical/geometrical optics solutions cannot be used nor is it possible to investigate subwavelength features based on far-field measurements. The full-wave approach employs complete field expansion that includes propagating and evanescent waves as well as lateral waves and surface waves, which are not accounted for in the perturbation and physical optics solutions. Exact boundary conditions for the electric and magnetic fields are imposed at the rough interfaces. The complete modal expansions do not uniformly converge at the irregular boundaries, therefore the interchange of orders of differentiation and summation/integration of the field expansions is avoided. Large-scale and small-scale (relative to electromagnetic wavelength) approximations for the full-wave near-field solutions are expressed as integrals over the complete scattered wave number variables. Random rough surfaces as well as periodic and quasiperiodic structures are also considered. © 2002 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (DOI: 10.1117/1.1489050) Subject terms: near fields; electromagnetic wave scattering; lateral waves; sur- face waves; irregular stratified media; nanostructures.
Role of vagal afferents and the rostral ventral medulla in intravenous serotonin-induced changes in nociception and arterial blood pressure.

Abstract THURSTON–STANFIELD, C. L., J. T. RANIERI, R. VALLABHAPURAPU AND D. BARNES–NOBLE. Role of vagal afferents and the rostral ventral medulla in intravenous serotonin-induced changes in nociception and arterial blood pressure. PHYSIOL BEHAV 67(5) 753–767, 1999.—Intravenous administration of serotonin inhibits the nociceptive tail-flick (TF) reflex, partially through activation of vagal afferents. The present study examined the role of the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) in i.v. serotonin-produced inhibition of the TF reflex. In Experiment 1, the effects of anesthetic blockade of the RVM on serotonin-produced inhibition of the TF were determined. Lidocaine attenuated the serotonin-produced inhibition of the TF reflex, but had no effect on the cardiovascular effects of serotonin. In Experiment 2, the effects of i.v. serotonin on neural activity in the RVM in intact and cardiopulmonary deafferented rats were determined. Neurons in the RVM were classified as ON and OFF cells, where ON cells were excited by noxious heat, and OFF cells were inhibited. The effects of i.v. serotonin on TF latency, blood pressure, and ON or OFF cell activity were then determined. In intact rats, serotonin produced a dose-dependent increase in TF latency, triphasic changes in blood pressure, and bi- or triphasic changes in ON or OFF cell activity. The changes in blood pressure included an initial sharp decrease in blood pressure (Bezold–Jarisch reflex), followed by a brief pressor response, followed by a delay depressor response. ON cells were generally excited, although there was a period during which the excitation decreased. OFF cells were initially excited, followed by a period of inhibition, followed by a second period of excitation. Bilateral cervical vagotomy attenuated the increase in TF latency, the Bezold–Jarisch reflex, and the excitation of OFF cells, and potentiated the excitation of ON cells and the pressor response. Bilateral sinoaortic deafferentation attenuated the Bezold–Jarisch reflex and potentiated the pressor response. These findings indicate that i.v. serotonin inhibits the TF reflex through at least two distinct mechansims, one of which requires the RVM. In addition, serotonin produces a vagally mediated excitation of OFF cells and inhibition of ON cells that may mediate some of the antinociception.
Palynology and archaeological inference: bridging the gap between pollen washes and past behavior

Credible interpretation of pollen recovered from archaeological sites hinges upon understanding how pollen becomes deposited by both the environment and human behavior. The environmental role has been studied to some extent, but how the activities of people have formed the pollen assemblages at archaeological sites is usually just assumed rather than considered explicitly. Moreover, the complexity involved in the interaction between human behavior and pollen ecology is seldom considered. An archaeological case study of grinding tool pollen washes highlights the ambiguities of standard practice because the results confound common assumptions about pollen washes. A series of experimental seed and grinding tool washes designed to test the relationships between the processing of seeds and the deposition of pollen help explain why, for most situations, artifact pollen washes do not provide direct or even faithful records of plant processing. These results highlight the need for further experimental research with pollen so that we are warranted in making behavioral inferences from palynology. This conclusion is easily extended to other microbotanical data classes that archaeologists regularly employ.
Human odometer is gait-symmetry specific.

In 1709, Berkeley hypothesized of the human that distance is measurable by ‘the motion of his body, which is perceivable by touch’. To be sufficiently general and reliable, Berkeley's hypothesis must imply that distance measured by legged locomotion approximates actual distance, with the measure invariant to gait, speed and number of steps. We studied blindfolded human participants in a task in which they travelled by legged locomotion from a fixed starting point A to a variable terminus B, and then reproduced, by legged locomotion from B, the A–B distance. The outbound (‘measure’) and return (‘report’) gait could be the same or different, with similar or dissimilar step sizes and step frequencies. In five experiments we manipulated bipedal gait according to the primary versus secondary distinction revealed in symmetry group analyses of locomotion patterns. Berkeley's hypothesis held only when the measure and report gaits were of the same symmetry class, indicating that idiothetic distance measurement is gait-symmetry specific. Results suggest that human odometry (and perhaps animal odometry more generally) entails variables that encompass the limbs in coordination, such as global phase, and not variables at the level of the single limb, such as step length and step number, as traditionally assumed.
Correlation of nonverticality and entrance effects in bubble columns

We present new visual VCR (Video-Cassette Recorder) experimental evidence, using the acid-base technique described by Rice and Littlefield (1987).
The Effects of Participatory Democracy on Political Competition: The Case of Brazilian Participatory Budgeting

What are the effects of Brazilian participatory budgeting? Most studies answer this question using selected case studies. This paper proposes an empirical analysis of the political and fiscal effects of participatory budgeting. Focusing on all the cities that have a population greater than 50000 inhabitants between the years 1989 and 2008 it extends significantly the scope and understanding of previous empirical work. To the contrary of previous anecdotal evidence the results show that participatory budgeting does not alter the composition of public spending and public revenues. However participatory budgeting significantly increases (~9%) the probability of reelection of the party of the mayor. This effect is heightened when focusing on the sample of cities with more than 100000 inhabitants. Most interestingly for smaller cities the positive effect of adopting for the first time PB on the reelection of the mayor is mediated by the victory of the Workers’ Party. When the Workers’ Party doesn’t control the city the effect disappears. For the larger cities we observe the opposite result.
The Economic Cost of Homosexuality: Multilevel Analyses

This article builds on earlier studies that have examined "the economic cost of homosexuality," by using data from the 2000 U.S. Census and by employing multilevel analyses. Our findings indicate that partnered gay men experience a 12.5 percent earnings penalty compared to married heterosexual men, and a statistically insignificant earnings penalty compared to partnered heterosexual men, when both individual- and state-level characteristics are taken into account. Partnered lesbians experience about a 3.5 percent earnings advantage compared to married heterosexual women, and a 9 percent earnings advantage compared to partnered heterosexual women. Although individual-level characteristics are the primary determinants of their earnings, we find that some contextual characteristics affect the earnings of partnered gay men and lesbians, relative to partnered heterosexuals, and that these effects vary by sex.
Decreased spermatogenesis as the result of an induced autoimmune reaction directed against the gonadotropin receptors in male rats

The presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone is considered critical for the maintenance of spermatogenesis in the rat. However, the role and importance of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the initiation and maintenance of spermatogenesis has been a subject of debate for some time. The objective of this study was to examine the role of FSH and LH in vivo in the developing and adult rat by inducing an autoimmune reaction against the receptors to these gonadotropins. Sperm numbers were reduced in animals immunized against either the FSH or LH receptor (FSHR/LHR). In animals immunized against both FSHR and LHR there was also a significant reduction in sperm number although spermatogenesis was never completely ablated. These results were seen in male rats immunized either prepubertally (18 days of age) or as adults (80 days of age). To examine the requirements for FSH in early postnatal-testicular development, pregnant females were also immunized against either FSHR, LHR, or both of the receptors, and the male offspring were examined at 30 days of age. Again, germ-cell number was decreased with the greatest effect in those pups whose mothers were immunized against both FSHR and LHR. Radioligand-receptor-binding assays revealed that the antibody produced in the rats against FSHR was able to compete with FSH for binding sites in receptor-membrane preparations. Therefore, the mechanism of disruption of spermatogenesis is probably due to suppression of hormone to receptor binding. The results of this study support a role for FSH in spermatogenesis not only during neonatal and early postnatal development but also in the adult animal.
The Tim8–Tim13 complex has multiple substrate binding sites and binds cooperatively to Tim23

Abstract The Tim8–Tim13 complex, located in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, functions in the TIM22 import pathway that mediates the import of the mitochondrial carriers Tim23, Tim22, and Tim17 into the mitochondrial inner membrane. The Tim8–Tim13 complex assembles as a hexamer and binds to the substrate Tim23 to chaperone the hydrophobic Tim23 across the aqueous intermembrane space. However, both structural features of the Tim8–Tim13 complex and the binding interaction to Tim23 remain poorly defined. The crystal structure of the yeast Tim8–Tim13 complex, reported here at 2.6 A resolution, reveals that the architecture of the Tim8–Tim13 complex is similar to those of other chaperones such as Tim9–Tim10, prefoldin, and Skp, in which long helices extend from a central body like tentacles from a jellyfish. Surface plasmon resonance was applied to investigate interactions between the Tim8–Tim13 complex and Tim23. The Tim8–Tim13 complex contained approximately six binding sites and showed a complex binding interaction indicative of positive cooperativity rather than a simple bimolecular interaction. By combining results from the structural and binding studies, we provide a molecular model of the Tim8–Tim13 complex binding to Tim23. The regions where the tentacle helices attach to the body of the Tim8–Tim13 complex contain six hydrophobic pockets that likely interact with specific sequences of Tim23 and possibly other substrates. Smaller hydrophobic patches on the tentacles themselves likely interact nonspecifically with the substrate's transmembrane helices, shielding it from the aqueous intermembrane space. The central region of Tim23, which enters the intermembrane space first, may serve to nucleate the binding of the Tim8–Tim13 complex, thereby initiating the chaperoned translocation of Tim23 to the mitochondrial inner membrane.
Indirect effects in complex ecosystems: recent progress and future challenges

Indirect effects are fundamental to the biocomplexity of ecological systems, and provide severe challenges to predicting the impacts of environmental change. Interest in indirect effects has expanded exponentially over the past 20 years. Indirect effects arise when direct interactions mediated by changes in density share a species, when species change the interaction between individuals of other species, or both. Past work, including many studies of marine food webs, has primarily documented the existence of indirect effects and how particular examples arise. Future challenges include (1) developing methods for the systematic detection of indirect effects, (2) documenting the functions describing different classes of interaction modifications, (3) exploring methods to predict indirect effects, including measurement of interaction strengths among species, (4) integrating time-scale differences into the theory of indirect effects, and (5) linking indirect effects and environmental variability. Ecologists are not alone in dealing with complex systems. Consequently, progress may be facilitated by exploring approaches developed in other scientific disciplines oriented toward complex systems. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Design and Analysis for Thematic Map Accuracy Assessment: Fundamental Principles

Abstract Before being used in scientific investigations and policy decisions, thematic maps constructed from remotely sensed data should be subjected to a statistically rigorous accuracy assessment. The three basic components of an accuracy assessment are: 1) the sampling design used to select the reference sample; 2) the response design used to obtain the reference land-cover classification for each sampling unit; and 3) the estimation and analysis procedures. We discuss options available for each of these components. A statistically rigorous assessment requires both a probability sampling design and statistically consistent estimators of accuracy parameters, along with a response design determined in accordance with features of the mapping and classification process such as the land-cover classification scheme, minimum mapping unit, and spatial scale of the mapping.
A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver

Objective: The objective of this research was to determine the relative impairment associated with conversing on a cellular telephone while driving. Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests that the relative risk of being in a traffic accident while using a cell phone is similar to the hazard associated with driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit. The purpose of this research was to provide a direct comparison of the driving performance of a cell phone driver and a drunk driver in a controlled laboratory setting. Method: We used a high-fidelity driving simulator to compare the performance of cell phone drivers with drivers who were intoxicated from ethanol (i.e., blood alcohol concentration at 0.08% weight/volume). Results: When drivers were conversing on either a handheld or hands-free cell phone, their braking reactions were delayed and they were involved in more traffic accidents than when they were not conversing on a cell phone. By contrast, when drivers were intoxicated from ethanol they exhibited a more aggressive driving style, following closer to the vehicle immediately in front of them and applying more force while braking. Conclusion: When driving conditions and time on task were controlled for, the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk. Application: This research may help to provide guidance for regulation addressing driver distraction caused by cell phone conversations.
Cheating ourselves: The economics of tax evasion

No government can announce a tax system and then rely on taxpayers' sense of duty to remit what is owed. Some dutiful people will undoubtedly pay what they owe, but many others will not. Over time the ranks of the dutiful will shrink, as they see how they are being taken advantage of by the others. Thus, paying taxes must be made a legal responsibility of citizens, with penalties attendant on noncompliance. But even in the face of those penalties, substantial tax evasion exists-and always has. The history of taxation is replete with episodes of evasion, often notable for their inventiveness. During the third century, many wealthy Romans buried their jewelry or stocks of gold coin to evade the luxury tax, and homeowners in eighteenth-century England temporarily bricked up their fireplaces to escape notice of the hearth tax collector (Webber and Wildavsky, 1986, p. 141). This essay reviews what is known about the magnitude, nature, and determinants of tax evasion, with an emphasis on the U.S. income tax. Alm (1999), Andreoni, Erard, and Feinstein (1998), and Slemrod and Yitzhaki (2002) offer more comprehensive recent reviews of the literature. It then places this information into a conceptual and policy context.
Are Social Scientists Harder on Their Colleagues Than Physical Scientists Were on Theirs in the Past? Commentary on Trafimow & Rice (2009).

Trafimow and Rice (2009; this issue) have written a thought-provoking article that addresses an important issue in a creative, informative, and engaging way. In a series of vignettes, the authors imagine how several of the better known developments of science might have fared if the manuscripts in which they were first described had been assessed according to the standards and predilections of current reviewers of manuscripts in the social sciences. In this commentary, I note points made by Trafimow and Rice with which I agree, mention some questions that the article raises that are important in my view, challenge the authors' assumption that contemporary social scientists generally treat the ideas of their colleagues more harshly than past physical scientists treated those of theirs, and express an opinion about the merits of the peer-review system as it currently functions in the social sciences. Although I acknowledge that the current system is far from perfect, I argue that it does a passably good job...
Radiation Therapy to Prevent Stenosis of Peripheral Vascular Accesses

Postangioplasty vascular restenosis is a major clinical problem. There has been an upsurge in interest in the use of postangioplasty endovascular brachytherapy in preventing vascular restenosis. Much of the work in this field is being driven by the interventional cardiology community, and there has been a tendency to use a one-size-fits-all approach. This article reviews the application of vascular radiation therapy to prevent postangioplasty dialysis access restenosis. We identify the key features of dialysis accesses that distinguish them from other clinical situations of postangioplasty restenosis. The implications for interventional radiation therapy in this setting are discussed at length, including the need for a centering device, the issues involved in isotope selection, and the advantages offered by external-beam radiation therapy.
Progression of native lung fibrosis in lung transplant recipients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Summary Background Single lung transplant recipients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis provide an opportunity to study fibrosis in the native lung over time in the setting of pronounced immunosuppression. Lung transplant patients are treated with a regimen of steroids, an antiproliferative agent and a calcineurin inhibitor. This represents a much greater immunosuppression regime than the typical treatment for IPF. To determine whether this regimen of high dose immunosuppression would arrest the progression of fibrosis, the high-resolution chest CT scans (HRCTs) of these patients were reviewed. Methods HRCTs of 21 patients who underwent single lung transplant for IPF between 1/96 and 1/06 were reviewed. Scans were evaluated by two readers at 6 months intervals, beginning within 1–2 months after transplant. Two calculations were made on the native lung: total volume and percentage of lung affected by fibrosis. Baseline pulmonary function test data was correlated with the immediate post-transplant CT. Patients were followed for an average of 35 months after transplant. Results The mean total volume of the native lung just after transplant was 1120 cc. This decreased to 875 cc by 2 years and 691 cc by 4 years after transplant, representing an average decline of 10.8%/year. Initially, 52% of the native lung was affected by fibrosis compared to 92% at 4 years. Excluding scans with 100% of the lung affected by fibrosis, percentage fibrosis increased 11% per year. Conclusion Fibrotic disease within the native lung progresses rapidly in single lung transplant recipients with IPF despite prolonged high dose immunosuppression.
Categorization in supervised neural network learning A computational approach

The authors describe a learning strategy motivated by computational constraints that enhances the speed of neural network learning. Decision regions in feature space are of three types: (1) well separated clusters (Type A). (2) disconnected clusters (Type B) and (3) clusters separated by complex boundaries (Type C). These decision regions have psychological validity, as is evident from E. Rosch's (1976) categorization theory. Rosch suggests that in taxonomies of real objects, there is one level of abstraction at which basic category cuts are made. Basic categories are similar to Type A clusters. Categories one level more abstract than basic categories are superordinate categories and categories one level less abstract are subordinate categories. These correspond to Type B and Type C clusters, respectively. It is proved that, in a binary valued feature space, basic categories can be learned by a perceptron. A two-layer network for classifying basic categories in a multi-valued feature space is described. This network is used as a basis to construct neural network STRUCT for learning superordinate and subordinate categories. >
Reproducibility and Minimal Detectable Change of Three-Dimensional Kinematic Analysis of Reaching Tasks in People With Hemiparesis After Stroke

Background and Purpose: Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of reaching has emerged as an evaluative measure of upper-extremity motor performance in people after stroke. However, the psychometric properties supporting the use of kinematic data for evaluating longitudinal change in motor performance have not been established. The objective of this study was to determine, in a test-retest reliability manner, the reproducibility and minimal detectable change for reaching kinematics in people after stroke. Subjects and Methods: Fourteen participants with hemiparesis after stroke performed forward reaching tasks on 2 occasions 37.3 (SD=9.8) days apart. At each session, participants performed 4 forward reaching tasks produced by the combination of 2 target heights (low and high [109 and 153 cm from the floor, respectively]) and 2 instructed movement speeds (self-selected and as fast as possible). Two analytical methods were used to calculate kinematic parameters. Results: Relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) ranged from .04 to .99, and absolute reliability (standard error of measurement) ranged from 2.7% to 76.8%, depending on the kinematic variable, the demands of the motor task (target height and movement speed), and the analytical method. Bland-Altman analysis, a statistical method used to assess the repeatability of a method, revealed few systematic errors between sessions. The minimal detectable change ranged from 7.4% to 98.9%. Discussion and Conclusion: Depending on the demands of the motor task and the analytical method, most kinematic outcome measures (such as peak hand velocity, endpoint error, reach extent, maximum shoulder flexion range of motion, and minimum elbow extension range of motion) are reliable measures of motor performance in people after stroke. However, because of the magnitude of within-subject measurement error, some variables (such as peak hand velocity, time to peak hand velocity, and movement time) must change considerably (>50%) to indicate a real change in individual participants. The results of our reliability analysis, which are based on our cohort of participants with hemiparesis after stroke and our specific paradigm, may not be generalizable to different subpopulations of people with hemiparesis after stroke or to the myriad movement tasks and kinematic variables used for the assessment of reaching performance in people after stroke.
Osteochondroma of the fifth rib resulting in recurrent hemothorax

A 48-year-old man presented with recurrent spontaneous hemothoraces, which ultimately were found to be secondary to a pedunculated costal osteochondroma causing vascular injury. After initially undergoing endovascular coil embolization, he ultimately required segmental rib resection containing the offending lesion for definite treatment. Although a few cases of symptomatic costal osteochondromas have been reported in the literature, as far as we know, no previous reports have provided direct radiologic confirmation of active bleeding or the role of angiographic intervention. In this report, we highlight the importance of CT angiography in establishing a direct link between an osteochondroma and recurrent hemothorax. We also discuss the diagnostic imaging challenges associated with this condition and the use of a multidisciplinary treatment strategy involving both angiographic and operative management.
Transcriptional Control of Synaptic Plasticity by Transcription Factor NF-κB

Activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factors is required for the induction of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. All components of this signaling pathway are localized at synapses, and transcriptionally active NF-κB dimers move to the nucleus to translate synaptic signals into altered gene expression. Neuron-specific inhibition results in altered connectivity of excitatory and inhibitory synapses and functionally in selective learning deficits. Recent research on transgenic mice with impaired or hyperactivated NF-κB gave important insights into plasticity-related target gene expression that is regulated by NF-κB. In this minireview, we update the available data on the role of this transcription factor for learning and memory formation and comment on cross-sectional activation of NF-κB in the aged and diseased brain that may directly or indirectly affect κB-dependent transcription of synaptic genes.
Selenium Augments microRNA Directed Reprogramming of Fibroblasts to Cardiomyocytes via Nanog

We have recently shown that a combination of microRNAs, miR combo, can directly reprogram cardiac fibroblasts into functional cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. However, direct reprogramming strategies are inefficient and slow. Moving towards the eventual goal of clinical application it is necessary to develop new methodologies to overcome these limitations. Here, we report the identification of a specific media composition, reprogramming media (RM), which augmented the effect of miR combo by 5-15-fold depending upon the cardiac marker tested. RM alone was sufficient to strongly induce cardiac gene and protein expression in neonatal tail-tip as well as cardiac fibroblasts. Expression of pluripotency markers Nanog, Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 was significantly enhanced by RM, with miR combo augmenting the effect further. Knockdown of Nanog by siRNA inhibited the effect of RM on cardiac gene expression. Removal of insulin-transferrin-selenium completely inhibited the effect of reprogramming media upon cardiac gene expression and the addition of selenium to standard culture media recapitulated the effects of RM. Moreover, selenium enhanced the reprogramming efficiency of miR combo.
Heron's Area Formula: What About a Tetrahedron ?

where a, b, and c are the lengths of the sides and s = (a + b + c)/2 is the semiperimeter. But probably not many of us know a proof. In fact, the classical proof [3], attributed to Hero of Alexandria (but possibly discovered by Archimedes), is too long and tricky to be taught in the standard geometry class. The formula can easily be derived from the Law of Cosines, but since it isn't a trig formula, the proof usually isn't covered in a trigonometry course either. About two years ago, I noticed that the formula has a short derivation using only elementary algebra. I asked several of my mathematical friends if they had seen it before. They hadn't. So it appeared in the November, 2002, issue of Focus [5]. Here it is again. We first eliminate the superfluous s from the formula to get the equation that we will derive:
Efficient and Minimal Method to Bias Molecular Simulations with Experimental Data

A primary goal in molecular simulations is to modify the potential energy of a system so that properties of the simulation match experimental data. This is traditionally done through iterative cycles of simulation and reparameterization. An alternative approach is to bias the potential energy so that the system matches experimental data. This can be done while minimally changing the underlying free energy of the molecular simulation. Current minimal biasing methods require replicas, which can lead to unphysical dynamics and introduces new complexity: the choice of replica number and their properties. Here, we describe a new method, called experiment directed simulation that does not require replicas, converges rapidly, can match many data simultaneously, and minimally modifies the potential. The experiment directed simulation method is demonstrated on model systems and a three-component electrolyte simulation. The theory used to derive the method also provides insight into how changing a molecular force-field impacts the expected value of observables in simulation.
The Effect of Purchase Characteristics on Postdecision Product Reevaluation

A laboratory study employing a purchase simulation suggests that characteristics of the purchase such as choice superiority, brand homogeneity, and choice familiarity play a major role in postdecisional cognitive change. Evidence also indicates that new adoption purchases of minor importance items do represent the necessary level of decision commitment for favorable product reevaluation.
Determination of amisulpride plasma levels by HPLC-fluorescence method and its pharmacokinetic study

Objective: To establish an HPLC method for the determination of amisulpride levels in human plasma, determine the amisulpride plasma concentration in healthy volunteers within 48 hours after oral administration of amisulpride tablets,and study on pharmacokinetics. Methods: The amisulpride was extracted from plasma by 10% trichloroacetic acid. Chromatographic separation has been achieved on C18 column with sodium heptanesulfonateacetic acid(pH 4. 85) and methyl cyanides(80∶ 20) as the mobile phase. The fluorescence detection was used to determine amisulpride at λ ex = 280 nm and λ em = 370 nm. Results: The linear range was 5800 ng · mL-1(r = 0. 9997). The average method recovery of low,middle and high concentration was 105. 1%,105. 4%,and 101. 3%,respectively. RSDs of inter-and intra-day precision were both less than 4%. AUC 0-∞ was(3545. 74 ± 1199. 58) ng· h · mL-1,AUC 0-t was(3348. 50 ± 1161. 27) ng · h · mL-1,C max was(457. 69 ± 232. 62) ng · mL-1,T max was(4. 15 ± 1. 31) h,t 1/2 was(10. 77 ± 5. 77) h. Conclusion: The method is simple,rapid,economical and accurate for determination of amisulpride in human plasma and pharmacokinetic study.