cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards an integrative model of e-relationship development

E-commerce has become an important medium of exchange. Two related issues that face e-merchants are increased competition and trust development. The relationship between the vendor and the customer is an important and complex issue, especially in e-commerce settings. Many researchers have studied the issues related to e-relationships. This paper integrates the previous research into an integrative model of e-relationship. E-relationships are about attracting and maintaining customers in e-commerce settings. We integrate the commitment-trust theory with the current literature. We argue that satisfaction, trust and commitment are important mechanisms in loyalty and, thus, relationship development. We treat satisfaction and trust as antecedents of commitment. We argue that the antecedents of satisfaction and trust are website effectiveness, product performance, privacy, security and reputation.
Simplicity is Bliss: Controlling Extraneous Cognitive Load in Online Security Training to Promote Secure Behavior

User-initiated security breaches are common and can be very costly to organizations. Information security training can be used as an effective tool to improve users' secure behavior and thus alleviate security breaches. Via the lens of learning, working memory, and cognitive load theories, this research examines how to improve the effectiveness of security training through decreasing extraneous stimuli in the presentation of online security training. The authors conducted a realistic laboratory experiment to examine the influence of training with different levels of extraneous stimuli on secure behavior. They found that training presented with low levels of extraneous stimuli improved secure behavior more than training presented with high levels. The results question the effectiveness of elaborate training programs, and rather suggest that simple, direct training modules are most effective.
Electrophysiological and Immunohistochemical Evidence for an Increase in GABAergic Inputs and HCN Channels in Purkinje Cells that Survive Developmental Ethanol Exposure.

Ethanol exposures during the early postnatal period of the rat result in significant death of Purkinje cells (PCs). The magnitude, time-course, and lobular specificity of PC death have been well characterized in several studies. Additionally, significant reduction of climbing fiber inputs to the surviving PCs has been characterized. This study investigates whether further alterations to the cerebellar cortical circuits might occur as a result of developmental ethanol exposures. We first examined the firing pattern of PCs in acute slice preparations on postnatal days 13–15. While the basic firing frequency was not significantly altered, PCs from rat pups treated with ethanol on postnatal days 4–6 showed a significantly increased number of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSCs) and a larger Ih current. We conducted immunofluorescent studies to identify the probable cause of the increased IPSCs. We found a significant 21 % increase in the number of basket cells per PC and a near doubling of the volume of co-localized basket cell axonal membrane with PC. In addition, we identified a significant (~147 %) increase in HCN1 channel volume co-localized to PC volume. Therefore, the cerebellar cortex that survives targeted postnatal ethanol exposure is dramatically altered in development subsequent to PC death. The cerebellar cortical circuit that results is one that operates under a significant degree of increased resting inhibition. The alterations in the development of cerebellar circuitry following ethanol exposure, and the significant loss of PCs, could result in modifications of the structure and function of other brain regions that receive cerebellar inputs.
Activated Protein C Mediates Novel Lung Endothelial Barrier Enhancement ROLE OF SPHINGOSINE 1-PHOSPHATE RECEPTOR TRANSACTIVATION

Increased endothelial cell (EC) permeability is central to the pathophysiology of inflammatory syndromes such as sepsis and acute lung injury (ALI). Activated protein C (APC), a serine protease critically involved in the regulation of coagulation and inflammatory processes, improves sepsis survival through an unknown mechanism. We hypothesized a direct effect of APC to both prevent increased EC permeability and to restore vascular integrity after edemagenic agonists. We measured changes in transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) and observed that APC produced concentration-dependent attenuation of TER reductions evoked by thrombin. We next explored known EC barrier-protective signaling pathways and observed dose-dependent APC-mediated increases in cortical myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation in concert with cortically distributed actin polymerization, findings highly suggestive of Rac GTPase involvement. We next determined that APC directly increases Rac1 activity, with inhibition of Rac1 activity significantly attenuating APC-mediated barrier protection to thrombin challenge. Finally, as these signaling events were similar to those evoked by the potent EC barrier-enhancing agonist, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), we explored potential cross-talk between endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) and S1P1, the receptors for APC and S1P, respectively. EPCR-blocking antibody (RCR-252) significantly attenuated both APC-mediated barrier protection and increased MLC phosphorylation. We next observed rapid, EPCR and PI 3-kinase-dependent, APC-mediated phosphorylation of S1P1 on threonine residues consistent with S1P1 receptor activation. Co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrate an interaction between EPCR and S1P1 upon APC treatment. Targeted silencing of S1P1 expression using siRNA significantly reduced APC-mediated barrier protection against thrombin. These data suggest that novel EPCR ligation and S1P1 transactivation results in EC cytoskeletal rearrangement and barrier protection, components potentially critical to the improved survival of APC-treated patients with severe sepsis.
High-rate quantization and transform coding with side information at the decoder

We extend high-rate quantization theory to Wyner-Ziv coding, i.e., lossy source coding with side information at the decoder. Ideal Slepian-Wolf coders are assumed, thus rates are conditional entropies of quantization indices given the side information. This theory is applied to the analysis of orthonormal block transforms for Wyner-Ziv coding. A formula for the optimal rate allocation and an approximation to the optimal transform are derived. The case of noisy high-rate quantization and transform coding is included in our study, in which a noisy observation of source data is available at the encoder, but we are interested in estimating the unseen data at the decoder, with the help of side information.We implement a transform-domain Wyner-Ziv video coder that encodes frames independently but decodes them conditionally. Experimental results show that using the discrete cosine transform results in a rate-distortion improvement with respect to the pixel-domain coder. Transform coders of noisy images for different communication constraints are compared. Experimental results show that the noisy Wyner-Ziv transform coder achieves a performance close to the case in which the side information is also available at the encoder.
What will characterize international education in US public schools

This article develops a working model for international education in US public schools with consideration of the curricula and accreditation standards utilized by the broad group of overseas institutions known as `international schools'. It addresses the public international school identity question in a decade in which public schools in many states and countries are taking an increasing interest in international education and in nurturing globally-minded students; the article also proposes a web-based forum in which such a model can be further refined.
Alignment of Escherichia coli K12 DNA sequences to a genomic restriction map

Abstract We use the extensive published information describing the genome of Escherichia coli and new restriction map alignment software to align DNA sequence, genetic, and physical maps. Restriction map alignment software is used which considers restriction maps as strings analogous to DNA or protein sequences except that two values, enzyme name and DNA base address, are associated with each position on the string. The resulting alignments reveal a nearly linear relationship between the physical and genetic maps of the E. coli chromosome. Physical map comparisons with the 1976, 1980, and 1983 genetic maps demonstrate a better fit with the more recent maps. The results of these alignments are genomic kilobase coordinates, orientation and rank of the alignment that best fits the genetic data. A statistical measure based on extreme value distribution is applied to the alignments. Additional computer analyses allow us to estimate the accuracy of the published E. coli genomic restriction map, simulate rearrangements of the bacterial chromosome, and search for repetitive DNA. The procedures we used are general enough to be applicable to other genome mapping projects.
Expanding Librarian Roles Through a Librarian Initiated and Facilitated Faculty Learning Community

ABSTRACTThe role of libraries is changing to focus more on users rather than the collection of information. Community building and connecting people with shared interests represents a social role for libraries in the information age. Their role adds a new dimension to the traditional domains for libraries. Developing and implementing an integrated medical curriculum became the primary focus of basic sciences faculty at a new medical school. Scholarly teaching and connecting teaching with educational research presented a great challenge for the faculty. In response to the learning, teaching, and developmental needs of faculty members, a librarian established a faculty learning community as an approach to supporting faculty development and growth as teaching scholars and scholars of educational research. The article provides a case to illustrate how a librarian spanned boundaries and took up the responsibilities of establishing a faculty learning community and developing a year-long program in light of diff...
Synthesis and characterisation of CZT nanowire arrays for gamma ray detection

A single step pulsed potential electrodeposition of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) nanowires was carried out in propylene carbonate solution at 130°C onto a nanotubular TiO2 template. Various combinations of potential pulses were investigated and the electrochemical parameters were optimised to obtain nanowires with a stoichiometry of Cd0.96Zn0.04Te. The CZT nanowires showed an electrical resistivity of 4.48 × 109 Ω-cm and an electronic band gap of 1.53 eV after annealing at 350°C for 1 h in argon atmosphere. The CZT nanowires grown on semiconductor nanotubular TiO2 templates can be integrated into a detection device for sensing low-medium energy gamma rays.
Meningeal macrophages reflect lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus pathogenic phenotypes.

Intracerebral (i.c.) infection of adult mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus can result in acute lethal central nervous system (CNS) disease which is the result of the host's thymus-derived lymphocyte (T cell) response against the virus. Whether the specific effector function of the T cell is that of a cytotoxic cell (Tc) or a delayed-type hypersensitivity cell (Td) is still under debate. We assumed that if Td cells were important in pathogenesis then accessory cells in the brain (specifically, glass-adherent macrophages) might vary with the outcome of i.c. infection. We found that accumulation of macrophages in the brain (washed from meninges and skull cap) appeared to be independent of the severity of the infection (controlled by the mouse strain as well as the strain and dose of virus used). However, differentiation of macrophages was clearly linked to whether or not the infection caused rapid death. In mice that were destined to survive, macrophages became large, extensively vacuolated, and phagocytically active. In lethally-infected mice macrophages were small and had poor phagocytic abilities. At present this dichotomy could be viewed as either a cause or a consequence of disease outcome. However, the data are not inconsistent with the hypothesis that Td lymphocytes may be of primary importance in pathogenesis.
Flicker stimulation with chimpanzees

Abstract Although extensive work has been carried out in experimentally induced epileptiform states (alumina cream, metrazol, etc.) in animals, only man has been known to have idiopathic photosensitive epilepsy. Recent work by Killam et al . (2, 3, 4 and 5) has demonstrated a photo-sensitive response in old world monkeys that may well represent an idiopathic epilepsy. They have been able to demonstrate not only paroxysmal EEG and motor responses to flashing light but also in the most recent work (4) self-sustained epileptiform seizures. In 60% of the baboons, Papio papio, on first presentation of flashing light, there was an easily recognizable pattern of paroxysmal activity (4 and 5) in response to intermittent flash stimulation at 25 cps. This high degree of sensitivity is particularly notable since in normal man paroxysmal responses appear to be limited to 1–4% (1, 6 and 8). This percentage increases dramatically when epileptic subjects are studied as demonstrated repeatedly since the first description of this response by Walter et al . in 1948 (9). The obvious significance of finding an idiopathic epilepsy in primates has led to the present work. The six species recently investigated (2 and 5) (the baboons Papio papio, Papio anubis and Papio cynocephalus), the Erythrocebus patas, the Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus and the Cynomalogous macaque (Macaca irus) are all Cercopithecinae and the question arises naturally as whether any of the Hominoidea, other than man, would show a similar response. It was decided to attempt the same tests on the chimpanzee colony at the 6571st Aeromedical Research Laboratories, Holloman Air Force Base.
THE DETERMINATION OF THE TENDERNESS ATTRIBUTE OF HOT BONING AND DELAY CHILLING OF MATURE COW CARCASSES

Recent research has suggested the potential for upgrading some muscles from the mature cow carcass to be used as steak and roasts. With the application of modern processing techniques, beef from mature cow carcasses shows a potential to be utilized as salable retail roast and steak. The advantages of such processing techniques could minimize labor and energy usage. This study was undertaken to compare tenderness of mature cow steak and roast which were “hot” or “cold” boned. Six mature cow carcasses were utilized in this study. One side of each carcass was randomly assigned to be delay chilled at 16°C for 4 h before fabrication into muscle and muscle systems. The remaining side was assigned the conventional treatment with muscle excision after a 48 h chilling period at 1°C. Meat tenderness was objectively evaluated by the use of the Warner-Bratzler Shear. Subjective evaluation of meat tenderness was by a trained taste panel. Muscles utilized in this investigation were the longissimus (LD), psoas major (PM), and quadriceps femoris (QF). Shear force values were generally small with less than .98 kg of shear force between treatments. Taste panelists were unable to distinguish between treatment, supporting the findings indicated by the mechanical measure.
Nonlinear Normal Modes for Vibratory Systems Under Periodic Excitation

This paper considers the use of numerically constructed invariant manifolds to determine the response of nonlinear vibratory systems that are subjected to periodic excitation. The approach is an extension of the nonlinear normal mode formulation previously developed by the authors for free oscillations, wherein an auxiliary system that models the excitation is used to augment the equations of motion. In this manner, the excitation is simply treated as an additional system state, yielding a system with an extra degree of freedom, whose response is known. A reduced order model for the forced system is then determined by the usual nonlinear normal mode procedure, and an efficient Galerkin-based solution method is used to numerically construct the attendant invariant manifolds. The technique is illustrated by determining the frequency response for a simple two-degree-off-reedom mass-spring system with cubic nonlinearities, and for a discretized beam model with 12 degrees of freedom. The results show that this method provides very accurate responses over a range of frequencies near resonances.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Sliding friction and wear of metals in vacuum

Abstract Sliding friction and wear in vacuum were studied for 16 combinations of four pure metals (copper, nickel, iron and molybdenum) from the points of view of adhesion energy and hardness ratio H d / H p (ratio of hardness of disk to hardness of pin) before and after the test. It was found that severe wear usually occurred when the range of hardness ratio H d / H p after the test included values below about 1.0. Mild wear typically occured when this ratio included only values above about 1.0. It was also found that friction and wear behaviour were dependent on the adhesion energy and the crystal structure. Mutual transfer was observed in both wear modes for every combination of different metals. Transfer ranged from widely scattered local transfer to relatively uniform transfer. Three types of wear debris were observed in severe wear: plate-like, wedge-like and cylindrical-spherical debris. Although wear debris consisted mainly of disk material, it also commonly contained pin material existing as small scattered pieces. The size of wear debris was strongly dependent on the hardness of the disk material and the adhesion energy. The data from self-mated tests were consistent with those using two different metals.
Fluorescent composite tubes with pH-controlled shapes

Building additional functionality into self-assembled organic tubes is of great interest for materials and biological applications. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of fluorescent composite tubes in which in situ formed cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles are embedded in lithocholic acid (LCA) tube walls. The LCA/CdS composite tubes are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. The reported data show that the fluorescence of the composite tubes stems from CdS nanoparticles with the cubic (zinc blende) crystal structure that are embedded in the tube walls. As the fluorescence of CdS nanocrystals is bright, easily distinguishable, and resistant to photobleaching, long-term fluorescence microscopy observation of these LCA tubes is feasible. In addition, the shape of the fluorescent composite tubes can be controlled by the pH of the aqueous solution in which the tubes are formed. At pH 9.5, the self-assembled composite tubes show a straight shape, while at pH 13.0 the self-assembled composite tubes coil into a left-handed helix. The fluorescent composite tubes with pH-controlled shapes are a promising system for a variety of materials and biological applications.
Quantitative preservation of viability of Aspergillus fumigatus.

Quantitative preservation of the viability of two isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus was studied over a 15-month period of storage. Significant loss of viability occurred in isolates preserved at -70°C in both phosphate-buffered saline with Tween (PBST) and 0.1% gelatin, immediately, and between 6 and 15 months. Storage in 10% and 25% dimethyl sulphoxide at -70°C was successful up to 8 weeks with gradual loss of viability later. PBST at 4°C or room temperature, or 10% glycerol at -70°C maintained 100% viability of the cultures up to 6 months and 15 months, respectively. To preserve 100% viability, long-term storage of A. fumigatus is best done in 10% glycerol in PBST at -70°C compared with the other methods tested.
On the number of monochromatic Schur triples

Let S={1,2,...,n}, and let S=S"[email protected]?S"2 be a partition of S in two disjoint subsets. A triple (a,b,c), a,b,[email protected]?S, is called a Schur triple if a+b=c. If in addition a, b, and c all lie in the same subset S"i of S, we call the triple (a,b,c) monochromatic. In this paper we give a simple proof that the minimal number of monochromatic Schur triples is asymptotic to n^2/11. We also show that the number of monochromatic Schur triples modulo n equals n^2-3|S"1||S"2|.
The Politics of Job Quality A Case Study of Weatherization

In Good Jobs, Bad Jobs Arne Kalleberg provides an extremely useful portrait of job quality in America. This paper addresses the politics of job quality via a case study of weatherization jobs. Weatherization workers are typical of employees in many low wage jobs in America. The stimulus bill (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) substantially increased weatherization funding and a political struggle emerged over the quality of these jobs. We find that the variable strength of progressive coalitions, legislative politics and timing all contributed to the development of an uneven set of regulations at the federal and local level. Groups that are putative allies often worked at cross-purposes. More strikingly government at both the local and Federal level has been conservative and even timid about establishing job standards. There are also more positive lessons. Training standards are being formalized. This stands to benefit both homeowners and workers. While there have been conflicts, it is also true...
Methadone dose levels and client characteristics in heroin addicts.

Methadone dosage levels have typically been examined with regard to patient symptomatology, treatment retention, and continued narcotic use. The results of these studies have generally supported the conclusion that daily dosages of 40–60 mg per day are both safe and maximally effective for the majority of methadone clients. Yet, in practice, dosage levels for maintenance clients continue to vary a great deal both within and across clinics. The data presented here suggest that one source of this variation may be the social and cognitive skills of clients.
Fungal communities of lichen-dominated biological soil crusts: Diversity, relative microbial biomass, and their relationship to disturbance and crust cover

Molecular methodologies were used to characterize fungal communities associated with lichen-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs) at two sites on the Colorado Plateau (USA) in order to investigate their diversity and abundance, in relation to that of bacteria, as well as how these parameters corresponded to overall soil crust cover and the presence of anthropogenic disturbance. Fungal community diversity and composition were assessed with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting of PCR amplified ribosomal genes and by sequencing. Quantitative PCR, specific for fungi as well as bacteria, was used to evaluate relative microbial densities. Two sites with similar soil characteristics, both of which contained well developed BSCs dominated by lichens, were studied. Results indicated that while a considerable diversity of fungi is present within these BSCs, much higher than what has previously been determined for cyanobacteria-dominated crusts, fungi contribute less biomass and are less diverse than their bacterial counterparts. Fungal diversity in lichen-dominated BSCs was negatively correlated with disturbance and positively correlated with crust cover.
Reliance on Automation as a Function of Expectation of Reliability, Cost of Verification, and Age

The influence of trust on automation reliance has been examined during interaction with the automation, but little attention has been paid to individuals' initial expectation of automation reliability as it affects future reliance, especially when the cost of not relying on automation is known in advance. Additionally, whereas automation may help to improve the lives of older adults, their expectations of automation reliability have not been thoroughly considered. In this study, 16 older adults and 16 younger adults were asked about their expectation of the reliability of an automated counting aid and half were told that they would lose points for verifying the automation. Subsequent reliance on the decision aid was recorded. The results indicated that neither age nor the cost of verification appears to have an effect on reliability expectancy. Furthermore, predictions of reliability had a negative correlation to reliance. The findings suggest that individuals develop expectations of automation over the c...
Do the individual moments of REIT return distributions affect institutional ownership patterns

This paper examines the determinants of institutional investment demand for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) common stock. Specifically, it explores whether the demand function of institutional investors is dependent on the first four moments of the REIT returns distribution. The objective is to determine whether institutional investment decisions concerning REITs are influenced by individual stock attributes such as the mean return, standard deviation of returns, skewness of returns and kurtosis of returns. The results suggest that standard deviation plays a significant role in the institutional demand for REITs, but no significant role is found for the higher moments of the return distribution. The results also suggest institutional investment in REITs is predictable a priori using the moments of the REIT return distribution.
Segmentation of row crop plants from weeds using colour and morphology

Differentiating between crop plants, weeds and soil in digital images is a complex task especially when the crop plants and the weeds have reached an advanced growth stage. Algorithms based on a single feature such as hue or intensity are rarely successful because there is considerable overlap between the three classes in any one dimension of the commonly used colour spaces. In this work, a segmentation algorithm was developed that combined colour with knowledge about the planting grid to increase the classification potential of colour alone. Morphological filtering and line fitting were used to find the planting grid centre points. The likelihood distribution of crop plant pixels about the grid points was modelled as a bivariate Gaussian distribution. Morphological postprocessing was applied to the image to take advantage of the textural differences between weed and crop to reduce the misclassification of weed in areas close to plants. Algorithm performance was assessed on 12 images of cauliflower plants, which represented a range of plant and weed growth stages. The assessment involved measuring changes in the performance of the segmentation algorithm as the parameter values changed. On average, over 12 images, the highest crop plant classification rate was 96% and the lowest was 82%. The highest weed classification rate was 92% and the lowest weed classification rate was 68%.
Toward the Development of Printable Nanowire Electronics and Sensors

In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in the research and development of printable electronics on mechanically flexible substrates based on inorganic active components, which provide high performances and stable device operations at low cost. In this regard, various approaches have been developed for the direct transfer or printing of micro- and nanoscale, inorganic semiconductors on substrates. In this review article, we focus on the recent advancements in the large-scale integration of single crystalline, inorganic-nanowire (NW) arrays for electronic and sensor applications, specifically involving the contact printing of NWs at defined locations. We discuss the advantages, limitations, and the state-of-the-art of this technol- ogy, and present an integration platform for future printable, heteroge- neous-sensor circuitry based on NW parallel arrays.
Iron‐sulfur mineralogy of Mars: Magmatic evolution and chemical weathering products

Models are developed for the magmatic evolution and the oxidative weathering of sulfide minerals on Mars, based on petrogenetic associations among komatiitic rock types, Viking geochemical data, SNC meteorites, and terrestrial Fi-Ni deposits. The weathering model was tested by exposing komatiitic pyrrhotites and olivines to sulfuric acid solutions, with or without dissolved ferric iron, and identifying the reaction products by Moessbauer spectroscopy. The results suggest that, on Mars, acidic groundwater has induced oxidative weathering of pyrrhotite, yielding FeS2 and then FeOOH.
Significant Figures of Numbers in Statistical Tables

IT is a well-known fact that most numbers in statistical tables start with a small digit. For example, in population tables almost one third of the entries begin with the digit 1. The same holds true for most tables of the type occurring in the World's Almanac.
Electron Transfer and Catalytic Activity of Nitric Oxide Synthases CHIMERIC CONSTRUCTS OF THE NEURONAL, INDUCIBLE, AND ENDOTHELIAL ISOFORMS

The nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are single polypeptides that encode a heme domain, a calmodulin binding motif, and a flavoprotein domain with sequence similarity to P450 reductase. Despite this basic structural similarity, the three major NOS isoforms differ significantly in their rates of .NO synthesis, cytochrome c reduction, and NADPH utilization and in the Ca2+ dependence of these rates. To assign the origin of these differences to specific protein domains, we constructed chimeras in which the reductase domains of endothelial and inducible NOS, respectively, were replaced by the reductase domain of neuronal NOS. The results with the chimeric proteins confirm the modular organization of the NOS polypeptide chain and demonstrate that (a) similar residues establish the necessary contacts between the reductase and heme domains in the three NOS isoforms, (b) the maximal rate of .NO synthesis is determined by the maximum intrinsic ability of the reductase domain to deliver electrons to the heme domain, (c) the Ca2+ independence of inducible NOS requires interactions of calmodulin with both the calmodulin binding motif and the flavoprotein domain, and (d) the effects of tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine on electron transfer rates are mediated exclusively by heme domain interactions.
Modelling the evaporation of a tear film over a contact lens

A contact lens (CL) separates the tear film into a pre-lens tear film (PrLTF), the fluid layer between the CL and the outside environment, and a post-lens tear film (PoLTF), the fluid layer between the CL and the cornea. We examine a model for evaporation of a PrLTF on a modern permeable CL allowing fluid transfer between the PrLTF and the PoLTF. Evaporation depletes the PrLTF, and continued evaporation causes depletion of the PoLTF via fluid loss through the CL. Governing equations include Navier-Stokes, heat and Darcy's equations for the fluid flow and heat transfer in the PrLTF and porous layer. The PoLTF is modelled by a fixed pressure condition on the posterior surface of the CL. The original model is simplified using lubrication theory for the PrLTF and CL applied to a sagittal plane through the eye. We obtain a partial differential equation (PDE) for the PrLTF thickness that is first-order in time and fourth-order in space. This model incorporates evaporation, conjoining pressure effects in the PrLTF, capillarity and heat transfer. For a planar film, we find that this PDE can be reduced to an ordinary differential equation (ODE) that can be solved analytically or numerically. This reduced model allows for interpretation of the various system parameters and captures most of the basic physics contained in the model. Comparisons of ODE and PDE models, including estimates for the loss of fluid through the lens due to evaporation, are given.
A comparison of the coplanar waveguide (CPW) and conductor-backed coplanar waveguide (CBCPW) for use as aircraft ice sensors

A numerical comparison of the coplanar waveguide (CPW) and the conductor-backed coplanar waveguide (CBCPW) as ice sensors is presented. Analysis is performed using design equations obtained by quasistatic assumptions and conformal mapping techniques. It is shown that dielectric materials placed on top of the sensors affect the characteristics of the propagating signal. Each sensor's ability to identify and quantify the amount of ice on its surface is examined. Results show that the CBCPW is more sensitive, particularly at small thicknesses of the test material. This work enhances the development of in-flight icing detection systems.
Measurement of infiltration heat recovery in a test cell with high flow rates

Infiltration heat recovery is the process that occurs when a building envelope acts as a heat exchanger for infiltrating air. This heat recovery process results in a reduced heat loss compared to predictions that use only flow rate and the total difference in enthalpy between inside and outside air. A series of experiments show the relationship between infiltration flow rate and heat loss in a test cell, with an emphasis on the high flow rate regime. A 3.5-m3 test cell was built with standard light-frame construction and one removable panel, to allow testing of wall sections with different engineered flow path lengths. Experiments were conducted with two different wall sections and at six different infiltration flow rates. Experimentally determined heat recovery factors are compared to computational fluid dynamics and agree to within approximately 15%.
Source partitioning using stable isotopes: coping with too many sources.

Stable isotopes are increasingly being used as tracers in environmental studies. One application is to use isotopic ratios to quantitatively determine the proportional contribution of several sources to a mixture, such as the proportion of various pollution sources in a waste stream. In general, the proportional contributions of n+1 different sources can be uniquely determined by the use of n different isotope system tracers (e.g., δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) with linear mixing models based on mass balance equations. Often, however, the number of potential sources exceeds n+1, which prevents finding a unique solution of source proportions. What can be done in these situations? While no definitive solution exists, we propose a method that is informative in determining bounds for the contributions of each source. In this method, all possible combinations of each source contribution (0–100%) are examined in small increments (e.g., 1%). Combinations that sum to the observed mixture isotopic signatures within a small tolerance (e.g., ±0.1‰) are considered to be feasible solutions, from which the frequency and range of potential source contributions can be determined. To avoid misrepresenting the results, users of this procedure should report the distribution of feasible solutions rather than focusing on a single value such as the mean. We applied this method to a variety of environmental studies in which stable isotope tracers were used to quantify the relative magnitude of multiple sources, including (1) plant water use, (2) geochemistry, (3) air pollution, and (4) dietary analysis. This method gives the range of isotopically determined source contributions; additional non-isotopic constraints specific to each study may be used to further restrict this range. The breadth of the isotopically determined ranges depends on the geometry of the mixing space and the similarity of source and mixture isotopic signatures. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated ranges vary only modestly with different choices of source increment and mass balance tolerance parameter values. A computer program (IsoSource) to perform these calculations for user-specified data is available at http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/models.htm .
ABORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION OF QUERCUS LOBATA WOODLAND ON THE KAWEAH RIVER DELTA, CALIFORNIA

ABSTRACT In 1853 the Kaweah River delta (western Tulare County) was one of California's richest natural habitats, the so-called Giant Oak Forest its leading feature. By 1920 this unique formation was completely cleared, drained, and leveled for intensive agricultural use. We present a reconstruction of the 1853 vegetation pattern based on U.S. General Land Office survey notes.
Evaluating the Role of Anxiety Sensitivity in Smoking Outcome Expectancies Among Regular Smokers

The present study evaluated the association between the lower-order facets of anxiety sensitivity construct (physical, mental incapacitation, and social concerns) and positive (expectancies about negative affect reduction) and negative (expectancies about negative personal consequences) smoking outcome expectancies. Participants were 90 young adult regular smokers [37 females; Mage = 23.4 years (SD = 8.9); mean number of cigarettes/day = 11.7 (SD = 6.1)] with no history of psychopathology or nonclinical panic attacks recruited from the general population. Anxiety sensitivity physical concerns and mental incapacitation concerns, as indexed by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; S. Reiss, R. A. Peterson, M. Gursky, & R. J. McNally, 1986), were significantly and incrementally associated with smoking outcome expectancies, as indexed by the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ; T. H. Brandon & T. B. Baker, 1991), for negative affect reduction as well as negative personal consequences; the observed effects were over and above the variance accounted for by theoretically relevant smoking history characteristics, gender, and negative affectivity. Results are discussed in relation to better understanding motivational processes for smoking among groups at heightened risk for developing panic psychopathology.
Modeling of Surface-Roughness Scattering in Ultrathin-Body SOI MOSFETs

A rigorous surface-roughness scattering model for ultrathin-body silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs is derived, which reduces to Ando's model in the limit of bulk MOSFETs. The matrix element of the scattering potential reflects the fluctuations of both the wavefunction and the potential energy. The matrix element reflecting the fluctuation of the wavefunction is expressed in an integral form which can be considered as a generalized Prange-Nee term-to which it is equivalent in the limit of an infinitely high insulator-semiconductor barrier-giving more accurate results in the case of a finite barrier height. The matrix element reflecting the fluctuation of the potential energy is due to the Coulomb interactions originating from the roughness-induced fluctuation of the electron charge density, the interface polarization charge, and the image-charge density. The roughness-limited low-field electron mobility in thin-body SOI MOSFETs is obtained using the matrix elements that we have derived. We study its dependence on the silicon body thickness, effective field, and dielectric constant of the insulator.
Factors associated with poor quality of life among cervical cancer survivors: Implications for clinical care and clinical trials

article i nfo Introduction. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that are associated with poor quality of life (QOL) among cervical cancer survivors. Methods.Patients identifiedthroughtheCaliforniaCancerRegistrywere recruitedto participate ina random- ized counseling intervention. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were collected at study baseline (9-30 months post-diagnosis) and subsequent to the intervention. Multivariable linear models were used to identify indepen- dent factors associated with poor baseline QOL. Results. Non-Hispanic (N = 121) and Hispanic (N = 83) women aged 22-73 completed baseline measures. Approximately 50% of participants received radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. Compared to the USpopulation,cervicalcancer patients reported lower QOL and significantlyhigherlevelsof depression and anx- iety (26% and 28% N1 SD above the general population means, respectively). Among those in the lowest quartile forQOL,63%haddepressionlevelsN1SDabovethemean.Inaddition,treatmentwithradiation± chemotherapy (p = 0.014), and self-reported comorbidities predating the cancer diagnosis (p b 0.001) were associated with lower QOL. Sociodemographic characteristics explained only a small portion of variance in QOL (r 2
A window into the invisible wound of war: Functional neuroimaging of REM sleep in returning combat veterans with PTSD

Relative regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and wakefulness was explored in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD, using positron emission tomography. Hypermetabolism in brain regions involved in arousal regulation, fear responses, and reward processing persist during REM sleep in combat veterans with PTSD.
Cortical Gray-White Matter Blurring and Cognitive Morbidity in Focal Cortical Dysplasia

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a malformation of cortical development that is associated with high rates of cognitive morbidity. However, the degree to which specific irregularities of dysplastic tissue directly impact cognition remains unknown. This study investigates the relationship between blurring of the cortical gray and white matter boundary on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and global cognitive abilities in FCD. Gray-white blurring (GWB) is quantified by sampling the non-normalized T1 image intensity contrast above and below the gray and white matter interface along the cortical mantle. Spherical averaging is used to compare resulting GWB for patients with histopathologically verified FCD with matched controls. Whole-brain correlational analyses are used to investigate the relationship between blurring and general cognitive abilities, controlling for epilepsy duration. Results show that cognitive performance is reduced in patients with FCD relative to controls. Patients show increased GWB in bilateral temporal, parietal, and frontal regions. Furthermore, increased GWB in these regions is linearly related to decreased cognition and mediates group differences in cognitive performance. These findings demonstrate that GWB is a marker of reduced cognitive efficiency in FCD that can potentially be used to probe general and domain-specific cognitive functions in other neurological disorders.
Investigation of NbTiN Thin Films and AlN Tunnel Barriers With Ellipsometry for Superconducting Device Applications

High-energy-gap superconductors with low resistive loss and high-current-density tunnel barriers are important to increasing the operating range of THz electronics. This paper describes the development of superconducting NbTiN thin films and AlN tunnel barriers using ellipsometry analysis. NbTiN thin films were deposited by reactive DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering of NbTi in argon and nitrogen plasma onto a water-cooled, grounded substrate. The effects of total sputtering pressure, gas ratio, working distance, and voltage elevation were examined. AlN tunnel barriers were formed from DC magnetron sputtered thin films with the unique use of an ICP plasma source. The results of this ellipsometry analysis, using both discrete in-situ and spectroscopic ex-situ ellipsometers, are discussed.
Structural model of a complex between the heterotrimeric G protein, Gsα, and tubulin

Abstract A number of studies have demonstrated interplay between the cytoskeleton and G protein signaling. Many of these studies have determined a specific interaction between tubulin, the building block of microtubules, and G proteins. The α subunits of some heterotrimeric G proteins, including Gsα, have been shown to interact strongly with tubulin. Binding of Gα to tubulin results in increased dynamicity of microtubules due to activation of GTPase of tubulin. Tubulin also activates Gsα via a direct transfer of GTP between these molecules. Structural insight into the interaction between tubulin and Gsα was required, and was determined, in this report, through biochemical and molecular docking techniques. Solid phase peptide arrays suggested that a portion of the amino terminus, α2–β4 (the region between switch II and switch III) and α3–β5 (just distal to the switch III region) domains of Gsα are important for interaction with tubulin. Molecular docking studies revealed the best-fit models based on the biochemical data, showing an interface between the two molecules that includes the adenylyl cyclase/Gβγ interaction regions of Gsα and the exchangeable nucleotide-binding site of tubulin. These structural models explain the ability of tubulin to facilitate GTP exchange on Gα and the ability of Gα to activate tubulin GTPase.
Axisymmetric static thermoelastic state of a smoothly fixed finite cylinder layered along the axis

By using constructed Green functions of the problems of heat conduction and thermoelasticity, we obtain the solution of the axisymmetric static problem of thermoelasticity for a finite cylinder layered along the axis with a smoothly fixed thermally insulated cylindrical surface under the action of heat sources and in the presence of convective heat exchange from end faces for a wide range of variation in the thickness of the layers. In this case, we use generalized functions, finite Hankel integral transformation, and Green functions of the corresponding problems for one ordinary differential equation or a system of ordinary differential equations. We present results of numerical investigations for a three-layer cylinder.
Party-System Nationalization and the Scope of Public Policy The Importance of Cross-District Constituency Similarity

Party-system nationalization is supposed to result in the provision of nationally focused policy, including spending priorities with widespread benefits. Conversely, democracies characterized by parties with geographically narrower patterns of support are suspected of parochial policies, including targetable spending. The authors show that party-system nationalization alone is not sufficient to generate national benefits. In addition, governing parties’ constituents must be similar across districts. Nationalization can occur because parties are making the same appeal to similar constituents across different electoral districts, but it can also occur because parties are skillfully tailoring different appeals to diverse constituencies across districts. In the latter case, the authors expect to see the targeted spending priorities typically associated with party systems that are not nationalized. The authors test for the conditional effect of party-system nationalization in 36 elections across 20 countries u...
Sliding and hopping gaits for the underactuated Acrobot

An example of a planar hopping robot is considered, which has only one actuated joint. Simulations demonstrate that the robot can perform both sliding and hopping gaits, despite the fact that almost all other hopping robots have at least two actuated joints.
Tension Developed by Papillary Muscles from Hypertrophied Rat Hearts

Papillary muscle strips from hypertrophied left ventricles of 17 rats were tested for tension developed in response to electrical stimulation in a perfused, oxygenated, isometric muscle chamber. The maximum tension developed was significantly greater per unit weight than that developed by papillary muscles from normal ventricles. Greater tension was also developed by the papillary muscles from hypertrophied hearts when tested with an anaerobic perfusate.