cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Processing and characterization of new members of Pb-K-niobate series

It is shown that by mixing the two ferroelectric compounds lead niobate and potassium niobate in different proportions a whole set of new materials can be obtained. Some of these compositions are found to be ferroelectric in nature and behave in accordance with the amount of potassium doping in the lead niobate. The new materials have the general formula of Pb/sub 1-x/K/sub 2x/Nb/sub 2/O/sub 6/. Four new members of this class of materials have been processed, with x values of 0.23, 0.34, 0.43, and 0.50. The densified ceramic samples have been characterized, and it has been found that the first two are ferroelectric while the other two are not. Results for PKN with x=0.23 and x=0.34 are tabulated in comparison with the standard material with x=0.20. >
The Cosmic Ray Electron Component

Certainty about the presence of an electron component in the primary cosmic radiations was established by 1950 through new observations in radio astronomy. It was discovered at the time that our galaxy is emitting a continuous spectrum of radio waves over a fairly wide band that is definitely not thermal in nature. The origin of this radio emission was soon interpreted as synchrotron radiation produced by highly relativistic electrons spiralling around the magnetic fields of the galaxy. Only in the early 1960’s did it become possible to directly observe these particles as they arrive at the earth. These observations were made almost simultaneously by Earl of the University of Minnesota and Vogt and myself of the University of Chicago. Since that time a major effort has been undertaken to accurately measure the spectrum and the flux of these particles and indeed during the past decade the electron spectrum has become known with an accuracy comparable to that of the nuclear cosmic ray components. Fig. 1 summarises our present knowledge of the electron spectrum over a wide range of energies from about 100 KeV up to almost 1000 GeV. The solid line in this figure represents the spectrum of protons for comparison.
Does internal communication to generate trust always increase commitment?: A study at Micron Technology

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employee trust towards the company and their commitment to it. For this reason, this study questioned if certain levels of trust presented in each department at Micron Technology Italy were interrelated with the levels of commitment. Design/methodology/approach – A survey at Micron Technology Italy was conducted. Of the 1,580 employees who received the questionnaire, 892 responses were collected, resulting in a 56.46 per cent response rate. Findings – The research findings show that for departments where trust values are below 6.8, the commitment level follows the trust value: there is a positive relation between these two factors. However, departments where employee trust reaches values higher than 6.8 are not reciprocated by a proportional commitment level that tends to reach a “satisfaction point”. Research limitations/implications – The results are only partially coherent with previous studies. Further research is needed to det...
Accommodating Revolutions: Virginia's Northern Neck in an Era of Transformations, 1760–1810 – By Albert H. Tillson Jr.

This study examines the ebb and flow of social, economic, and political currents on Virginia's Northern Neck—the peninsula bounded by the Potomac River to the north and the Rappahannock River to th...
Intensity fluctuation analysis of cell scattering/imaging with clinical application

Cell scattering produces a speckle pattern, while imaging produces a contrast pattern. This family of fluctuation signals can be studied by analysis techniques such as correlation and fractal dimension. Human breast cell (normal and cancerous) samples were investigated using laser speckle and imaging microscopy. Image data from tetraploid human cell motion and quorum sensing biofilm growth were studied as well, and we found that the signal fluctuations could be interpreted as gene expression fluctuations occurring during inter-cell communication. We have mapped nucleotide sequences as images and studied the fluctuation. We showed that the fractal dimension and correlation can be used for the description of bio-information from the DNA (nanometer) scale to the tissue (millimeter) level. Fluctuations of the HAR1 nucleotide sequence and IRF-6 single-mutation cases in the van der Woude syndrome were discussed. Sub-cell structures such as the 40S ribosome, GroEL, and lysozyme, were shown to carry texture fractal dimension information in their images consistent with their biological states. Clinical applications to X-ray mammography and Parkinson disease MRI data were discussed.© (2007) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Contingency in the Local Provision of Public Education

This paper examines the relationships between education spending and measures of wealth, absentee land ownership, and educational attainment in central and southern Appalachia. Drawing on advances in realist theory and methodology the paper develops a conceptual model and evaluates it using both extensive and intensive research strategies. The empirical analyses combine an extensive expansion-method model of an 80-county area with an intensive case study of a single county. In the extensive model, education spending is hypothesized a function of local wealth as contingently modified by varying levels of absentee land ownership and educational attainment. High levels of absentee land ownership have the effect of decreasing the degree to which a particular level of wealth translates into a particular level of education spending. Conversely, high levels of educational attainment have the effect of increasing the degree to which a particular level of wealth translates into education spending. The extensive model demonstrates that the wealth-spending relationship is translated in a locally contingent fashion. In the case study, the contextual nature of these relationships is described in a single community, and the interactions of complex social processes are detailed. In addition to contributing to the literature on the geography of education spending in particular and the geography of social programs in general, the research demonstrates the utility of integrating extensive and intensive research methodologies employed through a realist theoretical framework.
Irrelevant speech eliminates the word length effect

Theword length effect refers to the observation that memory is better for short than for long words. Theirrelevant speech effect refers to the finding that memory is better when items are presented against a quiet background than against one with irrelevant speech. According to Baddeley’s (1986, 1994) working memory, these variables should not interact: The word length effect arises from rehearsal by the articulatory control process, whereas irrelevant speech reduces recall through interference in the phonological store. Four experiments demonstrate that, like articulatory suppression, irrelevant speech eliminates the word length effect for both visual and auditory items. These results (1) provide further evidence against the ability of working memory to explain the word length and irrelevant speech effects and (2) confirm a specific prediction of Nairne’s (1990) feature model.
Carvacrol and thymol reduce swine waste odor and pathogens: stability of oils.

An incomplete anoxic fermentation of livestock waste results in offensive odor emissions. Antimicrobial additives may be useful in controlling odor emissions and pathogens. Natural antimicrobial compounds, carvacrol or thymol at 16.75 mM (2.5 g/l) completely inhibited the production of the offensive odor compounds, isobutyrate, valerate, isovalerate, and cresol, and significantly reduced other short-chain volatile fatty acids and gas emissions from swine waste. Fecal coliforms were reduced from 6.3 × 106 to 1.0 × 103 cells per ml 2 days after treatment with carvacrol (13.3 mM) and were not detectable within 14 days. Total culturable anaerobic bacteria were reduced from 12.4 × 1010 to 7.2 × 108 cells per ml after 2 days and were suppressed below this level for 28 days. Lactate production was not prevalent in untreated swine waste indicating that the microbial populations differ from those in cattle waste. Carvacrol and thymol were stable in swine waste under anoxic conditions for 62 days with 90 to 95% of the additive being recovered in the waste solids. In conclusion, carvacrol and thymol are not metabolized in anoxic swine waste and they are potentially useful in controlling odor emissions and pathogens in swine waste.
Review: Plant Growth Hormone Cytokinins Control the Crop Seed Yield

This review chronicles the development of the cytokinin research during the last 30 years. Cytokinin and auxin are the two major plant growth hormones that control virtually all aspects of growth and development in higher plants. The pathways for cytokinin biosynthesis and metabolism have been characterized by the identification of isopentenyl pyrophosphate transferase, cytokinin oxidases, cytokinin hydroxylase, zeatin cis-/trans-isomerase, cytokinin phosphoribosyl hydrolases, cytokinin-specific riboside phosphorylase, and others enzymes. Loss-of function mutant phenotypes of cytokinin degradation/activating enzymes indicate the regulation of concentration and spatial distribution of bio-active cytokinin plays a pivotal role in the increase in panicle size, in the numbers of floral organs, and eventually in seed yield. One of the most fundamental questions in the cytokinin field is one concerning the prevalence of cis-zeatin in monocotyledonous crops (rice and maize) and in dicotyledonous legumes (pea, chickpea) and potato/sweet potato. A hypothesis is that cis-zeatin is synthesized by the cis-specific hydroxylation of the terminal methyl group of N6-isopentenyl side chain of N6-isopentenyl adenosine (i6Ado) or of their mono-, di-, or tri-phosphates catalyzed by the cis-specific hydroxylase. A second potential pathway is the isomerization of trans-zeatin to cis-zeatin by zeatin cis-/trans-isomerase. A second fundamental question to be addressed is the physiological role of cis-zeatin. Some have argued for a special function of cis-zeatin to account for the prevalence of the cis-zeatin in the plant kingdom from algae to higher plants.
Understanding the effects of sample size on the variability of the mean

Abstract In the first three experiments, we attempted to learn more about subjects' understanding of the importance of sample size by systematically changing aspects of the problems we gave to subjects. In a fourth study, understanding of the effects of sample size was tested as subjects went through a computerassisted training procedure that dealt with random sampling and the sampling distribution of the mean. Subjects used sample size information more appropriately for problems that were stated in terms of the accuracy of the sample average or the center of the sampling distribution than for problems stated in terms of the tails of the sampling distribution. Apparently, people understand that the means of larger samples are more likely to resemble the population mean but not the implications of this fact for the variability of the mean. The fourth experiment showed that although instruction about the sampling distribution of the mean led to better understanding of the effects of sample size, subjects were still unable to make correct inferences about the variability of the mean. The appreciation that people have for some aspects of the law of large numbers does not seem to result from an in-depth understanding of the relation between sample size and variability.
1655 IRON BALANCE IN A DEFEROXAMINE (D) TREATED HEMODIALYSIS PATIENT

To study the route of iron removal by D in an anephric, hemodialyzed, iron-overloaded adolescent we performed iron-balance studies before and after D infusion on 2 separate occasions. Study #1 lasted 5 days and included 2 dialyses after D infusion. Study #2 lasted 4 days and included 1 dialysis after D infusion. Following baseline dialysis, carmen red was given as a stool marker and D was infused (2g IV, over 4 hrs). Carmen red was given again at the end of each study and all stool was collected between the markers. D was infused only once in each study. Dietary iron averaged 7.2 mg per day. Average post p fecal iron in both studies was 22.0 mg/day, but study #2 showed that the majority was excreted during the 2 days following D infusion. Iron removal by dialysis was minimal compared with the fecal route. Our data demonstrate that D effectively removes iron when infused after dialysis and that stool is the principal route of iron removal.
Assessment of dune stabilisation at camber, sussex, using air photographs

Abstract Using air photographs taken in 1950, 1962, 1967 and 1971 at Camber, Sussex, the progress of sand dune stabilisation was quickly and successfully assessed. Early stabilisation work included the construction of sand traps and the planting of marram ( Ammophila arenaria L.) which was subsequently destroyed by heavy pedestrian and vehicle use. The later application of hydraulically sown seeds, coupled with fencing to regulate pedestrians and trap wind blown sand, proved successful.
Wave Node Dynamics and Revival Symmetry in Quantum Rotors

Abstract Symmetries and dynamics of wave nodes in space and time expose principles of quantum theory and its relativistic underpinning. Among these are key principles behind recently discovered dephasing and rephasing phenomena known as revivals . A reexamination of basic Eberly revivals, Berry “quantum fractal” landscapes, and the “quantum carpets” of Schleich and co-workers reveals a simple Farey arithmetic and C n -group revival structure in one of the earliest quantum wave models, the Bohr rotor. These principles may be useful for interpreting modern time-dependent rovibrational spectra. The nodal dynamics of the Bohr rotor is seen to have a quasi-fractal structure similar to that of earlier systems involving chaotic circle maps. The fractal structure is an overlay of discrete versions of Bohr's rotor model. Each N -point Bohr rotor acts like a base- N quantum “odometer” which performs rational fraction arithmetic. Such systems may have applications for optical information technology and quantum computing.
Hierarchical nearest-neighbor controller

An adaptive and trainable hierarchical nearest neighbor controller (HNNC) is presented for performing difficult control functions. The controller combines concepts from the theory of finite automata, nearest neighbor decision theory and control theoiy. In the initial implement, the top level uses a finite state machine to assess the control situation and select an appropriate nearest neighbor controller in the second level to control the system using the nearest neighbor concept. The controllers in the second level are very simple "neural-like" controllers that perform very simple control tasks. A training procedure is used to generate the supervisory finite state machine and second level nearest neighbor control points In the state space that define the control law. A hierarchical nearest neighbor controller is presented to balance an inverted pendulum mounted on a moveable cart and to remotely position a trailer truck to a specified position in a constrained region using a video tracking system. These problems demonstrate the power and simplicity of the hierarchical nearest neighbor controller in nonlinear systems.
Equilibrium orientation of confined diblock copolymer films

Using a two-dimensional Scheutjens and Fleer self-consistent field calculation, we determine the equilibrium morphology of thin films of symmetric AB diblock copolymers confined between hard, smooth plates. A lamellar phase is established with the stripes either perpendicular or parallel to the walls. With neutral walls, the perpendicular orientation is stabilized by the nematic ordering of the monomers, which arises from the orientational constraint imposed by the walls. When the substrates are composed of pure A monomer (thus repulsive to B), there are transitions from strained parallel conformations, which wet the substrates with A polymer, to distorted perpendicular configurations as the film thickness is varied. It is possible that the removal of one of the walls (the usual experimental scenario of thin films spun cast onto a substrate) can still lead to spontaneous and robust pattern formation on the scale of tens of nanometers.
Reversal of reserpine-induced catalepsy by selective D1 and D2 dopamine agonists

To gain insight into the antiparkinsonian effects of selective D1 and D2 dopamine receptor stimulation, we examined the ability of D1 (SKF 38393) and D2 (quinpirole) agonists to reverse catalepsy induced by the combined administration of reserpine and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) in rats. Catalepsy, the failure to correct an externally imposed posture, is a measure of akinesia and was assessed using the bar test. Rats injected with reserpine alone (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) developed akinesia and ptosis within 60-90 min. The D1 agonist SKF 38393 (30 mg/kg i.v.) rapidly reversed ptosis and restored near-normal mobility when administered 24 h after reserpine and AMPT; catalepsy was reversed for 90 min, after which the drug effect wore off. Quinpirole (1 mg/kg i.v.) reversed catalepsy for the duration of the test period (4 h) but did not consistently reverse ptosis or promote normal mobility; the rats continued to exhibit kyphotic postures with little spontaneous locomotion. These results indicate that selective D1 stimulation is sufficient to reverse reserpine-induced akinesia and highlight the need for the development of potent selective D1 agonists for clinical trial in Parkinson's disease. In severe dopamine depletion, D2 stimulation alone appears to be insufficient to restore normal movement. Quinpirole, but not SKF 38393, elicited paroxysmal limb/body jerking in reserpine-AMPT-treated rats, providing further evidence that atypical jerking can be elicited by D2 stimulation in the complete absence of D1 stimulation. This laboratory observation suggests that some jerking dyskinesias seen in treated parkinsonian patients may be mediated by an imbalance in D1-D2 receptor stimulation.
LEDGF Dominant Interference Proteins Demonstrate Prenuclear Exposure of HIV-1 Integrase and Synergize with LEDGF Depletion To Destroy Viral Infectivity

Target cell overexpression of the integrase binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF/p75 (LEDGF) inhibits HIV-1 replication. The mechanism and protein structure requirements for this dominant interference are unclear. More generally, how and when HIV-1 uncoating occurs postentry is poorly defined, and it is unknown whether integrase within the evolving viral core becomes accessible to cellular proteins prior to nuclear entry. We used LEDGF dominant interference to address the latter question while characterizing determinants of IBD antiviral activity. Fusions of green fluorescent protein (GFP) with multiple C-terminal segments of LEDGF inhibited HIV-1 replication substantially, but minimal chimeras of either polarity (GFP-IBD or IBD-GFP) were most effective. Combining GFP-IBD expression with LEDGF depletion was profoundly antiviral. CD4(+) T cell lines were rendered virtually uninfectable, with single-cycle HIV-1 infectivity reduced 4 logs and high-input (multiplicity of infection = 5.0) replication completely blocked. We restricted GFP-IBD to specific intracellular locations and found that antiviral activity was preserved when the protein was confined to the cytoplasm or directed to the nuclear envelope. The life cycle block triggered by the cytoplasm-restricted protein manifested after nuclear entry, at the level of integration. We conclude that integrase within the viral core becomes accessible to host cell protein interaction in the cytoplasm. LEDGF dominant interference and depletion impair HIV-1 integration at distinct postentry stages. GFP-IBD may trigger premature or improper integrase oligomerization.
Dynamic instability of a beam undergoing periodic motions over supports

Abstract This paper investigates the dynamic stability of a beam moving over two bi-lateral supports using finite element analysis, with essential conditions applied via the penalty function approach. Computational advantages of the penalty-based approach compared to that of the Lagrangian multipliers are highlighted in the context of such unique problems in dynamics. Penalty-based numerical formulation for the moving beam results in a system of second-order differential equations with periodic coefficients. The governing equations are reduced to state-space form and Floquet–Lyapunov theory is applied to investigate dynamic stability of the moving beam. The instability characteristics are studied for a range of amplitudes and frequencies for sinusoidal longitudinal motions of the beam. In addition to the predictions using Floquet–Lyapunov theory, further instability regions based on first and higher approximations are identified. The instability results for periodic motion compare well with previous research and new results are presented taking into consideration the effect of damping. The penalty-based finite element formulation is found to be effective when applied to this class of dynamics problems. The avenues for further research are also highlighted.
Temperature measurements of microhotplates using fluorescence thermometry

Abstract A fluorescence microscope has been constructed for measuring surface temperatures of microhotplate platforms. The microscope measures temperature-dependent fluorescence lifetimes of a film of the phosphor Mg 4 (F)GeO 6 :Mn which is deposited on the microhotplate. Temperature/fluorescence-lifetime relations for this phosphor are determined by measuring the fluorescence lifetime of the phosphor-coated hot junction of a type S thermocouple while controlling and monitoring its temperature. These fluorescence-lifetime measurements have been used to determine the average temperature of microhotplates. Studies have been performed on the temperature stability of the microhotplates under steady heating and on the reproducibility of the temperatures achieved under thermal cycling. Fluorescence-intensity thermometry has been used to measure the thermal response time of microhotplates. This work demonstrates the potential of fluorescence thermometry for characterizing microhotplate performance.
Modeling Extinction and Infrared Emission from Fractal Dust Grains: Fractal Dimension as a Shape Parameter

In astrophysical environments, dust grains are most likely formed by stochastic growth processes, e.g., particle aggregation or cluster aggregation, and should have irregular shapes. Yet spherical grains are often assumed in astrophysical models. We have constructed detailed radiation transport models to study the effects of nonspherical dust grains on the spectra of circumstellar envelopes and interstellar dust clouds. In general, nonspherical grains have larger absorption cross sections at long wavelengths. Being less compact and having lower ratios of volume to surface area, they are generally cooler than their spherical counterparts, typically by 10%-20%. Hence radiation transport models of infrared sources with nonspherical grains would show a shift in the peak flux toward longer wavelengths. Furthermore, the flux ratio of 10 μm to 20 μm silicate emission features decreases for the less compact nonspherical grains. We have also examined the effects of grain shape on a standard model of the interstellar extinction curve. In addition, we find that the error introduced by using bulk optical constants for submicron particles is significantly smaller than that introduced by assuming spherical grains. We have identified, for the first time, fractal dimension D as a shape parameter characterizing the optical, thermal, and radiative properties of dust grains. The fractal dimension D depends on the ratio of volume to surface area and is defined by the relation N(r) ~ rD, where N(r) is the number of monomers within a sphere of radius r. In general 1 < D < 3, and a smaller D implies a more filamentary and less compact grain morphology. For a given mass, grains with the same D, independent of detailed shape, show no significant difference in their absorption cross sections, temperatures, and energy spectra. Hence in modeling phenomena involving irregularly shaped grains, we need to introduce just one parameter, the fractal dimension D, to characterize the shape. There are several important astrophysical implications of removing the unrealistic assumption of spherical grains: (1) determination of dust column density based on models assuming spherical grains would lead to an overestimate; (2) models of the interstellar extinction curve using fractal grains instead of spherical grains would require less elemental depletion, typically by one-third; and (3) in the study of radiation-driven mass loss in evolved stars, both the mass-loss rates and details of outflow dynamics may need to be revised since radiation pressure on dust depends sensitively on the extinction cross sections of newly formed grains.
Transition Between Anode Attachment Modes in a High Intensity Transferred Argon Arc

Summary form only given. The anode attachments in a high intensity transferred argon arc at atmospheric pressure have been investigated experimentally. With fixed arc current (100 A), reducing plasma working gas flow rate has been used to realize the transition from the well-known diffuse attachment mode to the constricted attachment mode. Two transition modes have been found, namely a lift-up mode and a multiple-attachment mode. Two-dimensional electron temperature and electron density maps for these modes have been measured with a laser Thomson scattering system, which can characterize the plasma 0.05 mm in front of the anode surface. In the center of a diffuse attachment and in the center of a constricted attachment, the electron temperatures are ~9000 K and >12000 K and the electron densities are ~1022 m-3 and >2* 1022 m-3, respectively. The current density maps and the electric field maps are obtained, for the first time, by solving the charge-continuity equation based on the experimental data. The results show that in the center of a diffuse attachment and in center of a constricted attachment, the current densities on the anode surface are ~106 A/m2 and ~5*106 A/m2, respectively. Moreover, negative anode fall exists in a diffuse attachment, while positive anode fall exists in a constricted attachment. In the fringes of a constricted attachment, complicated electric field distributions have been observed due to the strong gradients. A linear instability analysis has also been performed and the results suggest that the transition between the anode attachment modes may be initiated by the accelerating electric field to electrons in the fringes in a lift-up mode, which encourages the electron overheating instability to develop.
Meiotic Synapsis Proceeds from a Limited Number of Subtelomeric Sites in the Human Male

The formation of the synaptonemal complex (SC) is a crucial early step in the meiotic process, but relatively little is known about the establishment of the human SC. Accordingly, we recently initiated a study of synapsis in the human male, combining immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization methodologies to analyze prophase spermatocytes from a series of control individuals. Our results indicate that synapsis is a tightly regulated process, with relatively little variation among individuals. On nonacrocentric chromosomes, there are two synaptic initiation sites, one on the distal short arm and one on the distal long arm, whereas acrocentric chromosomes exhibit a single site on the distal long arm. For both types of chromosomes, synapsis then proceeds toward the centromere, with little evidence that specific p- or q-arm sequences affect the process. However, the centromere appears to have an inhibitory effect on synapsis—that is, when one arm of a nonacrocentric chromosome is “zippered up” before the other, the centromere acts as a barrier to further movement from that arm.
Characterization of a water-in-oil microemulsion containing a concentrated ammonium ferric sulfate aqueous phase

A water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion containing high concentrations of ammonium ferric sulfate in solution was characterized by SAXS, EXAFS, electrical conductivity, and viscosity measurements and by its phase behavior. The nanometer-sized aqueous droplets are microemulsified by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in an isooctane continuous phase. Addition of small amounts of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a cosurfactant greatly aids in the solubilization of the inorganic electrolyte-laden aqueous phase. For this five-component system there is a large region of the composition phase space that exists as a clear, stable w/o microemulsion. A portion of this w/o microemulsion phase space can be characterized as spherically shaped aqueous nanometer-sized droplets. A simple relationship between the total surfactant concentration and the amount of water on the droplet size was established. This relationship has the same form as the well-known relationship for the ternary system, AOT/water/isooctane. True thermodynamic equilibrium was not established in this microemulsion study because the reaction times for the various ferric oxyhydroxide species are prohibitively long. As a result, pseudoequilibria for this ammonium ferric sulfate microemulsion are reported. 31 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
Accelerating Monte Carlo simulations of photon transport in a voxelized geometry using a massively parallel graphics processing unit.

Purpose: It is a known fact that Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport are computationally intensive and may require long computing times. The authors introduce a new paradigm for the acceleration of Monte Carlo simulations: The use of a graphics processing unit (GPU) as the main computing device instead of a central processing unit (CPU). Methods: A GPU-based Monte Carlo code that simulates photon transport in a voxelized geometry with the accurate physics models fromPENELOPE has been developed using the CUDA™ programming model (NVIDIA Corporation, Santa Clara, CA). Results: An outline of the new code and a sample x-ray imaging simulation with an anthropomorphic phantom are presented. A remarkable 27-fold speed up factor was obtained using a GPU compared to a single core CPU. Conclusions: The reported results show that GPUs are currently a good alternative to CPUs for the simulation of radiation transport. Since the performance of GPUs is currently increasing at a faster pace than that of CPUs, the advantages of GPU-based software are likely to be more pronounced in the future.
Fibre-reinforced hydrogels with high optical transparency

AbstractFibre-reinforced hydrogels with high optical transparency are an emerging composite material with great promise to enable new applications, such as a transparent wound dressing with custom tuned mechanical properties that provides desirable mechanical and physical properties along with optical clarity for facile wound inspection. Stand-alone hydrogels are an important class of materials comprising a cross-linked polymer network surrounded by a water matrix. However, their mechanical properties are typically very modest compared with other materials. While significant research is going on in parallel in the fields of hydrogels and reinforcement fibres, researchers are only starting to scratch the surface of the possibilities of combining the two. This report provides a review of natural and synthetic reinforcement fibre research with special emphasis placed on nanofibres. These provide the added benefit of transparency by being much smaller than the wavelength of visible light. A review of hydrogel...
Synthesis of lung collagen in hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema

Abstract Lung collagen was studied in hamsters which had been intratracheally instilled with elastase. Total and insoluble collagens in lungs among the elastase-instilled were higher than those of the age-matched controls and continued to be elevated even 4 months after the elastase-instillation. A transient increase in salt-soluble collagen during the period 6 to 20 days after the elastase-instillation was also found among the experimentals. Studies of incorporation of l -[ 14 C]proline into lung collagen showed higher specific radioactivities in both hydroxyproline and collagen fractions as well as a many-fold increase in total radioactivities in collagen fractions of lungs among the elastase-instilled hamsters. The results indicated that collagen metabolism in hamster lungs was activated after the elastase-injury which led to an increase of collagen in lung.
Oscillator strength and electron-impact excitation of the Schumann-Runge continuum of the oxygen molecule

By using the method of multiconfiguration self-consistent field, the electronic wave functions for the X /sup 3/..sigma../sup -//sub g/ and B /sup 3/..sigma../sup -//sub u/ states of O/sub 2/ are determined for twelve values of internuclear distances. From the appropriate electronic-vibrational functions, the oscillator strengths for the X /sup 3/..sigma../sup -//sub g/ ..-->.. B /sup 3/..sigma../sup -//sub u/ absorption (Schumann-Runge) continuum are calculated over the energy range of 7--9.5 eV. The results are in good agreement with experiments except at the high-energy edge (above 9 eV) which corresponds to the very steeply varying part of the potential curve. A calculation of the electron-impact excitation cross sections for the B /sup 3/..sigma../sup -//sub u/ state with the Born-Ochkur approximation is also reported for incident electron energy up to 1000 eV.
Nuclear magnetic resonance and principal component analysis for investigating the degradation of poly[chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-(vinylidene fluoride)] by ionizing radiation

Abstract Reported here is the application of multivariate statistical analysis to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data for the understanding of irradiative degradation in Kel-F 800: poly[chlorotrifluoroethylene- co -(vinylidene fluoride)]. 19 F NMR has been employed to characterize changes in the chain structure as a function of radiation dosage. Multivariate statistical analysis of the NMR data elucidates significant variance from comparatively minor changes in the collected NMR spectra, extracting meaningful information on subtle degradation mechanisms from the spectroscopic data. It is shown that the combination of NMR and principal component analysis reveals that PCTFE units are particularly susceptible to the effects of γ-irradiation and that scissioning and cross-linking occur simultaneously. The results of the statistical analysis are supported by gel permeation chromatography and dynamic scanning calorimetric analyses. The combination of statistical analysis with 19 F NMR offers a non-destructive means of studying degradation in fluoropolymeric materials.
Practice parameter: Electrodiagnostic studies in carpal tunnel syndrome: Report of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, American Academy of Neurology, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common clinical problem and frequently requires surgical therapy. The results of electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies have been found to be highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of CTS. This document defines the standards, guidelines, and options for EDX studies of CTS based on a critical review of the literature published in 19931 and recently updated by a review of the literature through the year 2000.2 The reader is referred to the updated review2 for a detailed discussion of the literature and the EDX techniques for the assessment of CTS that are summarized here. Both reviews addressed the following key clinical questions: 1. In patients clinically suspected of having CTS, what are the best EDX studies to confirm the diagnosis? 2. How can future clinical research studies be improved to evaluate the usefulness of laboratory studies, including EDX studies, to confirm the diagnosis of CTS? The source of the articles for the first CTS Literature Review1 published in 1993 was a Medline search for literature in English from January 1, 1986 through May 1991. The Medical Subject Headings searched were 1) wrist injuries or wrist joint, 2) nerve compression syndrome, and 3) carpal tunnel syndrome. The search identified 488 articles. Based on a review of the abstracts, 81 articles describing EDX studies were chosen for this review. An additional 78 reports were identified from the bibliographies of these 81 articles and American Academy of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AAEM) consultants recommended six others. Of the total of 165 articles reviewed, 20 were classified as background references. The source of the articles for the second CTS Literature Review2 was a Medline search for literature in English through December 2000. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) searched were 1) carpal tunnel syndrome and diagnosis or 2) carpal …
Effect of inoculum source on the enrichment of microbial communities on two lignocellulosic bioenergy crops under thermophilic and high-solids conditions

Aims: Culturing compost-derived microbial communities on biofuel feedstocks under industrial conditions is a technique to enrich for organisms and lignocellulolytic enzymes for bioenergy feedstock deconstruction. In this study, microbial communities from green waste compost (GWC) and grape pomace compost (GPC) were cultured on switchgrass and eucalyptus to observe the impact of inoculation on feedstock decomposition and microbial community structure. Methods and Results: Respiration was monitored as a measure of microbial activity, and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to characterize microbial community structure. The enriched community structure and respiration were influenced by the choice of feedstock, compost type, and application of thermophilic, high-solids conditions. However, the effect of compost source was significantly less than the effects of the other culture variables. Conclusions: Although there are subtle differences in potentially lignocellulolytic taxa between GPC- and GWC-derived communities, these differences do not affect the decomposition rates for these communities on switchgrass or eucalyptus. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results are useful for designing future experiments to discover lignocellulolytic micro-organisms from compost. They suggest that such work may be better served by deemphasizing screening of compost sources and instead focusing on how compost-derived communities adapt to the feedstocks and process conditions relevant to biofuel production.
On measuring inequality

Inequality and concentration are central concepts in all the social sciences. Economists study inequalities in the distribution of wealth, income, productivity, or goods. Sociologists may be concerned with social mobility-inequality of opportunity-or with inequalities in living conditions-the degree to which minority groups are concentrated in particular residential areas. A political scientist must be concerned with political inequality-concentrated, unequally distributed power. He may, for instance, need a measure of legislative malapportionment. Though the variables may be different, the basic question is the same: What is the degree to which wealth, or good living conditions, or power, are concentrated in a society? Since the questions are conceptually similar, it is reasonable to expect that the problems of quantification might be similar, and that the tools of measurement developed in one social science might be applicable to studies in another field. Yet there has been little interchange across disciplines, and scholars in each field persist in using techniques which are in some respects inferior to those used other fields. This article examines a number of measures of inequality, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and compares the results given by some of the measures when they were applied to data on representation state legislatures and on land distribution.
The 3.0GHz 64-thread SPARC T4 processor

The SPARC T4 processor introduces the next generation multi-threaded S3 core and delivers a significant single-thread performance improvement over its predecessor. The chip integrates eight S3 cores, an 8-Bank 4MB L3 Cache, a 768GB/sec crossbar, a memory controller, PCI Gen2.0, 10G Ethernet and a cache coherency controller with 2.4Tb/s highspeed I/Os. The dual-issue, out-of-order execution core features a 16-stage integer pipeline, extensive branch predictions, dynamic threading and an enhanced cryptographic processing unit. The 406mm2 die is fabricated in TSMC's 40nm process and contains 855million transistors and 2.6million flip-flops in a flipchip ceramic package. Enhanced physical design methodologies and extensive power management features enable 3.0GHz operation in the same power envelope of its predecessor.
Non-Plane Wave Two-Wave Mixing Interaction In Diffusion-Driven Photorefractive Media

A phase-aberrated pump beam was photorefractively coupled to a divergent signal beam in BaTi03 at 514.5 nm. Pump-to-signal ratios were set to induce large modulation depths. No phase cross-talk was observed in the amplified signal beam or in the depleted pump beam. However, phase aberrations present on the pump beam did deleteriously affect energy coupling.
Transforming the lecture-hall environment: The fully interactive physics lecture

Numerous reports suggest that learning gains in introductory university physics courses may be increased by “active-learning” instructional methods. These methods engender greater mental engagement and more extensive student–student and student–instructor interaction than does a typical lecture class. It is particularly challenging to transfer these methodologies to the large-enrollment lecture hall. We report on seven years of development and testing of a variant of Peer Instruction as pioneered by Mazur that aims at achieving virtually continuous instructor–student interaction through a “fully interactive” physics lecture. This method is most clearly distinguished by instructor–student dialogues that closely resemble one-on-one instruction. We present and analyze a detailed example of such classroom dialogues, and describe the format, procedures, and curricular materials required for creating the desired lecture-room environment. We also discuss a variety of assessment data that indicate strong gains in...
Laparoscopic Suturing Technique for Total Abdominal Hysterectomy

The objective of this report is to present the laparoscopic technique for total abdominal hysterectomy executed with no transvaginal approach, and by suturing and tying an extracorporeal sliding and an intracorporeal two-flat square knot. The hysterectomy methodology itself was adapted from classic abdominal hysterectomy and completed via laparoscopy with necessary modifications to meet laparoscopic technology standards. Following uterine extirpation, prophylactic, retroperitoneal posterior culdoplasty (the retroperitoneal layer of the uterosacral ligaments, rectal fascia, and paravaginal fascia were incorporated into the reconstructive process), and vaginal vault re-suspension were executed posteriorly, to the deep layer of the uterosacral ligaments, laterally, to the cardinal ligaments, and anteriorly, to the vesicocervical fascia. Laparoscopic total abdominal hysterectomy with posterior culdoplasty and vaginal vault suspension by suturing method appeared to be a safe and effective operation.
GROWTH HORMONE RECEPTORS ARE UP-REGULATED IN DIABETIC ADIPOCYTES

Using an isolated fat cells (IFC) perifusion system and bovine growth hormone (bGH), we demonstrate that the lipolytic response in normal rat IFC is markedly enhanced after preincubation with bGH. In contrast, when IFC are prepared from diabetic animals or in the spontaneous diabetic BB rat (SDR-BB), no such preincubation is necessary. These IFC respond immediately to bGH with maximal release of glycerol. Using a binding assay established for rat growth hormone (rGH) receptors, we measured the number of GH receptors in IFC from these rats. We demonstrate a 75% increase in GH receptors after preincubation with GH in normal rat IFC, and a 125% increase in GH receptors in diabetic IFC, without preincubation. These data support the concept that enhanced sensitivity to GH is an important feature of diabetes in rats and that this sensitivity is at least in part controlled by up-regulation of GH receptors.
Antibody blocks acquisition of bacterial colonization through agglutination

Invasive infection often begins with asymptomatic colonization of mucosal surfaces. A murine model of bacterial colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae was used to study the mechanism for mucosal protection by immunoglobulin. In previously colonized immune mice, bacteria were rapidly sequestered within large aggregates in the nasal lumen. To further examine the role of bacterial agglutination in protection by specific antibodies, mice were passively immunized with immunoglobulin G (IgG) purified from antipneumococcal sera or pneumococcal type-specific monoclonal human IgA (hIgA1 or hIgA2). Systemically delivered IgG accessed the mucosal surface and blocked acquisition of colonization and transmission between littermates. Optimal protection by IgG was independent of Fc fragment and complement and, therefore, did not involve an opsonophagocytic mechanism. Enzymatic digestion or reduction of IgG before administration showed that protection required divalent binding that maintained its agglutinating effect. Divalent hIgA1 is cleaved by the pneumococcal member of a family of bacterial proteases that generate monovalent Fabα fragments. Thus, passive immunization with hIgA1 blocked colonization by an IgA1-protease-deficient mutant (agglutinated) but not the protease-producing wild-type parent (not agglutinated), whereas protease-resistant hIgA2 agglutinated and blocked colonization by both. Our findings highlight the importance of agglutinating antibodies in mucosal defense and reveal how successful pathogens evade this effect.
Monomolecular Assembly of siRNA and Poly(ethylene glycol)−Peptide Copolymers

In this work, we design and investigate the complex formation of highly uniform monomolecular siRNA complexes utilizing block copolymers consisting of a cationic peptide moiety covalently bound to a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) moiety. The aim of the study was to design a shielded siRNA construct containing a single siRNA molecule to achieve a sterically stabilized complex with enhanced diffusive properties in macromolecular networks. Using a 14 lysine-PEG (K14-PEG) linear diblock copolymer, formation of monomolecular siRNA complexes with a stoichiometric 1:3 grafting density of siRNA to PEG is realized. Alternatively, similar PEGylated monomolecular siRNA particles are achieved through complexation with a graft copolymer consisting of six cationic peptide side chains bound to a PEG backbone. The hydrodynamic radii of the resulting complexes as measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) were found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions using polymer brush scaling theory of a PEG ...