cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation and modeling of the dissolution of polymers and filled polymers

Dissolution of polymers is important in various areas, including microlithography, controlled drug and herbicide/fertilizer delivery, and recycling. The dissolution rates of an oxetane polymer in ethyl acetate were obtained and well correlated with a quasi-stationary dissolution model. Equilibrium solubility values obtained from the mathematical model on the basis of the best fit to the dissolution data were found to be in good agreement with equilibrium solubilities obtained in independent experiments. Mass transfer coefficients were also obtained from the mathematical model on the basis of the best fit, and the calculated activation energies were typical for diffusion controlled dissolution. The dissolution of highly filled polymers in various solvents was also investigated using the oxetane polymer filled with ammonium sulfate and aluminum fillers. The dissolution rates for the highly filled polymer were well correlated with a pseudo-homogenous diffusion model.
Local anesthesia for fine-needle aspiration biopsy of palpable breast masses: the effectiveness of a jet injection system.

To determine the effectiveness of the Biojector® 2000 needle-free lidocaine injection system in achieving satisfactory local anesthesia for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of palpable breast lesions, we studied 29 female patients. Each patient served as her own control and had two FNA biopsies performed on the lesion. The first FNA biopsy was preceded by either no anesthesia, ethyl chloride cold spray, or traditional needle lidocaine injection. The second FNA was preceded by the Biojector 2000. Twenty-four patients (83%) reported that they preferred the Biojector 2000 over either no anesthesia, ethyl chloride spray, or needle and syringe lidocaine injection. The Biojector 2000 needle-free injection system is an effective and useful method of local anesthesia for FNA of palpable breast masses. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1997;17:472–476. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comments on "A recursive algorithm for computing the partial fraction expansion of rational functions having multiple poles"

In the above paper, the author presents a recursive algorithm for determination of the terms in a partial fraction expansion associated with multiple poles. However, this recursive algorithm has been derived previously in a different publication [1].
Molecular dynamics simulation of La2O3–Na2O–SiO2 glasses. III. The driving forces of clustering

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to determine the mean force and the potential of mean force of two La ions in a soda silicate glass. The reaction coordinate starts from a well separated state where the network accommodates the high-field strength cations and then brings them together to form an La–O–La linkage that can lead to the formation of free O anions. It is found that clustering of La ions is favored, at least for dimer states. Similar calculations for the ion pairs of La–La, Na–Na and La–Na in pure silica reveal that the local molecular environments of La and Na ions are quite distinct.
Testing of a spherical dual-tipped optical fiber probe for local measurements of void fraction and gas velocity in two-phase flows

An alternate and easy method of constructing an optical liber probe tip is presented for the study of different two-phase flow variables such as local time-averaged void fraction, gas velocity and interfacial bubble passage frequency. The proposed probe tip has similar response characteristics to the “U-bend” single fiber probe and is easier to construct than the 90° wedge tipped probe. The signal from the spherical tip seems to be insensitive to changes in bubble velocity as opposed to the 90° wedge and is more advantageous at higher velocities. The signal from the spherical tip has the same time duration as the signal changes from liquid to gas and vice versa for the same bubble velocity. A simplified model is presented to describe the balance of forces around the spherical tip when a bubble is penetrated. The model offers a qualitative explanation of why the non-dimensional response intensity decreases as the bubble velocity increases. On presente une methode alternative et facile pour construire des extremites de sonde en fibre optique pour l'etude de dilferentes variables d'ecoulement diphasique, telles que la fraction de vide locale de temps moyen, la vitesse du gar. et la frequence de passage des bulles interfaciales. L'extremite de sonde proposee possede des caracteristiques de reponse similaires a celles de la sonde en fibre simple de type “U-bend” et est plus facile a construire que la sonde a extremite en forme de coin a 90°. Le signal de l'extremite spherique semble insensible aux changements survenant dans la vitesse des bulles contrairement a un coin a 90° et est plus avantageux a des vitesses superieures. Le signal de l'extremite spherique a la meme duree lorsque le signal passe du liquide au gaz et vice versa pour la meme vitesse des bulles. On presente un modele simplifie afin de decrire l'equilibre des forces autour de l'extremite spherique lorsqu'une bulle est penektree. Le modele explique de facon qualitative pourquoi l'intensite de reponse adimensionnelle diminue lorsque la vitesse des bulles augmente.
Failure analysis of rotating disks

Abstract Based on the plane elasticity solution, the size and the number of pie-sector shaped fragments produced at the failure of a rotating flat disk have been determined. In the analysis, it is assumed that a radial through-thickness crack has propagated from the bore to some extent, which could be due to the progressive growth of a pre-existing flaw under low-cycle fatigue loading. Taking the crack plane as the plane of symmetry and assuming that the crack length is critical, one-half of the disk has been analysed. At the onset of the unstable propagation of the assumed radial crack, a possible second failure location away from the original crack at the inside boundary of the disk has been determined. The size of the pie-sector shaped fragments as obtained in the analysis has been compared with the available experimental results [Sato and Nagai (1963), National Aerospace Laboratory, Tokyo, NAL TR-38 and NAL TR-47 (in Japanese)]. The results are in close agreement with the experiment. It is noted that, as the ratio of the inner radius to the outer radius of the disk increases, the number of fragments also increases, as it has been observed experimentally. The present analysis technique is suitable for disks having a smaller ratio of inside to outside radii.
Supramolecular photoinduced charge transfer materials for nonlinear optics

Abstract There have been recent advances in the understanding of photoinduced charge and energy transfer in supramolecular materials, and in the design of improved nonlinear optical materials which use these effects. Examples of these materials are linear chains, molecular superstructures, and bulk blends of π-conjugated compounds which combine the functions of electron donors, acceptors, and optimized nonlinear optical chromophores. There has been substantial progress toward the ambitious goal of making bulk heterostructured materials with control of structure, charge transfer efficiency, and nonlinear optical response on the molecular scale.
Childhood origins of supernurturance: The social context of early humane behavior

AbstractThe present study examined how strong humane inclinations in children are shaped and encouraged through interactions with human and nonhuman animals. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with 30 supernurturing children and 30 parents attending a pre-veterinary summer camp operated by an American university. Themes associated with supernurturance included validating the importance of animals, teaching nurturance, identifying as an animal person, seeing animals as helpers, and assuming responsibility. Results suggest that a single magic bullet cannot be tweaked to instill or heighten compassion for animals. Rather, an array of social psychological factors together contribute to animal supernurturing by children.
The Ichthyofauna in the Namdaecheon (Stream), Imjingang (River) System, Korea

Here are the results of study on the fish fauna accomplished in the middle stream of Imjingang (River), Namdaecheon (Stream) in Cheolwon-gun from June, 2004, and June, 2005 as shown below. The fish species were totally 9 families and 32 species. Among there, the species belonging to the endemic species of Korea were 13 species. and The species belonging to the wild animals and plants facing extinction crisis were recorded as 3 species. In addition, it was identified at first in this study that Rhynchocypris kumgangensis lived also in the Imjingang (River) water system.
High count rate problems in elemental analysis using pulsed neutron inelastic scattering

Abstract Elemental analysis by neutron inelastic scattering using a miniature intense pulsed neutron source (“Zetatron”) was evaluated. The particular problems associated with detector pulse-pile-up during the neutron burst and the limited ability of the analyzer to process on average more than one detector pulse per neutron burst were examined. The severity of these problems is described and a solution using a multiple ADC system is proposed.
Opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area contribute to stress-induced analgesia in the formalin test for tonic pain

Exposure to stress can induce analgesia in the formalin test for tonic pain. Here, we report that blockade of opioid receptors by bilateral infusions of naltrexone methylbromide (NMB) (0.1 μg/0.5 μl/side) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the midbrain can reduce stress-induced analgesia in this test. These findings indicate that endogeneous opioids act in the VTA to mediate stress-induced analgesia in tonic pain.
Delayed desensitization of alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated platelet aggregation in depressed patients.

After prolonged exposure to epinephrine, platelets are observed to desensitize alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated aggregation responses in vitro. Herein, this phenomenon was studied as a possible in vitro model for alpha 2-adrenoceptor dysregulation in depression. Platelet-rich plasmas obtained from 22 unipolar depressed patients and 25 healthy subjects were preincubated with 20 mumol/L of epinephrine for various lengths of time prior to stirring. By comparing the subsequent extents of aggregation, we observed significantly less desensitization at 4, 20, 30, or 60 minutes postepinephrine exposure (p < or = .05) in depressed patients as compared to healthy controls. This blunted desensitization appeared to be due to a delayed onset of desensitization during the first 0.5 to 2 minutes after epinephrine exposure, since thereafter, the monoexponential desensitization rate did not differ in depressed patients, but the extent of desensitization remained less as compared to healthy subjects. The extent of desensitization was correlated (r = -0.48, p = .02) with the density (Bmax) of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor high-affinity state, as detected in undesensitized platelet membranes by p125I-clonidine binding. An elevation was also observed in the density of nonadrenergic p125I-clonidine-binding sites (putative imidazoline I1 sites) in platelet membranes from depressed patients compared to healthy control subjects. Following treatment with desipramines, the patients (n = 15) displayed more normal (nonblunted) extents of desensitization of aggregation, and the Bmax values for the putative I1 sites were at the levels of healthy controls. If similar aberrations exist in neurons of depressed patients, this may explain a dysregulation of the noradrenergic system believed to underlie depression.
Numerical analysis of thermo-mechanical reliability of through silicon vias (TSVs) and solder interconnects in 3-dimensional integrated circuits

Three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) is a promising technology in today's IC packaging industry. Since the technology is in infancy stages, many aspects of this technology are still under heavy investigation. Reliability of through silicon via (TSV) interconnects and interlayer bondings between the silicon layers are issues that become more complicated in 3D ICs due to the complexity of the architecture and miniaturized interconnect. Optimizing design of these devices is essential in order to avoid short fatigue life of interconnects. This manuscript addresses the impact of design parameters such as die thickness, TSV diameter and pitch, and underfill thickness and properties on thermo-mechanical durability of direct chip attach (DCA) solder joints and TSV interconnects used in a 3D IC packages. A design was proposed where DCA is used to connect four layers of ICs and TSVs are used to connect the active layer of the dies to the second silicon layer. Solder joints, as small as [email protected] diameter, were used to attach silicon layers. A numerical experiment is designed to vary these factors at three levels using L9 orthogonal array. A 3-dimensional model of the package was built and model was solved under an accelerated thermal cycle loading. Solder is considered to be visco-plastic material and copper interconnects are assumed to follow bi-linear isotropic hardening behavior. Two continuum damage models; energy-partitioning (E-P) and Coffin-Manson; were used to assess the number of cycles to failure for solder joints and TSV copper interconnects, respectively. Minitab software was used to analyze the result of experiment and general linear model analysis of variance (GLMANOVA) was used to evaluate significance of each factor. The most influential factors on durability of solder interconnect are found to be underfill properties and height. However, the most influential factor on TSV durability is found to be TSV diameter. A non-linear response was observed for TSV pitch and diameter indicating that the optimum level is in the range selected. Location of failures was also found to depend on selected parameters and be a function of effective CTE. A simple analytical approach is presented to estimate the effective CTE for silicon layers containing TSVs. Effective CTE can be varied as one of the design parameters to achieve optimum design.
Dimensions of female sexuality: A factor analysis

The present study was designed to generate hypotheses about dimensions underlying female sexuality. The subjects were 138 undergraduate women who completed three questionnaires about their sexual attitudes and behavior. A factor analysis yielded seven factors that were labeled as follows: (1) overall level of heterosexual activity; (2) level of noncoital heterosexual satisfaction; (3) gratification from masturbation; (4) responsivity to coital position; (5) latency to orgasm; (6) comfort with heterosexual contact; and (7) sexual precocity. Orgasmic responsivity was found to be positively correlated with the level of noncoital heterosexual satisfaction, gratification from masturbation, and comfort with heterosexual contact. Orgasmic responsivity was not dependent on coital position, and latency to orgasm was not dependent on the mode of stimulation. Suggestions for future research include contrasting functional and dysfunctional samples of women to determine the etiological precursors of female sexual responsiveness.
Hexatic-to-liquid melting transition in two-dimensional magnetic-bubble lattices.

We report detailed observations of a continuous hexatic-to-liquid melting transition in two-dimensional magnetic-bubble lattices in magnetic garnet films using digital-imaging techniques. Topological defects, diffraction patterns, and translational and orientational correlation functions show that a second-order melting transition occurs via the formation of progressively larger transient defect clusters.
To annex or not? A tale of two towns: Evanston and Hyde Park

Annexation of former suburban areas accounted for much of the central city growth in the late 19th century. On 29 June 1889, for example, elections in Chicago and several suburban areas resulted in the annexation of 120 square miles to Chicago. The city doubled in size in one day!’ Urban growth through annexation has now all but ceased in the older Northern and Eastern cities, but it continues in younger Southern and Western cities.* This essay centers upon Hyde Park, a suburb that annexed itself to Chicago, and Evanston, a suburb that retained its independence.3 Both included established residential areas and a major university. Both supplied a wide range of services, but their distribution was uneven in the Village of Hyde Park, where residents of the densely settled area north of 87th Street received all the services offered by the local government while residents who lived in the relatively undeveloped area south of 87th Street were not offered as many services. Many reasons, both economic and political, have been advanced for why suburban areas relinquished their autonomy. Some of these reasons
The Hunger Games: p53 regulates metabolism upon serine starvation.

Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to support a high proliferative rate. A new study shows that, upon serine starvation, the tumor suppressor p53 activates p21 to shift metabolic flux from purine biosynthesis to glutathione production, which enhances cellular proliferation and viability by combating ROS (Maddocks et al., 2013).
Why is there so much evil

The problem of evil is one that perplexes both believers and non-believers. The best approach to the problem is to see evil and suffering as the outcome of general policies God has adopted in creating and governing the world—policies which on the whole are good and beneficial, but which in specific cases lead to suffering for humans and other sentient creatures. Chief among these policies are the policy of allowing human beings to exercise free will in choosing between good and evil, and the policy of creating and sustaining a world of nature that operates according to its inherent laws, with divine interventions into the natural order comparatively infrequent. This approach benefits persons suffering from various evils by releasing them from an often fruitless search for “God’s reasons” for the evil in question, and enabling them to focus on the grace and strength given by Christ to live courageously in spite of their suffering.
Electrical fields in Notophthalmus viridescens limb stumps

Abstract There is evidence, mostly from in vitro experiments, that electric fields can affect the behavior of cells. However, very few direct measurements of fields have been made in vivo , making it difficult to judge whether there is any possibility that normal fields could have significant biological effects. Using microelectrode penetrations through the skin, we have measured proximo-distal fields within the amputated forelimb stump of the newt, Notophthalmus viridescens , to see whether the magnitude and duration of these fields might be consistent with their having an effect on the behavior of stump cells. We find that they are. Immediately following amputation, the proximal stump fields (from the shoulder to the last 0.5 mm of the stump) average 6.6 mV/mm, and decrease to 0.6 mV/mm by 24 hr post amputation. The early distal fields (those in the distal 0.25 mm of the stump) average 50 mV/mm; by 6 hr post amputation, they fall to about 15 mV/mm, and by 12 hr to about 5 mV/mm. The early values of the proximal fields are close to the threshold of field strength for field effects on cells in vitro . For the first 6 hr, the distal field strength is well within the range found to affect cell behavior in vitro . When the Na + channels of the epidermis are blocked by benzamil, the fields are abolished. Thus, the generation of these fields depends on the potential developed by the sodium-dependent batteries of the epidermis.
Elevated temperature microstructural stability of Al+-ion implanted nickel

Abstract Composition profiles were measured following 180 keV Al+-ion implantation of nickel at temperatures up to 600°C, and following 600°C annealing of nickel implanted at 25°C. The phases present in the implanted layers were identified and are compared to those found on the NiAl phase diagram. The implanted compositions are nearly temperature independent at fluences below 1.5 × 1018 ions/cm2. The Al concentration reaches 70 at.% Al by 3 x 1018 ions/cm2 fluence delivered at 25°C, and it extends to 3000A depth. Beyond 1.5 × 1018 ions/cm2 fluence delivered at 500°C, an Al composition of 25% extends to 6000A depth, well beyond the ~ 100A increase in depth due to radiation-enhanced diffusion. Similar results obtain for 25°C implanted specimens subsequently annealed at 600°C. TEM examination shows the defect-enriched region beyond 3000A recrystallizes at elevated temperatures and enhances diffusion via the high diffusivity paths provided by the grain boundaries. Phases found in elevated temperature specimens often differ from those in 25°C implanted specimens. Comparing the former with the latter: Ni3Al replaces the extended portion of the Al in Ni f.c.c. solution; Ni3Al and NiAl replace an h.c.p. phase peculiar to lower temperatures; and phases richer than 50% Al are replaced by Ni3Al due to compositional instabilities. Phase prediction based on local chemical composition and the phase diagram is shown to be valid, but can proceed only when the compositional instabilities are taken into account.
Divergence of tRNA genes in chloroplast DNA of higher plants

Abstract The saturation hybridization between spinach chloroplast (ct) DNA and spinach 125I-labelled chloroplast tRNA has shown that about 1.1% of the spinach ctDNA codes for tRNAs. The observed hybridization is a result of specific base-pairing as shown by competition hybridization experiments and thermal stability of the ctDNA-tRNA hybrids. The amount of hybridization shows that spinach ctDNA contains about 40 tRNA genes. Similar hybridization studies have shown that corn ctDNA contains about 28 tRNA genes. The cross-hybridizations between ctDNA and tRNAs of corn, spinach and pea have shown that tRNAs in chloroplasts of higher plants have undergone significant divergence. The pea and spinach tRNAs have been found to have 50% of the base sequences in common. The corn tRNAs have been found to have only about 30% of the base sequences in common with pea and spinach. These data have been confirmed by extensive heterologous competition experiments and thermal stability of the heterologous DNA-tRNA hybrids. The experiments have also shown that the base sequences of tRNAs common in all three plants are the same.
A study of spore identification from diffraction data

Much work has been reported on attempting to identify spores from their spectral signatures. Since spores are also complex scattering objects, with a layered internal refractive index structure, it makes sense to explore the possibility of making an identification simply from a scattering pattern or from anticipated scattering characteristics combined with a spectral signature. Models for scattering from simple geometrical coated shapes have been developed and recently Bragg spheres and onion-ring resonator-like scatterers in the Mie regime have received considerable attention driven by other applications. Also, our own group has recently advanced a method for inverting scattered field data from strongly scattering penetrable targets. We present here some very early considerations of the convergence of these possibilities and suggest some simple experiments that might advance our understanding of spore detection and identification.
Early fraction calculation ability.

Three- to 7-year-olds' ability to calculate with whole-number, fraction, and mixed-number amounts was tested using a nonverbal task in which an amount was displayed and then hidden (J. Huttenlocher, N. C. Jordan, & S. C. Levine, 1994). Next, an amount was added to or subtracted from the hidden amount. The child's task was to determine the hidden amount that resulted from the transformation. Although fraction problems were more difficult than whole-number problems, competence on all problem types emerged in the early childhood period. Furthermore, there were striking parallels between the development of whole-number and fraction calculation. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis that early representations of quantity promote learning about whole numbers but interfere with learning about fractions (e.g., R. Gelman, 1991; K. Wynn, 1995, 1997). Conventional fraction algorithms have been notoriously difficult for children to master (e.g., Behr, Wachsmuth, Post, & Lesh, 1984). Not only do school-age children make many more errors on written fraction calculation problems than they do on wholenumber problems, but these errors often reflect a failure to grasp basic properties of fractions, such as the relation between the number of fractional parts and the size of these parts. Thus, children frequently add numerators and denominators together with apparent disregard for the part-whole relation these symbols are intended to represent (e.g., 3/4 + Vi = Ve, see Resnick & Ford,
Potential role of PC-1 expression and pyrophosphate elaboration in the molecular etiology of the FGFR-associated craniosynostosis syndromes.

Structured Abstract Author – Hatch NE Background – Fibroblast growth factor/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGF/FGFR) signaling is associated with the aberrant mineralization phenotype of the craniosynostosis syndromes. One critical aspect of mineralization involves the elaboration and transport of pyrophosphate into the extracellular matrix with subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis into phosphate. We have previously shown that FGF2 up-regulates expression of the pyrophosphate generating enzyme, PC-1, and the pyrophosphate channel, ANK, while down-regulating expression of the pyrophosphate hydrolyzing enzyme, tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase in pre-osteoblastic, MC3T3E1(C4) cells. These results suggest that FGF/FGFR signaling may affect mineralization via changes in the elaboration and metabolism of pyrophosphate. Objectives – We are currently conducting experiments towards a more systematic analysis of PC-1 expression in osteoblastic cells, in order to more clearly elucidate the significance of pyrophosphate elaboration in the process of normal bone mineralization and in the molecular etiology of the FGFR-associated craniosynostosis syndromes. Design – Towards this goal we have constructed a PC-1 gene promoter/firefly luciferase reporter construct, in order to more directly investigate the regulation of PC-1 by FGF/FGFR signaling in osteoblastic and non-osteoblastic cells. Results and Conclusions – Preliminary results confirm that FGF/FGFR signaling, either via treatment with FGF2 or via expression of a Crouzon syndrome-associated mutant FGFR2, induces PC-1 promoter activity in osteoblastic cells in culture. This appears to be a cell type specific phenomenon. These results suggest that the expression of PC-1 downstream of FGF signaling is an integral aspect of osteoblastic function, and that pyrophosphate elaboration may play a significant role in the pathology of craniosynostosis.
Never Conclude with a Negative Result, Explore All Possibilities before Changing Your Hypothesis

Dr. Catherine Figarella is a world expert in the isolation and characterization of human exocrine pancreatic proteins (enzymatic and non-enzymatic ones). She was a pioneer in the identification and characterization of the numerous zymogens present in pancreatic juice. In particular, her discovery of a peculiar behavior of one of the main proteolytic zymogens: human trypsinogen 1, which was more readily activated into active trypsin than human trypsinogen 2 and trypsinogens of other species led her to propose that a premature intracellular activation of this zymogen may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis. She demonstrated that a similar phenomenon may occur in cystic fibrosis (CF) and has applied this knowledge of pancreatic zymogens to follow the evolution of the pancreatic disease in CF. With this brief but keen biographical article Dr. Figarella shares her life experience as an innovative medical and biochemical investigator of human exocrine pancreatic function.
Patterns in thin vibrated granular layers: Interfaces, hexagons, and superoscillons

A theoretical and experimental study of patterns in vibrated granular layers is presented. An order parameter model based on the parametric Ginzburg-Landau equation is used to describe strongly nonlinear excitations including hexagons, interfaces between flat antiphase domains, and new localized objects, superoscillons. The experiments confirm the existence of superoscillons and bound states of superoscillons and interfaces. On the basis of the order parameter model we predict analytically and confirm experimentally that additional subharmonic driving results in the controlled motion of interfaces.
Allyl complexes of the heavy alkaline-earth metals: molecular structure and catalytic behavior

Reaction of two equivalents of K[1,3-(SiMe3)2C3H3] (= KA′) with SrI2 in thf produces the allyl complex SrA′2(thf)2. In the solid state, the monomeric complex is isostructural with its calcium counterpart; the allyl ligands are bound in a symmetrical trihapto manner to the metals, with an average Sr–C distance of 2.801(5) A. The reaction of KA′ and BaI2 does not result in the expected bis(allyl)barium complex, but rather in a heterometallic barium/potassium species, K(thf)Ba2A′5. The allyls are in fast exchange in solution, and in the solid state, the complex forms a polymeric chiral chain. Each barium center is coordinated by one terminal and two bridging allyl ligands; the potassium center is coordinated by two bridging allyl ligands and one thf molecule. On reaction with iodine, C–C coupling occurs with CaA′2(thf)2, SrA′2(thf)2 and K(thf)Ba2A′5 to give the 1,5-hexadiene, [(SiMe3)2C3H3]2. CaA′2(thf)2, SrA′2(thf)2 and K(thf)Ba2A′5 are initiators for methyl methacrylate polymerization; the analogous magnesium complex is not active.
Positive Childhood Experiences and Positive Adult Functioning: Prosocial Continuity and the Role of Adolescent Substance Use

Purpose To examine positive childhood experiences as predictors of positive adult functioning, including civic involvement, productivity and responsibility, interpersonal connection, and physical exercise; and to examine adolescent substance use as a mediator of prosocial continuity.
Academic Integration of Occupational Therapy Faculty: A Survey

Objective This descriptive study explored the reasons for occupational therapy faculty members selecting academia as a career, their use of faculty development practices, and the relationship of organizational culture to collegial support. Method Full-time faculty members (n = 191) from accredited occupational therapy professional programs in the United States completed a questionnaire about their early years in academia. Results Respondents indicated that their primary reason for selecting academia as a career was their love of teaching. The most helpful faculty development practice was frequent sharing of ideas with peer faculty members. Conclusions The findings support the following recommendations for program administrators and experienced faculty members to assist new faculty members in adapting to academia: (a) support and develop new avenues for sharing ideas in formal and informal settings; (b) develop mentoring programs, with new faculty members observing experienced teachers and receiving feedback and assistance for their own teaching; (c) encourage attendance at instructional seminars; (d) provide resource materials and texts on improving teaching and research skills; (e) allow time for research; and (f) encourage coauthoring of publications.
The Effects of n‐3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Bleeding Time, Plasma Fatty Acid Composition, and In Vitro Platelet Aggregation in Cats

Dietary supplementation with fish and fish oils rich in the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to alter eicosanoid metabolism and impair platelet function in several species. As an initial step in evaluating the antithrombotic effect of these n-3 fatty acids in cats, purified EPA and DHA were administered daily to 8 clinically normal cats for 2 months. Platelet function was evaluated biweekly by determining mucosal bleeding time and in vitro platelet aggregation parameters. Plasma fatty acid profiles were obtained before fish oil supplementation and at the termination of the study. In spite of significant increases (P < .0001) in the plasma concentrations of EPA and DHA after n-3 fatty acid supplementation, there were no significant changes in platelet aggregation or bleeding times. Although it is tempting, based on extrapolation of data from other species, to recommend dietary supplementation with fish oil for cats prone to arterial thromboembolism, these results indicate that administration of large doses of purified EPA and DHA once daily does not inhibit platelet function in normal cats and is unlikely to prevent thrombosis in cats with cardiovascular disease. Additional studies are recommended to ascertain whether more frequent administration of these purified n-3 fatty acids or continual feeding of diets high in n-3 fatty acid content will impair platelet function.
A brief history of thyroid surgery.

Historical writings describe abnormalities of the thyroid gland for more than 3500 years. The ancients did not know the existence of the thyroid gland or its relationship to the goiter. Originally, what we now know as goiter was described as bronchocele (Fig. 1). It was believed that it was caused by excessive phlegm. Interestingly, some people with bronchocele were empirically treated with seaweed and kelp. They had marked improvement of their bronchoceles, most likely because of the high content of iodine in the remedies. Thyroid comes from the Greek meaning shield-shaped. Leonardo da Vinci was the first to identify and describe the thyroid gland around 1500 during the Italian Renaissance. Vesalius also described the thyroid, naming it the laryngeal gland. It was Wharton who in 1656 named it the thyroid, not because of the shape of the gland but because of the proximity to the thyroid cartilage. The bronchocele terminology, however, was still used into the 19th century in spite of these earlier descriptions. Rare attempts at thyroidectomy were made early on primarily for prevention of suffocation secondary to goiter with little success and a mortality rate as high as 40%. In 1791, DeSault performed the first successful partial thyroidectomy. In spite of this initial success, the chance of surviving thyroidectomy remained in the 40% range. Before the 1850s, thyroidectomy was considered “breathtaking heroics fraught with danger to the patient and almost certain bereavement for the family.” Infection was the usual cause of death, but uncontrolled hemorrhage deterred most surgeons from operating. Thyroidectomy became thought of as professional butchering. A quote from Samuel D. Gross gives a very colorful explanation:
The Breast Is (Always) for Sex: Breastfeeding Discourse in Response to May 21, 2012 TIME Magazine Cover

Controversial media representations of the female body can reflect, reproduce, and even challenge ideological systems or Discourses (Jones, 2003; Louw, 2001). This article interrogates the discourse surrounding TIME Magazine's recent cover regarding attachment parenting, which featured a mother breastfeeding her toddler. The analysis of 1 online comment board shows that, although multiple meanings were present, the talk regarding the cover was overwhelmingly informed by the Discourse of (Hetero)Sexuality, which defines breastfeeding as a sexualized act only appropriate in private and for children of a certain age. This backdrop of sexuality for breastfeeding is significant not only for mothers’ choices and practices regarding nursing, but also for policymakers who seek to support breastfeeding. In addition, the findings reinforce the importance of attending to the interrelations within and between macro- and microlevels of discourse in investigating symbolic systems through which meanings are constructed.
Calculations of the elastic compliance and piezoelectric constants of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) crystals

Abstract We present calculated compliance and piezoelectric constants for polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymer with trifluoroethylene P(VDF/TrFE). The constants were derived by minimizing the energy of the unit cell under various states of stress, using a modified molecular mechanics force field. The model was first validated against experimental data and theoretical calculations for the properties of PVDF. The behavior of the compliance and piezoelectric constants of P(VDF/TrFE) are examined as a function of the molecular percentage of VDF. It was found that an optimum value for the dielectric constant d 33 of P(VDF-TrFE) exists between 55 and 65 mol % VDF.
Polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) in intraocular surgery.

Polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron®) exhibits properties that make it highly suitable for use in intraocular surgery. These include high breaking and knot strength, good tensile strength retention in vivo, low tissue reaction, high resistance to hydrolysis, and good resistance to light. As a result of a series of animal experiments by Peyman and co-workers, Dacron has been shown to be suitable for fixation of an intraocular lens. Based on this, a series of human experiments was performed. Nine subjects received Dacron-wrapped loop iridocapsular or Dacron-wrapped loop iris fixation lens implants after an extracapsular or an intracapsular cataract extraction (study group). Nine subjects received the same style lens implants without Dacron-wrapped loops (control group). The complications in the study group were insignificant, and postoperative visual acuity was good in all patients. Fixation of the Dacron-wrapped loops to the back of the iris was demonstrated in eight of the nine eyes.
Influence of beam energy, flux, and composition on junction parameters in ion beam tunnel barrier processing

An ion beam process was used to fabricate planar and edge-defined niobium-lead alloy Josephson junctions. Critical current density was found to be determined primarily by the dose of oxygen ions delivered during tunnel barrier growth. Comparison of spatial distributions of critical currents with ion flux profiles indicated that both preclean and oxidation were important in determining the magnitude of the on-wafer spatial variations. Uniformity of angle of incidence of the ion beam was very important in fabrication of edge junctions. The first ion beam experiments involving intentional additions of carbon-containing ions to the beam, to facilitate controlled growth of a carbide interfacial layer which is important in high quality devices, are also reported.
EMULSIFICATION OF HYDROCARBONS BY SUBSURFACE BACTERIA

Biosurfactants have potential for use in enhancement of in situ biorestoration by increasing the bioavailability of contaminants. Microorganisms isolated from biostimulated, contaminated and uncontaminated zones at the site of an aviation fuel spill and hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms isolated from sites contaminated with unleaded gasoline were examined for their abilities to emulsify petroleum hydrocarbons. Emulsifying ability was quantified by a method involving agitation and visual inspection. Biostimulated-zone microbes and hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms were the best emulsifiers as compared to contaminated and uncontaminated zone microbes. Biostimulation (nutrient and oxygen addition) may have been the dominant factor which selected for and encouraged growth of emulsifiers; exposure to hydrocarbon was also important. Biostimulated microorganisms were better emulsifiers of aviation fuel (the contaminant hydrocarbon) than of heavier hydrocarbon to which they were not previously exposed. By measuring surface tension changes of culture broths, 11 out of 41 emulsifiers tested were identified as possible biosurfactant producers and two isolates produced large surface tension reductions indicating the high probability of biosurfactant production.
Quantitative investigation of the bioeffects associated with terahertz radiation

The biological effects associated with Terahertz (THz) radiation are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the cellular response of human dermal fibroblasts exposed to an optically-pumped molecular gas THz laser (υ = 2.52 THz, irradiance = 84.8 mW/cm 2 , exposure duration = 5 to 80 minutes). Computational dosimetry was conducted using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling techniques. Empirical dosimetry was conducted using infrared cameras and thermocouples. Cellular viability was assessed 24 h post-exposure using MTT calorimetric assays. Quantitative PCR was performed 4 h post-exposure to evaluate the transcriptional activation of genes involved in protein and DNA damage pathways. Comparable analyses were also performed for hyperthermic and genotoxic positive control samples. For all of the exposure durations tested, we found that greater than 95% of the cells were viable post-exposure. In addition, the exposed cells showed only minor increases (~3.5-fold) in heat shock protein expression. The empirical dosimetric data showed that the temperature of the cells increased by ~3 °C during exposure. This value was consistent with that predicted by the computational models. Interestingly, although the THz-exposed cells exhibited increases in heat shock protein expression, the magnitude of these increases was comparable to those observed in hyperthermic controls. In addition, none of the DNA repair genes tested were up-regulated in the THz-exposed cells, whereas 40-fold increases were observed in the genotoxic control cells. These results suggest that the biological effects imposed by THz radiation appear to be primarily photothermal in nature.
SP-RING for SUMO: New Functions Bloom for a Ubiquitin-like Protein

SUMO is covalently linked to a variety of cellular proteins. Three groups now describe related E3-like factors that enhance transfer of SUMO to specific proteins. This family of factors includes proteins important for chromosome condensation, signal transduction, and ion channel biogenesis.
tsLA23-NRK cells need pp60v-src protein-tyrosine kinase activity in G2 phase to initiate mitosis in serum-free medium

Abstract Lowering the temperature from 41 to 36°C stimulates quiescent tsLA23-NRK rat cells (infected with the tsLA23 mutant of the Rous sarcoma virus) in serum-free medium to resume cycling and initiate DNA replication by reactivating the lsLa23-RSV's abnormally thermolabile pp60v-src protein-tyrosine kinase. Inactivating the enzyme in these pp60v-src-stimulated cells by again raising the temperature to 41°C after the cells had initiated DNA replication did not prevent the completion of DNA replication and entry into the G2 phase, but it stopped the initiation of mitosis. Adding serum at the time of the temperature increase replaced the lost pp60v-src activity and the cells were able to continue to mitosis. The G2-arrested cells at 41°C were able to initiate mitosis when pp60v-src was reactivated again by lowering the temperature to 36°C. These observations suggest that protein-tyrosine kinase activity is needed to initiate mitosis and that the lsLA23-NRK cell is a good model for studying the function of this kinase activity in the initiation of mitosis.
Adaptive transmit antenna selection in MIMO amplify-and-forward relay channels

Obtaining the most from multiple-antenna relay systems requires adapting the number of substreams based on channel conditions. In this paper, we develop algorithms for selecting dynamically the number of data streams and the transmit antenna subsets at both the source and relay to minimize the vector symbol error rate at a fixed overall rate. An antenna selection mode of operation is defined by the number of transmit antennas and the substream-to-antenna mapping at the source and relay. We propose three suboptimal multimode algorithms that aim to select the best mode based on the knowledge of channel conditions. The algorithms are shown by Monte Carlo simulations to achieve the full diversity order and to provide considerable gains over the existing designs.
Acoustofluidics 16: acoustics streaming near liquid-gas interfaces: drops and bubbles.

In this sixteenth part of the series on “Acoustofluidics – exploiting ultrasonic standing waves forces and acoustic streaming in microfluidic systems for cell and particle manipulation,” we continue our discussion on the analytical aspects of the streaming phenomenon. In particular, the use of the singular perturbation technique for this class of problems is delineated with a set of examples where fluid-fluid interaction takes place. In this category, we focus on drops and bubbles, and deal specifically with the effect of interfacial mobility on the streaming flow.
Entry for supermarket feature me-too brands: An empirical explanation of incidence and timing

Anticipating the speed of market entry can help the feature pioneer and me-too brands develop more informed product launch strategies. This paper explains imitation speed, broken down into the incidence and timing of imitation, across 144 imitators and 847 nonimitators in 22 consumer packaged goods subcategories. On average, it takes 85 weeks for a me-too brand to introduce its feature imitation. Increasing category market share increases the incidence of imitation and, conditional on their occurrence, decreases the time to market of feature imitators. Faster entry arises for store brands as they are more likely to imitate and tend to take shorter times to market. Price premium does not have a significant effect on the incidence or timing of a me-too brand as it tends to dissipate after the first year. Brands imitate innovative features more often than noninnovative features. Some evidence indicates these imitators can take a longer time to enter the market. New product managers may benefit from the direction as well as the magnitude of these results.
Irregular points of modulation

The local theory of singular points is extended to a large class of linear, second-order, ordinary differential equations which can be physical Schroedinger equations, or govern the modulation of real oscillators or waves. In addition to Langer's fractional turning points, such equations admit highly irregular points at which the coefficients of the differential equation can be almost arbitrarily multivalued. (Genuine coalescence of singular points, however, is not considered.) A local representation of the solutions is established, which generalizes Frobenius' method of power series, and reveals a remarkable, two-variable structure. Bounds are obtained on the departure of solution structure from the structure characteristic of regular points.
Near- and supercritical fluid solvents for living anionic polymerizations

Near- and supercritical fluids are investigated as solvents for anionic polymerizations of 1,3-dienes. Solvent strength (solubility parameter) of mixtures of light hydrocarbons containing cyclohexane is shown to be adjustable using solvatochromic probe methods. The results indicate that these mixtures have solubility parameter values that are lower than conventional liquid solvents and represent a regime of solvent strength that has remained unexplored for ionic polymerizations. The anionic initiator 3-methyl-1,1-diphenyl-pentyllithium (MDPPL) was shown to be soluble in supercritical ethane and that its ultraviolet/visible absorption maximum was sensitive to systematic density changes of the supercritical fluid induced by pressure profiling. These results were extended to the anionic polymerization of isoprene in butane/cyclohexane mixtures.