cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of adsorbates and insulating layers on the conductance of plasma deposited a-Si:H

Abstract Becauseof the low density of gap states in a-Si:H the planar cinductance G is strongly affected by the space charge layers near surface and the substrate. Several surface layer substances, such as H2O and NH3, act as donors and increase or decrease G of highly resistive n-type or p-type a-Si:H films, respectively, by many orders of magnitude. Other substances such as Se act as acceptors and thus produce the opposite effect. • †G • increses with Se thickness and saturates near 1000A of Se. This is a measure of the space charge width in Se. Changes in G are accompanied by corresponding changes in thermal activation energy. The changes in G can be reversed by removing the adsorbed or deposited layers by heating in vacuum. H2O and NH3 adsorption causes a rapid rise of G of n-type a-Si:H followed by a slow decrease over many hours. The magnitude and time constants of these effects depend on the initial oxide layer thickness. The slow decrease of G is essentially absent for adsorption in situ on freshly deposited a-Si:H.
Matrix interferences in the analysis of organic solutions by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract Matrix interferences are observed during the analysis of organic solutions by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) when the composition and/or physical properties of the samples and calibration standards are not matched closely. Analysis of widely different petroleum samples at different dilutions can be prohibitively time consuming if error due to matrix interferences is rigorously avoided. Use of one or more internal standard elements helps to minimize mismatch error. However, one would like to analyze a variety of oils at different dilutions using a single solvent without the need for precise matrix matching or addition of internal standards. This study focused on the relative impact of varying organic solution composition and properties such as viscosity, surface tension, density and volatility on the magnitude of matrix interferences observed during their analysis by ICP-AES. Solutions of toluene, xylene, tetralin, 75 neutral lube base oil and bright stock were prepared in o-xylene and tetralin containing 2–20 wt % solute and 1 μg g of each of 21 elements. The physical properties of each solution were measured and the solutions were analyzed by ICP-AES using calibration standards consisting of essentially pure xylene or tetralin. Hydrogen emission intensity measurements also were acquired during analysis to aid in interpretation of the results. A 5–25 % suppression effect was observed for elements contained in a 20 % solution of lube base stock in xylene. Analysis of the corresponding tetralin solution revealed only a slight suppression effect (0–3 %). Increasing amounts of heavy oils in xylene produced a significant plasma cooling effect suppressing the emission intensities of “hard” lines to a greater extent than “soft” lines. No plasma cooling effect was observed while aspirating heavy oils in tetralin. These observations may be explained in terms of the organic aerosol/vapor loading of the ICP plasma combined with the thermochemistry of the atomization process. Organic solutes/solvents having higher H/C ratios require higher atomization energies. Atomization and heating of a xylene aerosol/vapor stream may consume 10–20 % of the total plasma power under typical operating conditions. The reduction of matrix interferences realized using tetralin as solvent for the analysis of wear metals in lube oil and for heavy fuel oil is illustrated with the analysis of NBS standards.
Epidemiology of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in New Zealand.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiology of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) in New Zealand and describe the effects of this condition on children and their paediatricians. METHODOLOGY: A mail-out survey was sent to all paediatricians in New Zealand in 1999. Paediatricians were asked to identify all cases of MSBP, non-accidental poisoning or non-accidental suffocation diagnosed or suspected in children less than 16 years of age that had been seen in the past 12 months. Those paediatricians who identified a case were then interviewed by telephone to ensure that identified cases were new cases and that they were unique. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 148 (95%) of 156 practising paediatricians in New Zealand. Eighteen unique cases of MSBP were identified where the diagnosis had been made in the preceding 12 months. The incidence rate for MSBP in children aged less than 16 years was 2.0/100 000 children. Eleven (61%) of the 18 cases were referred to child protection agencies or the police. The mean time taken to diagnosis from initial presentation was 7 months in the cases referred to child protection agencies and 23 months in cases not referred. The median age at diagnosis was 2.7 years. The mother was the suspected perpetrator in all cases. Most children (72%) presented with multiple symptoms. Over half (55%) had an underlying chronic illness. The morbidity for the child in the majority of cases was not severe, and in nine (50%) cases it was noted that following diagnosis there was improvement or resolution of symptoms. Ten (56%) of the 18 paediatricians involved with cases reported experiencing considerable stress. CONCLUSIONS: The annual incidence in New Zealand of MSBP in children under 16 years is higher than that reported from other countries. Chronic illness is often associated with this condition. The morbidity for the majority of children was not severe and often improved with diagnosis. Paediatricians reported stress and difficulty in association with caring for children with this syndrome of child abuse. Language: en
Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta: a disease spectrum

Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA), or Mucha-Habermann disease (MHD), is a cutaneous disorder evident with crops of erythematous macules and papules, usually on the trunk and flexural areas of the extremities. Its etiology remains unknown. PLEVA is speculated to be an inflammatory reaction triggered by certain infectious agents, an inflammatory response secondary to T-cell dyscrasia, or an immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity. Histologic examination of a skin biopsy specimen is the standard for the identification of PLEVA, but definitive diagnosis may be difficult. Apart from the febrile ulcerative variant, which may be fatal, PLEVA tends to be self-limited in its course. Treatment is targeted mainly at the symptomatic relief of pruritus.
Sending image information to its Fourier phase and its use toward image recognition

An iterative algorithm has been presented that sends the information of a real and non-negative image to its Fourier phase. The result is a complex image with uniform amplitude in the Fourier domain. Thus in the frequency domain all the information is in the phase and the amplitude is a constant for all frequencies. In the space domain the image, although complex, has the desired property of having an absolute value the same as the original real image. Matched filtering is a common procedure for image recognition with the conjugate of the Fourier transform of the model being the frequency response of the filter. It is shown that using these new complex images instead of the ordinary real images makes the output of the filter very peaked in the case of a match and widely spread in the case of a mis-match. THus the new filter has a highly superior performance over the conventional matched filtering. It is also shown that due to the above properties the new filter performs very well when filter's input is highly corrupted by additive noise.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of Cardioselective Beta Blockers on Ventilation and Gas Exchange in Patients With Heart Disease During Ramp Treadmill Testing

The effects of cardioselective beta blockade on ventilation and gas exchange were investigated in 12 male subjects with coronary artery disease during ramp treadmill testing. Patients were able to maintain much of their functional capacity as measured by oxygen consumption in the beta-blocked condition, and also maintained minute ventilation by increasing respiratory rate despite a decrease in tidal volume.
Threshold for Detection of Naphthalene and Other Behavioral Responses by the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus

Using behavioral criteria developed in previous studies, the threshold concentration at which the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus, detected the petroleum hydrocarbon naphthalene was found to be 10−7 mg/l. Oriented locomotor activity and defensive displaying began at 2 mg/l of naphthalene. No feeding behavior was observed up to and including the maximum naphthalene concentration of 5 mg/l. Below 2 mg/l the blue crab apparently had no active behavioral response to naphthalene exposure other than detection.
Comparison between Lanczos and linked cluster methods for the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice

The Lanczos tridiagonal scheme is applied to investigate the ground-state energy of the 2D anisotropic XXZ Heisenberg Model. Comparisons are made with connected moments and t-expansion methods as well as a recently deveoped plaquette expansion. A number of poles appear in each of the schemes, which has previously been unreported.
Tardive Dyskinesia Associated with Depression in a Bipolar Patient: Possible Role of Melatonin

Several clinical studies have suggested that patients with affective disorder are at high risk for developing tardive dyskinesia (TD). An intriguing aspect of the relationship between TD and affective disorders involves mood dependent alterations in the severity of TD in bipolar patients. In most reported cases, depressive episodes have been reported to be associated with exacerbation of TD, while manic episodes were accompanied by attenuation of TD. Current neurochemical hypotheses of TD do not explain adequately the relationship of TD to depression or mania in bipolar patients. A patient with bipolar illness is presented in whom TD emerged concurrenty with the onset of depression that developed during management of an acute manic episode. It is suggested that decline in melatonin secretion with onset of the depression was associated with the emergence of TD. Thus, the increased incidence and risk of TD in bipolar patients may in part be related to decreased melatonin secretion, while increased melatonin...
CONVERGENCE, STABILITY, AND VARIABILITY OF SHALLOW WATER ACOUSTIC PREDICTIONS USING A SPLIT-STEP FOURIER PARABOLIC EQUATION MODEL

The Shallow Water Acoustic Modeling (SWAM'99) Workshop was organized to examine the ability of various acoustic propagation models to accurately predict sound transmission in a variety of shallow water environments designed with realistic perturbations. In order to quantify this, tests of reciprocity, convergence, and stability must be considered. This paper presents the results of an established parabolic equation model based on the split-step Fourier algorithm. The test cases examined in this paper include a simple isospeed water column over a flat bottom with geoacoustic parameter variations, a randomly sloping bottom with geoacoustic parameter variations, and a canonical shallow water profile perturbed by internal waves over a flat, homogeneous bottom. Source configurations were generally held constant but numerous single frequency and broadband runs were performed. Model testing is emphasized with specific criteria for accurate solutions being specified. Random perturbations are added to one test case to examine the influence of environmental uncertainty on the details of the propagation. The results indicate that point-wise accurate solutions to the acoustic field in shallow water cannot be achieved beyond a few kilometers. This is partly due to the inaccuracies of the split-step Fourier algorithm employed in these shallow water scenarios and the treatment of the bottom interface boundary conditions, but also due to the inherent variability caused by uncertain environmental specification. Thus, more general features of the acoustic field should be emphasized at longer ranges.
Perceived intent motivates people to magnify observed harms.

Existing moral psychology research commonly explains certain phenomena in terms of a motivation to blame. However, this motivation is not measured directly, but rather is inferred from other measures, such as participants’ judgments of an agent’s blameworthiness. The present paper introduces new methods for assessing this theoretically important motivation, using tools drawn from animal-model research. We test these methods in the context of recent “harm-magnification” research, which shows that people often overestimate the damage caused by intentional (versus unintentional) harms. A preliminary experiment exemplifies this work and also rules out an alternative explanation for earlier harm-magnification results. Exp. 1 asks whether intended harm motivates blame or merely demonstrates the actor’s intrinsic blameworthiness. Consistent with a motivational interpretation, participants freely chose blaming, condemning, and punishing over other appealing tasks in an intentional-harm condition, compared with an unintentional-harm condition. Exp. 2 also measures motivation but with converging indicators of persistence (effort, rate, and duration) in blaming. In addition to their methodological contribution, these studies also illuminate people’s motivational responses to intentional harms. Perceived intent emerges as catalyzing a motivated social cognitive process related to social prediction and control.
Uncertainty analysis of delayed neutron fissile material assay using a genetic algorithm

Abstract An uncertainty analysis of non-destructive assay of spent fuel using a delayed neutron method was conducted to explicitly define the accuracy with which plutonium content in an uncharacterized sample can be assessed. Perturbing various parameters allowed for an investigation of the sensitivity of this method to various nuclear data, and it was determined that the relative delayed neutron group abundances had the largest effect on the genetic algorithm. Specifically, for a sample containing 235 U, 238 U, and 239 Pu, irradiations in the thermal spectrum were shown to be more sensitive to 235 U and 239 U data, while irradiations in a fast spectrum were shown to be more sensitive to the 238 U data. The overall uncertainties of the mass estimates were 15%, 5%, and 30% for 235 U, 238 U, and 239 Pu, respectively. Finally, reducing the first delayed neutron group abundances by a factor of three as suggested by recent research reduced the overall uncertainties to 10%, 3%, and 20%.
Spin polarization and magnetic circular dichroism in photoemission from the 2p core level of ferromagnetic Ni.

Spin polarization and magnetic circular dichroism are calculated for angle-resolved photoemission from the 2 $p$ core of ferromagnetic Ni. Spin-polarized spectra are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental results. Final-state many-body effects are calculated within a periodic-small-cluster scheme. Numerical estimates of the degree of hybridization in the final states are reported, and the spin polarization of the spectrum is explained. The calculated magnetic circular dichroism spectrum exhibits significant strength only in the satellite region.
An amino acid-modified and non-HEMA containing glass-ionomer cement

It is known that unreacted 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in current resin modified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs) shows potential cytotoxicity to pulp and surrounding tissues. Elimination of HEMA could make RMGICs more attractive for dental applications. In this research, novel six acrylate and methacrylate derivatives of amino acids were synthesized, characterized and used for replace HEMA in RMGICs. The experimental RMGICs were formulated with vinyl-containing polymer, amino acid derivative, water, and commercial Fuji II LC glass. Among all the derivatives, methacryloyl beta-alanine (MBA) was selected for further formulations due to its relatively low solution viscosity and high CS. Effects of polymer content and powder/liquid, P/L, ratio were significant. The formulation with liquid composition of 50/25/25 (polymer/MBA/water) and P/L ratio of 2.7/1 was found the optimal. It appears that this novel non-HEMA-containing RMGIC system based on amino acid derivatives will be a better dental restorative because it demonstrated improved mechanical strengths and may eliminate potential cytotoxicity in current RMGICs caused by leached HEMA. The optimal MBA-modified GIC were 20% higher in CS, 70% higher in DTS and 93% higher in FS, compared to Fuji II LC.
Natural and induced epizootics of Nomuraea rileyi in soybean caterpillars

Abstract A heavy application of Nomuraea rileyi conidia significantly altered the epizootic pattern normally associated with soybean caterpillars. The initial detection and peak incidence of infected caterpillars from treated plots was advanced at least 14 days compared with untreated plots. The peak therefore occurred prior to and during the stages of soybean growth that were most sensitive to defoliation by caterpillars (R-8, R-9). In untreated plots the peak incidence of infection occurred after the damage had been done. Low populations of susceptible caterpillars (less than 1/row-ft) that are infected with N. rileyi may produce sufficient conidia to regulate incipient pest populations. The half-life of conidia applied to soybean foliage was 2 days, and only 3% of the original conidia activity was present after 9 days.
Integrating multiple long-range transport models into optimization methodologies for acid rain policy analysis

Abstract This paper addresses certain complications inherent in developing efficient acid rain control strategies given that our knowledge of the physics and chemistry of long-range pollutant transport and transformation is imprecise. This imprecision (or uncertainty) translates, in a sense, into risk. We seek here to demonstrate that there are currently available methods to better define this risk and provide a basis for decision-making. More specifically, these methods involve chance-constrained stochastic programming techniques. A distinguishing characteristic of the approach is our use of the output from multiple long-range transport models to develop probabilistic descriptors of transport/transformation phenomena.
The Flex architecture, a high speed graphics processor

The design of a computer graphics pipeline is examined in detail using high speed floating point multiply/add units and cross bar switches as building blocks. Various parallel and pipelined arrangements are explored for simulating the individual stages of the pipe. It is shown that a highly versatile architecture, entitled the FLEX ARCHITECTURE based on four processors and a 16 port switch, can be used efficiently to simulate all stages of the graphics pipeline and, for high performance systems, multiple flex units are considered. Estimates of performance are developed using a particular set of components available from Texas Instruments. Designs with performance in excess of one to two million vectors per second are feasible.
Reflectance and ellipsometric study of anodic passive films formed on nickel in sodium hydroxide solution

Abstract The technique of combined-measurements of reflectance and ellipsometric parameters was used for studying the anodic film formed on nickel in sodium hydroxide solutions. Surface films were formed by electrochemical oxidation at various passivating potentials of a polished, high-purity, polycrystalline nickel speciman. Using an automatic ellipsometer with revolving analyzer it was possible to follow the changes in the reflectance ( R ) and the ellipsometric parameters (Δ, ψ) as the surface films were formed and aged. Three exact simultaneous equations involving the optical signals. Δ, ψ, and R , were solved numerically for the optical properties, n and k , and the thickness. The real part of the refractive index n of the film at the wavelength of 5461 A varied from about 2.0 to about 2.5. The imaginary part of the refractive index k was small (0 ~ 0.5) and close to zero when the film was potentiostatically aged or when the potential was raised gradually. The thickness of the film ranged from about 10 to 20 A within 30 min of anodic polarization. From the optical constants and coulometric data the passivating film was estimated to have a composition close to Ni(OH) 2 partially dehydrated to NiO.
Long-term effects of high-dosage estrogen therapy in men with coronary heart disease.

Abstract Prolonged high-dose administration of estrogens in middle-aged men with coronary heart disease resulted in persistent lowering of total serum cholesterol, C P and β ga ratios. Normal thyroid function was maintained, despite some decrease in the 24-hr 131I uptake in a small group in whom such studies were done. 17-Ketosteroid fractions of exclusively adrenal origin were unchanged, whereas androsterone and etiocholanolone decreased by about 40 per cent. Most of the patients (63.1 per cent) tolerated long-term estrogen therapy but there were significant side-effects, including breast hypertrophy and testicular atrophy accompanied by loss of sex function. Serious side-effects such as water retention and depressive reaction requiring the omission of the drug, occurred in 10 of the 57 patients.
Time and the Observer: the Where and When of Consciousness in the Brain

We compare the way two models of consciousness treat subjective timing. According to the standard “Cartesian Theater” model, there is a place in the brain where “it all comes together,” and the discriminations in all modalities are somehow put into registration and “presented” for subjective judgment. The timing of the events in this theater determines subjective order. According to the alternative “Multiple Drafts” model, discriminations are distributed in both space and time in the brain. These events do have temporal properties, but those properties do not determine subjective order because there is no single, definitive “stream of consciousness,” only a parallel stream of conflicting and continuously revised contents. Four puzzling phenomena that resist explanation by the Cartesian model are analyzed: (1) a gradual apparent motion phenomenon involving abrupt color change (Kolers & von Grunau 1976), (2) an illusion of an evenly spaced series of “hops” produced by two or more widely spaced series of taps delivered to the skin (Geldard & Sherrick's “cutaneous rabbit” [1972]), (3) backwards referral in time, and (4) subjective delay of consciousness of intention (both reported in this journal by LIbet 1985a; 1987; 1989a). The unexamined assumptions that have always made the Cartesian Theater so attractive are exposed and dismantled. The Multiple Drafts model provides a better account of the puzzling phenomena, avoiding the scientific and metaphysical extravagances of the Cartesian Theater: The temporal order of subjective events is a product of the brain's interpretational processes, not a direct reflection of events making up those processes.
The effect of aluminum corrosion on the advanced neutron source reactor fuel design

Abstract The corrosion of fuel plates can have a significant impact on the performance of reactors with aluminum fuel cladding. Increased fuel temperatures result when the oxide imposes an additional thermal resistance between the fuel plate and the coolant, while spallation of the oxide film may reduce cladding integrity. Characterization of oxide growth over the fuel cycle is therefore a necessary element in the design of such reactors. This paper describes the impact of fuel plate oxide formation on the Advanced Neutron Source Reactor (ANSR) core design. An oxide layer continually grows on the fuel plate surface throughout the fuel cycle. Although the cycle is short in duration (14 days), even a thin layer ( m ) of low conductivity aluminum oxide causes a significant increase in fuel temperatures due to high ANSR power densities. The growth rate of the oxide is determined by many factors: impurities in the D2O, coolant and oxide temperatures, heat flux, etc. Since several of these factors vary during the fuel cycle, prediction of oxide thicknesses must be time dependent. This is presently accomplished by using a series of core power density distributions calculated at different times within the fuel cycle in concert with an empirical oxidation model. Two specific thermal limits are imposed on the ANSR core design which are affected by oxide growth. A fuel centerline temperature limit of 400°C is established by fuel swelling behavior, while the oxide temperature drop is limited to 119°C to avoid oxide spallation. This paper discusses these limits and the constraints they impose on the core design. A recently developed oxide growth correlation is used in combination with thermal hydraulic analysis to show that fuel loading design can be tailored to minimize thermal limitations on the ANSR imposed by oxide growth. A power shape is presented which ideally causes a uniform oxide film to form over the entire plate surface, improving operating margins by several percent. In reality, this ideal shape cannot be obtained due to various aspects of the core: control rod movement, the time dependent nature of fuel burnup, the fuel/moderator relationship, etc. The design process is, therefore, iterative between thermal hydraulic and neutronic analyses. Results of additional calculations are presented which describe the performance of these more realistic fuel loadings and compare them to the ideal case.
Syndromic surveillance for infectious disease outbreaks using chief complaint data

Study objectives: Although the ubiquitous threat of biochemical terrorism has spurred newfound interest in disease surveillance, the current set of systems has limited ability to rapidly detect and report an outbreak. By focusing on real-time analysis of patient chief complaint data, this investigation seeks to eliminate the inherent delay in current surveillance systems. The objective is to compare a real-time computerized tracking system to rapid laboratory testing for disease surveillance using influenza as a model. Methods: All patients presenting to the adult and pediatric emergency departments (EDs) of a university teaching hospital with chief complaints of "fever" and "flu-like illness" from October 2004 through December 2004 were included. Using a computerized patient tracking system, patient age, sex, chief complaint, and ZIP code were collected and correlated with the documented outbreak of the 2003 to 2004 influenza season as indicated by the total daily number of positive rapid influenza tests. Determinations of an increase in the number of chief complaints of concern were based on the CUSUM statistic. In addition, these surveillance data were also compared with chief complaint data collected from many EDs within the Nashville area by the Metropolitan Nashville Health Department. Results: It was found that, although chief complaints of flu or fever effectively mirrored flu diagnosis, our surveillance system did not appreciably improve use of rapid influenza testing. The real-time nature of this investigation, however, yielded a novel use for this system in its predictive ability concerning the course of the outbreak and subsequent allowance for improved hospital response time through informed staffing decisions. Conclusion: Although our findings indicate that syndromic surveillance from a single institution may not result in a more effective influenza outbreak detection in a moderate-sized city, they also suggest that real-time analysis of this evolving outbreak would prove valuable in mounting an effective medical response.
Nutrition and the Brain

Severe nutritional deficiencies, such as protein energy malnutrition and deficiency of nicotinamide, vitamin B 12 , folate, and thiamine, have long been recognized to cause severe confusion. Lesser vitamin deficiencies have been linked to the pathogenesis of delirium. Hypo- and hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia can cause cognitive deficits. Epidemiologic and animal studies have linked several other nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, alpha-lipoic acid, and the Mediterranean diet) to cognitive performance and the prevention of dementia.
Codes of Steiner triple and quadruple systems

The code over a finite fieldF q of orderq of a design is the subspace spanned by the incidence vectors of the blocks. It is shown here that if the design is a Steiner triple system on ν points, and if the integerd is such that 2 d −1≤ν<2 d+1−1, then the binary code of the design contains a subcode that can be shortened to the binary Hamming codeH d of length 2 d −1. Similarly the binary code of any Steiner quadruple system on ν+1 points contains a subcode that can be shortened to the Reed-Muller code ℜ(d−2,d) of orderd−2 and length 2 d , whered is as above.
Flutter of Rectangular Plates in Three Dimensional Incompressible Flow With Various Boundary Conditions: Theory and Experiment

The aeroelastic stability of rectangular plates are well-documented in literature for certain sets of boundary conditions. Specifically, wing flutter, panel flutter, and divergence of a plate that is clamped on all sides are well-understood. However, the ongoing push for lighter structures and novel designs have led to a need to understand the aeroelastic behavior of elastic plates for other boundary conditions. One example is NASA’s continuous mold-line link project for reducing the noise generated by commercial transport aircraft during landing; in order to reduce the noise generated by vortex shedding from the trailing edge flap during landing, the project proposes to connect the gap between the trailing edge flap and the rest of the wing with a flexible plate. This paper summarizes the aeroelastic theory, numerical results, and experimental results of a study on the flutter and/or divergence mechanisms of a rectangular plate for different sets of structural boundary conditions. The theory combines a three-dimensional vortex lattice aerodynamic model with a plate structural model to create a high-fidelity frequency domain aeroelastic model. A modular experimental test bed is designed for this study in order to test the different boundary conditions. The test bed is also designed to test different plate thicknesses and sizes with only a small number of modifications. The well-understood boundary conditions are used as test cases to validate the analysis results, and then results of additional configurations that have not been extensively explored are presented. The results of this paper can be used to support the design efforts of projects involving plates or plate-membranes. In addition, the paper adds to the fundamental understanding of plate aeroelasticity and provides a wealth of experimental data for comparison and future validation.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Magnetosphere Sawtooth Oscillations Induced by Ionospheric Outflow

The sawtooth mode of convection of Earth’s magnetosphere is a 2- to 4-hour planetary-scale oscillation powered by the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere (SW-M-I) interaction. Using global simulations of geospace, we have shown that ionospheric O + outflows can generate sawtooth oscillations. As the outflowing ions fill the inner magnetosphere, their pressure distends the nightside magnetic field. When the outflow fluence exceeds a threshold, magnetic field tension cannot confine the accumulating fluid; an O + -rich plasmoid is ejected, and the field dipolarizes. Below the threshold, the magnetosphere undergoes quasi-steady convection. Repetition and the sawtooth period are controlled by the strength of the SW-M-I interaction, which regulates the outflow fluence.
Application of nonhomogenous Markov models for analyzing longitudinal caries risk.

– Objectives: Markov modeling is a useful mathematical procedure for calculating probabilities of disease prognosis. Increasingly, Markov models are being applied in medical and health services research and also in social sciences research. The purpose of our study was to use the Markov process to determine time-dependent transition probabilities for caries-free children to convert to a caries-active state and to assess the impact of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) levels on caries status. Methods: Our analysis was based on data obtained from a 6-year longitudinal study of risk factors associated with caries onset in children. Results: Based on a two-state Markov model, the probability that a caries-free child would convert to a caries-active state during the study ranged between 0.0046 and 0.0471. The highest probability of converting from a caries-free state to a caries-active state was 0.0471 at age 8.5 years. Conclusions: In addition to standard statistical methods of analyzing longitudinal caries data, Markov models show promise for use in the analysis of caries risk.
Graduate and professional student development and student affairs

Student development theories offer frameworks for better understanding and enhancing the experiences of graduate and professional students.
Energetics of nonequilibrium solidification in Al-Sm

Solution-based thermodynamic modeling, aided by first-principles calculations, is employed here to examine phase transformations in the Al-Sm binary system which may give rise to product phases that are metastable or have a composition that deviates substantially from equilibrium. In addition to describing the pure undercooled Al liquid with a two-state model that accounts for structural ordering, thermodynamic descriptions of the fcc phase, and intermediate compounds (${\text{Al}}_{4}\text{Sm-}\ensuremath{\beta}$, ${\text{Al}}_{11}{\text{Sm}}_{3}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}$, ${\text{Al}}_{3}\text{Sm-}\ensuremath{\delta}$, and ${\text{Al}}_{2}\text{Sm-}\ensuremath{\sigma}$) are reanalyzed using special quasirandom structure and first-principles calculations. The possible phase compositions are presented over a range of temperatures using a ``Baker-Cahn'' analysis of the energetics of solidification and compared with reports of rapid solidification. The energetics associated with varying degrees of chemical partitioning are quantified and compared with experimental observations of the metastable ${\text{Al}}_{11}{\text{Sm}}_{3}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ primary phase and reports of amorphous solids.
The Effect of Atmospheric Forcing Resolution on Delivery of Ocean Heat to the Antarctic Floating Ice Shelves

AbstractOceanic melting at the base of the floating Antarctic ice shelves is now thought to be a more significant cause of mass loss for the Antarctic ice sheet than iceberg calving. In this study, a 10-km horizontal-resolution circum-Antarctic ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model [based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)] is used to study the delivery of ocean heat to the base of the ice shelves. The atmospheric forcing comes from the ERA-Interim reanalysis (~80-km resolution) and from simulations using the polar-optimized Weather Research and Forecasting Model (30-km resolution), where the upper atmosphere was relaxed to the ERA-Interim reanalysis. The modeled total basal ice shelf melt is low compared to observational estimates but increases by 14% with the higher-resolution winds and just 3% with both the higher-resolution winds and atmospheric surface temperatures. The higher-resolution winds lead to more heat being delivered to the ice shelf cavities from the adjacent ocean and an increase in the...
Leptin action is modified by an interaction between dietary fat content and ambient temperature

Mice adapted to a high-fat diet are reported to be leptin resistant; however, we previously reported that mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet and housed at 23°C remained sensitive to peripheral leptin and specifically lost body fat. This study tested whether leptin action was impaired by a combination of elevated environmental temperature and a HF diet. Male C57BL/6 mice were adapted to low-fat (LF) or HF diet from 10 days of age and were housed at 27°C from 28 days of age. From 35 days of age, baseline food intake and body weight were recorded for 1 wk and then mice on each diet were infused with 10 μg leptin/day or PBS from an intraperitoneal miniosmotic pump for 13 days. HF-fed mice had a higher energy intake than LF-fed mice and were heavier but not fatter. Serum leptin was lower in PBS-infused HF- than LF-fed mice. Leptin significantly inhibited energy intake of both LF-fed and HF-fed mice, and this was associated with a significant increase in hypothalamic long-form leptin receptors with no change in short-form leptin receptor or brown fat uncoupling protein-1 mRNA expression. Leptin significantly inhibited weight gain in both LF- and HF-fed mice but reduced the percentage of body fat mass only in LF-fed mice. The percentage of lean and fat tissue in HF-fed mice did not change, implying that overall growth had been inhibited. These results suggest that dietary fat modifies the mechanisms responsible for leptin-induced changes in body fat content and that those in HF-fed mice are sensitive to environmental temperature.
Interaction of aromatic aldehydes with isolated rat liver mitochondria.

Abstract It has been suggested that aromatic aldehydes may reduce cytochrome c [Wolf et al. Fedn Proc.39 (3), 1013 (1980)]. Therefore, interaction of the aromatic aldehydes, p-anisaldehyde, benzaldehyde, p-tolualdehyde, p-carboxybenzaldehyde, p-chlorobenzaldehyde and p-nitrobenzaldehyde, with rat liver mitochondria was examined in vitro. Although both pyruvate/malate- and succinate-mediated respiration, as well as that mediated by other citric acid cycle intermediates, were inhibited by the aromatic aldehydes (0.5 to 1.0 mM), cytochrome c oxidase was not inhibited by aromatic aldehydes (1.0 to 20 mM). There was a marked inhibition of suecinic dehydrogenase and both ADP- and DNP-stimulated respiration by benzaldehyde (2 to 20 mM). Since both pyruvate/malate- and succinate-mediated respiration were inhibited by the aromatic aldehydes without inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase, several sites of inhibition, possibly both at the site of transport of substrates and the active enzymes, may exist. Benzaldehyde, 300 μM, inhibited pyruvate/malate-mediated state 3 respiration by 50% which suggests that no additional functional group or metabolism to another species is required for these inhibitory effects.
Framing the Social World With Photo-Elicitation Interviews:

This article discusses the photo-elicitation interview (PEI), a qualitative methodology, by addressing its fundamentals, providing examples of how to use it, and arguing its benefits and potential ...
Regulation of Drosophila melanogaster pro-apoptotic gene hid

Key decisions one makes in a lifetime include whether and how often to reproduce, what role to play in the community and, under certain conditions, whether to live or die. Similar decisions are also made at the level of cells: whether to divide, what fate to assume in the multicellular context of metazoan development and, under certain conditions, whether to live or to die. The pro-apoptotic gene hid plays an important role in the execution of cell death in Drosophila. Here, we review the various levels of control that exist to regulate Hid according to the life-or-death choice of a cell.
Controlling plants with delay

This paper studies a generalized form of the MIMO Smith regulator (GS) and one of its variants--the Gray-Hunt-Horowitz (GHH) regulator. The two schemes are analysed and the limitations imposed on system performance by uncertainty in delay, plant saturation etc. are exhibited. The GHH and GS regulators are compared with reference to a fairly general example. Finally, two theorems establish a global parametrization of all stabilizing controllers for the nonlinear GS and GHH regulators. A complete version of this paper is available from the authors.
Enumeration of non-separable graphs*

Abstract Non-separable graphs are enumerated, and also graphs without end-points. The basic enumeration tool is sums of cycle indices of automorphism groups.
Lift force in bubbly suspensions

Closure relations are presented for the lift coefficient for ordered arrays of 2-D and 3-D bubbles at various bubble volume fractions. These were determined via lattice Boltzmann simulations of bubble rise in periodic boxes, where the bubbles were also subjected to shear. The single-bubble lift coefficient, determined by low-shear computational experiments, varies in a systematic manner with the aspect ratio of the bubbles. At high shear rates the lift coefficient manifested a noticeable shear rate-dependence and it could even become negative. Through a linear stability analysis of the uniformly bubbling state, it is demonstrated that the lift force can destabilize a uniformly rising array of highly distorted bubbles and give way to columnar structures.
Using mobile phone programming to teach Java and advanced programming to computer scientists

In this work an approach employing the Android mobile phone platform in an upper division computer science course to teach Java programming and other advanced computer science topics is presented. Mobile phones are growing influences in the computing market, but their strengths and popularity are rarely exploited in computer science classrooms. The aim of the course is to harness this enthusiasm to improve fluency in the Java language to afford an opportunity to learn how to work on large, complex projects and to enhance the students' preparedness for the job market. The ideas presented in this work could be adapted for improving learning in many courses across the computing curriculum.
The effect of nitrogen plasma anneals on interface trap density and channel mobility for 4H―SiC MOS devices

Abstract We report results on the introduction of nitrogen at the SiC/SiO2 interface using a plasma process, thus avoiding the detrimental effects of additional oxidation that accompany other standard nitridation processes, such as annealing in NO gas. The plasma process results in an ‘NO-like’ mobility for approximately 1/6 the interfacial nitrogen content injected via the gas anneal. Direct exposure of the oxide to the plasma is also shown to have a deleterious effect on the breakdown characteristics of the oxide.
Incentive travel: an attractive option

Abstract Travel incentives are currently enjoying widespread application in the organizational milieu. Unlike other incentives, travel incentives have ‘trophy value’ which implies that they provide long-lasting positive reinforcement, an element that adds to their motivational value. The literature supports the value of incentive travel as a motivational technique; however a paucity of empirically based research which examines the attractiveness and effectiveness of travel incentives suggests the need for further study. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the comparable attractiveness of the most popular incentives and to determine the influence of social pressure on incentive attractiveness. The motivational effect of contests was also examined. The results indicated that the two ‘travel-type’ rewards received the highest attractiveness ratings and that the influence of social pressure on reward attractiveness was significant. Furthermore, respondents reported that contests improve their motivation and performance levels.
Electron bunching on a high-current LINAC

Abstract A computer model is used to investigate the dependence of beam acceptance, phase spread, and energy spread on the available control parameters of an 80 MeV, high-current LINAC. Some experimental results are given in reasonable agreement with the predicted behavior.
Suture versus staples for skin closure after cesarean: a metaanalysis.

Objective We sought to perform a metaanalysis to synthesize randomized clinical trials of cesarean skin closure by subcuticular absorbable suture vs metal staples for the outcomes of wound complications, pain perception, patient satisfaction, cosmesis, and operating time. Study Design A systematic search was performed using MEDLINE, Cochrane Databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov registries. We included randomized trials comparing absorbable suture vs metal staples for cesarean skin closure. Data were abstracted regarding wound complications, patient pain perception, patient satisfaction, cosmesis as assessed by the physician and patient, and operating time. Results Twelve randomized trials with data for the primary outcome on 3112 women were identified. Women whose incisions were closed with suture were significantly less likely to have wound complications than those closed with staples (risk ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28–0.87). This difference remained significant even when wound complications were stratified by obesity. The decrease in wound complications was largely due to the lower incidence of wound separations in those closed with suture (risk ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.20–0.43), as there were no significant differences in infection, hematoma, seroma, or readmission. There were also no significant differences in pain perception, patient satisfaction, and cosmetic assessments between the groups. Operating time was approximately 7 minutes longer in those closed with suture (95% CI, 3.10–11.31). Conclusion For patients undergoing cesarean, closure of the transverse skin incision with suture significantly decreases wound morbidity, specifically wound separation, without significant differences in pain, patient satisfaction, or cosmesis. Suture placement does take 7 minutes longer than staples.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic Purpura: Understanding a Disease No Longer Rare

Serial studies of plasma samples from patients during episodes of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) have often shown either the presence of unusually large (UL) von Willebrand factor (vWf) multimers or, alternatively, absence of the largest plasma vWf forms. The presence of ULvWf multimers in TTP patient plasma may reflect impaired processing of the ULvWf forms released from endothelial cells. The disappearance of ULvWf and large vWf multimers in some TTP patient plasma samples during acute TTP episodes may be predominantly because these ULvWf forms, along with the largest vWf multimers, bind to platelets and cause aggregation. Serial flow cytometry studies of EDTA-whole blood samples from patients with initial episode, intermittent, and chronic relapsing types of TTP confirm that vWf is the likely aggregating agent, perhaps in association with fluid shear stress. The amount of vWf bound to single platelets has been found to be significantly increased during TTP relapses relative to remission periods in patients with all types of TTP. A substance in normal platelet-poor plasma and the cryoprecipitate-depleted fraction of normal plasma (cryosupernatant) is capable in vitro of reversibly reducing the size of ULvWf multimeric forms released by endothelial cells into the somewhat smaller vWf multimers ordinarily in circulation. This activity has characteristics of a limited disulfide bond reductase. The process of ULvWf breakdown may be made irreversible by the tandem proteolysis, catalyzed by a vWf metalloproteinase, of partially reduced vWf multimers. Several patients with chronic relapsing TTP have decreased or absent plasma vWf metalloproteinase activity, apparently on a congenital basis. Adult initial episode and intermittent TTP patients have been found to have vWf metalloproteinase activity inhibited by an autoantibody during, but not after, TTP epidsodes.
Prospective Evaluation of Quality-of-Life Improvement After Correction of the Alar Base in the Flaccidly Paralyzed Face

ImportanceNasal valve collapse caused by facial palsy is an often overlooked but disturbing sequela of flaccid facial paralysis. ObjectiveTo prospectively study the effect of fascia lata sling plac...