cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vibrational Spectroscopic Observation of Weakly Bound Adsorbed Molecular Oxygen on Powdered Titanium Dioxide

The adsorption of O2 from air is an essential step in the use of TiO2 as a photo-oxidation catalyst. This work explores the properties of a weakly bound O2 species which is probably the precursor to “active” O2 needed for the photo-oxidation of molecules by TiO2. Adsorbed molecular oxygen was observed via FTIR for the first time on nanosized TiO2 particles. The observed O−O stretching mode frequency at 1550 cm−1 is identical to the Raman displacement of O2 gas, showing that the interaction between the IR active O2 molecules and TiO2 is relatively weak. It is noteworthy that weak adsorption of O2 on TiO2 is accompanied by the development of a weak IR absorption band due to the production of a small dipole in the molecule. In addition, the constant νO2 observed for increasing coverage indicates that the O2 molecules exhibit only small interactions with each other in the adsorbed layer. The adsorption enthalpy of O2 on TiO2 is measured to be between −16 to −21 kJ mol−1. The O2− species formed by O2 adsorbing...
The effect of temperature on heart rate of the freshwater mussel, Ligumia subrostrata

Abstract 1. 1. Heart rate was recorded for Ligumia subrostrata using a photocell technique. 2. 2. The heart rate was highest when the animals were active and siphoning water and were lowest when the valves were closed. 3. 3. The heart rate was an exponential function of temperature when the bathing medium temperature was abruptly changed from the 20–22°C acclimation temperature. The heart rate reached a maximum at 32°C.
Validation of the proposed World Health Organization staging system for HIV disease and infection in a cohort of intravenous drug users.

In Maryland researchers aimed to determine whether clinical staging using the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed system would predict progression from HIV seropositivity to AIDS. They used product-limit estimates with right censoring to compare time of progression to AIDS among 694 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in Baltimore who were HIV-positive by January 1992 from each of the WHO proposed systems 1st 3 clinical stages. The researchers used Cox proportional hazard methods to examine the effect of race sex age and baseline injection status on the risk of progression by clinical stage. Most of the participants were Black (95%) poor (legal income of <$5000/year 78%) and male (75.8%). Many (35%) were homeless. At the time of the index visit the proportion of IVDUs at WHO stages 1 2 and 3 were 49% 10% and 41% respectively. At the end of the study period 67 (9.7%) of all IVDUs had progressed to AIDS. The product-limit estimates for progression to AIDS over a 3-year period indicate that the risk of progression to AIDS increases as the stages advance (6.5% for stage 1 10.4% for stage 2 and 17.1% for stage 3; logrank p = .003). Age race sex and baseline injection status did not affect the association between initial clinical stage and progression. The hazard for progression to AIDS relative to stage 1 was 1.51 for stage 2 and 2.39 for stage 3. These findings suggest that WHOS proposed staging system for HIV infection and AIDS may predict progression from HIV seropositivity to AIDS using clinical criteria alone. This system would be most useful in areas with limited routine access to laboratory markers (e.g. CD4 counts) such as in many developing countries.
Spin-Gap Proximity Effect Mechanism of High Temperature Superconductivity

When holes are doped into an antiferromagnetic insulator they form a slowly fluctuating array of {open_quotes}topological defects{close_quotes} (metallic stripes) in which the motion of the holes exhibits a self-organized quasi-one-dimensional electronic character. The accompanying lateral confinement of the intervening Mott-insulating regions induces a spin gap or pseudogap in the environment of the stripes. We present a theory of underdoped high-temperature superconductors and show that there is a {ital local} separation of spin and charge and that the mobile holes on an individual stripe acquire a spin gap via pair hopping between the stripe and its environment, i.e., via a magnetic analog of the usual superconducting proximity effect. In this way a high pairing scale without a large mass renormalization is established despite the strong Coulomb repulsion between the holes. Thus the {ital mechanism} of pairing is the generation of a spin gap in spatially confined {ital Mott-insulating} regions of the material in the proximity of the metallic stripes. At nonvanishing stripe densities, Josephson coupling between stripes produces a dimensional crossover to a state with long-range superconducting phase coherence. This picture is established by obtaining exact and well-controlled approximate solutions of a model of a one-dimensional electron gas in an activemore » environment. An extended discussion of the experimental evidence supporting the relevance of these results to the cuprate superconductors is given. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Update of directory of drug information centers.

Since our publication of the most recent directory of pharmacist-operated drug information centers (DICs),[1][1] we have been notified of the existence of three additional DICs and have received updated information for one center previously listed in the directory. Contact information and hours of
Polishing micro-optic components for use in photonic systems

A fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and variables involved in mechanical and chemical material removal can reduce the trail and error involved in designing a polishing schedule. This paper summarizes some key results from the literature on the relationship between damage mechanisms, removal rates, materials properties and polishing machine variables. A case history on development of a schedule for fiber polishing illustrates some practical examples of the challenges encountered, and also discusses the effects of different abrasive materials.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of Multiple-Indicators, Multiple-Causes--and Item Response Theory-Based Analyses of Subgroup Differences.

This research provides a direct comparison of effect size estimates based on structural equation modeling (SEM), item response theory (IRT), and raw scores. Differences between the SEM, IRT, and raw score approaches are examined under a variety of data conditions (IRT models underlying the data, test lengths, magnitude of group differences, and relative size of reference and focal groups). Results show that all studied methods perform similarly. All methods tend to underestimate effects as effect sizes become larger. SEM-based approaches to effect size estimation perform somewhat better at shorter test lengths, whereas approaches based on IRT and raw score perform somewhat better at longer test lengths. Although these differences between methods are detectable, they are small in magnitude.
Polymer evolution of a sulfonated polysulfone membrane as a function of ion beam irradiation fluence

Abstract Ion beam irradiation was used to modify the surface of a sulfonated polysulfone water treatment membrane. A beam of 25 keV H + ions with three irradiation fluences (1 × 10 13 ions/cm 2 , 5 × 10 13 ions/cm 2 , and 1 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 ) was used for membrane irradiation. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analyses were performed on the virgin and irradiated membranes in order to determine the changes to chemical structure incurred by ion beam irradiation. The results show that some of the sulphonic and C H bonds were broken and new C S bonds were formed after irradiation. Atomic force microscope (AFM) analyses show that membrane roughness decreased after irradiation. A significant increase in flux after ion beam irradiation was also observed, while the amount of cake accumulation on the membrane was decreased after ion beam irradiation. Hydrophobicity, pore size distribution and selectivity of the membrane were not affected by ion beam irradiation.
Chloride Interactions with the Passive Films on Stainless Steel

The uptake of chloride (Cl - ) by the passive oxide film on 316L austenitic stainless steel polarized at potentials below (less positive than) the pitting potential in 0.6 M NaCl solutions was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and compared to our previous work on aluminum. The XPS spectra for the stainless steel showed that chloride was not adsorbed or present in the passive oxide film. This is quite different from the case of aluminum, where XPS data for the presence of chloride on the surface and incorporated into the oxide film are unambiguous. These differences in the adsorption and incorporation of chloride for these two metals will be discussed in the context of the mechanisms of passive film breakdown.
336 UTILIZATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY OF COMPLEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH THYROID DISEASE: PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST A ROLE FOR ANTIBODY

336 UTILIZATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY OF COMPLEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH THYROID DISEASE: PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST A ROLE FOR ANTIBODY
Rate of utilization and determinants of withdrawal of care in acute ischemic stroke treated with thrombolytics in USA.

Background Our current practices for utilization of thrombolytics are based on results of clinical trials with no or restricted use of "withdrawal of care" among treated patients. The increasing use of "withdrawal of care" in routine practice may lead to suboptimal outcomes among acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods We determined the frequency of "withdrawal of care" and determined demographic and clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes among thrombolytic-treated ischemic stroke patients stratified by use of "withdrawal of care" using National Inpatient Sample data files from 2002 to 2010. Results "Withdrawal of care" during hospitalization was instituted in 4287 (3.3%) of the 130,437 acute ischemic stroke patients treated with thrombolytics. In the stepwise logistic regression analysis, women [odds ratio (OR) 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI), (1.0-1.5)], presence of atrial fibrillation [OR 1.2, 95% CI, (1.0-1.5)], hemiplegia/hemiparesis [OR 1.4, 95% CI, (1.1-1.7)], aphasia [OR 1.2, 95% CI, (1.0-1.5)], and postthrombolytic intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 1.5, 95% CI, 1.1-1.8) were significant predictors of "withdrawal of care" among thrombolytic-treated ischemic stroke patient. Hospitals located in the west region [OR 1.7, 95% CI, (1.2-2.4)], and teaching hospitals [OR 1.4, 95% CI, (1.0-1.8)] were more likely to use withdrawal of care. In-hospital mortality (61% vs. 9.0%, P≤0.0001) were higher among those with "withdrawal of care." Conclusions Several individual-related and institution-related factors were associated with the use of "withdrawal of care" among thrombolytic-treated ischemic stroke patients. The excessively high mortality and resource utilization mandates a more evidence based policy for "withdrawal of care" in these patients.
Sampling distributions of the Brier score and Brier skill score under serial dependence

Relatively little attention has been given to the effects of serial correlation of forecasts and observations on the sampling properties of forecast verification statistics. An assumption of serial independence for low-quality forecasts may be reasonable. However, forecasts of sufficient quality for autocorrelated events must themselves be autocorrelated: as quality approaches the limit of perfect forecasts, the forecasts become increasingly similar to the corresponding observations. The effects of forecast serial correlation on the sampling properties of the Brier Score (BS) and Brier Skill Score (BSS), for probability forecasts of dichotomous events, are examined here. As in other settings, the effect of serial correlation is to inflate the variances of the sampling distributions of the two statistics, so that uncorrected confidence intervals are too narrow, and uncorrected hypothesis tests yield p-values that are too small. Expressions are given for ‘effective sample size’ corrections for the sampling variances of both BS and BSS, in which it can be seen that the effects of serial correlation on the sampling variances increase with increasing forecast accuracy, and with decreasing climatological event probability. The sampling variance of BSS is more robust to serial correlation than that of BS. Hypothesis tests based on BSS are seen to be more powerful (i.e. more sensitive) than those based on BS, and substantially so for lower-accuracy forecasts of lower-probability events, for both serially correlated and temporally independent forecasts. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Antinonrobustness: A case study in the sociology of science

A quarter-century ago, during a period when belief in the robustness of classical tests on means was practically a professional shibboleth, a series of large, carefully controlled, and well-validated experiments and sampling studies (supplemented and supported by extensive mathematical derivations) dramatically showed that highly publicized claims of robustness were insufficiently qualified and that extreme nonrobustness could occur under perfectly reasonable experimental and testing conditions. When these findings were published in technical reports, they tended either to be ignored or to be so misrepresented and distorted by those who cited them as to make them appear to support, rather than question, the very claims of robustness they tended to refute. Attempts to publish these iconoclastic results in many of the most renowned professional journals were met with rejection based upon reviewer comments so illogical or fatuous as to be interpreted only as an indication of either contrived obstructionism or pathetic professional incompetence. Eventual acceptance by a few refereed journals could, in every case, be interpreted as a political-type fluke.
NMR spectra and π-electron densities of some imidazo(1,2-a) pyridines

Abstract As part of an extensive investigation of ten-π-electron nitrogen heterocylic compounds, imidazo(1,2-a)pyridine and several of its mono- and dialkylated derivatives were prepared. The NMR spectra of these compounds were analyzed and a qualitative correlation between the proton chemical shifts and the π-electron densities of the carbon atoms bearing these protons is discussed.
Fluorescent ion-selective optode membranes incorporated onto a centrifugal microfluidics platform

The development of an integrated analysis system for small ions based on ion-selective optodes and centrifugal microfluidics is reported. The performance of this system was evaluated through five-point calibration plots for two types of optode membranes, one being cation-selective and the other anion-selective, which were incorporated into a microfluidics platform on which fluid motion is induced via angular rotation. Additionally, the application of the microfluidic platform to ion analysis is studied via a two-point calibration protocol used to quantify an unknown sample. Calibrant solutions are delivered from reservoirs fabricated onto the platform to a measuring area that contains the optode membrane, with a change in membrane fluorescence being monitored. This work demonstrates the first instance of a microfluidic-based analysis system with detection based on ion-selective optode membranes monitored with fluorescence transduction. Furthermore, in addition to employing a standard excitation source where a fiber-optic probe is coupled to a tungsten-halogen lamp, laser diodes such as those employed in portable CD/DVD players were studied as excitation sources to enhance the observed fluorescence signals.
Physical activity, brain, and cognition

In this brief review we summarize the promising effects of physical activity and fitness on brain and cognition in children and older adults. Research in children finds that higher fit and more active preadolescent children show greater hippocampal and basal ganglia volume, greater white matter integrity, elevated and more efficient patterns of brain activity, and superior cognitive performance and scholastic achievement. Higher fit and more physically active older adults show greater hippocampal, prefrontal cortex, and basal ganglia volume, greater functional brain connectivity, greater white matter integrity, more efficient brain activity, and superior executive and memory function. Despite these promising results, more randomized trials are needed to understand heterogeneity in response to physical activity, mechanisms, and translation to public policy.
Cognition in Context: Students’ Perceptions of Classroom Goal Structures and Reported Cognitive Strategy Use in the College Classroom

This study examined contextual and personal factors related to the use of cognitive strategies by undergraduates. Specifically, students’ goal orientations (intrinsic or extrinsic) and perceptions of the classroom environment (i.e., task or performance structured) were evaluated as predictors of student use of deep or surface level cognitive strategies. Results confirmed earlier work, which indicated intrinsic goal orientation was related to use of deep cognitive strategies and extrinsic goal orientation was related to use of rehearsal. There was no interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientations on use of either cognitive strategy. In addition, students’ perceptions of classroom environment were significantly correlated with students’ goal orientations. In particular, task structure of classrooms was significantly positively correlated with use of both types of cognitive strategies. Thus, student goal orientation, perception of classroom structure, and use of cognitive strategies appear interdependent, with intrinsic goal orientation moderating the effect of perceived classroom structure on the use of deep cognitive strategies. Results of this study suggest the need for university instructors to be more aware of the roles of both personal and contextual factors affecting student motivation and learning.
Interaction between mitochondria and oxidative stress in neuronal injury

Mitochondria may be both the source and the target of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative disease. In models of excitotoxicity, neuronal injury is triggered by the influx of calcium into neurons and then into mitochondria. Our studies suggest that an important consequence of this calcium movement is the generation of ROS by mitochondria. Studies with isolated mitochondria suggest that calcium may enhance ROS generation by mitochondria, especially when complex I is impaired. However, these studies are complicated by a lack of specificity of detection methods like Amplex Red. One feature of mitochondria is their movement within neurons. We used fluorescent proteins targeted to mitochondria to follow trafficking in neurons. Neurotoxins like glutamate, zinc and peroxide, which feature oxidative stress in their mechanism of action, affect mitochondrial movement, morphology or both. We speculate that restricting the delivery of mitochondria to their targets within neurons could impair neuronal viability.
Efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet in Chinese children

Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet (KD) treatment of refractory childhood epilepsy in China and determine which children are more likely to respond. Methods Between 2004 and 2011, we prospectively enrolled 317 children with refractory epilepsy for the KD treatment in Shenzhen Children's Hospital and followed up for at least a year. Outcome was measured by seizure frequencies before and after the diet, change in anticonvulsant use and adverse effects. We also evaluated influences of different variables (starting age, duration of epilepsy and underlying conditions) on the outcome. Results Intent-to-treat analysis showed that after 3, 6 and 12 months, 62.8%, 42.0% and 24.3% remained on the diet, 35.0%, 26.2% and 18.6% showed >50% seizure reduction, including 20.8%, 13.6% and 10.7% seizure free, respectively. Starting age may influence efficacy. The ≥10 age group showed worse response than the p =0.039) at 3 month only. Other variables such as duration of epilepsy at the start of the diet, seizure types and aetiologies showed no significant influence on efficacy. Frequently reported complications included GI disturbance, food refusal and hypoproteinaemia. Conclusions The KD is a safe and efficacious therapy for intractable childhood epilepsy in Chinese children. The influence of age on efficacy is worth further investigation.
Salt loading abolishes osmotically stimulated vasopressin release within the supraoptic nucleus

Central and systemic osmotic stimulation increase vasopressin (VP) release within the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and into the general circulation. We examined whether changes in water/electrolyte balance affect the neurosecretory responses to these stimuli. Urethane-anesthetized control, salt-loaded (2% NaCl for 2 days) or water-deprived (for 2 days) male rats were implanted with an arterial catheter and bilateral microdialysis probes into the SON. Plasma and SON VP levels were measured before and after acute osmotic stimuli were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) and then directly into the SON. Water deprivation resulted in elevated basal intranuclear and plasma VP levels. Intraperitoneal hypertonic saline (HS) and direct osmotic stimulation of the SON increased VP release into the SON in both the control and water-deprived groups. Salt loading abolished the intranuclear VP response to both stimuli. Osmotically induced release of VP into plasma was not different between the three groups. These data demonstrate that salt loading, but not water deprivation, alters the central neurosecretory VP response to acute osmotic stimulation.
The chaining approach for software test data generation

Software testing is very labor intensive and expensive and accounts for a significant portion of software system development cost. If the testing process could be automated, the cost of developing software could be significantly reduced. Test data generation in program testing is the process of identifying a set of test data that satisfies a selected testing criterion, such as statement coverage and branch coverage. In this article we present a chaining approach for automated software test data generation which builds on the current theory of execution-oriented test data generation. In the chaining approach, test data are derived based on the actual execution of the program under test. For many programs, the execution of the selected statement may require prior execution of some other statements. The existing methods of test data generation may not efficiently generate test data for these types of programs because they only use control flow information of a program during the search process. The chaining approach uses data dependence analysis to guide the search process, i.e., data dependence analysis automatically identifies statements that affect the execution of the selected statement. The chaining approach uses these statements to form a sequence of statements that is to be executed prior to the execution of the selected statement. The experiments have shown that the chaining approach may significantly improve the chances of finding test data as compared to the existing methods of automated test data generation.
Diphotons in a nonlinear Fabry-Pérot resonator: Bound states of interacting photons in an optical "quantum wire"

We propose a high-[ital Q] Fabry-Perot resonator with cylindrical mirrors, operating near fundamental mode and filled with an alkali vapor, as the photonic analog to the electronic quantum wire. The internal photons constitute a 1D Bose gas with pairwise interactions. We solve for the two-photon bound state which determines a resonance for the two-photon transmission function. Emphasis is placed on the experimental feasibility of observing these quasiparticles.
Stability reliability of the behavior rating profile

Abstract The test-retest stability of the Behavior Rating Profile was examined for students in Grades 1–12 for the three norm-referenced scales. The results for the Teacher Rating scale were found to be sufficiently reliable across all grade levels for screening and eligibility decisions. The results for the Parent Rating scale were sufficiently reliable for screening for Grades 3–12 and for eligibility decisions for Grades 3–6 and also for Grades 11 and 12. The Student scale was the least reliable scale, only 9 of the 18 correlations being high enough for screening purposes and 4 of 18 correlations being high enough for use in eligibility decisions.
Ultra-Thin Unidirectional Carpet Cloak and Wavefront Reconstruction With Graded Metasurfaces

Using a suitably designed, ultra-thin graded metasurface, we demonstrate the possibility of hiding an arbitrarily shaped/sized object from an impinging plane wave. The metasurface is tailored to provide an abrupt, inhomogeneous discontinuity to the electromagnetic field that compensates for the unwanted scattering created by the object. The desired field distribution is generated based on the equivalence principle through reconstruction of the electric/magnetic fields at the metasurface location, resembling a flat conducting surface for an external observer. We apply this concept to hide electrically large, cylindrical (two-dimensional, 2-D) and spherical (3-D) domes at optical frequencies and discuss practical cloaking designs for microwave and terahertz regimes. The presented graded metasurface-based cloaks may find interesting applications as low-profile, tunable covers for low observability and noise reduction in wireless commutation systems.
Effects of intrajugular hypertonic saline, vaginal distension and vulvar massage on activity of supraoptic neuroendocrine cells.

Abstract Activity of 40 single antidromically identified supraoptic neurons was recorded and evaluated in response to a combination of tactile, vulvar massage, vaginal distension, and slow intrajugular 1.2 M sodium chloride infusion in unanesthetized, randomly hydrated ewes. Estradiol-implanted Southdown ewes were prepared according to techniques described by Jennings et al. 5 . Only 4 spontaneous firing patterns were observed in the supraoptic nuclei. Analysis of evoked activity indicated that each stimulus evoked alterations in mean firing rates or increased numbers of short interspike intervals in some cells. The resultant activity of units to sequential vulvar massage and 1.2 M sodium chloride infusion suggests a possibility of separate mechanisms of release of oxytocin and vasopressin.
American Delsartism: Precursor of an American Dance Art [1]

The focus of this article is not on the Delsarte System as taught in France, but rather on the American Delsarte System which derived from Delsarte's work and also included techniques from other sources and independent discoveries. American Delsartism helped create an intellectual climate favourable to the emergence of a new dance art in America. The paper describes the transformation of the Delsarte System, the influences of his students, especially Steele Mackaye, the emergence of the ‘harmonic gymnastics’ and the popularization of this form of gymnastics by Genevieve Stebbins, a student of Mackaye. Stebbins furthered the Delsarte System in America through extensive work as a teacher, writer and performer. Most of her teaching was done in fashionable seminaries and academies for young ladies. In addition, she taught the Delsarte System and yoga breathing exercises to adult groups. The third phase of Delsartism was represented by Henrietta Russell. Its basic ideal was to treat life as art. The paper show...
The phylogenetic distribution of sphingomyelinase D activity in venoms of Haplogyne spiders

Abstract The venoms of Loxosceles spiders cause severe dermonecrotic lesions in human tissues. The venom component sphingomyelinase D (SMD) is a contributor to lesion formation and is unknown elsewhere in the animal kingdom. This study reports comparative analyses of SMD activity and venom composition of select Loxosceles species and representatives of closely related Haplogyne genera. The goal was to identify the phylogenetic group of spiders with SMD and infer the timing of evolutionary origin of this toxin. We also preliminarily characterized variation in molecular masses of venom components in the size range of SMD. SMD activity was detected in all (10) Loxosceles species sampled and two species representing their sister taxon, Sicarius, but not in any other venoms or tissues surveyed. Mass spectrometry analyses indicated that all Loxosceles and Sicarius species surveyed had multiple (at least four to six) molecules in the size range corresponding to known SMD proteins (31–35 kDa), whereas other Haplogynes analyzed had no molecules in this mass range in their venom. This suggests SMD originated in the ancestors of the Loxosceles/Sicarius lineage. These groups of proteins varied in molecular mass across species with North American Loxosceles having 31–32 kDa, African Loxosceles having 32–33.5 kDa and Sicarius having 32–33 kDa molecules.
The age incidence of female breast cancer— simple models and analysis of epidemiological patterns

Abstract We show that a three-stage stochastic model of carcinogenesis with a discretized transition probability from the intermediate (hyperplastic) stage to the final (clinically malignant) stage leads to an equation which can be fitted to a wide variety of age-incidence curves for female breast cancer. This includes the inflected (so-called biphasic) incidences observed in many Western countries, as well as the peaked profiles observed in the Orient. Unlike previous mathematical theories which attribute biphasic incidence to a superposition of profiles for two etiologically distinct diseases, the theory presented here hypothesizes its biologic basis as change in ovarian functions accompanying menopause. This leads to an equation which fits the data equally well, though with fewer adjustable parameters. The extent to which the theory simulates the effect of various risk factors, including age at menarche, menopause and first birth, is briefly discussed.
The effect of news teasers in processing TV news

This study examined the effect of news teasers on viewer processing of TV news. Results showed that the presence of a news teaser enhanced viewer recall and comprehension of the news story teased. In addition, the effectiveness of different types of news teasers was explored: the presence of a program reference in a news teaser was found to be more effective in facilitating viewer comprehension of the news story, while presentation format of the news teaser did not make a difference.
The Relations Between Entropy and Energy of Black-Body Radiation

The entropy content of electromagnetic ("black-body") radiation at equilibrium in an enclosure is represented, on a per unit volume basis, by s = [4/3]aT3 and the internal energy content by u = aT4 , so s = [4/3]u/T. The entropy transfer rate Sτ associated with emission from the radiation is related to the internal energy trans-fer rate Q by Sτ = Q/T. In both cases, content and flux, the entropy is proportional to energy divided by temperature. But, in one case the proportionality factor is [4/3] and in the other it is unity. The question has been raised, "Why, this difference?" The following develop-ment explains the source of the difference.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Lysosome repair enables host cell survival and bacterial persistence following Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Summary Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that replicate within the confines of a membrane-bound vacuole termed the inclusion. The final event in the infectious process is the disruption of the inclusion membrane and release of a multitude of infectious elementary bodies, each capable of eliciting a new infection. Strains of the trachoma biovar of Chlamydia trachomatis are released from the host cell without concomitant host cell death. In this study, analysis of events associated with chlamydial egress revealed that the integrity of the host cell plasma membrane was compromised prior to the inclusion membrane. This disruption was accompanied by the appearance of LAMP-1 at the infected cell surface, implicating lysosome repair of plasma membrane lesions in response to infection. Analysis of the effects of calcium chelators and actin stabilizing agents, indicated calcium-induced actin depolymerization as a requisite to lysosome-plasma membrane fusion and host cell survival. A consequence of this lysosome-mediated repair process, was the retention of residual bacteria within the surviving host cell, providing a unique mechanism for intracellular persistence of C. trachomatis.
Surgical outcomes for suture-less surgery in 366 impacted third molar patients.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify surgical outcomes in third molar surgery when no sutures are used for primary closure. Patients and Methods A total of 1,280 third molars were removed from 366 patients in an outpatient setting using intravenous sedation and local anesthesia. A small V-shaped flap was raised in all cases and no sutures were placed over a 2-year period (2001 to 2003). All people were contacted by a registered nurse within 24 hr. All records were reviewed by a medical investigator and IRB approval was obtained. Results The mean age was 22.14 years, males 39%, females 61%, white 75%, African American 22%, and Asian 3%. Ninety-three people of 366 experienced at least 1 complaint. Alveolar osteitis was 2.81% for the total teeth extracted and 10.7% for the mandibular Class IV impactions. A total of 652 mandibular third molars were removed (Class III, n = 113; Class IV, n = 522). Forty-eight of 366 patients (13.1%) had postoperative diagnosis of alveolar osteitis. Conclusions Small flap third molar surgery without sutures is less invasive and saves time. Delayed healing in oral surgery is not new. The outcome of 1,280 extractions demonstrates good results.
An all-optical picosecond switch in polydiacetylene

A polydiacetylene derivative of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (PDAMNA) showed a picosecond switching property. This phenomenon was demonstrated by waveguiding a cw He–Ne laser collinearly with a mode-locked picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm through a hollow fiber coated on the inside with a thin film of PDAMNA. The Z-scan investigations of PDAMNA thin films revealed that the PDAMNA system is a three-level system and the switching is caused by excited state absorption of the He–Ne beam.
Triple inhalers for obstructive airways disease: will they be useful?

Long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) and corticosteroid combination inhalers are now very widely used as a twice-daily therapy for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The onc...
Adsorption of ethene, propene and 3,3,3-trifluoropropene on oxygen modified Mo(100) surfaces studied by UPS

Abstract Adsorption of ethene, propene and 3,3,3-trifluoropropene on Mo(100) surfaces modified by 0.9–1.1 ML of oxygen was studied by UPS. Ethene and propene molecularly adsorb to oxygen modified Mo(100). The binding energy shift in the π-orbital of both molecules is consistent with bonding by π-electron donation to surface Lewis acid sites. Molecular adsorption of CF 3 CHCH 2 produces a π-orbital shift to lower binding energy. This observation along with the calculated electronic structure of CF 3 CHCH 2 is interpreted as evidence for a surface chemical bond dominated by backdonation of electrons from the surface to unoccupied π ∗ -orbitals on the adsorbate.
Neutrino self-energy in an external magnetic field

Using the exact propagators in a constant magnetic field, the neutrino self-energy has been calculated to all orders in the field strength B within the minimal extension of the Weinberg-Salam model with massive Dirac neutrinos. A simple and very accurate formula for the self-energy is obtained, that is valid for 0{<=}B<<m{sub W}{sup 2}/e and for neutrino transverse momentum to the magnetic field p{sub perpendicular}<<m{sub W}. I discuss the implications of this finding to the dispersion of massless neutrinos in vacuum and in a charge-symmetric medium, and to the magnetic field induced resonance transitions of massive neutrinos inside supernovae and magnetars, and calculate the neutrino magnetic moment.
1338 HYPERACTIVE PMN CHEMOTAXIS (CX) AND RANDOM MIGRATION (RM) IN STRESSED NEONATES WITH SEPSIS

Normal newborn (NB) infants have defective PMN CX. PMN CX in sick NB infants has not been well studied. We determined the chemotactic index (CI) and RM in 10 stressed NB infants with “clinical sepsis” including 3 with bacterial pathogens isolated and compared them with 10 term normal NB. 8 of 10 patients had asphyxia with meconium aspiration; one congenital heart disease and 2 necrotizing enterocolitis. The patients had a mean age of 3 days, birth weight, 2817 gm and gestation, 38 weeks and all were receiving antibiotics. CI and RM were determined by a semimicro modification of Boyden's technique. PMNs placed in the upper compartment of the chamber were tested simultaneously in turn against 1) endotoxin activated serum (EAS), 2) E. coli derived chemotactic factors (ECF), 3) Hank's Solution alone, placed in the lower compartment. The ratio of migrated and total PMNs in first 2 sets were CI and in the third RM. Mean (SE) are presented (table). CIs and RM were significantly elevated in patients compared with normal NB infants. The results suggests PMNs of NB may become hyperactive during stress compared with PMNs of healthy neonates. The basis for this may include factors such as prematurity, infection, asphyxia, drugs acting alone or in combination.
Synergistic interaction between serotonin-2 receptor and dopamine D1 receptor stimulation on striatal preprotachykinin mRNA expression in the 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rat.

The regulation of striatal preprotachykinin (PPT) mRNA expression can be mediated through both dopamine (DA) D1 and serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT2A/2C receptors. In the present study, we used in situ hybridization to examine possible synergistic interactions between 5-HT2A/2C and D1 receptor-mediated regulation of striatal PPT mRNA levels in the rat depleted of DA with 6-hydroxydopamine. Acute administration of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist DOI (2 mg/kg) significantly increased (+75%) PPT mRNA levels in the dorsal striatum. Acute administration of the D1 receptor agonist SKF-38393 (2 mg/kg) did not significantly alter PPT mRNA levels in the dorsal striatum. However, the co-administration of SKF-38393 and DOI produced a significant increase (+300%) in striatal PPT mRNA expression restricted to the periventricular region of the dorsal-medial striatum. This synergistic interaction was not observed in the remaining aspect of the dorsal striatum where DOI alone increased PPT mRNA expression. These data show that 5-HT2A/2C and D1 receptors can act in a synergistic manner to regulate striatal PPT mRNA in a subregion of the DA-depleted striatum.
Is perseveration caused by inhibition failure? Evidence from preschool children's inferences about word meanings

Abstract Four studies examined the relation between children’s cognitive inhibition and flexibility in a lexical inference task. Children’s linguistic flexibility was assessed by the Flexible Induction of Meaning (FIM) test ( Deak, 2000a ), which requires that children shift inferences about the meanings of several words for novel objects. In Study 1, 54 3-year-olds either were trained between blocks of problems, for a delay of 3 min, or received no training or delay. Training delays did not influence perseveration. In Study 2 ( N =72 3- and 4-year-olds’) novel word problems were grouped either to increase the frequency of cue switches (i.e., reduce response “set”) or minimize the interval between problems about the same objects. Again, no effect was found. In Study 3, 48 3- and 4-year-olds completed 6 preliminary trials; in a high interference group these trials generated a response set to be inhibited upon the first switch to a new cue context. This group did not perseverate more than a control group. There was no association between FIM perseveration and a Stroop-like test of verbal inhibition though both were marginally related to receptive vocabulary. In study 4 (48 3- and 4-year-olds), FIM was again unrelated to Stroop performance, but was related to the ability to tell whether a situation or problem is indeterminate. Thus, flexibility across semantic inferences is not influenced by timing, order, and number of pre-switch problems and is not predicted by individual differences in a test of verbal inhibition. However previously reported age and individual differences in flexible induction of word meanings are robust and related to vocabulary and logical ability.
Salivary oxytocin increases concurrently with testosterone and time away from home among returning Tsimane’ hunters

Oxytocin, testosterone and cortisol can have opposing effects on social behaviour, yet few studies have examined their interactions. We measured changes in salivary oxytocin, testosterone and cortisol among Tsimane’ men returning home after hunting, an ancient context of male status competition, parental investment and cooperation. Contra normal diurnal rhythm, oxytocin increased relative to baseline and this increase was positively associated with duration of the hunt and change in testosterone, but not cortisol, social context, hunting outcome or physical activity. The concurrent increase in endogenous peripheral oxytocin and testosterone is unexpected given their opposing independent effects on social cognition and behaviour, and has not been observed before. We discuss the potential significance of these effects for the biology of pair-bonding, parenting and social foraging in humans and other species.
A new method to determine effective channel widths of MOS transistors for VLSI device design

A resistive method for determining the effective channel widths of MOS transistors is presented. In this method, the series resistance is determined using the channel-length characterization method. A practical approximation is used to calculate the series resistance for transistors with different channel widths. The test structure for this method consists of two sets of transistors: one set contains transistors with different channel lengths and the same channel width, and the other set contains transistors with different channel widths and the same channel length. Experimental results show that this method can be used with good accuracy when the series resistance is comparable to the channel resistance. The method is suitable for test structures with transistor channel-length in the submicrometer range. >
Self-Organized Hebbian Inference of Environment Topology by Distributed Sensor Networks

Ad hoc wireless sensor networks are emerging as an important technology for applications such as environmental monitoring, battlefield surveillance and infrastructure security. While most research so far has focused on the network aspects of these systems (e.g., routing, scheduling, etc.), the capacity for scalable, in-field information processing is potentially their most important attribute. Networks that can infer the phenomenological structure of their environment can use this knowledge to improve both their sensing performance and their resource usage. These intelligent networks would require much less a priori design, and be truly autonomous. This paper presents a distributed algorithm for inferring the global topological connectivity of an environment through a simple self-organization algorithm based on Hebbian learning. The application considers sensors distributed over an environment with a network of tracks on which vehicles of various types move according to rules unknown to the sensor network. Each sensor infers the local topology of the track network by comparing its observations with those from neighboring sensors. The complete topology of the network emerges from the distributed fusion of these local views.
Automating the change management process with electronic contracts

Electronic contracts play a key role in the automation of information technology (IT) processes by establishing a common context and a formal set of mutual agreements and expectations between the various parties involved in today's enterprise applications. We describe a novel approach for applying different types of electronic contracts to a complex IT management scenario with a specific focus on change management. Our implementation of a change management system and its quantitative evaluation shows that the use of electronic contracts helps in breaking down a complex change management problem into tractable parts and improves the quality of the accomplished solution.
Improving generalization by data categorization

In most of the learning algorithms, examples in the training set are treated equally. Some examples, however, carry more reliable or critical information about the target than the others, and some may carry wrong information. According to their intrinsic margin, examples can be grouped into three categories: typical, critical, and noisy. We propose three methods, namely the selection cost, SVM confidence margin, and AdaBoost data weight, to automatically group training examples into these three categories. Experimental results on artificial datasets show that, although the three methods have quite different nature, they give similar and reasonable categorization. Results with real-world datasets further demonstrate that treating the three data categories differently in learning can improve generalization.
Strapping techniques for permanent magnets

The magnetic field distortion due to magnetization tolerances, fabrication imperfections, and design alterations can be reduced by inserting into a permanent magnet structure thin straps of high permeability ferromagnetic material that lie along equipotential surfaces of the ideal field of a theoretical design. Numerical results are given for a simple model showing quantitatively the beneficial effect of strapping in improving the quality of the field.
Inflation and Creation of Matter in the Universe

The evolution of the inflationary theory is described, starting from the Starobinsky model and the old inflation scenario, toward chaotic inflation and the theory of eternally expanding self-reproducing inflationary universe. A special attention is devoted to the recent progress in the theory of reheating and creation of matter after inflation. We also discuss the theory of gravitino and moduli production, as well as some recent developments and problems related to string cosmology and brane world scenario.
Urban source localization based on time of arrival measurement and street information

In this work, we study the localization of mobile signal emitters using time of arrival (TOA) measurement and additional urban street information. Two algorithms are proposed to improve the localization performance by integrating street information with the TOA measurement. The first algorithm exhaustively searches of all possible road paths. For each possible path, the source location is estimated based a semidefinite programming (SDP) algorithm by minimizing the maximum error measurement between the observed propagation time and the modeled propagation time. Only location on a street that satisfies the minimum mean square error yields estimation output. To reduce complexity, our second joint optimization algorithm combines the two steps together and jointly optimizes the path selection and source location. Numerical results show that both algorithms can improve the localization performance. Our proposed joint optimization approach is more suitable for practical use because of lower complexity and good performance.
Comparing Public-Cloud Providers

As cloud computing becomes increasingly popular among enterprises, developers, and organizations, it's time to consider the practical problem: how do you choose from the growing number of providers? To help users make this decision, researchers first determined the basic types of services that providers offer. They then devised a set of metrics related to application performance in a cloud and created tools for measuring them.