cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supercapacitor for High-Dynamic Load Management in MVDC Shipboard Power Systems

To overcome the drawbacks of chemically propelled shells, electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) technology may become a vital part of shipboard power systems as a high-dynamic pulsed load. An Electromagnetic launcher or railgun uses combined electric and magnetic fields to develop Lorentz force on a projectile by flowing current though the rails. In this paper, a detailed electrical model of the EMRG is developed with the governing equations considering the impacts of contact velocity skin effect and contact resistance. A supercapacitor, as a high power density device, is used as the energy source for the railgun. A model is then developed to integrate EMRG within a medium voltage direct current (MVDC) shipboard power system using a DC-DC boost converter. The proposed model for the operation of EMRG with supercapacitor is applied on a sample MVDC shipboard power system using Simulink/SimPowerSystems. Simulation results show that the DC-DC converter supplies the required charging power of the supercapacitor from the MVDC power system, and the supercapacitor smoothly delivers demanded power to the EMRG.
A plumber’s guide to the cardiovascular system

Blood flow through the cardiovascular system is governed by the same physical rules that govern the flow of water through domestic plumbing. Using this analogy in a teaching laboratory, a model of the cardiovascular system constructed of pumps and pipes was used to demonstrate the basic interactions of pressure, flow, and resistance in a regulated system, with student volunteers providing the operational actions and regulatory components. The model was used to validate predictions and explore solutions prompted by student discussion. This interactive teaching laboratory provides an engaging experiential exercise that demonstrates regulation of flow and pressure in an intact cardiovascular system with apposite changes in heart rate and resistance. In addition, the system provides strong clinical correlates and illustrates how that regulated system responds to challenges such as heart failure, inappropriate vasodilation, and hemorrhage. The results demonstrate that, with limited practice, the instructor can effectively guide the students to reliably reproduce physiologically appropriate results.
High-brightness GaSb-based quantum-well lasers with an unstable resonator (Conference Presentation)

This Conference Presentation, High-brightness GaSb-based quantum-well lasers with an unstable resonator was recorded at Photonics West 2020 held in San Francisco, California, United States.
Detection of ground-motion-induced pipeline deformation using BOTDR measurements (Conference Presentation)

Differential settlement of underground pipelines is one of the major causes responsible for pipeline failures in the U.S. Due to the invisibility of underground pipeline deformation and the requirement for long-range monitoring of underground pipelines, most of the underground pipeline motions are currently undetected. In this paper, a novel long-range sensing technique using fiber optic sensors is proposed for the structural health monitoring (SHM) the deformation and motion of underground pipelines. Two laboratory 304.8x1.7cm HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe specimens were manufactured and tested under four-point bending for damage detection. Single mode optical fibers (10.4 ± 0.8 μm) were installed on the surface of these two HDPE pipes for distributed sensing. Four-point bending test was carried out on two HDPE pipes in the range of 445 N to 2670 N at an increment of 445 N. A BOTDR (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) system was applied in collecting distributed strain measurements (spatial resolution =1m, sampling interval =0.5m) from the two HDPE pipes. Fourteen conventional coil-type strain gauges (gauge factor: 2) were also instrumented on each HDPE pipe for validation purpose. From our laboratory results, it was found that the longitudinal BOTDR strain measurements near the neutral axis of the HDPE pipes can be used for detecting pipe rotation. It was also found that the longitudinal BOTDR strains at the bottom of the pipes can be used to detect pipe bending and damage detection.
Collaborative Digital Research: Case Study of Text Mining a Corpus of Academic Journals.

More faculty are making the foray into digital scholarship as its tools offer novel and efficient approaches to answering research questions. However, faculty seeking to incorporate digital methods...
Process Co-Optimization of CVD and CMP for Tungsten Metallization

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of tungsten have been the enabling process technologies for semiconductor manufacturing. Despite the long history and relative maturity, however, their combined effects on the electrical performance and topographic variation of W metallization are scarcely reported in the open literature. A previous work on Cu plating demonstrates the feasibility of reducing topography and improving electrical resistance uniformity by manipulating Cu plating process for superior incoming filling across different patterns and line widths within the die. Adopting the similar concept, this study utilizes SiH4 and WF6 gas chemistry in a CVD-W process optimized for reduced seam formation. 300 mm wafers with varying W overburden thickness are deposited and polished in order to examine the impacts on resulting resistance uniformity across different line widths, and within-die topography. It will be demonstrated that CVD W overburden thickness alone plays a critical role in the performance of W local interconnects across patterns of varying geometry and feature size. Thicker incoming overburden thickness can improve CMP process window and help mitigate variations in sheet resistance plus local and within-die topography, which can perpetuate during down-stream process and impact device performance adversely. Co-optimization of CVD-W and WCMP processes is pivotal to the performance of W metallization.
Bedside Nurses: Champions of Antimicrobial Stewardship

Topic Microbial organisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Antimicrobial medications are currently overused or misused, which has resulted in multidrug resistance. Hospitalized patients in the intensive care unit have the highest risk for infections leading to poor outcomes and require successful treatment options. Clinical relevance Inappropriate prescription of antimicrobials places patients and the community at risk for more resistant infections in the future. To prevent misapplication of these important medications, interdisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship programs promote appropriate and safe antimicrobial medication use. Members of these programs are called to be good stewards of antimicrobial medications, incorporating the scope of practice and knowledge of each specialty and the evidence from the literature to develop strategies and protocols for safe and effective antimicrobial medication use. Purpose of paper Nurse involvement in antimicrobial stewardship programs is inadequate, limiting the programs' potential. Support for increased direct-care nurse participation in antimicrobial stewardship programs is key to improve program targets and patient outcomes. Content covered This article calls for increased nursing awareness of the importance of antimicrobial stewardship programs in clinical practice and greater direct-care nurse involvement in these programs.
Phenomenology as Rigorous Philosophy

Having presented Husserl’s pre-transcendental position in Chap. 1, we may now turn our attention to his breakthrough to the transcendental and the initial stages of his transcendental period proper. We shall find, however, that this is no simple or straightforward matter. In this chapter, we begin by picking up where we left off in the closing pages of Chap. 1, exploring further Husserl’s own reservations with his first edition of the Logical Investigations. We then track the changes that he found necessary to make, following the first edition, in order to create and maintain a more coherent position relative to the non-psychological nature of the new science of phenomenology. Since these changes took place slowly and gradually in the development of Husserl’s thought, this chapter will only be concerned with the transition from Husserl’s early, pre-transcendental, position to the mature, transcendental period of the remainder of his works. We strive, in this chapter, to establish “an entirely new point of departure” for phenomenology, which will enable it to overcome the dangers of psychologism still lurking in the first edition of the Logical Investigations. Once we have been able to establish this point of departure, we then will be able, once again, to ask after the relationship obtained between our newly defined phenomenology and the psychology from which it is has now become more fully and definitively differentiated.
Structural Control of Lithium Fluoride Thin Films

Polycrystalline lithium fluoride thin films have a number of existing and potential uses, but the optimization of their microstructure has not yet been addressed systematically. We have developed a means of measuring the porosity in LiF films, and a method for performing detailed electron-microscopical studies on this normally beam-sensitive material. These techniques have been applied to assess the structure of LiF films immediately after deposition from the vapor phase, and also after subsequent annealing.
Keeping family in an age of long distance trade, imperial expansion, and exile, 1550–1850: edited by Heather Dalton, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2020, 284 pp., £90 (hardback), ISBN 9789463722315

In the introduction to her book Keeping Family in an Age of Long Distance Trade, Imperial Expansion, and Exile, 1550–1850, Heather Dalton writes that this edited volume aims to consider family ‘in ...
Correction to: Milani, G., Demattè, G., Ferioli, M., Dallagà, G., Lavezzi, S., Basaglia, N., & Straudi, S. (2021). Telerehabiltation in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study . International Journal of Telerehabilitation

In the metadata for Milani, G., Dematte, G., Ferioli, M., Dallaga, G., Lavezzi, S., Basaglia, N., & Straudi, S. (2021). Telerehabiltation in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study . International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2021.6334, acceptability was misspelled in the title (i.e., acceptability) by the journal editor. The metadata for the original article has been corrected.
Pulmonary implications of acetaminophen exposures independent of hepatic toxicity.

Both preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that exposures to acetaminophen (APAP) at levels that cause hepatic injury cause pulmonary injury as well. However, whether exposures that do...
Racial Disparities in the Paycheck Protection Program

Using a large sample of Florida restaurants, we document significant racial disparities in the utilization of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Only a small fraction of these disparities can be explained by distance to bank branches. Within the same ZIP code, Black- and Hispanic-owned firms are 20.5% and 7.0% less likely than white-owned firms to receive PPP loans. These disparities in PPP utilization are driven by disparities in bank lending, which are greater in counties in which white people exhibit more racial bias against Black people. In these more racially biased counties, Black-owned businesses substitute to nonbank PPP loans and loans provided directly by the Small Business Administration through its Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) Systems

An outline of the fundamentals of incoherent scatter theory and its historical development, a description of the milestones of the early development of the technique, and an example of how some ionospheric parameters are measured are given in Section 2.3.2 of this book. In this chapter we will describe: the ISR systems currently in operation, the most common modes of operation, specific data analysis techniques, how to obtain data from specific ISR’s, and the capabilities and limitations of the ISR technique. A rather complete up-to-date presentation of incoherent scatter theory and special considerations in employing ISR’s to probe the high latitude ionosphere is published in a book edited by Brekke (1977), and concise descriptions of the ISR technique are given by Hargreaves (1979) and Jursa (1985).
The Effect of Chain Length on the Phosphorolysis of Oligonucleotides by Polynucleotide Phosphorylase

Abstract The kinetics of phosphorolysis of compounds in the series (Ap)nA (n = 2 to 8), p(Ap)nA (n = 2 to 4), and (Up)nU, (n = 3 to 6) has been studied. Km and Vmax values were obtained for all compounds. Km decreases with increasing chain length and reaches a minimum value with compounds containing 5 phosphate residues. With the shorter compounds the dependence of Km on the nucleoside residues is also apparent. Experiments with inhibitory oligonucleotides such as (Ap)nA-cyclic-p and (Ap)nA-2',3'-p confirm the results with substrates. The Vmax for all oligonucleotide substrates is greater than the Vmax for polyadenylic acid. Vmax reaches an optimum value with oligonucleotides having 5 nucleoside residues. On the basis of these results, a model for the active center of polynucleotide phosphorylase is proposed. This model has multiple subsites for the interaction of the enzyme with polynucleotides. Similar results were obtained with an enzyme form which does not require oligonucleotide primer in the polymerization reaction and an enzyme form which does require primer.
THERMAL QUENCHING OF LUMINESCENCE IN SIX THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSIMETRY PHOSPHORS. II. QUENCHING OF THERMOLUMINESCENCE.

Abstract Since the results of the measurement of the X-ray-excited radioluminescence as a function of temperature (Part I of this paper) of TL dosimetry materials were difficult to interpret in terms of quenching of thermoluminescence, the direct measurement was made of the TL light sum and the glow-peak height as a function of heating rate. In order to overcome the problem of thermal lag between the heating planchet and the phosphor, a method was developed to achieve a high degree of thermal coupling by mixing powdered phosphor and gold and pressing the mixture to the surface of a gold disk. The glow curves from these gold plaques were recorded with a reader that produced heating programs which were linear to a few percent from rates of 4°C/min up to 640°C/min. By this technique glow-peak heights and light sums were measured for CaF2:Mn, natural fluorite, LiF(TLD-100), CaSO4:Mn, Li2B4O7:Mn, and terbium-activated lithium aluminosilicate glass over the full range of heating rates. Considerable variability was found in the thermal quenching characteristics of the various phosphors. All but the fluorite and the Li2B4O7:Mn showed some decrease in light output at high heating rates. LiF exhibited a decrease for low heating rates as well, with a broad maximum in the light output at about 100°C/min.
The Role of the Public Power District

Even though we in the United States are amply endowed with fundamental natural resources, we are becoming increasingly aware of our limitations. Recent years of drought, population increases, population movement, and expanded agricultural production have made us cognizant that widespread water conservation programs are essential to meet future demands. Water problems in our country have been and remain most acute in the semi-arid western areas, including, of course, the State of California. This was recognized in the passage of the Reclamation Act of 1902,1 which introduced the federal government into the water business in the seventeen western states. Although in very recent years the mid-western and eastern sections of the country have shown real concern for water conservation, previously their interests were confined to flood control and navigation. One interesting aspect of water development in the West is that during the early days it was largely in the hands of local organizations, both public and private, while later there came a pronounced swing toward reliance on the federal government. This movement reached its zenith during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Recently, particularly during the Eisenhower administration, there has been renewed emphasis on state and local responsibility.2 California has long been conscious of water, and in recent years that consciousness has become acute. Evidence of this exists in the great interest in and activity on water problems in the 1957 session of the state legislature,3 in the creation of the Department of Water Resources in 1956 to consolidate and expand conservation functions,4 in the formulation of The California Water Plan,5 and in the commencement of the immense Feather River Project.6 This increased emphasis on water problems can be traced
Ten Different Dietary Fibers Have Significantly Different Effects on Serum and Liver Lipids of Cholesterol-Fed Rats

The comparative effects of 10 different dietary fibers on serum and liver lipids were investigated by feeding male Sprague-Dawley rats diets containing 10 g cholesterol + 2 g cholic acid/kg diet, with 60 g fiber/kg diet. Diets were fed for 3 wk; cellulose was the control fiber. Rats fed psyllium (rich in soluble fiber) had the lowest serum and liver cholesterol concentrations. Rats fed other soluble fiber-rich fibers (oat gum, guar gum and pectin) also had significantly lower serum and liver cholesterol concentrations than rats fed cellulose. Although feeding diets containing both soluble and insoluble fibers (soybean fiber and oat bran) did not significantly alter serum cholesterol, liver cholesterol values were significantly lower than those of cellulose-fed rats. Rats fed rice bran, predominantly an insoluble fiber source, had significantly higher liver cholesterol and significantly lower body weight gains and serum triglyceride concentrations than cellulose-fed rats. Values for serum and liver cholesterol were similar for rats were fed insoluble-rich fibers (corn bran, cellulose and wheat bran). These observations indicate that feeding dietary fibers rich in soluble fiber produces lower serum and liver cholesterol concentrations than does feeding commonly available sources of water-insoluble fiber.
Real‐time specification of HF propagation support based on a global assimilative model of the ionosphere

[1] An HF propagation program, HFNowcast, has been developed that takes advantage of the availability of a real-time global model of the ionosphere to specify in real time the range of frequencies that would be supported on a given HF communications circuit. HFNowcast determines the range of frequency support for a specified circuit, from the lowest usable F layer frequency (FLUF) to the highest (FMUF), together with the E layer ELUF and EMUF. The lack of real-time observations of HF absorption and HF noise at the receiver means that it is not possible to provide real-time specifications of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the key parameter for HF communications. The global model (developed by Utah State University (USU)) includes particle E precipitation at high dip latitudes during the night, which often precludes the determination of foF2 and M(3000)F2 and thus the simple determination of propagation support in those regions. The FMUF is therefore derived by first calculating the vertical incidence ionogram at the control point(s) and then transforming that ionogram to the oblique incidence (OI) ionogram for the given circuit/hop length. HFNowcast has been validated favorably against several months of oblique propagation observations on midlatitude circuits, although its day-to-day variability does not match the observations very well, and it tends to underestimate the FMUFs. The systematic differences between the predictions and observations can be attributed directly to limitations of the current version of the USU model of the ionosphere.
Acceleration for both Boltzmann machine learning and mean field theory learning

Novel learning algorithms for both the Boltzmann machine (BM) and mean field theory (MFT) are proposed to accelerate learning. The effectiveness of the proposed MFT algorithm is confirmed by computer simulations. It accelerates convergence: for example, the proposed MFT algorithm is more than twice as fast as the conventional MFT algorithm when the learning constant eta is 0.1 or less. In addition, it is shown that the proposed algorithm is less sensitive to eta . MFT is more biologically plausible and more suitable for VLSI implementation than the other supervised learning paradigms, and it can also be used as a content addressable memory. >
Comparing the residential origins of homeless families and homeless individuals in Miami-Dade County, Florida

This study identifies and compares the residential origins of homeless families and homeless individuals. The study also analyses the spatial distribution of residential origins of homeless families and homeless individuals with the factors associated with the risk of homelessness. Data were obtained through the 2005 homelessness survey in Miami-Dade County,Florida.The analyses reveal the statistically significant differences in the spatial distribution of the residential origins of homeless families and homeless individuals. The results clearly suggest that homeless individuals are more highly concentrated in neighbourhoods of high poverty than homeless families. The study suggests the possibility that drift effects drive more homeless individuals but fewer homeless families to move to deprived inner-city areas. The study also suggests that the spatial analysis of prior addresses of homeless families and individuals in this study can provide some ideas for other major cities or regions to better formulate homelessness prevention and outreach programmes.
A robust implicit access protocol for real-time wireless collaboration

Advances in wireless technology have brought us closer to extensive deployment of distributed real-time embedded systems connected through a wireless channel. The medium access control (MAC) layer protocol is critical in providing a real-time guarantee. We have devised a real-time wireless MAC protocol which, demonstrated in: both simulations and implementation, provides better throughput than existing protocols and predictable temporal behavior with minimal impact on node failures, packet losses and noise in the channel.
Heritability and molecular-genetic basis of the P3 event-related brain potential: a genome-wide association study.

P3 amplitude is a candidate endophenotype for disinhibitory psychopathology, psychosis, and other disorders. The present study is a comprehensive analysis of the behavioral- and molecular-genetic basis of P3 amplitude and a P3 genetic factor score in a large community sample (N = 4,211) of adolescent twins and their parents, genotyped for 527,829 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Biometric models indicated that as much as 65% of the variance in each measure was due to additive genes. All SNPs in aggregate accounted for approximately 40% to 50% of the heritable variance. However, analyses of individual SNPs did not yield any significant associations. Analyses of individual genes did not confirm previous associations between P3 amplitude and candidate genes but did yield a novel association with myelin expression factor 2 (MYEF2). Main effects of individual variants may be too small to be detected by GWAS without larger samples.
Quantification of the Relative Abundance of Plastome to Nuclear Genome in Leaf and Root Tissues of Carrot ( Daucus carota L.) Using Quantitative PCR

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an important horticultural crop with significant health benefits, providing provitamin A carotenoids in the human diet. Carotenoids primarily serve as photoprotectants in leaves during photosynthesis where they accumulate in chloroplasts. Carotenoids can also accumulate in chromoplasts, non-chlorophyll-containing plastids, in non-photosynthetic organs such as the storage roots of carrot. Therefore, plastid development is closely associated with carotenoid accumulation. The biosynthesis of chromoplasts, or more specifically the conversion of chloroplasts to chromoplasts, has been studied in a number of carotenoid-accumulating plant species, but the presence of the plastome had not been confirmed in non-pigmented carrot storage root. In this study, the plastome was confirmed to occur in similar relative abundance (plastome–nuclear genome ratio) in yellow and orange carrot storage roots while dark orange storage roots had significantly higher plastome content than white cultivated carrots. In the leaf tissue of these same plants, the relative abundance of the plastome was similar across genotypes but was lower than the ratio of plastid to nuclear genome in the root tissue of pigmented storage rooted carrot. This study is the first quantification of the ratio of plastome to nuclear genome in storage root and confirms the presence of the plastome in both pigmented and non-pigmented carrot storage root tissue.
An in-depth look at the radio frequency ground support equipment for the radiation belt storm probes mission

The Radiation Belt Storm Probes, twin spacecraft that will study the Earth's radiation belts, will be launched in 2012. The two satellites are being designed and built for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Before launch, the spacecraft will undergo significant ground testing, much of which will be automated. This paper describes the design, fabrication, and use of the ground support equipment used to test the radio frequency communications subsystem. It discusses issues that arose during design and testing, describes how they were resolved, and presents recommendations for future test programs on the basis of lessons learned.
Hematogenous infection of Sprague-Dawley rats with Mycoplasma pulmonis: development of a model for maternal and fetal infection

Objectives The specific objective of this study was to conduct a dose response experiment with Mycoplasma pulmonis in Sprague-Dawley rats to develop a reproducible animal model of maternal and fetal infection that would provide a versatile mechanism to address the innate fetal immune response during intrauterine infection. Study Design Pregnant rats were infected intravenously at gestation day 14 with 0 (control), 10 1 , 10 3 , 10 5 , and 10 7 colony forming units of M pulmonis and necropsied at gestational day 18. Quantitative culture of maternal and fetal tissues as well as histopathologic examination of the placenta were performed. Results We have characterized a rat model of maternal and fetal infection that can be manipulated by alteration of infectious dose. Colonization of Sprague-Dawley rat dam and fetal tissues by M pulmonis occurred in a dose-dependent manner after intravenous inoculation ( P P = .0001). The minimum threshold dose required to establish infection of the dam and fetus was at least 10 3 colony forming units, with consistent colonization of maternal and fetal tissues achieved only with 10 7 colony forming units. In some instances, rat fetal tissues could be colonized in the absence of concomitant amniotic fluid colonization. Interestingly, there appeared to be a predilection for colonization of the reproductive tissues. Conclusions In the Sprague-Dawley rat, the infection rate of both the dam and fetus can be controlled by the inoculum dose. Our data support the concept that hematogenous spread of M pulmonis to the rat fetus can occur without amniotic fluid infection and suggest that the fetus itself can potentially seed the amniotic fluid with microorganisms. Importantly, manipulation of both the route of infection as well as infection dose provide a reproducible way to study both maternal and fetal immune response to infection during pregnancy.
Reactions of thiols with organic mercury compounds.

Abstract 1. 1. The reaction of two classes of organic mercury compounds, i.e. phenylmercuric compounds and mercurial diuretics, with glutathione and 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL) was studied polarographically. 2. 2. The organic mercury compounds and their mercaptides are reduced at the dropping mercury electrode with distinct half-wave potentials, thus permitting their qualitative and quantitative differentiation. 3. 3. The organic mercury compounds can be liberated quantitatively from their mercaptides by treatment with an excess of inorganic mercury. 4. 4. The mechanism and the kinetics of the reaction between mercurial diuretics and BAL have been studied in detail. It proceeds in two stages, the second one leading to the formation of an insoluble, cyclic BAL-mercury complex, which provides an explanation for the suppression of mercurial diuresis by BAL.
Nature of Entropy

To the student of thermodynamics, the conception of entropy usually presents some difficulty. It seems to have no precise physical significance, but is often regarded as no more than a mathematical convention. This can only be due to inadequacy of our thermodynamic theory, since a quantity which fits so completely into the mathematics of the subject must surely have some relation to the physical facts.
Computed circular polarization of line emissions for Delta n=1 transitions between highly excited states of hydrogenic ions in tokamak plasmas.

Circular polarization of spectral lines due to {Delta}{ital n}=1 transitions between highly excited states ({ital n}=6--8) of low-{ital Z} hydrogenic ions (C VI and O VIII) has been computed under tokamak plasma conditions. The numerical model includes relativistic corrections, the Zeeman effect, the motional Stark effect, and Doppler broadening. The motional Stark effect in spectral line profiles is negligible because of Doppler broadening. The Zeeman effect is described by the intensity-averaged splitting factor, which is equal to unity and independent of the Stark effect for all Rydberg lines (provided the {ital n} shells are well separated). The circular polarization of the line is proportional to the component of the magnetic field in the direction of the observation direction. An analytical expression for the polarization, as a function of the intensity-averaged Zeeman splitting and a characteristic linewidth, is formulated by fitting the numerical results obtained for a variety of plasma conditions and spectral lines.
The role of structural defects and texture variability in the performance of poly-Si thin film transistors

Abstract High-performance poly-Si Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) with champion mobility and threshold voltage characteristics have been reported by several groups in the literature. Performance improvements have been especially spectacular after the wide acceptance of laser-based, lateral crystallization technology and its numerous variants. Despite the noted improvements in average transistor performance, variation in TFT characteristics still presents substantial difficulties to control. Speculation on the cause of the variation has been provided by various sources but, so far, no systematic study has been performed to that effect. In this work we have conducted an extensive study of characteristics of poly-Si TFTs, fabricated by laser crystallization, and their relationship to the microstructural details of the active layer. Our study clarifies the effect of a single grain boundary inclusion in the device channel and pinpoints the key causes of variation in performance even in the absence of “hard” boundaries. The existence of structural defects, as well as texture variation, is found to correlate well with the observed variability in TFT mobility and threshold voltage. These findings have also been confirmed by a simple quantitative model. Our work points to the importance in achieving consistent microstructure and the difficulty in doing so by employing blanket crystallization technologies. To that end, crystallization technology emphasizing location control appears to be preferable.
A taxonomy and current issues in multidatabase systems

A taxonomy of global information-sharing systems is presented, and the way in which multidatabase systems fit into the spectrum of solutions is discussed. The taxonomy is used as a basis for defining multidatabase systems. Issues associated with multidatabase systems are reviewed. Two major design approaches for multidatabases, global schema systems and multidatabase language systems, are described. Existing multidatabase projects and areas for further research are also discussed. >
The Clinical, Hemodynamic, and Pathologic Diagnosis of Muscular Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis

Muscular obstruction to left ventricular outflow is a rare but serious occurrence. Eight cases in which this disease was anatomically proved are presented. The commonest symptoms are angina, dyspnea, and palpitations. Not uncommonly a family history of heart disease may be elicited. A systolic murmur along the left sternal border is the most characteristic physical finding, but a normal aortic second sound, the presence of third and fourth heart sounds, splitting of the second sound, and the absence of a diastolic murmur are all helpful clinical guides. Withdrawal pressures from the left ventricle reveal a characteristic infundibular pressure zone. Other hemodynamic findings include an anacrotic notch on the left ventricular pressure tracing, a rapidly ascending bisferious aortic pulse and a small compensatory beat after extrasystoles. Necropsy specimens reveal a grossly thickened interventricular septum as compared with normal and hypertrophied control hearts. Microscopic alterations are minimal. The eti...
Differential characterization of human coronary collateral blood flow velocity

Abstract The functional importance and protective nature of the coronary collateral circulation has been well established. There are few data, however, regarding the phasic nature and absolute velocities of collateral flow in patients. The aim of this study was to characterize and quantify ipsilateral coronary collateral blood flow velocity in patients during coronary angioplasty. Coronary collateral flow velocity was measured in 49 patients during coronary angioplasty. Angiographic collateral filling was categorized by the Rentrop grading scale (0 to 3) and by anatomic pathway (epicardial, intramyocardial, or unknown [acutely recruited]). Collateral blood flow velocity was measured with a Doppler-tipped guide wire placed distal to the balloon occlusion in the collateralized vessel. Collateral flow velocity was characterized as predominantly systolic or diastolic, and phasic flow patterns were defined as biphasic (both systolic and diastolic), monophasic (only systolic or diastolic), or bidirectional (antegrade and retrograde velocity). Twenty-three (47%) patients had biphasic flow; 17 (35%) patients had monophasic flow; and 9 (18%) patients had bidirectional flow. Thirty-six (73%) of 49 patients had predominantly systolic flow signals. Epicardial collateral pathways had the highest total flow velocity integral, at 15.0 ± 7.0 (vs intramyocardial [8.4 ± 5.7] and acutely recruitable [5.4 ± 2.1]; p
Test-Based Variable Selection via Cross-Validation

Abstract Test-based variable selection algorithms in regression often are based on sequential comparison of test statistics to cutoff values. A predetermined a level typically is used to determine the cutoffs based on an assumed probability distribution for the test statistic. For example, backward elimination or forward stepwise involve comparisons of test statistics to prespecified t or F cutoffs in Gaussian linear regression, while a likelihood ratio. Wald, or score statistic, is typically used with standard normal or chi square cutoffs in nonlinear settings. Although such algorithms enjoy widespread use, their statistical properties are not well understood, either theoretically or empirically. Two inherent problems with these methods are that (1) as in classical hypothesis testing, the value of α is arbitrary, while (2) unlike hypothesis testing, there is no simple analog of type I error rate corresponding to application of the entire algorithm to a data set. In this article we propose a new method, b...
Reversal of β-Endorphin-Induced Blockade of Ovulation and Luteinizing Hormone Surge with Prostaglandin E2*

We examined the effects of intraventricular (Ivt) administration of β-endorphin (βE) on preovulatory LH release, ovulation, and the mechanism that may be involved in opioid action. Female rats were implanted with permanent cannulae in the third ventricle of the brain and were allowed to recover 4-day estrous cyclicity. Intrajugular cannulae were placed on the morning of proestrus. Thereafter, they received Ivt either saline (2 μl) or βE (10 μg/2 μl) at 1300, 1430, and 1600 h. In addition, at 1600, 1700, and 1800 h, they were injected Ivt with either vehicle (cerebrospinal fluid or saline) or one of the following compounds: epinephrine (15.3 μg), norepinephrine (15.3 μg), or prostaglandin E2 (6 μg). Blood samples for LH measurements were taken 0, 10, 30, and 60 min after the additional injections at 1600 and 1700 h. βE blocked the preovulatory LH surge and ovulation. Administration of the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone (2 mg/kg) reversed these effects. Epinephrine stimulated a small discharge of LH on...
Matrix isolation study of the reaction of dimethyl sulfoxide with CrCl2O2 and OVCl3

Abstract The matrix isolation technique, combined with infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, has been employed to investigate the thermal and photochemical reactions of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with CrCl 2 O 2 and OVCl 3 . Twin jet codeposition leads to formation and isolation of a photochemically unstable 1:1 complex. The photoproduct in the twin jet DMSO + CrCl 2 O 2 experiments is identified as dimethyl sulfone, (CH 3 ) 2 SO 2 , interacting with the Cl 2 CrO fragment, while in the analogous OVCl 3 reaction, the photoproduct bands were too weak to allow product identification. Merged jet codeposition led to rapid gas phase reaction, and in the case of DMSO + CrCl 2 O 2 , dimethyl sulfone is formed in high yield. This marks the first demonstration of a gas phase thermal oxygen atom transfer from CrCl 2 O 2 to an organic substrate. For the reaction of DMSO with OVCl 3 , no volatile products are deposited in the matrix and dimethyl sulfone is not a product. These results support differing pathways for the reactions of CrCl 2 O 2 and OVCl 3 , a conclusion that is supported by density functional calculations.
Ca2+-binding and Ca2+-sensitizing functions of cardiac native tropomyosin, troponin, and tropomyosin

Abstract Procedures are described by which troponin and tropomyosin can be isolated from cardiac muscle rapidly, with minimal damage by oxidation. Cardiac relaxing proteins inhibit actomyosin ATPase activity in the presence of ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA), and permit graded stimulation by Ca 2+ . This stimulation is independent of preexisting inhibition, and greater than that obtained with skeletal proteins. Characteristics of Scatchard plots for Ca 2+ binding suggest that troponin contains one class of sites which interact at high fractional occupancy. Interaction appears to be enhanced by tropomyosin. Mean values for the estimated maximum affinity and capacity of six canine cardiac troponin preparations were: 4.92·10 6 M −1 , and 21.58·10 −6 moles·g −1 . Values for skeletal troponin were not significantly different. Native tropomyosin bound about half as much Ca 2+ per g, with maximum affinity the same as troponin. Pure tropomyosin bound no Ca 2+ . Cardiac and skeletal proteins differ in that the former are much more labile, and more readily influenced by ions and drugs.
Why do narcissists disregard social-etiquette norms? A test of two explanations for why narcissism relates to offensive-language use

Narcissists often fail to abide by norms for polite social conduct, but why? The current study addressed this issue by exploring reasons why narcissists use more offensive language (i.e., profanity) than non-narcissists. In this study, 602 participants completed a survey in which they responded on a measure of trait narcissism, rated several offensive words on the degree to which the words were attention-grabbing and offensive, and then indicated how frequently they used the words. Consistent with the idea that narcissists use offensive language to gain attention, narcissists were incrementally more likely to use offensive language if they perceived such language to be highly attention-grabbing, and they were also more likely to perceive offensive language as attention-grabbing. Consistent with the idea that narcissists use more offensive language because they are less sensitive to the offensiveness of the language, an additional mediation analysis showed that narcissists perceived offensive language as less offensive than non-narcissists, a perception that, in turn, enhanced use of offensive language. Thus, this study provides evidence for two mechanisms that underlie narcissists’ frequent use of offensive language, and broadly contributes to the understudied issue of why narcissists violate social-etiquette norms.
On: ``Resolution studies in airborne resistivity surveying at VLF,'' by S. A. Arcone (GEOPHYSICS, May 1979, p. 937 946).

Arcone (1979) uses the vector integral equation [equation (17)], taken from Stratton (1941, p. 467), to solve for the electric field at any point contained inside a closed surface comprising an infinitely large horizontal surface with a particular resistivity containing a small circular region having a different resistivity.
Mechanisms of Selective Attention: Response Enhancement, Noise Reduction, and Efficient Pooling of Sensory Responses

In this issue of Neuron, Pestilli and coworkers provide evidence that response gain and noise reduction are insufficient to account for attention-induced changes in perception. Instead, selection may critically depend on the biased pooling of sensory signals during decision making.
In vivo analysis of MEF2 transcription factors in synapse regulation and neuronal survival.

MEF2 (A–D) transcription factors govern development, differentiation and maintenance of various cell types including neurons. The role of MEF2 isoforms in the brain has been studied using in vitro manipulations with only MEF2C examined in vivo. In order to understand specific as well as redundant roles of the MEF2 isoforms, we generated brain-specific deletion of MEF2A and found that Mef2aKO mice show normal behavior in a range of paradigms including learning and memory. We next generated Mef2a and Mef2d brain-specific double KO (Mef2a/dDKO) mice and observed deficits in motor coordination and enhanced hippocampal short-term synaptic plasticity, however there were no alterations in learning and memory, Schaffer collateral pathway long-term potentiation, or the number of dendritic spines. Since previous work has established a critical role for MEF2C in hippocampal plasticity, we generated a Mef2a, Mef2c and Mef2d brain-specific triple KO (Mef2a/c/dTKO). Mef2a/c/d TKO mice have early postnatal lethality with increased neuronal apoptosis, indicative of a redundant role for the MEF2 factors in neuronal survival. We examined synaptic plasticity in the intact neurons in the Mef2a/c/d TKO mice and found significant impairments in short-term synaptic plasticity suggesting that MEF2C is the major isoform involved in hippocampal synaptic function. Collectively, these data highlight the key in vivo role of MEF2C isoform in the brain and suggest that MEF2A and MEF2D have only subtle roles in regulating hippocampal synaptic function.
Nucleation and mineralization of organic matrices.

Features controlling the initiation of matrix calcification have been investigated in a model system. Two major influences which dominate nucleation are the matrix integrity and the location of certain chemical binding sites. It has been shown that chemical chelating groups can, and do, promote calcification under simulated physiological conditions. Organically bound phosphate does not appear to promote nucleation, suggesting that it is chelation of calcium or other cations which is the initial step in tissue calcification. In the sequence of compounds investigated for nucleation catalysis, those possessing at least three chelating groups and a stereopsecific configuration were effective. The mineral phase forming first in association with the organic matrix is a soft non-apatitic calcium phosphate of Ca/P ratio approximately 1.5. This is the same phase that forms in the absence of organic matrices at physiological pH and is probably the precursor to hydroxyapatite in biological calcification. It is suggested that nucleation catalysts exist both within and outside the collagen fibrillar framework. A possible location of the internal site has been proposed, based on the availability of a capillary channel and chelating ligands, and this postulate is supported by electron microscopic evidence which shows that bone crystals lie within the fibrils, occupying space which terminates in the polar 640 A staining area.
Apparent Periodicities in Rainfall at Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Abstract Fortaleza's rainfall contains long-term variations that from autocorrelation analysis appear to be of periodic or quasi-periodic form.
Brief Communication: Comparison of Methods for Estimating Chronological Age at Linear Enamel Formation on Anterior Dentition

Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is an enamel defect that records the effects of physiological stress on tooth formation. Estimating the age at which LEH defects form is integral to the reconstruction of population health in bioarcheological studies. Two principal methods for aging LEH defects have been introduced in the literature. The conventional approach employs regression equations based on a linear model of tooth growth. The newer, Reid and Dean [Am J Phys Anthropol 113 (2000) 135-139] approach, is based upon a histologically derived curvilinear model of enamel development and therefore likely provides more accurate age estimates. However, the extent to which the Reid and Dean method produces estimated ages at defect formation differing from those of the regression equations has not, until now, been determined. This study quantifies the differences between these two methods. Evaluating the degree to which these methods differ is essential for interpreting the accuracy of LEH age estimates given in previous bioarcheological studies. Age estimates of LEH defects on 338 anterior teeth from the Hamann-Todd osteological sample were calculated using both methods. The resulting estimated ages were compared through a randomized block ANOVA. However, the mean differences between the estimated ages yielded by both methods range from 4 months or less depending on the tooth type with an overall average of 2.63 months. The discussion focuses on the degree to which this difference affects answers to bioarcheological questions.
Speed as a measure of driver risk: Observed speeds versus driver and vehicle characteristics

This investigation was performed to determine relationships between driver and vehicle characteristics and freely chosen speeds of cars on a two lane road with little commercial or residential development. Speed is taken as a measure of a driver's willingness to expose himself to risk of accident, in the same way that short freeway headways were interpreted in an earlier study. A total of 6638 passenger car speeds were measured by radar while each oncoming vehicle was simultaneously photographed. Driver and vehicle characteristics were derived from the photographs, both by direct observation (vehicle type, driver sex, presence of front seat passengers, seat belt use) and from the car license plate through the use of State vehicle registration and driver licensing files. The State files provided the car mass and model year and the owner (usually driver) age, sex, and recorded accidents and violations. Higher speeds were observed for younger drivers, drivers with prior accidents and convictions, newer cars, heavier cars and cars with no passengers.