cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autoregressive modelling of an indoor radio channel

An autoregressive model for the frequency domain characteristics of indoor radio channels is introduced. It is shown that a second order process is sufficient to represent the important statistical characteristics of the channel both in the frequency and the time domains. A comparison is made between the statistical characteristics of the empirical data and of the channel responses regenerated from the model. >
Reactions of Charged Substrates. 8. The Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions of (4-Methoxybenzyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride

Displacement reactions on the title compound (1) occur only for nucleophiles with intermediate hardness. Nucleophiles that react display a range of mechanisms. 1 reacts with the neutral nucleophile pyridine-d5 through a mixed SN1/SN2 mechanism; salt added to control ionic strength affects the rate for the unimolecular process, but has no effect on the bimolecular rate constant. The mechanism of displacement by N3- and SO32- depends on the presence or absence of exogenous salt. At constant ionic strength, the mechanism is mixed SN1/SN2 over most of the range of [Nu]. With nucleophile only present, plots of kobsd vs [Nu] exhibit severe breaks that are not the result of salt effects. Analysis of rate constants and product ratios suggests that at low [Nu] reaction occurs simultaneously through concerted Hughes−Ingold SN2 and preassociation-concerted mechanisms. At high [Nu], displacement occurs only through the preassociation-concerted mechanism. Comparison of these results with data for gas-phase dissociatio...
Characterization of beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in androgen-induced mouse kidney hypertrophy using a new high-affinity ligand, [125I]iodocyanopindolol.

In fully developed androgen-induced hypertrophy of female mouse kidney, beta-adrenergic receptors per unit membrane protein were increased approx. 2.5-fold, as measured by the binding of [125I]iodocyanopindolol, with no change in apparent dissociation constants (Kd range 20-25 pM). Membrane protein relative to total kidney protein, Na+/K+-dependent ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) and 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) activities and cholesterol content per unit membrane protein did not differ significantly in preparations from control and treated animals. The binding of iodocyanopindolol to kidney membranes was characterized with respect to association and dissociation kinetics, and also in regard to the less-specific contributions of other major catecholamine or indolamine receptors, using mixtures of the corresponding specific competitors. beta 1-selective drugs, practolol and metoprolol, and beta 2-selective agents, IPS-339 and zinterol, were competed with iodocyanopindolol to assess the receptor type specificity, and the ensuing binding profiles were dissected by a nonlinear regression analysis as described by Munson, P.J. and Rodbard, D. (Anal. Biochem. (1982) 107, 220-239). Most of the androgen-induced beta-adrenergic receptors had the binding properties corresponding to beta 2-subtype. No consistent increase in the density of beta 1-adrenergic receptors could be shown.
The Effect of Component Meaningfulness on Global-Local Processing in Children and Adults

Global precedence (GP) occurs when individuals exhibit the tendency to notice global, or holistic, information before they notice local, or component, parts of a visual stimulus. Factors such as meaningfulness of components are held constant when measuring GP; however, varying such factors informs us about the underlying mechanisms of GP. In addition, investigating these effects developmentally has increased the understanding of global-local processing. This experiment examines the effect of meaningfulness (letters vs. nonletters) on adults' (n = 24) and 5-year-old children's (n = 23) GP. Adults and children were more accurate if there was one nonletter component, and children were more accurate when the target was located at the local level. However, adults and children were faster if both levels were letters. The developmental path of low-level sensory factors may differ from that of high-level cognitive factors in visual processing, and a general mechanism may account for this.
Three Approaches to Grouping Procedures for the Education of Disadvantaged Primary School Children

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relative effects of three different grouping procedures (het erogeneous, homogeneous, and flexible) on the academic achievement of disadvantaged primary school children. All 260 pupils were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups taught by nine teachers. The conclusion from the 2-year study was that there were no differences in academic achievement attributable to the three different grouping patterns employed. EQUALITY OF educational opportunity is desirable but somewhat elusive when its target is the disadvantaged population in urban ghetto areas. There have been numerous methods pro posed to help equalize educational opportunities for youngsters of different racial and ethnic extraction. One such proposed method that has persisted with derivations is grouping homo geneously on the basis of academic abilities or aptitudes. Theoretically, this model should help to reduce the wide range of variability in average classes and permit teachers to work with groups of children more nearly equivalent in academic abilities. Opponents of this model are quick to point out that application of the homogeneous grouping principle has resulted in the concentra tion of Negro or disadvantaged children in a few classes within a school or district. Children placed in these classes in effect may be segregated socially as well as academically from other chil dren. A major issue which should be faced is whether or not academic gains occur as a result of homogeneous grouping, and, if so, are the gains great enough to justify social segregation of groups of disadvantaged youngsters. Review of Related Literature
Thermal microactuators for surface-micromachining processes

Microelectromechanical systems must include large-deflection actuators to create devices which can interact mechanically with their surroundings. Electrostatic actuators with large nonresonant motion require high voltages and large surface areas to produce useful forces. Large-deflection thermal actuators have been fabricated in electroplated metal processes, but the choice of materials is limited, and the high conductivity of metal means these devices need a high current to generate the required heat. Thus, there is a need for a low voltage actuator with a large nonresonant deflection which can be fabricated in integrated circuit compatible surface-micromachining processes. The device described in this paper has a simple, flexible, and reliable design which overcomes the limitations of other actuators. It is a low voltage, medium current thermal actuator which can be designed to move laterally in a controllable, nonresonant motion. Typical actuators are 200 micrometers long, 18 micrometers wide, and deflect 10 micrometers at the tip with a drive current of 5 mA at 5 volts. A wide range of layout geometries allows this type of actuator to be fabricated in any surface-micromachining process that includes a releasable, current-carrying layer. An empirical model is presented to describe the devices fabricate in a commercially available surface-micromachining process. Arrays of actuators were fabricated to test the effect of different device dimensions on maximum achievable deflection as a funciton of applied current. Actuators can be combined to produce more force and have been integrated with other micromechanical structures. Applications of these actuators include linear and rotating motors, compliant micromechanisms, latches, micro-relays, variable capacitators and tweezers.
180nm FRAM reliability demonstration with ten years data retention at 125°C

Reliability of a 2T-2C, 448kbit FRAM embedded within 180nm CMOS is presented. The results indicate a 10-year, 125°C data retention capability for this technology. Further, sufficient signal margin remains for sensing following 260°C Pb-free solder reflow step demonstrating that code data can be stored through the board-attach process. A new margin test approach, which enables depolarization effects to be quantified, has been developed. A model to estimate device fail rate based on array size, word length, error correction circuitry and bit error rate is also described.
Blocking ESCRT-mediated envelopment inhibits microtubule-dependent trafficking of alphaherpesviruses in vitro.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and, as reported here, pseudorabies virus (PRV) utilize the ESCRT apparatus to drive cytoplasmic envelopment of their capsids. Here, we demonstrate that blocking ESCRT-mediated envelopment using the dominant-negative inhibitor Vps4A-EQ (Vps4A in which glutamate [E] at position 228 in the ATPase active site is replaced by a glutamine [Q]) reduced the ability of HSV and PRV particles to subsequently traffic along microtubules in vitro. HSV and PRV capsid-associated particles with bound green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled Vps4A-EQ were readily detected by fluorescence microscopy in cytoplasmic extracts of infected cells. These Vps4A-EQ-associated capsid-containing particles bound to microtubules in vitro but were unable to traffic along them. Using a PRV strain expressing a fluorescent capsid and a fluorescently tagged form of the envelope protein gD, we found that similar numbers of gD-positive and gD-negative capsid-associated particles accumulated in cytoplasmic extracts under our conditions. Both classes of PRV particle bound to microtubules in vitro with comparable efficiency, and similar results were obtained for HSV using anti-gD immunostaining. The gD-positive and gD-negative PRV capsids were both capable of trafficking along microtubules in vitro; however, motile gD-positive particles were less numerous and their trafficking was more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of Vps4A-EQ. We discuss our data in the context of microtubule-mediated trafficking of naked and enveloped alphaherpesvirus capsids. IMPORTANCE The alphaherpesviruses include several important human pathogens. These viruses utilize microtubule-mediated transport to travel through the cell cytoplasm; however, the molecular mechanisms of trafficking are not well understood. In this study, we have used a cell-free system to examine the requirements for microtubule trafficking and have attempted to distinguish between the movement of so-called “naked” and membrane-associated cytoplasmic alphaherpesvirus capsids.
Possible Individuals in Language and Cognition

McKinnon, W., Weisse, C.S., Reynolds, C.P., Bowles, CA., & Baum, A. (1989). Chronic stress, leukocyte subpopulations, and humoral response to latent viruses. Health Psychology, 8, 389-402. Meyer, R.J., & Haggerty, R.J. (1962). Strepto coccal infections in families. Pediatrics, 29, 539 549. Rabin, B.S., Cohen, S., Ganguli, R., Lyle, D.T., & Cunnick, J.E. (1989). Bidirectional inter action between the central nervous system and immune system. CRC Critical Reviews in Immunol ogy, 9, 279-312. Stone, A.A., Bovbjerg, D.H., Neale, J.M., Napoli, A., Valdimarsdottir, H., Cox, D., Hay den, F.G., & Gwaltney, J.M. (1993). Development of common cold symptoms following experimen tal rhinovirus infection is related to prior stressful life events. Behavioral Medicine, 8, 115-120. Stone, A.A., Cox, D.S., Valdimarsdottir, H., Jandorf, L., & Neale, J.M. (1987). Evidence that secretory IgA antibody is associated with daily mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 988-993. Stone, A.A., Neale, J.M., Cox, D.S., Napoli, A., Valdimarsdottir, H., & Kennedy-Moore, E. (1994). Daily events are associated with a secre tory immune response to an oral antigen in men. Health Psychology, 13, 440-446.
Fibrous Filter Efficiency and Pressure Drop in the Viscous-Inertial Transition Flow Regime

Fibrous filter pressure drop and aerosol collection efficiency were measured at low air pressures (0.2–0.8 atm) and high face velocities (5–19 m/s) to give fiber Reynolds numbers lying in the viscous-inertial transition flow regime (1–15). In this regime, contemporary filtration theory based on Kuwabara's viscous flow through an ensemble of fibers underpredicts single fiber impaction by several orders of magnitude. Streamline curvature increases substantially as air stream inertial forces become significant. Dimensionless pressure drop measurements followed the viscous-inertial theory of Robinson and Franklin (1972) rather than Darcy's linear pressure–velocity relationship. Sodium chloride and iron nano-agglomerate aerosols were tested to provide a comparison between particles of dissimilar densities and shape factors. Total filter efficiency collapsed when plotted against the particle Stokes number and fiber Reynolds number. Efficiencies were then modeled with an impactor type equation where the cutpoint...
Pettenkofer chromogens in the maternal and fetal circulations: Anencephalic pregnancies, cesarean sectitions, and tentative identification of 3ß, 17ß-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-16-one in umbilical cord blood

Abstract The concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone and 16α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone in plasma samples obtained in the course of cesarean sections were similar in the left uterine and antecubital veins. The umbilical circulation of anencephalic fetuses contained subnormal amounts of both steroids. Evidence is also presented indicating that 3s, 17s-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-16-one is a companion of 16α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone in umbilical cord plasma.
Flash induced afterimage versus single spot visual object influence on visual–vestibular interaction in detection threshold for self-motion perception

Abstract In seven healthy subjects we studied the effect of flash induced afterimage on perceptual threshold for self-motion during sinusoidal vertical axis rotation compared to rotation in darkness, and rotation with subject’s gaze fixed on a ‘real’ visual object rotated with him. For a real object we used light-emitting diode (LED) aligned with subject’s head. A MOOG motion platform was used to generate motion. Single cycles of sinusoidal acceleration at four frequencies: 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1 Hz were used as motion stimuli. The results show that the threshold when subjects stare at an afterimage during rotation is consistently lower compared to rotation in darkness. However, compared to the threshold during rotation with a ‘real’ object visual fixation it is higher, significantly at frequencies 0.5 and 0.2 Hz (p The probable mechanism of afterimage influence on perceptual threshold for self-motion is discussed.
Work in progress — Exploiting high-altitude ballooning as a framework of ECE Senior Design projects

Senior Design is a challenging course for both students and the instructor and/or faculty advisors. To design the course that can create enjoyable learning environment and be effective in addressing the ABET criteria for student outcomes, we have adopted a high-altitude weather ballooning as the framework of projects for Senior Design. It is envisioned that the new framework better develops students' ability for teamwork and effective communication, as well as, encouraging them to apply appropriate technical knowledge acquired through their overall education in electrical and computer engineering. In this Work-in-Progress paper, we describe our approach to formulating design projects for a high-altitude weather ballooning system. From the progress so far, we have observed that the design of a complete weather ballooning system is suitable for 3 teams each of which consists of 3 or 4 students, and that further revisions and enhancements may be suitable for 1 or 2 teams of students in subsequent years.
Relational psychoanalytic treatment for young adult males

The clinical treatment of an adolescent young adult male is presented to both illustrate and operationalize the author's hypothesis that a new model of relational psychoanalytic treatment is likely to have beneficial effects, particularly among this population. The contention that males as young boys undergo a normative trauma of premature separation in our society, which is likely to give rise to underdiagnosed abandonment depressive syndromes in teenage boys, is argued. It is represented that psychotherapists attempting to diagnose and treat a wide rage of disorders in young males would do well to rethink their approach from this new perspective.
Discrepancies Between Youth and Mothers’ Perceptions of Their Mother–Child Relationship Quality and Self-Disclosure: Implications for Youth- and Mother-Reported Youth Adjustment

Recently, researchers have devoted greater attention to understanding how disagreement between mothers and their children regarding parent–child relationship quality and functioning impacts youth adjustment. While some view discrepancies as indices of developmentally appropriate individuation, discrepancies regarding family functioning also have been found to predict problematic youth functioning. This study examined the effects of mother–child discrepancies for mother–child relationship qualities and youth self-disclosure on youth- and mother-reported youth internalizing and externalizing adjustment. 232 fifth, eighth, and 11th grade youth (55 % female) and their mothers completed measures of mother–child relationship quality, youth self-disclosure, and youth internalizing and externalizing adjustment. For internalizing adjustment, few effects of discrepancy on adjustment were evident. Instead, informant-specific perceptions of mother–child relationship functioning were most relevant for informant-specific reports of youth adjustment. For youth externalizing adjustment, the magnitude of mother–child discrepancies for negative relationship quality and for youth self-disclosure predicted lower levels of problematic externalizing behavior from both the children’s and the mothers’ perspectives, which could indicate a lack of parent–child communication. Future research is needed to fully understand how discrepancies in negative or maladaptive aspects of mother–child relationships are formed (e.g., low disclosure), are understood by the members of the dyad, and contribute to the onset, maintenance, and treatment of problematic behavioral outcomes.
A review of recent results on diamond vacuum lateral field emission device operation in radiation environments

Abstract This paper describes the electrical characteristics of lateral field emission vacuum microelectronic devices comprised of nanodiamond in two terminal (diode) and three terminal (transistor) cathode–gate–anode configuration and their resistance to failure in severe radiation conditions that would shut down conventional solid state electronics. This is the first published data on radiation tolerance of three terminal diamond vacuum lateral field emission devices. No changes in device structure or electrical behavior were observed after exposure to high levels of X-ray or neutron radiation.
Activation of p53 in Human and Murine Cells by DNA-Damaging Agents Differentially Regulates Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Levels

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates multiple cellular processes. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) can activate AhR-mediated transcription of target genes. Because DOX in cells activates a DNA damage response involving ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-mediated activation of p53, we investigated whether the activation of the p53 in cells by DNA-damaging agents such as DOX or bleomycin could regulate the AhR levels. Here we report that activation of p53 by DNA-damaging agents in human cells increased levels of AhR through a posttranscriptional mechanism. Accordingly, fibroblasts from ATM patients, which are defective in p53 activation, expressed reduced constitutive levels of AhR and treatment of cells with bleomycin did not appreciably increase the AhR levels. Further, activation of p53 in cells stimulated the expression of AhR target genes. In murine cells, activation of p53 reduced the levels of AhR messenger RNA and protein and reduced the expression of AhR target genes. Our observations revealed that activation of p53 in human and murine cells differentially regulates AhR levels.
The power of paired sample tests

The power of the component randomization test for the paired sample location test is compared to the power of the parametric test for paired comparisons using the sum of differences distribution. This analysis is presented in the form of operating characteristic curves for normal, exponential, uniform and absolute lambda observations over a range of small sample sizes.
Bandura goes outdoors: Role of self‐efficacy in the outdoor leadership development process

The foci of this study are the benefits of participation in outdoor leadership programs and the factors that contribute to continued participation in outdoor leadership development activities. Study objectives were to a) assess the short‐ and long‐term effects of outdoor leadership programs on self‐efficacy and b) propose and evaluate a path model of self‐efficacy and continued participation in outdoor leadership development activities. A quasi‐experimental design was employed. Major findings include a significant effect of the treatment (i.e., the outdoor programs) on both immediate and long‐term self‐efficacy. The full path model was not significant. However, a post hoc division of the path model by gender revealed distinct processes for men and women. Implications for further theoretical development based on path analysis and improvements in outdoor education programs are discussed.
Self-Consistent and Time-Dependent Solar Wind Models

We describe the first results from a self-consistent study of Alfven waves for the time-dependent, single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) solar wind equations, using a modified version of the ZEUS MHD code. The wind models we examine are radially symmetrical and magnetized; the initial outflow is described by the standard Parker wind solution. Our study focuses on the effects of Alfven waves on the outflow and is based on solving the full set of the ideal nonlinear MHD equations. In contrast to previous studies, no assumptions regarding wave linearity, wave damping, and wave-flow interaction are made; thus, the models naturally account for the back-reaction of the wind on the waves, as well as for the nonlinear interaction between different types of MHD waves. Our results clearly demonstrate when momentum deposition by Alfven waves in the solar wind can be sufficient to explain the origin of fast streams in solar coronal holes; we discuss the range of wave amplitudes required to obtained such fast stream solutions.
Liquids and solidus isotherms in the lead-indium-tin system

Abstract The liquidus and solidus temperatures have been determined for the PbIn region of the Pb-In-Sn system. The results agree closely with Campbell et al. where the areas of investigation overlap. The solidus temperature of the binary PbIn solid solution region was determined and agress closely with the results of Heumann and Predel.
The effect of micellar lifetime on the rate of solubilization and detergency in sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions

The slow relaxation time (τ2) of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles, measured by the pressure-jump technique, was maximum at 200 mM concentration at 25°C, indicating that the most stable micelles are formed at this concentration. This is presumably related to the optimum molecular packing in the micelle. The rate of solubilization of benzene and Orange OT dye into SDS solutions was also maximum at 200 mM concentration. The results are explained as follows: The distance between micelles (i.e., intermicellar distance) decreases as the surfactant concentration (or the number of micelles) increases, resulting in a stronger electric repulsion between micelles. Therefore, the micelles become more rigid, due to the compressive force of intermicellar repulsion, as the concentration increases up to 200 mM SDS. With further increase in the SDS concentration, the micellar shape changes from spherical to cylindrical to accommodate more surfactant molecules in the solution and to minimize the free energy of the system. The interior of the tightly packed micelles is more hydrophobic than that of loosely packed micelles and, therefore, the tightly packed micelles induce rapid solubilization of nonpolar molecules (e.g., benzene, Orange OT) into these micelles.
Changes in the quality of fresh-cut Jicama in relation to storage temperatures and controlled atmospheres

: Intact jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) roots are chilling sensitive, but quality of fresh-cut pieces (1.8 × 4.5 cm cylinders) was best maintained at low storage temperatures (0 to 5 °C). Respiration rates of different piece sizes were similar, and averaged 2, 7 and 10 μL CO2-g −1h−1 at 0 °C, 5 °C and 10 °C, respectively. Storage in air at 5 °C to 10 °C resulted in surface browning and was associated with increases in phenolics and phenylalanine ammonia lyase and polyphenol oxidase activities. High CO2 atmospheres (5 to 10%) at 5 °C were very effective in retarding microbial growth and discoloration. The source of jicama root notably affected the quality and shelf-life of the fresh-cut pieces. Fresh-cut pieces from stored roots (2 wk at 19 to 22 °C) had lower visual quality and crispness during subsequent storage than did pieces from recently harvested roots.
An Alcohol Attitude Scale for Teenagers: A Short Form

ABSTRACT: Lack of valid measurement remains a major obstacle in research and evaluation of health education programs. An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers developed by the author was found to be a valid tool for researchers. However, because of the length of the scale, it was not a feasible device for practitioners in health education. In this study, a shorter form of the scale was developed. An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers, composed of 54 Likert-type items, was reduced to produce a short form. Stepwise discriminant function analysis of the data identified 19 items that were the greatest discriminators between heavy drinking and nondrinking teen-agers. For the purpose of cross-validation, the short form of 19 items was administered to a representative sample of more than 1,250 teen-agers in several midwest school districts. The collected data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods for providing evidence of validity and reliability of the short form. Results demonstrated highly significant levels of internal consistency and discriminating power of items and the total scale. The short form of the attitude scale for teen-agers was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for use as an alternative to the longer alcohol attitude scale from which it was derived.
A new genetic linkage map of tomato based on a Solanum lycopersicum × S. pimpinellifolium RIL population displaying locations of candidate pathogen response genes.

The narrow genetic base of the cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., necessitates introgression of new variation from related species. Wild tomato species represent a rich source of useful ge...
Impact of performance considerations on formal specification design

Different client applications of a given functional behaviour usually have different performance requirements. Designing a formal interface specification of the functional behaviour to allow for alternative implementations, and hence, to be suitable for clients with varying performance requirements, is a challenging task. The specifier must consider ramifications of alternative designs on performance to produce a truly implementation-neutral (and hence, performance-neutral) functionality specification. This paper illustrates the influence of performance-both duration and capacity -- considerations using a case study in object-based software specification. When these considerations are combined with concerns for comprehensibility and full abstraction, specifications that result that are arguably among the most desirable.
Torsade de pointes with an antihistamine metabolite: potassium channel blockade with desmethylastemizole.

Abstract Objectives. Proarrhythmic effects have been observed with the selective histamine1 (H1) receptor antagonist drug astemizole, a widely prescribed antihistamine. The metabolites of astemizole and those of other antihistamine compounds have not been implicated as causative agents of cardiac arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to examine whether desmethylastemizole, the principal metabolite of astemizole, blocks delayed rectifier potassium (K+) channels. Background. QT interval prolongation and torsade de pointes are associated with astemizole intake and have been ascribed to block the repolarizing K+ currents, specifically the rapidly activating component of the delayed rectifier iKr. Astemizole undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism, and its dominant metabolite, desmethylastemizole, has a markedly prolonged elimination time. We report the clinical observation of QT prolongation and torsade de pointes in a patient with undetectable serum concentrations of astemizole ( Methods. The perforated patch clamp recording technique was used to study the effects of desmethylastemizole (20 nmol/liter) on action potentials and iKr in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes. Results. Desmethylastemizole produced action potential prolongation and the induction of plateau early afterdepolarizations. Under voltage clamp conditions, desmethylastemizole suppressed iKr amplitude by ≈65%. The drug E-4031 (100 nmol/liter), which selectively blocks iKr, had a similar effect on current amplitude. Conclusions. Desmethylastemizole, the major astemizole metabolite, blocks the repolarizing K+ current iKr with high affinity. The clinical observation of QT prolongation and torsade de pointes found with astemizole intake may principally be caused by the proarrhythmic effects of its metabolite desmethylastemizole.
Games in Instruction Leading to Environmentally Responsible Behavior

Abstract Instructional games designed so that units relating to the environmental topics of wetlands, pollution, endangered species, population, energy, and individual effects on the environment can be taught were the focus of this study. Two hundred ninety-five midwestern fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students were pre- and posttested with an instrument by Horvat and Voelker (1976) to determine changes in environmentally responsible behavior. Significant results were found between male and female students and between students who played four of the games and those who did not play those games.
Gravo-thermodynamics of the intracluster medium: Negative heat capacity and dilation of cooling time scales

Abstract The time scale for cooling of the gravitationally bound gaseous intracluster medium (ICM) is not determined by radiative processes alone. If the ICM is in quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium in the fixed gravitational field of the dark matter halo then energy losses incurred by the gravitational potential energy of the gas should also be taken into account. This “gravitational heating” has been known for a while using explicit solutions to the equations of motion. Here, we re-visit this effect by applying the virial theorem to gas in quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium in an external gravitational field, neglecting the gravity of the gas. For a standard NFW form of halo profiles and for a finite gas density, the response of the gas temperature to changes in the total energy is significantly delayed. The effective cooling time could be prolonged by more than an order of magnitude inside the scale radius ( r s ) of the halo. Gas lying at a distance twice the scale radius, has negative heat capacity so that the temperature increases as a result of energy losses. Although external heating (e.g. by AGN activity) is still required to explain the lack of cool ICM near the center, the analysis here may circumvent the need for heating in farther out regions where the effective cooling time could be prolonged to become larger than the cluster age and also explains the increase of temperature with radius in these regions.
Should Health Care Providers be Accountable for Patients’ Care Experiences?

Measures of patients’ care experiences are increasingly used as quality measures in accountability initiatives. As the prominence and financial impact of patient experience measures have increased, so too have concerns about the relevance and fairness of including them as indicators of health care quality. Using evidence from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) surveys, the most widely used patient experience measures in the United States, we address seven common critiques of patient experience measures: (1) consumers do not have the expertise needed to evaluate care quality; (2) patient “satisfaction” is subjective and thus not valid or actionable; (3) increasing emphasis on improving patient experiences encourages health care providers and plans to fulfill patient desires, leading to care that is inappropriate, ineffective, and/or inefficient; (4) there is a trade-off between providing good patient experiences and providing high-quality clinical care; (5) patient scores cannot be fairly compared across health care providers or plans due to factors beyond providers’ control; (6) response rates to patient experience surveys are low, or responses reflect only patients with extreme experiences; and (7) there are faster, cheaper, and more customized ways to survey patients than the standardized approaches mandated by federal accountability initiatives.
Patterns and processes in insular floras affected by hurricanes

Aim To investigate species compositions, rates of species turnover, species–area and species–distance relationships and patterns of nestedness in the floras of small Bahamian islands, by comparing two groups of islands that had been differentially affected by two hurricanes. Location Small islands occurring on either side of Great Exuma near Georgetown, Bahamas. Methods We surveyed the plant species of 44 small islands over a 5-year period from 1998 to 2002. Hurricanes Lili and Michelle occurred in 1996 and 2001, respectively; both storms affected small islands on the more exposed south-west side of Great Exuma to a greater degree than small islands on the more protected north-east side. A set of 27 islands was surveyed in 1998 and 2002 to evaluate species turnover. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses and an information-theoretic approach (the Akaike information criterion) were used to elucidate the importance of area and distance as predictors of plant species number. We compared a piecewise linear regression model with a simple linear regression of species number against area to determine whether a small island effect existed. Nestedness patterns were evaluated by Wilcoxon two-sample tests to analyse occurrence sequences. Results Species turnover was low in an absolute sense (overall = 0.74% year−1), yet was over three times higher than that documented in a nearby archipelago in the absence of hurricanes. Both vegetated area and distance were important predictor variables for exposed islands but not for protected islands. Some support was found for a small island effect for the exposed islands based on a piecewise linear regression model. Both island groups revealed significant nestedness at the level of the assemblage (both P < 0.001). On exposed islands, 65–79% (depending upon the method of calculation) of all species were significantly nested, but only 47% of all species were significantly nested on protected islands. Main conclusions Overall, these insular floras seem highly resistant to hurricane-force disturbances. Species turnover was low (< 1% year−1) in an absolute sense, particularly in comparison with rates for other taxa. Higher degrees of nestedness and significant species–area and species–distance relationships for exposed islands indicated stronger patterns of community assembly. It is likely that disturbance is a major structuring force for the exposed islands, although the type of disturbances that mediate these patterns may not be primarily hurricane-force storms.
Hydroxyapatite/diamondlike carbon nanocomposites : A novel surface modification to extend orthopaedic prosthesis lifetimes

Conventional plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings suffer from many difficulties that have limited their use in orthopaedic implants, including uneven resorption rates, poor fracture toughness, and poor adhesion to medical alloys. The placement of a diamondlike carbon buffer layer may overcome these obstacles by providing unique chemical inertness, hardness, and cell-interaction properties at the implant–tissue interface. Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and amorphous diamondlike carbon films were prepared by room-temperature pulsed-laser deposition of hydroxyapatite and graphite targets, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and microscratch adhesion testing were used to determine surface morphology, interfacial structure, and adhesion of the bilayer coatings. Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite/diamondlike carbon coatings have several potential orthopaedic applications, including use in hip prostheses.
Buoyancy-driven flows of a radiatively participating fluid in a vertical cylinder heated from below

The effect of radiative energy transport on the onset and evolution of natural convective flows is studied in a Rayleigh-Benard system. Steady, axisymmetric flows of a radiatively participating fluid contained in a rigid-walled, vertical cylinder which is heated on the base, cooled on top, and insulated on the side wall are calculated by using the Galerkin FEM. Bifurcation analysis techniques are used to investigate the changes in the flow structure due to internal radiation. The results of this two-parameter study - where the Rayleigh number, Ra and optical thickness, tau, are varied - apply to fluids ranging from opaque to nearly transparent with respect to IR radiation. For any nonopaque fluid, internal radiation eliminates the static state that without radiation, exists for all values of the Rayleigh number. This heat transfer mechanism also destroys a symmetry of the system that relates clockwise and counterclockwise flows. The connectivity between characteristic flow families and the range of Ra where families are stable are found to depend greatly on tau. Results demonstrate the inadequacy of characterizing the behavior of this system using simple notions of radiative transfer in optically thick or thin media; the nonlinear interaction of radiation and flow are far more complicated than these asymptotic limits would imply.
Clinically relevant improvement of recurrence-free survival with 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence diagnosis in patients with superficial bladder tumors.

Purposes: Fluorescence diagnosis induced by 5-aminolevulinic acid enables more thorough transurethral resection of superficial bladder carcinoma compared with conventional white light. We performed a prospective, single institution, randomized trial to investigate whether the residual tumor rate and long-term tumor recurrence can be decreased by fluorescence diagnosis.Materials and Methods: A total of 301 patients underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors with white light or fluorescence diagnosis. Transurethral resection was repeated 5 to 6 weeks later to evaluate the residual tumor rate. To determine recurrence-free survival patient followup was performed every 3 months by white light cystoscopy and urine cytology. Recurrence-free survival was analyzed via Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression analysis.Results: A total of 191 patients with superficial bladder carcinoma were available for efficacy analysis. The residual tumor rate was 25.2% in the white light arm versus 4.5% in ...
Scene Parsing by Integrating Function, Geometry and Appearance Models

Indoor functional objects exhibit large view and appearance variations, thus are difficult to be recognized by the traditional appearance-based classification paradigm. In this paper, we present an algorithm to parse indoor images based on two observations: i) The functionality is the most essential property to define an indoor object, e.g. "a chair to sit on", ii) The geometry (3D shape) of an object is designed to serve its function. We formulate the nature of the object function into a stochastic grammar model. This model characterizes a joint distribution over the function-geometry-appearance (FGA) hierarchy. The hierarchical structure includes a scene category, functional groups, functional objects, functional parts and 3D geometric shapes. We use a simulated annealing MCMC algorithm to find the maximum a posteriori (MAP) solution, i.e. a parse tree. We design four data-driven steps to accelerate the search in the FGA space: i) group the line segments into 3D primitive shapes, ii) assign functional labels to these 3D primitive shapes, iii) fill in missing objects/parts according to the functional labels, and iv) synthesize 2D segmentation maps and verify the current parse tree by the Metropolis-Hastings acceptance probability. The experimental results on several challenging indoor datasets demonstrate the proposed approach not only significantly widens the scope of indoor scene parsing algorithm from the segmentation and the 3D recovery to the functional object recognition, but also yields improved overall performance.
Cognitive factors in the concurrent differential conditioning of eyelid and skin conductance responses.

The objectives of the study were to (1) determine if differential conditioning of eyelid responses ocurs only among subjects who accurately report knowledge of the CS-UCS relations, (2) assess whether differentially conditioned eyelid responding occurs only after the initial accurate interrial report, and (3) explore characteristics of differentially conditioned skin conductance responses (SCRs) obtained in an eyelid conditioning paradigm, with special attention to whether eyelid and SCR conditioning are similarly related to the subjects’ knowledge of the stimulus relations. Fifty-one male subjects were administered 80 differential eyelid conditioning trials, the CSs consisting of the 1,200-msec illumination of slides containing either grammatically correct or grammatically incorrect phrases. Significant differential SCR and eyelid conditioning was obtained for both V- and C-form eyelid responders, but only for subjects who accurately reported the CS-UCS relations. The initial appearance of SCR and eyelid differentiation was related within the trial sequence to subjects’ recognition of the stimulus relations. Eyelid and SCR conditioning were related similarly to knowledge of the stimulus relations, the exception being that subjects who recognized the stimulus relations late in the trial sequence did not develop reliable eyelid differentiation.
Representing software systems architectures

As software systems architectural practice moves from the informal to the disciplined, a key challenge is architectural description. Despite substantial on-going work in “architecture description languages,” we have found that existing languages are not rich enough to handle the software systems engineering concerns needed to specify and procure large Command and Control(C) or other defense information systems. This position paper articulates requirements on architectural description in-the-large, reviews the limitations of current architecture description languages (ADLs) and outlines work in progress toward a framework for architectural description meeting these requirements.
Metal nanoparticle arrays for near field optical lithography

We have recently proposed a new approach to optical lithography that could be used to replicate arrays of metal nanoparticles using broad beam illumination with visible light and standard photoresist. The method relies on resonant excitation of the surface plasmon oscillation in the nanoparticles. When excited at the surface plasmon frequency, a resonantly enhanced dipole field builds up around the nanoparticles. This dipole field is used to locally expose a thin layer of photoresist, generating a replica of the original pattern in the resist. Silver nanoparticles on photoresist can be resonantly excited at wavelengths ranging from 410 nm to 460 nm, allowing for resonantly enhanced exposure of standard g-line photoresist. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations of isolated silver particles on a thin resist layer show that broad beam illumination with p-polarized light at a wavelength of 439 nm can produce features as small as 30 nm, or λ/14. Depending on exposure time lateral spot sizes ranging from 30 to 80 nm with exposure depths ranging from 12 to 45 nm can be achieved. We discuss the effect of particle-particle interactions in the replica formation process. Experiments on low areal density Ag nanoparticle arrays are discussed. Resist layers (thickness 75 nm) in contact with 40 nm Ag nanoparticles were exposed using 410 nm light and were subsequently developed. Atomic Force Microscopy on these samples reveals nanoscale depressions in the resist, providing evidence for plasmon-enhanced resist exposure.
Gaussian beam displacement sensor for monitoring interstory drift in smart buildings

A method for measuring lateral displacements in structures is proposed based on the motion of a Gaussian optical beam. A sensor is designed and constructed using the free space output of a single mode optical fiber, which well approximates the Gaussian intensity distribution, and is tested in both quasi-static and dynamic displacement modes. Good agreement between the experimental data and the predicted output is obtained for small displacements of the size expected in real buildings. It is envisioned that this sensor could serve as the input to an active control system used to stabilize smart buildings experiencing earthquake and wind loads.
Atomic Beam Measurement of the Potassium 39-41-42 Isotope Shift

The isotope shifts of $^{41}\mathrm{K}$ and 12.4-h $^{42}\mathrm{K}$ relative to $^{39}\mathrm{K}$ were studied in the ${D}_{1}$ line ($4^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$) 7699 \AA{} by the atomic beam method and found to be +7.4 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.3 and + 16 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 4, respectively, in units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Modeling fluctuations in the threshold voltage and ON-current and threshold voltage fluctuation due to random telegraph noise

We investigate the influence of two traps in close proximity within one nanometer located at the semiconductor/oxide interface (positioned in the middle of the gate width and moved from the source end to the drain end of the channel) on the threshold voltage and the ON-current variation. We find that when one of the traps is located at the source end of the channel, the threshold voltage and the magnitude of the drain current are dominated by the potential barrier created by the negatively charged trap. When the trap is positioned at the drain-end of the channel, the barrier effect is smaller and screening (for small drain bias) and the absence of screening (at large drain bias due to the presence of the pinch-off region) determine whether current will be degraded or not.
Effects of frictional and anisotropic collision on the constitutive relations for a simple shear flow of spheres

Abstract An extension of a previous analysis for shearing flow of disks is presented. Constitutive relations are derived for a simple shear flow of spheres. Binary collision is assumed to be the dominant stress generating mechanism. The frictional forces between colliding spheres are modeled in detail. The anisotropy of collision on the surface of a sphere is quantified. This anisotropy is caused by the mean shearing motion, which favors collision on the upstream face of the flowing spheres. The singularity which existed in previous calculations of the stress state is removed. The singularity is removed as a result of the correct modeling of frictional collision. The magnitude of stresses is also increased due to the consideration of anisotropy.