cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competition between singlet fission and charge separation in solution-processed blend films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene with sterically-encumbered perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide)s

The photophysics and morphology of thin films of N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (1) and the 1,7-diphenyl (2) and 1,7-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl) (3) derivatives blended with 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-Pn) were studied for their potential use as photoactive layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Increasing the steric bulk of the 1,7-substituents of the perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) impedes aggregation in the solid state. Film characterization data using both atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that decreasing the PDI aggregation by increasing the steric bulk in the order 1 < 2 < 3 correlates with a decrease in the density/size of crystalline TIPS-Pn domains. Transient absorption spectroscopy was performed on ∼100 nm solution-processed TIPS-Pn:PDI blend films to characterize the charge separation dynamics. These results showed that selective excitation of the TIPS-Pn results in competition between ultrafast sing...
Menu organization through block clustering

Abstract Block Clustering is proposed as a method to derive the semantic relationships among entities that comprise application programs, operating system environments or programming environments. The procedure was derived from the literature on clustering in the biological sciences. The advantages of the procedure are that it relies on information obtained from design specifications, eliminating difficulties associated with designing through “expert” opinion, and allowing the procedure to be implemented early in the design of a system. Also the procedure works well with systems possessing a small or a large number of entities. Two cases studies of the Block Clustering method are presented for two different fourth generation programming languages. Specificially the 37 HyperTalk 1.5 properties were block clustered and found to have six menu topics. Also the 98 SuperTalk 1.5 properties were Block Clustered and found to have 11 menu topics. The results illustrate the utility of Block Clustering analysis for both small and large systems.
Distributed Reproducible Research Using Cached Computations

The ability to make scientific findings reproducible is increasingly important. The authors describe a simple framework in which scientists can perform and distribute reproducible research via cached computations. This article describes a prototype implementation as well as a case study application.
The Direct-Acting Generator Voltage Regulator

The principal factors involved in the design and application of direct-acting voltage regulators and their relations to each other are discussed in this paper. The mathematical method used for deriving these relations is outlined. Definite conclusions are drawn concerning proper operation and design of this type of regulator.
Abstract 4597: Chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of blueberry and black raspberry against lung cancer using mouse models

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Berries, particularly blueberry (BB), black raspberry (BRB), are gaining increased attention for their chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities and have been tested in limited clinical studies with mixed results. Previous studies with strawberry and BRB failed to elicit protection against NNK/PAH-induced lung carcinogenicity in the A/J mice (the Stoner studies). However, a low dose of a mixture of different berries (BB, BRB, blackberry, and strawberry) elicited modest inhibition of cigarette smoke-mediated lung carcinogenicity in our study. In this study we investigated chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities of BB and BRB using two different animal models: To determine the DNA adduct-inhibiting potential female A/J mice were provided AIN-93M diet or diets supplemented with lyophilized powder of BB or BRB (5% each, w/w) and then challenged with continuous low doses of dibenzo-[a,l]pyrene (DBP) by subcutaneous polymeric implants (two, 20 mm long, 1.4 mm dia; DBP load 5%). Three weeks later animals were euthanized and the target tissue (lung) DNA was analyzed by 32P-postlabeling assay. The DNA adduct burden (as adducts/109 nucleotides) in animals receiving the BB (67 ± 16), BRB (68 ± 9) diets was found to be unaffected compared with control diet (54 ± 17), indicating that the berry bioactives were ineffective against the DNA adduct-forming ability of DBP under the conditions used. To determine the chemotherapeutic potential, female nude mice received AIN-93M (control) diet or diet supplemented with a mixture of BB and BRB (2:1) and 4 days later inoculated with human lung cancer A549 cells (3×106 cells). Four weeks into the ongoing study, the berry diet has shown significant (nearly 60%) inhibition of the lung tumor xenograft (186 ± 117 versus 79 ± 47). The anti-tumor activity elicited by the berry diet in xenograft model is consistent with the anti-tumor activity of anthocyanidins reported by us in cell culture and nude mice (Kausar et al. AACR 51: 1884, 2010). In conclusion, our data suggest that the anti-lung cancer potential of the berries may be associated with mechanisms other than inhibition of carcinogen-induced DNA adducts. (Supported from CA-118114, KLCRP and Agnes Brown Duggan Endowment). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4597. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4597
Effect of methylcellulose admixture on the mechanical properties of cement

Methylcellulose addition (0.2--0.8% by weight of cement) to cement paste was found to increase the tensile strength by up to 72%, increase the tensile ductility by up to 620%, decrease the tensile modulus by up to 57%, decrease the compressive strength by up to 30%, decrease the compressive ductility by up to 34%, increase the compressive modulus by up to 17%, and decrease the apparent coefficient of thermal expansion (390 Pa, 30--35{degree}) from 10 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} down to {minus}4 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}C{sup {minus}1}. All effects increased with increasing methylcellulose content.
A randomized comparison of ketamine versus methohexital anesthesia in electroconvulsive therapy

To assess the clinical utility of ketamine as an anesthetic agent for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), based upon recent findings that ketamine may have antidepressant properties. Depressed ECT patients were randomly assigned to receive anesthesia with either ketamine or methohexital. Outcome measures included assessments of depressive severity, cognition, post-anesthesia side effects, and hemodynamics. Twenty one patients were treated with ketamine and 17 with methohexital. There were no significant differences in depression or cognitive outcomes between the two drugs. Additionally, there were no measures of post-anesthesia tolerability or hemodynamics which favored ketamine. Ketamine anesthesia does not accelerate the antidepressant effect of ECT or diminish the cognitive side effects, at least as measured in this study. Furthermore, there is no apparent benefit of ketamine for speed or quality of post-ECT recovery, and it is associated with higher systolic blood pressures after the treatments. Ketamine is associated with longer motor seizure duration than methohexital.
Degradation of chromosomal proteins during dissociation and reconstitution of chromatin.

Abstract Histones and nonhistone chromosomal proteins are degraded when chromatin is exposed to 2 M NaCl-5 M urea (pH 6–8) which has been most often used for disscciation and reconstitution of chromatin. Histones and nonhistone proteins are also degraded in 5 M urea (pH 6–8).
Role of Spike Protein Endodomains in Regulating Coronavirus Entry

Enveloped viruses enter cells by viral glycoprotein-mediated binding to host cells and subsequent fusion of virus and host cell membranes. For the coronaviruses, viral spike (S) proteins execute these cell entry functions. The S proteins are set apart from other viral and cellular membrane fusion proteins by their extensively palmitoylated membrane-associated tails. Palmitate adducts are generally required for protein-mediated fusions, but their precise roles in the process are unclear. To obtain additional insights into the S-mediated membrane fusion process, we focused on these acylated carboxyl-terminal intravirion tails. Substituting alanines for the cysteines that are subject to palmitoylation had effects on both S incorporation into virions and S-mediated membrane fusions. In specifically dissecting the effects of endodomain mutations on the fusion process, we used antiviral heptad repeat peptides that bind only to folding intermediates in the S-mediated fusion process and found that mutants lacking three palmitoylated cysteines remained in transitional folding states nearly 10 times longer than native S proteins. This slower refolding was also reflected in the paucity of postfusion six-helix bundle configurations among the mutant S proteins. Viruses with fewer palmitoylated S protein cysteines entered cells slowly and had reduced specific infectivities. These findings indicate that lipid adducts anchoring S proteins into virus membranes are necessary for the rapid, productive S protein refolding events that culminate in membrane fusions. These studies reveal a previously unappreciated role for covalently attached lipids on the endodomains of viral proteins eliciting membrane fusion reactions.
Variations on the Notch pathway in neural development

Notch signaling allows cells in contact to adopt different fates. Regulation of the Notch pathway allows for the same signaling mechanism to be used in a wide variety of contexts during development. Intracellular activities of the E3 ubiquitin ligases Sel-10 and Neuralized involve proteasome-dependent degradation in the regulation of Notch pathway activity. Extracellular manipulations of Notch by Fringe and Scabrous regulate the pathway by changing Notch interactions outside the cell. These regulatory mechanisms, along with many others, affect how Notch signaling activity influences cell fate determination.
Functional effects of antipsychotic drugs: comparing clozapine with haloperidol.

Abstract Background Using positron emission tomography (PET) with 15 O water, we compared regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) patterns induced by clozapine or haloperidol in individuals with schizophrenia. Based on the known clinical characteristics of each drug, we hypothesized that brain regions where the drugs show similar rCBF patterns are among those mediating their antipsychotic actions; whereas, regions where the drugs produce different rCBF patterns are among those mediating their different drug actions, namely, haloperidol's motor side effects or clozapine's unique therapeutic action. Methods Persons with schizophrenia were scanned using PET with 15 O water, first after withdrawal of all psychotropic medication ( n = 6), then again after treatment with therapeutic doses of haloperidol ( n = 5) or clozapine ( n = 5). Results Both drugs increased rCBF in the ventral striatum and decreased rCBF in hippocampus and ventrolateral frontal cortex. The rCBF increase associated with haloperidol was greater than that with clozapine in the dorsal and ventral striatum; the rCBF increase with clozapine was greater than that with haloperidol in cortical regions, including anterior cingulate and dorsolateral frontal cortex. Conclusions These data suggest that the rCBF increase in ventral striatum and/or the decrease in hippocampus and/or ventrolateral frontal cortex mediate a common component of antipsychotic action of these drugs. The increased rCBF in dorsal striatum by haloperidol could well be associated with its prominent motor side effects, whereas the increased rCBF in the anterior cingulate or dorsolateral frontal cortex may mediate the superior antipsychotic action of clozapine. The proposals based on these preliminary observations require further study.
Reliability of axonal propagation: The spike doesn't stop here

Neurons in the central nervous system are characterized by complex axonal arborization patterns. For example, the principal neurons of the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cells, send axonal projections locally and distally to both cortical and subcortical targets (1), to ultimately communicate with other neurons through thousands of synaptic terminals. The axon normally is considered a very reliable transmission line in which active and stable propagation of signals occurs. The currency of neuronal communication, the action potential (AP), is initiated at or near the soma (Fig. 1). Then, through active processes involving voltage-gated ion channels, the AP propagates down the axon throughout the branched structure of its arbor. However, the necessary branching of axons, which is required for efficient divergent output, puts an undue strain on the transmission line (see ref. 2 for a comprehensive review). Further, the safety factor for transmission of APs can be dynamically reduced when electrical conditions in the vicinity of the axon are not perfect, and propagation failures will occur. Figure 1 Output signals from neurons must follow a circuitous and sometimes insecure path. The soma and dendrites (blue) of neurons receive synaptic input, integrate the resulting electrical signals, and generate action potential (AP) output. APs then actively propagate down the axon (red) and its branches to reach multiple synaptic terminals and thereby to communicate with other neurons. Axons can be highly branched and have complicated bifurcations with membrane inhomogeneities such as swellings and incompatibilities between mother and daughter diameters. Reliability of propagation will be altered at each of these inhomogeneities (see text). Will the initiated AP faithfully propagate to all its branches? This will depend on both the active electrical properties of the axon and its geometry. Either complete or selective block at different daughter branches may occur, and regulation of propagation has interesting implications for routing …
Functionality of milk proteins and corn germ protein flour in comminuted meat products

Effects of corn germ protein flour (CGPF), nonfat dry milk (NFDM), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and sodium caseinate (SC) on quality characteristics of comminuted meat products were studied. Water holding capacity (WHC) was lowest and cooking loss was highest for the control formulation, whereas formulations extended with CGPF and milk proteins were higher in WHC and lower in cooking losses. Shear force and firmness increased as extenders were added, except WPC. All frankfurters with extenders were firmer than the control, except those extended with WPC. Hue angle was highest for samples with CGPF, while no differences were found in hue angle between control and milk proteins containing samples, except samples with WPC. Frankfurters with CGPF and SC add had a stronger atypical aroma than the control. Meaty aroma score was higher for the control than for the other products, except those with WPC. Meaty flavor score was higher for the control than for all other products. The product with CGPF added had a stronger atypical flavor than the control. Frankfurters containing extenders were not as juicy as the all-meat control.
Ozone in dairy chilling water systems: effect on metal materials

The use of pulsed ozone as a disinfecting agent in chilling water systems will be feasible only if components of the systems are not adversely affected. Pulsing ozone into water at room temperature for 20 minutes per day for 7 days caused greater weight loss of aluminium, carbon steel, copper, 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel samples than control samples; however, only weight loss for carbon steel was significantly greater (a = .05). Severe pitting was noted on ozone treated copper samples when observed by scanning electron microscopy. Black striations were observed on ozone treated carbon steel surfaces.
Power Grid System Design Optimization Considering Renewable Energy Strategies and Environmental Impact

The North American power grid is a highly heterogeneous and dispersed complex system that has been constructed ad-hoc over the past century. Large-scale propagating system failures remain constant over the past 30 years as the rising population and affiliated energy centric culture continues to drive increases in energy demand. In addition, there are continued negative effects from various types of energy generation strategies, including renewables, on the environment. This paper presents a methodology for a high-level system optimization of a power grid capturing annual cost, energy use, and environmental impact for use during the early design trade studies. A model has been created to explore the system state of a power grid based on various types of energy generation, including both fossil fuel and renewable strategies. In addition, energy conservation practices for commercial and residential applications are explored as an alternative solution to meet predicted demand. A component for incorporating design trades within the model has been developed to analyze the feasibility of trading surplus energy between interconnections as a means to address issues with excess generation and mitigate the need for additional generation. The result is a set of Pareto Optimal solutions considering both cost and environmental impact that meet predicted energy demand constraints.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
EXOTIC WEED INVASION INCREASES THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NATIVE PLANTS TO ATTACK BY A BIOCONTROL HERBIVORE

Landscape change has great, yet infrequently measured, potential to influence the susceptibility of natural systems to invasive species impacts. We quantified attack by an invasive biological control weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) on native thistles in relation to two types of landscape change: agricultural intensification and invasion by an exotic thistle, Carduus nutans, the original target of biological control. Weevil egg load was measured on native thistles in three landscape types: (1) agriculture dominated, (2) grassland dominated with exotic thistles, and, (3) grassland dominated without exotic thistles. We found no difference in egg load on native thistles within grassland landscapes without exotic thistles vs. within agricultural landscapes, suggesting that agricultural intensification per se does not influence levels of weevil attack. However, attack on the native Cirsium undulatum increased significantly (three- to fivefold) with increasing exotic thistle density. Within-patch exotic thistle density explained >50% of the variation in both the intensity and frequency of weevil attack. Since R. conicus feeding dramatically reduces seed production, exotic thistles likely exert a negative indirect effect on native thistles. This study provides some of the first empirical evidence that invasion by an exotic plant can increase attack of native plants by shared insect herbivores.
Frequency domain analysis of the linearized Navier-Stokes equations

We study the linearized Navier-Stokes (LNS) equations from an input-output point of view by analyzing their spatio-temporal frequency responses. We show how the relative roles of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves and streamwise vortices and streaks can be explained as input-output resonances of the spatio-temporal frequency responses. Furthermore, we derive important conclusions about the effectiveness of input field components, and the contributions of the streamwise, wall-normal, and spanwise velocity perturbations to the kinetic energy density. In particular, we show that the wall-normal and spanwise forces have much stronger influence on the velocity field than the streamwise force. On the other hand, the velocity perturbations in the direction of a nominal flow achieve much bigger magnitudes than the perturbations in the other two spatial directions.
A location model for a facility operating as an M/G/k queue

This paper considers the problem of locating a single facility on a network that operates as an M/G/k queue, in which the average queueing delay is approximated by using a result in Nozaki and Ross [J. Appl. Prob.15 (1978) 826–834]. Special consideration is given to the case of a tree network. Localization and sensitivity results are provided, together with appropriate intuitive explanations. We present an illustrative numerical example and provide a brief discussion of our computational experiences with the model. We also use discrete-event simulation to test the effectiveness of the Nozaki and Ross approximation in the context of finding a good facility location—our results indicate that their approximation is adequate for this purpose.
Singularities and the features of deformation grids [brain images analysis]

Biological shape differences often are represented as diffeomorphisms of a Cartesian coordinate grid. The problem addressed here is the extraction of spatially discrete, localized features of such transformation grids, which often help to identify underlying developmental or pathological processes. This paper shows how some such features can be identified with variants of the singularity (x,y)/spl rarr/(x,x/sup 2/y+y/sup 3/) that are visually evident as creases in the grid. The crease is a nongeneric singularity at which a pair of cusps appears as a function of a parameter for extrapolation. The paper shows how this representation extracts informative discrete feature sets from deformations characterizing two different brain diseases, schizophrenia and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, in the mid-sagittal plane (plane of symmetry). Creases appear to be robust under relaxation of bending energy against Euclidean distance, one analogue to multiscale analysis for discrete punctate data. The author suggests that they comprise the simplest words in an eventual grammar of grids.
Zinc complex mediated regioselective O-acylation of therapeutic agents

Several Zn β-diiminate reagents were developed and used to mediate regioselective O-acylation reactions of therapeutic agents with anhydrides. Various prodrugs were obtained in excellent yield and high regioselectivity, including derivatives of rapamycin and paclitaxel. Furthermore, the application of regioselective acylation was extended to one-pot reactions between therapeutics and carboxylic acids with various pendant functional groups. This rapid functionalization strategy will find application in either prodrug synthesis or bioconjugation for drug delivery.
Domain-specific antecedents of parental psychological control and monitoring: the role of parenting beliefs and practices

This research examined the effects of domain-differentiated beliefs about legitimate parental authority and ratings of restrictive parental control on adolescent- and mother-reported psychological and behavioral control. The influence of parenting beliefs and practices regarding socially regulated (moral and conventional) and ambiguously personal (multifaceted and personal) issues was examined in 93 middle-class African American early adolescents (M = 13.11 years, SD = 1.29) and their mothers, who were followed longitudinally for 2 years. Domain-specific parenting beliefs and ratings predicted adolescent-reported maternal psychological control and parental monitoring, but the nature and direction of the relations differed. Adolescents who rated parents as more restrictive in their control of personal issues and who believed that parents should have less legitimate authority over these issues rated their mothers as higher in psychological control. In contrast, more adolescent-reported parental monitoring was associated with gender (being female) and adolescents' beliefs that parents have more legitimate authority to regulate personal issues. As expected, adolescent age and gender influenced mother-reported monitoring and psychological control; in addition, the effects of mothers' ratings of restrictive control on both psychological control and monitoring were moderated by gender. The results indicate that psychological control and monitoring can be understood in terms of the particular behaviors that are controlled, as well as the style in which control is exercised.
RAID5 performance with distributed sparing

Distributed sparing is a method to improve the performance of RAID5 disk arrays with respect to a dedicated sparing system with N+2 disks (including the spare disk), since it utilizes the bandwidth of all N+2 disks. We analyze the performance of RAID5 with distributed sparing in normal mode, degraded mode, and rebuild mode in an OLTP environment, which implies small reads and writes. The analysis in normal mode uses an M/G/1 queuing model, which takes into account the components of disk service time. In degraded mode, a low-cost approximate method is developed to estimate the mean response time of fork-join requests resulting from accesses to recreate lost data on the failed disk. Rebuild mode performance is analyzed by considering an M/G/1 vacationing server model with multiple vacations of different types to take into account differences in processing requirements for reading the first and subsequent tracks. An iterative solution method is used to estimate the mean response time of disk requests, as well as the time to read each disk, which is shown to be quite accurate through validation against simulation results. We next compare RAID5 performance in a system (1) without a cache; (2) with a cache; and (3) with a nonvolatile storage (NVS) cache. The last configuration, in addition to improved read response time due to cache hits, provides a fast-write capability, such that dirty blocks can be destaged asynchronously and at a lower priority than read requests, resulting in an improvement in read response time. The small write penalty is also reduced due to the possibility of repeated writes to dirty blocks in the cache and by taking advantage of disk geometry to efficiently destage multiple blocks at a time.
Processor-memory coexploration using an architecture description language

Memory represents a major bottleneck in modern embedded systems in terms of cost, power, and performance. Traditionally, memory organizations for programmable embedded systems assume a fixed cache hierarchy. With the widening processor--memory gap, more aggressive memory technologies and organizations have appeared, allowing customization of a heterogeneous memory architecture tuned for specific target applications. However, such a processor--memory coexploration approach critically needs the ability to explicitly capture heterogeneous memory architectures. We present in this paper a language-based approach to explicitly capture the memory subsystem configuration, generate a memory-aware software toolkit, and perform coexploration of the processor--memory architectures. We present a set of experiments using our memory-aware architectural description language (ADL) to drive the exploration of the memory subsystem for the TI C6211 processor architecture, demonstrating cost, performance, and energy trade-offs.
Knowing Other People: A Second‐Person Framework

What does it mean to know another person, and how is such knowledge different from other kinds of knowledge? These questions constitute an important part of what I call ‘second-person epistemology’ – the study of how we know other people. I claim that knowledge of other people is not only central to our everyday lives, but it is a kind of knowledge that is unlike other kinds of knowledge. In general, I will argue that second-person knowledge arises from repeated interactions with another person, and that it also requires employment of certain cognitive abilities and a unique kind of second-order knowledge. This paper provides the framework for a second-person epistemology by examining some of our ordinary claims about what it means to know another person. I describe four conditions that typically characterize knowing another person. Then I describe the psychological grounds of knowing a person. Finally, I conclude with some thoughts about the unique symmetries of second person knowledge and the role of such knowledge in our broader epistemological endeavours.
Classification and prognosis of surgically treated patients with bronchial carcinoma: Analysis of vasog studies☆

Abstract The extent of the disease in surgically treated patients with bronchial carcinoma is classified and staged appropriately by the postresection treatment schema suggested by the American Joint Committee for Cancer Staging and End Results Reporting. 1 It is suggested, however, that T 1 N 1 M 0 lesions be considered Stage II rather than Stage I lesions because of the poor prognosis in these patients. Postresection prognosis in the surgically treated patients is influenced by a number of factors; the more important of these are tumor size and the presence or absence of lymph node metastases. Cell type in the patients with non-small cell tumors appears to be of no prognostic significance except in the presence of lymph node metastases. Thus, the stage of the disease as defined by the TNM system should be considered the most important determinate prognostic factor.
Yeast Vacuole Inheritance and Dynamics

▪ Abstract The vacuole/lysosome of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is actively divided between mother and daughter cells. Vacuole inheritance initiates early in the cell cycle and ends in G2, just prior to nuclear migration. The process begins with a portion of the vacuole extending into the emerging bud. This tubular-vesicular entity, the segregation structure, enables continued exchange of vacuole contents between mother and daughter vacuoles. Genetic, biochemical, and cytological analyses of vacuole inheritance have provided insight into the molecular basis of membrane movement, the spatial and temporal control of organelle transport, and the molecular basis of membrane fusion and fission.
THE CONVERSION OF CORTISONE ACETATE TO OTHER ALPHA-KETOLIC STEROIDS

WITH the development of a paper chromatographic method for the isolation and identification of the individual corticosteroids in biologic mixtures (1, 2) it has become possible to detect small changes in the excretion of these compounds in human urine. We have previously reported (3) that the chief α-ketolic corticosteroids obtained from the urine of normal persons by continuous ether extraction at pH 1.0 consisted of cortisone and compound F (15 to 40 gamma of each, daily) and of smaller amounts of more polar material also of the C21O5 type.
Who Acquires Friends Through Social Media and Why? "Rich Get Richer" versus "Seek and Ye Shall Find"

There is an ongoing debate, not just among academics but in popular culture, about whether social media can expand people’s social networks, and whether online friends can be “real” friends. The debate refuses to die. This paper addresses this question subjectively, from the point of view of the user, and examines the predictors of acquiring new friends through social media use. This is a multi-method study with quantitative (n=617) and qualitative sections. Some previous studies have found a “rich-get-richer” effect where people who are socially active offline appear to benefit most from online interactions. This paper is based on the idea that whether online friends can be real friends may be subject to a self-fulfilling prophecy: those who do not believe that online friendships can be real friendships are not likely to make such connections. I compare the “Rich Get Richer” and “Seek and Ye Shall Find” models by examining relationships between the amount of offline socializing, amount of online social activity and the belief in online friendships. I also qualitatively examine reasons cited by respondents as to why online sociality is or is not a plausible route to meaningful friendship. The results show strong support for one of the earliest theories of computer-mediated-communication: hyperpersonal interaction. It appears that a sizable portion of the young generation finds online interaction positive because it is perceived to concentrate on the conversation itself, rather than on appearances, and is seen as freer of social judgments. African-Americans are significantly more likely to meet new friends online. There also appear to be underlying personality traits, apart from traditional demographic variables, that divide the population in terms of their attitude towards online sociality.
Global nomads in an international school: Families in transition

In a global society, internationally mobile (IM) families experience challenges as well as benefits while living a transient lifestyle. Considering the human costs of relocation and transience for IM families, it is important to understand their survival strategies. A qualitative research approach was used to study 45 IM families who had children attending a private, international school in Southern England. Findings revealed that parents were not passive agents, but actively employed tactics to help their children manage mobility.
An integrated compile-time/run-time software distributed shared memory system

On a distributed memory machine, hand-coded message passing leads to the most efficient execution, but it is difficult to use. Parallelizing compilers can approach the performance of hand-coded message passing by translating data-parallel programs into message passing programs, but efficient execution is limited to those programs for which precise analysis can be carried out. Shared memory is easier to program than message passing and its domain is not constrained by the limitations of parallelizing compilers, but it lags in performance. Our goal is to close that performance gap while retaining the benefits of shared memory. In other words, our goal is (1) to make shared memory as efficient as message passing, whether hand-coded or compiler-generated, (2) to retain its ease of programming, and (3) to retain the broader class of applications it supports.To this end we have designed and implemented an integrated compile-time and run-time software DSM system. The programming model remains identical to the original pure run-time DSM system. No user intervention is required to obtain the benefits of our system. The compiler computes data access patterns for the individual processors. It then performs a source-to-source transformation, inserting in the program calls to inform the run-time system of the computed data access patterns. The run-time system uses this information to aggregate communication, to aggregate data and synchronization into a single message, to eliminate consistency overhead, and to replace global synchronization with point-to-point synchronization wherever possible.We extended the Parascope programming environment to perform the required analysis, and we augmented the TreadMarks run-time DSM library to take advantage of the analysis. We used six Fortran programs to assess the performance benefits: Jacobi, 3D-FFT, Integer Sort, Shallow, Gauss, and Modified Gramm-Schmidt, each with two different data set sizes. The experiments were run on an 8-node IBM SP/2 using user-space communication. Compiler optimization in conjunction with the augmented run-time system achieves substantial execution time improvements in comparison to the base TreadMarks, ranging from 4% to 59% on 8 processors. Relative to message passing implementations of the same applications, the compile-time run-time system is 0-29% slower than message passing, while the base run-time system is 5-212% slower. For the five programs that XHPF could parallelize (all except IS), the execution times achieved by the compiler optimized shared memory programs are within 9% of XHPF.
Introduction to Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Melanoma

The aim of this book is to discuss both the technologies used in the discovery of melanoma biomarkers and the clinical application of these biomarkers for diagnosis and staging of disease, determination of prognosis, prediction of drug response, monitoring the efficacy of therapy, identification of novel therapeutic targets, and drug development. A broad range of biomarkers [described as any measurable molecular alteration within a cancer cell (i.e., DNA/chromosomal, mRNA, microRNA, mitochondrial DNA, epigenetic and protein)] is outlined. Of note, individual/panels or patterns of molecular markers may now be employed to stratify microscopically-similar melanocytic tumors into subsets with different biological behaviors and outcomes.
Large-Scale Estuarine Water Quality Matrix Model

A new mathematical modeling approach for predicting the concentrations of water quality constituents in an estuary has been developed. The model foundation is a two-dimensional partial differential equation describing the transport process in the estuary. The discretized version of a steady-state model is reformulated as a large dimensional linear matrix equation whose solution is obtained by an efficient iterative procedure. An analytical criterion for calibration is considered and the agreement of the matrix model solution with field data is examined. The model is calibrated with data for total phosphorus collected in two periods in the fall of 1972 from 18 sampling stations in Corpus Christi Bay. Numerical analysis of the matrix model is presented and its performance is compared with another phosphorus model for the Corpus Christi Bay system. This approach provides a simple structure for the model that is ideally suited to water quality management analysis.
Ionic Conductivity of Low Molecular Weight Block Copolymer Electrolytes

The ionic conductivity and glass transition temperatures of nanostructured block copolymer electrolytes composed of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) doped with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfone)imide (LiTFSI) were studied in the small molecular weight limit (between 2.7 and 13.7 kg mol–1). In this range, the annealed conductivity exhibits a nonmonotonic dependence on molecular weight, decreasing with increasing molecular weight in the small molecular weight limit before increasing when molecular weight exceeds about 10 kg mol–1. We show that annealed electrolyte conductivity is affected by two competing factors: the glass transition temperature of the insulating polystyrene (PS) block and the width of the conducting poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) channel. In the low molecular weight limit, all ions are in contact with both PS and PEO segments. The intermixing between PS and PEO segments is restricted to an interfacial zone of width, λ. Our experiments suggest that λ is about 5 nm. The fraction of io...
Linear viscoelastic and dielectric properties of phosphonium siloxane Ionomers

The linear viscoelastic (LVE) and dielectric relaxation spectroscopic (DRS) properties of polysiloxanes with phosphonium (fraction f) and oligo(ethylene oxide) (fraction 1 – f) side groups with a fraction of ionic monomers f = 0–0.26 have been studied. LVE master curves of those ionomers have been constructed. The ionic dissociation has been witnessed as a delayed polymer relaxation in LVE with increasing ion content, as well as an α2 ionic segmental relaxation process in DRS. LVE exhibits glassy and delayed rubbery relaxation at low ionic fraction f ≤ 11%, where the ionic dissociation time detected in DRS enables description of LVE with a sticky Rouse model. In contrast, the glassy and rubbery stress relaxation moduli merge into one broad process at high f ≥ 22%, where the whole LVE response from glassy to terminal relaxation can be described phenomenologically by a single Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) equation with the lowest stretching exponent β = 0.10 ever seen for polymeric liquids, describing LVE...
Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties of Polypyrrole Conducting Polymer in Sheath like Nanotube Arrays Structured over TiO2 for Supercapacitor Energy Storage Devices

The vertical TiO2 nanotube arrays constituting the core of 3-D nanoscale electrode architecture were synthesized over Ti sheet by anodization. Such formed TiO2 nanotubes are electrically conducting and amorphous as confirmed by XRD studies. Nanotube morphology is affected by water content and in the present study, close-packed 3–4 μm long TiO2 nanotube arrays of 45–50 nm diameter are formed with 2% water as revealed by the transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The redox active polypyrrole sheath is created by ultra-short pulsed current electropolymerization. Electrochemical properties of the 3-D nanoscaled TiO2 nanotube core-polypyrrole sheath electrodes relevant to the energy storage were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) plots, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Charge discharge (CD) tests. High areal capacitance density of 48 mF cm−2 and low charge transfer resistance 12 Ω cm−2 with least ion diffusion limitation are realized at optimized polypyrrole sheath thickness. The Raman spectra studies reveal anion at specific chain locations involve in the redox process.
Temperature-dependent nature of interaction between hydrogen and copper(II) acetate confined in nanoporous carbon

Abstract Sixty years ago, cupric acetate was proposed as one of the first homogeneous, heterolytic hydrogen activation catalysts. Later on, it was demonstrated that dihydrogen complexation is unequivocally the first step preceding H H bond cleavage. In this study, using a home-made, high-pressure adsorption setup working at different temperatures, we examined the carbon-nanoconfined counterparts of the former in order to elucidate the nature of H 2 -metal complex interaction inside the nanosized space provided by the porous support. In this regard, we found that by lowering temperature from 100 °C to room temperature, a marked alteration would take place in the nature of interaction. By doing so, we moved from what appeared to be (H 2 )CuH 2 , a dihydride-dihydrogen complex, to a Kubas compound releasing H 2 in a fully reversible manner. The nanoconfined metal complex discussed here may serve either as a prototypical, room-temperature hydrogen storage medium with optimum heat of interaction, or as a solid-phase hydrogen activation catalyst operating under mild conditions.
The Case of Turin I: Defending the Ivory Tower

In as much as the student revolts of the 1960s can be explained by demographic trends, opposition to the Vietnam War, the New Left, or a rejection of postwar politics, a good deal of the crisis derived from the university itself. The Italian universities, already in a state of advanced decay, made easy targets for disgruntled students. Aside from the problems of overcrowding, outdated curricula, and lack of services for working students, the student rebels chiefly took issue with the attitude of the faculty. Calling them baroni and signori (lords), the student activists castigated authoritarian professors, who, when they were not absent from the university, conducted oral examinations like members of the inquisition.1 Nicola Tranfaglia, a professor of contemporary history who began his teaching career in 1969, recalled one bete noir of the student movement, a colleague named Luigi Firpo, who always began his courses of political history with a lecture on anthropology. As the students gradually looked up in dazed confusion, Firpo would stop talking and announce that, “This demonstrates that I can do whatever I want!”2
Magnetorotational Turbulence and Dynamo in a Collisionless Plasma.

We present results from the first 3D kinetic numerical simulation of magnetorotational turbulence and dynamo, using the local shearing-box model of a collisionless accretion disk. The kinetic magnetorotational instability grows from a subthermal magnetic field having zero net flux over the computational domain to generate self-sustained turbulence and outward angular-momentum transport. Significant Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are accompanied by comparable viscous stresses produced by field-aligned ion pressure anisotropy, which is regulated primarily by the mirror and ion-cyclotron instabilities through particle trapping and pitch-angle scattering. The latter endow the plasma with an effective viscosity that is biased with respect to the magnetic-field direction and spatiotemporally variable. Energy spectra suggest an Alfven-wave cascade at large scales and a kinetic-Alfven-wave cascade at small scales, with strong small-scale density fluctuations and weak nonaxisymmetric density waves. Ions undergo nonthermal particle acceleration, their distribution accurately described by a κ distribution. These results have implications for the properties of low-collisionality accretion flows, such as that near the black hole at the Galactic center.
Range Extensions for Orthotrichum lyellii, O. papillosum, and O. pylaisii, with Comments on Taxonomic Distinctions

Orthotrichum lyellii, O. papillosum, and O. pylaisii are reported new to Arizona based on specimens collected in Yavapai County. Orthotrichum lyellii is confirmed for Nevada from three counties along the California border. Orthotrichum papillosum also is confirmed from Nevada from one location near Lake Tahoe. Whether or not O. lyellii (sterile plants with brood-bodies) and O. papillosum (usually fertile plants without brood-bodies) are distinct taxa has been long debated. The occurrence in these out-lying localities in Nevada, where sterile, female plants of O. lyellii are found and fertile plants of O. papillosum occur in different localities, and in Arizona where both taxa occur adds weigh to their distinctiveness. Orthotrichum pylaisii is an uncommon, but widespread arctic-montane species. The Arizona specimen demonstrates a number of clear differences when compared to O. laevigatum and O. rupestre. Whether these western Cordilleran populations should be recognized as distinct from arctic ones in currently unclear.
Ion pump design for improved pumping speed at low pressure

Even if ion pumps are widely and mostly used in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions, virtually every existing ion pump has its maximum pumping speed around 1E-6 mbar (1E-4 Pa). Discharge intensity in the ion pump Penning cell is defined as the current divided by pressure . (I/P)This quantity reflects the rate of cathode bombardment by ions, which underlies all of the various pumping mechanisms that occur in ion pumps (chemisorption on sputtered material, ion burial, etc.), and therefore is an indication of pumping speed. A study has been performed to evaluate the influence of magnetic fields and cell dimensions on the ion pump discharge intensity and consequently on the pumping speed at different pressures. As a result, a combination of parameters has been developed in order to design and build an ion pump with the pumping speed peak shifted towards lower pressures. Experimental results with several different test set-ups are presented and a prototype of a new 200 l/s ion pump with the maximum pumping speed in the 1E-8 mbar (1E-6 Pa) is described. A model of the system has also been developed to provide a framework for understanding the experimental observations.