cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of proteolytic enzymes in solution

The stability of the neutral and alkaline proteases in a Bacillus subtilis enzyme mixture was studied in aqueous solutions at room temperature. Stabilization of the proteases in solution for periods up to 25 days was achieved by the addition of various protein preparations including casein and soya protein. The degree of stabilization by casein was concentration dependent to about 2% protein. The instability of the neutral protease in solutions of the B. subtilis enzyme mixture was shown to be due primarily to proteolysis by the alkaline protease since the diisopropylfluorophosphate-treated enzyme was quite stable. Formulation of such enzyme solutions at low pH gave greater stability as did solutions containing an alkaline protease inhibitor from potatoes. A Conceptual approach to the formulation of enzyme solutions containing proteolytic enzyme to ensure maximum stability is proposed.
Freedom, physicality, friendship and feeling: aspects of children's spirituality expressed through the choral reading of poetry

Reading and discussing poetry with spiritual themes can play a major role in children's spiritual development. The communal, oral recitation of poetry has been a means of spiritual expression in many faith traditions. How would children respond to such a time‐honoured oral group experience with poetry? What might it reveal about their spirituality? These were the questions that prompted a qualitative study involving young people in the choral reading of poetry with spiritual themes. Participants were 19 students in a sixth‐grade classroom. We held three separate sessions with the class, each focusing on an aspect of children's spirituality: relationship with the self and others, relationship with the natural world, and relationship with a reality beyond the material world. Findings indicate that the choral‐reading experience did provide the children an opportunity to express their spirituality, but in ways we did not anticipate. It was not the content of the poems that they pointed to as providing means f...
Responses of respiratory modulated and tonic units in the retrotrapezoid nucleus to CO2

We hypothesized that the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) contains both respiratory modulated (RM) and non-respiratory modulated (NRM) neurons which participate in the ventilatory response to increased CO2. We made extracellular recordings of the activity of 46 single units in the RTN of 9 decerebrate, paralyzed, ventilated cats (5 intact; 4 with carotid body and sinus ablation) under eucapnic (PCO2 = 34.2±3.5 mmHg; mean ± SD) and hypercapnic (PCO2 = 47.4 ± 3.4 mmHg) conditions. To define a RM unit, we used the η2 statistic which is the ratio of the variance of the unit firing rate within respiratory cycles to that across respiratory cycles. We classified the units of RM (N=17) if the η2 values in eucapnia or hypercapnia were ≥0.25 and as NRM (N=29) if the values were <0.25. Overall, 19/46 units (41%) increased their firing rate with increased CO2, 5 decreased their firing rate, and 22 had no significant change in firing rate. Of 17 RM units, 8 (47%) increased their mean firing rate with hypercapnia from 7.6±3.9 to 23.2±6.8 spikes/sec. These included 5 inspiratory units, 2 inspiratory units that had an onset of firing in late expiration (Pre-I/I), and 1 expiratory unit. Seven of these also changed their discharge pattern (eucapnic η2=0.02 to 0.12; hypercapnic η2=0.34 to 0.79) of 29 NRM units 11 (38%) showed a significant increase in mean firing rate with CO2 stimulation from 19.8±7.2 to 31.3±82. spikes/sec. The RTN has RM units which change their discharge pattern and firing rate in response to increased CO2, as do units within the medulla and pons, and it has NRM units which are also responsive to increased CO2. These data indicate that some neurons of the RTN are involved in the central chemoreceptor response but they provide no direct evidence that chemoreception resides within the RTN.
The first electric computer, a magnetological analysis☆

Abstract Mechanisms designed to carry out the ordinary operations of decimal arithmetic were invented several centuries ago, and indeed Charles Babbage, in England, conceived automatic sequence control over one hundred years ago. The modern electronic high-speed computer based on binary Boolean logic has other ancestors besides decimal mechanical calculators in its pedigree, however. The mechanical realization of binary logic is generally credited to William Stanley Jevons, British economist and logician, in 1869. 2 This mechanism is an ancestor of the modern computer on the binary side of the family. It has recently come to light that an American university professor designed what is probably the first electric binary logic machine, and this is very likely the first design of an electric data processor of any kind.
Practical implementation of an accurate method for multilevel design sensitivity analysis

Solution techniques for handling large scale engineering optimization problems are reviewed. Potentials for practical applications as well as their limited capabilities are discussed. A new solution algorithm for design sensitivity is proposed. The algorithm is based upon the multilevel substructuring concept to be coupled with the adjoint method of sensitivity analysis. There are no approximations involved in the present algorithm except the usual approximations introduced due to the discretization of the finite element model. Results from the six- and thirty-bar planar truss problems show that the proposed multilevel scheme for sensitivity analysis is more effective (in terms of computer incore memory and the total CPU time) than a conventional (one level) scheme even on small problems. The new algorithm is expected to perform better for larger problems and its applications on the new generation of computer hardwares with 'parallel processing' capability is very promising.
High intensity training-induced changes in skeletal muscle antioxidant enzyme activity.

AbstractCRISWELL, D., S. POWERS, S. DODD, J. LAWLER, W. EDWARDS, K. RENSHLER, and S. GRINTON, High intensity training-induced changes in skeletal muscle antioxidant enzyme activity. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 25, No. 10, pp. 1135–1140, 1993. These experiments tested the hypothesis that high inten
Correlations between spatial compatibility effects: are arrows more like locations or words?

Responses are more efficient when their spatial mappings with features of targets are compatible compared to when they are incompatible, even when those features are irrelevant to task performance. Currently, a debate exists as to whether spatial information conveyed by different stimulus modes leads to qualitatively different spatial representations. We investigated the relations between three of the most commonly used spatial stimulus modes—arrows, locations, and location words—using correlations of compatibility effects between each of these modes as well as compatibility effects at different segments of their response time distributions. Our results show that when spatial information is irrelevant to task performance (the Simon task), the compatibility effects elicited by arrows and words are more strongly related with each other than with those of locations. However, when spatial information is task relevant (the stimulus–response compatibility SRC task), the compatibility effects elicited by arrows and locations are more related, and both are less related to the effect elicited by words. We suggest that these changing relations between stimulus modes are strategically determined based on which spatial coding technique for arrows is most advantageous to task performance. Furthermore, the varying relations between these spatial compatibility effects indicate that the compatibility effect with one stimulus mode is not always predictive of the compatibility effect in another mode.
An Arbitrage Free Trilateral Target Zone Model

Abstract This paper proposes an arbitrage free trilateral model of a credible target zone regime with bands on each bilateral exchange rate. The no arbitrage condition reduces the system to only two dimensions. Any two rates must obey their own boundaries but, in addition, the free rein for movements is restricted by the band of the redundant rate. Therefore, target zone models defined in bilateral settings do not apply to general systems with a cobweb of bilateral bands, such as the European Monetary System. Since the model has no known analytical solution it is estimated by the method of simulated moments.
Quantifying turbulence for tidal power applications

Using newly collected data from a tidal power site in Puget Sound, WA, metrics for turbulence quantification are assessed and discussed. Of particular interest is the robustness of the “turbulent intensity,” defined as the ratio of velocity standard deviation to velocity mean. Simultaneously, the quality of raw ping Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data for turbulence studies is evaluated against Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) data at a point. Removal of Doppler noise from the raw ping data is shown to be a crucial step in turbulence quantification. Excluding periods of slack tide, the corrected turbulent intensity estimates at a height of 4.6 m above the seabed are 10% and 11% from the ADCP and ADV, respectively. Estimates of the turbulent dissipation rate are more variable, from 10−3 to 10−1 W/m3. An example analysis of coherent Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) is presented.
Epidemiology and Prevention of Breast Cancer

For over 140 years, medical scientists have searched for ways to identify women at high risk of breast cancer from those not at elevated risk ([1][1]). Recently, we have seen this search come to a logical end point with a proof of principle that risk reduction is in fact possible through selective
Incorporating canopy physiology into a hydrological model : Photosynthesis, dynamic respiration, and stomatal sensitivity

Abstract Vegetation modulates the effects of climate variability through soil–vegetation–atmosphere (SVAT) interactions. A quantitative understanding of such interactions requires the proper integration of the water cycle and photosynthesis. While biochemical models have widely been used to estimate primary production, the effects of water stress on transpiration and carbon assimilation rates, and its feedbacks into the water cycle are not generally represented. The objective of this study is to investigate the limiting effects of soil moisture and evaporative demand on photosynthesis, and to understand its interactions with other hydrological processes. Our approach consists of integrating a physically based land surface hydrological model (LSHM) with a biochemical model for leaf photosynthesis and a substrate-structure separation model for respiration, including parameterizations of the diurnal cycle of Rubisco concentration and species-specific stomatal conductance (resistance). Exploratory simulations to evaluate the model against results from previous studies indicated that the model captures basic processes of canopy physiology well. Sensitivity analysis shows that water stress at sub-daily time-scales is an important limiting factor of photosynthesis, thus constraining carbon assimilation. On the other hand, the results further suggest that the biological control of transpiration via stomatal sensitivity is only significant under soil water stress conditions. Overall, the integrated model is capable of estimating not only carbon assimilation, but also the length of the growing season, as well as feedbacks between vegetation and soil hydrology processes.
Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer During Chilldown of a Simulated Flexible Metal Hose Using Liquid Nitrogen

For many industrial, medical and space technologies, cryogenic fluids play irreplaceable roles. When any cryogenic system is initially started, it must go through a transient chill down period prior to normal operation. Chilldown is the process of introducing the cryogenic liquid into the system, and allowing the system components to cool down to several hundred degrees below the ambient temperature. The chilldown process is an important initial stage before a system begins functioning. The objective of this paper is to investigate the chilldown process associated with a flexible hose that was simulated by a channel with saw-teeth inner wall surface structure in the current study. We have investigated the fundamental physics of the two-phase flow and quenching heat transfer during cryogenic chilldown inside the simulated flexible hose through flow visualization, data measurement and analysis. The flow pattern developed inside the channel was recorded by a high speed camera for flow pattern investigation. The experimental results indicate that the chilldown process that is composed of unsteady vapor-liquid two-phase flow and phase-change heat transfer is modified by the inner wall surface wavy structure. Based on the measurement of the channel wall temperature, the teeth structure and the associated cavities generally reduce the heat transfer efficiency compared to the straight hose. Furthermore, based on the measured data, a complete series of correlations on the heat transfer coefficient for each heat transfer regime was developed and reported.
Evaluation of intracardiac masses using three-dimensional echocardiography

Echocardiography is the most common noninvasive tool used in the assessment of intracardiac masses. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography expands the diagnostic capabilities of cardiac ultrasound in the assessment of the location, composition, size, and relationship to adjacent structures of intracardiac masses. The optimal characterization of the anatomy as well as the superior definition of cardiac function makes this the technology of choice in the assessment of cardiac masses.
The Chloride Effect: Structural Dependence of Ruthenium Silyl Complexes on Phosphorus and Silicon Substituents

The structures for a series of Cp(PR3)2RuSiX3 {PR3 = PMe3, SiX3 = SiCl3, SiMeCl2, SiPhCl2; PR3 = PMe2Ph, SiX3 = SiCl3} complexes were determined and compared. The Ru−Si and Si−Cl distances in these complexes increased when Cl was replaced with Me or Ph groups and correlated with the observed spectroscopic properties of these complexes. The structural variations were explained by d(Ru)−σ*(Si−Cl) π-back-bonding interactions.
Self-derogation and suicide—I: Self-derogation as an antecedent of suicidal responses☆

Abstract It was hypothesized that level of self-derogation would be predictive of subsequent suicidal behaviors. Data were collected from junior high school students ( N = 4694) who responded to a baseline questionnaire ( T 1 ) and the same questionnaire administered a year later ( T 2 ). Self-derogation was measured by a seven-item scale. Suicidal responses were defined in terms of self-reports of “thinking about or threatening to” and “attempting to” take one's own life. The hypothesis was supported for the total sample, for each of four sex x socioeconomic level (mother's education) subgroupings and for both “high” and “low” scorers on each of four correlates of self-derogation. Among students who reported no recent (within the lastmmonth) suicidal responses, self-derogation level at T 1 was observed to be significantly associated with subsequent reports (at T 2 ) of suicidal responses between T 1 - T 2 . The results were consistent with the view that suicidal responses are attempts to avoid self-devaluing experiences, attack the basis of one's self-rejection, and/or evoke substitute self-enhancing experiences.
Reconstruction rings and bone graft in total hip revision surgery.

Acetabular revision is likely to become necessary in 5% to 10% of patients with cemented hip replacement within the first 20 years, and this figure is larger in patients under 50 years of age. The incidence of uncemented acetabular revision at 20 years is unknown at this point. However, given the fact that about 230,000 total hip replacements are performed yearly in the United States, the number of patients that will require acetabular revision is constantly increasing and so is the number of difficult revisions. Adequate acetabular reconstruction can be successfully achieved in the vast majority of instances with the use of uncemented porous coated sockets. Tanzer, 16 Silverton, 15 and Paprosky 9 have shown in different studies that with follow-up of up to 11 years a high incidence of successful results is obtained using uncemented acetabular components in association with morselized cancellous bone graft. In some instances the achievement of satisfactory stability and fixation, essential tenants of a good acetabular reconstruction, requires reaming some excess bone, even sacrificing part of the anterior wall according to some authors, 15 and then using extra large or jumbo hemispherical uncemented sockets. If, however, the acetabular defect is such that no stability can be achieved at the time of reconstruction or if most of the hemispherical uncemented socket rests on graft bone, failure is likely to occur. Some authors have shown that this is the case. McAllister and Borden, 7 Pollock and Whiteside, 12 Paprosky, 9 and Patch and Lewallen 10 reported increased and very large failure rates when the uncemented socket was placed against a bed made primarily of allograft. In these selected and at the present time relatively rare instances where the acetabular defects are such that not enough native bone can be placed against an uncemented porous socket, acetabular reinforcing devices can be considered as a method of achieving satisfactory mechanical fixation when biologic fixation is unlikely to occur. These devices can achieve satisfactory mechanical fixation of the supporting ring to the pelvis, allowing extensive bone grafting below the ring to facilitate its incorporation and prevent early socket migration and hopefully graft collapse as well, particularly when bulk allograft was necessary for reconstruction. In this paper we will discuss the design, technique, results, and limitations of reconstructing acetabular rings and try to define their role in acetabular revision today.
Reproducibility of a Life-Cycle Toxicity Test with Daphnia magna

Standardized chronic life-cycle toxicity testing procedures for aquatic species are described. The reproducibility of chronic toxicity and points using the static-renewal method with Daphnia magna are investigated. The objectives were to determine if the lowest rejected concentrations tested (LRCTs) obtained for six different toxicity criteria in static-renewal tests with acridine were reproducible over time and to determine the relative sensitivity and variability of the toxicity criteria. Two of the six toxicity criteria, numbers of young per brood and the young produced per female, were found to be reliable and sensitive for estimating the LRCT for acridine to D. magna. (RJC)
Strict Concavity of the Half Plane Intersection Exponent for Planar Brownian Motion

The intersection exponents for planar Brownian motion measure the exponential decay of probabilities of nonintersection of paths. We study the intersection exponent $\xi(\lambda_1,\lambda_2)$ for Brownian motion restricted to a half plane which by conformal invariance is the same as Brownian motion restricted to an infinite strip. We show that $\xi$ is a strictly concave function. This result is used in another paper to establish a universality result for conformally invariant intersection exponents.
An asymptotic analysis of transonic wind-tunnel interference based on the full potential theory

The transonic flow over an airfoil in a wind tunnel with perforated walls has been analyzed asymptotically based on the full potential equation. By matching the flow regions about the airfoil and near the wall, the analysis yields explicitly the effects of wall constraints and transonic nonlinearity on the flow in the tunnel. The analysis indicates that in general the wall interference is uncorrectable. However, it is also shown that if a limit wall control is applied, the interference becomes correctable and the resulting corrections are given implicitly.
G protein-coupled, extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+(o))-sensing receptor enables Ca2+(o) to function as a versatile extracellular first messenger.

The cloning of a G protein-coupled, extracellular Ca2+ (Ca o 2+ )-sensing receptor (CaR) has afforded a molecular basis for a number of the known effects of Ca o 2+ on tissues involved in maintaining systemic calcium homeostasis, especially parathyroid gland and kidney. In addition to providing molecular tools for showing that CaR messenger RNA and protein are present within these tissues, the cloned CaR has permitted documentation that several human diseases are the result of inactivating or activating mutations of this receptor as well as generation of mice that have targeted disruption of the CaR gene. Characteristic changes in the functions of parathyroid and kidney in these patients as well as in the CaR “knockout” mice have elucidated considerably the CaR’s physiological roles in mineral ion homeostasis. Nevertheless, a great deal remains to be learned about how this receptor regulates the functioning of other tissues involved in Ca o 2+ metabolism, such as bone and intestine. Further study of these human diseases and of the mouse models will doubtless be useful in gaining additional understanding of the CaR’s roles in these latter tissues. Furthermore, we understand little of the CaR’s functions in tissues that are not directly involved in systemic mineral ion metabolism, where the receptor probably serves diverse other roles. Some of these functions may be related to the control of intra- and local extracellular concentrations of Ca2+, while others may be unrelated to either systemic or local ionic homeostasis. In any case, the CaR and conceivably additional receptors/sensors for Ca2+ or other extracellular ions represent versatile regulators of a wide variety of cellular functions and represent important targets for novel classes of therapeutics.
Resisting Stereotype Change: The Role of Motivation and Attentional Capacity in Defending Social Beliefs:

We hypothesized that, by default, perceivers work to defend their social beliefs when counter stereotypic information is encountered. This process was expected to be circumvented when perceivers (a) adopt an accuracy orientation, or (b) lack the cognitive resources required for protecting their stereotypic beliefs. We examined this issue by manipulating perceivers' motivation and attentional capacity. Participants formed impressions of several targets displaying stereotype-consistent, -inconsistent, or -irrelevant behavior. Stereotypicality of participants' subsequent group perceptions was assessed via trait ratings. As predicted, following exposure to counter stereotypic information, participants maintained relatively greater levels of stereotyping when accuracy motivation was low and processing resources were high. We conclude that, although perceivers are typically motivated to defend their stereotypes, this process is effortful and can be disrupted by the imposition of a cognitive load or superseded b...
Ground observations to characterize the spatial gradients and vertical structure of orographic precipitation – Experiments in the inner region of the Great Smoky Mountains

Summary A new rain gauge network was installed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in the Southern Appalachians since 2007 to investigate the space–time distribution of precipitation in the inner mountain region. Exploratory Intense Observing Periods (IOPs) have been conducted in the summer and fall seasons to devise optimal long-term monitoring strategies, and Micro Rain Radars (MRR) were deployed twice in July/August and October/November 2008 at a mountain ridge location and a nearby valley. Rain gauge and MRR observations were analyzed to characterize seasonal (summer/fall) and orographic (valley/ridge) precipitation features. The data show that summer precipitation is characterized by large event-to-event variability including both stratiform and convective properties. During fall, stratiform precipitation dominates and rainfall is two times more frequent at the ridge than in the valley, corresponding to a 100% increase in cumulative rainfall at high elevation. For concurrent rain events, the orographic enhancement effect is on the order of 60%. Evidence of a seasonal signature in the drop size distribution (DSD) was found with significantly heavier tails (larger raindrops) for summer DSDs at higher elevations, whereas no significant differences were observed between ridge and valley locations during fall deployment. However, physically-based modeling experiments suggest that there are inconsistencies between the reflectivity profiles and MRR DSD estimates when large raindrop sizes are present. The number of very small drops is very high (up to two orders of magnitude) at high elevations as compared to the typical values in the literature, which cannot be explained only by fog and drizzle and suggest an important role for mixed phase processes in determining the shape of the DSD below the brightband. Because numerical modeling experiments show that coalescence is the dominant microphysical mechanism for DSD evolution for the relatively low to moderate observed rain rates characteristic of mountainous regions, it is therefore critical to clarify the shape and parameters that characterize the left-hand side of the DSD in mountainous regions. Finally, whereas low cost Micro Rain Radars (MRR) were found particularly useful for qualitative description of precipitation events and to identify rain/snow melting conditions, when compared against collocated rain gauges, MRR Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) is not reliable. Place-based calibration and reliance upon physically-based QPE retrieval algorithms can improve their utility.
Efficacy of rectal midazolam for the sedation of preschool children undergoing laceration repair.

Study objective: To determine the efficacy of rectal midazolam as sedation for laceration repair in preschool children in the pediatric emergency department. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants: Thirty-four anxious children aged 14 to 51 months with face or scalp lacerations 3 cm or less in length requiring two or more sutures and behavior scores of 3 or more. Interventions: Subjects received 0.45 mg/kg rectal midazolam or saline placebo rectally followed by a topical anesthetic 15 minutes before repair. Results: Sixteen patients received rectal midazolam, and 18received placebo. The groups were similar in age, race, gender, laceration length and location, entry behavior score, and entry anxiety score. Ten patients in the rectal midazolam group and 1 in the placebo group achieved adequate sedation ( P P P =.003 and P =.08, respectively). Two patients in the rectal midazolam group experienced inconsolable agitation after the repair. None of the patients suffered cardiopulmonary complications. Conclusion: Rectal midazolam is an effective method of sedationfor facilitating uncomplicated laceration repair in preschool children. However, physicians must be aware of the possibility of paradoxical reactions when using midazolam in children.
Rapid reconstruction of electric potentials over an incoherent scatter radar field-of-view

A new technique is proposed for the rapid reconstruction of ionospheric electric fields from plasma drift measurements made by the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar. We utilized the adaptive distribution of electric charges over and beyond of the radar field-of-view using a well-known method of regularization developed for solving the ill-posed problems. In this approach, no a priori assumptions are required concerning the regime of tangential components in the plasma drifts (i.e., radial electric fields). The test model calculations and comparisons of the reconstructed electric fields with ground-based geomagnetic field variations, global ionospheric convection modeling, and direct satellite observations demonstrate good results and, therefore, usefulness of the developed technique. This technique could be implemented as a tool for operational monitoring of the overall ionospheric convection dynamics within the incoherent (or coherent) radars field-of-view.
Evidence for pervasive phonon structure of nuclear excitations

Abstract Recent work suggests that phonon and intact multiphonon excitations are pervasive in nuclei whose structures run the gamut of collective types. Some of this evidence for a nearly universal phonon description of low energy nuclear spectra will be summarized.
The Role of Interpersonal Comfort in Mentoring Relationships

This research examined interpersonal comfort as a potential mediating mechanism in mentoring relationships. Results indicated that interpersonal comfort mediated the relationship between gender similarity and protege reports of career and psychosocial mentoring. Contrary to prediction, interpersonal comfort did not mediate relationships involving mentorship type (i.e., formal versus informal). However, we did find that informal mentoring and interpersonal comfort were positively associated with career mentoring. The research helps illustrate the important role that interpersonal comfort plays in the mentoring process.
Identification of Active Pulmonary Cavitary Disease by Barium Bronchogram Technique

SUMMARY (1)Barium sulfate bronchograms were performed in 91 patients in an effort to establish the characteristics of cavitary lesions demonstrated by other radiographic techniques. (2)A positive "wall sign" indicating phagocytosis of the barium sulfate particles into the wall of the cavity was found in 32 of the 43 patients in whom the cavity was filled during bronchography. (3)It is suggested that the presence of a positive "wall sign" is an indication of infection in the wall of the cavity and may have significance in differentiating between an active tuberculous cavity and an "open healed" cavity.
Teaching Advanced Level Students to Hypothesize: Proceeding One Step at a Time1

Most textbook approaches to the linguistic function of hypothesizing rely heavily on presentation of the conditional mood, thus neglecting simpler structum, lexical items, and strategies used by native speakers as they proceed incrementally through the “cognitive/emotional mnge” representative of the hypothetical mood. Furthermore, in the majority of cases, intermediate- and advanced-level textbooks fail to lead students beyond the sentence-length utterance. This effective& limits their ability to develop a number of linguistic functions, not the least of which is hypothesizing. In this article, I propose to describe and discuss incrementally-organized instructional strategies for teaching students of French how to hypothesize. The organization is based on the naturally-occurring phenomenon present in a French short story by Michelle Maurois, titled “La Vie Conjugale.” Instructional activities designed to aid students in developing their own mastery of this function will be described.
The Structure−Property Relationship of Poly(vinylidene difluoride)-Based Polymers with Energy Storage and Loss under Applied Electric Fields

This paper systematically examines the family of poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF)-based fluoropolymers, including homo-, co-, and terpolymers containing vinylidene fluoride (VDF), trifluorethylene (TrFE), and chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) units, with the objective of tuning the polymer chain conformation and crystal structure in order to identify the most suitable polymer for energy storage (capacitor) applications. All polymers have high molecular weight, uniform composition distribution, semicrystallinity, and high purity. They were prepared by a borane/oxygen control radical initiator in a homogeneous solution at ambient temperature. The resulting polymers were solution-cased, then melt-conditioned into uniform (defect-free) thermoplastic thin films (thickness 10−20 μm). The combination of thermal, dielectric, and uni- and bipolar charge displacements reveals their polarization profiles, which are dependent on chain conformation, crystal phase, crystal size, Curie temperature, and ac and dc fields. ...
A reference model for designing an e-commerce curriculum

The electronic commerce (e-commerce) revolution has arrived. E-commerce business-to-business revenue is projected to rise from $43 billion in 1998 to $1 trillion in 2003, a 23-fold increase. Consumer purchases online are expected to be worth $380 billion in 2003, up from an estimated $31.2 billion in 1999. The US Internet economy generated a revenue of $301 billion and was responsible for 1.2 million jobs in 1998. The Internet economy has already surpassed traditional sectors, such as energy and telecommunications, and is comparable with the automobile sector. The growth of e-commerce activities has been phenomenal and is expected to increase even further. As a way to structure the analysis of and discussions about e-commerce systems, I propose a reference model for e-commerce. I've used this model to develop a proposal for a graduate program in e-commerce that will help students meet the challenges of e-commerce.
Atomic band structure effects on resonant scattering of atoms from solid surfaces

Abstract Bound state resonances related to the band structure of adsorbed atoms and their usefulness for determining the periodic components of atom-solid interaction potential are theoretically investigated. A variety of specular intensity patterns associated with bound state resonances near the Brillouin zone boundaries are exhibited. The (10) and (11) bound state resonances give rise to two split specular minima with the splitting depending essentially on v 10 for a fixed beam energy; however, the detailed features are dependent on other periodic components. For incidence along a crystal symmetry direction, symmetrization of basis states not only makes numerical computation very efficient, but also implies that there is only one specular minimum for a pair of bound states which are equivalent by symmetry. The (01) and (10) resonances along and near the x = y direction are presented to illustrate the symmetrization principle. The depth of one of the specular minima decreases and finally vanishes as the symmetry direction is approached. The single specular minimum corresponds to a resonance with the bound state which is a symmetric linear combination of (01) and (10) states in a potential well of v 0 + V 11 . As expected, the shift in positions of specular minima caused by the periodic surface potential increases with decreasing beam energy.
Synthesis and Characterization of Cross-Linked Reverse Micelles

The design and synthesis of a new cross-linkable amphiphile is reported. Solutions of the amphiphile in a toluene/water mixture form reverse micelles as indicated by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy. As indicated by dynamic light scattering, TEM, and NMR spectroscopy data, these reverse micelles can be cross-linked without drastically changing the radius of the reverse micelles. Mixed reverse micelles are also characterized and cross-linked. The cross-linked reverse micelles are demonstrated to facilitate phase transfer and can be used to site isolate a catalyst.
Stacked conjugated oligomers as molecular models to examine interchain interactions in conjugated materials.

Previous studies of the redox states of linear conjugated oligomers as models for polarons and bipolarons in conjugated polymers do not fully address the influence of intermolecular interactions on the electronic structure of conjugated systems in the solid state. Fusion of oligothiophenes onto a bicyclo[4.4.1]undecane core holds the conjugated oligomers in a permanent cofacial stack. One- and two-electron oxidation of the stacked oligomers affords mono(radical cation)s and dications that serve as models for polarons and bipolarons in p-doped conjugated polymers and demonstrates the effect of π-stacking on the electronic structure of these species.
α- and β-Fluorine Elimination Reactions Induced by Reduction of Iridium−Fluoroalkyl Complexes. Selective Formation of Fluoroalkylidene and Hydrofluoroalkene Ligands

Two-electron reduction of the perfluoroalkyl complexes Cp*Ir(CO)(CF2RF)(I) [RF = F, CF3, CF2CF3] occurs by α-fluorine elimination to give the perfluoroalkylidene complexes Cp*(CO)IrCFRF; when RF = CF3, the E-isomer predominates, while when RF = CF2CF3, the Z-isomer is preferred. No β-fluorine elimination is observed in these reactions, but when no α-fluorines are present, reduction of Cp*Ir(CO)(CH2CF2RF)(I) [RF = F, CF3] occurs cleanly by β-fluorine elimination to afford a new route to the hydrofluoroalkene compounds Cp*Ir(CO)(CH2CFRF) [RF = F, CF3].
Dirhodium(II) Tetracarboxylate carbenoids as catalytic intermediates

Abstract Ligated rhodium-carbene complexes, long postulated as critical intermediates in the chemistry catalyzed by Rh 2 (O 2 CR) 4 , are widely believed to be polarized as shown in 1 and 2 . Quantum chemical calculations for the H 2 C: complex and analogs suggest a polarized structure 4 with significant participation by the “ backside ” Rh atom. The groundwork is laid for a more detailed mechanistic study of Rh 2 (XYCR) 4 catalysis.
“Not for Human Consumption”: A Review of Emerging Designer Drugs

Synthetic, or "designer" drugs, are created by manipulating the chemical structures of other psychoactive drugs so that the resulting product is structurally similar but not identical to illegal psychoactive drugs. Originally developed in the 1960s as a way to evade existing drug laws, the use of designer drugs has increased dramatically over the past few years. These drugs are deceptively packaged as "research chemicals," "incense," "bath salts," or "plant food," among other names, with labels that may contain warnings such as "not for human consumption" or "not for sale to minors." The clinical effects of most new designer drugs can be described as either hallucinogenic, stimulant, or opioid-like. They may also have a combination of these effects due to designer side-chain substitutions. The easy accessibility and rapid emergence of new designer drugs have created challenges for health care providers when treating patients presenting with acute toxicity from these substances, many of which can produce significant and/or life-threatening adverse effects. Moreover, the health care provider has no way to verify the contents and/or potency of the agent ingested because it can vary between packages and distributors. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the available designer drugs, common signs and symptoms of toxicity associated with these agents, and potential effective treatment modalities are essential to appropriately manage these patients.
Inheritance of interface specifications (extended abstract)

Four alternatives for the semantics of inheritance of specifications are discussed. The information loss and frame axiom problems for inherited specifications are also considered.
Design and Characterization of a Turbulence Chamber for Scalar Flux Measurements at a Sediment-Water Interface

AbstractA turbulence chamber designed specifically for the laboratory study of environmental scalar fluxes at sediment-water interfaces was developed and fully characterized. The turbulent flow field was documented using particle image velocimetry (PIV), with particular emphasis on turbulence characterization. The chamber is capable of reproducing a wide range of turbulence levels covering 6 orders of magnitude of the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (10−10–10−4 m2 s−3). Its performance range includes conditions similar to low energy environments such as lake and reservoir bottom boundary layers (BBLs), verified by comparison to field data. The chamber is forced by three peristaltic pumps plumbed to six equispaced orifices on the top cap of the chamber, forming a closed system. The pumps drive either a momentum source (a jet) in the vertical direction or a momentum sink. The pumps operate continuously, but randomly change direction to generate a horizontally homogeneous turbulent region near ...
Measured emotional intelligence ability and grade point average in nursing students.

Summary Background For most schools of nursing, grade point average is the most important criteria for admission to nursing school and constitutes the main indicator of success throughout the nursing program. In the general research literature, the relationship between traditional measures of academic success, such as grade point average and postgraduation job performance is not well established. In both the general population and among practicing nurses, measured emotional intelligence ability correlates with both performance and other important professional indicators postgraduation. Little research exists comparing traditional measures of intelligence with measured emotional intelligence prior to graduation, and none in the student nurse population. Objective This exploratory, descriptive, quantitative study was undertaken to explore the relationship between measured emotional intelligence ability and grade point average of first year nursing students. Design Setting and Sample The study took place at a school of nursing at a university in the south central region of the United States. Participants included 72 undergraduate student nurse volunteers. Methods Emotional intelligence was measured using the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, version 2, an instrument for quantifying emotional intelligence ability. Pre-admission grade point average was reported by the school records department. Results Total emotional intelligence (r = .24) scores and one subscore, experiential emotional intelligence(r = .25) correlated significantly (> .05) with grade point average. Conclusions This exploratory, descriptive study provided evidence for some relationship between GPA and measured emotional intelligence ability, but also demonstrated lower than average range scores in several emotional intelligence scores. The relationship between pre-graduation measures of success and level of performance postgraduation deserves further exploration. The findings of this study suggest that research on the relationship between traditional and nontraditional measures of academic success, and emotional intelligence correlation with postgraduation performance, is warranted.
7-OH-DPAT selectively reduces intake of both chow and high fat diets in different food intake regimens.

Abstract Mesolimbic dopaminergic system activation correlates with ingestive behavior in numerous feeding regimens. DA release is enhanced by food intake following deprivation, amount of food consumed, and the palatability of the food consumed. The dopamine-3 receptor (D3-R) has a limited expression pattern that is restricted largely to the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The D3-R has been hypothesized to inhibit DA-mediated reward, locomotion and motivation. To test the potential for an inhibitory role of the D3-R on food intake, we administered the D3-R agonist 7-OH-DPAT (5, 10 and 50 μg/kg ip) to rats that had ad libitum access to standard rodent chow (3.41 kcal/gm, 0.51 kcal/gm from fat) or a preferable, high fat (HF) (4.4 kcal/gm, 1.71 kcal/gm from fat). In the second set of experiments we administered 7-OH-DPAT (10, 50 and 100 μg/kg) to rats that had access to chow or HF diet for only 3 h per day (meal fed). In the third set of experiments we administered 7-OH-DPAT (10 and 50 μg/kg) to rats that had access to chow or HF diet after a 21-h food restriction. The 10 and 50 μg/kg doses significantly, but equally reduced intake of chow and HF diet in animals that were ad libitum fed. In animals that were meal-fed the dose response was effectively shifted to the right and the 10 μg/kg dose was ineffective at reducing intake. The 50 and 100 μg/kg doses significantly but equally reduced intake of both diets. In animals that were 21-h restricted and had access to chow both the 10 and 50 μg/kg doses were ineffective at reducing intake. However, in animals that had access to HF diet, 7-OH-DPAT dose-dependently reduced intake. These results support a potential role for the D3-R in ingestive behavior particularly in situations that involve a significant learned component.
Short-wavelength-laser requirements for direct-drive ignition and gain

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) requires high compression of fusion fuel to densities approaching 1000 times liquid density of deuterium-tritium (D–T) at central temperatures in excess of 5 keV. The goal of ICF is to achieve high gain (of the order of 100 or greater) in the laboratory. To meet this objective with minimum driver energy, a number of central issues must be addressed. Research in ICF with laser drivers has shown the importance of using short wavelength (λ 10 14 W/cm 2 ) are required. The directdrive approach to ICF is more energy efficient than indirect drive if the stringent drive symmetry and hydrodynamic stability requirements can be met by a suitable laser irradiation scheme and target design. Experiments carried out at 351 nm on the 2-kJ, 24-beam OMEGA laser system at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester, and future experiments to be performed on a 30-kJ upgrade of this laser, can resolve the remaining physics issues for direct drive: (1) energy coupling and transport scaling; (2) irradiation-uniformity requirements for high gain; (3) hydrodynamic stability constraints; and (4) hot-spot and main-fuel-layer physics. We review progress made on achieving uniform drive conditions with the OMEGA system and present results for direct-drive cryogenic-fuel-capsule and CD-shell, “surrogate” cryogenic-capsule implosion experiments that illustrate the constraints imposed by hydrodynamic instabilities and drive uniformity on the design of high-performance direct-drive targets. Target designs have been identified that will explore the ignition-scaling regime using the OMEGA Upgrade. Experiments on the OMEGA Upgrade will signal whether or not there is a high probability of achieving modest to high gain using direct drive on an upgrade of the NOVA facility.
Lost in translation: the value of qualitative data.

At first glance, it would be easy to relegate the study by Backer et al,[1][1] published in this issue of the Journal , to the growing inventory of articles reporting less than fully successful attempts to improve the implementation of effective clinical services in practice. The major goal of the
Introduction to Social Work, 2nd Ed., by Rex A. Skidmore and Milton G. Thackeray. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1976. $11.95. 420 Pp.

(1977). Introduction to Social Work, 2nd Ed., by Rex A. Skidmore and Milton G. Thackeray. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1976. $11.95. 420 Pp. Journal of Education for Social Work: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 115-116.
Application of multivariate optical computing to simple near-infrared point measurements

Quantitative multivariate spectroscopic methods seek spectral patterns that correspond to analyte concentrations even in the presence of interferents.By embedding a spectral pattern that corresponds to a target analyte in an interference filter in a beamsplitter arrangement;bulky and complex instrumentation can be eliminated with the goal of producing a field-portable instrument.A candidate filter design for an rganic analyte,of military interest,and an interferent is evaluated.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Is a radical genre criticism possible

Thomas Schatz. Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking, and the Studio System. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1981. $19.95, cloth. Also available in a slightly different edition in paper from Random House. Another, apparently earlier, version of the same basic text is available as Hollywood Film Genre: Anatomy of a Culture, from UMI Research Press. All references in this review are to the Temple University Press edition.