cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Electrostatic Interactions on Spin-Assembled Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Networks on Amine-Functionalized Surfaces

Preferential interactions between self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with amine functional groups and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were exploited to produce nanotube networks (SWNTnts) via spin coating. We provide insight into the mechanisms of this system while simultaneously demonstrating a facile approach toward controllable arrays of SWNTnts. The chirality, density, and alignment of the SWNTnt was heavily influenced by adsorption onto amine-functionalized surfaces that were exposed to varying pH solutions, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. This pH treatment altered the charge density on the surface, allowing for the examination of the contribution from electrostatic interaction to SWNT adsorption and SWNTnt characteristics. Secondary and tertiary amines with methyl substitutions were utilized to confirm that adsorption and chirality specific adsorption is largely due to the nitrogen lone pair, not the neighboring hydrogen atoms. Thus, the nature o...
A Shortest-route approach for optimum aggregation of data with an application to income data

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of grouping a large volume of discrete data into a given number of groups. The algorithm is based on the well-known shortest path algorithm. It handles different criteria for minimizing the loss of information which might result during the process of grouping. The given problem is transformed into a directed graph and it then looks for a shortest path with a given number of edges. The algorithm is illustrated through an example of five data items. It has also been coded in Pascal and some test results are presented.
Numerical study of the time-reversal effects on super-resolution in random scattering media and comparison with an analytical model

The time-reversal effects on super-resolution in random scattering media are analysed using numerical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. The analytical solutions and results have been presented previously in the literature, which provide confirmation of spot-size reduction and also explanations of the shower curtain effects and backscattering enhancement. However, the analytical solutions are based on several approximations. Thus, validation of the analytical results against realistic scattering events is necessary. Two-dimensional FDTD Monte Carlo simulations have been employed for this investigation to simulate wave propagation and scattering in a random medium. The scattering environments are created by randomly locating cylindrical rods in the background medium. The simulation process involves a point source emitting a Gaussian pulse wave that propagates through the scattering medium, gets time-reversed, and then back-propagated into the same scattering medium. The focusing behaviours i...
Effect of urea concentrations on the solubility of the isomeric monohydroxybenzoic acids.

The interactions of urea in varying concentrations with the three isomeric monohydroxybenzoic acids are described. Results indicate that the acids interact in varying amounts with urea; however, the over-all reaction for each isomer is relatively complex. The meta compound appears to have the greatest and the ortho isomer the least tendency to complex; however, the amount of m -hydroxybenzoic acid in solution decreases, within certain limits, with agitating time. In general, the solubility of the complexes is a function of temperature. The solubility characteristics of the interaction products also may be associated with the lower water concentrations at high urea levels.
Model-free modal flexibility-based damage detection strategy for in-service highway bridges

Recently, Structural health monitoring (SHM) algorithms based on the modal flexibility matrix has drawn significant attention. These algorithms have been shown to be more effective in damage localization than other methods such as using natural frequencies or mode shapes alone. However, not many of these algorithms are directly applicable for inservice highway bridges. Some studies that are done on highway bridges use SHM algorithms that require known excitations. Other studies require the use of a finite element model to implement the flexibility-based approach. In this paper, a model-free modal flexibility based SHM algorithm is used to identify structural damage while compensating for variations in modal properties due to temperature fluctuations. The algorithm is first validated using a laboratory scale girder bridge under constant temperature. The modal flexibility of different damage scenarios is compared to a baseline undamaged state. Finally, the efficacy of the SHM algorithm is verified using data collected under ambient loading conditions on an in-service highway bridge.
Number of degrees of freedom, density of states and tachyons in string theory and CFT

We analyze the asymptotic density of states in two-dimensional conformal field theories as a measure of their number of degrees of freedom. In theories where some of the states contribute −1 to the torus amplitude - “space-time fermions” - it is natural to study the asymptotic behavior of the number of bosons minus fermions. This quantity is relevant when the CFT is coupled to two-dimensional gravity. The combined gravity and matter theory is stable only when the asymptotic density of states of the world-sheet theory (space-time bosons minus fermions) is that of a quantum mechanical system of one free degree of freedom, i.e. one with no net field theoretic degrees of freedom. From a space-time point of view, the asymptotic density of states of the bosons and the fermions can be exponentially large but the difference between them is that of a two-dimensional field theory.
Fouling characteristics of model carbohydrate mixtures and their interaction effects

a b s t r a c t Fouling resistances of carbohydrate mixtures were measured using an annular probe at bulk fluid temperature of 75 ◦ C and initial probe surface temperature of 120 ◦ C. Induction period, maximum fouling resistance and mean fouling rates were determined. Two experiments were performed with two varieties of starch (waxy and high amylose) and short chain carbohydrates, corn syrup solids and glucose. Interaction effects of glucose with starch varieties were studied. In the first experiment, short chain carbohydrates individual and interaction effects with starch were studied. Glucose and corn syrup solids showed no fouling, whereas starch, a long glucose polymer, showed marked fouling. Corn syrup solids and glucose mixed with pure starch decreased the mean fouling rates and maximum fouling resistances. Between corn syrup solids and glucose, starch fouling rates were reduced with addition of glucose. Induction periods of pure mixtures of either glucose or corn syrup solids were longer than the test period (5 h). Pure starch mixture had no induction period. Maximum fouling resistance was higher for mixtures with higher concentration of longer polymers. Waxy starch had a longer induction period than high amylose starch. Maximum fouling resistance was higher for waxy than high amylose starch. Addition of glucose to waxy or high amylose starch increased induction period of mixtures longer than 5 h test period. © 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Big Data in the Public Sector: Lessons for Practitioners and Scholars:

In this essay, we consider the role of Big Data in the public sector. Motivating our work is the recognition that Big Data is still in its infancy and many important questions regarding the true value of Big Data remain unanswered. The question we consider is as follows: What are the limits, or potential, of Big Data in the public sector? By reviewing the literature and summarizing insights from a series of interviews from public sector Chief Information Officers (CIOs), we offer a scholarly foundation for both practitioners and researchers interested in understanding Big Data in the public sector.
Supersonic Flow in the Corner Formed by Two Intersecting Wedges

Theme E12 for over a decade, have investigated the supersonic flowfield in the axial corner formed by two intersecting wedges. The understanding and prediction of this type of interference flow is of considerable interest to the designer of high-performance hypersonic aircraft and spacecraft (Space Shuttle Orbiter) because of the high local heating that occurs in this region. Such flows are encountered, for example, at wing-body junctures, at control surface roots, and within supersonic inlets. Theoretical attempts at modeling the corner flow problem have been made in the past,' but these employed simplifying or incorrect assumptions and thus resulted in questionable solutions. According to the recent survey paper of Korkegi, "there exists no adequate method of predicting even the inviscid flow structure." In the present paper, a numerical solution for the inviscid corner flow is computed using a second-order accurate shock-capturing technique.
Finding Leishmania: A Deadly Game of Hide-and-Seek

Leishmaniasis is a chronic infection in which intracellular parasites avoid destruction by the immune system. Using intravital imaging, Filipe-Santos et al. (2009) demonstrate that some parasitized dendritic cells receive much less attention than others during their choreographed dance with T cells, suggesting that these "wallflowers" could allow for parasite survival.
The development of a child assessment interview for research and clinical use

The Child Assessment Schedule (CAS) was developed to address the need for a standardized child interview that could be used for research and clinical purposes. The CAS has several distinguishing characteristics: (1) Questions and responses are standardized, (2) the format was designed to enhance rapport with the child, and (3) information necessary for DSM III childhood diagnoses is explicitly solicited. The CAS was administered to 32 child outpatients, 18 inpatients, and 37 normal controls. Derived scores were obtained for total psychopathology, 11 content areas, and 9 symptom complexes. Interrater reliability for the total CAS score was quite high. The CAS was able to discriminate among the three groups in total score indicating degree of psychopathology, on 9 of the 11 content areas, and on 8 of the 9 symptom complexes. Significant correlations were found between the CAS and maternal report of child behavior and between the CAS and child selfreport of internal affects. It was concluded that the CAS has adequate reliability and validity, although further research is indicated.
Evidence of Stress Proteins and a Potential Maturity Marker in Peanuts

Stress proteins are induced in plants in response to environmental changes in temperature, oxygen, or water levels. It was hypothesized that stress proteins occur in peanut seeds during maturation and curing because these processes are known to be associated with water deficit and anaerobic metabolism in peanut seeds. To test this hypothesis, a polyclonal antibody against dehydrin, a plant stress protein, was used. Immunoblot analyses showed that a number of dehydrin-related stress proteins were detected in peanut seeds of different maturity and curing stages. Of these, only two were induced during seed curing and maturation. One (protein a) is potentially a peanut maturity marker because it was shown to occur only in uncured fully mature seeds. Immunoblot analyses of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), an enzyme known to be induced in mature peanut seeds, showed that ADH was not recognized by the antibody. This suggests that ADH is probably not related to protein a or dehydrin. Keywords: Peanut seeds; maturity ...
Analysis of X-ray Absorption Spectra of Some Nickel Oxycompounds Using Theoretical Standards

X-ray absorption spectra have been measured for NiO, β-Ni(OH)2, α-Ni(OH)2, LiNiO2, and KNiIO6 samples, which contain nickel with valency in the range 2−4. Information on the local structure and nature of bonding of nickel compounds has been derived using theoretical standards generated with the FEFF code. The Ni K-edge energy was found to shift to higher values by about 1.5 eV per unit change in valency of nickel. The energy of the preedge peak (generally attributed to the transition from the 1s core states to the 3d unoccupied states) shifts to higher values by about 0.6 eV per unit change in valency of nickel. A many body amplitude reduction factor ( ) of 0.77 ± 0.03 for Ni K-edge absorption can be used to scale theoretical spectra to fit the experimental ones in order to accurately determine the coordination numbers for compounds with complex structures. Our results show that chemical effects are very small and can be ignored for reliable structural analysis. Results of local structure for the first, s...
An O(log N) deterministic packet-routing scheme

A deterministic O(log N)-time algorithm for the problem of routing an aribitrary permutation on an N-processor bounded-degree network with bounded buffers is presented.Unlike all previous deterministic solutions to this problem, our routing scheme does not reduce the routing problem to sorting and does not use the sorting network of Ajtai, et al. [1]. Consequently, the constant in the run time of our routing scheme is substantially smaller, and the network topology is significantly simpler.
MASS FLOW RATE AND VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS FOR PLAIN AND ABRASIVE HIGH SPEED WATER JETS

Mass flow rate measurements for plain and AWJ are performed at different pressures and mathematical models are derived to predict mass flow rate, density and velocity. A high-pressure container is used to collect the water/slurry over a given period of time. The results show consistency with the machine manual at the maximum pressure. Mass flow rates for AWJ are higher than plain water jets, but the difference does not seem to be highly dependent on pressure. The difference in these flow rates is attributed to the abrasive added in the AWJ case. The momentum transfer ratio is computed by measuring the ratio of abrasive to plain water jet impacting forces using piezoelectric transducers. The relationship between jet velocity and pressure is observed to be linear, and the corresponding mathematical models are generated. These models will subsequently be used to determine the kinetic energy of the jet as it exits the orifice and hits the target material. When the exit velocity of the jet is measured (through direct force measurements) it becomes possible to obtain an expression for the energy dissipation function as a function of pressure, target material and feed rate.
Negative expiratory pressure: a new tool for evaluating lung function in children?

The negative expiratory pressure technique (NEP) has been applied in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), demonstrating flow limitation in many of these patients. Because this technique does not require patient cooperation, it is of potential interest for application in the pediatric population. This study was performed to test the feasibility of NEP in children, and to further investigate it in children with asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF). We performed NEP (0.3–0.7 kPa) measurements in 14 healthy children (13.3 years, ± 2.4), in 12 children with asthma (11.7 years, ± 3.0), and in 17 children with CF (13.3 years, ± 2.7). NEP-derived flow-volume loops were visually analyzed for flow limitation at tidal breathing. In addition, expiratory flow at 50% of tidal volume (TEF50) was measured. In healthy children, the intraclass coefficient of correlation was 77%, and intraindividual short- and long-term variability was 5.8% and 10.8%, respectively. In asthmatics, TEF50 was lower compared with controls, and increased after inhalation of salbutamol. However, appropriate size-correction has still to be established. Measurement of TEF50 using NEP is feasible in children. Despite good reproducibility in individual patients, the high intersubject variability may limit its usefulness as a clinical tool. In addition, the lack of flow limitation using NEP even in severely obstructed patients with CF warrants further investigation. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 35:162–168. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inbreeding depression and its effect on intrinsic population dynamics in engraver beetles

1. Phloem-feeding bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) generally disperse before mating, leading to expectations of outbreeding. New York and British Columbia populations of engraver beetles (Ips pini) were tested for inbreeding depression using different methods. Among several traits measured, only the number of offspring surviving to adulthood was strongly reduced by inbreeding. 2. There was no evidence of avoidance of inbreeding depression in two possible mechanisms considered: differential male and female emergence times within full sib broods, and early termination of brood construction in forced sib mating. 3. Sib-mated females lay more eggs and have longer galleries than those in outbred crosses, despite a low rate of survival to adulthood for such eggs. This difference may be due to the ability of engraver beetles to assess crowding in broods as larvae begin to feed, and allows partial compensation for the effects of inbreed depression. 4. Population models assuming density-dependent generational effects were modified to account for inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression makes populations less prone to cyclical behaviour, particularly at lower carrying capacities. 5. Inbreeding depression has not been previously measured in scolytids, nor has inbreeding-related behaviour been explicitly considered outside of exclusively inbreeding tribes.
An Evaluation of the Weinbaum-Jiji Bioheat Equation for Normal and Hyperthermic Conditions

The predictions of the simplified Weinbaum-Jiji (WJ) bioheat transfer equation in one dimension are compared to those of the complete one-dimensional three-equation model that represented the starting point for the derivation of the WJ equation, as well as results obtained using the traditional bioheat transfer equation of Pennes [6]. The WJ equation provides very good agreement with the three-equation model for vascular generations 2 to 9, which are located in the outer half of the muscle layer, where the paired vessel diameters are less than 500 microns, under basal blood flow conditions. At the same time, the Pennes equation yields a better description of heat transfer in the first generation, where the vessels' diameters are greater than 500 microns and epsilon, the vessels' normalized thermal equilibration length, is greater than 0.3. These results were obtained under both normothermic and hyperthermic conditions. A new conceptual view of the blood source term in the Pennes equation has emerged from these results. This source term, which was originally intended to represent an isotropic heat source in the capillaries, is shown to describe instead the heat transfer from the largest countercurrent microvessels to the tissue due to small vessel bleed-off. The WJ equation includes this effect, but significantly overestimates the second type of tissue heat transfer, countercurrent convective heat transfer, when epsilon greater than 0.3. Indications are that a "hybrid" model that applies the Pennes equation in the first generation (normothermic) and first two to three generations (after onset of hyperthermia) and the Weinbaum-Jiji equation in the subsequent generations would be most appropriate for simulations of bioheat transfer in perfused tissue.
Alpha-A crystallin: quantitation of C-terminal modification during lens aging

Previous studies have demonstrated that the C-terminal region of alpha-A crystallin is susceptible to age-dependent, posttranslational modification. To quantitate the amount of modification, alpha-A crystallin was purified from total proteins of the aging bovine lens, then digested with lys-C endoproteinase. Reverse phase, high pressure liquid chromatography was used to resolve and quantitate the resulting peptides, to determine the amount of C-terminal peptide relative to peptides from other regions of the protein that have not been reported to undergo modification. The results indicate that relative to alpha-A crystallin from newborn lens, posttranslational modification has occurred in approximately 45-55% of the C-terminal region from mature lens. These results demonstrate extensive modification of the C-terminal region of alpha-A crystallin from the mature lens, indicating that during the aging process, posttranslational modifications in this region may make significant contributions to the aggregated state and/or molecular chaperone properties of the molecule.
Absolute phase uncertainty in sinusoidal grating detection.

Spatial phase plays an important role in the characterization of images and other visual patterns. Despite this, relatively few experiments have investigated the role of phase per se in human vision. Recent studies by Kersten (1983) and Burgess and Ghandeharian (1984) have shown that human observers are more sensitive to sinusoidal grating patterns when they have prior knowledge of the pattern’s absolute phase than when they do not. They concluded that observers act as phase-sensitive detectors at least some of the time. Two forced-choice sinusoidal grating detection experiments are reported here which extend these results. Absolute signal phase was either held constant or varied randomly across trials. On half of the random-phase trials, observers were shown a sinusoidal grating cue that revealed the absolute phase of the test signal for that trial. There were three major findings. First, detection performance in both experiments was substantially better when phase information was provided than when it was not. This is consistent with previous findings. Second, information about signal phase was provided equally effectively by holding phase constant over all trials within a testing block (as in the constantphase conditions) or by providing an explicit phase cue 250 msec before each trial. Third, a phase cue presented 250 msec after the test pattern offset led to performance levels intermediate between the superior constant-phase condition and the uncued random-phase condition. In other words, observers were able to use phase information even when it was presented in a postcue. The findings are discussed in terms of alternative phase-sensitive detection models.
Temperature dependence of aliovalent-vanadium doping in LiFePO4 cathodes

Vanadium-doped olivine LiFePO4 cathode materials have been synthesized by a low-temperature microwave-assisted solvothermal (MW-ST) method at ≤300 °C. The samples have been extensively characterized by neutron/X-ray powder diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis, electron microscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The compositions of the as-synthesized materials were found to be LiFe1–3x/2Vx□x/2PO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) with the presence of a small number of lithium vacancies (□) charge-compensated by V4+, not Fe3+, leading to an average oxidation state of ∼3.2+ for vanadium. The vacancies on the Fe site likely provide an additional conduction pathway for Li+ ions to transfer between neighboring 1D conduction channels along the crystallographic b axis. Heating the pristine 15% V-doped sample in inert or reducing atmospheres led to a loss of vanadium from the olivine lattice with the concomitant formation of a Li3V2(PO4)3 impurity phase; after phase segregation, a partially V-doped olivin...
Quantitative variation in diploid potatoes

Fifty clones selected from crosses between Phureja and Tuberosum haploids and 24 Tuberosum haploids were used to produce two Design I trials, and one Design II trial. Tests were conducted for 2 years at one location, and estimates were obtained for quantitative genetic variance for tuber number and weight. Estimates of genetic variance for tuber number were large, with approximately equal additive and dominance components. Additive genetic variance was the larger component for tuber weight for two of the three estimates. More results from other populations are needed to establish the relative importance of the quantitative genetic components in potatoes.
Escaping the green prison: Entrepreneurship and the creation of opportunities for sustainable development

Abstract While entrepreneurial activity has been an important force for social and ecological sustainability; its efficacy is dependent upon the nature of market incentives. This limitation is sometimes explained by the metaphor of the prisoner's dilemma, which we term the green prison. In this prison, entrepreneurs are compelled to environmentally degrading behavior due to the divergence between individual rewards and collective goals for sustainable development. Entrepreneurs, however, can escape from the green prison by altering or creating the institutions—norms, property rights, and legislation—that establish the incentives of competitive games. We provide a variety of evidence of such entrepreneurial action and discuss its implications for theory and practice.
Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew and Early Jewish Christianity

The author attempts to pinpoint the date of the Shem-Tob type Matthaean text by locating its theology within the history of Jewish Christianity. After delineating four theological motifs in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew: (1) Exaltation of John the Baptist, (2) Continued Relevance of the Baptism of John, (3) Delayed Inclusion of the Gentiles, (4) Delayed Recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, a comparison is made with the theologies of several Jewish Christian groups mentioned in the New Testament and later Christian literature. Although the distinctive motifs in the Hebrew Matthew are generally represented within Jewish Christianity, no single group is a good candidate for publishing this text. A general date within the first four centuries is, therefore, suggested for the Shem-Tob type text.
The Fiery Side of HIV–Induced T Cell Death

In untreated HIV-1 infection, the progressive destruction of CD4 T cells gives rise to a devastating number of opportunistic infections—the hallmark of AIDS. Yet, it remains unclear how HIV-1 inexorably depletes these essential immune cells. Most of the dying CD4 T cells are uninfected “bystanders” that self-destruct upon exposure to HIV-1 DNA products generated during aborted infection ( 1 ). Doitsh et al. ( 2 ) and a report by Monroe et al. on page [428][1] in this issue ( 3 ) show that these truncated fragments of HIV-1 DNA trigger CD4 T cell demise through an intense inflammatory cell death pathway—called pyroptosis—after their recognition by an intracellular DNA sensor ( 4 , 5 ). [1]: /lookup/volpage/343/428?iss=6169
Navigating the perfect storm: balancing a culture of safety with workforce challenges.

> Balancing the development of cultures of safety with nursing workforce challenges is similar to navigating the perfect storm. The perfect storm is characterized as a tempest of extreme intensity that happens rarely, maybe once every 100 years, as a result of multiple factors that end in a situation worse than people have ever seen. Such a storm is currently evident when attempting to ensure patient safety while being confronted with a shortage of nurses and nursing faculty unlike any other shortage experienced in over a number of decades. Based on research, the threats to patient safety from healthcare system and health professional errors have become of paramount concern. The prevention of such errors is the focus of healthcare organizations as they create cultures of safety. A major aspect of cultures of safety is nurses with their many roles in caring for patients and families, especially the constant surveillance they provide, which often prevents complications and deaths secondary to failure to rescue. However, providing such surveillance requires adequate numbers of well-prepared nurses in attendance. The perfect storm is created because of the existence of a steadily worsening shortage oi nurses and nursing faculty. Multiple factors have converged to develop and sustain such a shortage. A blueprint for healthcare organizations is proposed, with examples of numerous innovative strategies that are being developed and studied for handling the major challenges posed by this perfect storm.
Applying the COMSOAL computer heuristic to the constrained resource allocation problem

Generating a project schedule that meets all activity precedence constraints while minimizing the overall project duration is often difficult. The complex project-scheduling problem is further complicated by the real-world constraint that often a limited number of resources must be allocated to competing activities. This paper investigates the application of the computer method COMSOAL to this resource allocation problem. COMSOAL (Computer Method of Sequencing Operations for Assembly Lines), originally a solution approach for the assembly line balancing problem, is a computer heuristic that can be used to generate a feasible solution to the resource allocation problem at each iteration of the heuristic. A solution methodology of repeatedly running COMSOAL will result in many feasible solutions from which the best is chosen. This solution approach now becomes viable given the increased speed of inexpensive computers. This paper discusses the adaptation of the COMSOAL approach to the resource allocation problem as well as a designed experiment used to investigate the appropriateness of COMSOAL for a known set of resource allocation test problems. Results from this experiment show COMSOAL is a viable method to solve these resource allocation problems when compared to the results from several well-known resource allocation algorithms and to the optimal solutions.
Flavor Retention and Physical Properties of Rice Cakes Prepared from Coated Rice Grain

ABSTRACT Flavored rice cakes are produced commercially by spraying a flavor coating on the cake surface. This study describes a method of making a flavored coating that is applied to individual rice grains before puffing and results in a more uniform flavor distribution. Rice was coated at 5% or 10% levels with coating materials made of jet-cooked (JC) starch or starch cooked in a water bath (WB), corn starch powder, salt, and a flavor compound. The viscosity of coating materials made with WB starch was twice that of coatings made of JC starch. Rice coated at 10% level had decreased specific density of rice cakes. Rice cakes made from coated grain were similar in appearance to cakes made from uncoated rice but had higher flexural strength. Retention of flavor volatiles after puffing the coated grain was 82.8–56.8% for apple, 72.5–40.3% for anise, and 52.5–24.8% for onion flavor. The flavor volatiles measured in the rice cakes decreased during a three-month storage period to 49.3% for apple, 25.8% for anis...
Placebo responding in the same direction as alcohol in women.

Pavlovian conditioning studies with alcohol in humans have been performed exclusively with men subjects. Men demonstrate a placebo response opposite in direction to alcohol, which Newlin (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 9:411-416, 1985) termed an antagonistic placebo response. The current study used normal women subjects given alcohol, placebo, or a soft drink control. Placebo significantly (p less than 0.05) increased heart rate compared to the control condition, and this placebo response was in the same direction as the effect of alcohol. The correlation of heart rate change with reported intoxication was +0.44 in women, when it was negative in men (Newlin DB: Alcohol Clin Exp Res 9:411-416, 1985). These results, when considered in relation to other data concerning individual differences in antagonistic placebo responding, suggest a pattern in which risk for alcoholism is negatively related to placebo responding. Language: en
So that's what you meant! Event-related potentials reveal multiple aspects of context use during construction of message-level meaning

Abstract Factors that modulate the influence of contextual information on semantic processing in language comprehension have been thoroughly investigated with the N400 component of the event-related potential (ERP), a direct measure of initial contact with semantic memory. Although context has a strong and immediate impact on processing, multiple mechanisms contribute to the construction of message-level representations during normal comprehension. Some of these may be engaged after or concurrent with the formation of an initial meaning representation, and can then serve to revise or reshape meaning. In this study, ERPs were recorded while participants read plausible sentences that continuously varied in the amount of contextual constraint for the sentence-final word, defined via extensive norming data including the range of possible alternative completions for the contexts. Consistent with numerous past studies, the amplitude of the N400 was graded with expectancy, as amplitudes decreased with increasing constraint. Additionally, a left-lateralized, broad, slow negativity onsetting around 400–500 ms was largest for sentences with moderately strong constraint. Within this range of constraint, the negativity was larger for sentences with fewer alternative completions compared to those with many different ones. The timing and scalp distribution of the effect resemble brain responses linked to engagement of working memory resources, ambiguity resolution, and comprehension of jokes. Similar to cases of “frame-shifting” in non-literal language, this effect may reflect processing associated with reinterpretation or reconsideration of contextual material when multiple interpretations of a sentence were likely.
Precision polarimetry of optical components (Invited Paper)

Polarization elements at present are inadequately characterized for many applications. For retarders, usually only the retardance is specified. For polarizers, usually only the two principal transmittances or the extinction ratio are given. For polarization elements used in critical applications, this level of characterization is woefully inadequate. Defects of polarization elements are described, and appropriate performance measures suggested. Examples of the characterization of polarization elements as a function of angle of incidence, and as a function of wavelength are provided.
Toward sustainable development: implications for population aging and the wellbeing of elderly women in developing countries.

Attaining sustainable development has significant implications for population age structure, family structure and the wellbeing of elderly women. If one of the primary goals of sustainable development is reducing fertility to attain a population growth rate which can be supported by the Earth's resources, then working toward sustainable development will lead to an aging population. This demographic change coupled with other impacts of working toward sustainable development could significantly affect the status and wellbeing of elderly women. Drawing on examples primarily from the Asian setting, this paper will examine population aging and what this demographic change may mean for elderly women in developing areas.
Wood and Wood-Based Materials: Current Status and Future of a Structural Material

Wood is one of the earliest construction materials, and the structural use of wood and wood-based materials continues to steadily increase. In fact, new wood-based materials continue to be developed and successfully introduced into the engineering and construction marketplace. Supporting the increase in use and development of new materials has been an evolution of our understanding of wood as a structural material. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a summary of the status and future of engineered wood and wood-based materials. This paper is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the literature or an all-inclusive state-of-art report on all types of wood and wood-based materials. Rather, the focus is on the past, present, and future of engineered wood and wood-based materials for use in civil engineering applications. It also provides a vision for addressing anticipated future research needs. At the conclusion of this paper, the reader may review and consider the recommended actions for advancing the state-of-the-art use and utilization of wood and wood-based materials. (150th Anniversary Paper)
Relaxant responses of the isolated guinea-pig left pulmonary artery produced by acidic histamine solutions.

Abstract Contractile responses to histamine were examined on left pulmonary arterial rings isolated from reserpine-pretreated guinea pigs. In the presence of mepyramine, contractile responses to histamine dihydrochloride and histamine diphosphate were preceded by concentration-dependent relaxant responses which were not blocked by metiamide. Hydrochloric acid also produced relaxation of the histamine- and noradrenaline-contracted vessels. Solutions of histamine dihydrochloride and histamine free base adjusted to about pH 7 did not produce the relaxant response. Changes in tissue bath pH were correlated with the relaxant responses produced by acidic histamine and hydrochloric acid solutions. Relaxation produced by histamine in this preparation is due to changes in tissue bath pH and not to activation of an atypical type of histamine receptor.
Drew Dalton, Longing for the Other: Levinas and Metaphysical Desire

Review of Drew Dalton, Longing for the Other: Levinas and Metaphysical Desire (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 2009)
Hydrogen-bond kinetics in liquid water

HYDROGEN bonds play a crucial role in the behaviour of water1–4; their spatial patterns and fluctuations characterize the structure and dynamics of the liquid5–7. The processes of breaking and making hydrogen bonds in the condensed phase can be probed indirectly by a variety of experimental techniques8, and more quantitative information can be obtained from computer simulations9. In particular, simulations have revealed that on long timescales the relaxation behaviour of hydrogen bonds in liquid water exhibit non-exponential kinetics7,10–13, suggesting that bond making and breaking are not simple processes characterized by well defined rate constants. Here we show that these kinetics can be understood in terms of an interplay between diffusion and hydrogen-bond dynamics. In our model, which can be extended to other hydrogen-bonded liquids, diffusion governs whether a specific pair of water molecules are near neighbours, and hydrogen bonds between such pairs form and persist at random with average lifetimes determined by rate constants for bond making and breaking.
Natural fisheries, marsh management, and mariculture: complexity and conflict in Louisiana

Most of Louisiana’s economically important saltwater fishes and crustaceans spawn in the Gulf of Mexico, but their young must use the vast coastal marsh as their nursery. Marsh management in Louisiana usually consists of emplacement of levees and water-control structures in the marsh. These structures significantly reduce fisheries production and offshore recruitment. In addition, in 1987 private entities were authorized to use 32,380 ha of the marsh for experimental mariculture, which (if successful) will likewise lead to greatly reduced natural fisheries production and offshore recruitment. Private interests also nearly succeeded in legalizing entrapment and eventual harvest of the wild fisheries from 100,000 ha, and 20,000 ha, of the marsh in 1991 and 1992, respectively. The effects of all these threats to natural fisheries production are further complicated by Louisiana's confused legal situation regarding coastal land ownership.
SPARSH: passing data using the body as a medium

SPARSH explores a novel interaction method to seamlessly transfer data among multiple users and devices in a fun and intuitive way. The user touches a data item they wish to copy from a device, conceptually saving in the user's body. Next, the user touches the other device they want to paste/pass the saved content. SPARSH uses touch-based interactions as indications for what to copy and where to pass it. Technically, the actual transfer of media happens via the information cloud.
Microtubule dynamics in axon guidance

Precise modulation of the cytoskeleton is involved in a variety of cellular processes including cell division, migration, polarity, and adhesion. In developing post-mitotic neurons, extracellular guidance cues not only trigger signaling cascades that act at a distance to indirectly regulate microtubule distribution, and assembly and disassembly in the growth cone, but also directly modulate microtubule stability and dynamics through coupling of guidance receptors with microtubules to control growth-cone turning. Microtubule-associated proteins including classical microtubule-associated proteins and microtubule plus-end tracking proteins are required for modulating microtubule dynamics to influence growth-cone steering. Multiple key signaling components, such as calcium, small GTPases, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, link upstream signal cascades to microtubule stability and dynamics in the growth cone to control axon outgrowth and projection. Understanding the functions and regulation of microtubule dynamics in the growth cone provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of axon guidance.
Comparing the Impact of Accountability Examinations on Mississippi and Tennessee Social Studies Teachers' Instructional Practices

This study compared the impact of state accountability examinations on social studies teachers' instructional practices. Data were obtained from a survey instrument given to a representative sample of Mississippi teachers who teach the same content tested on their state's high-stakes high school graduation examination and a representative sample of Tennessee teachers who teach the same content tested on their state's relatively lower stakes End-Of-Course examination. An analysis found teachers in both states using a combination of teacher-centered and student-centered instructional practices. But Mississippi teachers' use of instructional practices was most influenced by examination-related factors, whereas Tennessee teachers' use of instructional practices was most influenced by personal-related factors. I use the entire academic year preparing my students for the United States history subject area exam. My choice of instructional delivery and materials is completely dependent on preparation for this tes...
A FAST-MANIFOLD APPROACH TO MELNIKOV FUNCTIONS FOR SLOWLY VARYING OSCILLATORS

A new approach to obtaining the Melnikov function for homoclinic orbits in slowly varying oscillators is proposed. The present method applies the usual two-dimensional Melnikov analysis to the “fast” dynamics of the system which lie on an invariant manifold. It is shown that the resultant Melnikov function is the same as that obtained in the usual way involving distance functions in three dimensions [Wiggins and Holmes, 1987]. This alternative derivation provides some useful insight into the structure of the dynamical system.
Accumulation of Fibronectin in Articular Cartilage Explants Cultured with TGFβ1 and Fucoidan

Abstract Fibronectin is a glycoprotein involved in cell matrix interactions. In osteoarthritis, fibronectin levels in the lesion cartilage are elevated up to 20-fold above control levels. In these experiments, explants of disease-free cartilage cultured in the presence of a combination of TGFβ1 and the sulfated fucopolysaccharide, fucoidan, accumulated fibronectin at levels comparable to those found in osteoarthritic lesions. TGFβ1 increased fibronectin synthesis, most of which was released to the medium. The addition of fucoidan favored retention of the newly synthesized fibronectin within the matrix. The fibronectin which accumulated as a result of these treatments was similar to the fibronectin in normal and osteoarthritic cartilage with respect to the ED-B + alternative splice form. No change in the proteoglycan content of the cartilage explants with elevated fibronectin levels was detected.
Simian virus 40 in human cancers.

Abstract Background Many studies have reported the presence of simian virus 40 (SV40) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or protein in human brain tumors and bone cancers, malignant mesothelioma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, the small samples and lack of control groups in some reports have made it difficult to assess their reliability. Methods Studies were included in this analysis if they met the following criteria: original studies of patients with primary brain tumors and bone cancers, malignant mesothelioma, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; the investigation of SV40 was performed on primary cancer specimens; the analysis included a control group; and the same technique was used for cases and controls. Included reports were published from 1975 to 2002. Results Thirteen studies fulfilled the criteria for the investigation of primary brain cancers (661 tumors and 482 control samples). Specimens from patients with brain tumors were almost four times more likely to have evidence of SV40 infection than were those from controls (odds ratio [OR] = 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6 to 5.8). The association was even stronger for mesothelioma (OR = 17; 95% CI: 10 to 28; based on 15 studies with 528 mesothelioma samples and 468 control samples) and for bone cancer (OR = 25; 95% CI: 6.8 to 88; based on four studies with 303 cancers and 121 control samples). SV40 DNA was also more frequent in samples from patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (OR = 5.4; 95% CI: 3.1 to 9.3; based on three studies with 301 cases and 578 control samples) than from controls. Conclusion These results establish that SV40 is associated significantly with brain tumors, bone cancers, malignant mesothelioma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Studies are needed to assess current prevalence of SV40 infections.
Computed crystal structure images for high resolution electron microscopy

It is now possible to compute images of crystal structures corresponding to experimental images produced by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The variation of contrast with crystal thickness, microscope resolution and defocus has been faithfully reproduced by the calculations for some minerals and a binary oxide.
Fetal infections of hamsters, rats, and mice induced with the minute virus of mice (MVM).

Transplacental infections with MVM were studied in hamsters, rats, and mice. The most striking infections were in hamsters in which infected fetuses developed high titers of virus, then died, and were resorbed. Only a few fetuses out of each litter became infected, the majority remaining alive, well, and free of infection. The situation in pregnant mice, which are natural hosts of this agent, was different. In them parenteral inoculations produced no discernible effects on either mother or fetuses. But infected fetuses with high titers of virus were recovered from other females at term. In neither hamsters nor mice were instances found of placental infection unaccompanied by fetal infection. Why only a small percent of inoculated pregnant mice developed transplacental infections was not clear. Rats free of immunity and hence susceptible to parenteral inoculations were not found. Intrafetal inoculations of rats revealed, however, that MVM can proliferate in fetuses and then persist for weeks following birh without inducing detectable illness. Histologic studies revealed sparse but characteristic intranuclear inclusions in some animals but it was evident in others that MVM can be present in substantial titers in an absence of apparent histologic change. After direct inoculation of some rat and hamster fetuses generalized severe disease resulted, with replicating tissues being the major viral targets, as has been previously observed in infections with other intrauterine parvoviruses. Here large infectious doses were thought to be responsible for the special effects observed.