cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Charging of dust grain clusters in flowing plasmas

Summary form only given. Dusty plasmas are ionized gases containing charged dust grains and exhibiting completely new physical features such as charge variability on grain particles, collective grain-grain interactions, self-organization, and formation of various stable structures. One of the most important parameters is the charge on dust grains. The charge on dust particles can fluctuate randomly in response to fluctuations in plasma parameters. Dusty plasma can be strongly coupled, i.e., the interaction potential energy between dust grains can exceed their kinetic energy. The formation of dusty plasma crystals, fullerene-like and nano-tube dust structures, and large dust agglomerates was observed. The information about charging of an isolated grain can not be used for interpretation of the dust charging in the presence of many grains. The main issue is to understand grain-induced collective processes in the charging of dust grains when their collective interactions become important. A new 2D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) computer code is developed to study the process of grain charging in dusty plasma clusters and structures. The code allows for studies of metallic and dielectric dust particles of different materials, sizes and shapes in anisotropic plasmas. The 2D simulation domain is a part of an infinite plasma with the plasma potential at boundaries set to zero. The dust grains are placed near the center of the 2D box. The potential at dust edges can be fixed or built by collecting plasma particles (floating potential). Since dusty plasmas represent a thermodynamically open system with the high rate of plasma absorption on grains, the flowing plasma is modeled by injecting the plasma macro-particles at one of boundaries thus supplying new drifting electrons and ions. The charging process is assumed to be only due to the mechanism of the collected plasma particles on dust grains. The PIC code was used to investigate the dynamics of the charging of dust grain clusters in contact with low temperature plasmas. Plasma macro-particles which cross the dust grain boundaries are assumed to be absorbed. The time dependent charging of dust grains and discrete fluctuations of the charge on dust particles around the steady-state value are studied. The potential variation in grain's sheath regions, plasma charge density distribution close to the grains, and non-screened tail of the grain's potential due to the effects of other grains are investigated. The non-uniformity of the potential around the dust particles and the dependence of the charge value on the ion drift velocity are explained. The results provide important physical insights into the collective charging process of dust grain clusters.
Functional leadership behavior: Measurement and relation to social power and leadership perceptions.

March 1977, volume 22 The conceptual definition and measurement of functional leadership behavior and its relation to other leadership processes is considered. A general set of leadership functions is developed based on theoretical and empirical considerations and is operationally defined by an interaction coding procedure. This operational procedure seems to be reliable and valid. Highly significant relations among functional behavior, social power, and leadership perceptions are found. The amount of unexplained variance in all three measures, however, is substantial. These findings illustrate the need to retain conceptual distinctions among the three leadership processes and to investigate the dynamics underlying their interrelations. An important factor influencing these interrelations is the situational specificity of person perception processes. It is suggested that in most novel situations, interpersonal perceptions are based on general stereotypes rather than situation specific criteria. The data support this interpretation.*
Maternally-mediated developmental lithium toxicity in the mouse

1. Breast fed maternally-mediated developmental LiCl toxicity was determined in mice offspring as a function of offspring's gender and duration of maternal intake of LiCl (1 mEq). 2. The female offspring were more sensitive than the males to major organ weight changes by maternal exposure to LiCl. 3. Maternal intake of LiCl from preconception until weaning of the nurslings induced offspring hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase and heart lactate dehydrogenase in both sexes which was isoenzyme specific for the latter. 4. The offspring also showed induction of liver aldehyde dehydrogenase but only as consequences of postnatal exposure to LiCl. 5. The results indicate offspring developmental toxicity as a consequence of maternal exposure to Li salts and breast feeding.
Corrosion detection in aircraft skin

The aging of the commercial transport fleet increases the possibility of a reduction or loss of structural integrity through corrosion. Thermal imaging is a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique that is non-contacting and can rapidly inspect large areas. In this work, thermal NDE is used for characterization of corrosion in aircraft skin. Thermal images from an infrared camera are low in contrast and raw images give only qualitative results. The technique presented will use the time evolution of the thermal images to produce qualitative and quantitative information of the corrosion sample being imaged. This paper is going to show the results from fabricated material loss samples, electro chemical corroded samples and aircraft panels with corrosion. A quantitative comparison of results for the different samples will be shown.
Survival of hydroxyapatite-coated implants: a meta-analytic review.

Purpose: Some reports show a benefit of coating dental implants with hydroxyapatite (HA), and others assert that resorption of the HA coating compromises long-term implant survival. This study examined this controversy by systematically reviewing all the current literature that reports the outcomes of HA-coated implants in human clinical trials. Materials and Methods: A systematic Medline computer search of the English literature yielded 45 human clinical trials that reported on the outcome of HA-coated implants. Eleven studies that met specific inclusion criteria were selected for detailed analysis. The studies were divided into 2 groups. One group of 5 studies reported implant survival using overall percentage, and another group of 6 studies reported implant survival using life-table analysis. Results: The overall percentage survival rates ranged from 93.2% to 98.5%, with 4 to 8 years of follow-up. The cumulative survival rates for studies that used life-table analysis ranged from 79.2% to 98.5%, with 5 to 8 years of follow-up. The yearly interval survival rates reported for the studies using life-tables were variable but remained above 90% and did not show a progressive or precipitous decrease with increasing years of follow-up. Conclusions: The survival rates reported for HA-coated implants were similar to the survival rates reported for uncoated titanium implants. If resorption of the HA coating causes late failure of implants, the yearly interval survival rates should have decreased with increased years of follow-up. This decrease was not observed in the longitudinal human clinical trials that met the selection criteria for this study. Detailed analysis of these clinical trials did not show that HA-coating compromises the long-term survival of dental implants. © 2000 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The effect of deception on optimal decisions

The buyer in a seller-first offer bargaining situation use deception to cause the seller to arrive at an inaccurate subjective probability distribution of the buyer's position. The effects on the optimal behavior of the seller and on the payoffs to the two parties are examined.
Optical coupling and transport phenomena in long chains of slightly disordered spherical microresonators

It is shown that weak optical coupling between polystyrene spherical microresonators with size disorders allows creating optical waveguides with attenuation ~2-3 dB per sphere, which can be evanescently coupled to resonant sources of light and used in chip-scale photonic circuits.
Retinal blood flow and nerve fiber layer measurements in early-stage open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose To evaluate the relationship between retinal circulatory abnormalities and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning in early-stage open-angle glaucoma (OAG) to help elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Design Prospective cross-sectional. Methods Twelve patients with early OAG and a known maximum untreated intraocular pressure less than 22 mm Hg (age, 61.4 ± 9.7 years; Humphrey visual field mean deviation −2.7 ± 2.1) and eight age-matched healthy control subjects (age, 58.5 ± 8.3 years) were included in the study. Blood column diameter, centerline blood speed, and retinal blood flow were measured in the major inferior temporal retinal artery using a Canon laser Doppler blood flow instrument (CLBF 100; Canon, Tokyo, Japan). Peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured using a Stratus optical coherence tomography instrument. Results On average, there were significant reductions in retinal blood speed ( P = .009) and flow ( P = .010) in OAG patients compared to controls. The RNFL was significantly thinner in the OAG patients compared to controls ( P = .002). There were significant inverse correlations between retinal blood flow and average RNFL thickness and RNFL thickness in the inferior quadrant within the glaucoma group (Rsq = 0.50, P = .01; Rsq=0.62, P = .003). Conclusion The results showed that a thinner RNFL was associated with a higher retinal blood flow in patients with early-stage OAG. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain to be elucidated.
Immunohistochemical double-staining of renal allograft tissue: critical assessment of three different protocols

Quantitative analyses of renal allograft tissue using immunohistochemical double-staining could be a useful tool to extend the existing knowledge on renal allograft immunopathology. Due to technical reasons, this method has been only rarely applied in the past. The use of indirect immunohistochemistry for double-staining bears the risk of nonspecific cross reactions between the two staining sequences. To date, various procedures have been refined to avoid such cross reactions. Here we assessed the validity of three different protocols for indirect immunohistochemical double-staining on frozen sections of renal transplant biopsies (n=12). Both colocalized antigens and antigens with a non-overlapping distribution were stained according to each of the three protocols. Differentiation between the two staining sequences was achieved by employing different colored substrates of alkaline phosphatase (protocol 1), different enzymes (peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase) together with the use of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine-tetrahydrochloride substrate in the first staining sequence (protocol 2), or primary antibodies from different species (protocol 3). Sensitivity and specificity of each protocol were determined by quantitative comparison with control single-stainings of adjacent sections. Sensitivity of the first staining sequence was about 100% with each of the three protocols investigated. In the second staining sequence, sensitivities of protocols 1 (50%) and 2 (54–66%) were much lower than of protocol 3 (100%). Specificity of the second staining sequence was only 44% with protocol 1 compared with 98% with protocol 2 and 100% with protocol 3. In conclusion, protocols 1 and 2 are not recommended for quantitative double-staining analyses. In contrast, protocol 3 provided maximum sensitivity and specificity, even for antigens that are colocalized on the same cell type. Thus, the use of primary antibodies from different species is by far the most reliable technique for quantitative double-staining analyses in renal allograft tissue.
Patients' criteria for meaningful relief to determine onset of action

Background Many investigators1,2 assign onset of action only to drug-treated patients who detect “meaningful” pain relief. Is there a quantifiable level of relief that corresponds to this qualitative description? Methods To make this determination, we asked patients with sore throat who had completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on a novel formulation3 of acetaminophen (APAP) 1000 mg to indicate which level on a categorical relief scale represented meaningful relief to them. If the patient had detected this level using the same scale in the trial, we examined the patient's responses for evidence of onset. Results Efficacy was demonstrated for all APAP-treated patients compared with placebo beginning at 15 minutes (P<0.05). Of the 73 APAP-treated patients who experienced their own levels of meaningful relief (which was, in general, “moderate relief”), the median (and modal) time to first perceived relief was 15 minutes; 89% reported onset within 30 minutes. Conclusions Because these results accord with how patients assess drug performance in clinical practice, it makes sense, in clinical trials, to analyze the onset of drug action similarly, namely, in patients for whom the drug “works.” One method is to use the patients' own criteria for meaningful relief. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P51–P51; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.088
Assets and liabilities of the Burn Model System data model: a comparison with the National Burn Registry.

Abstract Lezotte DC, Hills RA, Heltshe SL, Holavanahalli RK, Fauerbach JA, Blakeney P, Klein MB, Engrav LH. Assets and liabilities of the Burn Model System data model: a comparison with the National Burn Registry. Objectives To determine whether the Burn Model System (BMS) population is representative of the larger burn population and to investigate threats to internal and external validity in a multicenter longitudinal database of severe burns. Design Cohort data for the BMS project have been collected since 1994. Follow-up data have been collected at 6, 12, and 24 months postburn. The demographic and burn characteristics of the BMS population were compared with those of patients in the National Burn Registry (NBR). Setting The BMS, which collected data for these analyses from 5 regional burn centers in the United States, and the NBR dataset, which is a registry of information collected through the Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons and includes data from 70 hospitals in the United States and Canada. Participants BMS study participants were severely burned patients treated at 1 of the 5 participating burn centers. We compared the BMS population with that of the NBR both in total and filtered to include only patients with comparable injuries. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Comparable demographic and burn characteristics contained in both the NBR and the 5-center BMS longitudinal database and baseline and follow-up distributions of demographic variables and burn characteristics in the BMS database. Results Although minor deviations in demographic distributions were found between the BMS and NBR and between discharge and follow-up populations, our results show that the BMS population sample is internally and externally valid and is adequate for answering research questions. Conclusions Cohort studies examining long-term outcomes have the potential flaw of using a nonrepresentative study population. The BMS population was found to be sufficiently representative, but future analyses will require cautious and purposeful application of statistical adjustment strategies.
Prenatal diagnosis and management of congenital chloride diarrhea: A case report of 2 siblings.

Congenital chloride diarrhea (CLD) is a rare hereditary disease. The basic defect of CLD is massive loss of Cl− and fluid into the ileum and colon. Prenatal diagnosis of this disease is quite important because the infant requires electrolyte supplementation from the early postnatal period. Two cases in which prenatal diagnoses of CLD were made in siblings are reported. Extreme electrolyte imbalance may cause fetal cardiac dysfunction or a poor general condition leading to a non-reassuring fetal status in cases with CLD. Therefore, frequent fetal monitoring using cardiotocograms and ultrasound may be beneficial to some fetuses with CLD to detect fetal deterioration. In addition, repeated amnioreduction may be required to treat severe polyhydramnios and threatened preterm delivery. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2012;
Scaling properties of neural networks for job-shop scheduling

Abstract This paper investigates the scaling properties of neural networks for solving job-shop scheduling problems. Specifically, the Tank-Hopfield linear programming network is modified to solve mixed integer linear programming with the addition of step-function amplifiers. Using a linear energy function, our approach avoids the traditional problems associated with most Hopfield networks using quadratic energy functions. Although our approach requires more hardware (in terms of processing elements and resistive interconnects) than a recent approach by Zhou et al. [2], the neurons in the modified Tank-Hopfield network do not perform extensive calculations unlike those described by Zhou et al.
Anomie and corporate deviance

This paper elaborates on Merton's theory of anomie, while aiming at the enhancement of our understanding of processes conducive to corporate deviance. It attempts to consolidate points made by theorists operating in diverse, often considered as conflicting, orientations or perspectives. A “synthetic” or “integrated scheme” is, thus, put forward, which can help appreciate the background against which corporate deviance is likely to occur. Moreover, it is argued that contemporary societies are inherently conducive to anomic trends. Such trends bring about not only lower-class deviance and crime — to which anomie theory has been traditionally applied — but also high-class and corporate deviance. Against claims by some scholars that the former is a matter of greater concern, it is suggested that the latter is at least as serious a problem and that it has significant implications for the social order.
Anogenital Warts in Children: Clinical and Virologic Evaluation for Sexual Abuse

• Seventy-three children with anogenital warts were examined for sexual abuse during a 2-year period. Our data suggest that nonsexual transmission is common, particularly in children under 3 years of age. Approximately 25% of these children were younger than age 1 year, and another 50% were between the ages of 1 and 3 years. No evidence of sexual abuse was detected in 66 children. ( Arch Dermatol . 1990;126:1575-1580)
Nitric Oxide Production and Neurotoxicity Mediated by Activated Microglia from Human versus Mouse Brain

Recent studies indicate that human macrophages lack a high-output inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) antimicrobial system. In the present study, microglial cells derived from fetal human versus neonatal mouse brain were compared in a coculture assay of human and murine neuronal cell injury. Neurotoxicity (reflected by lactate dehydrogenase release and impaired neuronal uptake of [3H] gamma-amino butyric acid) and nitric oxide (NO) production (assessed by measurement of nitrite) were observed only in cocultures containing interferon (IFN)-gamma-lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine microglia. Cultures of purified human fetal microglia, however, did produce low levels of NO upon stimulation with IFN-gamma-LPS. These findings support the proposal that human macrophages have an inefficient IFN-gamma-inducible NOS and suggest that in tissues, such as brain, this deficiency could be advantageous for neighboring cells.
War is its Own Justification: What Americans Think about War

The authors deal with the morality of war in American culture. They argue that a war ethics that was characteristic of the Cold War has given way to a warrior ethics as it has developed in post-Vietnam America, in print media, popular sentiment, and film. According to this warrior ethics, the citizenry's support for soldiers, regardless of the justice of war, is understood to create social solidarity. Wars are easily justified because, at bottom, war is understood to be its own justification. It unites a country. This popular conception of war both props up more high-minded, political rationales for war and undermines traditional just war ethics. The article uses the war in Iraq as a case study. It analyzes the Bush administration's defense of the war alongside similar accounts of the just war theory given by Richard John Neuhaus, Michael Novak, and George Weigel."As a moral problem, war is ultimately a problem of policy, and therefore a problem of social morality." John Courtney Murray
Searching for sources of the highest energy cosmic rays: low statistics, pitfalls, and possibile clues

The clustering properties of the highest energy cosmic rays and their correlations with candidate sources are re-examined using the most recently available AGASA data and a rigorous correlation analysis. The statistical methodology incorporates some important points not considered in previous studies. Results include small angle clustering significances consistent with, but somewhat less than, earlier findings, a possible large scale anisotropy for events with energies E ≈ 5 − 8 × 10 19 eV, and no statistically significant cross correlations with BL Lacertae or blazars. A marginally significant cross correlation exists for events with energies E > 8 × 10 19 eV with a set of Abell clusters, but no definitive conclusion can yet be drawn from this result.
Tetralogy of Fallot with Subpulmonary Ventricular Septal Defect

Abstract Among a total of 608 patients with tetralogy of Fallot, 35 with tetralogy and subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (VSD) have undergone intracardiac repair at the Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires. The crista supraventricularis was absent in 62.9% of these patients; it was hypoplastic in 37.1%. Only 3 patients (8.6%) were severely cyanotic and required operation in infancy. The main and left and right pulmonary arteries were relatively large in all but 1 patient. Nevertheless, patch-graft enlargement across the pulmonary valve ring was necessary in 20 (57.1%). We believe that closure of the subpulmonary VSD increases the apparent severity of the pulmonary stenosis and necessitates patch-graft enlargement in patients in whom the appearance of the right ventricular outflow tract before repair would not have suggested its need.
On the import and rationale of value attribution

The article urges a negative answer to the question if values merely lie ‘‘in the eyes of the beholder’’. It argues the objectivity of values via their status as tertiary properties that are neither on dispositionally inherent in their objects nor yet affective (dispositionally evoked in the interaction between objects and sense–observers), but rather reflective in being dispositionally evoked in suitably competent minds considering the matters involved.
Noninvasive biomedical sensor

A non-invasive biomedical sensor for monitoring glucose levels is described. The sensor utilizes laser light to determine glucose levels in urine, but could also be used for drug screening and diagnosis of other medical conditions. The glucose measurement is based on modulation spectroscopy with harmonic analysis. Active signal processing and filtering are used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and decreases the measurement time to allow for real time sample analysis. Preliminary data are given which show the concentration of glucose in a control sample. Future applications of this technology, for example, as a portable multipurpose bio-medical analysis tool, are explored.
Reseau"full-color one-step holographic stereograms

A method for producing bright full-color reflection one-step holographic stereograms using a single recording wavelength is described. The technique produces a trichromatic reseau pattern in which each column of image-plane `holographic pixels' is separated into red, green, and blue sub-columns, each of which conveys the necessary color separation information. The primary colors are produced by spatially selective pre- or post-exposure swelling of the sub- columns by the amounts needed to produce diffraction in the appropriate wavelengths. Preliminary results, produced using DuPont photopolymer Holographic Recording Film in conjunction with DuPont Color Tuning Film subjected to precisely masked ultra-violet pre- exposures, are presented. The parameters of this dry process single-laser full-color technique are discussed in the context of an automated holographic printer system.
Release of lt molecules with restricted physical heterogeneity by a continuous human lymphoid cell line in vitro

Lymphotoxins released by lectin activated human lymphoid cells in vitro are complex and can be resolved by molecular sieving techniques into multiple classes of activity, termed complex, α,β and γ. The classes can be further resolved into sub-classes on the basis of their charge by ion-exchange chromatography and electrophoresis. We found the lytic activity spontaneously released by the continuous human B lymphoid cell line, PGLC-33H, to be of limited physical heterogeneity, and essentially identical to the α mol. wt class of human LT† molecules. This was determined by functional, physcial-chemical and immunologic means. We found that most of the α-LT charge sub-classes present in supernatants from mitogen stimulated normal lymphocyte cultures were also detected in these supernatants. These studies suggest: (a) this cell line provides a source of human LT for study with restricted heterogeneity; (b) different lymphoid cells (T and B) may be capable of releasing different LT molecules; and (c) use of selected human lymphoid cell lines may be useful to examine the biokinetics of LT synthesis and release.
Centralization of school finance in Michigan

School finance reform in Michigan involved centralization (at the state level) of spending decisions about schools, a large tax shift (mostly from property to sales), and a small tax cut. The changes came about after two decades of failed attempts to reduce property taxes in the state, and were the immediate result of an unlikely piece of legislation that abolished all funding for public schools. Unlike most centralized systems, foundation grants in Michigan differ by district. Distributionally, the reforms favor residents of small, rural districts (whose spending was increased sharply). Residents of poorer urban areas, including Detroit, lost net income as a result of the reforms, as did residents of some of the richest suburbs in the state. Michigan permits a number of districts to supplement their foundation grants by limited amounts, a strategy that we argue may be a promising way of combining the efficiency benefits of local control with the equity benefits of foundation grant systems.
Investigation of interpolymer complexation in swollen polyelectolyte networks using solid‐state NMR spectroscopy

Copolymer networks of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) exhibit large changes in their swelling behavior over a narrow pH range due to the reversible formation/dissociation of interpolymer complexes between the polymer chains. Interpolymer complexation occurs in copolymer gels of PMAA and PEG due to hydrogen bonding between protonated acid groups and the ether groups of the PEG. Because of their nature, these gels have been identified for use as delivery vehicles for macromolecular drugs. In this work, solid-state, nuclear magnetic resonance nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) experiments were performed to detect the molecular level complexation between PMAA and deuterated PEG in copolymer blends and crosslinked networks. For gels swollen in acidic media at room temperature or at 37°C, strong enhancements were detected in the 13 C resonance of the PEG carbons. The NOE was generated due to energy transfer between the rapidly rotating methyl group protons and the deuterated PEG carbons. The presence of the NOE was indicative of close packing of the polymer chains and was evidence of the presence of the intermacromolecular complexes. In basic solutions, no NOE was detected in the PEG, as the complexes were dissociated and the chains were separated in space.
Aptamers Meet Allostery

Engineered RNAs have demonstrated remarkable properties of molecular recognition and allosteric function. Liu and colleagues now report the isolation and in vivo function of a ligand-dependent RNA-based transcription factor that opens wide the door for allosterically controllable aptamers.
Application of high-efficiency phosphorescent OLEDs in both passive and active matrix displays

High-efficiency electrophosphorescent organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), based on triplet emission, is an enabling technology for low power full-color OLED displays. In addition, top emission OLED architectures can be used to maximize display aperture ratio and pixel current densities. In this paper we report on recent results in red, green and blue phosphorescent and top emission OLEDs and discuss the benefits that these attributes have on both active and passive matrix display performance.
Design of pseudo-simulated moving bed process with multi-objective optimization for the separation of a ternary mixture: linear isotherms.

Abstract Pseudo-SMB, often called “J-O process”, is a modified SMB process to completely separate a ternary mixture with two discrete steps per one cycle. For improved separation, two new design parameters, the position of step 1 ( χ S1 ) and the number of port switches during step 2 ( n SMB ), were introduced. A multi-objective optimization method was used to optimize the operating conditions of the pseudo-SMB process with four average zone flow-rate ratios for one cycle. Nadolol isomers were selected for the model solutes and the global objective for the design of the pseudo-SMB was to collect 99% of the intermediate retained solute. The separation was optimized for 8-column pseudo-SMB system with three column lengths (2.5, 5.0, and 10 cm) and three feed composition ratios (1/1/1, 1/2/1, and 2/1/2). The simulation results showed that productivity was increased 4.3 times ( n SMB = 20, χ S1 = 0.5, 1/1/1) and desorbent to feed ratio D / F was decreased 45% ( n SMB = 16, χ S1 = 0.5, 1/1/1) compared to normal operation ( n SMB = 8, χ S1 = 0.5, 1/1/1). Productivity and D / F were significantly improved when short columns were used in the pseudo-SMB process. The pseudo-SMB was compared with recycle chromatography and SMB cascades for the same total amount of adsorbent. Recycle chromatography and 8-column SMB cascades using 20 cm and 40 cm of total column lengths were not able to separate the intermediate component with the target purity and the same feed rate of the pseudo-SMB process.
A glucose oxidase immunoenzyme stain for the detection of viral antigen or antibody on nitrocellulose transfer blots

Abstract Separation of mixtures of proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by transfer of the proteins to support media such as nitrocellulose and detection by immunologic procedures provides a powerful analytic tool for assaying the antibody specificity of antisera or for following the purification of antigens. This technique requires fewer assumptions about antigenic solubility or antibody reactivity than immunoprecipitation methods. We present a glucose oxidase immunoenzyme staining procedure for protein blots and illustrate its use for detecting antibody to several viruses. The glucose oxidase immunoenzyme stain has a lower background than some peroxidase stains. We have detected as little as 1 μg/ml of antiviral antibody using this stain.
The Silent Samaritan Syndrome: Why the Whistle Remains Unblown

Whistle blowing programs have been central to numerous government, legislative, and regulatory reform efforts in recent years. To protect investors, corporate boards have instituted numerous measures to promote whistle blowing. Despite significant whistle blowing incentives, few individuals blow the whistle when presented with the opportunity. Instead, individuals often remain fallaciously silent and, in essence, become passive fraudsters themselves. Using the fraud triangle and models of moral behavior, we model and analyze fallacious silence and identify factors that may motivate an individual to rationalize fallacious silence. We use a survey of graduate accounting students to test hypothesized factors that contribute to fallacious silence rationalizations in an academic setting. We find evidence that the ability to rationalize fallacious silence is related to community influences and personal traits such as awareness and moral competence.
Physicochemical criteria for reverse osmosis separation of monohydric and polyhydric alcohols in aqueous solutions using porous cellulose acetate membranes

Reverse osmosis data using different samples of Loeb-Sourirajan-type porous cellulose acetate membranes and single-solute aqueous solution systems involving 16 monohydric alcohols, 4 phenols, 18 polyhydric alcohols, pyrogallol, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 6 aldehydes, and 8 carbohydrates (sugars) have been studied. The solute concentrations used were in the range of 0.0005 to 0.003 g mole/l. (∼100 ppm), and operating pressure used was 250 psig in all cases. The results show that correlations of acidity and basicity parameters (obtained from IR spectra) with solute separation data are equivalent, and they have predictive capability. A method is given for estimating Taft numbers (Σσ*) for monohydric and polyhydric alcohols from available data based on the additive nature of σ*. Data on solute transport parameters (DAM/Kδ) for the different solutes were calculated from membrane performance data. For all the alcohols studied, the Σσ*-versus-log (DAM/K)δ correlation was found to be a straight line with a slope different for different ranges of Σσ*, but independent of the porous structure of the membrane. Based on this result, it is shown that the parameters of the Taft equation can serve as a basis for expressing solute transport parameter, and this basis offers a means for predicting membrane performance for all alcohol–water systems from a single set of experimental data for a reference solute system. This prediction technique is illustrated using experimental data for 1,3-butanediol taken as the reference solute. The general applicability of the technique has been tested for predicting the separation of some aldehydes and carbohydrates.
Thermal‐Shock Resistance and Fracture‐Strength Behavior of Two Tool Carbides

The thermal-stress resistance and fracture-strength behavior of TiC and WC after severe thermal shocking were investigated. The damage-resistance parameter, (XIc/δf)2, for both carbides was determined over a wide range of loading rates and temperatures. The fracture-strength behavior of these two carbides in the quenching temperature range of 25° to 800°C follows Has-selman's model for an instantaneous strength loss at a critical quenching temperature. When WC was shocked at temperatures > 800°C, it exhibited higher retained strengths because of its higher (KIc/δf)2 values at these temperatures. The effects of specimen size and repeated thermal shocks on retained strength and critical quenching temperature for these carbides were also investigated.
Self‐construal orientation: Validation of an instrument and a study of the relationship to leadership communication style

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to test rigorously the measurement equivalence of the Independent and Interdependent Self‐Construal Scales (Gudykunst et al., 1994) across three cultural groups and for males and females, and (b) to determine the comparative amount of variance in self‐perceived leadership communication style that can be predicted by self‐construal orientation, culture, and biological sex. College students from the United States (n = 224), New Zealand (n = 218), and the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan (n = 228) responded to the self‐construal scales and the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (Hemphill & Coons, 1957). Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Independent and Interdependent Self‐Constnial Scales should be considered as tzvo distinct one‐factor solutions rather than two factors of the same construct as previously assumed. Multiple groups comparisons indicated that, with one minor exception, measurement on each of the self‐construal scales...
Parallel-coupled line filters with enhanced stopband performances

A new class of parallel-coupled line filters with broad stopband response is introduced. The design is based on the synthesis of bandpass prototypes with pre-defined upper stopband characteristics. The new filters have uniform- and stepped-impedance resonators, some of which are loaded by open-circuited stubs at their open-circuited ends. A seventh-order filter implementation is presented with a fundamental passband centered at 1 GHz. The measured wide-band transmission characteristic of the filter demonstrated a broad upper stopband and was in agreement with simulations. The performance of the new filter is also compared with the characteristic of a conventionally designed filter to highlight the advantages of the proposed design method.
Income Inequality and Health: What Have We Learned So Far?

Many developed countries have experienced a sharp rise in income inequality during the past three decades, and the United States is no exception (1). For example, the average annual salary in America in inflation-adjusted 1998 dollars increased from $32,522 in 1970 to $35,864 in 1999, that is, a modest 10 percent increase over three decades. By contrast over the same period, the average annual compensation of the top 100 chief executive officers rose from $1.3 million (or 39 times the pay of an average worker) to $37.5 million (or more than 1,000 times the pay of an average worker) (2). Recent trends in wealth inequality have been equally noteworthy. The net worth of families in the top decile rose by 69 percent, to $833,600 in 2001, from $493,400 in 1998. By contrast over the same period, the net worth of families in the lowest fifth of income earners rose 24 percent, to $7,900. The median accumulated wealth of families in the top 10 percent of the income distribution was 12 times that of lower-middle-income families through much of the 1990s, but in 2001, the median net worth of the top earners was about 22 times as great (3).
A programming environment for CSP

This paper describes a programming environment that supports the development and execution of CSP programs. The prototype environment is primarily intended as a vehicle for learning CSP. Its strengths include graphical animations that illustrate the interactions of CSP processes as they execute. Its main limitations are that CSP programs do not execute particularly fast and that true parallelism is not supported. Both the functionality of the CSP environment and its somewhat unusual multi-language implementation are discussed.
Encoding and Acquiring Meanings for Figurative Phrases

Here we address the problem of mapping phrase meanings into their conceptual representations. Figurative phrases are pervasive in human communication, yet they are difficult to explain theoretically. In fact, the ability to handle idiosyncratic behavior of phrases should be a criterion for any theory of lexical representation. Due to the huge number of such phrases in the English language, phrase representation must be amenable to parsing, generation, and also to learning. In this paper we demonstrate a semantic representation which facilitates, for a wide variety of phrases, both learning and parsing.
Influence of Plasma Spray Parameters on Formation and Morphology of ZrO2–8 wt% Y2O3 Deposits

Spray prints of thermal spray coatings were created on glass slides for air-plasma-sprayed 8-wt%-yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) deposits. The spray parameters such as carrier gas flow rate, standoff distance, and torch power were systematically changed to investigate the influence of these parameters on the YSZ deposit characteristics. The deposit properties such as deposition efficiency (DE), substrate coverage, deposit thickness, and roughness were measured. The deposits sprayed with a 3.5–4.0 L/min carrier gas flow rate at an 80 mm standoff distance exhibited higher values of DE within the range of studied process parameters. The DE increased as much as 25% by varying the carrier gas flow rate from 2.0 to 4.0 L/min. The deposits sprayed at a higher standoff distance and low torch power gave poor deposit characteristics. The deposit characteristics were compared with the in-flight particle parameters and revealed that the deposit characteristics strongly depended on the in-flight particle temperature. Using the in-flight particle properties, the flattening ratio and the splat thickness were calculated. The average size of particles adhering to the substrate was found to drastically change with a change of process conditions, being much less than the average size of the starting powder.
Parallel A* algorithms and their performance on hypercube multiprocessors

The authors develop parallel A* algorithms suitable for distributed-memory machines. In parallel A* algorithms, inefficiencies grow with the number of processors P used, causing performance to drop significantly at lower and intermediate work densities (the ratio of the problem size to P). To alleviate this effect, they propose a novel parallel startup phase and efficient dynamic work distribution strategies and thus improve the scalability of parallel A* search. They also tackle the problem of duplicate searching by different processors, by using work transfer as a means to partial duplicate pruning. The parallel startup scheme proposed requires only Theta (log P) time compared to Theta (P) time for sequential startup methods used in the past. Using the traveling salesman problem (TSP) as the test case, the work distribution strategies yield speedup improvements of more than 30% and 15% at lower and intermediate work densities, respectively, while requiring 20% to 45% less memory, compared to previous approaches. Moreover, the simple duplicate pruning scheme provides an average reduction of 20% in execution time for up to 64 processors, compared to previous approaches that do not prune any duplicates. >
The Design of Multiplexer for On-Line Partial Discharge Monitoring System

Partial discharge is an important content of insulation monitoring of high-voltage power equipment, which generates high-frequency signals and real-time monitoring data is of great quantity. Simultaneous detection of multi-channel signals faces technical difficulty, and of high cost and poor reliability, it can also cause unnecessary waste of resources. In accordance with the characteristics and needs of partial discharge monitoring system at substation site, the concept of time-division multiplexing technology in communication technology is adopted into the multi-channel signal acquisition and measuring system, which using multiplexer MAX4638 and virtual instrument. The designed multiplexer for the partial discharge monitoring overcame several shortcomings, such as hardware resources consumption, poor reliability and high cost in multi-channel synchronous acquisition. By using of polling method to achieve one detection device for the time-sharing acquisition and processing of multiple devices or signals, this device can greatly enhance the on-line monitoring system economically and practically in the field application.
Dynamic compensating controller for passive haptic manipulators in teleoperation

Haptic devices allow a human user to physically interact with the virtual or simulated world by generating real forces to represent interactions in the virtual world. By definition, haptic devices exist in the set of robotic systems whose workspaces must overlap with the workspace of the human. For that reason, safety of the human becomes a central concern when developing both the physical hardware and the control systems for new and novel interfaces. Passive haptic devices, ones that display forces to the user by using passive actuators such as brakes, clutches of continuously variable transmissions, address the concerns of stability and safety by using actuators that physically guarantee a bounded output and the safety of the human user. However, a device using passive actuators can only produce a subset of the forces generated by a similar device built around active actuators. The work presented here will explore the use of a passive haptic device specifically with respect to teleoperation and will present a new algorithm for determining feedback that improves the transparency, a dynamic compensating controller. This controller will be implemented in LabVIEW on passive hardware and will be compared to two simpler control schemes in two typical teleoperation tasks, shape identification and point to point motion around an obstacle. The results will show that the passive device provides feedback that allows the user to recognize large surface features. Furthermore, results will show that the dynamic compensating controller proves especially useful in dynamic situations represented by the motion task.
Reference as Service, Reference as Place: A View of Reference in the Academic Library

An ever-changing patron base, with increasing knowledge of basic technologies and comfort with ubiquitous computing, affects the library's ability to provide reliable support for research questions. Models for reference and research help have evolved over time; they seem to be trending toward increasingly distributed services and collaborative models offered at the point of need. Reference services continue to change with the advent of various technologies that are readily integrated into the academic library environment. This article addresses these issues and examines the concept of “reference as place,” the importance of a location for reference services, and its applicability to the contemporary academic library.
Regression of left ventricular mass is accompanied by improvement in rapid left ventricular filling following antihypertensive therapy with metoprolol

Abstract Left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling in patients with hypertension. To assess the effects of antihypertensive therapy on the heart in nine previously untreated patients with echocardiographically-detected left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular mass and rapid left ventricular filling rate were compared before and after 6 months of treatment with metoprolol monotherapy. Metoprolol was given in doses of 100 to 400 mg/day (average dose, 167 mg/day in two divided doses) and significantly reduced both casual, office blood pressure (150101 to 13086 mm Hg, p p 2 ( p p p
Tsotsi Transformed: Retooling Athol Fugard for the Thabo Mbeki Era

Gavin Hood’s Tsotsi, the 2006 Oscar-winning South African film adapted from Athol Fugard’s novel, proves more politically astute than its academic critics first thought, notably by implicating Thabo Mbeki, the president who succeeded Nelson Mandela and ruled South Africa from 1999 to 2008. Hood’s updating of Fugard’s narrative to postapartheid South Africa, as well as the film’s layered AIDS discourse, results in a significant cultural indictment of Mbeki’s economic and HIV policies. Despite various shortcomings, Tsotsi anticipated the seismic shift in South African politics that prompted Mbeki’s ouster from the presidency late in his second term. The film’s ending confronts two exemplars of postapartheid South Africa—the township shack dweller whose economic fate stagnated under Mbeki and the newly empowered South African whose wealth seems the very emblem of Mbeki economics. That symbolic encounter builds Tsotsi’s political and artistic relevance beyond what its director or initial academic critics may have envisioned.