cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Terahertz emission from narrow band gap semiconductors

We report an experimental study on THz-emission from narrow band gap semiconductors excited by femtosecond nearinfrared laser pulses. In particular, we studied GaSb, Ga1-xInxSb and InN. The Ga1-xInxSb material system enables the study of the influence of carrier concentrations on THz emission process in narrow band gap semiconductors. The study demonstrates the existence of a compromise between the positive effect of high electron temperature provided by narrow band gap materials and the negative effect of high intrinsic carrier concentrations. The influence of the majority and minority carrier types and concentrations on THz emission strength was investigated using GaSb:Te. By varying the majority and minority carrier type and carrier concentrations over three orders of magnitude the THz emission mechanism in GaSb can be tuned from being dominated by the photo-Dember effect to being dominated by surface field acceleration. Within each regime photo-Dember based THz emission and surface field acceleration based THz emission are maximized under specific majority and minority carrier concentrations. Strong advantages of InN as THz-emitter over other narrow band gap materials, are strong intrinsic electric fields, low intrinsic carrier concentration and most importantly, very low probability of intervalley scattering.
Properties of Polyether-Polyester Thermoplastic Elastomers

Abstract The viscoelastic properties of polytetramethylene oxide—polytetramethylene terephthalate block polymers are strongly influenced by phase separation of the 4GT hard blocks into crystalline domains. Thermal analysis reveals a single Tg which increases with increasing 4GT content. This suggests that short sequences of hard segments form a compatible interlamellar amorphous phase with the polyether component. The Gordon-Taylor equation was found to model Tg behavior accurately, provided that the crystalline polyester component was not included in the definition of the hard segment. The melting point of the polytetramethylene terephthalate blocks depends on the average block length of crystallizable segment. Incorporating non-crystallizing polytetramethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate into the hard segment reduces the 4GT melting point and degree of crystallinity. The morphological features of the copolymers depend on sample composition and fabrication procedure. The basic structure is spherulitic. ...
Photochemical storage potential of azobenzenes

Abstract The potential for storage of solar energy using photochemical trans-cis isomerizations of substituted azobenzenes has been studied. Polar substituents are found to res-shift the π-π ∗ absorption spectrum of these compounds without destroying the endothermicity of the photoisomerization. Highly red-shifted compounds such as azonaphthalenes revert thermally to the trans isomer within seconds. Methyl orange has the most favorable energy storage potential of the compounds studied and has a storage efficiency of 16 per cent for 436 nm irradiation and 2 per cent for AM-1 isolation. Because of limited solubilities and rapid thermal reversion rates in polar solvents, it is concluded that azobenzenes are not favorable compounds for photochemical solar energy storage.
Evidence against routine scheduling of surveillance bronchoscopy after stent insertion.

Study objectives To determine whether routinescheduling of surveillance flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy iswarranted within 2 to 3 months after silicone stent insertion forcentral airway obstruction. Design Retrospectivecohort study. Setting University medical center. Patients All patients with silicone stents placed forbenign or malignant tracheobronchial obstruction during a 3-yearperiod. Methods Incidence of stent-relatedcomplications, new respiratory symptoms, and need for therapeuticbronchoscopic intervention were noted in patients undergoingsurveillance bronchoscopy (SFFB) and emergency bronchoscopy (EFFB),defined as flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy prompted by onset of newsymptoms before the date of scheduled SFFB. Results One hundred one silicone stents were inserted in 88 patients (47 withcancer, 41 with benign disease). Eighteen patients died within 2 monthsand had no bronchoscopy. Seventy patients underwent either SFFB orEFFB. Stent-related complications were detected in 9 of 31 asymptomaticpatients (29%) undergoing SFFB; all had received tumor-specifictherapy after stent insertion (in 7 of 8 patients [88%] reportingnew respiratory symptoms at the time of SFFB, and in 26 of 31 patients[84%] undergoing EFFB). Overall, stent-related complications weredetected in nine asymptomatic patients (10% of total), of which onlyfour patients (5% of total, but 13% of all asymptomatic patients)required therapeutic interventions. Conclusion Routine SFFB within 2 to 3 months after stent insertion did not detecta high incidence of stent-related complications among patients withoutnew respiratory symptoms.
The Impact of Feminist Attitudes on the Relation between Racial Awareness and Racial Identity

This study examined the role of liberal and inclusive feminist attitudes in the development of a positive racial identity in a sample of White female undergraduates in the Midwestern United States. Participants (N = 90) provided self-report data on their racial awareness, liberal and inclusive feminist attitudes, racial identity and demographic information. The main research question was how and to what extent liberal and inclusive feminism influence the relationship between racial awareness and racial identity. Building on conceptual scholarship on identity theory and the intersectionality, results indicated that the relation between racial awareness and racial identity was partially mediated by inclusive feminist attitudes but not by liberal feminist attitudes. The results suggest that a specific type of feminism, which takes into account the experience of race, plays a significant role in our understanding of how White women develop a positive White identity. Results highlight the intersection of race and gender in college student development and have potential implications for administrative responses to student adjustment in increasingly diverse college environments.
Comparison of calculated radiochemical cross sections with experimental results for incident protons and pi super minus mesons in the 50- to 400-Mev region - Effect of varying a few nuclear parameters in the calculations.

Effect of varying nuclear parameters in calculating radiochemical cross sections for incident proton and negative pion reactions in 50 to 400 MeV region
Random functions of Poisson type

Abstract Let (X, , μ) be a σ-finite nonatomic measure space. We think of the customary analysis based upon (X, , μ) as continuum analysis. By contrast discrete analysis is based upon an arbitrary countable subset of X, rather than upon X itself, and all countable subsets are treated alike with a Poisson process used to distinguish among them probabilisticly. The sort of functions appropriate for discrete analysis are the Campbell functions, or, as they are called in the present paper, the random functions of Poisson type. The paper presents an account of the ideas underlying discrete analysis and treats briefly the specifies of representation, stochastic integrals, and duality theory for random functions of Poisson type. It is chiefly concerned, however, with those random functions which occur in connection with the discrete analysis of Brownian motion, (for example, with Gaussian noise). In particular it shows that there is a completely positive map which carries such discrete processes onto an algebraic version of Wiener's Brownian motion process, and that under this map, random functions of Poisson type go over to the appropriate random functions of Wiener type. It also shows that the map carries random variables into noncommuting operators characteristic of quantum theory.
Ontogeny of glutamate accumulating activity in rat brain synaptic vesicles.

The relationship between the ontogeny of the vesicular glutamate uptake system and synaptogenesis in rats was investigated. For this purpose we have developed a simplified procedure for the preparation of crude synaptic vesicles which are sufficiently pure to demonstrate a highly ATP-dependent glutamate uptake. ATP-dependent glutamate uptake into synaptic vesicles was found to increase dramatically starting on postnatal day 10 and reaching a maximum on day 30 (76+_40 and 657_+40 pmol/mg protein/10 min, respectively), correlating well with the active period of synaptogenesis. Stimulation of uptake by chloride also developed in parallel with the vesicular glutamate uptake. In contrast, combined non-ATPdependent uptake and non-specific binding remained constant (21 + 6 pmol/mg protein/10 min). This development of vesicular glutamate uptake during the period of synaptogenesis supports the notion that synaptic vesicles play an important role in glutamale synaptic transmission.
Giant tentorial cavernous hemangioma: Case report and review of literature

Cavernous hemangiomas (also known as cavernous malforations, cavernous angiomas, or cavernomas) account for 8–15% f intracranial vascular malformations [1,2]. Histologically, they onsist of sinusoidal vascular caverns lined by a single layer of ndothelium and separated by fibrous stroma. There are no tight unctions. Mature vascular structures, smooth muscle (pericytes), lastin, and intervening brain tissue are absent while thrombus of arying ages is common [1]. Cavernous hemangiomas near the cavernous sinus are relatively ncommon, accounting for 3% of cavernous sinus lesion, while ural cavernous hemangioma outside of the middle fossa are truly are with only 28 cases reported in the literature [3–27]. Cavernous emangiomas regardless of location share the histopathologic feaures described above, but their clinical and radiographic features ary dramatically by location. Cavernomas located in the brain arenchyma are relatively common (0.4–0.9% of the population) 2], and are typically innocuous. They usually present with seizures, rogressive deficits or small bleeds. These bleeds in the supratentoial location are usually small and without sequelae, but in critical ocations like the brainstem, may cause severe deficits. Extra-axial avernomas do not bleed and are usually discovered because of ass effect. While no consensus exists on when to call these lesions
Action of dopamine to induce release of FSH-releasing factor (FRF) from hypothalamic tissue in vitro.

After a 30-min preincubation period, anterior pituitaries alone or anterior pituitaries + stalk median eminence fragments were incubated for 6 hr in medium 199. Media were assayed for FSH concentration by the method of Steelman and Pohley. Incubation of anterior pituitaries in the presence of stalk median eminence tissue resulted in a slight increase in FSH release. If the combined stalk median eminence + anterior pituitary tissue was incubated with 1–5 μg/ml of serotonin, epinephrine or norepinephrine, basal release of FSH was unaltered. When dopamine was added to the incubation medium in doses of 2.5–5 μg/ml, FSH release was significantly increased (p < .01), and a dose-response relationship was observed. Dopamine in similar doses failed to alter FSH release from anterior pituitaries incubated alone. Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine or serotonin at doses of 5 μg/ml did not alter the FSHreleasing action of partially purified ovine FRF. The response to dopamine was completely inhibited by 20 μg/ml of...
Nonlinear optimization extends the bandwidth of Yagi antenna

A cost function is given for the optimization of the directivity of an antenna array while simultaneously achieving the flat behavior over the wide range of frequencies. The optimization of a six-element Yagi antenna resulted in a virtually flat directivity over the bandwidth of 33 percent. The allowable tolerances on element lengths of the optimized antenna are 0.25 percent or larger.
Usefulness and limitations of radiographic methods for determining left ventricular volume.

Abstract The various methods currently being used to determine left ventricular chamber volumes from biplane angiocardiograms are described and discussed. The spatial direction and change of direction and length of the long axis of the left ventricle over the heart cycle is described. The long axis of the left ventricle is in most subjects directed approximately 20 degrees from being parallel with the frontal plane of the body and results in only slight foreshortening of the long axis of the left ventricle on films taken in the anteroposterior projection. A method is described and evaluated for determining left ventricular chamber volume from angiocardiograms taken in a single anteroposterior projection. Values for normal end-diastolic volume and systolic ejection fraction obtained by various investigators using the radiographic methods are given. The application of these radiographic methods to estimate aortic and mitral valve regurgitant flow is reviewed. Pressure-volu ne relations of the diastolic left ventricle have been determined in 176 patients and demonstrate large patient-to-patient differences of ventricular distensibility in patients with different types and durations of heart disease. Measurement of compliance of the diastolic left ventricle from the pressure-volume curves is discussed. By relating pressure and volume curves over the entire heart cycle, left ventricular pressure-volume curves can be constructed and from these the various components of pressure-volume work determined: systolic work, work done in distending the ventricle during diastole, and net work. Values obtained for these various components of ventricular work in patients with heart and valvular disease are discussed. A method for calculating wall tension and stress from measurement of chamber pressure and chamber dimensions is reviewed. Left ventricular mass can be calculated from chamber dimensions and wall thickness determined from angiocardiograms. A value of 92 ± 16 gm. has been obtained by this method in patients without left ventricular disease, and this is similar to values obtained in earlier postmortem studies. Measurement of left ventricular oxygen consumption and mechanical efficiency in patients with heart disease is discussed.
Studies into the Direct Conversion of Indolomorphinans to their 4-Phenolic Derivatives

Abstract A one step method to convert 3- O -methyl substituted indolomorphinans into their 4-phenolic derivatives through reductive opening of the 4,5-bridge is described.
Increased sensitivity to lead -- animal model: feline porphyria.

Individuals with the genetically inherited condition of latent porphyria have been previously hypothesized (1) as being a potential high risk group to elevated lead exposure. More specifically, persons with either clinical symptoms of porphyria or the latent form who also are exposed to excessive lead may have their clinical symptoms exacerbated or possibly induced prematurely, respectively. This paper presents evidence that an animal model (i.e., domestic cats with congenital porphyria) may facilitate the testing of the previous hypothesis.
Catalytic effects of KMnO sub 4 on the deflagration of ammonium perchlorate - A preliminary study

considered here. At the same time, the core to face thickness ratio that has been considered here is much smaller than what would occur in a normal honeycomb sandwich construction. At present the author is engaged in the theoretical investigation of a semi-infinite sandwich beam subjected to statically equivalent load systems, in order to find the effect of the various parameters in greater detail.
Comparison of trout hepatocyte culture on different substrates

Comparisons were made of attachment and viability of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) hepatocytes in short-term (2 days), primary culture on plastic, collagen-coated or extracellular matrix (ECM) coated dishes. Hepatocyte isolation routinely yielded cells with good viability (96%). Cells plated on ECM attached with high efficiency (93%) in contrast to cells cultured on plastic or collagen (∼20%). The cells plated on ECM flattened out and formed monolayers, while the cells on plastic and collagen rounded up and formed multi-cell aggregates in suspension. Viability of cells in all substrates remained high over the 2 day culture period. ECM is the first substrate to support trout-hepatocyte attachment in primary culture. Differentiated liver function was maintained in cells cultured on ECM as evidence by the induction of tyrosine aminotransferase by hydrocortisone (200%).
Lactide polymerization activity of alkoxide, phenoxide, and amide derivatives of yttrium(III) arylamidinates

In quest of new, single-site catalysts for cyclic ester polymerizations, a series of mononuclear yttrium(III) complexes of N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamidinate ([L TMS ] - ) and hindered N,N'-bis-(2,6-dialkylaryl)toluamidinates ([L Et ] - , aryl = Et 2 C 6 H 3 , and [L iPr ] - , aryl = i Pr 2 C 6 H 3 ) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction: L 2 TMS Y(μ-Cl) 2 Li(TMEDA) (1), L 2 TMS Y(OC 6 H 2 t Bu 2 Me) (2), L 2 TMS Y(OC 6 H 3 Me 2 ) 2 Li(THF) 4 (3), L 2 TMS Y(μ-O t Bu) 2 Li(THF) (4), L iPr Y[N(SiMe 2 H) 2 ] 2 (THF) (5), L 2 Et Y(THF)(Cl)(μ-Cl)Li(THF) 3 (6), and L 2 Et Y[N(SiMe 2 H) 2 ] (7). Coordination numbers ranging from five to seven were observed, and they appeared to be controlled by the steric bulk of the supporting amidinate and alkoxide, phenoxide, or amide coligands. Complexes 2-5 and 7 are active catalysts for the polymerization of D,L-lactide (e.g., with 2 and added benzyl alcohol, 1000 equiv of D,L-lactide were polymerized at room temperature in less than 1 h, with polydispersities less than 1.5). The neutral complexes 2, 5, and 7 were more effective than the anionic complexes 3 and 4. In addition, the presence of the more hindered amidinate ligands [L Et ] - and [L iPr ] - on yttrium-amides slowed the polymerizations (7 < 5 < Y[N(SiMe 2 H) 2 ] 3 ).
Analysis of the effect of substrate material on the steady-state and transient performance of monolith reactors

Abstract We study the effect of the substrate material (ceramic versus metallic) on the steady-state and transient performance of monolith reactors using a one-dimensional two-phase model with position dependent transfer coefficients. When the operation of the reactor is on the ignited branch, it is shown that monoliths with metallic substrate clearly lead to a superior steady-state performance compared to those with ceramic substrate. In such cases, the ignited branch extends to lower inlet gas temperatures (typically 60–100 °C in after-treatment applications) for the same catalyst loading. For transient operation where the time to light-off is important, it is shown that for the case of back-end ignition (corresponding to low inlet temperatures or low catalyst loading), metallic substrates are again superior. However, for the case of front-end ignition, ceramic converters may lead to lower cumulative emissions at lower inlet gas velocities while the converse is true at higher velocities. It is shown that the transient heating time and hence the cumulative emissions decrease with decrease in the channel hydraulic diameter and thermal capacitance of the substrate but are not monotonic with the inlet gas velocity. We present mathematical analysis and simulations to support these conclusions. Some novel results on the effect of substrate conductivity on the number of steady-states and upstream propagation of temperature fronts are also presented.
IMPROVED USER EQUILIBRIUM BASED METHOD FOR ESTIMATING TRIP TABLES

An optimal trip table correction function for the user equilibrium based trip table estimation problem is derived and used in place of Turnquist and Gur's heuristic trip table correction function. The derivation of this new correction function is based on a new concept--path equivalent capacity--that unifies the individual capacities of the links in a path into a single path capacity. Once a path between two zones is represented as a link with a single capacity, the travel time of the path can be computed directly for any path flow. This permits an optimal trip table correction function to be determined at each iteration of Turnquist and Gur's trip table algorithm. Test results show that the new method yields more accurate and consistent solution trip tables than the heuristic method.
Edetate kidney lesions in rats.

Lesions simulating versene nephrosis in human beings were produced in rats with disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with varying dosages of Na edetate, Ca edetate, or Pb edetate and killed at different time intervals. Some rats were given dafly injections for 21 days and then killed 2 weeks after completion of the injections. Na edetate, in 400 and 500 mg doses, produced severe hydropic degeneration of the proximal convoluted tubules of the kidney in all rats. Calcium disodium ethylendiaminetetraacetate (Ca edetate) in the 500 mg dose produced only minimal focal hydropic changes in 58% of animals. The lesions had almost disappeared 2 weeks after the Ca edetate had been stopped. All rats given lead disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Pb edetate) developed mild focal changes. The degeneration in the rats given Pb edetate was followed by regeneration of cells lining the proximal convoluted tubules. Lesions developed more slowly with lower dosages of Ca edetate and Na edetate and were reversible even though the injection of the drugs was continued.
Evapotranspiration Rates and Crop Coefficients for Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

ABSTRACT Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) yield is strongly influenced by water availability; however, growers need more specific irrigation recommendations in order to optimize water use efficiency. Weighing lysimeters were used to determine actual evapotranspiration (ET) rates of lowbush blueberry at one nonirrigated and two irrigated sites within 7 km of the Maine coast. For the three-year study period, overall mean weekly ET rates (with standard errors) during June, July, and August were calculated to be 2.13 (±0.05), 2.39 (±0.07), and 2.19 (±0.07) cm/wk, respectively. Mean monthly ET rates did not differ significantly between irrigated and nonirrigated sites. Crop coefficient (Kc) values were determined from the ratio of daily Penman-Montieth grass reference ET to measured daily ET. The combined mean monthly Kc values for the two irrigated sites varied between 0.61 and 0.74 from May through September, with an overall mean Kc value for all sites of 0.69 (±0.02). The Kc values showed no sign...
Comparison of Cellulase Solutions for Use in Digesting Forage Samples

Prepared cellulase solutions from different origins may differ in their relative effectiveness in providing accurate estimates of in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of forages. Our objectives were to compare prepared cellulase solutions from different commercial sources with our non-commercial prepared cellulase solution and evaluate their effectiveness in obtaining meaningful estimates of IVDMD for three grass and three legume species. A total of 46 samples were evaluated from six different forage species including switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), and lespedeza (Kummerowia striata Thunb.). Significant differences for IVDMD were found among the prepared cellulase solution sources. Correlations between IVDMD estimates using the prepared cellulase solutions and in vitro rumen fermentation ranged from 0.57 to 0.95. The highest correlation (r = 0.95) was observed using a non-commercial prepared cellulase solution and the next (r = 0.91) was obtained from cellulase procured from Worthington Biochemical Corp (Freehold, NJ). We concluded that the cellulase solution prepared from cellulase obtained from Worthington Biochemical Corp. was an alternative to our non-commercial source in obtaining estimates of IVDMD. Contribution of Missouri Agric. Exp. Stn. Journal Ser. No. 11 393.
Approval versus achievement motives in seventh-grade girls

Eighty seventh graders played a computer-programmed two-choice probability game in one of four conditions: with reinforcement for choosing the more probable response, with reinforcement for choosing the less probable response, with a silent experimenter, or alone. Children receiving reinforcement for the less probable response experienced a conflict between approval and achievement since choices which increased approval in this condition decreased success in the task. Across all conditions, girls chose the more probable response significantly more often than boys, indicating that girls did not sacrifice achievement for the sake of approval. Finally, girls did not reduce their efforts to achieve when working alone even though there was no opportunity for social approval, and did not express lower success expectancies than the boys even though these were measured anonymously.
Psychotherapy and religion: The emmanuel movement.

This paper reconsiders the significance of the Emmanuel movement, a pre- Freudian psychotherapeutic system founded by Dr. Elwood Worcester as a method of church-sponsored healing. Its significance lies in three areas: (1) Historically, it was a popular effort by Protestant clergy to claim religious authority over psychological and psychosomatic ailments, a struggle that the medical profession eventually won almost completely. (2) The Emmanuel movement was an effort to combat the scientific materialism and medical somaticism of its time, including the excessive use of drugs. It aimed at greater individual control over emotional wellbeing through a self-help movement taught by religious leaders using some Christian ideas. Significant parallels can be found with present-day holistic health efforts. (3) Theoretically, Worcester's conception of the “person” is of interest as an effort to construct a nonreductionist view of the interactions of body, mind, and spirit.
High-Temperature Sorbents for CO2 Made of Alkali Metals Doped on CaO Supports

A number of basic sorbents based on CaO were synthesized, characterized, and tested for the sorption of CO2 and selected gas mixtures simulating flue gas. Our studies resulted in highly promising sorbents based on Cs/CaO, which demonstrated zero affinity for N2 and O2 and very low affinity for water. Moreover, we observed high CO2 sorption capacities and rapid sorption/desorption characteristics in a wide temperature range reaching temperatures as high as 700 °C. The “key” feature of this family of sorbents is their basic nature, which allows for the selective chemisorption of CO2. These unique characteristics of this family of sorbents offer high promise for the development of advanced industrial sorbents for the effective CO2 removal. The performance of the alkali metals as dopants on CaO follows the order Li < Na < K < Rb < Cs, which reveals a strong relationship between the sorption characteristics and the increase of the electropositivity or equivalently atomic radii of the alkali metals. From XPS in...
Distribution of cholecystokinin (CCK) in the hypothalamus and limbic system of the rat

Abstract Cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations were determined in microdissected individual nuclei of the hypothalamus and limbic system using a specific and sensitive CCK radioimmunoassay (RIA). The CCK levels in the hypothalamus were highest (> 2 mg CCK8 sulfate equivalents/mg protein) in the ventromedial, dorsomedial, periventricular, arcuate nuclei, the median eminence, and mamillary body. Most regions of the limbic system had higher levels of CCK than the hypothalamus and in particular the CA3 region of the hippocampus, the lateral septal nucleus and the medial and lateral amygdaloid nuclei had levels of CCK which were similar to some cerebral cortical areas. This study confirms previous preliminary CCK distribution studies in the rat and indicates that CCK in addition to its wide distribution in the cerebral cortex, is present in abundance in many areas of the hypothalamus and limbic system.
Grafted poly-(ethylene glycol) on lipid surfaces inhibits protein adsorption and cell adhesion.

Abstract Monolayers of dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) mixing with various mole percentages of distearoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE)-conjugated poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG m.w. 750–5000) were deposited on DPPE-coated glass surfaces by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. Increasing percentages of grafted PEG in these supported lipid surfaces increasingly inhibit the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA), laminin, and fibronectin. Increasing percentages of grafted PEG also inhibit the adhesion of erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and macrophages to these supported lipid surfaces. The adsorption of proteins on lipid coated glass surfaces were assayed by the fluorescence of FITC-labelled proteins. Cell adhesion was measured mainly by microscopic counting. The concentration of PEG-grafted lipids required for the inhibition of erythrocyte adhesion decreases with increasing molecular weight of the grafted PEG. The inhibitory effects are strongly dependent on the graft density of PEG at low concentrations, but weakly dependent on graft density at higher concentrations. For DSPE-PEG5000, the change of graft density dependency occurs approximately at the complete coverage of the lipid surface by the grafted polymer in the mushroom conformation (0.7 mol%), and the transition to partial brush conformation. The change-overs become less distinctive for grafted PEG of lower molecular weights, probably due to the failure of strictly mushroom and brush models of the polymer. The relative inhibitory efficiency is protein or cell dependent. The implication on the function of stealth liposomes is discussed.
A mediation model of professional psychological help seeking for suicide ideation among Asian American and white American college students.

This study examined professional psychological help seeking among 1,045 White American and Asian American students from 70 U.S. colleges and universities who had seriously considered attempting suicide. The authors found that Asian American college students had lower rates of professional psychological help seeking for their suicide ideation than White American college students. Guided by social network perspectives on professional psychological help seeking, the authors also tested mediators of this racial disparity. Relative to White Americans, Asian Americans were advised by fewer people (especially fewer family members) to seek professional help, which was, in turn, associated with lower rates of professional psychological help seeking for suicide ideation. These findings underscore the importance of gatekeeping as a suicide prevention strategy for Asian American college students.
Deliberation Day; Deliberative Democracy in America: A Proposal for a Popular Branch of Government; and Democratic Autonomy: Public Reasoning about the Ends of Policy

Deliberation Day. By Bruce Ackerman and James S. Fishkin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. 288p. $30.00. Deliberative Democracy in America: A Proposal for a Popular Branch of Government. By Ethan J. Leib. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004. 156p. $27.50. Democratic Autonomy: Public Reasoning about the Ends of Policy. By Henry S. Richardson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. 328p. $45.00 cloth, $19.95 paper. Compelling theories of politics invite us to see the world differently. But once we see political life in different terms, what will we be moved to do? Redesign our political institutions? Or revise our reasons for supporting those that currently exist? As the authors of the three books reviewed here illustrate, those who have taken up deliberative theories of democracy are moved to engage in profoundly different kinds of projects, marked either by redesign or revision. Bruce Ackerman, James Fishkin, and Ethan Leib believe their commitments to theories of deliberative democracy require them to focus on drafting extensive plans for institutional redesign. By contrast, Henry Richardson, while endorsing institutional reforms, ranging from changing electoral law to opening administrative rule making to greater citizen participation (pp. 200–202, 219–22), devotes the majority of his book to showing how the ideals of his theory of deliberative democracy can make better and more complete sense of political life as it is. The deep contrast between how these authors understand what one ought to do with a commitment to deliberative democracy prompts us to consider whether they are simply committed to different things or are striking out on different paths from substantially similar starting points instead.
The Impact of User Expertise on Geographic Risk Assessment under Uncertain Conditions

This research addresses the impact of expertise on the use of uncertain geographic information, using the case study domain of floodplain mapping. An online survey was developed to gain insight into the possible differences between experts and novices. Fifty-six participants completed the survey in which they were required to assess the risk at an identified location in the landscape relative to three floodplain delineations, each carrying a different degree of certainty, and then report their perceived difficulty in making the assessment and their confidence in the assessment. The responses were examined across three realms of expertise (education/training, work experience, and self-reported) and for two classes of expertise (domain and map-use). The analysis found that user confidence is affected by both domain and map-use expertise, but it is domain expertise that most impacts risk assessment itself and map-use expertise that most impacts the perceived difficulty of the risk assessment.
Polymerization and surface behavior of alkyl-substituted aniline surfactants at the air-aqueous interface : A kinetic study

The surface behavior of 2-, 3-, and 4-pentadecylaniline (3a, 3b, and 3c, respectively) was studied at the air−aqueous interface of an acidic subphase. Surface dipole moments (μn) were calculated from the surface potentials (ΔV) of 3a−c and were related to the orientation of the anilinium ion at the interface. Further, 3a and 3b were polymerized in a Langmuir film, and analysis of the absorption spectra showed that the resulting polymers were in different oxidative states upon completion of the polymerization. A method that monitors the change in the mean molecular area (A) of the surfactant at a constant applied surface pressure and predicts the concentrations of monomer and polymer and/or oligomer at the interface in order to determine the formation rate (Rp) of poly(alkylaniline) is presented. The Rp values of 3a and 3b are expressed in terms of the concentrations of the monomer and polymer at the interface. It was determined that the Rp of 3a was dependent on the applied surface pressure while 3b showe...
Fluid-structure analysis of microparticle transport in deformable pulmonary alveoli

Abstract Micron-sized particles inhaled into the respiratory system can traverse the airway tree and deposit on the walls of the pulmonary alveoli. The fate of these particles can be measured by their propagation depth, wall deposition rate, and time to impaction. These three quantities depend on various physical parameters including particle size, alveolar geometry, tissue properties, and breathing patterns. In this study, we develop a 2-D fluid-structure computational model of alveolar dynamics to quantify how these parameters influence particle transport in the deep lung. The computational model simulates negative pressure breathing conditions in which applied tissue forces deform the lung parenchyma and produce oscillatory flow within the alveoli. Alveolar flow patterns are used to calculate the trajectories of micron-sized particles (i.e. 0.1 – 5 μ m ) by solving the Langevin equation, which contains a stochastic Brownian force term. As a result, these fluid-structure models can be used to investigate how tissue mechanical properties and breathing patterns influence deep-lung flow fields and particle dynamics. Results indicate that Brownian diffusion dominates the transport of small particles ( d p 0.5 μ m ) , while gravitational sedimentation dominates the transport of large particles ( d p > 1 μ m ) . Mid-size particles ( 0.5 ⩽ d p ⩽ 1 μ m ) experience slower diffusion and slower sedimentation transport, so their time to impaction is maximized. Stiffer tissues produce higher particle impaction rates under microgravity conditions while tissue viscosity has negligible effects on particle dynamics. We also compare our computational results to previously published experimental studies and conclude that targeting inhaled particles to the deep lungs increases whole-lung deposition efficiencies because diffusion and sedimentation are efficient transport mechanisms in the small, distal structures.
Clinical experience with dofetilide in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Dofetilide is the newest drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Few data on the efficacy and safety of dofetilide in a diverse group of patients are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of dofetilide in a consecutive series of 69 patients with AF. Methods and Results: Sixty-nine patients with persistent (n = 53) or paroxysmal (n = 16) AF were administered dofetilide in-hospital. Prior to starting dofetilide, all patients had been adequately anticoagulated, and concomitant agents contraindicated in the presence of dofetilide were discontinued. Heart rhythms were monitored continuously by telemetry in all patients. The initial dose, which was determined using the Cockroft-Gault calculated creatinine clearance, was 500 μg bid, 250 μg bid, and 125 μg bid in 51, 13, and 5 patients, respectively. Reductions in subsequent dosage occurred in 12 patients, 4 for QT prolongation. Dofetilide was discontinued in-hospital in 7 patients, 2 for adverse arrhythmic events and 3 for unacceptable QT prolongation. Twenty-seven (63%) of 43 patients in AF converted spontaneously to sinus rhythm. Fifty-eight patients were discharged receiving dofetilide treatment and were followed as outpatients for 21 ± 7 months. One third of patients continued to take dofetilide at 1 year. One patient had a cardiac arrest 1 day after hospital discharge. Conclusion: Dofetilide is a well-tolerated antiarrhythmic drug with a high conversion rate of AF to sinus rhythm. One third of patients maintained sinus rhythm at 1 year. Proarrhythmia can occur and initiation of therapy must be performed in-hospital. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. S287-S290, December 2003, Suppl.)
Age, Period and Cohort Effects On Social Capital

Researchers hypothesize that social capital in the United States is not just declining, but that it is declining across generations or birth cohorts. Testing this proposition, we examine changes in social capital using age-period-cohort intrinsic estimator models. Results from analyses of 1972–2010 General Social Survey data show (1. that informal association with neighbors declined across periods while informal association with friends outside of the neighborhood increased across birth cohorts; (2. that formal association was comparatively stable with the exception of relatively high levels of formal association among the early 1920s and early 1930s birth cohorts; and (3. that trust declined considerably across both periods and cohorts, though the oldest cohorts are less trusting than those born in the 1920s through the 1940s. While the results suggest that changes in social capital are more complex than the simple decline depicted by many researchers, the aspects of social capital that have declined may be essential for promoting social and political participation.
Trimming Epitaxial GaAs Schottky-diode Parameters Via Anodic Oxidation

Present day receivers operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths most often rely, for their first mixers, on Schottky-barrier diodes formed on epitaxial GaAs. Crucial parameters for these diodes are breakdown voltage, series resistance, junction capacitance and forward conduction mechanism. Some of these are improved, others impaired, by change of epitaxy thickness. This paper describes experience with optimizing GaAs Schottky-diode parameters by anodic oxidation thinning of GaAs epitaxial layers. Monitoring of breakdown voltage of epitaxial GaAs in anodic oxidation solution provides indication of when thinning should be stopped in subjection to the breakdown voltage specification of diodes to be made from the material. Mixer and frequency-multiplier performance superior to any previously reported have been achieved by this technique.
Toward Socially Assistive Robotics For Augmenting Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have communication deficits and difficulties with social interaction. A lack of social behavior can hamper therapeutic interventions and can diminish the ability to learn social skills. Robots have been shown to provoke proactive social behavior in children with ASD. We are developing robot systems capable of acting as catalysts for social behavior in the context of ASD therapy. We present an experiment design for evaluating the effects of a socially assistive robot in a therapeutic setting and results of a pilot experiment with children with ASD interacting with such a robot.
Interference competition between coyotes and raccoons: a test of the mesopredator release hypothesis

Some predator species appear to conform to the mesopredator release hypothesis (MRH), in which larger predators help limit populations of smaller predators. This hypothesis has been used to explain the possible relationship between coyotes, mesopredators, and resultant cascades involving nonpredators. However, relationships between coyotes and noncanid mesopredators are poorly understood, and predictions from the MRH have rarely been rigorously tested. We monitored sympatric raccoon and coyote populations to assess 2 predictions derived from the MRH: coyote predation is an important cause of mortality in raccoon populations or raccoons avoid areas used by coyotes. Between March 2000 and September 2001, we recorded 3553 locations for 27 radio-collared raccoons and 1393 locations for 13 coyotes captured on the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in Illinois, USA. No raccoon mortality from coyote predation was observed during the study, and raccoon survival was >0.7 each season. All raccoon 95% home ranges exhibited overlap with 95% coyote home ranges in each season. The mean proportion of raccoon locations within 95% coyote home ranges did not vary by sex but did vary by season. Raccoon overlap of coyote core areas varied considerably among individuals within seasons, ranging from 0% to 83%. However, 45% of raccoons had 50% overlap. Mean overlap with core areas did not vary by season or sex. For those raccoons with home ranges overlapping coyote core areas, mean proportion of observed raccoon locations within coyote core areas was generally greater than the mean proportion of random locations. Scent-station experiments failed to document raccoon avoidance of specific sites that had been marked with coyote urine. We did not find support for a mortality prediction or avoidance prediction to support MRH with regard to raccoons and coyotes. These results suggest that relationships among mammalian predators may not be simply dictated by body size, particularly for species outside the Canidae. Copyright 2007.
A hidden Markov model for copy number variant prediction from whole genome resequencing data.

Copy Number Variants (CNVs) are important genetic factors for studying human diseases. While high-throughput whole genome re-sequencing provides multiple lines of evidence for detecting CNVs, computational algorithms need to be tailored for different type or size of CNVs under different experimental designs. To achieve optimal power and resolution of detecting CNVs at low depth of coverage, we implemented a Hidden Markov Model that integrates both depth of coverage and mate-pair relationship. The novelty of our algorithm is that we infer the likelihood of carrying a deletion jointly from multiple mate pairs in a region without the requirement of a single mate pairs being obvious outliers. By integrating all useful information in a comprehensive model, our method is able to detect medium-size deletions (200-2000bp) at low depth (<10× per sample). We applied the method to simulated data and demonstrate the power of detecting medium-size deletions is close to theoretical values. A program implemented in Java, Zinfandel, is available at http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~itsik/zinfandel/
E7-transduced Human Breast Epithelial Cells Show Partial Differentiation in Three-dimensional Culture

Abstract Disruption of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor pathway is acommon and important event in breast carcinogenesis. To examine therole of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) in this process, we createdhuman mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) deficient for pRB by infectingprimary outgrowth from breast organoids with the human papillomavirustype 16 (HPV16) E7 gene. HPV16 E7 binds to and inactivates pRB andalso causes a significant down-regulation of the protein. Culturing normalHMEC in a reconstituted basement membrane (rBM) provides a correctenvironment and signaling cues for the formation of differentiated, acini-like structures. When cultured in this rBM, HMEC 1E7 were found torespond morphologically as normal HMEC and form acinar structures. Incontrast to normal HMEC, many of the cells within the HMEC1E7structures were not growth arrested, as determined by a 5-bromo-2*-deoxyuridine incorporation assay. pRB deficiency did not affect polariza-tion of these structures, as indicated by the normal localization of thecell-cell adhesion marker E-cadherin and the basal deposition of a colla-gen IV membrane. However, in HMEC1E7 acini, we were unable todetect by immunofluorescence microscopy the milk protein lactoferrin orcytokeratin 19, both markers of differentiation expressed in the normalHMEC structures. These data suggest that loss of RB in vivo wouldcompromise differentiation, predisposing these cells to future tumor-promoting actions.