cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electro-Optical Properties of Polymers Containing Alternating Nonlinear Optical Chromophores and Bulky Spacers

Alternating polymers of a nonlinear optical chromophore and bulky spacers were synthesized. High chromophore loading and efficient site isolation were achieved with this approach. The effects of chromophore loading density and electric poling field on the electro-optical (EO) properties of the polymers were carefully compared with those of guest−host systems of the same chromophore. The alternating polymer can be poled to higher EO efficiency under a lower poling field than the optimized guest−host system, while the λmax of the polymer film is about 40 nm shorter than that of the guest−host system.
The effect of cross-linking of chitosan microspheres with genipin on protein release

Abstract Genipin, a natural and non-toxic cross-linking reagent, was evaluated for its effects on the drug/protein release and swelling of chitosan microspheres. Chitosan microspheres, using albumin as a model protein, were prepared and cross-linked with 0.5 mM genipin for 4 to 16 h or for 4 h using 0.5 to 2.0 mM genipin. The degree of cross-linking, swelling and the release of albumin from the microspheres was determined by the ninhydrin assay, measuring change in mass between dry and wet spheres, and in 31-day elution tests, respectively. The degree of cross-linking increased up to maximum of 33% to 34% with up to 8 hour cross-linking time or with up to 1.0 mM genipin concentration. Additional cross-linking time or concentration did not significantly increase degree of cross-linking. Swelling ratios decreased significantly from 119.2% in the uncross-linked condition to 108.8% at 16 h cross-linking time. However, increasing the genipin concentration resulted in much smaller decreases in swelling. The release of albumin was reduced with as little as 4 h cross-linking time to 30.9% of uncross-linked microspheres for up to 24 days and by as much as 52.3–60.0% for up to 31 days with 8–16 h cross-linking time. Using genipin concentrations of 1.0 to 2.0 mM for 4 h, greatly reduced albumin release to only 12.4% to 27.1% on day 24. These data demonstrate that protein and drug delivery rates from chitosan microspheres may be controlled and extended by controlling the degree of cross-linking with genipin.
Lattice dynamics of commensurate and incommensurate K/sub 2/SeO/sub 4/

K/sub 2/SeO/sub 4/ undergoes an incommensurate structural transformation at T/sub 0/=128 K followed by a commensurate ''lock-in'' transformation at T/sub c/=93 K. Below T/sub 0/, the soft-phonon mode associated with the transformation is ''split'' into modes representing fluctuations in amplitude and phase of the complex order parameter. We have studied the dispersion and temperature dependence of these modes at T < or = 118 K. We have also seen intensity anomalies which can be explained by interactions between a transverse-acoustic-phonon branch and the low-lying ''phason'' branch.
Almost complete spaces, hypercomplete spaces and related mapping theorems

Abstract Thirty years ago, Zdenek Frolik introduced a class of spaces, subsequently called almost Cech- complete by Aarts and Lutzer, and showed that a completely regular space is in this class if and only if it has a dense Cech-complete subspace. This first purpose of this note is to obtain some new characterizations for these spaces, which are here simply called almost complete. The second purpose is to prove a number of mapping theorems, most of which are related to almost complete spaces and two of which sharpen recent results of Stegall and of Coban and Kenderov.
Different requirements for CD40-DC154 interaction during thymic negative selection of CD4+ T cells

Abstract Rationale Self-reactive T cells are normally deleted in the thymus through negative selection. In addition to TCR engagement, negative selection is regulated by signals from co-stimulatory molecules, particularly CD154. Previous research has demonstrated negative selection to endogenously expressed antigens is dependent on CD40-CD154 interactions while negative selection to exogenously administered antigen is independent of CD154. Methods Transgenic animals from two different models of thymic negative selection were injected with mAb to CD154 or control antibody. Following treatment, cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results In this study we found differential effects of CD154 blockade on two different models of CD4+ T cell negative selection to endogenously expressed self-antigens. Treatment with anti-CD154 mAb resulted in accumulation of large numbers of functional auto-reactive T cells in the thymus of ANDxRO Tg animals. However, these animals had few transgenic cells in the periphery and the remaining few cells had been rendered anergic. In another model of negative selection, Act-mOVAxOTII Tg animals showed normal deletion of transgenic CD4+ T cells despite the presence of anti-CD154 mAb. Conclusions There are differing requirement for CD40-CD154 interaction in negative selection of CD4+ thymocytes.
An auctioning reputation system based on anomaly

Existing reputation systems used by online auction houses do not address the concern of a buyer shopping for commodities - finding a good bargain. These systems do not provide information on the practices adopted by sellers to ensure profitable auctions. These practices may be legitimate, like imposing a minimum starting bid on an auction, or fraudulent, like using colluding bidders to inflate the final price in a practice known as shilling.We develop a reputation system to help buyers identify sellers whose auctions seem price-inflated. Our reputation system is based upon models that characterize sellers according to statistical metrics related to price inflation. We combine the statistical models with anomaly detection techniques to identify the set of suspicious sellers. The output of our reputation system is a set of values for each seller representing the confidence with which the system can say that the auctions of the seller are price-inflated.We evaluate our reputation system on 604 high-volume sellers who posted 37,525 auctions on eBay. Our system automatically pinpoints sellers whose auctions contain potential shill bidders. When we manually analyze these sellers' auctions, we find that many winning bids are at about the items' market values, thus undercutting a buyer's ability to find a bargain and demonstrating the effectiveness of our reputation system.
Evolution: Tooth structure re-engineered.

Mice deficient in the EDA protein lack normal tooth features. Restoring EDA in embryonic teeth at increasing doses has now been found to recover these dental features in a stepwise pattern that mimics evolution. See Article p.44 Evolution is conventionally presented as a parade of adult morphology as it changes through time, and teeth are often the best (or only) lines of evidence that palaeontologists have at their disposal. Dental traits are therefore widely used to determine relatedness of fossil species. Now Jukka Jernvall and colleagues have used developmental biology to replay the past 50 million years of the evolution of rodent teeth. Mice unable to produce the morphogen ectodysplasin have very generalized teeth. The addition of small amounts of ectodysplasin to mutant teeth explants reproduces the known changes in the morphology of rodent teeth over evolutionary time. The authors have constructed a computational model of tooth development, with an interface (ToothMaker) that provides a new a tool for resolving how species are related.
Bacterial genetics: past achievements, present state of the field, and future challenges

Genetic tools are required to take full advantage of the wealth of information generated by genome sequencing efforts and ensuing global gene and protein expression analyses. Bacterial genetics was originally developed and refined in Escherichia coli. As a consequence, elegant plasmid, cloning, expression, and mutagenesis systems were developed over the years and a good number of them are commercially available. This is not true for other bacteria. Although the development of genetic tools has generally not kept up with the sequencing pace, substantial progress has been made in this arena with many bacterial species. This short review highlights selected topics and achievements in the field over the past 25 years and presents some strategies that may help address future challenges. BioTechniques has played an integral part in the publication of important technological advances in the field over the first 25 years of its existence and it can be anticipated that it will continue to do so in the future.
For cultural interpretation: A study of the culture of homelessness

The role of interpretation in cultural and media studies is constantly debated. Through an interpretation of the culture of homelessness in the United States, this paper attempts to demonstrate the value of conjunctural interpretive analysis. Such an analysis is multilevel (ranging from macrostructures to micropractices), multimodal (encompassing texts, practices, empirical data, mediations, organizations, and policy), and explicitly theoretical and political. The paper also addresses some of the differences between a critical‐structural analysis and analyses produced by other, more positivist epistemologies.
TH‐D‐AUD A‐04: Experimental Study of Neutron Dose Equivalent in a Proton Treatment Facility

Purpose: To characterize neutron dose equivalent per proton Gray (H/D) as a function of proton energy, spread‐out Bragg peak (SOBP) and aperture size at a clinical proton treatment facility using both active and passive neutron detection instruments, and to evaluate the performance of the instruments for a possible candidate for routine patient neutron exposure monitoring. Method and Materials: The H/D were measured at 2 locations near isocenter, namely in proton field but 2 cm out of range and approximately 20 cm out of field, with neutron instruments of various types. Two types of rem‐meters were used, the REM‐500, a tissue equivalent proportional counter and SWENDI‐2, a wide energy (up to 5GeV) neutron probe. The passive detectors consist of Neutrak® 144 Fast, Intermediate and Thermal Neutron Dosimeters, an etched‐track detector, and two flavors of bubble detector, BDS®, a spectrometer, and BD‐PND®. The results from these instruments were compared for 200 MeV and 160 MeV beam configurations. REM‐500 and Neutrak® were used to study the dependency of H/D on proton energy, SOBP and aperture size. Results: Various instruments had comparable H/D measurements at the out field location but varies more at the in field location. The H/D value increased linearly with proton energy, with a factor of ∼6 from 100 MeV to 250 MeV for medium snout. The H/D value increased ∼50% with increasing SOBP from 2 cm to the maximum of clinical allowed value and had a small decrease with aperture size. Conclusion: The measured results show H/D increases strongly with proton energy, moderately with SOBP, and has minimal dependence on aperture size. This is consistent with the simulation results. The Neutrak® etched‐track detector is a good candidate for patient neutron exposure monitoring due to its small size, excellent dose range, good energy range and commercial support.
The impact of credit on peasant productivity and differentiation in Nicaragua

Abstract An endogenous switching regressions framework is used to structure and identify the impact of credit on small farm food production in Nicaragua. The results which emerge weakly support the hypothesis that credit had a positive impact on production and could be expected to reduce the pattern of structurally unbalanced growth in Nicaraguan agriculture. However, the estimated impact is of a form which implies a process of differentiation and unequal growth in the peasant sector in the wake of the new opportunities afforded by credit.
Conversation and discourse in instructional development

There are practical limits to the use of technical ID methods, and it is not always possible to resolve development issues empirically. Subjectivity and interpersonal sharing of perception and meaning are necessary, requiring information exchange and conferring by those involved. The process can be more or less directed toward inquiry and is affected by learning styles and individual beliefs regarding interpersonal interaction. Several theories highlight personal communication problems and conditions for making conversation more effective in development contexts. Although there are problems in implementing these conditions and limits to the extent they can be realized, knowledge of the conditions and problems can itself engender progress.
Casey and the resuscitation of Roe v. Wade.

Casey v. Planned Parenthood Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania 60 U.S. 4795 (1992) is a great victory for procreative liberty. The US Supreme Court reaffirmed the principe of Roe v. Wade 410 U.S. 113 (1973): a women has a right to terminate a pregnancy up until viability and thereafter when necessary to protect her life or health. The decision allows the states to impose regulations insuring that abortion decisions are "thoughtful and informed" provided they do not impose an "undue burden" a change from Roe where early pregnancy regulations were permitted only when the state had a compelling interest. In Casey the Courts perception of its legitimacy and its reliance on stare decisis left intact the substantive due process line of cases establishing the privacy interest related to marriage procreation contraception family relationships childbearing and education reaffirming its authority to define fundamental unenumerated rights through "reasoned judgment" in interpreting the liberty clause of the 14th Amendment. Casey leaves the US with the most liberal system in the world but the issue is unnecessarily politicized because constitutionalizing the issue has removed almost all ability for compromise. If the federal Freedom of Choice Act is defeated Casey may provide the vehicle for a compromise. The affirmation of abortion presents the possibility that the manufacturer of the contragestive drug RU 486 will lift its self-imposed prohibition against marketing RU 486 in US. Casey sympathetically describes the choice facing a pregnant woman and explicitly sees abortion as a quintessential issue of womens rights. "Her suffering is too intimate and personal for the State to insist without more upon its own vision of the womans role however dominant that vision has been in the course of our history and our culture."
Growing Up Nisei: Race, Generation, and Culture among Japanese Americans of California, 1924-49

The place occupied by Japanese Americans within the annals of U.S. history has consisted mainly of a cameo appearance as victims of incarceration after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In this provocative work, David Yoo broadens the scope of Japanese-American history beyond its usual confines to examine how the second generation - the Nisei - has shaped its identity and negotiated its place within American society. Framed by the Immigration Act of 1924, which effectively curtailed migration from Japan to the United States, and the Tokyo Rose treason trial of 1949, "Growing Up Nisei" traces the emergence of a dynamic Nisei subculture and shows how the foundations laid during the 1920s and 1930s helped many Nisei adjust to the upheaval of the concentration camps. Yoo demonstrates that schools, racial-ethnic churches, and the immigrant press served not merely as waystations to assimilation but as tools by which Nisei affirmed their identity in connection with both Japanese and American culture. Rather than a simple choice between two alternatives, identity formation for the Nisei who came of age during the war entailed negotiating multiple meanings related to race, gender, class, generation, the economy, politics, and international relations. A thoughtful consideration of the gray area between accommodation and resistance, "Growing Up Nisei" attests to a complexity of experience and context that foregoes one-dimensional cardboard figures and moves toward a portrayal of Japanese Americans as fully human.
A centrifugal column assay for thymidylate synthetase using the active site titrant 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridylate

Abstract Thymidylate synthetase has been titrated in mouse liver extracts with [ 3 H]fluorodeoxy-uridine monophosphate using centrifugally eluted gel filtration columns. The method is quick, efficient, and yields a linear dependence upon added extracted protein. The stability of the complex showed a pH maximum near 7.5. Specific binding of the tritiated nucleotide derivative to thymidylate synthetase was shown by denaturation of the complex in sodium dodecyl sulfate and gel electrophoresis of the denatured complex. Centrifugal elution of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-quenched complex from gel filtration columns was used to estimate the kinetics of complex formation at 0 and 12°C.
Debunking Common Sense and the Taken for Granted A Pedagogical Strategy for Teaching Social Problems

In this article, the authors argue that one approach to teaching Introduction to Social Problems is to structure the course content around taken-for-granted beliefs that many students have about the social world. In doing so, the authors discuss the social construction of social problems, how sociology differs from common sense, and the importance of critical sociological thinking. By way of example, the authors focus on the social problem of divorce.
Government manipulation of constitutional-level transaction costs: A general theory of transaction-cost augmentation and the growth of government

Transaction costs are pivotal to the ongoing political choice of where to draw the line between the 'private' sector and the 'public' sector. Contrary to the dominant paradigm, politically important transaction costs are actively manipulated in the public sector by those who perceive potential personal gain from such action. Over time, transaction-cost changes so created by government decision-makers may fundamentally redefine the role and scope of government. To analyze the role of transaction costs in the growth or decline of government, it is essential to distinguish transaction costs that are 'unavoidable' realworld constraints from those that are 'contrived' in the sense that they are created by government officials' use or extension of their existing authority. Once discretionary power is vested in the government, its officials have both the capacity and the incentive to restructure the transaction costs constraining the revision ofgovernrnental authority. This restructuring of transaction costs may take two forms: 1) altering people's perceptions of the costs and benefits of governmental authority in a given sphere (an information-cost problem); 1 2) altering the cost of acting upon one's perceptions of the costs and benefits of collectivization (in order to procure revision of the scope of governmental authority). 2
Phenotype Prediction Using Regularized Regression on Genetic Data in the DREAM5 Systems Genetics B Challenge

A major goal of large-scale genomics projects is to enable the use of data from high-throughput experimental methods to predict complex phenotypes such as disease susceptibility. The DREAM5 Systems Genetics B Challenge solicited algorithms to predict soybean plant resistance to the pathogen Phytophthora sojae from training sets including phenotype, genotype, and gene expression data. The challenge test set was divided into three subcategories, one requiring prediction based on only genotype data, another on only gene expression data, and the third on both genotype and gene expression data. Here we present our approach, primarily using regularized regression, which received the best-performer award for subchallenge B2 (gene expression only). We found that despite the availability of 941 genotype markers and 28,395 gene expression features, optimal models determined by cross-validation experiments typically used fewer than ten predictors, underscoring the importance of strong regularization in noisy datasets with far more features than samples. We also present substantial analysis of the training and test setup of the challenge, identifying high variance in performance on the gold standard test sets.
Is Science Me? High School Students' Identities, Participation and Aspirations in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

This study follows an ethnically and economically diverse sample of 33 high school students to explore why some who were once very interested in science, engineering, or medicine (SEM) majors or careers decided to leave the pipeline in high school while others persisted. Through longitudinal interviews and surveys, students shared narratives about their developing science identities, SEM participation and aspirations. In analysis, three groups emerged (High Achieving Persisters, Low Achieving Persisters, and Lost Potentials), each experiencing different interactions and experiences within science communities of practice in and outside of school and within the extended family. These different microclimates framed students' perceptions of their SEM study, abilities, career options, and expected success, thereby shaping their science identities and consequent SEM trajectories. School science was often hard and discouraging; there were very few science advocates at school or home; and meaningful opportunities to work with real science professionals were scarce, even in schools with science or health academies. Students expressed positive attitudes toward science and non-science pursuits where they experienced success and received support from important people in their lives. Results underscore the key role communities of practice play in career and identity development and suggest a need for interventions to help socializers better understand the value and purpose of science literacy themselves so as to encourage students to appreciate science, be aware of possible career options in science and enjoy learning and doing science. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 564–582, 2010
Sensation seeking and stimulus intensity as modulators of cortical, cardiovascular, and electrodermal response: A cross-modality study

Abstract Previous studies have related the trait of sensation seeking to augmenting of the evoked potential (EP) in both visual and auditory modalities and to electrodermal and heart rate (HR) orienting and defensive reactions. The present study examined all of these phenomena in the same sample of subjects in order to replicate previous findings, and investigate cross-modality consistency and relationships between cortical and peripheral responses. Fifty-four male subjects, scoring high or low on the Disinhibition Sensation Seeking Scale, were exposed to 4 intensities of auditory stimuli (tones) on one occasion and visual stimuli (light flash) on another. Two interstimulus (ISIs) intervals were used for each set of stimuli: first a 17 sec series, and then a 2 sec series. High disinhibitors showed EP augmenting and lows reducing on 3 of the 4 series; differences were significant on two of them. High disinhibitors showed stronger orienting (deceleratory) HR responses to visual and auditory stimuli while lows showed stronger defensive (acceleratory) HR responses. HR responses were significantly correlated across stimulus modalities. Auditory and visual EP slope measures were correlated only for the long ISI series.
Lead-induced developmental changes in AP-1 DNA binding in rat brain.

Abstract Exposure to lead during ontogeny is detrimental to the growth and development of the brain. Morphological abnormalities occur in the developing brain, which are manifested as mental retardation and other neurological disorders. Despite extensive research, the biochemical mechanism for neurological effects of lead has not been established but appears to be at the level of the genome since aberrant expression of developmentally-important genes has been reported. Basal levels of activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor DNA binding are elevated in the rat brain during the early postnatal period. The AP-1 DNA binding complex is composed of a Jun:cAMP responsive element binding protein dimer, which appears to modulate expression of developmentally-important genes that contain AP-1 binding sites in their promoter. Brain regions from perinatally lead-exposed rats were examined on postnatal days 3, 9 and 15 for DNA binding activity to the AP-1 DNA sequence. AP-1 DNA binding activities were significantly increased on postnatal day 3 in hippocampus and cortex from lead-treated rats with no other area (frontal lobe or brainstem) or timepoint showing significant changes. Since no increases were detected in the level of Jun protein which is a component of the AP-1 binding complex, post-translational modification may be involved in enhancing DNA binding activity. By altering levels of AP-1 DNA binding to the promoter regions, lead exposure may be changing the levels of mRNA synthesis of developmentally-important genes.
A New Route for Growing Large Grains in Metals

Most metallic materials consist of a network of small single crystals, or grains, connected by grain boundaries. This microstructure, which spans length scales from a few nanometers to hundreds of micrometers, controls many of the properties of the metal. Mechanical processing and thermal treatments can be used to alter this microstructure, but the evolution of grains during processing of a material is governed by phenomena that are so complex (relative to our present scientific understanding) that the outcome cannot be reliably predicted. On page 1500 of this issue, Omori et al. ( 1 ) describe a wholly unexpected microstructure that arises from synergies among multiple phenomena. They created very large grains in a copper-based shape-memory alloy—a material that will spontaneously recover large strains upon a temperature change—by thermal cycling across temperatures that produce solid-state phase transformations. The subtle mechanisms that apparently act together at elevated temperature to produce this microstructure include internal-stress plasticity ( 2 ) and abnormal grain growth ( 3 ). This discovery has potential for technological applications that depend on long service lives of shape-memory alloys.
Induction of Opioid-Dependent Individuals Onto Buprenorphine and Buprenorphine/Naloxone Soluble-Films

A sublingual soluble-film formulation of buprenorphine/naloxone (B/N) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid dependency. This preparation provides unit-dose, child-resistant packaging amenable to tracking and accountability, offers more rapid dissolution, and has a potentially preferred taste vs. tablets. This study compared the ability of buprenorphine (B) and B/N films to suppress spontaneous withdrawal in opioid-dependent volunteers. Participants were maintained on morphine and underwent challenge sessions to confirm sensitivity to naloxone-induced opioid withdrawal. Subjects were randomized to receive either B (16 mg, n = 18) or B/N (16/4 mg, n = 16) soluble films for 5 days. The primary outcome measure was the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) score. Thirty-four subjects completed induction onto soluble films. There was a significant decrease in COWS scores but no significant differences between the groups. The results support the use of B and B/N soluble films as safe and effective delivery methods for opioid induction. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011) 89 3, 443–449. doi:10.1038/clpt.2010.352
Stagnation Flow in Thin Streamer Boundaries

Slow solar wind is believed to arise in the legs or near the cusp of streamers, inside the brightness boundary. In an earlier study, we used an analytic model of flow in this layer to analyze the effect of the magnetic field on the geometry of the flow. That study successfully described those conditions that can lead to a decrease of the flow speed with increasing height near the cusp of the closed magnetic helmet inside a streamer. The model was, however, restricted to a radial brightness boundary on the streamer and hence to a relatively thick outflow region near the cusp. Here this restriction is relaxed through the explicit introduction of a coronal hole-like region outside the brightness boundary. We use the model to describe flow solutions for outflow in a thin layer inside the brightness boundary. The flow geometry now can be constrictive just above the cusp, and we show solutions of this type. Many solutions then show a diverging geometry at greater heights above the cusp, out to at least 5 solar radius. We fail to find solutions in which the geometry alone leads to slow flow but give a more general description than before of conditions favoring slow flow and, consequently, gravitational settling in the legs of streamers.
Scale-dependent variation in local vs. regional effects on coral species richness

Large-scale geographical and historical factors can strongly affect species richness within ecological communities (local richness), because most communities are at least partially open to immigration from regional species pools. To completely understand local richness patterns, it is important to distinguish local explanations, such as spatiotem- poral heterogeneity, from larger scale explanations for regional enrichment, and to integrate these explanations with traditional niche-based notions (e.g., resource partitioning, limiting similarity, limited membership, etc.). Here we use regression models to evaluate the sen- sitivity of local richness in reef-building corals to two local and six regional variables at multiple geographical scales. The local variables are depth and habitat, and the regional variables are the number of species and genera in a region, average age of genera, distance to the equator, distance to the nearest high-diversity region, and a dummy variable con- trasting the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic provinces. At the largest geographical scale (Indo- Pacific and Atlantic provinces combined), we find that local richness varies significantly with depth, habitat, and five regional variables. The relative sensitivity of local richness to local and regional variables (61 and 39%, respectively) is similar to that at two smaller geographical scales: (1) the Indo-Pacific and (2) the speciose central Indo-Pacific. However, when only depauperate regions of the Indo-Pacific are considered, regional variables con- tribute more strongly to local richness, explaining 95% of the variation in this attribute. The analysis indicates that Indo-Pacific coral assemblages in both speciose and depauperate regions are unsaturated, as local richness consistently increases with the size of the regional species pool. Comparable regional effec'ts are totally absent in the Atlantic province, where local richness is sensitive only to depth and habitat. This result is consistent with the assessment that regional species distributions are relatively homogeneous within this prov- ince. We interpret this lack of regional heterogeneity as a historical consequence of climatic and geologic events, which isolated this province from the Indo-Pacific in the Pliocene and caused major extinctions among predominantly stenotopic species 1-4 X 106 yr BP. In general, our results indicate that geographical scale is an important factor to consider in comparative regional studies of ecological communities. Furthermore, we suggest that pure- ly local spatiotemporal heterogeneity is insufficient to explain the sensitivity of local rich- ness to large-scale geographical and historical variables.
Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy of nematic-liquid-crystal electro-optic switching.

Time resolved infrared (IR) vibrational absorption spectroscopy is used to probe the dynamics of electric field-induced reorientation of the biphenyl molecular core and alkyl tail subfragments of the nematic liquid crystal 5CB (4-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl). The planar to homeotropic transition, induced by application of an electric field step to high pre-tilt planar aligned cells, is studied for switching times ranging from 200 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ down to 8 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s},$ the latter a factor of 1000 times faster than any previous nematic IR study. The reorientation rates of the core and tail are found to be the same to within experimental uncertainty, and scale inversely with applied field squared, as expected for the balance of field and viscous torques. Thus any molecular conformation change during switching must relax on a shorter time scale. A simple model shows that these data eliminate the possibility of there being substantial differences between the reorientational dynamics of the tails and cores on the time scales longer than on the order of 10 \ensuremath{\mu}s.
Auditory verbal hallucinations and dysfunction of the neural substrates of speech.

Objective: to evaluate the neural substrate of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), the correlation between AVH and subvocal speech (hereafter SVS), and the relationship between speech and AVH. Method: we reviewed the papers found by an electronic literature search on hallucinations and speech. The review was extended to the papers cited in these publications and to classical works. Results: there is no conclusive evidence of structural abnormality of the speech perception area in hallucinating schizophrenic patients. However there is evidence of electrophysiological abnormalities of the auditory and speech perception cortices. Functional imaging data are inconsistent, yet point to the left superior temporal gyrus as one of the neural substrates for AVH. There is also evidence that SVS could accompany the experience of AVH. Conclusion: there is evidence that dysfunction of brain areas responsible for speech generation is a fundamental mechanism for generating AVH in schizophrenia. It results in a secondary activation of Wernicke's area (speech perception) and Broca's area (speech expression). The first leading to the experience of hallucinations, and the second, eventually, gives rise to a variable degree of vocal muscle activity detectable by EMG, and/or faint vocalizations detectable by sensitive microphones placed at proximity of the larynx. Direct stimulation or disease of Wernicke's area produces AVH without SVS.
Why People Choose Negative Expected Return Assets - An Empirical Examination of a Utility Theoretic Explanation

Using a theoretical extension of the Friedman and Savage (1948) utility function developed in Bhattacharyya (2003), we predict that for financial assets with negative expected returns, expected return will be a declining and convex function of skewness. Using a sample of U.S. state lottery games, we find that our theoretical conclusions are supported by the data. Our results have external validity as they also hold for an alternative and more aggregated sample of lottery game data.
Encouraging participation in aftercare group therapy among substance-dependent men.

Summmry.-Increasing the length of participation in alcohol and drug treatment is associated with improved outcome. The present studies were designed to increase the number of individuals who participate in outpatient aftercare group therapy following completion of inpatient treatment. In Study 1,22 participants who were assigned to attend a session of aftercare group during inpatient treatment were not more likely to participate in outpatient aftercare than those 19 who received a placebo treatment during inpatient treatment. In Study 2, 13 clients assigned a more intensive treatment, receiving ahercare orientation and signing a treatmenr contract, were comp~red with a group of 13 given placebo treatment; however. .jgaln there was no a~gl~~ficanc difference in outpatient participation in aftercare. The effectiveness of inpatient programs in substance abuse is greatly increased when combined with some type of continuing therapy upon completion of treatment. Longer participation in alcohol and drug treatment is associated with significantly better outcomes (see Stark, 1992, for a review). Since most inpatient programs are one month or less in duration, participation in outpatient aftercare therapy is critical. Despite the importance of aftercare, little research has explored effective means of increasing participation in aftercare. We conducted two experiments to increase the number of former inpatients who participated in outpatient aftercare group therapy at the Salem Virginia Veterans Affairs Medical Center's substance-abuse program among alcohol-dependent and other substance-dependent men. In Study 1 we hypothesized that attending one aftercare group therapy session as an inpatient (n=22) would be more effective than a placebo treatment condtion of watching a motivational videotape as an inpatient (n= 19). However, there was no significant difference in the number of participants who attended at least one outpatient aftercare group; 5 of 22 (23%) individuals in the treatment condition and 6 of 19 (32%) in the placebo condition attended at least one outpatient session [xI2(N= 40) = .3O, p = .29. one-tailed]. In Study 2, a more intensive intervent~on was attempted to improve par
In-service behaviour of creep strength enhanced ferritic steels Grade 91 and Grade 92 – Part 2 weld issues

Abstract In Creep Strength Enhanced Ferritic steels control of both composition and heat treatment of the parent steel is necessary to avoid producing components which have properties below the minimum expected by applicable codes. The degree of tempering involved in manufacture will modify the material hardness. While under most conditions hardness is reduced by tempering, exceeding the AC 1 temperature can lead to an increase in hardness. In this heat treatment the properties will be relatively poor even though the measured hardness may be apparently acceptable. Thus, care should be exercised in imposing an acceptance test of components based on simple hardness alone. Differences in parent material heat treatment and composition apparently have remarkably little influence on the creep life of the heat affect zone (HAZ). Thus, Type IV cracking in the fine grained or intercritically heat treated regions of the HAZ does not appear to directly depend on the strength of the base steel. This form of in-service damage is relatively difficult to detect using traditional methods of non-destructive testing. Moreover, since repeated heat treatment leads to over tempering and a degradation of properties, specific procedures for making and then lifing repair welds are required. The present paper summarizes examples of damage and discusses best option repairs.
The exploration of subclinical psychopathic subtypes and the relationship with types of aggression

The psychopathy literature includes inconsistencies with regard to correlates, etiology, and treatment, suggesting heterogeneity within the construct. This paper used measures of psychopathy (the LPS primary and secondary), temperament (the BIS and BAS scales), and anxiety (STAI), in a model-based cluster analysis, and identified prototypes that somewhat resembled subclinical primary and secondary psychopathy in a college population. Variants matched theory in terms of psychopathy factors and anxiety, but there were some inconsistencies in terms of BIS and BAS. Despite these discrepancies, the current study found a theoretically consistent relationship between the clusters and types of aggression generally supporting the construct validity of the subclinical psychopathic clusters that emerged in this study; the primary psychopathic-like traits cluster utilized more instrumental/mixed aggression and the secondary psychopathic-like traits cluster reported more hostile/reactive aggression.
Hyperprolactinemia stimulates food intake in the female rat.

Abstract Lactation in the rat is marked by extreme hyperphagia. The present study examined the possibility that elevated prolactin levels contribute to this increase. It also evaluated the effects of hyperprolactinemia on brown adipose tissue and carcass composition. Virgin Osborne-Mendel rats were made hyperprolactinemic via ectopic pituitary transplants (PIT, n = 9) or were sham-operated (SHAM, n = 8). Eight lactating rats (LACT) served as additional controls. Food intake, body weight and rectal temperature were recorded daily. Eleven days postsurgery (or 11–12 days postpartum), the rats were sacrificed and brown fat (scapular, axillary, cervical and thoracic) was excised, weighed and assayed for GDP binding, one indicator of thermogenic capacity. Carcasses were subjected to body composition analysis. Although prior to surgery, PIT ahd SHAM rats weighed the same, PIT rats gained significantly more weight during the experiment than did SHAMs. Percent body fat and food intake (both total intake and intake relative to metabolic body size) were significantly elevated in the PIT rats. GDP binding in both PIT and LACT rats was significantly less than in SHAMs. This was true whether GDP binding was expressed per mg mitochondrial protein or per total amount of mitochondrial protein recovered. These data confirm that brown fat thermogenic capacity is suppressed during lactation. They also demonstrate that elevations of serum prolactin, to levels that are well within physiological limits, are capable of stimulating food intake and white fat deposition in the female rat. It is presently unclear whether these results are a direct or an indirect effect of hyperprolactinemia.
Pulsed Ultra High Pressure Treatments for Pasteurization of Pineapple Juice

Sinusoidal and step-pressure pulses were compared with static pressure treatments for the inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2407-1a in pineapple juice. No inactivation was observed after 40-4,000 fast sinusoidal pulses (10 cycles/s) at 4-400 sec in the 235-270 MPa range. Static 270 MPa treatments at 40 and 400 sec resulted in 0.7 and 5.1 decimal reductions, respectively. Slower 0-270 MPa step pulses at 0.1 (10 pulses), 1 (100 pulses), and 2 (200 pulses) cycles/s with 100 sec total on-pressure time resulted in 3.3, 3.5, and 3.3 decimal reductions, respectively. A comparable static pressure treatment resulted in 2.5 decimal reductions. Changing the on-pressure/off-pressure time ratio (3:1, 3:3 and 1:3) showed that treatments with longer on-pressure time, e.g., 0.6 sec on-pressure and 0.2 sec off-pressure were significantly more effective showing nearly a 4 decimal reduction in 100 sec.
A comparison of chemical pretreatment methods for improving saccharification of cotton stalks.

Abstract The effectiveness of sulfuric acid (H2SO4), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and ozone pretreatments for conversion of cotton stalks to ethanol was investigated. Ground cotton stalks at a solid loading of 10% (w/v) were pretreated with H2SO4, NaOH, and H2O2 at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% (w/v). Treatment temperatures of 90 °C and 121 °C at 15 psi were investigated for residence times of 30, 60, and 90 min. Ozone pretreatment was performed at 4 °C with constant sparging of stalks in water. Solids from H2SO4, NaOH, and H2O2 pretreatments (at 2%, 60 min, 121 °C/15 psi) showed significant lignin degradation and/or high sugar availability and hence were hydrolyzed by Celluclast 1.5 L and Novozym 188 at 50 °C. Sulfuric acid pretreatment resulted in the highest xylan reduction (95.23% for 2% acid, 90 min, 121 °C/15 psi) but the lowest cellulose to glucose conversion during hydrolysis (23.85%). Sodium hydroxide pretreatment resulted in the highest level of delignification (65.63% for 2% NaOH, 90 min, 121 °C/15 psi) and cellulose conversion (60.8%). Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment resulted in significantly lower (p ⩽ 0.05) delignification (maximum of 29.51% for 2%, 30 min, 121 °C/15 psi) and cellulose conversion (49.8%) than sodium hydroxide pretreatment, but had a higher (p ⩽ 0.05) cellulose conversion than sulfuric acid pretreatment. Ozone did not cause any significant changes in lignin, xylan, or glucan contents over time. Quadratic models using time, temperature, and concentration as continuous variables were developed to predict xylan and lignin reduction, respectively for sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide pretreatments. In addition, a modified severity parameter (log M0) was constructed and explained most of the variation in xylan or lignin reduction through simple linear regressions.
Fluid-structure interactions of a parachute crossing the far wake of an aircraft

Abstract In this paper we describe a computational technique for simulation of the fluid–structure interactions of a parachute crossing the far wake of an aircraft. This technique relies on using the long-wake flow data already computed, in our case, with the Multi-Domain Method (MDM) we developed earlier. The fluid–structure interaction computations are carried out over a domain enclosing the parachute and moving with the payload. This domain functions as one of the subdomains of the MDM designed specifically for the parachute fluid–structure interactions considered here. The boundary conditions for this subdomain are extracted from the long-wake flow data, at locations corresponding to the positions of those boundaries in the subdomain over which the wake flow data were computed. The Navier–Stokes equations of incompressible flows, governing the fluid dynamics, are solved with the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space–Time (DSD/SST) formulation, which can handle changes in the spatial domain occupied by the fluid. This formulation is coupled to the finite element formulation used for solving the membrane equations governing the structural mechanics of the parachute canopy and the equations governing the mechanics of the suspension lines. The numerical example included demonstrates how the technique described here, functioning as a component of the MDM, enables us to simulate the fluid–structure interactions of a parachute crossing an aircraft wake.
On the distribution of subsidence in the hurricane eye

Two hurricane eye features that have yet to be adequately explained are the clear-air moat that forms at the outer edge of the eye and the hub cloud that forms near the circulation centre. To investigate whether these features can be explained by the spatial distribution of the subsidence field, we have derived an analytical solution of the Sawyer–Eliassen transverse circulation equation for a three-region approximation with an unforced central eye region of intermediate or high inertial stability, a diabatically-forced eyewall region of high inertial stability, and an unforced far-field of low inertial stability. This analytical solution isolates the conditions under which the subsidence is concentrated near the edge of the eye. The crucial parameter is the dimensionless dynamical radius of the eye, defined as the physical radius of the eye divided by the characteristic Rossby length in the eye. When this dimensionless dynamical radius is less than 0.6, there is less than 10% horizontal variation in the subsidence rate across the eye; when it is greater than 1.8, the subsidence rate at the edge of the eye is more than twice as strong as at the centre of the eye. When subsidence is concentrated at the edge of the eye, the largest temperature anomalies occur near there rather than at the vortex centre. This warm-ring structure, as opposed to a warm-core structure, is often observed in the lower troposphere of intense hurricanes. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society