cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE AND NUCLEAR MOMENTS OF PROMETHIUM-147 AND PROMETHIUM- 151

The atomic-beam magnetic-resonance method was used to measure the hyperfine structure of the /sup 6/H/sub 7/2// level in two promethium isotopes. The spins of these isotopes were verified to be I(Pm/sup 147/) =7/2 and I(Pm/sup 151/) = 5/2. The electronic splitting factor (g/sub j/) was measured for the 6/ sup 6/H/sub 7/2// level and i s found to be g/sub j/ = -0.8279(4), in good agreement with the predicted value. The hyperfine constants and the nuclear moments inferred from them are presented. The nuclear moments are corrected for the breakdown of RussellSaunders coupling. The stated errors include uncertainties in the fields at the nucleus arising from errors in the value of (1/ r/sup 3/) and the neglect of core polarization on the magnetic hyperfine structure. Corrections due to the Sternheimer effect were not included. The measurements are shown to be consistent with the hypothesis that Pm/sup 147/ is not highly deformed and can be understood from the shell model, but that Pm/sup 161/ is highly deformed and must be interpreted by the collective model. (auth)
Perfomance de novos clones de Hevea da série IAC 400

O programa de melhoramento de Hevea do Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC) completou a avaliacao dos clones da serie IAC 100, IAC 200 e IAC 300. O desempenho medio em torno de 22 clones de [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss.) Muell.-Arg.], desenvolvidos pelo IAC, por um periodo de 11 anos foi avaliado na regiao Centro Oeste do estado de Sao Paulo. Dentre os 22 novos clones, seis sao resultantes de hibridacao intraespecifica (IAC 400, IAC 404, IAC 405, IAC 406, IAC 410, IAC 412) e o restante, clones primarios resultantes de ortetes selecionados dentro de progenies de meios irmaos. O clone RRIM 600, de origem Malaia, foi usado como testemunha. O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento de blocos ao acaso com tres repeticoes. Desempenho da producao sob o periodo de quatro anos, media do perimetro do caule no decimo primeiro ano, incremento medio anual do perimetro antes e durante a sangria, espessura de casca, numero de aneis de vasos laticiferos no setimo ano de casca virgem, analise por termogravimetria da borracha produzida, percentagem de incidencia de seca do painel de sangria, danos causados pelo vento e doencas como antracnose do painel e das folhas foram observados. A maioria dos clones foi superior em producao em relacao ao clone RRIM 600. O clone IAC 400 registrou a mais alta producao (97,40 g arvore-1 sangria-1) em quatro anos de sangria o qual foi seguido pelo IAC 411 (78,87 g arvore-1 sangria-1) visto que o clone testemunha registrou 50,36 g arvore-1 sangria-1. Todos os clones selecionados tiveram crescimento vigoroso. Incrementos do perimetro do caule estiveram acima da media. Exceto o IAC 423, outros clones apresentaram espessura de casca virgem na abertura do painel (mm) variando de 4.84mm (IAC 401) a 6.38 mm (IAC 416). As borrachas estudadas apresentaram boa estabilidade termica ate cerca de 300oC e nao foram observadas diferencas no comportamento termico entre as amostras dos clones da serie IAC e as do clone RRIM 600.
Electronic structure of Li2O2 {0001} surfaces

The surface properties of the Li2O2 discharge phase are expected to impact strongly the capacity, rate capability, and rechargeability of Li-oxygen batteries. Prior calculations have suggested that the presence of half-metallic surface states in Li2O2 may mitigate electrical passivation resulting from the growth of Li2O2, which is a bulk insulator. Here we revisit the electronic structure of bulk Li2O2 and the dominant Li2O2 {0001} surface by comparing results obtained with the PBE GGA functional, the HSE06 hybrid functional, and quasiparticle GW methods. Our results suggest that the bulk band gap lies between the value predicted by the G0W0 method, 5.15 eV, and the value predicted by the self-consistent quasiparticle GW (scGW) approximation, 6.37 eV. The PBE, HSE06, and scGW methods agree that the most stable surface, an oxygen-rich {0001} termination, is indeed half-metallic. This result supports the notion that the electronic structure of surfaces may play an important role in understanding performance limitations in Li-oxygen batteries.
THE VALIDITY OF MANAGEMENT TRAITS IN RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL

Summary Measures of intelligence, supervisory ability, initiative, self-assurance, and perceived occupational level were obtained on eleven groups of individuals in various jobs ranging from line to upper management positions. It was found that the higher the level of the job the higher the score on the five tests and the higher the validity of the tests. It was concluded that apparently these traits identify the individuals who seek or are placed in higher positions, and that the higher the position the more critical these traits are in determining job success.
μ-PIXE and X-PIXE for radiological forensics

Sandia is evaluating methods for identifying and quantifying trace signatures in field collection samples to support national deterrence policies. The first step in this process is to identify which combination of major, minor, and trace elements in a recovered collection sample provides the most reliable forensic information, and then to be able to quickly, accurately, and, in some cases, nondestructively measure these components. Conventional approaches have typically required a long, complex series of sample preparations followed by radiochemical analysis, often yielding only qualitative results. We report on our investigations to assess accelerator-based ion beam analysis methods by cross-calibrating with other methods, performing in-air analyses of bagged samples in anticipation of inspecting poorly constituted radioactive materials, and quantifying the uncertainties for detected elements.
Isolation of plasma from whole blood using planar microfilters for lab-on-a-chip applications

Researchers are actively developing devices for the microanalysis of complex fluids, such as blood. These devices have the potential to revolutionize biological analysis in a manner parallel to the computer chip by providing very high throughput screening of complex samples and massively parallel bioanalytical capabilities. A necessary step performed in clinical chemistry is the isolation of plasma from whole blood, and effective sample preparation techniques are needed for the development of miniaturized clinical diagnostic devices. This study demonstrates the use of passive, operating entirely on capillary action, transverse-flow microfilter devices for the microfluidic isolation of plasma from whole blood. Using these planar microfilters, blood can be controllably fractionated with minimal cell lysis. A characterization of the device performance reveals that plasma filter flux is dependent upon the wall shear rate of blood in the filtration channel, and this result is consistent with macroscale blood filtration using microporous membranes. Also, an innovative microfluidic layout is demonstrated that extends device operation time via capillary action from seconds to minutes. Efficiency of these microfilters is approximately three times higher than the separation efficiencies predicted for microporous membranes under similar conditions. As such, the application of the microscale blood filtration designs used in this study may have broad implications in the design of lab-on-a-chip devices, as well as the field of separation science.
Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid and the PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α production by bovine immune cells

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modulates innate immunity through alteration of cytokine production by immune cells. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of exogenous conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and PPAR-γ agonist, rosiglitazone, on LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) production by cultured whole blood from prepubertal Holstein heifers (mean age, 5.5 mo). Compared with unstimulated cells, addition of LPS (10 μg/mL) to the culture medium increased (P<0.03) peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation≤2.5-fold. Coincubation with interferon γ (5 ng/mL) further stimulated (P<0.01) the lymphoproliferative response to LPS. Lipopolysaccharide increased (P<0.01) TNF-α concentration in cultured whole blood in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The greatest TNF-α stimulation occurred after 12 h of exposure to 1 μg/mL LPS. Coincubation with trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomer (100 μM) or rosiglitazone (10 μM), a PPAR-γ agonist, decreased (P<0.01) LPS-induced TNF-α production by 13% and 29%, respectively. Linoleic acid and cis-9, trans-11 CLA isomer had no detectable effects on LPS-induced TNF-α production in cultured bovine blood. The PPAR-γ agonist-induced TNF-α attenuation was reversed when blood was treated with both rosiglitazone and GW9662, a selective PPAR-γ antagonist. Addition of rosiglitazone to the culture medium tended to reduce nuclear factor-κ Bp65 concentration in nuclear and cytosolic extracts isolated from cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results show that LPS is a potent inducer of TNF-α production in bovine blood cells and that trans-10, cis-12 CLA and PPAR-γ agonists may attenuate the pro-inflammatory response induced by LPS in growing dairy heifers. Additional studies are needed to fully characterize the involvement of nuclear factor-κ B in LPS signaling in bovine blood cells.
Furans in synthesis.7. A formal total synthesis of (+/−)-perhydrohistrionicotoxin

Abstract A formal total synthesis of (+/−)-perhydrohistrionicotoxin is reported. This sequence utilizes a regiospecific N -acyliminium ion initiated-furan terminated cyclization to construct the desired azaspiro[5.5]undecane ring system.
Model reference adaptive control for nonminimum-phase systems using a surrogate tracking error

This paper presents a direct model reference adaptive controller for single-input, single-output, linear, continuous-time systems that are possibly nonminimum phase, provided that the nonminimum-phase zeros are known. The adaptive controller uses a surrogate tracking error, which approximates the true tracking error. The recursive-least-squares-based adaptive law is developed by minimizing an integral quadratic cost of the surrogate tracking error.
Implementation of a dynamically-compensated PID control algorithm

Abstract A PID feedback control algorithm with dynamic compensation for process dead time is proposed. The algorithm is formulated in the same form as the standard PID algorithm so that proportional and derivative kicks can be prevented on set point changes. Tuning formulas for the algorithm are presented which allw the user to directly set the sensitivity of the algorithm to set-point changes.
The Status of Understanding Diffusion Controlled Solid State Sintering, Hot Pressing and Creep

Since Kuczynski’s pioneering work on the development of models to predict neck growth rates in sintering by diffusion, and his experimental efforts to test their applicability, there have been numerous authors who have contributed a plethora of models covering the different stages of the process with varying assumptions regarding the geometries, the diffusion fields, and the different atomic transport paths which contribute to the overall behavior (1–5). Ashby’s recent paper is a useful source to the past modelling work on single phase materials (6). The selection of the models cited there was based on simplicity and reasonable accuracy; both the initial and later stages of the process are covered there, although the importance of grain growth and atmosphere effects are not considered. (7,8). Experimental data on different materials, initial particle sizes, dopants, and temperature schedules have provided a relatively convincing view that for most of the range of variables, the sintering process is diffusion controlled.
Treatment of long coronary artery narrowings with long angioplasty balloon catheters

Abstract Balloon angioplasty of long coronary artery narrowings has been associated with a lower rate of acute success, and a higher rate of acute complications and restenosis than that observed for short narrowings. Angioplasty catheters with longer length balloons (30 and 40 mm) are now available, and the objective of this study was to determine the acute and long-term success for patients with long coronary artery narrowings treated with these longer balloons. All patients with long narrowings (≥10 mm) treated with long balloons at 1 institution over a 1-year period were identified (93 narrowings in 89 patients), and acute and long-term outcomes were carefully documented. Procedural success (residual stenosis ≤50%) was 97%. Abrupt closure occurred in 6% and major dissection in 11% of narrowings. Clinical success (procedural success without in-hospital death, bypass surgery or myocardial infarction) was achieved in 90% of patients. Repeat catheterization was performed in 61 patients (76% of those eligible), and restenosis was found in 50 to 55%, depending on the definition used. The treatment of long coronary artery narrowings using angioplasty catheters with longer balloons leads to high rates of acute success. However, there is a high rate of restenosis. New interventional devices for long lesions should be compared with long balloons in a randomized controlled trial.
Learning the Quality of Sensor Data in Distributed Decision Fusion

The problem of decision fusion has been studied for distributed sensor systems in the past two decades. Various techniques have been developed for either binary or multiple hypotheses decision fusion. However, most of them do not address the challenges that come with the changing quality of sensor data. In this paper we investigate adaptive decision fusion rules for multiple hypotheses within the framework of Dempster-Shafer theory. We provide a novel learning algorithm for determining the quality of sensor data in the fusion process. In our approach each sensor actively learns the quality of information from different sensors and updates their reliabilities using the weighted majority technique. Several examples are provided to show the effectiveness of our approach.
Impulsive modes and causality in singular systems

The concepts of impulsive modes and causality in singular systems are considered. Their properties, relations and applications are studied. Matrix-rank criteria are presented. Thus, all controllabilities, and observabilities and related concepts have matrix-rank criteria based on the original system coefficient matrices.
Stimulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes by DDT, polycyclic hydrocarbons or phenobarbital in adrenalectomized or castrated mice

Abstract Benzpyrene treatment in rats increases the hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase pH optimum from 7 to 8. In mice treated with benzpyrene, no such shift in pH optimum of aniline hydroxylase was observed. Further studies on hormonal regulation of ethylmorphine-N-demethylase, aniline and benzpyrene hydroxylase in mice indicated that adrenalectomy, castration or adrenalectomy plus castration do not lower the basal (“uninduced”) activities of these enzymes (in rat with similar operations, basal activities are lowered by 50–90% depending on the enzyme). Also the magnitude of stimulation of hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes (HMDME) by pretreatment of mice with DDT, benzpyrene, 3-MC or phenobarbital in mice without adrenals, testes or both was not less than in sham-operated control mice (as occurs in rats), but instead was somewhat higher. These findings suggest that rats and mice differ in hormonal regulations of basal activities of HMDME and in the response of HMDME in animals pretreated with inducers of HMDME.
Glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis: protease-dependent activation of cell shrinkage and DNA degradation

Glucocorticoids are well known to stimulate apoptosis in immature thymocytes. Apoptosis in this and other cells is characterized by cell shrinkage, DNA fragmentation and activation of a class of proteases named caspases. We have utilized the flow cytometer to evaluate the coordinate regulation of cell shrinkage and DNA fragmentation in glucocorticoid-treated rat thymocytes and explore the role of caspases upstream of both changes. The results indicate that the activation of apoptosis by glucocorticoids in a cell population is an asynchronous event with only a percentage of the cells displaying apoptotic characteristics at any given time. Both cell shrinkage and chromatin degradation are tightly coupled with similar proportions of the cells displaying each characteristic. The coordinate appearance of these characteristics may suggest a similar mechanism of regulation. Incubation of thymocytes with the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK completely blocked both cell shrinkage and DNA fragmentation in spontaneous and glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis, implicating an early upstream role for proteases in the activation of thymocyte apoptosis.
Post-transcriptional regulons coordinate the initiation and resolution of inflammation

Transcriptional control mechanisms chart the course of the inflammatory response by synthesizing mRNAs encoding proteins that promote or inhibit inflammation. Because these mRNAs can be long-lived, turning off their synthesis does not rapidly stop or change the direction of inflammation. Post-transcriptional mechanisms that modify mRNA stability and/or translation provide more rapid and flexible control of this process and are particularly important in coordinating the initiation and resolution of inflammation. Here, I review the surprising variety of post-transcriptional control mechanisms that regulate the initiation and resolution of inflammation and discuss how these mechanisms are integrated to coordinate this essential process.
Inactivation of Heat Resistant Proteases in Normal Ultra-high Temperature Sterilized Skim Milk by a Low Temperature Treatment

Abstract Heat-resistant proteases produced by psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk survive ultra-high temperature sterilization and cause development of bitter flavor and gelation in sterile skim milk. However, these proteases undergo a unique inactivation at low processing temperatures. A low temperature inactivation treatment of 55 C for 1 h has been proposed as a feasible means to inactivate these heat-resistant proteases in sterile skim milk. The effectiveness of the low temperature inactivation treatment for proteases in normal skim milk was investigated with pilot plant sterilization equipment. All but one of the milk samples tested met Grade A Standards, and all contained heat-resistant protease, although protease activity did not appear to be correlated with the Standard Plate Count, numbers of psychrotrophic bacteria, or numbers of proteolytic-psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk. Inactivation of heat-resistant proteases in normal ultra-high temperature sterilized skim milk averaged 87 to 90%. No enzyme reactivation was observed in milk samples stored up to 300 days. Milk that did not receive treatment showed signs of gelation and whey separation after 3 mo at room temperature. There was no evidence of gelation in low temperature inactivated sterile skim milk, and the storage time required to produce bitter flavor increased an estimated ten fold. Treatment did not affect deleteriously the flavor or quality of the sterilized milk.
Charter Schools and the Teacher Job Search

This article examines the position of charter schools in prospective elementary teachers' job search decisions. Using a labor market segmentation framework, it explores teacher applicants' decisions to apply to charter schools. The data come from a mixed-methods longitudinal study of prospective teachers looking for their first job. This article finds moderate support that the labor market is segmented between charter and traditional public schools. The school's institutional status and applicants' lack of familiarity with charter schools were related to their disinclination to apply to charter schools.
The long-time evolution of the initially turbulent wake of a sphere in a stable stratification

Abstract Experiments on late wakes ( Nt > 20) of towed spheres in a stably stratified fluid reveal some startling similarities and differences when compared with unstratified, 3D wakes. Predicted decay rates stemming from 313, turbulent wake studies are unexpectedly successful in accounting for the decay in fluctuating horizontal velocity components and their spatial gradients, even at late times when the vertical velocity component is almost or exactly zero. On the other hand, the mean wake defect velocity is almost one order of magnitude higher than -in the unstratified case. This is due to the increased coherence and organisation of the patches of vertical vorticity, which are stable, and persist for very long times. A correct accounting for this type of wake structure will be essential in modelling efforts for certain practical ocean applications.
Control System Stability in Spatially Large Cores

An analytical transfer function model is derived for a coupled-core reactor, with an independent control system for each core. Using this model, the stability of the overall system is studied by the modified Nyquist criterion. For given reactor parameters, stability limits are found to be identical to those for a point reactor.
The effect of alloxan diabetes on skin collagen metabolism.

On a etudie chez des rats rendus diabetiques par l'alloxane le metabolisme du collagene de la peau et la guerison des blessures. Le metabolisme du collagene fut evalue par la lysine et la proline dans des biopsies de la peau, par la solubilite du collagene, par l'excretion journaliere de l'hydroxyproline, et par le degre apparent de «crosslinking» du collagene. Chez les diabetiques, on observe souvent une depression et une vascularisation de la peau, mais la vitesse de guerison des blessures et de formation des fibrilles du collagene a paru normale.
Multigrid solution of the Euler equations using implicit schemes

On utilise une methode multigrille du type factorisation approchee couplee a un schema de direction alternee implicite pour resoudre les equations d'Euler pour l'ecoulement transsonique sur un profil aerodynamique. On obtient une convergence tres rapide
Political and Policy Barriers to Basic Skills Education in the California Community Colleges

California’s only open access intuitions, the community colleges, are particularly affected by the difficult challenge of educating students academically unprepared for college. To address this challenge, the community colleges launched the Basic Skills Initiative in 2006. This initiative seeks to improve basic skills education by learning about effective practices and increasing their use across the 112 colleges through professional development and increased funding. Despite its strengths, the potential success of the initiative is limited by state and system policies that are not well aligned with the goals of the initiative. Greater success could be had through reforming state and system policy.
The sum of aΩ(n) over integers n ≤ x with all prime factors between a and y

Abstract For a > 0 let ψ a (x, y) = Σ a Ω(n) , the sum taken over all n, 1 ≤ n ≤ x such that if p is prime and p|n then a log log x log log log x ) that ψ a (x, x 1 u ) ⋍ x( log x) a−1 p a (u) , where pa(u) solves a delay differential equation much like that for the Dickman function p(u), and the asymptotic behavior of pa(u) is worked out.
Excess volumes of binary mixtures of 2-ethyl-1-butanol with hexane isomers at 298.15 K☆

Abstract Excess molar volumes measured at 298.15 K using a successive-dilution dilatometer are reported for binary mixtures of 2-ethyl-1-butanol with n-hexane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, 2,2-dimethylbutane and 2,3-dimethylbutane. The results are compared with previously published excess volumes for mixtures of 1-hexanol and of 2-methyl-1-pentanol with the same hexane isomers.
Cost consequences of implementation of an early obstetrical discharge program in a military teaching hospital

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the cost consequence of an early obstetrical discharge program in a military teaching hospital. Methods: The study involved a control group of routine obstetrical discharge patients with uncomplicated vaginal delivery from March to August 1994 and the study group of early obstetrical discharge (24–48 hours) patients with uncomplicated vaginal delivery from March to August 1996. Results: There were 1,042 total control patients with routine vaginal delivery from March to August 1994 totaling 2,668 hospital days with a mean number of hospital days of 2.56 per patient. The study group of early obstetrical discharge patients from March to August 1996 with uncomplicated vaginal delivery encompassed 1,050 patients with 1,965 days with mean hospital days of 1.87 per patient. The total cost of admissions (cost calculation of $1,221/hospital day) fell from $3,257,628 in the routine discharge group to $2,399,625 in the early discharge cohort showing a total cost savings of $858,003 over the 6-month study period. The average cost per admission fell from $3,126/day to $2,285/day without an increase in the postpartum pediatric or maternal adverse outcomes. Conclusion: An early obstetrical discharge program at a military teaching hospital showed significant cost savings without concomitant increase in pediatric or maternal adverse outcomes.
ACUTE CHANGES IN CAPILLARY BLOOD IONIZED CALCIUM CONCENTRATIONS AFTER INGESTION OF CARBONATED COLA & NON-COLA BEVERAGES 1

ACUTE CHANGES IN CAPILLARY BLOOD IONIZED CALCIUM CONCENTRATIONS AFTER INGESTION OF CARBONATED COLA & NON-COLA BEVERAGES 1
Communication complexity of matrix computation over finite fields

We investigate the communication complexity of singularity testing in a finite field, where the problem is to determine whether a given square matrixM is singular. We show that, forn×n matrices whose entries are elements of a finite field of sizep, the communication complexity of this problem is Θ(n2 logp). Our results imply tight bounds for several other problems likedetermining the rank andcomputing the determinant.
How Technology Integration in Mathematics and Science Teaching Can Occur: The role of the maverick teacher

Helping teachers to change practices by adopting new tools and pedagogical approaches is of interest to a wide range of educational researchers and practitioners. This article describes a teacher, Ms. Hogan, who is an early adopter of a technological innovation: the authoring tool Squeak. We analyze email messages from Ms. Hogan applying Rogers' model for the diffusion of innovation. We find that this maverick teacher was quickly persuaded and decided to adopt the tool even before her knowledge of the tool was complete. The tool met the needs of this teacher in her context but in order for her experience to be more general, the authors hypothesize that materials must be created to make the tool relevant to non‐maverick teachers.
Toxicity and neuropharmacology of cyclopiazonic acid

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was found to have many pharmacological properties in common with the antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and reserpine. Thus, in mice CPA at ip doses of 5-14 mg/kg body weight produced hypokinesia, hypothermia, catalepsy, ptosis, sedation without loss of righting reflex, tremor, gait disturbance, dyspnoea, opisthotonus, atypical convulsion and prolonged barbiturate-induced sleep. The ip LD50 of CPA was found to be 13 +/- 0.05 mg/kg. The tremors induced by near-lethal doses of CPA were associated with voluntary or forced movements (action tremors); they worsened during the days following treatment, but they were weak compared with the exhausting and continuous tremors of the whole body caused by 20 mg tremorine/kg (used for comparison). When death occurred only 24-259 min after administration of CPA (11-14 mg/kg), it was preceded by dypsnoea, cyanosis, opisthotonus and clonic leg movements and tonic extension of hind legs (convulsions). When death was delayed (2-6 days after CPA administration), it was preceded by prostration, ptosis, hypothermia, tremor and cessation of food and water intake resulting in cachexia; convulsions were not seen in this group of mice. CPA did not affect the rate of convulsion or death caused by either maximal electroshock or metrazol administration but it did delay the onset of metrazol-induced seizures. In rabbits, 10 mg CPA/kg body weight initially produced tachycardia, tachypnoea and sedation with an activated electroencephalogram. Of three rabbits given 10 mg CPA/kg one died, and in this rabbit slow delta waves were seen just before and during a brief period with clonic leg movements. In this animal death was accompanied by tonic extension of the hind legs, respiratory arrest and cardiac fibrillation; and epileptiform EEG was not seen at any time. The unexpected EEG activation with sedation in rabbits treated with CPA was similar to the effect of reserpine on EEG.
The Role of Ordinary Evaluations in the Market for Popular Culture: Do Consumers Have “Good Taste”?

If we define “good taste” as that prescribed by professional experts in a particular cultural field and ask whether ordinary consumers (non-experts or members of the mass audience) have “good taste,” the evidence from previous studies suggests that the relationship between expert judgments and popular appeal to ordinary consumers is significantly but only weakly positive and is therefore consistent with a phenomenon of “little taste.” Possible explanations stem from the consideration of a variable that might mediate and thereby weaken the relationship between expert judgments and popular appeal—namely, ordinary evaluations, in which non-expert consumers assess the excellence (rather than the enjoyability) of a cultural offering. An earlier experimental study of musical performances showed that ordinary evaluations did intervene between expert judgments and popular appeal to college students so that, in this sense, ordinary consumers did display aspects of “good taste”. New data on over 200 motion pictures corroborate this finding in another cultural context, with actual audience members, and through the use of real-world as opposed to experimental observations.
Orthodontic applications of ps chologicaland perceptual studies of facial esthetics

Historically, orthodontists have not reconciled the paradox that their diagnosticand treatment decisions are based largely on objective morphological considerations and their patients' decision-making centers on esthetic expectations and other subjective factors related to self-image and outcome. Key to the unraveling of this discrepancy is a greater understanding of the role of perception by self and others in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment. Esthetics can be defined as relating to feeling, and perception can be defined as the organization of environmental stimuli. Various physical, psychological, and social factors that affect perceptual judgments are described and related to the development and maintenance of self-image and/or concept. The impact of these self and/or other perceptions of dentofacial attractiveness on motivation for seeking orthodontic care are discussed. New quantitative approaches to relate morphological changes to perception of facial appearance are reported.
Creating memorials, building identities: the politics of memory in the Black Atlantic

Creating memorials, building identities: the politics of memory in the Black Atlantic, by Alan Rice, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 2010, 244 pp., £65.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-84631-471-1 ...
Predicting Academic Achievement Over a One Year Period

This investigation considered the prediction of academic achievement over a one-year time period. Academic achievement was assessed in terms of four scales of the CTBS battery. The predictor variables were academic aptitude (assessed in terms of the SFTAA battery), age, sex, and grade level. A one-year time period intervened between the administration of the CTBS and SFTAA batteries. The results showed high levels of predictive validity in terms of multiple correlations, cross-validated correlations, and prediction intervals.
Binding Characteristics of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor to Sympathetic Neurons and Neuronal Cell Lines (

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a cytokine whose actions are largely restricted to the nervous system because of the predominant neuronal distribution of its receptor, CNTFRα. In this study, we sought to define the binding characteristics of CNTF to cultured sympathetic neurons and cell lines of neuronal origin. We report that 125I-CNTF binds to cultured sympathetic neurons, MAH, PC12, and EW-1 cells via high and low affinity receptors that can be distinguished on the basis of their dissociation constants (K D1∼10−12M and K D2∼10−9M). Competition experiments showed that the IC 50 for rat and human CNTF were, respectively, 65 pM and 5 nM for sympathetic neurons and 75 pM and 1.2 nM for EW-1 cells. Interestingly, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) did not compete for CNTF binding even at 100 nM concentration. The binding of 125I-CNTF to sympathetic neurons involved all three components of the CNTF receptor complex, namely CNTFRα, LIFR, and gp130, as shown by cross-linking experiments. CNTF and LIF treatments down-regulated CNTF binding to sympathetic neurons and EW-1 cells, suggesting that heterologous ligands can regulate CNTF receptor levels, which may in turn modulate the efficacy of CNTF in vitro and in vivo.
Characterization of measurement error sources in Doppler global velocimetry

Doppler global velocimetry uses the absorption characteristics of iodine vapor to provide instantaneous three-component measurements of flow velocity within a plane defined by a laser light sheet. Although the technology is straightforward, its utilization as a flow diagnostics tool requires hardening of the optical system and careful attention to detail during data acquisition and processing if routine use in wind tunnel applications is to be achieved. A development program that reaches these goals is presented. Theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted on each technology element to determine methods that increase measurement accuracy and repeatability. Enhancements resulting from these investigations included methods to ensure iodine vapor calibration stability, single frequency operation of the laser and image alignment to sub-pixel accuracies. Methods were also developed to improve system calibration, and eliminate spatial variations of optical frequency in the laser output, spatial variations in optical transmissivity and perspective and optical distortions in the data images. Each of these enhancements is described and experimental examples given to illustrate the improved measurement performance obtained by the enhancement. The culmination of this investigation was the measured velocity profile of a rotating wheel resulting in a 1.75% error in the mean with a standard deviation of 0.5 m/s. Comparing measurements of a jet flow with corresponding Pitot measurements validated the use of these methods for flow field applications.
The relationship between IT professionals' individual factors, training climate fit, and turnover intentions

Employers have been forced to use more and more creative methods to retain their most skilled IT professionals, as is aimed at helping the IT professional keep their skills current in the fast-paced, dynamic IT environment. Instrumentation has been developed for this study to measure the "fit" between an organization's offerings of training resources and the IT professional's perceived training needs. As such "training climate fit" is conceptualized as a sub-dimension of person-organization fit. A structural equation model is proposed to investigate the relationship between the IT professional's individual factors of self-efficacy, locus of control, training climate fit, and turnover intentions.
The onset of collectivity in nuclei near the N = 82, Z = 64 double closed shell☆

Abstract The high spin evolution of the quasi-continuum γ-rays has been studied in a series of nuclei, 145–148Gd, spanning the N = 82, Z = 64 double closed shell (146Gd). The study involves a new particle-γ coincidence technique which is sensitive to spin-energy correlated or rotational transitions in the continuum. The results indicate that collective rotational features exist in all these nuclei at high spin. This collective behavior seems to become dominant above J ∼ 42 h .
Semicontinuous Distillation with Chemical Reaction in a Middle Vessel

Semicontinuous distillation with chemical reaction in a middle vessel (SDRMV) has been studied as a feasible means of combining separation and reaction unit operations using forced cyclic methods. A chemical process producing 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane (24DMD) and water from the exothermic, reversible reaction of acetaldehyde and propylene glycol has been designed using the SDRMV method. Processes producing equivalent amounts and purities of 24DMD using traditional batch and continuous methods have also been designed. Rigorous simulations and detailed economic analyses over a range of production rates for the three processes show that SDRMV is the most economically optimal method for a broad range of intermediate production rates. The great potential of forced cyclic methods, using continuous distillation with a fed-batch reactor, a holding tank, and a supervisory control system, for the production of fine and specialty chemicals is demonstrated.
Determinants of Electronic Integration in the Insurance Industry: An Empirical Test

Electronic integration-a form of vertical quasi-integration achieved through the deployment of dedicated computers and communication systems between relevant actors in the adjacent stages of the value-chain-is an important concept to researchers in the information systems field since it focuses on the role of information technology in restructuring vertical relationships. Drawing on theoretical and empirical research on transaction costs, we develop and test a model of the determinants of the degree of electronic integration in the commercial segment of the property and casualty P&C industry. Based on a sample of 120 independent agencies operating under dedicated information technology-mediated conditions, we provide empirical support for three hypotheses on the determinants of electronic integration. Implications and research extensions are identified to guide further research in this important area.
Contested evidence: Exposure to competing scientific claims and public support for banning bisphenol A

The public controversy surrounding bisphenol A (BPA) revolves around competing claims about what scientific evidence shows regarding the effects of the chemical on human health. This study uses an experiment embedded within a public opinion survey to test the effects of exposure to such claims on public support for banning the use of BPA in products. Exposure to the claim that “there is not enough scientific evidence that BPA harms human health” reduced support, whereas exposure to the claim that there “is enough scientific evidence” failed to increase support. No effect emerged among those simultaneously exposed to both claims. The “not enough evidence” claim influenced less educated respondents and women but not college-educated respondents or men. Aspects of the underlying structure of opinion also differed depending on which claim(s) respondents received. The results illuminate how members of the public respond to competing scientific claims regarding controversial issues.
Future opportunities in fusion power development

The author makes a case that the fusion community should push for accelerated development of fusion power over the next ten years, based on the feeling that geopolitical changes are making such a position tenable. The skills and experience of Russian scientists now able to work on an international scale should aid the development of a computational tokamak. The fusion program has generated a wide range of technology spinoffs to the private sector. Present US dependance on foreign oil, today at 40% compared to 30% in l982, and projected to grow to almost 70% in the next century. If a threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East develops the US will be forced to look at short term options for energy independence. Coal and nuclear fission both suffer from major public acceptance problems, the first due to environmental fears associated with climatic change due to emissions, and the latter due to fear from accidents, of which Chernobyl may be only the precursor. All of these factors lead the author to urge pushing for increased funding today to see the commercial development of fusion in the first decade of the next century, rather than the second quarter based on todaysmore » funding strategy.« less
O(1S) In the lower thermosphere—Chapman vs Barth

Abstract New data on the production and quenching of O(1S) in the lower thermosphere have been combined with current altitude profiles of 5577 A intensities and O(3P) concentrations to show that a persuasive case can be made for the idea that O(1S) is generated by the sequence of steps O(3P) + O(3P) + M → O2∗ + M, O2∗ + O(3P) → O2 + O(1S) (the Barth mechanism), rather than by the reaction O(3P) + O(3P) + O(3P) → O2+ O(1S) (the Chapman mechanism). The Chapman reaction is not entirely excluded, but now must be considered hypothetical, since the laboratory data correlate with the atmospheric observations only through a mechanism involving an intermediate O2∗. Further work is needed to establish the identity of this intermediate, which could well be the O2(A3Σ+u) state, and to obtain the necessary kinetic data for a complete description of the system.
The impact of nursing home transfer policies at the end of life on a public acute care hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether nursing homes transferred their terminal care patients to one public hospital, and if so, the impact of these transfers on nursing home and hospital mortality rates. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study using both Medicare claims and hospital data to construct a mortality prediction model, as well as a cross-sectional descriptive comparison of state nursing home mortality rates. SETTING: A public hospital, one of 32 hospitals designated as overall mortality outliers for each of the first three Medicare mortality reports. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (n = 1235) included in the index hospital's 1988 Medicare mortality report; nursing homes (n = 289) included in state data on 1988 nursing home mortality rates. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients transferred from nursing homes to the index hospital were nearly twice as likely to die as the hospital's other Medicare patients in univariate (P = .0001) as well as multivariate analysis (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.17–2.40). Terminal care admissions accounted for 33.9% of deaths from nursing homes but only 16.2% of other deaths (P = .009). The 1988 death/discharge rate at one of two nursing homes responsible for nearly all transfers was 15.2%, less than half the state average. Yet it contributed 59.3% of nursing home deaths and 22.7% of terminal care patients to the hospital. The hospital's 20.0% 1988 Medicare mortality rate was just above the expected range. CONCLUSIONS: Two nursing homes transferred terminal care to a single hospital. This resulted in a lower-than-average mortality rate for one of the nursing homes and a higher-than-expected Medicare mortality for the hospital. Without these end-of-life transfers, the hospital's Medicare mortality rate would have been within the expected range.
The Competence Factor βFtz-F1 Potentiates Ecdysone Receptor Activity via Recruiting a p160/SRC Coactivator

Hormones provide generalized signals that are interpreted in a specific spatial and temporal manner by a developing or reproducing multicellular organism. The ability to respond to hormones is determined by the competence of a cell or a tissue. The βFtz-F1 orphan nuclear receptor acts as a competence factor for the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in Drosophila melanogaster metamorphosis and mosquito reproduction. The molecular nature of the βFtz-F1 action remains unclear. We report that the protein-protein interaction between βFtz-F1 and a p160/SRC coactivator of the ecdysone receptor, FISC, is crucial for the stage-specific expression of the 20E effector genes during mosquito reproduction. This interaction dramatically increases recruitment of FISC to the functional ecdysone receptor in a 20E-dependent manner. The presence of βFtz-F1 facilitates loading of FISC and the ecdysone receptor on the target promoters, leading to enhanced local histone H4 acetylation and robust activation of the target genes. Thus, our results reveal the molecular basis of competence for the stage-specific 20E response.
Adaptive control of Bayesian network computation

This paper considers the problem of providing, for computational processes, soft real-time (or reactive) response without the use of a hard real-time operating system. In particular, we focus on the problem of reactively computing fault diagnosis by means of different Bayesian network inference algorithms on non-real-time operating systems where low-criticality (background) process activity and system load is unpredictable. To address this problem, we take in this paper a reconfigurable adaptive control approach. Computation time is modeled using an ARX model where the input consists of the maximum number of background processes allowed to run at any given time. To ensure that the reactive (high-criticality) diagnosis is computed within a set time frame, we introduce a minimum degree pole placement controller to impose a limit on the maximum number of low-criticality processes. Experimentally, we perform electrical power system diagnosis using a Bayesian network model of and data from a NASA electrical power network. The Bayesian network inference algorithms likelihood weighting and junction tree propagation are successfully applied and changed mid-simulation to investigate how inference computation time changes in an unpredictable operating system, as well as how the controller reacts to inference algorithm changes.
Coupled surface magnetoplasmon-optic-phonon polariton modes on InSb

Coupled surface magnetoplasmon-optic-phonon polariton modes at $n$-type InSb-air interfaces have been studied using a far-infared, attenuated-total-reflection (ATR) method in the configuration with an external magnetic field aligned parallel to the surface-mode wave vector (a Faraday configuration). Calculated ATR spectra are compared with experimental ATR spectra and with calulated dispersion curves to aid in assigning the various observed absorption lines as due to either surface modes or bulk modes.
Innate and adaptive immune responses in CNS disease

Abstract An immune response can occur in and to brain. In this chapter, the fundamentals of innate and adaptive immunity are reviewed in the context of the CNS. The number of neurologic disorders in which the immune response is thought to contribute to pathology is expanding. This review emphasizes the contribution of the immune response to post-ischemic brain injury.
Modeling Historical Ecology, Thinking about Contemporary Systems

One way to make archaeological trajectories compelling to contemporary audiences is through detailed computer simula- tion with graphical interfaces that allow students or researchers to explore historical sequences and ask "what if" questions of them. We discuss progress on modeling coupled human systems and ecosystems over long periods in the Mesa Verde region of the U.S. Southwest, a project developed with both research and educational products in mind. The project has many foci, but here we concentrate on fuel-wood availability and its pre-Hispanic use in the pygmy forests of this region. Our preliminary results tend to indicate that wood for fuels became sufficiently limited in this sequence to become a factor of considerable importance in decisions about where to live, how to build, and even whether to remain in the region. The same logic of modeling can be used to study problems of contemporary forest use in other parts of the world. (Keywords: simulation, U.S. Southwest, Anasazi, fuel wood, environmental degradation)