cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A robust virtual-camera 3D shape reconstruction of deforming bubbles/droplets with additional physical constraints

Abstract Bubbles and droplets in strong turbulence exhibit non-affine deformation, especially near a breakup event when the strong necking and interfacial instability begin to play roles. The virtual-camera (VC) method was designed and implemented to mitigate the limited-angle reconstruction problem for complex bubble/droplet geometries. The VC method incorporates the additional physical constraint of minimum surface curvature into reconstruction. This framework helps to reduce the reconstruction uncertainty for experiments studying multiphase flows that use a limited number of cameras, non-ideal camera positions, or the combination of both. The method was tested with three synthetic geometries– sphere, ellipsoid, and dumbbell–that represent the undeformed, gently-deformed, and severely-deformed bubbles. In addition, a DNS dataset of bubbles with a 2% void fraction in turbulent channel flow was also utilized to generate a synthetic dataset for tests, and the volume overestimation was found to decrease from over 20% to about 10% after implementing the VC method. Finally, the method was applied to the experimental dataset of bubble-turbulence interaction, and the result shows over 20% improvement in volume estimation. An indirect uncertainty quantification that relies on the bubble aspect ratio and orientation has also been developed to estimate the bubble reconstruction uncertainty in each frame. This allows a more selective postprocessing step to obtain the statistics of deformation and breakup based on the quality of reconstruction.
Exposure to Hospital Breastfeeding Support by Maternal Race and Ethnicity: A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are evidence-based practices used to improve breastfeeding outcomes, and most are to be implemented shortly after birth. Although breastfeeding is increasing in the United States, racial disparities persist. Available national samples used to examine trends in maternity care rely on maternal recall, which may be subject to error and bias. Thus, we conducted a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a large-scale study conducted during the birth hospitalization to explore patterns in practices supporting breastfeeding across maternal racial and ethnic groups. METHODS A convenience sample of 37 women with healthy, term singletons who intended to breastfeed were recruited from 2 academic medical centers (one in the Midwest and the other in the Pacific Northeast) and surveyed during their birth hospitalizations between July and November 2016. Women were asked whether they received the 7 steps that are recommended to be implemented shortly after birth (eg, encourage breastfeeding on demand). We generated descriptive statistics and conducted independent chi-square tests to determine associations between self-reported exposure to these 7 practices and race and ethnicity. RESULTS In this sample, 23 women (62.2%) were non-Hispanic white, 5 (13.5%) were non-Hispanic black, and 6 (16.2%) were Hispanic. Approximately 26 (70.3%) reported experiencing at least 6 of the 7 practices. Non-Hispanic white women were significantly more likely to room-in with their newborns, were less likely to receive formula, and were less likely to receive pacifiers than women of other races and ethnicities (P < .05). Furthermore, differences in exposure to practices by maternal race/ethnicity appeared more pronounced at one center than the other. DISCUSSION Preliminary findings suggest that some practices used to improve breastfeeding may be provided inconsistently across maternal racial and ethnic groups. Additional investigation is needed to further explore these patterns and to identify reasons for any inconsistencies in order to reduce health disparities in the United States.
Influence of tannin-rich pine bark supplementation in the grain mixes for meat goats: Growth performance, blood metabolites, and carcass characteristics.

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the use of condensed tannin (CT)-rich ground pine bark (PB) in grain mixed diets on meat goat growth performance, blood metabolites, and carcass characteristics. Twenty four Kiko crossbred (Capra aegagrus hircus) growing male kids (BW = 36.9 ± 2.5 kg) at approximately 8 months of age were assigned randomly to 2 treatments with 3 replicates per treatment and 4 goats per replicate. The goats were fed grain mixed diets composed of either 30% bermudagrass hay (BGH) plus concentrate (control) or 30% PB plus concentrate. Diets were fed at 1.2% of BW. In addition, all goats grazed a crabgrass/bermudagrass (CB)-based pasture. The feeding trial lasted for 55 d. Using ground PB as a supplement did not negatively affect BW, average daily gain (ADG), carcass characteristics, meat pH, and meat color compared to the control diet. Plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase (P = 0.03), glucose (P
A putative (private) life of Hannah Arendt. Bio-portraiture as performance in the work of Miriam Shenitzer

The paper uses tropes culled from several of Hannah Arendt's works, as well as Rebecca Schneider's performance-theoretical considerations on "reenactment", to analyze the work of artist Miriam Shenitzer, specifically a show of drawings, captions, and objects called "A Putative Life of Hannah Arendt." The essay probes this "putative life" as construed from the artist's own memory fragments (including the memories of others that have become the artist's own), as well as from faux-artifacts that constitute a "collection" (a la Benjamin) without claim to representing an actual past. With access to history denied and a heritage claimed "without testament," the artist opens a space "between past and future," a moment of contemplation on the borders between private and public lives.
Foundations of Information Ethics

Foundations of Information Ethics packs a large amount of thought-provoking material in the 135 pages of the main sections of the book. The authors raise big questions concerning trust, limits, and the extent to which a society is willing trade freedoms for services.
Abstract MP44: Proteolytic Activation Of ENaC Mediates Fructose-Induced Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

In nephrotic syndrome, glomerular injury leads to filtration of plasma proteases. Once in the urine, these enzymes cleave and activate the epithelial Na channel (ENaC) causing inappropriate Na rete...
Effective treatment of a normal-tension glaucoma patient with bilateral ab externo XEN Gel Stent implantation.

Abstract Purpose To provide the first report of effective use of bilateral XEN Gel Stent implantation using an ab externo open-conjunctival approach designed to improve bleb function and meet the uniquely low intraocular pressure requirements of a Japanese patient with normal-tension glaucoma refractory to topical medical therapy. Observations A 54-year-old phakic Japanese woman with severe normal-tension glaucoma on maximally tolerated medical therapy of four topical agents presented with above-goal intraocular pressures and new medication intolerances. She underwent bilateral ab externo open-conjunctival XEN Gel Stent implantation with tenectomy and sub-Tenon's injection of 40μg of mitomycin-C, which resulted in reduction of intraocular pressures by 41.2 and 28.6% to 10 and 10 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively at the most recent visit. Postoperatively, a diffuse filtering bleb with good morphology developed in both eyes. The procedure has so far allowed for complete cessation of all four topical medications for up to eight months following surgery without any serious complications. Conclusions This case illustrates the potential of Xen Gel Stent implantation through an ab externo, open-conjunctival approach to be an effective, simple alternative to trabeculectomy to meet the unique low-pressure requirements of normal-tension glaucoma patients with practical and safety benefits of a micro-invasive approach.
Global perspectives on physical and nonphysical discipline: A Bayesian multilevel analysis

Background and Objective:Sixty countries worldwide have banned the use of physical punishment, yet little is known about the association of physical and nonphysical forms of child discipline with c...
Disease and Data in Society: How the Pandemic Expanded Data Collection and Surveillance Systems (preprint)

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global tragedy of historic proportions, and its impacts on our families, communities, and social structures will be felt for many years to come. From the significant to the mundane, COVID-19 has changed many aspects of daily life. One of the less obvious but more long-lasting changes is the expansion of data collection and surveillance systems adopted both in response to, and as a result of, the pandemic. As the United States brings the pandemic under control and shifts back to some form of normalcy, it is important to critically evaluate the data collection and surveillance systems that have become more widespread during the pandemic. Academics, historians, and journalists alike are contributing to a growing body of work that is examining the privacy impact of the technological and social changes caused by the pandemic. This Article contributes to the existing literature on privacy during the pandemic by highlighting important trends and recommending policy responses. This Article focuses in particular on two categories of surveillance and personal data collection systems that have been deployed and adapted because of the pandemic by non-government actors. The first category includes systems that collect and monitor health and health-related data in response to the spread of COVID-19. The second category includes systems of surveillance and data collection that have expanded as a result of the shift to remote work, school, and life. The main focus of this Article is on consumer, healthcare, workplace, and educational surveillance systems rather than the types of surveillance systems typically associated with law enforcement investigations. This Article aims to provide recommendations on how to protect privacy while responding to the pandemic and what lawmakers should do once the pandemic abates.
Household Disability Status, Food Store Choice, and Food Insecurity in the United States.

ABSTRACT Disability is a known risk factor for food insecurity, even when accounting for household income. However, the mechanisms driving the relationship between disability and food insecurity remain underexplored. Using the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey, I test the extent to which food store choice (representing food access) mediates the association between disability and food insecurity in the United States. The analysis is complicated by the notion that food insecurity also influences food store choice. Nevertheless, multivariate regression findings suggest that food access is not a significant driver of high rates of food insecurity among households where disabilities are present.
Microsphere dynamics for actin based nanorobotic motility

Actin is the principle building block of the cytoskeleton. It provides eukaryotic cells with their characteristic shape, as well as the means to produce the force required for cell motility. Similarly, actin also provides the motile force behind the movement of prokaryotic organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria's movement is achieved by hijacking the cytoskeleton proteins of the eukaryotic host through the use of its transmembrane protein, ActA, a nucleation factor which interacts with the host Arp2/3 complex, VASP, and Actin. Previous investigations with ActA have included microbead motility tests in cytoplasmic extract, and a prokaryotic over-expression system in an artificial motility media consisting of several essential actin binding proteins, (ABP's), ATP, and salt. From both of these studies, actin nucleation was observed at the bead surface interface with ActA, in the form of comet tails assembled from crosslinked microfilaments. Here we report comet tail formation using ActA coated microspheres in a motility system consisting of several key ABP's. This movement is being further characterized using a microcantilever-microsphere assembly, which we are using to measure the force output of our actin-based motility system. The ultimate objective of this research is to place the actin-based motility system into polymer vesicles and create an enclosed nanorobotic system, which produces a controllable amoeboid-like movement through an externally applied electric field.
The Meaning of Reputation in American Society

Yet reputation by its very nature is indelibly social. Indeed, reputation derives from the fundamental act of recognition in which the individual moves beyond interest and need and, in the words of George Herbert Mead, takes the role of the other.2 The infant who, for the first time, takes the spoon from his mother and tries to feed her is recognizing her as a person like himself and responding to her recognition of him. Recognition may be a psychological need, but it is not only that. Recognition is what makes society possible. Reputation is the extension and elaboration of that recognition which lies at the basis of our social existence. Thus, although we think of a person as "having" a reputation, reputation is not a property or possession of individuals-it is a relation between persons. Our tendency to think of reputation in individualistic terms is rooted in our cultural emphasis on the autonomy, independence, and achievements of individuals. In Chapter 3 of Habits of the Heart3 we describe in some detail our understanding of the life course in American middle-class culture, remembering that American culture is quintessentially middle-class. In this perspective life appears a search for ever greater autonomy and fulfillment of the self. In the course of this search it is necessary to leave home, often to leave the community in which one grew up and the church in which one was raised, to go away to college and then to take a job, often a series of jobs, that offers the greatest opportunity for advancement. The successful person is one who has achieved the most on his or her own. This emphasis on personal success
Understanding human-computer interaction for information systems design

Over the past 35 years, information technology has permeated every business activity. This growing use of information technology promised an unprecedented increase in end-user productivity Yet this promise is unfulfilled, due primarily to a lack of understanding of end-user behavior End-user productivity is tied directly to functionality and ease of learning and use. Furthermore, system designers lack the necessary guidance and tools to apply effectively what is known about human-computer interaction (CHI) during systems design. Software developers need to expand their focus beyond functional requirements to include the behavioral needs of users. Only when system functions fit actual work and the system is easy to learn and use will the system be adopted by office workers and business professionals. The large, interdisciplinary body of research literature suggest HCI's importance as well as its complexity. This article is the product of an extensive effort to integrate the diverse body of HCI literature into a comprehensible framework that provides guidance to system designers. HCI design is divided into three major divisions system model, action language, and presentation language. The system model is a conceptual depiction of system objects and functions. The basic premise is that the selection of a good system model provides direction for designing action and presentation languages that determine the system's look and feel. Major design recommendation sin each division are identified along with current research trends and future research issues.
Do Politically Connected Firms Undermine Their Own Competitiveness? Evidence from Developing Countries

This paper is about cronyism, or the arrangements by which influential firms receive economic favors. This phenomenon has been documented in numerous case studies, but rarely formalized or analyzed quantitatively. We offer a formal voting model in which cronyism is modeled as a contract where politicians deliver a better business climate to favored firms who, in exchange, protect politicians from the political consequences of high unemployment. From this perspective, cronyism simultaneously lowers the firm's fixed costs of doing business while raising its variable costs by tying the extent of extra employment to the size of the firm, and thus to the level of capital investments. We test several of the implications of the model using a cross-country firm-level database generated from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys. In accordance with the theory, we find that more influential firms indeed face fewer administrative and regulatory obstacles, and carry bloated payrolls, but they also invest and innovate less. All these results hold up when we use propensity score matching models to adjust for the fact that influence is not randomly assigned.
Characterization of Nitinol as a Servo-Biomimetic for Facial Muscles

This paper presents the electrodynamic characterization of Nitinol wire and investigates its potential as a servo-actuator that can be utilized to recreate complex low-power muscle movements, such as those in facial muscle groups. Nitinol (NiTi) is a type of shape memory alloy (SMA) which recovers its original length after experiencing large deformation when heated above an austenite finish temperature. This shape memory effect is associated with the phase transformation between the martensite phase and austenite phase. By varying a current through the Nitinol wire, its temperature can be accurately controlled and by extension so can its internal strain or stress. The purpose of this work is twofold: 1) to examine the causal relationships between current, temperature, strain and stress in the Nitinol wire, and 2) to demonstrate the feasibility of a simple closed-loop control system such that this type of wire can be used as a servo-actuator in both position control and force control applications. Experimental results show a basic level of servo-control, achieving successful position and force tracking of a command signal. These results demonstrate the feasibility of creating networks of Nitinol wires which can mimic complex motion patterns of certain facial muscle groups.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors with Dietary Behaviors among US High School Students

Background. Physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviors, and dietary behaviors are each associated with overweight and obesity among youth. However, the associations of PA and sedentary behaviors with dietary behaviors are complex and not well understood. Purpose. To describe the associations of PA and sedentary behaviors with dietary behaviors among a representative sample of US high school students. Methods. We analyzed data from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS). Using logistic regression models which controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, grade, body weight status, and weight management goals, we compared dietary behaviors among students who did and did not meet national recommendations for PA and sedentary behaviors. Results. Students who participated in recommended levels of daily PA (DPA) and muscle strengthening PA (MSPA) were more likely than those who did not to eat fruits and vegetables. Students who exceeded recommended limits for television (TV) and computer/video game (C/VG) screen time were less likely than those who did not to consume fruits and vegetables and were more likely to consume fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusions. Researchers may want to address PA, sedentary behaviors, and dietary behaviors jointly when developing health promotion and obesity prevention programs for youth.
Facility characteristics associated with the use of electronic health records in residential care facilities

The integration of electronic health records (EHRs) across care settings including residential care facilities (RCFs) promises to reduce medical errors and improve coordination of services. Using data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (n=2302), this study examines the association between facility structural characteristics and the use of EHRs in RCFs. Findings indicate that in 2010, only 3% of RCFs nationwide were using an EHR. However, 55% of RCFs reported using a computerized system for one or more (but not all) of the functionalities defined by a basic EHR. Ownership, chain membership, staffing levels, and facility size were significantly associated with the use of one or more core EHR functionalities. These findings suggest that facility characteristics may play an important role in the adoption of EHRs in RCFs.
Comparison of Unitrophic and Mixotrophic Substrate Metabolism by an Acetate-Adapted Strain of Methanosarcina barkeri

We examined the unitrophic metabolism of acetate and methanol individually and the mixotrophic utilization of these compounds by using detailed 14C-labeled tracer studies in a strain of Methanosarcina barkeri adapted to grow on acetate as the sole carbon and energy source. The substrate consumption rate and methane production rate were significantly lower on acetate alone than during the unitrophic or mixotrophic metabolism of methanol. Cell yields (in grams per mole of substrate) were identical during exponential growth on acetate and exponential growth on methanol. During unitrophic metabolism of acetate, the methyl moiety accounted for the majority of the CH4 produced, but 14% of the CO2 generated originated from the methyl moiety. This correlated with the concurrent reduction of equivalent amounts of the C-1 of acetate to CH4. 14CH4 was also produced from added 14CO2, although to a lesser extent than from reduction of the C-1 of acetate. During mixotrophic metabolism, methanol and acetate were catabolized simultaneously. The rates of 14CH4 and 14CO2 generation from [2-14C]acetate were logarithmic and higher in mixotrophic than in unitrophic cultures at substrate concentrations of 50 mM. A comparison of the oxidoreductase activities in cell extracts of the acetate-adapted strain grown on acetate and of strain MS grown on methanol or on H2 plus CO2 indicated that the pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities remained constant, whereas the CO dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher (5,000 nmol/min per mg of protein) in the acetate-adapted strain. These results suggested that a significant intramolecular redox pathway is possible for the generation of CH4 from acetate, that energy metabolism from acetate by M. barkeri is not catabolite repressed by methanol, and that the acetate-adapted strain is a metabolic mutant with derepressed CO dehydrogenase activity.
The implicit prosody hypothesis and overt prosody in English

This study investigates the validity of the Implicit Prosody Hypothesis (IPH) by examining default phrasing in English, a low attachment language, in overt prosody generated by reading aloud sentences where a complex noun phrase serves as the head of a relative clause (NP1 NP2 RC). The prosodic phrasing of 27 sentences collected from 36 speakers was transcribed by three ToBI-trained labellers. Results show that, counter to the predictions of the IPH, the most common prosodic phrasing was (NP1 NP2)//(RC), which would be expected for high attachment preference languages. This default phrasing was found to be influenced by the length of the RC and by syntactically disambiguating properties of the RC verb (i.e., number agreement) only when the RC was short. It was suggested that the prosody generated in silent reading would not necessarily be the same as the prosody generated in reading aloud, especially when reading without skimming the material in advance. Based on the current results and data from previous...
The evolution of information resource management

Abstract From the beginning of its use, the term information resource management (IRM) has had a wide range of meanings. This is due, in part, to its independent development in three different sectors of the information processing community: database management, records management and data processing management. This paper traces the origins and evolution of the concept of information resource management through a review of the IRM literature over the past fifteen years. The methodology involved examining definitions of IRM along the following dimensions: disciplinary perspective, management scope, societal sector, vocabulary and goals. It was found that while the IRM concept evolved in three different arenas with little interaction occuring among them, the current view of IRM represents a convergence of perspectives. IRM, today, has three goals: to maintain a global view of corporate data, to position the chief information officer at a high level in the corporate hierarchy, and to integrate both information and the information technologies. The future success of IRM will depend upon its ability to incorporate end users into the information management framework.
Microfabrication of half-wave rectifier circuits using soft lithography

Abstract This paper describes the fabrication of half-wave rectifier circuits using soft lithography. The fabrication process involved two steps of pattern transfer using micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC), and one step using microcontact printing (μCP); two steps required pattern registration. This procedure, with its yield of ∼90%, demonstrates that soft lithography is compatible with multilayer fabrication, for this type of device. The characteristics at room temperature of the circuits generated using soft lithography were indistinguishable from those fabricated by conventional photolithography.
Factors Influencing Maternal Choice of Childbirth Alternatives

Abstract A semistructured interview designed to elicit data that would identify reasons for selecting a particular setting for childbirth was given to 125 women. The interviews were conducted during the postpartum period. The sample included 34 mothers who had selected a tertiary care university hospital, 34 who had selected a “birthing room” within a conventional hospital setting, and 57 who selected an out-of-hospital birthing center. Findings are summarized in terms of clusters of responses reflecting attitudes toward responsibility for self and baby, family life, hospital care, and related areas. The relevance of these findings both for child mental health clinicians and childbirth caregivers is discussed.
Taxes Versus Tradable Discharge Permits: A Review in the Light of the U.S. and European Experience

The U.S. and West European environmental protection programs have incorporated different economic instruments for controlling pollution. The U.S. has made extensive use of tradable permits of several forms but has never used direct pollution taxes. The countries of the European Community have long used an array of pollution taxes but have never used tradable permits. A review and critique of these experiences and an analysis of the attributes of taxes and tradable permits seeks identify the strengths and weaknesses of each instrument and to provide guidelines for the successful implementation of each system.
The double content of perception

Clearly we can perceive both objects, and various aspects or appearances of those objects. But how should that complexity of perceptual content be explained or analyzed? I argue that perceptual representations normally have a double or two level nested structure of content, so as to adequately incorporate information both about contextual aspects Y(X) of an object X, and about the object X itself. On this double content (DC) view, perceptual processing starts with aspectual data Y′(X′) as a higher level of content, which data does not itself provide lower level X-related content, but only an aspectually encoded form of such data. Hence the relevant perceptual data Y′(X′) must be ’de-contextualized’ or decoded to arrive at the X-related content X′, resulting in a double content structure for perceptual data, that persists in higher-order conscious perceptual content. Some implications and applications of this DC view are also discussed.
The SO(5) sectors of gauged N = 8 supergravity

Abstract The critical points for the scalar potential of gauged N = 8 supergravity which correspond to a spontaneous breaking of the SO(8) gauge symmetry to a subgroup containing SO(5) are determined. Exactly three such critical points are obtained, recovering the previously known extrema in this sector. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the effective four-dimensional theory obtained by Awada, Duff and Pope is not a sector of the de Wit-Nicolai theory.
Evaluating indices of curation for Archaic North American bifacial projectile points

This paper addresses the definitions of the term “curation” and the utility of various techniques for its quantification based on morphometric, isometric, and geometric characteristics of bifacial projectile points. The definitions were evaluated through the comparative application of curation indices to a collection of Archaic projectile points from the Southwestern United States. Bifacial projectile points from the Walt Jones Farm site (10Br9), Georgia, were analyzed with the accompanying debitage using curation indices and non-indexical measures. Comparisons of the curation indices with non-indexical measures allow an examination of the utility of the term “curation,” and we argue that indices of curation cannot operate in a vacuum without additional information concerning an assemblage.
Anesthesia for ophthalmic surgery in the elderly: the effects of clonidine on intraocular pressure, perioperative hemodynamics, and anesthetic requirement.

The effects of clonidine on intraocular pressure and perioperative cardiovascular variables were studied by a randomized double blind design in 80 elderly patients (ASA physical status I-III) scheduled for elective ophthalmic surgery under general anesthesia (GA) and local anesthesia (LA). Group 1 (n = 40), the control group, received diazepam po (0.1 mg.kg-1) 90-120 min prior to arrival to the operating room. Group 2 (n = 40) received clonidine po approximately 5 micrograms.kg-1 po at the same time. Each group was divided into subgroups of 20 patients each to be managed with GA (GA subset) or LA (LA subset). Ninety to 120 minutes after the premedication, a large decrease in IOP from 20 +/- 3 to 12 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.01) and a small but significant reduction of both systolic and diastolic BP and HR were observed in patients receiving clonidine, while no changes occurred in controls. In the patients managed with GA, clonidine effectively prevented IOP rise and attenuated the associated cardiovascular response (P less than 0.01) following laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation, and significantly reduced intraoperative cardiovascular lability and anesthetic requirement for isoflurane (P less than 0.05) and for fentanyl (P less than .001). In patients managed with LA, intraoperative systolic (P less than 0.01) and diastolic BP and HR variability (P less than 0.05) were significantly lower in patients receiving clonidine as compared to controls. Intraoperatively, a significantly higher incidence of hypertension (P less than 0.01) and tachycardia (P less than 0.05) were respectively observed in the LA subset and GA subset of the controls when contrasted with the corresponding subset of those receiving clonidine. Moreover, clonidine was more effective than diazepam as a premedication; in fact, satisfactory intraoperative sedation and cardiovascular stability were observed in 85% of the patients who received clonidine, and in 50% of those patients who did not receive clonidine (P less than 0.01). Thus, clonidine may represent a useful adjunct in the management of the aged patient in the setting of ophthalmic surgery.
Monolayer Stabilization on Hydroxylated Aluminum Surfaces

Thin layers with interesting electronic materials application can be synthesized via the adsorption of discrete organometallic complexes on appropriately activated metal, semiconductor, and insulator surfaces. The extent of hydroxylation of these surfaces can affect both the coverage and reaction chemistry for the adsorption of organometallics, and provides a convenient, controlable route to the formation of a number of thin film materials. Ambient condition and ultrahigh vacuum methods have been used to characterize these interactions and to develop synthetic strategies for the covalent attachment of organometallic species that can stabilize organic monolayers on these surfaces.
080 Synergistic Effect of TGF Beta 1 and HIF‐1A on the Expression of a Hypoxia‐Responsive Element‐Containing Promoter

Accumulating data strongly suggests that under hypoxic conditions the adaptive physiological response of the cells involves co-operation between oxygen sensing and growth factor signals that cause HIF-1 mediated gene expression. The HIF-1 has been identified as a central and critical molecule in oxygen sensing and possibly a master switch. Of the many cytokines that have been shown to modulate collagen production, TGFβ1 appears to be crucial as it can sustain stimulation of collagen production as well as autoinduction of its own synthesis. Several genes that are known to be hypoxia inducible are also up-regulated by TGFβs, and the promoter of TGFβ3, a member of the family, has a hypoxia-response element (HRE). Recent reports indicate that HIF-1α physically interacts with Smad3 and that the TGFβ and hypoxia signaling pathways synergize at the transcriptional level to regulate gene expression. To determine if this interaction upregulates gene expression through the HRE element, we have co-transfected cultured human dermal fibroblasts with the mammalian expression plasmid for HIF-1α(pCEP1-HIF-1α) with a reporter construct 5HRE-luc, containing a concatemer of five copies of HRE derived from human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a minimal cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and a reporter gene,luciferase.). When treated with 2 ng/ml of TGFβ1 protein, co- transfected hypoxic aged and young human dermal fibroblasts showed significant synergistic upregulation of the reporter gene expression. To further confirm the TGFβ-HIF-1α interaction we have created a TGFβ1 -RNAi construct by subcloning a 19-nucleotide sequence derived from rabbit in a mammalian expression vector (p-SUPER) that directs the synthesis of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Hypoxic rabbit cultured dermal fibroblasts co-transfected with TGFβ1-RNAi and 5HRE-luc showed down-regulation of reporter gene expression. As a prerequisite to understanding the biology of physiological and pathological ischemic tissue repair process it is important to delineate the molecular basis of regulation of collagen gene expression in fibroblasts. Each step in the TGFβ signaling cascade is a potential target for highly specific therapy and information about how hypoxic low-oxygen microenvironments affect the TGFβ cascade could be useful to develop novel therapeutic strategies that will involve agonist and antagonist agents that directly interfere with these steps.
Structural damage identification using feedback control with principal component analysis

This paper presents an innovative technique for structural damage detection that is based on principal component analysis when feedback contro llers are incorporated into the structure. The use of feedback control can generate additional modal parameters of closed-loop systems and also enhance the sensitivity of modal pa rameters to structural damage. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract the features of parameter changes due to damage for open-loop and closed-loop systems. The effect of uncertainty, such as measurement noise, on damage identification is studied based on PCA. The objective of this research is to develop methodologies, based on feedback control with PCA, to improve structural damage identification under model uncertainty. Keywords : damage identification, uncertainty, feedb ack control, principal component analysis
Sensitivity to cocaine conditioned reward depends on sex and age

Human and animal laboratory studies show that females and males respond differently to drugs and that drug administration during adolescence leads to different behavioral effects than during adulthood. Adult female rats are more sensitive to the behavioral effects of cocaine than adult males, but it is not known if the same effect of sex exists during adolescence. In the present study, sensitivity to the conditioned reward of cocaine was evaluated using a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm where adolescent (PND 34) and adult (PND 66) male and female rats were trained and tested for the development of CPP to multiple doses of cocaine. Female rats developed CPP at lower doses than males, regardless of age. In addition, adolescent male and female rats established a CPP at lower doses of cocaine than adult male and female rats, respectively. Thus, both age and sex altered cocaine conditioned reward with the order of sensitivity being adolescent females > adult females > adolescent males > adult males. These data show that adolescents are more sensitive to the conditioned rewarding properties of cocaine than adults and that females respond to lower doses of cocaine compared to males regardless of age.
Acid-Catalyzed Cross-Linking Reactions at Benzylic Sites in Fluorene Monomers, Polymers, and Lignin1

The acid-catalyzed polymerization of benzylic alcohol and fluoride functionality in monomeric and polymeric fluorenes was investigated in both organic and aqueous reaction media. Polymeric products are consistent with the generation of benzylic cations that participate in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. Similar reactions occurred in a water-insoluble Kraft pine lignin, by treatment with aqueous acid. The acid treatment produced 1−2 cross-links/100 carbons in the biopolymer and markedly decreased its solubility in organic solvents. The nature of the reactions which produced the insoluble biopolymer are inferred from solid-state (CP/MAS) 13C NMR spectra.
Extremely Sharp Phosphorus Turn-Off Slope and Effect of Hydrogen on Phosphorus Surface Segregation in Epitaxially-Grown Relaxed Si0.7Ge0.3 by RTCVD

Si quantum dots formed in a Si/SiGe two-dimensional gas (2DEG) are a promising candidate for the realization of solidstate quantum computation. To achieve effective Schottky gating for charge manipulation in the normal structures, a sharp phosphorus turn-off is required. We investigated phosphorus surface segregation in relaxed Si0.7Ge0.3 epitaxially grown by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) and report a record sharp turn-off slope of phosphorus of 6 nm/dec. The hydrogen surface coverage, which increases at low temperature, is a key mechanism for such sharp slopes. We demonstrated the sharp phosphorus turn-off enables a high quality inverted 2DEG of high mobiltiy and low electron density.
Personality characteristics of highly generative adults as assessed in Q-sort ratings of life stories

The present study compared the personality characteristics assessed in life stories of 40 highly generative adults to those in the life stories of a contrasting sample of 30 less generative adults. Life-story interviews of all 70 subjects were rated with the California Adult Q-Sort (CAQ; Block, 1961). The results were compared to the “expert” generativity CAQ profile compiled by Peterson and Klohnen (1995). The results indicated that highly generative adults were more likely to construct life stories indicative of such positive generativity characteristics as “behaves in a giving way toward others” and “is turned to for advice and reassurance” compared to adults low in generativity. Furthermore, the highly generative adults related life-story accounts in which negative generativity qualities such as “has hostility toward others” and “is self-indulgent” were more uncharacteristic than those expressed in the low-generativity adults' stories. The study adds to a growing empirical literature on the meaning and manifestations of generativity in adult lives and suggests that the CAQ is a useful tool for uncovering personality characteristics expressed in the life-story accounts generated by adults.
Influence of hypoalbuminemia or hyperalbuminemia on the serum anion gap.

Background: Conflicting data exist as to what extent hypoalbuminemia reduces the anion gap; estimates range from 1.5 to 2.5 mM per g/dL decrease in serum albumin. Methods: We measured serum albumin, total protein, and electrolyte concentrations in 5328 consecutive patients aged 1 month to 102 years. Most patients (3750; 70%) had a normal albumin, but 1158 had hypoalbuminemia (≤3.4 g/dL); 420 had hyperalbuminemia (≥4.7 g/dL). Relationships between serum albumin or total protein and the anion gap were analyzed by linear regression. Results: 309 (27%) hypoalbuminemic patients had a decreased anion gap, and 257 hyperalbuminemic patients (61%) had an increased anion gap. Among the entire group of 5328 patients, there were highly significant correlations between either serum albumin or total protein and the anion gap ( P adjusted =anion gap + 2.3 (4-albumin). The initial assessment of an anion gap as being increased, normal, or decreased changed in 44% of the patients with hypo- or hyperalbuminemia once anion gap had been adjusted with this formula. Conclusions: Before considering whether a disorder associated with an increased or decreased anion gap is present, the anion gap should be first adjusted for abnormal serum albumin concentrations. Our data suggest that physicians use 2.3 times the change in serum albumin, whereas those of Figge et al suggest 2.5; either approach gives similar results.
Pharmacologic inhibition of transglutaminase-induced cross-linking of Alzheimer's amyloid β-peptide

Abstract The brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients contains deposits of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Recent studies have shown that Aβ is a substrate for tissue transglutaminase (TGase), which induces the formation of cross-linked dimers and polymers, and that tacrine, indomethacin and deferoxamine, which have widely different chemical structures, attenuate the progression of symptoms of AD. This report evaluated the potential of a total of ten different pharmacological agents to inhibit TGase-induced cross-Linking of Aβ, including known TGase inhibitors (dansylcadaverine, spermine), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, meclofenamic acid, diflunisal, salicylic acid), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (tranylcypromine, phenelzine), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (tacrine), and an iron chelating agent (deferoxamine). All but one (salicylic acid) of these ten agents had an inhibitory effect on TGase-induced Aβ cross-linking. These results suggest that inhibition of TGase-induced cross-linking of Aβ is a potential pharmacologie target for the treatment of AD. A method is also presented for the determination of percent inhibition of TGase-induced Aβ cross-Unking based on the separated monomer, dimer and polymer bands on SDS-PAGE gels.
Pattern-Based Detection of Different Proteins Using an Array of Fluorescent Protein Surface Receptors

A small library of porphyrin derivatives whose fluorescence emission changes on binding to protein surfaces has been developed as a protein “fingerprinting” array. When incubated with different proteins, the array yields a characteristic response, specific for every protein analyte. At the same time, this design allows for the rapid screening of the porphyrin library for the identification of high affinity protein surface ligands.
Surface chemistries of lithium: Detailed characterization of the reactions with O2 and H2O using XPS, EELS, AND microgravimetry

Abstract The surface chemical reactions of O 2 and H 2 O on clean lithium have been studied by a combination of XPS, EELS and microgravimetry. Reactions with O 2 produce a monolayer of oxide which does not passivate the surface and which allows for the growth of several monolayers of additional oxide, probably as a result of the mixing of zero-valent metal into the oxide layer. The reaction of H 2 O with the clean lithium surface results in the complete dissociation of the molecule and loss of hydrogen to form one monolayer of the oxide. This is followed by the formation of multilayers of hydroxide/oxide mixtures which are shown to be unstable over periods of minutes, converting back to the oxide form predominantly.
A quasi-biennial oscillation in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean

A quasi-biennial oscillation with features characteristic of equatorial coupled modes is found in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The origins of the phenomenon are investigated by using a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, in which the fully coupled domain is restricted to the Tropical Atlantic (20°S–30°N). The simulations capture a similar oscillation regardless of whether sea surface temperatures prescribed outside the coupled domain correspond to the observed or the climatology (i.e., lack year-to-year variability). It is concluded that the equatorial Atlantic hosts a quasi-biennial oscillation generated by coupled atmosphere-ocean interactions internal to the basin with little influence from remote events, even from El Nino/Southern Oscillation.
Simplified method for measuring mean opacities and effective absorption coefficients

Use of wide bandwidths and a number of path lengths to obtain mean opacities and effective absorption coefficients. This method is applicable if the temperatures and pressures at which these qualities are desired can be duplicated experimentally. Additional restrictions are that the gas in the experiments must be essentially isothermal, homogeneous, nonscattering, and in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The method is most advantageous in shock tube experiments and experiments utilizing a pulsed arc of cylindrical symmetry viewed axially.
Biow‐up of solutions of some nonlinear hyperbolic equations

We prove that any nontrivial solution of certain nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations of second order blows up in a finite time if the initial data are localized, the initial velocity being on the average non-negative.
The causal theory of reference and religious language

Only very recently have philosophers of religion begun to apply and adapt contemporary theories of meaning and reference to god-talk. Of particular interest here is the Causal Theory of Reference initially developed by Saul Kripke. 1 This theory is also known as the Historical Explanation View. 2 This theory offers a sharp contrast with traditional "descriptivist" theories of reference and poses some interesting and thorny problems when it is applied to god-talk. I will briefly sketch the essential differences between the two kinds of theories and then show the consequences of opting for a causal theory within religious language. Finally, I will argue that recent attempts to incorporate the causal theory within religious language have ignored a very significant consequent of the causal theory which makes the causal theory unacceptable for the religious person. I will conclude that some minimalist descriptivist theory is preferable within a religious context. Descriptivist theories of reference maintain that referring expressions such as definite descriptions and proper names are able to refer to some unique individual only because of some "content" or description or characteristic which truly applies to the individual thing named or described which is the referent. Let us focus here only upon singular, definite reference involving the use of proper names or definite descriptions of the form, 'the so-and-so.' According to the descriptivist accounts of reference, singular definite reference is successful only because the name or description "contains" some description of a property which is actually possessed by the individual. For reference to be completely successul there must be some unique reference which fits only the individual which is the reference of the referring expression under consideration. In other words given the old Principle of the Identity of Indescemibles, any individual must possess some unique property in order for us to