cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Air-bridge microbolometer for far-infrared detection

A new microbolometer for far-infrared detection has been fabricated that allows an increase in sensitivity of a factor of 4 over the best previously reported bolometer. By suspending the detector in the air above its substrate a reduction in the thermal conductance out of the device by a factor of 5 has been achieved. At a modulation frequency of 100 kHz this microbolometer has an electrical noise equivalent power of 2.8×10^−11 W(Hz)^−1/2. A thermal model is also presented that accurately fits the response of the detector.
First Steps: Approaching The Discipline Based, Outcome Oriented Ministry Model

SUMMARY This article describes how a new staff chaplain is approaching and applying a discipline based, outcome oriented ministry model. He describes his move from being a lone, geriatric chaplain in a long term care facility to becoming a member of a team of staff chaplains in a teaching hospital who have disciplined themselves to an outcome oriented ministry model. The writer gives his perspective on The Discipline, and denotes ways in which his ministry has been impacted. Though the author has been involved with this process for only six months, both he and those in his care are experiencing some of the benefits of making tangible contributions and developing measurable outcomes in ministry.
Reduction-based control with application to three-dimensional bipedal walking robots

This paper develops the concept of reduction-based control, which is founded on a controlled form of geometric reduction known as functional Routhian reduction. We introduce a geometric property of general serial-chain robots termed recursive cyclicity, leading to our presentation of the subrobot theorem. This shows that reduction-based control can arbitrarily reduce the dimensionality of any serial-chain robot, so that it may be controlled as a simpler "subrobot" while separately controlling the divided coordinates through their conserved momenta. This method is applied to construct stable directional 3-D walking gaits for a 4-d.o.f. hipped bipedal robot. The walker's sagittal-plane subsystem can be decoupled from its yaw and lean modes, and on this planar subsystem we use passivity-based control to construct limit cycles on flat ground. Due to the controlled reduction, the unstable yaw and lean modes are separately controlled to 2-periodic orbits. We numerically verify the existence of stable 2-periodic limit cycles and demonstrate turning capabilities for the controlled biped.
Metal problems in plastic encapsulated integrated circuits

The long-term reliability of plastic encapsulated integrated circuits in humid environments is ultimately limited by the effects of entering moisture. Degradation of device characteristics may be acceptable in some types of circuits, but catastrophic failures ("opens" and "shorts") are certainly not acceptable. Catastrophic failures can occur in a) the metalization used on the silicon chip itself, b) the internal wires, beam leads or frames, and c) the interfaces between these parts (and others) used in making a complete package. Entry of moisture permits electrochemical corrosion or deplating and replating of metals. This occurs under operating conditions, accelerated by externally applied potentials, and also in the unoperated condition due to EMFs produced by couples between dissimilar metals or by built-in potentials of p-n junctions. Choice of metal systems, platings, and passivation geometries determine the useful life and modes of failure of plastic encapsulated integrated circuits exposed to moisture.
Child of the clan or Child of the priests : Life stories of two Fipa Catholic sisters

This paper analyses some of the consequences of Christian conversion and the process of assimilating Catholicism in an area of southwestern Tanzania known as Ufipa during the middle of the twentieth century. It is based on several conversations with two Fipa Catholic Sisters, Edwina and Ocilia. Their reflections highlight the way in which the Fipa people understood conversion. The period covered is not that of initial mission contact but after substantial conversion to Catholicism had taken place. The paper considers the way in which the conversion process was utilized by different families or lineages or, as Sister Edwina states, one clan and another. In the life stories of Edwina and Ocilia, control over their biological and social fertility lies at the heart of the conflict over their futures. In effect, the sisters struggled to determine their own place as child of the clan, or child of the priests..
Identification and partial purification of a cation-sensitive neutral endopeptidase from bovine pituitaries.

Abstract An apparently new endopeptidase with a pH optimum between 7.0 and 7.5 was purified 600 fold from bovine pituitaries. The enzyme hydrolyzed synthetic substrates such as Cbz-Gly-Gly-Leu-pNA and Cbz-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Leu-pNA by splitting the bond between the leucine residue and p-nitroaniline. Replacement of the leucine residue by alanine, greatly diminished the rate of reaction. Simple model trypsin and chymotrypsin substrates such as Bz-DL-Arg-2NA and N-succinyl-Phe-2NA were not attacked. The enzyme was also inactive toward aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase substrates. Strong inhibition of the enzyme was observed at relatively low concentrations of sodium and potassium ions. Leupeptin, pepstatin and phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride had no effect on enzyme activity, however inhibition was obtained with p-mercuribenzoate. Preliminary experiments with filtration through Sephadex G-100 columns suggest a molecular weight in excess of 100,000.
Daily and circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in the American lobster, Homarus americanus

Abstract It is widely accepted that American lobsters, Homarus americanus (Milne-Edwards), are nocturnally active. However, the degree to which this rhythm is expressed by different individuals and the underlying causes of lobster activity rhythms, are poorly understood. In order to address these issues we recorded daily patterns of lobster locomotion using two novel techniques. In the first, reed switch assemblies were used to monitor the distance traveled by freely moving lobsters (n=43), each fitted with a small magnet, as they walked around a 1 m diameter racetrack. The advantages of this technique included: (1) lobsters were freely moving; (2) the system could be deployed in laboratory tanks or in the field and; (3) actual distances moved were measured, not just relative activity. The second technique involved placing individual lobsters (n=10) into custom-designed running wheels. This allowed for continuous monitoring of locomotor activity for extended durations (>45 days) under normal light/dark (L/D) cycles, as well as in constant darkness (D/D) and constant light (L/L). Under ambient light conditions lobsters in the racetracks moved an average of 60.1±6.5 m/day in flow-through seawater tanks. Overall, lobsters were significantly more active at night, moving 4.1±0.4 m/h in the dark vs. 1.0±0.2 m/h in the light. However, many of the lobsters moved as much during the day as during the night. Lobsters in the running wheels moved an average of 36.6±11.7 m/day and 80% expressed clear daily rhythms of activity, with a mean periodicity of 24.0±0.1 h under L/D conditions. Under D/D conditions 90% of the animals expressed free-running circadian rhythms with a mean periodicity of 24.2±0.3 h, indicating that this species possesses endogenous rhythmicity. While the running wheel results show that the nocturnal pattern of locomotor activity for this species is strongly influenced by an endogenous circadian clock, the results from the racetracks show that there is remarkable variability in the extent to which they express this pattern under natural conditions.
Overview and outlook of through‐silicon via (TSV) and 3D integrations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on through‐silicon via (TSV), with a new concept that every chip or interposer could have two surfaces with circuits. Emphasis is placed on the 3D IC integration, especially the interposer (both active and passive) technologies and their roadmaps. The origin of 3D integration is also briefly presented.Design/methodology/approach – This design addresses the electronic packaging of 3D IC integration with a passive TSV interposer for high‐power, high‐performance, high pin‐count, ultra fine‐pitch, small real‐estate, and low‐cost applications. To achieve this, the design uses chip‐to‐chip interconnections through a passive TSV interposer in a 3D IC integration system‐in‐package (SiP) format with excellent thermal management.Findings – A generic, low‐cost and thermal‐enhanced 3D IC integration SiP with a passive interposer has been proposed for high‐performance applications. Also, the origin of 3D integration and the overview and outlook of 3D Si integration and 3...
The synthesis of A-rich RNA by temperature-sensitive mutants of reovirus

Abstract The synthesis of adenine-rich RNA has been examined in cells infected with temperature-sensitive mutants of Reovirus type 3. Prototypes of all mutant groups produce adenine-rich RNA at the permissive temperature. However, cells similarly infected at the nonpermissive temperature fail to produce measurable amounts of adenine-rich RNA under these same conditions.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Reduces Serum Low Density Lipoprotein Levels and Body Fat but Does not Alter Insulin Sensitivity in Normal Men

To assess the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on body fat mass, serum lipid levels, and tissue sensitivity to insulin, five normal men were given placebo and five normal men were given oral DHEA [1600 mg/day (554.7 mmol/day)] for 28 days in a randomized, double blind study. In the DHEA group serum DHEA-S levels rose 2.5- to 3.5-fold, and mean (+/- SEM) serum androstenedione rose from 4.3 +/- 0.6 to 8.6 +/- 1.2 nmol/L (P less than 0.004, by paired t test), but serum total testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, and estrone levels did not change. In the DHEA group the mean percent body fat decreased by 31%, with no change in weight. This suggests that the reduction in fat mass was coupled with an increase in muscle mass. DHEA administration also resulted in a fall in mean serum total cholesterol concentration (4.82 +/- 0.21 vs. 4.48 +/- 0.29 nmol/L; P less than 0.05), which was due almost entirely to a fall of 7.5% in mean serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.21 +/- 0.11 vs. 2.97 +/- 0.14 nmol/L; P less than 0.01). No changes in anthropometric parameters or serum lipid levels occurred in the placebo group. Tissue sensitivity to insulin, assessed by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique, did not change in either the placebo or DHEA groups. These results suggest that in normal men DHEA administration reduces body fat, increases muscle mass, and reduces serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Tissue sensitivity to insulin was unaffected by short term DHEA administration.
A novel simulation methodology for modeling cluster tools

Cluster tools are highly integrated machines that can perform multiple manufacturing processes. A series of processing steps, transportation, and control are integrated into a single tool. We develop a novel simulation methodology to determine production schedules for cluster tools. The proposed approach provides route of products in the tool with given process times and scheduling rules. Framework and algorithms used in the simulation are presented. Based on the methodology, we develop a simulation model for a scanner cluster tool used in the photolithography process in semiconductor manufacturing. The impact of different input factors on the tool throughput and cycle time is investigated.
New kinds of solitons and periodic solutions to the generalized KdV equation

In this work, the sine-cosine method, the tanh method, and specific schemes that involve hyperbolic functions are used to study solitons and periodic solutions governed by the generalized KdV equation. New solutions are determined by using the hyperbolic functions schemes. The study introduces new approaches to handle nonlinear PDEs in the solitary wave theory. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 23: 247–255, 2007
The effect of migration in laminar diffusion layers

Abstract Potential distribution problems in electrolytic cells can be separated into two parts, the bulk medium where Laplace's equation holds and the diffusion layer where convection, migration, and diffusion are all important modes of mass transfer. The problems in these two domains must still be solved simultaneously since the concentrations and the current density at the electrode surface must adjust themselves to the available overpotential calculated from the solution of Laplace's equation. Specific results are obtained for the limiting current for arbitrary, two-dimensional and axisymmetric diffusion layers. The correction factor for the effect of migration within the diffusion layer is shown to be exactly the same as that calculated earlier for a rotating disk electrode.
Taming the metadata mess

The rapid growth of scientific data shows no sign of abating. This growth has led to a new problem: with so much scientific data at hand, stored in thousands of datasets, how can scientists find the datasets most relevant to their research interests? We have addressed this problem by adapting Information Retrieval techniques, developed for searching text documents, into the world of (primarily numeric) scientific data. We propose an approach that uses a blend of automated and “semi-curated” methods to extract metadata from large archives of scientific data, then evaluates ranked searches over this metadata. We describe a challenge identified during an implementation of our approach: the large and expanding list of environmental variables captured by the archive do not match the list of environmental variables in the minds of the scientists. We briefly characterize the problem and describe our initial thoughts on resolving it.
Inside the peer review process: how academics review a colleague's teaching portfolio

Understanding how academics review and make judgments about teaching portfolios is important as the peer review of teaching becomes more common. This think-aloud study examines the processes seven academics used in reasoning through a colleague's biochemistry course portfolio. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that participants used a normative, case-based reasoning approach, comparing the reviewee's practices to their own experiences, their colleagues, and to prototypical or traditional practices. They considered contextual factors and their pre-existing knowledge of the teacher and the context. The readers justified their final decisions based on the appropriateness and achievement of educational goals. The teacher's reflective commentary, the student evaluations of teaching, and the syllabus were important in their review. Implications are discussed.
Capital structure, executive compensation, and investment efficiency

This paper examines how the similarity between the executive compensation leverage ratio and the firm leverage ratio affects the quality of the firm’s investment decisions. A larger leverage gap (i.e., a bigger difference between these two ratios) leads to more investment distortions. Managers with more debt-like compensation components tend to under-invest, whereas managers with larger equity-based compensation engage more in over-investment. Furthermore, investment distortion is likely to increase the equity (debt) value when compensation leverage is lower (higher) than firm leverage. These findings suggest that managers can deviate from an optimal investment policy to increase the value of their portfolio, and that a lower leverage gap can reduce agency costs.
Examining Stress in Graduate Assistants: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Survey Methods

The aim of this study was to employ qualitative and quantitative survey methods in a concurrent mixed model design to assess stressors and strains in graduate assistants. The stressors most frequently reported qualitatively were work overload, interpersonal conflict, and organizational constraints; the most frequently reported psychological strains were frustration, anger, and anxiety. The groups formed by the qualitative incident reported (e.g., work overload) partially discriminated between those scoring high versus low on the corresponding stressor scale. Finally, participants who qualitatively reported a stressor indicated more physical symptoms on a quantitative scale. The results show support for the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in stress research, as the two types of measures provided different information about stressors and strains.
The metamorphosis of the humeral disc of Drosophila melanogaster

The metamorphosis of the Drosophila humeral (dorsal prothoracic) disc was examined using histological procedures as well as both in vivo and in vitro culture techniques. The histological analysis was done at four developmental stages: late third instar larvae, early pre-pupae, late pre-pupae, and early pupae. In the late third instar larva, the disc forms a cylinder around the tracheal tubule just posterior to the anterior spiracles and consists of an outer layer of imaginal cells and an inner layer of larval cells. Evagination of the disc begins in the early prepupal stage and consists of a marked medial and posterior migration of the imaginal cells along each of the lateral tracheal trunks. By the late prepupal stage the disc has come into contact with the evaginating wing disc and has formed two structures, an anterior tubular structure which will form the second thoracic spiracle (SpTh2) and a posterior multilayered spherical structure which will form the single layered humeral callus of the adult. By the early pupal stage the humeral callus has become integrated with the rest of the thorax and the SpTh2 is contiguous with the developing adult tracheal system. In vitro cultures also showed a marked posterior migration of the imaginal cells along the tracheal trunk during the first 20–24 hours of culture which corresponds to the normal evagination period of cultured wing and leg discs. No resulting apolysis or differentiation of the cultured humeral discs was observed. Only a low level of differentiation was obtained following the in vivo culture of humeral discs. In both culture experiments, normal levels of differentiation were exhibited by the control (ventral prothoracic) discs. A hypothesis involving the possible requirement of humeral disc-wing disc contact as a prerequisite for differentiation is presented.
Mitigating congestion in wireless sensor networks

Network congestion occurs when offered traffic load exceeds available capacity at any point in a network. In wireless sensor networks, congestion causes overall channel quality to degrade and loss rates to rise, leads to buffer drops and increased delays (as in wired networks), and tends to be grossly unfair toward nodes whose data has to traverse a larger number of radio hops.Congestion control in wired networks is usually done using end-to-end and network-layer mechanisms acting in concert. However, this approach does not solve the problem in wireless networks because concurrent radio transmissions on different "links" interact with and affect each other, and because radio channel quality shows high variability over multiple time-scales. We examine three techniques that span different layers of the traditional protocol stack: hop-by-hop flow control, rate limiting source traffic when transit traffic is present, and a prioritized medium access control (MAC) protocol. We implement these techniques and present experimental results from a 55-node in-building wireless sensor network. We demonstrate that the combination of these techniques, Fusion, can improve network efficiency by a factor of three under realistic workloads.
High-Resolution Genotyping of Campylobacter Species by Use of PCR and High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry

In this work we report on a high-throughput mass spectrometry-based technique for the rapid high-resolution identification of Campylobacter jejuni strain types. This method readily distinguishes C. jejuni from C. coli, has a resolving power comparable to that of multilocus sequence typing (MLST), is applicable to mixtures, and is highly automated. The strain typing approach is based on high-performance mass spectrometry, which "weighs" PCR amplicons with enough mass accuracy to unambiguously determine the base composition of each amplicon (i.e., the numbers of A's, G's, C's, and T's). Amplicons are derived from PCR primers which amplify short (<140-bp) regions of the housekeeping genes used by conventional MLST strategies. The results obtained with a challenge panel that comprised 25 strain types of C. jejuni and 25 strain types of C. coli are presented. These samples were parsed and resolved with demonstrated sensitivity down to 10 genomes/PCR from pure isolates.
Interaction of toxicants and communities: The role of nutrients

The interaction between community nutrient status and toxicity was studied in laboratory microcosms containing natural periphyton communities The three experimental nutrient treatments (low, medium, high) increased by orders of mag nitude from 0 05 mg N per liter + 0 01 mg P per liter Communities were developed with nutrient treatments for 25 d and were then exposed to 3 5 mg/L diquat, a photosynthetic inhibitor, and studied for an additional 23 d The effects of toxicant addi tion were assessed by measuring changes in biomass (protein, chlorophyll), enzyme activity (alkaline phosphatase electron trans port), nutrient release, diurnal changes in microcosm oxygen (gross productivity), and toxicant fate The rate of diquat loss was lowest in the low nutrient treatment Gross photosynthesis was nearly eliminated by diquat in the low nutrient treatment and showed limited recovery Productivities in the medium and high nutrient treatments were equivalent and showed evidence of both effect (approximately 50% reduction) and recovery Protein biomass was reduced in low nutrient microcosms treated with diquat, but no effect on chlorophyll biomass was observed Diquat inhibited respiratory electron transport activity, and mi crocosms with low nutrient availability had limited ability to recover from the diquat stress These studies suggest that commu nity nutrient status affects both the magnitude of effect and the rate of recovery of processes following stress
ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL INTERNSHIPS

Currently, only a small percentage of internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) are filled by school psychology interns and only a few of the available APA internship positions are in schools. Program data submitted online to APA indicate that many interns are in sites that meet the guidelines adopted by the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP). This article compares the APA internship accreditation policies with the CDSPP internship guidelines and draws on several sources of internship and program data to analyze the “supply” and “demand” issues for school psychology programs and interns.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon of Societal Weight Gain

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expenditure of all physical activities other than volitional sporting-like exercise. NEAT includes all the activities that render us vibrant, unique, and independent beings such as working, playing, and dancing. Because people of the same weight have markedly variable activity levels, it is not surprising that NEAT varies substantially between people by up to 2000 kcal per day. Evidence suggests that low NEAT may occur in obesity but in a very specific fashion. Obese individuals appear to exhibit an innate tendency to be seated for 2.5 hours per day more than sedentary lean counterparts. If obese individuals were to adopt the lean "NEAT-o-type," they could potentially expend an additional 350 kcal per day. Obesity was rare a century ago and the human genotype has not changed over that time. Thus, the obesity epidemic may reflect the emergence of a chair-enticing environment to which those with an innate tendency to sit, did so, and became obese. To reverse obesity, we need to develop individual strategies to promote standing and ambulating time by 2.5 hours per day and also re-engineer our work, school, and home environments to render active living the option of choice.
Control of uniformity of plasma-surface modification inside of small-diameter polyethylene tubing using microplasma diagnostics

Summary form only given. The realization of small scale biomedical devices will be closely related to the non-fouling/biocompatible properties of the exposed surfaces and the uniformity of the surface treatment throughout the device. The use of biomaterials for vascular grafts to replace diseased human blood vessels has increased tremendously over the past 30 years. In contrast to large-diameter vascular grafts (i.e., larger than 5 mm) which remain excellent for more than 10 years after implantation, small-diameter vascular grafts occlude rapidly after implantation. In this work, we apply a new approach for treating small-diameter polymer tubing and we make use of two microplasma diagnostics to monitor the plasma properties during the treatment process. A hollow-cathode microplasma was used to modified the lumenal surface of small-diameter polyethylene (PE) tubing. A microwave-cavity diagnostic was used to measure the plasma density of the microplasma. Emitted light from the plasma was fed into a monochromator at various positions along the PE tube to assess uniformity of the microplasma. Effectiveness of oxygen and argon plasma treatments were evaluated using the capillary rise method at various positions along the tubing. We are able to show a correlation between the properties of the inner surface of the PE tubing and the light emitted from the plasma. Thrombus formation and embolization are significant problems for blood-contacting biomedical devices. To minimize these affects, a Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) surfactant was immobilized to the lumenal surface of the PE tubing. The plasma immobilization technique consists of a two-step process; first, a surfactant is coated to the inner surface of the PE tubing followed by exposing the precoated surface to an argon gas discharge. To test hematocompatibility, a blood flow loop circulated heparinized human blood through both a plasma-treated and untreated PE tubes, simultaneously. After blood exposure, the tubes were examined with a scanning electron microscope to assess the density of adhering platelets along the length of the tubes. The plasma-treated tubing showed fewer blood adherents than the untreated tubing. By modifying the plasma parameters, the uniformity of the microplasma treatment along the tubing can be optimized.
Who Will Experience the Most Alcohol Problems in College? The Roles of Middle and High School Drinking Tendencies

BACKGROUND: Previous work examining college drinking tendencies has identified a disproportionately small (20%), but uniquely high-risk group of students who experience nearly 50% of the reported alcohol-related consequences (i.e., the multiple repeated consequences, or MRC, group). With the goal of reducing drinking-related consequences later in college, this study sought to identify potential MRC group members in their first semester by examining: (i) early-risk subgroups based on analysis of early-risk screening constructs (e.g., age of drinking onset, middle school alcohol exposure, high school drinking, and consequences); and (ii) their association with MRC criteria early in the first semester of college. METHODS: A random sample of 2,021 first-year college student drinkers (56% female) completed a web-based drinking survey in their first semester on campus. RESULTS: Latent class analysis revealed 4 early-risk subgroups: (i) an early-onset risk group who endorsed early age of drinking onset and engaged in heavy middle and high school drinking (10%); (ii) a late-onset risk group who engaged in weekend drinking and drunkenness and experienced 6 or more unique consequences as seniors in high school (32%); (iii) an early-onset limited risk group who only endorsed early age of onset and middle school drinking (3%); and (iv) a minimal risk group who did not engage in any early-risk behaviors (55%). Members of both the early- and late-onset risk groups had significantly higher odds of MRC membership in their first semester of college (9.85 and 6.79 greater, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest age of onset, middle and high school drinking and drunkenness, and frequency of unique consequences could be particularly useful in brief screening tools. Further, findings support early screening and prevention efforts for MRC membership prior to college matriculation. Language: en
‘Ought’ implies ‘can’ and the derivation of the Principle of Alternate Possibilities

Fine, K. 1975. Vagueness, truth and logic. Synthese 30: 265-300. Fodor, J. and E. Lepore. 1996. What cannot be evaluated cannot be evaluated, and it cannot be supervalued either. Journal of Philosophy 93: 516-35. Kamp, H. 1975. Two theories about adjectives. In Formal Semantics of Natural Lan guage, ed. E. L. Keenan, 123-55. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Keefe, R. 2000a. Supervaluationism and validity. Philosophical Topics 28: 93-105. Keefe, R. 2000b. Theories of Vagueness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lewis, D. 1975. Language and languages. In Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science vol. VII, ed. K. Gunderson, 3-35. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Morreau, M. 1999. Supervaluation can leave truth-value gaps after all. Journal of Philosophy 96: 148-56. Varzi, A. 2007. Supervaluationism and its logics. Mind 116: 633-76. Williamson, T. 1994. Vagueness. London: Routledge.
Measurements on thin-film high- T c superconductors

The authors report on the fabrication and properties of high-T/sub c/ superconducting films, and discuss the possible origin of the linear resistivity. They further discuss the c-axis conductivity. They present data to show that the coherence length is 12 A parallel to the plane and 2 A perpendicular to the plane in the superconducting state. Tunneling data show that the energy gap is large, with 2/Delta///kappa/T/sub c/ /approx/ 7.
CASSINI VIMS OBSERVATIONS SHOW ETHANE IS PRESENT IN TITAN'S RAINFALL

Observations obtained over two years by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem suggest that rain showers fall on the surface. Using measurements obtained by the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, we identify the main component of the rain to be ethane, with methane as an additional component. We observe five or six probable rainfall events, at least one of which follows a brief equatorial cloud appearance, suggesting that frequent rainstorms occur on Titan. The rainfall evaporates, sublimates, or infiltrates on timescales of months, and in some cases it is associated with fluvial features but not with their creation or alteration. Thus, Titan exhibits frequent gentle rainfall instead of, or in addition to, more catastrophic events that cut rivers and lay down large fluvial deposits. Freezing rain may also be present, and the standing liquid may exist as puddles interspersed with patches of frost. The extensive dune deposits found in the equatorial regions of Titan imply multi-season arid conditions there, which are consistent with small, but possibly frequent, amounts of rain, in analogy to terrestrial deserts.
III-V nanowires and 2D van der Waals sheets: interfaces and devices (Presentation Recording)

Vertical and planar III-V nanowire growth on 2D van der Waals sheets by MOCVD will be presented, along with axial and radial p-n junction based solar cells.
Teaching dental students about patient communication following an adverse event: A pilot educational module

Adverse events are an important but understudied area in dentistry. Most dentists will face the issue of an adverse event several times in their clinical careers. The authors implemented a six-hour pilot educational module at one dental school to improve fourth-year dental students' knowledge and confidence in communicating with patients about adverse events. Based on results from the twenty-nine students who completed both the pre- and posttests, the module significantly increased the students' knowledge of the key concepts involved in adverse events. However, the module did not improve the students' confidence that they would be able to implement these communication skills in clinical situations. Based on these results, this article discusses how future educational efforts can be modified to better prepare students for the communication challenges associated with adverse events.
Stable Isotope Evidence for Hominin Environments in Africa

Various aspects of the paleoenvironment of hominin evolution can be quantified using stable carbon isotopes. There are distinct differences in the carbon isotope ratios of plants and differences in their response to ecological variables, depending on whether the plants use the C 3 or C 4 photosynthetic pathway. These differences can be used to estimate the fraction of woody cover and to determine diet histories of different mammal groups. In addition, absolute temperatures can be determined using coupling between carbon and oxygen isotopes in paleosol carbonate. When applied to paleoenvironments of hominin-bearing deposits in East Africa, these applications of carbon isotopes show that these environments ranged from grassy woodlands to grasslands and show little evidence of forested conditions. In these hominin-bearing deposits, any forested conditions must have been confined to riparian corridors. The earliest hominins used little, if any, C 4 resources in their diets. The diets of the later australopithecines and Homo reflect significantly greater C 4 resources, while C 4 resources predominate diets of Paranthropus boisei .
Service-Oriented Programming for Design Space Exploration

Each computing system requires a platform that allows software to run. Each platform’s programming environment reflects a relevant abstraction, and usually the type and quality of the abstraction implies the complexity of problems we are able to solve. The Service ORiented Computing EnviRonment (SORCER) targets service abstractions for transdisciplinary complexity with support for distributed high performance computing. SORCER service commands are expressed in an Exertion-Oriented Language (EOL) in concert with two other languages. In this paper event-driven design space exploration is presented using these languages. A nonlinear optimization-programming example is described using the federation of services. The design service requestor collaborating with a space explorer, optimization model, and optimizer services in the network defines the service-oriented design space exploration.
Enterprise Risk Management In The Oil And Gas Industry: An Analysis Of Selected Fortune 500 Oil And Gas Companies’ Reaction In 2009 And 2010

In 2009, four of the top ten Fortune 500 companies were classified within the oil and gas industry. Organizations of this size typically have an advanced Enterprise Risk Management system in place to mitigate risk and to achieve their corporations’ objectives. The companies and the article utilize the Enterprise Risk Management Integrated Framework developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) as a guide to organize their risk management and reporting. The authors used the framework to analyze reporting years 2009 and 2010 for Fortune 500 oil and gas companies. After gathering and examining information from 2009 and 2010 annual reports, 10-K filings, and proxy statements, the article examines how the selected companies are implementing requirements identified in the previously mentioned publications. Each section examines the companies’ Enterprise Risk Management system, risk appetite, and any other notable information regarding risk management. One observation was the existence or non-existence of a Chief Risk Officer or other Senior Level Manager in charge of risk management. Other observations included identified risks, such as changes in economic, regulatory, and political environments in the different countries where the corporations do business. Still others identify risks, such as increases in certain costs that exceed natural inflation, volatility and instability of market conditions. Fortune 500 oil and gas companies included in this analysis are ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Baker Hughes, Valero Energy, and Frontier Oil Corporation. An analysis revealed a sophisticated understanding and reporting of many types of risks, including those associated with increasing production capacity. Specific risks identified by companies included start-up timing, operational outages, weather events, regulatory changes, geo-political and cyber security risks, among others. Mitigation efforts included portfolio management and financial strength. There is evidence that companies in later reports (2013) are more comprehensive in their risk management and reports as evidenced by their 10-K and Proxy Statements (Marathon Oil Corporation, 2013).
Analysis and simulation of a blue energy cycle

The mixing process of fresh water and seawater releases a significant amount of energy and is a potential source of renewable energy. The so called ‘blue energy’ or salinity-gradient energy can be harvested by a device consisting of carbon electrodes immersed in an electrolyte solution, based on the principle of capacitive double layer expansion (CDLE). In this study, we have investigated the feasibility of energy production based on the CDLE principle. Experiments and computer simulations were used to study the process. Mesoporous carbon materials, synthesized at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, were used as electrode materials in the experiments. Neutron imaging of the blue energy cycle was conducted with cylindrical mesoporous carbon electrodes and 0.5 M lithium chloride as the electrolyte solution. For experiments conducted at 0.6 V and 0.9 V applied potential, a voltage increase of 0.061 V and 0.054 V was observed, respectively. From sequences of neutron images obtained for each step of the blue energy cycle, information on the direction and magnitude of lithium ion transport was obtained. A computer code was developed to simulate the process. Experimental data and computer simulations allowed us to predict energy production.
Ultrafast intersystem crossing in a transition metal complex

Intersystem crossing is an important aspect of virtually all photophysical and photochemical processes involving transition metals. One of the most extensively studied transition metal ions is chromium(III)[1,2]. A diagram of this ion’s electronic structure, depicting d-electrons under octahedral symmetry, is illustrated in Figure 1.
ERISA Takes a Drubbing: Rush Prudential and its Implications for Health Care

In a decision carrying potentially enormous financial ramifications throughout the health care industry, the Supreme Court held in Rush Prudential, Inc. v. Moran that ERISA does not preempt state laws that permit or require independent reviewers to resolve disputes about medical necessity. Although the Court seems content that its decision will cause only minimal administrative burdens to health plans and will not create any more financial imposition than any other state mandated benefit, a closer analysis suggests far more sobering implications both for health plans and for ERISA itself. The Court has endorsed a procedural remedy that adds to ERISA's exclusively federal remedies; it has permitted independent reviewers essentially to replace the role of ERISA's fiduciaries in ways that appear to ignore if not outright contradict the statute; and, by permitting "medical necessity" to be interpreted in ways that need not even refer to the plan's own terms, the Court may well have substantially reduced employers' ability to predict and control the cost of employee benefits, a need that the Court itself has acknowledged is integral to the goals of ERISA.
Comparison of Gallery Construction, Oviposition, and Reemergence by Dendroctonus frontalis Females Producing First and Second Broods

Newly emerged Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann adults were allowed to attack, mate, and produce a first brood in bark slabs at 20 and 25% C. Upon reemerging, females were allowed to attack fresh slabs and produce a second brood. Females produced more gallery and eggs for their second brood than their first. Initiation of exit galleries into the outer bark and reemergence from slabs occurred earlier for females producing their first brood. The lengths and times of initial and terminal egg-free and egg-bearing gallery are presented. The biological implications of these and other analyses which relate to the production of first and second broods are discussed.
Gradients of species density and turnover in marsupials : A hemispheric perspective

Although marsupials represent a taxonomically and ecologically diverse group of mammals (Infraclass Metatheria), little is known concerning their large-scale areographic patterns. Distributional data for North and South America were analyzed by statistical techniques to ascertain the degree to which latitude, biome richness, and area account for patterns of species density. In general, mid-latitude accounted for more variation among bands than did other descriptors, but the form of the relation between species density and latitude differed between North and South America. Marsupials in North America exhibited more simple relations (quadratic) between species density and latitude than did their South American counterparts (cubic). Nonetheless, both models are consistent with a subtropical maximum. Turnover of species between quadrats within a band did not contribute to latitudinal gradients in species density in a significant fashion in either continent. Such complex results may reflect the dynamic interaction of contemporary ecological forces (habitat selection, competition, physiological constraints) superimposed on a pervasive historical legacy (i.e., extensive radiation in South America, subsequent reduction in diversity after placental invasion during the late Pliocene, re-invasion of Central America from the south).
CHARACTERIZATION OF CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR ROTATING STALL WITH PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY

Experiments are performed directed at obtaining unique detailed flow field data during a single cell stall event in a centrifugal compressor. This is accomplished utilizing Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to quantify the impeller inlet and passage flow fields. During the single cell rotating stall, the PFV data show that the midchord region of the impeller is the most demonstrably disturbed region. These data are well supported by on-blade pressure measurements. The inducer flow field shows a collapse of relative diffusion during the peak inlet pressure signal. However, no separated region is indicated in the mid-span measurement plane. Also, these PIV data support conclusions that the initiation process begins at midchord with a discrete stall cell, with little indication of this event in the compressor inlet until the cell begins to grow. Sinusoidal circumferential length scale pressure waves detected at the inlet in the early stages of the inlet thus appear to be the artifacts of the mid-chord stall cell after the higher harmonics of the pressure signal have decayed.
β-d-Galactosidase in human urine: Deficiency in generalized gangliosidosis

Abstract The details of a colorimetric method for the measurement of both β-d-galactosidase and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activities in human urine are described. A study of a large number of both "normal and mentally retarded" individuals indicates that these 2 enzymes are present in high, but variable, concentrations in fresh urine samples from both groups. In contrast, the urine of a patient with generalized gangliosidosis was found repeatedly to have very low levels of the β-d-galactosidase while having very high levels of the N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase. By relating the 2 enzyme levels as a ratio of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase to β-d-galactosidase, it was possible to distinguish clearly the patient with generalized gangliosidosis from the control group.
On the Discovery of Precursor Processing

Studies of the biosynthesis of insulin in a human insulinoma beginning in 1965 provided the first evidence for a precursor of insulin, the first such prohormone to be identified. Further studies with isolated rat islets then confirmed that the precursor became labeled more rapidly than insulin and later was converted to insulin by a proteolytic processing system located mainly within the secretory granules of the beta cell and was then stored or secreted. The precursor was designated "proinsulin" in 1967 and was isolated and sequenced from beef and pork sources. These structural studies confirmed that the precursor was a single polypeptide chain which began with the B chain of insulin, continued through a connecting segment of 30-35 amino acids and terminated with the A chain. Paired basic residues were identified at the sites of excision of the C-peptide. Human proinsulin and C-peptide were then similarly obtained and sequenced. The human C-peptide assay was developed and provided a useful tool for measuring insulin levels indirectly in diabetics treated with insulin. The discovery of other precursor proteins for a variety of peptide hormones, neuropeptides, or plasma proteins then followed, with all having mainly dibasic cleavage sites for processing. The subsequent discovery of a similar biosynthetic pathway in yeast led to the identification of eukaryotic families of specialized processing subtilisin-like endopeptidases coupled with carboxypeptidase B-like exopeptidases. Most neuroendocrine peptides are processed by two specialized members of this family - PC2 and/or PC1/3 - followed by carboxypeptidase E (CPE). This brief report concentrates mainly on the role of insulin biosynthesis in providing a useful early paradigm of precursor processing in the secretory pathway.
Language Processing in Bilingual Speakers

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the bilingual language comprehension and production. Bilinguals are rarely equally proficient or balanced in their use of the two languages, rendering one of the languages the more dominant language. Typically, the more dominant language will be the first or native language, but for bilinguals who have lived in their L2 environment for many years, the L2 may be functionally more dominant, at least for certain language processing tasks. Among the most commonly studied bilinguals, many individuals are actually trilinguals. These contexts of language acquisition and use clearly have implications for comprehension although some of the consequences, particularly in studies of lexical access, have only recently begun to be explored systematically. A comprehensive bilingual model will require that distinctions be made among those aspects of cross-language representation and processing that change dynamically with changes in proficiency and language use, and those that reflect the way in which the linguistic structure of the bilingual's two languages imposes constraints that are relatively stable. Furthermore, it will require a principled account of the relation among sublexical, lexical, semantic, and syntactic processes.