cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
X-ray photoemission studies of diamond, graphite, and glassy carbon valence bands

The high-resolution x-ray photoemission spectra (XPS) of the total valence bands of atomically clean diamond, graphite, and glassy carbon, obtained with monochromatized Al K ..cap alpha.. radiation, are reported and discussed. By comparing valence-band and carbon-1s photoelectron kinetic energies, the XPS valence-band spectra I'E) of diamond and graphite were rigorously affixed to the same energy scale as earlier K x-ray emission spectra i(E). The two spectra - I'(E) and i(E) - have very different energy dependencies of intensity because selection rules and cross-section ratios render i(E) sensitive only to 2p character and I'(E) far more sensitive to 2s character. Taken together, I'(E) and i(E) show that the fractional p character in the diamond valence band increases from approx. 16% at the bottom of the band to approx. 92% at the top, with an average hybridization of approx. s/sup 1/ /sup 2/p/sup 2/ /sup 8/. The spectra agree well with the density of states of Painter et al, but indicate a valence-band width of 24.2(10) eV rather than their 20.8 eV. The C(1s) binding energy of 284.68(20) eV in graphite agrees well with a recent theoretical estimate of 284.4(3) eV by Davis and Shirley. Analysis of I'(E) i(E) for graphite resolvesmore » the valence bands cleanly into sigma and ..pi.. bands, with the spectrum I'(E) of the former resembling that of diamond, but with a stronger 2s admixture (sp/sup 2/ vs sp/sup 3/). The XPS cross section of the (p/sub z/)..pi.. bands was very low, as expected by symmetry. The bandwidth of 24(1) eV somewhat exceeded Painter and Ellis's calculated value of 19.3 eV. Glassy carbon showed an I'(E) between that of diamond and graphite, consistent with an amorphous lattice containing both trigonal and tetrahedral bonds. 8 figures, 3 tables.« less
The Topography of Muscle Activity in Quantitative EEG

Ten normal preadolescent subjects were studied on three occasions with quantitative EEG topography: two sessions recorded EEG that was free of artifact, but during the third the subjects were instructed to clench their teeth and tighten their faces to produce muscle artifact. The sessions were then compared for stability of various frequencies at standard scalp electrode sites. The posterior electrodes were stable among sessions for frequencies up to 24 Hz; the anterior electrodes were less stable, and above 24 Hz there were no stable electrode sites. Muscle artifact contaminates anterior electrode sites more than posterior sites, making the posterior scalp electrodes superior for studying beta activity in quantitative EEG. Frequencies above 24 Hz are contaminated at all sites and therefore cannot be assessed reliably in the presence of muscle artifact.
Early one-stage total phalloplasty in infants with aphallia

Purpose Aphallia is a rare and dramatic malformation, traditionally committed to gender reassignement. The aim of the video is to present a surgical procedure for early, one-stage, total phalloplasty and complete urethroplasty, designed for infants affected by aphallia. Material and methods This is a case of a 7 month-old boy born with aphallia, low-anorectal-malformation and rectal-urethra, kariotype 46 XY and bilateral scrotal testis. Recurrent orchiepididymitis also occurred. Results Sagittal-transanorectal-approach, in prone-knee-chest-position, was first used to divide the rectal-urethra and performe an anoplasty. Turned to supine-lithotomy-position, total phalloplasty was performed using a quadrangular 6 x 6 cm wide abdominal skin flap; complete urethroplasty with a tubularized buccal-mucosa free-graft, 9 cm long, was performed. The buccal-mucosa-tube was sutured end-to-end to the posterior urethra. Short-term outcome is excellent, with high parental satisfaction. Conclusions The opposite gender should not be assigned to patients affected by aphallia that are better raised according to their male kariotype and hormonal pattern. Definitive forearm micro-vascular phalloplasty has shown good results in adults, but it is generally not performed in pre-pubertal boys. Despite the absence of corpora cavernosa in the constructed phallus, social and psychological reasons justify early phalloplasty. Pryor described quadrangular lower abdominal skin-flaps in adulthood for both penile and urethral reconstruction. We preferred buccal mucosa graft for the urethral reconstruction. Long term follow-up is needed to evaluate the results of this technique at puberty in patients with aphallia and in other cases of severe deficit of the male external genitalia.
Innate immune responses during infection

The innate immune system senses bacteria in the environment and defends against infection. Here we will discuss two types of sensor protein families. The plasma membrane receptors that comprise the Toll-like receptor (TLRs) family and the intracellular proteins termed NOD1 and NOD2. These proteins directly bind bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), peptidoglycan fragments, bacterial DNA, and receptor binding leads to intracellular signaling and gene expression. TLR signaling involves members of the MyD88 family of adaptor proteins. In contrast NOD1 or NOD2 utilize pathways that do not depend on the MyD88 family members.
LINGUISTIC DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract The present study examined differences in natural word use between psychiatric outpatients and nonclinical controls. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was used to determine its utility for the study of linguistic features of psychopathology. 27 patients and 17 community volunteers engaged in a standardized writing assignment. Computerized word count was used to identify linguistic differences between the two groups. Psychiatric patients used fewer words pertaining to optimism/energy, basic cognitive mechanisms, exclusion, and bodily functions compared to the controls. They also tended to use fewer references to the future and communication. No differences were found on pronoun use, and sensation/perception. The LIWC captured features of natural word use that are of conceptual as well as empirical relevance for personality and psychopathology research.
Adaptive control of projectile fin angle using piezoelectric beam actuator

The objective of this paper is to study the feasibility of using smart material to control the rotation angle of a subsonic projectile fin during flight. The fin produces maneuvering force and moment which are utilized to control the projectile. In this paper a beam model of piezoelectric actuator is used for rotating the projectile fin. The fin, which is assumed to be rigid, is rotated by a cantilever beam-based piezoelectric actuator whose both end are attached to the projectile body and the fin. An analytical model of the beam actuator is obtained by the finite element approach with each element satisfying Euler-Bernoulli's theorem. A feedback linearizing adaptive control system is designed for the trajectory control of the fin angle. The controller consists of an inverse system and a high gain observer. Simulation results are presented which show that fin control is accomplished in spite of uncertainties in the system.
An Integrating Photometer for Low Light Levels

Proper estimation of exposure times in astronomical spectroscopy is often difficult, largely because the quality of the stellar image is so dependent upon “seeing.” The integrating photometer described here, while not new in principle, functions with satisfactory sensitivity and stability on only two percent of the light transmitted by the slit of the coude spectrograph of the 100-inch telescope. When the meter indicates a predetermined number of counts, the finished spectrogram will have the proper density regardless of seeing, slit width, passing clouds, and efficiency of guiding.
Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor development in rat CNS: an autoradiographic study.

Abstract During development norepinephrine plays a role in determining the morphologic organization of the CNS and the density and future responsiveness of adrenergic receptors. α-2 Adrenergic receptors, one of three adrenergic receptor types, regulate important adult CNS functions and may have a distinct role during development. We examined α-2 receptor distribution and density in the rat brain at postnatal days 1, 5, 10, 15, 21, 28 and in adults using the antagonist [ 3 H]RX821002 for autoradiography. Binding kinetics and pharmacology for α-2 adrenergic receptors were the same in adults and neonates. There was an overall increase in α-2 receptor levels during postnatal development with great variability in pattern and timing of receptor density changes among brain regions. Three major patterns were apparent. First, in many regions receptor density increased during postnatal development, generally reaching adult levels around postnatal day 15. Within this group there was variability in timing between regions and there were several regions with receptor densities higher than adult levels during the postnatal period. Second, there were regions with very high levels of receptors at birth and little or no change in density during the postnatal period. Third, some regions demonstrated decreasing or transient expression of α-2 adrenergic receptors in the course of postnatal development, including white matter regions, cerebellum and many brainstem nuclei, suggesting specific roles for α-2 receptors during development. This study investigates the development of α-2 adrenergic receptors in the rat CNS. It demonstrates there is region-specific regulation of α-2 receptor development and identifies brain regions where these receptors may play a specific and critical role in the regulation normal development.
[2‐(Hydroxyethoxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium iodide

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C7H18NO2+·I−, cations and anions are linked into ion pairs by means of a long O—H⋯I hydrogen-bonding inter­action [O⋯I = 3.5299 (11) A and O—H⋯I = 169.8 (19)°].
Comments on Correlation Calculations in Anisotropic Diffusion

A method is proposed for calculating correlations for impurity diffusion. The method can be applied to any lattice, isotropic or anisotropic, and permits all symmetrically inequivalent dissociative jump frequencies to be uniquely specified without adding to the complexity of the calculation. The method is compared with other methods for the face-certered-cubic, body-centered- tetragonal, and hexagonal-ciose-packed lattices. An accurate empirical representation of previously calculated self-diffusion correlations is given for the bct and hcp lattices. (H.D.R.)
Directional slope and curvature distributions of wind waves

Abstract : The slope and curvature distributions of wind waves along two principal axes (upwind-downwind and crosswind) have been measured in a laboratory tank under various wind velocities. In both directions, the slope distributions are very closely Gaussian, and the components of the mean-square water-surface slope vary logarithmically with the friction velocity of the wind. As the wind velocity increases, the ratio between these two components increases and falls between 0.5 and 0.6 at high wind velocities in the gravity-governing regime of wind-wave interaction. The radius of water-surface curvature, along either direction of measurement, is found to be, generally, greater at a steeper viewing angle from the normal to the mean water surface. The average radius of curvature of the disturbed surface varies inversely with the friction velocity of the wind. The ratio between the upwind-downwind and crosswind components of the average radius of curvature is unity at all wind velocities, indicating that the wind-disturbed water surface is isotropic on the smallest scale.
Linking Carbon and Boron-Nitride Nanotubes: Heterojunction Energetics and Band Gap Tuning

We investigate the energetics of forming heteronanotubes, which are combinations of pure carbon nanotube (CNT) segments and boron-nitride nanotube (BNNT) segments. Our density functional theory cal...
Environmental Acquisition in Network Management

Maintaining configurations in heterogeneous networks poses complex problems. We observe that medium and large networks exhibit many contextual relationships, and argue that modeling these relationships explicitly simplifies configuration management. This paper presents a declarative data specification language, called Anomaly, that implements our ideas. Anomaly models containment relationships and uses a data aggregation technique called environmental acquisition to simplify system management. The interpreter for the language generates and deploys configurations from a source code description of the network and its hosts.
Development and Use of an Efficient System for Random mariner Transposon Mutagenesis To Identify Novel Genetic Determinants of Biofilm Formation in the Core Enterococcus faecalis Genome

Enterococcus faecalis is a gram-positive commensal bacterium of the gastrointestinal tract and an important opportunistic pathogen. Despite the increasing clinical significance of the enterococci, most of the genetic analysis of these organisms has focused on mobile genetic elements, and existing tools for manipulation and analysis of the core E. faecalis chromosome are limited. We are interested in a comprehensive analysis of the genetic determinants for biofilm formation encoded within the core E. faecalis genome. To identify such determinants, we developed a substantially improved system for transposon mutagenesis in E. faecalis based on a mini-mariner transposable element. Mutagenesis of wild-type E. faecalis with this element yielded predominantly mutants carrying a single copy of the transposable element, and insertions were distributed around the entire chromosome in an apparently random fashion. We constructed a library of E. faecalis transposon insertion mutants and screened this library to identify mutants exhibiting a defect in biofilm formation. Biofilm-defective mutants were found to carry transposon insertions both in genes that were previously known to play a role in biofilm formation and in new genes lacking any known function; for several genes identified in the screen, complementation analysis confirmed a direct role in biofilm formation. These results provide significant new information about the genetics of enterococcal biofilm formation and demonstrate the general utility of our transposon system for functional genomic analysis of E. faecalis.
A Brief History of National Surveillance Efforts for Periodontal Disease in the United States

National efforts directed toward improving our understanding of the epidemiology of periodontal disease began nearly a half century ago following the development of Russell's periodontal index (PI). United States Public Health Service agencies began national surveillance activities for periodontal disease with the first National Health Examination Survey in 1960 to 1962, and this continued periodically through 2004 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Periodontal disease status was assessed by using the PI in the earlier national health surveys, but beginning in the 1980s, direct measures for clinical attachment loss were made in national health surveys and continued through 2004 in NHANES. This article provides a general history of the development and implementation of national surveillance efforts for periodontal disease from the mid-1950s to 2005. It also provides brief background information on the factors that have influenced these national surveillance efforts.
Formatively Evaluating the Reading Progress of First-Grade English Learners in Multiple-Language Classrooms

This study provides descriptive data on first-grade reading proficiency of English learners in multiple-language settings. Using curriculum-based measurement of reading (CBM-R) to measure oral reading fluency (ORF) and a nonsense word— reading fluency (NWF) measure, weekly scores during the final 6 weeks of the first-grade school year indicated gains of approximately one word per minute each week on ORF and two words per minute each week on NWF. The results are very similar to the progress of non—English learners from previously documented studies of first-grade performance using CBM-R. Participating students experienced significant gains in both ORF and NWF in 6 weeks. By the end of the first grade, English learners in this study read a mean of 46 words per minute on the CBM-R. The correlation between the scores for ORF and NWF at the end of first grade was strong (r = .86). Weak correlations of fluency measures with student language proficiency and teacher ratings were found. Educational implications an...
Effects of residual stresses on lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT) thin-film membrane microactuators

A common design of piezoelectric microactuators adopts a membrane structure that consists of a base silicon structure, a layer of bottom electrode, a layer of piezoelectric thin film, and a layer of top electrode. In particular, the piezoelectric thin film is often made of lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT) for its high piezoelectric constants. When driven electrically, the PZT thin film extends or contracts flexing the membrane generating an out-of-plane displacement. For PZT thin-film microactuators, residual stresses are unavoidable from fabrication and can significantly reduce the actuation displacement. In this paper, the authors present a fourfold approach to address the issue of residual stresses. First, we demonstrate experimentally that two PZT thin-film actuators may present substantially different displacement and natural frequency even though dimensions of the two actuators are similar. Through a series of finite element analyses, we conclude that only residual stresses can produce such a significant frequency shift reducing the displacement of a PZT thin-film microactuator. Second, we measure the warping of the PZT thin-film actuator via interferometry to detect residual stresses. A simple calculation using shell theories indicates that the warping only causes a tiny shift in natural frequencies. Therefore, most of the degradation of actuator performance results from the nature that residual stresses are in-plane rather than the warping caused by the residual stresses. Third, we develop a vibration analysis to determine when residual stresses could significantly reduce actuator displacement. Fourth, we demonstrate two simple ways to mitigate the negative effects of residual stresses: poling at an elevated temperature and applying a DC bias voltage.
Integrating technology into program assessment implementation and course design: "How can relational, problem-solving models help us reach our goals?"

What strategies can we use to integrate technology into course design and program assessment? This paper targets educators, training professionals, and communicators who are interested in integrating technology into course design and program assessment implementation. It introduces the topic by providing a background on strategies for using technology in teaching and learning, describing the role of problem-based learning in educational settings, and demonstrating a new, electronic relational system for keeping track of six types of components related to program assessment implementation: (a) an assessment plan, (b) assessment activities for administrative and program units, (c) course materials (goals, objectives, contribution of course to meeting program, professional, and departmental outcomes), and (d) rubrics (scoring instruments), (e) process charts, and (f) survey information.
The Royal Navy's Vietnam War: H.M.S. Warrior and the evacuation of refugees from North Vietnam, September 1954

This article examines H.M.S. Warrior's role in transporting several thousand refugees from North to South Vietnam, which was part of a much larger evacuation of people that followed the Geneva Conference of 1954 and the partition of Vietnam at the seventeenth parallel. Although Warrior only moved a relatively small number of Vietnamese, the story of the ship's involvement in this episode offers not only a birds-eye view of the refugee exodus but also an insight into Britain's broader diplomatic interests in South East Asia. Drawing on archival records and oral interviews, the article explores events from the perspective of both the policy makers who sent Warrior to Indochina and the sailors who participated in the mission.
On the Apparent Failure of Patents: A Response to Bessen and Meurer

Floods of patents are issued ... the validity of which is uncertain. At the meeting of the British Association, held in 1931, we hear patents described as "lottery tickets." Manufacturers can never tell whether they are infringing on some patent and becoming liable to heavy damages. "A bad patents system," writes Nature in connection with this point, "is a fetter on the hands of industry and an instrument of blackmail" (p. 69).
Paleolimnology of Onondaga Lake: the History of Anthropogenic Impacts on Water Quality

ABSTRACT New York State's Onondaga Lake is a polluted, hypereutrophic, saline lake with a remarkable paleolimnological record. The chemical and diatom stratigraphy of two sediment cores was used to document past anthropogenic impacts on the lake's water quality. Onondaga Lake's pre-historic and pre-industrial water quality conditions are clarified and subsequent major pollution events identified. Pre-1800s Onondaga Lake was mesotrophic and considerably less saline (around 230 mgL−1 Cl−) than at present (around 450 mgL−1 Cl−). Factors that most affected lake water quality were: 1) increasing settlement in the watershed which increased lake sedimentation and nutrient levels, 2) development of the salt industry during the 1800s which contributed to a rise in lake salinity, 3) the soda-ash industry in die late 1800s through 1900s which added major amounts of CaCO3 and salt to the lake, and 4) post-World War II urban and industrial development which contributed to very high nutrient, Hg, and other heavy metal ...
Populations adapt to fluctuating selection using derived and ancestral allelic diversity

Populations can adapt to changing environments by using allelic diversity, yet whether diversity is recently derived or ancestral is often debated. While evolution could productively use both types of diversity in a changing environment, their relative frequency has not been quantified. We address this question experimentally using budding yeast strains that harbor a tandem repeat-containing URA3 gene, which we expose to cyclical selection and counter-selection. We characterize and quantify the dynamics of frameshift events in the URA3 gene in eight populations over twelve cycles of selection and find that ancestral alleles account for 10 – 20% of all adaptive events. Using a general model of fluctuating selection, we determine how these results depend on mutation rates, population sizes, and fluctuation timescales. We quantify the contribution of derived alleles to the adaptation process using the de novo mutation rate along the population’s ancestral lineage, a novel measure that is applicable in a wide range of settings. We find that the adaptive dynamics undergoes a sharp transition from selection on ancestral alleles to selection on derived alleles as fluctuation timescales increase. Our results demonstrate that fluctuations can select between different modes of adaptation over evolutionary timescales.
Reforming Liberalism: J. S. Mill's Use of Ancient, Religious, Liberal, and Romantic Moralities

Reforming Liberalism: J. S. Mill's Use of Ancient, Religious, Liberal, and Romantic Moralities. By Robert Devigne. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. 320p. $45.00.In this scholarly book, Robert Devigne links John Stuart Mill to the aporia of the Platonic dialogues, the romantic expressivism of Kant and Coleridge, and the great tradition of British empiricism that it was Mill's purpose to reform. In so doing, Devigne introduces us to the great thinker who remains today the most direct entry point (along with Russell perhaps) into the Western tradition of philosophy for those whose native language is English. Devigne's Mill then is the “Great Mill,” the synoptic, conceptive, comprehensive Mill, the Socrates of Gower Street and Charing Cross Road, the towering genius who bestrode Victorian intellectual life like a colossus. It is thus with Nietzsche rather than with Bentham that Devigne's Mill should be classed.
Report of the Managing Editors of the Journal of Finance for 1987

THIS IS OUR FOURTH year as Editors. As we have already discussed, we have a zero-backlog policy. We had a period with very few acceptances, which was reflected in smaller December and March issues. This did not seem serious to us, and we expect to continue the policy. (In fact, acceptances have recently increased.) Given our large inflow, most manuscripts are refereed by ad hoc reviewers. We use reviewers who we believe will give us good reviews. However, not all manuscripts can be sent to the reviewer with the greatest probability of a good review. Besides subject area, there are two factors that affect the decision of to whom a manuscript is sent: our priors on the quality of the manuscript, and our history with the author as a reviewer. We keep detailed records of ad hoc reviewers. We record both the time the reviewer took and the quality of the review. The quality of the author as a reviewer is a strong influence on our decision of to whom we will send the manuscript. Once again, the best way to ensure a good review is to be a good reviewer when called upon. We continue to have a few disasters involving the length of time a referee takes to review a manuscript. We have one assistant whose responsibility is to pursue delinquent reviewers, but no amount of resources that we can devote will ever fully take care of the problem. Ranganathan Narayanan has this responsibility, and we thank him. Chris Blake has taken over responsibility for accepted manuscripts. Chris handles all galleys and page proofs. He allows us to devote very little time to this effort. We very much appreciate his help. For most of the year Anna Acocella was our assistant. She went on leave to have a baby, and she has recently added a second baby girl to her family. Loretta Poole has been filling in for Anna, and she has kept up the high standards. We would like to thank our Associate Editors. They are: Marshall Blume, Tim Campbell, George Constantinides, Brad Cornell, Elroy Dimson, Mark Flannery, Mike Gibbons, Bob Haugen, Jon Ingersoll, Ed Kane, Bob Klemkosky, Bob Litzenberger, Dennis Logue, Ron Masulis, Rich Pettit, Jim Poterba, Artur Raviv, Scott Richard, Dick Roll, Steve Ross, Mark Rubinstein, Tony Santomero, Stephen Schaefer, Bob Schwartz, Eduardo Schwartz, William Schwert, Lemma Senbet, Bruno Solnik and Marti Subrahmanyam. Edwin J. Elton and Martin J. Gruber New York University 805
Simultaneous evaluation of abstinence and relapse using a Markov chain model in smokers enrolled in a two-year randomized trial

GEE and mixed models are powerful tools to compare treatment effects in longitudinal smoking cessation trials. However, they are not capable of assessing the relapse (from abstinent back to smoking) simultaneously with cessation, which can be studied by transition models. We apply a first-order Markov chain model to analyze the transition of smoking status measured every 6 months in a 2-year randomized smoking cessation trial, and to identify what factors are associated with the transition from smoking to abstinent and from abstinent to smoking. Missing values due to non-response are assumed non-ignorable and handled by the selection modeling approach. Smokers receiving high-intensity disease management (HDM), of male gender, lower daily cigarette consumption, higher motivation and confidence to quit, and having serious attempts to quit were more likely to become abstinent (OR = 1.48, 1.66, 1.03, 1.15, 1.09 and 1.34, respectively) in the next 6 months. Among those who were abstinent, lower income and stronger nicotine dependence (OR = 1.72 for ≤ vs. > 40 K and OR = 1.75 for first cigarette ≤ vs. > 5 min) were more likely to have relapse in the next 6 months. Markov chain models allow investigation of dynamic smoking-abstinence behavior and suggest that relapse is influenced by different factors than cessation. The knowledge of treatments and covariates in transitions in both directions may provide guidance for designing more effective interventions on smoking cessation and relapse prevention. clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00440115
Maternal Role Confusion: Relations to Maternal Attachment and Mother–Child Interaction from Infancy to Adolescence

Self-reports of role confusion with the parent in childhood are associated with a variety of adverse outcomes. However, role-confusion has been studied primarily from the point of view of the child. The current study evaluated an instrument for assessing role confusion from maternal interviews rather than from child observations or self-reports in adulthood. Fifty-one mothers participating in a longitudinal study since their own child's infancy were administered the Experiences of Caregiving Interview (C. George & J. Solomon, 1996) when the child was age 20. Interviews were coded using the newly developed Parental Assessment of Role Confusion (PARC; L. Vulliez-Coady & K. Lyons-Ruth, 2009). Maternal PARC scores were related to observational measures of role-confusion in interaction with the child both in infancy and late adolescence. PARC scores also were related to mothers' hostile-helpless states of mind on the Adult Attachment Interview (C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1984, 1985, 1986) and to the extent of Unresolved loss, but not Unresolved Trauma. PARC scores also were related to mothers' self-reports of helplessness experienced in the parenting role. Discriminant validity of the PARC was demonstrated in that role confusion on the PARC was not related to hostile or disoriented forms of parent-child interaction. Implications for clinical assessment of role confusion are discussed.
Characterization of the skin orientation of thermotropic liquid-crystalline copolyester moldings with near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure

The process of injection-molding net-shape parts from thermotropic liquid-crystalline polymers results in a skin-core macrostructure. The underlying orientation in the core and the skin may differ both in magnitude and direction. A combination of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering (2D WAXS) in transmission was used to characterize the orientation in injection-molded plaques fabricated from thermotropic liquid-crystalline copolyesters based on either 4, 4{prime}-dihydroxy-{alpha}-methylstilbene or 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid/6-hydroxybenzoic acid. NEXAFS is presented as a noninvasive in situ means of determining surface layer orientation that samples to a depth of as little as 2 nm and does not require slicing or ultramicrotoming of the samples. The effects of various processing conditions on the surface orientation in the region of the centerline of square injection-molded plaques are presented and discussed. Comparisons are made between orientation parameters obtained by 2D WAXS in transmission, which is dominated by the microstructure in the core, and the NEXAFS technique.
Bounds on signature analysis aliasing for random testing

Simple bounds on the aliasing probability for serial signature analysis are presented. To motivate the study, it is shown that calculation of exact aliasing is NP-hard and that coding theory does not necessarily help. It is shown that the aliasing probability is bounded above by 2/(L+2) for test lengths L less than the period, L/sub c/, of the signature polynomials; for test lengths L that are multiples of L/sub c/, the aliasing probability is bounded above by 1; and, for test lengths L greater than L/sub c/ and not a multiple of L/sub c/, the aliasing probability is bounded above by 2/(L/sub c/+1). These simple bounds avoid any exponential complexity associated with the exact computation of the aliasing probability. Simple bounds also apply to signature analysis based on any linear finite state machine (including linear cellular automata). >
Cross-dependence of finite-frequency compressional waveforms to shear seismic wave speeds

SUMMARY Seismic tomography has been one of the primary tools to image the interior of the earth and other elastic structures. To date the inversions of compressional (P) and shear (S) wave speeds have been carried out separately under the assumption that P traveltimes are affected only by the P wave speed of the elastic media and S traveltimes by the S wave speed. Using numerical and analytical solutions, we show that for finite-frequency seismic waves, S wave speed perturbations may have significant effects on P waveforms. This suggests that when waveform-derived traveltime and amplitude anomalies are used in tomographic inversions, the P-wave measurements should be related to not only P wave speed perturbations but also S wave speed perturbations.
Distributed model predictive control

We explore a distributed model predictive control (DMPC) scheme. The controllers apply model predictive control (MPC) policies to their local subsystems. They exchange their predictions by communication and incorporate the information from other controllers into their local MPC problem so as to coordinate with each other. For the full local state feedback and one-step delayed prediction exchange case, stability is ensured for controllable systems satisfying a matching condition by imposing stability constraints on the next state in the prediction. An example of multi-area load-frequency control is used as an example application for this DMPC scheme to show the performance of the scheme.
Semiglobal robust output regulation with generalized immersion

The semiglobal robust output regulation problem is solved in this paper for a class of nonlinear systems that do not satisfy the standard conditions for the existence of a linear internal model, but admit a so-called "generalized immersion." It is shown how the obstacle given by the presence of the exosystem dynamics in the generalized immersion mapping can be overcome by resorting to a recently developed framework for time-varying internal model design.
Evaluation of NASA's MERRA Precipitation Product in Reproducing the Observed Trend and Distribution of Extreme Precipitation Events in the United States

This study evaluates the performance of NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) precipitation product in reproducing the trend and distribution of extreme precipitation events. Utilizing the extreme value theory, time-invariant and time-variant extreme value distributions are developed to model the trends and changes in the patterns of extreme precipitation events over the contiguous United States during 1979-2010. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) U.S.Unified gridded observation data are used as the observational dataset. The CPC analysis shows that the eastern and western parts of the United States are experiencing positive and negative trends in annual maxima, respectively. The continental-scale patterns of change found in MERRA seem to reasonably mirror the observed patterns of change found in CPC. This is not previously expected, given the difficulty in constraining precipitation in reanalysis products. MERRA tends to overestimate the frequency at which the 99th percentile of precipitation is exceeded because this threshold tends to be lower in MERRA, making it easier to be exceeded. This feature is dominant during the summer months. MERRA tends to reproduce spatial patterns of the scale and location parameters of the generalized extreme value and generalized Pareto distributions. However, MERRA underestimates these parameters, particularly over the Gulf Coast states, leading to lower magnitudes in extreme precipitation events. Two issues in MERRA are identified: 1) MERRA shows a spurious negative trend in Nebraska and Kansas, which is most likely related to the changes in the satellite observing system over time that has apparently affected the water cycle in the central United States, and 2) the patterns of positive trend over the Gulf Coast states and along the East Coast seem to be correlated with the tropical cyclones in these regions. The analysis of the trends in the seasonal precipitation extremes indicates that the hurricane and winter seasons are contributing the most to these trend patterns in the southeastern United States. In addition, the increasing annual trend simulated by MERRA in the Gulf Coast region is due to an incorrect trend in winter precipitation extremes.
The effect of chronic orthopedic infection on quality of life.

SUMMARY The patient with chronic orthopedic infection presents a unique challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. The orthopedic surgeon must not only possess an expertise in constantly evolving diagnostic and treatment techniques but also be able to identify numerous related problems and direct the patient in receiving the most appropriate treatment. This demands a commitment of time by the treating surgeon to the individual patient to properly assess the need for support, the extent of psychologic distress, the intensity of pain, and the requirement for medication management. The effective utilization of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers (e.g., specialists in infectious disease, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, nursing, pharmacology) can provide an optimal treatment program for this multifaceted problem and maximize the potential for a favorable outcome.
Faunal and lithologic evidence for small-scale cyclicity in the Wanakah Shale (Middle Devonian) of western New York

Detailed investigation of an exposed section through the Wanakah Shale Member of the Ludlowville Formation (Middle Devonian Hamilton Group) of western New York State reveals that deposition of this unit was influenced by a hierarchy of sea level cycles of similar magnitude and duration to global tectonoeustatic and climatoeustatic cycles defined in the field of sequence stratigraphy. The Wanakah Shale was deposited during a fourth-order cycle of sea level rise and fall and contains four fifth-order regressive-transgressive cyclic packages that roughly correspond to four lithostratigraphic submembers. Each of these includes five or six superimposed subcycles. This cyclicity is recognizable not only from lithologic evidence, especially in intervals where diagenetically enhanced marker beds are prevalent, but also from changes in faunal composition upward through the section. Larger-scale cycles are delineated by successions of depthand turbidity-adapted benthic faunal assemblages, recording faunal tracking as these migrated upand down-slope in response to benthic deepening and shallowing. The smaller-duration subcycles, associated with smaller-magnitude depth changes, are revealed by examination of cumulative frequency diagrams illustrating subtle bed-to-bed changes in faunal dominance through the section. Wanakah Shale cyclicity compares favorably to that which has been recognized in Cretaceous stratigraphic sequences in the Western Interior Basin of North America, where integration with a highly refined chronostratigraphic framework tied in with absolute dates provides convincing evidence for allogenic forcing mechanisms.
Dependence of nuclear quadrupole resonance transitions on the electric field gradient asymmetry parameter for nuclides with half-integer spins

Abstract Allowed transition energies and eigenstate expansions have been calculated and tabulated in numerical form as functions of the electric field gradient asymmetry parameter for the zero field Hamiltonian of quadrupolar nuclides with I = 3 / 2 , 5 / 2 , 7 / 2 , and 9 / 2 . These results are essential to interpret nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectra and extract accurate values of the electric field gradient tensors. Applications of NQR methods to studies of electronic structure in heavy element systems are proposed.
On Multispecies Mythology: A Critique of Animal Anthropology

This article argues that the turn to the animal is a return to mythology. By reading multispecies scholarship as narrativization of contemporary mythology, I claim that the field voices anxieties about human futures through figures of animal others. Multispecies ethnography implicitly grapples with an apocalyptic mythos prevailing in the wake of modernity’s seemingly abandoned dreams (e.g. geopolitical peace, postcolonial development, environmental consciousness, economic prosperity, public understanding of science). I reconsider the cultural function of multispecies research through two moves. First, I read Thom van Dooren’s Theory, Culture & Society article on ‘Authentic Crows’ as such a quasi-allegorical account. Second, I develop how animal anthropology captures the contemporary mythos in an ‘affirmationist’ register that counters the pessimistic affect of late industrialism. Ultimately, the critical politics of such research may be redeemed through efforts to work closely with scientists and to rende...
Colloidal synthesis and electrical properties of GeSe nanobelts

GeSe is a narrow band gap IV–VI semiconductor that has been attracting increasing attention as a potential alternative material for photovoltaics, along with other optical and electrical applications. However, unlike several other narrow band gap chalcogenide semiconductors, very few examples of GeSe nanostructures have been reported. One-dimensional nanostructures are particularly attractive, because they can serve as building blocks for nanostructured electronic devices. As a step toward both increasing the morphological diversity of GeSe nanomaterials and expanding the library of electronic materials that are accessible as one-dimensional nanostructures, we report here the colloidal synthesis and electrical properties of GeSe nanobelts. The GeSe nanobelts were synthesized by first heating a one-pot reaction mixture of GeI4, TOP-Se, oleylamine, oleic acid, and hexamethyldisilazane to 320 °C, then adding additional TOP-Se and heating for several additional hours. Aliquot studies revealed that an amorphou...
Study of New Cationic Trimeric Quaternary Ammonium Salts Surfactant

A kind of trimeric cationic surfactant-tris(2-chlorododecyl dimethylammoniumethyl)amine(TCDAEA)is synthesized.The tris(2-chloroethyl)amine(TCEA)by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions using triethanolamine and thionyl chloride as materials is firstly prepared.The end products TCDAEA was prepared by quaternization reaction using TCEA and N,N-dimethyl-dodecylamine(12DMA)as materials.Maily studied the effects of mass fraction of catalyst,reaction temperature,reaction time,solvent mass fraction and the molar ratio of 12DMA to TCEA on the yield of product.And used FT-IR method identified the structures of TCEA and TCDAEA.The results show that the intermediate and aim product have been prepared,and the yield of product is 96.6%,when the mass fraction of catalyst is 0.3%,the molar ratio of 12DMA to TCEA is 3.9,solvent mass fraction is 20%,the reaction temperature is 80℃ and the reaction time is 6 h.The surfacial tension of the product solution can reduce to 25.2 mN/m at 25℃ with the critical micelle concentration is 4.2×10-4 mol/L.
Investigation of bloodsucking midges and description of newly found female Culicoides xunkeensis Yang,Li et Liu,2011 in Xunke county,China

Objective To investigate the species of bloodsucking midges in Xunke county,Heilongjiang province,China Methods Light traps and insect nets were used to capture bloodsucking midges.Results A total 7810 bloodsucking midges(16 species,one genus) were captured in Xunke county,and female Culicoides xunkeensis Yang,Li et Liu,2011 was newly found.Conclusion This investigation provides a basis for the study on species of bloodsucking midges in Xunke county,Heilongjiang province.The specimens are deposited in the Xunke Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.
Kinase and Phosphatase Effector Pathways in T Cells

Multiple interconnected effector pathways mediate the activation of T cells following recognition of cognate antigen. These kinase and phosphatase pathways link proximal T cell receptor (TCR) signaling to changes in gene expression and cell physiology. A key step in the TCR signaling cascade is the generation of the second messenger molecules inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). IP3 triggers calcium signaling, leading to activation of the transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells), while DAG activates PKCθ and RasGRP1, which couple to the transcription factors NFκB (nuclear factor kappa B) and AP-1 (activator protein 1), respectively. The coordinated binding of these three transcription factors, NFAT, NFκB, and AP-1, to the promoter of the T cell survival cytokine interleukin-2 is a critical step in T cell activation. In this article, we cover the kinase and phosphatase pathways downstream of second messenger generation and discuss the role of these effectors in T cell development, activation, and differentiation.
O-35 The economic impact of ACP on a regional health care system: What do we know after some 25 years?

The La Crosse (Wisconsin) health care organisations began implementation of a regional wide advance care planning (ACP) effort that was in full effect by the spring of 1993. This program is now known as Respecting Choices®. These ACP efforts have continued to the present. In La Crosse County (pop. approx. 120,000) it has been determined that there is a high prevalence of planning at the time of death (96%) and that almost all of these plans are found in the patients’ health records (99%). But is there any evidence that an ACP program changes the utilisation of health services or affects the cost of care? In this session, the presenter will consider this question. He will look at both data collected in La Crosse as well as data from the Dartmouth Atlas. This evidence will be compared to other studies that have looked at the economic impact of ACP to see if there are some trends in the data. Finally, there will be a discussion of what will be needed to more clearly answer the question about the economic impact of ACP.
Blood Transfusion and Anesthetic Practices in Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy

AbstractWe have attempted to lessen blood transfusion requirements during radical retropubic prostatectomy. The influence of temporary occlusion of the hypogastric arteries, anesthetic techniques and autologous blood transfusions were studied in 93 men undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. Operations performed with the patient under general or regional anesthesia with hypogastric artery clamping required significantly less blood replacement than those performed without hypogastric artery clamping (1.8 plus or minus 0.3 versus 3.5 plus or minus 3 units, respectively, mean plus or minus standard error). Preoperative autologous banking of blood eliminated the need for heterologous transfusions in 10 of 15 patients in whom any autologous blood was banked (2 to 4 units per person). We conclude that temporary hypogastric artery clamping can reduce significantly the need for blood product replacement in radical retropubic prostatectomies during the perioperative period. W...
Systematic optimization of Laser-based Additive Manufacturing for multiple mechanical properties

Despite the recent advances in laser-based additive manufacturing technologies, quality of the functional parts is still an important challenge. Depending on different quality requirements in various Laser-based Additive Manufacturing applications (biomedical, aerospace, automotive etc.), fabricated parts should meet different requirements of mechanical properties. Most of the existing studies aimed to obtain the optimal process parameters for each specific application, resulting in repetitive experiments and the delay of material certification. Optimizing a given material for various potential applications is a major challenge due to high experimental costs. The proposed methodology, systematically designs sequential experiments to achieve the multiple sets optimal process parameters associated with a specific material and machine system simultaneously for different requirements of mechanical properties in holistic manner.