cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics and equilibrium sedimentation analysis of the close approach of DNA molecules and a molecular ordering transition.

Measurement of the equilibrium distribution of persistence length fragments of DNA in high concentration in the ultracentrifuge shows that the reduced osmotic pressure rises much faster than linearly. From analysis of the data in terms of the Zimm cluster integral we infer that the net interactions between helices are purely repulsive at all distances. A theoretical equation of state derived from scaled particle theory with one adjustable parameter is in excellent agreement with the experimental data so long as the salt concentration is not excessively low. The parameter represents the hard-core radius in a simplified approximation to the potential function for the electrostatic repulsion between helices. Its value depends on the salt concentration, and it shrinks at high salt to a radius in close agreement with direct structural estimates. At a particular value of the osmotic pressure that is only slightly salt dependent, the solution undergoes a reversible transition to a denser, turbid, optically anisotropic phase. The relation between DNA volume fraction, including the electrostatic radius, at the transition point and the effective asymmetry of the molecules as a function of salt is in approximate correspondence with various theoretical treatments. However, the experimental function extrapolates to the correct limit for spherical particles. The work needed to bring DNA to a high concentration is estimated. The results suggest that the phase transition is first order.
Even-odd cycle parity in complexity of hemispheric sunspot activity

Abstract We have used the Lempel–Ziv measure to describe the complexity in sunspot activity during the solar cycles 18–23. In particular, we examined the time series of daily sunspot numbers in the northern and southern hemispheres in each of the six cycles and calculated the Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC) value for each time series. Our results indicate that in the even cycles, the LZC values of the sunspot numbers in the two hemispheres are very close to each other, whereas in the odd cycles they differ significantly between the two hemispheres. We also find that within each hemisphere the LZC varies from cycle to cycle. This even–odd cycle parity reflects the variations in inter-hemispheric strengths of the solar magnetic field leading to different temporal distributions of sunspots in the two hemispheres. The degree of complexity may influence the predictability of sunspot activity in the two hemispheres during the various cycles. Although the physical implication of the results is not clear, these results may stimulate new ideas into modeling the complex dynamics of the solar dynamo.
Reconciliation and post-conflict behaviour in ringtailed lemurs, Lemur catta and redfronted lemurs, Eulemur fulvus rufus

Abstract Abstract. The post-conflict behaviour of two species of prosimian primates was recorded to examine the effects of agonistic interactions on the subsequent behaviour of former opponents. A total of 125 dyadic agonistic interactions between adults of both species were randomly selected during observations of two social groups of each species. During the 10 min following each agonistic interaction (post-conflict), all social interactions of one of the opponents with all group members, including the former opponent, were recorded and compared with baseline rates established by matched-control observations. In ringtailed lemurs, L. catta , the probability of affinitive interactions between former opponents was not affected by a preceding conflict. In redfronted lemurs, E. fulvus rufus , rates of affinitive interactions between former opponents were significantly above baseline levels in the first 2 min following a conflict, and former opponents were selectively attracted to each other. These post-conflict reunions may function as reconciliations. Significantly larger proportions of undecided conflicts, low-intensity conflicts and conflicts between related redfronted lemurs were reconciled, and victims of aggression were significantly more likely to initiate reconciliation. Neither species showed evidence of consolation, i.e. significantly increased affinitive contact between victims of aggression and third parties during the post-conflict period. Ringtailed lemurs, which have a clear dominance hierarchy and within-group kinship structure, showed a trend toward an increased probability of renewed conflict with former opponents, but not with other group members, during the post-conflict period. They provide the first documented example of a highly social species that appears to lack behavioural mechanisms to cope with the dispersive effects of intra-group aggression. These results demonstrate that reconciliation is not limited to the relatively large-brained anthropoid primates, that reconciliation is not a necessary consequence of group life, and that the occurrence of reconciliation is not limited to species with formalized dominance relations.
Investigation of fundamental transport properties and thermodynamics in diglyme-salt solutions.

Ionic mobility, the thermodynamics of ionic association, and the structure of associated species are studied in solutions of diglyme containing either lithium triflate or tetrabutylammonium triflate. Infrared spectroscopic, PFG NMR, thermodynamic, and crystallographic data suggest that the solute species existing in diglyme−lithium triflate are “free” ions, contact ion pairs, and dimers. Equilibrium constants, ΔS°, ΔH°, and ΔG° are calculated for processes occurring between these species. In particular, the equilibrium constant, corrected for nonideality using a modified Debye−Huckel expression, is calculated for the dissociation of contact ion pairs into “free” cations and anions. A second equilibrium constant for the formation of dimers from contact ion pairs is also calculated; these constants do not significantly vary with salt concentration up to about 1.3 × 10-3 mol cm-3. The measured temperature dependence of equilibrium constants was used to calculate ΔH° and ΔS° for the two processes. The value o...
Fate of parental herpesvirus DNA.

Abstract The fate of the DNA of infecting pseudorabies virions in rabbit kidney cells was followed. The rate of adsorption of infectious and noninfectious virions is the same. Most of the DNA in the adsorbed virions (infectious and noninfectious) in preparations of freshly purified virions is rapidly transferred to the cell nucleus and replicates. Storage of the virions at −70° does not significantly affect infectivity but does affect the ability of the DNA in some of the adsorbed virions to be transferred to the cell nucleus and to replicate. Although the DNA in the noninfectious particles present in preparations of fresh virions replicates, this process is dependent upon coinfection of the cells with infectious virus, indicating that the replication of the DNA of noninfectious particles requires the expression of some functions of the DNA in infectious particles. Most of the single-stranded interruptions in mature pseudorabies viral DNA are ligated prior to the replication of the DNA. Few double-stranded fragments of viral DNA accumulate in the infected cell. Breakage and reunion of parental viral DNA is detectable and seems to occur preferentially around the middle of the molecules.
A simple model for the shock wave induced by high-speed impact.

The classical self-similar solution of the point source blast wave problem and its adaption to impacts in solids are discussed. The derivation of a previously developed "varying-y" model is reviewed and the results are compared with new, direct experimental measurements for shock decay mil00-o-aluminum. A new' 'varying energy'' model is developed and described. This modified model allows both the y and energy in the blast wave solution to vary in an attempt to account for the fundamentally nonsimilar behavior of the solid material more accurately. An improved match of the shock Hugoniot for the solid material is also employed. Results indicate considerably improved agreement with experiment when one free parameter (which can be determined from one experimental point) is properly chosen.
Transfer of training as a function of experimental paradigm and meaningfulness

Summary The effects of three widely divergent levels of meaningfulness on paired-associate transfer under the A-B, A-Br and A-B, A-C paradigms were evaluated by means of a mixedlist design. As compared with the A-B, C-D control paradigm, A-B, A-Br transfer shifted from positive for consonant syllables to negative for common three-letter words. Negative transfer was also found to increase consistently, although insignificantly, with increased meaningfulness for the A-B, A-C paradigm. The differential effects were attributed to the predominance of associative interference under high-meaningfulness conditions, and to increasing positive transfer effects produced by the greater importance of response (and possibly stimulus) learning as meaningfulness decreases.
Measuring nanopore size from the spin-lattice relaxation of CF4 gas.

Abstract The NMR 19 F spin–lattice relaxation time constant T 1 for CF 4 gas is dominated by spin–rotation interaction, which is mediated by the molecular collision frequency. When confined to pores of approximately the same size or smaller than the bulk gas mean free path, additional collisions of molecules with the pore walls should substantially change T 1 . To develop a method for measuring the surface/volume ratio S / V by measuring how T 1 changes with confinement, we prepared samples of known S / V from fumed silica of known mass-specific surface area and compressed to varying degrees into cylinders of known volume. We then measured T 1 for CF 4 in these samples at varying pressures, and developed mathematical models for the change in T 1 to fit the data. Even though CF 4 has a critical temperature below room temperature, we found that its density in pores was greater than that of the bulk gas and that it was necessary to take this absorption into account. We modeled adsorption in two ways, by assuming that the gas condenses on the pore walls, and by assuming that gas in a region near the wall is denser than the bulk gas because of a simplified attractive potential. Both models suggested the same two-parameter formula, to which we added a third parameter to successfully fit the data and thus achieved a rapid, precise way to measure S / V from the increase in T 1 due to confinement in pores.
An algebraic approach to the prefix model analysis of binary tree structures and set intersection algorithms

Abstract The trie , or digital tree , is a standard data structure for representing sets of strings over a given finite alphabet. Since Knuth's original work (1973) , these data structures have been extensively studied and analyzed. In this paper, we present an algebraic approach to the analysis of average storage and average time required by the retrieval algorithms of trie structures under the prefix model . This approach extends the work of Flajolet et al. for other models which, unlike the prefix model, assume that no key in a sample set is the prefix of another. As the main application, we analyze the average running time of two algorithms for computing set intersections.
Analysis of urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase by capillary zone electrophoresis

N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG), a glycosidase enzyme, present in serum, urine and the renal lysosomes is utilized clinically as an early marker for renal damage preceding the elevation of both blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. NAG is analyzed by CE after incubation of urine samples with the synthetic substrate methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucosaminide. The reaction mixture is introduced directly into the instrument without further treatment. The released reaction product, 4-methyl-umbelliferone, is separated at 13.2 kV in a 400 mM borate buffer, pH 8.1. Detection was achieved with either ultraviolet absorption or with fluorescence. The fluorescence detection was more sensitive and gave cleaner electropherograms. The CZE method correlated well with an automated kinetic fluorescent assay. 4-Methyl-umbelliferone conjugated to different substrates is used in the analysis of many enzymes involved in the inborn errors of metabolism.
A Chromatographic perspective of high-performance liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry

Abstract The coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC—MS) is today a rapidly advancing field. In this paper, the chromatographic aspects of this coupling are reviewed. It is shown that the quantitative evaluation of resulting chromatograms, based on centralized second moment calculations of the bands rather than visual comparison with UV chromatograms, is required. The criteria for minimum influence on column performance by the interface and mass spectrometer are presented. Based on these principles, recent developments in HPLC column design are examined for their impact on HPLC—MS. Included in these developments are high-speed separations, as a consequence of small particle diameter (3 μm) columns and narrow tube diameter (micropacked) columns. In the latter case, the use of 200 μm fused-silica capillary columns with small particle diameter supports appears particularly promising. Finally, an assessment of the utility of post-column chemistries in HPLC—MS is given. The combination of these chromatographic developments with those of MS makes the future of HPLC—MS appear to be quite bright.
JESUS AND MUHAMMAD: A HISTORIAN'S REFLECTIONS

A la difference de Jesus-Christ, Muhammad a vecu assez longtemps pour etre son propre Constantin. Il a vu l'islam s'etablir comme la religion de la plupart du monde arabe. S'il avait voulu, il aurait pu ecrire ses propres Laudes Constantini dans le Coran. Muhammad s'est approprie le role de Constantin, l'empereur-pretre. Sa residence-mosquee de Medine est devenue dans une certaine mesure un sacrum palatium. Pourtant, Muhammad n'a jamais joue le role d'un Eusebe de Cesaree. On ne trouve pas de forme d'auto-congratulation dans les sourates de Medine du Coran
Experimental investigation of firebrands: Generation and ignition of fuel beds

A series of real scale fire experiments were performed to determine the size and mass distribution of firebrands generated from Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees. The results of the real scale fire experiments were used to determine firebrand sizes to perform reduced scale ignition studies of fuel beds in contact with burning firebrands. The firebrand ignition apparatus allowed for the ignition and deposition of both single and multiple firebrands onto the target fuel bed. The moisture content of the fuel beds used was varied and the fuels considered were pine needle beds, shredded paper beds, and shredded hardwood mulch. Firebrands were constructed by machining wood (Douglas Fir) into small cylinders of uniform geometry and the size of the cylinders was varied. The firebrand ignition apparatus was installed into the Fire Emulator/Detector Evaluator (FE/DE) to investigate the influence of an air flow on the ignition propensity of fuel beds. Results of this study are presented and compared to relevant studies in the literature.
Brainstem auditory implants

Abstract Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF 2) typically results in deafness due to disruption of the cochlear nerves, making peripheral devices such as cochlear implants ineffective. Auditory brainstem implants (ABIs), for direct electrical stimulation of the cochlear nucleus, have been used to provide auditory stimulation in this group of patients. Currently, an advanced multichannel device is utilized, with direct stimulation of the brainstem surface. Patients undergoing ABI have significant improvement in scores on several audiologic tests over baseline. When used to augment lip reading, improvement is also seen. The degree of improvement varies considerably among patients. ABI is a useful device for use by deaf patients with NF 2. As measured by audiologic testing, many patients receive substantial benefit with regard to sound and speech comprehension.
Guidelines for revascularization: The evidence base matures.

[first paragraph of article] Myocardial revascularization procedures continue to represent important treatment options for patients with acute and chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and also represent a major source of health care expenditures . For the past decade, the indications for revascularization in patients with chronic CAD, and the indications for surgical versus percutaneous revascularization, have been the subject of considerable discussion, debate, and controversy. The guidelines from the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association (ACCF/AHA) and the European Society of Cardiology / European Association for Cardiothoracic S (ESC/EACTS) have made major inroads in resolving these issues and have provided the standards for care for interventional cardiologists, surgeons, and the physicians who refer patients for these procedures. The transatlantic guidelines have also been remarkably concordant in their overall recommendations.
Mechanism of NAD(P)H:quinone reductase: Ab initio studies of reduced flavin.

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase type 1 (QR1, NQO1, formerly DT-diaphorase; EC 1.6.99.2) is an FAD-containing enzyme that catalyzes the nicotinamide nucleotide-dependent reduction of quinones, quinoneimines, azo dyes, and nitro groups. Animal cells are protected by QR1 from the toxic and neoplastic effects of quinones and other electrophiles. Alternatively, in tumor cells QR can activate a number of cancer chemotherapeutic agents such as mitomycins and aziridylbenzoquinones. Thus, the same enzyme that protects the organism from the deleterious effects of quinones can activate cytotoxic chemotherapeutic prodrugs and cause cancer cell death. The catalytic mechanism of QR includes an important initial step in which FAD is reduced by NAD(P)H. The unfavorable charge separation that results must be stabilized by the protein. The details of this charge stabilization step are inaccessible to easy experimental verification but can be studied by quantum chemistry methods. Here we report ab initio quantum mechanical calculations in and around the active site of the enzyme that provide information about the fine details of the contribution of the protein to the stabilization of the reduced flavin. The results show that (1) protein interactions provide approximately 2 kcal/mol to stabilize the planar conformation of the reduced flavin isoalloxazine ring observed in the X-ray structure; (2) the charge separation present in the reduced planar form of the flavin is stabilized by interactions with groups of the protein; (3) even after stabilization, the reduction potential of the cofactor remains more negative than that of the free flavin, making it a better reductant for a larger variety of quinones; and (4) the more negative reduction potential may also result in faster kinetics for the quinone reduction step. Proteins 2001;43:420–432. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the Frontier of Science: An American Rhetoric of Exploration and Exploitation

In On the Frontier of Science Leah Ceccarelli examines the metaphor of the frontier in public rhetoric about science, in order to understand its historical development as well as “the unconsidered ...
Natriuretic Response to Increased Pressure Is Preserved With COX-2 Inhibitors

Elevation of renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) by direct renal interstitial volume expansion increases sodium excretion. This natriuretic response is blunted by the nonspecific inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. The present study tested the hypothesis that the natriuretic response to increased RIHP during direct renal interstitial volume expansion is dependent on COX-1 but not COX-2. RIHP and fractional excretion of sodium (FE(Na)) were measured before and after direct renal interstitial volume expansion in control rats (n=7), rats infused with the COX-1 inhibitor piroxicam (n=6, 1.5 mg/kg), and rats infused with the COX-2 inhibitors NS-398 (n=5, 1.5 mg/kg) and meloxicam (n=6, 0.3 mg/kg). In control animals, direct renal interstitial volume expansion significantly increased RIHP (Delta2.3+/-0.5 mm Hg, P<0. 05) and FE(Na) (Delta1.1+/-0.3%, P<0.05). Likewise, in animals infused with NS-398 or meloxicam, direct renal interstitial volume expansion significantly increased RIHP (Delta1.8+/-0.6 mm Hg, P<0.05, and Delta1.7+/-0.3 mm Hg, P<0.05) and FE(Na) (Delta1.5+/-0.4%, P<0. 05, and Delta1.1+/-0.3%, P<0.05), respectively. In contrast, infusion of piroxicam significantly blunted the natriuretic response to direct renal interstitial volume expansion (DeltaFE(Na) 0.3+/-0. 2%), even though RIHP was increased (Delta1.9+/-0.6 mm Hg, P<0.05). Infusion of piroxicam but not NS-398 or meloxicam blunted the natriuretic response to increased renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure, suggesting that the natriuretic response to increased blood pressure may be preserved during inhibition of COX-2.
Pin-joint design effect on the reliability of a polysilicon microengine

Accelerated stress experiments were performed on a class of pin joints to determine reliability. We varied parameters that affected the area of the rubbing surfaces and the gap between those surfaces. Most of the pin joints failed due to seizure. We observed bimodal failure distributions where the lower distribution was associated with an adhesion event with no observable wear debris. The upper distribution of failures was associated with agglomerations of wear debris, which may have seized the pin joint. The effect of surface coatings was also studied. We found that for supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO/sub 2/) dried microengines; the largest effect was due to gap spacing. For microengines with a self-assembled monolayer coating (SAMS), we observed minimal difference in the lifetimes of failed devices.
Weight-loss practices and weight-related issues among youth with type 1 or type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE —The purpose of this study was to describe the weight-loss practices and weight-related issues reported by youth with diabetes, according to sex and diabetes type. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —A total of 1,742 female and 1,615 male youth aged 10–21 years with type 1 or type 2 diabetes completed a SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study visit during which height, weight, and A1C were measured. A survey assessed weight-related issues and weight-loss practices. RESULTS —Although more common in youth with type 2 diabetes, youth with type 1 diabetes also reported weight-related concerns and had elevated BMI. Among youth who had ever tried to lose weight ( n = 1,646), healthy weight-loss practices (diet [76.5%] and exercise [94.8%]) were the most common, whereas unhealthy practices (fasting [8.6%], using diet aids [7.5%], vomiting or laxative use [2.3%], and skipping insulin doses [4.2%]) were less common. In sex-specific multivariable models including age, race/ethnicity, diabetes type, BMI category, and glycemic control, obese females and overweight/obese males were more likely to report ever practicing any unhealthy weight-loss practice than normal-weight youth. These practices were associated with poor glycemic control for female but not male subjects. All unhealthy weight-loss practices except fasting were more common in female than in male subjects. Dieting, fasting, and using diet aids were all more common in youth with type 2 diabetes than in those with type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS —Given the prevalence of overweight and obesity among youth with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, health care professionals caring for youth with diabetes need to pay particular attention to identifying youth, particularly females, with unhealthy weight-loss practices.
Sirolimus-eluting coronary stent.

PURPOSE: The mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics of sirolimus when used as part of a drug-eluting stent (DES) and the efficacy and cost of using DESs versus bare-metal stents are discussed. SUMMARY: The use of balloon angioplasty with or without coronary artery stenting is limited by the phenomenon of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Until very recently, most efforts to overcome ISR had been ineffective. The search to prevent or reduce the frequency of ISR has led to the recent development of novel coronary artery stents designed to deliver a drug that acts locally. The first DES was approved by FDA in April 2003. This stent releases sirolimus, an agent that inhibits vascular smooth-muscle-cell proliferation. To date, four major clinical trials have demonstrated the sirolimus-eluting stent to be safe and effective in preventing restenosis in de novo coronary artery lesions. CONCLUSION: The sirolimus-eluting coronary stent is associated with less ISR than non-drug-containing stents, but further investigation is needed to determine its exact place in the treatment of coronary artery occlusion.
Curiosity and pathways to well-being and meaning in life: Traits, states, and everyday behaviors

This study examined curiosity as a mechanism for achieving and maintaining high levels of well-being and meaning in life. Of primary interest was whether people high in trait curiosity derive greater well-being on days when they are more curious. We also tested whether trait and daily curiosity led to greater, sustainable well- being. Predictions were tested using trait measures and 21 daily diary reports from 97 college students. We found that on days when they are more curious, people high in trait curiosity reported more frequent growth-oriented behav- iors, and greater presence of meaning, search for meaning, and life satisfaction. Greater trait curiosity and greater curiosity on a given day also predicted greater persistence of meaning in life from one day into the next. People with greater trait curiosity reported more frequent hedonistic events but they were associated with less pleasure com- pared to the experiences of people with less trait curiosity. The benefits of hedonistic events did not last beyond the day of their occurrence. As evidence of construct speci- ficity, curiosity effects were not attributable to Big Five personality traits or daily positive or negative mood. Our results provide support for curiosity as an ingredient in the development of well-being and meaning in life. The pattern of findings casts doubt on some distinctions drawn between eudaimonia and hedonic well-being traditions.
Diffusion of the effect of cultural training of the leader in the structure of heterocultural task groups

In a heterocultural task group, the favourableness of the leader-to-member behaviour, as rated by an observer, is greater when the leader is trained in the interpersonal norms of the culture of another group member. The effect of training decreases systematically as the relation of variables to the leader-member interaction decreases. 16 Americans were trained in the Thai culture and 16 received control training. Each one of the 32 groups engaged in a construction task and was composed of an American, as leader, and 2 Far Eastern members, 1 being a Thai. Each participant and an observer rated the group effectiveness on 5 variables. The intercorrelation pattern among variables and raters is described. For each variable, the size of the mean difference between trained and control groups varied according to the position of the variable in the intercorrelation pattern.
The Relationship Between Measures of Declarative Memory and the Test of Memory Malingering in Patients With and Without Temporal Lobe Dysfunction

ABSTRACT The relationship between performance on measures of declarative memory and a commonly used forced-choice recognition measure of malingering was explored. The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) was developed to be sensitive to lack of effort and/or simulated malingering while being relatively insensitive to neurological impairment. The present study was designed to examine the sensitivity of TOMM performance to memory related deficits in a group of individuals with memory impairment secondary to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A group of individuals who displayed psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in the absence of neurologic dysfunction were included as controls. For both groups, a combination of memory and emotion variables shared a significant proportion of variance with TOMM Trial 2 performance. A similar relationship held true for the PNES group when accounting for TOMM Retention Trial performance. In contrast, for epilepsy patients, memory but not emotional measures were significantly re...
Electricity reform and sustainable development in China.

Reducing the environmental impact of supplying electricity is a key to China's sustainable development, and a focus of both domestic and international concerns with greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental performance of the electricity sector is strongly affected by its institutional arrangements: regulatory frameworks, wholesale markets, pricing mechanisms, planning and coordination, and enforcement and incentive mechanisms. These arrangements are set to change as electricity reforms inaugurated in 2002, but sidetracked by several years of supply shortages, are being resumed. In this paper we examine the impact of electricity reform on environmental sustainability by analyzing case studies of four environmental initiatives in the electricity sector: retirement of inefficient generators, installation of pollution control equipment, renewable energy development, and efforts to promote energy efficiency. We find that implementation of these policies falls short of objectives for two main underlying reasons: conflicting priorities between central and provincial governments, and ineffective regulation. Sustainability will be best served not by redoubling short-term supply-oriented, market-based reforms, but by better aligning central and provincial government incentives, and by developing competent, independent regulation at the provincial level. China's central government and sub-national governments in industrialized countries can both contribute to the latter goal.
Development of novel silver nanoparticles/polymer composites as high K polymer matrix by in-situ photochemical method

Conductive filler-polymer composite materials have been extensively investigated as conductor-insulator percolative system to achieve high dielectric constant (K). Additionally, the effective dielectric constant of conductive filler/polymer composite can be dramatically enhanced by increasing the dielectric constant of polymer matrix according to scaling theory. However, the high dielectric loss of this type material at high filler loading levels has been a challenging issue, which is originated from the high conductivity and excessive polarized interface induced by the fillers. In this study, an in-situ formed metal nanoparticles/polymer resin compound was developed as a high K polymer matrix by adopting a relatively low concentration of conductive filler to obtain high K retaining low dielectric loss simultaneously. Nano-sized metal particles are preferred because they achieve thinner dielectric films leading to a higher capacitance density. Compared to an ex-situ blending technique by incorporating and dispersing pre-synthesized nanoparticles into polymers, the in-situ synthesis method can offer more advantages such as much more uniform dispersion in polymers and easy size control of nanoparticles. This study explores the in-situ nanoparticle synthesis method by photochemical conduction of a metallic precursor within the polymer matrix. Crystal structure analysis and morphology characterization of the as-prepared nanocomposites by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated the success of the in-situ formation of silver (Ag) nanoparticles in various polymer matrices by the photochemical method. Uniform dispersion of nano Ag particles with size of less than 10 nm in polymer matrices was observed. The effects of reducing agent types, concentrations of a metal precursor, epoxy matrix types and additives on the morphology of nanoparticles will be discussed. Based on the results of UV-Vis and FT-IR study, the proposed reaction mechanism of reduction of silver ion to silver will be presented. Aluminum particles were incorporated into the in-situ formed nano Ag/epoxy composite and the dielectric properties of the composite materials were also investigated. The composites showed a more than 50% increase in K values compared with an Al/neat epoxy composite with the same filler loading of Al. Moreover, the dielectric loss was maintained below 0.05. The results suggested that the in-situ formed Ag-polymer nanocomposites via photochemical approach can be employed as a high-K polymer matrix to host various fillers such as conductive metal or high dielectric constant ceramic fillers. The dielectric behavior of the composites materials at various frequency, their morphology, physical properties and their correlations will be discussed.
Cell adhesion to protein‐micropatterned‐supported lipid bilayer membranes

A new method for constructing controlled interfaces between cells and synthetic supported lipid bilayer membranes is reported. Microcontact printing is used to define squares and grid lines of fibronectin onto glass, which subsequently direct the self-assembly of fluid lipid bilayers onto the complementary, uncoated regions of the surface. Features of fibronectin as small as 5 microm effectively control the lateral organization of the lipid bilayers. These fibronectin barriers also facilitate the adhesion of endothelial cells, which exhibit minimal adhesion to fluid supported lipid bilayers alone. Cells selectively adhere to the features of fibronectin, spanning over and exposing the cells to the intervening regions of supported lipid bilayer. Cell spreading is correlated with both the geometry and dimensions of the fibronectin barriers. Importantly, lipids underlying adherent cells are laterally mobile, suggesting that, in contrast to the regions of fibronectin, cells were not in direct contact with the supported membrane. Protein micropatterning thus provides a valuable tool for controlling supported membranes and for juxtaposing anchorage-dependent cells with lipid bilayers. These systems should be generally useful for studying specific interactions between cells and biomolecules incorporated into supported membranes, and as an approach for integrating living cells with synthetic, laterally complex surfaces.
Electroclinical phenotypes in a pedigreed baboon colony

Summary This is the first large-scale epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) and photosensitivity (PS) recorded by scalp EEG in a natural nonhuman-primate model of photosensitive, generalized epilepsy. Scalp EEG was used to characterize electroclinical phenotypes in a large baboon pedigree housed at the Southwest National Primate Research Center at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) based upon IEDs and photosensitivity. Scalp EEG studies including intermittent light stimulation (ILS) were performed in 671 baboons. Clinical histories were available for 531 (79%) of the animals. The EEG studies lasted 53 (±11) min, during which the baboons were lightly sedated with intramuscular ketamine doses of 5.6 (±0.8) mg. The animals were further classified according to electroclinical phenotypes recorded by scalp EEG: presence or absence of IEDs, seizures and photoparoxysmal or photoconvulsive responses. Effects of age, gender, and species on EEG phenotypes were compared using (Chi-square, two-sided, α
Determination of Early Age Mortar and Concrete Strength by Ultrasonic Wave Reflections

The in situ testing of early age concrete strength is crucial for determining the time of form removal from concrete elements, opening highways to traffic, or applying prestress to steel reinforcement. A nondestructive ultrasonic technique, which measures the reflection loss of ultrasonic transverse waves at a concrete-steel interface, is presented in this paper. The aim is to compare wave reflection measurements on mortar and concrete to strength. It is shown that the reflection loss is linearly related to the strength gain of mortar and concrete at early ages. The experiments have revealed a relationship between the homogeneity of the tested materials and the consistency of the reflection measurements. The repetition of simultaneous measurements of wave reflections and compressive strength on mortar results in similar strength-reflection loss relationships. Multiple measurements on the same concrete gave multiple strength-reflection loss relationships. The accuracy of the strength predictions made with the proposed method is discussed and compared to that of other nondestructive test methods.
Spanish clitic doubling and levels of grammatical relations

This paper examines the phenomenon of clitic doubling in Spanish, in particular, the conditions under which doubling of dative clitics is obligatory. Several descriptively distinct cases in which doubling is obligatory can be unified under a single general rule. This analysis depends crucially on the ability to refer to deep grammatical relations which are distinct from semantic roles. A comparison is made between Relational Grammar, an example of a theory which allows more than one level of syntactic grammatical relations, and Functional Grammar, an example of a theoretical framework which posits only one syntactic level. This comparison shows that the rule is more complicated in a framework like Functional Grammar. Thus clitic doubling in Spanish provides an argument in favor of positing at least two levels of grammatical relations distinct from semantics.
Instrumentation for imaging of breast lesions based on co-registered diffuse optical and X-ray tomography

The design and characterization of a multi-modality system is presented for imaging of breast lesions based on co-registered diffuse optical and X-Ray tomography. Inherent limitations of X-Ray are overcome by combination of two imaging modalities.
Culex tarsalis Coquillett as a Vector of an Attenuated Strain of Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus.

SummaryCulex tarsalis can be infected with a non-neuroadapted strain of western equine encephalomyelitis virus and an attenuated variant with low neuropathogenicity derived from this strain. The infective threshold of the attenuated variant for C. tarsalis was greater than 103.0 suckling mouse intracranial LD50 of virus/0.01 ml of blood. The original and attenuated strains multiplied equally in mosquitoes and both were transmitted to chicks by mosquito bite. The mouse pathogenicity or plaque size of the attenuated virus was not altered after a single passage in chicks and mosquitoes. The attenuated variant developed lower levels of viremias in chicks than the original strain.
Valganciclovir administration to kidney donors to reduce the burden of cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus transmission during transplantation.

BackgroundCytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients and are often transmitted from the donor organ.MethodsIn a pilot prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, we studied whether 1
A Comparison of Just-in-Time and Batch Manufacturing: The Role of Performance Obstacles

Employee perceptions of performance obstacles were measured during a conversion to “just-in-time” (JIT) manufacturing methods in which creation of manufacturing “cells” was the major focus of the c...
Resist Exposure Using Field-Emitted Electrons

Early scanning probe lithography (SPL) studies were limited to demonstrations of the technique’s fine resolution. A few groups fabricated devices using SPL [1][2][3], but such work was directed toward creating a single working device suitable for research or exploration. Methods used by these groups suffer from speed constraints and poor repeatability, thus it is unlikely they can be easily extended to large-scale fabrication applications. We sought to develop a method of SPL suited to semiconductor lithography, where accuracy, reliability, and throughput are essential.
Application of a Variable-Resolution Stretched Grid to a Regional Atmospheric Model with Physics Parameterization

A limited-area stretched-grid method is tested in a regional atmospheric model with physics parameterization to examine its capability to simulate moist physical processes. The stretched-grid model is aimed at achieving high resolution in a small area of interest while covering a large limited-area spatial domain. The simulation of the stretched- grid model over South America shows that it works well when including a full set of physics parameterization and is able to produce comparable results to those in the uniform high-resolution simulation but with improved computational efficiency.
Tumor Metabolism in the Microenvironment of Nodal Metastasis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is a cell membrane transporter of lactate. MCT4 is a tumor-specific marker of oxidative stress, glycolysis, and hypoxia in tumor stromal cells. We investigated HPV-positive and -negative tumors with regional metastases to cervical lymph nodes (LNs) to study how the metastatic tumor cells interact with their microenvironment. By selecting cancers with extracapsular extension (ECE), we intended …
Advection-Dispersion in Fluid Media and Selected Works of Rabi Bhattacharya

In its broadest sense, understanding the dispersion of particles suspended in fluid media is a classic problem that has motivated a tremendous amount of laboratory and field experimentation as well as mathematical and physical theory for centuries. The theory traces back to celebrated work of such historically eminent scientists as Adolf Fick, Albert Einstein, Marian Smoluchowski, Jean Perrin, and Geoffrey I. Taylor, to name a few of the most prominent historic figures. The richness of the problem is reflected in the development of new mathematical, statistical, and computational tools that have resulted from continued explorations of this phenomena beyond the framework of advection-dispersion in a pure liquid. The work of Rabi Bhattacharya, in collaboration with hydrologist Vijay Gupta, stands out for the important theoretical insights provided to contemporary understanding of this phenomena in heterogeneous media over a range of space-time scales. This chapter is an attempt to provide some overview and context for the salient features of these contributions.
The Truthiness about Hurricane Catastrophe Models

In recent years, US policy makers have faced persistent calls for the price of flood and hurricane insurance cover to reflect the true or real risk. The appeal to a true or real measure of risk is rooted in two assumptions. First, scientific research can provide an accurate measure of risk. Second, this information can and should dictate decision-making about the cost of insurance. As a result, contemporary disputes over the cost of catastrophe insurance coverage, hurricane risk being a prime example, become technical battles over estimating risk. Using examples from the Florida hurricane rate-making decision context, we provide a quantitative investigation of the integrity of these two assumptions. We argue that catastrophe models are politically stylized views of the intractable scientific problem of precise characterization of hurricane risk. Faced with many conflicting scientific theories, model theorists use choice and preference for outcomes to develop a model. Models therefore come to include polit...
Chronic pain management in medical education: a disastrous omission.

The relief of suffering, it would appear, is considered one of the primary ends of medicine by patients and lay persons, but not by the medical profession.Eric Cassell [1]Treating pain has been a p...
Gender Issues Persist in Academic Radiology Promotions

Awareness of gender differences is important when hiring faculty and determining start-up packages, selecting committee chairs, choosing project leads, and inviting speakers.
Neural Network Based Wavelength Assignment in Optical Switching

Greater network flexibility through software defined networking and the growth of high bandwidth services are motivating faster service provisioning and capacity management in the optical layer. These functionalities require increased capacity along with rapid reconfiguration of network resources. Recent advances in optical hardware can enable a dramatic reduction in wavelength provisioning times in optical circuit switched networks. To support such operations, it is imperative to reconfigure the network without causing a drop in service quality to existing users. Therefore, we present a system that uses neural networks to predict the dynamic response of an optically circuit-switched 90-channel multi-hop Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) network. The neural network is able to recommend wavelength assignments that contain the power excursion to less than 0.5 dB with a precision of over 99%.
Event management research: The focus today and in the future

Abstract Event management has burst on the academic and applied fields in the last 30 years as an independent entity, although the event product has existed for approximately as long as mankind has existed. Certainly, from recorded time, events have taken a major role in history as part of celebration, religion, community, and even revolution events that have been focal points of importance to residents, regions, and nations. Therefore, the direction of the present paper is to review what is happening in event management today and suggest the future direction that event management will likely take over the next 30 years. The main conclusion from the paper is that event management is getting stronger as an academic field as well as a major element of tourism development. Which suggests that the future should be bright for both academics and professionals in event management in the years to come.
From Betancourt to Chávez: Interpreting Venezuelan Populism in Two Revolutionary Governments

This chapter presents a comparative qualitative analysis of Venezuelan political discourse in the immediate postwar period and the present in order to argue that although the political and economic ideological contents of Venezuelan populist discourse have changed over time, there is an essential structure to this discourse, which has remained constant. Through an examination of newspaper articles propagated during the rule of Accion Democratica (AD) presided over by Romulo Betancourt (1945–1948) as well as articles and websites covering the Chavez administration, this chapter reveals the role of the “opposition” as a trope, a representation, and an explanatory mechanism for the persistence of social conflict, thus comprising a key feature of populist discursive structure. In the discourses of AD and Chavez, this construction of the “opposition” is posed in an antagonistic relationship against references to a “founding moment of the social,” which serves as a collective memory of the origins of democracy and the strive for equality. Thus, from the postwar period to the present, despite the ideological shift from Betancourt’s liberal democratic, pro-capital stance to Chavez’s social democratic, anti-capitalist stance, the populist formations of the reactionary “opposition” and the “founding moment” remain starkly intact. This understanding of Venezuelan populist discourse initiates a historical comparison between the AD and Chavez administrations, which reveals further similarities in their economic policies and international relations than have been previously accounted for. With a historical account of the crisis of institutionalized politics in Venezuela, an explanation emerges of why these comparisons have not been made and argues for their necessity.
The Algebra of Events

Before discussing probabilities, we discuss the kinds of events whose probabilities we want to consider, make their meaning precise, and study various operations with them.