cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making stretchy dielectric, conductive, and semiconductor polymers

The increasing demand for devices that are deformable, wearable, or implantable has been driving the development of functional materials that are additionally compliant and repeatedly stretchable. I will introduce our recent efforts in developing elastomeric dielectrics, semiconductors, and conductors. The formation of interpenetrating networks and other microstructural control techniques are used to (1) enhance the electromehcanical responses of dielectric elastomers, (2) protect the conductive percolation network of silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes at large-strain deformations, and (3) to impart elastic deformability to semiconductor materials that are otherwise not stretchy. Explorations of devices incorporating these materials will also be presented.
Degradation of Materials (Corrosion)

Despite the numerous useful properties of iron and steel and the cultural changes that came along with the introduction of iron, it has to be kept in mind that iron and steel are plagued by a grave detriment. This detriment is rusting, also often referred to by the generic and more accommodating names corrosion or environmental interaction. Specifically, rusting destroys goods valued at approximately 5% of the gross national product in industrialized countries. Billions of dollars have to be spent annually to replace or repair corrosion-related damages or to prevent corrosion. (About $250 billion per year in the United States alone.) Moreover, corrosion can weaken the strength of structures made from iron and changes their appearance. It is of little consolation that many other materials such as glass and polymers likewise undergo some form of deterioration. Rusting transforms iron or ferrous alloys into ceramic compounds (e.g., iron into iron oxide or hydrated iron oxide), as we shall elucidate momentarily. Actually, corrosion is a slow form of burning. In short, rusting is a prime destructive mechanism that affects a society which places its trust and investments into iron and steel.
WE-G-201-04: Panel Discussion

Many health care organizations are adopting mobile applications for patient care. These tools can provide the opportunity for improvements in timely access to patient images. With new possibilities for patient image viewing, it is sensible to take a closer look at what handheld devices might provide and how they are being used. Three speakers: a radiologist, an imaging research scientist, and a clinical medical physicist provide input into different aspects of image viewing on handheld devices. 1. Patrick Luetmer, M.D., Radiologist Provides a radiologist’s perspective of how mobile technologies best fit into patient care workflows, including how patient image viewing is done differently on a mobile platform compared to a PACS workstation and what types of decisions are being made from handheld devices. 2. Aldo Badano, Ph.D., Imaging Research Scientist Provides an overview of technological properties of handheld devices and describes how image viewing with handheld devices impacts the image information that is visible under ideal and clinical conditions. 3. Dr. Alisa Walz-Flannigan, Ph.D., Clinical Medical Physicist Provides an overview of different strategies for setup and quality control as relevant for handheld devices. This session is related to the ongoing work of Task Group No. 260 “Considerations for the Use of Handheld Devices for Viewing Medical Images”. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand how mobile devices for image viewing are being used to enhance patient care 2. To understand how technological properties of various mobile devices combine with device usage to impact the information visible in a medical image 3. To gain awareness of different options for configuring and testing handheld devices for medical image viewing Dr. Aldo Badano has the following: Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA #123-07) with BARCO.
Studies in intestinal healing

Summary Open anastomoses by one layer inverting or everting technies were performed in dogs without antibiotic protection. Few or no bacteria were cultured from a completed anastomosis in the first two hours. There was no significant difference between the growth from inverting or everting anastomoses. Increasingly thereafter, but with significant exceptions in some animals with either type of anastomosis, more organisms appeared until all animals at six hours had more colonies than could be counted. Although organisms were still present on some anastomoses at twelve and twenty-four hours, their number had quite obviously decreased sharply. No statement can be made as to whether these organisms were seeded at the time of the anastomosis or emerged from the bowel after the anastomosis had been made.
Incremental estimation of discrete hidden Markov models based on a new backward procedure

We address the problem of learning discrete hidden Markov models from very long sequences of observations. Incremental versions of the Baum-Welch algorithm that approximate the β-values used in the backward procedure are commonly used for this problem, since their memory complexity is independent of the sequence length. We introduce an improved incremental Baum-Welch algorithm with a new backward procedure that approximates the β-values based on a one-step lookahead in the training sequence. We justify the new approach analytically, and report empirical results that show it converges faster than previous incremental algorithms.
Revealing the dark side of a subjective study: Learnings from noise and sharpness ratings

Significant improvement in no-reference image quality assessment (NR-IQA) methods has been demonstrated in recent years. The demonstrated prediction performance of proposed NR-IQA methods, in terms of correlations between predicted and subjective scores, has reached similar performance levels with full-reference image quality assessment (FR-IQA) measures, on popular image datasets. However, in our work we found that these correlations drop significantly when NR-IQA measures are applied on images that represent real consumer-capture scenarios. This is due to the fact that the datasets used thus far for NR-IQA research are not representative of these consumer scenarios. In an attempt to tackle this issue, we created a set of consumer photos and conducted a subjective experiment. In this paper we describe the subjective experiment, which asked participants for subjective ratings for sharpness, noise, and overall image quality, but yielded counterintuitive subjective ratings for noise due to the complexity of the interaction between sharpness, noise, and perceived quality in consumer content.
The Provider-Monopoly Problem in Health Care

For a reason not generally recognized – U.S.-style health insurance – health care providers with market power enjoy substantially more pricing freedom than comparable monopolists in other markets. Monopoly in health care markets therefore has redistributive effects that are especially burdensome for consumers. Significant allocative inefficiencies – albeit not the kind usually associated with monopoly – also result, particularly when the monopolist is a nonprofit hospital. We first note the need for a more aggressive antitrust policy for the health sector, one that effectively prevents the creation of new provider market power through mergers and other alliances. An immediate need is to prevent the formation of “accountable care organizations” that integrate providers horizontally to achieve market power, not just vertically to achieve efficiency. Because it is unlikely that courts or agencies could undo past mergers that bestowed providers with monopoly power, we also suggest some strategies for contesting existing monopolies. One is to apply antitrust rules against “tying” arrangements so that purchasers can contest providers’ profit-enhancing practice of overcharging for large bundles of services instead of trying to exploit separately such monopolies as they possess in various submarkets. Another is to use antitrust or regulatory rules to prohibit anticompetitive provisions, such as “anti-steering” or “most-favored-nation” clauses, in provider-insurer contracts. The provider-monopoly problem is severe enough that we cannot exclude the more radical alternative of regulating provider prices.
Rainbow: Distributed Database System for Classroom Education and Experimental Research

Rainbow is a Java and web-based distributed database system designed for academic purposes, and serves as an exercise to understand concepts of distributed transactions and transaction management including concurrency control, atomic actions, data replication, and fault tolerance. The motivation for the Rainbow project is twofold. First, Rainbow can be used as a teaching tool. Graduate students taking Distributed Database (or Database Implementation courses) can gain a better understanding and experience of issues involved in transaction processing in a distributed environment [1][2][4]. The second motivation is to use Rainbow as a research tool to conduct scientific experiments on distributed database and transaction processing. To achieve these goals, Rainbow allows the user to configure and program the distributed environment, transactions, and transaction management protocols, and to observe local as well as global executions (history and measured behavior and performance). Rainbow also lends itself as an open system that can be easily changed and extended by students and researchers.
The Politics of Race and Gender: Children's Perceptions of Discrimination and the U.S. Presidency

In the year prior to Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's bids to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. presidency, we explored children's views about the role of race and gender in the U.S. presidency, with a specific focus on perceptions of discrimination. Specifically, we examined children's (aged 5 to 10) knowledge of and attributions for the lack of female (Study 1, N = 76), African American (Study 2, N = 64), and Latino (Study 3, N = 65) presidents. Results indicated that children are knowledgeable about the gender, race, and ethnicity of past presidents, and that many children attribute the lack of female, African American, and Latino presidents to gender and racial discrimination. Theoretical and policy implications of the work are discussed.
Enabling persistent autonomy for underwater gliders through terrain based navigation

To effectively examine ocean processes we must often sample over the duration of long (weeks to months) oscillation patterns. Such sampling requires persistent autonomous underwater vehicles, that have a similarly long deployment duration. Actively actuated (propeller-driven) underwater vehicles have proven effective in multiple sampling scenarios, however they have limited deployment endurance. The emergence of less actuated vehicles, i.e., underwater gliders, has enabled greater energy savings and thus increased endurance. Due to reduced actuation, these vehicles are more susceptible to external forces, e.g., ocean currents, causing them to have poor navigational and localization accuracy underwater. This is exacerbated in coastal regions, where current velocities are the same order of magnitude as the vehicle velocity. In this paper, we examine a method of reducing navigation and localization error, not only for navigation, but more so for more accurately reconstructing the path that the glider traversed to contextualize the gathered data, with respect to the science question at hand. We present a set of algorithms for offline processing that accurately localizes the traversed path of an underwater glider over long-term, ocean deployments. The proposed method utilizes terrain-based navigation with only depth, altimeter and compass data compared to local bathymetry maps to provide accurate reconstructions of traversed paths in the ocean.
Surveillance Cinema: Narrative between Technology and Politics

Taking as a starting point the recent surge in film and television narratives constructed around and by surveillance technologies, this essay offers a historical and theoretical reexamination of the manner in which screen narrative has organized political, racial, affective, and even material formations around and through surveillance. The essay demonstrates that even when films are focused on insistently visual deployments of surveillance technologies, the narrative construction around those technologies suggests highly complex dynamics—dynamics that neither psychoanalytic conceptions of voyeurism nor Foucault’s discourse on Bentham’s panopticon can entirely account for. A visual orientation has made it these approaches which have, within the realm of cinema studies, overwhelming served to explain the formations and functions of a variety of disparate surveillance-themed narratives. A more phenomenological reading of the relations between technology and narrative, as well as a more dynamic intersection with political philosophy as is represented in the growing field of surveillance studies, allows us to see how what this essay calls “surveillance cinema” serves to consolidate the stakes of surveillance technologies and practices with greater attention to historical and structural specificity.
THz dielectric properties of sol-gel material for bioencapsulation

We measured the extinction coefficient and refractive index (0.2-2.0 THz) of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) sol-gel, a bio-encapsulating polymer. Its low extinction coefficient makes it a promising matrix material for THz bio-sensing and biological spectroscopy.
Delinquency, aggression, and attention-related problem behaviors differentially predict adolescent substance use in individuals diagnosed with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the degree to which childhood and adolescent ratings of aggression, attention, and delinquency are related to adolescent substance use outcomes in youth diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). BACKGROUND: Childhood externalizing disorders have been shown to predict adolescent maladaptive substance use, but few studies have examined the differential predictive utility of two distinct dimensions of externalizing behavior: aggression and delinquency. METHODS: Ninety-seven clinically referred children with ADHD initially took part in this research protocol when they were on average 9.05 years of age, and were seen again on average 9.30 years later. Participants' parents were administered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at baseline and follow-up, and youth completed the Youth Self Report (YSR) in adolescence. At follow-up, substance use severity and diagnosis were assessed using semi-structured psychiatric interviews administered separately to parents and adolescents. Linear and binary logistic regressions were used to determine the association of CBCL- and YSR-rated attention problems, aggression, and delinquency to adolescent substance use. RESULTS: Childhood and adolescent delinquency, but not aggression, as rated by parents and youths, predicted adolescent substance use disorders and substance use severity (all p Language: en
On the space of linear homeomorphisms of a polyhedral N-cell

Abstract The author shows that the space of all the linear homeomorphisms of a triangulated n -cell into the n -dimensional euclidean space E n has the structure of a fibre bundle with an open n -cell as its fibres. If the triangulation has exactly two interior vertices, the fibre bundle is homeomorphic to the product bundle E n × E n . This improves a previous result of the author, which was obtained in answering a question raised by R.H. Bing and M. Starbird.
Ultraviolet-light-enhanced oxidation of gallium arsenide surfaces studied by X-ray photoelectron and auger electron spectroscopy

Abstract Laser-enhanced oxidation of gallium arsenide surfaces has been investigated. The oxidation was performed either in air or in pure water at room temperature. Light at ultraviolet wavelengths was found to enhance the oxidation rate much more strongly than at visible wavelengths. The oxidation in air leaves the surface almost stoichiometric, whereas the treatment in pure water results in a gallium-rich surface.
Evolving Protein Stability through Genetic Selection

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Foit et al. (2009) probe cellular protein folding using a split β-lactamase approach for evolving protein stability in the absence of any requirement for function.
An integrated computer-based cruising system for central Appalachian hardwoods

Abstract A re-inventory of state forests in West Virginia was initiated during the winter of 2002. In order to facilitate resource data collection and processing, a computer-based timber cruising system was developed based on objected-oriented modeling techniques. The system consists of three components—handheld data collection system, data transfer, and data analysis, all of which were developed as stand-alone objects. The handheld system, which is Windows® CE based, was used to collect overstory and understory tree data in the field. Data transfer and analysis components reside on a desktop PC and were used to synchronize cruise data from handheld PCs, analyze and generate reports. A relational data model was implemented via Microsoft® Access to store cruise data in the system. All components have been successfully tested and used in the large-scale inventory of West Virginia's state forests, and could be adapted for use in related forest inventory projects.
Improving Powder Flow Properties of Citric Acid by Crystal Hydration

A batch of poorly flowing citric acid anhydrate was exposed to 69.9% relative humidity to prepare pure monohydrate with nearly identical particle size and morphology but different surface properties. Flow properties of the powders were tested using a ring shear cell. Results show the hydration can significantly improve flow properties of anhydrous citric acid.
Oxidation of the ligand in nitro complexes of ruthenium(III)

Nitro complexes of bis(bipyridyl)ruthenium(III) are unstable with respect to oxidation of the coordinated nitro ligand. For the complexes Ru(bpy),(L)NOz' (L = NH,, py (pyridine), pyr (pyrazine), CH3CN, PPh,) and Ru(bpy),(CI)N02, electrochemical oxidation to the ruthenium(II1) state results in production of the corresponding nitrosyl and nitrato complexes in a 1:l ratio. A two-electron oxidation of the nitro ligand to nitrate occurs, and the corresponding reduction is delocalized over two sites, one at the metal (Ru"' - Ru") and one at the ligand (RuNO' - Ru&O). For the chloro complex the rate of disappearance of Ru"'(bpy),(C1)NOz+ is first order in Ru(II1) and the rate constant, determined by monitoring the reaction by cyclic voltammetry, is 1.8 X sd in acetonitrile at room temperature. For the pyridyl complex, variable scan-rate cyclic voltammetry experiments show the intervention of an intermediate past the initial oxidation step. A mechanism is suggested for the oxidation of coordinated nitrite which consists of an initial rearrangement of the nitro ligand from N bound to 0 bound. The 0-bound isomer is a reactive intermediate which undergoes a bimolecular oxygen atom transfer reaction probably with the corresponding Ru"-N02 complex to give the observed products. The acid-base properties of the R~(bpy)~(py)NO~~-Ru(bpy)~(pya)cNidO-~ba's e pair and formal reduction potentials for the chloro and pyridyl complexes as two-electron-acceptor, oxide ion donor oxidants have been determined. In basic solutions, oxidation of the nitro group becomes catalytic and the nitrato complex is the sole product of the oxidation.
WALRASIAN EQUILIBRIUM WITH GROSS SUBSTITUTES

In this paper we study the problem of efficient production and allocation of indivisible objects among a set of consumers. We assume that the agents’ preferences depend on the bundle of objects and the quantity of money they consume. Furthermore, we assume that preferences are quasilinear in money, and that agents have a large endowment of money. With indivisibilities, it is well-known that many familiar properties of the utility functions fail to ensure existence. In their striking analysis of the matching problem, Kelso and Crawford [5] introduce the gross substitutes (GS) condition which ensures the non-emptiness of the core. We propose two new conditions, and show that with quasilinearity they are equivalent Article ID jeth.1999.2531, available online at http:www.idealibrary.com on
Problem Solving: Response Competition and the Influence of Drive:

Summary.-A funcional fixedness problem was constructed which consisted of two sub-tasks. The initial sub-task, termed problem perception, was designed to involve minimal response competition. The second, a functional fixedness sub-task, involved both high and low response competition. Drive level did not influence problem perce2tion time. High drive impaired problem-solving performance by increasing functional fixedness strength when response competition was high. When response competition was low, drive did not influence functional fixedness strength. The obtained interaaive effect of drive level with problem difficulty, predicted by Spence's drive theory, was attributed to the interactive effects of drive upon functional fixedness strengrh. Glucksberg (1962) applied Spence's drive theory (1956) to a functional fixedness problem. Using Duncker's candle problem (Duncker, 1945), a predicted interaction between drive level and problem complexity was obtained. High drive impaired performance when the response designated as correct was low in the response hierarchy, but tended to facilitate performance when the correct response was high in the response hierarchy. The measure of functional fixedness strength used in the earlier study was total time to solve the projlem. Total time to solve, however, represents more than just functional fixedness strength. In the candle problem, S must use a small pasteboard box in order to solve the problem of mounting a candle on a vertical surface. The time score employed included the time from the beginning of the problem until S became aware of the nature of the problem, vzz., that something was needed to support the candle. This particular portion of solution time can be described as problem perception time. A measure of the strength of funccional fixedness is the time from problem perceprion until the functionally fixed object is used. This portion of total solution cime can then be described as functional fixedness cime, representing the strength of funccional fixedness. These two measures, problem perception time and functional fixedness time, can, in simple problems, comprise total solution time. Can drive level influence problem solving by influencing the strength of functional fixedness per se? According to Spence's drive theory, high drive impairs performance in competitional response situations when the dominant response is incorrect and facilitates performance when the dominant response is correct. If, however, the dominant correct response can be executed rapidly and easily, then the influence cf drive level is negligible (Glucksberg, 1962). By
Logical analysis of data—An overview: From combinatorial optimization to medical applications

The paper presents a review of the basic concepts of the Logical Analysis of Data (LAD), along with a series of discrete optimization models associated to the implementation of various components of its general methodology, as well as an outline of applications of LAD to medical problems. The combinatorial optimization models described in the paper represent variations on the general theme of set covering, including some with nonlinear objective functions. The medical applications described include the development of diagnostic and prognostic systems in cancer research and pulmonology, risk assessment among cardiac patients, and the design of biomaterials.
Consideration of Variables in Evaluation of Toxicity to Skin

Certain systems for estimation of toxicity to skin are discussed, in which fuller consideration of variables led to improved study design and better prediction of human hazard. Three areas are considered: skin irritation; dermal carcinogenesis; prediction of carcinogenic potential (in vitro). (1) Variation in the guidelines of various U.S. and foreign agencies for evaluation of skin irritation and corrosiveness of chemicals was addressed by use of multiple-site patching in the rabbit. Data obtained from this “composite assay,” as well as from other published studies, indicated that no single set of guidelines was adequate for proper human hazard assessment. (2) Practical questions are raised about latency time and incidence of skin tumors from limited exposure to chemical carcinogens. In benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) carcinogenesis in mice, the duration of treatment is a key factor in tumor onset and frequency, with a “saturation level” resulting from interplay of duration and dose level. Age at inception of treat...
Pepsin release by prostaglandin E1 analogue. A potential therapeutic problem.

• Prostaglandins inhibit gastric acid secretion and are independently "cytoprotective" for gastric mucosa. They are currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of peptic ulcers. The effects of the prostaglandin E1analogue misoprostol on pepsinogen and acid secretion were tested in isolated rabbit gastric glands and enriched parietal cells. Pepsinogen concentrations were measured by iodine 125—labeled albumin digestion and acid secretion indirectly by carbon 14—tagged aminopyrine uptake. Misoprostol inhibited histamine-stimulated acid secretion in parietal cells with 50% inhibition at 10−9mol/L and maximally (78% inhibition) at 107mol/L. In contrast, however, misoprostol strongly stimulated pepsinogen secretion by gastric glands with a halfmaximal effect at 10−8mol/L and maximal stimulation of 227% at 106mol/L. It is possible that this release of pepsin could compromise the action of prostaglandins in promoting ulcer healing. (Arch Surg1988;123:431-433)
Auditors and risk: Eight new standards

On December 23, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved eight new Auditing Standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. These standards all focus on the auditor's assessment of and responses to risk in an audit. The authors of this article explain that while the eight standards are primarily fresh codification of existing interim standards, they make a few substantive changes as well. However, not everyone believes the new standards are an improvement. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE STABILITY OF THE AR(1) PROCESS WITH AN AR(1) COEFFICIENT

Abstract. In this paper we consider a simple time varying coefficient ARMA process:the AR (1) process with an AR (1) coefficient. A basic requirement of the process is that the output has finite variance, and we derive a condition on the parameters for this to be satisfied. The analysis is complicated by the interaction between the equations for the data and the varying coefficient.
Reversal of cocaine-induced planarian behavior by parthenolide and related sesquiterpene lactones.

Abstract Here we report the prevention and reversal of cocaine-induced behaviors in planarian worms by parthenolide and two related cyclic sesquiterpene lactones (SL), costunolide and santonin. Using established protocols, we studied two cocaine-induced behavioral effects in planaria; the induction of motility decrease and the induction of C-like hyperkinesia. Cocaine, parthenolide, costunolide, santonin, and a lactone-less cyclic sesquiterpene, β-eudesmol, decreased planarian motility in a concentration-dependent manner. Only cocaine induced C-like hyperkinesia. At concentrations that did not show any motility decrease, partenolide, costunolide and santonin, but not β-eudesmol, significantly reduced the cocaine-induced motility decrease and C-like hyperkinesia, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, partenolide, costunolide and santonin were able to rescue planaria from C-like hyperkinesia, after the worms were exposed to cocaine. Conversely, cocaine at a concentration that did not show any measurable effects (10 µM), was able to alleviate the SL-, but not the β-eudesmol-induced motility decrease. Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry experiments demonstrated that cocaine does not interact directly with any of the cyclic sesquiterpenoids, which suggests specific biochemical targets for these compounds in planarians. Our data suggests a common binding site for cocaine and the sesquiterpene lactones in planarians.
Five-Year-Old Girls’ Ideas About Dieting are Predicted by Their Mothers’ Dieting

Abstract Objective To explore 5-year-old girls' ideas, concepts, and beliefs about dieting. Design Girls were asked to define dieting, to describe the behaviors dieting comprised, and were queried about links between dieting, weight control, and body shape. Parents completed questionnaires addressing family health history, demographics, and issues related to food, dieting, and weight control. Subjects/setting Participants were 197 girls aged 5 years and their parents. All girls lived with both biological parents, and were without food allergies or chronic medical problems. Statistical analyses performed For 5 open-ended questions related to dieting, girls were categorized as either having or not having ideas about dieting. These ideas, concepts, and beliefs were categorized, and logistic regression examined predictors of girls' ideas about dieting. Results Depending on the question, from 34% to 65% of girls aged 5 years had ideas about dieting. Compared to girls whose mothers did not diet, girls whose mothers reported current or recent dieting were more than twice as likely to have ideas about dieting, suggesting that mothers' dieting behavior is a source of young girls' ideas, concepts, and beliefs about dieting. Among mothers, more than 90% reported recent dieting, and most reported use of both health-promoting and health-compromising dieting behaviors. Applications Women should be informed that weight control attempts may influence their young daughters' emerging ideas, concepts, and beliefs about dieting. Mothers should be encouraged to use health-promoting rather than health-compromising weight control strategies, not only for their own well being, but to reduce the likelihood that daughters will incorporate health-compromising dieting behaviors into their concepts, ideas, and beliefs about dieting. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000; 100:1157-1163 .
On Hapke photometric model predictions on reflectance of closely packed particulate surfaces

Abstract In a recent paper Hapke et al. (Hapke, B., Shepard, M., Nelson, R., Smythe, W., Piatek, J. [2009]. Icarus 199, 210–218) performed bi-directional reflectance measurements on closely-packed particulate surfaces of micrometer-sized particles and compared these with both the Hapke IMSA photometric model, and a numerical radiative transfer algorithm, the MDYZ (Mishchenko, M., Dlugach, J., Yanovitskij, E., Zakharova, N. [1999a]. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Trans. 63, 409–432). To account for the effects of close packing, Hapke et al. applied a diffraction truncation scheme to remove the diffraction spike and supplied the renormalized single scattering phase function to the IMSA. They found that the IMSA prediction is a better match with measurement than that of MDYZ. In this work we demonstrate that the diffraction truncation procedure outlined by Hapke et al. contains an error. By following Hapke et al.’s intended truncation scheme, we have found that the IMSA model is not sufficiently anisotropic to describe the reflectance pattern of measurements on surface reflectance of closely packed large spherical particles.
Permanent Electronic Excitation of a Molecular Layer on a Surface through Phase Conjugation

The dynamics of an atom (or molecule) located near the surface of a four-wave mixing phase conjugator is studied. This device consists of a slab of nonlinear material, which is illuminated by two strong counterpropagating laser beams. The atomic dipole field induces a polarization in the nonlinear material, and as a result, a phase-conjugated replica is emitted toward the atom. This effectively leads to a four-wave mixing process at the site of the atom, during which two pump photons are annihilated in favor of an electronic excitation of the atom. The mismatch in energy is emitted as a single fluorescent photon. In the steady state the atom acquires a finite population of the excited level, although there is no direct optical pumping of the atomic transition. It is shown that this population is determined entirely by the Fresnel reflection coefficients of the medium. In case of magnetic degeneracy of the levels, the distribution over the sublevels is furthermore determined by geometrical Clebsch−Gordan c...
Effect of Sampling Frequency on Intersample Variance and Food Consumption Estimates of Nonpiscivorous Largemouth Bass

Abstract We assessed the effect of sampling schedule on estimates of diet composition of an age-II+ cohort of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in a small lake in Michigan's upper peninsula. Our objectives were to determine the effects of sampling frequency on diet variance and on estimated prey consumption by the fish population. Sampling frequency ranged from 2 to 30 samples per 45-d sampling period in summer 1987. We determined the mean variance of an index of relative importance for each of six prey types as a function of sampling frequency. Estimates of mean rates of total population food consumption (based on percent wet weights of each prey type) were calculated with a generalized bioenergetics model. Feeding on each of three prey items (i.e., zooplankton, chironomids, and trichopterans) fluctuated irregularly over time, and intervals of 3–18 d between feeding bouts were determined from the data. Sampling frequency influenced the accuracy of consumption rate estimates. A minimum sampling freque...
Raman scattering from vibrational and magnetic modes in Dy, Er, and Y films

Inelastic-light-scattering spectra were measured in molecular-beam-epitaxy--grown single-crystal films of dysprosium, erbium, and yttrium. Polarized Raman scattering was used to probe vibrational and electronic excitations in Dy, Er, and Y, and magnetic excitations in Dy. The vibrational light-scattering measurements have revealed an anomalous temperature dependence of the Brillouin-zone-center transverse-optical (TO) phonon in Dy and Er. Previous measurements of the thermal expansion of bulk Dy and Er indicate that this temperature dependence cannot be explained by lattice anharmonicity and the related volume change. The hardening of this mode may be due in part to the coupling of the TO phonon to the ordered magnetic moments. The ferromagnetic acoustic-spin-wave gap in Dy was observed. The light-scattering measurement of the spin-wave gap energy agrees with and corroborates earlier infrared resonance measurements in bulk Dy. The observation of the optical spin wave in ferromagnetic Dy is forbidden by Raman selection rules. The optical spin wave in spiral-phase Dy was not observed. A broad low-intensity peak centered at about zero energy shift was observed in Er, Dy, and Y films and in bulk Zn. This may be due to interband electronic scattering or two-phonon scattering. The LO phonon was observed in Dy, Er, and Y due to weak disorder.
Development and Analysis of Three Diesel Particulate-Related Standard Reference Materials for the Determination of Chemical, Physical, and Biological Characteristics

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently issued three Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) related to diesel particulate matter: SRM 1650a, Diesel Particulate Matter; S...
Optimizing performance to achieve multi-terahertz operating frequencies in pseudomorphic HEMTs

High-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are important for high frequency applications, and they now operate in the range of several hundred GHz for the cut-off frequency, fT and even higher for the maximum frequency of oscillation, fmax. To study the question of how much higher these frequencies can be pushed, we have used a full-band, cellular Monte Carlo transport program to study scaled pseudomorphic HEMTs and their response at high frequency. Building on a previous study on fT, we have obtained the unilateral power gain for gate lengths ranging from 10 to 50 nm, extracted the corresponding fmax's and extrapolated the results to determine an ultimate frequency limit for the 300 nm long device shown here.. We find that fmax can exceed 4 THz, ∼25% higher than the limit for fT that was previously obtained. We also examine the effect of varying the gate to channel spacing has on the operation of these devices. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Relationship of fluorescence polarization to cell lineage in lymphocytes from normal subjects and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Previous investigations have shown differences in fluorescence polarization between normal and chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes following incubation with the probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. In the present study, we determined the fluorescence polarization of unseparated or enriched subpopulations of T and B lymphocytes from normal subjects and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. As had been observed by others, the mean polarization (P) value at 25 degrees C for unseparated chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes, .240 +/- .007 (N = 22), was lower than that of unseparated normal lymphocytes, .248 +/- .005 (N = 18), P less than .001 (Student's t-test). The difference was greater when B-enriched populations were compared. The mean P value of B-cell-enriched chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes, .240 +/- .007 (N = 5), was significantly lower than that of B-cell-enriched normal preparations, .256 +/- .004 (N = 5), P less than .001. In contrast, no significant difference was found between normal and chronic lymphocytic leukemia T cells. The anomalous fluorescence polarization manifested by chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes of B-cell origin serves to distinguish this lineage from its normal counterpart and from T cells of either source.
Cognitive Loci of Impairments in Picture Naming by Aphasic Subjects

In order to identify the process or processes responsible for impaired naming by aphasic patients, ten aphasic adults and ten normal adults performed three independent tasks—picture naming, modifie...
Short-term soil inorganic N pulse after experimental fire alters invasive and native annual plant production in a Mojave Desert shrubland.

Post-fire changes in desert vegetation patterns are known, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Theory suggests that pulse dynamics of resource availability confer advantages to invasive annual species, and that pulse timing can influence survival and competition among species. Precipitation patterns in the American Southwest are predicted to shift toward a drier climate, potentially altering post-fire resource availability and consequent vegetation dynamics. We quantified post-fire inorganic N dynamics and determined how annual plants respond to soil inorganic nitrogen variability following experimental fires in a Mojave Desert shrub community. Soil inorganic N, soil net N mineralization, and production of annual plants were measured beneath shrubs and in interspaces during 6 months following fire. Soil inorganic N pools in burned plots were up to 1 g m−2 greater than unburned plots for several weeks and increased under shrubs (0.5–1.0 g m−2) more than interspaces (0.1–0.2 g m−2). Soil NO3 −−N (nitrate−N) increased more and persisted longer than soil NH4 +−N (ammonium−N). Laboratory incubations simulating low soil moisture conditions, and consistent with field moisture during the study, suggest that soil net ammonification and net nitrification were low and mostly unaffected by shrub canopy or burning. After late season rains, and where soil inorganic N pools were elevated after fire, productivity of the predominant invasive Schismus spp. increased and native annuals declined. Results suggest that increased N availability following wildfire can favor invasive annuals over natives. Whether the short-term success of invasive species following fire will direct long-term species composition changes remains to be seen, yet predicted changes in precipitation variability will likely interact with N cycling to affect invasive annual plant dominance following wildfire.
The prediction of the 19F NMR spectra of fluoroarenes using ‘statistical’ substituent chemical shift values

Abstract 19 F NMR data for fluoroarenes from a previous publication (Nanney et al., J. Fluorine Chem., 64 (1993) 217) together with additional available literature data and some new data have been analyzed using a new method which determines substituent chemical shifts (SCS) statistically. This new technique and over 400 of these ‘statistical’ SCS values (SSCS values) are reported, having been computed from a data base of 1961 signals. When these values are used to predict the signal position they are found to give a correlation coefficient of predicted versus observed values of 0.995 with a standard deviation of 2.46.
Juvenile Absence Epilepsy Exacerbated by Valproic Acid

Valproic acid is commonly and effectively used in the treatment of idiopathic generalized epilepsies, including juvenile absence epilepsy. Although several adverse effects are associated with this drug, it has only rarely been known to exacerbate seizures. Similar to antiarrhythmic drugs aggravating particular arrhythmias, antiepileptic drugs can paradoxically induce new seizure types or exacerbate existing ones. This reaction is better known with carbamazepine and phenytoin, but is less common with broad-spectrum antiepileptic drugs such as valproic acid. This report describes a case of paradoxical, intravenous valproic acid–induced seizure exacerbation in a child with juvenile absence epilepsy, documented by video-electroencephalography.
The effects of age and previous experience on social rank in female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus spadiceus

Social rank can influence lifetime reproductive success and therefore fitness. We examined the effects of morphology, age, previous social experience and aggressiveness on social rank in all-female flocks of red junglefowl. None of the morphological characters measured (mass, tarsus length, comb height or comb length) appeared to play a role in determining rank. Older females were not more likely to be dominant, while previous social experience and aggression levels were both important in dominance determination. Flock-experienced hens were more likely to be dominant as were more aggressive individuals. Red junglefowl females most likely use a combination of characters to establish social order in a newly formed flock. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Child Support and African American Teen Fathers

Our nation has turned its focus to personal responsibility and has subsequently formulated polices that have reformed welfare and strengthened child support enforcement. Teen fathers continue to present dilemmas for policy makers because of their status as minors, their lack of understanding of the policy implications for parenthood, their lack of skills, and their high unemployment status. African American teen fathers shoulder a larger burden in respect to the high unemployment rates and high drop out rates for African American males. Policies and programs must be developed that not only involve teen fathers with their children, but also provide them with the skills necessary to financially support themselves and their children.
Response stability and reliability in longitudinal health evaluations

Two approaches were used to study the stability over time and intravisit reliability of health questions and clinical medical examination items in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). The stability of responses was determined by evaluating the medical history and physical examination completed at each visit to identify items that once answered in a positive manner, should continue to be answered positively over time. Stability for each question and subject was calculated by the number of positive responses following the first positive response divided by the total number of visits following the first positive response. For 35 questions answered by the subject, the stability was 58% by a simple average or 64% when weighted for the percentage of subjects who had a positive response to the question; for 10 physician-asked questions, the corresponding figures were 29% or 36%. Eighteen items from the physical examination had a stability of 34% or 37%. Intravisit reliability was estimated by comparing responses from the general health questionnaire to responses on the Cornell Medical Index completed at the same visit. Subject-completed questions had substantial agreement (Kappa = 0.74, for questions worded the same), while physician-asked questions had moderate agreement (Kappa = 0.44).
Modelling of diffusion-limited, homogeneous reactions in supported liquid-phase catalysts

Abstract A model is proposed for describing mass transfer of gaseous reactants and products in supported liquid-phase catalysis. It is based on the dusty-gas equation and incorporates the pore-size distribution of the dry support as well as the nonuniform liquid-phase distribution. Experimental testing was conducted with three separate liquids and for various loadings in an α-alumina support. With each having a contact angle of less than 90° on the alumina, the dispersion patterns of the three liquids were essentially the same. Nonsoluble gases were used in the experiments.
Primary and reoperative hypospadias repair in adults--are results different than in children?

Purpose: There is widespread belief that hypospadias surgery in adults has a greater urethroplasty complication rate than similar repair in children. We compared outcomes of primary and reoperative hypospadias repair in adults vs children.Materials and Methods: We evaluated prospectively maintained databases of consecutive boys and adults, defined as Tanner 4 or greater, treated with primary or reoperative hypospadias repair from 2000 to 2013. We searched for urethroplasty complications, including fistula, glans dehiscence, stricture/stenosis and diverticulum. All operations were done with the goal of creating a neomeatus at the normal location at the tip of the glans. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine whether pubertal status impacted urethroplasty complications.Results: A total of 1,140 patients were operated on by a single surgeon, including 69 adults with a mean age of 23 years. Complications developed in 209 cases (18%), including 124 of 883 primary repairs (14%) and 85 of 25...
Use of the PARC code to estimate the off-design transonic performance of an over/under turboramjet nozzle

The transonic performance of a dual-throat, single-expansion-ramp nozzle (SERN) was investigated with a PARC computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, an external flow Navier-Stokes solver. The nozzle configuration was from a conceptual Mach 5 cruise aircraft powered by four air-breathing turboramjets. Initial test cases used the two-dimensional version of PARC in Euler mode to investigate the effect of geometric variation on transonic performance. Additional cases used the two-dimensional version in viscous mode and the three-dimensional version in both Euler and viscous modes. Results of the analysis indicate low nozzle performance and a highly three-dimensional nozzle flow at transonic conditions. In another comparative study using the PARC code, a single-throat SERN configuration for which experimental data were available at transonic conditions was used to validate the results of the over/under turboramjet nozzle.
Pace of life and suicide.

In 21 American cities, the pace of life was negatively associated with suicide rates. Language: en