cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructure and Composition of Ethylene−Carbon Monoxide Copolymers by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Low molecular weight ethylene/carbon monoxide (E/CO) copolymers were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Because of the nominal mass overlap between ethylene and carbon monoxide monomers, the normal copolymer oligomer distribution cannot be observed by time-of-flight (TOF) mass analysis, and no composition or microstructure information can be obtained. Chemical reduction of the carbon monoxide to a hydroxyl permits observation of an ECO copolymer distribution by increasing the mass of each oligomer in proportion to the carbon monoxide content. Unfortunately, the poor ionization efficiency of the fully reduced copolymer precludes quantitative composition and microstructure measurements. MALDI in combination with Fourier transform−ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry permits oligomers having the same total number of monomers but different amounts of ethylene and carbon monoxide to be mass resolved. The discrete oligomer distribution obtained ...
INCREASED WATER PERMEABILITY OF THE BULLFROG (RANA CATESBIANA) BLADDER IN VITRO IN RESPONSE TO SYNTHETIC OXYTOCIN AND ARGININE VASOTOCIN AND TO NEUROHYPOPHYSIAL EXTRACTS FROM NONMAMMALIAN VERTEBRATES1

Ncurohypophysial hormones accelerate the passage of water across the wall of the isolated bullfrog (Rana catesbiana) bladder in vitro. Net water movement may be in either direction depending on the existing osmotic gradient. Net sodium transport from mucosal to serosal surface has little influence on the magnitude or direction of water movement. The increased net water movement is considered, therefore, to be clue to a change in water permeability, probably resulting from the dilatation of pores. Oxytocin is more active than vasopressin in enhancing water permeability. The synthetic analogue arginine vasotocin is many times more active than oxytocin. The ratio of frog-bladder activityto oxytocic activity is high in ncurohypophysial extracts from a lamprey, a teleost, a frog, a toad, a marine turtle, and the chicken. This suggests that arginine vasotocin may be a natural hormone in the neurohypophyses of many non-mammalian vertebrates.
Induction of respiratory deficient mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by mono- and diazido analogs of ethidium.

Abstract Mono- and diazido analogs of ethidium when photolyzed with yeast cells were highly effective in inducing respiratory deficient (RD) mutants. The monoazide was more mutagenic, though slightly less photosensitive, and under the concentrations and conditions used, both required photolysis to be significantly mutagenic. Ethidium bromide (EB) competed with either its mono- or diazide analog for RD induction when applied before, but not after, the photolysis step. This suggested that the initial mutagenic binding sites for the azides were identical with those of EB. There was no self-rescue or recovery in azide mutagenesis in contrast to EB. Furthermore, recovery from azide mutagenesis could not be provoked by EB. This confirmed a simple competition between binding of EB and its azide analogs to account for the prevention by EB of the azide induced mutations.
Conceptual structure and conceptual tempo.

College students selected for extremes of concrete and abstract conceptual structure were given 4 visual information-processing tasks: Matching Familiar Figures, Design Recall test, Embedded-figures test, and a task requiring identification of familiar objects presented tachistoscopically at 1/100 sec. Schroder's theory of conceptual structure provided a basis for predicting that abstract Ss would proceed more reflectively on the tasks than would concrete Ss, i.e., abstract Ss were expected to show longer response times and a higher proportion of correct responses. Results showed little generality of either speed or accuracy over tasks, and no support for the conceptual structure hypothesis. Non-parametric analysis of over-all performance indicated that abstract Ss and males tended to be both faster and more accurate in visual tasks than concrete Ss and females, respectively.
AlGaN-Based Lateral Current Injection Laser Diodes Using Regrown Ohmic Contacts

A lateral current injection (LCI) design for AlGaN deep-ultraviolet edge-emitting laser diodes (LDs) on AlN substrates is presented. Two-dimensional optoelectronic simulation predicts lasing at a wavelength of 290 nm. Unlike vertical current injection designs, LCI designs can take advantage of narrow-bandgap p-type contact layers with minimal impact on the optical confinement factor through a partial decoupling of the problems of optical confinement and electrical injection. With polarization-charge-matched quantum well barriers, a large number of quantum wells can be used in LCI designs, which not only enhances the optical confinement factor but also distributes joule heating over a large volume. This is the first theoretical investigation of an LCI LD design in the III-V nitride material system.
SEAT BELT USAGE RATES: A TEST OF PELTZMAN'S HYPOTHESIS

Despite the universally accepted belief that the use of seat belts would have a significant impact upon the number of vehicular fatalities, current evidence indicates that relatively few drivers employ their seat belts. Various hypotheses have been offered to explain this phenomenon, many of which conclude that a driver's decision to use a seat belt is independent of the risk experienced in his trip making. This paper develops an economic model which focuses upon the relationship between driver use of seat belts and the travel conditions under which trips are made. Using data obtained from a national survey of households, a binary logit model is developed to test the hypothesis that seat belt usage is influenced by the level of risk experienced in one's trip making. The estimation results were consistent with the underlying hypothesis that individuals travelling in more risky environments are more likely to use their seat belts. The econometric results are then employed to examine various policy issues, including the predicted use of seat belts for population sub-groups, driver response to the introduction of a small urban car, and the impact upon the probability of a fatality resulting from vehicle fleet downsizing.
Hormonal modulation of responsiveness to an aversive taste stimulus in rats.

Abstract Gonadal hormones influence responsiveness to an aversive quinine solution. The decrease in fluid consumption was proportionately greater for intact than for ovariectomized females when the water supply was adulterated with quinine sulfate. Quinine acceptance by ovariectomized rats was unaffected by treatment with estradiol benzoate or progesterone alone. In combination, these hormones were effective in decreasing intake of the bitter solution. In intact females, estrogens and progestins appear to act synergistically to increase reactivity to the aversive taste stimulus. The decrease in fluid consumption attributable to quinine adulteration was significantly smaller in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats than in unmated females. It is suggested that this effect is due to the decrease in estradiol and increase in progesterone secretion characteristic of these endocrine states. Male and female rats did not differ in responsiveness to the quinine solution. The results are compared with those from earlier studies on hormonal regulation of responsiveness to sweet substances. Possible neural mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed.
The core of competence: it's a matter of the heart.

Let me begin by saying what I know each of us in this audience recognizes: The privilege of my being here today is a function of the undeserved blessings in my own life that have come through others. In this regard, I would like to highlight the role of several of my personal and professional mentors. On the professional front, I would like to thank Bud Hurst, a general surgeon I met in my undergraduate and medical school years, who taught me to view medicine as a ministry and modeled that one’s service through our profession can and should be a direct expression of our most deeply held convictions and values, which as you will see is one of the themes I hope to pursue with you today. I would also like to thank Jeff Ponsky, who showed me that professional and educational excellence go hand in hand and that prioritizing one’s love for family could be integrated into a busy and productive professional life. I would also cite my residency program director, Bill Passinault, who showed me what it meant to practice the highest ethics in one’s relationship with patients, colleagues, and trainees and who demonstrated that humility and selfsacrifice were foundational disciplines for educational leadership. Tom Gadacz and Bruce MacFadyen, my chairs at the Medical College of Georgia, gave me the opportunity to make education a meaningful and central academic focus of my professional duties. Bruce also introduced me to the world of ministry through international medical education, which has been one of the richest and most humbling experiences of my career. More recently, Gary Dunnington, David Rogers, Reed Williams, and Hilary Sanfey, along with our entire educational team at Southern Illinois University (SIU), taught me the value and discipline of educational scholarship and have become dear colleagues and friends. Finally, the members of this association and its leadership teams over the years, including our past presidents and our current executive team, support staff, and board, have been tremendous mentors in my own career path. I leave out many in this quick review, but would certainly not be here today and would have nothing
MicroRNA-122 Inhibits Tumorigenic Properties of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells and Sensitizes These Cells to Sorafenib

MicroRNAs are negative regulators of protein coding genes. The liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) is frequently suppressed in primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). In situ hybridization demonstrated that miR-122 is abundantly expressed in hepatocytes but barely detectable in primary human HCCs. Ectopic expression of miR-122 in nonexpressing HepG2, Hep3B, and SK-Hep-1 cells reversed their tumorigenic properties such as growth, replication potential, clonogenic survival, anchorage-independent growth, migration, invasion, and tumor formation in nude mice. Further, miR-122-expressing HCC cells retained an epithelial phenotype that correlated with reduced Vimentin expression. ADAM10 (a distintegrin and metalloprotease family 10), serum response factor (SRF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (Igf1R) that promote tumorigenesis were validated as targets of miR-122 and were repressed by the microRNA. Conversely, depletion of the endogenous miR-122 in Huh-7 cells facilitated their tumorigenic properties with concomitant up-regulation of these targets. Expression of SRF or Igf1R partially reversed tumor suppressor function of miR-122. Further, miR-122 impeded angiogenic properties of endothelial cells in vitro. Notably, ADAM10, SRF, and Igf1R were up-regulated in primary human HCCs compared with the matching liver tissue. Co-labeling studies demonstrated exclusive localization of miR-122 in the benign livers, whereas SRF predominantly expressed in HCC. More importantly, growth and clonogenic survival of miR-122-expressing HCC cells were significantly reduced upon treatment with sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor clinically effective against HCC. Collectively, these results suggest that the loss of multifunctional miR-122 contributes to the malignant phenotype of HCC cells, and miR-122 mimetic alone or in combination with anticancer drugs can be a promising therapeutic regimen against liver cancer.
The growth of children's semantic memory: Semantic elements

Abstract The present studies support the position that children learn superordinate elements later than subordinate ones. Semantic oddity problems revealed that first-graders understand very little about the superordinate elements, animate and inanimate , that fifth-graders understand them somewhat better, and that ninth-graders apparently understand them perfectly (but only use them when pressed); in contrast, first-graders understand the subordinate elements, plant, animal, vehicle , and utensil , fairly well and fifth and ninth-graders apparently understand them perfectly. The studies also argued that responses to sematic oddity problems reflect knowledge of semantic elements (competence) rather than use (performance) and that semantic oddity problems based on words give approximately the same results as those based on pictures.
Mechanisms of moral disengagement and their differential use by right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation in support of war.

Right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) are associated with the approval of war as a political intervention [McFarland, 2005]. We examined whether the effects of RWA and SDO on war support are mediated by moral-disengagement mechanisms [i.e., responsibility reduction, moral justification, minimizing consequences, and dehumanizing-blaming victims; Bandura, 1999] and whether the ideologies use the mechanisms differently. Our data were consistent with the possibility that minimizing consequences (Study 1) and moral justification (Study 2) mediate the effects of RWA and SDO on approval of war. Both ideologies were positively associated with all moral-disengagement mechanism though more strongly so for RWA. Comparisons within ideologies suggest that RWA was most strongly associated with moral justification and SDO was most strongly associated with dehumanizing-blaming victims. We discuss implications and limitations. Language: en
Vapor deposition of amino-functionalized self-assembled monolayers on MEMS

In the fabrication of MEMS devices, what has come to be known as "release stiction" occurs when the device is removed from the liquid phase into the ambient air. One widely used method for dealing with stiction is to deposit a hydrophobic coating on the surface of the device before it is removed from the liquid phase. This method can produce coatings with inconsistent morphology and device yield. This is to be compared with a new coating deposition scheme developed at Sandia National Labs, termed VSAMS (vapor-deposited self-assembled monolayers) that employs supercritical CO 2 drying and chemical vapor deposition to address many of the concerns associated with release stiction. VSAMS is attractive due to its process benefits, which include increased throughput, reduced waste, and most importantly, it can be easily scaled to full wafer production. It is also attractive because films produced by this method are uniform and very hydrophobic. The deposition step makes use of a class of compound that is particularly suited for vapor phase reactions, amino-functionalized silanes. The yield of microengine test devices coated with films made from amino-functionalized silanes was examined over an extended period. Their function was determined before and after the application of VSAMS. The advantage of using amino-functionalized silane precursors for VSAMS is related to the strength of the bond between the film and the polysilicon surface as evidenced by the fact that films made with these precursors are stable across the entire humidity scale.
Nonlinearities and effects of transverse beam size in beam position monitors

The fields produced by a long beam with a given transverse charge distribution in a homogeneous vacuum chamber are studied. Signals induced by a displaced finite-size beam on electrodes of a beam position monitor (BPM) are calculated and compared to those produced by a pencil beam. The nonlinearities and corrections to BPM signals due to a finite transverse beam size are calculated for an arbitrary chamber cross section. Simple analytical expressions are given for a few particular transverse distributions of the beam current in a circular or rectangular chamber. Of particular interest is a general proof that in an arbitrary homogeneous chamber the beam-size corrections vanish for any axisymmetric beam current distribution.
A technology demonstration facility

A facility for generating engineering data on the nuclear technologies needed to build an engineering test reactor (ETR) is described here. The facility, based on a tandem mirror operating in the Kelley mode, could be used to produce a high neutron flux (1.4 MW/m2) on an 8-m2 test area for testing fusion blankets. Runs of more than 100 h, with an average availability of 30%, would produce a fluence of 5 mW/yr/m2 and give the necessary experience for successful operation of an ETR.
Theoretical Investigation of the Cyclic Peptide System Cyclo(( D-Ala-Glu-D-Ala-Gln)m)1-4)

Using newly developed theoretical methods, we present preliminary results for some calculated properties of the cyclic peptide system cyclo[(d-Ala-Glu-d-Ala-Gln)m=1-4]. These calculations are motivated by the fact that the cyclo[(d-Ala-Glu-d-Ala-Gln)2] cyclic peptide structure was the first cyclic peptide structure synthesized by an experimental group through a self-assembly process. In this paper, we calculate the electronic structure and vibrational mode properties of the isolated ring structures for cyclo[(d-Ala-Glu-d-Ala-Gln)m=1-4] and of the cyclic peptide nanotube system cyclo[(d-Ala-Glu-d-Ala-Gln)2]. The HOMO−LUMO gap is wide (∼5.0 eV) yielding a transparent material with possibly unique bioelectronic device applications. In addition, we find that the C−O carbonyl stretch modes and the N−H amide-I stretch modes of these isolated ring structures to be highly localized at around 1773 and 3192 cm-1, respectively.
Glycosphingolipids of fetal and adult sheep colonic mucosa

The ganglioside and neutral glycosphingolipid composition of fetal and adult sheep colonic mucosa were characterized and compared. Mono- and tetrahexosylceramide were the major neutral glycolipids of both fetal and adult colons. Adult, but not fetal, mucosa also possessed di- and trihexosylceramide. Similarly, GD1a, GM3 and GM2 were found to be the principal gangliosides in fetal and adult tissue. Adult colonic mucosa possessed significant amounts of GT1a not present in fetal tissue.
Xenobiotic metabolism of p‐nitrophenol derivatives by the rice field crayfish (procambarus clarkii)

The extent and routes of metabolism affect the bioconcentration and toxicity of xenobiotics in crayfish. To investigate the in vivo xenobiotic metabolism of three p-nitrophenol derivatives, rice field crayfish were exposed to 0.1 to 0.01 mg L−114C-substrate solutions for 15 h. At apparent steady-state uptake, the crayfish were transferred to a recycling flow-through metabolism chamber for 24 h where the depurated products were collected and concentrated on a column of Amberlite XAD-4 resin. The tissue absorption and distribution of 14C-compounds at the apparent steady-state and post depuration periods were measured by complete tissue combustion and recovery of evolved 14CO2. The structure and concentration of metabolites in resin and soft tissue extracts were determined by cochromatography with authentic standards in HPLC and TLC systems. The crayfish rapidly absorbed the radiolabeled chemicals from solution and depurated metabolites of oxidation and conjugation reactions. The most prominent metabolites were the β-D-glucosides of the free phenols, with lesser amounts of the corresponding sulfate esters. Observed oxidations included O-demethylation, aromatic sidechain oxidation and phosphorothioate deesterification. Body burdens of the original p-nitrophenol derivatives were markedly reduced by the presence of these metabolic transformations.
Phytase improves dietary calcium utilization in chicks, and oyster shell, carbonate, citrate, and citrate-malate forms of calcium are equally bioavailable

Abstract Three chick experiments were done to investigate the effect of an Escherichia coli –derived phytase (EcoPhos; Phytex, Portland, ME) and Ca source on the bioavailability of Ca from corn-soybean meal diets. Five replicates of four male crossbred chicks were fed experimental diets from day 8 to day 18 or 20 posthatch. In experiment 1, bone ash values revealed that EcoPhos released an average of 0.72 g Ca/kg from Ca-deficient diets containing 1.1 g Ca/kg from soybean meal. Phytase supplementation in experiment 2 resulted in release of 1.07 g Ca/kg. In experiment 3, no differences were found in the relative bioavailability of Ca from feed-grade limestone, calcium citrate, calcium citrate-malate, or oyster shell, all relative to reagent-grade CaCO 3 . Calcium-deficient diets would benefit from either phytase supplementation or Ca supplementation from any of these sources.
Desvenlafaxine: Another “Me Too” Drug?

Objective:To compare desvenlafaxine with its parent drug, venlafaxine, to determine the usefulness of this new medication.Data Sources:Information was obtained through a MEDLINE search (1966-June 2008) and from published abstracts. Search terms included desvenlafaxine, O-desmethyIvenlafaxine, Pristiq, major depressive disorder, and venlafaxine. STUDY selection and data extraction: All English-language studies and abstracts pertaining to desvenlafaxine and venlafaxine were considered for inclusion. Preference was given to human data.Data Synthesis:Desvenlafaxine is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and is the active metabolite of the antidepressant venlafaxine. The recommended dose is 50 mg daily, based on the efficacy and safety data of 50, 100,150,200, and 400 mg of desvenlafaxine. The response and remission rates of depression at 8 weeks for the 50-mg dose are 51 -63% and 31-45%, respectively. These rates are comparable with those seen with venlafaxine (58% and 45%, respectively). Adverse ef...
Conduction band minimum of CdTe

The spectral dependence of the photovoltaic effect for Au-n-type CdTe surface barrier cells is measured for photon energies near the CdTe intrinsic absorption edge at 298, 77, and 5°K. The results are viewed in terms of phonon assisted direct exciton absorption, phonon assisted exciton creation at a previously proposed lattice defect site, and indirect optical transitions. The data appears to favor the third mechanism although the second one is not ruled out as a possibility. The values for the direct transition energy gap obtained at the different temperatures compare favorably with those given by other work.
Least-squares reconstruction of spatially limited objects using smoothness and non-negativity constraints

This paper describes an approach to reconstructing an optical object which has been subjected to low pass spatial-frequency filtering. The object is assumed to be of limited and known spatial extent and is further known to be non-negative and reasonably smooth. The smoothness constraint is incorporated into a regularizing matrix in a novel way. This matrix defines a regularized version of the original imaging equation, which is then solved using least-squares estimation under a non-negativity constraint. Combining constraints in this way can lead to reconstructions of very high quality.
Maybe atrial fibrillation does matter in ventricular assist device patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) management poses challenges that are typically distilled into a simple question: rate control or rhythm control? Do the benefits of full anticoagulation outweigh the potential risks in this patient? As an internal medicine resident, I found AF management much less anxiety
Why the Brownlow Committee Failed: Neutrality and Partisanship in the Early Years of Public Administration

In 1938, Congress rejected a package of administrative reforms that had been developed by a committee of academics headed by Louis Brownlow. The defeat was the worst that President Roosevelt would suffer in three terms as President. This article suggests that the Brownlow Committee contributed to the debacle in Congress by ignoring evidence that its recommendations would prove contentious. It is argued that the committee members were caught in a dilemma: On the one hand, they wanted to obtain immediate reforms for a president to whom they felt a personal loyalty; on the other, they needed to maintain a demonstration of neutrality, which made it difficult to undertake the tasks of political management that were essential to craft a viable reform program. The demonstration of neutrality was a combination of arguments and routines that the academic community had invented to allay public skepticism about its members' trustworthiness as advisers on contentious issues.
Section Editor's Notes

This is my first issue as associate editor of software reviews for The American Statistician. In this column, I will introduce myself, comment on the types of software reviews that can be published in this section of The American Statistician, and encourage others in the profession to consider taking on the task of reviewing statistical software packages. I first began reading statistical software reviews in this journal when enrolled in my doctoral program in biostatistics. I read a number of excellent reviews and found the information they contained helpful in my own research, in class projects, and in collaborative work that I was doing at the time. I became interested in writing software reviews while completing my dissertation and contacted Dr. Richard Goldstein, at that time the journal’s software reviews editor. Dr. Goldstein explained the process of submitting software reviews, gave me valuable pointers on writing these reviews as well as obtaining the statistical software that I was interested in evaluating, and helped me focus my ideas. I completed my first software review after finishing my dissertation. During this period, Dr. Joseph Hilbe assumed the role of software reviews editor. Both Drs. Goldstein and Hilbe were instrumental in helping me get that first review published. That review focused on statistical software designed specifically for, or with strong components in, analyses of data obtained from epidemiology studies (Oster 1998). I subsequently developed an interest in statistical research in categorical data analysis methods in general, and in exact statistical methods in particular. Since then, I have authored (and coauthored with Dr. Hilbe) numerous comparative reviews regarding categorical data analysis and exact statistical methods (Oster 2002, 2003; Oster and Hilbe 2003, 2005, 2008a, 2008b). In these reviews, there is an emphasis on evaluating the implementation and performance of statistical methods in the various software packages. Writing these reviews has been a rewarding experience for me personally and also for my career. Various types of software reviews have appeared in The American Statistician. These reviews have traditionally been of the comparative type. A comparative review involves the evaluation of two or more software packages with a focus on a specific statistical or scientific area (e.g., Oster and Hilbe 2008a, 2008b). This type of review tends to be thorough and involves an evaluation of all capabilities of each software package with
The regulation of ferredoxin-dependent nitrogenase activity in Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

The regulatory properties of Rhodospirillum rubrum nitrogenase reduced by either the endogenous electron donor (ferredoxin) or an artificial donor (dithionite) were examined. The nitrogenase obtained from glutamate-grown cells required activating enzyme for maximum activity with either reductant. The activating enzyme requirement of ferredoxin-dependent nitrogenase activity implies a physiological significance of the activating enzyme in R. rubrum. Rhodopseudomonas capsulata nitrogenase also required activating enzyme when dithionite was the reductant, but there appeared to be no activating enzyme requirement with ferredoxin as the reductant. Because the catalytic activity of the enzyme was very low under these conditions, the physiological significance of activating enzyme in this organism remains in question.
First Pacific Symposium on Marine Sciences

The First Pacific Symposium on Marine Sciences was held in Nakhodka in the Primorsk region of the Soviet Union, August 7—16, 1986. The meeting was organized by the Scientific Committee on Marine Sciences of the Pacific Science Association (PSA), an international nongovernmental body devoted to initiating and promoting cooperation in solving scientific problems of the Pacific Basin. The committee is composed of three marine scientists from the Soviet Union, three from the United States, and one each from Canada, the Philippines, Japan , New Zealand, France, Tahiti, Australia, South Korea, and Indonesia. The American members of the committee are G. W. Boehlert (National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Honolulu, Hawaii), J.C. Kelley (San Francisco State University, School of Science, San Francisco, Calif.), and G.R. Seckel (Pacific Fisheries Environmental Group, NMFS, Monterey, Calif.). The committee is chaired by V.I. Ilyichev, who is president of the Far Eastern Sciences Center of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences and also the director of the Pacific Oceanological Institute in Vladivostok.
Demography, demand, death, and the seasonal allocation of labor in the Florida harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex badius)

As a self-organizing entity, an ant colony must divide a limited number of workers among numerous competing functions. Adaptive patterns of labor allocation should vary with colony need across each annual cycle, but remain almost entirely undescribed in ants. Allocation to foraging in 55 field colonies of the Florida harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex badius) followed a consistent annual pattern over 4 years. Foragers preceded larvae in spring and peaked during maximal larval production in summer (0.37). In spring, proportion foraging increased due to an increase in forager number and reduction in colony size, and in late summer, it decreased as colony size increased through new worker birth and a loss of ∼3 % of foragers per day. The removal of 50 % of the forager population revealed that, at the expense of larval survival, colonies did not draw workers from other castes to fill labor gaps. To determine if labor allocation was age specific, whole colonies were marked with cuticle color-specific wire belts and released, and each cohort's time to first foraging was noted. Workers that eclosed in summer alongside sexual alates darkened quickly and became foragers at ∼43 days of age, whereas autumn-born workers required 200 or more days to do so. Following colony reproduction, these long-lived individuals foraged alongside short-lived, summer-born sisters during the next calendar year. Therefore, the large-scale, predictable patterns of labor allocation in P. badius appear to be driven by bimodal worker development rate and age structure, rather than worker responsiveness to changes in colony demand.
Cross-plane thermal conductivity temperature dependence for PbSnSe/PbSe thin film superlattice material from 100K to 300K

The temperature dependence of cross-plane lattice thermal conductivity for thin film IV-VI semiconductors grown by molecular beam epitaxy was measured. Samples consisting of PbSe/PbSrSe multiple quantum wells (MQWs) on PbSe/PbSnSe superlattices (SLs) were grown with variations in SL layer thickness and the number of SL pairs. Localized lattice temperatures within the MQW layers were extracted from analysis of continuous wave photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra at heat sink temperatures between 100 K and 250 K. These data, finite element analysis, and electrical characterization were used to determine cross-plane lattice thermal conductivity of two different SL materials. A SL material with three different PbSe/PbSnSe thicknesses (1.2/1.2, 1.8/1.8, and 2.4Z2.4 nm) exhibited a fairly constant lattice thermal conductivity from 1.2 to 1.3 WZmK as the sample was cooled from 250 K to 100 K. Another SL material with five different PbSe/PbSnSe thicknesses (0.5Z0.5, 1.0Z1.0, 1.6Z1.6, 2.1Z2.1, and 2.6Z2.6 nm) exhibited very low lattice thermal conductivities from 0.46 to 0.47 WZmK 250 K to 100 K. These results are consistent with reflection of low energy heat transporting acoustic phonons within the SL material.
Letter to the Editor-Stronger Cuts in Integer Programming

In a recent note Robert Wilson [Opns. Res. 15, 155-156 1867] shows how to calculate stronger cuts than those proposed by Gomory for his all-integer algorithm. We supplement Wilson's observations by providing a basis for calculating other cuts, drawing on results of Glover [Management Sci. 13, 254-268 1966].
Synthesis and characterization of multiblock copolymers composed of poly(5-methyl-5-benzyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one) outer blocks and poly(L-lactide) inner blocks

Ethylene glycol (EG) initiated, hydroxyl-telechelic poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) was employed as a macroinitiator in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst in the ring-opening polymerization of 5-methyl-5-benzyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (MBC) with the goal of creating A–B–A-type block copolymers having polycarbonate outer blocks and a polyester center block. Because of transesterification reactions involving the PLLA block, multiblock copolymers of the A–(B–A)n–B–A type were actually obtained, where A is poly(5-methyl-5-benzyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one), B is PLLA, and n is greater than 0. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy of the product copolymers yielded evidence of the multiblock structure and provided the lactide sequence length. For a PLLA macroinitiator with a number-average molecular weight of 2500 g/mol, the product block copolymer had an n value of 0.8 and an average lactide sequence length (consecutive C6H8O4 units uninterrupted by either an EG or MBC unit) of 6.1. For a PLLA macroinitiator with a number-average molecular weight of 14,400 g/mol, n was 18, and the average lactide sequence length was 5.0. Additional evidence of the block copolymer architecture was revealed through the retention of PLLA crystallinity as measured by differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Multiblock copolymers with PLLA crystallinity could be achieved only with isolated PLLA macroinitiators; sequential addition of MBC to high-conversion L-lactide polymerizations resulted in excessive randomization, presumably because of residual L-lactide monomer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6817–6835, 2006
Eigenspace-based MLLR with speaker adaptive training in large vocabulary conversational speech recognition

Speaker adaptive training (SAT), which reduces inter-speaker variability, and eigenspace-based maximum likelihood linear regression (eigenMLLR) adaptation, which takes advantage of prior knowledge about the test speaker's linear transforms, are combined and developed. During training, SAT generates a set of speaker independent (SI) Gaussian parameters, along with matched speaker dependent transforms for all the speakers in the training set. Then, a set of regression class dependent eigen transforms are derived by doing singular value decomposition (SVD). Normally, during recognition, the test speaker's linear transforms are obtained with MLLR. In this work, the test speaker's linear transforms are assumed to be a linear combination of the decomposed eigen transforms. Experimental results conducted on large vocabulary conversational speech recognition (LVCSR) material from the switchboard corpus show that this strategy has better performance than ML-SAT and significantly reduces the number of parameters needed (an 87% reduction is achieved), while still effectively capturing the essential variation between speakers.
Crack Stability in the Fracture of Cementitious Materials

The aim of the present study is to investigate the stability of crack propagation in cementitious materials. Tests were conducted on bend specimens in three-point and four-point loading conditions. Three-point bend specimens showed stable crack growth for mortar, normal strength and high strength concrete specimens. Alternatively, four-point bend specimens showed catastrophic failure for mortar and quasi-catastrophic failure for normal strength and high strength concrete specimens. Results will be discussed in relation to brittleness number model and specific microstructural features including the interfacial transition zone between the cement paste and the aggregate and the attendant toughening mechanisms.
Apoptosis repressor with caspase domain inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis by reducing K+ currents.

Cell shrinkage is an early prerequisite in programmed cell death, and cytoplasmic K+ is a dominant cation that controls intracellular ion homeostasis and cell volume. Blockade of K+ channels inhibi...
RF drivers for the Bevalac injector final stage RF amplifiers

A 200-MHz intermediate power amplifier system, comprising of four separate chassis or cavity amplifiers is being developed as a driver stage for the Bevalac injector final RF amplifiers. The initial stage is a 200-W, solid-state, RF amplifier with 44 dB of gain. The two succeeding stages are cavity amplifiers that incorporate vacuum tubes. The first of the tube-type amplifiers is driven by the 200-W amplifier and contains a 3CPX800A7 triode calculated to output a maximum of 5 kW. The next stage, driven by the 5-kW amplifier, contains a 4CW25000B tetrode and is designed to drive the final amplifier. The 4CW25K stage is calculated to provide a maximum output power of 50 kW. The final stage is designed to operate with either a Varian 4CW100000e or a TH535 manufactured by Thomson-CSF. The final stage gain, using the 4CW100Ke, is calculated to be 13 dB at approximately 300-kW output. Using the Thomson tube, the stage gain is calculated to be slightly greater; however, the maximum achievable RF output power is approximately 300 kW. The system construction, design, and initial high power test results are presented. >
Becoming boundary spanners in engineering: Identifying roles, activities, and competencies

Engineers are increasingly acting as “boundary spanners” who coordinate, collaborate, and communicate across many different kinds of boundaries. The research project described in this work-in-progress paper is shedding additional light on this trend by responding to two main research questions: 1) What specific boundary spanning roles, activities, and competencies are most important and prevalent for early career engineers, and 2) How do early career engineers experience boundary spanning challenges? One major goal of this project is to generate a typology of boundary spanning roles, activities, and competencies for multiple engineering fields. This paper more specifically describes methods and reports preliminary findings for the initial phases of our research. The first phase involves a systematic review of more than 80 journal articles and book chapters on boundary spanning and related concepts using established procedures for literature meta-analysis. In this paper we summarize the major themes and categories emerging from this process. The second phase of the project involves semi-structured interviews with engineering students and early career engineers. In this paper we focus on our interview methods, including development and use of a “primer” document to familiarize subjects with boundary spanning. We conclude by discussing the implications of our work, especially in relation to leading-edge approaches for instruction and assessment.
Designing Writing and Research Courses for International Students

U.S. law schools continue to admit an ever-increasing number of students from other countries, including students whose first language is not English. This short article describes the brutal choices that writing directors must sometimes make when serving these these students. The article considers five essential points when designing writing and research programs for international students: (1) assess the needs of your international students; (2) set reasonable goals; (3) find appropriate course materials; (4) evaluate the course and have students evaluate it as well; and (5) document the need to support additional resources for international students.
PKCβ Inhibitors Attenuate Amphetamine-Stimulated Dopamine Efflux

Amphetamine abuse afflicts over 13 million people, and there is currently no universally accepted treatment for amphetamine addiction. Amphetamine serves as a substrate for the dopamine transporter and reverses the transporter to cause an increase in extracellular dopamine. Activation of the beta subunit of protein kinase C (PKCβ) enhances extracellular dopamine in the presence of amphetamine by facilitating the reverse transport of dopamine and internalizing the D2 autoreceptor. We previously demonstrated that PKCβ inhibitors block amphetamine-stimulated dopamine efflux in synaptosomes from rat striatum in vitro. In this study, we utilized in vivo microdialysis in live, behaving rats to assess the effect of the PKCβ inhibitors, enzastaurin and ruboxistaurin, on amphetamine-stimulated locomotion and increases in monoamines and their metabolites. A 30 min perfusion of the nucleus accumbens core with 1 μM enzastaurin or 1 μM ruboxistaurin reduced efflux of dopamine and its metabolite 3-methoxytyramine induc...
Effects of Heliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Soybean Yield and Quality

Field cage tests were conducted to evaluate the feeding damage of Heliothis zea (Boddie) on soybeans. Seven population levels (15.00, 6.00, 4.50, 3.00, 1.50, 0.75, and 0.00 larvae per 0.3 m of row) were evaluated at soybean growth stage R5 in 1973. Three population levels (15.0, 4.0, and 0.0 larvae per 0.3 m of row) were tested on three plant growth stages (R4, R5, and R6) in 1974. Percent pod damage increased with an increase in the number of larvae. Damage to seeds reduced germination and oil content but increased percent protein and seed weight. There was no significant defoliation at any population levels or plant stages. At plant growth stages R4 and R5, 4 larvae per 0.3 m of row did not reduce yields; at R6, 15 larvae per 0.3 m of row caused no reduction.
Performance of a Micro-Optical Wall Shear Stress Sensor Based on Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators

In this paper, we discuss the dynamic performance of a novel wall shear stress sensor concept based on whispering gallery mode (WGM) shifts of a dielectric microsphere resonator. In the shear stress sensor model, the wall shear stress acting on a sensing element, typically 125 m in diameter, is transmitted mechanically to the microsphere and the transmitted force leads to shifts in the WGMs of the microsphere. By monitoring these WGM shifts, the magnitude as well as the direction of the wall shear stress can be measured. The measurement principle was demonstrated in a previous paper which presented static shear stress results. The sensor used in the present study is a dielectric microsphere made of Polydimethylsyloxane (PDMS), and is tested for loading for dynamic measurements, An electronic circuit is developed to track the fast moving optical resonances (WGM) under dynamic loading.
Synthesis and photocrosslinking of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers for potential reverse osmosis membrane materials

Abstract Disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) random copolymers with controlled oligomeric molecular weights were synthesized via nucleophilic aromatic substitution step polymerization. A monofunctional endcapping reagent, meta-aminophenol, was utilized to control the molecular weight of the oligomers and to install telechelic amine endgroups. The meta-aminophenol end-capped oligomers were reacted with acryloyl chloride to obtain novel crosslinkable poly(arylene ether sulfone) oligomers with acrylamide groups on both ends. The chemical compositions of the functional oligomers were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy to determine the degree of sulfonation and concentrations of acrylamide endgroups. The acrylamide-terminated oligomers were crosslinked with UV radiation in the presence of a multifunctional acrylate and a UV photoinitiator. Transparent, free-standing, dense films were obtained with high gel fractions. FTIR spectroscopy was utilized to observe the progress of the photo-crosslinking reaction. Thin films were cast from either aqueous or water-methanol solutions. The crosslinked disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) networks exhibited reduced water uptake and swelling relative to their linear counterparts. SEM and AFM showed that the photo-crosslinked thin films had smooth surfaces.
Firm Characteristics and Level of Analyst Services: An Empirical Investigation

This paper examines the relationship between financial analysis levels and identifiable firm characteristics. The full text of 187 sell-side analyst reports is coded using content analysis. Publicly available information is searched to identify potential sources of the coded information. Source results are used to measure analyst effort, where information cited by the analyst but having no identifiable source is assumed to require the greatest effort, and information taken from financial statements requires the lowest effort. Thus, effort is an increasing function of the level of non-financial-report information cited. Empirical analysis applies nonlinear estimation techniques, using the Poisson distribution for count data, to the relationship between nonreport information cited and firm characteristics. Results identify positive relationships between the measure of analyst effort and firm complexity and trading volume. Negative relationships are identified between effort level and inside ownership, firm disclosure quality, earnings variability, and level of coverage by other analysts. In addition, a positive relationship is identified between size and effort.
Design and Generation of Dielectrophoretic Forces for Manipulating Carbon Nanotubes

Publisher Summary In this chapter, the modeling of dielectrophoretic force for manipulating carbon nanotubes is presented. The dielectrophoretic force model is derived assuming carbon nanotubes to be a particle line structure after undergoing AC electric field. Simulation results are presented for the dielectrophoretic force model to verify the developed model. Furthermore, a model for controlling the rotation/orientation of carbon in nano assembly is derived and presented. This model precisely describes the rotational motion of carbon nanotubes in viscous medium (acetone). The derivation of this model correctly assumes that carbon nanotubes form a line shape after undergoing AC electric field, compared to the existing model that assumes carbon nanotubes to be a spherical particle. Simulation results are presented for both rotational motion of carbon nanotubes in viscous mediums and the electrorotation (torque) model to verify the developed models.
Shape- and Structure-Based Phonon Bandgap Tuning with Nanocrystal Superlattices

In this paper we report, for the first time, the phononic band structure of nanocrystal superlattices with different shapes, sizes, compositions, and structures. For superlattices composed of a sin...
Topology and calculus

Henri Poincare was studying the behavior of solutions of differential equations when he developed the fundamental group and so started the active and growing fields of geometric and algebraic topology. In this chapter we indicate some of the connections between topology and calculus, as examples of sort of unexpected relationships and applications between seemingly unrelated fields of mathematics. Students too often see mathematics as compartmentalized.
Coordination, Competition for Attention, and Information Supply

We study the supply of information in economies where its consumers play a coordination game whose payoffs depend on some unknown state variable (like “beauty-contest” games). We focus on three aspects: (1) the value of an information source comes from its accuracy as well as its role as a coordination device; (2) information consumes attention while being consumed and attention can be monetized; (3) information suppliers compete for the consumers’ scarce attention. We examine how the consumers’ coordination motive shapes the accuracy of each information supplier and can force some of them to exit the market. Finally, we show how inefficiencies in the use of information affect its supply.