cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Variational Modeling of Ionic Polymer Transducers

Ionomeric polymers are a promising class of intelligent material which exhibit electromechanical coupling similar to that of piezoelectric bimorphs. ionomeric polymers are much more compliant than piezoelectric ceramics or polymers and have been shown to produce actuation strain on the order of 2% at operating voltages between 1 V and 3 V (Akle et al., 2004, Proceedings IMECE). Their high compliance is advantageous in low force sensing configurations because ionic polymers have a very little impact on the dynamics of the measured system. Here we present a variational approach to the dynamic modeling of structures which incorporate ionic polymer materials. To demonstrate the method a cantilever beam model is developed using this variational approach. The modeling approach requires a priori knowledge of three empirically determined material properties: elastic modulus, dielectric permittivity, and effective strain coefficient. Previous work by Newbury and Leo has demonstrated that these three parameters are strongly frequency dependent in the range between less than 1 Hz to frequencies greater than 1 kHz. Combining the frequency-dependent material parameters with the variational method produces a second-order matrix representation of the structure. The frequency dependence of the material parameters is incorporated using a complex-property approach similar to the techniques for modeling viscoelastic materials. A transducer is manufactured and the method of material characterization is applied to determine the mtaerial properties. Additional experiments are performed on this transducer and both the material and structural model are validated. Finally, the model is shown to predict sensing response very well in comparison to experimental results, which supports the use of an energy-based variational approach for modeling ionomeric polymer transducers.
GERMINATION AND SEEDLING RESPONSE OF ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS POPULATIONS OF UNIOLA PANICULATA

A B S T R A C T Germination response following various periods of cold treatment and seedling response to temperature, daylength, and salinity were studied for several Atlantic and Gulf coasts populations of Uniola paniculata L. Results indicated that Atlantic coast Florida populations did not require cold treatment prior to germination at 95-65 F, but that populations from Virginia and North Carolina did. Gulf coast populations exhibited a germination response intermediate between those just mentioned. Seedling studies revealed that alternating diurnal thermoperiods with daytime temperatures of 80 F and above produced good vegetative growth in all populations with little preference for either short- or long-day conditions. Gulf coast populations produced the most biomass under -all treatment conditions. Seedlings from a North Carolina and a Florida population indicated no difference in substrate salt tolerance. Salt tolerance was reduced in the higher temperature thermoperiod for both populations. Seedlings from these two populations produced more biomass in a salt spray treatment than in substrate salinity treatments. THE PERENNIAL DUNE grass Uniola paniculata L.
Surface area of pretreated lignocellulosics as a function of the extent of enzymatic hydrolysis

The distribution of surface area as a function of pore size in the pores of hardwood, pretreated by mild acid hydrolysis, was estimated from the pore volume distribution, as a function of the extent of enzymatic hydrolysis. Pore volume distributions were obtained using the solute exclusion technique. Throughout the reaction, the total surface area of the substrate was mostly in pores too small to be accessible to the enzyme, which has been estimated to be 51–90 A in diameter. For wood pretreated at 200°C, the surface area of pores large enough to be accessible to cellulase decreases rapidly as the enzymatic hydrolysis proceeds. The surface area in pores too small to be accessible to the enzyme decreases more slowly, presumably because the substrate containing these small pores reacts only at the external surface. In wood pretreated at 220°C, a more gradual decrease in the accessible pore surface area occurs. It is hypothesized that this occurs because of the increase of external surface as the size of the substrate particle decreases by more severe pretreatment. This external surface is thought to adsorb more of the enzyme, leaving less for the surface in the pores. For the more severely pretreated hardwood, more enzyme is adsorbed throughout the course of reaction.
Thiophosphate as a probe for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, model phosphorylation reactions and membrane permeability

1. Monothiophosphate was used as a probe for substrate level phosphorylation, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and membrane permeability. 2. Thiophosphate does not support ATP synthesis either in mitochondria or model enzymic reactions, conservation of oxidative energy occurring through formation of ATP(γ)S. 3. Thiophosphoryl transfer is slower compared to phosphoryl (group) transfer. Such behavior is compatible with an addition-elimination mechanism. 4. Thiophosphate accumulates in mitochondria by an energydependent process and substitutes for phosphate in the catalysis of metabolite transport. Relative to phosphate, a slower and less extensive permeation was observed.
Teaching Keynes's business cycle: an extension of Paul Davidson's capital market model

Paul Davidson's intermediate macroeconomics textbook, Post Keynesian Macroeconomic Theory: A Foundation for Successful Economic Policies for the Twenty-First Century, serves as an excellent introduction to the economics of Keynes. It opens with a rejection of Say's law, then works its way through the determinants and effects of consumption, investment, government spending, and trade. In addition, a great deal of time is spent discussing financial markets (domestic and international) and the balance that must be found between the need to provide liquidity and the instability created by "a large number of ignorant individuals." What is not as clear, however, is the nature of what Keynes discussed in chapter 22 of the General Theory: the trade cycle. That said, the ideal tool for addressing this already exists in the book. This article shows that by not ignoring the demand curve in Davidson's capital market model, a much more interesting story can be told. When entrepreneurs' expectations about the growth in...
In-Situ Topographical Imaging of Electrode Surfaces Using High Resolution Phase-Measurement Interferometric Microscopy

Abstract : Three-dimensional topographical imaging of electrode surfaces using phase-measurement interferometric microscopy is described. Topographical measurements are based on a rapid, non-destructive optical method that provides ultrahigh vertical resolution (0.6 nm) and moderate horizontal resolution (0.5 microns). In-situ images of electrodes prepared from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, platinum thin films, and polycrystalline iron are reported. In-situ measurement of the time-dependent growth of corrosion pits on FE in 0.1 M H2S04 is also demonstrated.
Identifying Individual Vessels With X-Radiography

The individual vessel, rather than the sherd, is the relevant unit of analysis in many kinds of behavioral studies. Economical methods for assigning the sherds of multiple vessels to their vessels of origin are introduced for household-made ceramics. The methods employ visible surface indicators of vessel individuality as well as radiographically detectable ones such as temper quantity, size distribution, spatial distribution, and material type, void spaces, and fracture systems. A hierarchical, sequential sorting strategy and certain radiographic methods, which are optimal for revealing the internal features of ceramics, make this application possible.
Relative importance of country of origin as an attribute in apparel choices

One hundred and eighty-four consumers (62 men, 122 women) participated in a simulated shopping experiment to rank garments on the relative importance of price, origin, care, quality and style. Monotonic Analysis of Variance (MONANOVA), a conjoint analysis, was used in this exploratory study to determine relative importance of garment attributes for individuals, for men and women, and for the total group. Both men and women ranked the five garment attributes in the following order: origin, style, price, care and quality. Removal of original labels and the substitution of experimental labels may, however, have encouraged consumers to evaluate garments on origin in the absence of brand and store identification.
Physiological properties of the thermotolerant photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum

Rhodospirillum centenum nov. sp., isolated from Thermopolis Hot Springs (Wyoming), is a thermotolerant non-sulfur purple photosynthetic bacterium that forms desiccation- and heat-resistant cysts under certain nutritional conditions. Phototrophic growth rate is optimal over the temperature range ca. 39–45°C, and the maximum growth temperature is ca. 47°C. The bacterium requires biotin and vitamin B12, and grows readily in synthetic media. Growth rate, however, is markedly stimulated by unknown organic compounds in Soytone and similar preparations from soybeans. Dried cysts of R. centenum show high resistance to heating at 55–75°C for 48 h, suggesting that cysts provide a mechanism for survival and species dispersal in natural thermal environments.
Influence of backfill on coal pillar strength and floor bearing capacity in weak floor conditions in the Illinois Basin

Abstract This paper discusses the current theoretical design equations associated with foundation design in the Illinois Basin, as well as the benefits of utilizing high density backfill in a numerical model, to improve pillar and floor stability. Based upon the results, Vesic’s bearing capacity solution for a two layered soil tends to underestimate the true bearing capacity of a foundation, especially at higher friction angles and when footings are placed in close proximity. Minimizing the distance between adjacent foundations has shown an improvement in the ultimate bearing capacity of a foundation; however, placing the foundations in too close proximity has shown the foundations may behave as a single foundation and undergo appreciable settlement. A 10–40% increase in pillar strength and ultimate bearing capacity can be expected when a cohesive fill is used between 25 and 75% fill of the mined height, respectively. The non-cohesive nature of the simulated backfill showed little influence on increased pillar strength, even at higher fill ratios. It was determined, that as the shearing resistance, tensile strength and stiffness of the backfill are reduced, increases in coal pillar strength is due more to the confinement aspect of an underground mine rather than the strength properties of the material itself. A methodology for analyzing the plastic flow characteristics of a coal pillar and a footing using FLAC3D has also been presented herein.
Diagnosing deceptive and mixed messages from verbal and nonverbal cues

Abstract The decoding of deceptive and mixed messages from verbal and nonverbal cues was examined. Forty senders described people they liked and people they disliked (“pure” messages); and people they felt ambivalent about and people they felt indifferent toward (mixed messages). They also described the people they liked, pretending to dislike them and they described the people they disliked, pretending to like them (deceptive messages). Eighty subjects then made judgments about the senders under one of five conditions of presentation: tone of voice (content-filtered), visual, verbal (transcript), undistorted audio, and full audiovisual. The last three conditions contained all of the verbal information, while the first two were entirely nonverbal. Subjects perceived the deceptive messages as significantly more ambivalent, discrepant, deceptive, indifferent, and tense than the pure messages. Their discriminations along the ambivalence dimension were stronger than their discriminations based on ratings of deceptiveness. Subjects did not perceive the deceptive messages as any more deceptive than the mixed messages. Subjects with access to verbal information made more pronounced discriminations, and they made discriminations along a greater number of dimensions, than did subjects with access only to nonverbal cues. Usually, verbally based discriminations were more accurate than nonverbally based distinctions. When perceivers judged speakers' underlying affects while the speakers were lying, however, their verbally based discriminations were very inaccurate. These data were only partially supportive of each of three theories of verbal and nonverbal encoding.
Antepartum eclampsia <34 weeks case series: advisable to postpone delivery to administer corticosteroids for fetal pulmonary benefit?

Antepartum eclampsia <34 weeks case series: advisable to postpone delivery to administer corticosteroids for fetal pulmonary benefit?
Visual object recognition with supervised learning

A component-based approach to visual object recognition rooted in supervised learning allows for a vision system that is more robust against changes in an object's pose or illumination. Learning figures prominently in the study of visual systems from the viewpoints of visual neuroscience and computer vision. Whereas visual neuroscience concentrates on mechanisms that let the cortex adapt its circuitry and learn a new task, computer vision aims at devising effectively trainable systems. Vision systems that learn and adapt are one of the most important trends in computer vision research. They might offer the only solution to developing robust, reusable vision systems.
Limit state analysis of earthen slopes using dual continuum/FEM approaches

A framework alternative to that of classical slope stability analysis is developed, wherein the soil mass is treated as a continuum and in-situ soil stresses and strengths are computed accurately using inelastic finite element methods with general constitutive models. Within this framework, two alternative methods of stability analysis are presented. In the first, the strength characteristics of the soil mass are held constant, and the gravitational loading on the slope system is increased until failure is initiated by well-defined mechanisms. In the second approach, the gravity loading on the slope system is held constant, while the strength parameters of the soil mass are gradually decreased until well-defined failure mechanisms develop. Details on applying both of the proposed methods, and comparisons of their characteristics on a number of solved example problems are presented.
Jewelry and Artificial Fingernails in the Health Care Environment: Infection Risk or Urban Legend?

Abstract Jewelry and artificial nail use by health care workers has been linked to the development of health care-acquired infections, although evidence remains weak. As a result, restrictions on their use are not uniform and are often presented as suggestions rather than strict rules. Currently, there is no scientific evidence that has clearly demonstrated a patient infection caused by a microorganism acquired from a health care worker associated with jewelry or artificial nails. However, a number of small, non-randomized studies have tried to indirectly prove this association by quantifying and classifying the number of microorganisms from hands adorned with jewelry or artificial nails. Their results are mixed and appear stronger for artificial nails and for multiple, intricate rings than for a single, smooth ring, such as a wedding band. Results for other types of jewelry are intriguing, but more studies are needed to make more definitive conclusions.
Simulating Distributed-Parameter Multiphase Thermodynamic Systems Using Bond Graphs

The use of convection bond graphs with temperature, mass and volume as state variables allows the associated thermodynamic properties of a wide variety of single and multi-phase fluids to be found accurately without iteration, using available formulas. As a result, non-experts can simulate efficiently unsteady systems with compressible flow and heat transfer, as long as the system is modeled with discrete compartments. This paper addresses the discretization of a heat exchanger under changing phase conditions into a finite element model, assuming no slip between phases in thermodynamic equilibrium and neglecting coherent kinetic energy. The staggered grid approach used in conventional numerical analyses for flowing systems is accommodated naturally. Partial upwinding is used to control numerically induced oscillations. The wall shear and the heat transfer are keyed to standard models for laminar and turbulent flow in single-phase and two-phase regimes. A condenser of a refrigeration cycle is given to illustrate the procedure and its results.© 2002 ASME
Signaling mechanisms regulating Wallerian degeneration

Wallerian degeneration (WD) occurs after an axon is cut or crushed and entails the disintegration and clearance of the severed axon distal to the injury site. WD was initially thought to result from the passive wasting away of the distal axonal fragment, presumably because it lacked a nutrient supply from the cell body. The discovery of the slow Wallerian degeneration (Wld(s)) mutant mouse, in which distal severed axons survive intact for weeks rather than only one to two days, radically changed our thoughts on the autonomy of axon survival. Wld(s) taught us that under some conditions the axonal compartment can survive for weeks after axotomy without a cell body. The phenotypic and molecular characterization of Wld(S) and current models for Wld(S) molecular function are reviewed herein-the mechanism(s) by which Wld(S) spares severed axons remains unresolved. However, recent studies inspired by Wld(s) have led to the identification of the first 'axon death' signaling molecules whose endogenous activities promote axon destruction during WD.
Design Research in Education: Yes, but is it Methodological?

... the critic, guided by personal predilection or more often by partisan conventionalism, will take some one procedure as his criterion or judgment and condemn all deviations from it as departures from art [read: research] itself. He then misses the point of all art, the unity of form and matter, and misses it because he lacks adequate sympathy, in his natural and acquired one-sidedness, with the immense variety of interactions between the live creature and his world. (p. 313)
Fabrication of carbon nanofiber-driven electrodes from electrospun polyacrylonitrile/polypyrrole bicomponents for high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Carbon nanofibers were prepared through electrospinning a blend solution of polyacrylonitrile and polypyrrole, followed by carbonization at 700 °C. Structural features of electrospun polyacrylonitrile/polypyrrole bicomponent nanofibers and their corresponding carbon nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, thermo-gravimetric analysis, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that intermolecular interactions are formed between two different polymers, which influence the thermal properties of electrospun bicomponent nanofibers. In addition, with the increase of polypyrrole concentration, the resultant carbon nanofibers exhibit increasing disordered structure. These carbon nanofibers were used as anodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries without adding any polymer binder or conductive material and they display high reversible capacity, improved cycle performance, relatively good rate capability, and clear fibrous morphology even after 50 charge/discharge cycles. The improved electrochemical performance of these carbon nanofibers can be attributed to their unusual surface properties and unique structural features, which amplify both surface area and extensive intermingling between electrode and electrolyte phases over small length scales, thereby leading to fast kinetics and short pathways for both Li ions and electrons.
Middle age increases tissue vulnerability and impairs sensorimotor and cognitive recovery following traumatic brain injury in the rat

With increasing age comes an increased risk for sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBI). However, the effect of age is rarely studied in animal models of TBI. The present study evaluated the effect of increased age on recovery of function following bilateral medial frontal cortex injury. Groups of young (3 months) and middle-aged (14 months) rats received bilateral frontal cortex contusions or sham injuries. The rats were tested on a variety of tests to measure sensorimotor performance (bilateral tactile adhesive removal test), skilled forelimb use (staircase test), and the acquisition of reference and working memory in the Morris water maze. Results indicated that injury produced significant impairments on all behavioral tests compared to sham controls. Middle-aged rats that received cortical contusions were significantly impaired on the bilateral tactile adhesive removal test, acquisition of a reference memory task, and working memory compared to young-injured rats. Histological analysis showed that middle-aged rats developed significantly larger lesion cavities but did not show an increase in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP+) cells compared to young-injured rats. Age alone also significantly impaired function on the bilateral adhesive tactile removal test, skilled forelimb use, the acquisition of a reference memory task, and also increased the number of GFAP+ cells compared to young rats. These results indicate that middle-aged rats respond to brain injury differently than young rats and that age is an important factor to consider in pre-clinical efficacy studies.
Laser Studies of the Reactivity of Small Niobium Clusters with Benzene

Using a laser vaporization flow reactor apparatus, small niobium clusters (Nbx, x = 1-15) are reacted with benzene and detected with an excimer laser (ArF) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. At low ionizing laser intensities, the probability of dehydrogenation of Nb x C 6 H 6 clusters to Nb x C 6 is found to be a maximum for x = 5, 6 and 11 and a minimum for x < 4 as well as for clusters with 8 and 10 niobium atoms. As the ionizing laser intensity increases, it is possible to photochemically drive the dehydrogenation reaction of the x = 7, 9, 12, 13 clusters with one extra photon above ionization while the x = 8 and 10 clusters are found to require two photons above ionization. These results are discussed in terms of the stabilities of these clusters relative to their photochemical ionic products.
Determination of local debonding stress and investigation of its effect on mechanical properties of glass short fiber reinforced polycarbonate composites

Thermoplastic polymers are often reinforced by adding short fibers to improve mechanical properties including Young's modulus and tensile strength of the polymers. In many engineering applications, energy absorbing characteristics in such particulate polymers is known to be a very important property to be considered in composite designs, and meanwhile debonding at the interface between fiber and matrix in the composites may affect the energy absorption properties. Here, the focus of this study is to employ a semi-empirical approach to determine the debonding stress and investigate the effect of the debonding stress on energy absorbing properties of short glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate composites. Glass short fiber reinforced polycarbonate composites are fabricated via a solution mixing technique. Tensile testing and acoustic emission measurement are simultaneously performed for the polycarbonate composites. The test results including toughness are compared for the composites over neat polycarbonate. Also the local debonding stress in the vicinity of each glass fiber in composites is estimated by combining modeling and experiments. A finite element model is developed to determine local debonding stress at the interface between the fiber and matrix. The local debonding stress appears to considerably affect the toughness of the composites.
Glutamate decarboxylase activity in striatal slices: characterization of the increase following depolarization.

— The activity of glutamate decarboxylase in rat striatal slices was estimated following preincubation in either a non-depolarizing medium or in a depolarizing medium. GAD activity was significantly increased following preincubation in normal Krebs-Ringer-phosphate medium as compared to activity in slices which were not preincubated. GAD activity in slices which were depolarized in high potassium Krebs-Ringer-phosphate medium was further increased when compared to activity in slices which were preincubated in normal medium. The depolarization-induced increase in GAD activity was graded in response to the time of depolarization, and both the increase following preincubation in normal medium and the increase following preincubation in high potassium displayed a relative requirement for calcium. In addition, net GABA formation from endogenous glutamate was increased in slices preincubated in high potassium medium as compared to net GABA formation from endogenous glutamate in slices preincubated in non-depolarizing medium. In support of the use of [14C]CO2 trapping as an estimate of GAD activity in slices, preincubation of slices in the presence of the GAD inhibitor glutamic acid γ-hydrazide caused a concentration-related inhibition of [14C]CO2 evolution.
Transport-corrected diffusion theory for image reconstruction in optical tomography

We introduce a set of corrections to the integral equations of scattering theory within the diffusion approximation to the radiative transport equation. We use this result to obtain an image reconstruction algorithm for optical tomography with spatial resolution below the transport mean free path.
Tracers in vascular casting resins enhance backscattering brightness.

Studying cast microvasculature with scanning electron microscopy has expanded our knowledge of many circulations, but need arises to determine the blood source of vascular beds that are supplied by two circulations. One way to do this is to mark the casting resin by adding a tracer compound that can be detected in the scanning electron microscope. A potential method of distinguishing different substances is to detect the backscattered electrons that are emitted from the tracer if the tracer is a heavier element, because heavier elements backscatter more electrons. To explore different tracers, we tested lead, titanium, iron, osmium, and uranium as solutions of different polarity and powders. The tracers were added to 1 ml of methyl methacrylate in log concentrations. Shrinkage, hardness, cast quality, and change in brightness from the tracer were compared with multivariate analysis at scanning electron microscopic working distances of 15 and 39 mm on carbon-coated and uncoated specimens. Several concentrations caused sedimentation of the tracer and prevented the resin from solidifying. Tetraethyl lead shortened the hardening time; uranyl acetate and osmium tetroxide prolonged it. Most tracers decreased shrinkage. When lead citrate and Reynolds solutions were removed, the brightness correlated with increasing atomic number, concentration of the tracer, and mean atomic number of the specimen (p <0.0001). The substances that increased contrast most were tetraethyl lead and uranium. Backscattering electron detection can distinguish methacrylate casts that have small amounts of heavier elements added to them, but an optimal tracer has not yet been established.
Dwarf galaxies in four rich clusters with 0.02 <z< 0.14

Deep measurements are presented of four rich clusters of galaxies: Abell 1367 (z=0.022), Abell 2199 (z=0.030), Abell 1795 (z=0.063), and Abell 1146 (z=0.141). All clusters have an excess of galaxies at faint magnitudes above blank sky fields. We correct for background contamination and measure the luminosity function of these galaxies in each cluster, and then combine these luminosity functions to get better statistics. The resultant combined luminosity function is rising at faint magnitudes, with a logarithmic slope -1.5 < \alpha < -1.2 for -18 < M_B < -13 and -19 < M_R < -15. This is similar to what has been observed independently in the Coma cluster. The colours of these faint galaxies suggest that they are dwarf spheroidals.
Smile, you are under arrest: the misappropriation and misuse of mug shots online

Anyone can get arrested: a retired woman who volunteers at a local animal shelter, a loving father and middle school teacher, a circuit court judge, or a straight ‘A’ student attending an Ivy League college. A mug shot is part of the arrest process and these pictures are published on the arresting agency's website and are public records. A problem arises, however, when arrestees' mug shots are ‘scraped’ from arresting agencies websites and republished on private mug shot websites. Regardless of the severity of the crime, or whether charges were even filed by the State, after a simple online search of an arrestee's name, his mug shot displays at the top of online search results, every time. This ‘criminal’ then finds himself explaining to family members and employers about his arrest. He must pay each private company to have his mug shot removed. Not only is this expensive, but new mug shot sites scrape mug shots from arresting agencies every day. It is impossible for an arrestee to prevent his mug shot from appearing at the top of online search results. This paper demonstrates that these private companies are taking advantage of public records laws and are violating the rights of arrestees.
Atypical Song Reveals Spontaneously Developing Coordination between Multi-Modal Signals in Brown-Headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater)

The courtship and dominance behavior of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) consists of a multi-modal display, including song as well as postural and wing movements. The temporal sequences of the acoustic and the visual display are coordinated. In adult male cowbirds the largest wing movements of the display are synchronized with silent periods of song, but it is unknown how this coordination emerges during song development. Here we investigate how visual display features are coordinated with song by using atypical song sequence structure of isolation-reared male cowbirds. In birds with atypical song, all components of the visual display were highly similar to those of “normal” song displays, but their timing was slightly different. The number of maximal wing movement cycles of isolation-reared males was linked to the number of sound units in the song, and was therefore reduced during the abbreviated song types of isolates. These data indicate that young cowbirds do not need to be exposed to a model of the visual display during ontogeny and that there is synchronization with the temporal structure of song. A physiological link between respiratory and syringeal control of silent periods between sound units and wing movement cycles may be driving this synchronization.
Extended inference modes in reasoning by computer systems

This paper reviews the history of process-dependent reasoning in AI systems, and argues that it represents an essentially different approach to non-monotonic reasoning from other formalizations. Much of the paper is a basic level tutorial, explaining the issues and providing a framework for understanding the essential features of non-monotonic reasoning.
Improvement of metals and phosphorus analysis in water samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, radio frequency power, and nebulizer gas flow rate modification

Abstract Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) is a powerful tool for simultaneous multielement analysis. The objective of this study was to determine optimum ICP‐OES operational parameters for aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) in natural water samples. Five radio‐frequency forward powers (RF powers) and four nebulizer gas flow rates were tested. Different RF power values and nebulizer gas flow rates were found to be ideal for each element. Performance was best for Al, Na, and P at 1400 W RF power, whereas the optimal nebulizer gas flow rate for Na, Fe, Zn, and Al was 1 L min−1. The differences in RF power and nebulizer gas flow rates were found to be driven by changes in 1) element emission lines for different RF powers and 2) evaporation rates, mean diameter drop sizes, solvent loading, and analyte signal intensities for different nebulizer gas flow rates and analyte concentrations. Grouping the elements with si...
Second-order perturbation theory for the angular correlation function of non-linear molecules

Abstract Second-order perturbation theory is used to calculate spherical-harmonic coefficients of the angular correlation function g( r ω 1 ω 2 ) for a liquid in which molecules interact with a potential that is the sum of Lennard-Jones and non-axial quadrupole-quadrupole ( Q xx ≠ Q yy ) parts. These spherical-harmonic coefficients are used to determine the full angular correlation function for certain key orientations and also thermodynamic properties.
Verbal collision avoidance messages during simulated driving: perceived urgency, alerting effectiveness and annoyance

Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Two experiments describe the impact of acoustic and semantic parameters on ratings of perceived urgency, annoyance and alerting effectiveness and on alarm response speed. Within a simulated driving context, participants rated and responded to collision avoidance system (CAS) messages spoken by a female or male voice (experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Results indicated greater perceived urgency and faster alarm response times as intensity increased from -2 dB signal to noise (S/N) ratio to +10 dB S/N, although annoyance ratings increased as well. CAS semantic content interacted with alarm intensity, indicating that at lower intensity levels participants paid more attention to the semantic content. Results indicate that both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impact CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions and this work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Here, both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impacted CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions. This work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Results indicate that both acoustic parameters and semantic content can be used to design collision warnings with a range of urgency levels. Further, these results indicate that verbal warnings tailored to a specific hazard situation may improve hazard-matching capabilities without substantial trade-offs in perceived annoyance.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 210

Abstract Evaluated spectroscopic data for 210 Au, 210 Hg, 210 Tl, 210 Pb, 210 Bi, 210 Po, 210 At, 210 Rn, 210 Fr, 210 Ra, 210 Ac, and 210 Th and corresponding level schemes from radioactive decay and reaction studies are presented. This evaluation supersedes the previous evaluation by E. Browne (2003Br13). Highlights of this publication are the identification of new μ s isomers of 210 Hg by 2013Go10 and measurement of an excited level energy at 1709 keV 30 of 210 Rn from 214 Rn α decay: 68.6 μ s by 2006Ku26 denoted as x+1664.6 in the Adopted Levels. Earlier experimental limits for x≤50 keV was proposed in 1979Po19 and 1982Po03 – (HI,xn γ ).
Rotational-diversity phase estimation from differential-interference-contrast microscopy images.

An iterative phase-estimation method for the calculation of a specimen’s phase function or optical-path-length (OPL) distribution from differential-interference-contrast (DIC) microscopy images is presented. The method minimizes the least-squares discrepancy measure by use of the conjugate-gradient technique to estimate the phase function from multiple DIC images acquired at different specimen rotations. The estimate is regularized with a quadratic smoothness penalty. Results from testing the method with simulations and measured DIC images show improvement in the estimated phase when at least two rotationally diverse DIC images instead of a single DIC image are used for the estimation. The OPL of a cell that is estimated from two DIC images was found to be much more reliable than the OPL computed from single DIC images (which had a coefficient of variation equal to 15.8%).
Color Doppler imaging of the gallbladder wall in acute cholecystitis: sonographic – pathologic correlation

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of color Doppler imaging (CDI) in suspected cases of acute cholecystitis. Methods: Twenty-two patients suspected of having acute cholecystitis were prospectively evaluated over a 12-month period using gray-scale and color Doppler technique. Gallbladder wall thickness was greater than 2 mm in all patients included in the study. Pathologic correlation was obtained in 17 patients, with clinical or sonographic follow-up in five for a period of 6 –/011001/months. CDI was considered positive only if the mid to fundal wall demonstrated flow. Sonographic Murphy's sign and laboratory values were recorded. Results: Eight patients had acute cholecystitis. All had positive color Doppler flow. Wall thickness in these patients ranged between 4 and 10 mm. Three patients with necrotizing acute cholecystitis had no flow within 6 – 8-mm walls. Six patients with pathologically proven chronic cholecystitis had no evidence of increased flow within thickened walls. Five patients with presumed chronic cholecystitis (thickened wall without increased color flow) were treated medically, and their symptoms resolved. CDI was more sensitive in predicting acute cholecystitis than was the sonographic Murphy's sign and/or laboratory values. Conclusion: CDI demonstrates hyperemic changes in thickened gallbladder walls and is an important adjunct in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.
MOVeMENT: A framework for systematically mapping vibrotactile stimulations to fundamental body movements

Traditional forms of motor learning, i.e., audio-visual instruction and/or guidance through physical contact, are limited depending on the situation such as instruction in a noisy or busy classroom setting, or across a large physical separation. Vibrotactile stimulation has recently emerged as a promising alternative or augmentation to traditional forms of motor training and learning, but has evolved mostly in an adhoc manner where trainers or researchers have resorted to application specific vibrotactile-movement mapping. In contrast, this paper proposes a novel framework, MOVeMENT (Mapping Of Vibrations to moveMENT), that provides systematic design guidelines for mapping vibrotactile stimulations to human body movements in motor skill training applications. We present a pilot test to validate the proposed framework. Results of the study are promising, and the subjects found the movement instructions intuitive and easy to recognize.
Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Media Campaign Illustrating the Bystander Role

Recent research found that training men and women to understand the role of bystanders in situations where violence against women (VAW) is occurring may reduce the incidence of VAW (Moynihan & Banyard, 2004). Therefore a public awareness campaign to increase understanding of the prosocial role of bystanders in reducing VAW was developed and implemented. The current article discusses the role of media campaigns in addressing public health issues and describes the initial development, implementation, and evaluation of a media campaign focused on the bystander role in reducing the incidence of VAW. Conclusions and future directions of this exploratory project are discussed.
Cinteny: flexible analysis and visualization of synteny and genome rearrangements in multiple organisms.

Identifying syntenic regions, i.e., blocks of genes or other markers with evolutionary conserved order, and quantifying evolutionary relatedness between genomes in terms of chromosomal rearrangements is one of the central goals in comparative genomics. However, the analysis of synteny and the resulting assessment of genome rearrangements are sensitive to the choice of a number of arbitrary parameters that affect the detection of synteny blocks. In particular, the choice of a set of markers and the effect of different aggregation strategies, which enable coarse graining of synteny blocks and exclusion of micro-rearrangements, need to be assessed. Therefore, existing tools and resources that facilitate identification, visualization and analysis of synteny need to be further improved to provide a flexible platform for such analysis, especially in the context of multiple genomes. We present a new tool, Cinteny, for fast identification and analysis of synteny with different sets of markers and various levels of coarse graining of syntenic blocks. Using Hannenhalli-Pevzner approach and its extensions, Cinteny also enables interactive determination of evolutionary relationships between genomes in terms of the number of rearrangements (the reversal distance). In particular, Cinteny provides: i) integration of synteny browsing with assessment of evolutionary distances for multiple genomes; ii) flexibility to adjust the parameters and re-compute the results on-the-fly; iii) ability to work with user provided data, such as orthologous genes, sequence tags or other conserved markers. In addition, Cinteny provides many annotated mammalian, invertebrate and fungal genomes that are pre-loaded and available for analysis at http://cinteny.cchmc.org . Cinteny allows one to automatically compare multiple genomes and perform sensitivity analysis for synteny block detection and for the subsequent computation of reversal distances. Cinteny can also be used to interactively browse syntenic blocks conserved in multiple genomes, to facilitate genome annotation and validation of assemblies for newly sequenced genomes, and to construct and assess phylogenomic trees.
Fish and amphibian models for developmental endocrinology

The hormonal control of ontogeny in fish and amphibians is reviewed. Neuroendocrine regulation and actions of metabolic and osmoregulatory hormones (thyroid, interrenal, pituitary, pancreas, and gut) during amphibian and fish metamorphosis and the parr-smolt transformation of juvenile salmon are considered. The developmental significance of hormones in egg yolk is discussed. It is concluded that the transitions between life-history stages provide many unique opportunities for studying basic endocrine phenomena.
The Subgroup Structure and mod 2 Cohomology of O′Nan′s Sporadic Simple Group

This is the first of two papers in which we determine the mod(2) cohomology of the sporadic group O′N of order 2 3 5 7 11 19 31 = 460, 815, 505, 920. O′N has 2-rank three, and, from the Gorenstein-Harada theorem, [GH], together with the results of [AMM], [FM], [M1], [We], which determine the mod (2) cohomology rings of J1, M12, G2(q), D4(q), with q odd, there now remain only the Chevalley groups U3(8) and Sz(8) among the 2-rank three simple groups for which the mod(2) cohomology ring has not been determined. In what follows we often use the Atlas notation [Co].
Monitoring Plant and Groundwater Interactions

In general, the combined processes of evaporation and transpiration can remove about 70% of annual precipitation from a basin or, on a smaller scale, a phytoremediation site. But how much of this water is removed by transpiration? How much of this transpired water is derived from groundwater? Fortunately, geochemical methods can be used to elucidate the various sources of water, including groundwater, that comprise sap flow. These geochemical methods can be used in combination with the water-budget methods discussed previously to decipher plant and groundwater interactions at contaminated sites.
What have we learned from pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic theories

Pharmacokinetic characteristics and pharmacodynamic properties dictate antimicrobial response and, along with natural immune responses, clinical outcomes. As new agents are developed with long half-lives, we will lose the ability to differentiate between concentration-dependent and time-dependent properties. The area under the inhibitory concentration curve (AUIC) defines drug regimens as a ratio of drug exposure to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and allows them to be compared with each other. With AUIC and agents with long half-lives, these comparisons are possible regardless of chemical classification or concentration or time-dependent activity. Historical examples of reduced drug exposure from decreased doses (i.e., cefaclor, clarithromycin, and ciprofloxacin), and thus low AUIC values, directly correlate with drug resistance. In the face of rising MICs (as is occurring worldwide with Streptococcus pneumoniae), close attention to appropriate dosing and concentration above the MIC may delay and potentially even prevent antibiotic resistance. Creating selective pressure on reliable antibiotics by inappropriately reducing their doses will undoubtedly challenge these agents and may destroy entire drug classes with similar mechanisms of action or resistance.
Regulated proteolysis of Candida albicans Ras1 is involved in morphogenesis and quorum sensing regulation.

In Candida albicans, a fungal pathogen, the small G-protein Ras1 regulates many important behaviors including white-opaque switching, biofilm formation, and the induction and maintenance of hyphal growth. Like other Ras proteins, Ras1 is activated upon guanine triphosphate binding, and its activity is further modulated by post-translational lipid modifications. Here, we report that the levels of membrane-associated, full-length Ras1 were higher in hyphae than in yeast, and that yeast contained a shorter, soluble Ras1 species that resulted from cleavage. Deletion of the putative cleavage site led to more rapid induction of hyphal growth and delayed hypha-to-yeast transitions. The cleaved Ras1 species was less able to activate its effector, adenylate cyclase (Cyr1), unless tethered to the membrane by a heterologous membrane-targeting domain. Ras1 cleavage was repressed by cAMP-signalling, indicating the presence of a positive feedback loop in which Cyr1 and cAMP influence Ras1. The C. albicans quorum sensing molecule farnesol, which inhibits Cyr1 and represses filamentation, caused an increase in the fraction of Ras1 in the cleaved form, particularly in nascent yeast formed from hyphae. This newly recognized mode of Ras regulation may control C. albicans Ras1 activity in important ways.
Demonstration of a Flexible Bandwidth Optical Transmitter/Receiver System Scalable to Terahertz Bandwidths

This paper demonstrates a flexible bandwidth-modulation-capable and bandwidth scalable transmitter and receiver technique based on dynamic optical arbitrary waveform generation (OAWG) and measurement (OAWM). This technique generates and receives broadband arbitrary optical waveforms by dividing the waveform spectrum into overlapping spectral slices of bandwidth manageable with existing electronics. The OAWG transmitter produced 2-ns, 60-GHz data waveforms using only 5.5 GHz of analog bandwidth by coherently combining six 10-GHz spectral slices. Measurements were performed using an OAWM receiver with two 30-GHz spectral slices using 15 GHz of analog bandwidth. Experimental demonstrations verify the modulation format independence and flexible bandwidth capabilities of OAWG transmitters and OAWM receivers through the generation of the following waveforms: binary phase-shifted keying (BPSK), coherent wavelength division multiplexing (CoWDM) with 5 and 15 BPSK subcarriers, and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with 54 BPSK subcarriers. All waveforms had a bit-error-rate performance better than 7.8 × 10-5.