cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal timing of transmission line investments in the face of uncertain demand: An option valuation approach

Abstract Grid-based electrification programmes involve irreversible transmission line investments that can be delayed by temporarily resorting to decentralized powet supply technologies. In this context, decision-makers face the difficulty that the future evolution of demand and, thus, the returns from postponing the transmission line investment are uncertain. This imposes an opportunity cost resembling the value of a financial call option. Therefore, standard option valuation techniques can be applied to solve the problem of timing transmission line investments in the presence of stochastic demand. It is shown, analytically and in terms of numerical examples, that demand uncertainty may provide a strong incentive to defer the extension of the grid beyond the date that would be optimal under deterministic conditions.
General Linear Groups

Before we can discuss matrix groups we need to talk a little about groups in general. If X and Y are sets, their Cartesian product X × Y is defined to be the set of all ordered pairs (x,y) with x ∈ X and y ∈ Y. A convenient notation for describing this set of all ordered pairs is $$X + Y = \left\{ {\left( {x,y} \right)|x \in X\;and\;y \in Y} \right\},$$ the curly brackets being read as “the set of all” and the vertical bar as “such that.”
Iodothyronine 5′-Deiodination in Rats Fed Low Protein Diets: Lack of Correlation with Energy Balance

Rats fed low protein diets often exhibit an elevation in adaptive thermogenesis that may result in part from activation of thyroid hormone action at the level of peripheral deiodination of thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3). This possibility was examined by comparing the kinetic parameters of iodothyronine 5'-deiodination in hepatic and renal microsomes and the efficiency of energy retention in weanling rats fed diets containing 5% (LP-5), 8% (LP-8) or 22% (NP) casein. Energy balance measurements revealed that efficiency of energy retention was reduced in rats fed LP-5, whereas no significant change in adaptive thermogenesis was observed in rats fed LP-8. In the LP-5 group the maximal activity of hepatic 5'-deiodinase per milligram of microsomal protein was not different from that of the NP group; however, the Vmax of the renal enzyme was 21% higher. In both tissues, the Km of the reaction was not affected by dietary treatment. Hepatic and renal 5'-deiodination in rats fed LP-8 was similar to that in rats fed LP-5. When compared to corresponding NP controls, each of the low protein dietary groups (LP-5, LP-8) had a higher serum total T3 concentration, whereas serum free T3 and total T4 concentrations were unaffected by the dietary treatments. The findings demonstrate that iodothyronine 5'-deiodination and circulating thyroid hormone concentrations vary in a similar manner in LP-5 and LP-8 animals even though these two groups exhibit different responses in energy efficiency relative to NP controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An alligator inspired modular robot

Due to challenges, such as information collection in huge water, propulsion at different scales and manipulation in extreme fluid environments, wide application of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is limited. In this paper, an alligator modular robot, composed by 14 small robots, was inspired from the locomotion and morphologies of alligators and microorganisms. With the undulatory body and beating legs, the assembled large robot was able to maintain fast and maneuverable swimming for tasks executions at large Reynolds number. With a biologically optimized body aspect ratio (3.47), small modular robots achieved effective propulsion in viscous fluid. Facilitated by a dissembling system, small robots were automatically released from the large robot frame and swam around with independent actuation systems. Hydrodynamic model for the large and small robot were formulated, based on which the propulsion for the modular robot in large and low Reynolds numbers (Res) were simulated. Experiments were conducted to compare with the simulation results to further validate the proposed modular robot design.
A Test of the Utility of Exotic Tree Plantations for Understory Birds and Food Resources in the Colombian Andes

The spatial distribution and abundance of animals are in part determined by the distribution and abundance of their resource base. In the Central Andes of Colombia, monospecific tree plantations have been used to recover vegetative cover in watershed protection programs, but these plantations differ from natural forests in structure, composition, and resources available to wildlife. To evaluate these plantations as habitat for wildlife, we compared the diversity and abundance of understory birds, flowers, and fruits between juxtaposed 40-yr-old patches of exotic Chinese ash (Fraxinus chinensis) plantations and naturally regenerated forest of the same age. We observed more fruiting species in the regenerated forest, but there were no differences in total flower and fruit availability between habitat types. We also observed differences between habitats in the size of some understory shrubs, but these differences did not lead to differences between habitats in the diversity and abundance of birds. Capture rates of nectarivores correlated with resource abundance at sampling plot scale, but no such correlation was found for frugivores. Understory frugivorous birds are apparently functioning at a larger spatial scale than the patchiness created by the two habitats. Nectarivorous birds are responding to small-scale patchiness in resource availability, but not to the different habitats. These results indicate that at small scales, the ash plantation understory provides adequate habitat for birds.
Sodium cyanide as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent

Abstract 1. 1. This is a preliminary report on the studies of another cancer chemotherapeutic agent, sodium cyanide, which appears to be an antienzyme type of agent. 2. 2. Simplified techniques for regional pelvic perfusion suitable for agents without chronic toxicity have been developed, and a control of the distribution of the agent can be observed by a radiographic technique. 3. 3. These observations indicate that sodium cyanide anesthetic mixtures are reasonably well tolerated without evidence of chronic toxicity or cumulative effect. 4. 4. Suggestive evidence is presented that differential tumor toxicity is obtained and is manifested by a prolongation of survival time in experimental animals and by cellular changes in clinical tumors. 5. 5. These studies are being continued to learn the effect of serial treatment with sodium cyanide in gynecologic malignancy.
Thermal degradation of relaxor-based piezoelectric ceramics

The effect of exposure to elevated temperatures on dielectric and piezoelectric properties near the morphotropic phase boundary is examined, and the mechanisms of thermal degradation involved as compared to normal ferroelectric materials are discussed. The thermal degradation of dielectric and piezoelectric properties was investigated for relaxor ferroelectric compositions in the (1-x)Pb(Mg/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-(x)PbTiO/sub 3/ family near the morphotropic phase boundary. Degradations of the radial coupling factor piezoelectric charge coefficient and mechanical quality factor were observed to be less than expected based on the temperature dependence of the polarization. >
Interproximal cervical lesions caused by incorrect flossing technique.

To cite this article Int J Dent Hygiene 10, 2012; 83–85 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2011.00524.x Salas ML, McClellan AC, MacNeill SR, Satheesh KM, Cobb CM. Interproximal cervical lesions caused by incorrect flossing technique. Abstract: This case report describes an interproximal cervical lesion caused by the incorrect use of dental floss. A 58-year-old man who was asymptomatic, presented with unusual notch-like cervical lesions. After clinical and radiographical examinations, it was concluded that the aetiology of these lesions was an incorrect flossing technique. The treatment plan included extraction of maxillary 3rd molars and re-education of the patient in oral hygiene technique. Conclusion: These lesions are irreversible and often go undiagnosed; therefore, it is important for the clinician to be familiar with the clinical presentation and aetiology.
The Prostaglandins in Clinical Medicine. A Developing Role for the Clinical Chemist

We review the ways that prostaglandins might relate to clinical chemistry. Clinical aspects that are discussed include hypertensive diseases, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, cancer, inflammation and fever, effects on platelets, the respiratory system and asthma, and reproduction. A survey of procedures for the storage, extraction, separation, and quantitation of the prostaglandins is also presented.
Remark on an interesting problem in topological biology

The possibility of several homotopic classes of mappings of the graph of an organism onto the primordial graph (Bull. Math. Biophysics,16, 317–48, 1954) is considered. An application of this possibility is suggested for the theoretical determination as to what type of new biological functions may be acquired by certain cells which originally perform a different biological function.
Chemical accuracy in ab initio thermochemistry and spectroscopy: current strategies and future challenges

The current state of the art in wavefunction-based electronic structure methods is illustrated via discussions of the most important effects incorporated into a selection of high-accuracy methods chosen from the chemical literature. If one starts with a high-quality correlation treatment, such as provided by the CCSD(T) coupled cluster method, the leading effects include convergence of the results with respect to the 1-particle basis set, (outer)core/valence correlation, scalar relativistic effects and a number of smaller effects. For thermochemical properties such as the heat of formation, the zero-point vibrational energy also becomes important, introducing its own set of difficulties to the computational approach. Changes in the various components as the chemical systems incorporate heavier elements and as the size of the systems grows are also considered. Finally, challenges arising from the desire to extend existing methods to transition metal and heavier elements are considered.
Preparation of single phase gallium nitride from single crystal gallium arsenide

An analysis has been conducted on the final products obtained in attempts to prepare single phase gallium nitride from single crystal gallium arsenide. When the intermediate oxide phase was nitrided in pure ammonia it was found that (i) the lowest temperature at which rate of conversion ofβ-Ga2O3 to GaN became significant was in the range 600 to 700°C, (ii) over the temperature range 700 to 1000°C GaN was found to be the only crystalline phase present, (iii) above 1100°Cβ-Ga2O3 was the main constituent. In comparison, when the oxide phase was nitrided in a 50% NH3-50% N2 atmosphere it was found that (i) the lowest temperature at which conversion to GaN occurred lay between 700 and 750°C, (ii) there was only a narrow range of temperatures, 750 to 870°C, in which the final products were found to contain GaN as the only crystalline phase, (iii) samples nitrided above 870°C exhibited both GaN andβ-Ga2O3 phases, the proportion ofβ-Ga2O3 increasing with increasing temperature.
"Retrofilling" - A Technique to Reduce Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's)

Summary form only, as given. Enactment and subsequent promulgation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations concerning the continued use of PCB's, as related to all types of PCB and PCB-contaminated equipment, have caused various concerns within the electrical in industry. One of these concerns is the servicing, maintenance, and continued service of mineral oil-filled transformers that have been inadvertently contaminated with PCB's 500 ppm or greater. This contamination may have been caused by filling or refilling a mineral oil-filled transformer with PCB-contaminated oil hoses and equipment, mineral oil, etc.
Energy-aware co-processor selection for embedded processors on FPGAs

In this paper, we present co-processor selection problem for minimum energy consumption in hw/sw co-design on FPGAs with dual power mode. We provide theoretical analysis for the problem under no constraint, resource constraint, and timing constraint. We prove that the complexity of the problem in each case is NP-Hard and we provide a generalized ILP formulation. We compared the result of our approach in minimizing energy to the result of other approaches that had not considered both static and dynamic power during optimization and we showed that we can reduce energy by 63% in some cases.
Modeling Potential Impacts of Beach Replenishment on Horseshoe Crab Nesting Habitat Suitability

Beach replenishment has been proposed to increase nesting habitat for horseshoe crabs, but its environmental consequences may compromise the egg development and viability of this declining species. Horseshoe crab habitat requirements were used to build a habitat suitability model in STELLA to predict the potential impacts of beach replenishment on horseshoe crab eggs. A habitat suitability index (H.S.I.) comprised of six variables (dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size, sand temperature, sand moisture, wave energy, and salinity) was developed and compared between replenished and natural beaches. Sediment grain size and dissolved oxygen were higher in the natural beach, whereas sand temperature and moisture were higher in the replenished beach, resulting in significantly higher suitability of the natural beach (p = 5.39 × 10−15, df = 30). The model was most sensitive to air temperature, rainfall, tide, and sediment grain size. This model is useful for understanding the processes affecting horseshoe crabs a...
Self-Reported Violent Offending A Descriptive Analysis of Juvenile Violent Offenders and Their Offending Careers

Serious violent offenders are identified on the basis of self-reported involvement in violent FBI Index Offenses from a large representative sample of adolescents in the United States. The study involves a longitudinal prospective design with five annual waves of data on this national youth panel. Estimates of four basic parameters of violent offending are presented: prevalence rates, individual offending rates, career lengths, and crime mix patterns. These estimates are then compared to estimates based upon official arrest data. Self-reported estimates are substantially greater than those based upon arrest data, suggesting that those arrested for serious violent offenses constitute only a fraction of youth actually involved in serious violent behavior. The analysis also indicated that compared to self-reported data, arrest data overstate the magnitude of sex, race, and age differentials in the prevalence of serious violent offending. Further, self-reported individual offending rates were also substantial...
A clinical nurse specialist-led intervention to enhance medication adherence using the plan-do-check-act cycle for continuous self-improvement.

Purpose A clinical nurse specialist-led intervention to improve medication adherence in chronically ill adults using renal transplant recipients as an exemplar population is proposed. Background/rationale Meta-analyses and systematic reviews of chronically ill and transplant patients indicate that patient-specific characteristics not only are poor and inconsistent predictors for medication nonadherence but also are not amenable to intervention. Adherence has not meaningfully improved, despite meta-analyses and systematic narrative reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) dealing with medication nonadherence in acutely and chronically ill persons and RCTs dealing with transplant patients. Interventions with a superior potential to enhance medication adherence must be developed. Description of the intervention Use of a clinical nurse specialist-led continuous self-improvement intervention with adult renal transplant recipients is proposed. Continuous self-improvement focuses on improving personal systems thinking and behavior using the plan-do-check-act process. Electronic medication monitoring reports, one of several objective measures of medication adherence, are used by the clinician to provide patient feedback during the check process on medication-taking patterns. Conclusion Continuous self-improvement as an intervention holds promise in supporting patient self-management and diminishing the blame that clinicians place on patients for medication nonadherence. Using an objective measure of medication adherence such as an electronic monitoring report fosters collaborative patient-clinician discussions of daily medication-taking patterns. Through collaboration, ideas for improving medication taking can be explored. Changes can be followed and evaluated for effectiveness through the continuous self-improvement process. Implications Future studies should include RCTs comparing educational and/or behavioral interventions to improve medication adherence.
The role of managerial discretion in union mergers

Abstract Using financial data from the Labor-Management Services Administration, this paper examines the managerial discretion hypothesis of union merger activity. The lack of both union and leadership rivalry leaves no effective mechanism for union members to control their officers, which creates the opportunity for a significant amount of managerial discretion. The analysis supports the expectation that union officers' preferences for organizational size, as well as pecuniary benefits, can be effectively pursued through merger activity.
Heat Inactivation of Superoxide Dismutase in Bovine Milk

Superoxide dismutase, and enzyme normal to bovine milk, may be inactivated partially by heat during processing of milk and milk products. A minimal pasteurization temperature (71.7 C for 15 s) does not cause heat inactivation of superoxide dismutase. Higher temperature of pasteurization or systems including a 'vac-heat process' will inactivate a substantial portion of the enzyme. Heat treatments greater than 75 C inactivated more than 20% of the superoxide dismutase. Purified superoxide dismutase fractionated from bovine milk was more sensitive to thermal processing than the superoxide dismutase in bovine milk serum.
Regulation of NMDA receptor phosphorylation by alternative splicing of the C-terminal domain.

THE NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate) receptors in the brain play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, synaptogenesis and excitotoxicity1–3. Molecular cloning has demonstrated that NMDA receptors consist of several homologous subunits (NMDAR1, 2A–2D)4–7. A variety of studies have suggested that protein phosphorylation of NMDA receptors may regulate their function7–12 and play a role in many forms of synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation13,14. We have examined the phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor subunit NMDAR1 (NR1) by protein kinase C (PKC) in cells transiently expressing recombinant NR1 and in primary cultures of cortical neurons. PKC phosphorylation occurs on several distinct sites on the NR1 subunit. Most of these sites are contained within a single alternatively spliced exon in the C-terminal domain, which has previously been proposed to be on the extracellular side of the membrane4,5,15. These results demonstrate that alternative splicing of the NR1 messenger RNA regulates its phosphorylation by PKC, and that mRNA splicing is a novel mechanism for regulating the sensitivity of glutamate receptors to protein phosphorylation. These results also provide evidence that the C-terminal domain of the NR1 protein is located intracellularly, suggesting that the proposed transmembrane topology model for glutamate receptors may be incorrect.
Stability and transport properties of an intense ion beam propagating through an alternating-gradient focusing lattice

Abstract Stability and transport properties of an intense ion beam propagating through an alternating-gradient focusing lattice with initial Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (KV) distribution are studied using newly-developed perturbative ( δf ) particle simulation techniques. Stability properties are investigated over a wide range of beam current and focusing field strength. In the unstable region, large-amplitude density perturbations with low azimuthal harmonic numbers, concentrated near the beam surface, are observed. Their nonlinear consequences are discussed.
Electron-phonon interaction in two dimensions: The case for strong coupling in high- T c superconductors

A particular model interaction between electrons and acoustic phonons is found to cause electrons to become weakly "self-trapped" for an arbitrary filling factor in $d=2$, but not in $d=1$ nor, for different reasons, in $d\ensuremath{\ge}3$. To the extent that electron kinetic energy is reduced in $d=2$, the electronic interactions become proportionally more effective. Among phonon-mediated interactions we identify a static anisotropic interaction, compatible with observed ordering of oxygen vacancies along privileged axes in $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}x}$, while other mechanisms encourage electron pairing and superconductivity.
COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION IN THE CONTEXT OF POPULATION AGING

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate why communities vary in their ability to mobilize their residents for community development purposes. Social capital and age stratification perspectives framed this research. The density of local acquaintanceships, the percentage of the baby boom generation in a community, and the percentage of the “long civic generation,” born between 1910 and 1940 (Putnam 2000) in a community were hypothesized to predict levels of community mobilization. Data from a mail survey completed by residents from 99 rural towns in a Midwestern state were used to perform correlational and multivariate regression analyses. Results show that the acquaintanceship density in a community was significantly and positively associated with community mobilization. Acquaintanceship density was also found to mediate the relationship between community mobilization and the proportions of boomers and the long civic generation in a community. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Fluid fluxes in the ferret trachea.

A net reabsorption of fluid was observed in isolated ferret trachea under control conditions. Cholinergic stimulation resulted in net secretion of fluid while atropine blocked this response without any effect on the basal process of fluid reabsorption.
Facing the Age Wave and Economic Policy: Fixing Public Pension Systems with Healthcare in the Wings*

There are two overriding problems faced by ageing societies. One is the financing of public pension (social security in US terms) programmes. The other is paying for healthcare. This paper considers the healthcare issue briefly, emphasising that the issue arises primarily because of advances in medical technology. Better medical technology will improve healthcare in the future, but more advanced technologies also cost more. The focus of the rest of the paper is on the public pension problem. The emphasis is on the early retirement incentives inherent in the provisions of most public pension programmes around the world, the reduction in the labour force participation of older people caused by these incentives, and the large fiscal implication of the inducement of older people to leave the labour force. These results are based on the Gruber–Wise ongoing international social security comparison project.
Characterization of β‐thalassemia mutations by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis: patterns in the Mediterranean mutations

Of the many methods which have been devised to detect point mutations, we use reverse dot blot for beta-thalassemia in our laboratory. In any mutation detection program, rare or new mutations outside of a laboratory's repertoire will be encountered. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is one of the methods used to localize such mutations. We describe the DGGE electrophoresis pattern of eight common Mediterranean beta-thalassemia mutations and the beta S and beta C mutations, and the definition of two rare mutations outside of these ten. We believe that DGGE is a useful adjunct for mutation detection.
Reactivity of a five-coordinate complex: Kinetics of dissociation of [tris(2-dimethylaminoethyl)amine-NN′N″N‴] cobalt(II) in solvents and aqueous solvent mixtures

The kinetics of the dissociation of the five-coordinate complex [tris(2-dimethylaminoethyl)amine-NN′-N″N‴] cobalt(II) in solutions of chloroacetic acid have been studied using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Solvents used were dimethylformamide, aqueous dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide, and acetonitrile. The rate of reaction of the principal step in the dissociation path is proportional to the complex concentration; the first order rate constants 1.0 mol dm−3 chloroacetic acid in the presence of 1.0 mol dm−3 sodium perchlorate at 298 K are 18.4, 4.49, 4.05, and 2.40 sec−1 in dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, and water, respectively. The reaction rate profiles as a function of water concentration in aqueous dimethylformamide and aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide are similar; a broad maximum rate is observed in the 2–10% water range at 298 K. A consistent trend is found for dissociation of the complex in aqueous dimethylformamide solutions of 1.0 mol dm−3 and 0.25 mol dm−3 perchloric acid. A slower step in the dissociation is detectable in nonaqueous solvents but cannot be characterized reliably. These results together with the enthalpies and entropies of activation at 298 K are considered in terms of the possibilities of dissociative and associative reaction pathways.
Direct measurement of the top quark charge at hadron colliders

We consider photon radiation in $\overline{t}t$ events at the upgraded Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as a tool to measure the electric charge of the top quark. We analyze the contributions of $\overline{t}t\ensuremath{\gamma}$ production and radiative top quark decays to $p\stackrel{(\ensuremath{-})}{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\gamma}{l}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\nu}\overline{b}bjj,$ assuming that both b quarks are tagged. With $20 {\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at the Tevatron, the possibility that the ``top quark'' discovered in run I is actually an exotic charge $\ensuremath{-}4/3$ quark can be ruled out at the \ensuremath{\sim}95% confidence level. At the CERN LHC, it will be possible to determine the charge of the top quark with an accuracy of about 10%.
Do not go slowly into that dark night: mercy killing in Holland.

From the Department of Philosphy, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Gregory E. Pence, Department of Philosophy, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, HB 420, Birmingham, Alabama 35294. Manuscript submitted September 10, 1987, and accepted November 11, 1987. The Dutch are known for practicality, fierce independence, moral integrity, free-thought, and defense of civil liberties. Under Nazi occupation, Dutch physicians successfully resisted Hitler’s programs [I]. Holland is nominally Catholic but 27 percent of Dutch citizens claim no religious affiliation, and Dutch Catholicism is very democratic and aggressively anti-Vatican. Moreover, the Dutch seem to distrust elaborate technology and wish to die at home more than Americans, 80 percent of whom die in hospitals [2]. Seventy-five percent of Dutch citizens now endorse mercy killing by physicians after requests by terminal patients [3]. These attitudes have changed Dutch medical practices. It is estimated that Dutch physicians have now killed between 5,000 and 8,000 terminal patients. This new development in the history of medicine needs to be carefully studied. The Dutch national movement for decriminalization began in 1971 when a female physician accepted her mother’s repeated requests for death. Geertruida Postma’s mother had had a cerebral hemorrage that left her partially paralyzed, deaf, and mute. After the stroke, Postma’s mother lived in a nursing home, where she was tied to a chair for support. Dr. Postma said, “When I watched my mother, a human wreck, hanging in that chair, I couldn’t stand it anymore” [4]. So she injected her mother with morphine and killed her. Postma then told the director of the nursing home, who called police. Postma was found guilty of murder, but was given only a symbolic sentence. Postma’s lawyer argued that “rational suicide” assisted by a physician should be a legal defense. The judge rejected this defense but nevertheless specified some guidelines. The 1973 case of physician Piet Schoonheim also concerned mercy killing, but of patients who were not immediately terminal [5]. Schoonheim was eventually cleared. Two Dutch euthanasia societies grew after such cases. One group sought legislative reform, like the American Society for the Right to Die, and the other helped terminal patients to die, like the American Hemlock Society. In 1973, the Dutch Medical Association softened its condemnation of mercy killing by physicians. While stating that euthanasia by request should still be a crime, it urged that courts should decide whether physicians could be justified in particular cases. Public support for euthanasia dramatically increased over the next decade, and in 1984 the Dutch Medical Association advocated new guidelines stating that: (1) only a physician may implement requests for euthanasia, (2) requests must be made by competent patients, (3) patients’ decisions must be free of doubt, well documented, and repeated, (4) the physician must consult
Dynamics of molecular surface diffusion: energy transfer between adsorbate modes

Abstract Diffusion of model rigid, linear triatomics adsorbed on a Ni(111) surface has been simulated by molecular dynamics. Changing the mass distribution in the model triatomic permits variations in the bending frequency without altering the potential. Thus, dynamical effects of bending on surface diffusion can be studied in isolation from thermodynamic effects. Diffusion coefficients and mean-squared hop lengths increase linearly with the bending frequency. Translational and rotational modes are strongly coupled. As the bending frequency of the adsorbate decreases, transfer of lateral translational energy to rotational energy becomes more effective, and correlation between the rotational and translational modes becomes stronger. At lower bending frequencies, energy transfer to the molecular bending mode is the dominant mechanism for the dissipation of lateral translational energy.
Peacemaking and Democratic Peace Theory: Public Opinion as an Obstacle to Peace in Post-Conflict Situations

Democratic Peace Theory rests on several assumptions. Structural variants assume that, in all states, the public is more peaceful than its leaders and that, in democratic states, institutional checks and balances restrain bellicose leaders. Normative variants assume that democratic peoples and their leaders share norms encouraging the peaceful resolution of disputes with other democracies and respect for the wishes of other free peoples. These assumptions are challenged, however, by the experience of post-conflict peacemaking by democratic states. When negotiating peace, public opinion tends to be more bellicose than its leaders, even when the former enemy has become either democratic or quasi-democratic. This paper examines the post-war peace processes between France and the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949–1954 and between Israel and the Palestinian Authority since 1992. It argues that the logic of democratic peace theory might apply to states with no past history of war, but not to states which ha...
Hydrocortisone inhibits prostaglandin production by mouse fibrosarcoma cells.

A VARIETY of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs are potent inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis1. In fact, many of the clinically important anti-inflammatory actions of agents such as aspirin and indomethacin have been attributed to inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase2. Corticosteroids with anti-inflammatory activity, however, have not been regularly shown to be prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors1,3,4 although reports of small degrees of inhibition have been made in broken cell preparations using very high concentrations (2.2 × 10−4–4.4 × 10−4 M) of fluocinolone5,6 or hydrocortisone6. Lewis and Piper have suggested, largely on the basis of indirect data, that some of the actions of corticosteroids in inflammation result from inhibition of the release, but not the synthesis, of prostaglandins7. We report here that hydrocortisone is a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin formation by a clonal strain of prostaglandin-producing cells in culture, and that the effect is not the result of an action on the prostaglandin release or transport mechanisms.
Sporulation Regulatory Protein SpoIIID from Bacillus subtilis Activates and Represses Transcription by Both Mother-cell-specific Forms of RNA Polymerase

Mother-cell-specific gene expression during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis is controlled by sigma E and sigma K RNA polymerases. sigma E is required for the expression of genes during stage III (engulfment of the forespore), while sigma K is required for the expression of genes during stage IV (formation of the spore cortex) and stage V (formation of the spore coat). Previous studies indicated that SpoIIID could influence transcription by sigma K RNA polymerase in vitro. We demonstrate here that SpoIIID is a DNA-binding protein that recognizes specific sequences in the promoter regions and open reading frames of both sigma E- and sigma K-dependent genes. We also show that SpoIIID can activate or repress transcription by both forms of RNA polymerase. These results support the idea that the appearance and subsequent disappearance of SpoIIID plays a major role in controlling the mother-cell pattern fo gene expression during stages III to V of sporulation.
Failure of chicken insulin to alter polysaccharide levels of the avian glycogen body

Abstract 1. 1. In vivo and in vitro studies were carreid out comparing the effects of chicken insulin with those of equal amounts of beef insulin on the glycogen body of the domestic chicken. 2. 2. The glycogen body glycogen moiety was unaltered regardless of experimental design indicating that the constancy of this structure's polysaccharide levels is neither attributable to use of a non-homologous hormone nor to restriction of the hormone by the avian blood-brain barrier.
The Representativeness of Congressional Primary Voters

Previous studies of the personal, political and attitudinal representativeness of primary electorates have produced mixed results. These analyses were based on single states or communities rather than a national sample, did not distinguish between general election voters who did not participate in the primary from those who did not vote in either election, and usually did not use verified voting participation measures. Using a national sample of verified voters, this study provides stronger support for the hypothesis that primary voters are unrepresentative of nonparticipants in important dimensions of political life.
Effects of water vapor on oxidation behavior of ferritic stainless steels under solid oxide fuel cell interconnect exposure conditions

Abstract The oxidation of ferritic stainless steels has been studied under solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) interconnect “dual” exposure conditions, i.e., simultaneous exposure to air on one side of the sample, and fuel (hydrogen) on the other. It was found that, under the dual exposures, the oxidation behavior of the stainless steels at the airside differed significantly from that observed during exposure to air at both sides. Increased water vapor partial pressure in the air at the airside further accelerated the anomalous oxidation, resulting in nucleation and growth of hematite in the scale that led to a localized attack. The accelerated oxidation and growth of the hematite nodules was a result of combined effects of hydrogen transport from the fuel side to the airside and the presence of increased water vapor.
Physical Activity Strategies for Improved Cognition: The mind/body connection

(2012). Physical Activity Strategies for Improved Cognition: The mind/body connection. Strategies: Vol. 25, No. 8, pp. 16-20.
AFM resolves effects of ethambutol on nanomechanics and nanostructures of single dividing mycobacteria in real-time

Dynamic nanomechanics and nanostructures of dividing and anti-mycobacterial drug treated mycobacterium remain to be fully elucidated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a promising nanotechnology tool for characterization of these dynamic alterations, especially at the single cell level. In this work, single dividing mycobacterium JLS (M.JLS) before and after anti-mycobacterial drug (ethambutol, EMB) treatment was in situ quantitatively analyzed, suggesting that nanomechanics would be referred as a sensitive indicator for evaluating efficacy of anti-mycobacterial drugs. Dynamic evidence on the contractile ring and septal furrow of dividing M.JLS implied that inhibition of contractile ring formation would be a crucial process for EMB to disturb M.JLS division. These results could facilitate further explaining the regulation mechanism of the contractile ring as well as nanomechanical roles of the cell wall in the course of mycobacterial division. This work describe a new way for further elucidating the mechanisms of mycobacterial division and anti-mycobacterial drug action, as well as the drug-resistance developing mechanism of pathogenic mycobacteria.
Modern rectal cancer surgery—Total mesorectal excision—The standard of care

The literature has repeatedly shown the superiority of total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer in reducing the incidence of local recurrence (LR) and improving long-term survival compared to conventional blunt rectal dissection. This article reviews the history of surgery for rectal cancer, supports TME as the standard of care in obtaining a negative circumferential margin (CRM) for mid- and lower-third rectal cancers, discusses the drawbacks of TME, the role of tumor-specific mesorectal excision for upper-third rectal cancers and laparoscopic TME, and emphasizes the need for a selective role of chemoradiation with TME for rectal cancer. The need for standardizing TME in the United States with pathological specimen quality analysis and reporting of the completeness of the TME specimen is also emphasized.
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon deposited by ion-beam sputtering

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films 1/2 to 1 micron thick were deposited on metal and glass substrates using ion-beam sputtering techniques. The 800 eV, 2 mA/sq cm beam was a mixture of argon and hydrogen ions. The argon sputtered silicon from a pure (7.6 cm) single crystal wafer, while the hydrogen combined with the sputtered material during the deposition. Hydrogen to argon pressure ratios and substrate temperatures were varied to minimize the defect state density in the amorphous silicon. Characterization was done by electrical resistivity, index of refraction and optical absorption of the films.
Cervical primary afferent input to vestibulospinal neurons projecting to the cervical dorsal horn: an anterograde and retrograde tracing study in the cat.

Vestibulospinal neurons in the caudal half of the medial and descending vestibular nuclei terminate in the cervical spinal cord, not only in the ventral horn and intermediate zone but also in the dorsal horn. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the areas containing these vestibulospinal neurons are reached by cervical primary afferents. In one group of experiments, wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate and horseradish peroxidase were pressure injected into spinal ganglia C2-C8 and revealed anterogradely labeled fibers and boutons in the caudal part (caudal to the dorsal cochlear nucleus) of the ipsilateral medial and descending vestibular nuclei. This projection was verified in experiments in which wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate was microiontophoretically injected into the caudal half of either the medial or the descending vestibular nuclei and revealed retrogradely labeled cells only in ipsilateral spina ganglia C2-C7, with a maximum of cells in C3. In another group of experiments, after microiontophoretic injections of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin or Biocytin into either the medial or the descending vestibular nuclei, anterogradely labeled fibers and boutons were present in the cervical spinal cord, mainly bilaterally in the dorsal horn (laminae I–VI) but also, to a lesser extent, in the ventral horn and intermediate zone. The existence of a loop that relays cervical primary afferent information to vestibulospinal neurons projecting to the cervical spinal cord, in particular the dorsal horn, may have implications for vestibular control over local information processing in the cervical dorsal horn. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Biological laser action

The narrowing of the spectral linewidth and the increasing of the peak intensity characteristic of laser action were observed in emission spectra of dye-infused biological tissues. The tissue was infused with a solution of Rhodamine 640 perchlorate in ethanol and then excited with frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pulses. The dependence of emission linewidth on the excitation radiant exposure and dye concentration was investigated. Laser action was also observed in biologically compatible fluorescein sodium dye dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline mixed with scattering polystyrene spheres. The sharp spectral peaks of laser action in tissues may find applications in the detection of superficial disease.
Synthesis and characterization of one-step electrodeposited CuIn(1−x)GaxSe2/Mo/glass films at atmospheric conditions

Abstract CuIn(1−x)GaxSe2 (CIGS) thin films were prepared by one-step electro-deposition technique from a salt bath coupled with thiocyanate complex electrolytes followed by annealing in argon atmosphere at 300 °C. The influence of deposition reduction potentials as well as the salt concentrations on the structure, morphology, composition and the optical properties were performed. A reproducible Cu–In–Ga–Se precursor layer deposition with consistent composition control was demonstrated. The as-deposited films exhibit an amorphous behavior; however the films displayed good crystallization after annealing. The films show very uniform and dense grain formation with platelet-like nanostructures. The optical properties of the films are modified due to annealing. The electrical conductivity measurements demonstrate that the transport mechanism is influenced by three different temperature regions: the ionization, extrinsic and intrinsic regions, respectively, as found in other semiconductors. However, the annealed films display downturn in conductivity at low temperature indicating that there may be trapping at localized sites or scattering of the free carriers, which may be attributed to the over growth and defect sites. The electro-deposition technique demonstrates promise of growing high-quality CIGS thin films.
Can the hawking effect thaw a broken symmetry

Abstract A spontaneously broken symmetry is shown not to be restored as witnessed by accelerating (Rindler) observers. To one-loop thermal contributions appear only in differences between Minkowski and Rindler vacuum matrix elements. All observers obtain (up to coordinate transformations) the same matrix elements of physical operators. Identical effective potentials and order parameters are obtained by all observers.
Some Spray-Dried Formulations of Salfaethylthiadiazole for Prolonged-Release Medication

Aqueous and organic solvent solutions containing salfaethylthiadiazole and dissolution-retarding materials were spray dried with the purpose of preparing salfaethylthiadiazole in prolonged-release form. Shellac, cellulose acetate phthalate, Glycowax S-932, Castorwax MP 80, aluminum monostearate, and glyceryl monostearate were used as the dissolution-retarding materials. Microscopic examination and infrared spectral analysis were carried out on some of the spray-dried products. An in vitro evaluation of the antibacterial activity of spray-dried salfaethylthiadiazole was compared with an original sample. Dissolution characteristics of the products were studied in vitro , and one product was evaluated in vivo by urinary excretion data.
Epidemiology of Chronic Pruritus: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

Between 23 and 44 million Americans are estimated to suffer from chronic pruritus in the setting of both cutaneous and systemic conditions. Patients with chronic pruritus suffer extreme detriment to their ability to function, including but not limited to deranged sleep patterns, mood disturbances, increased levels of anxiety and depression, and reduced levels of overall quality of life. Indeed, chronic pruritus is now known to be as debilitating as chronic pain. For these reasons, chronic pruritus represents a serious public health concern that must be adequately addressed by clinicians. We present an up-to-date summary of the epidemiology of chronic itch in different cutaneous and systemic conditions. While we have endeavored to discuss some of the most common causes of chronic pruritus, this review does not encompass all of the myriad different diseases in which chronic pruritus can occur.
Squeezing in harmonic oscillator with time-dependent mass and frequency

In this paper we examine the possibility of generating squeezed states out of coherent states by external changes of the oscillator mass and frequency. Using the evolution operator method developed by Chenget al., we investigate the evolution of a coherent state of a time-dependent oscillator with variable mass and frequency as well as its squeezing and coherence property. Our analyses indicate that the wave function of the time-dependent oscillator starts as a coherent state att=0 and evolves as a squeezed state at a later time.
Antisymmetric part of the dynamic structure function of liquid 4He.

At large momentum transfers it is convenient to express the dynamic structure function $S(k, \ensuremath{\omega})$ as the sum of a symmetric part about $\ensuremath{\omega}={k}^{2}$ and an antisymmetric part. The latter is zero in the impulse approximation, and its leading contribution is given by $\frac{{S}_{A}(y)}{{(2k)}^{2}}$, where $y=\frac{(\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{-}{k}^{2})}{2k}$ is the usual scaling variable. We calculate the integrals of ${S}_{A}(y)$, weighted with $y$, ${y}^{3}$, and ${y}^{5}$ in liquid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ using sum rules as suggested by Sears. Polynomial expansions are used to construct models of ${S}_{A}(y)$ which appear to be in qualitative agreement with the observed antisymmetric part at large values of $k$.
Massive amplitudes of the open superstring.

Conformal field theory is applied to calculate the scattering amplitudes of the first massive level states for the open superstring. Three-point couplings and four-point functions are calculated explicitly.
Alleviation of avoidance deficits by approach alternatives in 10-day old rats.

Abstract Ten-day old rat pups were exposed to alternative mothers, trained to approach one of these mothers, and then punished for the approach response. Punished pups quickly learned to avoid the shock area, most often by running to the alternative mother, while nonpunished controls continued in their trained approach response. Free choice and retention control subjects showed no preference for either mother. The data indicated previously reported avoidance deficits in rats at very early stages of development can be overcome provided a response alternative appropriate for both their species and age is provided.