cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of surfactant addition to polyethylene oxide polymer electrolytes in low and high concentrations

Abstract The effect of surfactant addition to polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer electrolytes is studied. The initial goal of the research was to determine if a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of surfactant molecules could be formed at the polymer interfaces through what we describe as the “blooming” method. In this method, the surfactant is added to the polymer solution before casting and the surfactant migrates to the surface, due to differences between bulk and surface free energies, during removal of the solvent as the film is formed. The surfactant used had the chemical formula of H–(–CH2–)32–(–CH2–CH2–O–)10–H where the hydrocarbon part of the molecule has the ability to self-assemble once they reach the surface of a PEO polymer electrolyte. These molecular surface layers stabilized the SEI layer formed between lithium metal and the polymer electrolyte. At a level of 8% by mass and above, there was significant interfacial stabilization. In addition to interface stabilization, it was found that the addition of the surfactant caused significant changes to the bulk of the polymer, yielding an order of magnitude higher conductivity in the bulk phase. The structure of the protective film at the surface was investigated by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and AFM phase imaging.
Application of Work-Measurement Analysis to Product Disassembly for Recycling

A method for evaluating the ease of disassembly of products is introduced Its primary use is in designing products for recycling and making environmentally-related decisions, but it is also relevant to servicing and maintenance The evaluation procedure is centered around a spreadsheet-like chart and uses a catalog of task difficulty scores The scores were derived from work-measurement analyses of standard dis assembly tasks and provide a means of identifying weaknesses in the design and comparing alternatives quantitatively The procedure of apply ing work-measurement analysis to disassembly tasks is described and demonstrated in detail A relatively simple example of disassembly evalua tion of a computer drives assembly illustrates the use of the method and its implementation as a design tool
The intergenerational conflict over the provision of public education

Abstract We study the intergenerational conflict over the provision of public education. This conflict arises because older households without children have weaker incentives to support the provision of high quality educational services in a community than younger households with school-age children. We develop an overlapping generations model for households in a system of multiple jurisdictions. This model captures the differences in preferred policies over the life-cycle. We show that the observed inequality in educational policies across communities is not only the outcome of stratification by income, but is also determined by the stratification by age and a political process that is dominated by older voters in many urban communities with low quality of educational services. The mobility of older households creates a positive fiscal externality since it creates a larger tax base per student. This positive tax externality can dominate the negative effects that arise because older households tend to vote for lower educational expenditures. As a consequence sorting by age can reduce the inequality in educational outcomes that is driven by income sorting.
Nucleate Pool Boiling of a Surface Active Polymer (HEC) Solution

Saturated, nucleate pool boiling in aqueous solutions of a surface active polymer (Hydroxyethyl Cellulose or HECQP300, molecular weight ∼ 4–6 × 105 ) on a horizontal, cylindrical heater has been experimentally investigated. Boiling curves (q″w ∝ ΔTsat ) for different concentration solutions, enhanced heat transfer coefficient data, and photographic records of the typical ebullience are presented. The measured surface tension (both equilibrium and dynamic) and shear-rate dependent viscosity variations with concentration are also included. The enhancement in nucleate boiling is seen to increase with polymer concentration in the aqueous solution, with an optimum level attained near the critical polymer concentration (c.p.c., ∼ 600 wppm). At higher concentration, the enhancement decreases considerably. Adsorption of macro-molecules, or agglomerates of smaller monomers onto a heating surface that favors the formation of new nucleation sites, together with a decreased dynamic surface tension, are responsible for the general growth in the number of active bubbles. In solutions with C > c.p.c., however, higher viscosity tends to suppress the micro-convection near the wall and the growth of bubbles, thereby weakening the boiling process. The photographic observations also depict an altered ebullient behavior (bubble shape and size, foaming, and nucleation frequency) in polymer solutions when compared to that of pure water.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Determination of the density of refractory materials from small weighed portions

The present authors have developed a procedure for determining the density of smal l weighed portions (0.1-0.2 g) to the second decimal place. It is based on the volumetric technique [2], which is distinguished by sufficiently high accuracy (=L0.01 g / c m a) and by simplicity. Ethanol is poured into a glass tube about 3 mm in diameter and sealed at one end. The alcohol level is noted with a horizontal reading microscope. The mater ia l to be tested, whose weight is known, is then placed in the tube and the alcohol level is again noted. The volume of the immersed mater ia l is calculated f rom the difference in level, while its density is calculated from this volume and the weight of the mineral . The weighed portion employed in the experiments ranged from 0.01 to 0.07 g (depending on their density) and the grain size ranged f rom 0.2 to 0.5 ram.
Ureteroenteric Anastomotic Stricture: Novel Use of a Cutting Balloon Dilator

Abstract Introduction: Management of ureteroenteric strictures presents a significant challenge because of its intraabdominal location and morbidity associated with open surgical management. The peripheral cutting balloon microsurgical dilatation device (PCBD), approved by The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for use in coronary angioplasty, features a 2-cm noncompliant balloon with four microsurgical blades mounted longitudinally on its outer surface. We evaluated the feasibility and outcome of this cutting balloon dilator in the treatment of ureteroenteric anastomotic strictures. Materials and Methods: Three patients with a 1-cm or less ureteroenteric stricture underwent a transluminal incision under fluoroscopic guidance. Percutaneous access was obtained and a guidewire was introduced into the renal pelvis and ureter in antegrade fashion and passed through the stricture. The exact length of the strictured segment was measured. The PCBD was deployed over the guidewire and the balloon w...
Robust output tracking for non-linear systems

The problem of output tracking for a single-input single-output non-linear system in the presence of uncertainties is studied. The notions relative degree and minimum-phase for non-linear systems are reviewed. Given a bounded desired tracking signal with bounded derivatives, a control law is designed for minimum-phase non-linear systems which results in tracking of this signal by the output. This control law is modified in the presence of uncertainties associated with the model vector fields to reduce the effects of these uncertainties on the tracking errors. Two types of uncertainties are considered: those satisfying a generalized matching condition but otherwise unstructured, and linear parametric uncertainties. It is shown that for systems with the first type of uncertainty, high-gain control laws can result in small tracking errors of O(∊), where e is a small design parameter. An alternative scheme based on variable structure control strategy is shown to yield zero tracking errors. Adaptive control te...
Pilot ignited premixed combustion of dimethyl ether in a turbodiesel engine

Abstract This paper describes combustion studies of dimethyl ether in a common rail turbodiesel engine wherein the dimethyl ether was fumigated into the intake air and the conventional diesel injection was used with the intention of igniting the premixed DME-air charge. This combustion process is referred to here as a “mixed mode” process and is similar in some respects to what is commonly referred to as “dual fuel” combustion. In contrast to “dual fuel” combustion, however, in which the gaseous fuel is often natural gas or biogas, in this process with DME the gaseous charge ignites largely independently of the diesel injection. The diesel injection was accomplished with a single, main injection. The engine was operated at a single speed and load. Gaseous and particulate emissions were monitored and heat release analysis was performed to examine how the fuels burn and the impact on emissions formation at various levels of substitution of diesel fuel with fumigated DME, at as high as 44% of the fuel energy from DME. Reductions in NO x emissions and increases in particulate matter emissions are observed with DME fumigation. The increase in PM emissions is attributed to enrichment of the diesel fuel spray, due to displacement of intake oxygen by the fumigated DME, despite the widely observed soot suppressing effect of DME.
Heterochromatin and Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression

Eukaryotic DNA is organized into structurally distinct domains that regulate gene expression and chromosome behavior. Epigenetically heritable domains of heterochromatin control the structure and expression of large chromosome domains and are required for proper chromosome segregation. Recent studies have identified many of the enzymes and structural proteins that work together to assemble heterochromatin. The assembly process appears to occur in a stepwise manner involving sequential rounds of histone modification by silencing complexes that spread along the chromatin fiber by self-oligomerization, as well as by association with specifically modified histone amino-terminal tails. Finally, an unexpected role for noncoding RNAs and RNA interference in the formation of epigenetic chromatin domains has been uncovered.
Role of the Septin Ring in the Asymmetric Localization of Proteins at the Mother-Bud Neck in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, septins form a scaffold in the shape of a ring at the future budding site that rearranges into a collar at the mother-bud neck. Many proteins bind asymmetrica...
Nano- and Microscale Holes Modulate Cell-Substrate Adhesion, Cytoskeletal Organization, and $-\beta 1$ Integrin Localization in Sv40 Human Corneal Epithelial Cells

Human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) interface with a basement membrane in vivo that possesses complex nanoscale topographic features. We report that synthetic substrates patterned with nano- and microscale holes differentially modulate the proliferation, shape and adhesion of SV40 human corneal epithelial cells (SV40-HCECs) as a function of feature size: 1) Cell proliferation was inhibited on nanoscale features (features size less than 800 nm in pitch) compared to microscale features or planar substrates in identical culture conditions. 2)Cells on nanoscale holes had a stellate morphology compared to those on microscale features that were more evenly spread. 3) Cells adhered more to nanoscale features than to microscale features when exposed to shear stress in a laminar flow chamber. Transmission electron microscopy showed that cells cultured on the 400 nm pitch patterns had longer and more numerous filopodia and retraction fibers than cells cultured on the 1600 nm pitch patterns. Immunogold labeling of -beta1 integrins revealed that these receptors were localized at the cell periphery and in the aforementioned cytoskeletal elements. Our findings indicate that surface discontinuities and the activation of mechanochemical cell signaling mechanisms may contribute to the observed responses exhibited by SV40-HCECs cultured on nano- and microscale topography
Hydrochemical tracers in the middle Rio Grande Basin, USA: 1. Conceptualization of groundwater flow

Chemical and isotopic data for groundwater from throughout the Middle Rio Grande Basin, central New Mexico, USA, were used to identify and map groundwater flow from 12 sources of water to the basin, evaluate radiocarbon ages, and refine the conceptual model of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system.
On closure schemes for polynomial chaos expansions of stochastic differential equations

The propagation of waves in a medium having random inhomogeneities is studied using polynomial chaos (PC) expansions, wherein environmental variability is described by a spectral representation of a stochastic process and the wave field is represented by an expansion in orthogonal random polynomials of the spectral components. A different derivation of this expansion is given using functional methods, resulting in a smaller set of equations determining the expansion coefficients, also derived by others. The connection with the PC expansion is new and provides insight into different approximation schemes for the expansion, which is in the correlation function, rather than the random variables. This separates the approximation to the wave function and the closure of the coupled equations (for approximating the chaos coefficients), allowing for approximation schemes other than the usual PC truncation, e.g. by an extended Markov approximation. For small correlation lengths of the medium, low-order PC approxim...
Synergistic mechanical response in blends of diene polymers and their complexes with palladium chloride

The mechanical properties of atactic 1,2-polybutadiene and 3, 4-polyisoprene can be modified significantly with the addition of bis(acetonitrile)dichloropalladium(II). These weak rubbery polymers are transformed into glassy materials when the salt concentration is ≅ 4 mol %, in the absence of high-temperature annealing. Stress-strain measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra for blends of cis-polybutadiene and PdCl2, without high-temperature annealing, suggest that π-complexes form between palladium and the olefinic groups within the backbone of the polymer. These solid complexes cannot be dissolved in the original solvent (tetrahydrofuran), nor can they be disrupted by triphenylphosphine. Young's modulus of the cis-polymer is enhanced by a factor of 50 when the salt concentration is 4 mol %, and the fracture strain is approximately 300%. An exothermic process centered at ≅ 250°C accompanied by minimal weight loss suggests that PdCl2 could trigger high-temperature dimerization reactions of the carbon–carbon double bonds in the backbone of the cis-polymer. High-temperature annealing effects on the stress-strain response of cis-polybutadiene with 4 mol % PdCl2 are consistent with the data from calorimetry, suggesting that catalytically induced chemical crosslinking is operative at high temperatures. This latter claim is verified by infrared spectroscopy at ambient and elevated temperatures. Hence, bis(acetonitrile)dichloropalladium(II) coordinates to and catalyzes dimerization reactions of olefinic groups when they are present in the main chain or the sidegroup. This square-planar transition-metal salt also enhances the high-strain mechanical response of commercial styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymers (KratonTM D series). Reactive blending and compatibilization with transition-metal salts are attractive strategies to modify the mechanical properties of commercially important diene-based polymers that contain unsaturation in the main chain or the sidegroup. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effect of proteases on activation of resting chick embryo fibroblasts and on cell surface proteins

Abstract The relationship between activation of resting chick embryo fibroblasts by proteases and proteolytic alteration of the cell surface has been investigated. Five different proteases were examined: trypsin, collagenase, plasmin, α-chymotrypsin, and thrombin. All of these proteases, when added to the culture medium at concentrations of 8–22 μg/ml, stimulated deoxyglucose uptake and induced cell division. The absolute levels of stimulation depended on the specific protease. Activation ranged from a doubling in cell number in 24 hr for trypsin and thrombin down to a 47% increase in cell number for α-chymotrypsin. Except in the case of thrombin, the stimulatory effects of these proteases correlated with breakdown of Z, a protein which is the major chick surface protein as revealed by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination and which disappears upon transformation. In the case of thrombin, stimulatory concentrations brought about no detectable loss of surface components. Thus loss of Z is not a necessary condition for activation of chick fibroblasts; it may be a sufficient condition for activation of part of the cell population.
The structure of imprimitivity algebras

Abstract We show that there exists a tensor product decomposition, analogous to that of the Takesaki-Takai duality theorem, for the imprimitivity algebras which arise in the theory of induced representations of twisted covariance algebras and derive consequences for the structure of group C∗-algebras and transformation group C∗-algebras. Our methods also yield information about inducing cocycle representations of transformation groups.
Molecular Determinants of Coupling Between the Domain III Voltage-sensor and Local Anesthetic Binding Site in the Skeletal Sodium Channel

Sodium channels are a major target for many toxins and drugs including local anesthetics (LA). Gating current (Sheets and Hanck, J. Gen. Physiol.; 121(2), 2003) and fluorescence measurements (Muroi and Chanda, Biophysical Society Meeting, 2008) show that LA binding to the pore mainly stabilizes the voltage-sensor of domains III of sodium channel in an activated conformation. The midpoints of the fluorescence-voltage (F-V) curves of probes attached to the voltage-sensor of domain III are left shifted by as much as 50 mV upon LA binding. How does the binding of LA to the pore affect the movement of the S4-domain III voltage-sensor? To identify the molecular determinants of interaction between the voltage-sensor and LA binding site, we systematically substituted tryptophan residues in the S4-S5 linker and S6 of domain III of skeletal Na+ channel and examined the effect of these substitutions on the movement of DIII-voltage sensor in the absence and presence of LA by voltage-clamp fluorometry technique. A number of mutations in the S4-S5 linker and S6 either showed a significantly diminished or no shift in the F-V curve upon LA binding, suggesting that those residues are involved in coupling the voltage sensor and LA binding site of the sodium channel.Support: National Institutes of Health, AHA and Shaw Scientific Award.
Bistable behavior in a system of an optical parametric oscillator coupling with N two-level atoms.

We consider a composite system consisting of a degenerate optical parametric oscillator (DOPO) and a set of N homogeneously broadened two-level atoms. When the atoms are on or near resonance with the subharmonic-frequency field generated through the frequency down-conversion process, bistability appears in the intracavity field near the DOPO threshold. The bistability region will decrease as the detuning between the atomic transition frequency and the frequency of the subharmonic field increases. When the detuning becomes large enough, the atoms decouple from the cavity field and the system behaves like a normal DOPO. There are several features distinguishing this bistable behavior from the usual atomic optical bistability occurring with atoms in an optical cavity driven by an external field.
An economic replacement model with probabilistic asset utilization

Traditional economic replacement analysis provides asset purchase and sale decisions over a given horizon based on expected purchase, operating, maintenance and salvage costs. As these costs are dependent on asset utilization, a constant or predetermined usage is generally assumed. However, due to randomness in operations, such as customer demand, these expected utilization schedules may not be realized in practice, thus invalidating the replacement schedule. This paper examines the effect of probabilistic asset utilization on replacement decisions through the use of dynamic programming. The solution determines minimum expected cost decisions for each state defined by the asset's age and cumulative utilization in each period. These decisions generalize the definition of the economic life of an asset to include age and cumulative utilization. Assumptions common to replacement analysis allow the state space to grow linearly with time, avoiding dynamic programming's `curse of dimensionality'. Examples with time invariant and variant economics are presented and compared to traditional solution procedures.
Control of myeloid differentiation and survival by Stats.

Hematopoiesis involves a complex array of growth factors that regulate the survival and proliferation of immature progenitors, influence differentiation commitment, and modulate end-stage cell functions. This mini-review is focused on the role of Stat activation in the development of myeloid cells in response to hematopoietic cytokines. Much of the evidence implicating Stats in these cellular processes comes from studies of mutant cytokine receptors selectively uncoupled from Stat activation, dominant-inhibitory Stat mutants, and mice with targeted disruptions of Stat genes. Together these approaches provide strong evidence that Stat activation, particularly of Stat3 and Stat5, plays an important role in myeloid differentiation and survival.
Capillary Performance of Evaporating Flow in Micro Grooves: An Analytical Approach for Very Small Tilt Angles

The axial flow of an evaporating thin film through a V-shaped micro channel was investigated for the case of a grooved plate inclined with a very small tilt angle. For this problem, the addition of the gravity term caused by the tilt angle alters the form of the governing equation from linear to nonlinear. Because the effect of the tilt angle is very small, a perturbation method was applied to obtain a first order perturbation solution of R = R o + eR 1 , where R 0 is the undisturbed solution of a horizontally placed plate, and R 1 is the disturbed solution caused by the tilt angle. A generalized graph of the nondimensional radius of curvature as a function of the nondimensionalized axial length was obtained. The perturbation parameter, e, was expressed as a function offive nondimensional parameters. The results indicate that when the geometry is fixed, the effects of the Bond number and Capillary number are dominant. In addition, it was found that e is inversely proportional to the square root of the Capillary number. This indicates that the perturbation method is applicable and accurate, even for the case of somewhat larger tilt angles ( where the initial applicability of perturbation appears to be violated ), if a sufficiently large heat flux is applied.
Extralist Retrieval Cues and Memory Processes across Age

Summary This experiment was conducted to determine whether the encoding specificity explanation of why extralist cues are effective with adults is generalizable to children when the extralist cue is the category name. The results suggested that it is. Boys and girls (total N = 180) at grades 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 learned for a single trial, a 20-word stimulus list under conditions in which the cues were present (a) neither at encoding nor recall, (b) at recall only, or (c) both at encoding and recall. Except for grade 6 Ss, cues present at recall only facilitated recall compared to free recall. Overall recall was highest for Ss provided with cues both at encoding and recall.
Which Single Currency for Western Europe

The Maastricht Treaty calls for a single European money in the third and final stage of European monetary integration. The purpose of this paper is to infer the preferred currency from the point of view of economic agents in each EMS country by ranking the realized distributions of returns from holding foreign currencies. These rankings are obtained using the notion of generalized stochastic dominance. The preferred currency varies with time and the portfolio considered. In all cases, the ECU is not supported as a likely dominant money.
Removal Notice to: The EPR—a comprehensive design concept against external events

This article has been removed at the request of the author, consistent with Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal. Please see http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy .
Mechanisms of resistance to 6-thioguanine in a murine pancreatic tumor

PANC02 is a unique experimental animal tumor that fails to respond significantly to any known clinically active antitumor agent. In this regard, the murine ductal adenocarcinoma resembles its human counterpart. To study the mechanism for its intrinsic resistance to 6-thioguanine (TG), we compared the metabolism of the drug in PANC02 and a reference, TG-sensitive adenocarcinoma, CA-755. In comparison with CA-755, PANC02 cells were approximately 6 times less sensitive to TG and CHO cells were 80 times less sensitive in tissue culture. Nevertheless, the incorporation of TG into the DNA of these three cell lines was approximately equal at the lowest concentrations capable of reducing cloning efficiency by 50%, i. e., 3.0–3.8 pmol (dthioGMP)/nmol (dGMP). In mice bearing bilateral implants of CA-755 and PANC02, only CA-755 responded to TG treatment. At various doses used on various schedules, the incorporation of TG into CA-755 DNA readily achieved that observed to be cytotoxic to the cells in vitro, whereas the incorporation into the DNA of PANC02 tumor cells did not. Although the biochemical basis for the poor incorporation of TG into the DNA of PANC02 in vivo is not know, this factor appears to explain the refractoriness of PANC02 as compared with CA-755 to this antitumor antimetabolite.
Document release versus data access controls: two sides of the same coin?

The database and document worlds have traditionally had different approaches to security. Databases provide access controls on structured data, while document security interrogates the outgoing information, based on document markings and actual contents. For the emerging world in which many documents are generated from structured data (and vice versa), the separation can cause failure, implementation-dependence, inconsistency, and wasted effort. After comparing approaches and mechanisms in the two areas, we identify issues in security administration and implementation in military and medical applications. We then present elements of a unifying model.
4.8.3 Developing Performance Measures for New Technologies

To justify the research of new technologies is often fraught with a sense of foreboding. This is because the technology under evaluation is “new” in terms of use. The classical theory of reliability states that historical information on a process or system improves the reliability of the process or system. The Bayesian camp prefers to state it as the decrease in the degree of uncertainty in the success of the process or system. To assist a system development team to decide when, if at all, how and what new technology should be used in their new development is non-trivial. However, if the performance measures are stated early and very concisely, this methodology can be used to provide a relative table of merit. This paper describes one aspect of technology selection and illustrates how the process can be used to select the technology of choice.
Efficient selection of Gal-knockout pig cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Abstract Background The process of selecting transgenic cells has been one of the bottlenecks in the generation of transgenic animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In particular, selection for the Gal double-knockout (Gal-DKO) genotype has been time consuming and inefficient. The objective of this work was to generate a highly efficient system to select Gal-DKO cells to be used in SCNT without affecting the efficiency in production of Gal-null pigs. Materials and methods Fetal liver–derived cells deficient in Gal-expression were initially selected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) using IB4 conjugated to a fluorescent dye. Cells recovered by FACS were cultured and expanded, followed by a second round of selection using streptavidin magnetic beads and IB4 lectin biotin. Results Recovery efficiency of target cells was 0.04% for the first selection using FACS and 0.3% for the second round by magnetic beads. Full reprogramming was obtained on selected Gal-DKO cells after FACS and magnetic beads selection, when used for SCNT to produce the Gal-null piglets. Cells obtained from magnetic beads developed 48 colonies; the Gal-null genotype was found in 44 of them (91.7%). Three of these colonies were used to generate piglets by SCNT. From three recipients receiving embryos, two became pregnant and produced 17 piglets, all of them DKO. Conclusions Sequential selection of Gal-DKO cells by FACS/magnetic beads is a highly efficient system to generate null cells. Selected cells were successfully used to generate healthy double-knockout piglets by SCNT.
Strategies for the development of new PPAR agonists in diabetes.

Diabetes is associated with a range of metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hypertension, and inflammation. These factors are likely to underlie the adverse cardiovascular outcome typically observed in diabetic cohorts. The family of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have been implicated in the regulation of a number of physiologic and metabolic pathways. Pharmacologic agonists directed against various PPARs have been shown to have a beneficial impact on these metabolic risk factors. The potential impact on cardiovascular risk with the use of PPAR agonists will be reviewed. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 17 (Suppl 1):S32-S37 ©2010 The European Society of Cardiology
Length of time spent homeless: Implications for employment of homeless persons

This study investigated the relationship between the length of time spent homeless and employment outcomes for homeless participants in job training programs. Participants furnished information about their psychological resources (internality and learned resourcefulness) and social support when they entered employment training programs. Employment outcomes were status as employed or unemployed at termination from the programs and the level of employment at follow-up, approximately 3 weeks after termination from training. Participants reported on the number of weeks they had been homeless prior to program entrance. Psychological resources and social support were expected to buffer against a negative influence of a greater duration of homelessness on the employment outcomes. For persons who had lower levels of psychological resources and social support, endurance of a greater period of time homeless was associated with less successful employment outcomes. Implications for the provision of employment services to homeless individuals are discussed.
The ‘Quality’ of US Jobs

Although there has been continuing job growth in the US service sector there is growing concern over the ‘quality ‘of these jobs. This article examines the ‘quality of jobs' issue. Two approaches are employed: the industry approach and the earnings approach. Results show that the job shift to services has not adversely affected women from an earnings standpoint. However, there is some evidence that men have been adversely affected.
Nitroxidative, Nitrosative, and Nitrative Stress: Kinetic Predictions of Reactive Nitrogen Species Chemistry Under Biological Conditions

A freely available Windows-based program, RNSim1A, is utilized to predict metal-independent reactive nitrogen species (RNS) chemistry (oxidation, nitrosation, and nitration) under simulated biological conditions and make the following specific predictions. (1) The peak in oxidative reactions that occurs in vitro with 1:1 fluxes of (*)NO and O(2)(*)(-) does not occur under biological conditions. (2) By far, the quantitatively dominant (92-99.6%) process in vivo is oxidation, compared to nitrosation and nitration. (3) Only five of the many possible RNS reactions involving thiol (glutathione, GSH) and tyrosine are quantitatively important biologically. (4) Under inflammatory conditions, approximately 1% of O(2)(*)(-) reacts with (*)NO to produce ONOO(-), with the remainder reacting with SOD. (5) The dominant reaction of tyrosyl radical is a radical swap with GSH, producing the glutathiyl radical and regenerating tyrosine. (6) Nitrosothiol is formed virtually exclusively via radical recombination (RS(*) + (*)NO) as opposed to reaction with nitrous anhydride (N(2)O(3)). (7) Nitrosothiol is an intermediate, not an endproduct, and responds dynamically to changes in the immediate chemical environment. (8) The formation of a nitroso group on a particular thiol can be considered a marker of increased reactivity of that thiol, and it is likely that other modifications of that thiol (oxidation, glutathiolation) are more abundant than nitrosation and may be the functionally significant modification. (9) Specific chemical mechanisms are proposed for posttranslational protein modification via nitrosation, nitration, glutathiolation, and also dithiol/disulfide exchange, with important roles for the thiolate anion and O(2) (suggesting possible mechanisms for O(2) sensing) and variable degrees of exposure of cysteine thiol and tyrosine phenolate. (10) Patterns of reactivity are similar for low (20 nM) and high (500 nM) steady-state levels of NO. (11) The dominant reactions are those involving reactants at the highest concentrations (CO(2), thiol, O(2)). Because of the dominance of oxidative processes caused by RNS, the term nitroxidative stress is proposed, emphasizing the oxidative (as opposed to nitrosative or nitrative) stress that dominates RNS actions under biological conditions.
To Mother or Matter: Can Women Do Both?

Despite a burgeoning interest in the interface between work and relationships, and its origins in feminist thought, crucial aspects of women’s experiences have remained invisible in the face of mai...
Molecular phylogeny of broken-back shrimps (genus Lysmata and allies): a test of the 'Tomlinson-Ghiselin' hypothesis explaining the evolution of hermaphroditism.

Abstract The ‘Tomlinson–Ghiselin’ hypothesis (TGh) predicts that outcrossing simultaneous hermaphroditism (SH) is advantageous when population density is low because the probability of finding sexual partners is negligible. In shrimps from the family Lysmatidae, Bauer’s historical contingency hypothesis (HCh) suggests that SH evolved in an ancestral tropical species that adopted a symbiotic lifestyle with, e.g., sea anemones and became a specialized fish-cleaner. Restricted mobility of shrimps due to their association with a host, and hence, reduced probability of encountering mating partners, would have favored SH. The HCh is a special case of the TGh. Herein, I examined within a phylogenetic framework whether the TGh/HCh explains the origin of SH in shrimps. A phylogeny of caridean broken-back shrimps in the families Lysmatidae, Barbouriidae, Merguiidae was first developed using nuclear and mitochondrial makers. Complete evidence phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) demonstrated that Lysmatidae + Barbouriidae are monophyletic. In turn, Merguiidae is sister to the Lysmatidae + Barbouriidae. ML and BI ancestral character-state reconstruction in the resulting phylogenetic trees indicated that the ancestral Lysmatidae was either gregarious or lived in small groups and was not symbiotic. Four different evolutionary transitions from a free-living to a symbiotic lifestyle occurred in shrimps. Therefore, the evolution of SH in shrimps cannot be explained by the TGh/HCh; reduced probability of encountering mating partners in an ancestral species due to its association with a sessile host did not favor SH in the Lysmatidae. It is proposed that two conditions acting together in the past; low male mating opportunities and brooding constraints, might have favored SH in the ancestral Lysmatidae + Barbouridae. Additional studies on the life history and phylogenetics of broken-back shrimps are needed to understand the evolution of SH in the ecologically diverse Caridea.
Dynamic Oryza genomes: repetitive DNA sequences as genome modeling agents

Repetitive sequences, primarily transposable elements form an indispensable part of eukaryotic genomes. However, little is known about how these sequences originate, evolve and function in context of a genome. In an attempt to address this question, we performed a comparative analysis of repetitive DNA sequences in the genus Oryza, representing ~15 million years of evolution. Both Class I and Class II transposable elements, through their expansion, loss and movement in the genome, were found to influence genome size variation in this genus. We identified 38 LTRretrotransposon families that are present in 1,500 or more copies throughout Oryza, and many are preferentially amplified in specific lineages. The data presented here, besides furthering our understanding of genome organization in the genus Oryza, will aid in the assembly, annotation and analysis of genomic data, as part of the future genome sequencing projects of O. sativa wild relatives.
Cultural Humility in Simulation Education: A Missing Standard?

• Cultural humility warrants consideration as a future International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation standard.
Expressions of Identifications: The Nature of Talk and Identity Tensions Among Organizational Members in a Struggling Organization

This study investigates how organizational members communicatively enact identification and more specifically how tensions in identification are expressed through members’ talk and behaviors. Using a case-study approach, we explored the experiences of members in an organization in turmoil. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires given at two times, and observations of organizational events were used to understand the identification tensions these individuals negotiated and ways that identification, disidentification, and ambivalent identification were enacted. The study provides empirical evidence of changing identifications and articulates their communicative manifestations. The findings not only support the notion that identification is a complex and dynamic process but also contribute to the identification literature by illustrating specific ways that various forms of identification tensions are enacted and communicated in response to organizational change.
The role of interoception and alliesthesia in addiction

This review presents a novel conceptualization of addiction, integrating the concepts of interoception (i.e., the CNS representation of visceral feelings) and alliesthesia (i.e., that rewarding properties of stimuli are dependent on the internal state of the individual) with existing theories. It is argued that the body state, as defined by the integration of interoceptive information, is a crucial arbiter of the risk for initiation of and transition to compulsive use of addictive compounds. Overall, individuals at risk for drug dependence are characterized by an altered internal bodily state that leads to a change in hedonic and incentive motivational properties of addictive drugs. Specifically, drug dependent individuals experience alliesthesia of interoceptive processing, leading to increased incentive motivational properties of the drug over time and thereby increasing the probability of subsequent use. This extension of previous theories of addiction to include interoception and alliesthesia is based upon a clearly delineated set of neural substrates mediating interoception, key elements of which also recently have been implicated in drug addiction. The model thereby provides new potential targets for interventions that are aimed at changing the internal state that puts the individual at risk for continued substance use.
Ligand Binding and Sickle Hemoglobin Polymerization Kinetics: Implication for Therapies

Sickle Cell Disease results from a point mutation on the beta subgroups of hemoglobin. When hemoglobin releases its four ligands it changes from a relaxed (R) structure to a tense (T) structure and the mutation causes polymer chains to grow. Typical in vitro experiments measure this through complete photolysis of a COHbS sample with a laser and then quantify the scattered light from growing polymers. However, in vivo, many molecules are partially liganded due to the incomplete transfer of oxygen from red blood cells to the surrounding tissue. Liganded T state molecules could contribute to polymer growth, although until now the effect on the kinetics of fractional saturation was unknown. We examined the effects of introducing NO into COHbS samples. The strong binding of NO to HbS keeps its ligand distribution unchanged during the COHbS experiment. We found that the NOHbS caused the polymerization rate to decrease by 50% due to tertiary inhibition of the partially bound T state hemoglobin. We ruled out the possible effects of non-polymerizing R state NO Hb through a flash photolysis experiment, where photolysis curves were analyzed for an initial fast recombination of CO to R state Hb. Only an insignificant possible amount of R state was found (<3%), and could not account for the effects recorded. The effect of partial ligation on polymerization is important in analyzing possible therapies for sickle cell disease. One possible therapy would be to alter the oxygen affinity of Hb, thereby decreasing the number of fractional intermediates and decreasing the number of T state HbS overall.
A simulation-based cost modeling methodology for evaluation of interbay material handling in a semiconductor wafer fab

In the next generation of semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities, decisions concerning material handling systems will be a major factor in initial facility cost, operational cost, production cycle times and possibly product yield percentages. The wafers will increase in diameter to 300 mm and a new front opening unified pod (FOUP) has been designed to carry them, both increasing the weight of a production lot. This increase requires substantial automation for ergonomic and quality reasons. As a result, semiconductor manufacturers are asking, "what level of automation is financially justifiable?" Automation suppliers have stated that automation saves money, but have as yet not produced a sufficiently detailed financial analysis proving their premise. In this paper, both a fully automated and a manual material handling system are simulated and compared in a thorough cost analysis. Sensitivity analysis is performed on inflation rate, interest rate, die price, wafer start rate, and yield percentage to validate the results of the analyses.
Seasonal 18O variations and groundwater recharge for three landscape types in central Pennsylvania, USA

Seasonal 18 O variations in precipitation, soil water, snowmelt, spring flow and stream baseflow were analyzed to characterize seasonal dynamics of groundwater recharge in three central Pennsylvania catchments. The catchments represented three common landscape types: Valley and Ridge-shale (Mahantango Creek), Valley and Ridge-carbonate (Buffalo Run), and Appalachian Plateau-sandstone (Benner Run). Samples were collected on a biweekly basis from May 18, 1999 to May 9, 2000. Precipitation, soil water, and baseflow isotopic composition data indicated that a seasonal recharge bias existed for these catchments, most recharge occurred in the fall, winter, and spring months. An altitude effect of K0.16 to K0.32‰/100 m change in elevation was discernible in precipitation, soil water, and stream baseflow isotopic compositions. Soils effectively damped seasonal variations of recharge 18 O composition after depths of 1.62–2.85 m. The greatest damping of the annual isotopic composition signal occurred in the shallow soil layers (0–15 cm). In these and similar landscapes with thick soils the annual isotopic composition signal may be completely damped prior to reaching the stream as baseflow. Isotopic variations measured in stream baseflow are more likely to be caused by the shallow flowpath water relatively close to the streams. Baseflow stable isotope variations found on the basins studied suggested that residence times for subsurface waters to reach channels were much longer than the annual seasonal cycle of 18 O in precipitation. Damping depths were similar for the three different catchments but it is not certain how spatially variable damping depths were within each catchment. This information would be useful in determining areas within catchments that contribute to short term isotopic composition fluctuations within streams (‘new water’). Predictive models that determine isotopic damping depth from meteorological, soil and vegetation/land-use data can help develop a better understanding of the variability of recharge and attenuation of contaminants across the landscape. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Coding theorems of quantum information theory

Summary form only given. Shannon's original proof of the channel coding theorem via typical input/output sequences is presented in a sphere-packing form to determine the minimum quantum source coding rate. Let S(/spl rho/)/spl equiv/-tr/spl rho/log/spl rho/ be the Von Neumann entropy of a density operator p on a finite-dimensional space H, i/spl rarr//spl rho//sub i/ the state modulation map on an alphabet I, /spl rho/~/spl equiv//spl Sigma//sub i/p/sub i//spl rho//sub i/ the average state with respect to a prior distribution p/sub i/ on I, and S~(/spl rho//sub i/)/spl equiv//spl Sigma//sub i/p/sub i/S(/spl rho//sub i/). The minimum quantum state dimension per symbol needed to represent {/spl rho//sub i/} under {p/sub i/} with arbitrarily small error is shown to be S(/spl rho/~)-S~(/spl rho//sub i/) for a whole class of error measures. This generalizes to arbitrary mixed states the pure state result. Further generalizations of this result to arbitrary alphabet I, infinite dimensional H, as well as rate-distortion coding are presented. Channel coding for restoring quantum states is discussed with the conclusion that for typical noisy channels nonzero channel capacity cannot be obtained. Relations of these results, in particular the quantity S(/spl rho/~)-S~(/spl rho//sub i/), to classical (nonquantum) information transfer are elaborated.
Model reduction of discrete time-variable systems via balancing

Linear, discrete, time-variable systems are considered and an important class of uniform realizations is defined. The necessary and sufficient conditions for a pulse response to be uniformly realizable is obtained. Two model reduction schemes, one via balancing and the other via Hankel matrix are proposed. It is shown that the two approaches yield an identical reduced model which is always asymptotically stable.