cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of adsorption and desorption of water‐soluble associative polymers on planar titanium dioxide surfaces by ellipsometry

The adsorption and desorption kinetics of water-soluble associative polymers with different molecular weights on crystals of titanium dioxide [TiO2(001)] have been studied by ellipsometry. The model water-soluble associative polymers used in the kinetic study are nonionic polyurethanes based on polyethylene glycol, and have average molecular weights of 17,000, 51,000, and 100,000 with a C16H33 linear alkyl group on each end of the molecule. It is shown that the adsorption and desorption kinetics over a wide range of polymer concentrations is governed by: (1) the kinetics of adsorption and desorption of polymer chains at the interface, (2) the kinetics of adsorption and desorption at the interfaces as well as simultaneous diffusion in the adsorbed layer, and/or (3) diffusion in the adsorbed layer. The existence of regimes (1), (2), and (3) of the adsorption and desorption kinetics are justified by using the experimental data for the adsorption and desorption of water-soluble associative polymers with different molecular weights. It is shown that the adsorption is an irreversible process for the strongly convex adsorption isotherms. Equations were derived to calculate: (a) the rate constant for polymer adsorption and desorption processes, (b) the coefficient of diffusion, (c) the activation energy of diffusion in the adsorbed layer, and (d) the time needed to attain the equilibrium states for the adsorption and desorption processes by using adsorption and desorption kinetics data with associative polymers of different molecular weights at different polymer concentrations. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Intermodal Transit System Coordination

In urban areas where transit demand is widely spread, passengers may be served by an intermodal transit system, consisting of a rail transit line (or a bus rapid transit route) and a number of feeder routes connecting at different transfer stations. In such a system, passengers may need one or more transfers to complete their journey. Therefore, scheduling vehicles operating in the system with special attention to reduce transfer time can contribute significantly to service quality improvements. Schedule synchronization may significantly reduce transfer delays at transfer stations where various routes interconnect. Since vehicle arrivals are stochastic, slack time allowances in vehicle schedules may be desirable to reduce the probability of missed connections. An objective total cost function, including supplier and user costs, is formulated for optimizing the coordination of a general intermodal transit network. A four-stage procedure is developed for determining the optimal coordination status among rou...
City Branding: Investigating a Brand Advocacy Model for Distinct Segments

The competitiveness of cities as tourist destinations heavily relies upon building unique brand image and identity, providing memorable brand experiences, and developing positive word-of-mouth (WOM) brand advocacy. This study integrates key brand associations (cognitive, affective, and personality) in a city brand advocacy model and examines their differential effect on WOM advocacy behavior for distinct visitor groups based on purpose of travel. The segment-based analyses among first time visitors provided richer understanding of the role of each construct in the model as well as segment-specific practical implications for destination brand management and marketing. For those traveling for relaxation, cognitive image was the only significant variable influencing the intent to recommend whereas for those traveling for fun/excitement, destination personality was the only significant predictor. For those traveling to experience new things on the other hand, both affective image and destination personality s...
Comments on calibration and design of a heat flow meter

After a review of the calibration of two heat flow meter (HFM) transducers, the HFM has been redesigned. The new design produces a calibration independent of the characteristics of the material being tested; that is, it produces the same calibration curve for thick, low-density specimens as for thin, high-density ones. Calibration within +-1% of transfer standard accuracy is discussed; the HFM precision for thick specimens of low-density glass fiber appears to be higher than that of a guarded hot plate under the same testing conditions.
Molecular mechanics and molecular electronics

Electronic devices containing molecules as either passive or active (switching) components present the opportunity for scaling electronic circuitry down to near-molecular dimensions. In this paper the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of bistable molecular mechanical switches known as catenanes and rotaxanes are discussed. A defect-tolerant, binary tree demultiplexer architecture using Order log/sub 2/N submicron (lithographically patterned) wires to address TV nanowires are developed. Apart from traditional applications of memory, logic, and routing, new opportunities that include actuation, sensing, energy management, and possibly even peptide sequencing are enabled by these nanofabrication approaches.
Isolation and Selection of Lactic Acid Bacteria as Biocontrol Agents for Nonacidified, Refrigerated Pickles

AB isolates w AB isolates w AB isolates w AB isolates were obtained. Among the L e obtained. Among the L e obtained. Among the L e obtained. Among the L e obtained. Among the LAB identified w AB identified w AB identified w
Optical constants of sputter-deposited Ti-Ce oxide and Zr-Ce oxide films

Films of Ti oxide, Zr oxide, Ce oxide, Ti-Ce oxide, and Zr-Ce oxide were made by means of reactive dc magnetron sputtering in a multitarget arrangement. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction and electrochemical measurements, both techniques being firmly connected to stoichiometric information. The optical constants n and k were evalued from spectrophotometry and from variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The two analyses gave consistent results. It was found that n for the mixed-oxide films varied smoothly between the values for the pure oxides, whereas k in the band-gap range showed characteristic differences between Ti-Ce oxide and Zr-Ce oxide. It is speculated that this difference is associated with structural effects.
Near-UV photolysis cross sections of CH 3 OOH and HOCH 2 OOH determined via action spectroscopy

Knowledge of molecular photolysis cross sections is important for determining atmospheric lifetimes and fates of many species. A method and laser apparatus for measurement of these cross sections in the near-ultraviolet (UV) region is described. The technique is based on action spectroscopy, where the yield of a photodissociation product (in this case OH) is measured as a function of excitation energy. For compounds yielding OH, this method can be used to measure near-UV photodissociation cross section as low as 10^−23 cm^2 molecule−1. The method is applied to determine the photodissociation cross sections for methyl hydroperoxide (CH3OOH; MHP) and hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide (HOCH2OOH; HMHP) in the 305–365 nm wavelength range. The measured cross sections are in good agreement with previous measurements of absorption cross sections.
Long-term effects of silviculture on soil carbon storage: does vegetation control make a difference?

Forests and the soils beneath them are Earth’s largest terrestrial sinks for atmospheric carbon (C) and healthy forests provide a partial check against atmospheric rises in CO2. Consequently, there is global interest in crediting forest managers who enhance C retention. Interest centres on C acquisition and storage in trees. Less is directed to understorey management practices that affect early forest development. Even less is paid to the largest ecosystem reservoir of all – the mineral soil. Understorey vegetation control is a common management practice to boost stand growth, but the consequence of this on ecosystem C storage is poorly understood. We addressed this by pooling data from five independent groups of long-term studies in the western US. Understorey control increased overstorey biomass universally, but C contents of the forest floor and top 30 cm of mineral soil largely were unaffected. Net soil C increment averaged 1.3 Mg C ha 21 year 21 in the first decade. We conclude that soil C storage is not affected adversely by vegetation management in forests under a Mediterranean climate. However, understorey shrubs can profoundly affect stand susceptibility to wildfire. We propose that C accounting systems be strengthened by assessing understorey management practices relative to wildfire risk.
Clock schedule verification with crosstalk

Delay variation due to crosstalk has made timing analysis a hard problem. In sequential circuits with transparent latches, crosstalk makes the clock schedule verification even harder. In this paper, we point out a false negative problem in current clock schedule verification techniques and propose a new approach based on switching windows. In this approach, coupling delay calculations are naturally combined with latch iterations. A novel algorithm is given for clock schedule verification in the presence of crosstalk and primary experiments show promising results.
Conceptual design of high transverse field magnets at the NHMFL

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL, USA, is designing a high field magnet for condensed matter physics with the field perpendicular to the access tube. The traditional approach to such magnets is to build a split pair of solenoids. Various novel alternate approaches have been examined and compared with split pairs. A particularly attractive option consists of concentric nested Bitter coils tilted 45 degrees to the axis. By energizing the coils in opposition, the axial components of field from the various coils can be made to cancel resulting in a purely transverse field. Preliminary designs including field, power and stress estimates are presented.
The Ghost Battalion: Sponiards in the Waffen‐SS, 1944‐1945

(2000). The Ghost Battalion: Sponiards in the Waffen‐SS, 1944‐1945. The Historian: Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 373-385.
High-Performance Reactive Fluid Flow Simulations Using Adaptive Mesh Refinement on Thousands of Processors

We present simulations and performance results of nuclear burning fronts in supernovae on the largest domain and at the finest spatial resolution studied to date. These simulations were performed on the Intel ASCI-Red machine at Sandia National Laboratories using FLASH, a code developed at the Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes at the University of Chicago. FLASH is a modular, adaptive mesh, parallel simulation code capable of handling compressible, reactive fluid flows in astrophysical environments. FLASH is written primarily in Fortran 90, uses the Message-Passing Interface library for inter-processor communication and portability, and employs the PARAMESH package to manage a block-structured adaptive mesh that places blocks only where resolution is required and tracks rapidly changing flow features, such as detonation fronts, with ease. We describe the key algorithms and their implementation as well as the optimizations required to achieve sustained performance of 238 GFLOPS on 6420 processors of ASCI-Red in 64 bit arithmetic.
Service-oriented architecture: programming model and product architecture

IBM products increasingly implement a service-oriented architecture (SOA), in which programmers build services, use services, and develop solutions that aggregate services. IBM Software Group middleware products and tools support the development and deployment of SOA solutions, and increasingly make functional interfaces between components and products visible through a service model. Software Group components will increasingly use SOA standards for intracomponent communications. Our move to SOA encompasses both the programming model and lower-level infrastructure software, for example, systems-management and storage-management application programming interfaces and functions. This paper concisely defines the IBM SOA programming model and the product architecture that supports it. We provide the motivation for our programming-model and design decisions. This paper also focuses on the architectural concepts that underlie our programming model and product architecture.
Atomic Force Microscopy of Long and Short Double-Stranded, Single-Stranded and Triple-Stranded Nucleic Acids

Atomic force microscopy (AFM, also called scanning force microscopy) is proving to be a useful technique for imaging DNA. Thus it is important to push the limits of AFM imaging in order to explore both what types of DNA can be reliably imaged and identified and also what substrates and methods of sample preparation are suitable. The following advances in AFM of DNA are presented here. (i) DNA molecules as short as 25 bases can be seen by AFM. The short single-stranded DNAs imaged here (25 and 50 bases long) appeared globular in the AFM, perhaps because they are all capable of intramolecular base pairing and because the DNAs were in a Mg(ll) buffer, which facilitates intramolecular cross-bridging. (ii) AFM images in air of short double-stranded DNA molecules, 100-200 bp, gave lengths consistent with A-DNA. (iii) AFM images of poly (A) show both short bent lumpy molecules with an apparent persistence length of 40 nm and long straight molecules with an apparent persistence length of 600 nm. For comparison, the apparent persistence length for double-stranded DNA from phX-174 under the same conditions was 80 nm. (iv) Structures believed to be triple- stranded DNA were seen in samples of poly(dA.poly(dT) and poly (dG).poly(dC). These structures were twice as high as double-stranded DNA and the same width. (v) Entire molecules of lambda DNA, approx. 16 micron long, were imaged clearly in overlapping scans. (vi) Plasmid DNA was imaged on oxidized silicon, although less clearly than on mica.
Equivalence Classes for Shape Synthesis of Moving Mechanical Parts

Moving parts in contact have been traditionally synthesized through specialized techniques that focus on completely specified nominal shapes. Given that the functionality does not completely constrain the geometry of any given part, the design process leads to arbitrarily specified portions of geometry, without providing support for systematic generation of alternative shapes satisfying identical or altered functionalities. Hence the design cycle of a product is forced to go into numerous and often redundant iterative stages that directly impact its effectiveness. We argue that the shape synthesis of mechanical parts is more efficient and less error prone if it is based on techniques that identify the functional surfaces of the part without imposing arbitrary restrictions on its geometry. We demonstrate that such techniques can be formally defined for parts moving in contact through equivalence classes of mechanical parts that satisfy a given functionality. We show here that by replacing the completely specified geometry of the traditional approaches with partial geometry and functional specification, we can formally define classes of mechanical parts that are equivalent, in the sense that all members of the class satisfy the same functional specifications. Moreover, these classes of functionally equivalent parts are computable, may be represented unambiguously by maximal elements in each class, and contain all other functional designs that perform the same function.
TLR4/MyD88/PI3K interactions regulate TLR4 signaling

TLRs activate immune responses by sensing microbial structures such as bacterial LPS, viral RNA, and endogenous "danger" molecules released by damaged host cells. MyD88 is an adapter protein that mediates signal transduction for most TLRs and leads to activation of NF-kappaB and MAPKs and production of proinflammatory cytokines. TLR4-mediated signaling also leads to rapid activation of PI3K, one of a family of kinases involved in regulation of cell growth, apoptosis, and motility. LPS stimulates phosphorylation of Akt, a downstream target of PI3K, in wild-type (WT) mouse macrophages. LPS-induced phosphorylation of Akt serine 473 was blunted in MyD88(-/-) macrophages and was completely TLR4-dependent. MyD88 and p85 were shown previously to co-immunoprecipitate, and a YXXM motif within the Toll-IL-1 resistance (TIR) domain of MyD88 was suggested to be important for this interaction. To test this hypothesis, we compared expressed MyD88 variants with mutations within the YXXM motif or lacking the TIR domain or death domain and measured their capacities to bind PI3K p85, MyD88, and TLR4 by co-immunoprecipitation analyses. The YXXM --> YXXA mutant MyD88 bound more strongly to p85, TLR4, and WT MyD88 than the other variants, yet was significantly less active than WT MyD88, suggesting that sustained interaction of MyD88/PI3K with the TLR4 intracellular "signaling platform" negatively regulates signaling. We propose a hypothetical model in which sustained PI3K activity at the membrane limits the availability of the PI3K substrate, thereby negatively regulating signaling.
Characterization of materials of industrial importance using small‐angle scattering techniques

Small angle scattering (SAS) techniques using either X-rays or neutrons are versatile tools for deriving information on the size, morphology and dispersion of colloidal systems in complex materials of industrial importance. The processes such as self-assembly, aggregation, crystallization and phase separation can be studied using SAS techniques at relevant conditions. The difference in the interaction of X-rays and neutrons with matter enables complementary contrast variation studies using SANS and anomalous SAXS (in the presence of metals) on multi-component materials with hierarchical structures. In this paper we present results from small angle scattering studies on a number of systems of industrial importance including, temperature/pressure/shear dependent phase behaviour of pluronics in aqueous media, solution structures of aggregates/polymers of metal-extractant complexes, third phase formation of metal-extractant complexes in organic phase, encapsulation of lanthanides and actinides in porous silica and phase separation and nanocrystallization in bulk metallic glasses.
Automatic image analysis for detecting and quantifying gamma-ray sources in coded-aperture images

We report the development of an automatic image analysis system that detects gamma-ray source regions in images obtained from a coded aperture, gamma-ray imager. The number of gamma sources in the image is not known prior to analysis. The system counts the number (K) of gamma sources detected in the image and estimates the lower bound for the probability that the number of sources in the image is K. The system consists of a two-stage pattern classification scheme in which the probabilistic neural network is used in the supervised learning mode. The algorithms were developed and tested using real gamma-ray images from controlled experiments in which the number and location of depleted uranium source disks in the scene are known. The novelty of the work lies in the creative combination of algorithms and the successful application of the algorithms to real images of gamma-ray sources.
Use of Enzyme Overlay Membranes to Survey Proteinase Activity in Frozen Sections: Cathepsin-like and Plasmin-like Activity in Regenerating Newt Limbs

We present a method that permits extremely simple and rapid screening of proteolytic enzyme activity in sectioned tissues. Enzyme overlay membranes (EOMs) are custom-made membranes designed to fluoresce at sites of specific proteolytic enzyme activity after separation of proteins by gel electrophoresis. EOMs, selected to detect either plasmin-like or cathepsin B-like activity, have been used in a novel way to document the distribution of enzyme activity in frozen sectioned tissues. When moistened membranes were placed in contact with sectioned regenerating newt limbs, a fluorescent pattern of enzyme activity was generated. In limbs at 3 hr post amputation, cathepsin B-like activity was prominent across the amputation site but plasmin-like activity was distributed in dermal and deeper proximal tissues, suggesting different roles for these two classes of enzymes. EOM enzymology in situ (EEI) on frozen sectioned tissues may be a widely useful technique to display distribution and level of activity of proteolytic enzymes in various systems.
750kW AC-link power converter for renewable generation and energy storage applications

Widespread deployment of photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy systems, with their associated variability, will require the addition of local energy storage in order to level out the power delivered to the utility. The fast power ramp rates experienced by PV and wind, however, require rapid response times and tight integration with co-located energy storage systems. This paper presents a novel three-port 750kW AC-link power converter which ties together a renewable generation source, an energy storage system, and a grid connection. The system enables sub-millisecond response times to power transients, energy capture during grid low-voltage ride-through conditions, direct voltage transformation using a 50kHz high-frequency nanocrystalline transformer, and 3MW/m3 power density. A prototype system developed for Naval applications that uses 6kV silicon carbide GTOs provides an example of the technology's capabilities.
Effects of chronic heart failure on microvascular oxygen exchange dynamics in muscles of contrasting fiber type

In rat spinotrapezius muscle, chronic heart failure (CHF) speeds microvascular O2 pressure ( p O2; index of O2 delivery-to-O2 uptake) dynamics across the rest–contractions transition [Cardiovasc. Res. 56 (2002) 479]. Due to the mosaic nature of this muscle, the effect of CHF on microvascular p O2 dynamics in different fiber types remains unclear. Objective: Based upon derangements of endothelial function and blood flow responses, we hypothesized that CHF would speed microvascular p O2 dynamics (reduced O2 delivery-to-O2 uptake ratio) in type I muscle (soleus, ∼84% type I), but not in type II muscle (peroneal, ∼86% type II [J. Appl. Physiol. 80 (1996) 261]). Methods: Using phosphorescence quenching, microvascular p O2 was measured at rest and across the rest–contractions transition (1 Hz) in soleus and peroneal of non-infarcted control (control; n = 7), and Sprague–Dawley rats with moderate (moderate; elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) 10±2 mm Hg; n = 10) and severe (severe; LVEDP 28±4 mm Hg; n = 5) CHF. Results: The microvascular p O2 mean response time (time delay+time constant) was progressively speeded with increasing severity of CHF in soleus (control, 38.7±2.0; moderate, 29.1±1.5; severe, 22.5±3.9 s; P ≤0.05), but not in peroneal (control=moderate=severe). Conclusion: As type I fibers are recruited predominately for moderate intensity exercise, the more rapid lowering of soleus microvascular p O2 in CHF would reduce the blood-muscle O2 driving gradient, exacerbate phosphocreatine and glycogen breakdown, and provide a mechanism for slowed O2 uptake kinetics and premature fatigue in CHF.
Epithelioma cuniculatum (carcinoma cuniculatum) of the thumb: a case report and literature review.

. Epithelioma cuniculatum is a rare, slow growing, but locally destructive, low-grade epithelioma of squamous cell origin. The first case of this tumor occurring on the thumb is reported. Treatment of this case is discussed, the literature reviewed, and controversy surrounding the naming of this tumor is examined.
Mitochondrial electron transport and glycolysis are coupled in articular cartilage

Summary Objective Although the majority of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in chondrocytes is made by glycolysis rather than by oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria there is evidence to suggest that reactive oxygen species produced by mitochondrial electron transport (ET) help to maintain cellular redox balance in favor of glycolysis. The objective of this study was to test this hypothesis by determining if rotenone, which inhibits ET and blocks oxidant production inhibits glycolytic ATP synthesis. Design Bovine osteochondral explants were treated with rotenone, an ET inhibitor; or oligomycin an ATP synthase inhibitor; or 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose, a glycolysis inhibiter; or peroxide, an exogenous oxidant; or mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted anti-oxidant. Cartilage extracts were assayed for ATP, nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/H), and culture medium was assayed for pyruvate and lactate after 24 h of treatment. Imaging studies were used to measure superoxide production in cartilage. Results Rotenone and 2-FG caused a significant decline in cartilage ATP ( P P Conclusions These findings showing a link between glycolysis and ET are consistent with previous reports on the critical need for oxidants to support normal chondrocyte metabolism. They suggest a novel role for mitochondria in cartilage homeostasis that is independent of oxidative phosphorylation.
Intramolecular Interactions Between the Src Homology 3 and Guanylate Kinase Domains of Discs Large Regulate Its Function in Asymmetric Cell Division

Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) regulate the formation and function of molecular assemblies at specialized regions of the membrane. Allosteric regulation of an intramolecular interaction between the Src homology 3 (SH3) and guanylate kinase (GK) domains of MAGUKs is thought to play a central role in regulating MAGUK function. Here we show that a mutant of the Drosophila MAGUK Discs large (Dlg), dlgsw, encodes a form of Dlg that disrupts the intramolecular association while leaving the SH3 and GK domains intact, providing an excellent model system to assess the role of the SH3-GK intramolecular interaction in MAGUK function. Analysis of asymmetric cell division of maternal-zygotic dlgsw embryonic neuroblasts demonstrates that the intramolecular interaction is not required for Dlg localization but is necessary for cell fate determinant segregation to the basal cortex and mitotic spindle alignment with the cortical polarity axis. These defects ultimately result in improper patterning of the embryonic central nervous system. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the sw mutation of Dlg results in unregulated complex assembly as assessed by GukHolder association with the SH3-GK versus PDZ-SH3-GK modules of Dlgsw. From these studies, we conclude that allosteric regulation of the SH3-GK intramolecular interaction is required for regulation of MAGUK function in asymmetric cell division, possibly through regulation of complex assembly.
Azikiwe and the National Church of Nigeria and the Cameroons: A Case Study of the Political Use of Religion in African Nationalism

IN MODERN AFRICA there are many examples ofthe explicit use of Christianity, traditional indigenous religions and Islam to promote nationalism. 1 In the 1 950s in the Ivory Coast, for instance, many inhabitants of the coastal region viewed the separatist Harrist Church as a 'national religion'.2 Similarly, in the Zimbabwean liberation war a close relationship developed between the nationalist guerrillas and many traditional Shona spirit mediums, drawing on the belief that the ancestral spirits were the defenders of the land,3 while in northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello constantly stressed the relationship between his brand of nationalism and his role as a crusader for Islam.4 Southern Nigeria, with its competitive nationalist politics, many separatist churches, and long tradition of missionary work,5 is especially suitable for
Combination of gemcite and cisplatin chemotherapy in unresectables gall bladder cancer

15166 Background: Adenocarcinoma of the gall bladder accounts for approximately 4% of all malignant neoplasm of the gastro- intestinal tract. Though surgical resection is the treatment of choice, m...
Statistics or Stories, Black or White? Examining Influences of African American Organ Donation

There is a huge disparity in the number of African Americans that are registered organ donors and the number of individuals that need an organ. This study examines some of the factors that may play...
The Development of Brand Loyalty: An Experimental Study

A field experiment with a factorial design showed that consumers developed preferences for three brands of a physically homogeneous product (beer), identical except for brand name and price. With p...
Abstract B72: A computational approach integrating proteomic, transcriptional, and interactome data for discovery of cellular signaling networks

Cellular signaling and transcription are tightly integrated processes that have profound effects on every stage of tumor development and growth. Although there are now a variety of high‐throughput methods for studying these processes, our knowledge of them remains fragmentary. Typically, the vast majority of hits identified by transcriptional, proteomic and genetic assays lie outside of the expected pathways. These unexpected components of the cellular response are often the most interesting, as they can provide new insights into biological processes and potentially reveal new therapeutic approaches. However, they are also the most difficult to interpret. We present a technique, based on the Steiner tree algorithm, that uses previously reported protein‐protein interactions to determine how these hits are organized into functionally coherent pathways, revealing many components of the cellular response that are not readily apparent in the original data. Applied to simultaneously to phosphoproteomic and transcriptional profiling data for the yeast pheromone response, it identifies changes in diverse cellular processes that extend far beyond the expected pathways. We expect our current analysis of the experimental data from epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling network in non‐tumorigenic and tumorigenic cells will shed light on the regulation of cellular processes at the global level and the consequences of oncogenic mutations on signaling and transcription. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(23 Suppl):B72.
Fast wavenumber measurement for accurate and automatic location and quantification of defect in composite

As the use of and dependence on composite materials is increasing in all industries, there is a strong need for reliable, accurate, and fast techniques for damage detection and quantification in co...
Professional Development Needs and Priorities of La Salle University (LSU) Faculty

The quality of instruction depends on a large extent of the capability, the strength, and the excellence of the faculty. For the faculty to perform their roles and fulfill their responsibilities, Colleges must first show that they understand what the faculty needs and values most. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the professional development needs and priorities pertaining to teaching and learning of the college faculty (n=71) of La Salle University to guide the administrators and faculty in crafting enrichment activities. Sixty-three percent of the 113 teachers completed a survey instrument. Calculated means and frequency-percentage distribution describes the prioritization of in-service needs while weighted means determine the performance of the college faculty as appraised by the students. The results of this study showed one-thirds of the teacher-respondents as new to the teaching profession while 69% have more than three years of teaching experience. The study concludes that the colleges vary in their needs for professional development. However, there are areas common to almost all colleges. Their top priority need for classroom management is ending the class on time. For the evaluating students’ learning, the top priority is mastery of the subject matter. For evaluating students’ learning, the priority is constructing questions that cover topic discussed. Keywords – Management, professional development needs and priorities, teaching profession, teaching experience, enrichment, descriptive design, Philippines
The Many Faces of Empathy

Empathy has become a hot topic in philosophy and more generally, but its many uses haven’t yet been recognized. Empathy has epistemological applications beyond its ability to put us directly in contact with the minds of others, and its role in ethics has been underestimated: it can, for example, help the present-day sentimentalist make sense of Francis Hutcheson’s idea of a moral sense. Most notably, perhaps, empathy also plays an important role in speech acts that speech act theorists have completely ignored: for example, felicitous assertion and questioning both depend on the empathic conveying of emotion.
Agrobacterium Transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana Roots

Arabidopsis thaliana has become a major model system for investigating plant molecular, genetic, and biochemical processes. Arabidopsis is highly susceptible to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using "flower dip" and "vacuum infiltration" protocols. However, Arabidopsis has also become a major system to investigate the mechanism of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of somatic tissue. Such investigations require a reproducible, quantitative assay system to determine transformation frequency. We describe here an Arabidopsis root transformation protocol that can be used to determine transformation frequencies for wild-type and mutant Agrobacterium strains and for various Arabidopsis wild-type and mutant lines.
Beach seining in the West Indies

Apres avoir ete dependants de l'importation de poissons sales, et notamment de morue, les Antillais finirent par subvenir a leurs besoins en developpant leurs techniques de peche a la senne (peche au filet) dont l'A. donne une description
Sino-Japanese Relations: Neither Confrontation Nor Partnership

Throughout much of modern history, the way that China and Japan have related to one another has fundamentally shaped their respective regional roles and the contours of the East Asian international system. The Meiji Restoration, spawned by the Western intrusion, marked the beginning of Japan’s effort to reconstruct a new national identity that was situated somewhere between Asia and the West. From the late Tokugawa period to the Meiji (1868–1912) and Taisho (1912–1926) periods through to the 1940s, the intellectual discourse centred upon how to reconstruct Japan’s relationship with China and how Japan could emerge from the shadow of the crumbling Chinese empire. The critical issue for Japanese intellectuals was how to reconstruct China and Confucianism in a way that justified the devolution of regional leadership to Japan, ‘the new possessor and authority of the spirit or essence of toyo’ (East Asia).1
Schedule-controlled behavior: positive reinforcement

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methodology used to study the effects of drug administration on behavior maintained by schedules of positive reinforcement. There are several important advantages associated with the use of schedules of positive reinforcement to study the behavioral effects of drug administration. These experiments in behavioral pharmacology are conducted within the venerable tradition of the experimental analysis of behavior. This behavioral history insures that the experiments take place in settings which allow for rigorous experimental control to minimize the influence of variables other than those associated with the schedule of reinforcement and the method of drug administration. In addition, prolonged exposure to a schedule of reinforcement results in predictable, reproducible, and reversible patterns of behavior in individual subjects. Although different schedules of reinforcement generate different rates and patterns of behavior, these characteristics vary little among species. This feature of the experimental preparation allows for a comparison of the effects of behaviorally active drugs across species.
The Minimum Electrolytic Energy Needed To Convert Carbon Dioxide to Carbon by Electrolysis in Carbonate Melts

One pathway to remove the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to mitigate climate change is by dissolution and electrolysis in molten carbonate to produce stable, solid carbon. This study determines critical knowledge to minimize the required electrolysis energy, the reaction stoichiometry in which carbon and O2 are the principal products, and that CO2 can be electrolyzed inexpensively. Thermochemical and experimental results indicate that the principal carbon-deposition reaction in molten Li2CO3 or Li2O/Li2CO3 electrolytes at 750 °C is Li2O + 2CO2 → Li2CO3 + C + O2. The reaction occurs at high Faradaic efficiency of the 4e– reduction of CO2 to carbon and oxygen at an electrolysis voltage as low as <1 V. Electrolytes without lithium carbonate but containing calcium and/or barium carbonate can also be employed as reaction media for successful carbon deposition, e.g. in an Na/BaCO3 melt. However, the electrolysis reduction in pure Na or K or Na/K carbonate eutectics at 1 atm of CO2 forms metals and/or gases, i.e....
Using Supply Chain Interoperability as a Measure of Supply Chain Performance

Inadequate supply chain performance measurement systems are still one of the major barriers to successful supply chain collaboration. System architecture concepts provide a new perspective to study...
Electrically pumped continuous-wave 1.3 μm quantum-dot lasers epitaxially grown on on-axis (001) GaP/Si.

We demonstrate the first electrically pumped continuous-wave (CW) III-V semiconductor lasers epitaxially grown on on-axis (001) silicon substrates without offcut or germanium layers, using InAs/GaAs quantum dots as the active region and an intermediate GaP buffer between the silicon and device layers. Broad-area lasers with uncoated facets achieve room-temperature lasing with threshold current densities around 860 A/cm2 and 110 mW of single-facet output power for the same device. Ridge lasers designed for low threshold operations show maximum lasing temperatures up to 90°C and thresholds down to 30 mA.
Special Session: Retailing and Pricing Cues

Dhruv Grewal (Ph.D. Virginia Tech) is the Toyota chair in Commerce and Electronic Business and a professor of Marketing at Babson College. His research and teaching interests focus on direct marketing/e-business, retailing, global marketing, pricing, and value-based marketing strategies. He has published over 100 articles in journals such as Journal of Retailing, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, as well as other journals. He currently serves on numerous editorial review boards.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Health Related Quality of Life: Data From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is being performed with increasing frequency. Although fewer than 100,000 were done in 1980, the number of grafts performed in short-stay hospitals throughout the United States increased fourfold in the ensuing decade [1]. This rapid expansion suggests that not only is the procedure safer and more available but, also, that different types of patients are now being considered for surgery. One example of the expanding case mix is that the procedure is increasingly being performed among persons 65 years and older [2]. These older patients have been found to have the same functional and emotional benefits after undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery as do patients who are less than 65 years of age [3]. Walter and colleagues extended this analysis by examining persons 75 years and older; these researchers also found that age was not a significant factor in determining benefits gained from bypass surgery [4].
Electron Tweezers as a Tool for High-Precision Manipulation of Nanoobjects

Abstract Trapping of nanometer-size objects by optical tweezers is challenging because forces become very small for nanoparticles and the resolving power of light optical (near-field) microscopy is limited to ∼15 nm. Focused electron beams produced with scanning transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) not only enable real-time atomic-resolution imaging, diffraction, and spectroscopy, but they also appear to be a valuable complement to conventional optical tweezers because they have a much shorter wavelength than does light. The concept of electrons moving objects sounds like science fiction, but recent experiments demonstrate that electron beams are capable of trapping and manipulating nanoparticles in liquids and on supports by transferring linear and angular mechanical momenta. Thermally assisted electron nanotweezers can be utilized for controlled manipulation and tracking of nanoobjects and fabrication of assembled nanodevices with a lateral resolution and sensitivity by three orders of magnitude better than its light optical counterpart. We outline new research directions and potential applications for electron nanotweezers.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated in Succession from a Case of Bacteremia.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus strains MEH1 and MEH7 were successively isolated from the blood of a patient with recurrent bacteremia. The submitted draft genomes of strains MEH1 and MEH7 are 2,914,972 and 2,911,704 bp, respectively.
Transcending the Limitations of Global Organizational Profitability and Longevity: Preparing People for the Tasks and Challenges of Management

The theme of this chapter concentrates on how any limitations on global organizational profitability and longevity can be transcended. Written from the human factor perspective, it is argued in this chapter that leaders, managers, and employees must work together hand-in-hand to achieve and maintain the diverse internal as well as external limitations that are most frequently imposed on company competitiveness anytime. It is pointed out that by channeling some of a company’s scarce resources into programs that foster the enhancement of the human factor qualities of the employees, those involved in the activities of the organization will surely and successfully transcend the various limitations that mitigate against employee efficiency. In conclusion, it is pointed out in this chapter that when the members of any company achieve this goal, it is imperative that they will also increase and maintain the long-term profitability of the company—ensuring its long-term organizational flourishing and longevity.
Snap back to reality

This paper identifies and examines the factors that make Snapchat a unique social medium. Snapchat departs from mainstream media forms in that they are fundamentally visual and occur real-time, thus demonstrating a stronger sense of being present in multiple spaces at the same time. Specifically, we argue that what adds to the appeal of Snapchat is a focus on Social Presence as well as on Theory of Mind, a construct that could potentially play a key role in the degree of Social Presence generated by a medium. A sample of 656 Snapchat users, aged from 18 to 29, showed significant links between measures of various precursors and components of Theory of Mind with dimensions of Social Presence, Snapchat Intensity, and frequency of Snapchat usage patterns. Further, the results of a mediation analysis suggest that increasing elements of Social Presence underlie the relationship between mechanisms of Theory of Mind and the intensity of a social media (Snapchat) in users daily life. Taken in context of different social media platform uses, the results highlight how a platform that emphasizes such visual and real-time features over other features can fulfill a desired gap in established social media platforms and their practices. Social Presence in Snapchat associated with Snapchat Intensity and Snapchat Usage.Theory of Mind in Snapchat associated with Snapchat Intensity and Snapchat Usage.Social Presence in Snapchat associated with Theory of Mind in Snapchat.Social Presence in Snapchat mediates relationship between Theory of Mind in Snapchat and Snapchat Intensity.
The chemical composition of Dialister pneumosintes and the significance of the studies of small eubacteria

Abstract The percentage chemical composition (DNA, RNA, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) of a small eubacterium resembles that of others, although the absolute number of biologically important molecules perforce markedly differs. In D. pneumosintes , the hundred million molecular weight of DNA seems to be adequate for coding proteins not in excess of 600, if the code is non-overlapping and non-degenerative. As in the case of the Mycoplasma qallisepticum , 2 this code seems short, and the real significance of these chemical studies can be appreciated only when more accumulate and are analyzed rigorously.
Effects of the Razor Clam Tagelus plebeius on the Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: A Mesocosm Experiment

The relationship between organisms and contaminants may be a two-way interaction: contaminants affecting the biota and the biota affecting the environmental fate and distribution of the contaminants. This may be especially so for sediment-dwelling organisms, because their burrowing and feeding can drastically influence sediment characteristics. The present study looked at the influence of the suspension-feeding stout razor clam Tagelus plebeius on the distribution of crude oil and pyrene in greenhouse mesocosm experiments. Water column turbidity and sediment redox also were monitored during the 15- to 30-day exposures to provide information on the influence of hydrocarbons and the razor clams on environmental conditions. For the experiment with crude oil, sediment was taken from the mesocosms at the end of the experiment, and the hydrocarbon-degradation potential was assessed in incubations with 14C-naphthalene. The experiments used four treatments: hydrocarbons present/absent and razor clams present/absent. Hydrocarbon dosing levels were relatively low (1 mL of oil or 30 mg of pyrene per mesocosm with 22 L of natural sediment and 11 L of seawater). The presence of the razor clams resulted in hydrocarbon concentrations at the sediment surface being 25% lower than in mesocosms without clams. No consistent effects were noted for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the water column or in subsurface sediment. The naphthalene-degradation potential was elevated for sediment from mesocosms dosed with oil, but the presence of the clams did not affect this potential. The presence of the razor clams resulted in a lowering of water column turbidity, but no effect on sediment redox. The hydrocarbon addition had no effect on turbidity, but sediment redox was lowered. While results show that the presence of the razor clams resulted in a loss of hydrocarbons from the surface sediment, the other results do not provide a clear picture of the underlying mechanisms and the fate of the PAHs lost from the sediment surface. We hypothesize that the loss of surface sediment PAHs was due to burial of surface sediment and possibly bioaccumulation by the clams. While additional research is needed for further insights into underlying mechanisms, the present work demonstrates that the presence of sediment-burrowing suspension feeders decreases hydrocarbon levels in surface sediment. This means that assessments of the impact of an oil spill should pay attention to effects on these organisms and to their influence on the fate and distribution of the spilled oil.
The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?:

Recently released data from the 2016 American National Election Study allow us to offer a multifaceted profile of white voters who voted for Donald J. Trump in the 2016 presidential election. We fi...