cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progress on complementary patterning using plasmon-excited electron beamlets (Conference Presentation)

Maskless lithography using parallel electron beamlets is a promising solution for next generation scalable maskless nanolithography. Researchers have focused on this goal but have been unable to find a robust technology to generate and control high-quality electron beamlets with satisfactory brightness and uniformity. In this work, we will aim to address this challenge by developing a revolutionary surface-plasmon-enhanced-photoemission (SPEP) technology to generate massively-parallel electron beamlets for maskless nanolithography. The new technology is built upon our recent breakthroughs in plasmonic lenses, which will be used to excite and focus surface plasmons to generate massively-parallel electron beamlets through photoemission. Specifically, the proposed SPEP device consists of an array of plasmonic lens and electrostatic micro-lens pairs, each pair independently producing an electron beamlet. During lithography, a spatial optical modulator will dynamically project light onto individual plasmonic lenses to control the switching and brightness of electron beamlets. The photons incident onto each plasmonic lens are concentrated into a diffraction-unlimited spot as localized surface plasmons to excite the local electrons to near their vacuum levels. Meanwhile, the electrostatic micro-lens extracts the excited electrons to form a focused beamlet, which can be rastered across a wafer to perform lithography. Studies showed that surface plasmons can enhance the photoemission by orders of magnitudes. This SPEP technology can scale up the maskless lithography process to write at wafers per hour. In this talk, we will report the mechanism of the strong electron-photon couplings and the locally enhanced photoexcitation, design of a SPEP device, overview of our proof-of-concept study, and demonstrated parallel lithography of 20-50 nm features.
Introduction: Poetic Soul-Talk and Civic Virtue

The introduction theorizes a transnational republican discourse of the civic soul that emerged in Britain’s transformative decades between the Reform Acts of 1832 and 1884. Outlining the classical, Romantic, and ecclesiastical precedents on which Victorian poets drew, the introduction reveals soul’s connections to the concept of “civic virtue” and its successor, “moral character.” As a nonmaterial entity knowable only by inference, soul called for the most ingenious mediation that poetry, in particular, could provide. Through experiments with genre and prosody, reform-minded poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Arthur Hugh Clough, Robert Browning, and Algernon Charles Swinburne, along with their transatlantic contemporary Walt Whitman, exploited language’s rich aesthetic potential to develop a poetics suitable for subtle national and transnational ethico-political debates. This poetic soul-talk allowed their readers to experience the complex emotional and spiritual effects of democracy that eluded more prosaic forms such as fiction and journalism.
TRES ELEMENTOS FUNDAMENTALES EN LA FORMACIÓN DE DOCENTES DE CIENCIAS

El exito de reformas educativas basadas en resultados de la investigacion en educacion de las ciencias depende de la capacidad de los docentes para implementar formas de ensenanza ambiciosas y responsivas tanto a las expectativas de desempeno establecidas en estandares educativos nacionales como a las experiencias, ideas e intereses de los estudiantes. En este ensayo se describen, analizan y discuten tres elementos formativos que se consideran fundamentales en la preparacion de tales docentes. Estos elementos incluyen (1) la conceptualizacion de la disciplina no como un cuerpo de conocimientos especializados, sino como una forma productiva de pensar y actuar sobre el mundo que nos rodea; (2) la habilidad para seleccionar o disenar tareas instruccionales retadoras que involucren a los estudiantes de manera activa en la construccion de explicaciones y soluciones a fenomenos o problemas concretos de interes, y (3) la capacidad para implementar dichas tareas instruccionales de manera responsiva, usando evaluacion formativa continuamente para hacer visible, promover, apoyar, enriquecer, cuestionar y dirigir el pensamiento de los estudiantes. Estas practicas son necesarias para crear oportunidades de aprendizaje con un nivel apropiado de reto intelectual, el cual pueda ser sostenido a lo largo de toda tarea instruccional o unidad de trabajo. La ensenanza centrada en estos elementos satisface multiples metas de la educacion de las ciencias en la actualidad, tales como desarrollar la comprension significativa de conceptos e ideas centrales en cada disciplina, promover la participacion de los estudiantes en diversas practicas cientificas, involucrar a los estudiantes en argumentacion y otras formas discursivas utilizadas en la construccion y evaluacion del conocimiento cientifico, e integrar conocimientos y practicas cientificas en la generacion de explicaciones y el diseno de soluciones de interes para los estudiantes y las sociedades en las que viven. La ensenanza ambiciosa y responsiva de la disciplina tambien facilita la participacion equitativa de todo tipo de estudiantes en el aula y favorece el desarrollo profesional continuo de los docentes involucrados, quienes deben aprender a responder de manera productiva a las ideas de sus estudiantes en situaciones especificas y contextos variados. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de estas competencias demanda la transformacion de los programas de formacion docente para ensenar a ensenar en congruencia con los tres elementos formativos mencionados.
1996 in Review: Part I

I now declare that these annual reviews are a tradition! A quote seems in order here, so let us hear from Ezra Pound: But to have done instead of not doing this is not vanity To have, with decency, knocked That a Blunt should open To have gathered from the air a live tradition or from a fine old eye the unconquered flame This is not vanity. Here error it all in the not done, all in the diffidence that faltered.
JAKing up resistance to immunotherapy

A two-cell type CRISPR screen has identified genes and pathways that mediate resistance to cancer immunotherapy.
Consumer Response to Composite Ratings of Nursing Home Quality

Health-care report cards are intended to address information asymmetries and enable consumers to choose providers of better quality. However, the form of the information may matter to consumers. Nu...
Receptor recharge time drastically reduces the number of captured particles.

Many diverse biological systems are described by randomly moving particles that can be captured by traps in their environment. Examples include neurotransmitters diffusing in the synaptic cleft before binding to receptors and prey roaming an environment before capture by predators. In most cases, the traps cannot capture particles continuously. Rather, each trap must wait a transitory “recharge” time after capturing a particle before additional captures. This recharge time is often overlooked. In the case of instant recharge, the average number of particles captured before they escape grows linearly in the total number of particles. In stark contrast, we prove that for any nonzero recharge time, the average number of captured particles grows at most logarithmically in the total particle number. This is a fundamental effect of recharge, as it holds under very general assumptions on particle motion and spatial domain. Furthermore, we characterize the parameter regime in which a given recharge time will dramatically affect a system, allowing researchers to easily verify if they need to account for recharge in their specific system. Finally, we consider a few examples, including a neural system in which recharge reduces neurotransmitter bindings by several orders of magnitude.
Microelectrode studies of facilitated O2 transport across hemoglobin and myoglobin layers.

Kreuzer and Hoofd (1987) recently reviewed the experimental evidence, theoretical framework and physiological significance for facilitated O2 transport by hemoglobin in the red blood cell and by myoglobin in heart and red skeletal muscle. It is now well accepted that these vital biological proteins enhance tissue O2 delivery by carrier-mediated transport. However, many mechanistic details are not fully understood or their importance in vivo have not been completely evaluated. Much of the previous research during the past 30 years has been conducted with flat layers of carrier protein solutions subjected to known O2 concentration gradients in diffusion chambers. Facilitated O2 transport theory predicts how PO2 will vary with distance across the layer. In the present study, we measured PO2 profiles with recessed cathode microelectrodes (Whalen et al, 1967) across ca. 500 μm layers of aqueous solutions containing either hemoglobin or myoglobin. To our knowledge, there have been no previous attempts to evaluate facilitated O2 transport theory by actually measuring PO2 profiles in carrier protein solutions.
Moral Hazard, Agency Cost, and Firm Growth

We study how the agency cost implied by the moral hazard problem in a firm dynamics model affects the life cycle growth pattern of firms. In the early stage of a firm's growth, the agency cost restricts the firm's capital input and diminishes over time, so that the firm's growth is driven by efficiency improvements and an exogenous progress in productivity. In the long run, when the firm loses its potential to improve efficiency, growth is driven only by the progress in productivity. As a result of this growth mechanism, consistent with the data, the growth rate and its volatility, as well as Tobin's Q, decrease with age and size. Moreover, the cross‐sectional distributions of firm size and managerial compensation obey a power law, as they do in the data. In addition, the model provides novel implications for how the characteristics of the production technology and the preferences of the economic agents affect the growth pattern of firms, and these implications are potentially testable.
Fate of the Left Ventricular Outflow Tract After Rastelli With Selective Infundibular Muscle Resection.

Background The Rastelli procedure has been criticized for a high rate of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) and translocation procedures have been proposed as an alternative. Infundibular resection can be performed during Rastelli to optimize the outflow tract. This study examines whether a selective policy to enlarge the outflow tract improves Rastelli outcomes across all morphological variants. Methods Single institution 29-year experience in 105 patients. Patients were classified into transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect, and double outlet right ventricle morphology groups. The infundibular muscle was routinely resected if prominent, in 28 cases. Results Early mortality was 1.9% (2 of 105) and actuarial survival was 95.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89% to 99%) at 1 year, 92.9% (95% CI, 85% to 97%) at 5 years, and 84.5% (95% CI, 74% to 92%) at 10 years. The cumulative freedom from LVOTO was 99% (95% CI, 96% to 100%), 97% (95% CI, 92% to 99%), and 90% (95% CI, 88% to 96%) at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The incidence was similar in all morphological groups and those undergoing infundibular resection were not at higher risk of late LVOTO. Eleven patients required surgical reoperation on the left ventricular outflow tract over a median follow-up period of 8.5 years, with no mortality, although 2 of these patients developed complete heart block. Left ventricular function was well preserved in 98.1% of all cases, including all of those requiring left ventricular outflow tract reoperation. Conclusions The Rastelli is a safe procedure that can be applied in a variety of morphological variants. LVOTO remains a late complication of Rastelli, but can be minimized by concomitant infundibular muscle resection. Late reoperation is safe and ventricular function is well preserved in greater than 95% of cases at late follow-up. The operation has stood the test of time and avoids many of the risks of translocation procedures.
Evaluation of four injection profiles for uniform contrast-enhanced signal intensity profiles in MR angiography.

BACKGROUND Gadolinium concentration variation during acquisition of contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) may lead to artifacts. PURPOSE To compare signal intensity (SI) profiles of four different contrast agent injection strategies during CE-MRA with the goal of minimizing SI variation during acquisition. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS Forty subjects randomized to receive one of four injection profiles of gadobenate dimeglumine (0.1 mmol/kg), either undiluted (0.5 M) or diluted to 40 ml total volume. Tested profiles: 1) nondiluted single-phase ("standard" NS; 1.6 ml/s), 2) diluted single-phase (DS; 1.6 ml/s), 3) diluted biphasic (DB; 9 ml @ 3.3 ml/s, 29 ml @ 1.4 ml/s), 4) patient-tailored protocol using linear prediction (DT). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Time-resolved SI measured at 3T with spoiled gradient echo sequences having analogous parameters to those of CE-MRA. ASSESSMENT Plateau arrival time, rise time, duration, peak and tail SI, plateau quality (sum of squared residuals; SSR), average SI for each injection type derived were used. STATISTICAL TEST Two-tailed t-test. RESULTS Peak SI, arrival, and rise times were not significantly different between groups, excepting peak SI DB slightly > DS (P = 0.042). Duration of NS vs. the diluted groups was significantly shorter (all P < 0.0001), and DS duration was significantly shorter than that of DT and DB (NS 11.4 ± 3.5 vs. DS 22.9 ± 4.3, DB 25.4 ± 2.3, DT 28.3 ± 4.1 sec). Quality (SSR) of the 20-second plateau was significantly better for DS, DB, DT as compared with NS (all P < 0.001). DATA CONCLUSION Three different strategies to power-inject diluted gadobenate dimeglumine targeting a 20-second plateau produced SI profiles with longer duration, more consistent plateau, and no significant loss in peak SI. Such injection profiles may provide more uniform SI during CE-MRA, potentially reducing blurring artifacts. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1808-1816.
Distributed fault diagnosis of networked dynamical systems with time-varying topology

Abstract In this paper, the distributed fault diagnosis (DFD) of networked dynamical systems with time-varying connected topologies, e.g., wireless sensor networks in harsh environments, is considered. Specifically, two essential problems are focused on, which are faced in extending the the decomposition-based adaptive DFD approach to such topology-varying systems. The problems introduced by the time-varying topologies are, respectively, decomposition schemes deterioration and pre-training difficulties. The causes of the two problems are detailed and addressed in our work. First, for the decomposition schemes deterioration problem, a multi-agent dynamics-based online distributed decomposition algorithm are developed, so that a decent decomposed network structure for such topology-varying network can be maintained. Second, to alleviate the pre-training difficulties in topology-varying systems, a fault detection method is proposed, which avoids the need for pre-training. The distributed decomposition algorithm is proved to converge in finite steps, and the proposed fault detection method is verified both theoretically and experimentally.
R2 relaxometry based MR imaging for estimation of liver iron content: A comparison between two methods

To compare the reproducibility and accuracy of R2-relaxometry MRI for estimation of liver iron concentration (LIC) between in-house analysis and FDA-approved commercially available third party results. All MR studies were performed on a 1.5T scanner. Multi-echo spin-echo scans with a fixed TR and increasing TE values of 6 ms, 9 ms, 12 ms, 15 ms, and 18 ms (spaced at 3 ms intervals) were used. Post-processing of the images to calculate mean relaxivity, R2, included drawing of regions of interest to include the whole liver on mid-slice. The relationship between liver R2 values and estimated LIC calculated with in-house analysis and values reported by an external company (FerriScan®, Resonance Health, Australia) were assessed with correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman difference plots. Continuous variables are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Significance was set at p value < 0.05. 474 studies from 175 patients were included in the study (mean age 10.4 ± 4.2 years (range 1–18 years); 254 studies from girls, 220 studies from boys). LIC ranged from 0.6 to 43 mg/g dry tissue, covering a broad range from normal levels to extremely high iron levels. Linearity between proprietary and in-house methods was excellent across the observed range for R2 (31.5 to 334.8 s−1); showing a correlation coefficient of r = 0.87, p < 0.001. Bland–Altman R2 difference plot between the two methods shows a mean bias of + 21.5 s−1 (range − 47.0 to + 90.0 s−1 between two standard deviations). LIC reported by FerriScan® compared with LIC estimated in-house with R2 as reported by FerriScan® agreed strongly, (r = 1.0, p < 0.001). R2 relaxometry MR imaging for liver iron concentration estimation is reproducible between proprietary FDA-approved commercial software and in-house analysis methods.
Flow visualization of two-phase R-245fa at low mass flux in a plate heat exchanger near the micro-macroscale transition

Two-phase R-245fa flow in a plate heat exchanger (PHE) is experimentally investigated to understand the unique flow regimes found during adiabatic operation at low mass flux. A transparent PHE repl...
Further Exploration of the SAR of Imidazoquinolines; Identification of Potent C7 Substituted Imidazoquinolines

ABSTRACT Small molecule agonists of TLR7/8, such as imidazoquinolines, are validated agonists for the treatment of cancer and for use in vaccine adjuvants. Imidazoquinolines have been extensively modified to understand the structure-activity relationship (SAR) at the N1- and C2-positions resulting in the clinical drug imiquimod, resiquimod, and several other highly potent analogues. However, the SAR of the aryl ring has not been fully elucidated in the literature. This initial study examines the SAR of C7-substituted imidazoquinolines. These compounds not only demonstrated that TLR7/8 tolerate changes at the C7 position but can increase potency and change their cytokine profiles. The most notable TLR7/8 agonists developed from this study 5, 8, and 14 which are up to 4-fold and 2-fold more active than resiquimod for TLR8 and/or TLR7, respectively, and up to 100-fold more active than the FDA approved imiquimod for TLR7.
Meaning/Purpose in Work

Burnout is a pervasive problem amongst physicians and surgeons in the United States, and it has been suggested that physicians who place great emphasis on finding meaning in their work have decreased risk of developing burnout. In this chapter, we summarize the literature exploring the relationship between finding meaning in work and development of burnout amongst physicians and surgeons. We then discuss common factors that may contribute to or detract from a sense of meaning before we introduce the concept of net meaning and discuss its protective role from development of burnout.
Combustion synthesis of nanocrystalline silicon from silica and magnesium silicide

Abstract Nanostructured silicon is a promising material for various emerging applications, and there is an urgent need to develop effective and inexpensive methods for its large-scale production. Silicon can be obtained by magnesiothermic reduction of silica (SiO2) via self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), which consumes low energy and uses simple, scalable equipment. However, the use of magnesium (Mg) as the reduction agent leads to excessively high temperatures and undesirable sintering of the products. In the present work, magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) was proposed to reduce silica in the SHS of silicon. To ensure a self-sustained propagation of the combustion wave, Mg2Si/SiO2 mixtures were mechanically activated in a shaker ball mill. It was determined that milling for several minutes effectively improved the reactivity of Mg2Si/SiO2 mixtures through the formation of composites, consisted of submicron and micron-sized particles. The use of Mg2Si instead of Mg decreased the temperature during SHS and, after leaching, produced micron-scale agglomerates of Si nanoparticles, in contrast with sponge-like Si particles obtained in the case of using Mg. The addition of 15–25 wt% sodium chloride further decreased the combustion temperature, leading to the formation of nanocrystalline silicon powder with crystallite size of about 30 nm.
Abstract PO083: Treatment of CEA-positive solid tumors with anti-CEA chimeric antigen receptor T-cells in CEA transgenic mice

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) combine specificity of antibody to target antigen on cancer cells with the potent cytotoxic activity of T-cells without the need for MHC recognition. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells that were designed to express the single chain variable fragment binding domain of human anti-CEA antibody BW431/26 on mouse splenocytes were able to reduce CEA-expressing pancreatic adenocarcinoma tumor in CEA-transgenic (CEAtg) mice without significant off-target effects (Chmielewski et al., 2012). In this study, an anti-CEA CAR construct derived from murine anti-CEA antibody (T84.66) expressed on human T-cells targeted CEA+ colon carcinoma cells (LS174T/CEA and MC38CEA) with high specificity in vitro. When co-incubated with CEA-positive or CEA-negative mouse cancer cells, anti-CEA CAR expressed on mouse T-cells also specifically targeted CEA-positive cancer cells in vitro. Compared to mock T-cells control, anti-CEA CAR T-cells injected intravenously delayed subcutaneous MC38CEA tumor growth in CEA-transgenic mice (CEAtg). Lymphodepletion via cyclophosphamide injected before anti-CEA T-cells injection further delayed subcutaneous MC38CEA tumor growth and delayed orthotopic CEA+ breast carcinoma (E0771CEA) tumor growth in CEAtg mice. To improve the therapeutic potential of anti-CEA CAR T-cells, IL2 conjugated to humanized anti-CEA antibody (M5A-IL2, ICK) was interperitoneally injected after anti-CEA CAR T-cells into lymphodepleted CEAtg mice. A single injection of ICK after anti-CEA CAR T-cells delayed subcutaneous MC38CEA tumor growth even further. Two injections of ICK after anti-CEA T-cells delayed orthotopic E0771CEA tumor growth. Four injections of ICK after anti-CEA CAR T-cells eradicated subcutaneous MC38CEA tumors. These data show the therapeutic potential of anti-CEA CAR T-cells to target CEA-positive tumors. Citation Format: Seung Cha, Paul Yazaki, Christine Brown, John Shively. Treatment of CEA-positive solid tumors with anti-CEA chimeric antigen receptor T-cells in CEA transgenic mice [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Virtual Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2020 Oct 19-20. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2021;9(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PO083.
Fiber side diffuser for endo-cavity photoacoustic imaging

Homogeneous laser illumination is critical for side view photoacoustic tomography. In this paper, two homogeneous fiber side illumination methods are proposed by utilizing diffuser coating made of ultraviolet adhesive mixed with silica microspheres. One method is the gradient side diffuser, manufactured by dip coating fiber core with consecutive diffuser sections of different silica microsphere concentrations. The other method is the partially peeled-off diffuser, generated by peeling off part of the diffuser coating section on a single concentration fiber diffuser. Both methods show homogeneous laser side illumination according to simulation and experiment, with adjustable illumination length by design.
Collaborating for Equity in Urban Education: Comprehensive Reform in an Innovative University/School Partnership:

Using data from a participatory ethnography of an urban high school slated for closure, this article examines the impact of comprehensive transformation on the university-school partnership’s goal ...
Flood Hazards Impact on Neighborhood House Prices

This study estimated the effect of flood hazards on residential property values by applying a hedonic price model to house sale data from 2007 to 2013 in the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area. A difference-in-difference framework was used to estimate changes in the price discount associated with houses located within a 100-year floodplain. We investigated how this price discount changed following a major flood event, providing empirical insight into how flood risk was perceived by homebuyers. We also estimated how the price discount varied as the control group was composed of houses increasingly further from the 100-year floodplain. Our results suggest that the flood price discount varies both temporally and spatially. Particularly in the year following a major and non-major flood event, the price discount increased by over 13%. Additionally, the estimated price discount when comparing properties inside the floodplain to those immediately outside the 100-year floodplain.
Fate of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes on Whole Papaya during Storage and Antimicrobial Efficiency of Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide Generated with HCl, Malic Acid or Lactic Acid on Whole Papaya

Papaya-associated foodborne illness outbreaks have been frequently reported worldwide. The goal of this study was to evaluate the behavior of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes on whole papaya during storage and sanitizing process. Fresh green papayas were inoculated with approximately 7 log CFU of S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes and stored at 21 or 7 °C for 14 days. Bacteria counts were determined on day 0, 1, 7, 10 and 14. Fresh green papayas inoculated with approximately 8 log CFU of the bacteria were treated for 5 min with 2.5, 5 and 10 ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2). The ClO2 solutions were generated by mixing sodium chlorite with an acid, which was HCl, lactic acid or malic acid. The detection limit of the enumeration method was 2.40 log CFU per papaya. At the end of storage period, S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes grew by 1.88 and 1.24 log CFU on papayas at 21 °C, respectively. Both bacteria maintained their initial population at inoculation on papayas stored at 7 °C. Higher concentrations of ClO2 reduced more bacteria on papaya. 10 ppm ClO2, regardless the acid used to generate the solutions, inactivated S. Typhimurium to undetectable level on papaya. 10 ppm ClO2 generated with HCl, lactic acid and malic acid reduced L. monocytogenes by 4.40, 6.54 and 8.04 log CFU on papaya, respectively. Overall, ClO2 generated with malic acid showed significantly higher bacterial reduction than ClO2 generated with HCl or lactic acid. These results indicate there is a risk of survival and growth for S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes on papaya at commercial storage conditions. Aqueous ClO2 generated with malic acid shows effectiveness in inactivating the pathogenic bacteria on papaya.
Analysis of planar microstrip discontinuities in MMIC's

Planar microstrip discontinuities are analyzed by the full-wave, space-domain moment method at microwave and millimeter wavelengths. Redundant calculations in the moment matrix are eliminated by utilizing various symmetries. At lower microwave frequencies quasi-static approximations are invoked to simplify the analysis. Sample computed results are presented for the current distribution and the S-parameters for L-shaped bends, meander lines, and multiturn spiral inductors. Computed results compare reasonably well with measurements on a vector network analyzer. >
Relative Market Power versus Concentration as a Measure of Market Dominance: Property and Liability Insurance

This paper utilizes a rank-size function to investigate market concentration in lieu of well-known measures. For comparison, two measures were chosen: Theil’s entropy and the Herfindahl. The empirical results are based on premiums written for twelve lines of property and liability insurance. While the two concentration measures rank the lines for the level of concentration in almost complete unanimity, the empirical results indicate that the ranking breaks down for the rank-size function. This important finding gives substantial strength to advocates of the market share as measure of market power as opposed to the market concentration measure.
Grain size effects in barium titanate

Grain size effects in CBaTiO/sub 3/ are examined as a function of porosity in order to evaluate the effect of microstructurally imposed stresses on the dielectric behavior. Hydrothermal starting powder was used to minimize any extraneous effects. Fast firing techniques were used to obtain a variety of grain sizes and densities, and the data were evaluated using an analysis of the Curie-Weiss behavior. A percolation limit between 48% and 60% of theoretical density is proposed below which insufficient flux continuity is thought to limit the dielectric response of the ceramic. Above this limit, increased density appears to increase the room-temperature dielectric constant for grain sizes between approximately 0.6 mu m and 20 mu m. >
The Shifting Tide of ESI Discovery Cost Allocation

Regardless of the means by which data travels, or the media on which it is stored, it is now, without question, “black letter law that computerized data is discoverable if relevant.” New York law, however, is anything but well settled with regard to ESI discovery cost allocation. Neither the New York Court of Appeals, nor the state’s Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR), have yet to address the issue of ESI discovery costs, while a fissure between the approaches employed by judges in the New York state court system continues to grow. Federal district courts routinely resolve ESI discovery cost allocation issues equitably, and while minor differences exist in a handful of judicial districts, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended in 2006 to adopt the essence of the analytical framework established by somewhat celebrated Southern District of New York jurists. The recent trend in New York state courts reveals a decisive move away from the supposed “general rule,” conjured mainly from one deeply flawed trial court decision, toward harmonization with the vastly more elegant federal jurisprudence of permissive cost-shifting for inaccessible ESI. This trend has been ratified locally by amended rules within the Supreme Court Commercial Division, and by a comprehensive manual prepared and proposed by the New York City Bar Association. On a national level, there has been a wave of amendments, including key changes in 2006 to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; proposals offered by the Federal Judicial Center, a consortium of state court Chief Justices, and the American Bar Association. In addition, there has been development recently of uniform ESI discovery rules by the same organization that created the Uniform Commercial Code; as well as principles and best practices advanced by the Sedona Conference.Recent guidance by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has also embraced the ESI discovery logic utilized in this federal judicial district, recognizing the leading case in this line of jurisprudence as “a standard of necessary steps that must be taken to preserve and produce electronic data.” While some states continue to employ the antiquated and inequitable “requester pays” approach, there can be little debate that the increasingly rapid pace of technological advancement demands regular refinement of e-discovery law. Permissive case-by-case cost-shifting of inaccessible ESI, through a multi-factor analysis, is the appropriate standard for resolving discovery production cost disputes. This is especially true in securities arbitration, where economic and informational disparities between disputants are often substantial, sometimes to the point of debilitating a genuine search for the truth, and at times, a disputant’s life savings may hang in the balance. As Judge Scheindlin rightly recognized in Zubulake I, “discovery that would be too expensive for one [party] to bear would be a drop in the bucket for another.”
Continuous intravenous analgesia in labor

Abstract How safe and effective is the continuous intravenous administration of analgesics during labor? Sixty-five women in labor received intravenous meperidine, promethazine, and scopolamine by this route in an attempt to answer this question. Relatively low dosages were necessary to relieve pain during the first two stages of labor and this was accomplished with safety to the mother and the baby.
In Situ ph of Duodenal Bulb Contents in Normal and Duodenal Ulcer Subjects

Summary The p H of duodenal bulb contents has been recorded with a guarded, in situ, glass electrode in 75 subjects, 16 with duodenal ulcer. The antrocutaneous and duodenocutaneous potential differences (PD) were simultaneously recorded from flowing KCl bridges attached to the glass electrode lead (these bridges were found to be superior to KCl-agar bridges for this purpose), PD patterns were used to position the glass electrode and monitor its location. That a PD between duodenum and gastric antrum of greater than 15 mv (duodenum more positive) was a reliable sign that the glass electrode was in the duodenal bulb was confirmed by simultaneous cinefluorography. Mean duodenal bulb p H was significantly higher than antral p H in both normal and ulcer subjects. In ulcer subjects, mean duodenal bulb p H (2.9) was significantly lower than normal (4.5). Normal and ulcer antral pH values were similar (1.7). There was no significant difference between ulcer and control groups with respect to the p H of antral or postbulbar duodenal contents. Antral p H was much more stable than duodenal bulbar p H. Postbulbar duodenal p H was higher and more stable than the p H of the duodenal bulb.
Insertion of fluorescent fatty acid probes into the outer membranes of the pathogenic spirochaetes Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi.

The authors examined the ability of octadecanoyl (C(18)), hexadecanoyl (C(16)) and dodecanoyl (C(12)) fatty acid (FA) conjugates of 5-aminofluorescein (OAF, HAF and DAF, respectively) to insert into the outer membranes (OMs) of Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi and Escherichia coli. Biophysical studies have demonstrated that these compounds stably insert into phospholipid bilayers with the acyl chain within the hydrophobic interior of the apical leaflet and the hydrophilic fluorescein moiety near the phospholipid head groups. Consistent with the known poor intrinsic permeability of the E. coli OM to hydrophobic compounds and surfactants, E. coli was not labelled with any of the FA probes. OAF inserted more readily into OMs of B. burgdorferi than into those of T. pallidum, although both organisms were completely labelled at concentrations at or below 2 microg ml(-1). Intact spirochaetes were labelled with OAF but not with antibodies against known periplasmic antigens, thereby confirming that the probe interacted exclusively with the spirochaetal OMs. Separate experiments in which organisms were cooled to 4 degrees C (i.e. below the OM phase-transition temperatures) indicated that labelling with OAF was due to insertion of the probe into the OMs. B. burgdorferi, but not T. pallidum, was labelled by relatively high concentrations of HAF and DAF. Taken as a whole, these findings support the prediction that the lack of lipopolysaccharide renders T. pallidum and B. burgdorferi OMs markedly more permeable to lipophilic compounds than their Gram-negative bacterial counterparts. The data also raise the intriguing possibility that these two pathogenic spirochaetes obtain long-chain FAs, nutrients they are unable to synthesize, by direct permeation of their OMs.
Effect of pressure on defect-related emission in heavily silicon-doped GaAs.

We report cryogenic high-pressure measurements of a defect-related emission at 1.25 eV in silicon-doped GaAs. The pressure measurements prove that the 1.25-eV photon energy is relative to the conduction band, implying a deep defect level 0.30 eV above the valence band and an electron-capture process from the conduction band into the defect. The defect level moves up in the band gap at a rate of 23\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3 meV/GPa. These results are consistent with a vacancy-related defect level, possibly stemming from a gallium-vacancy\char21{}silicon-at-gallium (second-nearest-neighbor) defect complex.
An Explicit Construction of Short Monotone Formulae for the Monotone Symmetric Functions

We construct formulae that assume the value 1 when and only when at least k of their n variables assume the value 1, using only conjunction and disconjunction, and having (for any fixed k) only O(nlogn)k2log∗n occurences of variables.
Renormalization-group method for weakly coupled quantum chains: Application to the spin- 1 2 Heisenberg model

The Kato-Bloch perturbation formalism is used to present a density-matrix renormalization-group method for strongly anisotropic two-dimensional systems. This method is used to study Heisenberg chains weakly coupled by the transverse couplings ${J}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ and ${J}_{d}$ (along the diagonals). An extensive comparison of the renormalization group and quantum Monte Carlo results for parameters where the simulations by the latter method are possible shows a very good agreement between the two methods. It is found, by analyzing ground state energies and spin-spin correlation functions, that there is a transition between two ordered magnetic states. When ${J}_{d}∕{J}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.5$, the ground state displays a N\'eel order. When ${J}_{d}∕{J}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.5$, a collinear magnetic ground state in which interchain spin correlations are ferromagnetic becomes stable. In the vicinity of the transition point, ${J}_{d}∕{J}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.5$, the ground state is disordered. But, the nature of this disordered ground state is unclear. While the numerical data seem to show that the chains are disconnected, the possibility of a genuine disordered two-dimensional state, hidden by finite size effects, cannot be excluded.
OPTICAL ABSORPTION AND STRUCTURAL ORDER IN SPUTTERED AMORPHOUS PHOSPHORUS

Optical absorption measurements are reported for rf sputtered a-P films prepared under conditions of variable substrate temperature. Variations in the optical gap with Ts are similar to changes in the Raman scattering and x-ray diffraction spectra. The results suggest that intermediate-range order plays an important role for the structural, vibrational and optical properties for more ordered a-P films. Photostructural effects in As-chalcogenides which exhibit analogous behavior also suggest modifications of intermediate-range order.
Dinosolve: a protein disulfide bonding prediction server using context-based features to enhance prediction accuracy

Disulfide bonds play an important role in protein folding and structure stability. Accurately predicting disulfide bonds from protein sequences is important for modeling the structural and functional characteristics of many proteins. In this work, we introduce an approach of enhancing disulfide bonding prediction accuracy by taking advantage of context-based features. We firstly derive the first-order and second-order mean-force potentials according to the amino acid environment around the cysteine residues from large number of cysteine samples. The mean-force potentials are integrated as context-based scores to estimate the favorability of a cysteine residue in disulfide bonding state as well as a cysteine pair in disulfide bond connectivity. These context-based scores are then incorporated as features together with other sequence and evolutionary information to train neural networks for disulfide bonding state prediction and connectivity prediction. The 10-fold cross validated accuracy is 90.8% at residue-level and 85.6% at protein-level in classifying an individual cysteine residue as bonded or free, which is around 2% accuracy improvement. The average accuracy for disulfide bonding connectivity prediction is also improved, which yields overall sensitivity of 73.42% and specificity of 91.61%. Our computational results have shown that the context-based scores are effective features to enhance the prediction accuracies of both disulfide bonding state prediction and connectivity prediction. Our disulfide prediction algorithm is implemented on a web server named "Dinosolve" available at: http://hpcr.cs.odu.edu/dinosolve .
Infarct size-reducing effect of nicorandil is mediated by the KATP channel but not by its nitrate-like properties in dogs.

Objectives: We wished to determine whether the cardioprotective effect of nicorandil to reduce infarct size is blocked by glibenclamide, a selective KATP channel antagonist, or methylene blue, a nitric oxide (NO)/guanylate cyclase inhibitor, in dogs. The second aim was to determine if glyceryl trinitrate produces a cardioprotective effect in the same model and to test if this effect is blocked by methylene blue and not by glibenclamide. We also determined whether adenosine release from the ischemic-reperfused area is an accurate index of ischemic severity in the presence of these drugs. Methods: Barbiturate-anesthetized dogs were subjected to 60 min of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. In the first three groups, either nicorandil (100 μg/kg bolus + 10 μg/kg/min), glyceryl trinitrate (10 μg/kg bolus + 1 μg/kg/min) or an equivalent volume of saline was given intravenously 15 min before LAD occlusion and continued to the time of reperfusion. In the next three groups, glibenclamide (0.3 mg/kg) was administered 15 min before drug infusion. In the final three groups, methylene blue (80 μM) was given intracoronarily 5 min before nicorandil or glyceryl trinitrate and continued until 15 min following reperfusion. Coronary venous blood samples were collected at various times during ischemia and following reperfusion and the concentration of adenosine measured. Results: Nicorandil produced a marked reduction in infarct size expressed as a percent of the area at risk (NC group, 12.2 ± 3.2% vs. Control group, 25.7 ± 4.1%, P < 0.05) and this effect was completely abolished by pretreatment with glibenclamide. However, intracoronary administration of methylene blue did not block the cardioprotective effect of nicorandil. On the other hand, glyceryl trinitrate also produced a significant reduction in infarct size (GTN group, 13.0 ± 3.1%) and this effect was reversed by methylene blue but not by glibenclamide. Adenosine concentrations in coronary venous blood were significantly reduced after reperfusion in the groups with small infarctions as compared with the Control group. Conclusions: These results suggest that at equieffective cardioprotective doses the infarct size-reducing effect of nicorandil in dogs is mediated via opening of myocardial KATP channels and that the cardioprotective effect of glyceryl trinitrate is most likely to be mediated via activation of guanylate cyclase at a site yet to be determined.
The adsorption of preferential binding peptides to apatite-based materials

The objective of this work was to identify peptide sequences with high affinity to bone-like mineral (BLM) to provide alternative design methods for functional bone regeneration peptides. Adsorption of preferential binding peptide sequences on four apatite-based substrates [BLM and three sintered apatite disks pressed from powders containing 0% CO(3)(2-) (HA), 5.6% CO(3)(2-) (CA5), 10.5% CO(3)(2-) (CA10)] with varied compositions and morphologies was investigated. A combination of phage display, ELISA, and computational modeling was used to elucidate three 12-mer peptide sequences APWHLSSQYSRT (A), STLPIPHEFSRE (S), and VTKHLNQISQSY (V), from 243 candidates with preferential adsorption on BLM and HA. Overall, peptides S and V have a significantly higher adsorption to the apatite-based materials in comparison to peptide A (for S vs. A, BLM p=0.001, CA5 p<0.001, CA10 p<0.001, HA p=0.038; for V vs. A, BLM p=0.006, CA5 p=0.033, CA10 p=0.029). FT-IR analysis displayed carbonate levels in CA5 and CA10 dropped to approximately 1.1-2.2% after sintering, whereas SEM imaging displayed CA5 and CA10 possess distinct morphologies. Adsorption results normalized to surface area indicate that small changes in carbonate percentage at a similar morphological scale did not provide enough carbonate incorporation to show statistical differences in peptide adsorption. Because the identified peptides (S and V) have preferential binding to apatite, their use can now be investigated in bone and dentin tissue engineering, tendon and ligament repair, and enamel formation.
Potentiation of the thrombin induced platelet release reaction by fibrin.

Abstract Incubation of clots formed of human washed platelets, fibrinogen and Bothrops marajoensis fibrinogen clotting enzyme (BM enzyme) for 30 min. resulted in the loss of 5.3% of 14 [C] serotonin radioactivity and 10.1% of PF 4 antigen to the suspending fluid. These clots did not retract. Incubation of platelet suspension (7 × 10 8 /ml) with saline or with 0.025 units of thrombin per ml during the same period of time resulted in a loss of 2.0% 14 [C] serotonin radioactivity and 8.5% PF 4 antigen or 2.0% 14 [C] serotonin radioactivity and 9.2% PF 4 antigen, respectively. If fibrinogen was present in the platelet suspension incubated with 0.025 units of thrombin per ml it did not clot during 30 min. and it did not modify loss of platelet constituents. Incubation of clots formed of washed platelets, purified fibrinogen, 0.025 units of thrombin per ml and BM enzyme during 30 min. resulted in clot retraction and release of 15.3% 14 [C] serotonin radioactivity and 46.0% PF 4 antigen. This experiment indicated that fibrin potentiates platelet release reaction induced by thrombin. Similar but smaller potentiation was observed during 3 min. incubation of platelets in an aggregometer. Thrombin also enhanced light transmission increase of platelet suspensions caused by polymerizing fibrin. In conclusion, trace amounts of thrombin used in these studies did not induce platelet aggregation or platelet release reaction. Formation of polymerizing fibrin by BM enzyme did not cause platelet release reaction. When the platelets were exposed to trace amounts of thrombin in the presence of polymerizing fibrin the release reaction occurred.