cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transfer of directed-forgetting cues across discrimination tasks with pigeons.

Directed forgetting is shown as impaired performance on a memory test following an instruction that the presented items will not be tested. Experiments utilizing the delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) task have demonstrated that this ability to actively control memory is present in animals; however, no study has yet confirmed that cues to forget established in one DMTS discrimination will successfully transfer to other discriminations. Lacking such evidence, it is not clear whether forgetting cues act as “higher level” task instructions or are represented more simply, perhaps as part of a sample-specific sequence of events. The present study revealed good transfer of the forget cue function in pigeons after prior training with the forget cues in a separate discrimination. This finding is discussed in relation to analogous experiments on occasion setting, in which training within more than one discriminative context has been shown to be critical to the transfer of a conditional relation.
RGS4 inhibits platelet-activating factor receptor phosphorylation and cellular responses.

To define the role of regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) in chemoattractant-mediated responses, RGS4 and the receptors for platelet-activating factor (PAFR), formylated peptides (FR), or interleukin-8 (CXCR1) were stably coexpressed in a rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cell line. The data demonstrate that RGS4 inhibited responses by PAFR (i.e., phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis, Ca2+ mobilization) but not by FR or CXCR1. An N-terminal 33 amino acid deletion mutant of RGS4 (DeltaRGS4), deficient in GAP (GTPase activating protein) activity and plasma membrane localization, had no effect on either PAFR, FR, or CXCR1. RGS4, but not DeltaRGS4, also blocked phosphorylation of PAFR by platelet-activating factor (PAF) and, unexpectedly, by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA); it also blocked cross-phosphorylation by formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP). A point mutant of RGS4 (N88S), deficient in GAP activity but not membrane localization, partially blocked PAFR phosphorylation but had no effect on PAFR-mediated PI hydrolysis and Ca2+ mobilization. Truncation of the cytoplasmic tail of PAFR (mPAFR) resulted in a loss of its susceptibility to inhibition by RGS4. Taken together, the data indicate that of the receptors studied, RGS4 selectively inhibited responses to PAFR, which preferentially couples to Gq. At the level of expression studied, RGS4 did not inhibit FR or CXCR1 which activates Gi to transduce cellular signals. Since the tail-deleted mutant of PAFR was not affected by RGS4, and RGS4 blocked homologous as well as heterologous phosphorylation of this receptor, it is possible that RGS4 interferes sterically with the cytoplasmic tail of PAFR. Thus, in addition to stimulating the GTPase activity of Galpha, RGS4 prevents G protein activation by PAFR and the homologous and heterologous phosphorylation of this receptor.
Early Community Contexts, Race/Ethnicity and Young Adult CVD Risk Factors: The Protective Role of Education

Using a sample of 13,500 adolescents (53% female and 47% male) who participated in all four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study used multilevel regression to examine the influence of early structural community adversity (as measured by rates of community poverty, single-parent headed families, and two indicators of employment) and racial/ethnic status on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors of young adults (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure). The moderating role of youth’s socioeconomic attainment was also examined. Results indicate that early community adversity and African American racial status place young adults at risk for CVD. Youth’s socioeconomic attainment does not erase the persistent influences of early community adversity and African American racial status on CVD risk. However, the level of education attained can protect African American young adults and those experiencing early community adversity from CVD risk factors.
Inference Instruction for Struggling Readers: a Synthesis of Intervention Research

Skill in generating inferences predicts reading comprehension for students in the elementary and intermediate grades even after taking into account word reading, vocabulary knowledge, and cognitive ability (Cain et al., Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 671–81, 2004; Kendeou et al., Journal of Research in Reading, 31, 259–72, 2008; Oakhill and Cain, Scientific Studies of Reading, 16(2), 91–121, 2012; Oakhill et al., Language and Cognitive Processes, 18, 443–468, 2003). While research shows that struggling readers are less likely than proficient readers to make inferences when reading text (Cain et al., Memory and Cognition, 29, 850–859, 2001; Oakhill, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 54, 31–39, 1984), struggling readers may also benefit more from inference instruction than do proficient readers (Hansen and Pearson, Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(6), 821–829, 1983; McGee and Johnson, Educational Psychology, 23(1), 49–59, 2003; Raphael and Pearson, American Educational Research Journal, 22(2), 217–235, 1985; Yuill and Oakhill, Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2, 33–45, 1988). This synthesis assessed (a) the effectiveness of inference instruction in improving reading outcomes for struggling readers and (b) the features of instructional interventions (e.g., duration, type of instruction) that were associated with improved outcomes. One single-case design and eight experimental group design studies were synthesized. Mean effect sizes for group design studies ranged from g = 0.72* to g = 1.85* for researcher-developed measures of inferential reading comprehension and from g = −.03 to g = 1.96* for standardized measures of reading comprehension. The percentage of non-overlapping data for the study that employed a single-case design was 100 % for all measures.
Water, alkali and char in flash pyrolysis oils

Abstract Several biomass flash pyrolysis oils were analyzed to determine the forms of water, alkali and char in the oil. Representative oil samples were produced from oak, pine and switchgrass as representatives of hardwood, softwood and herbaceous biomass, respectively. Separations of the oil were undertaken to confirm the site of the alkali in the oil. Consideration was given to potential for char-encased alkali or alkali precipitation as char; alkali salts in water micro-droplets or alkali soap micelle formations; and organo-alkali component solution in the organic phase. Separations attempted included centrifugation, filtration, water dilutions and phase separations. Microscopic analysis of the oils was also attempted as well as scanning electron microscopic analysis of solids. A separate aqueous phase could not be found in the oil. Size distribution of char particulates showed a range primarily from 1 to 10 μ m. Inorganic components were concentrated in the char particles. Component analysis of the oils affirmed earlier analytical data found in the literature for flash pyrolysis oils.
The Zinspy Family of Fluorescent Zinc Sensors: Syntheses and Spectroscopic Investigations

Four fluorescent sensors designed for Zn(II) detection that contain a fluorescein reporting group and a pyridyl-amine-thioether derivatized ligand moiety were prepared and their photophysical properties characterized. These "Zinspy" sensors are water soluble and generally display approximately 1.4- to approximately 4.5-fold fluorescence enhancement upon Zn(II) coordination, depending upon fluorescein halogenation and the number and nature of the zinc-binding appendages. The Zinspy sensors exhibit improved selectivity for zinc compared to the di-(2-picolyl)amine-based Zinpyr family.
Local rather than global processing of visual arrays in numerosity discrimination by pigeons ( Columba livia )

A series of experiments investigated which stimulus properties pigeons use when they discriminate pairs of visual arrays that differ in numerosity. Transfer tests with novel stimuli confirmed that the birds’ choices were based on relative differences in numerosity. However, pigeons differed from other species in the non-numerical cues that affected their choices. In human and non-human primates, numerical discrimination is often influenced by continuous variables such as surface area or overall stimulus brightness. Pigeons showed little evidence of using those cues, even when summed area and brightness had been correlated with numerosity differences and reward outcome. But when array-element sizes were asymmetrically distributed across numerosities, the birds readily utilized information about item sizes as an additional discriminative cue. These novel results are discussed in relation to pigeons’ tendency to focus on local, rather than global dimensions when they process other non-numerical complex visual stimuli. The findings suggest there may be inter-specific differences in the type of perceptual information that provides the input stage for mechanisms underlying numerical processing.
Effect of Test-Flash Duration upon the Spectral Sensitivity of the Eye*

When an increment threshold is measured as a function of the radiance of an adapting field, the so-called threshold-versus-radiance curve is obtained. Stiles has shown by the two-color threshold technique that this curve is not necessarily smooth but can have inflections whose nature depends upon the conditions. From this he reasoned that the mechanism responsible for the threshold changes from one to another with a change of adapting level, all conditions otherwise being kept constant. In the present paper it is shown that an analogous situation can occur with the threshold-versus-duration curve, which is sometime called a temporal summation curve. Instead of a change of adapting level, a change in the duration of the test stimulus is considered. An assumption is made that each mechanism has its own threshold-versus-duration curve, and that the over-all threshold-versus-duration curve is determined by their relative positions. As an example of the utility of this analysis, two sensitivity curves of the eye were obtained with test stimuli of two different durations, 100 and 12.5 msec. It is argued that they are different in shape because of a change in the contribution of the responsible mechanisms which can be interpreted in terms of the relative positioning of threshold-versus-duration curves.
The use of judgment heuristics to make social and object decisions: a developmental perspective

This study examined the developments of childern's use of 2 judgement strategies: (1) the use of baserates and (2) the use of the respectiveness heuristic. Childern in the first (M= 6.85), third (M= 8.86), and sixth grades (M= 11.27) and a comparison sample of college students (M= 20.11) made judgements about scenarios that varied by domain (social vs. object judgements) and by information provided (baserates only vs. baserates and individuating information). Results indicated that although the use of baserates and the representativeness heuristic increased with age, the use of individuating information to make social judgements developed quite early. Consistency between subjects' choices and rationales increased significantly with grade level, indicating that younger childern use idiosyncratic strategies, such as personal preferences or scenario embellishment, to make decisions. Developmental trends are discussed in light of previous research with adults.
A survey of nurses' knowledge, opinions, and reported uses of the body substances isolation system

The Body Substance Isolation (BSI) system was implemented at the University of California San Diego Medical Center in May 1987. About 2 years later, an evaluation was done of the long-term effects of BSI education and training on the knowledge, attitudes, and reported behaviors of nursing personnel. In June 1989, a questionnaire was sent to 600 nursing personnel, including all 100 nurses in the 20-bed surgical intensive care unit, all 66 charge nurses, and a random sample (434) of the remaining nursing staff (about 1000). Results from the 190 respondents (a response rate of 32%) indicated an understanding of the two purposes of BSI: (1) to reduce nosocomial infection risks to patients and (2) to reduce health care workers' risks of acquiring infections from patients. Over half of the respondents reported handling more than 11 needles per day and nearly half reported recapping contaminated needles two-handed "sometimes or often." Only 54% of the respondents reported they had received hepatitis B vaccine. Although more than two-thirds of the respondents had worked at the University of California San Diego Medical Center during the entire BSI system training, implementation, and follow-up period, there is still room for improvement in knowledge and use of the system, including issues related to the safe handling of sharps.
MALDI imaging mass spectrometry: spatial molecular analysis to enable a new age of discovery

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) combines the sensitivity and selectivity of mass spectrometry with spatial analysis to provide a new dimension for histological analyses to provide unbiased visualization of the arrangement of biomolecules in tissue. As such, MALDI IMS has the capability to become a powerful new molecular technology for the biological and clinical sciences. In this review, we briefly describe several applications of MALDI IMS covering a range of molecular weights, from drugs to proteins. Current limitations and challenges are discussed along with recent developments to address these issues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 20years of Proteomics in memory of Viatliano Pallini. Guest Editors: Luca Bini, Juan J. Calvete, Natacha Turck, Denis Hochstrasser and Jean-Charles Sanchez.
Environmentally-enhanced cavity growth in nickel and nickel-based alloys

Environmental factors have a strong effect on the elevated-temperature failure behavior of nickel-based alloys. It has been proposed that this effect is due to the reactions of oxygen with carbon in the interior of creep cavities. Such reactions can lead to quite high internal gas pressures, sufficient to result in substantial increases in the cavity growth rates. This hypothesis is investigated by carrying out detailed calculations for a simple system which take into account the coupled effects of oxygen diffusion into the cavity and concurrent cavity growth. The results show that creep cavity growth may or may not be affected by internal, gas-producing reactions, depending upon the nature of the carbon-containing particle, the ratio of the grain boundary oxygen diffusivity to the self-diffusivity of nickel, and upon other factors as well.
Adaptive Nature of Insect Galls

Major hypotheses on the adaptive significance of insect gall formation are reviewed: nonadaptive, plant protection, mutual benefit, nutrition, microenvironment, and enemy hypotheses. We evaluate the validity of each, and find the first three to be without merit because galls clearly have adaptive features for the insect, but few if any for the plant, and the galler has negative impact on the plant, making the relationship parasitic. Predictions are developed to enable testing of hypotheses, and tests are discussed. Nutrition and microenvironment hypotheses are supported, while the enemy hypothesis remains with several uncertain issues to be resolved. The evolution of the galling habit has followed two pathways, one via mining plant tissues and the other from sedentary external herbivores that then modify plant growth. In each route the sequence of selective factors was probably different, but improved protection from hygrothermal stress and improved nutrition are of primary importance, and protection from enemies probably reinforced the galling habit.
Failure of Perturbative DFT-Derived STM Images of Organic Molecules on Semiconductor Surfaces

Tersoff−Hamann and Bardeen perturbation theory derived empty-state STM images of the [4 + 2] intradimer adduct of 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) adsorbed on Si(100)-2 × 1 using a density functional description of the electronic structure appear to capture the π* C═C orbital observed experimentally but ultimately produce images dominated by the CH2 groups. Neither averages over finite temperature structures nor use of W(110) tips with O or Si adsorbed on the apex yield the correct image. Strong tip−CHD interactions substantially lower the energy of the π* orbital relative to the Fermi energy and change the CHD geometry. In addition to perturbing the C═C bond, it is found that the tip pushes aside the CH2 groups. The former electronic effect enhances the prominence of the π* orbital, while the latter geometric effect suppresses contributions from the remainder of the CHD.
Active cocaine use is associated with lack of HIV-1 virologic suppression independent of nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy: use of a rapid screening tool during routine clinic visits.

Abstract Clarifying the relationship between illicit drug use and HIV-1 virologic suppression requires characterization of both illicit drug use activity and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). We developed a rapid clinical questionnaire to assess prior 7-day illicit drug use and ART adherence in a cross-sectional study among 1777 HIV-infected persons in care. Of these, 76% were male, 35% were African-American, and 8% reported injection drug use as their probable route of HIV-1 infection. Questionnaire-reported frequencies of cocaine and marijuana use within the previous 7 days were 3.3% and 12.1%, respectively. Over three quarters (77.8%) of participants were on ART, of whom 69.7% had HIV-1 virologic suppression (HIV-1 RNA<48 copies/mL). Univariate analyses revealed that compared to no use, cocaine and marijuana use were both associated with missed ART doses (P<0.01). Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for nonadherence demonstrated that cocaine use was independently associated wi...
Inhibition of sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) affects intracellular sphingomyelin accumulation and plasma membrane lipid organization

Abstract Sphingomyelin plays a very important role both in cell membrane formation that may well have an impact on the development of diseases like atherosclerosis and diabetes. However, the molecular mechanism that governs intracellular and plasma membrane SM levels is largely unknown. Recently, two isoforms of sphingomyelin synthase (SMS1 and SMS2), the last enzyme for SM de novo synthesis, have been cloned. We have hypothesized that SMS1 and SMS2 are the two most likely candidates responsible for the SM levels in the cells and on the plasma membrane. To test this hypothesis, cultured cells were treated with tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D609), an inhibitor of SMS, or with SMS1 and SMS2 siRNAs. Cells were then pulsed with [14C]- l -serine (a precursor of all sphingolipids). SMS activity and [14C]-SM in the cells were monitored. We found that SMS activity was significantly decreased in cells after D609 or SMS siRNA treatment, compared with controls. SMS inhibition by D609 or SMS siRNAs significantly decreased intracellular [14C]-SM levels. We measured cellular lipid levels, including SM, ceramide, phosphatidylcholine, and diacylglycerol and found that SMS1 and SMS2 siRNA treatment caused a significant decrease of SM levels (20% and 11%, respectively), compared to control siRNA treatment; SMS1 but not SMS2 siRNA treatment caused a significant increase of ceramide levels (10%). There was a decreasing tendency for diacylglycerol levels after both SMS1 and SMS2 siRNA treatment, however, it was not statistical significant. As shown by lipid rafts isolation and lipid determination, SMS1 and SMS2 siRNA treatment led to a decrease of SM content in detergent-resistant lipid rafts on the cell membrane. Furthermore, SMS1 and SMS2 siRNA-treated cells had a stronger resistance than did control siRNA-treated cells to lysenin (a protein that causes cell lysis due to its affinity for plasma membrane SM). These results indicate that both SMS1 and SMS2 contribute to SM de novo synthesis and control SM levels in the cells and on the cell membrane including plasma membrane, implying an important relationship between SMS activity and cell functions.
Research in the market-place

The Interferon Crusade: Public Policy and Biomedical Dreams. By Sandra Panem. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC/Costello, 43 The High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent: 1984. Pp. 109. Hbk $22.95, £31; pbk $8.95, £12.10.
Hypercapnia modulates synaptic interaction of cultured brainstem neurons

CO(2) is an important metabolic product whose concentrations are constantly monitored by CO(2) chemoreceptors. However, the high systemic CO(2) sensitivity may not be achieved by the CO(2) chemoreceptors without neuronal network processes. To show modulation of network properties during hypercapnia, we studied brainstem neurons dissociated from embryonic rats (P17-19) in multielectrode arrays (MEA) after initial period (3 weeks) of culture. Spike trains of 33,622 pairs of units were analyzed using peri-event histograms (PEH). The amplitude of peri-central peaks between two CO(2)-stimulated units increased and the peak latency decreased during hypercapnia. Similar enhancement of synaptic strength was observed in those sharing a common input. These phenomena were not seen in CO(2)-unresponsive neurons. The amplitude of peri-central peaks between two CO(2) inhibited units also increased without changing latency. Over 60% CO(2)-stimulated neurons studied received mono-/oligosynaptic inputs from other CO(2)-stimulated cells, whereas only approximately 10% CO(2)-unresponsive neurons had such synaptic inputs. A small number of brainstem neurons showed electrical couplings. The coupling efficiency of CO(2)-stimulated but not CO(2)-unresponsive units was suppressed by approximately 50% with high PCO(2). Inhibitory synaptic projections were also found, which was barely affected by hypercapnia. Consistent with the strengthening of excitatory synaptic connections, CO(2) sensitivity of post-synaptic neurons was significantly higher than presynaptic neurons. The difference was eliminated with blockade of presynaptic input. Based on these indirect assessments of synaptic interaction, our PEH analysis suggests that hypercapnia appears to modulate excitatory synaptic transmissions, especially those between CO(2)-stimulated neurons.
Tangential Forces between Nontouching Colloidal Particles

By measuring the orientation of colloidal doublets suspended in water under the opposing alignment forces of gravity and electrophoresis, we observed tangential forces between nontouching particles. We found a new phenomenon of time-dependent switching between ``slipping'' (no tangential force) and ``sticking'' (tangential forces producing rigid-body behavior of the doublet) for heterodoublets of silica/polystyrene. Tangential forces between particle surfaces across a fluid gap and their transient nature are important to the dynamics of colloidal suspensions and the evolution of floc morphology.
STUDIES ON THE ANODIC DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS OF SULFAMATE

The anodic oxidation of sulfamate, products of which are known to significantly affect the quality of nickel deposits in a nickel electroforming bath, has been studied. Sulfamate was oxidized electrochemically at a platinum electrode in aqueous solution of initial pH 12 and 2, and one of the decomposition products produced therefrom, which had not been identified in the literature, was separated by means of paper chromatographic methods and subjected to spectroscopic analysis. The compound is produced at an applied potential more positive than 1.2 and 1.8 V vs Ag/AgCl, saturated KCl electrode in alkaline and acidic media, respectively. The analysis indicates that the compound has spectroscopic and chromatographic characteristics consistent with a new, thus far unknown compound, diimide S-sulfonate, H2N=N-S-SO3 which may have two different tautomeric structures. An oxidation mechanism for sulfamate consistent with the generation of this product is proposed.
Lyapunov numbers and the local structure of attractors

Abstract We examine an M -dimensional mapping defined by a system of broken linear equations, whose Lyapunov numbers may be prespecified, and whose directions of stretching and compression are the coordinate directions. With K positive and M - K negative Lyapunov exponents, the attractor is locally the product of a K -dimensional continuum and an ( M - K )-dimensional Cantor set; the latter is found to be a pseudo-product of Cantor sets or continua or Cantor sets and continua. When seen with finite resolution a pseudo-product may look like a true product, but its fractional dimension is less than the sum of the dimensions of its projections on the coordinate axes. Transitions in the number of Cantor sets and continua involved in the pseudo-product need not correspond to transitions in the integral part of the fractional dimension of the attractor. We speculate as to whether the attractors of continuous mappings and flows have similar structures.
Interformative meaning of signs: brand naming and globalization in China

This article looks at how global and local values are interformed in the linguistic signs of global brands transposed in China. The data under study here consist of a variety of American global brand transpositions collected from Chinese websites, newspapers, magazines, and television. A close examination of these Chinese transpositions reveals that American brands are transposed in three different methods: phonetic, semantic, and phonosemantic. Drawing on the social semiotic approach, this study attempts to explicate the specific ways in which the Confucian views of the interconnection between sign and reality are signified in the globally stylish signifiers of the US brands. It is argued that global brand transposition is a process of semiotic construction in which global and local cultures converge into a unique system of signification in China.
Traffic Grooming: A Changing Role in Green Optical Networks

The traffic grooming problem in optical networks has been extensively studied. It tackles the problem of aggregating sub-wavelength traffic onto optical lightpaths so that the network cost can be reduced. As of yet, the network cost considered is in terms of the number of wavelengths, SONET ADMs, and the amount of OEO processing. However, in recent years, the steadily rising cost of energy consumption of the network has raised a lot concerns. In this paper, we revisit the traffic grooming problem and provide formulations for green optical network design, and show a simple algorithm working at one of the layers identified by the model.
Polarization Transfer in (p,n) Reactions at 495 MeV

Polarization transfer observables have been measured with the NTOF facility at LAMPF for (p,n) reactions at 495 MeV. Measurements of the longitudinal polarization transfer parameter DLL for transitions to discrete states at 0° show convincing evidence for tensor interaction effects. Complete sets of polarization transfer observables have been measured for quasifree (p,n) reactions on 2H, 12C, and 40Ca at a scattering angle of 18°. These measurements show no evidence for an enhancement in the isovector spin longitudinal response.
Collection Development Strategies for Community Engagement

This article documents a survey used at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to answer the question: “How do I know the library's collection is successful as a partner-collaborator to a local, vibrant art scene that favors performative and installation art?” A literature review evaluates changes in collection development praxis from the championing of approval plans by the R2 Consulting team to the emerging ways the collection specialist may direct collaborative use in the community and academy. A carefully conceived acquisition process complemented by engagement strategies ensures the libraries’ role as a partner to teaching, learning, and research.
Long-term load forecasting in electricity market

Long-term load forecasting has a vital role in generation, transmission and distribution network planning. Traditional studies for long-term load forecasting were based on regression method, which could not provide a true representation of power system behavior in a volatile electricity market. The purpose of this paper is to introduce two approaches based regression method and artificial neural network (ANN) for long-term load forecast. We apply fuzzy sets to ANN for modeling long-term uncertainties and compare the enhanced forecasting results with those of traditional methods. The ISO New England market data are used to illustrate the efficiency of each technique.
Regular Networks Can be Uniquely Constructed from Their Trees

A rooted acyclic digraph N with labeled leaves displays a tree T when there exists a way to select a unique parent of each hybrid vertex resulting in the tree T. Let Tr(N) denote the set of all trees displayed by the network N. In general, there may be many other networks M, such that Tr(M) = Tr(N). A network is regular if it is isomorphic with its cover digraph. If N is regular and {\cal D} is a collection of trees displayed by N, this paper studies some procedures to try to reconstruct N given {\cal D}. If the input is {\cal D}=Tr(N), one procedure is described, which will reconstruct N. Hence, if N and M are regular networks and Tr(N) = Tr(M), it follows that N = M, proving that a regular network is uniquely determined by its displayed trees. If {\cal D} is a (usually very much smaller) collection of displayed trees that satisfies certain hypotheses, modifications of the procedure will still reconstruct N given {\cal D}.
Coupled quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical modeling of the fracture of defective carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets

Received 12 July 2006; revised manuscript received 29 November 2006; published 9 February 2007 Coupled quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical QM/MM calculations were used to study the effects of large defects and cracks on the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets. The semi-empirical method PM3 was used to treat the QM subdomains and a Tersoff-Brenner potential was used for the molecular mechanics; some of the QM calculations were also done using density functional theory DFT. Scaling of the Tersoff-Brenner potential so that the modulus and overall stress-strain behavior of the QM and MM models matched quite closely was essential for obtaining meaningful coupled calculations of the mechanical properties. The numerical results show that at the nanoscale, the weakening effects of holes, slits, and cracks vary only moderately with the shape of the defect, and instead depend primarily on the cross section of the defect perpendicular to the loading direction and the structure near the fracture initiation point. The fracture stresses for defective graphene sheets are in surprisingly good agreement with the Griffith formula for defects as small as 10 A, which calls into question the notion of nanoscale flaw tolerance. The energy release rate at the point of crack extension in graphene was calculated by the J-integral method and exceeds twice the surface energy density by 10% for the QMDFT/MM results, which indicates a modest lattice trapping effect.
Combined effect of X-irradiation and forming gas anneal on the hot-carrier response of MOS oxides

Process-radiation-induced defects and hot-carrier instability in n-channel transistors subjected to simulated X-ray lithography have been studied. Using optically assisted electron injection (photoinjection), two specific instability mechanisms were investigated. These mechanisms are trapping of electrons at Coulombic centers in the bulk oxide and depassivation/passivation of interface traps by hydrogen originating in the bulk oxide. Devices treated with a standard forming gas anneal after X-irradiation show residual, but minor, susceptibility to hot-carrier-induced instability via both these mechanisms. These results can be explained by the presence of postanneal neutral electron traps and the failure of the forming gas anneal to fully restore the preirradiation hydrogen-transport properties of the oxide. >
A surface integral equation formulation for low-frequency scattering from a composite object

A surface integral equation formulation is derived for low-frequency scattering from a composite object. This formulation allows those algorithms for finding the loop-tree basis on simple surfaces to be applied to the complicated interfaces of a composite object. By including the residue term in the K operator, the present formulation induces the interface boundary conditions automatically, and the resultant matrix equation can be solved directly without using the O(N/sup 2/) number-of-unknowns-reduction scheme. Numerical results validate that the algorithm is stable even at extremely low frequencies and for closely spaced structures.
Nonlinear optical processes in atoms and molecules using rare-gas halide lasers

The use of nonlinear optical processes expands the flexibility of excimer systems in the study of a wide range of atomic and molecular phenomena and materials. These mechanisms have already allowed for the selective excitation of states in the 10 to 20 eV range involving bound state excitation, ionization, and molecular dissociation. Specific examples involving the electronic excitation of H 2 , Kr, and Xe, the production of Xe+for the analysis of the molecular properties of XeF*, and nonlinear photodissociation of N 2 O and OCS are discussed.
Public-Nonprofit Partnership: Realizing the New Public Service

This longitudinal study tracks the generation of trust between a public agency and nine community-based nonprofits (CBNs) over a 10-year period. The evolution from active distrust to trust was demonstrated by the generation of ideological consensus and domain consensus achieved through sharing information, integrated responsibilities and authority, and collaborative decision making. Results indicate that public—nonprofit partnerships create a locus for the practice of the New Public Service. CBNs offer public administrators a bridge into disenfranchised communities and a point of engagement where partners join public agency resources and expertise with tacit knowledge of community through a trusted institution.
Hematoma-Directed Ultrasound-Guided (HUG) Breast Lumpectomy

Needle localization breast biopsy (NLBB) is presently the primary means of localizing non-palpable lesions. Disadvantages of NLBB include vasovagal episodes, patient discomfort, and miss rates. Because hematomas naturally fill the cavity after vacuum-assisted breast biopsies (VABB), we hypothesized that ultrasound (US) could be used to find and accurately excise the actual biopsy site of non-palpable breast lesions without a needle. This is a retrospective study from January 2000 to July 2005. Electronic chart review identified patients with non-palpable breast lesions detected by means of mammogram who then underwent lumpectomy via NLBB or the hematoma-directed ultrasound-guided technique (HUG). HUG involved localizing the hematoma with a 7.5-MHz US probe and using the “line of sight” technique straight down toward the chest wall. A block of tissue encompassing the hematoma was then excised. Localization procedures were performed in 186 patients—63 (34%) via needle localization and 123 (66%) via HUG. The previous VABB site in 100% of patients was successfully excised using HUG, 65 of 123 (53%) were benign and 58 of 123 (47%) were malignant; margins were positive in 13 of these 58 (22%). NLBB was successful in 100% of patients, 44 of 63 (70%) were benign and 19 of 63 (30%) were malignant; margins were positive in 14 of these 19 (73%). Margin positivity was significantly higher for NLBB than HUG (P = 0.0001, Fisher Exact). This study suggests that HUG is more accurate in localizing non-palpable lesions than NLBB. By eliminating the additional procedure needed for NLBB, HUG may also be more time- and cost efficient. HUG makes VABB not only a less invasive diagnostic procedure, but also a localization procedure.
Linking Team Composition to Team Performance: An Application to Postdisaster Debris Removal Operations

This paper considers how changes in team composition (such as the number and rate of turnover of team members) are linked to team performance, as assessed in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and equality (i.e., distribution of effort). Study data are taken from a large-scale, postdisaster debris removal operation in the USA, collected through existing transaction-level data logging systems. The data enable a detailed (and objective) examination of team performance, thus overcoming many shortcomings of retrospective methods such as questionnaires. The results show that the increased turnover diminishes performance along all dimensions, while an increased team size contributes to effectiveness but reduces equality. Implications of this study for theory and future empirical work are both discussed.
Connection-oriented service renegotiation for scalable video delivery

A common approach for supporting continuous media traffic is via resource reservation at connection establishment time. The shortcomings of this approach are the lack of flexibility in renegotiating performance parameters after connection establishment and the inability to react to changing network load conditions. A more desirable goal is the ability to scale the performance of individual connections during a connection's lifespan within the context of a network's capacity. The authors propose a protocol for renegotiating continuous media connections in a wide-area environment, considering an overall network perspective on resource availability rather than a per-connection resource management scheme. They also show the scaling gains that can be achieved by adapting the parameters of an encoding algorithm in the user workstations to justify the use of the protocol. >
In vitro infection of smooth muscle cells by Chlamydia pneumoniae.

Recent observations have shown that both Chlamydia pneumoniae antigens and DNA may be found within atherosclerotic lesions. In this study, we evaluated the ability of C. pneumoniae to infect cells that make up atherosclerotic lesions, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells. The organism readily infected rabbit, bovine, and human aortic smooth muscle cells. Cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells were even more susceptible to C. pneumoniae infection. Chlamydia trachomatis inefficiently infected smooth muscle cells, demonstrating that this is not a characteristic of all members of the genus Chlamydia. C. pneumoniae infected bovine endothelial cells poorly. This study demonstrates that C. pneumoniae readily infects one of the important types of cells found within atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., smooth muscle cells with and without cholesterol loading.
Lymphocytes are detrimental during the early innate immune response against Listeria monocytogenes

Mice deficient in lymphocytes are more resistant than normal mice to Listeria monocytogenes infection during the early innate immune response. This paradox remains unresolved: lymphocytes are required for sterilizing immunity, but their presence during the early stage of the infection is not an asset and may even be detrimental. We found that lymphocyte-deficient mice, which showed limited apoptosis in infected organs, were resistant during the first four days of infection but became susceptible when engrafted with lymphocytes. Engraftment with lymphocytes from type I interferon receptor–deficient (IFN-αβR−/−) mice, which had reduced apoptosis, did not confer increased susceptibility to infection, even when the phagocytes were IFN-αβR+/+. The attenuation of innate immunity was due, in part, to the production of the antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 by phagocytic cells after the apoptotic phase of the infection. Thus, immunodeficient mice were more resistant relative to normal mice because the latter went through a stage of lymphocyte apoptosis that was detrimental to the innate immune response. This is an example of a bacterial pathogen creating a cascade of events that leads to a permissive infective niche early during infection.
Bush v. Gore Blues

An odd silence hangs over public life. . . . We really need to talk about Bush v. Gore. There has been a familiar tendency to hurl accusations of deviance from legal norms without specifying or concretely substantiating the norms. If it's a contradiction for the conservative justices to all-of-the-sudden favor federally imposed equality requirements over states' rights, it's also a contradiction for liberals to favor states' rights over federally imposed equality requirements. In any event, the Bush campaign adopted a strategy of opposition to hand recounts based on grounds and arguments they most likely didn't believe in and never before made against the common recount procedure, knowing that the more effective the hand recounts, the more likely that the true, intended vote tally would be recognized and Bush would lose. They also had to realize that the only real chance for this strategy to be successful lay in five conservative votes at the Supreme Court, five justices willing to grant unusual stays, to straightjacket the Florida Supreme Court, to break new ground by extending equal protection law with only Warren court decisions of the 1960s they had repudiated for support, and to refuse to apply the new ground to anything other than the election of 2000. Voting standards should be specific and uniform and each vote should receive equal weight, but the campaign of George Bush should not be the only occasion for application of these principles. The various Florida voting systems, the Electoral College, even the Senate should be similarly scrutinized. These principles - if applied, as the rule of law seems to demand, to everyone - might lead to proportional representation systems which almost all of the democratic world has adopted over our winner-take-all plurality system. The most pernicious passage of Bush v. Gore, perhaps of modern constitutional law, was that the ruling is limited to the present circumstances.
On the Formal Consistency of the Principal Principle

Redei and Gyenis (2013) suggest that Lewis’s Principal Principle is meaningful only if it satisfies certain consistency conditions: starting from any assignment of subjective probabilities (credences) to some algebra of events, we should always be able to extend our algebra with events of the form “the value of the objective probability (chance) of event E is p” and assign subjective probabilities to such events in a consistent manner. We show that this extension is indeed possible in most cases. However, we also argue that this requirement is not necessary: the Principal Principle concerns subjective believes about objective chance, hence events concerning those probabilities are meant to be in the algebra initially, as Lewis’s text suggests clearly.
Wal-Mart in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective

Although more consumers are answering questions about where they purchased merchandise in the United States with "I got it at Wal-Mart," the retail behemoth has questions it needs answered about the current international issues it faces. Where, when, and how can it use its capabilities in other countries? And how can capabilities and knowledge developed in one part of the globe be used in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe to repeat its success? This case provides a strategic analysis of the problems of international expansion as Wal-Mart dreams of hearing "I got it at Wal-Mart" in many languages.
DFT calculation and experimental investigation of Mn doping effect in Fe16N2

An effective dopant to improve the thermal stability of a Fe16N2 permanent magnet is proposed in this paper. It is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that manganese is a promising candidate as dopant in Fe16N2 magnet to improve the thermal stability. Firstly, the atomic moments of the Fe ions with respect to N is investigated by using first-principles DFT calculation. Two possible candidates of elements, including Co and Mn, are compared in terms of its preferred position and magnetic coupling mode. It is found that Mn prefers Fe1 position and ferromagnetic coupling in the Fe16N2 lattice. So Mn is considered as a promising dopant in Fe16N2 magnet to improve its thermal stability. Based on theoretical results, experiments are conducted by a cold-crucible method to prepare (Fe1−xMnx) N bulk samples. The samples are thermal treated at different temperatures to observe their thermal stabilities. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) are characterized on the samples.
Serum Trypsin Inhibitory Capacity and Pi Phenotypes: II. Prevalence of α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency in an Allergy Population

A series of 138 patients seen consecutively in an adult allergy clinic were studied to determine serum α 1-antitrypsin ( α 1-AT) levels and protease inhibitor (Pi) phenotypes. These were compared with a control group of 700 healthy young adult blood donors. Both total serum trypsin inhibitory capacity (STIC) and α 1-AT levels as determined by Immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) were measured. Phenotypes were determined by antigen-antibody-crossed IEP. α 1-AT levels in the allergy group were not significantly different from control values. STIC in the allergy group was 1.34 ± 0.28 mg. trypsin inhibited per ml. serum and in the controls, 1.32 ±0.28 mg. IEP values were 205 ± 39 vs . 200 ± 36 mg. per dl. Similarly, no increase in Pi phenotypes known to be related to any disease state was observed. Since Pi phenotypes other than the most common MM are rare in Negro populations, phenotype data were corrected to include only Caucasian subjects. In the allergy group adjusted for racial composition we found 2.86% MZ, 5.72% MS; no SZ, SS, or ZZ was detected. A comparable control group contained 3.68% MZ, 6.23% MS, 0.71% SZ-SS, but no ZZ Pi phenotype.
Impact of Out-of-Plane Translational Order in Block Copolymer Lithography

In block copolymer lithography, subtle distortions in the self-assembled domains, such as tilting or bending, have a strong impact on the quality of the lithographic features upon pattern transfer....
Utopia and Debt in Postmodernity; or, Time Management in Inherent Vice

The category of postmodernism has come under renewed scrutiny in recent years. Indeed, it has become rather commonplace to pronounce the death or obsolescence of postmodernism today. Unsurprisingly, the increasingly questioned status of postmodernism also impacts the field of Pynchon studies. This article reads Inherent Vice as symptomatic not of the end but of a transformation of postmodernism and postmodernity. Pynchon’s novel simultaneously registers a contemporary intensification of postmodern/late capitalism and, crucially, participates in a minor current in postmodernism, one which insists on collective agency and utopian thinking despite the atomization and isolation of subjects accomplished by late capitalism and which, against all odds, remembers how to think historically—or better, invents new ways of thinking historically.
Philosophical and Social Science Study,Promote Academic Development and Talent Ranks Building

To implement the strategies of strengthening the nation with technology and education,and to create the first-grade and high-level university around the world, as well as developing philosophical and social science study is of great importance.Its role is not replaced for talent training and academic development.This paper is to put forward series of measures and approaches according to the existing problem in implementing philosophical and social science study and manage in comprehensive researching university