cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of thin Fe(0 0 1) films for terahertz emission experiments

Abstract The electrical and magnetic properties of thin iron (Fe) films have sparked significant scientific interest. Our interest, however, is in the fundamental interactions between light and matter. We have discovered a novel application for thin Fe films. These films are sources of terahertz (THz) radiation when stimulated by an incident laser pulse. After intense femtosecond pulse excitation by a Ti:sapphire laser, these films emit picosecond, broadband THz frequencies. The terahertz emission provides a direct measure of the induced ultrafast change in magnetization within the Fe film. The THz generation experiments and the growth of appropriate thin Fe films for these experiments are discussed. Several criteria are used to select the substrate and film growth conditions, including that the substrate must permit the epitaxial growth of a continuous, monocrystalline or single crystal film, yet must also be transparent to the emitted THz radiation. An Fe(0 0 1) film grown on the (0 0 1) surface of a magnesium oxide (MgO) substrate makes an ideal sample. The Fe films are grown by physical vapor deposition (PVD) in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are used to characterize the Fe(0 0 1) films. Two substrate surface preparation methods are investigated. Fe(0 0 1) films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that are used as-received and films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that have been UV/ozone-cleaned ex vacuo and annealed in vacuo produce the same results in the THz generation experiments. Either substrate preparation method permits the growth of samples suitable for the THz emission experiments.
Linear Stability of Equatorial Zonal Flows

Abstract The instability of zonally and temporally invariant, equatorial, zonal flow is found to be tied directly to the presence of critical layers within the fluid. Insight into the mechanism of instability can, therefore, be gained through the use of the ideas of wave over-reflection. For idealized flows, where it can be directly applied, over-reflection successfully predicts the phase speed and wavelength of the most unstable waves. In complex flows, where application is difficult, the character of the energy exchanges is consistent with the ideas of over-reflection. Whereas at the scales of the tropical instability waves, instability arises by extracting energy from the background state through varying mixes of baroclinic, barotropic, and Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanisms (depending upon the details of the flow), the importance of the critical layer as the root of instability suggests that attempting to classify the instability through these energy conversions is misleading.
What makes long distance reflexives possible

This paper has two goals. First, I argue that contrary to what has been assumed by many previous works, the two characteristics of long-distance reflexivization, long-distance binding and subject-binding, should not be treated as two inseparable consequences of a single LF operation. While long-distance binding indeed results from LF movement, subject-binding must be analyzed separately. Secondly, I show that it is not necessary to make the unjustified assumption that bare reflexives always involve X0-movement while compound reflexives move only as phrases. Given Huang's observation that there is no Subjacency effect at LF, the contrast between long-distance binding and local binding can be accounted for by uniformly moving N0 (=head of a reflexive) at LF regardless of the actual form of the reflexive. The only constraints are the independently motivated ones such as Lasnick and Saito's ECP and Li's theory of X0-binding.
Directional solidification and characterization of Hg0.89Mn0.11Te

Two boules of Hg(0.89)Mn(0.11)Te(MMT) were solidified using the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger method. Translation rates of 0.09 and 0. 18 microns/s were used. The influence of growth rate on axial compositional homogeneity in the MMT boules was evaluated experimentally by conducting precision density measurements on radial slices taken from each boule. In addition, Plane Front Solidification theory and segregation coefficient (k) data for the Hg(1-x)Mn(x)Te system were used to fit theoretical composition profiles to the measured MMT axial composition profiles. The strong correlation between the measured and calculated MMT axial composition profiles indicates diffusion dominated axial solute redistribution in the boules under the applied growth conditions. The analysis of the MMT axial composition profiles by Plane Front Solidification theory allowed the calculation of the effective diffusion coefficient (D(eff) = 3.5 x l0(exp -5) sq cm/s). The k-values for the Hg(1-x)Mn(x)Te system and the D(sub eff) - value were then used to verify that both boules were solidified under conditions which did not exceed the Constitutional Supercooling Criteria under ideal conditions. Finally, a preliminary examination of the radial compositional variation in each MMT was made using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR). The radial homogeneity in the MMT boules was found to be comparable for both translation rates.
Atmospheric Turbulence Generator Using a Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator

Many devices are now being used in adaptive optics systems for compensating atmospheric distortions. We have developed a testbed that simulates atmospheric aberrations using a Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator and the speed in which they vary may be controlled. This system allows the simulation of seeing conditions ranging from very poor to very good and these aberrations to be compensated by a second device. This second device may be a deformable mirror in conjunction with an Adaptive Optics System. Using these two devices simultaneously provides a well-defined quantitative characterization of the system and residual wavefront error using Point Spread Function and interferometric techniques.
Meta-Analytic Interval Estimation for Bivariate Correlations.

The currently available meta-analytic methods for correlations have restrictive assumptions. The fixed-effects methods assume equal population correlations and exhibit poor performance under correlation heterogeneity. The random-effects methods do not assume correlation homogeneity but are based on an equally unrealistic assumption that the selected studies are a random sample from a well-defined superpopulation of study populations. The random-effects methods can accommodate correlation heterogeneity, but these methods do not perform properly in typical applications where the studies are nonrandomly selected. A new fixed-effects meta-analytic confidence interval for bivariate correlations is proposed that is easy to compute and performs well under correlation heterogeneity and nonrandomly selected studies.
Alterations in swim stress-induced analgesia and hypothermia following serotonergic or NMDA antagonists in the rostral ventromedial medulla of rats.

Abstract HOPKINS, E., M. SPINELLA, Z. W. PAVLOVIC AND R. J. BODNAR. Alterations in swim stress-induced analgesia and hypothermia following serotonergic or NMDA antagonists in the rostral ventromedial medulla of rats. PHYSIOL. BEHAV. 64 (3) 219–225, 1998.—Serotonergic, NMDA, or opioid antagonists in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) reduce morphine analgesia elicited from the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Continuous (CCWS) and intermittent (ICWS) cold-water swims elicit respective naltrexone-insensitive and naltrexone-sensitive analgesic responses. CCWS analgesia is reduced by systemic NMDA receptor antagonism and by systemic, but not intrathecal serotonergic antagonism. ICWS analgesia is reduced by both systemic and intrathecal serotonergic antagonism, but unaffected by systemic NMDA antagonism. The present study evaluated whether serotonergic (methysergide: 5–10 μg) or competitive [AP7 (2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid): 0.01–0.1 μg] or non-competitive [MK-801 (dizocilipine maleate): 0.3–3 μg] NMDA antagonists in the RVM altered CCWS and ICWS analgesia and hypothermia as well as basal nociceptive latencies. Methysergide in the RVM significantly potentiated CCWS, but not ICWS analgesia. In contrast, AP7 in the RVM significantly potentiated ICWS analgesia. Antagonist-induced changes in either hypothermia or basal nociception failed to account for any alterations in stress-induced analgesia. These data suggest that serotonergic, but not NMDA, receptors in the RVM may mediate collateral inhibition between mesencephalic morphine analgesia and naltrexone-insensitive CCWS analgesia.
Expanding the Boundaries of the Economics of Crime

(2008). Expanding the Boundaries of the Economics of Crime. International Journal of Political Economy: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 78-100.
A review of terms for regulated vs. forced, neurochemical-induced changes in body temperature

Abstract Deviations of the body temperature of homeothermic animals may be regulated or forced. A regulated change in core temperature is caused by a natural or synthetic compound that displaces the set-point temperature. A forced shift occurs when an excessive environmental or endogenous heat load, or heat sink, exceeds the body's capacity to thermoregulate but does not affect set-point. A fever is the paradigm of a regulated increase in body temperature, but the term fever has acquired a strict pathological definition over the past two decades. Consequently, other forms of nonpathological, regulated elevations in body temperature have generally been classified as hyperthermia; and decreases in core temperature--either forced or regulated--have generally been classified as hypothermia. Since the terms hyperthermia and hypothermia fail to distinguish a regulated vs. a forced temperature change, a confusion of terms has been created in the literature. It would appear that “resisted or unregulated hyperthermia” and “hypothermia,” respectively, are appropriate terms for describing a forced increase and decrease in core temperature. A nonpathological but regulated elevation in temperature may be defined as unresisted or regulated hyperthermia, whereas a regulated decrease in temperature may be termed unresisted or regulated hypothermia. This simple scheme appears to be the most practical means for distinguishing between forced and regulated changes in core temperature.
Importance of sodium ion to the progesterone-initiated acrosome reaction in human sperm.

Progesterone (P) has previously been shown to rapidly increase free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ), and subsequently to initiate the acrosome reaction (AR) in capacitated human sperm. The present study used cytochemical analysis of the AR, and spectrofluorometric determination of sperm [Ca 2+ ] i and intracellular pH (pH,) in Na + -containing and Na + -deficient bicarbonate/CO 2 -buffered media to investigate the role of Na + in these P-initiated changes. We found that P failed to initiate the AR in Na + -deficient medium, and that the initial rise in [Ca2 + ] i following P (1 μg/ml) stimulation was similar for both media ; however, the [Ca 2+ ] i in the Na + -deficient medium regressed more rapidly and plateaued at a significantly lower [Ca 2+ ] i . Moreover, the differences in plateau [Ca 2+ ] i were directly related to the percentage of acrosome reactions, suggesting that the plateau phase is not due to [Ca 2+ ] i , but rather to the release of intracellular fura-2 into the medium during the AR. These [Ca 2+ ] i and AR results are in contrast to those reported previously by others for human sperm and suggest that a Na + -dependent mechanism is important in the P-initiated human sperm AR. Such a Na + requirement may reflect the involvement of this ion in pH, regulation, as capacitated sperm that were incubated in a Na + -deficient medium for ≥30 min displayed a significantly lower pH i .
Influence of cytoskeletal structure and mechanics on epithelial cell injury during cyclic airway reopening.

Although patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome require mechanical ventilation, these ventilators often exacerbate the existing lung injury. For example, the cyclic closure and reopening...
Graphene-based sorbents for iodine-129 capture and sequestration

Abstract The capture and sequestration of iodine-129 (129I), a long-lived byproduct of nuclear fission, is essential to the implementation of advanced nuclear fuel cycles and effective nuclear waste management. Current state-of-the-art technologies inherently require silver to bind iodine, e.g., silver-loaded silica aerogels or silver-loaded zeolite (AgZ), which are very expensive and an environmental concern. It is highly desirable to develop alternative cost-effective adsorbents for iodine capture and sequestration. Herein, we report graphene-based nanomaterials including graphene powder and graphene aerogel as novel iodine sorbents showing exceptional adsorption capability and kinetics. By measuring iodine sorption capacities and uptake rates in an I2(g) saturated environment, graphene sorbents display impressive iodine sorption capacities with powdered samples achieving mass gains in excess of 85 mass%, and aerogels exceeding 100% mass gains. A direct correlation among specific surface area, defect concentration, and maximum sorption capacity has been established, and the sorption kinetics of the graphene for iodine capture was determined.
Multiple Measures: Toward Tiered Systems

This article examines multiple measures of performance in school accountability systems from two perspectives: laterally (different indicators of different domains) and vertically (indicators that are at different levels of depth of the same domain). Organizational responsibility and instructional sensitivity are examined. In particular, alternative procedures are explored for integrating into the multiple measures concept external, uniform top-down measures and responsive, locally adaptive bottom-up measures.
The CDF forward muon system

Abstract The general properties of the toroids, drift chambers and trigger counters in the CDF forward muon (FMU) system are discussed. The operation of the PSL time-to-digital converter and the UW HOPU (Half Octant Pattern Unit) module is also described. The forward muon level 1 trigger is presented.
Tool use by wild and captive elephants

Abstract Abstract. This study describes the tool-use potentials of captive African and Asian elephants, Loxodonta africana and Elephus maximus , respectively, and wild African elephants and explores the ecological and evolutionary significance of this behaviour. Comparison of the types, diversity and frequency of tool use by captive and wild elephants with other known tool-using mammals is offered as a means for evaluating the evolutionary significance of tool-using behaviour. Several hypotheses concerning the origin and evolutionary significance of tool use are examined, and it is proposed that in elephants, tool use may serve as adaptations enabling these furless, large-bodied tropical land mammals to cope with ectoparasites and thermoregulation.
Nonurgent Care in the Emergency Department: Can We Save by Shifting the Site of Care?

Emergency departments (ED) hold a place in the delivery of health care beyond the obvious role of treating true health emergencies. They also serve as a substitute for primary care for several types of patients. Since 1986, the role of EDs as the de facto safety net provider for uninsured patients has been codified into federal law by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). In addition, many persons covered by Medicaid, which traditionally has reimbursement rates that are lower than those of private payers, are more likely to access nonurgent care through EDs; this is also true for patients who live in areas where few primary care physicians are available, as is often the case for many racial and ethnic minorities and the poor. The expansive role of EDs in the current health care financing system is reflected in the approximately US$28 billion in ED expenditures by the noninstitutionalized population in 2002, which was about 8% of all hospital-based expenditures for that year. A recent report by the National Center for Health Statistics also shows that approximately 49% of all ED visits are for nonurgent or nonemergency reasons and that the utilization rate of ED services has increased in recent years. An obvious question that health policy analysts ask when examining the current use of ED resources is: could the care that is being delivered to nonemergency patients in EDs be provided at a lower cost in a primary care setting? The answer to this question has been ‘‘yes,’’ almost by assumption, because the average cost of a visit to an ED is greater than the average cost of a primary care visit. However, when determining how much could be saved from shifting nonemergency ED visits to primary care, examining differences in the average cost of care is not the appropriate measure. The appropriate measure requires calculating the change in the cost of care as the number of nonemergency visits to the ED are reduceddwhat economists call the marginal cost of care. When viewed this way, it is not as clear that ED care is necessarily much more expensive than primary care. This is because the costs that matter when calculating the marginal cost of care are costs that change as the amount of care provided changes. If a large share of the cost of providing ED care is fixed, then the marginal cost of providing ED care may be low. Indeed, some have argued that EDs are similar to electrical power plants in that most of the costs of the physical plant and
Collaborative ranking: improving the relevance for tail queries

It is well known that tail queries contribute to a substantial fraction of distinct queries submitted to search engines and thus become a major battle field for search engines. Unfortunately, compared with popular queries, it is much more difficult to obtain good search results for tail queries due to the lack of important relevance signals, such as user clicks, phrase matches and so on. In this paper, we propose to utilize the similarities between different queries to overcome the data sparsity problem for tail queries. Specifically, we propose to jointly learn query similarities and the ranking function from data so that the relevance signals of different but related queries can be collaboratively pooled to enhance the ranking of tail queries. We emphasize that the joint optimization is critical so that the learned query similarity function can adapt to the problem of learning ranking functions. Our proposed method is evaluated on two data sets and the results show that our method improves the relevance of tail queries over several baseline alternatives.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder.

This article describes the application of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to the treatment of rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Between 10% and 24% of bipolar patients experience a rapid cycling course, with 4 or more mood episodes occurring per year. Characterized by nonresponse to standard mood-stabilizing medications, rapid cyclers are particularly in need of effective, adjunctive treatments. Adjunctive CBT has been shown to improve medication compliance and reduce relapse rates in patients with bipolar disorder. However, no published trials to date have examined the application of CBT to the treatment of rapid cyclers, with only a single case study existing in the literature. We address challenging clinical problems in the treatment of patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder and include strategies for managing frequent mood fluctuations, medication compliance, sleep hygiene, lifestyle regularity, mood elevation, suicidality, and comorbidity. A case example is included to illustrate the treatment approach.
The Separation of Water-Soluble Organic Diastereomers by Chromatography on Sephadex

Abstract We have investigated the influence of the degree of cross-linking of Sephadex gels and the polarity of the eluent on the separation of cis- and trans-cinnamic acids and concluded that the physical basis for the separations is hydrophobic interactions between the solute and the cross-linkages in the gels.
Cell-cell communication and axis specification in the Drosophila oocyte

Intercellular communication between the somatic and germline cells is vital to development of the Drosophila egg chamber. One critical outcome of this communication is the polarization of the oocyte along the anterior-posterior axis, a process induced by an unknown signal from the somatic follicle cells to the oocyte. The existence of this signal has been inferred from several reports demonstrating that the differentiation and patterning of the follicle cells by the spatially restricted activation of certain cell-signaling pathways is necessary for axis formation in the oocyte. These reports have also provided a framework for understanding how these signaling pathways are integrated to generate the follicle-cell pattern, but the precise role of the follicle cells in anterior-posterior axis formation remains enigmatic. Research has identified several genes that appear to be involved in the polarizing communication from the follicle cells to the oocyte. Interestingly the proteins encoded by most of these genes are associated with the extracellular matrix, suggesting a pivotal role for this complex biological component in the polarizing communication between the follicle cells and the oocyte. This review summarizes the findings in this area, and uses the experimental analyses of these genes to evaluate various models describing the possible nature of the polarizing signal, and the role of these genes in it.
Pomeron and f exchange amplitudes in elastic π+−p scattering

Abstract The dual absorptive model of Harari is shown to explain consistently the s and t dependence of the sum of π + p and π − p elastic differential cross sections at high energy. The Pomeran amplitude shrinks at a rate similar to that of K + p elastic scattering while the f amplitude is shown to be dominated by peripheral partial waves at a radius ∼ 1 fm. Finally, the shrinkage and s dependence of the f amplitude follow a canonical Regge behavior.
Cell biology: the more MAD, the merrier.

Cells must pass the correct number of chromosomes to their progeny through the complex ballet of cell division. An unusual conformation-sensitive switch seems to maintain accurate chromosome segregation.
Silk fibroin microtubes for blood vessel engineering

Currently available synthetic grafts demonstrate moderate success at the macrovascular level, but fail at the microvascular scale (<6 mm inner diameter). We report on the development of silk fibroin microtubes for blood vessel repair with several advantages over existing scaffold materials/designs. These microtubes were prepared by dipping straight lengths of stainless steel wire into aqueous silk fibroin, where the addition of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) enabled control of microtube porosity. The microtube properties were characterized in terms of pore size, burst strength, protein permeability, enzymatic degradation, and cell migration. Low porosity microtubes demonstrated superior mechanical properties in terms of higher burst pressures, but displayed poor protein permeability; whereas higher porosity tubes had lower burst strengths but increased permeability and enhanced protein transport. The microtubes also exhibited cellular barrier functions as low porosity tubes prevented outward migration of GFP-transduced HUVECs, while the high porosity microtubes allowed a few cells per tube to migrate outward during perfusion. When combined with the biocompatible and suturability features of silk fibroin, these results suggest that silk microtubes, either implanted directly or preseeded with cells, are an attractive biomaterial for microvascular grafts.
Educating physicians internationally in the diagnosis of child sexual abuse: evaluation of a brief educational intervention in Malawi

We designed this pilot study to assess physician knowledge and comfort evaluating child sexual abuse in Malawi and to evaluate the feasibility of a brief educational intervention to improve physician knowledge. A survey was administered to 21 physicians before receiving training on child sexual abuse. The survey was administered again, 3 days later, to assess improvement. Prior to the training, 48% correctly identified the hymen in a photograph, and 24% correctly interpreted the photograph as normal. Of the 11 physicians available for the posttest 3 days later, significant improvement was found in their ability to correctly identify the hymen (6 of 11 pretraining and all 11 posttraining, p = 0.011) and to interpret the photograph correctly (1 of 11 correct pretraining, 9 of 11 posttraining, p = 0.001). This study demonstrates the feasibility of designing trainings on child sexual abuse in a low-income country.
Epidemiology and pathogenesis of chronic suppurative otitis media: implications for prevention and treatment

Despite advances in public health and medical care, chronic suppurative otitis media is still prevalent around the world. It is most common in developing countries and in certain high risk populations in developed nations, as well as among children who have tympanostomy tubes inserted. Since this chronic infection is caused by persistent acute otorrhea, which in turn is usually secondary to acute otitis media, prevention should be directed toward prompt and appropriate treatment of the acute middle-ear infection. Repair of chronic perforations should prevent recurrence, since reinfection is due either to reflux of pathogenic organisms from the nasopharynx into the middle ear, or water contamination from the external canal. Information from epidemiological studies, which show that populations can be categorized into highest, high, low and lowest prevalence, can be helpful in setting national priorities for prevention and treatment.
Drop size spectra and integral remote sensing parameters in the transition from convective to stratiform rain

[1] Several authors have reported the correlation between the shape (μ) and slope (Λ) of the gamma distribution of raindrops to reduce the number of parameters required to measure rainfall by remote sensing methods. However, we find that there are no well-defined μ-Λ, or associated relations between reflectivity (Z) and rain rate (R) or differential reflectivity for all storms or portions thereof. Rather, there is a general behavior such that A and b (in the Z = ARb relation) and median volume drop diameter Do all decrease from convective (C) to stratiform (S) to transition (T) rains. The μ-Λ correlation of the investigators in question appears to be limited to rainfall events which do not include convective rain; it is biased toward S and T rains. They miss the narrow (large μ), large Do DSDs of convective rain that are often found to have equilibrium spectra. The dependence of Do on the strength of the updraft and the findings of others concerning the association with the physics, dynamics, and climate regime strongly suggests that it is necessary to characterize the physical and dynamic nature of the storms in order to select the appropriate remote sensing algorithms.
Axillary lymph node metastasis from an occult breast cancer

Twenty-nine cases were reviewed in which carcinoma manifested first as the enlargement of an axillary node from an occult breast carcinoma. A small hidden breast cancer was identified in 16 patients. In the remaining 13, the breast tumor was never discovered. Regardless of whether the primary tumors were discovered, the metastasis-free survival rates were comparable to those of patients with breast carcinoma with axillary nodal metastasis. The authors recommend that carcinoma found in an axillary node should be treated as a breast cancer, even in the absence of the breast tumor. Extensive investigative procedures in an attempt to uncover an extramammary primary site were largely unproductive and should either be omitted or performed selectively. Mammography, if positive or suspicious, can lead to the primary tumor in 75% of the patients, but, when negative, it does not necessarily exclude the breast as the source of the carcinoma. A carcinoma of the breast was found by pathologic examination in 44% of the patients with negative mammograms.
Production and separation of non-carrier-added 86Y from enriched 86Sr targets

The metallic radionuclide (86)Y was produced by irradiation of enriched (86)SrCO(3) on a low-energy proton-only cyclotron. Irradiations up to 20 microA for 2h were performed with 11 MeV protons using a water-cooled target mounting with circulating chilled helium. Experimental thick target yields of 26.7 mCi/microA yielded 24 mCi of (86)Y in 2h of bombardment at 10 microA. The difference in solubility products between Y(OH)(3) and Sr(OH)(2) allows the separation of (86)Y from an alkaline strontium solution by using filter paper with an overall yield of 88 +/- 3%. The concentration of Sr in the final product was found to be on the order of 15 ppm when using 200mg of target material as determined by ICP-MS analysis. The reactivity of (86)Y was determined to be on the order of 1.5 +/- 0.8 Ci/micromol of DOTA. The enriched target material was recovered and converted to its original chemical form with an overall efficiency >90%.
The Role of Ethnic Identity and Acculturation in the Vocational Behavior of Asian Americans: An Integrative Review

Abstract Literature on Asian American ethnic identity, acculturation, and assimilation was reviewed, integrated, and related to vocational behavior in this article. Models of Asian American ethnic identity and acculturation were compared and areas needing better definition and differentiation were identified. A single, integrated model of various ethnic and/or racial identity and acculturation models was proposed to guide future research. Suggestions were made for future areas of research in uniting ethnic identity and acculturation models. Relations between Asian American ethnic identity, acculturation, and vocational behavior were identified using propositions drawn from analysis of the literature and offered as hypotheses for future research.
Laparo-endoscopic single-site radical prostatectomy: Feasibility and technique

Background As laparoscopy becomes a standard approach in many urological procedures, researchers strive to make minimally invasive surgery less invasive. Our objective was to apply recent innovations in equipment and surgical approaches to develop the technique and perform laparo-endoscopic single site radical prostatectomy (LESS-RP).
Effect of female sexual displays on the endocrine physiology and behaviour of male white‐crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys

In photoperiodic birds, endocrine responses to behavioural interactions between males and females may be involved in temporally “fine-tuning” the onset of reproduction to yearly variations in the environment. This study examined the endocrine and behavioural responses of male White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) to changes in the endocrine state of the female, as signalled by changes in her behaviour. Males on different photoperiodic regimes were paired with oestrogen-treated, sexually receptive females. Males exposed to gonadostimulatory long days mounted and copulated with oestrogen-treated females even before gonadal development was complete. These males had higher plasma levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone and maintained enlarged testes longer than control males paired with untreated, nonreceptive females. Males maintained on nonstimulatory short days also mounted oestrogen-treated females; however, testes of these males remained nonfunctional and their plasma levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone were basal. Thus, reproductive function of photostimulated males is profoundly affected by changes in the endocrine state and behaviour of the female. However, male sexual behaviours are expressed in response to visual and auditory stimuli from the female regardless of male hormonal condition or photoperiodic treatment.
Measuring the Distance Dependence of the Local Electromagnetic Field from Silver Nanoparticles

The distance dependence of the local EM field associated with 84 ± 5 nm silver particles is characterized by monitoring spectral shifts in the plasmon resonance due to changes in local dielectric environment, which was controlled by coating the particles with silica layers of various thicknesses. The local EM field that extends beyond the physical boundaries of the particles is defined as that providing “feedback” between the local environment and the electron oscillations in a particle.
Evaluating the utilization of educational materials in communicating about Lynch syndrome to at-risk relatives

Facilitating family communication about Lynch syndrome is a public health priority since following appropriate screening guidelines can decrease morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to (1) ascertain what educational materials individuals with Lynch syndrome provide to at-risk relatives, and (2) identify relationships between receiving educational materials and pursuing clinical follow-up. Seventy-four participants, recruited from the Stanford Cancer Institute and a support group, completed an online questionnaire; 50 were first to be diagnosed with a Lynch syndrome mutation in their family (probands) and 24 were first or second-degree relatives. Probands reported informing 88 % (184/209) of first-degree relatives and 64 % (161/252) of second-degree relatives of the mutation. Probands shared their genetic counseling note with 53 % of relatives; other resources, including family letters, personal notes, testing laboratory information, online resources, support group information, and genetics referrals, were given to 33 % or fewer relatives. Probands reported that female relatives (p = 0.028) and first-degree relatives (p ≤ 0.001) were more likely to be given materials. Relatives who received an educational material were more likely to follow up with a clinician (74 vs 22 %, p ≤0.001) and attend a genetic counseling appointment (43 vs 16 %, p ≤ 0.001). First-degree relatives who received an educational material were more likely to have undergone genetic testing (51 vs 19 %, p = 0.012) and cancer screening (69 vs 29 %, p = 0.001). Facilitating information transmission in families with Lynch syndrome using educational materials may play a role in informed clinical decision-making and cascade screening of at-risk relatives.
Performance of InAs/GaSb superlattice infrared detectors and dependence on minority carrier lifetime

Abstract This paper will discuss the desired quantum efficiency and dark current density of type-II strained-layer superlattice detectors (T2SLS), and required read-noise levels for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging applications at various background levels. The computation begins with noise equivalent irradiance NEI requirements with the focal plane array (FPA) operating at near-background limited infrared photodetection (BLIP) performance conditions. The paper will theoretically analyze the quantum efficiency and the dark current based on various components such as: diffusion, generation–recombination and tunneling, and dependence on the minority carrier lifetime of T2SL detector material. These calculations show appropriate minority carrier lifetime of the detector material for the various flux levels discussed in the article.
PRE‐COLUMBIAN METALLURGY: TECHNOLOGY, MANUFACTURE, AND MICROPROBE ANALYSES OF COPPER BELLS FROM THE GREATER SOUTHWEST*

Twenty-four cast copper crotals (commonly called bells), one 'spilled bell', one tinkler bell and a number of minerals from locations throughout the Greater Southwest were analysed for their elemental composition by a PIXE nuclear microprobe at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA. Sixteen bells contained minor and trace amounts of silver, antimony, arsenic, lead, and in some cases tin, strontium, and selenium. Nine bells contained little or no detectable amounts of these elements. This suggests that several workshops throughout the Greater Southwest and Mexico might have manufactured these bells.
Terrain identification for RHex-type robots

Terrain identification is a key enabling ability for generating terrain adaptive behaviors that assist both robot planning and motor control. This paper considers running legged robots from the RHex family) which the military plans to use in the field to assist troops in reconnaissance tasks. Important terrain adaptive behaviors include the selection of gaits) modulation of leg stiffness) and alteration of steering control laws that minimize slippage) maximize speed and/or reduce energy consumption. These terrain adaptive behaviors can be enabled by a terrain identification methodology that combines proprioceptive sensors already available in RHex-type robots. The proposed classification approach is based on the characteristic frequency signatures of data from leg observers) which combine current sensing with a dynamic model of the leg motion. The paper analyzes the classification accuracy obtained using both a single leg and groups of legs (through a voting scheme) on different terrains such as vinyl) asphalt) grass) and pebbles. Additionally) it presents a terrain classifier that works across various gait speeds and in fact almost as good as an overly specialized classifier.
A Comparison of the Codeswitching Patterns of Aphasic and Neurologically Normal Bilingual Speakers of English and Spanish

Conversational discourse samples were obtained from four aphasic and four neurologically normal Hispanic bilinguals in monolingual English, monolingual Spanish, and bilingual contexts to identify codeswitching patterns. Analysis of the samples based on the Matrix Language Frame (MLF) Model (Myers-Scotton, 1993a) revealed consistent matching of the language context by the aphasic and normal subjects. The aphasic subjects demonstrated a greater frequency of MLF constituents and codeswitching patterns not evident in the speech samples of the normal subjects. Results suggest an increased dependence on both languages for communication following neurological impairment.
Conductive Bridges in Cardiac Tissue A Beneficial Role or an Arrhythmogenic Substrate

For many years, propagation of excitation in cardiac tissue was considered to occur in a homogeneous electrical syncytium. This view has permitted the application of concepts and quantitative relationships developed originally by Hodgkin and Huxley to describe action-potential propagation in the continuous structure of the nerve axon.1 The properties of action-potential conduction were associated with membrane properties alone, while effects of the myocardial architecture were, for the most part, ignored. The microscopic anatomical structure of the myocardium as an assembly of discrete cells separated by a periodic intercalated disk structure was established in the 1950s, followed in later years by the identification of gap junctions as specialized structures for electrical communication between cardiac cells.2–5 The pioneering work of Madison Spach and coworkers in the early 1980s6,7 directed attention to the effects of structural discontinuities on action-potential propagation in the heart. Spach’s experiments revealed electrical properties of cardiac tissue that could not be explained on the basis of the theory that describes conduction of excitation in a continuous medium (the so-called continuous cable theory). For example, the maximum rate of action-potential depolarization, (dV/dt)max, was observed to increase as propagation velocity decreased with wider angles of propagation relative to the myocardial fiber axis. This inverse relationship between (dV/dt)max and velocity is in sharp contrast to the direct relation between these parameters, which is a hallmark of conduction in continuous structures. Thus, conduction in cardiac tissue is discontinuous and its properties are influenced profoundly by the myocardial architecture. The theory of discontinuous conduction predicts the experimentally observed differences from continuous conduction and …
Effects of deposition conditions on stoichiometry of off-axis RF sputtered BiSrCaCuO thin films

The composition of as-grown BiSrCaCuO superconducting thin films has been investigated as a function of the RF magnetron sputtering variables, i.e. total sputtering pressure, substrate temperature, and oxygen partial pressure in an off-axis configuration. This study shows that use of off-axis geometry alone is insufficient to completely overcome the resputtering problem due to energetic particle bombardment on the substrate. The bismuth loss in the sputtered films at low sputtering pressure and copper loss at high pressure, both of which were aggravated at increasing temperatures, were observed. The mechanisms of thermally enhanced resputtering and gas scattering effects at high pressure are proposed to interpret the discrepancy between target and film composition. >
Efficient identity-based RSA multisignatures

A digital multisignature is a digital signature of a message generated by multiple signers with knowledge of multiple private keys. In this paper, an efficient RSA multisignature scheme based on Shamir's identity-based signature (IBS) scheme is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first efficient RSA-based multisignature scheme with both fixed length and the verification time. The proposed identity-based multisignature scheme is secure against forgerability under chosen-message attack. It is also secure against multi-signer collusion attack and adaptive chosen-ID attack.
Electromagnetic properties of periodic multilayers of ultrathin metallic films from dc to ultraviolet frequencies

Ultrathin metallic films have an interesting electromagnetic behavior as the frequency of the incident field is varied over several orders of magnitude, because of the dramatic dispersion exhibited by the metal permittivity. We study a finite multilayer of periodically placed planar conducting films for frequencies varying from the dc limit to the far ultraviolet. We provide the optimized reflectivity and transmittivity of the system for the various frequency regimes involved. Further, we produce the dispersion diagrams of the corresponding photonic bandgap structures, which clearly show the transition of the system from a metallic (low frequencies) to a dielectric (optical frequencies) behavior. In addition, simple design formulas for maximum reflectivity of finite film number N are presented in terms of film thickness and film spacing in each of the representative frequency ranges.
On stochastic heating load prediction

The authors previously (1991) derived the density function of the duty cycle of a residential thermostat-controlled heating unit using a physically based stochastic load model. In this paper they use this density function to determine the maximum likelihood duty cycle using real data. This duty cycle is used to predict the energy demand of a space conditioning load. The prediction is found to track the actual duty cycle much better than deterministic and steady-state duty cycles. >
Multi-metric behavioral comparison of APPsw and P301L models for Alzheimer's disease: linkage of poorer cognitive performance to tau pathology in forebrain.

Abstract APPsw transgenic mice bearing the “Swedish” amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation and JNPL3 transgenic mice bearing the P301L (Tau) mutation were compared to control non-transgenic (NT) mice in an extensive behavioral test battery administered between 5 and 8.5 months of age. APP mice were impaired in a variety of cognitive-based tasks prior to overt Aβ plaque development, making involvement of mutant APP overexpression and/or oligomeric Aβ assemblies most likely. Although Tau mice, as a group, were not impaired in any single behavioral measure, a collective assessment of behavioral measures through discriminant function analysis showed that Tau mice were impaired in overall behavioral (cognitive) performance. Moreover, correlation analyses involving Tau mice alone revealed linkage between poorer cognitive performance in all three water maze tasks and the number of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-containing neurons in neocortex and hippocampus. These findings indicate that: (1) APP mice show early and extensive cognitive impairment before evident Aβ deposition, and (2) the process or product of NFT formation in Tau mice is sufficient to deleteriously impact cognitive performance.
Double Oestrogen Receptor α and β Knockout Mice Reveal Differences in Neural Oestrogen‐Mediated Progestin Receptor Induction and Female Sexual Behaviour

To test the hypothesis that oestrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta act together to mediate the actions of oestrogen in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), we used mice with single or double knockout mutations of the ERalpha and ERbeta genes. Ovariectomized mice were implanted with 17beta-oestradiol and killed 5 days later. Oestradiol treatment promoted progestin receptor (PR)-immunoreactivity (-ir) in the VMH of all genotypes, but was maximal in brains of wild-type and ERbetaKO females. Analysis of specific VMH subregions revealed that PR-ir induction was limited to the caudal VMH in ERalphaKO and ERalphabetaKO mice. In the rostral VMH, oestradiol only induced PR-ir in wild-type and ERbetaKO mice, and the number of PR-ir neurones in this region was greater in ERbetaKO than wild-type females. Next, we tested the ability of a dopamine agonist and progesterone to facilitate sexual behaviour in females lacking functional ERalpha, ERbeta, or both receptors. Ovariectomized mice were implanted with oestradiol, and tested for sexual behaviour three times after administration of the dopamine agonist, apomorphine, followed by two tests concurrent with progesterone treatment and a final test with just apomorphine treatment. ERalphaKO and ERalphabetaKO females failed to display lordosis under any testing conditions, while ERbetaKO females exhibited lordosis behaviour equal to that of wild-type females. Our data show that a subpopulation of PR-ir neurones is induced by oestradiol in the caudal VMH of female mice lacking both ERalpha and ERbeta genes. We hypothesize that this action of oestradiol is either mediated by a novel ER or by the mutant portion of the AF2 subregion of the ERalpha gene present in ERalphaKO brain. However, despite the presence of PR in VMH, females lacking a functional ERalpha gene do not display sexual behaviour, via either ligand-dependent or -independent activation.
Transfusion guidelines: when to transfuse

Transfusion of blood and blood components has been a routine practice for more than half a century. The rationale supporting this practice is that replacement of blood loss should be beneficial for the patient. This assumption has constituted the underpinning of transfusion medicine for many decades. Only over the past 20 years, we have seen a more concerted effort to answer very basic questions regarding the value of transfusion therapy. An assessment of the value of transfusion based on well-designed and appropriately powered randomized, controlled trials is the first step in optimizing transfusion practices. Systematic reviews provide the second step by building the knowledge base necessary to assess the impact of transfusion practice on patient outcomes. The third step is the development of clinical practice guidelines, and this occurs when systematic reviews are interpreted by individuals with expertise in transfusion medicine. Such guidelines are typically supported by professional organizations and/or health authorities. Implementation of clinical practice guidelines can be challenging, especially in an area as heterogeneous as transfusion medicine. However, clinical practice guidelines are necessary for the practice of evidence-based medicine, which optimizes patient care and improves patient outcomes. This review focuses on clinical practice guidelines for transfusion of three blood components: RBCs, platelets and plasma. In addition, we provide the approach used to implement clinical practice guidelines at our own institution.