cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers in an ultrashort optical pulse: Femtosecond currents and anisotropic electron dynamics

We theoretically study the interaction of an ultrafast intense linearly polarized optical pulse with monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). Such a strong pulse redistributes electrons between the bands and generates femtosecond currents during the pulse. Due to the large bandwidth of the incident pulse, this process is completely an off-resonant. While in TMDCs, the time-reversal symmetry is conserved, the inversion symmetry is broken, and these monolayers have axial symmetry along the armchair direction but not along with the zigzag one. The pulse, polarized along with asymmetric directions of TMDC monolayer, generates both longitudinal, i.e., along the direction of polarization, and transverse, i.e., in the perpendicular direction, currents. Such currents result in charge transfer through the system. We study different TMDC materials and show how the femtosecond transport in TMDC monolayers depend on their parameters, such as lattice constant and bandgap.
Using CS Materials, A System to Align your Courses with National Standards

This workshop provides instructors with a hands-on introduction to CS Materials (https://cs-materials.herokuapp.com/), a software infrastructure for designing and aligning a course to national curriculum guidelines, as well as to other courses in the curriculum. The workshop will detail the underlying principles behind CS Materials, namely, that classifying class materials against national curriculum guidelines enables better design and alignment of CS Courses, and permit accurate searches for materials that meet specific learning outcomes and/or topics. The CS Materials workshop will provide a hands-on experience to instructors to use the system to classify their own course content against the ACM IEEE CS 2013 guidelines and contribute to a shared public resource for CS educators. Workshop attendees will learn to input learning materials, perform topic coverage analysis, check alignment within their own course, as well as other courses in their curriculum, and search for new materials for use in their classes. Attendees should come with a laptop and have readied some class materials from a class they teach and want to share and/or analyze. The project provides stipends for instructor to enter, classify, and share one of their courses on CS Materials.
Receipt of Posthospitalization Care Training Among Medicare Beneficiaries' Family Caregivers.

Importance Medicare conditions of participation require hospitals to provide training to family and unpaid caregivers when their support is necessary to enact the postdischarge care plan. However, caregivers often report feeling unprepared for this role. Objective To describe the characteristics of caregivers who assist with posthospitalization care transitions and assess the prevalence of and factors associated with receipt of adequate transitional care training. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study and its linked National Study of Caregiving, surveys of Medicare beneficiaries and their family and unpaid caregivers. The present study included family caregivers for community-living Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older with disabilities. Data analysis was performed from June to September 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Characteristics of family caregivers by whether they assisted during a posthospitalization care transition in the year preceding the survey interview. Unweighted frequencies and weighted percentages, as well as the results of weighted Pearson and Wald tests for differences between groups, are reported. Receipt of the training needed to manage the older adult’s posthospitalization care transition (hereafter referred to as adequate transitional care training) as a function of individual caregiver characteristics was modeled using multivariable, weighted logistic regression. Results Of 1905 family caregivers, 618 (58.9%) were 60 years or older, 1288 (63.8%) were female, and 796 (41.7%) assisted with a posthospitalization care transition. Those who assisted with a posthospitalization care transition were more likely to report experiencing financial (154 [18.3%] vs 123 [10.1%];P Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, caregivers were less likely to receive adequate transitional care training if they were Black; experienced financial difficulty; or cared for a Black, female, or Medicaid-enrolled older adult. These findings suggest that changes to the discharge process, such as using standardized caregiver assessments, may be necessary to ensure equitable support of family caregivers.
Interdependent Group-Oriented Contingencies: Randomly Selected Components to the Rescue

Class-wide academic performance can be increased by overlaying existing instructional and classroom management procedures with supplemental interdependent group-oriented bonus rewards. The bonus re...
Arguments Against Choice

Those who oppose moves towards market mechanisms and greater choice argue against such policies for several reasons. The most common argument is that a market approach does not deliver on its promise of better educated children. Still others argue that public schools have made real improvements in the last 40 years, and the problems facing inner-city schools are not their own but the result of poverty, joblessness, racism, neighborhood deterioration, and weakened families. This chapter outlines major threads that argue against greater parental choice.
O14 Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Youth in North Carolina

Background Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among youth contributes to diet-related chronic disease including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and poor oral health. Objective Collect data to inform the development of a social marketing campaign aimed at reducing SSB consumption among youth age 11–17 in North Carolina (NC). Study Design, Setting, Participants Cross-sectional survey data collected from September 9, 2020 through September 30, 2020 using a national web-panel. Data collection focused on NC households that were SNAP eligible or included youth receiving free or reduced-priced school meals. An email was sent to parents of youth aged 11–17 years who provided consent for their child (who also assented) to participate in the survey. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Survey items asked respondents to report typical consumption of 5 different SSBs; report household characteristics and parental practices associated with SSB consumption; and answer a number of questions designed to assess willingness and self-efficacy related to not drink SSBs in settings where SSBs are commonly consumed. Results The majority (87%) of the 311 youth completed the survey reported drinking at least 1 SSB per day. Soda (40%) and fruit-flavored drinks (36%) were the mostly commonly consumed SSBs, while energy drinks (12%) were the least commonly consumed. Consumption patterns did not differ between younger (11–13 years) and older (14–17 years) youth. There was a strong association between perceived value of SSBs (ie, helps youth focus, gives youth a boost) and higher levels of consumption. For older but not younger youth, perceptions related to better health and reduction efficacy were associated with drinking fewer SSBs per week. Conclusion Findings provide a number of key insights that will contribute to the development of messages aimed at curbing SSB consumption. For example, the importance of youth perceived functional factors has not been well documented in the literature as a driver of SSB consumption.
Development of the Usability Scale for Assistive Technology-Wheeled Mobility: A preliminary psychometric evaluation

The article describes the methodology and psychometric evaluation of an assistive technology (AT) outcomes measure- ment tool, the Usability Scale for Assistive Technology-Wheeled Mobility module (USAT-WM), as a tool to capture user-centered usability of wheeled-mobility devices. The construction of the USAT-WM was driven by a qualitative inquiry focusing on the experiences of users of wheeled mobility devices. The interview content was coded and nearly 400 indicators pertaining to usability of wheeled-mobility devices were assimilated to construct a preliminary version of the USAT-WM. The content validity of the USAT-WM was evaluated by a panel of clinicians in the field of wheeled-mobility. The findings from the content validation process were utilized to revise the USAT-WM. A field-test of the USAT-WM was conducted by administering it to 70 individuals who used power wheelchairs (PWCs) for mobility. A preliminary principal component analysis of the instrument sections was performed, and based on the item loading a subsequent factor analysis was conducted to establish a 50-item version of the USAT-WM with seven subscales: home usability; workplace/school usability; community usability; outdoor usability; ease of use; seating; and safety. Internal consistency Cronbach's alpha values for the seven subscales ranged from 0.77 to 0.91 and 0.90 for the total score of the USAT-WM. The test- retest and alternate-form reliability of the USAT-WM scores correlated at 0.85 ( p< 0.01). The convergent validity correlations of the USAT-WM with the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST2.0) and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) were found to be 0.55 ( p< 0.01) and 0.30 ( p< 0.01) respectively.
Positive semidefinite propagation time

Let G be a simple, undirected graph. Positive semidefinite (PSD) zero forcing on G is based on the following color-change rule: Let W 1 , W 2 , ? , W k be the sets of vertices of the k connected components in G - B (where B is a set of blue vertices). If w ? W i is the only white neighbor of some b ? B in the graph G B ? W i , then we change w to blue. A minimum positive semidefinite zero forcing set (PSDZFS) is a set of blue vertices that colors the entire graph blue and has minimum cardinality. The PSD propagation time of a PSDZFS B of graph G is the minimum number of iterations that it takes to color the entire graph blue, starting with B blue, such that at each iteration as many vertices are colored blue as allowed by the color-change rule. The minimum and maximum PSD propagation times are taken over all minimum PSD zero forcing sets of the graph. It is conjectured that every propagation time between the minimum and maximum propagation time is attainable by some minimum PSDZFS (this is not the case for the standard color-change rule). Tools are developed that aid in the computation of PSD propagation time. Several graph families and graphs with extreme PSD propagation times ( | G | - 2 , | G | - 1 , 1 , 0 ) are analyzed.
Short Term, Direct Indices of Solar Variability

Indices of solar activity relevant for understanding and modelling solar irradiance variability are identified, and their temporal characteristics compared. Reproducing observed solar irradiance variability requires a minimum of two different types of indices — an index for irradiance depletion by sunspots and an index for global irradiance enhancement by faculae and network. When combined with appropriate wavelength-dependent parameterizations of sunspot and facular contrasts and center-to-limb functions, these indices permit the construction of empirical models of daily, monthly and annual solar total and spectral irradiances. The models are compared with observations at selected wavelengths and for the total irradiance. While the models replicate much of the rotational and 11-year cycle variance in contemporary irradiance databases, differences exist because of either the presence of variability mechanisms additional to solar magnetism, or of unresolved instrumental effects in the databases. The reconstruction of solar irradiance in the past requires speculation about the extent of intercycle fluctuations in the global facular index, or in other, as yet unspecified, variability mechanisms.
Science Faculty with Education Specialties

Career dynamics for science faculty with interests in education point the way for developing this nascent career specialty.
A series resonant sinewave output filter for PWM VSI loads

Modern industry installations using power electronic conversion systems are requiring improvements in the loadside output voltage waveshape to meet demands of various operating load conditions. This paper reveals a novel series resonant sinewave output filter apparatus inserted between a pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage source inverter (VSI) and passive load or dynamic motor load. Compared with conventional LC low pass filters, the topology given gives size, weight, fast circuit dynamic response advantages and is relatively cost effective. A description of circuit operation, mathematical analysis, analytical results and experimental results is given. The power electronic component work done to push the polypropylene filter capacitors to new high frequency current limits, as well as pushing a new low loss high-frequency pot core inductor material to new current and thermal constraint limits, is highlighted.
The search for effective alternatives to conservatorship: lessons from a daily money management diversion study.

This article explores outcomes of daily money management (DMM) services for older persons. It is based on research that examined the ability of DMM lo provide an alternative to court-appointed conservatorship that is less restrictive. Results indicate that although he DMM programs studied did not diven older persons from conservatorship, they appeared to offer several important advantages. These included helping older persons secure benefits and services, enhancing their financial security, and reducing financial exploitation.
Analysis of flow control in multihop packet radio networks

The authors present an analysis of flow control in multihop packet radio networks. The input buffer limit (IBL) network access control scheme, developed in point-to-point computer networks, is adapted to multihop packet radio networks. The authors show that the delay-throughout performance is improved significantly with flow control, especially under high traffic. They analyze networks with infinite buffer as well as those with finite buffer. The arrival process at each node can be an arbitrary probability distribution. Due to the strong dependencies of the transmission queues at various nodes of the network, an exact analysis is mathematically intractable. Therefore, the authors have found an approximate solution that can be evaluated using an iterative algorithm. >
Inactivation of Isocitrate Lyase During Myxospore Development in Myxococcus xanthus

The inactivation of isocitrate lyase which occurs during late stages of myxospore formation in Myxococcus xanthus was studied. Several findings are reported. (i) Protein synthesis is required over a specific time interval in order for isocitrate lyase inactivation to occur at a later time. (ii) Metabolic energy is required at all times during myxospore development if the inactivation is to occur. (iii) It was possible to inhibit protein turnover to a considerable extent without affecting the net loss in isocitrate lyase activity.
Arthroscopic treatment of malunited and nonunited avulsion fractures of the anterior tibial spine

Ten patients, presenting with a 10 degrees to 25 degrees deficit of knee extension after an avulsion fracture of the anterior tibial spine, were arthroscopically treated with debridement and abrasion of the anterior spine. Notchplasty was also performed in five cases where there was a more severe deficit of extension. At follow-up (mean: 39.4 months) eight patients had recovered the full articular range of motion of the knee whereas two had a slight residual deficit of extension of between 3 degrees and 5 degrees. In no case was ligament stability compromised as compared with preoperative assessment.
Leaf area index and normalized difference vegetation index as predictors of canopy characteristics and light interception by riparian species on the Lower Colorado River

Abstract Leaf area index (LAI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were compared for riparian species along a 350 km stretch of the Lower Colorado River in the United States and Mexico. The species included two native trees, cottonwood ( Populus fremontii ) and willow ( Salix gooddingii ), and two salt-tolerant shrubs, saltcedar ( Tamarix ramosissima ) and arrowweed ( Pluchia sericea ), exhibiting large differences in leaf type and canopy architecture. LAI was measured with a Licor 2000 plant canopy analyzer calibrated against biomass measurements of LAI, whereas NDVI was measured by low-level aerial photography using a DyCam digital camera with Red (R)–Blue (B)–near infrared (NIR) bands. In addition, reflectance spectra were measured for leaf samples collected from plants in the field. Leaf samples of all species had similar reflectance spectra in the visible (VIS) and NIR, hence similar NDVI values, ranging from 0.62 to 0.72 ( P >0.05). LAI values of field plants varied over a relatively narrow range, with mean values of 3.50, 3.28, 2.81 and 3.69 for cottonwood, willow, saltcedar and arrowweed, respectively. However, field plants showed distinct species differences in NDVI, with the following mean values: cottonwood (0.686), willow (0.600), saltcedar (0.473) and arrowweed (0.254) (all significantly different at P k , for plant canopies, according to the formula: fIRs=(1−e − k LAI ), where fIRs is the fraction of incident light intercepted by the canopy. At one extreme, cottonwood had broad leaves that faced the sun, and a calculated k of 1.25, whereas at the other extreme, arrowweed had linear leaves that were near to vertical, and had a k of 0.15. Ecophysiological implications of the differences among the species are discussed.
Crop growth and irrigation interact to influence surface fluxes in a regional climate-cropland model (WRF3.3-CLM4crop)

In this study, we coupled Version 4.0 of the Community Land Model that includes crop growth and management (CLM4crop) into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model Version 3.3 to better represent interactions between climate and agriculture. We evaluated the performance of the coupled model (WRF3.3-CLM4crop) by comparing simulated crop growth and surface climate to multiple observational datasets across the continental United States. The results showed that although the model with dynamic crop growth overestimated leaf area index (LAI) and growing season length, interannual variability in peak LAI was improved relative to a model with prescribed crop LAI and growth period, which has no environmental sensitivity. Adding irrigation largely improved daily minimum temperature but the RMSE is still higher over irrigated land than non-irrigated land. Improvements in climate variables were limited by an overall model dry bias. However, with addition of an irrigation scheme, soil moisture and surface energy flux partitioning were largely improved at irrigated sites. Irrigation effects were sensitive to crop growth: the case with prescribed crop growth underestimated irrigation water use and effects on temperature and overestimated soil evaporation relative to the case with dynamic crop growth in moderately irrigated regions. We conclude that studies examining irrigation effects on weather and climate using coupled climate–land surface models should include dynamic crop growth and realistic irrigation schemes to better capture land surface effects in agricultural regions.
Resecting without detecting the lesion in extratemporal lobe epilepsy

Nonlesional extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE) often persists following resection of the site of ictal onset, localized with definitive intracranial EEG recordings.1,2 In lesional ETLE, however, lesionectomy with resection of a single electrophysiologically defined ictal onset (ictogenic) zone often stops seizures immediately and permanently.1,2 In temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a single ictogenic site can be resected, either with an accompanying lesion or in the absence of an MRI-detected lesion, and is a highly efficacious epilepsy therapy.2 Efforts to increase surgical efficacy in nonlesional ETLE have focused on localization by functional imaging to substitute for lesion localization by structural imaging.
Bitter substances suppress afferent responses to an appetitive mixture: Evidence for peripheral integration of chemosensory stimuli

The processes that lead from detection of chemicals, transduction, and coding with the appropriate message to initiate ingestion of a palatable meal or to reject a potentially noxious substance are poorly understood in vertebrates owing to the complex organization of the taste system. As a first step in elucidating the cellular basis of the behavioral differences elicited by appetitive stimuli and bitter compounds, we recorded from the afferent nerves conveying peripheral chemosensory information to the CNS in the head of the leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Superfusion of the chemosensory region of the lip of Hirudo with a mixture of NaCl (150 mM) and arginine (1 mM), an appetitive solution that elicits ingestion, increased the neuronal activity in the afferent cephalic nerves, for example (Zhang X, Wilson RJ, Li Y, Kleinhaus AL. 2000. Chemical and thermal stimuli have short-lived effects on the Retzius cell in the medicinal leech. J Neurobiol 43:304-311.). In the present paper we show that superfusing the lip with quinine or denatonium reduced the basal neural activity in the afferents. Furthermore, these bitter substances in the appetitive solution counteracted the increased activity the appetitive solution evoked in the cephalic nerves. Thus, the neural activity evoked by the application of appetitive and aversive stimuli to the chemosensory area of the lip paralleled the opposite behavioral responses to the same chemicals. The results suggest that individual leech taste cells possess receptors for both types of stimuli. Therefore, the leech may be a good model system in which to study peripheral taste events in cells that may possess multiple receptors and transduction mechanisms that interact to integrate information.
Effect of Sulfapyridine on Immune Response to Pneumococcal Infection.

Summary1. The immune responses that occur naturally in the course of an untreated pneumonia, studied by determining type-specific and species-specific agglutinins and by the dermal reactivity to type-specific polysaccharides, are apparently unaltered by treatment with sulfapyridine. 2. There seems to be no relation of the heterophile-antibody titer to the clinical course of pneumococcal pneumonia or its immune responses following sulfapyridine-therapy.
How much domestic quick response manufacturing can a business afford

Employment in the U.S. apparel industry has declined dramatically since the 1960s. Will it fall inexorably to zero, or is there some base level that can endure? If so, what strategic characteristics are required to survive? There is considerable interest in Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), not only as a reason to support domestic manufacturing, but also as part of the larger goal of reducing supply chain costs. However, since Domestic Manufacturing is more expensive, why should anyone bother considering it? This paper presents an analytical model of a team approach that includes both domestic and offshore manufacturing. Despite the additional costs associated with U.S. manufacturing, our model predicts that including a domestic contractor is legitimate and cost effective. However, the alliance must be genuinely cooperative. A partnership has to be established early in the retailer's planning cycle, and the manufacturer should participate in the planning. Also, sharing data and making timely decisions imposes a strategic business approach, and the model allows us to describe the characteristic roles and capabilities required. Using this model for guidance, we anticipate that retailers will have the stock to satisfy more customers with fewer markdowns, while manufacturers will see increased margins and lower inventories.
Intellectual impairment in alcoholics: Persistent issues

Intellectual impairment in sober intermediate stage alcoholics has been well established. However, a number of persistent issues remain to be explored. Three of the most important concern 1) variability in cognitive-perceptual functioning in samples of alcoholics, 2) differential vulnerability of cognitive-perceptual functions to alcohol abuse and 3) the relationship of cognitive-perceptual impairment to treatment behaviour and benefit. Consideration of these issues resulted in the following conclusions. There is a substantial minority of alcoholics who do not manifest impairment on any given cognitive test. Variability of findings with different samples of alcoholics may be, in part, a function of family history of alcoholism and/or severity of alcoholism. Verbal and rote learning functions are less sensitive to alcohol abuse than non-verbal, or complex verbal, abstracting/problem-solving skills. Alcoholics' impersonal and interpersonal problem-solving abilities are both impaired but appear to be uncorrelated. Impairment in cognitive-perceptual functioning in alcoholics does predict therapists' ratings of treatment behaviour and benefit.
Chinese water chestnut or matai— A Paddy Crop of China

This edible corm of a sedge has long been valued throughout the Orient as a vegetable delicacy and as a source of medicine and starch. Imposition of an embargo in 1950 on commercial shipments from Communist China has promoted interest and experimentation in cultivating it in the climatically milder regions of the New World.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Emulsion Polymerization Kinetics and the Evolution of Latex Particle Morphology and Polymer Chain Architecture

Monte Carlo methods were applied to the reaction kinetics and polymer diffusion at play during the dynamics of creating structured latex particles. Reaction kinetic events in both the water phase and the particles are combined with diffusion of polymer radicals in the particles to allow the prediction of the overall polymerization kinetics, including the Trommsdorf gel effect, chain transfer reactions to monomer, chain transfer agents (e.g., thiols) and polymer chains, and chain length dependent termination reactions. This allowed the calculation of latex particle morphology, as well as the polymer molecular weight, gel content and graft level, when applicable. A number of examples are used to provide experimental data with which to compare the Monte Carlo predictions.
PREDICTORS AND CONSEQUENCES OF DIFFERENTIATED PRACTICES ON SOCIAL NETWORK SITES

Applying a typology of social network site (SNS) usage that takes into consideration the intensity with which people use such sites, this piece offers an empirical investigation of how users' social practices on SNSs differ and whether different levels of engagement have consequences for academic performance. We rely on a unique survey-based data set representing a diverse group of young adults to answer these questions. We find, not surprisingly, that the more intense users of such sites engage in more social activities on SNSs than those who spend less time on them and only use one such site. This finding holds in the realm of both stronger-tie activities and weaker-tie activities, that is, social practices involving one's close friends as well as less established ties. Our analyses suggest gender differences in level of engagement with SNS social practices. Women pursue more stronger-tie activities than men, such as interacting with existing friends. In contrast, women engage in fewer weaker-tie activi...
DNA synthesis in rabbit spermatozoa after treatment with lysolecithin and fusion with somatic cells.

Abstract Fusion of rabbit cauda epididymal or ejaculate spermatozoa with F5-1 Syrian hamster somatic cells in the presence of lysolecithin resulted in the formation of heterokaryocytes, initiated disaggregation of spermatozoal chromatin and stimulated DNA synthesis by the disaggregated chromatin. Fifteen to 20% of the F5-1 cells fused with 1 to 5 spermatozoa. Many of the spermatozoal nuclei were morphologically altered and appeared as ovoid, Feulgen-positive, clumps of dense material. These clumps, termed sperm bodies, exhibited a metachromatic response following acridine orange staining closely akin to that exhibited by definitive spermatozoal heads on the same preparations. Only the sperm bodies and spermatozoa exhibited autoradiographic labeling of nuclei following fusion of in vivo labeled rabbit spermatozoa with F5-1 cells. Incorporation of 3 H-thymidine administered in vitro to cultures of heterokaryocytes indicated that DNA synthesis was initiated in the sperm bodies.
Winning in Small Claims Courts: An Empirical Analysis

Small claims courts provide consumers with a potentially effective method for complaint resolution. Little is known, however, about the factors which influence the probability of consumers winning their cases in court or of successfully settling their cases out of court. This study estimated these probabilities using 1975–76 data from the Syracuse, New York Small Claims Court. A major goal of the research was to determine if plaintiffs' demographic characteristics, the amount and type of advice sought by plaintiffs and the specific characteristics of the cases differentially affected the probability of successful consumer outcomes. Major findings were that economic variables such as the amount of the claim and the amount offered by way of settlement of the claim primarily determined the probability of settling out of court. Neither sex nor race had any impact on the probability of winning in court. Advice from the small claims court staff and from lawyers both were found to lower the probability that the consumer would win in court. The results point to the need for more empirical analyses of small claims court cases and may aid educators in advising consumers on the use of the institution and policy makers concerned with court reform.
Quark flavor tagging in polarized hadronic processes

We describe a general approach to quark flavor tagging in polarized hadronic processes, with particular emphasis on semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. A formalism is introduced that allows one to relate chosen quark flavor polarizations to an arbitrary combination of final-state hadron spin asymmetries. Within the context of the presented formalism, we quantify the sensitivity of various semi-inclusive hadron asymmetries to the light quark flavors. We show that unpolarized \ensuremath{\Lambda}'s may allow one to measure strange quark and antiquark polarizations independently. We also highlight several applications of our formalism, particularly to measurements intended to probe further the spin structure of the nucleon.
Interface properties of an AlN/(AlN)x (SiC)1–x/4H-SiC heterostructure

The crystal structure and compositional changes near the two interfaces of a AlN/(AlN)x (SiC)1–x/4H-SiC heterostructure prepared by sublimation-recondensation growth were examined by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Deposition of an (AlN)x (SiC)1–x layer between a SiC seed and a bulk AlN crystal is potentially beneficial for gradually changing the lattice constants and coefficient of thermal expansion from SiC to AlN. A compositional transition layer adjacent to the 4H-SiC substrate suggested interdiffusion between the substrate and the alloy layer. The alloy had the 4H-polytype crystal structure in this layer; above the layer, the alloy exhibited the typical 2H-polytype. Voids were present at the AlN/(AlN)x (SiC)1–x interface, due to the decomposition of the (AlN)x (SiC)1–x layer before the AlN layer had completely coalesced. The nominally pure AlN layer contained approximately 8% of Si and C, possibly coming from the decomposition of the alloy layer and/or the substrate during growth of the AlN layer. Both interfaces were abrupt, to less than 50 nm, with low densities of threading dislocations. Dislocations in both the (AlN)x (SiC)1–x and AlN layers were not threading, but ran parallel to the (0001) planes. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Developing Risk Models for Aviation Maintenance and Inspection

This article summarizes 2 related research projects sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aviation Safety and Security Program. As NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the airline industry have sought to understand causal factors of accidents and incidents, one emerging concern has been aircraft maintenance and subsequent inspection. Risk assessment methodologies are powerful tools for use in understanding the vulnerabilities of complex systems. This article discusses how these techniques are being used to predict the probability of inspectors detecting structural cracks in aluminum aircraft and dents in composite aircraft.
Investigation of the scuffing characteristics of candidate materials for heavy duty diesel fuel injectors

Abstract The objective of this study is to characterize and understand the evolutionary processes that produce changes in the friction and surface damage in materials for possible use as heavy duty diesel fuel injector plungers. This work has involved the development of test methods to impart reciprocating motion to various metals, ceramics, and coated specimens in the presence of diesel fuel-like fluids. Commercial and candidate plunger materials, including 52100 steel, zirconia, cermets (TiC in Ni3Al matrix), and TiN coatings, were evaluated on a crossed-cylinders-like scuffing test we call the ‘pin-on-twin’ geometry. Contacts were lubricated by on-highway #2 diesel and Jet A aviation fuels. Using friction-based criteria, the material ranking was in good agreement with field experience with actual injectors from the diesel engine industry. Zirconia and cermets exhibited promising scuffing resistance in both fuels. Scuffing generally became more severe in the Jet A fuel. Experimental results indicated that smoother surfaces that are required to sustain higher injection pressures could be more vulnerable to scuffing due to their thinner lubricant films. Material transfer was the major scuffing mechanism of zirconia, cermets, and TiN coatings against steel. Micro-scratches were also observed on the matrix material of cermets.
Mechanism of bacteriophage T4 DNA holoenzyme assembly: the 44/62 protein acts as a molecular motor.

The role of ATP hydrolysis by the 44/62 protein in formation of the stable holoenzyme DNA replication complex has been further elucidated by specifically examining the role that the 44/62 protein plays in loading the 45 protein onto the DNA substrate. A stable phospho-45 protein or phosphorylated holoenzyme complex was not detected or isolated, suggesting that the 44/62 protein may not act as a protein kinase. Product and dead-end inhibition data are consistent with an ordered kinetic mechanism with respect to product release in which phosphate is released from the 44/62 protein prior to ADP. Positional isotope effect studies support this mechanism and failed to demonstrate that ATP hydrolysis by the 44/62 protein is reversible. Steady-state ATPase assays using aluminum tetrafluoride as an inhibitor are also consistent with release of ADP being partially rate-limiting. Aluminum tetrafluoride acts to trap ADP on the enzyme after turnover, forming a stable transition state analog that dissociates slowly fro...
Design of experiments (DOE) technique for microwave/millimeter wave flip‐chip optimization

We present a design of experiments (DOE) technique for microwave/millimeter wave flip-chip characterization and optimization. Two optimization approaches, signal bump misalignment and transmission line compensation, are combined together for optimal performance for high frequency operation. First, the design of experiments method is presented and its advantages are emphasized. Then, the two techniques are combined together in a factorial experiment with the purpose of optimizing the return loss to any desired frequency. The experiment is based on test structure fabrication and measurements. The one-factor-at-a-time strategy shows that return loss performance is increased with the misalignment values and decreased with compensation for the frequency range of interest. However, the statistical analysis revealed that the optimal performance is achieved for maximum compensation, and minimum misalignment. The optimal structure is measured from 1 to 75 GHz and shows return loss better than 17 dB. The method can be extended to include more optimization factors in different analysis intervals. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dichotomous facies on a Late Cretaceous rocky island as related to wind and wave patterns (Baja California, Mexico)

Local facies forming the basal Rosario Formation of the Upper Cretaceous in the Erendira area of northern Baja California (Mexico) were deposited in distinctive windward and leeward settings. They are related by a nonconformity to the flanks of an andesite ridge of the Lower Cretaceous Alisitos Formation. Through rapid transgression and erosion in late Cretaceous time, the ridge was reduced to a maximum width of a half-kilometer and its neck was breached by Rosario sediments to form a small near-shore island. One end of the Alisitos outlier is now being truncated by marine erosion so that the original length of the peninsula-island is difficult to determine. It was not less than 1.5 km long, however, based on local geomorphology
Chemical Precipitation-Coagulation for Organic Color Removal from Goundwaters

: Many wells produce water that is highly colored by organic substances. Colored water may cause aesthetic, economic, and health problems for the cities using it as a municipal supply. Characterization of water from a number of wells showed that the color causing compounds were hydroxylated aromatic carboxylic acids which were precipitated below pH 4.5 and were almost completely ionized above pH 4.5. Through jar tests, a chemical precipitation-coagulation treatment system was developed. The optimal sequence of chemical addition was alum first, followed by pH adjustment and addition of a polyelectrolyte. Rapid mix tests demonstrated the need for a reaction period after alum and after acid addition, and that the rapid mix time controlled floc size for a given flocculation period. Flocculation tests, varying both the floc time and mean velocity gradient, G, showed that an optimum G exists for each floc time and that the residual color decreased with decreasing values of velocity gradient.
Population genetics and systematics of the Leptasterias hexactis (echinodermata : asteroidea) species complex

Morphological characters and 14 enzyme loci were examined for 1 040 sea stars, currently recognized as forms ofLeptasterias hexactis, from Lynn Canal, Alaska, and Puget Sound, Washington, USA, between March 1988 and April 1989. Three morphologically and two genetically distinctLeptasterias forms were identified. The most common form found at both localities wasL. epichlora (Brandt)sensu Verrill.L. hexactis (Stimpson)sensu Verrill co-occurred withL. epichlora at all study sites and apparently hybridizes extensively withL. epichlora in the Puget Sound region, but rarely, if at all, in Alaska. The presumptive product of this hybridization morphologically resembledL. aequalis (Stimpson)sensu Fisher, and was conspicuously absent from Alaskan samples. Considerable genetic distance existed betweenL. epichlora andL. hexactis (Nei'sD=0.19±0.01) and moderate genetic differentiation occurred between populations of each species from Alaska and Washington (Weir and Cockerham'sF RT =0.29±0.04 forL. epichlora and 0.21±0.15 forL. hexactis). A significant (p<0.05) deficiency in the proportion of heterozygous individuals was found compared to Hardy-Weinberg expectations (Wright's fixation index,F ID=0.12±0.04 and 0.31±0.08 forL. epichlora andL. hexactis, respectively). However, mean observed heterozygosity for each species (0.09±0.03, 0.14±0.04 and 0.14±0.04 forL. epichlora, L. hexactis andL. aequalis, respectively) fell within the range of reported values for other asteroid species (ca. 0.04 to 0.37). The results of this study indicate that considerable genetic integrity is maintained betweenL. epichlora andL. hexactis, which warrants their recognition as distinct species despite their apparent hybridization in the Puget Sound region.
FEULGEN MICROSPECTROPHOTOMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF THE LIFE HISTORY OF FRITSCHIELLA TUBEROSA(CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

A Feulgen microspectrophotometric analysis of successive generations of Fritschiella tuberosa Iyengar revealed an asexual repeating of one generation rather than an obligate alternation of isomorphic generations as previously described. F. tuberosa regularly reproduces asexually by the release of one quadriflagellate zoospore produced/cell in all parts of the upright and prostrate portions of the thallus. In the vegetative thalli, nuclei in the G1 (pre-synthesis), synthesis, and G2 (post-synthesis) phases of the mitotic cycle are all well-represented.
The Legacy of Transformational Moments in Feminist Psychology

Important turning points in the history of feminist psychology can sometimes be traced to particular moments—specific publications or situations in which an individual or group sparked advancement of the field. Just as there are national milestones (e.g., formation of the American Psychological Association’s Division 35, the Society for the Psychology of Women and formation of the Association for Women in Psychology), there are also transformational moments with a local flavor, that is, events specific to a city, college/university, or specialization within psychology that play a role in the development of our field. In this article, I report the initial findings of a project aimed at collecting feminist psychologists’ first-person accounts of local events or activities (late 1960s to the present) that contributors believe have influenced, or are influencing, the development of feminist psychology, especially the scholarship of feminist psychology. Thus, this ongoing project focuses on the experiences of ...
Accuracy of precordial percussion in detecting cardiomegaly.

Abstract study objective: To assess the value of precordial percussion in detecting cardiomegaly, and to compare it with palpation of the apical impulse. design: Descriptive study. setting: Hospitals and clinics of a university medical center. patients: Light indirect percussion of the precordium was performed on 72 inpatients and 28 outpatients. All patients had a posteroanterior radiograph of the chest. Percussors were unaware of the clinical history and of chest roentgenogram results. measurements and main results: Thirty-six patients (36%) had cardiomegaly, defined as a cardiothoracic ratio of greater than 0.5 on chest roentgenogram. The cardiothoracic ratio was significantly correlated with percussion distance from the midsternal line in the left fourth (r = 0.35, p conclusions: Percussion in the left fifth intercostal space accurately discriminates patients with and without cardiomegaly, and adds information beyond that obtainable from the history and other parts of the physical examination.
Using Zero-Balance Ultrafiltration With Dialysate as a Replacement Solution for Toxin and Eptifibatide Removal on a Dialysis-Dependent Patient During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

CARDIAC DISEASE is very prevalent in patients with endstage renal disease (ESRD) dependent on hemodialysis (HD). While HD-dependent patients commonly are referred for cardiac surgery, their multiple comorbidities, including diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, anemia and cachexia, and others, make perioperative management challenging. It has been shown that perioperative management of fluid balance, electrolytes, metabolic acidosis, and azotemia plays an important role in operative morbidity and mortality in these patients. Previous research has shown that intraoperative fluid removal and toxin clearance using intraoperative hemodialysis (IHD), continuous hemodiafiltration (CVVH), IHD using a hemoconcentrator, and zero-balance ultrafiltration (Z-BUF) all have been shown to decrease the incidences of perioperative and postoperative complications in chronic dialysis patients undergoing cardiac surgery. While commonly used, IHD and CVVH increase the cost and complexity of the procedure. A hemoconcentrator is typically a standard component of the cardiopulmonary (CPB) circuit and can be utilized to perform ultrafiltration, Z-BUF or, less commonly, hemodialysis with the addition of a roller pump to control the dialysate. While the cost of a hemoconcentrator for hemodialysis is minimal, there is still added complexity for the perfusionist. Z-BUF with dialysate as replacement fluid is the only intraoperative renal replacement therapy option that is low in both cost and complexity. Journois et al originally introduced the concept of Z-BUF in the pediatric population in order to decrease the concentration of inflammatory mediators by removing plasma water with a hemoconcentrator while replacing it with an equal amount of crystalloid fluid, leading to a shorter time to extubation. Fluid overload also can be addressed with this technique by simply removing more fluid than is replaced. In addition to removing inflammatory and uremic toxins that contribute to cardiogenic shock and lung dysfunction, Z-BUF also allows for the removal of any unwanted circulating drugs such as eptifibatide (Integrilins, Merck & Co. Inc. Whitehouse Station, NJ), a platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitor. By using specific replacement fluids, Z-BUF also can be used to normalize pH or
Formation of porphyrin donor-acceptor complexes via an amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge

Abstract Porphyrins have been modified with an amidine functional group and they have been shown to bind carboxylic acids to form a amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge. These systems offer a new model to probe the mechanism of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET).
The effect of pH on the emission and absorption spectra of a ruthenium complex

Abstract A ruthenium complex, Ru(Phen)2(Phen-OH-CO2Et)2+(PF6)2, where Phen=1,10-phenanthroline and Phen-OH-CO2Et=3-carbethoxy,4-hydroxy-1,10-phenanthroline ligands has been synthesized. The emission intensity of this complex changes in the pH range of 3–11, which makes it useful in the design of chemosensors.
Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of inflammatory disease of the optic nerve.

Abstract Enlargement of the optic nerve and chiasm as demonstrated by high-resolution CT scanning or magnetic resonance imaging is often assumed to indicate tumor. However, this is not always true. The mode of clinical presentation of the disease process must be correctly applied to the interpretation of the radiographic studies. In the case illustrated here, neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation prevented an unnecessary biopsy in a patient whose presentation was atypical for anterior visual pathway glioma and whose clinical couse was otherwise compatible with optic neuritis.