cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activity Coefficient of SiO 2 in SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -CaO Slags with Low SiO 2 -Content at 1873 K (1600 °C)

The activity coefficient of SiO2 in SiO2-Al2O3-CaO slags with limited Al2O3 content was measured by equilibrating Fe-C-Si melt and slags at 1873 K (1600 °C). When the Al2O3 content was between 48 and 54 wt pct, the results show that \( \gamma_{{{\text{SiO}}_{ 2} }} \) rapidly decreases as the amount of SiO2 in the slag decreases. The equilibrium amounts of Si and Al in a Fe melt in equilibrium with SiO2-Al2O3-CaO slags were calculated based on the result of this study.
The Impact of Convective Flow on Thermal Diffusion Cloud Chamber Operation

We report here new results that further elucidate the role of buoyancy-driven convective flows in determining the distribution of vapor mole fraction and temperature in the thermal diffusion cloud chamber. A two-dimensional model describing both diffusion and convection in the presence of chamber sidewalls is presented. The model equations are used to analyze 1-butanol and 1-pentanol nucleation data obtained earlier. The results of the investigation show that convective flow is nearly always present and, in the cases considered here, result in a reduction in the value of the calculated critical supersaturation (as compared to the one-dimensional case). The dependence of critical supersaturation with total pressure reported earlier is smaller but is not eliminated.
Invited Review Article: Laser Vaporization Cluster Sources

The laser vaporization cluster source has been used for the production of gas phase atomic clusters and metal-molecular complexes for 30 years. Numerous experiments in the chemistry and physics of clusters have employed this source. Its operation is simple in principle, but there are many subtle design features that influence the number and size of clusters produced, as well as their composition, charge state, and temperature. This article examines all aspects of the design of these cluster sources, discussing the relevant chemistry, physics, and mechanical aspects of experimental configurations employed by different labs. The principles detailed here provide a framework for the design and implementation of this source for new applications.
Concentrations of PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in retail foods and an assessment of dietary intake for local population of Shenzhen in China.

Objectives: Concentrations of 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in 11 varieties of food groups collected from retail market of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China from 2004 to 2006. PCDD/Fs and PCBs dietary intake from varies food for the local population was estimated in the study. Methods: Concentrations of 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as 6 marker PCBs were measured in 11 varieties of food groups in total 110 food samples by isotope dilution HRGC/HRMS. PCDD/Fs and PCBs dietary intake for local population was estimated using total WHO-TEQ concentration and different food consumption amount of the local population. Results: The median WHO-TEQ concentrations of sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs varied from 0.0093 pg/g (parts per trillion) in vegetable to 9.89 pg/g in fish. Fish was followed by egg 2.46, chicken 1.73, beef 0.94, mutton 0.82, duck 0.39, pork 0.37, milk powder 0.25, vegetable oil 0.076, cereals 0.022 pg/g and vegetable. The monthly intake of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were 40.9 pg WHO-TEQ/kg b.w. for local population. Sum of fish, livestock, and poultry contributed 77% to the Estimated Monthly Intake (EMI) in local population. Conclusion: Estimated dietary intake of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs for local population was below the provisional tolerable monthly intake(PTMI) set by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Aging, Exercise, and Limb Vascular Heterogeneity in Humans

Unlike quadrupeds, human limbs are exposed to differing homeostatic challenges and uses, which results in significant functional heterogeneity between the arms and legs. In these ACSM symposium proceedings, we report findings from three studies with the overall aim of investigating between-limb vascular differences through evaluation of arm (brachial artery) and leg (common, superficial, and deep femoral arteries) limb blood flow (ultrasound Doppler) during isolated-limb-specific exercise and after postcuff occlusion hyperemia. In a study of young, trained cyclists, a substantial conduit vessel vasodilation (deep femoral artery, approximately 9%) was observed during exercise, but responsiveness normalized to shear stimuli was still less than a conduit vessel in the arm. A subsequent aging study did not demonstrate any significant difference in resting leg or arm blood flow between young and old subjects when flow was normalized for muscle mass. However, we observed an approximately 10-15% reduction in exercising leg blood flow and vascular conductance in these older subjects, whereas exercising arm blood flow was similar between age groups. A separate aging study evaluated age-related changes in flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), with the older group enrolled in a 6-wk knee-extensor exercise training program. Before training, a significant FMD was observed in the arm of young (3 +/- 1%) but not old (1 +/- 1%) subjects, and a significant leg FMD was observed in both groups. However, pretraining arm vasodilation was similar between young and old when normalized for shear rate. Exercise training significantly improved arm FMD (5 +/- 1%), whereas leg FMD was unchanged. Collectively, these studies demonstrate a significant between-limb vascular heterogeneity in humans that is influenced by age and by exercise training.
Permanent magnet modeling for use in vector potential finite element field analysis in electrical machinery

A method for simulation of permanent magnet effects on the magnetic field in electrical machines is given. The method is suited for use with magnetic vector potential numerical models for the analysis of magnetic fields in electrical machines containing permanent magnets. The method was applied to the solution of magnetic fields under no load and load in two 15HP, 120 volt ferrite and samarium cobalt permanent magnet type brushless dc machines using finite elements. Search coil measurements of both flux and flux densities in the two machines were used to verify the present permanent magnet model. The numerical analysis and measurement results of the flux densities were in excellent agreement.
Photodynamic Laser Therapy for Lesions in the Airway

Background Photodynamic therapy is a nonthermal laser used for obstructive, bloody lesions in the airway. Methods A retrospective cohort study of a prospective database was conducted. All patients underwent rigid and flexible bronchoscopy under general anesthesia using jet ventilation. Results There were 529 operations performed on 133 patients between January 1996 and December 2008. The mean preoperative Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale grade was 3 of 4. Indications for intervention were non–small cell lung cancer in 89 patients, metastatic airway lesions in 31 patients, small cell disease in 4 patients, benign disease in 7 patients, other or unknown in 2 patients. Tumors were most commonly located in the main stem bronchi (71 patients). A 2.5-cm diffuser was used in 87% of patients, and 300 J (range, 50 to 300 J) was most frequently selected at first treatment. Most patients received two treatments during a 3-day hospitalization and returned in 2 weeks for two more photodynamic therapy treatments. The mean postoperative Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale grade was 2.7 of 4 and improved in 94 patients (74%). There were 12 operative mortalities (none treatment related). Morbidity occurred in 20 patients (reintubation in 4 patients and respiratory distress leading to an emergent evacuation of debris in 2 patients). Only 4 patients had a photosensitivity reaction. Conclusions Photodynamic therapy is a safe and effective treatment. It is best used for bloody tumors that block the tracheobronchial tree, even in severely debilitated patients with profound shortness of breath from advanced malignancy who fail conventional core-out or laser treatments. Photosensitivity reactions are rare with proper education, and dyspnea is improved in properly selected patients.
SUPERVENIENCE AND MORAL REALISM

Simon Blackburn has developed an interesting challenge to moral realism based on its alleged inability to account for supervenience relations between the moral and nonmoral. If supervenience holds, then any base property once giving rise to a supervening one must always do so. The realist accepts supervenience, but also (according to Blackburn) accepts the claim that nonmoral base properties do not necessitate the moral ones that supervene on them. This combination is thought deadly, because it leaves the realist without an explanation of why ethical supervenience should be true. I offer three responses on behalf of the moral realist. The first rejects the need for explanation, arguing that supervenience should be understood as closely analogous to Leibniz's law, which, I argue, needs no defense. I next argue that ethical naturalism may be right, and if so, would provide an adequate response to Blackburn. Lastly, I show that the success of Blackburn's arguments implies a global antirealism, and so does not, as he claims, amount to a special problem for realism in ethics.
Gender Copia: Feminist Rhetorical Perspectives on an Autistic Concept of Sex/Gender

The prevalence of nontraditional gender identities in many autistic people raises provocative questions for feminist scholars. In particular, autistic writers often invite alternative understandings of sex/gender as a multiple, rhetorical phenomenon. Autobiographies, blogs, and Internet posts show how autistic individuals view gender as a copia, or tool for inventing multiple possibilities through available sex/gender discourses. Four particular discourses emerge through which autistic people understand gender: identification, neurodiversity, performance, and queer identity.
Increasing Relevance of Smoking Cessation Messages in an Online Software Agent Environment

An online software agent that helps smokers quit was designed and tested. We created a library of categorized smoking cessation messages using meta-data corresponding to the Stages of Change Theory. A feedback process was developed that used individual participants relevance ratings and a message similarity search algorithm. A pilot study of university students who smoke or had recently quit was performed. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one received generic, non-tailored messages; another received tailored messages based on their answers to questions about their smoking and quitting behavior; and another received messages selected through tailoring and feedback. In the feedback-driven group, participants reported relevance of the messages received averaged higher than the other two groups. There was also a highly significant correlation in this group between relevance and social presence, which indicates the "feeling" of interacting in an interpersonal manner.
Digital beamforming calibration for FMCW radar

Three sources of beamforming deterioration are identified for an FMCW radar. These all relate to time-of-arrival and cable delays. There are small range-dependent phase errors at the receiver outputs. The delays cause frequency shifts, which produce phase errors at the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) outputs after ranging. These frequency shifts cause amplitude errors when the signals are resolved into the same range bin. Two methods of compensating for phase and amplitude errors are proposed. The first corrects for phase errors prior to beamforming. Amplitude errors are ignored but the residual error is usually small. The second method aligns the receiver frequencies digitally before ranging. This eliminates the phase errors and the amplitude errors at the DFT range estimates. >
Fractionally-spaced blind equalization with CRIMNO algorithm

The CRIMNO criterion is extended to the case of fractionally spaced blind equalization. Simulation results show that the fractionally spaced CRIMNO algorithm, especially its adaptive version, converges faster than the synchronous CRIMNO algorithm, and faster than the fractionally spaced Goddard (1980) CMA algorithm. Insights into why the fractionally spaced blind equalization algorithm has faster convergence are given. >
The Transcription Factor NFATp Plays a Key Role in Susceptibility to TB in Mice

In T cells, the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells p (NFATp) is a key regulator of the cytokine genes tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-c (IFN-c). Here, we show that NFATp-deficient (NFATp 2/2 ) mice have a dramatic and highly significant increase in mortality after Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) infection as compared to mortality of control animals after MTb infection. Animals deficient in NFATp have significantly impaired levels of TNF and IFN-c transcription and protein expression in nao ¨ve or total CD4 + T cells, but display wild-type levels of TNF mRNA or protein from MTb-stimulated dendritic cells (DC). The rapid mortality and disease severity observed in MTb-infected NFATp 2/2 mice is associated with dysregulated production of TNF and IFN-c in the lungs, as well as with increased levels of TNF, in their serum. Furthermore, global blocking of TNF production by injection of a TNF neutralizaing agent at 6 weeks, but not 12 weeks, post-MTbinfection further decreased the survival rate of both wild-type and NFATp 2/2 mice, indicating an early role for TNF derived from cells from the monocyte lineage in containment of infection. These results thus demonstrate that NFATp plays a critical role in immune containment of TB disease in vivo, through the NFATp-dependent expression of TNF and IFN-c in T cells.
Examining the Effects of Leadership Behavior on Employee Perceptions of Performance and Job Satisfaction

Studies undertaken at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan nearly five decades ago identified two broad categories of effective leadership behavior: task-oriented and relations-oriented behavior. More recently, scholars from Scandinavia identified a third category of behavior associated with effective leadership: development-oriented leadership. This study measures these three types of leadership behavior and analyzes their relation to perceptions of performance and job satisfaction as reported by federal employees responding to the 2002 Federal Human Capital Survey. The results show that all three types of leadership behavior are positively related to perceptions of performance, while relations-oriented and development-oriented behavior are positively related to job satisfaction. In short, leadership behavior matters when it comes to predicting perceived performance and job satisfaction.
Simple, Inexpensive Approach to Sampling for Pedestrian and Bicycle Surveys

Many transportation planners undertake local surveys for a better understanding of the levels of walking and cycling of residents in their city or town. This paper explores the challenges of designing a robust sampling strategy for such surveys. A review of existing surveys on nonmotorized transportation demonstrated that many existing surveys used less than ideal sampling approaches for communities that were aiming to collect populationwide data on cycling and walking and thereby jeopardized the strength of their conclusions. Either surveys used approaches that were too expensive and complex for most communities to implement or surveys generated data that were not applicable to all residents in a community (i.e., data that were not generalizable to the full population). In response to that sampling problem, this paper presents a new method for collecting generalizable data: the sampling method developed in the Pedestrian and Bicycling Survey (PABS) project. PABS offers a rigorous, yet inexpensive, simple...
The 'Third Hand': IT-Enabled Competitive Advantage in Turbulence Through Improvisational Capabilities

Organizations are increasingly engaged in competitive dynamics that are enabled or induced by IT. A key competitive dynamics question for many organizations is how to build a competitive advantage in turbulence with digital IT systems. While the literature has focused mostly on developing and exercising dynamic capabilities for planned reconfiguration of existing operational capabilities in fairly stable environments with patterned “waves,” this may not always be possible, or even appropriate, in highly turbulent environments with unexpected “storms.” We introduce improvisational capabilities as an alternative means for managing highly turbulent environments, defined as the ability to spontaneously reconfigure existing resources to build new operational capabilities to address urgent, unpredictable, and novel environmental situations. In contrast to the planned role of dynamic and operational capabilities and the ambidexterity that they jointly offer, improvisational capabilities are proposed to operate distinctly as a “third hand” that facilitates reconfiguration and change in highly turbulent environments. First, the paper develops the notion of improvisational capabilities and articulates the key differences between the two “reconfiguration” - improvisational and dynamic - capabilities. Second, the paper compares the relative effects of improvisational and dynamic capabilities in the context of New Product Development (NPD) in different levels of environmental turbulence. Third, the paper shows how IT leveraging capability in NPD is decomposed into its three digital IT systems: Project and Resource Management Systems (PRMS), Organizational Memory Systems (OMS), and Cooperative Work Systems (CWS) - and how each of these three IT systems enhances improvisational capabilities, an effect that is accentuated in highly turbulent environments.The results show that while dynamic capabilities are the primary predictor of competitive advantage in moderately turbulent environments, improvisational capabilities fully dominate in highly turbulent environments. Besides discriminant validity, the distinction between improvisational and dynamic capabilities is evidenced by the differential effects of IT leveraging capability on improvisational and dynamic capabilities. The results show that the more the IT leveraging capability is catered toward managing resources (through PRMS) and team collaboration (through CWS) rather than relying on past knowledge and procedures (through OMS), the more it is positively associated with improvisational capabilities, particularly in more turbulent environments. The paper draws implications for how different IT systems can influence improvisational capabilities and competitive advantage in turbulent environments, thereby enhancing our understanding of the role of IT systems on reconfiguration capabilities. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical implications of building and exercising the “third hand” of improvisational capabilities for IT-enabled competitive dynamics in turbulence.
Obesity and cancer immunotherapy toxicity

Within the past decade the usage of cancer immunotherapy has gained momentum, achieving successes within various advancedstaged malignancies and is beginning to be explored as a primary therapeutic rather than secondary to traditional cytoreductive therapies. Immunotherapeutic antitumor approaches have included systemic stimulatory therapies, blocking checkpoint inhibitory pathways, direct induction of T-cell stimulatory pathways and adoptive cell transfer strategies, among others [1]. However, the widespread application of immunotherapy has been limited by the induction of dose-limiting, and often times life-threatening, immune-related adverse reaction events (irAEs). These reactions are best exemplified by stimulatory systemic therapies, such as IL-2 and high-dose IFN, that can result in cytokine-release syndrome, multiorgan failure and require their usage to be limited to highly specialized centers capable of providing continuous care [2]. More recently, novel immunotherapies have similarly resulted in the induction of irAEs ranging from mild, requiring dose and scheduling adjustments, to life-threatening. Immune checkpoint blockade therapies such as anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 induce a generalized expansion and activation of T cells that can adversely result in autoimmunity. Toxicities with checkpoint blockade therapies have included dermatitis, enterocolitis, endocrinopathies and life-threatening liver toxicities, and/or pneumonitis [3–5]. Likewise, a Phase II clinical trial using agonistic CD137 antibody to overcome T-cell inhibition through direct binding and activation of 4-1BB co-stimulatory receptor resulted in grade 4 hepatitis that halted the continuance of the trial [6]. Recently, great promise in antitumor efficacy has been demonstrated through autologous infusion of engineered T cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Low-dose administration of CAR-T cells expressing CD137 and targeting CD19 into three patients with chemotherapy-resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia resulted in all three demonstrating strong antitumor responses with two patients having complete remission [7]. However, CAR-T-cell therapy is accompanied by cytokine release syndrome and/or macrophage activation syndrome that can culminate in the development of severe respiratory and cardiac dysfunction, requiring specialized care throughout treatment [7–9]. Of importance is the commonality that preclinical modeling has often failed to reveal toxicities that are observed in human clinical trials. The vast majority of preclinical studies make usage of young, lean, specific-pathogen free (SPF) inbred mouse models that are Obesity and cancer immunotherapy toxicity
Optical conductivity of a two-dimensional electron liquid with spin-orbit interaction

The interplay of electron-electron interactions and spin-orbit coupling leads to a new contribution to the homogeneous optical conductivity of the electron liquid. The latter is known to be insensitive to many-body effects for a conventional electron system with parabolic dispersion. The parabolic spectrum has its origin in the Galilean invariance which is broken by spin-orbit coupling. This opens up a possibility for the optical conductivity to probe electron-electron interactions. We analyze the interplay of interactions and spin-orbit coupling and obtain optical conductivity beyond RPA.
Contagion and Optimization in Financial Markets

The US financial crisis of 2008 involved the interaction of banks and security houses. The issues of “contagion” and debt crises became subjects of concern. The aim of this paper is to suggest dynamic nonlinear models of the interactions and optimization in financial markets, which explain the dynamics of contagion and the vulnerability of the financial sector to shocks. I compare stochastic and deterministic models of “optimal” debt.
Exploring The Legacy Of The Maya Forest

Abstract The legacy of the Maya forest is entwined with the Maya people who have lived and worked across this landscape over the past five millennia or more. The signatures of their land use, the complexity of their strategies, and the diversity of their adaptation is only recently being investigated, let alone understood. This special issue of the Journal of Ethnobiology takes a close look at the region and brings into focus the intricacies that must be considered in the explanations of the rise and fall of the Maya as well as the conservation of the Maya forest today. The papers herein combine archaeological and ethnographic data on the Maya and the long history of their relationship with the forest. Underscoring all the papers is the evidence that the Maya tropics are resilient as a result of the land use strategies that have become a part of its essence.
Detailed Investigation of the Self-Aggregation of Convection in Cloud-Resolving Simulations

AbstractIn models of radiative–convective equilibrium it is known that convection can spontaneously aggregate into one single localized moist region if the domain is large enough. The large changes in the mean climate state and radiative fluxes accompanying this self-aggregation raise questions as to what simulations at lower resolutions with parameterized convection, in similar homogeneous geometries, should be expected to produce to be considered successful in mimicking a cloud-resolving model.The authors investigate this self-aggregation in a nonrotating, three-dimensional cloud-resolving model on a square domain without large-scale forcing. It is found that self-aggregation is sensitive not only to the domain size, but also to the horizontal resolution. With horizontally homogeneous initial conditions, convective aggregation only occurs on domains larger than about 200km and with resolutions coarser than about 2km in the model examined. The system exhibits hysteresis, so that with aggregated initial c...
Pyrene as a sensitive probe for DNA conformational changes due to protonation.

Abstract Planar pyrene molecules can acquire optical activity upon binding to the disymmetric environment of duplex DNA. Positive induced Cotton effects are observed for pyrene in basic and neutral DNA solutions but revert to strongly negative CD bands in moderately acidic solutions. pH titrations indicate that this change over is strongly cooperative until acid denaturation sets in. The negative induced CD for pyrene results from its binding to a protonated duple.x state which shows a striking 40°C decrease in the melting temperature from its neutral counterpart with 0.18 M NaCI. Further studies with synthetic polynucleotidesreveal that pyrene strongly prefers the guanine containing sequences in general and dG-dC (and/or dC-dG) sequence(s) in particular for this protonated duplex state, in distinct contrast to the dA-dT (and/or dT-dA) sequence specificity in the neutral solutions. The observed pyrene CD sign reversal upon protonation is thus the manifestation of DNA conformational change and the accompan...
Progestins in the medical management of active acromegaly.

ABSTRACT Ideal medical management of active acromegaly is wanting. Therapy directed at injuring tumor tissue is not without complications and may be unsuccessful in arresting the disease process. The administration of progesterone to normal individuals has resulted in poor growth hormone response to provocative stimuli such as arginine infusion. The oral progestin, medroxyprogesterone acetate, was also found to suppress growth hormone response to arginine infusion, an observation previously reported by Simon et al. Oral medroxyprogesterone acetate therapy resulted in striking reduction in growth hormone levels in 10 of 12 acromegalics and growth hormone response to arginine infusion was negligible or absent in 9 volunteers and 11 of 12 acromegalics during this form of therapy. Improvement in glucose tolerance and cosmetic appearance has been observed in initial active acromegalic patients chosen for chronic treatment with this oral progestin.
On the drag of a flat plate at zero incidence in almost-free-molecule flow

A physical theory is proposed for the skin friction on a flat plate at zero incidence in the transition flow regime, i.e. in the flow of a moderately rarefied gas. The ratio of the molecular mean free path to the characteristic size of the plate is assumed of order unity or larger. A general formula for the perturbation to the well-known friction of the free-molecule theory is given. This perturbation is attributed to the intermolecular collisions which are neglected on the basis of the free-molecule hypothesis. The expected rate of collisions are calculated for rigid spheres, using the classical kinetic theory.Although this is intended as an approximate theory, the theoretical results check surprisingly well with the limited experimental data that are available. The present theory shows that the ratio of the Reynolds number to the Mach number squared is the governing parameter for determining the intermolecular collision effect on skin friction in the transition flow regime.
Remarks on the first two events in the supernova burst observed by Kamiokande II

We examine the possibility, remote but not totally improbable, that one of the first two supernova events observed in the Kamiokande II detector consists of an electron neutrino scattering from an electron. From arguments of timing we show that this possibility can be realized only for the first event, and that it requires the electron-neutrino mass to be less than 2.5 eV. The occurrence of such an event means that, of the various Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein solutions to the solar-neutrino problem, the nonadiabatic one is likely to be correct.
Medical students' clinical self-assessments: comparisons with external measures of performance and the students' self-assessments of overall performance and effort.

PURPOSE. To find predictors of students' initial self-assessments of their clinical performances, the predictive value of their self-assessments, and factors that relate to their final self-assessments. METHOD. Of the 142 third-year students at the University of Michigan Hospital in 1988–89, 137 (96
Thromboxane Is Required for Full Expression of Angiotensin Hypertension in Rats

Recent studies suggest that thromboxane (TX) mediates a significant component of angiotensin II (ANG II)- induced hypertension. However, there is little information to support the hypothesis that this relationship is important during chronic, physiological increases in ANG II, particularly while controlling for variation in endogeneous ANG II levels induced by TX inhibition. This study tested that hypothesis in 27 chronically instrumented rats. After baseline measurements, suppression of endogenous TX was induced and maintained throughout the study in 13 rats by IV infusion of the TX synthesis inhibitor (TSI) U63557A; the other 14 rats received vehicle. Baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not different between groups and was unchanged by TSI or vehicle. Continuous inhibition of ANG II production was then initiated in both groups of rats by IV infusion of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) benazepril. ACEI reduced blood pressure similarly in vehicle and TSI rats, from 105±2 to 91±2 mm Hg and 103±1 to 89±1 mm Hg, respectively. ANG II was then infused at 5 ng·kg−1·min−1 IV for 7 days in six rats from each group to restore ANG II activity to baseline levels. This dose increased MAP to 103±2 and 101±1 mm Hg in vehicle and TSI rats, respectively, values not different from pre-ACEI levels. Seven TSI rats and eight vehicle rats received a higher dose of ANG II (20 ng·kg−1·min−1 IV). After 7 days, MAP was higher in vehicle than in TSI rats (143±5 versus 120±4 mm Hg). These results suggest that endogenous TX is an important determinant of MAP in ANG II hypertension but may have a diminished role in blood pressure regulation when ANG II is at normal and subnormal levels.
Damage formation in semiconductors during MeV ion implantation

Damage produced by 1.0--2.5 MeV self-ion and O-ion implantation into Si and Ge single crystals has been characterized by cross-sectional electron microscopy and ion channeling. In Si, it is observed that the damage morphology varies substantially along the ion's track. Near the end-of-range of the ion, damage accumulation is very similar to that which occurs during medium- to low-energy implantation (i.e., damage increases monotonically with dose until the lattice is made completely amorphous). In front of this end-of-range region, however, damage saturates at a very low level for moderate implantation fluences. A model based on homogeneous damage nucleation in Si is discussed. For Ge, damage accumulation is very different; a monotonic increase of damage with dose is observed over the entire range of the ion. Possible mechanisms responsible for the differences between Si and Ge are discussed. 11 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
The effects of two-dimensional charge sharing on the above-threshold characteristics of short-channel IGFETS

Abstract In a short-channel Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor (IGFET), a significant fraction of the electric field lines associated with the depleted region under the gate are terminated on the source and drain junctions. In this situation the two-dimensional sharing of the depleted substrate charge between the source, drain and gate terminals, has a dramatic effect on the device behaviour. A model is presented to describe the above-threshold characteristics of short-channel IGFETS when they are affected by the proximity of the source and drain junctions. The analytical forms allow a continuous description of the drain current from subthreshold to above threshold conduction. The model takes into account the fact that the device may be turned on by the drain voltage rather than by the gate voltage; in addition, it describes naturally the enhanced drain conductance commonly encountered in short-channel devices. The description includes both the linear and saturation regions over the complete range of drain and substrate voltages and for gate voltages below the value where channel-drain junction interactions become important or velocity saturation sets in. The model therefore provides an analytical description for a short-channel IGFET in the voltage regime where high-field effects in the channel do not significantly effect the current flow. The results indicate that the dominant effects for this region of operation in a short-channel device may be represented by the use of a drain-voltage and geometry-dependent threshold voltage. In the saturation region, the effects of the threshold variations are reflected in the parameter VSAT, the saturation voltage. The principle features of the model are verified by a detailed comparison with short-channel devices.
Inhibitors of 20-HETE Formation Promote Salt-Sensitive Hypertension in Rats

This study examined whether chronic blockade of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and/or 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) formation promotes development of salt-sensitive hypertension. Changes in blood pressure, renal cytochrome P450 metabolism of arachidonic acid, and 20-HETE excretion in response to a high salt diet were measured in rats chronically treated with 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT, 50 mg/kg per day) to block EETs and 20-HETE formation or N -hydroxy- N ′-(4-butyl-2 methylphenyl) formamidine (HET0016, 10 mg/kg per day) that selectively reduces 20-HETE formation. ABT reduced blood pressure in rats fed a low salt (0.4% NaCl) diet, but blood pressure rose by 20 mm Hg after these rats were switched to a high salt (8% NaCl) diet for 10 days. HET0016 had no effect on blood pressure in rats fed a low salt diet; however, blood pressure rose by 18 mm Hg after the rats were fed a high salt diet. 20-HETE formation in kidney homogenates rose by 30% and epoxygenase activity doubled when rats were fed a high salt diet. Chronic treatment with ABT and HET0016 inhibited the renal formation of 20-HETE by ≈90%. Renal epoxygenase activity decreased by 76% in ABT-treated rats and was not significantly altered in rats treated with HET0016. 20-HETE excretion rose from 470±21 to 570±41 ng/d when the rats were switched from the low to the high salt diet. 20-HETE excretion fell by 68% and 85% in rats that were chronically treated with ABT and HET0016. These results suggest that chronic blockade of the formation of 20-HETE promotes the development of salt-sensitive hypertension in rats.
Alumina aerogels prepared via rapid supercritical extraction

Alumina aerogels with surface areas from 460 to 840 m2/g and bulk densities from 0.025 to 0.079 g/cm3 were successfully fabricated using variations of an aluminum isopropoxide-based recipe developed by Armor and Carlson and the rapid supercritical extraction (RSCE) process developed at Union College. By utilizing the Union College RSCE method, it is possible to convert an alumina aerogel precursor mixture into aerogel monoliths in as little as 7.5 h. This process is safer than methanol extraction in an autoclave and faster and simpler than liquid CO2 solvent exchange and extraction. By increasing the concentration of aqueous HNO3 used in the precursor mixture, we were able to fabricate aerogels with significantly increased surface area, decreased bulk density, and altered microstructure. We attribute the observed variation in these aerogel properties at a given HNO3 concentration to environmental factors such as humidity. The ability to more easily fabricate alumina aerogels with desirable properties will assist in making them a viable option for catalytic and other applications.
Does magnesium sulfate affect the length of labor induction in women with pregnancy-associated hypertension?

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether seizure prophylaxis with magnesium sulfate prolongs induction of labor in women with pregnancy-associated hypertension. STUDY DESIGN: Women with a singleton pregnancy in vertex presentation between 32 and 42 weeks' gestation who required induction of labor for either preeclampsia, preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension, or transient hypertension were randomized to receive either magnesium sulfate or phenytoin (Dilantin) for seizure prophylaxis. Women with rupture of the membranes, spontaneous contractions resulting in cervical change, or an initial cervical examination showing >2 cm dilatation and 50% effacement were excluded. RESULTS: Fifty-four women were randomized to receive either magnesium sulfate ( n = 28) or phenytoin ( n = 26). The two groups were similar for selected maternal antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum characteristics that have been associated with a prolongation or failure of labor induction. The two groups were also similar for the interval from the start of induction to (1) the first examination ≥5 cm cervical dilatation and (2) delivery and in the frequency of women requiring cesarean delivery. CONCLUSION: Compared with phenytoin, magnesium sulfate seizure prophylaxis in women with pregnancy-associated hypertension does not prolong the induction of labor nor does it result in an increase in cesarean deliveries.
Direct Comparision of the Endocytic Routes of Fluorescently-Labelled Lipids and Transferrin

Intracellular trafficking of proteins during endocytosis has been extensively characterized. This process is mediated by vesicular carriers such as coated vesicles, sorting endosomes and late endosomes, all of which are composed primarily of membrane proteins and lipid. A central question in the endocytic process concerns the sorting of recycling components from lysosomally-directed components. An iterative fractionation model (Dunn and Maxfield, 1992; Dunn et al., 1989) and other current models of endocytic sorting (Linderman and Lauffenburger, 1988) propose that the geometry of the sorting endosome directs bulk membrane, including membrane-associated receptors, towards the recycling pathway while the volume content, consisting of the acid-released ligands, is lysosomally targetted. However, it is not known whether recycling membrane receptors follow bulk membrane flow or if these proteins are actively sorted from the lysosomally-directed material because of specific cytoplasmic tail sequences. The kinetics of movement of the bulk carrier, membrane lipids, will directly address this issue; a difference in the kinetics of lipid-traffic in relation to protein-traffic will provide evidence for mechanisms of selective protein transport or absence of difference will support the hypothesis that proteins follow ‘bulk’ membrane traffic.
Evaluation of a high performance code compression method

Compressing the instructions of an embedded program is important for cost-sensitive low-power control-oriented embedded computing. A number of compression schemes have been proposed to reduce program size. However, the increased instruction density has an accompanying performance cost because the instructions must be decompressed before execution. In this paper, we investigate the performance penalty of a hardware-managed code compression algorithm recently introduced in IBM's PowerPC 405. This scheme is the first to combine many previously proposed code compression techniques, making it an ideal candidate for study. We find that code compression with appropriate hardware optimizations does not have to incur much performance loss. Furthermore, our studies show this holds for architectures with a wide range of memory configurations and issue widths. Surprisingly, we find that a performance increase over native code is achievable in many situations.
Airway stability and heterogeneity in the constricted lung

The effect of bronchoconstriction on airway resistance is known to be spatially heterogeneous and dependent on tidal volume. We present a model of a single terminal airway that explains these features. The model describes a feedback between flow and airway resistance mediated by parenchymal interdependence and the mechanics of activated smooth muscle. The pressure-tidal volume relationship for a constricted terminal airway is computed and shown to be sigmoidal. Constricted terminal airways are predicted to have two stable states: one effectively open and one nearly closed. We argue that the heterogeneity of whole lung constriction is a consequence of this behavior. Airways are partitioned between the two states to accommodate total flow, and changes in tidal volume and end-expiratory pressure affect the number of airways in each state. Quantitative predictions for whole lung resistance and elastance agree with data from previously published studies on lung impedance.
Computationally Efficient Homotopies for the H 2 Model order Reduction Problem

The H 2 optimal model reduction problem, i.e., the problem of approximating a higher order dynamical system by a lower order one so that a model reduction criterion is minimized, is of significant importance and is under intense study. Several earlier attempts to apply homotopy methods to the H 2 optimal model order reduction problem were not entirely satisfactory. Richter devised a homotopy approach which only estimated certain crucial partial derivatives and employed relatively crude curve tracking techniques. Žigic, Bernstein, Collins, Richter, and Watson formulated the problem so that numerical linear algebra techniques could be used to explicitly calculate partial derivatives, and employed sophisticated homotopy curve tracking algorithms, but the number of variables made large problems intractable. We propose here several ways to reduce the dimension of the homotopy map so that large problems are computationally feasible.
Next generation high-throughput random access imaging in vivo

The work is developing a next-generation high-throughput random access imaging system for real time monitoring of sensory-driven synaptic activity.
The Migration Rules of Fluoride Ion from Waste Acid Fracturing Fluid in Soil

In process of oil production, acidification is a necessary operation to increase output, though it will produce wastes, especially the acid ingredient including hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, vitriol, etc. In this paper, the influence of fluorin ion(F-)in waste acid fracturing fluid on the soil environment of Daqing oil field was studied by earth column experiments. The concentration of F-, acidity and different typical terrene soils on the influence of the migration rules and characteristics of Fin the soil environment were investigated respectively, and the related mechanisms were also discussed. The results showed that the fluorin ion of waste acid fracturing fluid in the soil have a clear impact on the Daqing oil field environment, and the influence depth of Fin the soil increases with the increasing of the concentration of F-. The relation between the concentration of Fand the influencing depth in the soil could be expressed by a negative exponential equation y=y0+a· exp(-x/t), and the fitting effect was better than that of Temkin equation, Freundlich and Langmuir equation. Results also showed that the increasing of positive ion such as Ca2+ and Al3+ leads to the increasing of formation of insoluble compounds, which caused the influence depth of Fin the soil decrease with the increasing of H+. The migration of Fin different terrene soils was different, and the correlations of the influencing depth in the different typical types of soils in Daqing oil field were chernozemloessalkali soil. Fluorin ion in the waste acid fracturing major presents in the 10 cm depth surface layer.
A Single-Subject Study of a Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention

Students with ADHD often struggle with self-regulation skills. One strategy demonstrating considerable success in helping these students regulate their behavior is self-monitoring. Although there is an abundance of research on self-monitoring, research on the use of technology for self-monitoring is only beginning to emerge. The primary goal of this single-subject study was to examine the effects of an iPad application (SCORE IT) for self-monitoring on the behavior of three fifth-grade students with or at risk for ADHD who were exhibiting low rates of academic engagement in a general education environment. A secondary goal was to gain an in-depth understanding of the teacher’s perceptions of the feasibility and value of the intervention. Overall, the SCORE IT intervention resulted in substantial improvements in academic engagement, and teacher perceptions of the feasibility and worth of the intervention were reported as highly favorable. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.
The First Amendment and the “3 Rs” of Religious Liberty: A U.S. Approach to Religion Education and Human Rights

This chapter first identifies an emerging international framework for thinking about religion education and human rights. It then describes an approach to teaching about religion in American public schools that is based on the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the “3 Rs” of religious liberty—rights, responsibility, and respect. While acknowledging both strengths and limitations, the chapter argues that this approach promotes respect for basic human rights while providing education about religion that is both constitutionally permissible and academically sound.
Intraindividual and Interindividual Differences in Spontaneous Eye Blinking: Relationships to Working Memory Performance and Frontal EEG Asymmetry

The rate and timing of spontaneous eye blinking (SB) may be used to explore mechanisms of cognitive activity in infancy. In particular, SB rate is believed to reflect some dimensions of dopamine function; therefore, we hypothesized that SB rate would relate to working memory performance and to frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry. Forty, 10-mo-old infants completed an A-not-B task while SB and EEG were measured throughout. We found that SB rate varied across phases of the task, variability in SB rate was positively related to working memory performance, and frontal EEG asymmetry was related to individual differences in the rate of SB. Results provide indirect, but convergent support for the hypothesis that SB rate reflects dopamine function early in human development. As such, these results have implications for understanding the tonic and phasic effects of dopamine on cognitive activity early in human development.
A coherent view of modern optics

After 20 years and more than a thousand pages, Mandel and Wolf's tome on classical and quantum coherence in modern optics has arrived. It is clearly a gargantuan effort and its appearance is enthusiastically greeted by every student of optical sciences, including me, particularly given its very reasonable price tag.