cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereoelectronic effects and gas phase Co+, Ni+, CpFe+, CpCo+ and CpNi+ affinities of pyridines studied by the kinetic method

Abstract Cluster ions of Co + , Ni + , CpFe + , CpCo + and CpNi + (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) with pyridines are generated in a multi-quadrupole mass spectrometer and the kinetic method is used to examine the pyridine affinities of the cations. Absolute Co + and Ni + affinities of pyridine are both determined as 60 ± 4 kcal mol −1 , values which are greater than the Fe + affinity (49 ± 3 kcal mol −1 ), consistent with the order of the affinities of other ligands, such as water and ammonia, to these cations. The relative metal ion and ligated-metal ion affinities of meta- and para-substituted pyridines display excellent linear correlations with the corresponding proton affinities. The slopes of the correlation lines for Co + , Ni + , CpFe + , CpCo + and CpNi + are 0.35, 0.41, 0.52, 0.42 and 0.49 respectively, the larger slopes being for the ligated metal ions corresponding to their larger sizes and probable weaker bonding. A set of gas-phase stereoelectronic parameters S k , measured by the deviation of the experimental data from the metal ion/proton affinity regression line, shows that steric effects due to pyridine ring substituents give rise to lower than expected affinities for the di-ortho-substituted pyridines. Steric effects also weaken the pyridine-metal bonds in the cyclopentadienyl metal ion—pyridine clusters compared to the bare metal systems. The occupancy of 4s orbitals in Fe + causes electronic repulsions with the pyridines and makes the steric effects larger for Fe + than the other metals, in spite of the fact that the Fe + systems are more weakly bound.
The origin, development, and future of the lithium-ion battery

On 22 October 2011, The Center for Electrochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin hosted a special symposium on “The Origin, Development, and Future of the Lithium-ion Battery.” The symposium brought together experts and some of the original pioneers in the field from around the world to provide an opportunity to learn lessons from the development of the lithium-ion battery that can be applied to today's research. The presentations featured some historical perspective as well as new work and stimulated discussion on the possibilities and directions for future research in the field. A casual atmosphere fostered interaction between students, postdoctoral researchers, academic faculty, industry, and national labs. The symposium was an event of the International Year of Chemistry (2011), a celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the wellbeing of humankind. Over 30 years have passed since John Goodenough reported the invention of LiCoO2 as a positive electrode material in 1980. Also in that year, Rachid Yazami demonstrated the reversible electrochemical intercalation of lithium into graphite, which he reported in 1981 and 1982. Akira Yoshino commissioned the fabrication of a batch of prototype lithiumion cells in 1986, and Sony began mass producing lithium-ion batteries in 1991. The lithium-ion battery (LIB) has been firmly established in a wide range of electronic applications, and LIB production now amounts to some US$1.0 billion. Today, we are at the beginning of full-scale adoption of the LIB in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. The evolution of the LIB continues apace, with issues such as safety, higher capacity, cost reduction, and mass production each a focus of intensive research throughout the world. The development of new battery systems based on the LIB will spur another leap in innovation. The symposium featured opening remarks from Allen J. Bard, Director of the Center for Electrochemistry, then presentations from John Goodenough (The University of Texas at Austin), Claude Delmas (CNRS, Universite de Bordeaux, ICMCB), Michael Thackeray (Argonne National Laboratory), Rachid Yazami (Nanyang Technological University), Arumugam Manthiram (The University of Texas at Austin), Akira Yoshino (Asahi Kasei Corporation), Karim Zaghib (Institut de Recherche d’Hydro-Quebec), and Masataka Wakihara (Tokyo Institute of Technology). Here, we have collected some of the papers that were presented at the symposium. Masataka Wakihara and coworkers discuss a new all-solid polymer electrolyte with improved ionic conductivity over PEO. Karim Zaghib and coworkers present a review on the progress on the physical chemistry of the olivine compounds. They focus on the development of understanding of LiFePO4 cathodes through to their widespread use in
Analytic forms for the e+e- annihilation cross section near the Z including initial-state radiation.

Beginning with the initial-state radiation formula of Kuraev and Fadin, simple analytic forms are obtained for e/sup -/e/sup +/ annihilation near the Z. The technique is applied to the total cross section and the left-right asymmetry.
The sustainability of economic transformation

The paper analyzes the feasibility of sustaining both macroeconomic stability and political support during economic transformation. Macroeconomic stability requires that state sector losses plus public infrastructure investment be financed by tax revenue plus any external assistance. Political sustainability depends on the income gains and losses experienced by three groups—state sector workers, private sector workers, and private savers/investors. The aggregate income gains from allowing heterogeneous workers to make occupational choices consistent with their comparative advantages can outweigh or significantly offset the short-run economic efficiency costs of maintaining political support for the transformation. Successful transformation may depend on external assistance, but this need will diminish over time.
Endoscopic optical coherence tomography: clinical applications and functional extensions

Summary form only given. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging biomedical imaging technique that uses low-coherence optical interferometry to obtain micron-scale resolution cross-sectional images of tissue microstructure non-invasively. OCT fills a valuable niche in imaging of tissue structure, providing subsurface imaging with high spatial resolution (on the order of 10 micrometers) and penetration depths of 1-2 mm with no contact or matching medium needed between the probe and the tissue. We have developed an OCT system for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy using a small-diameter rotary-scanning probe compatible with standard GI endoscopes and capable of imaging in real-time.
On the statistical correlation between polar mesospheric cloud occurrence and enhanced mesospheric radar echoes

Using data from the Poker Flat MST radar and the Solar Mesosphere Explorer Satellite (SME), we demonstrate the existence of a statistically significant correlation between the occurrence of Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC) and enhanced VHF radar echoes near the high-latitude summer mesopause. We propose three physical conditions which could explain the coexistence of strong summertime echoes and PMC. First, both the enhanced echoes and the PMC are most likely to occur in the presence of very low mesopause temperatures and associated steep temperature gradients. Second, the presence of PMC ice particles could induce a strong gradient in the electron density profile, which would produce enhancements in the radar echo strength. Third, it is likely that heavy water cluster ions, indicative of PMC particle nucleation, can alter the ambipolar diffusion coefficient, thus allowing the electron density fluctuations to extend down to much smaller vertical scales. Under these conditions, the turbulent power at the 3 meter scale required for the occurrence of the MST radar echoes could be greatly enhanced. Finally, we discuss the possibility of using MST radars as instruments for PMC detection.
Monotone multigrid methods based on element agglomeration coarsening away from the contact boundary for the Signorini's problem

Two multilevel schemes for solving inequality constrained finite element second-order elliptic problems, such as the Signorini's contact problem, are proposed and studied. The main ingredients of the schemes are that first they utilize element agglomeration coarsening away from the constraint set (boundary), which allows for easy construction of coarse level approximations that straightforwardly satisfy the fine-grid constraints. Second important feature of the schemes is that they provide monotone reduction of the energy functional throughout the multilevel cycles. This is achieved by using monotone smoothers (such as the projected Gauss–Seidel method) and due to the fact that the recursive application of the two-grid schemes is also monotone. The performance of the resulting methods is illustrated by numerical experiments on a model 2D Signorini's problem. Copyright 2004 © John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of a Computerized In-Basket Exercise for the Classroom: A Sales Management Example

This article follows the development of a sales management in-basket exercise for use in the classroom. The authors have computerized the exercise and added features to allow for additional and more quantitative input from the students. The exercise has evolved and been tested in numerous classroom situations. The computerized in-basket exercise is shown to provide significant benefits over regular in-baskets when measured against the objectives of the exercise. These benefits include quantitative, immediate, and consistent feedback to students as well as spirited discussions in the classroom as to the role and actions of sales managers.
Muscle Mechanical Work Adaptations With Increasing Walking Speed

Recent modeling studies of walking at self-selected speeds have identified how individual muscles work in synergy to satisfy the task demands including body support, forward propulsion and swing initiation (e.g. [1, 6]). These analyses revealed that young adults walking at a self-selected speed utilize a distribution of hip and knee extensor muscle force in early stance and ankle plantar flexor and rectus femoris force in late stance to provide support and forward propulsion [6]. However, how these muscles’ putative contributions to these functional tasks change with walking speed is not well understood. Intuitively, increasing walking speed would necessitate an increase in activity for muscles that contribute to forward propulsion. However, increasing walking speed is also associated with longer stride lengths (e.g., [2]), which may require increased activity from those muscles contributing to swing initiation, and increased activity from those muscles contributing to vertical support because the vertical excursion of the body’s center of mass increases.
DNA-inspired cryptographic method in optical communications, authentication and data mimicking

Privacy and security is of increasing concern in wireless, wired, Internet and optical communication networks. Modern optical communication networks, known as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), transport aggregate traffic per single mode fiber has exceeded Tbps. When massive amounts of information are transported, the issue of privacy and security becomes important not only on the client data application layer but also on the node management as well as the physical layer. In optical networks, fiber links are many kilometers long and thus there are many opportunities for sophisticated eavesdroppers to tap the fiber, copy a channel, isolate a specific payload and attempt to decrypt it if the encryption key is known or is breakable with a fast computer. In this paper, we present a novel WDM link security methodology that borrows certain concepts of the double DNA helix and we call it DNA-inspired; it encrypts multiple channels randomly with multiple keys to render channel monitoring by eavesdroppers virtually impossible. We also discuss source authentication, sensing of fiber tapping as well as sensing data-mimicking by intruders
Percolation Model of Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation in Porous Media: Slow Diffusion

Nuclear magnetic relaxation in a porous medium is simulated by a random walk on the open sites of a percolation lattice. This model is used to study relaxation in the case that diffusion to the pore surface is slow compared to relaxation at the surface. The computed decay curves can be fit by sums of exponentials. For slow diffusion the principal relaxation time is independent of the surface relaxation rate. It is inversely proportional to the diffusion coefficient and directly proportional to the mean square displacement of the walkers. It appears that a measurement of nuclear magnetic relaxation in the slow diffusion range will yield only an average pore size. This pore size is given by the root mean square displacement to the surface for a random walker starting with equal probability from any point in the pore space.
Random-Walk Models of Photoemission

An exact solution in closed form is given for the photoyield in the isotropic random-walk model of photoemission. The proof makes use of a theorem of importance in the theory of queues and ladder-point variables. The effect of reflection of the photoelectrons at the interface is also treated. A recursion relation for the probability of emission on the $n$th step ${P}_{n}$ is derived from the expression for the photoyield. Numerical values of the photoyield and the ${P}_{n}$'s are tabulated for numerous values of the relevant parameters, and these numbers are compared with the results of approximate expressions. The exact photoyield values are in good correspondence to a slightly modified version of a formula derived by Kane. A simple approximation is also given for the values of the ${P}_{n}$'s.
Consolidation of U-Nyte® Epoxy-Coated Carbon-Fiber Composites via Temperature-Controlled Resistive Heating

Temperature-controlled internal resistive heating creates on-command rigidizable materials for structural consolidation of ultra-lightweight, inflatable space structures. A PAN-based carbon fiber t...
The Homeobox Transcription Factor Hox D3 Promotes Integrin α5β1 Expression and Function during Angiogenesis

Neovascularization promotes wound healing, tumor growth, and arthritis. Endothelial cell migration and survival during neovascularization are regulated by adhesion proteins, including integrin α5β1. Integrin α5β1 is poorly expressed on normal quiescent blood vessels, but its expression is induced on tumor blood vessels and in response to angiogenic factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and the angiomatrix protein Del-1. We show here that α5β1 expression, and hence function, during angiogenesis is regulated by the transcription factor Hox D3, a homeobox gene that also controls the expression of endothelial cell integrin αvβ3 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Hox D3 expression in endothelial cells enhances integrin α5 protein and message expression, whereas Hox D3 antisense inhibits its expression. Hox D3 promotes α5expression during angiogenesis in vivo, whereas inhibition of α5 expression by Hox D3 antisense suppresses angiogenesis. Hox D3 binds directly to the promoters of the integrin α5 and β3 subunits, inducing subunit expression. As Hox D3, integrin αvβ3, and integrin α5β1 are expressed on tumor blood vessels but not on normal quiescent vessels, these studies suggest that Hox D3 coordinately regulates the expression of integrin α5β1 and integrin αvβ3 during angiogenesis in vivo. These studies also suggest that Hox D3 inhibition could be a useful approach to inhibit tumor angiogenesis.
Designing the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls Church-Based Diabetes Prevention Program through a Participatory Process.

Background: The Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls (HBHS) program aims to reduce diabetes risk among urban African Americans by creating healthy food and physical activity environments within churches. Participant engagement supports the development of applicable intervention strategies by identifying priority concerns, resources, and opportunities. Purpose: We developed a church-based diabetes intervention program using participatory research methods. Methods: Thirteen planning workshops were held with church community members in 3 intervention churches to identify and prioritize foods and behaviors that congregants view as contributing to obesity and diabetes in the church community. Members of the research team moderated the workshops and introduced discussion themes. Results: Prioritized themes included problem foods in the church (fried chicken, soda) and at home (fried chicken, french fries) and healthier alternatives (baked chicken), barriers to healthy eating (time, expensive) and physical activity (co...
Home literacy environment and phonological awareness in preschool children: Differential effects for rhyme and phoneme awareness

The literature to date suggests that the best predictor of early reading ability, phonological awareness, appears to be associated with the acquisition of letter-sound and vocabulary knowledge and with the development of well-defined phonological representations. It further suggests that at least some aspects of phonological awareness critically depend upon literacy exposure. In this study of 4- to 6-year-olds, we examine whether aspects of the home literacy environment are differentially associated with phonological awareness. Parental responses to a questionnaire about the home literacy environment are compared to children's awareness of rhyme and phonemes, as well as to their vocabulary, letter knowledge, and performance on measures of phonological strength (nonword repetition, rapid naming skill, phonological distinctness, and auditory discrimination). The results showed that a teaching focus in the home literacy environment and exposure to reading-related media are directly associated with phoneme awareness and indirectly associated via letter knowledge and vocabulary. Exposure to reading-related media and parents' active involvement in children's literature were also directly and indirectly linked with rhyme awareness skills via their association with letter and vocabulary knowledge.
Metabolic Fate of the Environmental Mutagen 3-Nitrofluoranthene in the Rat

Abstract 3-Nitrofluoranthene, a potent environmental mutagen, was administered to rats intraperitoneally at 10 mg/kg, labelled with 14C. Urine contained 15 to 20% of the dose, eliminated mainly within the first 24 hours after dosing. Over 95% of the radioactivity in unhydrolysed urine chromatographed with the solvent front in a reverse-phase HPLC system, indicating extensive conjugation. After hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase (containing sulfatase) and concentration on C18-Sep-Pak, urine was fractionated by HPLC for further characterization. NMR analysis of the metabolite fractions indicated that positions 4, 8 and 9 were major sites of oxidation. Both acetamide and amine derivatives were formed. The finding of multiple oxidation and incomplete acetylation is in contrast to the fate of 1-nitropyrene, where 1-acetamidopyren-6-ol, itself a potent mutagen, represents the major metabolic product. This difference in metabolism pathways may have implications for the genotoxicity of 3-nitrofluoranthene.
Some aspects of the cyto-genetics of Oenothera

Oenothera has long been known as one of Nature's most consistent non-conformists. In many features of its genetical and cytological behavior it has shown a wide departure from the rules which prevail in other organisms. It occupies, therefore, a position of major interest in the cyto-genetic field. It was de Vries who first discovered that Oenothera is peculiar. His attention was called to the genus in 1886 when he found Oe. lamarckiana growing in great numbers in an abandoned field near Hilversum, in Holland. He found, among thousands of typical plants, occasional aberrant or exceptional individuals which seemed to have arisen as sports from the prevailing type. Collecting seed from typical plants, he grew many thousands of individuals in his experimental garden over a period of years and found the same aberrant types appearing from year to year in small percentages that had been present in the field, some of which bred true to their new characters. All of this seemed to de Vries to furnish a clue to the method by which new species are formed; and it was principally on the basis of his extensive study of Oenothera that he was led to formulate the celebrated Mutation Theory of Evolution (101) which assumed that species spring into ekistence suddenly, as a result of genetical modifications of major importance, rather than through gradual accumulation of many small variations. But de Vries soon found that Oenothera is peculiar, not only because it produces sports, but also because it shows in certain aspects of its ordinary breeding behavior an anomalous condition, setting it apart from other organisms. de Vries was already becoming familiar, through his own experiments on a wide variety of material (98, 99, 100, 101), with the basic principles of heredity which he was later to find had already been set forth in Mendel's work. Thus, he was able to appreciate the uniqueness of Oenothera in certain aspects of its genetical behavior. Briefly, the anomaly which he found in Oenothera consists in the fact that a species which, when inbred, behaves like a pure species in that it breeds
Effect of Cant Deficiency on Rail Vehicle Performance

Simplified train models are analyzed to assess the relationship of unbalance on carbody acceleration and wheel unloading during steady state curving motion. In this paper a half-car model appropriate for both power cars and tilting coach cars is theoretically analyzed. Models of this type are useful for examining static lean requirements as well as margins of safety at higher cant deficiencies in the Track Safety Standards of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The suspension systems modeled and analyzed include the following types: rigid, flexible, tilting actuation, and combined flexible and tilting actuation suspension. Simplified formulas are derived which can be used as an analysis tool by railroad designers to assess vehicle performance. Parametric results are presented for vertical wheel unloading and lateral carbody acceleration as a function of cant deficiency. Results show that incorporation of tilting systems, better suspension designs and better track quality, are necessary in order to provide an equivalent level of margin of safety for operations at higher cant deficiency. The relationship of these results to limits in the Track Safety Standards is discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Pleural Pressure Measured in the Zone of Apposition of Diaphragm to Rib Cage in Rabbits

In 10 anesthetized adult rabbits, we studied the effect of spontaneous breathing and positive pressure ventilation on pleural pressure on the costal lung surface (Ppl) and in the zone of apposition of the rib cage to the diaphragm (Papp). Ppl and Papp were measured by rib capsules installed in the 5th or 6th rib and 11th or 12th rib, respectively. Esophageal (Pes) and gastric (Pga) pressures were measured with air-filled balloons. At end expiration (functional residual capacity), Ppl was subatmospheric (-2.5 +/- 1.4 cm H2O), decreased during spontaneous inspiration, and was in phase with Pes. In contrast, Papp was above atmospheric pressure (2.1 +/- 1.8 cm H2O), increased during inspiration, and was in phase with Pga. Papp lagged Ppl by 180 degrees during spontaneous inspiration but was in phase with Ppl during mechanical ventilation. Changes in Ppl (delta Ppl) during inspiration were greater in magnitude than either delta Papp or delta Pga. Changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure in the zone of apposition (delta Pga-delta Papp) were near zero (-0.4 +/- 0.3 cm H2O), much smaller in magnitude than those (delta Pga-delta Ppl) associated with the lung (3.0 +/- 1.5 cm H2O). These results are consistent with the concept that during breathing, abdominal pressure is transmitted to the zone of apposition of the rib cage to the abdomen. During spontaneous breathing at rest, the pleural space in the zone of apposition is mechanically independent of the pleural space associated with the lung.
Management of Shoulder Dystocia

The encounter with difficulty delivering the fetal trunk after emergence of the fetal head from the vaginal introitus is an obstetric emergency because it increases the risk of injury to both mother and child. Shoulder dystocia incidence varies widely as a result of inconsistencies in definitions used and at-risk populations considered. The most clinically relevant definition is the subjective assessment by the delivering clinician that more than usual traction is needed to complete delivery. Upon this recognition, the clinician is strongly cautioned that application of additional traction, especially in a lateral direction, increases the risk of brachial plexus injury. Prevention of shoulder dystocia is unlikely in the individual parturient; however, management of certain modifiable risk factors in the population of at-risk women, such as mild gestational diabetes and non-use of operative forceps or vacuum, can reduce the likelihood of shoulder dystocia. Nonetheless, all obstetric providers must be adroit in management of shoulder dystocia, as it can occur unpredictably and in the absence of risk factors. Maneuvers for shoulder dystocia are biomechanically designed to reduce the amount of traction needed to deliver the obstructed shoulder and to reduce strain on the brachial plexus. Proper execution of shoulder dystocia maneuvers is paramount for prevention of untoward outcomes and requires competency acquisition and assessment using simulation-based training and rehearsal in advance of encountering the real-life emergency.
Guardians of access: Local prosecutors and open meetings laws

Open meetings laws have long frustrated access advocates, who allege that prosecutors do little to ensure compliance. The states provide a variety of enforcement powers in their open meetings laws, but powerful anecdotal evidence exists supporting the contention that there is little enforcement. Prosecutorial discretion plays an obvious, though largely unstudied, role in the enforcement picture. To gain an understanding of the role of statutory language, prosecutorial discretion and other factors on open meetings enforcement efforts, the researchers conducted a national study of the officials responsible for enforcing open meetings laws. The survey offers the first national data on local enforcement activity and the first look at how prosecutors across the country view open meetings laws, illustrating the many weaknesses in current enforcement schemes. The authors argue that the data support the re‐examination of the way access laws are enforced.
The microvascular endothelium in scleroderma

Vascular endothelial injury in SSc leads to a host of pathological changes in the blood vessels that adversely impact the physiology of many organ systems and eventually results in a state of chronic tissue ischaemia. Current hypotheses in SSc vascular disease pathogenesis suggest a possible infectious or chemical trigger(s) that activates both cellular and humoral immunity. Products of immune activation may lead to vascular injury possibly through the production of autoantibodies and the release of products of activated T cells that can directly damage the endothelium. Knowledge of the initial trigger of immune activation in SSc may offer an opportunity to develop a multiple step strategy for therapeutic intervention.
Hemangiopericytoma: collision with meningioma and recurrence

Intracranial hemangiopericytomas are a rare type of primary brain tumor, representing only about 0.5% of all primary brain tumors. Even more rare is the co-existence of two juxtaposed primary brain tumors, termed a “collision” tumor. This report provides the first documentation in the literature of a hemangiopericytoma colliding with a meningioma, and recurring after treatment with gross total resection. Surgical samples were fully evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin and reticulin staining, as well as immunohistochemical analysis. Results were classically representative of a hemangiopericytoma (World Health Organization grade II) and of a meningioma (World Health Organization grade I). This report of a unique collision tumor not only augments the repertoire of collision tumor combinations described in literature but also provides follow-up on the clinical outcome of the patient, thereby raising clinically relevant issues ranging from presentation to treatment paradigms.
Alkane C–H activation and functionalization with homogeneous transition metal catalysts: a century of progress—a new millennium in prospect

The main advances in the title area are reviewed with emphasis on catalytic alkane functionalization, both organometallic and bioinorganic. Current challenges are discussed. A tunable, selective hydrocarbon functionalization is still out of reach and resolving mechanistic problems has proved particularly challenging.
Basic natural convection in a vertical porous layer differentially heated from its sidewalls subject to lack of local thermal equilibrium

Abstract A vertical porous layer subject to lack of local thermal equilibrium and differentially heated from its sidewalls experiences extremely different conditions when it is heated via a constant heat flux, rather than via a hot temperature imposed on the sidewall. For a start the steady state basic temperatures of the fluid and solid differ, as distinct from the corresponding case of imposed temperature on the sidewall when both fluid and solid temperatures are identical and linear at steady state and the lack of local thermal equilibrium (LaLotheq) can manifest itself at transients or when the basic temperature profiles stated above become unstable. In addition, in the case of heating via a constant heat flux the steady state basic temperatures of the fluid and solid are not only distinct but also nonlinear. The analytical derivation of these nonlinear solutions for the basic natural convection in a vertical porous layer differentially heated from its sidewalls, subject to lack of local thermal equilibrium and heating via a constant heat flux is presented and the results analyzed over a wide range of parameter space. In general it is shown that the lack of local thermal equilibrium destroys the symmetry of the problem via deviatoric terms in the solutions.
Lanthanide complexation in aqueous solutions

Abstract The lanthanide elements form an extended series of cations with the same charge, slightly varying radii and useful magnetic and spectroscopic properties. Their use in technology is growing rapidly as their properties are more fully explored. The lanthanides also offer scientists valuable and often unique probes for investigating a variety of chemical and physical phenomena. This review has attempted to call attention to these latter uses without trying to provide a thorough discussion of all the relevant literature. Hopefully, awareness of the more interesting facets of present studies of lanthanide complexes in aqueous solution will spur even more advances in the use of these elements.
Strain effects on the SERS enhancements for spherical silver nanoparticles

We demonstrate in the present work through the utilization of classical Mie scattering theory in conjunction with a radiation damping and dynamic depolarization-corrected electrostatic approximation the significant effect that mechanical strain has on the optical properties of spherical silver nanoparticles. Through appropriate modifications of the bulk dielectric functions, we find that the application of tensile strain generates significant enhancements in the local electric field for the silver nanoparticles, leading to large SERS enhancements of more than 300% compared to bulk, unstrained nanoparticles when a 5% tensile strain is applied. While the strain-induced SERS enhancements are found to be strongest for nanoparticle diameters where radiation damping effects are minimized, we find that the surface plasmon resonance wavelengths are relatively unchanged by mechanical strain, and that the various measures of the far field optical efficiencies (absorption, scattering, extinction) can be enhanced by up to 150% through the application of tensile strain. The present findings indicate the opportunity to actively engineer and enhance the optical properties of silver nanoparticles through the application of mechanical deformation.
Copolymerization of styrene and methacrylic acid in concentrated emulsions

Copolymerization of styrene and methacrylic acid was carried out by the concentrated emulsion polymerization method, using sodium dodecylsulfate and AIBN as emulsifier and initiator, respectively. Compared to conventional emulsion polymerization, a much smaller amount of water (5–25 vol %) is employed as the continuous phase and thus the loss of methacrylic acid, which is very soluble in water, is minimized. The concentrated emulsion, which has the appearance of a gel, was prepared at room temperature, and was polymerized at 40°C. The size of copolymer latexes is affected by the internal phase ratio, and was in the range of 0.2–0.3 μm in diameter. Potentiometric titration was used to determine the surface density of the carboxylic groups of the copolymer latexes and its dependence on the feed molar ratio of methyacrylic acid to styrene. NMR and IR spectroscopies have been employed to determined the composition of the copolymer latexes.
Legal Issues in Nonrelated Infant Adoption: Nursing Implications

purpose. To highlight the legal issues surrounding nonrelated infant adoptions population. Parties in the adoption triad—the infant, the biological parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s) conclusions. Current adoption laws have been influenced by a historical stigmatization of adoption by society, states' sovereignty rights, and an individual's constitutional rights. Controversies surrounding nonrelated infant adoptions have highlighted the inadequacies of the present system of adoption laws and regulations. Nurses can take a proactive role in their practice by acquiring a clear understanding of the legal issues surrounding adoption. practice implications. Knowledge about state adoption laws, regulations, and resources, as well as the legal issues surrounding infant adoption, will allow the nurse to take a proactive role in formulating and providing supportive interventions that assist all parties through the process.
GENDER AS A MODERATOR OF THE RELATION BETWEEN RACE‐RELATED STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

The present study tested gender as a moderator of the relationship between race-related stress and mental health symptoms among African American adults. Because African American women are exposed to stressors associated with race and gender, we hypothesized that African American women would have higher levels of race-related stress and more severe mental health outcomes related to experiences of race-related stress compared to African American men. Multivariate analyses revealed that African American men had higher stress appraisals for institutional racism than did women. No significant gender differences were found for cultural and individual racism. Moderated regression analyses revealed that increases in stress appraisals for individual racism were associated with increases in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms for African American women. Race-related stress had no significant effects on mental health symptoms for African American men. The findings suggest that gender is an important factor in determining the impact of race-related stress on mental health.
Creative ways to teach ethics and assess learning

Teaching ethics in Information Technology proves to be a daunting task. Can ethics be taught? Why “IT” ethics? What is so unique about this field that one needs to focus solely on IT ethics? Aren't current ethical theories sufficient? What does the digitization of the world, life on the 'net, change, that creates a need for IT ethics classes? And if they are truly needed, how can they be taught? How can learning be assessed? Traditional methods, such as lecturing, do not provide the students with the interactive questioning and answering that is needed to help draw conclusions based on ethical theories. Lecturing does not provide sufficient engagement of the student body. Ethics cannot be enforced, with a list of items lectured, that one can ‘check off’ to see if behaviour is ethical. Teaching ethics is sharing ideas and applying theories. And you need great ideas to be able to reach your audience in a non-traditional fashion. This paper will show a variety of methods and some examples of their outcomes, for teaching Ethics in Information Technology.
Scattering and Recoiling Spectrometry: An Ion's Eye View of Surface Structure.

Recent developments in ion-scattering spectrometry have led to a surface crystallography that is sensitive to all elements, including hydrogen. Time-of-flight techniques for the detection of atoms scattered and recoiled from surfaces in simple collision sequences, together with calculations of shadowing and blocking cones, can be used to make direct measurements of interatomic spacings and adsorption sites within an accuracy of ≤0.1 angstrom. Time-of-flight detection of both neutrals and ions provides the high sensitivity necessary for nondestructive analysis. Structures are determined by monitoring the angular anisotropies in the scattered primary and recoiled target atom flux. Such surface and adsorption site determinations find application in such fields as catalysis, thin film growth, and interfaces.
Comparison of the Effects of AV Nodal Ablation Versus AV Nodal Modification in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure and Uncontrolled Atrial Fibrillation

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of the atrioventricular node (AVN) and implantation of a ventricular pacemaker can improve cardiac performance in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and uncontrolled atrial fibrillation (AF). Alternatively, RF catheter modification of the AVN has been proposed to slow ventricular response during AF without requirement for permanent pacing. Among 44 consecutive patients (mean age 69.7 +/- 10.2 years) with drug resistant chronic AF, 22 (group I) had AVN ablation with permanent ventricular pacemaker implantation, while 22 patients had attempted AVN modification. Complete AV block was obtained in all group I patients while only seven (32%) AVN modification patients (group II) had permanent slowing of ventricular rate. Among patients in group I, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) increased from 32.2% +/- 8.8% before ablation to 41.9% +/- 14.6% 4-weeks postablation (P < 0.01); exercise tolerance time (ETT) increased from 2.9 +/- 2.2 minutes to 4.5 +/- 2.9 minutes (P < 0.01); and quality-of-life score decreased from 66.1 +/- 22.6 to 36.9 +/- 17.1 (P < 0.01). By comparison, there was only a small increase in ETT in the seven successful group II patients (2.4 +/- 1.8 minutes to 3.0 +/- 1.9 minutes; P < 0.05) and there was no significant change in EF or quality-of-life. While AVN ablation can occasionally have transient adverse effects, it is more effective than AVN modification for improving cardiac performance in selected patients with CHF and AF.
Using Experimental Paradigms to Examine Alcohol’s Role in Men’s Sexual Aggression: Opportunities and Challenges in Proxy Development

The goals of this article are to review the major findings from alcohol administration studies that use sexual aggression proxies and to encourage additional experimental research that evaluates hypotheses about the role of alcohol in the etiology of men's sexual aggression. Experiments allow participants to be randomly assigned to drink conditions, therefore ensuring that any differences between drinkers and nondrinkers can be attributed to their alcohol consumption. One of the biggest challenges faced by experimental researchers is the identification of valid operationalizations of key constructs. The tension between internal and external validity is particularly problematic for violence researchers because they cannot allow participants to engage in the target behavior in the laboratory. The strengths and limitations associated with written vignettes, audiotapes, videotapes, and confederate proxies for sexual aggression are described. Suggestions are made for future research to broaden the generalizability of the findings from experimental research.
The clinical outcome and quality of life following minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) through a limited anterior small thoracotomy has been shown to be a promising technique of surgical treatment for single or double vessel disease. Little is known about the Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) in this group of patients. Methods: The records of 75 consecutive patients who underwent MIDCAB procedure at Harefield Hospital between April 2000 and January 2002 were reviewed retrospectively. HRQOL assessment was planned in a cross-sectional design. Patients were contacted by telephone to conduct a semi-structured interview and were sent two questionnaires: the Short Form health survey (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: There was no in-hospital death. Patients stayed in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) for 11.56 ± 4.55 hours and stayed in hospital for 3 ± 2.34 days. None of the study patients had perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) or neurological complications including permanent and transient strokes. We were able to contact all the 75 patients by telephone and they also completed the SF-36 and HADS. The SF-36 scores were compared to an age-matched group of normal British people. The MIDCAB group had an excellent general health perception compared to the normal group (p < 0.001), but similar scores otherwise. The HADS scores showed that only 1 patient (1.3%) had mild depression, 5 patients (6.7%) had mild anxiety, and 2 patients (2.6%) had moderate anxiety. Conclusion: MIDCAB is a safe surgical treatment and provides excellent clinical and HRQOL outcomes. (J Card Surg 2004;19:12-16)
An annular slot antenna on a dielectric half-space

The radiation properties of both singly and multiply fed annular slot antennas on a dielectric/air interface have been analyzed using Galerkin's method applied in the Hankel transform domain. The validity of our method has been confirmed through comparison with both theoretical and experimental results. The magic slot configuration has also been studied. The polarization diversity of this radiator makes it suitable for implementing a quasioptical balanced mixer. >
An Antitrust Assessment of the Google Book Search Settlement

The Google Book Search settlement has prompted a flurry of attention from commentators, including a number of respected scholars who have worried that the settlement makes Google an 'orphan works monopoly.' In this paper I evaluate these claims and find them generally unpersuasive. The Google Book Search settlement expands, rather than diminishes, access to books of all sorts, and that is particularly true of orphan works.
No evolution of increased competitive ability or decreased allocation to defense in Melaleuca quinquenervia since release from natural enemies

If invasive plants are released from natural enemies in their introduced range, they may evolve decreased allocation to defense and increased growth, as predicted by the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis. A field experiment using the invasive tree Melaleuca quinquenervia was conducted to test this hypothesis. Seeds were collected from 120 maternal trees: 60 in Florida (introduced range) and 60 in Australia (home range). Plants grown from these seeds were either subjected to herbivory by two insects from Australia that have recently been released as biological control agents or protected from herbivores using insecticides. Genotypes from the introduced range were initially more attractive to herbivores than genotypes from the home range, supporting EICA. However, genotypes from the introduced and home range did not differ in resistance to insects or in competitive ability, which does not support EICA. Plants from the introduced range had a lower leaf hair density, lower leaf: stem mass ratio, and a higher ratio of nerolidol: viridifloral chemotypes compared to plants from the native range. Plants with an intermediate density of leaf hairs and with high specific leaf area were more susceptible to herbivory damage, but there were no effects of leaf toughness or chemotype on presence of and damage by insects. Herbivory had a negative impact on performance of Melaleuca. Other than an initial preference by insects for introduced genotypes, there was no evidence for the evolution of decreased defense or increased competitive ability, as predicted by the EICA hypothesis. It does not appear from this study that the EICA hypothesis explains patterns of recent trait evolution in Melaleuca.
4-terminal relay technology for complementary logic

A 4-terminal (4T) relay technology is proposed for complementary logic circuit applications. The advantage of the 4T relay design is that it provides a means for electrically adjusting the switching voltage; as a result, a 4T relay can mimic the operation of either an n-channel or p-channel MOSFET. Fabricated 4T relays exhibit good on-state current (I on ≫ 700µA for V DS = 1V) and zero off-state leakage current. Low-voltage switching (≪ 2V) and low switching delay (100ns) are demonstrated by appropriately biasing the body terminal. Endurance exceeds 10 9 on/off cycles without stiction or wear issues. Complementary operation is demonstrated in a functional relay inverter circuit.
Poiseuille and Thermal-Creep Flow in a Cylindrical Tube

A version of the discrete-ordinates method is used to solve, for the case of flow in a cylindrical tube, the classical Poiseuille and thermal-creep problems based on the Bhatnagar, Gross, and Krook model in the theory of rarefied-gas dynamics. In addition to the development of a discrete-ordinates solution that is valid for a wide range of the Knudsen number, the solution is evaluated numerically for selected cases to yield results, thought to be correct to many significant figures, for the slip velocities, the macroscopic velocity profiles, and the flow rates.
Catalytic reduction of N2 to NH3 by an Fe-N2 complex featuring a C-atom anchor.

While recent spectroscopic studies have established the presence of an interstitial carbon atom at the center of the iron–molybdenum cofactor (FeMoco) of MoFe-nitrogenase, its role is unknown. We have pursued Fe–N2 model chemistry to explore a hypothesis whereby this C-atom (previously denoted as a light X-atom) may provide a flexible trans interaction with an Fe center to expose an Fe–N2 binding site. In this context, we now report on Fe complexes of a new tris(phosphino)alkyl (CPiPr3) ligand featuring an axial carbon donor. It is established that the iron center in this scaffold binds dinitrogen trans to the Calkyl-atom anchor in three distinct and structurally characterized oxidation states. Fe–Calkyl lengthening is observed upon reduction, reflective of significant ionic character in the Fe–Calkyl interaction. The anionic (CPiPr3)FeN2– species can be functionalized by a silyl electrophile to generate (CPiPr3)Fe–N2SiR3. (CPiPr3)FeN2– also functions as a modest catalyst for the reduction of N2 to NH3 wh...
Automatic test comes to focal plane array production

To meet the needs of military and commercial markets, the infrared focal plane array industry must develop new, effective and low cost methods of fabricating and testing imaging detectors. This paper describes Texas Instruments new concepts in automated testing and cold probe technology as they apply to volume production.