cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observability and redundancy classification in process networks: Theorems and algorithms

Abstract The utility of observability and redundancy in characterizing the performance of process data estimators was established in previous studies [10]. In this paper two classification algorithms for determining local and global observability and redundancy for individual variables and measurements are presented. The concepts of biconnected components, perturbation subgraphs and feasible unmeasurable perturbations are introduced, and their properties are developed and used to effect classification, simplification and dimensional reduction. Step-by-step application of these algorithms is illustrated by examples.
Venus: Cloud level circulation during 1982 as determined from pioneer cloud photopolarimeter images I. Time and zonally averaged circulation

Significant mean cloud level circulation changes since 1974, noted in 1982 Venus cloud motion observations, have been validated by independent measurements of cloud motions in nearly-identical sets of images; agreement is obtained not only for the average zonal and meridional components, but for the eddy circulation's meridional transport of momentum. In contrast to 1979 observations, the time latitudinal profile and the longitudinally-averaged zonal component of the cloud motions for 1982 exhibit jets near 45 deg latitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Work-family conflict and work-related withdrawal behaviors.

This survey study explored the effects of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict on withdrawal behaviors at work (family interruptions at work, lateness to work, and absenteeism) among both members of 359 dual-earner couples. Using a systems theory framework, regression analyses revealed significant individual-level and crossover effects for both types of work-family conflict on withdrawal behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of the study of work-family conflict crossover effects on withdrawal behaviors at work are discussed.
Modeling in K-16 Mathematics Classrooms – and Beyond

The first half of this book focused on research investigating what it means for students to “understand” modeling processes and models that are important in order for students to be able to use mathematics in real life situations beyond school. This second half shifts attention toward investigations about what is needed for modeling activities to be used productively to promote learning in mathematics classrooms. These investigations are not simplistic one-variable experimental studies intended to prove or disprove the success or failure of pre-defined “treatments” and “interventions.” Rather, many of these chapters describe teaching experiments (Lesh, 2003) which are investigations designed to show how students’ or teachers’ thinking changes in situations which involve multiple iterative cycles of expressing, testing, and revising initial ways of thinking about (simulations of) “real life” decision-making situations. Or, other chapters describe design studies (Kelly, Lesh, and Baek 2008) in which students or teachers design artifacts or tools which need to be powerful (for some specific purpose in some specific situation), sharable (with other people), and reuseable (in other situations). Both of the preceding kinds of studies often involve model-eliciting activities in which: (a) one of the most important parts of the products that are produced are the underlying interpretation systems (or models), and (b) the interpretation systems (models) involve concepts that the researcher or teacher judges believe to be among the main “big ideas” that students should learn.
From Candy Girls to Cyber Sista-Cipher: Narrating Black Females' Color-Consciousness and Counterstories in and out of School

In this article, Carmen Kynard provides a window into a present-day "hush harbor," a site where a group of black women build generative virtual spaces for counterstories that fight institutional racism. Hidden in plain view, these intentional communities have historically allowed African American participants to share and create knowledge and find their voices in hostile environments, which, in the case of this study, involve an academic institution. Kynard also discusses the need for critical scholar/student alliances that interrogate taken-for-granted institutional practices that invalidate out-of-school literacies. The article parallels the instructional practices that disenfranchise black students with research agendas that claim to alleviate inequity while really perpetuating it.
Thermal release of D2 from new Be-D co-deposits on previously baked co-deposits

Abstract Past experiments and modeling with the Tmap code in [1, 2] indicated that Be-D co-deposited layers are less (time-wise) efficiently desorbed of retained D in a fixed low-temperature bake, as the layer grows in thickness. In Iter , beryllium rich co-deposited layers will grow in thickness over the life of the machine. Although, compared with the analyses in [1, 2], Iter presents a slightly different bake efficiency problem because of instances of prior tritium recover/control baking. More relevant to Iter , is the thermal release from a new and saturated co-deposit layer in contact with a thickness of previously-baked, less-saturated, co-deposit. Experiments that examine the desorption of saturated co-deposited over-layers in contact with previously baked under-layers are reported and comparison is made to layers of the same combined thickness. Deposition temperatures of ∼323 K and ∼373 K are explored. It is found that an instance of prior bake leads to a subtle effect on the under-layer. The effect causes the thermal desorption of the new saturated over-layer to deviate from the prediction of the validated Tmap model in [2]. Instead of the D thermal release reflecting the combined thickness and levels of D saturation in the over and under layer, experiment differs in that, i) the desorption is a fractional superposition of desorption from the saturated over-layer, with ii) that of the combined over and under -layer thickness. The result is not easily modeled by Tmap without the incorporation of a thin BeO inter-layer which is confirmed experimentally on baked Be-D co-deposits using X-ray micro-analysis.
Optimizing Photodetectors for Radiation Environments

In an ionizing environment, the photodetector in an optoelectronic data link is a major source of unwanted signal. An analysis is presented of the analog signal response of Si and other photodiode materials to light and to ionizing radiation for single-pass, two-pass, and multipass optical detectors. Since the analog signal analysis represents a worse case calculation, photodiodes in digital data links will exhibit even higher radiation tolerances. Maximum allowable radiation dose rates are determined as a function of the effective collection depth which is defined as the width of the collection region for minority carriers. These calculations demonstrate that the proper selection of the detector material will allow signal detection in the presence of dose rates as high as 2 × 106 rads/sec per mW/cm2 of light power in a realistic photodiode structure. The parameters used in the calculations for Si are verified by experiment.
Deaths from asthma

Abstract 1.1. Death from asthma is caused by the development of plugs of tough, sticky mucus which obstruct the bronchi and lead to suffocation. 2.2. The pathologic picture is typical: it is characterized by voluminous, distended lungs of bluish gray color, and the cut section of which shows all the bronchi, especially those of medium and small size occluded by plugs. 3.3. Chart 1 shows in graphic form the mode of death and the pathology in fifty of our own cases who died with asthma as the presenting symptom. Of these, 27 showed the pathology which we regard as typical of asthma. 4.4. Chart 2 shows 55 cases found in the literature which meet the requirements, namely: (a) a clinical history and a mode of death characteristic of asthma, (b) an autopsy showing voluminous lungs and bronchial plugs, and (c) an autopsy showing no gross evidence of other causes of death. 5.5. This report includes a total of 82 patients who died not only with asthma but because of asthma. Most of these deaths occurred in people whose asthma began after the age of 45, but it is important to note that the typical symptoms and pathology can occur also in younger persons.
Fibroblast growth factor-2.

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) is a member of a large family of proteins that bind heparin and heparan sulfate and modulate the function of a wide range of cell types. FGF-2 stimulates the growth and development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that contribute to the pathogenesis of several diseases (i.e. cancer, atherosclerosis), normal wound healing and tissue development. FGF-2 contains a number of basic residues (pI 9.6) and consists of 12 anti-parallel beta-sheets organized into a trigonal pyrimidal structure. FGF-2 binds to four cell surface receptors expressed as a number of splice variants. Many of the biological activities of FGF-2 have been found to depend on its receptor's intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity and second messengers such as the mitogen activated protein kinases. However, considerable evidence suggest that intracellular FGF-2 might have a direct biological role particularly within the nucleus. In addition, heparan sulfate proteoglycans have been demonstrated to enhance and inhibit FGF-2 activity. The possibility that FGF-2 activity can be manipulated through alterations in heparan sulfate-binding is currently being exploited in the development of clinical applications aimed at modulating either endogenous or administered FGF-2 activity.
Haptoglobulin and α2-macroglobulin levels in children with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract Haptoglobulin was raised and α 2 -macroglobulin was low in 25 children with clinical findings compatible with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis compared with 25 healthy children of comparable age. Patients and normal children showed considerable individual variations in serum α 2 -macroglobulins but the mean value of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis group was lower than that of normal, the difference being statistically highly significant. Haptoglobulins on the other hand were considerably higher with a mean value three times higher than normal. The elevation of serum haptoglobulins may prove to be helpful in establishing the diagnosis of not conclusive cases especially those of septicaemic type in which haptoglobulins were invariably highly increased.
Force Feedback is Noticeably Different for Linear versus Nonlinear Elastic Tissue Models

Realistic modeling of the interaction between surgical instruments and human organs has been recognized as a key requirement in the development of high-fidelity surgical simulators. Primarily due to computational considerations, most of the past simulation research within the haptics community has assumed linear elastic behavior for modeling tissues, even though human soft tissues generally possess nonlinear viscoelastic properties. Hence, this paper quantitatively compares linear and nonlinear elasticity-based models. It is demonstrated that, for a nonlinear model, the well-known Poynting effect developed during shearing of the tissue results in normal forces not seen in a linear elastic model. The difference in force magnitude and force direction for linear and nonlinear models are larger than the just noticeable difference for contact force and force-direction discrimination thresholds published in the psychophysics literature, respectively. This work applies a proposed framework for examining the effect of tool-tissue interaction modeling techniques on human perception of surgical simulators with haptic feedback
Helix Insertion Drives Membrane Bending by Enabling Protein Crowding

A key physical chemistry problem in cell biology is the generation of highly curved membrane structures. The epsin1 N-terminal homology (ENTH) domain is a well-studied curvature-generating protein widely believed to shape endocytic pits by inserting a wedge-like amphipathic helix into the membrane. The primary evidence for this mechanism is an increase in membrane bending capacity among a family of ENTH mutants with increasing hydrophobicity of the helix (Ford, Nature 2002). Since this discovery, amphipathic helices have been identified in diverse curved membrane structures including trafficking vesicles, viral buds, and multi-vesicular bodies. However, our recent work has demonstrated that membrane bending by ENTH does not require helix insertion. Specifically, whether ENTH attached to membranes by inserting a helix or using a histidine-NTA interaction, membranes became highly curved when ENTH covered 30% or more of the membrane surface. These results, coupled with analytical modeling, suggest that collisions among densely crowded membrane-bound proteins create steric pressure that drives bending (Stachowiak, Nature Cell Biology 2012). How can these seemingly conflicting results be reconciled? Here we report that increasing the hydrophobicity of ENTH's helix strongly increases the density of membrane-bound ENTH, suggesting that helix insertions drive bending by facilitating protein crowding. We correlate lifetime FRET measurements of the density of membrane bound proteins with membrane curvature measured using confocal and transmission electron microscopy, and find that all ENTH mutants drive bending when bound at high densities, regardless of helix hydrophobicity. This work resolves the conflict by demonstrating that the role of amphipathic helices in curving membranes is to create strong bonds between proteins and membranes, rather than to directly bend membranes through wedge insertion. This finding will impact understanding of the broad range of curved membrane structures in which helix insertion participates.
Nanosecond fluorescence microscopy of single cells

A microscope based time-correlated single photon counting instrument has been used to measure nanosecond fluorescence decays from single cells. The excitation source for the instrument is a frequency doubled train of picosecond pulses from the cavity dumped output of a synchronously pumped dye laser. The dye laser is pumped by a mode-locked argon ion laser. In the microscope, the sample is excited and the emission collected using epi-illumination optics before being transmitted through an adjustable diaphragm, which can be closed to 10 μm in diameter. A Hamamatsu R928 photomultiplier is used to collect the fluorescence which is then analyzed using a non-linear least squares procedure. The microscope has been used to measure the intensity decays of model probes to determine the instrument performance and sensitivity. In addition, intensity and anisotropy decays collected from fura-2 loaded into single adherent rat basophilic leukemia cells were measured to demonstrate that the nanosecond fluorescence microscope can be used to obtain information about the environment and mobility of fluorescent probes in single cells.
Teaching Clarinet Fingerings with Teaching Machines

THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE of this study was to devise a means of conserving the classroom time of the instrumental music teacher. The author was interested in determining whether or not certain aspects of beginning clarinet playing could be taught on teaching machines just as effectively as they could be taught by the teacher in the normal class method of instruction. A teaching machine program was developed to teach beginning clarinet students clarinet fingerings and such factual knowledge as the names of the parts of the clarinet, the names of the various clarinet keys, and the names of the different ranges of the clarinet. The completed teaching machine program was used in conducting a controlled experiment with beginning clarinet students.
Functional effects of the DAT1 polymorphism on EEG measures in ADHD

ABSTRACT Objective This paper examines whether dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) allele status mediates medication-related change in cognitive and neurophysiological measures among children with attention-deficiency/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method A single 10-mg dose of methylphenidate was given in a double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion to children with ADHD who were seen for cognitive testing and EEG recording. Buccal samples were obtained and genotyped for the DAT1 polymorphism. Results DAT1 allele status was associated with performance on a sustained attention task and medication-related EEG changes. Compared with those with one or more copies of the DAT1 9-repeat allele (9R), children with two copies of the 10-repeat allele (10R) exhibited poorer performance on the vigilance task. In addition, children with 10R exhibited medication-related EEG changes of increased central and parietal β power, decreased right frontal θ power, and lower θ/β ratios; 9R carriers showed the opposite pattern. Conclusions The data suggest that the DAT1 polymorphism mediates medication-related changes in cortical activity among children with ADHD.
Uncertainty modeling for hard disk drives

A modern hard disk drive uses a dual-stage actuator to read/write data on a track with width less than 100nm. The dual-stage actuator requires an advanced controller to achieve high performance on millions of hard disk drives. This paper presents a numerical algorithm utilizing convex optimization to create an uncertainty model, for the purpose of synthesizing a robust controller, from a set of experimental frequency response data. Furthermore several practical issues of constructing an uncertainty model for the dual-stage actuator are described. The proposed method is applied to a set of frequency response data of dual-stage actuators from numerous hard disk drives to create an uncertainty model of the actuator. Then the uncertainty model is used to synthesize a robust control law, which is implemented and experimentally tested on a hard drive.
The Hedgehog's tale: developing strategies for targeting cancer

Research into basic developmental biology has frequently yielded insights into cancer biology. This is particularly true for the Hedgehog (HH) pathway. Activating mutations in the HH pathway cause a subset of sporadic and familial, skin (basal cell carcinoma) and brain (medulloblastoma) tumours. Furthermore, the growth of many human tumours is supported by HH pathway activity in stromal cells. Naturally occurring and synthetic inhibitors of HH signalling show great promise in animal models and in early clinical studies. However, it remains unclear how many cancers will ultimately benefit from these new, molecularly targeted therapies.
Ashok Jhunjhunwala [Resources_Careers]

The first time Ashok Jhunjhunwala and his team helped install an ATM in rural South India, around 2005, the villagers didn’t like what they saw: They knew that the new bank notes it issued would be suspected as counterfeit, in contrast to soiled notes, considered authentic because they'd been in circulation.
Abstract 4317: Low dose arsenic-induced transient p53 inhibition: A novel strategy for chemotherapy protection

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Because of its effectiveness in killing cancer cells, chemotherapy remains to be one of the common modalities for cancer treatment, but the resulting severe side effects often pose a significant threat to cancer patients. Recognizing p53 activation in the sensitive tissues as the primary mechanism for chemotherapy-induced acute toxicity and the universal p53 inactivation in human cancers, we exploited the use of low dose arsenic to inhibit p53 for a selective protection of normal tissues from chemotherapeutics-induced damages. Colon carcinoma cell line SW-480 was used to generate a mouse xenograft model. Treatments were initiated three weeks after implantation when the tumor size reached approximately 100 mm3. Arsenic pretreatment was carried out by feeding sex-matched mice (4-6 weeks of age) with water (1.0 mg/L) for three days. As expected, treatment of tumor-bearing mice with 5FU for 7 days resulted in 77% decrease in tumor volume when compared with the untreated group. The brief treatment with low doses of arsenic did not affect the ability of 5FU to induce tumor regression as evidenced by an 80% reduction of tumor size. However, arsenic treatment was associated with a marked alleviation of 5FU-induced systemic toxicity as demonstrated by the finding that arsenic pretreatment reduced 5FU-induced body weight loss from 25% to 4%. The protecting effect of arsenic was also clearly evident in reducing 5FU-induced damage in gastrointestinal (GI) track and hematopoietic (HP) system, two of the most sensitive tissues. Using mutant p53 expressing mice, we demonstrate that arsenic-mediated protection primarily depends on functional p53. Our preclinical study implicates that the brief use of low doses arsenic to inhibit p53 is an effective approach of chemotherapy protection. If successfully validated in clinical studies, this strategy may not only minimize side effects, but would also allow escalated therapeutic doses to improve treatment efficacy in a safe and effective approach for cancer therapy protection. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4317. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4317
Incidence of attachment loss over 3 years in older adults – new and progressing lesions

Researchers attempting to identify and quantify risk factors have not paid adequate attention to whether or not they actually are identifying risk factors (exposures related to the onset of disease) and prognostic factors (characteristics related to the progression of established disease). The purpose of this paper is to present the incidence of attachment loss in people who have attachment loss in sites previously without disease and people who experience further progression of sites with disease, and to compare and contrast the characteristics of people with the two types of attachment loss. The subjects used for this study are a random sample of community-dwelling older adults residing in five contiguous North Carolina counties who were followed for 3 yr. The subjects were categorized into four groups according to the type of clinical attachment loss (change of 3 or more mm) experienced, those who only had attachment loss in previously undiseased sites, those with progression of attachment loss in previously diseased sites, those who experienced both types of attachment loss, and those who had no new sites of attachment loss. A bivariate logistic model was developed to identify the characteristics associated with “new” disease onset as compared to “progression of disease”. Just over 40% of the people had no change in their baseline attachment level, 27.5% of the people experienced only new lesions. 11.1% of the people only experienced clinical attachment loss in sites that had clinical attachment loss at baseline, and 20.1% experienced both kinds of clinical attachment loss. Low income, taking medications associated with soft tissue reactions, smokeless tobacco users and those who experience a history of oral pain were at greater risk for new lesions. People at higher risk for disease progression were low income, taking medications that may result in soft tissue reactions, cigarette smokers, BANA positive, P. gingivalis positive, and had worsening financial problems. The model indicates that the characteristics are different enough that periodontitis may be like other diseases in which risk factors and prognostic factors are not the same.
When Do Environmentally Focused Assistance Projects Achieve their Objectives?: Evidence from World Bank Post-Project Evaluations

Scholars and practitioners have paid considerable attention to the factors that promote successful outcomes in environmentally focused assistance projects. Previous studies have identified various potential predictors of successful outcomes, including the political commitment, institutional capacity, and governance quality of the recipient country; the severity of environmental pressures in the recipient country; donor-recipient contracting dynamics; project characteristics; and civic participation in the recipient country environment sector. We test the influence of these variables on project success using a dataset of outcome ratings for all environmentally focused World Bank projects approved since 1994. We find that strong public sector institutions in the recipient country and proactive staff supervision foster project success and that projects seeking to achieve global environmental objectives are less likely to succeed. Future research will be most fruitful if it focuses on how operational and management characteristics of individual projects lead to successful outcomes.
The (1-methyl)cyclopropyloxycarbonyl (MPoc) carbamate: a new protecting group for amines

Abstract The (1-methyl)cyclopropyl carbamate (MPoc) group represents a new and useful protecting group for amines. It adds relatively little molecular weight and has a simple 1 H NMR spectrum. It is orthogonal to the commonly used BOC, Cbz, Alloc, and FMOC groups. MPoc protected amines are resistant to extremes of pH, amines, halogens, many oxidizing agents, and to hydrogenation at ambient temperature. The MPoc group is cleaved by exposure to hypobromous acid or upon hydrogenolysis over palladium at 80 °C.
Making virtual reality useful: a report on immersive applications at Iowa State University

This paper presents the research activities in virtual reality (VR) applications at the Iowa Center for Emerging Manufacturing Technology at Iowa State University. We are performing multidisciplinary applied research focused on investigating the potential of immersive environments for science and engineering applications. We present our most recent applications, currently under development, and provide an informal discussion about the features and research topics we are identifying.
Enhancing response rates to a smoking survey for enlisted U.S. Navy women.

This study examined the effectiveness of a stepped approach for increasing response rates to a mailed follow-up smoking survey among newly enlisted women in the navy. The effect of the stepped approach on response rates and on the characteristics of respondents was evaluated. Also, costs were estimated for each of the steps to determine their relative benefits. Results showed that the stepped approach was effective in more than doubling the survey response rate among smokers. Reluctant respondents did not differ from on-time respondents in terms of demographics or baseline smoking, although nonrespondents were less educated and heavier smokers than on-time and reluctant respondents. Strategies documented here could well apply to survey efforts with other hard-to-reach populations.
Rhodopsin/Lipid Hydrophobic Matching—Rhodopsin Oligomerization and Function

Lipid composition of the membrane and rhodopsin packing density strongly modulate the early steps of the visual response of photoreceptor membranes. In this study, lipid-order and bovine rhodopsin function in proteoliposomes composed of the sn-1 chain perdeuterated lipids 14:0d27-14:1-PC, 16:0d31-16:1-PC, 18:0d35-18:1-PC, or 20:0d39-20:1-PC at rhodopsin/lipid molar ratios from 1:70 to 1:1000 (mol/mol) were investigated. Clear evidence for matching of hydrophobic regions on rhodopsin transmembrane helices and hydrophobic thickness of lipid bilayers was observed from 2H nuclear magnetic resonance order parameter measurements at low rhodopsin concentrations. Thin bilayers stretched to match the length of transmembrane helices observed as increase of sn-1 chain order, while thicker bilayers were compressed near the protein. A quantitative analysis of lipid-order parameter changes suggested that the protein adjusts its conformation to bilayer hydrophobic thickness as well, which confirmed our earlier circular-dichroism measurements. Changes in lipid order parameters upon rhodopsin incorporation vanished for bilayers with a hydrophobic thickness of 27 ± 1 A, suggesting that this is the bilayer thickness at which rhodopsin packs in bilayers at the lowest membrane perturbation. The lipid-order parameter studies also indicated that a hydrophobic mismatch between rhodopsin and lipids triggers rhodopsin oligomerization with increasing rhodopsin concentrations. Both hydrophobic mismatch and rhodopsin oligomerization result in substantial shifts of the equilibrium between the photointermediates metarhodopsin I and metarhodopsin II; increasing bilayer thickness favors formation of metarhodopsin II while oligomerization favors metarhodopsin I. The results highlight the importance of hydrophobic matching for rhodopsin structure, oligomerization, and function.
Radar Cross Section of General Three-Dimensional Scatterers

Two disparate approaches?the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method and the method-of-moments (MOM) surface -patch technique-which permit highly realistic modeling of electromagnetic scattering problems are compared. New results of induced surface currents and radar cross section are presented for an important three-dimensional canonical cube scatterer. It is shown that a high level of agreement for the two modeling approaches is obtained for this scattering example.
Nonionic surface-active compounds. V. Effect of electrolyte☆

Abstract The effect of electrolyte on the micellar properties in aqueous solution of a series of polyoxyethylene derivatives of lauryl and tridecyl alcohols, and of nonyl phenol, has been studied. Changes in the critical micelle concentration and micellar size have been followed as a function of concentration of various electrolytes. The critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) is lowered in a way comparable with that observed with ionic surface-active agents, but there is little increase in micellar size, except with the least soluble compounds. With more soluble compounds, in fact, there appears to be a slight decrease in micellar size. Many of the data can be explained in terms of a positive double layer charge arising from hydronium ion formation.
Atomic layer deposition of HfO2: Growth initiation study on metallic underlayers

Abstract The initial stages of HfO2 film growth by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on Co, Ta, and Pt thin films have been compared by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The initial tetrakis-dimethylamido(IV) hafnium (TDMAH) adsorption rate was highest on Co and increased with substrate temperature between 150 °C and 250 °C. The initial adsorption rate of TDMAH on Ta was less than on Co or Pt at the same substrate temperatures. The Ta surface also proved to be more stable with regard to TDMAH decomposition as fluctuations of adsorbed Hf and decomposition products were not observed during ALD cycling. Larger amounts of carbon were observed on Pt after TDMAH exposure compared to Co or Ta, suggestive of decomposition products. The XPS Hf(4f) peak measured after initial exposure of TDMAH on Pt showed evidence of two Hf oxidation states at the surface. It is postulated that the reaction of TDMAH and decomposition by-products with available oxygen or hydroxyl molecules at the surface of the various metal underlayers affected the initial growth of HfO2.
Linking governance mechanisms to health outcomes: a review of the literature in low- and middle-income countries

We conducted a synthesis of peer-reviewed literature to shed light on links between governance mechanisms and health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Our review yielded 30 studies, highlighting four key governance mechanisms by which governance may influence health outcomes in these settings: Health system decentralization that enables responsiveness to local needs and values; health policymaking that aligns and empowers diverse stakeholders; enhanced community engagement; and strengthened social capital. Most, but not all, studies found a positive association between governance and health. Additionally, the nature of the association between governance mechanisms and health differed across studies. In some studies (N = 9), the governance effect was direct and positive, while in others (N = 5), the effect was indirect or modified by contextual factors. In still other studies (N = 4), governance was found to have a moderating effect, indicating that governance mechanisms influenced other system processes or structures that improved health. The remaining studies reported mixed findings about the association between governance and health (N = 6), no association between governance and health (N = 4), or had inconclusive results (N = 2). Further exploration is needed to fully understand the relationship between governance and health and to inform the design and delivery of evidence-based, effective governance interventions around the world.
Frictional auto-roughening of a surface with spatially varying stiffness

We show that significant reduction of sliding friction can be achieved between a rigid surface and a flat elastic surface by spatial variation in stiffness of the latter. This reduction in friction during sliding occurs due to an “auto-roughening” phenomenon in which a fully connected contact region breaks into partial contact. An elastomer, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), was used to fabricate nominally flat surfaces with regions of two different stiffness, achieved by using two different concentrations of the cross-linker. Both experiments and finite element simulation show that, for sufficiently high friction and low normal load, the real contact area between a rigid indenter and a surface with spatially varying stiffness is reduced significantly due to auto-roughening. The finite element model also shows how the auto-roughening depends on the properties and geometry of interfacial structures, resulting in reduced overall friction.
Frequency interpolation correction for Alouette II ionograms

Frequencies scaled from an Alouette II ionogram can be in error by five times the resolution of the sounder system when linear interpolation is used between the nominal values of the frequency markers. These errors are significant for certain geophysical measurements. A correction procedure is presented which allows frequency measurements to be made with an accuracy comparable to the resolution.
Solid phase hydantoin synthesis: An efficient and direct conversion of Fmoc-protected dipeptides to hydantoins

An efficient and direct conversion of Fmoc-protected dipeptides to hydantoins in the solid phase is described. This methodology uses MeSiCl3 in the presence of Et3N to cleave Fmoc-protected amines directly to their isocyanates. Internal cyclization of the amide on the isocyanate follows to produce the hydantoins in high purity and with no indication of racemization.
Specification and implementation of programs for updating incomplete information databases

The problem of updating incomplete information databases is examined as a programming problem. From this point of view formal denotational semantics are developed for two applicative programming languages, BLU and HLU. BLU is a very simple language with only five primitives, and is designed primarily as a tool for the implementation of higher level languages. The semantics of BLU are formally developed at two levels possible worlds and clausal and the latter is shown to be a correct implementation of the former. HLU is a user level update language. It is defined entirely in terms of BLU, and so immediately inherits its semantic definition from that language. This demonstrates a level of completeness for BLU as a level of primitives for update language implementation. The necessity of a particular BLU primitive, masking, suggests that there is a high degree of inherent complexity in updating logical databases.
Biosensing: Taking charge of biomolecules.

The combination of two scanning probe microscopy techniques has led to a label-free method of detecting charged molecules at the nanoscale and offers a general approach to biosensing with improved resolution, sensitivity and speed.
The When-Who-How analysis of defects for improving the quality control process

Most large software products have elaborate quality control processes involving many tasks performed by different groups using a variety of techniques. The defects found are generally recorded in a database which is used for tracking and prioritizing defects. However, this defect data also provides a wealth of information which can be analyzed for improving the process. In this paper, we describe the when-who-how approach for analyzing defect data to gain a better understanding of the quality control process and identify improvement opportunities. At the component level, the analysis provides the capability to assess strength of dependency between components, and new ways to study correlation between early and late defects. We also discuss the experience of applying this approach to defect data from an earlier version of Windows, and the improvement opportunities it revealed.
Pancreatic incidentalomas: clinical and pathologic spectrum.

Abstract Background Incidental abnormalities are increasingly being detected. The pathology and clinical outcome of patients with pancreatic incidentalomas have not been well characterized. Methods We reviewed the records of 356 patients with pancreatic abnormalities from August 2001 to June 2007. Clinical and pathologic data were collected for a cohort of patients who had incidental pancreatic lesions detected by imaging modalities. Results Fifty-seven pancreatic incidentalomas were identified. Ninety percent of them were detected by computed axial tomography (CT). The most frequent indications for imaging were genitourinary symptoms and cancer surveillance. Sixty percent of the lesions were solid, and 40% were cystic. Surgical resection was performed in 33 patients. Locally advanced disease was found in six patients, and metastatic disease was found in 9 patients. The most frequent diagnoses were ductal adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and serous cystadenoma. Conclusions Patients with pancreatic incidentalomas account for a significant patient subgroup. Incidental pancreatic lesions occur frequently and require prompt surgical evaluation.
Qualitative Analysis of Decision Making by Speech-Language Pathologists in the Design of Aided Visual Displays

For children with complex communication needs, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices offer a functional way to communicate thoughts and feelings. Despite many significant advances in the field, effective and efficient aided communication can remain a challenge for some clients and their partners. One critical element of aided AAC intervention is systematic attention to the design of the communication display itself. A well-designed display will foster communication outcomes; a poorly designed one might have the opposite effect. Surprisingly, to our knowledge there are no studies of the strategies that clinicians actually employ when putting together a display. In this research note, we examine, on a case-by-case basis, the strategies six clinicians used when constructing display pages, as a means of highlighting potential areas that might warrant systematic research on display design.
Mapping protein–ligand interactions by footprinting, a radical idea

We are indebted to T Heyduk for originally introducing us to the protein footprinting methodology. We thank our colleagues M Cadene and BT Chait for discussions on the application of mass spectrometry to protein footprinting, and J Goldberg for providing Figure 1Figure 1.
Molecular Basis of Congenital Hypopigmentary Disorders in Humans: A Review

Many specific gene products are sequentially made and utilized by the melanocyte as it emigrates from its embryonic origin, migrates into specific target sites, synthesizes melanin(s) within a specialized organelle, transfers pigment granules to neighboring cells, and responds to various exogenous cues. A mutation in many of the respective encoding genes can disrupt this process of melanogenesis and can result in hypopigmentary disorders. Following are examples highlighting this scenario. A subset of neural crest derived cells emigrate from the dorsal surface of the neural tube, become committed to the melanoblast lineage, and are targeted along the dorsal lateral pathway. The specific transcription factors PAX3 and MITF (microphthalmia transcription factor) appear to play a regulatory role in early embryonic development of the pigment system and in associated diseases (the Waardenburg syndromes). During the subsequent development and commitment of the melanoblast, concomitant expression of the receptors for fibroblasts growth factor (FGFR2), endothelin-B (EDNRB), and steel factor (cKIT) also appears essential for the continued survival of migrating melanoblasts. Lack or dysfunction of these receptors result in Apert syndrome, Hirschsprung syndrome and piebaldism, respectively. Once the melanocyte resides in its target tissue, a plethora of melanocyte specific enzymes and structural proteins are coordinately expressed to form the melanosome and to convert tyrosine to melanin within it. Mutations in the genes encoding these proteins results in a family of congenital hypopigmentary diseases called oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). The tyrosinase gene family of proteins (tyrosinase, TRP1, and TRP2) regulate the type of eumelanin synthesized and mutations affecting them result in OCA1, OCA3, and slaty (in the murine system), respectively. The P protein, with 12 transmembrane domains localized to the melanosome, has no assigned function as of yet but is responsible for OCA2 when dysfunctional. There are other genetically based syndromes, phenotypically resembling albinism, in which the synthesis of pigmented melanosomes, as well as specialized organelles of other cell types, is compromised. The Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) and the Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) are two such disorders. Eventually, the functional melanocyte must be maintained in the tissue throughout life. In some cases it is lost either normally or prematurely. White hair results in the absence of melanocytes repopulating the germinative hair follicle during subsequent anagen stages. Vitiligo, in contrast, results from the destruction and removal of the melanocyte in the epidermis and mucous membranes.
Teams in Organizations Prevalence, Characteristics, and Effectiveness

This article offers a typology of team types found in organizations and reports the results of two surveys sent to U.S. organizations asking about the prevalence, duties, composition, and structure of groups and teams in practice. One sample was randomly selected from the entire population of U.S. organizations; the second sample consisted of organizations known or believed to use teams. Nearly half (48%) of the respondents in the random sample indicated that their organization used some type of team, and ongoing project teams were reported most frequently. Teams were more prevalent in organizations with multiple departments, multiple divisions, higher sales, and more employees. Interpersonal conflict was the best predictor of perceived team effectiveness, but several structural and composition characteristics of the team were related to conflict and/or effectiveness as well. Organizations that reported using teams generally did not support them in terms of team-level performance feedback or compensation ...
Selection of cathode contact materials for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract The goal of this work is to identify suitable cathode contact materials (CCM) to bond and electrically connect LSCF cathode to Mn 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 -coated 441 stainless steel after sintering at the relatively low temperature of 900–1000 °C. A wide variety of CCM candidates are synthesized and characterized. For each, the conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, sintering behavior, and tendency to react with LSCF or Mn 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 are determined. From this screening, LSCF, LSCuF, LSC, and SSC are selected as the most promising candidates. These compositions are applied to LSCF and Mn 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 -coated 441 stainless steel coupons and subjected to 200 h ASR testing at 800 °C. After area-specific resistance testing, the specimens are cross-sectioned and analyzed for interdiffusion across the CCM/LSCF or CCM/Mn 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 interfaces. A relatively narrow band of interdiffusion is observed.
Do Alternate Orientations of Navigation and Content Impact the Usability of Handheld Applications

This study explored the effect of displaying sideways navigation and content in graphical applications for handheld devices. Because these devices can be easily rotated during use, alternate orientations for screen elements may be acceptable. Participants performed tasks on prototypes emulating a wireless brokerage application presented on a Pocket PC handheld device. The prototypes differed in the orientation of the main navigation bar (top, sideways-left, sideways-right). Within each navigation condition, two prototypes displayed charts and tables in either a standard or sideways orientation. Results indicated that, as a function of navigation or chart and table orientation, there were no significant differences in task completion, time on task, number of screens navigated during tasks, or mean responses to a subjective evaluation questionnaire. These findings suggest that alternate presentations of navigation and content elements do not have a detrimental effect on the usability of handheld applications.
Flexible, stretchable tactile arrays from MEMS barometers

Many applications for tactile sensors require a flexible, stretchable array to allow installation on curved surfaces or to measure forces on deformable objects. This paper presents a sensor array created with barometers and flexible printed circuit boards that delivers high sensitivity on a flexible, stretchable package using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components: MEMS barometers and commercially-compatible flexible printed circuit boards. The array is demonstrated on the surface of a jamming gripper, where it provides the ability to sense grasping events and detect object shape.
Regulation of conditioned responses of basolateral amygdala neurons.

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a component of a system that drives and modulates affective behavior. Some forms of affective behavior are regulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and enhanced by dopamine (DA). By using intracellular and extracellular electrophysiological techniques in anesthetized rats, our studies attempt to uncover cellular mechanisms that allow for regulation of affect by PFC-induced inhibition of BLA output and plasticity, as well as mechanisms by which DA enhances affective behavior via modulation of BLA neuronal excitability, afferent input and plasticity. We have found that stimulation of medial PFC (mPFC) results in a profound inhibition of BLA output, manifest as a suppression of spontaneous, intracellular current-driven or sensory cortical afferent-driven spike firing of BLA projection neurons. This inhibition is mediated by excitation of GABAergic interneurons of the BLA. Activation of DA receptors attenuates this inhibitory action of the mPFC, while enhancing other (i.e., sensory-related) inputs by increases in postsynaptic excitability of BLA projection neurons. Furthermore, Pavlovian conditioning procedures that pair an odor with a footshock result in enhanced odor-evoked postsynaptic potentials. This plasticity of odor-evoked responses is blocked by antagonism of DA receptors and by stimulation of mPFC. Our data indicate that the mPFC exerts regulatory control over BLA via suppression of spontaneous and sensory-driven activity, as well as BLA plasticity. Activation of DA receptors suppresses the inhibitory influence of the mPFC, allowing sensory-driven BLA activity and plasticity. Functionally, in the presence of high DA levels, which suppresses mPFC-evoked inhibition, one source of affective control will be dampened. Furthermore, sensory-related inputs will be further enhanced by the increased excitability of BLA neurons. This situation is expected to maximize affective responses to sensory stimuli, as well as plasticity.