cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reversible magnetization of oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ

The reversible magnetization Mrev of polycrystalline YBa2Cu3O7−δ (0<δ<0.5) was measured. Due to a small grain size a nd low critical current densities in oxygen deficient specimens Mrev could be measured over most of the superconducting regime from 10 K to Tc up to a magnetic field of 5.5 T. The magnetization data is in excellent agreement with calculated values obtained from Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory. Values for the thermodynamic critical field Hc and the GL parameter κ are obtained. High values of κ ≈ 170–300 (for H∥c) are necessary to fit the magnetization data. Hc(T = 0) decreases strongly for increasing oxygen deficiencies up to δ ≈ 0.15, and then remains nearly constant. Specific heat jumps Δc at Tc were calculated from the data and the fit. Quantitative agreement with data in the literature is obtained. Just like Hc, the specific heat jump is strongly dependent on the oxygen deficiency in the near stoichiometric regime.
Demand Systems with and without Errors

Revealed preference theory assumes that each consumer has demands that are rational, meaning that they arise from the maximization of his or her own utility function. In contrast, econometric or statistical demand models assume that each consumer's demands equal a rational systematic component derived from a common utility function, plus an individual-specific, additive error term. This paper reconciles these differences, by providing necessary and sufficient conditions for rationality of statistical demand models given individual consumer rationality.
INFLUENCE OF AVITAMINOSES ON WEIGHTS OF ENDOCRINE GLANDS1

When investigations were begun several years ago on the histopathology of tissues, including those of the endocrine glands, in deficiency diseases it was thought that the weights of the endocrine glands might prove helpful in the interpretations of the microscopic observations. Later on, as this department began to pursue biochemical investigations on the endocrines in avitaminoses, the accumulation of a large amount of such additional data became available. The only definite correlation that could be made between endocrine weights and microscopic changes was found in the case of the thymus. The marked atrophy of that gland in vitamin-B1 deficiency was evidenced histologically by connective tissue replacement. From the sections examined in vitamin-B2 deficiency there was evidence of the thymic involution, in the presence of fat and fibrous connective tissue (1).
Effects of involving conduct problem adolescents in goal setting: An exploratory investigation

Effects of involving conduct problem adolescents in goal setting were assessed. Two levels of goal setting were compared: Level 1—pupils were involved with a school counselor in goal setting as a basis for individual behavioral counseling intervention; Level 2—pupils were informed by a counselor that goals were being set, but were not involved in the goal-setting process. Four public school counselors and 16 adolescents were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions, with individual behavioral counseling being provided during a 10-week period. Results indicated greater degree of goal attainment and satisfaction with counseling for pupils who participated in goal setting.
Information-theoretic characterizations of recursive infinite strings

Abstract Loveland and Meyer have studied necessary and sufficient conditions for an infinite binary string x to be recursive in terms of the program-size complexity relative to n of its n -bit prefixes x n . Meyer has shown that x is recursive iff ∃ c , ∀ n , K ( x n ⧸ n ) ⩽ c , and Loveland has shown that this is false if one merely stipulates that K ( x n ⧸ n ) ⩽ c for infinitely many n . We strengthen Meyer's theorem. From the fact that there are few minimal-size programs for calculating n given result, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for x to be recursive in terms of the absolute program-size complexity of its prefixes: x is recursive iff ∃ c , ∀ n , K ( x n ) ⩽ K ( n ) + c . Again Loveland's method shows that this is no longer a sufficient condition for x to be recursive if one merely stipulates that K ( x n ) ⩽ K ( n ) + c for infinitely many n .
The Effects of Substituting Applesauce for Fat and Grated Zucchini for Milk on the Eating Quality of Quick Breads

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the effects on the volume, appearance, texture, tenderness, flavor, and moistness of quick bread when applesauce is substituted for oil and grated zucchini is substituted for milk. Objective evaluations showed that the different batters used are similar in viscosity and height as the standard recipe batter. Sensory evaluations showed that quick breads made without fat and milk have similar flavor, tenderness, and moistness to that of the standard recipe. The texture and appearance were slightly different but of acceptable quality. Results showed that the overall eating quality of quick breads made with applesauce and grated zucchini was rated as "good". The study concluded that the eating quality of quick breads made with no fat and no milk can still be acceptable. Quick breads made with applesauce in place of oil and grated zucchini in place of milk can be enjoyed by everyone, especially those with heart problems and those with milk intolerance.
INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS IN PEDIATRIC TRAUMA PATIENTS

In adult patients with multiple trauma who survive > 5 days, infection is second only to head injury as a cause of mortality. No comparable data exist on the role infection plays in traumatized pediatric patients. CHLA is a designated trauma center for pediatric patients in Los Angeles. We reviewed the infectious complications occurring in 242 children with severe trauma admitted to the intensive care unit over an 18 month period. Forty-nine infections occurred in 28 patients. The most frequent traumatic events leading to hospitalization of these 28 patients were vehicular accidents (36%), head trauma (29%) and drowning (21%). The most common sites of infection were the respiratory tract (43%), blood (24%), skin and soft tissues (14%) and urinary tract (10%). Pneumonia was the single most common infection occurring in 29% of the 49 episodes. Pathogens isolated from patients with pneumonia included haemophilus species (7), Staphylococcus aureus (S), streptococci (4), gram negative bacilli (4), Candida species (2) and Bramhamella catarrhalis (1). Organisms isolated from septic patients included staphylococci (5), Candida species (4), gram negative bacilli (2) and streptococci (2). There were 3 deaths attributable to infection. All 3 patients had sepsis and 2 had fungemia. Infections are an important complication in hospitalized pediatric trauma patients. In the present study pneumonia was the most common infection, but sepsis was the most lethal infection seen.
Optimal Wave Propagation-Based Nondestructive Test Design for Quantitative Damage Characterization

A generalized approach for optimal wave propagation-based nondestructive test (NDT) design for potential applications in damage characterization and other characterization problems, is presented and numerically evaluated. More specifically, the objective of this work is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of material characterization processes by optimizing the parameters of the associated NDT, such as the locations of sensors and actuators. The NDT design approach is an extension of prior work to consider wave propagation-based NDT, and is based on maximizing the sensitivity of the NDT response measurements to changes in the material properties to be determined by the evaluation, while simultaneously minimizing the redundancy of response measurements. Two simulated case studies are presented to evaluate the performance of the optimal wave propagation-based NDT design approach. Both examples consider thin plate structures with a damage field that was assumed to be able to be represented by changes in the Young’s modulus distribution throughout the structure. The NDT method considered was based on commonly used ultrasonic testing with piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The Optimal NDT designs corresponding to maximized sensitivity and minimized response redundancy are shown to provide substantially improved evaluation solution efficiency and accuracy for quantitative damage characterization in comparison to more standard NDT designs.
An imputation strategy for incomplete longitudinal ordinal data

A new quasi-imputation strategy for correlated ordinal responses is proposed by borrowing ideas from random number generation. The essential idea is collapsing ordinal levels to binary ones and converting correlated binary outcomes to multivariate normal outcomes in a sensible way so that re-conversion to the binary and then ordinal scale, after conducting multiple imputation, yields the original marginal distributions and correlations. This conversion process ensures that the correlations are transformed reasonably, which in turn allows us to take advantage of well-developed imputation techniques for Gaussian outcomes. We use the phrase 'quasi' because the original observations are not guaranteed to be preserved. We present an application using a data set from psychiatric research. We conclude that the proposed method may be a promising tool for handling incomplete longitudinal or clustered ordinal outcomes.
Lithium in NGC 752

Echelle spectra recorded at the Li I 6707 A line are reported for 19 main sequence members of NGC 752, an open cluster about 2.5 times older than the Hyades. A sharp decline of the lithium abundance toward cooler temperatures is found which is more pronounced than in the Hyades, as expected. The initial cluster lithium abundance is estimated at roughly 1 x 10 to the -9th. No significant increase of the lithium fraction in the gas of the Galactic disk apparently has occurred in at least the last 1.7 Gyr. Four stars in a very narrow temperature range centered near 6600 K show a deficiency of atmospheric lithium which ranges up to a factor of more than 30 compared to slightly hotter or cooler stars.
Temperature-Controlled Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurements On Space Transport System (STs-2)

The purpose of the Temperature-Controlled Quartz Crystal Microbalance (TQCM) system on STS-2 was to measure condensible molecular flux in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle as a function of temperature, direction, and time. Five quartz crystal microbalance sensors were located in the IECM to measure molecular adsorption in each of the Orbiter axes, +X (fore), -X (aft), +Y (starboard), -Y (port), and -Z (up, perpendicular to payload bay). The temperature of each sensor was controlled by a thermoelectric device so contamination could be measured as a function of four preset temperatures: +30, 0, -30, and -60 C. When orbital altitude was reached, the TQCM sensors began their orbital measuring cycle routine. The sensors were commanded to 80 C for 30 min, which was used as an initial clean-up. They were then stepped through a program of 2-nr collection periods at each temperature with a 30-min, 80 C period between each collection period. The collection periods progressed in descending order from +30 to -60 C and, then the cycle was repeated. Since the STS-2 orbital phase lasted approximately 53 hrs, the TQCM system completed four cycles and was in the fifth when the mission was terminated.
The effect of postnatal growth retardation on abnormal neovascularization in the oxygen exposed neonatal rat

Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) occurs in the smallest and sickest of premature infants. We hypothesized that, in a rat model of oxygen induced retinopathy, abnormal neovascularization would occur more frequently in larger litters where the pups are subject to postnatal growth retardation. Four litters of newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were studied; rats were randomly mixed to form two large litters (n = 25 each) and two small litters (n = 10 each). All litters were exposed to 7 days cyclic hyperoxia and hypoxia followed by 5 days in room air. ADPase stained retinae were evaluated in a masked manner for the presence and severity of abnormal neovascularization. Fluorescein perfused retinae were digitized and the ratios of vascularized:total retinal area were calculated using computer assisted image analysis. As expected, final weight in the large litters was less than in the small litters (15.3 ± 3.8g vs. 23.4 ± 2.1g, p < 0.001). Neovascularization occurred in 53% of rats in the large litters vs. 15% ...
Antibody-complement interactions with purified lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Abstract Immune complex formation and immune virolysis of the Armstrong strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) were examined. LCMV, harvested from acutely infected BHK cells propagated in the absence of serum, was purified by methanol precipitation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The 31- and 23-S RNA species of LCMV were labeled under conditions of actinomycin D treatment of cells that prevented the labeling of cell ribosomes in the virion. The addition of guinea pig antibody (Ab) to LCMV lowered viral infectivity and enhanced the sedimentation rate but not the density of [U-3H]LCMV and 125iodine-surface protein-labeled LCMV. This suggested that Ab aggregated the virions into faster sedimenting complexes. The addition of complement (C) to the LCMV-Ab complex further reduced the infectivity and increased both the sedimentation rate and density of [125I]LCMV. When [U-3H]LCMV was reacted with Ab and C and subjected to rate zonal sedimentation, the RNA label remained at the top of the gradient rather than sedimenting with the 125I-surface protein-membrane label. This observation, which indicated that Ab and C lysed the virus, was confirmed by electron microscopy showing first coating of the viral membrane with electron dense material, then swelling and rupture of the membrane and release of viral core material. Using sera deficient in specified C components, it was found that the C-mediated inactivation proceeded via the classical C pathway. Sera deficient in latter C components (beyond C3) augmented the inactivation of LCMV-Ab complexes, but this inactivation was far more extensive when a complete C source was used. Evidence suggesting that immune and persistently infected mice produce C-fixing Ab to the surface of the LCM virion was documented.
Parameter Sensitivity Analysis of the Extended Bouc-Wen Model of Hysteresis

The extended Bouc-Wen differential model is one of the most widely accepted phenomenological models of hysteresis in computational mechanics. It is routinely used in the characterization of structural damping and in system identification. In this paper, the differential model of hysteresis is carefully re-examined and two significant issues are uncovered. First, it is found that the unspecified parameters of the model are not independent. One of the model parameters can be eliminated through suitable transformations in the parameter space. Second, through local and global sensitivity analysis, it is found that some parameters of the hysteretic model are rather insensitive. If these insensitive parameters are set to constant values, a greatly simplified model is obtained.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Relationship of apple vitamin C and antioxidant contents to harvest date and postharvest pathogen infection

A surprisingly strong correlation between the date of commercial harvest and the mean vitamin C (L-ascorbate, L-AA) contents of fruits from Belgian-grown Malus × domestica cultivars was reported recently (Davey MW and Keulemans J, J Agric Food Chem 52:8031–8038 (2004)). The study has been extended to show that this correlation remains consistent over different production years and that harvest date is also significantly correlated with fruit L-AA and total antioxidant activities but not with glutathione (GSH) levels or other physiological parameters of fruits. L-AA concentrations were also found to be negatively correlated with mean preharvest daytime temperature; however, since preharvest temperature and harvest date themselves are closely linked, it was not possible to definitively separate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to these traits. It is also shown that the susceptibility of fruits of different apple genotypes to postharvest infection with Botrytris cinerea decreases with increasing harvest date and that this susceptibility is correlated with fruit vitamin C but not GSH levels. There is no such relationship underlying the susceptibility of fruits to postharvest infection with Gloeosporium fructigenum. These results are discussed in the context of low-input breeding for improved fruit quality and disease resistance via selection of fruits with improved antioxidant defence capabilities. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Provider and patient influences on the formation of socioeconomic health behavior disparities among pregnant women

Socially advantaged individuals are better positioned to benefit from advances in biomedicine, which frequently results in the emergence of social inequalities in health. I use survey and in-depth interviews with pregnant women and their health care providers from four Midwestern clinics in the United States, conducted in 2009 and 2010. I compare socioeconomic differences in intake of two new prenatal supplements: Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid. Although socioeconomic differences in omega-3 fatty acid supplementation emerged, there were no differences in the use of vitamin D. I argue that providers may have contributed to the prevention of a health disparity in vitamin D supplementation by implementing an aggressive uniform protocol. These results suggest that providers not only serve as a conduit for the dissemination of new biomedical information, the strength and uniformity of their recommendations have the potential to prevent or exacerbate socioeconomic differences in health behaviors.
Keeping One's Distance The Influence of Spatial Distance Cues on Affect and Evaluation

Current conceptualizations of psychological distance (e.g., construal-level theory) refer to the degree of overlap between the self and some other person, place, or point in time. We propose a complementary view in which perceptual and motor representations of physical distance influence people's thoughts and feelings without reference to the self, extending research and theory on the effects of distance into domains where construal-level theory is silent. Across four experiments, participants were primed with either spatial closeness or spatial distance by plotting an assigned set of points on a Cartesian coordinate plane. Compared with the closeness prime, the distance prime produced greater enjoyment of media depicting embarrassment (Study 1), less emotional distress from violent media (Study 2), lower estimates of the number of calories in unhealthy food (Study 3), and weaker reports of emotional attachments to family members and hometowns (Study 4). These results support a broader conceptualization o...
Dog-ears : A review

Background. The closure of any circular or asymmetric wound results in puckering or excess of tissue known as dog-ears. Objective. Facility in managing dog-ears is an invaluable tool in cutaneous surgery due to its common presentation. Methods. Methods for correcting dog-ears are extensively detailed in both the plastic and dermatologic surgery literature. This review provides a practical outline of nine methods of dog-ear correction along with pertinent schematic and clinical illustration. Results. A comprehensive approach to dog-ears requires knowledge of tissue dynamics, adherence to proper surgical technique, and strategies for the management of dog-ears. Conclusions. A thorough understanding of dog-ear formation and correction allows the surgeon to choose the most appropriate management for dog-ears in any clinical setting.
Acute promyelocytic leukemia--weapons of mass differentiation.

Eradication of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in mice depends on two events: derepressing the differentiation pathway and ridding the APL cell of the fusion oncoprotein that sustains it.
Amorphous metal foams

As recently demonstrated, amorphous metal foams are highly ductile in compression, and thus offer attractive compromises in mechanical and physical properties between crystalline metallic and ceramic foams. Challenges associated with fabrication of amorphous metal foams are critically assessed in the context of current and future processing methods, and conclusions are drawn regarding the properties and future applications of ductile amorphous metal foams.
A frequency-shift based CMOS magnetic biosensor with spatially uniform sensor transducer gain

This paper presents a scalable and ultrasensitive magnetic biosensing scheme based on on-chip LC resonance frequency-shifting. The sensor transducer gain is demonstrated as being location-dependent on the sensing surface and proportional to the local polarization magnetic field strength |B|2 generated by the sensing inductor. To improve the gain uniformity, a bowl-shape stacked coil together with floating shimming metal is proposed for the inductor design. As an implementation example, a 16-cell sensor array is designed in a 45nm CMOS process. The spatially uniform sensor gain of the array is verified by testing micron-size magnetic particles randomly placed on the sensing surface. The Correlated-Double-Counting (CDC) noise cancellation scheme is also implemented in the presented design, which achieves a noise suppression of 10.6dB with no power overhead. Overall, the presented sensor demonstrates a dynamic range of at least 85.4dB.
Dual clocks: Entry order influences on incumbent and newcomer market share and survival when specialized assets retain their value

Entry order analysis often shows that early eritrrints to an itidustry or technical subfield of an industr?, outperform laggards. Some studiess, though, hme found thrit late entrrints prervil. This paper tests did-clock hypotheses of entry order effects on perfortilance, riieasitred both as market share and survival. One entry clock records the entry of all entrctrits to a new technical subfield within (in industry, while a second clock records the entry of’ industry incumbents. Relative to the cippropriate clock. early entrmit.s are predicted to oritperforin Irtggards, but when entry is inemired on only one clock, the estiriiuterl influences riiny be inaccurate. Error will be particularly likely if a study contriitis {t surr,ivor bias. The study. which finds entry timing tmde-ofjy between rmirket share and survird, is gerierrilizirble to cmes in which N plriisible set of conditions is found.
Ionic matrix for matrix-enhanced surface-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (ME-SALDI-MSI).

Matrix-enhanced surface-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (ME-SALDI MSI) has been previously demonstrated as a viable approach to improving MS imaging sensitivity. We describe here the employment of ionic matrices to replace conventional MALDI matrices as the coating layer with the aims of reducing analyte redistribution during sample preparation and improving matrix vacuum stability during imaging. In this study, CHCA/ANI (α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid/aniline) was deposited atop tissue samples through sublimation to eliminate redistribution of analytes of interest on the tissue surface. The resulting film was visually homogeneous under an optical microscope. Excellent vacuum stability of the ionic matrix was quantitatively compared with the conventional matrix. The subsequently improved ionization efficiency of the analytes over traditional MALDI was demonstrated. The benefits of using the ionic matrix in MS imaging were apparent in the analysis of garlic tissue sections in the ME-SALDI MSI mode.
Effects of home-based exercise on postural control and sensory organization in individuals with Parkinson disease

Loss of function and postural instability occur in Parkinson disease (PD). Dynamic exercise interventions are successful in improving motor control and physical function. However, most programs are based in a health facility or physical therapy setting and involve travel. With the limitations associated with PD (e.g. health care and medication cost as well as travel limitations) these therapies may be inaccessible and exclude some individuals from maintaining or increasing their function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based exercise intervention on postural control in individuals with PD. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed on individuals with PD (N = 10) and healthy aged-matched controls (N = 10). Participants were assessed utilizing computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) before and after a 10-week exercise intervention. Participants were instructed on proper technique prior to the intervention, were given an illustrated home program, and were monitored weekly concerning their progress. Pre-intervention assessment demonstrated that individuals with PD had statically lower scores on a Sensory Organization Test (p .05). This initial study indicates that a home exercise intervention is an effective method of improving postural control in individuals with PD. Results from this investigation support further study to determine the extent to which both preventative and restorative home-based programs can improve postural control.
Estimation of dicumarol, 3,31-methylenebis (4-hydroxycoumarin) in biological fluids.

SummaryA simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the estimation of dicumarol in plasma and urine is described. Dicumarol is isolated from the biological material by extraction into heptane. The drug is returned to alkali and measured spectrophotometrically at 315 mν. The method is specific in that it does not include metabolic products of the drug.
Blood-brain barrier mechanisms involved in brain calcium and potassium homeostasis.

This study examined the potential roles of the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) at the blood-CSF and blood-brain barriers in brain Ca2+ homeostasis and blood-brain barrier Na+/K+-ATPase subunits in brain K+ homeostasis. During dietary-induced hypo- and hypercalcemia (0.59+/-0.06 and 1.58+/-0.12 mM [Ca2+]) there was no significant change in choroid plexus PMCA (Western Blots) compared to normocalcemic rats (plasma [Ca2+]: 1.06+/-0.11 mM). In contrast, PMCA in cerebral microvessels isolated from hypocalcemic rats was 150% greater than that in controls (p<0.001). Comparison of the alpha3 subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase from cerebral microvessels isolated from hypo-, normo- and hyperkalemic rats (2.3+/-0.1, 3.9+/-0.1 and 7. 2+/-0.6 mM [K+]) showed a 75% reduction in the amount of this isoform during hyperkalemia. None of the other Na+/K+-ATPase isoforms varied with plasma [K+]. These results suggest that both PMCA and the alpha3 subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase at the blood-brain barrier play a role in maintaining a constant brain microenvironment during fluctuations in plasma composition.
IBM typewriter innovation

The evolution of the writing machine from early eighteenth-century concepts to the modern electronic typewriter represents a rich history of innovative efforts by many individuals in several countries. This paper briefly highlights several significant early milestones and then draws particular attention to typewriter developments within the IBM Corporation. After entering the typewriter busininess 1933, IBM expanded the applicability of electric typebar machines and introduced proportional spacing to electric typewriters. The IBM SELECTRIC® Typewriter single-print-element concept represented a major departure from traditional typewriter design. Since the introduction of the SELECTRIC Typewriter, it has evolved inse veral directions that resulted in the following: a typewriter to produce high-quality printing for cold-type composing applications; an input/output writer for use in terminals, computer consoles, and word processing machines; a typewriter that can correct errors by mechanically removing them from the page or covering them up; and electronic typewriters, using microcircuitry, that provide more memory and computing power than some early computers.
Control Architecture for Segmented Trajectory Following of a Wind-Propelled Autonomous Catamaran

An autonomous surface vehicle, based on a Prindle-19 catamaran and substituting a self-trimming vertical wing for the sail, was developed to demonstrate precision guidance and control. This vehicle, the Atlantis, was demonstrated to track straight line segments to better than 0.3 meters (one ) when already trimmed for sail along the segment. In order to make the Atlantis useful as an autonomous vehicle, however, more complicated paths are required than simple straight line segments. A segmented trajectory is developed based on waypoints, segments, and arcs as the path primitives. A control architecture is also developed which can traverse a segmented trajectory made of linked path primitives, given reachability constraints due to wind direction. For segments where the destination is unreachable due to the wind direction a lane width is established and an on-the-fly tacking mode is used to traverse the segment while remaining within the lane width. A nonlinear model of the catamaran was simulated using Simulink, including realistic wind and current models. The control architecture was applied to the simulated catamaran using Monte Carlo simulations which demonstrated very robust segment traversal while maintaining a crosstrack error of less than one meter throughout the path.
First direct evidence that breaking waves cause horizontal eddies

As ocean waves pass from deeper water into the shallow coastal regions, they begin to break, churning up the surf zone waters. At the edges of the crests of the breaking waves, horizontally rotating eddies (vertical vortices) are generated, converting some of the waves' kinetic energy into turbulence. These horizontally rotating eddies are an important mechanism for dispersing nutrients, larvae, bacteria, sediments, and other suspended objects along the coastline.
A passive, multi-static radar system

In this paper, a passive multi-static radar system that utilizes broadcast high definition television (HDTV) transmissions is described, and results collected from a deployment in Washington DC are presented. (4 pages)
Electrical energy storage in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites containing surface-functionalized BaTiO3 nanoparticles

Polymer nanocomposites were prepared using surface-functionalized BaTiO3 nanoparticles and ferroelectric polymers. The nanocomposites based on the polymer with a higher permittivity exhibit larger electric displacements under the applied fields, thereby leading to higher energy densities. An energy density of 7 J/cm3 has been achieved in a nanocomposite containing 30 vol % BaTiO3 at 150 MV/m, representing an impressive ∼120% enhancement in comparison with that in the neat polymer.
Tacitus, academic politics, and regicide in the reign of Charles I: The tragedy of Dr. Isaac Dorislaus

Late in the sixteenth century the Tacitist movement reached England, and Tacitus gradually became an intellectual rallying point with political dissenters as he had already done on the continent. When the poet-statesman Fulke Greville founded the first chair of ancient history at Cambridge in 1627, he appointed a Dutch scholar, Isaac Dorislaus, to lecture on Tacitus. After only two lectures, Dorislaus was quickly relieved of his duties. The surviving Latin summary of the lectures shows that Dorislaus focused on the contrast between legal and tyrannical monarchy. That was not a welcome contrast under Charles I, and the professor thus incurred the wrath of the court party at Cambridge. Dorislaus later reached his greatest public prominence during the trial of King Charles at which he served as counsel for the prosecution. He assisted in preparing the charges of treason against King Charles and in managing the trial. A year after the execution of the king, irate British monarchists dramatically murdered Isaac Dorislaus in the Hague. This essay attempts to show how this violent drama of the English Civil War forms part of the story of the reception of classical texts and ideas in 17th century England.
Diffraction efficiency of 200-nm-period critical-angle transmission gratings in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet wavelength bands

We report on measurements of the diffraction efficiency of 200-nm-period freestanding blazed transmission gratings for wavelengths in the 0.96 to 19.4 nm range. These critical-angle transmission (CAT) gratings achieve highly efficient blazing over a broad band via total external reflection off the sidewalls of smooth, tens of nanometer thin ultrahigh aspect-ratio silicon grating bars and thus combine the advantages of blazed x-ray reflection gratings with those of more conventional x-ray transmission gratings. Prototype gratings with maximum depths of 3.2 and 6 μm were investigated at two different blaze angles. In these initial CAT gratings the grating bars are monolithically connected to a cross support mesh that only leaves less than half of the grating area unobstructed. Because of our initial fabrication approach, the support mesh bars feature a strongly trapezoidal cross section that leads to varying CAT grating depths and partial absorption of diffracted orders. While theory predicts broadband absolute diffraction efficiencies as high as 60% for ideal CAT gratings without a support mesh, experimental results show efficiencies in the range of ∼50–100% of theoretical predictions when taking the effects of the support mesh into account. Future minimization of the support mesh therefore promises broadband CAT grating absolute diffraction efficiencies of 50% or higher.
Thresholds and boundaries in the disclosure of individual genetic research results

Most contemporary “gene-hunting” begins as bench science in molecular genetics and often has relatively indirect connections with the kinds of clinical services that are relevant to the education a...
Cognitive Advantages of East Asian American Children: When Do Such Advantages Emerge and What Explains Them?

Using three waves of panel data from 7,800 infants in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), the current study compares cognitive abilities of East Asian American children with those in six other racial/ethnic groups at the ages of nine months, two years, and four years. At the age of nine months, East Asian American infants score slightly lower than their peers in most other racial/ethnic groups, after demographic and socioeconomic factors are held constant. East Asian American children clearly make greater cognitive progress than their peers in all other non-European American groups between the ages of nine months and two years. By age four, East Asian American children outperform their peers in all other racial/ethnic groups in math and literacy tests by a large margin. The analyses also find that much of the cognitive advantages of East Asian Americans at the ages of two and four are explained by differences in parental resources.
Developmental Differences in Eyewitness Suggestibility and Memory for Source.

To what extent do children who report suggested information believe they actually remember seeing the suggested details they report? Asking whether children misremember seeing suggested items is in essence a question about children's ability to monitor the source of their memories. The current study reports the results of two experiments designed to assess potential age-related changes in subjects' ability to accurately monitor the source of suggested information either immediately or following a 1-week delay. The results of both experiments revealed that although all subjects claimed to remember seeing suggested items, the magnitude of this effect varied with age such that first-graders made more source confusions than third- and fifth-graders, who in turn made more confusions than college subjects. Our findings suggest that these age differences are not simply a function of more general age-related memory or performance deficits, but instead reflect developmental differences in the tendency to confuse suggested information for actually witnessed events.
Effects of pilocarpine on paired pulse inhibition in the CA3 region of the rat hippocampus

Abstract Pilocarpine (PILO), a muscarinic agonist, produces status epilepticus when administered to rats in vivo and induces interictal or ictal patterns of epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices. We investigated the effects of PILO (10 μM) on paired pulse inhibition (PPI) in the CA3 region of rat hippocampal slices. PPI was assessed by stimulating either the alveus or str. radiatum and recording the extracellular response from str. pyramidale of CA3. The evoked population spike following the second stimulus was compared to the first, PILO was bath applied for 1 h and then washed out to assess acute and long lasting effects. PILO decreased the amplitude of evoked population spikes measured in CA3. PPI following alveus stimulation was not affected by PILO; however, a significant loss of PPI at 15 and 30 ms interpulse intervals occurred following str. radiatum stimulation in the presence of PILO and 5 mM [K+]o artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). The decrease in PPI at the 15 ms interval persisted following wash-out of PILO. PILO in 7.5 mM [K+]o ACSF produced epileptiform activity and a resultant long lasting loss of PPI that followed str. radiatum stimulation. This effect was not observed following epileptiform activity produced by 7.5 mM [K+]o alone, suggesting that the loss of PPI was due to PILO. Because str. radiatum-evoked PPI was selectively impaired, PILO appears to preferentially decreased feed-forward inhibition. The more dramatic loss of PPI following exposure to PILO and high [K+]o may present the first steps in the development of chronic seizures that results from PILO-induced status epilepticus in rats.
Are “slasher” horror films sexually violent? A content analysis

Diverse viewpoints have emerged over whether male or female characters endure the brunt of the violence depicted in the subgenre of horror movies commonly referred to as “slasher” films. In order to address this issue, a content analysis of 10 slasher movies was conducted. Although the data reveal that death and destruction are predominant components of slasher films, there is no evidence of a systematic bias in the appearances or deaths of protagonists as a function of gender. Other content attributes of these films are examined and their implications discussed.
Solid organic residues produced by irradiation of hydrocarbon-containing H2O and H2O/NH3 ices: Infrared spectroscopy and astronomical implications

Plasma-discharge irradiations were conducted for the methane clathrate expected in outer solar system satellites and cometary nuclei; also irradiated were ices prepared from other combinations of H2O with CH4, C2H6, or C2H2. Upon evaporation of the yellowish-to-tan irradiated ices, it is found that a colored solid film adheres to the walls of the reaction vessel at room temperature. These organic films are found to exhibit IR band identifiable with alkane, aldehide, alcohol, and perhaps alkene, as well as substituted aromatic functional groups. These spectra are compared with previous studies of UV- or photon-irradiated nonclathrated hydrocarbon-containing ices.
Synthesis of a high-affinity Fluorescent PPARγ ligand for high-throughput fluorescence polarization assays

Members of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) family of transcription factors are under investiga- tion as molecular targets for the treatment of numerous diseases including Alzheimer's, asthma, atherosclerosis, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and diabetes. We employed the X-ray crystal structure of the PPARg subtype complexed with the potent small molecule agonist GI262570 (farglitazar) to design and synthesize a novel fluorescent and high-affinity probe for homogeneous and high-throughput fluorescent polarization (FP) assays. Examination of this X-ray structure revealed that the phenyl carbon atom meta to the oxazole moiety of GI262570 is exposed to solvent at the bottom of a narrow protein cavity. A derivative of GI262570 was synthesized bearing a linear phenylacetylene-derived side chain comprising propargylamine coupled to fluorescein. This fluorescent analogue was designed to project the fluorophore into the adjacent protein cavity with minimal effects on receptor affinity and maximal effects on fluorescence polarization properties. The recombinant PPARg ligand binding domain protein bound tightly and specifically to this probe with Kd=61� 14 nM as determined by FP measurements. Competition binding assays with known PPARg ligands provided Ki values that were highly correlated with analogous values obtained by scintillation proximity (SP) assays. This fluorescentPPAR g probe enables high-throughput and homogenous FP assays for the identification of novel endogenous and exogenous PPARg ligands, and this rational ligand design approach may be applied to other therapeutically important members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Six blind men and the elephant--the many faces of heparan sulfate.

It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind… . —John Godfrey Saxe, based on an Indian fable
MMPI-2 profiles of men charged with murder or other offenses.

Summary.-This study describes MMPI-2 of men charged with murder or other offenses and examines how well the MMPI-2 diFferentiates between these groups. Records of 135 men charged with murder and 82 charged with other offenses were examined. Results do not support the use of the MMPI-2 to differentiate between murder and other defendants. Boch groups may be described as having 6-818-6 profiles. The mean MMPI-2 profile for che murder group was compared to the MMPI profile described by Holcomb, Adams, Ponder, and Anderson in 1984. These niean profiles have generally the same con€igurarion and scale elevations but show important diFEerences. This suggests that further research needs to be conducted examining the psychometric equivalence of the MMPI and the MMPI-2. Also, caution should be used when mahng predictions based solely on MMPI-2 profiies. The MMPI has been one of the most commonly used tests in the evaluation of pretrial defendants. Since its introduction, the MMPI-2 has been used as a psychometric equivalent to the MMPI. In general, studies comparing the two forms have supported this equivalence (Hargrave, Hiatt, Ogard, & Karr, 1994; Harrell, Honaker, & Pernell, 1992; Nelson & Fercho, 1992). Other research, however, has indicated differences .between MMPI and MMPI-2 profiles in repeated administrations (Edwards, Morrison, & Weissman, 1993; Ward, 1991). Although it is tempting to use the vast body of literature accumulated on the MMPI when interpreting the MMPI-2, this may not be jusufiable with all chical populations, and the research supporting the correlations between MMF'I-2 profile characteristics and external criteria is ongoing. Quinsey, Arnold, and Pruesse (1980) studted men who were referred for pretrial assessment and who had a variety of charges including murder. They &d not find significant differences in MMPI profiles between groups of defendants referred for ddferent offenses. These authors found that the only discriminators among the groups were the subjects' ages on admission and their incarceration histories. In a later study, Holcomb, Adams, Ponder, and Anderson (1984) described a mean profile of pretrial murderers as hav
Some recent advances in time series modeling

The aim of this paper is to describe some of the important concepts and techniques which seem to help provide a solution of the stationary time series problem (prediction and model identification). Section I reviews models. Section II reviews prediction theory and develops criteria of closeness of a "fitted" model to a "true" model. The central role of the infinite autoregressive transfer function g_{\infty} is developed, and the time series modeling problem is defined to be the estimation of g_{\infty} . Section III reviews estimation theory. Section IV describes autoregressive estimators of g_{\infty} . It introduces a criterion for selecting the Order of an autoregressive estimator which can be regarded as determining the order of an AR scheme when in fact the time series is generated by an AR scheme of finite order.
Effect of redundancy on mean time to failure of wireless sensor networks

In query-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the system must perform data sensing and retrieval and possibly aggregate data as a response at runtime. Since a WSN is often deployed unattended in areas where replacements of failed sensors are difficult, energy conservation is of primary concern. While the use of redundancy is desirable in terms of satisfying user queries to cope with sensor faults, it may adversely shorten the lifetime of the WSN, as more sensor nodes will have to be used to answer queries, causing the energy of the system to drain quickly. In this paper, we analyze the effect of redundancy on the mean time to failure (MTTF) of a WSN in terms of the number of queries the system is able to answer correctly before it fails due to either sensor faults or energy depletion. In particular, we analyze their effect of redundancy on the MTTF of cluster-structured WSN for energy conservations. We show that a tradeoff exists between redundancy and MTTF. Furthermore, an optimal redundancy level exists such that the MTTF of the system is maximized.
Nonoxidative Activation of Methane

Effective utilization of methane remains one of the long-standing problems in catalysis. Over the past several years, various routes, both direct and indirect, have been considered for the conversion of methane to value-added products such as higher hydrocarbons and oxygenates. This review will focus on the range of issues dealing with thermal and catalytic decomposition of methane that have been addressed in the last few years. Surface science studies (molecular beam methods and elevated-pressure reaction studies) involving methane activation on model catalyst systems are extensively reviewed. These studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of the fundamental dynamics of methane decomposition. Various aspects of the nonoxidative methane to higher hydrocarbon conversion processes such as high-temperature coupling and two-step low-temperature methane homologation have been discussed. Decomposition of methane results in the production of COx-free hydrogen (which is of great interest to sta...
Comparative Effectiveness Research: From Clinical Information To Economic Incentives

Comparative effectiveness research has been promoted as a way to control health care costs, but there has been less discussion of the mechanisms through which new evidence actually will influence physician practice, patient preference, and manufacturer investment. Public and private insurers use conditional coverage, consumer cost sharing, provider contracting, and drug payment policies to manage and direct the flow of resources into the health care system. This paper examines how each of these approaches may be adapted to incorporate new evidence from comparative effectiveness research.