cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biosensing and actuation for microbiorobots

In this paper, we describe how signaling networks and actuation in bacterial cells and biomolecular networks of bacteria can be used to develop an integrated micro-bio-robotic system. SU8 microstructures blotted with swarmer cells of Serratia Marcescens in a monolayer are propelled by the bacteria in the absence of any environmental stimulus. We call such microstructures with bacteria Micro Bio Robots (MBRs) and the uncontrolled motion in the absence of stimuli self actuation. Our paper has two primary contributions. First, we demonstrate the control of MBRs using self-actuation, DC electric fields and ultra-violet radiation, and develop experimentally validated mathematical model for the MBRs. This model allows us to use self-actuation and electrokinetic actuation to steer the MBR to any position and orientation in a planar micro channel. Second, we describe the development of biosensors for the MBRs. This is done by attaching genetically engineered Escherichia coli cells that are capable of sensing nonmetabolizable lactose analog methyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (TMG). We describe the fabrication process for MBRs and show experimental results demonstrating sensing, actuation and control.
Spinal Deformity in Young Athletes

Young athletes may have a spinal deformity incidentally or potentially related to their sport. These athletes should be encouraged to continue sports participation in many instances. Brace wear is commonly used for kyphotic and scoliosis deformities. Many sports can be played in the brace. Even with sports that cannot practically be played in the brace, most bracing protocols have enough time out of brace during the day for the athlete to continue participation. However, good physical therapy for flexibility and strengthening of the spine should be continued. Even sports that potentially aggravate the deformity may be continued in these circumstances.
Transition in the axisymmetric jet

Unsteady particle trajectories are used to study structural features associated with the Reynolds-number dependence of an axisymmetric jet. It is found that transition in the unbounded jet is in the nature of transition in Couette flow and occurs at specific critical values of the Reynolds number rather than in some range over which small disturbances are amplified. In the case of the creeping-flow solution, the particle-path pattern exhibits a structure which is not easily discerned in any of the other variables that govern the flow. For sufficiently small Reynolds number, the particle paths converge to a single stable node which lies on the axis of the jet. At a Reynolds number of 6.7806, the pattern bifurcates to a saddle and two stable nodes; at a Reynolds number of 10.09089, it bifurcates a second time to form a saddle and two stable foci.
Process and information in economic models of markets

The theme of this essay is simple: what economic equilibrium is in a particular market (structure) depends on what individuals and firms know and how they react in disequilibrium processes to information imperfectly available in that market. Three simplified cases are used to demonstrate this point. The cases technically are shown to be related to the kinds of analyses common in System Theory. From this it is argued that as economists move away from general equilibrium models under certainty with analysis by static equilibrium systems of simultaneous equations, the concepts and methods of systems science will become more important to the economist.
An intelligent approach to handling imperfect information in concept-based natural language queries

Missing information, imprecision, inconsistency, vagueness, uncertainty, and ignorance abound in information systems. Such imperfection is a fact of life in database systems. Although these problems are widely studied in relational database systems, this is not the case in conceptual query systems. And yet, concept-based query languages have been proposed and some are already commercial products. It is therefore imperative to study these problems in concept-based query languages, with a view to prescribing formal approaches to dealing with the problems. In this article, we have done just that for a concept-based natural language query system that we developed. A methodology for handling and resolving each type of imperfection is developed. The proposed approaches are automated as much as possible, with the user mainly serving an assistive function.
Leukotrienes produced by incubation of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes☆

Two new leukotrienes, 8,15-dihydroxy-9,11,13-icosatrienoic acid (8,15-LTB3) and 14,15-dihydroxy-8,10,12-icosatrienoic acid (14,15-LTB3) were identified in incubations of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes with dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (8,11,14-icosatrienoic acid). The yield of these compounds was very low (0.5% of the total radioactivity) and did not increase with indomethacin alone or in combination with ionophore A-23187. Stereochemistry and biologic activity of the two leukotrienes remain to be established.
Marine controls on modern sedimentation on the Antarctic continental shelf

Abstract The extreme depth and rugged topography of the Antarctic continental shelf, its seasonal to perennial sea ice cover and its large, slowly calving ice shelves exert major influences on the adjacent ocean and sediments. Regionally variable exchanges of heat and momentum between the atmosphere and ocean result in net off-shelf transport of sea ice and net downward salt flux. This buoyancy partitioning drives a vertical convection that is followed by westward and northward flows of “ventilated” dense water across the continental shelves. Shelf waters meet, mix with and modify circumpolar deep water at a dynamic slope front near the continental shelf break, locally or periodically forming Antarctic Bottom Water. Nutrient-rich deep water upwells along this front, regionally intruding onto the continental shelf in long, thermally attenuated filaments. These intrusions are frequently linked to mass balance processes at the base of ice tongues and ice shelves. Melting, freezing, and tidal currents beneath glacial ice are related to the larger scale circulation and to the fate of basal debris in the ice sheet. The ocean circulation near ice fronts, and decadal variability in ice-front positions may account for several features of the sediment record. Time series (> 1 yr) current measurements in the Ross and Weddell seas have revealed moderate to strong currents that are seasonally variable, vertically coherent and dominated by the diurnal tide and longer term events. Few long-term current measurements exist in the shelf and slope bottom boundary layers that are most important to sediment deposition and erosion. Icebergs may frequent certain routes, e.g., in association with currents and fronts near the edge of the continental shelf, and are capable of scouring and resuspending sediments down to shelf-break depths. Sea ice plays a role in shelf sedimentation by rafting eolian and bottom debris away from the nearshore regions. In addition, generally offshore winds produce numerous leads and polynyas along the coastline and within the sea-ice fields. Higher biological productivity in these polynyas may be linked to higher local sedimentation rates. Biogenic marine sediments apparently comprise a major percentage of the regionally variable modern shelf deposits, despite the impressive glacial setting and polar environment.
Timing, style, and significance of Cambrian through Laramide brittle reactivation along the Proterozoic Homestake shear zone, Colorado mineral belt

Detailed mapping and stratigraphic studies at the intersection of the Proterozoic Homestake shear zone with the early Paleozoic section exposed on the margins of the Laramide Sawatch anticline in central Colorado provide limits on the timing and magnitude of brittle reactivation during Phanerozoic time. An episode of displacement rooted within two distinct ductile branches of the Homestake shear zone in the northeastern Sawatch Range generated an 8-km-wide, Late Cambrian fault block that had 4–20 m of paleotopographic relief prior to depositional onlap by sandstones of the Sawatch Formation. An episode of up-to-south displacement (<30 m) subsequently occurred along the southern part of the shear zone in the northeastern Sawatch Range and in the western Sawatch Range during deposition of the Lower Ordovician Manitou Formation. A third episode of reactivation during Early to Middle Ordovician time (post-Manitou Formation, pre-Harding Sandstone) resulted in renewed, decameter-scale uplift of the Late Cambrian fault block in the northeastern Sawatch Range. A fourth episode of reactivation during Late Cretaceous Laramide deformation produced localized strike-slip displacement along brittle faults on the northeastern flank of the Sawatch Range. The three early Paleozoic episodes of reactivation occurred on a cratonic platform and are genetically linked to extension and thermal uplift during intrustion of a suite of bimodal, rift-related plutonic rocks (Iron Hill and Wet Mountains intrusive rocks). They were emplaced ∼135 km south of the Homestake shear zone along the Cimarron-Red Rocks fault and Apishapa fault system. The reactivation history model proposed herein differs from some previous interpretations that cumulatively suggest at least eleven episodes of Phanerozoic reactivation, including relatively large-magnitude late Paleozoic displacement.
A distributed scheme for detecting communication deadlocks

A distributed system is an interconnected network of computing elements or nodes, each of which has its own storage. A distributed program is a collection of processes which execute asynchronously, possibly in different nodes of a distributed system, and they communicate with each other in order to realize a common goal. In such an environment, a group of processes may sometimes get involved in a communication deadlock. This is a situation in which each member process of the group is waiting for some member to communicate with it, but no member is attempting communication with it. The author presents an algorithm for detecting such communication deadlocks. The algorithm is distributed; i.e. processes detect deadlocks during the course of their communication, without the aid of a central controller. The detection scheme does not presume any a priori structure among processes, and detection is made `on the fly' without freezing normal activities. The scheme does not require any storage whose size is determined by the size of the network, and hence is suitable also for an environment where processes are created dynamically.
Universal Design as a Rehabilitation Strategy: Design for the Ages, by Jon Sanford; Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments, by Edward Steinfeld and Jordana Maisel

(2013). Universal Design as a Rehabilitation Strategy: Design for the Ages, by Jon Sanford; Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments, by Edward Steinfeld and Jordana Maisel. Design and Culture: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 268-271.
Effects of lipopolysaccharide on consolidation of partial learning in the Y-maze.

Research on consolidation of long-term memory suggests that acute immune system activation induced by endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may disrupt consolidation of newly acquired learning. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to perform a simple Y-maze task and were immediately afterwards administered LPS (15 μg/kg) or saline. After a seven-day interval, subjects were returned to the Y-maze and were retrained to criterion. It was found that subjects treated with saline required significantly fewer trials to relearn the task relative to the LPS group and a no-partial-learning control group, which themselves did not differ. These results are most readily explained in terms of a disruptive effect of acute immune system activation on consolidation of newly induced acquired memories.
Nuclear reconstitution in vitro: Stages of assembly around protein-free DNA

We have developed a cell-free system derived from Xenopus eggs that reconstitutes nuclear structure around an added protein-free substrate (bacteriophage lambda DNA). Assembled nuclei are morphologically indistinguishable from normal eukaryotic nuclei: they are surrounded by a double membrane containing nuclear pores and are lined with a peripheral nuclear lamina. Nuclear assembly involves discrete intermediate steps, including nucleosome assembly, scaffold assembly, and nuclear membrane and lamina assembly, indicating that during reconstitution nuclear organization is assembled one level at a time. Topoisomerase II inhibitors block nuclear assembly. Lamin proteins and membrane vesicles bind to chromatin late in assembly, suggesting that these components do not interact with chromatin that is formed early in assembly. Reconstituted nuclei replicate their DNA; replication begins only after envelope formation has initiated, indicating that envelope attachment may be important for regulating replication.
The Abundance of Carbon Dioxide Ice in the Quiescent Intracloud Medium

We present new observations with the Infrared Spectrograph on board the Spitzer Space Telescope of the solidCO2 absorption feature near 15 � m in the spectra of eight field stars behind the Taurus complex of dark clouds. Solid CO2isdetectedinsixlinesofsight.Newresultsarecombinedwithpreviousdatatoinvestigatethecorrelationof CO2 columndensitywiththoseofother majoriceconstituents(H2OandCO)andwithextinction.CO2isshowntodisplaya ‘‘thresholdextinction’’ effect, i.e., a minimumextinction(A0 ¼ 4:3 � 1:0 mag)requiredfordetection,behaviorsimilar to that previously reported for H2O and CO. We find a particularly tight correlation through the origin between N(CO2) and N(H2O), confirming that these species form in tandem and coexist in the same (polar) ice layer on the grains. The observedcomposition of themantlesisbroadlyconsistentwiththepredictionsof photochemical modelswithdiffusive surface chemistry proposed by Ruffle & Herbst. Comparison of our results for Taurus with published data for Serpens indicatessignificantdifferencesinicecomposition consistentwithenhancedCO2productioninthe lattercloud.Ourresultsalsoplaceconstraintsonthedistributionofelementaloxygenbetweenicesandotherpotentialreservoirs.Assuming aconstant N(H)toextinctionratio,weshowthat ~65%of thesolarOabundanceisaccountedforbysummingthecontributions of ices (~26%), refractory dust (~30%) and gas-phase CO (~9%). If the Sun is an appropriate standard for the interstellar medium, the ‘‘missing’’ oxygen may reside in atomic O i gas and/or (undetected) O2 within the ices.
Active integrated antenna based rectenna using the circular sector antenna with harmonic rejection

In order to transmit power without wires, the rectifying antenna (rectenna) which converts RF power to DC power has been researched (W.C. Brown, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-32, pp. 1230-1242, 1984; J.O. McSpadden et al, ibid., vol. 46, pp. 2053-2060, 1998; N. Shinohara and H. Matsumoto, ibid., vol. MTT-46, pp. 261-268, 1998). The rectenna system consisting of a receiving antenna, matching circuits, a bandpass filter (BPF), a diode, and a lowpass filter (LPF) can be applied for the point-to-point RF power transmission system and the Space Power Satellite (SPS). Because of high transmission loss, the efficient energy conversion of the rectenna is the most important portion in the design of the rectenna system. The concept of the active integrated antenna is introduced to design of an efficient rectenna. Under this concept, the antenna provides an additional function such as harmonic rejection in this case. Therefore, the matching circuits and the BPF are not needed for the proposed design.
Universal phase diagram for superconducting spin glasses

Published measurements of the superconducting and spin-glass transition temperatures, ${T}_{c}$ and ${T}_{g}$, respectively, as functions of the magnetic atom concentration, x, suggest the universal phase diagram for superconducting spin glasses presented in this paper. The universality occurs because, as x increases from zero, both the increase in ${T}_{g}$ and the decrease in ${T}_{c}$ are proportional to the exchange scattering rate of the conduction electrons.
Relatedness of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola and Pseudomonas syringae pv. antirrhini

The relationships among strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, Ps. syr. antirrhini, Ps. syr. maculicola, Ps. syr. apii and a strain isolated from squash were examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns, nutritional characteristics, host of origin and host ranges. All strains tested except for Ps. syr. maculicola 4326 isolated from radish (Raphanus sativus L.) constitute a closely related group. No polymorphism was seen among strains probed with the 5.7 and 2.3 kb Eco RI fragments which lie adjacent to the hrp cluster of Ps. syr. tomato and the 8.6 kb Eco RI insert of pBG2, a plasmid carrying the β-glucosidase gene(s). All strains tested had overlapping host ranges. In contrast to this, comparison of strains by RFLP patterns of sequences homologous to the 4.5 kb Hind III fragment of pRut2 and nutritional properties distinguished four groups. Group 1, consisting of strains of pathovars maculicola, tomato and apii, had similar RFLP patterns and used homoserine but not sorbitol as carbon sources. Group 2, consisting of strains of pathovars maculicola and tomato, differed from Group 1 in RFLP patterns and did not use either homoserine or sorbitol. Group 3 was similar to Group 2 in RFLP patterns but utilized homoserine and sorbitol. This group included strains of the pathovars tomato and antirrhini, and a strain isolated from squash. Group 4, a single strain of Ps. syr. maculicola isolated from radish, had unique RFLP patterns and resembled Group 3 nutritionally. The evolutionary relationships of these strains are discussed.
A statistical theory of transport phenomena

Abstract In this paper a systematic procedure for the derivation of transport equations from the Liouville equation through the use of the BBGKY hierarchy is put forward. The unique feature of the analysis is the use of statistical considerations to determine the method of truncating the hierarchy. A variational technique for the performance of Gibbs' ensemble average, which amounts essentially to an a priori assumption of an H-theorem, is used to determine the missing information when a lower member of the BBGKY hierarchy is substituted for the Liouville equation. The procedure is illustrated for the case of truncation at the lowest level in the hierarchy, and in a certain approximation the Fokker-Planck equation is recovered. However, in order to effect a complete evaluation of the coefficients of the Fokker-Planck term at this level, it is found that a new physical principle, implicit in conventional derivations of the Fokker-Planck coefficients, must be postulated. A discussion of this feature and a proposed experimental check on the analysis are given.
Bisphenol‐A bimodal epoxy resins. Part I: The dynamic mechanical characterization of a 6300 (340/22,500) weight average molecular weight system

By using an advanced epoxy resin of 22,500 weight average molecular weight two bimodal systems of 6300 weight average molecular weights were prepared. By altering the curing procedure normally used to cure epoxy resins and high molecular weight resins we have succeeded in minimizing the difficulty associated with preparing bimodal epoxy resin systems. The ultimate Tg of these bimodal systems is associated with the phase morphology and controlled by the curing conditions employed. For the completely phase separated bimodal system a Tg of 473 K is reported and for the partially phase separated system a Tg of 466 K is reported. Equations were developed for predicting the equilibrium shear modulus of these bimodal systems. Theoretical predictions based on these equations were found to be consistent with experimental results.
Ballistic propagation of magnons in MnF2

Abstract We present evidence of ballistic transport of energy by high energy, large wave vector magnons in the antiferromagnet MnF 2 . Non-equilibrium magnons are created in broad frequency bands by heat pulses or in narrow frequency bands, throughout the Brillouin zone, by pumping the far-infrared (FIR) two magnon absorption bands. The ballistic magnon signal is extracted from the total observed signal and used to calculate the magnon velocity as a function of magnon energy. The results compare favorably with theory. Non-ballistic signals are interpreted with respect to magnon decay processes.
Extraneous grain boundary dislocations in low and high angle (001) twist boundaries in gold

Abstract A study of extraneous grain boundary dislocation (GBD) structures in low and high angle (001) twist boundaries in gold was carried out by transmission electron microscopy using bicrystal specimens prepared by welding evaporated single crystal thin films together face-to-face. GBD structures were observed which could be explained by the introduction of dislocations with lattice Burgers vectors ±a/2[101], ±a/2[101], ±a/2[011], or ±a/2[011] into the boundaries and the subsequent interactions of these dislocations with the networks of misfit screw GBD's which are associated with the intrinsic equilibrium structure of the twist boundaries (Schober and Balluffi 1970 b). In many cases the interactions in the boundary essentially eliminated the components of the Burgers vectors of the extraneous GBD's in the plane of the boundary and produced effective Burgers vectors almost (or exactly) perpendicular to the boundary. In all cases the components normal to the boundary of the effective Burgers vectors wer...
Budget deficit, external official borrowing, and sterilized invertion policy in foreign exchange markets

Abstract I study the effect of a temporary budget deficit, which is financed in the international capital market, on the exchange rate. First, I show that the exchange rate depreciates both in the short and in the long run if the government finances the deficit by selling debt denominated in foreign currencies to nonresidents. Secondaly, I show that the government can prevent an immediate depreciation of the exchange rate adopting a policy of sterilized intervation; however, the achievement of this short-run exchange rate target implies a long-run depreciation of the real exchange rate.
Improving Local Roadway Safety with Lessons from Europe

A reduction in roadway fatalities is a priority for federal and state departments of transportation in the United States. However, it is estimated that approximately 40 percent of the more then 40,000 annual roadway fatalities in the United States occur along roadways under local governmental (e.g., town, city, and county) jurisdiction. Meeting national and/or state fatality reduction goals will require the organized and direct involvement of local governments, and the planning and implementation of efficient and effective local roadway safety-improvement programs. This article summarizes the overall findings and recommendations of a team of transportation safety experts (including the author) that investigated the components of successful roadway safety programs in four European countries. The applicability of the information gathered during the tour was evaluated by the author to recommend activities that can be used to improve the effectiveness of typical local roadway safety programs in the United Sta...
Effects of Heat Treatment on the Ballistic Impact Properties of Inconel 718 for Jet Engine Fan Containment Applications

The effects of heat treating Inconel 718 on the ballistic impact response and failure mechanisms were studied. Two different annealing conditions and an aged condition were considered. Large differences in the static properties were found between the annealed and the aged material, with the annealed condition having lower strength and hardness and greater elongation than the aged. High strain rate tests show similar results. Correspondingly large differences were found in the velocity required to penetrate material in the two conditions in impact tests involving 12.5 mm diameter, 25.4 mm long cylindrical Ti-6-4 projectiles impacting flat plates at velocities in the range of 150 to 300 m/sec. The annealed material was able to absorb over 25 percent more energy than the aged. This is contrary to results observed for ballistic impact response for higher velocity impacts typically encountered in military applications where it has been shown that there exists a correlation between target hardness and ballistic impact strength. Metallographic examination of impacted plates showed strong indication of failure due to adiabatic shear. In both materials localized bands of large shear deformation were apparent, and microhardness measurements indicated an increase in hardness in these bands compared to the surrounding material. These bands were more localized in the aged material than in the annealed material. In addition the annealed material underwent significantly greater overall deformation before failure. The results indicate that lower elongation and reduced strain hardening behavior lead to a transition from shear to adiabatic shear failure, while high elongation and better strain hardening capabilities reduce the tendency for shear to localize and result in an unstable adiabatic shear failure. This supports empirical containment design methods that relate containment thickness to the static toughness.
Some effects of variable excitation on synchronous motor oscillation

Abstract In this paper are presented the results of a study of synchronous motor oscillations resulting from sudden application of mechanical load. By means of the Differential Analyzer at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania, theoretical synchronous machine equations were solved for conditions of suddenly applied load, and the effect on the resulting oscillations of variations in field excitation was determined for the most practical cases. The analyzer results were checked by a number of experimental observations, and it was found that the magnitude and duration of the oscillations could be greatly decreased by using the proper type of excitation variation.
Patients' disclosures about therapy: Discussing therapy with spouses, significant others, and best friends.

This study investigated patterns of disclosure by psychotherapy patients about their own therapy to confidants. A total of 135 patients (M age = 29.4; 18 male; 117 female) currently in individual psychotherapy completed the Disclosure About Therapy Inventory (DATI), a questionnaire of 90 Likert-type items designed to investigate patients' experiences of disclosing aspects of their therapy to their spouses, significant others, or best friends. Findings indicate that most patients are moderately self-disclosing to their confidants about their therapy, endorse highly positive attitudes regarding such disclosure, and report primarily positive feelings after disclosing personal information about their therapy to their confidants. In addition, a significant relationship was found between the extent to which patients disclose about their therapy to their confidants and the extent to which they disclose to their therapists. Therapists, it is suggested, might well glean important clinical data from attending to their patients' patterns of disclosing the details of their treatment to others.
Exploration of Factors that Affect the Comparative Effectiveness of Physical and Virtual Manipulatives in an Undergraduate Laboratory

Recent research results have failed to support the conventionally held belief that students learn physics best from hands-on experiences with physical equipment. Rather, studies have found that students who perform similar experiments with computer simulations perform as well or better on measures of conceptual understanding than their peers who used physical equipment. In this study, we explored how university-level nonscience majors’ understanding of the physics concepts related to pulleys was supported by experimentation with real pulleys and a computer simulation of pulleys. We report that when students use one type of manipulative (physical or virtual), the comparison is influenced both by the concept studied and the timing of the post-test. Students performed similarly on questions related to force and mechanical advantage regardless of the type of equipment used. On the other hand, students who used the computer simulation performed better on questions related to work immediately after completing the activities; however, the two groups performed similarly on the work questions on a test given one week later. Additionally, both sequences of experimentation (physical-virtual and virtual-physical) equally supported students’ understanding of all of the concepts. These results suggest that both the concept learned and the stability of learning gains should continue to be explored to improve educators’ ability to select the best learning experience for a given topic.
Boost in deep-UV electroluminescence from tunnel-injection GaN/AlN quantum dot LEDs by polarization-induced doping

GaN/AlN quantum dots (QDs) have been observed to emit in deep ultra violet (UV) regime. The emission wavelength can be tuned from 270 nm to 238 nm using GaN growth time and Ga flux. In this work, tunnel injection GaN/AlN QD UV LEDs have been fabricated utilizing polarization doped p-n junctions grown on AlN templates on sapphire. The QD EL emission is obtained at 250 nm whereas a second peak emission is observed at 290 nm from the p-type AlGaN. However, the enhanced doping and carrier injection in polarization doped structure boosts the deep-UV emission intensity by 26 times compared to non-polarization doped UV LED.
Carbon dioxide laser treatment of balanitis xerotica obliterans

A case of balanitis xerotica obliterans unresponsive to topical therapy is presented, The condition was successfully corrected following epithelial vaporization with the carbon dioxide laser, the patient remaining free of recurrence for 21 months postoperatively.
The process of reflective teaching

Abstract The process of reflection is analysed into three components ‐an ego‐driven purpose, a restructuring capability, and a transforming perspective. Different types of reflection are argued to be instances of cognitive restructuring determined by purpose and by context. Procedures for resolving contradictions in the literature concerning ways in which ‘reflective teaching’ can be fostered are also suggested. It is argued that adopting any single model of ‘reflective practice’ can be unnecessarily restrictive given the ubiquity of the reflective process. Finally, the danger of claiming too much for a ‘reflective practitioner’ model is set beside clear benefits gained from promoting it.
Intercomparison of peroxy radical measurements at a rural site using laser-induced fluorescence and Peroxy Radical Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (PerCIMS) techniques

[1] Two different instruments were deployed to measure hydroperoxy radical (HO2) and total peroxy radicals during May and June 2002 at a rural site located at Rock Springs near State College, Pennsylvania. One instrument was the Penn State Ground-Based Tropospheric Hydrogen Oxides Sensor (GTHOS), which measured HO2 by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of OH following the chemical conversion of HO2 to OH by adding NO. The other was the Peroxy Radical Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (PerCIMS) instrument that provided HO2 (HO2 mode) or total peroxy radicals (HOxROx mode) measurements. The two instruments were compared by exchanging calibration sources and by side-by-side ambient measurements. Excellent agreement was obtained in the calibration comparisons with the slope of a correlation plot close to 1.0 and a small intercept. Daily HO2 measurements from GTHOS and PerCIMS (in HO2 mode) on 4 days show that diurnal variations normally agreed to within about 40%. A comparison of HO2 measured by GTHOS and HOxROx measured by PerCIMS shows good correlation for both average diurnal variation and individual diurnal cycles. On average, HO2 from GTHOS was about 0.66 times the HOxROx from PerCIMS, meaning that organic peroxy radicals account for about one third of the total peroxy radicals in this environment.
Identification of diarylsulfonamides as agonists of the free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4/GPR120)

The exploration of a diarylsulfonamide series of free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4/GPR120) agonists is described. This work led to the identification of selective FFA4 agonist 8 (GSK137647A) and selective FFA4 antagonist 39. The in vitro profile of compounds 8 and 39 is presented herein.
Morphology and histology of the disc autotomy plane in Ophiophragmus filograneus (Echinodermata, Ophiurida)

Normal and autotomized specimens of Ophiophragmus filograneus were studied by gross dissection, light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to determine how autotomy occurs at the major region of disc attachment. Each of the 10 genital bars is attached to an arm by a broad ligament consisting of a thick outer layer of collagenous connective tissue and an inner layer of neurosecretory cells innervated by a lateral ectoneural branch of the radial nerve. Neurosecretory cell processes extend into the collagenous layer. During autotomy the collagenous fibers separate, weakening the ligament near its insertion along the genital bar. Collagen fiber separation is probably caused by neurosecretions. There is no evidence for ossicle dissolution. The results indicate that the histological organization of the genital bar ligaments is identical to that of mutable collagenous tissues in other echinoderms and that the autotomy process is similar to that described for other echinoderms.
786-6 Brachial Artery Vasoactivity: Cold Pressor but not Flow-Mediated Responses Correlate with the Presence of Coronary Artery Disease

Flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity is abnormal in patients with coronary artery disease and cardiac risk factors. Cold pressor coronary artery vasoactivity is abnormal in patients with coronary disease, but brachial artery responses have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to assess whether cold pressor and flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity correlate independently with the presence of coronary artery disease. We studied 50 men (27 clinically normal, 23 angiographically proven coronary artery disease) ranging from 23 to 59 years old. Using 7.5 MHz ultrasound, we measured brachial artery diameter and Doppler flow velocity at baseline, during contralateral ice water hand immersion (cold pressor), following five minutes of ipsilateral blood pressure cuff occlusion (flow-mediated) and following nitroglycerin administration. During cold pressor stimulation, mean brachial artery diameter increased 0.36 ± 2.93% in the normal subjects but decreased 2,38 ± 3.32% in the coronary disease subjects (p = 0.006). Cold pressor vasoactivity correctly predicted the presence of coronary disease in 76% of the subjects using a predetermined criterion. Mean flow-mediated diameterincreased 9.11 ± 6.01% and 6.58 ± 7.50% in the normal and coronary disease subjects, respectively (P ± NS), Responses to sublingual nitroglycerin were the same in the two groups. Using multiple stepwise regression analysis, cold-pressor vasoactivity was found to be dependent upon smoking status (p = 0.0002) and the presence of coronary disease (p = 0.04). In the 32 non-smokers undergoing assessment, the presence of coronary disease was the only significant determinant of cold pressor vasoactivity (p = 0.02). Flow-mediated vasoactivity was found to be dependent on smoking status (p = 0.005) and baseline brachial artery diameter (p = 0.02), Flow-mediated vasoactivity correlated with total cholesterol by univariate but not multivariate analysis. The associations of brachial artery vasoactivity with cardiac risk factors and coronary disease appear to be stimulus dependent. Cold pressor vasoactivity correlates more closely with the presence of coronary disease than does flow-mediated vasoactiVity, These findings suggest that abnormal cold pressor vasoactivity is a generalized vascular marker for atherosclerosis, but that flow-mediated vasoactivity correlates with the presence of risk factors.
Endometrial effects of a single early luteal dose of the selective progesterone receptor modulator CDB-2914

Objective To test potential contraceptive mechanisms of the selective P receptor modulator CDB-2914 in the early luteal phase. Design Prospective randomized clinical trial. Setting Clinical research center. Patient(s) Fifty-six women with regular cycles. Intervention(s) Women received a single dose of CDB-2914 (10, 50, or 100 mg) or placebo given after ovulation and within 2 days of the LH surge. Four to 6 days later, a transvaginal ultrasound scan measured endometrial thickness, and an endometrial biopsy specimen was obtained. Main Outcome Measure(s) The endometrium was evaluated by thickness and by immunohistochemical analysis for P-dependent markers; safety laboratory tests were performed, and E2 and P levels were obtained. Result(s) CDB-2914 caused a significant dose-dependent decrease in endometrial thickness, an increase in glandular P receptors, and a decrease in peripheral node addressins. Estradiol and P levels and menstrual cycle timing were not altered. No adverse effects were observed. Conclusion(s) The alteration in endometrial thickness and P-dependent markers of implantation in the absence of changes in hormone levels and cycle length suggests that CDB-2914 may have contraceptive properties.
New insights into the compulsion to use tobacco from an adolescent case-series

Nicotine addiction is the most common preventable cause of premature death presenting during adolescence. No prior study has described the onset of this condition based on case histories. We used trained personnel to conduct individual semi-structured interviews to obtain case histories from 50 adolescent and young adult current and former smokers. Smokers experience a compulsion to use tobacco that spans a spectrum of severity from wanting, to craving, to needing. The compulsion is commonly experienced as originating foreign to the will of the smoker and recurs with a predictable periodicity that determines the latency from smoking one cigarette to wanting, craving or needing another. Novice smokers could experience latencies as lengthy as a few weeks, and more experienced smokers attributed their escalation in smoking frequency to the shortening of their latencies. Wanting, craving or needing tobacco, as described in this study, are pathognomonic for a compulsion to use tobacco.
Low leakage current BaTiO3 thin film capacitors using a multilayer construction

Abstract Innovative device designs were used to fabricate low leakage ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) thin film capacitors. BTO thin films with thicknesses ranging from 220 nm to 265 nm were deposited using reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering. A highly stable and conductive metallic oxide, RuO2, was used as the bottom electrode of the capacitors on SiO 2 Si substrates. Layers of BTO deposited at low temperature were amorphous and those deposited at high temperature above 600 °C were polycrystalline. Microcrystallization of amorphous BTO took place at a thermal treatment temperature of above 600 °C. Capacitors with a bilayer configuration of polycrystalline layers on microcrystalline layers showed a capacitance per unit area of around 2.4 × 105pF cm−2 and a leakage current density of (8.5 ± 0.5) × 10 −8 A cm −2 at a field intensity of 2 × 10 5 V cm −1 . A capacitance per unit area of around 1.4 × 10 5 pF cm −2 and a leakage current density of around 10−10A cm−2at a field intensity of 2 × 10 5 V cm −1 were achieved on the capacitors with a nanolayer configuration of amorphous layers on a number of stacked cycles of polycrystalline layers on microcrystalline layers.
Nursing Stimulation Is More Than Tactile Sensation: It Is A Multisensory Experience

Novel sensory experiences, particularly those associated with epochal developmental events like nursing alter cortical representation, affecting memory, perception and behavior. Functional MRI was used here to test whether the sensoricortical map of the ventrum is modified during lactation. Three stimuli were used to drive cortical activation in primiparous rats: natural, artificial suckling stimulation and general mechanical rubbing of the skin of the ventrum. These stimuli significantly activated the somatosensory cortex of dams. Of the three stimuli, artificial and pup suckling robustly activated much of the cerebrum, most notably the visual, auditory and olfactory cortices. Surprisingly, activation occurred even in the absence of pups, with artificial suckling. This finding suggests that incoming information from a single modality was sufficient to drive activity of others. Enhanced sensitivity across the cortical mantle during nursing may help the dam to perceive, process, and remember stimuli critical to the care and protection of her young.
Update on microbicide research and development-seeking new HIV prevention tools for women

Women and girls are especially vulnerable to HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, and in some of those countries, prevalence among young women can be up to 3 times higher than among men of the same age. Effective HIV prevention options for women are clearly needed in this setting. Several ARV-based vaginal microbicides are currently in development for prevention of HIV transmission to women and are discussed here. The concept of pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV transmission to women is introduced.
Progression of chronic renal failure.

Rates of progression of renal failure were calculated for a group of 277 patients who had five or more clinic visits. The goals of therapy in the absence of ongoing immunological processes were control of blood pressure to diastolic pressures less than 85 mm Hg and serum phosphate less than 1.60 mmol/L (5 mg/dL). The mean rate of progression expressed as the slope of the reciprocal creatinine versus time was 0.0054 ± 0.0009 dL/mg/mo (mean ± SEM), and the median was -0.00315 dL/mg/mo. Approximately 25% of these patients had rates of progression less than -0.001 dL/mg/mo. The rate of progression was inversely correlated with the creatinine concentration at entry ( P P
An investigation of facilitator‐assisted and CONOPS‐based requirements elicitation methods using a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design

System developments are frequently unsuccessful as measured in performance, cost, and schedule dimensions. Previous research has traced many development problems to poor system requirements. A method called Facilitator-Assisted Requirements Elicitation (FARE), which employs a technical facilitator for discussion of requirements based on a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Matrix, is developed and tested. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to examine the effects of two independent variables on the FARE method: (1) facilitator presence or absence and (2) CONOPS Matrix or free-form development. Twenty-four subjects were randomly divided into four groups. Each group was given the task of developing a set of requirements and recording both a priority and rationale for the inclusion of each requirement. The three dependent variables are Communications, measured by responses to a post-experiment survey; Requirements Scope, measured by subjective evaluation of requirements sets by an independent panel; and Requirements Quality, also measured by the independent panel. Results indicate a significant improvement in Communications when a facilitator was present. Requirements Scope showed a significant improvement when either a facilitator or the CONOPS Matrix was used, but was degraded when both elicitation techniques were used in combination. A significant improvement in Requirements Quality was observed when the groups were facilitated versus when they were not facilitated. Overall, both the presence of the facilitator and the use of the CONOPS Matrix showed benefits. Degradation in Requirements Scope, observed when both techniques were used in combination, is believed to be the result of the time constraints imposed on the subjects. The results of the experimentation support the use of FARE as an effective approach for capturing requirements early in the development lifecycle, thereby avoiding costly requirements changes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 4: 272–286, 2001
Soil-Structure Interaction and Site Response at the Jensen Filtration Plant during the 1994 Northridge, California, Mainshock and Aftershocks

The effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and nonlinear site response (SR) on the Northridge mainshock and aftershock motions recorded at two buildings in the Jensen Filtration Plant were investigated. Forced vibration tests conducted on the small one-story generator building and the larger three-story administration building, both of which recorded the mainshock and two aftershock sequences, revealed a prominent mode of vibration at 6.2 Hz in the short (east–west) direction of the administration building. However, models of inertial SSI, calibrated to the vibrationtest data, demonstrated that this phenomenon was of secondary importance, even when adjusted for nonlinear behavior of the soil and structure. Nonlinear SR and kinematic SSI were identified as the main reasons for the differences observed in the three sets of building earthquake records, each with clearly distinct amplitude and duration characteristics. Unfortunately, the absence of free-field recordings at both buildings during the mainshock and first aftershock sequence prevented a clearer determination of the relative roles of these two phenomena. Fortunately, the installation of free-field instruments outside both buildings 4 yr later revealed the significance of both effects, albeit at extremely small motion amplitudes. This case history further emphasizes the need to carefully plan the siting of ground-motion instrumentation so that the interpretations of any recorded data are not obscured by the potential effects of SSI.
Periodic Coupling In Semiconductor-Clad Optical Waveguide Devices

Periodic coupling effects between the lossless modes of a dielectric planar waveguide and the lossy modes of a thin semiconductor cladding can be used to construct integrated optical devices such as polarizers, photodetectors, and modulators or switches. Because successively higher order "submodes" are supported in the semiconductor cladding as its thickness is increased, the coupling results in a damped oscillation of the mode index and attenuation constant. This effect is different for the transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations, and is used here to construct a polarizer. A highly efficient photodetector can be designed to exploit the large absorption of light in the semiconductor cladding. The optical properties of the semiconductor cladding can also be changed by carrier injection to produce modulation of the guided lightwave. By making use of sharp changes in the effective refractive index or attenuation characteristics of the clad waveguide, the modulator can also be designed as a switch.