cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Search of Homo Economicus: Preference Consistency, Emotions, and Cognition

Understanding the roles of emotion and cognition in forming preferences is critical in helping firms choose effective marketing strategies and consumers make appropriate consumption decisions. In this work, we investigate the role of the emotional and cognitive systems in preference consistency (transitivity). Participants were asked to make a set of binary choices under conditions that were aimed to tap emotional versus cognitive decision processes. The results of three experiments consistently indicate that automatic affective responses are associated with higher levels of preference transitivity than deliberate cognitive considerations, and suggest that the basis of this central aspect of rational behavior - transitivity - lies in the limbic system rather than the cortical system.
Digital material samples for design

Designers work from example. They surround themselves with inspirational artifacts and material samples; blocks of marble, wood and metal, swatches of paint and fabrics, photographs and magazine clippings, anything that could inspire creativity or be a building block in a new product. Digital representations of these artifacts would enhance the design experience and facilitate the development of computerized collections of materials and novel appearance design tools. In this thesis we explore techniques for capturing and rendering these material samples. We employ both the traditional rendering pipeline and the emerging body of work in image based rendering for digitizing and developing these materials. We build interactive programs for selecting paint samples and interpolating metallic paint colors and we develop a new approach to morphing surface light fields to meld these materials together into novel shapes and appearances. The first tool allows interaction with a large set of household paint colors. It affords easy viewing of the colors on 3D objects and a novel interface for traversing and searching the large collection. Our searching tool employs the science of color perception as well as a unique 3D user interface to enable easy navigation of the large collection. We evaluate this interface with a user study and report the results. The second tool allows for the creation of new metallic paint colors. Given two input colors it can generate an interpolated sequence of metallic colors that smoothy fit between them. This tool was used by an architect to design and exhibit a wall prototype and we detail his experience as a case study. We were able to enlist a commercial paint manufacturer to help us formulate the designed paints and construct this prototype. The last tool provides a novel morphing algorithm for surface light fields represented as unstructured lumigraphs. The use of surface light fields allows for nearly arbitrary complexity of material appearance properties and affords scanning of real material samples into a digital representation. The morphing algorithm provides a new way of computing a 3D shape morph using shape-from-silhouette techniques. It also simultaneously morphs the appearance of the object giving a full surface light field at every point in-between. The surface light field morphing algorithm represents a novel contribution to the field. It approaches 3D shape morphing in a new way and calculates a morph for a type of surface light field that has not been previously undertaken. Unlike other surface light field morphing algorithms, it explicitly computes light field samples at every in-between point providing detailed and physically plausible reflection data. The interface for searching color collections also represents a unique contribution that melds the science of perceptual color spaces with a unique interface that is useful for designers in their day-to-day color selection tasks.
A hybrid III-V-graphene device for modelocking and noise suppression in a frequency comb

We demonstrate a device that integrates a III-V semiconductor saturable absorber mirror with a graphene electro-optic modulator, which provides a monolithic solution to modelocking and noise suppression in a frequency comb.
A Prototype of Multicomponent Brand Personality Structure: A Consumption Synmbolism Approach

Brand personality (BP) in the postmodern marketplace encompasses a variety of anthropomorphized attributes associated with a brand, reflecting on a wide spectrum of social, cultural, and psychological associations capturing various aspects in everyday life stories of consumers. Most prior research onBP, however, has employed a psychology-based approach, and has not yet fully demonstrated the concept's market-driven scope in the contemporary brand schema. To bridge the gap between the practitioner and scholar, this study employed a consumption symbolism approach to develop a multicomponent structure ofBP. A qualitative study was conducted with 36 brands of six product/service categories (fashion/luxury, beverage, automotive, personal computer, cosmetics, and retailer) within a specific context (South Korea). The results yielded a prototype of multicomponent BP structure consisting of one psychological component (traits) and three sociocultural components (narratives of socioeconomic/life scene/physical variability). The findings of the study broaden the current understanding of BP by suggesting a multidisciplinary perspective embracing its sociocultural aspects, and by empirically demonstrating the prototype reflecting on a wide spectrum of consumer narratives.
Why the Social Sciences Should Take Philanthropy Seriously

Social scientists are not taking philanthropy seriously enough. New approaches to philanthropy such as venture philanthropy, philanthrocapitalism, strategic philanthropy, and effective altruism are creating what is often broadly termed “the new philanthropy.” Living hands-on mega wealthy donors such as Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, and John Arnold have publicly committed their energies and wealth to transforming society through philanthropy. Some of these philanthropic endeavors, notably in K-12 education, are creating jurisdictional challenges to the public sector. Others are approaching transversal and transnational issues in ways that are difficult to do through government policies. This essay provides an overview of these issues and, drawing from the other essays in this symposium, makes the case that scholars should do more research on the social contexts and consequences of philanthropy.
Metamaterials and metasurfaces for UHF antennas

A common method to reduce size and improve antenna performance is by dielectric loading with a high-permittivity material. Ideally, the values of both the permittivity and permeability should be chosen to optimize antenna performance (A. Buerkle and K. Sarabandi, IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 53, no. 11, pp. 3436–3442, Nov. 2005). The main problem has been producing low-loss materials with the required electrical characteristics. Recent advances in metamaterials now make it possible to design inexpensive low-loss materials with arbitrarily chosen constitutive parameters.
Bilateral pinna chondritis preceded by glucosamine chondroitin supplement initiation

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology affecting cartilage (1). We recently experienced a case of polychondritis that developed subsequent to the initiat...
A modification of the energy metric algorithm to include the Routh-Hurwitz criteria

A simple extension of the energy metric algorithm is presented which modifies the system equation so that the resultant form of the Lyapunov function generates the Routh-Hurwitz conditions for the reduced linear system. A third-order example is included.
Polymer-DNA hybrid nanoparticles based on folate-polyethylenimine-block-poly(L-lactide)

The ability of amphiphilic block copolymers that consist of polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) to modulate the delivery of plasmid DNA was evaluated. Folate-polyethylenimine-block-poly(l-lactide) (folate-PEI-PLLA) was synthesized by linking folic acid and PLLA to PEI diamine. Water-soluble polycation PEI provides gene-loading capability. Additionally, PEI is considered to exhibit high transfection efficiency and endosomal disrupting capacity. Hydrophobic PLLA that is incorporated into the gene delivery vector is believed to enhance the cell interactions and tissue permeability of the delivery system. Polymeric carrier containing folic acid is expected to be able to identify tumor surface receptors and transfect cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The results of agarose retardation assay indicated that the folate-PEI-PLLA began to form polyplexes at a polymer/DNA weight ratio (P/D) of over 10, whereas branched polyethylenimine (B-PEI) formed polyplexes with DNA at a ratio of above 1. The spherical particle morphology was supplemented with a particle size of approximately 100 nm at 10 P/D ratio. The results indicated that folate-PEI-PLLA with proper PEI/PLLA ratio effectively reduced cytotoxicity and maintained acceptable transfection efficiency. Low cytotoxicity of the folate-PEI-PLLA gives an advantage to high-dose administration.
The effect of snow: How to better model ground surface temperatures

Abstract We present an inverse modeling approach for reconstructing the effective thermal conductivity of snow on a daily basis using air temperature, ground temperature and snow depth measurements. The method is applied to four sites in Alaska. To validate the method we used measured snow densities and snow water equivalents. The modeled thermal conductivities of snow for the two interior Alaska sites have relatively low values and reach their maximum near the end of the snow season, while the conductivities at the two sites on the Alaskan North Slope are higher and reach their maximum earlier in the snow season. We show that the reconstructed daily thermal conductivities allow for more accurate modeling of ground surface temperatures when compared to applying a constant thermal conductivity for the snow layer.
The echocardiographic assessment of dyssynchrony: insights from a consecutive series of general cardiology patients with normal LVEF and narrow QRS.

Background: Prior studies have described the potential benefit of using echocardiographic rather than ECG techniques to help select the subgroup of heart failure patients that are most likely to benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Currently, the most commonly used echocardiographic techniques to assess dyssynchrony include discrepancies in radial motion derived from M-mode and in longitudinal motion derived from tissue Doppler; however, there are little data available on the range of these measurements in the general cardiology population. Methods and Results: A consecutive series of patients referred for a stress echocardiogram were screened for normal LV systolic function and normal QRS width. Fifty-one patients met inclusion criteria and underwent dyssynchrony measurements in addition to their baseline echo. Previously proposed cutoff values were applied. We observed 17% of study subjects were above the reported normal values for radial dyssynchrony and 41% were above the reported normal values for longitudinal dyssynchrony. However, when both criteria were required to be abnormal only 4% were classified as dyssynchronous. Conclusions: Echocardiographic indices in general cardiology patients appear most accurate when radial and longitudinal parameters are used in combination. While the ideal cutoff values remain to be determined, this combination may optimize patient selection for CRT response.
Induction plasma sprayed Sr and Mg doped nano hydroxyapatite coatings on Ti for bone implant

In this study, we report fabrication of strontium (Sr) and magnesium (Mg) doped hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on commercially pure titanium (Cp-Ti) substrates using inductively coupled radio frequency (RF) plasma spray. HA powder was doped with 1 wt % Sr (Sr-HA) and 1 wt % Mg (Mg-HA), heat treated at 800°C for 6 h and then used for plasma spray coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) analysis indicated that the coatings were primarily composed of phase pure crystalline HA. When compared to undoped HA coating, physical properties such as microstructure, grain size, and adhesive bond strength of the doped HA coatings did not change significantly. Microstructure of the coatings showed coherency in the structure with an average grain size of 200-280 μm HA particles, where each of the HA grains consisted of 20-30 nm sized particles. An average adhesive bond strength of 17 MPa ensured sufficient mechanical strength of the coatings. A chemistry dependent improvement in bone cell-coating interaction was noticed for doped coatings although it had minimal effect on physical properties of the coatings. In vitro cell-materials interactions using human fetal osteoblasts (hFOB) showed better cell attachment and proliferation on Sr-HA coatings compared to HA or Mg-HA coatings. Presence of Sr in the coating also stimulated hFOB cell differentiation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression. Improvement in bioactivity of Sr doped HA coatings on Ti without compromising its mechanical properties makes it an excellent material of choice for coated implant.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Preventive Care Practice Among U.S. Nursing Home Residents.

Objective: To assess racial/ethnic disparities in preventive care practices among U.S. nursing home residents. Method: To implement the Institute of Medicine definition of health care disparity, we used the rank-and-replace adjustment method to assess the disparity in receipt of eight preventive care services among residents and evaluate trends in disparities. The sampling design (stratification and clustering) was accounted for using Stata 11. Results: The 2004 National Nursing Home Surveys data show White residents were more likely to have pain management, scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining, influenza vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination than Black residents. White residents were also more likely to have scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining than residents of Other race/ethnicity. Significant Black–White disparities in receipt of influenza vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination were found. Time trend analysis showed that disparities were neither exacerbated nor reduced. Conclusion: Persi...
Reciprocal Inhibition, Synergies, and Movements

This paper presents a conceptual scheme relating discrete motor entities, such as muscles, joints, synergies and reflexes, to a continuous space of movements. Synergies are first derived as combinations of muscles, with reference to Ia reciprocal inhibition. Derived synergies may be modified into bases (in the linear space sense) for movements. The empirical example discussed is human postural synergies. The methods presented provide a relatively simple means for describing the control of bending and twisting movements about a joint by multiple muscles, joined by modifiable spinal interconnections.
Hierarchical structures and phase nucleation and growth during pressure-induced crystallization of polypropylene containing dispersion of nanoclay: The impact on physical and mechanical properties

Abstract The objective of this study is to describe the evolution of structure and phases during pressure-induced crystallization of polymers containing dispersion of nanoparticles, in the pressure range of 0.1–200 MPa. The model material for nanoparticles is nanoclay and the model polymer is polypropylene, which can potentially form several crystalline phases. While the phase selection in polypropylene is dictated by pressure and temperature, however, the introduction of nanoparticles alters the nucleation and growth of phases via nanoparticle interface driven evolution. To delineate and separate the effects of applied crystallization pressure from nanoparticle effects, a relative comparison is made between neat polypropylene and polypropylene containing dispersion of nanoclay under similar experimental conditions. The significant finding is that nanoclay interacts with the host polypropylene in a manner such that it alters the structural morphology of α- and γ-crystals of polypropylene. Furthermore, nanoclay promotes the formation of γ-phase at ambient pressure suggesting its role as structure and morphology director in the stabilization of the less accessible γ-phase, and with the possibility of epitaxial growth that enhances toughness. The equilibrium melting point measurements point to thermodynamic interaction between nanoclay and polypropylene, which is supported by the change in glass transition temperature. Thus, the two components, nanoclay and pressure, together provide a unique opportunity to tune hierarchical structures and phase evolution, which has significant implication on physico-chemical and mechanical properties.
Relaxation time of the order parameter in a high-temperature superconductor.

We present femtosecond time-resolved measurements on the high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ superconductor ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{10}$. At temperatures below ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, we observe a relaxation process which is distinct from the equilibration of hot carriers in the normal state. Our results demonstrate an increasing relaxation rate as the superconducting gap opens. This is consistent with the behavior of conventional metallic superconductors.
Mental Retardation and Aging: Mental Health Issues

Abstract With improvements in medical services and healthier environments, mentally retarded individuals are living longer today than their cohorts of previous generations. Research, however, has indicated that mentally retarded individuals are almost twice as likely as the general population to develop severe mental illness. This tendency, paired with the psychological and physiological changes that accompany aging, creates challenges for accurate psychological assessment and effective therapeutic interventions for the elderly mentally retarded person. A description of the older population with mental retardation, mental health concerns, and successful assessment and therapeutic interventions will be discussed.
The impact of carbon on element distribution during core formation

The distribution of Fe, Ni, Co, P, Ge, W, Mo, and O between molten silicate and liquid metal was determined at pressures and temperatures relevant to core formation (50–80 kb, 2000–2300°C) under both carbon-free and graphite-saturated conditions. The effect of carbon is very pronounced in reducing the siderophile tendencies of P and Ge. Germanium showed a significant reduction in metal-silicate partition coefficients (Dmet/sil) from a value too high to be determined by the electron microprobe in the carbon-free metal/ultrabasic silicate system down to a value of ∼ 33 in the carbon-bearing metal/ultrabasic silicate system. Phosphorus becomes lithophil at carbon saturation. Nickel and cobalt show a modest reduction, and W and Mo show a modest increase in siderophility at graphite saturation. These effects are seen both in basic, aluminous, and ultrabasic, magnesian silicate liquids. Carbon-bearing liquids, in combination with their sulfurous cousins, would be less effective at depleting silicate liquids in many siderophile elements than C- and S-free liquids. Limits upon any geochemical role for carbon in the core forming process, however, are provided by P which becomes lithophile at carbon saturation. As P is depleted rather than enriched in the mantle, core formation probably did not occur at carbon saturation.
Comparison of auditory and visual conditioning stimuli in delay eyeblink conditioning in healthy young adults.

Classical eyeblink conditioning (EBC) has been widely used to probe cerebellar function in humans and nonhuman mammals. Although the neural pathways governing behavior in this task are well understood and fairly discrete, it remains unclear in the human literature how conditioned stimuli (CSs) of different modalities (e.g., visual and auditory) influence the exhibition of conditioned responses (CRs). In the present study, therefore, CRs to a visual CS and an auditory CS were examined with the single-cue delay EBC procedure. An initial experiment (N=61) was conducted to identify visual and auditory stimuli that had equal perceived intensities. Using these perceptually equivalent stimuli, a second group of 25 subjects completed auditory and visual EBC procedures in two testing sessions 5–8 days apart. Whereas the acquisition of CRs was similar between the CS modality conditions, the timing of the CRs differed such that earlier CR onset and peak latencies were associated with the visual CS. In addition, CR timing improved across testing sessions, as indicated by the later CR peak latencies exhibited during the second testing session, as compared with the first.
Solutions to some open problems in Fluid dynamics

Let u = u(x, t, u0) represent the global solution of the initial value problem for the one-dimensional fluid dynamics equation $$ u_t - \varepsilon u_{xxt} + \delta u_x + \gamma Hu_{xx} + \beta u_{xxx} + f(u)_x = \alpha u_{xx} ,u(x,0) = u_0 (x), $$ where α > 0, β ≥ 0, γ ≥ 0, δ ≥ 0 and e ≥ 0 are constants. This equation may be viewed as a one-dimensional reduction of n-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The nonlinear function satisfies the conditions f(0) = 0, |f(u)| → ∞ as |u| → ∞, and f ∈ C1 (ℝ), and there exist the following limits $$ L_0 = \mathop {lim sup}\limits_{u \to 0} \frac{{f(u)}} {{u^3 }}andL_\infty = \mathop {lim sup}\limits_{u \to \infty } \frac{{f(u)}} {{u^5 }}. $$ . Suppose that the initial function u0 ∈ L1(ℝ) ∩ H2(ℝ). By using energy estimates, Fourier transform, Plancherel’s identity, upper limit estimate, lower limit estimate and the results of the linear problem $$ v_t - \varepsilon v_{xxt} + \delta v_x + \gamma Hv_{xx} + \beta v_{xxx} = \alpha v_{xx} ,v(x,0) = v_0 (x), $$ the author justifies the following limits (with sharp rates of decay) $$ \mathop {\lim }\limits_{t \to \infty } \left[ {(1 + t)^{m + {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \smallint _\mathbb{R} |u_{x^m } (x,t)|^2 dx} \right] = \frac{1} {{2\pi }}\left( {\frac{\pi } {{2\alpha }}} \right)^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \frac{{m!!}} {{(4\alpha )^m }}\left[ {\smallint _\mathbb{R} u_0 (x)dx} \right]^2 , $$ if $$ \smallint _\mathbb{R} u_0 (x)dx \ne 0, $$ where 0!! = 1, 1!! = 1 and m!! = 1 · 3 ⋯ · (2m–3) · (2m − 1). Moreover $$ \mathop {\lim }\limits_{t \to \infty } \left[ {(1 + t)^{m + {3 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {3 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \smallint _\mathbb{R} |u_{x^m } (x,t)|^2 dx} \right] = \frac{1} {{2\pi }}\left( {\frac{\pi } {{2\alpha }}} \right)^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \frac{{(m + 1)!!}} {{(4\alpha )^{m + 1} }}\left[ {\smallint _\mathbb{R} \rho _0 (x)dx} \right]^2 , $$ if the initial function u0(x) = ρ0′ (x), for some function ρ0 ∈ C1(ℝ) ∩ L1(ℝ) and $$ \smallint _\mathbb{R} \rho _0 (x)dx \ne 0. $$ .
Unusual toxicity of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide for Cardiobacterium hominis.

The chemical composition of a completely defined culture medium for the growth of strains ofCardiobacterium hominis is described.
The Effect of Polishing Pastes on Composite Resin Surfaces

CLINICALLY, COMPOSITE RESINS can be polished to a smooth surface at the time of placement using a variety of polishing methods. Subsequently maintaining the finish on recalls needs to be evaluated. The purpose of this investigation was to compare surface textures of a small particle composite resin (average particle size 5 microns) after polishing with prophylaxis and polishing pastes. Each specimen of the small particle composite resin, PrismaFil, was finished and polished to a smooth surface with Soflex discs. This was the control polish. The specimens were then polished with a rotating rubber prophylaxis cup with seven different prophylaxis and polishing pastes. All the samples were then prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation and photographed at 750x to compare the effects of polishing on the surfaces of composite resins. SEM photographs were also made of a sample polished with Soflex discs (SF) and with a dry rubber cup (RC). The seven prophylaxis and polishing pastes were Command Ultrafine Lustre Paste (CULP), Coral Phosphate Prophylaxis Paste (CPPP), NuPro fine (NPF), NuPro medium (NPM), Prophydent (PD), Rembrandt Polishing Paste (RPLP) and Rembrandt Prophylaxis Paste (RPXP). The SEM photographs were rated by independent evaluators according to surface roughness from the smoothest to roughest surfaces. The results of the evaluator ratings determined that the composite resin surface gets rougher with the use of any polishing paste. The smoothest to roughest surface by groupings were: (SF)-(RPLP)-(CULP, RC)-(RPXP)-(NPF, CPPP, PD)-(NPM).
Residual double acceptors in bulk GaAs

By using infrared absorption, photoluminescence, and Hall measurements we have observed an additional level associated with a residual acceptor in liquid encapsulated Czochralski GaAs. These results indicate that the defect is a double acceptor with levels 78 and 200 meV above the valence band.
Preschoolers' Adherence to Instructions as a Function of Presence of a Dog and Motor Skills Task

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine preschoolers' (n = 11) ability to follow instructions in the presence or absence of a real dog while executing a variety of motor skills tasks. These tasks were divided into one of three general classifications: 1) Modeling Tasks: the children were asked to emulate the behavior of a model, 2) Competition Tasks: the children were asked to do the task faster than a competitor, and 3) Tandem Tasks: the children were asked to do the tasks at the same time as a co-performer. Typical and Identified (language impaired) preschool children were randomly assigned to perform five tasks of each general classification alone, with a human, with a real dog, and with a stuffed dog that was similar in size and appearance to the live dog. Two independent raters rated each child's adherence to instructions (interrater reliability = 0.99) on a 7-point scale. A significant interaction between task classification and type of co-performer revealed that in the Modeling Tasks the p...
Self imaging of surface ionization ion sources -- where do the ions come from?

Abstract Images of the ion emitting regions of solid state ion sources have been produced using the ions emitted from the sources during operation to help elucidate the chemistry and physics of surface ionization. Examples are presented of a ceramic negative ion source producing perrhenate anions and of a zeolite ion source producing cesium cations, both of which are used as ion emitters in SIMS guns. In both cases it is shown that the ions orginate from the surface of the ceramic or zeolite matrix, and not from interfacial regions between the matrix and the metal support structure. It is argued that for these two systems the gas phase ions are formed predominantly by direct sublimation of preformed ions from the hot surface of the matrix, due to the established fact that the ions observed in the gas phase are also known to exist in the solid, while it is improbable that the neutral species exist in the solid in appreciable concentrations. It is further shown that conventional surface ionization filament designs introduce asymmetric voltage gradients in the ion lens, leading to a loss in focusing. This can be corrected by using an indirectly heated ion source that has no voltage gradient across the face of the ion emitting region.
Secondary sulfate mineralization and basaltic chemistry of craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho: Potential martian analog

Abstract Craters of the Moon National Monument (COM) basalts offer a reasonable analog to martian basalts, as they have elevated iron concentrations compared to traditional terrestrial analogs. Although secondary sulfate minerals on the evaporitic regions of Mars consist primarily of Mg-, Ca-, and Fe-bearing sulfate minerals, recent orbiter spectroscopic data have suggested Na-sulfate minerals may be present. Secondary minerals in the basaltic caves of COM in southern Idaho are white, efflorescent deposits in small cavities along the cave walls and ceilings and localized mounds on the cave floors. These deposits were examined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and laser desorption Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (LD-FTICRMS). The secondary mineral assemblages were dominated by Na-sulfate minerals (thenardite, mirabilite) with a small fraction of the deposits containing minor concentrations of Na-carbonate minerals. Based on thermodynamic modeling results, formation of the deposits was attributed to leaching of basalt minerals by meteoritic water followed by evaporation of solutions. Such deposits could form under similar conditions in basaltic caves on Mars, making caves an excellent target for astrobiological investigations.
Use of synthetic data to evaluate positive matrix factorization as a source apportionment tool for PM2.5 exposure data.

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to synthetic datasets that simulate personal exposures to airborne PM2.5 from 12 sources. Three different filter analysis scenarios using different analytical chemistry techniques were considered. The full suite scenario quantified elemental carbon, organic carbon, inorganic ions, trace elements, and trace organic species including carboxylic acids and organic compounds with −OH functionality. A second scenario excluded trace elements and a third assumed that derivatization steps to quantify polar organic compounds were not performed. Similar errors in source apportionment were seen with all three scenarios. In most cases, PMF failed to separate out factors corresponding to road dust and vegetative debris, two sources that made relatively uniform contributions to the synthetic exposures. Factors representing wood smoke, natural gas combustion, and meat cooking sources were difficult to identify due to a lack of unique tracers with concentrations reliably abo...
Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease Incidence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Periodontal disease is common among adults in the US and is a potential source of chronic inflammation. Recent data have suggested an important role for chronic inflammation in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD).
The use of Macintosh 24-bit color and animation programs in undergraduate research and visual perception courses

Computer displays are becoming a preferred method of stimulus presentation in visual research. Yet because graduate research is for the most part performed with dedicated systems and soft-ware, many phenomena are inaccessible to undergraduates except as illustrations or descriptions in textbooks. We have found that a laboratory with three or four commercial programs can duplicate complex phenomena well enough to be useful in teaching and research, without any need for undergraduates to attain sophisticated programming skills.
The effects of aerosols of carbamylcholine, serotonin and propranolol on the ventilatory response to CO2 in guinea pigs and comparison with the effects of histamine and sulfuric acid.

A new method is introduced to recognize the acute pulmonary effect of airborne contaminants in guinea pigs. The method avoids anaesthesia and invasive techniques and requires minimal restraint of the animal. To recognize the acute pulmonary effect, the inspiratory volume of the animal was increased by continuous inhalation of a mixture containing 10% CO2 in 18% O2 and 72% N2 . Once a plateau increase in inspiratory volume was reached, the aerosol to be studied was added to this mixture and its effect in reducing inspiratory volume measured. By exposing the animals to different exposure concentrations of carbamylcholine, serotonin and propranolol aerosols, concentration-response relationships were obtained which permitted comparison of their potency. Comparisons were also made with histamine and sulfuric acid aerosols previously studied.
P220 Evolving role of the respiratory specialist: Pleural ultrasound service 4 years on

Background The timely and safe investigation, intervention and management of pleural effusions remains discrepant with varying practices. Following the National Patient Safety Agency 2008 report highlighting 12 deaths from intercostal chest drain, the BTS recommended using ultrasound guidance when inserting chest drains. However, conventionally diagnostic and therapeutic thoracentesis have routinely been performed with either no image guidance or an “X mark the spot” in the radiology department and then transferred back to the ward for the actual procedure. All of these give rise to concern and possibly impact upon quality of care and patient safety. Methods A retrospective analysis of ~4 years experience of providing a Respiratory team delivered ultrasound pleural service; both “inpatient” and “ambulatory”. Results In the 12 months prior to the establishment the pleural service, the radiology department did a total of 96 ultrasounds, of which 46 were “X” marks the spot. Since May 2010, 581 pleural ultrasounds have been performed; with only 5 dry taps and 3 clinically insignificant iatrogenic pneumothoraces. 41% were therapeutic thoracentesis, 26% diagnostic, 18% ultrasound only with no intervention, and 14% pre chest drain insertion or thoracoscopy. "X” marks the spot are now obsolete. Conclusions Pleural ultrasound has gradually but surely become an essential component of the Respiratory specialist9s remit. An inpatient pleural service enables prompt assessment and diagnosis, relief of symptoms and onward management as appropriate. With an ambulatory pleural service, patients with either known malignant pleural effusion or first presentation can be managed as elective daycase procedures without attending A&E or being admitted. Once symptoms are relieved patients are able to go home knowing how to access the Service if the fluid recurs without a crisis admission via A&E. Moreover, unnecessary invasive pleural interventions can be avoided and definitive management expedited. Though requiring appropriate work planning and resources it does result in substantial qualitative and quantitative improvements in patient care. No doubt, not all pleural effusions need be aspirated under ultrasound guidance, however, this is not an exact science and not infrequently, with the aid of pleural ultrasound, an invasive pleural intervention may be avoided altogether.
Robot Diaries: Creative technology fluency for middle school girls [Education]

We face worrying trends: technology becomes more ubiquitous, yet engineering enrollments continue to fall, and women continue to be significantly underrepresented in these disciplines. Robotics has been an outstanding vehicle for helping draw young students to the magic of science and engineering, particularly with national programs such as FIRST, Botball, and BEST. Yet, these existing programs are intense, short term, and competition focused, which, we hypothesize, may be hindering participant diversity. We have aimed to design a technological fluency program called Robot Diaries that is driven instead by strong social narrative that has deep meaning to the students. Robot Diaries enables students in middle school to build completely new robots from craft materials and then animate these physical robots with emotional expressions that can be shared with their friends and their friends' robots over the Internet. Ultimately, Robot Diaries provides a unique stage for expressing aesthetic design, sharing emotions and ideas, and promoting technological fluency. We describe the multiple, parallel design efforts that constitute Robot Diaries.
Impact of light quality and quantity on growth rate kinetics of Selenastrum capricornutum

Microalgal biomass produced in indoor photobioreactors can be used as inoculum for large-scale outdoor cultures or directly for the production of high-value bioproducts due to the higher control of these cultures compared with outdoor systems. One of the main costs of indoor microalgal cultures is the illumination. This work can be used as a basis for the optimization of the light source for indoor microalgal biomass production, based on the light source type, irradiance, productivity, growth rate, attenuation coefficients, and contaminant growth on the reactor's side-walls. Four commercially available near 400-W artificial light sources for microalgal cultures (metal halide (MH), high-pressure sodium (HPS), Son Agro®, and fluorescent) were compared. The light elevation and the surface scalar irradiance were shown to have a linear relationship. The attenuation coefficient in air (ka) was highest with Son Agro®. A linear partition of the attenuation coefficient between the water and biomass and an exponential relationship between average scalar irradiance and depth were found. An empirical overall scalar attenuation coefficient for each light source was obtained. The lowest maximum observed growth rate was obtained with fluorescent light (0.98 d−1) and the highest with Son Agro® (2.39 d−1). The highest growth on the reactor's wall was obtained with Son Agro®. Further studies resulted in a higher maximum specific growth rate and optimum irradiance for HPS (2.37 d−1 and 460 μmol s−1 m−2) compared with those observed with MH (1.73 d−1 and 391 μmol s−1 m−2).
Binaural Detection, Localization, and Segregation in Reverberant Environments Based on Joint Pitch and Azimuth Cues

We propose an approach to binaural detection, localization and segregation of speech based on pitch and azimuth cues. We formulate the problem as a search through a multisource state space across time, where each multisource state encodes the number of active sources, and the azimuth and pitch of each active source. A set of multilayer perceptrons are trained to assign time-frequency units to one of the active sources in each multisource state based jointly on observed pitch and azimuth cues. We develop a novel hidden Markov model framework to estimate the most probable path through the multisource state space. An estimated state path encodes a solution to the detection, localization, pitch estimation and simultaneous organization problems. Segregation is then achieved with an azimuth-based sequential organization stage. We demonstrate that the proposed framework improves segregation relative to several two-microphone comparison systems that are based solely on azimuth cues. Performance gains are consistent across a variety of reverberant conditions.
Using hypertext to overcome the knowledge base development bottleneck: a case study

The installation of a new complex rolling mill used to manufacture the sheet metal to make beverage cans raised concerns about maintaining and troubleshooting the mill's systems. This led to an evaluation of computer-based technologies which could provide the needed diagnostic decision support, including expert and hypertext systems. Expert systems have been demonstrated for a variety of applications including equipment diagostics. Their principal drawback is that they are very costly to develop and maintain for large problems. In hypertext systems, objects in a documentation data base are represented by graphical objects on a computer screen. By manipulating the screen objects, users can display and organize the on-line documentation.The course embarked upon was to construct a hypertext system with the means to build troubleshooting and maintenance aids as well. The Electronics Guidance and Documentation System (EGADS), now operational in the mill, combines a commercially available hypertext system with a custom interface which graphically depicts decision networks. The decision networks convey high level qualitative problem solving knowledge to users, and highly detailed information typical of technical documentation is available through the hypertext system. EGADS was used to develop a diagnostic and maintenance aid for one the mill's major components, the flatness subsystem. Its decision network gives step by step instructions for troubleshooting a wide variety of problems, and provides direct access to appropriate equipment functional descriptions and maintenance documentation. By using the detailed technical documentation available from equipment vendors, the authors conclude that the application they developed required considerably less resources than would be needed to create an expert system with comparable functionality.
Team members' perceptions of online teamwork learning experiences and building teamwork trust: A qualitative study

Teamwork factors can facilitate team members, committing themselves to the purposes of maximizing their own and others' contributions and successes. It is important for online instructors to comprehend students' expectations on learning collaboratively. The aims of this study were to investigate online collaborative learning experiences and to identify important factors that were crucial for building teamwork trust. A qualitative research method was utilized in the study. Data were collected from students' responses of three open-ended questions and interviews. The results indicated that students who enjoyed working in the group setting had a good relationship with their team members and they trusted their team members. In contrast, the questionable behaviors of members (lack of communication and low level of individual accountability) were negative factors of their teamwork experiences. In addition, students considered individual accountability, familiarity with team members, commitment toward quality work, and team cohesion were important factors for building trust with team members. Quantitative analyses confirmed that teamwork trust was correlated significantly with two of the important factors for building trust indicated by team members: familiarity with members (r = .74) and team cohesion (r = .79). Implications and recommendations for future research were also discussed.
Hepatic diseases--hitting the target with inhibitory RNAs.

A promising new method of silencing gene expression has been shown to be an effective therapy in two mouse models of autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis B infection.
Influence of ischemia on the passage of protein tracers across capillaries in certain blood-brain barrier injuries.

A study was made on the influence of ischemia on the passage of protein tracers across capillaries in certain blood-brain barrier (BBB) injuries. Total cerebral ischemia was produced by arterial ligation and BBB injury was caused by intracarotid injection of mercuric chloride or by acute hypertension. Changes in the vulnerability of the BBB was correlated with the ischemic impact on the brain as revealed by suppression of electroencephalogram (EEG) or of the pyramidal response (PR) after electrical stimulation of the sensorimotor cortex.
A New DNA-Based Test for Detection of Nucleophosmin Exon 12 Mutations by Capillary Electrophoresis

Mutations in nucleophosmin (NPM1) exon 12 are thought to be the most common genetic event in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and to confer favorable clinical prognoses. In this report, we describe a simple molecular test for the detection of NPM1 exon 12 mutations in patients with AML using polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA followed by the analysis of amplification products by capillary electrophoresis. Mutations were reproducibly detected when present in at least 5% of cells, and all NPM1 exon 12 mutations reported to date in AML could be identified using this method. This method was successfully employed using paraffin-extracted DNA, allowing for the examination of archived clinical specimens, and the assay was validated by the direct sequencing of 33 patient samples. This sensitive test is straightforward to perform and provides important information that can influence both the clinical management and treatment options for many patients with AML.
Regularities and peculiarities of the synthesis of molecular sieves with pentasil structure

Pentasils can be synthesized with various organic compounds and without them. The nature and form of the raw materials, the composition of the reaction mixtures, and the conditions of the synthesis have an influence on the crystallization process, leading to changes in the structure, the morphology, the phase composition, the dispersion, and the chemical composition of the crystals, the sorption capacity, the strength of the acid sites, and the catalytic activity. Reaction mixtures crystallizing into pentasils have a high silicon dioxide content.
Sonochemical Preparation of Functionalized Graphenes

A convenient sonochemical method is described for the preparation of polystyrene functionalized graphenes starting from graphite flakes and a reactive monomer, styrene. Ultrasonic irradiation of graphite in styrene results in the mechanochemical exfoliation of graphite flakes to single-layer and few-layer graphene sheets combined with functionalization of the graphene with polystyrene chains. The polystyrene chains are formed from sonochemically initiated radical polymerization of styrene and can make up to ~18 wt % of the functionalized graphene, as determined by thermal gravimetric analysis. This one-step protocol can be generally applied to the functionalization of graphenes with other vinyl monomers for graphene-based composite materials.
Temporal Correlation Analysis of Penumbral Dynamics in Focal Cerebral Ischemia

A novel temporal correlation technique was used to map the first-pass transit of iodinated contrast agents through the brain. Transit profiles after bolus injections were measured with dynamic computed tomography (CT) scanning (1 image/s over 50 s). A rabbit model of focal cerebral ischemia (n = 6) was used, and dynamic CT scans were performed at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min postocclusion. Within the ischemic core, no bolus transit was detectable, demonstrating that complete ischemia was present after arterial occlusion. In the periphery of the ischemic distribution, transit dynamics showed smaller peaks, broadened profiles, and overall delay in bolus transit. A cross-correlation method was used to generate maps of delays in ischemic transit profiles compared with normal transit profiles from the contralateral hemisphere. These maps showed that penumbral regions surrounding the ischemic core had significantly delayed bolus transit profiles. Enlargement of the ischemic core over time (from 30 to 120 min postocclusion) was primarily accomplished by the progressive deterioration of the penumbral regions. These results suggest that (a) temporal correlation methods can define regions of abnormal perfusion in focal cerebral ischemia, (b) peripheral regions of focal cerebral ischemia are characterized by delays in bolus transit profiles, and (c) these regions of bolus transit delay deteriorate over time and thus represent a hemodynamic penumbra.
Sex change and the size-advantage model.

At the intraspecific level, the size-advantage model attempts to explain why some species change sex and others do not. Generally, sex change is favored if the relation between reproductive success and size or age differ between the sexes. Differential costs of reproduction and the mating system appear to be among the major factors producing differences in reproductive expectations between the sexes. On the intraspecific level, tests of the model consist of predicting the optimal size or age of sex change. In general, an individual should change sex if it can increase its reproductive value (future expected reproduction) by doing so. Reproductive values are often dependent on the local environment, local population demography, and the individual's own status, and labile sex change appears to be common. Many of the objections to the size-advantage model arise from confusion between the intraspecific and intraspecific versions.