cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Manna from heaven”: The effect of noncontingent appetitive reinforcers on learning in rats

Three groups of rats received food pellets in the first phase of the experiment. Members of the contingent group received the pellets contingent upon their nose-poke responses. Subjects in the noncontingent group, yoked to members of the contingent group, received pellets whenever their yoked contingent animal nose-poked, but independent of the noncontingent animal’s behavior. Members of the control group received the same numbers of pellets in their home cages 50 min later. In the second phase, the three groups learned a leverpress response with food reinforcement. Two of the three dependent measures showed a detrimental effect of the first-phase experience on leverpressing performance for the noncontingent group, compared with the contingent and control groups, which did not differ from each other. It was concluded that an appetitive learned helplessness effect has been demonstrated.
Development of a self-cleaning sensor membrane for implantable biosensors.

Fibrous tissue encapsulation may slow the diffusion of the target analyte to an implanted sensor and compromise the optical signal. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels are thermoresponsive, exhibiting temperature-modulated swelling behavior that could be used to prevent biofouling. Unfortunately, PNIPAAm hydrogels are limited by poor mechanical strength. In this study, a unique thermoresponsive nanocomposite hydrogel was developed to create a mechanically robust self-cleaning sensor membrane for implantable biosensors. This hydrogel was prepared by the photochemical cure of an aqueous solution of NIPAAm and copoly(dimethylsiloxane/methylvinylsiloxane) colloidal nanoparticles (∼219 nm). At temperatures above the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of approximately 33–34°C, the hydrogel deswells and becomes hydrophobic, whereas lowering the temperature below the VPTT causes the hydrogel to swell and become hydrophilic. The potential of this material to minimize biofouling via temperature-modulation while maintaining sensor viability was investigated using glucose as a target analyte. PNIPAAm composite hydrogels with and without poration were compared to a pure PNIPAAm hydrogel and a nonthermoresponsive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel. Poration led to a substantial increase in diffusion. Cycling the temperature of the nanocomposite hydrogels around the VPTT caused significant detachment of GFP-H2B 3T3 fibroblast cells. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Representation of piecewise continuous algebraic surfaces in terms of B-splines

A method for representing shape using portions of algebraic surfaces bounded by rectangular boxes defined in terms of triple product Bernstein polynomials is described and some of its properties are outlined. The method is extended to handle piecewise continuous algebraic surfaces within rectangular boxes defined in terms of triple products of B-spline basis functions. Next, two techniques for sculptured shape creation are studied. The first is based on geometric manipulation of existing primitives and the second on approximation/interpolation of lower dimensional entities using least-squares techniques based on singular value decomposition. In addition, several interrogation techniques, such as contouring, ray tracing and curvature evaluation, used in the design and analysis of piecewise continuous algebraic surfaces are discussed.
The Effect of Li-Salt Additions on the Densification of Tin Oxide

Sintering of pure SnO2 to high densities is difficult due to its high vapor pressure, and hence, additives are typically used to enhance densification. In this study, the effects of two lithium compounds, LiF and LiNO3, on the densification behavior of SnO2 were evaluated. While LiF resulted in only a modest improvement in densification, LiNO3 additions resulted in densities of ≥ 95% theoretical at 1500 °C in air. Thermal, x-ray, and SEM/TEM microstructural analyses indicated no liquid phase formation. From these studies we attribute the enhanced sintering behavior to the ionic-compensation of Li+ as an acceptor dopant, i.e., 3[Li‴sn] = 2[Voo], which in turn increased the diffusivity of oxygen.
Adolescent consumer decision‐making styles: The consumer socialization perspective

This study has attempted to conceptualize the distinct factors that may be said to characterize an adolescent's consumer decision-making style from the perspective of consumer socialization. Eight consumer decision-making styles were proposed to be associated with the influence of socialization agents and antecedent variables (e.g., social structural and developmental variables). Influence of socialization agents was also proposed to be associated with antecedent variables. Survey data (N = 1954) collected from 29 high schools in a southwestern state were examined with the use of a series of stepwise multiple regression analyses. Influence of socialization agents—peers, parents, printed media, TV commercials, and consumer education—clearly played an important role in influencing adolescent consumer decision-making styles. Antecedent variables, especially social structural variables such as gender, ethnicity, main reason for working, and the amount of parental allowance, demonstrated significant correlations with consumer decision-making styles. Antecedent variables, however, were in general found to be only distantly related to the influence of socialization agents. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quantum field theory of meson mixing

We develop a quantum-field-theoretic framework for scalar and pseudoscalar meson mixing and oscillations in time. The unitary inequivalence of the Fock space of base (unmixed) eigenstates and the physical mixed eigenstates is proven and shown to lead to a rich condensate structure. This is exploited to develop formulas for two-flavor boson oscillations in systems of arbitrary boson occupation number. The mixing and oscillation can be understood in terms of a vacuum condensate which interacts with the bare particles to induce nontrivial effects. We apply these formulas to analyze the mixing of {eta} with {eta}{sup {prime}} and comment on the K{sub L}K{sub S} system. In addition, we consider the mixing of boson coherent states, which may have future applications in the construction of meson lasers. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Panton–Valentine leukocidin-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in children with cancer†‡

Background New strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which frequently carry the Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes have been recognized to cause invasive infections in otherwise healthy children and adults. However, the epidemiology of PVL-positive MRSA infections has not been described in children or adults with cancer.
The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America's Public Schools. By Stuart Biegel. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010. 300 pp. $19.95 paper.

The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America's Public Schools. By Stuart Biegel. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010. 300 pp. $19.95 paper.Stuart Biegel's The Right to Be Out offers an expansive treatment of the legal and policy issues facing LGBT students and educators in America's public schools. Separated into two parts, the first surveys "the legal principles underlying the right to be out," and the second "sets forth the research-based principles that inform a proactive focus on school climate" (p. xix). Both parts begin with an introductory overview that is followed by three case studies. The author describes the project as "a series of building blocks, with each chapter expanding on what has come before." Although the book stands as an integrated whole, "each of the eight chapters is also designed to stand alone" (p. xix).Chapter 1, "The Legal Foundations of the Right to Be Out," begins with the observation that the right to be out is a combination of First and Fourteenth Amendment principles. Here, the author quickly summarizes and synthesizes key public forum and right-to-an-education cases before turning brief attention to the student organization cases of the 1970s and 1980s. The story of Jamie Nabozny, a Wisconsin teenager who suffered relentless torment at the hands of his classmates while school officials ignored his pleas for help, is given slightly greater attention in order to spotlight waning judicial tolerance for such cavalier administrative apathy. Nabozny sued and ultimately won a sizable settlement in federal court, a success from which Biegel draws a hopeful jurisprudential conclusion: "all such treatment must end" (p. 12). Discussions of Lawrence v. Texas (2003) and a selection of Religion Clause cases are then marshaled in support of the author's argument that in educational settings there is constitutional support for a right to be out.Chapters 2, 3, and 4, address, respectively: the emerging rights of LGBT students; challenges for LGBT educators; and curriculum, religion, morality, and values. Echoing Nabozny, what Chapter 2 shows most clearly is that while LGBT students were once seen as the disruptive problem in educational settings, judges have begun to understand that bullying and administrative disregard are the intolerable behaviors that must be changed. Chapter 3 shows that something similar is becoming true for LGBT educators. Whereas LGBT educators were once almost certainly subject to dismissal if they came out, courts have started to protect their right to be out on the job. …
The effect of stress wave duration on brittle fracture

Abstract A qualitative theoretical examination of the fracture of heterogeneous brittle materials by a stress wave indicates that the duration of the wave significantly influences the amount of energy needed to fracture a unit volume of material. It is concluded that the specific fracture energy will be much lower for a high amplitude, short-duration wave than it is for the loads imparted by mechanical methods presently used for drilling rock. The results of experiments employing an underwater discharge to produce high-intensity 5 μsec pressure pulses seem to confirm the theoretical conclusions.
Electric currents in multiply connected spaces

It is shown that the topology of 3-space determines whether or not a current can be maintained in a wire loop.
Effects of chronic carbon disulfide inhalation on sensory and motor function in the rat

Chronic carbon disulfide (CS2) exposure produces debilitating motor, sensory and neuropsychiatric consequences in humans. Sensory, especially auditory, tests have been considered for indexing early intoxication. This study examines effects of chronic CS2 exposure in rat upon auditory and neuromuscular function using reflex modulation audiometry to test the feasibility of using pure tone detection thresholds as such an index. This method is sensitive to the differential effects of toxicants upon acoustic and neuromuscular functioning. Rats were tested before, during and after five or 12 weeks of 500 ppm CS2 inhalation, six h/day, five days/week. Neuromuscular integrity, reflected by baseline startle amplitude, decreased 50% after five weeks and 67% following 12 weeks of CS2 exposure; recovery to 70% of preexposure values occurred on the fourth postexposure week. Twelve weeks of CS2 inhalation had no significant effect upon acoustic thresholds. Pure tone detection thresholds, therefore, do not appear adequate to index early CS2 exposure levels in the rat, as severe neuromuscular compromise occurred at a time when acoustic thresholds remained stable.
Resonant cavity enhanced GaAs/AlGaAs IR detectors

HEterojunction Interfacial Workfunction Internal Photoemission (HEIWIP) detectors have been demonstrated with cutoff wavelengths λc up to 92 μm. One method of increasing the response in a desired range is to employ the cavity effect to create resonant maxima. Results are reported here confirming the presence of cavity enhancements in both the absorption and the detector response of HEIWIP structures at the 3λ/4 resonance. The detectors consisted of 13, 19 and 30 Be doped GaAs emitter and undoped Al0.02Ga0.98As barrier layers. Transmission and reflection spectra for multilayer GaAs/AlGaAs IR detectors in the range 2000-100 cm-1 at room temperature are presented. Comparisons with the calculated results based on free carrier absorption and interaction with optical phonons model are reported. It is shown that the absorption can be maximized by using the resonant cavity effect. The use of the resonant cavity effect should allow the design of detectors with increased response in the desired wavelength ranges.
Feature-based syntactic and metric shape recognition

We present a syntactic and metric two-dimensional shape recognition scheme based on shape features. The principal features of a shape can be extracted and semantically labeled by means of the chordal axis transform (CAT), with the resulting generic features, namely torsos and limbs, forming the primitive segmented features of the shape. We introduce a context-free universal language for representing all connected planar shapes in terms of their external features, based on a finite alphabet of generic shape feature primitives. Shape exteriors are then syntactically represented as strings in this language. Although this representation of shapes is not complete, in that it only describes their external features, it effectively captures shape embeddings, which are important properties of shapes for purposes of recognition. The elements of the syntactic strings are associated with attribute feature vectors that capture the metrical attributes of the corresponding features. We outline a hierarchical shape recognition scheme, wherein the syntactical representation of shapes may be 'telescoped' to yield a coarser or finer description for hierarchical comparison and matching. We finally extend the syntactic representation and recognition to completely represent all planar shapes, albeit without a generative context-free grammar for this extension.
A chimpanzee’s ( Pan troglodytes ) long-term retention of lexigrams

In this experiment, a chimpanzee’s (Pan troglodytes) long-term retention was examined. The chimpanzee, Lana, was trained to use lexigrams (geometric symbols representing linguistic units) for foods, colors, and objects when she was 2 years of age. At the age of 27, her recognition of three sets of lexigrams was examined. One of these sets (long term lexigrams) included five object lexigrams, one color lexigram, and one food lexigram, none of which had been seen by Lana for more than 20 years. The second set (different-referent lexigrams) contained lexigrams that are still present on current lexigram keyboards, but had been assigned new referents. The third set (same-referent lexigrams) contained lexigrams that had been kept on the keyboards Lana had used and that had retained the same referents. A food, a colored square, or an object was presented, and Lana had to select, by using a joystick, a lexigram on a computer screen. Lana chose the correct lexigram at a level significantly greater than chance for five of the seven lexigrams that she had not seen for more than 20 years.
A Computer Program to Correct the Correlation Coefficient for Restriction of Standard Deviation.

When a correlation is taken in a sample in which the range of the variables being correlated is limited, it is often desired to apply the correlation to groups with different ranges for the variables. In such situations a correction for restriction of range may be necessary. In this paper four cases in which correction of the correlation coefficient is possible are considered, and a computer program to perform the corrections is presented. The program, which includes an iterative correction algorithm for explicit restriction on both variables, is available from the authors.
INCOME AND PRICE ELASTICITIES OF TRADE: Some New Estimates

Abstract With introduction of new estimation techniques, old theories receive a renewed attention and on this regard, trade elasticities are no exception. In this paper we employ a new cointegration technique, i.e., ARDL approach to cointegration that does not require pre-testing for unit root and estimate income and price elasticities of import and export demand for 28 countries. The results indicate that price elasticities in most instances are high enough to conclude that real depreciation could improve the trade balance.
High-power electrostatic accelerator FEL program for power beaming

We discuss details of a technical plan that will lead to the development of a 1 MW, continuous wave (CW), efficient, near infrared electrostatic-accelerator FEL for power beaming applications. Among the advantages of our technical approach are: (a) true cw or pulsed operation is possible; (b) better than 20% wall-power efficiency can be achieved, (c) existing electrostatic accelerator technology will be employed, and (d) only low levels of unwanted ionizing radiation will be produced. We propose to achieve our final objective in three technical steps. The first step is currently under implementation at the University of Central Florida. The main thrust of the present program is to show 1 kW, CW, far-infrared FEL operation with a 1.7 MV electrostatic accelerator. The goal of the second step is to reach 60 kW FEL power in the middle-infrared region using the TANDAR (Argentinian Tandem) accelerator (V equals +17 MV). For the third step we propose using a combination of two high voltage tandem accelerators (V equals +25, -25 MV) to achieve the final goal of 1 MW, CW operation in the near-infrared region.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Heat strain at the critical WBGT and the effects of gender, clothing and metabolic rate

Abstract Heat strain at the upper limit of thermoregulatory control depends on gender, clothing and metabolic level. Twenty nine acclimated participants (20 men and 9 women) walked on a treadmill at a moderate metabolic rate in the heat wearing five different ensembles. A subset of 15 participants (11 men and 4 women) completed trials for all ensembles at low and high metabolic rates using a progressive heat stress protocol. This allowed each subject to establish a physiological steady state followed by step-wise increases in heat stress to a loss of thermal equilibrium. WBGTcrit was the WBGT 5 min prior to a loss of thermal equilibrium and represents the upper limit of thermoregulatory control. As expected, there was an ensemble effect and metabolic rate effect for WBGTcrit. Metabolic rate also had significant effects on the measures of heat strain. After adjusting for differences in normalized metabolic rate, there was no gender effect for WBGTcrit or Tsk. There were significant gender effects for HR, Tre and PSI. In conclusion, women exhibited similar heat stress at WBGTcrit with higher thermal strain. The gender difference may be explained by a relative difference in fitness. Relevance to Industry In industrial settings, men and women work at equivalent work rates with the relative workload being greater for women. Women experience a greater physiological strain for a given work rate.
Chattanooga Creek: Case Study of the Public Health Nursing Role in Environmental Health

Public health nurses have two primary roles in protecting their communities from hazardous substances: community assessment and health education. Developing assessment skills in environmental health enables public health nurses to collaborate with other federal, state, and county agencies in identifying public health hazards and making health-based recommendations at hazardous waste sites needing remedial or removal interventions. Community health education empowers communities to minimize their exposure to hazardous wastes in their environment. Methods for community environmental health assessment and interventions are demonstrated in this article by activities conducted at the Chattanooga Creek site in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A thorough assessment and collaborative approach between government agencies, local health professionals, and community members resulted in a successful community health education program and this site's placement on the National Priorities List.
Osmotic alterations of the lysosomal system during rat liver perfusion: Reversible suppression by insulin and amino acids

Abstract Livers from nonfasted rats were perfused in situ under conditions known from previous studies in this laboratory to increase or decrease overall endogenous proteolysis. At the termination of the experiments, lysosomal alterations were evaluated by the increase in free acid phosphatase or N -acetyl- β - D -glucosaminidase that occurred when tissue homogenates were subjected to osmotic shock in hypotonic sucrose. In control perfusions, osmotic sensitivity increased spontaneously over unperfused values, reaching maximum by 60 min or earlier. Additions of insulin, amino acid mixtures, or cycloheximide in amounts known to suppress proteolysis prevented this spontaneous perfusion effect or, when added at 60 min, rapidly reversed it. Glucagon alone during perfusion did not increase osmotic sensitivity further; however, stimulation with glucagon was observed when the perfusion effect was suppressed by insulin or cycloheximide. Anoxia, induced by gassing with nitrogen instead of oxygen, markedly reduced the perfusion effect and also doubled the amount of free acid phosphatase in the initial isotonic homogenates. Total acid phosphatase activities in the perfusion experiments were not significantly different from unperfused values and, with the exception of the anoxia perfusions, the amounts of free enzyme present in the initial isotonic sucrose homogenates did not change.
Improved documentation of retinal hemorrhages using a wide-field digital ophthalmic camera in patients who experienced abusive head trauma.

Objective To describe the clinical use of a wide-field digital ophthalmic camera (RetCam 120; Massie Research Laboratories, Inc, Dublin, Calif) for the documentation of retinal hemorrhages in patients who experienced abusive head trauma. Design Case series. Setting Pediatric intensive care unit at a tertiary care center. Participants Children with suspected abusive head trauma. Results Eight children were studied during a 9-month period. The median age of the children was 2.25 months (range, 0.8-18.0 months). There were 4 male and 4 female patients. All patients had intracranial bleeding, documented by computed axial tomographic scans of the head. Of the 8 patients, 6 had bilateral retinal hemorrhages. All patients underwent a formal examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist (R.S. and others) using a wide-field digital ophthalmic camera. Three children died. Conclusions The wide-field digital ophthalmic camera allowed good visualization and produced high-quality photographic images, resulting in instant bedside documentation of retinal pathological features. The wide-field digital ophthalmic camera provides a new tool for the evaluation and precise documentation of retinal hemorrhages in suspected and confirmed cases of abusive head trauma.
Use of a two-compartment model to assess the pharmacokinetics of human ethanol metabolism

The relationship between blood ethanol concentration and hepatic ethanol metabolism commonly is calculated using the Michaelis-Menten equation and a one-compartment model that assumes equality of blood and hepatic ethanol concentrations. However, at low blood concentrations, most of the ethanol arriving at the liver is metabolized, and hepatic ethanol concentrations may fall far below that of the entering blood. We have developed a two-compartment model of ethanol metabolism that accounts for the fall in ethanol concentration that may occur as blood traverses the liver and used this model to make predictions concerning ethanol metabolism at various blood ethanol concentrations. The two-compartment model predicts that near-complete saturation will occur more abruptly and at a lower blood concentration (approximately 3 mM) than is the case with the one-compartment model. Thus, the two-compartment model predicts a near-constant ethanol elimination rate for blood ethanol concentrations above 3 mM (as commonly observed in human subjects), whereas the one-compartment model predicts an increasing elimination rate over the range of concentrations observed in experimental studies. In agreement with observed data, the two-compartment model predicts that first-pass metabolism should be extremely sensitive to the rate of ethanol absorption. Application of this model to previously published data indicated that, when absorption was slowed via concomitant food ingestion, first-pass metabolism accounts for approximately 50% and 10% of ethanol dosages of 0.15 g/kg and 0.3 g/kg, respectively. When ingested without food, there is negligible first-pass metabolism of even very small ethanol dosages (0.15 g/kg). These findings suggest that first-pass metabolism is an unimportant determinant of the blood ethanol response to ingestion of potentially inebriating doses of ethanol.
What Persian Gulf War syndrome

Recent reports of physical and neuropsychological syndromes putatively associated with service in the Persian Gulf War and ostensibly providing evidence for Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) are critically reviewed. Major methodological weaknesses are identified in the studies and it is contended that there is no solid evidence for GWS at this time. Suggestions are given for future investigations of symptoms associated with service during the Gulf War which may accurately lead to a tangible identification of a war-related illness entity.
Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CCN2) Induces Adhesion of Rat Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells by Binding of Its C-terminal Domain to Integrin αvβ3 and Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan

Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2, also known as CTGF) is a matricellular protein that appears to play an important role in hepatic stellate cell (HSC)-mediated fibrogenesis. After signal peptide cleavage, the full-length CCN2 molecule comprises four structural modules (CCN21–4) and is susceptible to proteolysis by HSC yielding isoforms comprising essentially modules 3 and 4 (CCN23–4) or module 4 alone (CCN24). In this study we show that rat activated HSC are capable of adhesion to all three CCN2 isoforms via the binding of module 4 to integrin αvβ3, a process that is dependent on interactions between module 4 and cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). These findings are based on several lines of evidence. First, integrin αvβ3 was detected in HSC lysates by immunoprecipitation and Western blot, and CCN24-mediated HSC adhesion was blocked by anti-integrin αvβ3 antibody. Second, as assessed by immunoprecipitation and solid phase binding assay, CCN24 bound directly to integrin αvβ3 in cell-free systems. Third, destruction or inhibition of synthesis of cell surface HSPGs with, respectively, heparinase or sodium chlorate abrogated HSC adhesion to CCN24. Fourth, prior occupancy of heparin-binding sites on CCN24 with soluble heparin completely blocked HSC adhesion. These findings indicate that integrin αvβ3 functions as a co-receptor with HSPGs for CCN24-mediated HSC adhesion. Furthermore, by peptide mapping and site-directed mutagenesis we demonstrated that the sequence IRTPKISKPIKFELSG within CCN24 is a unique binding domain for integrin αvβ3 that is sufficient to mediate integrin αvβ3- and HSPG-dependent HSC adhesion. These findings offer the possibility of developing novel antifibrotic therapies that target the integrin-binding domain.
Tunable VUV photofragment monochromator.

A versatile tunable VUV photofragment monochromator is described. The instrument uses a unique flashlamp and a single slit monochromator to produce the photofragments. A tunable dye laser is used to detect these fragments via laser induced fluorescence. The results of preliminary design parameter measurements are presented along with the first photofragment spectra obtained with this instrument. It is shown that the SNR is adequate to assign single quantum state photofragment distributions.
Optimized Multi-Emitter Beams for Free-Space Optical Communications through Atmospheric Turbulence

We report an experimental study of scintillations in a free-space optical communication channel with turbulence. Using optimized multi-emitter beams results in a substantial reduction of scintillation index. Experimental results agree with calculations based on Rytov theory.
Effect of chronic uremia on fructose 2,6-bisphosphate glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes in rat liver.

Summary The level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and the maximal activities of key gluconeogenic and glycolytic enzymes were determined in the liver of a rat model of chronic uremia and in ad libitum-fed control and pair-fed control animals. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was decreased in uremia and its level negatively correlated with the concentration of blood urea nitrogen. The changes in gluconeogenic enzymes in uremic rats were not different from those in the pair-fed controls. However, pyruvate kinase was decreased in uremia when compared to both controls. These studies offer a possible mechanism for the role of the liver in the carbohydrate intolerance of uremia.
GaN based transistors for high power applications

Abstract Unique properties of GaN and related semiconductors make them superior for high-power applications. The maximum density of the two-dimensional electron gas at the GaN/AlGaN heterointerface or in GaN/AlGaN quantum well structures can exceed 2×1013 cm−2, which is more than an order of magnitude higher than for traditional GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The mobility-sheet carrier concentration product for these two dimensional systems might also exceed that for GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures and can be further enhanced by doping the conducting channels and by using “piezoelectric” doping. Current densities over 20 A mm−1 can be reached in GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). These high current values can be combined with very high breakdown voltages in high-power HEMTs, which are expected to reach several thousand volts. Recent Monte Carlo simulations point to strong ballistic and overshoot effects in GaN and related materials, which should be even more pronounced than in GaAs-based compounds but at much higher electric fields. This should allow us to achieve faster switching, minimizing the power dissipation during switching events. Self-heating, which is unavoidable in power devices, raises operating temperatures of power devices well above the ambient temperature. For GaN-based devices, the use of SiC substrates allows to combine the best features of both GaN and SiC technologies; and GaN/SiC-based semiconductors and heterostructures should find numerous applications in power electronics.
Bridging, bonding and linking global entrepreneurs: the case of Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study is to understand the dynamics and the nature of successful international business relationships between Sri Lankan small business (SB) entrepreneurs and Sri Lankan emigrants in other countries. Using social capital and social network theory framework, this phenomenological study found the nature and underlying values of business relationships that glue Sri Lankan SB entrepreneurs and their emigrant counterparts. ‘Family-like relationships’ and embedded values lead to developing trusting partnerships that became the sources of augmenting knowledge, resources and internationalization of Sri Lankan SBs. The findings will be useful for international human resource development (IHRD) practitioners to develop training interventions to promote SB internationalization. The implications for IHRD practice and research are discussed. It is important for IHRD scholars to conduct in-depth qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of hidden values and practices of various SB communit...
Dairy Manure Nitrogen Availability in Eroded and Noneroded Soil for Sugarbeet Followed by Small Grains

Efficient recycling of abundant manure resources from regional dairy industries in the semiarid West requires a better understanding of N availability in manure-amended soils. We measured net N mineralization using buried bags, and crop biomass, N uptake, and yields for sprinkler-irrigated, whole (noneroded) and eroded Portneuf soils (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid) subject to a one-time manure application. Treatments included a control, fertilizer, two rates of composted dairy manure (28.4, 64.3 Mg ha–1, dry wt.), and two rates of stockpiled dairy manure (23.3, 45.7 Mg ha–1, dry wt.) applied in the fall before the Year 1 cropping season. Plots were planted to sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) during the 3-yr study. Overall, net N mineralization rates were low to moderate during winter through spring, decreased in early summer due to N immobilization, then increased to a maximum in late summer, followed by a decrease in fall. Th e mean mineralization rate (as a percentage of the added organic N) for Years 1, 2, and 3 was –4.2 (N immobilization), 4.3, and 4.8% for compost and 17.4, 17.0, and 11.4% for manure, respectively. Relative to controls, compost and manure treatments as a group increased total 3-yr net N mineralization more for eroded (1.77×) than for whole soils (1.55×). At higher rates, manure also increased immobilization and mineralization in 30- to 60-cm soil depths (below the zone of incorporation). To optimize the use of N mineralized in southern Idaho’s manure-amended soils, one should consider the type manure employed and the erosion status of the soil receiving the amendment.
Removal of time-varying gradient artifacts from EEG data acquired during continuous fMRI.

Objective: Recording low amplitude electroencephalography (EEG) signals in the face of large gradient artifacts generated by changing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) magnetic fields continues to be a challenge. We present a new method of removing gradient artifacts with time-varying waveforms, and evaluate it in continuous (non-interleaved) simultaneous EEG‐ fMRI experiments. Methods: The current method consists of an analog filter, an EEG‐fMRI timing error correction algorithm, and a temporal principal component analysis based gradient noise removal algorithm. We conducted a phantom experiment and a visual oddball experiment to evaluate the method. Results: The results from the phantom experiment showed that the current method reduced the number of averaged samples required to obtain high correlation between injected and recovered signals, compared to a conventional average waveform subtraction method with adaptive noise canceling. For the oddball experiment, the results obtained from the two methods were very similar, except that the current method resulted in a higher P300 amplitude when the number of averaged trials was small. Conclusions: The current method enabled us to obtain high quality EEGs in continuous simultaneous EEG ‐ fMRI experiments. Significance: Continuous simultaneous EEG ‐ fMRI acquisition enables efficient use of data acquisition time and better monitoring of rare EEG events. q 2004 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
The effect of oral casein on hepatic glycogen metabolism in fasted rats

Casein hydrolysate administration to fasted rats resulted in a biphasic response of glycogen synthase. Fifteen minutes after the protein meal, synthase R (active form) was increased. This was associated with a transient increase in hepatic glucose and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) concentrations. Both glucose and G6P are known to stimulate synthase phosphatase activity, which would result in activation of synthase. Portal plasma insulin concentration was directly related to the amount of synthase R present. By 1 hour after the meal, synthase R activity was decreased compared with the control activity. Hepatic glycogen concentration was variable during the first 30 minutes after the meal, and then decreased progressively. Portal plasma glucagon concentration and phosphorylase a activity were elevated at all time points. The data suggest that the increased portal plasma glucagon concentration is the major hormonal signal for glycogen metabolism during the second hour following a pure protein meal. However, during the first 30 minutes glycogenolysis is attenuated, perhaps due to the transient increase in insulin and an increased intracellular G6P concentration.
Photocurrent transients in polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

By measuring the transient photocurrents we study the charge carrier dynamics in regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): 6,6-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and poly(3-hexylthiophene) thiophene thienopyrazine (P3HTT-TP):PCBM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The latter is based on a novel “semi-random” copolymer and exhibits broad spectral absorption. We observe that the charge carrier transport in P3HTT-TP:PCBM is more imbalanced than that of P3HT:PCBM. Voltage dependent photocurrent transients indicate that P3HT:PCBM has longer carrier lifetimes than P3HTT-TP:PCBM. Light intensity dependent open-circuit voltage measurements show stronger monomolecular recombination in P3HTT-TP:PCBM. The unfavorable charge carrier transport may be one of the reasons for the low power conversion efficiency of P3HTT-TP:PCBM BHJ solar cells.
Diffusion-controlled reactions in disordered porous media—I. Uniform distribution of reactants

Abstract Diffusion-controlled reactions in a porous medium, when the distribution of the reactants in the medium is uniform, are investigated. The medium is represented as a network of pores (bonds) with distributed conductances and several analytical techniques for estimating the effective properties of the system are developed. For two- and three-dimensional networks, an effective-medium approximation is developed to predict the effective reaction rate, the effective diffusivity (under reactive conditions), the distribution of the concentrations of the reactants in the porespace, and the effectiveness factor. For porous media which can be represented by a network of interconnected pores with no closed loops, we develop an exact nonlinear integral equation, the solution of which can be used to calculate all of the quantities of interest. The predictions of these are compared with the results of Monte Carlo simulations; good agreement is found in most cases.
Information, market imperfections and strategy

In this paper we argue that the organization's search for market imperfections reflects the information dispersion in the economy. We describe, within a Bayesian framework, the relative importance of and the mechanisms by which externally- and internally-based informational rents arise endogenously. We argue that, rather than viewing the strategic planning process as one where the firm must pursue only one source of information, search should be viewed as evolving within a dynamically related system; progressing from externally-based to internally-based sources of rent as markets evolve.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials shows no evidence that periodontal treatment during pregnancy prevents adverse pregnancy outcomes.

A critical summary of Polyzos NP, Polyzos IP, Zavos A, et al. Obstetric outcomes after treatment of periodontal disease during pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2010;341:c7017.
Observations of time‐dependent meniscus behavior with implications for seismic attenuation in three‐phase systems

Meniscus dynamics causing strain energy dissipation in three-phase systems, e.g., partially saturated rocks, is being studied as a method of detecting changes in the chemical composition of these systems. New observations of dynamic menisci and thin films on contaminated and clean surfaces have been made. Thin films on contaminated surfaces were observed to exhibit time-dependent relaxation. We propose that this relaxation is responsible for a poorly understood attenuation peak previously observed in partially saturated, contaminated systems.
PRODUCTION SCHEDULING AND ALLOCATION: A NORMATIVE DECISION MODEL FOR SUGAR MILLING*

An inter-temporal equilibrium model is developed for the purpose of optimizing the scheduling of production in Australian sugar mills. An application of this quadratic programming model is then discussed, and the procedures used to estimate coefficients are outlined. Two tentative conclusions are that mills tend to commence crushing before the optimal starting date and that in many cases they would have been unable to cover their marginal processing costs when producing No.2 Pool sugar in recent seasons.
Synthesis and high-performance liquid chromatography of maltulose and cellobiulose

Abstract The title compounds were prepared in ∼90% overall yield by treatment of the appropriate aldodisaccharide (maltose or cellobiose) with boric acid and triethylamine in dilute, aqueous (pH 11, 70°) solution. When sodium hydroxide was substituted for triethylamine, the yields were unaltered, but reaction rates were increased. In addition, in the sodium hydroxide system, reactions at higher concentrations of sugar (up to 40% w/v) could be performed with only slight decreases in overall yields. New methods were developed for the high-performance liquid-chromatographic analysis (Zorbax-NH2 column, modified with Column Life Extension Agent) of the sugars involved in these isomerizations. Multigram quantities of pure ketodisaccharides were prepared with a simple semi-preparative l.c. system.
Atomic potassium photodissociation lasers from 1 to 4 μm

Abstract The photodissociation lasers of K2 from 1 to 4 μm have been studied in a heat-pipe oven. Laser emission occurs on the K (4F→3D) transitions at 1.5 μm, the K (6S 1 2 →5P 3 2 ) transition at 3.66 μm, the K (4D→5P) transitions at 3.71 and 3.373 μm, the K (5P→5S) transitions at 2.7 μm, the K (5P→3D) transitions at 3.14 and 3.16 μm, the K (5S→4P) transitions at 1.24 and 1.25 μm, and the K(3D→4P) transitions at 1.17 and 1.18 μm. The laser emissions from the K(4F), K(6S), K(4D), K(5S), and K(3D) states have not previously been reported in connection with photodissociation lasers. Atomic states are populated by two-photon pulsed laser excitation of K2 (X1Σg+) molecules to excited molecular states that selectivity dissociate to a ground state atom plus a K(4F), K(6S), K(4D), or K(5P) atom. The emissions are most intense when the oven is operated in the heat-pipe mode at pressures between 3 and 10 Torr, which corresponds to temperatures between 375 and 430°C.
Preliminary assessment of Crambe germplasm resources

Crambe abyssinica is a prospective crop as a source of erucic acid-rich seedoil. Studies on oil use, seed processing, culture, cultivar improvement, and disease resistance are in progress. Other species in the Section Leptocrambe also have high levels of erucic acid in their seedoils. Research on their oil composition and botanical agronomic characteristics is being initiated.
Possible role of surface electrochemical electron-transfer and semiconductor charge transport processes in ion channel function

Abstract Conductivity measurements and theoretical electronic structure calculations have been made in proteins, the calculations giving allowed energies for electrons that would enable them to participate in charge transport processes, probably by hopping and with close similarity to amorphous semiconductors. These theoretical computations have confirmed that the experimental results are probably due to electronic conduction. The foregoing considerations allow us to describe the protein-electrolyte interface as a semiconductor-electrolyte interface. Electron-transfer (ET) at such interfaces has been studied and experimentally established to occur from semiconductor electronic energy states to redox energy states in solution, or to redox surface states. ET has also been measured between organic and biochemical conducting compounds (particularly proteins and conducting membranes) and electrodes or redox solutions. Therefore, it is assumed in this paper that ET occurs at the ion channel protein interfaces with the cytoplasm and extracellular electrolytes, and that electron transport processes occur through the channel α-helices. A possible ET mechanism is proposed involving surface state oxygen-derived free radicals like Superoxide. The mathematical expressions for the biophysical phenomena discussed give two time-varying interface potentials and charge distributions that could provide the energy for the conformational changes that open and close the channel; these potentials could also change the ion permeation energy barriers by electrostatic influence. An expression is thus obtained for channel conductance as a function of membrane and interface potentials. Using this expression for sodium and potassium complemented by the usual passive components, gives a mathematical model that produces action potentials, intrinsic repetitive firing, and bursting, all of which can be modulated by changes in the biophysical parameters. Implications for ionic channel voltage gating are discussed and compared with existing experimental results and models. The possible relationships with redox and oxygen sensitivities, superoxide oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, drug and neurotransmitter effects, and ionic channel modulation are also discussed.
Comparison of evidence-based interventions on outcomes of hospitalized, cognitively impaired older adults

Aim: This article reports the effects of three evidence-based interventions of varying intensity, each designed to improve outcomes of hospitalized cognitively impaired older adults. Materials & methods: In this comparative effectiveness study, 202 older adults with cognitive impairment (assessed within 24 h of index hospitalization) were enrolled at one of three hospitals within an academic health system. Each hospital was randomly assigned one of the following interventions: Augmented Standard Care (ASC; lower dose: n = 65), Resource Nurse Care (RNC; medium dose: n = 71) or the Transitional Care Model (TCM; higher dose: n = 66). Since randomization at the patient level was not feasible due to potential contamination, generalized boosted modeling that estimated multigroup propensity score weights was used to balance baseline patient characteristics between groups. Analyses compared the three groups on time with first rehospitalization or death, the number and days of all-cause rehospitalizations per pati...
Concept, Design, and Application of Sleeve Muscle Actuator

Sleeve muscle is a new class of pneumatic muscle actuator that provides significant performance improvement and new design characteristics in comparison with the traditional pneumatic muscle. Inspired by the force-generating mechanism of traditional pneumatic muscle, the sleeve muscle incorporates a unique insert structure to eliminate the loss of extension force capacity due to the air pressure applied to the moving end connector. Two types of sleeve muscle are presented in this paper, including a single-acting type that enables the integration of the actuator with the load bearing structure, and a double-acting type that provides a unique capability of bi-directional actuation. The designs of these sleeve muscle actuators are discussed, along with their potential applications in bio-robotic systems.Copyright © 2014 by ASME