cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Termination of the 1997–98 El Niño. Part I: Mechanisms of Oceanic Change*

The 1997–98 El Nino was both unusually strong and terminated unusually. Warm eastern equatorial Pacific (EEqP) sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) exceeded 4°C at the event peak and lasted well into boreal spring of 1998, even though subsurface temperatures began cooling in December 1997. The oceanic processes that controlled this unusual termination are explored here and can be characterized by three features: (i) eastward propagating equatorial Pacific thermoclin e( Ztc) shoaling beginning in the central Pacific in November 1997; (ii) persistent warm EEqP SSTA between December 1997 and May 1998, despite strong EEqP Ztc shoaling (and subsurface cooling); and (iii) an abrupt cooling of EEqP SST Ai n early May 1998 that exceeded 4°C within two weeks. It is shown here that these changes can be understood in terms of the oceanic response to changes to the meridional structure of the near-equatorial zonal wind field. Equatorial near-date-line westerly wind anomalies greatly decreased in late 1997, associated with a southward shift of convective and wind anomalies. In the EEqP, equatorial easterlies disappeared (reappeared) in late January (early May) 1998, driving the springtime extension (abrupt termination) of this El Nino event. The authors suggest that the wind changes arise from fundamentally meridional processes and are tied to the annual cycle of insolation.
The β-D-glucosidase system of an Actinoplanes sp.☆

Abstract Actinoplanes sp. No. 1700, a sporangium-forming, filamentous, soil bacterium possesses a β- D -glucosidase (β- D -glucoside glucohydrolase, E.C. 3.2.1.21). The enzyme was induced to higher concentrations by addition of methyl or phenyl β- D -glucopyranoside, gentiobiose, or salicin to growing cultures. Addition of D -glucose, lactate, or acetate repressed enzyme induction back to the constitutive level, but never below it. The properties of this inducible system place it in the semi-constitutive category. Both the constitutive and the inducible enzyme were purified 60-fold; their properties were compared and found to be identical. Their pH optima lay between 5.8 and 6.0; the enzymes were stable for 2 h at 30° at pH 5.5 to 7.3. Rapid inactivation occurred at temperatures above 50°. The enzymes were inactivated by 100μM CU 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Ag + . Each of these β- D -glucosidases was inhibited by p -chloromercuribenzoate (100 μ/M); this effect was overcome by cysteine or 2-mercaptoethanol, indicating that the β- D -glucosidase is a sulfhydryl enzyme. Kinetic determinations with chromogenic p -nitrophenyl β- D -glucopyranoside established a K m . of 2.5 x 10 -4 and an Arrhenius activation-energy of 8.5 kcal.mole -1 . The molecular weight of the induced enzyme was 165,000 as determined by elution from Sephadex G-200. Chromatographic studies showed the enzyme to be a hydrolase, not a transferase.
Wavelet implementation of Preisach model of hysteresis

Preisach model has enjoyed extensive applications in describing the hysteresis phenomena. However an important open question in the analysis of hysteresis using Preisach models is the determination of the model parameters. This is to determine the parameter of Preisach function and is referred as the identification problem. However, no general mathematical methods appear to be available for the identification of nonlinear hysteresis system. As a result customized identification algorithms must be developed for each specific area of applications. In order to more closely describe physical systems, it becomes increasingly difficult to compute the Preisach function and its associated parameters from experimental results as the complexity of hysteresis models increases. This paper presents a new approach -- a Wavelet identification of Preisach model. A wavelet can generate a special basis for all functions with finite energy and has some important properties such as orthogonality, symmetry, short support and accuracy. In this application the output of system and the Preisach functions are represented by a series of wavelets. The experiment data is used to determine the coefficients of the base functions. Then the Preisach function and the output of the hysteresis system can be directly calculated by using wavelet methods.
Magnetic susceptibility and order parameter of the spin-glass-like phase of the double-exchange model.

The magnetic susceptibility and Edwards-Anderson order parameter q of the spin-glass-like (SGL) phase of the double-exchange model are evaluated in the weak-coupling or RKKY limit. Dynamical mean-field theory is used to show that q M?T=TSGL?2 , where M is the classical Brillouin function and TSGL is the SGL transition temperature. The correlation length of the SGL phase is determined by a correlation parameter Q that maximizes TSGL and minimizes the free energy. The magnetic susceptibility has a cusp at TSGL and reaches a nonzero value as T ! 0.
Self-evaluation, self-description, and self-standards in subclinical depression

Do subclinically depressed individuals have relatively unfavorableevaluative self-beliefs (SBs; valenced self-judgments), low descriptive SBs (estimates of one's actual standing on attributes or performances using an “objective” scale), and high preferential SBs (self-standards prescribing a desired standing)? To answer this question, subclinically depressed and nondepressed college students rated their evaluative, descriptive, and preferential SBs for academic and social aptitude as well as for expected performance on an upcoming test. Then, they took the test and evaluated their test performance. Subclinically depressed subjects consistently displayed less favorable evaluative SBs (e.g., success expectations) despite having “normal” descriptive (e.g., performance expectations) and preferential (e.g., performance standards) SBs and discrepancies between the two. These findings suggest that depressives' harsh evaluative SBs cannot be attributed to relatively negative descriptive-versus-preferential discrepancies but might be due to their dysphoric moods, which color evaluative (but not descriptive or preferential) self-judgments.
THE MEAN RADIAL VELOCITY OF THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 6939

The systematic motion of NGC 6939 is redetermined in light of the signifiant discrepancies among the published values. Based on the monitoring of 26 evolved stars during two consecutive seasons and an average of almost 12 spectra per star, we find the cluster's mean radial velocity to be -18.98 km s-1 with an error of ± 0.19 km s-1.
Dual function heat-spreading and performance of the IBM/ASTRON DOME 64-bit μServer demonstrator

For the IBM-ASTRON DOME μServer project, we are currently building two types of memory DIMM-like form factor compute node boards. The first is based on a 4 core 2.2 GHz SoC and the second on a 12 core / 24 thread 1.8 GHz SoC. Both employ the 64-bit Power instruction set. Our innovative hot-water based cooling infrastructure also supplies the electrical power to our compute node board. We show initial performance results and conclude with the key lessons we have learnt and an outlook on our next activities.
Fairness, job frustration, and moral dilemmas in policing that impact police effectiveness

Issues facing police officers in their daily role as highly visible agents of the justice system include moral dilemmas, challenges, and the frustrations associated with them. They are identified and discussed. Five recommendations are offered to counteract and ameliorate these pressures.
Dynamic Surface Tension of Aqueous Surfactant Solutions 8. Effect of Spacer on Dynamic Properties of Gemini Surfactant Solutions

Abstract Two series of cationic surfactants, each with two hydrophilic and two hydrophobic groups in the molecule (“gemini” surfactants), have been synthesized. One series has a rigid, hydrophobic spacer, and the second, a flexible, more hydrophilic one. The dynamic behavior of their aqueous solutions has been studied by the maximum bubble pressure method. Thenvalue (dynamic adsorption parameter) in both series increases with an increase in the alkyl chain length. This increase is larger in the geminis with a flexible hydrophilic spacer. The induction time,ti, of the geminis with a flexible, hydrophilic spacer is larger than that of the geminis with a rigid, hydrophobic spacer under similar conditions, probably because the chain–chain interaction of the former can form larger linear aggregates, which has been confirmed by viscosity measurements. Adsorption at the air/solution interface of all the compounds studied is diffusion-controlled, as indicated by the fit of the dynamic data to the long time adsorption equation. The surface coverage at the end of the induction period, for all the compounds studied and at different concentrations, is in the range 54–69%. This means that before the interfacial tension can reach the fast fall region, the interface must be covered by about 2/3 of the possible surfactant molecules. The interfacial tension fall rate of geminis with a flexible, more hydrophilic spacer is larger than that of the geminis with a rigid, hydrophobic spacer.
Electrochemical flotation of sulfides: Reactions of chalcocite in aqueous solution

This paper discusses the first phase of a U.S. Bureau of Mines study to use electrochemical techniques to control sulfide flotation with the aim of developing new methods to recover minerals from progressively lower grade, more complex ores. It has been established that: (1) under slow potentiodynamic sweeps or potentiostatic conditions, the current-voltage characteristics of chalcocite bed electrodes are essentially the same as those of single electrodes: (2) reactions in the chalcocite-0.05 M borate system can be studied quantitatively using a combination of spectrophotometric and electrochemical techniques; and (3) the reactions can be correlated with the collectorless flotation response. A microflotation-electrochemical cell, utilizing a packed bed of conducting sulfide mineral particles as the working electrode, was used to obtain correlations between the electrochemical reactions occurring on the bed and flotation response. Continuous analysis of the electrolyte by fast-scan UV spectrometry was used to monitor solution chemistry
Attenuating Information in Spoken Communication: For the Speaker, or for the Addressee?.

Abstract Speakers tend to attenuate information that is predictable or repeated. To what extent is this done automatically and egocentrically, because it is easiest for speakers themselves, and to what extent is it driven by the informational needs of addressees? In 20 triads of naive subjects, speakers told the same Road Runner cartoon story twice to one addressee and once to another addressee, counterbalanced for order (Addressee1/Addressee1/Addressee2 or Addressee1/Addressee2/Addressee1). Stories retold to the same (old) addressees were attenuated compared to those retold to new addressees; this was true for events mentioned, number of words, and amount of detail. Moreover, lexically identical expressions by the same speaker were more intelligible to another group of listeners when the expressions had been addressed to new addressees than when they had been addressed to old addressees. We conclude that speakers’ attenuating of information in spontaneous discourse is driven at least in part by addressees. Such audience design is computationally feasible when it can be guided by a “one-bit” model (my audience has heard this before, or not).
Raman spectra of the transplutonium orthophosphates and trimetaphosphates

Raman spectra have been obtained from multimicrogram samples of crystalline transplutonium (americium through einsteinium) orthophosphates. Spectra were also obtained for americium, curium, and californium trimetaphosphates. Assignments of the major Raman bands and confirmation of the compounds' stoichiometry were made by comparison with spectra obtained in previous studies on the lanthanide phosphates. The variation of transplutonium orthophosphate vibrational frequencies as a function of atomic number was found to be smaller in magnitude than that established for the lanthanide orthophosphates.
Soapstone artifacts: tracing prehistoric trade patterns in virgimna.

Rare earth element abundances in soapstone from quarries and artifacts in eastern Virginia were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. By comparing these abundances it was possible to trace artifactual material to the outcrops which served as the source of this material during the first millennium B.C. Certain known sociopolitical boundaries in prehistoric Virginia were inferred to be older than previously assumed.
Characterization of implantable biosensor membrane biofouling

The material-tissue interaction that results from sensor implantation is one of the major obstacles in developing viable, long-term implantable biosensors. Strategies useful for the characterization and modification of sensor biocompatibility are widely scattered in the literature, and there are many peripheral studies from which useful information can be gleaned. The current paper reviews strategies suitable for addressing biofouling, one aspect of biosensor biocompatibility. Specifically, this paper addresses the effect of membrane biofouling on sensor sensitivity from the standpoint of glucose transport limitations. Part I discusses the in vivo and in vitro methods used to characterize biofouling and the effects of biofouling on sensor performance, while Part II presents techniques intended to improve biosensor biocompatibility.
Institutional Representations of "Spanish" and "Spanglish": Managing Competing Discourses in Heritage Language Instruction.

This case study examined how one instructor navigated between two competing discourses in an intermediate Spanish heritage language (HL) classroom: on the one hand, teaching ‘Standard Spanish’ to help students achieve professional success, and legitimizing home linguistic practices on the other. In addition to expressing both perspectives directly through overt language, the instructor also represented them through indirect representation of stances toward the context, toward ways of using language, and toward other speakers. She did this by moving in and out of her language teacher role and thus constructing different social contexts in the classroom, by displaying positive and negative affective stances toward features of local varieties of Spanish, and by constructing stances of authority based on knowledge of ‘correct’ Spanish in some moments, and based on her own experiences as a bilingual in others. The study findings contribute to an understanding of the role of US educational institutions in the c...
Regional hemodynamics and oxygen supply during isovolemic hemodilution in the absence and presence of high-grade β-adrenergic blockade

Abstract Studies were performed in 16 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to evaluate regional circulatory effects of isovolemic hemodilution in the absence (group 1) and presence (group 2) of high-grade β-adronergic blockade with propranolol. Regional blood flow measured with 15 μm radioactive microspheres was used to calculate regional oxygen supply. In group 1, hemodilution with 5% dextran (40,000 molecular weight) reduced arterial hematocrit and oxygen content by approximately one half and had heterogeneous effects on regional blood flows. Blood flow was unchanged in the renal cortex, liver, and spleen, and it increased in the pancreas, duodenum, brain, and myocardium; however, only in the brain and myocardium were increases in blood flow sufficient to maintain oxygen supply at baseline (pre-hemodilution) levels. In group 2, intravenous administration of propranolol (1 mg/kg) itself decreased blood flow in the spleen and myocardium and had no other regional effects. Hemodilution after propranolol caused regional circulatory changes that were essentially similar to those in the absence of propranolol. It is concluded that (1) during isovolemic hemodilution, oxygen supply to the brain and myocardium is maintained at the expense of oxygen supply to less critical organs, and (2) this pattern of regional circulatory response during hemodilution remains intact in the presence of high-grade β-adrenergic blockade with propranolol.
Comparing Idiothetic, Ipsative, and Normative Indices of Consistency

ABSTRACT Lamiell's (1981) “idiothetic” index has been praised for raising significant conceptual and methodological issues, but Paunonen and Jackson (1986a) indicated that it might not provide any unique information The current study demonstrates that the unique value of the idiothetic index relative to the ipsative, normative, and normative-ipsative indices is dependent in part upon what information is collected and how it is analyzed Subjects completed inventories on three occasions that assessed seven dispositional variables Interindividual analyses indicated a high correlation between the idiothetic method and two of the other models, whereas intra-individual analyses indicated a much lower degree of correlation Intra-individual analyses indicated that the idiothetic method produced higher temporal stability coefficients The idiothetic index provides information not contained in a normative index and it may be more useful to personality researchers for the assessment of temporal stability and for the assessment of traits with extreme base rates
Bone-Sucking-A Habit of Cattle

IN response to the letter of Mr. H. C. Donovan (NATURE, vol. xx. p. 457), in relation to the habit of cattle in the colony of Natal chewing bones, I beg leave to state that many years ago, in a monograph on “Geophagy”, I had occasion to put on record a similar habit among the cows in one of the Southern Atlantic States of the United States (vide Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, new series, vol. i. pp. 417–444, August, 1845). From this paper I quote (p. 442–443) the following extract bearing upon the question:—
Localized surface plasmon and molecular resonance: Fundamental study and application

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is one of the signature optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles. Since the LSPR wavelength λ max is extremely sensitive to the local environment, it allows us to develop nanoparticle-based LSPR chemical and biological sensors. In this work, we tuned the LSPR peaks of Ag nanotriangles and explored the wavelength-dependent LSPR shift upon the adsorption of some resonant molecules. The induced LSPR peak shifts (Δλ max ) vary with wavelength and the line shape of the LSPR shift is closely related to the absorption features of the resonant molecules. When the LSPR of the nanoparticles directly overlaps with the molecular resonance, a very small LSPR shift was observed. An amplified LSPR shift is found when LSPR of the nanoparticles is at a slightly longer wavelength than the molecular resonance of the adsorbates. Furthermore, we apply the amplified LSPR shift to detect the substrate binding of camphor to the heme-containing cytochrome P450cam protiens (CYP101). CYP101 absorb light in the visible region. When a small substrate molecule binds to CYP101, the spin state of the molecule is converted to its low spin state. By fabricating nanoparticles with the LSPR close to the molecular resonance of CYP101 proteins, the LSPR response as large as -60 nm caused by the binding of small substrate has been demonstrated.
Considering Local Adaptation in Issues of Lepidopteran Conservation-A Review and Recommendations

Abstract Butterflies are among the most charismatic and alluring of invertebrate organisms. Their complex life histories and diverse habitat affiliations often produce regional variation and local adaptation among different populations. Unfortunately, numerous lepidopteran species are facing extinction. In this paper we address the importance of considering local adaptation in butterfly conservation and encourage investigations of regional specialization that may enhance the effectiveness of conservation strategies such as captive rearing, habitat restoration and the introduction of populations into new localities. We also give suggestions for dealing with problems arising from local adaptation in particular instances.
Cortical organization in insectivora: the parallel evolution of the sensory periphery and the brain.

Insectivores are traditionally described as a primitive group that has not changed much in the course of mammalian evolution. In contrast, recent studies reveal a great diversity of sensorimotor speci
The theory and implementations of high-radix division

This report derives the theory of high-radix division in terms of the properties of the overlapped regions of the P-D plot. The minimum precision requirements in quotient selection are discussed. The methods of implementations in hardware and in read-only memory are explored.
Measuring community sustainability: exploring the intersection of the built environment & social capital with a participatory case study

Municipalities all over the globe seek to evaluate the sustainability of their communities and this process requires an interdisciplinary perspective. Walkability and social capital are important measures of sustainable communities that are not necessarily considered together in measurement schemes. Through a community-based case study, the following article examines the relationship between select measures of social capital and self-perceived walkability. Descriptive statistics demonstrated that higher levels of social capital existed in more walkable communities. More sophisticated analysis further supported this association. A community index was created from responses to questions about participating in civic engagement activities such as donating blood, attending a committee meeting or public hearing, interacting with individuals in various neighborhoods, and contributing to a community project. A trust index was also created with answers to survey questions about general trust and trust of neighbors and other members of communities. Multilevel models demonstrated that higher levels of walkability were associated with higher levels of participation in community activities, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Similar patterns were found for the trust index where higher levels of walkability were positively associated with positive responses to a variety of trust questions. Implications for sustainable communities policy and management are suggested.
Biochemical model with multiple steady states and hysteresis

Abstract An analytically “simple” biochemical model with multiple steady states and a hysteresis loop is analyzed.
Inheritance of Resistance to Pyrethroids in the German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Genetically marked insecticide-susceptible strains of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), were crossed to the Seasons-resistant strain to examine the inheritance and linkage of resistance to cypermethrin, fenvalerate, permethrin, and phenothrin. Tests on the F1 progeny from reciprocal crosses indicated that resistance to these pyrethroids is not sex linked and is incompletely recessive in each case. Backcrosses to the Seasons strain resulted in a 1:1:1:1 ratio with the black-body marker from linkage group IV. F2 crosses, involving the orange-body marker from linkage group VI, produced a 9:3:3:1 ratio. These results fit the hypothesis that resistance to each insecticide is inherited as a monofactorial, autosomal, incompletely recessive trait not linked to Bl or or . The data do not allow a distinction between whether 1 gene controls resistance to all 4 insecticides, or whether as many as 4 similarly acting genes are responsible. Other data are discussed that support the latter possibility.
SlmA, a Nucleoid-Associated, FtsZ Binding Protein Required for Blocking Septal Ring Assembly over Chromosomes in E. coli

Cell division in Escherichia coli begins with assembly of the tubulin-like FtsZ protein into a ring structure just underneath the cell membrane. Spatial control over Z ring assembly is achieved by two partially redundant negative regulatory systems, the Min system and nucleoid occlusion (NO), which cooperate to position the division site at midcell. In contrast to the well-studied Min system, almost nothing is known about how Z ring assembly is blocked in the vicinity of nucleoids to effect NO. Reasoning that Min function might become essential in cells impaired for NO, we screened for mutations synthetically lethal with a defective Min system (slm mutants). By using this approach, we identified SlmA (Ttk) as the first NO factor in E. coli. Our combined genetic, cytological, and biochemical results suggest that SlmA is a DNA-associated division inhibitor that is directly involved in preventing Z ring assembly on portions of the membrane surrounding the nucleoid.
The effect of prior experience with aseptic techniques on learning outcomes in a sterile compounding laboratory course

Abstract The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of prior experience in aseptic techniques on learning outcomes in the sterile compounding laboratory course among second-year professional pharmacy students. Data were collected via self-reports using pre and post course questionnaires on proficiency in 21 practical skills in aseptic compounding. In the precourse questionnaire, students were asked about prior experience with compounding of sterile preparations. A 20-question test on knowledge related to practical skills was given with the questionnaire. Student responses collected pre and post course were analyzed. Comparisons were made between two groups: students without prior experience and students with prior experience in aseptic techniques, referred to as Novices and Experienced, respectively. Differences in skills and knowledge between Novices and Experienced students identified before the course were significant and persisted after the course. Improvement in practical skills was significantly higher in Novices than Experienced students. Students with prior experience performed better on the test and in practical skills that required engagement of higher levels of the thinking process. The findings from this study address a poorly investigated but nevertheless important aspect of pharmacy education: the impact of prior experience on pharmacy students' performance in required curricular courses. Implications from this study relate to student-centered instruction and addressing the differences in knowledge and skills among students.
Heat release dynamics modeling of kinetically controlled burning

We present a heat release dynamics model which utilizes a well-stirred reactor (WSR) and one-step kinetics to describe the unsteady combustion process. The analysis incorporates the linearized mass and energy equations to describe the response of the reactor to external perturbations and is cast in the form of a first order filter. We are able to predict the phase between the mass flow rate oscillations and the resulting heat release fluctuations, as function of the operating conditions, for example, the mean equivalence ratio and mass flow rate. The model predicts a 180° sudden shift in phase between imposed flow oscillations and resulting heat release between the maximum reaction rate and the blow-out limit. We show that this phase change may trigger combustion instability as the equivalence ratio is lowered or the average mass flow rate is increased. A number of experimental investigations, in which the inlet nozzles were choked to minimize equivalence ratio oscillations, are used to corroborate this conclusion. Next, the heat release-mass flow relationship is coupled with the acoustic field and is applied to predict instability conditions in high swirl combustion. The predictions agree qualitatively with the corresponding experimental observations.
Detection of salmonella using surfaced enhanced Raman scattering

The use of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for biological detection has brought up the question of detection limits and how these detection limits apply to the application. For most biological detection uses of SERS, a high detection probability is needed for a relatively small amount of biological specimen. This is especially true for the detection of S. enteriditis (Salmonella) bacteria that may be present on minute concentrations , for example, in food products. Using SERS we have identified the associated antibody conjugated with 12nm diameter Au colloid. Our preliminary results show small fractals with a disperse distance of about 1 monomer diameter (12nm) between the colloidal gold monomers may enhance the SERS emission. We also investigate the possibility that a conformation change may induce an increase in the aromatic amino acid contribution. We then compare the antibody SERS alone to SERS of antibody conjugated to Salmonella bacteria. The use of SERS as a bacterial detection method leads to the possibility for detection of small amounts (<10,000 bacteria/ml) of Salmonella bacteria. In our study we obtained a detection limit of 106 bacteria/ml using gold as a SERS active substrate.
Effects of intravenous and oral dexamethasone on selected lymphocyte subpopulations in normal subjects.

Abstract Our studies describe the effects of 1 mg oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) administration of dexamethasone (DEX) on certain subpopulations of circulating lymphocytes in normal subjects. We compared the outcomes of PO and IV DEX administration because of individual differences in gastro-intestinal absorption of DEX and the issue of noncompliance in patients undergoing the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Both routes of DEX administration were equally effective in suppressing plasma cortisol levels below 5 μg/dl, the customary criterion level. Both routes of DEX administration also significantly decreased the percent and absolute number of CD4+ cells, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and the percent and absolute number of virgin, but not of memory, CD4+ cells.
Examination of inertial cavitation of Optison in producing sonoporation of chinese hamster ovary cells.

Abstract The objective of this project was to elucidate the relationship between ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) and sonoporation. Sonoporation is an ultrasound-induced, transient cell membrane permeability change that allows for the uptake of normally impermeable macromolecules. Specifically, this study will determine the role that inertial cavitation plays in eliciting sonoporation. The inertial cavitation thresholds of the UCA, Optison, are compared directly with the results of sonoporation to determine the involvement of inertial cavitation in sonoporation. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were exposed as a monolayer in a solution of Optison, 500,000 Da fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran), and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to 30 s of pulsed ultrasound at 3.15-MHz center frequency, 5-cycle pulse duration and 10-Hz pulse repetition frequency. The peak rarefactional pressure (Pr) was varied over a range from 120 kPa–3.5 MPa, and five independent replicates were performed at each pressure. As the Pr was increased, from 120 kPa–3.5 MPa, the fraction of sonoporated cells among the total viable population increased from 0.63–10.21%, with the maximum occurring at 2.4 MPa. The inertial cavitation threshold for Optison at these exposure conditions has previously been shown to be in the range 0.77–0.83 MPa, at which sonoporation activity was found to be 50% of its maximum level. Furthermore, significant sonoporation activity was observed at pressure levels below the threshold for inertial cavitation of Optison. Above 2.4 MPa, a significant drop in sonoporation activity occurred, corresponding to pressures where >95% of the Optison was collapsing. These results demonstrate that sonoporation is not directly a result of inertial cavitation of the UCA, rather that the effect is related to linear and/or nonlinear oscillation of the UCA occurring at pressure levels below the inertial cavitation threshold. (E-mail: mforbes@uiuc.edu )
Must We Avoid Speaking of Religion? The Truths of Religions

Heidegger already recognized in the 1920s the difficulties facing a phenomenology of religion, but the problems are greatly multiplied once one recognizes that many of the so-called religions were constituted as such only in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and that the "invention" of these religions was according to an idea of religion shaped by Christianity. By investigating the incompatible attempts of Kant and Hegel to negotiate that idea, I identify the genealogy of the double bind whereby today it appears that one is faced with a choice between two violences: the violence of imposing the word religion on practices that do not readily follow the model of the Christian religion and the violence of refusing the word to non-Christian religions.
A note on undominated Bertrand equilibria

Abstract This note shows that the conventional outcome associated with Bertrand competition with homogenous products and different marginal costs is obtained in every Nash equilibrium in which firms use undominated strategies. This strengthens an existence result due to Blume (2003) .
Interfacial Tension Errors from the Cohen and Carriere Analysis of Imbedded Fiber Retraction

Immiscible polymers are often blended together to create new materials with desired properties. Knowledge of the interfacial tension between the immiscible polymers is important when designing such blending processes. Traditional methods of measuring the interfacial tension between low molecular weight fluids, e.g., the pendant or sessile drop method, the Wilhelmy balance, and the spinning drop method, do not work well for molten polymers because their high viscosity requires unacceptably long times for equilibration. Therefore, “dynamic” methods, which use the kinetics of interfacial tension-driven motion to obtain the interfacial tension, have been devised for polymers.1-6 One such method, the imbedded fiber retraction method, is the subject of this paper. The purpose is to demonstrate that the Cohen and Carriere (CC) model1,2 that is commonly used to analyze fiber retraction experiments can cause large errors in interfacial tension, whereas an alternate analysis by Tjahjadi, Ottino, and Stone (TOS)7 gives reliable interfacial tension values. A notable feature of our experimental approach is that the fiber retraction experiments are benchmarked rigorously: we are able to measure the equilibrium interfacial tension in the same experiment as the fiber retraction.
Whither the Self-Made Man? Comic Culture and the Crisis of Legitimation in the United States

In this article I trace shifts in the occupational worldview, and thereby in the myth of the self-made man as a legtimator of class in the United States, as reflected in the American comic strip from 1925 to 1975. In so doing, I investigate not only the crisis of meaning which some now see as increasingly characteristic of all capitalist societies, but also the use and adaptation of this legitimation complex in previous eras of American history. First the self-made man, then the professional, and finally the employee captured the comic stage during the half-century, serving respectively as symbols of promise, security and despair. From an entrepreneurial reality which held out the reward of superiority, strip society became a land of equality and tempted its residents with an initially salubrious but later ill-fated fortune. The world which the self-made man finally produced no longer emphasized the myth of such a man, relying instead upon the notion of middle class/essness. Despite the malaise which currently afflicts American society, middle classlessness (though perhaps in a somewhat altered form) is likely to be the basic legitimator of the American class system for the near future, attended as it is by an individualistic, pluralistic, democratic and egalitarian ethos.
Deformation of wrought uranium: Experiments and modeling

Abstract The room temperature deformation behavior of wrought polycrystalline uranium is studied using a combination of experimental techniques and polycrystal modeling. Electron backscatter diffraction is used to analyze the primary deformation twinning modes for wrought alpha-uranium. The {1 3 0}〈3 1 0〉 twinning mode is found to be the most prominent twinning mode, with minor contributions from the ‘{1 7 2}’〈3 1 2〉 and {1 1 2}‘〈3 7 2〉’ twin modes. Because of the large number of deformation modes, each with limited deformation systems, a polycrystalline model is employed to identify and quantify the activity of each mode. Model predictions of the deformation behavior and texture development agree reasonably well with experimental measures and provide reliable information about deformation systems.
Vapors Produced by Electronic Cigarettes and E-Juices with Flavorings Induce Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammatory Response in Lung Epithelial Cells and in Mouse Lung

Oxidative stress and inflammatory response are the key events in the pathogenesis of chronic airway diseases. The consumption of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) with a variety of e-liquids/e-juices is alarmingly increasing without the unrealized potential harmful health effects. We hypothesized that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)/e-cigs pose health concerns due to oxidative toxicity and inflammatory response in lung cells exposed to their aerosols. The aerosols produced by vaporizing ENDS e-liquids exhibit oxidant reactivity suggesting oxidants or reactive oxygen species (OX/ROS) may be inhaled directly into the lung during a “vaping” session. These OX/ROS are generated through activation of the heating element which is affected by heating element status (new versus used), and occurs during the process of e-liquid vaporization. Unvaporized e-liquids were oxidative in a manner dependent on flavor additives, while flavors containing sweet or fruit flavors were stronger oxidizers than tobacco flavors. In light of OX/ROS generated in ENDS e-liquids and aerosols, the effects of ENDS aerosols on tissues and cells of the lung were measured. Exposure of human airway epithelial cells (H292) in an air-liquid interface to ENDS aerosols from a popular device resulted in increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-8. Furthermore, human lung fibroblasts exhibited stress and morphological change in response to treatment with ENDS/e-liquids. These cells also secrete increased IL-8 in response to a cinnamon flavored e-liquid and are susceptible to loss of cell viability by ENDS e-liquids. Finally, exposure of wild type C57BL/6J mice to aerosols produced from a popular e-cig increase pro-inflammatory cytokines and diminished lung glutathione levels which are critical in maintaining cellular redox balance. Thus, exposure to e-cig aerosols/juices incurs measurable oxidative and inflammatory responses in lung cells and tissues that could lead to unrealized health consequences.
Trophic cascades in a multicausal world: Isle Royale and Yellowstone

Questions of whether trophic cascades occur in Isle Royale National Park (IRNP) or Yellowstone National Park's northern range (NR) cannot lead to simple, precise, or definitive answers. Such answers are limited especially by multicausality in the NR and by complex temporal variation in IRNP. Spatial heterogeneity, contingency, and nonequilibrium dynamics also work against simple answers in IRNP and NR. The existence of a trophic cascade in IRNP and NR also depends greatly on how it is defined. For example, some conceive of trophic cascades as entailing essentially any indirect effect of predation. This may be fine, but the primary intellectual value of such a conception may be to assess an important view in community ecology that most species are connected to most other species in a food web through a network of complicated, albeit weak, indirect effects. These circumstances that work against simple answers likely apply to many ecosystems. Despite the challenges of assessing the existence of trophic casca...
Cross-lagged effects between intimate partner violence victimization and suicidality from adolescence into adulthood

Abstract Purpose The current article extended previous research on the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and suicidality by longitudinally investigating their mutual impact from adolescence into early adulthood. Methods We analyzed data from a subsample (N= 4,675) of individuals with complete data on IPV victimization from Waves II (mean age=16.41 years), III (mean age=22.36 years), and IV (mean age=28.85 years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Suicidality was measured through questions assessing suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts during the past 12 months. IPV victimization was measured through a construct assessing whether individuals had experienced threat of violence, being pushed/shoved, or had something thrown at them during the past 12 (Waves III and IV) or 18 (Wave II) months. Results Using a path analysis framework, we found that IPV victimization and suicidality were highly stable across time. Suicidality was associated with IPV victimization prospectively, but IPV victimization did not predict suicidality prospectively. This longitudinal effect was limited to adolescent suicidality predicting IPV in early adulthood, and this effect was not qualified by gender. Conclusions Although the findings from this study confirm the importance of considering concurrent IPV victimization in evaluating risk for suicidality, they also highlight the importance of considering a history of adolescent suicidality as an important risk marker for IPV victimization.
A note on self-organizing semantic maps

This paper discusses Kohonen's self-organizing semantic map (SOSM). We show that augmentation and normalization of numerical feature data as recommended for the SOSM is entirely unnecessary to obtain semantic maps that exhibit semantic similarities between objects represented by the data. Visual displays of a small data set of 13 animals based on principal components, Sammon's algorithm, and Kohonen's (unsupervised) self-organizing feature map (SOFM) possess exactly the same qualitative information as the much more complicated SOSM display does. >
Auger Recombination in Antimony-Based, Strain-Balanced, Narrow-Band-Gap Superlattics

Time-resolved all-optical techniques are used to measure the density and temperature dependence of electron-hole recombination in an InAs/GaInSb/InAs/AlGaInAsSb strain-balanced superlattice grown by molecular beam expitaxy on GaSb. This 4 μm bandgap structure, which has been designed for suppressed Auger recombination, is a candidate material for the active region of mid-infrared lasers. While carrier lifetime measurements at room temperature show unambiguous evidence of Auger recombination, the extracted Auger recombination rates are considerably lower than those reported for bulk materials of comparable bandgap energy. We find that the Auger rate saturates at carrier densities comparable to those required for degeneracy of the valence band, illustrating the impact of Fermi statistics on the Auger process. The measured results are compared with theoretical Auger rates computed using a band structure obtained from a semi-empirical 8-band K.p model. We find excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results when Umklapp processes in the growth direction are included in the calculation. Measured recombination rates from 50 to 300 K are combined with calculated threshold carrier densities to determine a material To value for the superlattice.
Modeling of anomalous moisture diffusion in nanographene reinforced thermoset polymers

Abstract This paper aims to study the anomalous two-stage moisture diffusion in baseline thermoset epoxy (EPON 862), and in nanographene platelet (NGP) reinforced epoxy. The deviation from Fickian diffusion is assumed to be intrinsically dependent on the time varying viscoelastic response of the epoxy and its nanoparticle reinforced polymer nanocomposite. A novel viscoelasticity based model has been formulated which aims to capture the response of the two-stage moisture absorption response, incorporating the effect of time-dependent relaxation of the material, and random orientation and aspect ratio of the NGPs on the moisture absorption. Moisture uptake experiments at 60 °C and 90% relative humidity were performed in an environmental chamber for five different weight percentages (wt%) ranging from 0.1% to 3% NGPs and their response was compared with baseline epoxy specimens. Upon benchmarking to extract modeling parameters, the model was used to predict anomalous moisture uptake for 0.1 and 2 wt% NGP. Good agreement between the model prediction and experimental data for benchmark cases was observed.
Evidence for the Hormonal Status of Somatostatin in Man

To determine the hormonal status of somatostatin in man, plasma levels of ∼1600-dalton somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) were measured before and after a mixed meal. Plasma was subjected to gel filtration and the fractions coeluting with somatostatin were concentrated ninefold before radioimmunoassay. In this system the recovery of synthetic somatostatin added to plasma averaged 71 ± 4.6% (mean ± SE, N = 5). Synthetic somatostatin infused into normal volunteers gave a dose-related increase in the measured SLI value. Fasting SLI in 13 normal volunteers was 8.0 ± 0.7 pg/ml (mean ± SE) and rose to 18.6 ± 1.5 pg/ml and 20.3 ± 2.0 pg/ml at 60 and 120 min, respectively, after the meal (P
Carotid Artery Longitudinal Displacement, Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background Associations between carotid artery longitudinal displacement, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and events were evaluated in a large, multi-ethnic cohort. Materials and Methods A novel, reproducible protocol was developed for measuring right common carotid artery longitudinal displacement using ultrasound speckle-tracking. Total longitudinal displacement was measured in 389 randomly selected participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis that were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Univariate analyses and Pearson Correlations were used to define relationships between longitudinal displacement with traditional cardiovascular risk factors and traditional measures of arterial stiffness. Hazard ratios of longitudinal displacement for cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease events were compared using Cox proportional hazards models. Results Participants were a mean (standard deviation) 59.0 (8.7) years old, 48% female, 39% White, 26% Black, 22% Hispanic, and 14% Chinese. They had 19 (4.9%) cardiovascular disease and 14 (3.6%) coronary heart disease events over a mean 9.5 years of follow-up. Less longitudinal displacement was associated with Chinese (β = -0.11, p = 0.02) compared to White race/ethnicity and greater longitudinal displacement was associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness (β = 0.26, p = 0.004). Longitudinal displacement was not associated with other cardiovascular disease risk factors or markers of arterial stiffness. After adjustment for age and sex, and heart rate, Chinese race/ethnicity (β = -0.10, p = 0.04) and carotid intima-media thickness (β = 0.30 p = 0.003) were associated independently with longitudinal displacement. Longitudinal displacement predicted coronary heart disease (Hazard ratio [HR] 3.3, 95% Confidence intervals [CI] 0.96–11.14, p = 0.06) and cardiovascular disease (HR 2.1, 95% CI 0.6–7.3, p = 0.23) events. Conclusions Less longitudinal displacement is associated with Chinese ethnicity and greater carotid artery longitudinal displacement is associated with thicker intima-media thickness. Longitudinal displacement may predict adverse coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease events.