cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homeostasis and soft robotics in the design of feeling machines

Attempts to create machines that behave intelligently often conceptualize intelligence as the ability to achieve goals, leaving unanswered a crucial question: whose goals? In a dynamic and unpredictable world, an intelligent agent should hold its own meta-goal of self-preservation, like living organisms whose survival relies on homeostasis: the regulation of body states aimed at maintaining conditions compatible with life. In organisms capable of mental states, feelings are a mental expression of the state of life in the body and play a critical role in regulating behaviour. Our goal here is to inquire about conditions that would potentially allow machines to care about what they do or think. Under certain conditions, machines capable of implementing a process resembling homeostasis might also acquire a source of motivation and a new means to evaluate behaviour, akin to that of feelings in living organisms. Drawing on recent developments in soft robotics and multisensory abstraction, we propose a new class of machines inspired by the principles of homeostasis. The resulting machines would (1) exhibit equivalents to feeling; (2) improve their functionality across a range of environments; and (3) constitute a platform for investigating consciousness, intelligence and the feeling process itself. Robots and machines are generally designed to perform specific tasks. Unlike humans, they lack the ability to generate feelings based on interactions with the world. The authors propose a new class of machines with evaluation processes akin to feelings, based on the principles of homeostasis and developments in soft robotics and multisensory integration.
Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse

This protocol describes a method for spinal cord laminectomy and glass window implantation for in vivo imaging of the mouse spinal cord. An integrated digital vaporizer is utilized to achieve a stable plane of anesthesia at a low-flow rate of isoflurane. A single vertebral spine is removed, and a commercially available cover-glass is overlaid on a thin agarose bed. A 3D-printed plastic backplate is then affixed to the adjacent vertebral spines using tissue adhesive and dental cement. A stabilization platform is used to reduce motion artifact from respiration and heartbeat. This rapid and clamp-free method is well-suited for acute multi-photon fluorescence microscopy. Representative data are included for an application of this technique to two-photon microscopy of the spinal cord vasculature in transgenic mice expressing eGFP:Claudin-5 - a tight junction protein.
Investigating the Effect of NOS Question Type on Students’ NOS Responses

While the importance of explicit and reflective NOS instruction is clear in the literature, questions remain about how to enact such instruction. That is, literature is sometimes unclear in defining how to enact explicit and reflective NOS instruction. While some authors recommend using questions (e.g., Clough 2007) to enact effective NOS instruction, we are not aware of NOS literature that meaningfully differentiates between types of questions and, to the extent of our knowledge, no research has been done to compare the effects of question types on student thinking about NOS. To investigate the impact of type of NOS question on student responses, we created four versions of a historical short story and randomly gave 6th grade students (N = 161) one of the versions. One version of the story had general reflection questions in which students are repeatedly asked, “What do you notice or want to remember?” A second version contained general NOS questions in which students were repeatedly asked, “What does this say about science and how scientists work?” The third version included specific NOS questions targeting particular NOS ideas. For example, “How do you think science and technology affect each other?” The final version included specific NOS questions with additional preamble to support student responses. For example, “Notice that science is helping develop new clock technology and that new technology is helping science. How do you think science and technology affect each other?” The participants tended to address more NOS ideas when asked specific NOS questions with or without preamble. A significant decrease in the number of NOS ideas addressed was observed for the general NOS questions and students rarely addressed NOS ideas when asked the general reflective questions. Although more specific questions encouraged participants to address more NOS concepts, the responses to more specific questions tended to be normative rather than descriptive. Implications for teaching and teacher education are discussed as well as one strategy that we have used to support teacher creation of specific NOS questions.
Non-GIST Primary Mesenchymal Tumors of the GI Tract

Besides gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract include a wide spectrum of heterogeneous benign and malignant lesions. Although rarely encountered, they impose true diagnostic challenge for most practicing pathologists. In this chapter, common mesenchymal lesions are listed according to their frequently occurring sites. A concise discussion of each entity is provided including key histologic features, immunostaining profiles, and molecular characteristics. Diagnostic features are compared and contrasted among the most relevant and important differential diagnoses in multiple tables. Helpful criteria to distinguish benign tumors from their malignant counterparts are also highlighted.
How Much Should We Trust Staggered Difference-In-Differences Estimates?

Difference-in-differences analysis with staggered treatment timing is frequently used to assess the impact of policy changes on corporate outcomes in academic research. However, recent advances in econometric theory show that such designs are likely to be biased in the presence of treatment effect heterogeneity. Given the pronounced use of staggered treatment designs in applied corporate finance and accounting research, this finding potentially impacts a large swath of prior findings in these fields. We survey the nascent literature and document how and when such bias arises from treatment effect heterogeneity. We apply recently proposed methods to a set of prior published results, and find that correcting for the bias induced by the staggered nature of policy adoption frequently impacts the estimated effect from standard difference-in-difference studies. In many cases, the reported effects in prior research become indistinguishable from zero.
Design thinking and community impact: A case study of project-based learning in an MBA capstone course

Few empirical studies have demonstrated the positive consequences of integrating design thinking with project-based learning (PBL) for generating meaningful community impact. Our study fills this v...
Existing and emerging therapies for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an autosomal dominant disorder of LDL metabolism that is characterized by elevated LDL cholesterol, is commonly encountered in patients with atherosclerotic coronary heart disease. Combinations of cholesterol lowering therapies are often used to lower LDL cholesterol in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia; however, current treatment goals for LDL cholesterol are rarely achieved in patients with homozygous FH, and are difficult to achieve in patients with heterozygous FH. Therapies that lower LDL cholesterol through LDL receptor-mediated mechanisms have thus far been largely ineffective in patients with homozygous FH, particularly in those with negligible (<2%) LDL receptor activity. Among patients with heterozygous FH who were at very high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events, combined therapy consisting of a high dose of high-intensity statin, ezetimibe and proprotein convertase subtilisin kinexin (PCSK9) inhibitor failed to lower LDL cholesterol to minimal acceptable goals in more than 50%. This article provides an overview of available and emerging treatments that lower LDL cholesterol in adult patients with homozygous FH and heterozygous FH. A framework is provided for the use of angiopoietin like 3 protein (ANGPTL3) inhibitors in the treatment of homozygous FH and heterozygous FH.
Comparative study of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and water physiological characters of heteromorphic leaves for Populus euphratica

The changes of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and free water and bound water of three typical heteromorphic leaves of Populus euphratica,both in young trees and old trees,were investigated.The results showed that the values of F0,Fm,Fv/Fm and Fv/F0 of lanceolate leaves were the least in young trees,while those of Fm,Fv/F0 and Fv/Fm of ovate leaves were the least in old trees.Compared with the young trees,the free water content of heteromorphic leaves of old trees increased significantly by 78.94% in lanceolate leaves,and in the leaves of ovate and serrated broad-oval,it increased by 10.60% and 10.99% respectively.The analysis of correlations showed that the free water content was significantly positive related with Fv/Fm and Fv/F0 in young trees,while the relationship of total water content with Fv/Fm and Fv/F0was positive in old trees.
Sleep Dependent Memory Consolidation in People With Epilepsy (5469)

Objective: We hypothesized that sleep would not benefit memory retention in people with epilepsy. Background: People with epilepsy commonly report long-term memory difficulties. However, the underlying mechanisms of these deficits are unknown. The hierarchical nesting of slow oscillations, spindles, and ripples during slow wave sleep (SWS) has been proposed to provide the temporal framework for consolidation of long-term memory by shuttling the newly formed memories from the hippocampus to the neocortex. All of these classes of neural oscillations are also impacted by epilepsy. We hypothesized that sleep would not benefit memory retention in people with epilepsy. Design/Methods: To test it, we compared the epilepsy patients’ (n=5) performance on a sleep-sensitive verbal memory task over two conditions, sleep and wakeful retention intervals. The study had two phases – learning and retrieval. We used a Paired-Associated Learning (PAL) task, which assesses verbal declarative learning (left hippocampus) and proven to be sensitive to effects of sleep. Subjects were tested immediately after the learning phase (criterion trial) and also after a two-hour “nap” retention interval on the sleep day, and a two-hour period of wakefulness on a control day. Results: “Retention Performance” was defined by the percentage of recalled word pairs during the retrieval test, with performance on the criterion trial was set to 100%. All of the participants had some periods of SWS during the “nap” retention interval; however, the “Retention Performance” was not significantly different between the sleep and wakeful conditions (p-value>0.05). Conclusions: We demonstrated that unlike what reported in people without epilepsy, SWS did not benefit memory retention in people with epilepsy. We proposed that sleep-dependent memory consolidation is impaired in epilepsy patients and may underlie their long-term memory deficits. We hope that through the interventions during deep sleep, we will be able to enhance memory consolidation and improve long-term memory in people with epilepsy. Disclosure: Dr. Khadjevand has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pal Attia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. St. Louis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Worrell has nothing to disclose.
A characterization of ${\rm QF}$-$3$ rings

A left QF-3 ring R is one in which RR, the ring considered as a left module over itself, can be embedded in a projective infective left R module Q(RR). QF-3 rings were introduced by Thrall [14] and have been studied and characterized by a number of authors [5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15] usually restricted to the case of algebras over a field. In such a case, the concept of left QF-3 and right QF-3 coincide. The study of QF-3 rings and algebras and many other such classes of rings had its origin in the now classic papers of Nakayama [10, 11]. He was an outstanding pioneer in algebra for many years, and we acknowledge our great debt to him and to his many excellent papers.
Identical Nutritional Requirements of Streptococcus faecium F24 and a Derived Stable L-Phase Variant

The nutritional requirements of Streptococcus faecium F24 and a lysozyme-produced stable L-phase variant of this strain appear to be identical. Thus, conversion of bacteria to the stable L-phase can occur without changes in nutritional requirements.
Light Scattering by Hexagonal Columns and Plates

Computations of light scattering by hexagonal columns and plates randomly oriented in two- and three-dimensional space are carried out by means of the geometrical ray tracing technique. Analyses are made for a number of crystal sizes, and for a visible wavelength of 0.55 pm and an infrared wavelength of 10.6 pm at which absorption plays a significant role. Scattering phase functions and degree of linear polarization computed from the ray tracing program are compared with those derived from experimental nephelometer measurements performed in the laboratory. Effects of the crystal size and shape on the scattering parameter will be described. We will also present the theoretical and experimental programs concerning light scattering by ice clouds to be carried out in the future.
Zodiacal Light and Interplanetary Dust

Recent results on zodiacal light are used to show that optics, dynamics, and infrared must be considered together to properly and fully characterize the interplanetary dust complex.
Local Anesthetic Peripheral Nerve Block Adjuvants for Prolongation of Analgesia: A Systematic Qualitative Review.

Background The use of peripheral nerve blocks for anesthesia and postoperative analgesia has increased significantly in recent years. Adjuvants are frequently added to local anesthetics to prolong analgesia following peripheral nerve blockade. Numerous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have examined the pros and cons of the use of various individual adjuvants.
Simplified analysis of PWM converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode using alternate forms of the PWM switch models

The discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) PWM converter is modeled as a transformer by Vorperian's PWM switch model. The recognition that any of the three transformer terminals can serve as the common terminal leads to two alternate PWM transformer models and the corresponding two alternate PWM switch models. For a given PWM DC-DC converter, one of the three PWM switch models is more "natural" for graphic-oriented analysis/design, e.g., it allows the idealized converter to be analyzed by inspection. Furthermore, all three PWM transformers may be used to graphically manipulate the converter circuit to a form which can be analyzed by inspection. This is demonstrated in the paper by steady-state analysis of a buck converter. The same procedure could be applied to the boost converter.
Enhanced lung C-fiber responsiveness in sensitized adult guinea pigs exposed to chronic tobacco smoke.

Tobacco smoke (TS) exposure induces bronchoconstriction and increases airway secretions and plasma extravasation in certain sensitive individuals, particularly those with asthma. C-fiber activation...
BRIEF INSTRUMENTAL SCHOOL‐BASED MENTORING FOR FIRST‐ AND SECOND‐YEAR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED EVALUATION

A limitation of school-based mentoring (SBM) is the lack of structured, evidence-based practices in mentoring sessions that explicitly target school-relevant outcomes, such as academic performance and school behavior. To address this concern, we developed and experimentally evaluated a brief SBM program based on practices adapted from evidence-based counseling and academic interventions with the goal of improving the academic and behavioral performance of middle school students. The results indicate that students randomly assigned to instrumental SBM with an average of 8 sessions over a 2.5 month period (N = 74) showed better math grades, reduced school behavioral office referrals, and increased life satisfaction when compared to students randomly assigned to the control group (N = 60). Tentatively, our results suggest that SBM programs may benefit from the incorporation of instrumental elements based on evidence-based practices.
Analysis of the association constants for charge-transfer complex formation

Abstract The phenomenon of charge transfer (CT) complex formation has been of interest for more than 50 years and has led to the development of numerous applications. Even with the prolonged interest in these complexes the interactions responsible for complex formation have yet to be fully characterized and remain an area of sustained relevance. This report outlines the measurement of the association constants for CT complex formation of a series of methylated benzene donors with tetracyanoethylene, pyromellitic dianhydride, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano- p -benzoquinone, and 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene acceptors in 1,2-dichloroethane solvent. The evaluation of the position of the CT absorption maximum and the magnitudes of the association constants within a theoretical model is described. The influence of solvent polarity on the magnitudes of the association constants was also discussed. These studies show that non-bonding interactions are important in most complexes while ion-pair interactions play a significant role in a select few of the complexes studied.
Observation of Unusual Mass Transport in Solid hcp 4He

Solid (4)He has been created off the melting curve by growth at a nearly constant mass via the "blocked capillary" technique and growth from the (4)He superfluid at constant temperature. The experimental apparatus allows injection of (4)He atoms from superfluid directly into the solid. Evidence for the superfluidlike transport of mass through a sample cell filled with hcp solid (4)He off the melting curve is found. This mass flux depends on temperature and pressure.
1.55-μ m tunable VCSEL for metro-WDM applications

Wavelength-tunable lasers, detectors, and optical filters are expected to play a pivotal role in the future ultrahigh bandwidth dense-wavelength-division-multiplexed (DWDM) optical networks, enabling revolutionary new applications such as wavelength-on-demand in a reconfigurable all-optical network. Combining the unique single wavelength property of a vertical cavity and the wide mechanical movement of a MEMS mirror, we are able to demonstrate photonic devices with a very wide tuning range and excellent performance. Electrically-pumped, continuously tunable VCSEL emitting in 1530-1620 nm wavelength regime is reported. The VCSELs exhibit a continuous, repeatable and hysterisis-free wavelength-tuning characteristic. Further, the VCSELs are directly modulated at 2.5 Gbps and has >45 dB side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) over the entire tuning range. Accurate wavelength locking is achieved in ~200 usec by a simple universal locker.
A graphic method for the determination and presentation of binding parameters in a complex system

Abstract A graphic method is presented which correlates on a single graph the physicochemical parameters of a binding system consisting of one ligand and one or more binding macromolecules each having one or more groups of mutually noninteracting binding sites. Experimental data from equilibrium dialysis or ultrafiltration are plotted to obtain the number of equivalent binding sites and the corresponding association constant for each group of binding sites. This plot is then further extended to obtain information on the distribution of the ligand among the various groups of binding sites and on the concentration of its free form.
Optimizing Conical Intersections by Spin−Flip Density Functional Theory: Application to Ethylene

Conical intersections (CIs) of ethylene have been successfully determined using spin-flip density functional theory (SFDFT) combined with a penalty-constrained optimization method. We present in de...
Microstructure and mechanical properties of a NiAlMo eutectic composite

Abstract Post-solidification heat treatments are shown to have significant effects on tensile properties and high cycle fatigue resistance of a NiMo(31.2 wt%-Al(6.3 wt%) aligned eutectic. In the as-directionally solidified condition retained blocky γ is noted in the γ/γ′ matrix. Solution heat treatment at 1270°C produces a regular cubic network of γ/γ′. Subsequent aging at 850°C produces elliptical precipitates identified as αMo in the γ/γ′ matrix. These precipitates are responsible for a sharp drop in tensile ductility, accompanied by improved resistance to high cycle fatigue.
Fluorescence of dansyl amino acids in organic solvents and protein solutions

The dansyl amino acids fluoresce only weakly in water; the peaks of the corrected emission spectra are at about 580 mμ and the quantum yields are less than 0.1. However, insolvents of low dielectric constant, the emission shifts toward the blue and the quantum yield increases markedly. Thus in dioxane, the fluorescence of dansyl dl-tryptophan is maximal at 500 mμ, and the quantum yield is 0.70. Dansyl l-proline can be determined fluorometrically in dioxane down to 3 × 10−13 mole as a result of its high fluorescence efficiency and favorable spectral characteristics. Dansyl amino acids bind to proteins having hydrophobic binding sites such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sperm whale apomyoglobin. Concomitantly, the fluorescence shifts toward the blue, and there is a marked increase in fluorescence quantum yield. Fluorometric titration shows that 2 moles of dansyl l-proline bind to each mole of BSA, with a statistical dissociation constant of 2.2 × 10−5 m. Species differences in serum albumins are reflected in the differences in the spectra of albumin-bound dansyl l-proline. The depolarization of fluorescence of dansyl amino acids bound to BSA and sperm whale apomyoglobin allows calculation of rotational relaxation times of those proteins; the fluorescence lifetimes of bound dansyl amino acids are in the range of 2 × 10−8 second. Such quantitative data on dansyl amino acid fluorescence have long been lacking, and these results have implications for amino acid analytical techniques and fluorescent probe studies of proteins.
On the bilayer phase transition temperatures for monoenoic phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines and the interconversion between them

The dependence of the phase transition temperature, Tm, on the structural parameters of the lipid molecule has been firmly established for lipid bilayers composed of saturated phosphatidylcholines (PC) or phosphatidylethanolamines (PE). It is from such a dependence that conversions of Tm values from saturated PC to PE and vice versa have been successfully demonstrated. In this communication, similar chain-melting-structure relationships are sought for monoenoic PC and PE in which the long hydrocarbons linked at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions are saturated and cis-mono-unsaturated chains, respectively. Specifically, various molecular species of monoenoic PC and PE were first semisynthesized and their Tm values were subsequently determined by high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry. Based on the crankshaft-like kink motif model, the synthesized monoenoic PC and PE can each be divided into two groups, each group being characterized by three structural parameters. For each group of monoenoic PC or PE, a specific equation correlating the changes in Tm with variations in the structural parameters was derived using the multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, within each group of lipids including both PC and PE, an explicit equation describing the interconversion of Tm values between PC and PE with the same fatty acyl chain composition was established. The present work not only extends the earlier work relating the chain-melting temperature of saturated PC and PE to their structural parameters, but also indicates that the basic topology of the sn-2 mono-unsaturated acyl chain of PC and PE in the gel-state bilayer can be approximated by the crankshaft-like kink motif with the longer segment being packed much more orderly than the shorter segment.
Tools to Assist Teaching and Learning of Mechanisms, Robotics, and Biomechanics

This paper details some innovations developed at Ohio University for augmenting the teaching and learning of mechanism kinematics and dynamics, robot kinematics, dynamics, and control, and the musculoskeletal biomechanics of human motion. Common to all three courses are NotesBooks, significant MATLAB use in class, homework, and projects, term projects simulated from real-world applications, and Internet resources developed and hosted by the author at Ohio University.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
NT10: recent advances in carbon nanotube science and applications.

A review of recent advances in carbon nanotube science and applications is presented in terms of what was learned at the NT10 11th International Conference on the Science and Application of Nanotubes held in Montreal, Canada, June 29−July 2, 2010.
Impact of high-intensity negotiated-style interruptions on end-user debugging

Extending our previous work [T. Robertson, S. Prabhakararao, M. Burnett, C. Cook, J. Ruthruff, L. Beckwith, A. Phalgune, Impact of interruption style on end-user debugging, ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2004)], we delve deeper into the question of which interruption style best supports end-user debugging. Previously, we found no advantages of immediate-style interruptions (which force the user to divert attention to the interruption at hand) over negotiated-style interruptions (which notify users without actually preventing them from working) in supporting end-user debugging. In this study, we altered our negotiated-style interruptions [A. Wilson, M. Burnett, L. Beckwith, O. Granatir, L. Casburn, C. Cook, M. Durham, G. Rothermel, Harnessing curiosity to increase correctness in end-user programming, Proceedings of the CHI 2003 (2003), 305-312] (which were shown to help end-user debuggers learn about and use debugging features of our programming language) such that they were more intense (larger, blinking, and/or accompanied by text).
In Vitro Lymphocyte Responses in Contact Hypersensitivity

Contact hypersensitivity to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) was developed in guinea pigs. Lymphocytes from sensitive or insensitive donors were obtained from lymph nodes and cultured in the presence of conjugates of DNFB and protein extracts of guinea pig epidermis. Transformation of lymphocytes was assessed by uptake of tritiated thymidine by nucleic acids, and indicated that lymphocytes from sensitized donors responded in vitro to a greater degree than those from unsensitized donors.
Flow injection microscopy as a tool for two-parameter monitoring of cellular responses

Flow Injection Fluorescence Microscopy (FIFM) has been further developed to become a useful tool for a multiparametric study of the response of living cells to a biochemical stimulus. Rather than recording several parameters simultaneously, the multiparametric measurements are carried out in a sequential fashion: internal Ca-concentration and pH of Chinese Hamster Ovary cells were alternately monitored in subsequent runs where the cells were exposed to carbachol. Delivery of carbachol onto the cells was carried out by the flow injection apparatus in the FIFM setup. Fluorescent indicators fura-2 and BCECF had been loaded into the cells to provide the Ca- and pH dependent signals, respectively. The fluorescent signals were detected by means of the fluorescent microscope domain of the FIFM setup. Comparison of the temporal dependence of the response curves shows differences in the two responses. The experimental evidence is supported by a novel functional tracer test that is used to characterize the kinetics of cell-stimulation interaction.
Real balances, the inflation tax, and Sargent's consumption function

Abstract Sargent's (1987a) textbook treatment of static equilibrium theory argues that if expected inflation is positive, real balance effects are perverse, and the traditional argument, whereby flexible wages guarantee full employment, is incorrect. This paper argues that Sargent misrepresents traditional static theory by using as a model of consumption an equilibrium condition from the monetary growth literature. Perverse real balance effects appear when this equilibrium condition is treated as a behavioral relationship. A well-specified optimizing model is presented which suggests the proper treatment of real balance effects and expected inflation in static equilibrium.
Activity coefficients in concentrated electrolytes: a comparison of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) model with experimental values

Abstract Electrolyte mean ionic activity coefficients, γ±, are calculated from the Stokes-Robinson application of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) adsorption model for seven electrolytes (NaOH, HCl, KOH, CaCl2, LiCl, LiBr and Ca(NO2)3). Only two model parameters are needed, which are derived from water vapor pressure measurements. Results were compared with experimental mean ionic activity coefficients (γ±). Because the standard state for the BET model is the anhydrous electrolyte rather than the infinitely dilute solution, it is necessary to adjust for the differing standard states by comparing the BET and experimental γ± values at one ‘anchoring’ concentration. The higher this ‘anchoring’ concentration, the better is the agreement between the BET and experimental mean ionic activity coefficients over the entire concentration (molality, mol kg−1) range except at the two extremes of nearly pure water and nearly pure electrolyte. This is because the BET model lacks a finite limit at infinite dilution, and the experimental data are referenced to the infinite dilute solution. The BET model is well-behaved and in good agreement with experimental data on γ±.
TEOAE suppression in adults with learning disabilities.

The presentation of contralateral noise during the recording of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) reduces the amplitude of the TEOAE in normally-hearing adults. This is known as TEOAE suppression. The present study investigated TEOAE suppression in 18 adults with learning disabilities (LDs) compared to 18 adults without LDs. TEOAEs were elicited by 60 dB p.e. SPL clicks and were suppressed by the presentation of 60 dB SPL contralateral broadband noise. Suppression was measured as a change in the overall TEOAE response amplitude, and also analysed in 2-ms epochs representing different TEOAE frequency-response bands. A significant interaction was evident between group type and ear tested. Participants in the control group had right ear dominance for the suppression effect, whereas the left ear was found to be dominant for the LD group. These findings suggest a mechanism of the medial olivary cochlear bundle and efferent auditory pathway that differs in those with LD compared to those with typi...
Age-associated changes in cardiovascular structure and function: a fertile milieu for future disease.

Important changes occur in the cardiovascular system with advancing age, even in apparently healthy individuals. Thickening and stiffening of the large arteries develop due to collagen and calcium deposition and loss of elastic fibers in the medial layer. These arterial changes cause systolic blood pressure to rise with age, while diastolic blood pressure generally declines after the sixth decade. In the left ventricle, modest concentric wall thickening occurs due to cellular hypertrophy, but cavity size does not change. Although left ventricular systolic function is preserved across the age span, early diastolic filling rate declines 30–50% between the third and ninth decades. Conversely, an age-associated increase in late diastolic filling due to atrial contraction preserves end-diastolic volume. Aerobic exercise capacity declines approximately 10% per decade in cross-sectional studies; in longitudinal studies, however, this decline is accelerated in the elderly. Reductions in peak heart rate and peripheral oxygen utilization but not stroke volume appear to mediate the age-associated decline in aerobic capacity. Deficits in both cardiac β-adrenergic receptor density and in the efficiency of postsynaptic β-adrenergic signaling contribute significantly to the reduced cardiovascular performance during exercise in older adults. Although these cardiovascular aging changes are considered “normative”, they lower the threshold for the development of cardiovascular disease, which affects the majority of older adults.
Rotational second harmonic generation endoscopy with 1μm fiber laser system

We present a kind of rotational two photon mciroendoscopy for 1μm fiber femtosecond laser. The fiber laser provide ultrashort femto-second pulses with center wavelength at 1.034μm and repetition rate of 50MH. The rotational probe is based on double cladding photonic crystal fiber (CD PCF) fiber, Grin lens, microprism and rotational MEMS motor. The MEMS motor has diameter of 2.2mm and can provide 360 degree full view rotation. We experimentally show that the DC PCF fiber works for 1μm fiber laser two photon system. Second harmonic generation (SHG) singnal line profile of rat tail tendon and fish scale was taken with the endoscopy system.
A Constructive Generalization of the Borel-Cantelli Lemma with Application to the Complexity of Infinite Strings.

This paper concerns a constructive adaptation of the classical Borel-Cantelli lemma which allows us to solve such decomposition problems as: when does there exist an infinite object that is decomposable into infinitely many parts that are maximally complex? A constructive proof is supplied of the key theorem and its degree is characterized. For completeness a classical (i.e., nonconstructive) proof is also provided.
"Why Doesn't He Just Leave?": Gay Male Domestic Violence and the Reasons Victims Stay

This study explores domestic violence within a gay male relationship while continuing to expand on previous work regarding gay male domestic violence, in general, and specifically examines why battered gay men stay in violent and abusive relationships. Twenty-five self-identified gay or bisexual men who indicated previous experience with domestic violence in a same-sex relationship were interviewed via snowball sampling methodology. Respondents offered reasons for staying that mimic reasons battered women stay in abusive relations, such as financial dependence, love, hope for change, and fear of escalated violence. More research is needed to explore issues such as the intergenerational transmission of violence theory, gender role expectations, and gay men's relationship styles.
Theta rhythm and the encoding and retrieval of space and time

Physiological data demonstrates theta frequency oscillations associated with memory function and spatial behavior. Modeling and data from animals provide a perspective on the functional role of theta rhythm, including correlations with behavioral performance and coding by timing of spikes relative to phase of oscillations. Data supports a theorized role of theta rhythm in setting the dynamics for encoding and retrieval within cortical circuits. Recent data also supports models showing how network and cellular theta rhythmicity allows neurons in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus to code time and space as a possible substrate for encoding events in episodic memory. Here we discuss these models and relate them to current physiological and behavioral data.
Casebook: A Cloud-Based System of Engagement for Case Management

Casebook embraces social and collaboration technology, analytics, and intelligence to advance the state of the art in case management from systems of record to a system of engagement for knowledge workers. It addresses complex, inefficient work practices, information loss during hand offs between teams, and failure to learn from previous case experience. Intelligent agents help people adapt to changing work practices by tracking process evolution and providing updates and recommendations. Social collaboration surrounding cases integrates communication with information and supports collaborative roadmapping to enable people to work as they collaborate, thus accelerating how quickly and accurately they handle cases.
Morphological development of the epithelium of the embryonic chick intestine in culture: influence of thyroxine and hydrocortisone.

A culture system with defined medium has been utilized to elucidate the role of thyroxine (T4) and hydrocortisone (HC) in growth and differentiation of the epithelium of embryonic chick duodenum during the third week of development. Duodenal explants maintained a basically normal morphology for 48 to 72 hours, but during subsequent culture, muscle and mesenchyme deteriorated, previllous ridges shrank, the epithelial surface became pitted, and the tissue lost weight. These degenerative processes were retarded by addition of HC to the culture medium. Previllous ridges of cultured duodenum failed to develop into true villi and ridge growth was subnormal. Epithelial mitotic counts were increased by T4 or HC, as compared to cultured control tissue, but dropped below values in vivo, by 72 hours in culture. Epithelial differentiation proceeded more rapidly in duodenum cultured without hormones than in vivo. Increase in cell height, flattening of the epithelial surface, attainment of uniform staining of the brush border with periodic acidSchiff, increase in microvillar density, and formation of a terminal web were accelerated by 24 to 48 hours in culture. In the presence of T4, cell height and microvillar growth were stimulated further, reaching the state found at 19 to 21 days in vivo.
New Fertility Restoration Genes from Wild Sunflowers for Sunflower PET1 Male‐Sterile Cytoplasm

Cultivated hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production depends on a single male-sterile cytoplasm, PET1, derived from H. petiolaris Nutt. and a few fertility restoration genes. This study was conducted to locate new restoration genes for the PET1 cytoplasm from the wild species of the genus Helianthus. Ten wild species populations from the USA were grown in a field nursery and crossed with cytoplasmic male-sterile inbred line cmsHA 89 to determine the presence and inheritance of restoration genes in wild annual and perennial species. Standard sunflower breeding techniques were used to obtain F 1 and B 1 CF 1 seed, whereas F 2 seed was produced by sibbing F 1 plants instead of selfing due to the low self-compatibility. All H. annuus L., H. argophyllus T. & G., H. praecox ssp. runyonii Heiser, and H. tuberosus L. populations possessed dominant fertility restoration genes at high frequencies, varying from 57 to 100% [...]
In situ X-ray microdiffraction studies inside individual VO2 microcrystals

Abstract Synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction provides quantitative structural measurements with submicron spatial resolution, and hence enables investigations of how local microstructural inhomogeneities affect materials’ properties. A combination of polychromatic and monochromatic X-ray microdiffraction was used to investigate domain formation, interface orientations and strain distributions inside individual vanadium dioxide (VO2) microcrystals. Using in situ measurements near the VO2 metal–insulator phase transition, it was found that the observed phase evolution is critically dependent on external strain. Substrate-induced strains or inhomogeneous sample heating can directly alter phase stability and affect the local domain orientations. In different clamped or freely suspended single-crystal samples, all the predicted twin laws for the M2 phase in VO2 were observed, except one. When the rutile and M2 phases coexist, it was found that different interphase boundary orientations can be stabilized by sample size and by interfacial elastic strain. The large variations in phase sequences and domain orientations observed in relatively simple, small single crystals provide insight into the mechanisms responsible for the broad structural and electronic transitions observed in epitaxial VO2 films.
Spontaneous DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae elicits phenotypic properties similar to cancer cells.

To determine the spectrum of effects elicited by specific levels of spontaneous DNA damage, a series of isogenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains defective in base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) were analyzed. In log phase of growth, when compared with wild type (WT) or NER-defective cells, BER-defective cells and BER/NER-defective cells possess elevated levels of unrepaired, spontaneous oxidative DNA damage. This system allowed establishment of a range of ∼400 to 1400 Ntg1p-recognized DNA lesions per genome necessary to provoke profound biological changes similar in many respects to the phenotypic properties of cancer cells. The BER/NER-defective cells are genetically unstable, exhibiting mutator and hyper-recombinogenic phenotypes. They also exhibit aberrations in morphology, DNA content, and growth characteristics compared with WT, BER-defective, and NER-defective cells. The BER/NER-defective cells also possess increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species, activate the yeast checkpoint response pathway via Rad53p phosphorylation in stationary phase, and show profound changes in transcription patterns, a subset of which can be ascribed to responses resulting from unrepaired DNA damage. By establishing a relationship between specific levels of spontaneous DNA damage and the ensuing deleterious biological consequences, these yeast DNA excision repair-defective strains are an informative model for gauging the progressive biological consequences of spontaneous DNA damage accumulation and may have relevancy for delineating underlying mechanisms in tumorigenesis.
Algorithms And Techniques For Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (GC/FTIR): The Nitty-Gritty

AbstractSelected tradeoffs involved in the design of Gas Chromatography /Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (GC /FT -IR)software are discussed. The merits of saving absorbance spectra rather than interferograms are presented. Three different methods of chromatogram reconstruction are evaluated and compared with each other. Finally, automated methods fordetecting peaks and constructing component spectra are discussed.IntroductionIn GC /FT -IR, computer controlled data reduction is no longer a frill thrown in because the computer must be presentfor the Fourier Transform (FFT); rather it has become a necessity. The technique produces vast quantities of data and addsan additional dimension to the data produced by either traditional chromatography or traditional spectroscopy. For thisreason, software data reduction plays a vital role in GC /FT -Iit; it is nearly impossible to fully interpret the data without theaid of a computer. From the user's point of view, GC /FT -IR software can be viewed as a
Information diffusion through blogspace

We study the dynamics of information propagation in environments of low-overhead personal publishing, using a large collection of weblogs over time as our example domain. We characterize and model this collection at two levels. First, we present a macroscopic characterization of topic propagation through our corpus, formalizing the notion of long-running "chatter" topics consisting recursively of "spike" topics generated by outside world events, or more rarely, by resonances within the community. Second, we present a microscopic characterization of propagation from individual to individual, drawing on the theory of infectious diseases to model the flow. We propose, validate, and employ an algorithm to induce the underlying propagation network from a sequence of posts, and report on the results.
Model Based PEM Fuel Cell Health Monitoring

To identify important fuel cell performance parameters for predicting its performance and assessing its health from its operating data (without performing special tests), this paper describes a model based parameter identification approach. It employs a non-linear programming method to identify optimal values of parameters of a fuel cell model that minimize the difference between the voltage trajectory predicted by the model and that of an actual fuel cell when both are subjected to the same current draws. Using an existing fuel cell model, simulation studies were carried out to demonstrate the feasibility. Specifically, the membrane resistance and a coefficient of the concentration loss term were identified. The study shows that both can be identified accurately even poor initial guesses were used.© 2006 ASME
Regulation of Hepatic Stellate Cell Differentiation by the Neurotrophin Receptor p75NTR

Differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to extracellular matrix- and growth factor-producing cells supports liver regeneration through promotion of hepatocyte proliferation. We show that the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR, a tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member expressed in HSCs after fibrotic and cirrhotic liver injury in humans, is a regulator of liver repair. In mice, depletion of p75NTR exacerbated liver pathology and inhibited hepatocyte proliferation in vivo. p75NTR-/- HSCs failed to differentiate to myofibroblasts and did not support hepatocyte proliferation. Moreover, inhibition of p75NTR signaling to the small guanosine triphosphatase Rho resulted in impaired HSC differentiation. Our results identify signaling from p75NTR to Rho as a mechanism for the regulation of HSC differentiation to regeneration-promoting cells that support hepatocyte proliferation in the diseased liver.
A Rotationally Resolved Fluorescence Excitation Spectrum of all-trans-1,4-Diphenyl-1,3-butadiene.

Band 1 in the jet-cooled one-photon S1 ← S0 fluorescence excitation spectrum of all-trans-1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene has been rotationally resolved with a molecular beam laser spectrometer. Both the orientation of the optical transition moment and the rotational constants of the two vibronic levels have been measured. The molecule shows no evidence of being significantly distorted from a C24 geometry when it is low in the vibrational manifolds of either of the two electronic states.
Concentration measurements in a self-excited jet

The near field of helium-air jets exhausting into an air environment has been experimentally investigated using an aspiration probe and flow visualization. Jets with varying density ratios and Reynolds numbers were studied. Pure helium jets with density ratios of 0.14 were found to display a self-excited behavior characterized by intense mixing. The centerline concentration decay was found to be substantially increased for the self-excited jet. Flow visualization revealed the expulsion of side jets from the potential core region of low density jets. Radial profiles of concentration provide additional evidence that side-jets produce vigorous mixing.
A macro/micro model for magnetic stirring and microstructure formation during solidification

Abstract An integrated macro/micro model is developed to represent the evolution of complex electrodynamic and transport phenomena and solidification microstructures in solidifying metals with electromagnetic stirring. The model development is based on the hybrid boundary/finite element solution of the Maxwell equations and the finite element (FE) solution of the momentum and thermal transport equations, in combination with the Monte-Carlo-cellular-automaton representation of the evolution of solidification microstructure formation. In applying the FE method for flow calculations, pressure is treated using the standard reduced penalty approximation and the phase interaction effects by the Carman–Kozney equation. A sub-level time and space scheme is developed to effectively integrate the macro- and micro-scale simulations. To enhance the computational speed, the microstructure formation simulations are carried out in parallel using the Parallel Virtual Machine library. The model is applied to simulate the electrodynamic, fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena and microstructure formation in a cavity surrounded by induction coils. Results show that magnetically induced stirring can have pronounced effects on the evolution of microstructure during solidification.