cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Free-cholesterol-mediated autophagy of ORMDL1 stimulates sphingomyelin biosynthesis.

Cholesterol confers unique biophysical properties to the plasma membrane bilayer that are essential for maintaining optimal membrane fluidity, which in turn regulate multiple physiological functions required to promote cellular integrity and viability. Conversely, excessive cholesterol causes pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis that can lead to heart attacks. Human atheroma macrophages carry a large burden of free cholesterol (FC) in addition to cholesterol esters. It is recognized that sterols can modulate the levels of other lipids to attain lipid homeostasis; thus, excess FC may play a role in modulating compensatory sphingolipid pathways. Recent studies have shown that excess lipids can cause ER stress and apoptosis. In contrast, autophagy may play a protective role by clearing excess lipids from macrophage foam cell lipid droplets. Interestingly, a macrophage study using a TLR4-specifc agonist showed that de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis is essential for autophagy induction, suggesting l...
Meditation research, past, present, and future: perspectives from the Nalanda contemplative science tradition

This article offers an overview of meditation research: its history, recent developments, and future directions. As the number and scope of studies grow, the field has converged with cognitive and affective neuroscience, and spawned many clinical applications. Recent work has shed light on the mechanisms and effects of diverse practices, and is entering a new phase where consensus and coherent paradigms are within reach. This article suggests an unusual path for future advancement: complementing conventional research with rigorous dialogue with the contemplative traditions that train expert meditators and best know the techniques. It explores the Nalanda tradition developed in India and preserved in Tibet, because its cumulative approach to contemplative methods produced a comprehensive framework that may help interpret data and guide research, and because its naturalistic theories and empirical methods may help bridge the gulf between science and other contemplative traditions. Examining recent findings and models in light of this framework, the article introduces the Indic map of the central nervous system and presents three testable predictions based on it. Finally, it reviews two studies that suggest that the multimodal Nalanda approach to contemplative learning is as well received as more familiar approaches, while showing promise of being more effective.
Carcinoma of the cervix in pregnancy.

Abstract Forty-two cases of cervical carcinoma are presented from a combined private and clinic service with 35,463 deliveries in a ten-year period. The ratio of in situ carcinoma to invasive disease was 3:1 as would be anticipated in a young group of patients. The significant differential in incidence on the two services further accentuates the value of extensive cytologic screening in the general population. Patients with in situ carcinoma in pregnancy may safely be delivered vaginally and treated by either vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy with wide vaginal cuff in the postpartum period. Patients with a pathologic diagnosis of extensive carcinoma in situ require further evaluation and modification of usual treatment. The treatment of invasive cervical lesions is guided by the clinical stage and the period of gestation.
Dropping out among Hispanic youth

Abstract This paper examines the nature and extent of the dropout problem among Hispanics, compared to non-Hispanic whites and blacks, using data from the sophomore cohort of “High School and beyond,” a national longitudinal study of high school students initiated in 1980. We predict dropping out with measures of scholastic achievement, socioeconomic background, and demographic characteristics for separate race and gender groups. For Hispanics, we also explore the effects of language factors and nativity on dropping out. With the exception of socioeconomic status, the results show similar patterns of effects across groups. Socioeconomic status is a more important deterrent to dropping out among non-Hispanic whites than among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks. Simulations of droupout rates based on these analyses reveal that much of the difference in dropout rates observed between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites is due to variations in average background characteristics.
CT changes associated with normal aging of the human brain

CT was used to measure changes in cerebral gray and white matter tissue densities associated with normal aging, using a cross-sectional design, in order to provide normative data for comparisons with abnormal aging such as dementias of Alzheimer's and vascular types. Cerebral compartmental densities were measured using plain CT, and their perfusion values were recorded during stable xenon inhalation (CT-CBF), among 81 neurologically and cognitively normal volunteers of different ages. Results led to the conclusion that cortical gray matter tissue densities progressively decline (polio-araiosis) after age 60. Cortical polio-araiosis is coupled with regional hypoperfusion but not with cortical atrophy. It is speculated that the cortical hypodensity identified by CT imaging parallels declines in cortical synaptic density, as reported from autopsy studies using anti-synaptophysin staining of cerebral cortex obtained from normal people above and below age 60. The coupling of cortical hypoperfusion with polio-araiosis is believed to reflect age-related reductions of cortical metabolic demands as reported by PET. During normal aging leuko-araiosis correlates directly with cortical atrophy, suggesting that anterograde axonal degeneration resulting from cortical neuronal dearborization play a role in its causation.
Influence of solute pairs on diffusion and thermal diffusion in an F.C.C. lattice

Abstract The motion of a substitutional solute tracer in an f.c.c. lattice is followed for the situation where solute pairs can influence the diffusion coefficient and the heat of transport for thermal diffusion. The heat of transport for the correlated tracer motion by a vacancy mechanism is shown to be particularly sensitive to solute vacancy binding, to an increased vacancy jump rate in the vicinity of solute pairs, and to a lesser extent to the binding between pairs. The diffusivity is shown to be dependent upon all three factors.
Increasing Word Recognition with Racially Diverse Second-Grade Students Using Fluency-Oriented Reading Approaches.

ABSTRACT The author examined the effectiveness of 2 fluency-oriented reading programs on improving reading fluency for an ethnically diverse sample of second-grade students. The first approach is Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (S. A. Stahl & K. Heubach, 2005), which incorporates the repeated reading of a grade-level text over the course of an academic week. This approach to reading is scaffolded by expert readers. The other approach is Wide-Reading Instruction (M. R. Kuhn, 2005), which also utilizes scaffolding by expert readers, but 3 different grade-level texts are read repeatedly each academic week. The results indicate that both Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction and Wide-Reading Instruction are useful schemes for reading instruction with ethnically diverse second-grade students.
Taxes, Default Risk, and Credit Spreads

Most term structure models of defaultable bonds have ignored personal tax effects. This research examines the effects of omitting taxes on empirical estimation of yield spreads and default probability. The model accounts for the effects of taxes on investor9s trading strategy. It is found that ignoring the interactive effects of taxes and default results in a substantial underestimation of yield spreads between corporate and Treasury bonds. The problem of spread underestimation is more severe in percentage terms for high-grade bonds than for low-grade bonds. Failure to account for tax effects results in an upward-biased estimate of default probability, a bias positively related to maturity and tax rates and negatively related to bond quality.
Determination of oligosaccharides in soybeans by high pressure liquid chromatography using an internal standard

A method was developed for the quantitative analysis of oligosaccharides in soybeans by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The sugars were extracted from the soy flour using an ethanol-water solution. Separation of the oligosaccharides was effected by injecting a sample extract onto an HPLC equipped with a μBONDAPAK/carbohydrate® column. Three quantitative techniques were investigated for determining the separate sugars: (a) repetitive injection (i.e., alternately injecting equal volumes of standards and samples); (b) extract analyzed before and after spiking with raffinose (one of the unknowns); (c) the addition of a pure inexpensive internal standard, β-cyclodextrin, which was separated completely from the other oligosaccharides. These methods were successfully applied to the quantitative analyses of two varieties of soybeans and other soybean products such as soy milk and soy protein concentrate.
Valbenazine granted breakthrough drug status for treating tardive dyskinesia

The chronic use and high dosing of typical neuroleptics or centrally acting dopamine receptor blocking antiemetics predispose patients to the onset of tardive syndromes. One particular subtype, tardive dyskinesia, is characterized by rapid, repetitive, stereotypic, involuntary movements of the face, limbs or trunk. The inhibition of the vesicular monoamine transporter system, using tetrabenazine therapy, improves the severity of tardive dyskinesia. But there are also drawbacks to tetrabenazine treatment, such as a fluctuating response and the need for frequent intake due to its rapid metabolism. Clinical research on the potentially more efficacious and easier to use tetrabenazine analogs is already under way. One of them is valbenazine, the purified parent drug of the (+)-α-isomer of tetrabenazine. The FDA lowered approval hurdles for valbenazine due to a successful Phase II trial, which showed a distinctive improvement in tardive dyskinesia symptoms during valbenazine administration. This resurgence in the clinical research of tardive syndrome therapy is most welcome. This author notes that the putative long-term side effects of valbenazine should carefully be investigated in the future via naturalistic observational trials. Furthermore, valbenazine may also support the onset of symptoms, such as Parkinsonism and depression, with chronic administration, as it, to a certain extent, shares the mode of action of tetrabenazine.
Effects of Stress from Electrical Dehorning on Feed Intake, Growth, and Blood Constituents of Holstein Heifer Calves

Eighteen Holstein heifer calves were allotted to two groups. Calves in one group were dehorned electrically at 8 wk of age whereas the control group remained horned through 12 wk of age. Feed intake and growth rate did not differ between the two groups. Blood constituents varied with age, nutrition of calf, and dehorning. Dehorning influenced cortisol in blood plasma with high concentrations (25 versus 6 ng/ml) measured for 1 h after dehorning. Electrical dehorning at 8 wk of age presents no long-term stress to calves.
Mast Cells: A Cellular Link Between Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Arthritis

Previous studies have revealed that autoantibodies, complement components, and Fc receptors each participate in the pathogenesis of erosive arthritis in K/BxN mice. However, it is not known which cellular populations are responsive to these inflammatory signals. We find that two strains of mice deficient in mast cells, W/Wv and Sl/Sld, were resistant to development of joint inflammation and that susceptibility was restored in the W/Wv strain by mast cell engraftment. Thus, mast cells may function as a cellular link between autoantibodies, soluble mediators, and other effector populations in inflammatory arthritis.
Structure-activity relationship of the cholestatic activity of dihydrotestosterone glucuronide, allo bile acids and lithocholate

Dihydrotestosterone glucuronide (DHTG), a series of 5 alpha-bile acids, or allo-bile acids (3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholanic acid, 3-keto-5 alpha-cholanic acid and 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholanic acid) and their normal bile acid analogues (3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-cholanic acid or lithocholate, 3-keto-5 beta-cholanic acid and 3 beta-hydroxy-5 beta-cholanic acid) were administered intravenously to female rats in order to determine their effects on bile flow. All agents caused a rapid and profound inhibition of bile flow which was dose-dependent. The logarithm of the dose vs the cholestatic response curve for DHTG, the allo-bile acids and lithocholate were all parallel. DHTG was the most potent congener and was two times more potent than 3-keto-5 alpha-cholanic acid and 5 times more potent than lithocholate. These data indicate that the glucuronic acid moiety and the trans configuration of the A and B rings of the steroid nucleus confer the greatest cholestatic potency.
A case of marginal palynology: A study of the Franciscan Melanges

Abstract The Franciscan rocks on which much of greater San Francisco, California, is built, have been the subject of geologic investigation and speculation for a century. Recent investigations by Hsu and colleagues have indicated that type Franciscan rocks are melanges, consisting of allochthonous blocks of diverse sedimentary units mixed by complex tectonic activity. Establishment of the original stratigraphic positions of the blocks has been hampered both by disruption of original continuity and scarcity of fossils. Twelve samples of somewhat metamorphosed shales and graywacke‐siltstones provided by Hsu from critical parts of his proposed tectonic plates were investigated for palynomorphs. Poorly preserved plant microfossils were obtained from two siltstone samples. The floras obtained show that one of the subunits investigated is Late Cretaceous in age. Another unit, for which an age of Late Jurassic has previously been suggested on rare occurrences of invertebrates, is shown on the basis of palynomorp...
The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO cirrus case study - A five lidar overview of cloud structure and evolution

Abstract Optical remote sensing measurements of cirrus cloud properties were collected by one airborne and four ground-based lidar systems over a 32-h period during this cue study from the First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program) Regional Experiment (FIRE) Intensive Field Observation (IFO) program. The lidar systems were variously equipped to collect linear depolarization, intrinsically calibrated backscatter, and Doppler velocity information. Data presented here describe the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of cirrus clouds over an area encompassing southern and central Wisconsin. The cirrus cloud types include: (a) dissipating subvisual and “thin” fibrous cirrus cloud bands, (b) an isolated mesoscale uncinus complex (MUC), (c) a large-scale, deep cloud that developed into an organized cirrus structure within the lidar array, and (d) a series of intensifying mesoscale cirrus cloud masses. Although the cirrus frequently developed in the vertical from particle fallstreaks ...
Hypersensitive radical probe studies of chloroperoxidase-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions

The oxidation of hypersensitive radical probes by chloroperoxidase from Caldariomyces fumago (CPO) was studied in an attempt to "time" a putative radical intermediate. Oxidation of (trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)methane, previously studied by Zaks and Dodds [Zaks, A., and Dodds, D. R. (1995) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115, 10419-10424] was reinvestigated. Unrearranged oxidation products were found as previously reported, and control experiments demonstrated that the cyclic alcohol from oxidation at the cyclopropylcarbinyl position, while subject to further oxidation, survives CPO oxidation as detectable species. However, in contrast to the report by Zaks and Dodds, the rearranged alcohol product expected from ring opening of a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical intermediate was shown to be unstable toward the enzyme oxidation reaction. Because of this instability, two new hypersensitive radical probes, (trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)ethane and 2-(trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)propane, and their potential cyclic and acyclic products from oxidation at the cyclopropylcarbinyl position were synthesized and tested. Oxidation of both of these probes at the cyclopropylcarbinyl position by CPO gave unrearranged alcohol products only, but control experiments again demonstrated that the rearranged alcohol products were unstable toward CPO oxidation conditions. From the combination of the probe and control studies, the lifetime of a putative radical intermediate must be less than 3 ps. Whereas the results are consistent with an insertion mechanism for production of alcohol product, they do not exclude a very short-lived intermediate.
High-order methods for decaying two-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence

Abstract Numerical schemes used for the integration of complex flow simulations should provide accurate solutions for the long time integrations these flows require. To this end, the performance of various high-order accurate numerical schemes is investigated for direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic two-dimensional decaying turbulent flows. The numerical accuracy of compact difference, explicit central difference, Arakawa, and dispersion-relation-preserving schemes are analyzed and compared with the Fourier–Galerkin pseudospectral scheme. In addition, several explicit Runge–Kutta schemes for time integration are investigated. We demonstrate that the centered schemes suffer from spurious Nyquist signals that are generated almost instantaneously and propagate into much of the field when the numerical resolution is insufficient. We further show that the order of the scheme becomes increasingly important for increasing cell Reynolds number. Surprisingly, the sixth-order schemes are found to be in perfect agreement with the pseudospectral method. Considerable reduction in computational time compared to the pseudospectral method is also reported in favor of the finite difference schemes. Among the fourth-order schemes, the compact scheme provides better accuracy than the others for fully resolved computations. The fourth-order Arakawa scheme provides more accurate results for under-resolved computations, however, due to its conservation properties. Our results show that, contrary to conventional wisdom, difference methods demonstrate superior performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency for fully resolved DNS computations of the complex flows considered here. For under-resolved simulations, however, the choice of difference method should be made with care.
Competition for patchy soil resources reduces community evenness.

The presence of small-scale patches of soil resources has been predicted to increase competition, because multiple species will proliferate roots in the same small area, and therefore decrease plant diversity. I tested whether such patches reduced species evenness in a community of four old-field species, both with and without interspecific interactions. In species mixtures, patches reduced evenness, while in “communities” constructed via combined monocultures, in which species did not compete, patches increased evenness. Therefore, the reduction in evenness in response to patches was due to changes in competition. Community-level changes may be attributable to plant foraging traits—in species with low foraging precision, competition reduced abundance much more in patchy soils than in even soils, while in species with high root foraging precision, the effect of competition was similar in patchy and even soils.
The applicability of the second-derivative method to room-temperature phosphorescence analysis

Abstract The use of the second-derivative (d2) technique to overcome some of the problems encountered in room-temperature phosphorescence analysis is investigated. Despite some reduction in the signal-to-noise values, the d2-technique was shown to be particularly suited to improving the selectivity of the assay. The utility of this method for applications in multicomponent mixture analysis is discussed. The two most significant figures of merit for room-temperature phosphorescence are the reduction of spectral overlap and the decrease of background interference.
The church and action for the world: a response to Amy Pauw

I am very grateful to Amy Pauw for the careful and forceful way in which she has applied her considerable theological acumen, and the fruits of her long engagement with the church, to an interpretation and cautionary commentary on my book. Her remarks are a gift to me even as they chasten and redirect my efforts to expand the arguments of this book into a larger one. As I mention in an aside at the end of Chapter 3, the give and take of intellectual life, at its best, is an intimation of the community of mutual fulfillment which I believe the gospel calls us to realize everywhere. In writing the book I could only hope that faults in my arguments would be remedied and their good points developed, beyond anything I could achieve alone, by fine theologians such as Pauw taking up those arguments and offering them back to me transformed. This very exchange reflects the way a community of mutual fulfillment need not be community at a remove from disagreement, conflict, and the temptation to hubris among fallible, morally weak individuals (such as myself). In a fallen world of finite creatures, a community of mutual fulfillment often just is in this way a community of argument (of the sort I discuss in Theories of Culture ) – a community that is agonistic, prone to deep disagreement about matters of shared concern, but a community held together nonetheless by the shared admission of fault and the consequent recognition that the true and the good can be had by anyone only through open engagement with all.
A public health perspective on "the ethics of asking and not asking about abuse".

Comments on the article by K. Becker-Blease and J. Freyd, which provides a thought-provoking and important perspective regarding the ethics of researchers asking or not asking adults about abuse they experienced as children. Many of these authors' concerns with research on abuse during childhood apply equally to abuse and violence experienced at all life stages. Focusing on intimate partner violence (IPV), we wish to amplify upon and respond to their observations from the perspective of public health scientists involved in large-scale telephone survey research on violence (including family violence, IPV, sexual violence, and suicide). We strongly agree with Becker-Blease and Freyd that decisions not to ask about abuse play directly into the social forces that perpetuate IPV and other forms of violence as pervasive and pernicious social and public health problems. From a public health perspective, the question is not whether to ask but how to ask about participants' experiences with violence and abuse. Language: en
Fabrication of SUBARU primary mirror blank

Coming Incorporated was awarded a contract in August 1991 by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco), Tokyo, Japan to fabricate an 8.31 meter diameter ULETMpnmary mirror blank for the Subaru (Japan National Large Telescope) Project. The project is sponsored by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. This paper reviews the progress and status of the project to date. Coming's history in producing mirror blanks for astronomy spans nearly 60 years beginning in 1936 with the manufacture of the 200 inch Hale Telescope blank made of Coming's borosilicate glass. Since that time, among the many mirror blanks made of Coming borosilicate, fused silica, and ULE glasses are such notable mirrors as the 3.6 meter ESO, 4.0 meter Canadian, 2.7 meter McDonald Observatory, 2.4 meter Hubble Space Telescope, and several 4.0 meter thin meniscus blanks. Coming ULE Ultra Low Expansion glass was the preferred material of choice for the Subaru primary mirror because of its highly homogeneous, zero thermal expansion coefficient.
Stabilization Over Markov Feedback Channels: The General Case

The problem of mean-square stabilization of a discrete-time linear dynamical system over a Markov time-varying digital feedback channel is studied. In the scalar case, it is shown that the system can be stabilized if and only if a Markov jump linear system describing the evolution of the estimation error at the decoder is stable -videlicet if and only if the product of the unstable mode of the system and the spectral radius of a second moment matrix that depends only on the Markov feedback rate is less than one. This result generalizes several previous data rate theorems that appeared in the literature, quantifying the amount of instability that can be tolerated when the estimated state is received by the controller over a noise-free digital channel. In the vector case, a necessary condition for stabilizability is derived and a corresponding control scheme is presented, which is tight in some special cases and which strictly improves on a previous result on stability over Markov erasure channels.
Antisense inhibition of glial S100 beta production results in alterations in cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and cell proliferation

The phenotypic effects of selectively decreasing the levels of S100 beta in cultured glial cells were analyzed. Two separate antisense approaches were utilized for inhibition of S100 beta production: analysis of clonal isolates of rat C6 glioma cells containing an S100 beta antisense gene under the control of a dexamethasone-inducible promoter, and analysis of C6 cells treated with S100 beta antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Both antisense methods resulted in a decrease in S100 beta levels in the cell, as measured by RIA. The inhibition of S100 beta production correlated with three alterations in cellular phenotype: (a) a flattened cell morphology; (b) a more organized microfilament network; and (c) a decrease in cell growth rate. The studies describe here provide direct evidence for an involvement of S100 beta in glial cell structure and function, and suggest potential in vivo roles for S100 beta in regulation of glial cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and cell proliferation.
Filler structure and tensile properties of starch xanthide‐reinforced vulcanizates

Stress–strain behavior of some starch xanthide- and carbon black-reinforced styrene–butadiene elastomers was investigated as a function of filler particle size and structure. In starch xanthide systems, low strain behavior is sensitive to particle structure; high strain behavior, to particle size. Electron photomicrographs of the several starch xanthide-reinforced vulcanizates were analyzed with reference to filler particle size and structure. These parameters were then correlated with Mooney plots of [load/λ − λ−2] versus λ−1, where λ is the strain ratio. Plots of samples containing highly structured filler particles were highly nonlinear, rising steeply as λ−1 approached unity. Samples containing nonstructured filler particles were also highly nonlinear, rising steeply as λ−1 decreased to approximately 0.4. A preliminary study of the dynamic properties of these samples, as determined in an eccentric rotating-disk rheometer, provided little additional information.
Translocation of Lactobacillus murinus from the gastrointestinal tract

Bacterial translocation is defined as the passage of viable bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the mesenteric lymph nodes and other extraintestinal sites. The translocation rate of a newly described species of indigenous bacteria,Lactobacillus murinus, was compared with the translocation rates of indigenousLactobacillus acidophilus and nonindigenousSalmonella enteritidis. Groups of germfree or antibiotic-decontaminated, specific pathogen-free mice were monoassociated with each of these bacterial strains and tested at various intervals for translocation to the mesenteric lymph nodes. The translocation rates of the various bacteria expressed in decreasing order as the numbers of translocating bacteria per gram mesenteric lymph node wereS. enteritidis, L. murinus, andL. acidophilus. The degree of histologic damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa after monoassociation with these strains followed the same pattern. Thus,L. murinus translocates from the GI tract at a surprisingly high rate for an indigenous bacterial strain, and its translocation appears to be associated with mucosal alterations.
Tetrahedral and square-pyramidal sulphur-rich complexes of manganese(II)

Abstract The reaction system MnCl 2 /2Na 2 S 2 /2.2CS 2 /Et 4 NSH/2Et 4 NCl in acetonitrile affords (Et 4 N) 3 [Mn(CS 4 ) 2 Cl] in high yield. Upon prolonged standing, (Et 4 N) 2 [Mn(S 6 ) 2 ] was isolated from the reaction mixture filtrate. The structures of these compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography. [Mn(CS 4 ) 2 Cl] 3− exhibits a distorted square pyramidal stereochemistry with chloride in the apical position and two five-membered chelate rings formed by the infrequently encountered perthiocarbonate ligand. Indistinguisable C—S bond distances to coordinated and free sulphur atoms at a common carbon atom indicate ligand delocalization. In [Mn(S 6 ) 2 ] 2− the manganese atom occurs in an irregular tetrahedral coordination formed by two chelating hexasulphido ligands. This work adds to the small group of sulphur-rich manganese complexes of established structures.
High-voltage generation using a CMOS image sensor with dual photo-sensing and energy harvesting capabilities

A CMOS image sensor with dual photo-sensing and energy harvesting capabilities is presented. The image sensor is comprised of an array of configurable pixels. Configurable pixels can be programmed to work as tiny solar cells or as photosensors. To work as photo-sensors, the in-pixel photodiode is reverse biased. To work as a solar cell, the reverse bias network is disconnected allowing the photodiode to work in the photovoltaic region. As a proof of concept, an image sensor consisting of a 32 × 32 pixel array has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.5 m CMOS process. A DC-DC boost converter is proposed to step-up the low voltage of the photodiodes working as solar cells. The DC-DC converter uses a flying inductor to avoid connecting the photodiodes N-well to ground improving the energy conversion efficiency. Measurements show that voltages up to 3.9 V can be generated using the hybrid pixels enough to charge a small battery.
The kinetics of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon agglomeration in flames

A new method is described for the estimation of the rate constants for the agglomeration of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in flames. Two models are developed to predict the forward rate of PAH dimerization assuming that (a) the collision energy can be accommodated by the agglomerate or (b) that the energy is removed by collision with a bath gas. Model (a) predicts a rate constant more than 2 times the gas kinetic rate, in good agreement with the reported enhancement due to van der Waals interactions for small particles. The second model leads to rates for agglomeration which are about 5% of the gas kinetic rate, lower by a factor of 4–8 than the sticking coefficients inferred from PAH profiles in flames. The dimerization rate constants are combined with previously determined equilibrium constants for PAH dimerization in a simple model of PAH growth which considers both chemical and physical processes. The results of the model indicate that agglomeration plays only a small role in PAH growth until the dimer lifetimes are long relative to the characteristic time for chemical ring growth. In the prescent calculation, agglomeration becomes important only for collisions of PAH whose mass exceeds ⋍800 amu.
Transient heat flow in a composite slab-constant flux, zero flux boundary conditions

The time-dependent, one-dimensional equation of heat conduction is solved for a slab of two layers in perfect thermal contact. At one boundary there is a constant heat flux into the slab, and at the other boundary there is a zero flux. The solution for the temperature distribution is obtained with the aid of the Laplace transformation.
Tips and tricks of fetal MR imaging

The technique of performing fetal MR examinations differs from routine pelvic MR imaging because the fetus is in motion, and image planes must be selected orthogonal to fetal anatomy. The small size of the fetus also increases examination difficulty because thin slices (limited by SNR) are often needed for adequate examination of anatomy and pathology. Knowledge of fetal anatomy and neonatal anatomy/ pathology are needed in the assessment of fetal MR imaging. Knowledge of MR artifacts aids in image interpretation.
The [35S]GTPγS binding assay: approaches and applications in pharmacology

Receptors of the of seven transmembrane spanning, heterotrimeric G protein coupled family (GPCR) play crucial roles in regulating physiological functions and consequently are targets for the action of many classes of drugs. Activation of receptor by agonist leads to the dissociation of GDP from Galpha of the Galphabetagamma heterotrimer, followed by the binding of GTP to Galpha and subsequent modulation of downstream effectors. The G protein heterotrimer is reformed by GTPase activity of the Galpha subunit, forming Galpha-GDP and so allowing Galpha and Gbetagamma to recombine. The [35S]GTPgammaS assay measures the level of G protein activation following agonist occupation of a GPCR, by determining the binding of the non-hydrolyzable analog [35S]GTPgammaS to Galpha subunits. Thus, the assay measures a functional consequence of receptor occupancy at one of the earliest receptor-mediated events. The assay allows for traditional pharmacological parameters of potency, efficacy and antagonist affinity, with the advantage that agonist measures are not subjected to amplification or other modulation that may occur when analyzing parameters further downstream of the receptor. In general the assay is experimentally more feasible for receptors coupled to the abundant G(i/o) proteins. Nevertheless, [35S]GTPgammaS binding assays are used with GPCRs that couple to the G(s) and G(q) families of G proteins, especially in artificial expression systems, or using receptor-Galpha constructs or immunoprecipitation of [35S]GTPgammaS-labeled Galpha. The relative simplicity of the assay has made it very popular and its use is providing insights into contemporary pharmacological topics including the roles of accessory proteins in signaling, constitutive activity of receptors and agonist specific signaling.
‘The Twin-Brother of Space’: Spatial Analogy in the Emergence of Absolute Time

Seventeenth-century authors frequently infer the attributes of time by analogy from already established features of space. The rationale for this can be traced back to Aristotle's analysis of time as ‘the number of movement’, where movement requires a prior understanding of spatial magnitude. Although these authors are anti-Aristotelian, they were concerned, contra Aristotle, to establish the existence of ‘empty space’, and a notion of absolute space which fit this idea. Although they had no independent rationale for the existence of absolute time, it seemed to go with absolute space, and they drew on a long tradition of space-time parallelism in securing this.
Effects of gene delivery on collateral development in chronic hypoperfusion: Diverse effects of angiopoietin-1 versus vascular endothelial growth factor

Objectives The aim of this research was to test the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) on adult hypoperfused tissues. Background Angiopoietin-1 and VEGF act separately and synergistically in vascular development during embryogenesis. However, little is known regarding their relative roles in collateral development after chronic arterial obstruction and tissue ischemia in the adult. Methods Central and caudal ear arteries of 32 rabbits were ligated to induce ischemia. At two months, when flow was about 65% of pre-ligation values, we injected intradermally 109plaque-forming unit adenovirus with the following transgenes: Ang-1, VEGF, or a combination of both. Ear perfusion was followed up for four weeks, and vessel leakage was assessed by Evens Blue test. Results Before injection, flow was 65% of baseline, and endogenous VEGF levels in ischemic tissue were increased. Adenovirus-encoding VEGF gene (Ad.VEGF) at one week caused a visible inflammatory response associated with a 24% flow increase (p = 0.018). Adenovirus-encoding Ang-1 gene (Ad.Ang-1) increased flow 22% (p = 0.004) with no visible inflammation; Ad.VEGF caused three times as much vessel leakage as Ad.Ang-1 (142.5 ± 38 vs. 49.5 ± 9.8 ng Evens Blue/mg tissue; p Conclusions Exogenous Ang-1 enhances perfusion in hypoperfused tissues only in the presence of increased levels of endogenous VEGF. Overexpression of VEGF, however, after causing an inflammatory response, does not improve collateral blood flow.
Kinetics of the carburization--decarburization process of austenitic stainless steels in sodium

Abstract A mathematical analysis for the carburization-decarburization kinetics of austenitic stainless steels in high-temperature flowing sodium has been developed that incorporates 1. (1) the thermodynamic and kinetic information for carbon in the alloys, 2. (2) the thermal-mechanical treatment of the material (solution-annealed versus cold-worked) which influences the microstructure, and 3. (3) the carbon concentration in sodium and its dependence on sodium-system parameters. Carbon concentration-distance profiles in Types 304 and 316 stainless steel were generated as a function of time, temperature, and carbon concentration in sodium and compared with experimental data. The analysis was used to evaluate the carburization-decarburization behavior of Type 316 stainless steel fuel cladding exposed to sodium and to develop carbon-diffusion profiles in Type 304 stainless steel intermediate heat-exchanger piping upon exposure to primary and secondary system sodium for periods to 30 y.
Conduct Systems Designed to Promote Moral Learning

Historically, those responsible for administration of student conduct resolution in U.S. higher education have sought some manner of moral development for students, whether labeled as such or not. It is clear that contemporary conduct officers are more deeply concerned with such student development as an extension of their practice. Many such professionals may frame the question as “What am I trying to accomplish with this student, and why?” In this chapter, I explore the history of student conduct systems; discuss the evolution of learning, development, and conduct; and consider the conduct professional as moral mentor.
The Effect of Low Phosphorus Rations on Egg Production and Hatchability

Abstract THE phosphorus requirements of laying pullets have not been extensively studied. Branion (1938) concluded that mineral supplements should be fed ad libitum due to the disparity in the calcium and phosphorus requirements as found by various investigators. Miller and Bearse (1934) stated that approximately 0.80 percent phosphorus was required for optimum production when the fixed calcium content of the ration was 2.23 or 3.00 percent. Norris et al. (1934) found that 0.5 percent phosphorus was not sufficient for egg production but 0.75 percent was adequate. In 1937 Mitchell and McClure expressed the requirement by standardizing the production at 75 percent and phosphorus availability at 50 percent. Under those conditions the requirement was calculated to be 0.35 percent phosphorus. Schaible (1941) reviewed the literature and concluded that 0.4 percent phosphorus was required but to allow for a margin of safety 0.5 percent was recommended. Evans and Carver (1942) stated the phosphorus …
Toward a model for airflow on the lee side of aeolian dunes

The interaction between dunes and the primary wind results in a complex pattern of secondary airflow on the lee side of dunes. From 15 dunes studied during transverse flow conditions at Padre Island in Texas, White Sands in New Mexico, and the Algodones in California, distinct flow regions can generally be recognized, with the overall flow structure comparing favourably to that proposed for subaqueous bedforms. Downwind of dunes with flow separation is a back-flow eddy that extends about four dune-brink heights downwind from the brink of the dune. Beyond the separation cell, the velocity profiles can be divided into regions based upon segments separated by ‘kinks’ in the velocity profiles. The interior is an area above the dunes of relative high wind speed but low velocity gradient. Beneath the interior is the wake, which consists of two layers. The upper wake exhibits an uppermost portion where the flow decelerates while the remainder exhibits accelerating flow, so that the overall velocity gradient decreases downwind. The lower wake exhibits low velocity gradients and wind speeds that accelerate downwind at all heights, but primarily near the top of the layer, thereby causing the velocity gradient to increase downwind. At about eight dune heights downwind, the upper and lower wakes equilibrate to a single profile with the kink between them no longer apparent. The lowest recognizable region is the internal boundary layer. It is recognized by a relatively steep velocity gradient below the wake, and never exceeds a few tens of centimetres in height for our data set. Because of acceleration and increasing shear stress within this layer, interdune flats are at least potentially erosional. Overall, the wake and internal boundary layer show a downward transfer of momentum from upper regions so that the flow recovers. Where flow separation does not occur, simple flow expansion down the lee-face causes flow deceleration.
Traumatic aortic transection in a child with an anomalous right subclavian artery

We describe a child who presented with a traumatic aortic transection in the setting of anomalous origin of the right subclavian artery. This abnormal arch anatomy may influence the diagnosis, anatomic location, and technique of surgical repair of the injury.
Biodegradable Polymeric Capsules Obtained via Room Temperature Spray Drying: Preparation and Characterization

The aim of this contribution is to determine the relationship existent between the chemistry and/or viscosity of some biodegradable polymer solutions and the morphology of micro- and nanospheres resulted after spray drying the solutions at room conditions either in the presence or in the absence of an encapsulated aqueous material. Using dichloromethane as solvent, the following polyesters were used to prepare 2 wt% solutions: polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and Eastar Bio GP (GP). A comprehensive thermal characterization was also performed on all polymers to verify the relationships existent between the structure of polyesters and certain important parameters, such as Tg, T m, Td. It was observed that a decrease in the solution viscosity triggers the formation of smoother microspheres. When the viscosity becomes low enough the sprayed solution can lead to the development of well defined nanospheres instead of microspheres. Additionally, it was found ...
Further results on tradeoffs between detection and estimation

For a general discrete parameter signal model and a false alarm constraint, the authors give a general theorem which specifies lower bounds on worst-case probability of miss, worst-case probability of incorrectly specifying the number of parameters (order selection), and worst-case probability of parameter estimation error. These bounds are achievable by constrained min-max decision rules: the constrained min-max detector, the constrained min-max order selector, and the constrained min-max parameter estimator, respectively. As in previous work, the authors use the theory to study fundamental tradeoffs between achievable estimation, order selection, and detection performance for a multiple component signal model. Numerical results indicate that for the example studied, parameter estimation optimality entails very little loss in detection performance, while detection optimality severely sacrifices parameter estimation performance. >
The “Conduit Metaphor ” and the nature and politics of information studies

This article examines information theory from the aspect of its “conduit metaphor.” A historical approach and a close reading of certain texts by Warren Weaver and Norbert Wiener shows how this metaphor was used to construct notions of language, information, information theory, and information science, and was used to extend the range of these notions across social and political space during the period of the Cold War. This article suggests that this legacy remains with us today in certain notions of information and information theory, and that this has affected not only social space in general, but in particular, the range and possibilities of information studies.
When is it rational to participate in a clinical trial? A game theory approach incorporating trust, regret and guilt

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remain an indispensable form of human experimentation as a vehicle for discovery of new treatments. However, since their inception RCTs have raised ethical concerns. The ethical tension has revolved around “duties to individuals” vs. “societal value” of RCTs. By asking current patients “to sacrifice for the benefit of future patients” we risk subjugating our duties to patients’ best interest to the utilitarian goal for the good of others. This tension creates a key dilemma: when is it rational, from the perspective of the trial patients and researchers (as societal representatives of future patients), to enroll in RCTs? We employed the trust version of the prisoner’s dilemma since interaction between the patient and researcher in the setting of a clinical trial is inherently based on trust. We also took into account that the patient may have regretted his/her decision to participate in the trial, while a researcher may feel guilty because he/she abused the patient’s trust. We found that under typical circumstances of clinical research, most patients can be expected not to trust researchers, and most researchers can be expected to abuse the patients’ trust. The most significant factor determining trust was the success of experimental or standard treatments, respectively. The more that a researcher believes the experimental treatment will be successful, the more incentive the researcher has to abuse trust. The analysis was sensitive to the assumptions about the utilities related to success and failure of therapies that are tested in RCTs. By varying all variables in the Monte Carlo analysis we found that, on average, the researcher can be expected to honor a patient’s trust 41% of the time, while the patient is inclined to trust the researcher 69% of the time. Under assumptions of our model, enrollment into RCTs represents a rational strategy that can meet both patients’ and researchers’ interests simultaneously 19% of the time. There is an inherent ethical dilemma in the conduct of RCTs. The factors that hamper full co-operation between patients and researchers in the conduct of RCTs can be best addressed by: a) having more reliable estimates on the probabilities that new vs. established treatments will be successful, b) improving transparency in the clinical trial system to ensure fulfillment of “the social contract” between patients and researchers.