cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 9-bit 215-MS/s folding-flash time-to-digital converter based on redundant remainder number system

A novel folding-flash time-to-digital converter (TDC) based on the remainder number system (RNS) is presented. In this architecture, fine quantization of an input time interval is performed directly with two free-running ring oscillators (RO) without additional circuitry to record the coarse bits. The technique is useful to obtain a high resolution with much fewer delay elements while retaining the same conversion speed compared to the flash counterpart employing delay chains. A proof-of-concept prototype RNS TDC, consisting of 84 delay elements, achieves a resolution of 8.94 bits, or 490 quantization levels. The prototype was fabricated in a 45-nm CMOS process and measured a sample rate of 215 MS/s and an LSB size of 9.4 ps. Without trimming or calibration, the measured differential nonline-arity (DNL) and integral nonlinearity (INL) of the RNS TDC are +0.53/-0.57 and +1.1/-1.1 LSBs, respectively.
Chlordiazepoxide-Induced Expression of c-Fos in the Central Extended Amygdala and Other Brain Regions of the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Inbred Mouse Strains: Relationships to Mechanisms of Ethanol Action

Background: Previous studies have established an association between the ethanol-induced locomotor response and activation of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) as determined by changes in the number of Fos-like immunoreactive (Fos-li) neurons. The purpose of the current study was to determine if the benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide (CDP) would produce similar effects to ethanol on behavior and the CeA. Methods: In experiment 1, C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice were administered CDP over a dose range of 3 to 30 mg/kg and the effects on locomotor behavior and the number of Fos-li neurons in the extended CeA determined. For experiment 2, B6D2 F2 intercross animals were phenotyped for their locomotor response to ethanol using a test-retest design. The activity responsive and nonresponsive extreme phenotypes were then tested in the same fashion as the inbred strains. Results: Similar to ethanol, CDP increased locomotor activity in the D2 strain but not the B6 strain; furthermore, the D2 strain was 3 to 10 times more sensitive than the B6 strain in terms of CDP activating the CeA and the associated lateral posterior aspect of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTLP). In the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), CDP inhibited the number of Fos-positive neurons in both strains. CDP also discriminated between the responsive and nonresponsive extremes both in terms of behavior and activation of the CeA. Conclusions: Overall, these data point to the importance of GABAA mediated mechanisms in the ethanol-induced locomotor response. It is suggested that both drugs block the feed-forward inhibition in the CeA, resulting in activation of the GABAergic projection neurons. The overall net effect of CDP or ethanol administration on the output from the CeA will be inhibitory, from which it follows that the locomotor activation response must be associated with the selective inhibition of some behavior or ensembles of behaviors that are known to be mediated by the CeA and reduce locomotor activity (i.e., the “freezing” response).
A study of 15N by means of the 11B(α, α)11B reaction

Abstract The 11 B(α, α) 11 B cross section has been measured as a function of energy and angle for bombarding energies from 4 to 8 MeV. Many resonances are observed. The data from 4 to 5 MeV were fitted using an R -matrix formalism with background phase shifts evolved from an optical-model potential. The three levels in 15 N resulting from this analysis fit into the APCETS scheme for 15 N.
Managing bibliographic citations using microcomputers.

Abstract Programs are now available to construct and retrieve lists of bibliographic citations by microcomputers. Although considerable effort must be expended to learn to use them, once mastered, they can be useful to anyone who must manage large collections of references. There are several ways to use personal computers to store and retrieve bibliographic citations. Word processors can be used to manage relatively small lists of citations. Preprogrammed bibliographic systems are available that are designed specifically for this purpose. A general data base management program can also be adapted for bibliographic purposes and used for other functions as well. This essay has been prepared to provide guidance to those who have a working knowledge of microcomputers and wish to expand this to use a data management system for bibliographic purposes. The dBASE II program Is used to illustrate how to set up a bibliographic system. Methods are described on how to prepare citations for storage and retrieval using combinations of key words and Boolean operators, how to prepare selected lists of references and arrange them in alphabetic order or by subject heading, and how to print tailored lists of citations. The system was found to be highly responsive to commands and able to provide rapid retrieval of information.
Spawning success of the male plainfin midshipman. II. Substratum as a limiting spatial resource

Abstract Two series of field experiments were performed to test potential substratum limitation of spawning plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus Girard by a guild of four taxa of sessile invertebrates. This guild occupied space on the undersides of rocks that toadfish used for egg attachment. At the time of the experiments, a mud tube-dwelling terebellid polychaete ( Thelepus sp.) dominated the coverage by this guild beneath rocks at the study site. Removals of foulers from beneath rocks indicated that foulers sometimes compete with toadfish embryos for attachment space. Space freed prior to the toadfish spawning season was subsequently used by toadfish for egg attachment. In 1988, removal of foulers from the undersides of treatment rocks subsequently produced 75% greater area cover of toadfish embryos than control rocks where foulers had not been removed. In 1989, a similar experiment resulted in no difference between treatment and control rocks. However, less extensive fouling beneath control rocks in 1989 suggests that embryo-fouler interactions were then less important. Manipulations of space occupied by toadfish embryos beneath concrete plates suggested that the mating success of individual males was limited by the amount of substratum suitable for embryo attachment. Plates from which embryos had been completely or partially removed subsequently acquired more embryos than control plates on which embryos had not been removed. The magnitude of subsequent spawning was directly proportional to the magnitude of embryo removal. Additional variables (area of plate, initial embryo coverage, and male body size) also influenced results, but inconsistently and to less extent. Experimental results support the hypothesis that space limitation dampens the amplitude of variation in mating success among males.
The ecological basis of morphogenesis: branching patterns in swarming colonies of bacteria

Understanding how large-scale shapes in tissues, organs and bacterial colonies emerge from local interactions among cells and how these shapes remain stable over time are two fundamental problems in biology. Here we investigate branching morphogenesis in an experimental model system, swarming colonies of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We combine experiments and computer simulation to show that a simple ecological model of population dispersal can describe the emergence of branching patterns. In our system, morphogenesis depends on two counteracting processes that act on different length-scales: (i) colony expansion, which increases the likelihood of colonizing a patch at a close distance and (ii) colony repulsion, which decreases the colonization likelihood over a longer distance. The two processes are included in a kernel-based mathematical model using an integro-differential approach borrowed from ecological theory. Computer simulations show that the model can indeed reproduce branching, but only for a narrow range of parameter values, suggesting that P. aeruginosa has a fine-tuned physiology for branching. Simulations further show that hyperswarming, a process where highly dispersive mutants reproducibly arise within the colony and disrupt branching patterns, can be interpreted as a change in the spatial kernel.
Frontiers in the bioarchaeology of stress and disease: Cross‐disciplinary perspectives from pathophysiology, human biology, and epidemiology

Over the last four decades, bioarchaeology has experienced significant technical growth and theoretical maturation. Early 21st century bioarchaeology may also be enhanced from a renewed engagement with the concept of biological stress. New insights on biological stress and disease can be gained from cross-disciplinary perspectives regarding human skeletal variation and disease. First, pathophysiologic and molecular signaling mechanisms can provide more precise understandings regarding formation of pathological phenotypes in bone. Using periosteal new bone formation as an example, various mechanisms and pathways are explored in which new bone can be formed under conditions of biological stress, particularly in bone microenvironments that involve inflammatory changes. Second, insights from human biology are examined regarding some epigenetic factors and disease etiology. While epigenetic effects on stress and disease outcomes appear profoundly influential, they are mostly invisible in skeletal tissue. However, some indirect and downstream effects, such as the developmental origins of adult health outcomes, may be partially observable in bioarchaeological data. Emerging perspectives from the human microbiome are also considered. Microbiomics involves a remarkable potential to understand ancient biology, disease, and stress. Third, tools from epidemiology are examined that may aid bioarchaeologists to better cope with some of the inherent limitations of skeletal samples to better measure and quantify the expressions of skeletal stress markers. Such cross-disciplinary synergisms hopefully will promote more complete understandings of health and stress in bioarchaeological science. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:294–308, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Infection of cattle with a bovine herpesvirus 1 strain that contains a mutation in the latency-related gene leads to increased apoptosis in trigeminal ganglia during the transition from acute infection to latency

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) is an important pathogen of cattle and infection is usually initiated via the ocular or nasal cavity. After acute infection, the primary site for BHV-1 latency is sensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglia (TG). Reactivation from latency occurs sporadically, resulting in virus shedding and transmission to uninfected cattle. The only abundant viral transcript expressed during latency is the latency-related (LR) RNA. An LR mutant was constructed by inserting three stop codons near the beginning of the LR RNA. This mutant grows to wild-type (wt) efficiency in bovine kidney cells and in the nasal cavity of acutely infected calves. However, shedding of infectious virus from the eye and TG was dramatically reduced in calves infected with the LR mutant. Calves latently infected with the LR mutant do not reactivate after dexamethasone treatment. In contrast, all calves latently infected with wt BHV-1 or the LR rescued mutant reactivate from latency after dexamethasone treatment. In the present study, we compared the frequency of apoptosis in calves infected with the LR mutant to calves infected with wt BHV-1 because LR gene products inhibit apoptosis in transiently transfected cells. A sensitive TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) assay and an antibody that detects cleaved caspase-3 were used to identify apoptotic cells in TG. Both assays demonstrated that calves infected with the LR mutant for 14 days had higher levels of apoptosis in TG compared to calves infected with wt BHV-1 or to mock-infected calves. Viral gene expression, except for the LR gene, is extinguished by 14 days after infection, and thus this time frame is operationally defined as the establishment of latency. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that lower levels of viral DNA were present in the TG of calves infected with the LR mutant throughout acute infection. Taken together, these results suggest that the antiapoptotic properties of the LR gene play an important role during the establishment of latency.
Effect of exercise on arterial compliance.

In an era of molecular biology, “gene therapy,” and increasingly sophisticated technological approaches to treat cardiovascular disease, it is easy to overlook the physical forces generated by and acting on the human cardiovascular system. In this issue of Circulation , Tanaka and colleagues1 report that aerobic exercise training can blunt the age-associated stiffening of large blood vessels in humans. In this context, why is this important, what are some of Tanaka and colleagues’ key observations, and what mechanisms might explain them? It is well known that arterial compliance declines with age even in healthy individuals with no overt cardiovascular disease.2 3 4 This means that the large conducting vessels (ie, the aorta and its major branches) all lose their ability to distend in response to an increase in pressure. As a consequence of this stiffening, when blood is ejected from the heart during systole, there is a smaller change in arterial diameter with aging, and this reduction in arterial compliance appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.5 6 This reduction in compliance also contributes to isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly. Additionally, as the vessels stiffen, the physical forces that oppose aortic valve opening increase and can contribute to ventricular hypertrophy, aortic root dilation, valvular dysfunction, and heart failure.2 3 4 5 To evaluate the impact of physical activity on …
Seascape genetics and the spatial ecology of marine populations

Molecular tools perform at their best when integrated with other data and approaches. The value of integrating approaches is especially high when the underlying genetic signal is relatively weak, as occurs in many marine species. Recently, studies combining genetic, oceanographic, behavioural and modelling approaches have provided new insights into the spatial ecology of marine populations, in particular regarding larval migration, barriers to dispersal and source-sink population dynamics. In this perspectives piece, we explore the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to marine population genetics by (i) providing a synthesis of what has been learned about connectivity from studies that combine genetic data with other tools, (ii) discussing how incorporation of ecological and oceanographic information into alternative hypotheses can boost inference when genetic power is low, and (iii) summarizing recent innovations in statistical population genetics that enable seamless integration of ecological, environmental and genetic data. These topics are covered in the context of how genetic inferences of connectivity and dispersal can contribute to pressing questions facing marine conservation and management.
Characteristics of Ti-indiffused waveguides in MgO-doped LiNbO3

Diffusion parameters are determined from prism coupler measurements on optical waveguides formed by Ti diffusion in LiNbO3 doped with 5% MgO. The diffusion coefficient is 3?4 times smaller than for similar waveguides in undoped LiNbO3. The Ti depth profile is shown to be Gaussian by SIMS analysis.
WE‐SAM ‐ BRB‐02: DICOM‐ an Overview with an Emphasis on Therapy

In recent years, there has been a large increase in the amount of data required to deliver a radiotherapytreatment due to advances in IMRT, modulated arc delivery,IGRT, and 4D imaging. This has also resulted in an increased reliance on the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard in radiation oncology in order to move treatment and verification data from imaging to planning to treatment. This session will go over the fundamentals of the DICOM standard, with an emphasis on radiotherapy. Topics to be covered include the DICOM communications protocol, DICOM workstations and application entity configurations, content and structure of a part 10 file, RT‐Plan Information Object Definition (IOD), free ware and shareware applications, and clinical examples of troubleshooting data transfers and extracting associated information found in DICOM headers. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the communication amongst DICOM Application Entities. 2. Learn the content and structure of a DICOM part 10 file. 3. Understand the DICOM RT‐Plan IOD. 4. Review DICOM software applications and their uses in clinical radiotherapy processes.
Physiological Levels of Virion-Associated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Induce Coreceptor-Dependent Calcium Flux

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into target cells requires the engagement of receptor and coreceptor by envelope glycoprotein (Env). Coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 are chemokine receptors that generate signals manifested as calcium fluxes in response to binding of the appropriate ligand. It has previously been shown that engagement of the coreceptors by HIV Env can also generate Ca2+ fluxing. Since the sensitivity and therefore the physiological consequence of signaling activation in target cells is not well understood, we addressed it by using a microscopy-based approach to measure Ca2+ levels in individual CD4+ T cells in response to low Env concentrations. Monomeric Env subunit gp120 and virion-bound Env were able to activate a signaling cascade that is qualitatively different from the one induced by chemokines. Env-mediated Ca2+ fluxing was coreceptor mediated, coreceptor specific, and CD4 dependent. Comparison of the observed virion-mediated Ca2+ fluxing with the exact number of viral particles revealed that the viral threshold necessary for coreceptor activation of signaling in CD4+ T cells was quite low, as few as two virions. These results indicate that the physiological levels of virion binding can activate signaling in CD4+ T cells in vivo and therefore might contribute to HIV-induced pathogenesis.
β-Lactamase Gene Expression in a Penicillin-Resistant Bacillus anthracis Strain

Expression of the bla1 and bla2 genes in an archetypal Bacillus anthracis strain is insufficient for penicillin resistance. In a penicillin-resistant clinical isolate, both genes are highly transcribed, but bla1 is the major contributor to high-level resistance to ampicillin. Differential expression of the bla genes is dependent upon strain background. Ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and penicillin G are currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration as therapeutics for inhalation and cutaneous anthrax (16). Prototypical Bacillus anthracis strains are susceptible to all three of these antibiotics. There have been no reports of naturally occurring ciprofloxacin- or doxycycline-resistant B. anthracis strains, but naturally occurring penicillin-resistant B. anthracis isolates have been reported (5, 19, 20, 32), and surveys of clinical and soil-derived strains have revealed penicillin G resistance in up to 16% of isolates tested (3, 6, 8, 10, 21, 25, 26).
Pregestational nutrition and the epigenetic landscape in next generations: still an almost virgin land to be explored

13 ISSN 1750-1911 10.2217/EPI.12.70 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Epigenomics (2013) 5(1), 13–15 “...nutritional epigenetics plays a distinct role, not only because of our direct interest in the relationship between nutrition and disease, but also because among all the environmental factors, nutrition is easier to understand, certainly possible to change (should political will be present) and because we have a deep understanding of the molecular biology that is involved.”
Autonomic Dysreflexia Resulting in Seizure After Colonoscopy in a Patient With Spinal Cord Injury

There are many potential procedural risks associated with colonoscopy. We present a case of autonomic dysreflexia complicated by seizure after colonoscopy in a patient with a spinal cord injury. Autonomic dysreflexia is a disorder characterized by hypertension, bradycardia, headache, and diaphoresis and is associated with spinal cord injuries above the level of T6. Episodes can be precipitated by a variety of factors, including bladder distension and stool impaction. We suspect that colonic/rectal distension and rectal stimulation associated with the colonoscopy precipitated autonomic dysreflexia in our patient.
Inhibition of protein tyrosine kinases impairs axon extension in the embryonic optic tract

The role of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity in the development of the retinal projection was examined in vivo by applying inhibitors of cytoplasmic PTKs, herbimycin A and lavendustin A, to intact brain preparations of Xenopus embryos. The inhibitors were present during the period when retinal ganglion cell axons first navigate through the optic tract to reach their target, the optic tectum. A majority of inhibitor-treated retinal axons stalled at the beginning of the optic tract, leading to an 80% reduction in projection length at the highest doses. All inhibitor-treated axons that did extend into the optic tract exhibited normal pathfinding behavior. Tyrosine kinase assays of inhibitor-treated brains demonstrated that at doses at which retinal axon extension was severely impaired, PTK activity, including that of src family proteins, was reduced by 50–60%. Consistent with the in vivo findings, PTK inhibitors reduced neurite outgrowth from cultured retinal neurons by 70–80%. This contrasts with the strong enhancement of outgrowth induced by the same inhibitors in cultured chick ciliary ganglion neurons and suggests that the mediation of outgrowth by PTK activity may vary in different neuronal types. Inhibitor-treated growth cones cultured on laminin were larger than normal, suggesting that tyrosine phosphorylation can modulate growth cone-substrate adhesive interactions. Our results in vivo and in vitro provide complementary evidence that retinal axon outgrowth is inhibited by pharmacological blockers of PTK activity and indicate that inhibitor-sensitive PTKs normally play a role in promoting retinal neurite extension.
The Wolff-Chaikoff effect: hypothyroidism due to potassium iodide.

To the Editor.— We report a case of erythema nodosum treated with potassium iodide with the development of profound hypothyroidism secondary to exogenous intake of iodide. It is known that the prolonged use of iodides can lead to hypothyroidism, termed the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. 1,2 Clinicians should be alert for signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism while treating patients with potassium iodide. Report of a Case.— A 67-year-old woman was seen in April 1986 with tender red nodules located mainly on the anterior surfaces of the legs. A biopsy specimen of one of the nodules showed a septal panniculitis consistent with erythema nodosum. Medications included insulin, prazosin hydrochloride, hydrochlorothiazide, potassium, and metaproterenol sulfate, none of which were recently started. Workup included chest roentgenogram, tuberculin skin test, chemistry profile, complete blood cell count, rapid plasma reagin, urinalysis, antistreptolysin-O titer, and antinuclear antibody, all of which showed negative or unremarkable results. The patient
Pharmacodynamic modeling of carbapenems and fluoroquinolones against bacteria that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases.

Abstract Background: Bacteria that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are resistant to penicillins,cephalosporins, and monobactams. The results of clinical studies suggest that the carbapenems imipenem and meropenem may be effective against bacteria that produce ESBLs, although it is not known whether the new once-daily carbapenem ertapenem or the fluoroquinolones are useful against infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria. Objective: The present study compared the simulated pharmacodynamics of the carbapenems imipenem,meropenem, and ertapenem; the simulated pharmacodynamics of the fluoroquinolones levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and ciprofloxacin with those of the carbapenems; and the simulated pharmacodynamics of levofloxacin 750 mg with those of levofloxacin 500 mg, all against gram-negative isolates that did and did not produce ESBLs Methods: Pharmacokinetic data were obtained from studies in healthy humans. Minimum inhibitory concentrationsMICs) for bacteria that did and did not produce ESBLs were determined in triplicate using broth-microdilution techniques as recommended by National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines. Monte Carlo simulation was used to construct pharmacodynamic models for imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Pharmacodynamic measures of interest were the probability of the free concentration remaining above the MIC >-40% of the time (T>MIC ≥40%) for carbapenems and the likelihood of achieving a free AUC:MIC ratio ≥125 for fluoroquinolones. Results: MICs were determined for 39 isolates that produced ESBLs and 45 isolates that did not Bacteria that did not produce ESBLs were ≥93% susceptible to all carbapenems and fluoroquinolones tested. Among bacteria that produced ESBLs, rates of susceptibility to the specific agents were as follows: imipenem, 100%; meropenem, 97%; ertapenem, 87%; levofloxacin, 54%; gatifloxacin, 44%; and ciprofloxacin, 36%. In the pharmacodynamic models, imipenem and meropenem had an equal likelihood of achieving a free T>MIC ≥40% against bacteria that produced ESBLs (≥97%) and bacteria that did not produce ESBLs (≥98%). In contrast, the likelihood of ertapenem achieving a free T>MIC ≥40% was lower against bacteria that produced ESBLs (78%) than against bacteria that did not produce ESBLs (94%). Similarly, the fluoroquinolones were less likely to achieve a free AUC:MIC ratio ≥125 against bacteria that produced ESBLs (2%–13%) than against bacteria that did not produce ESBLs (85%–91%). Conclusions: Carbapenems had superior in vitro activity against bacteria that produced ESBLs compared with fluoroquinolones. Pharmacodynamic modeling based on local ESBL-producing isolates and pharmacokinetic data from healthy humans indicated that imipenem and meropenem may have a greater likelihood of achieving pharmacodynamic targets against bacteria that produce ESBLs than ertapenem or fluoroquinolones.
Computational-geometry approach to digital image contour extraction

We present a simple method based on computational-geometry for extracting contours from digital images. Unlike traditional image processing methods, our proposed method first extracts a set of oriented feature points from the input images, then applies a sequence of geometric techniques, including clustering, linking, and simplification, to find contours among these points. Extensive experimental results on synthetic and natural images show that our method can effectively extract contours from both clean and noisy images. Experiments on the Berkeley Segmentation Dataset also show that our proposed computationalgeometry method can be linked with any state-of-the-art pixel-based contour extraction algorithm to remove noise and close gaps without severely dropping the contour accuracy. Moreover, contours extracted by our method have a much more compact representation than contours obtained by traditional pixel-based methods. Such a compact representation allows more efficient extraction of shape features in subsequent computer vision and pattern recognition tasks.
Detecting Spam URLs in Social Media via Behavioral Analysis

This paper addresses the challenge of detecting spam URLs in social media, which is an important task for shielding users from links associated with phishing, malware, and other low-quality, suspicious content. Rather than rely on traditional blacklist-based filters or content analysis of the landing page for Web URLs, we examine the behavioral factors of both who is posting the URL and who is clicking on the URL. The core intuition is that these behavioral signals may be more difficult to manipulate than traditional signals. Concretely, we propose and evaluate fifteen click and posting-based features. Through extensive experimental evaluation, we find that this purely behavioral approach can achieve high precision (0.86), recall (0.86), and area-under-the-curve (0.92), suggesting the potential for robust behavior-based spam detection.
Full length article: Channel model and analysis for wireless underground sensor networks in soil medium

Wireless underground sensor networks (WUSNs) constitute one of the promising application areas of the recently developed wireless sensor networking techniques. The main difference between WUSNs and the terrestrial wireless sensor networks is the communication medium. The propagation characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) waves in soil and the significant differences between propagation in air prevent a straightforward characterization of the underground wireless channel. To this end, in this paper, advanced channel models are derived to characterize the underground wireless channel and the foundational issues for efficient communication through soil are discussed. In particular, the underground communication channel is modeled considering not only the propagation of EM waves in soil, but also other effects such as multipath, soil composition, soil moisture, and burial depth. The propagation characteristics are investigated through simulation results of path loss between two underground sensors. Moreover, based on the proposed channel model, the resulting bit error rate is analyzed for different network and soil parameters. Furthermore, the effects of variations in soil moisture are investigated through field measurement results. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results prove the feasibility of wireless communication in underground environment and highlight several important aspects in this field. This work will lead to the provision of a generic framework for underground wireless communication and the realization of WUSNs.
The Role of Vortex and Environment Errors in Genesis Forecasts of Hurricanes Danielle and Karl (2010)

AbstractAn ensemble of Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) forecasts initialized from a cycling ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) system is used to evaluate the sensitivity of Hurricanes Danielle and Karl’s (2010) genesis forecasts to vortex and environmental initial conditions via ensemble sensitivity analysis. Both the Danielle and Karl forecasts are sensitive to the 0-h circulation associated with the pregenesis system over a deep layer and to the temperature and water vapor mixing ratio within the vortex over a comparatively shallow layer. Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of the 0-h ensemble kinematic and thermodynamic fields within the vortex indicate that the 0-h circulation and moisture fields covary with one another, such that a stronger vortex is associated with higher moisture through the column. Forecasts of the pregenesis system intensity are only sensitive to the leading mode of variability in the vortex fields, suggesting that only specific initial condition perturbations associate...
Distribution of Crust and Early History, Gulf of Mexico Basin: ABSTRACT

Studies of an extensive regional grid of multifold seismic data and refraction data in the deep central Gulf of Mexico combined with studies from surrounding regions provide a generalized picture of the geologic framework and tectonic setting of the basin. Various criteria--including seismic reflection data, seismic refraction data, depth to basement, gravity, magnetics, distribution of Jurassic salt and sediments, and total tectonic subsidence analysis--provide a basis for characterizing and mapping the distribution of oceanic crust, thin transitional crust, and thick transitional or continental crust. This distribution of crust provides constraints for reconstructing the gulf area, which involves closing up oceanic crust and then transitional crust. This reconstruction provides room to accommodate any overlap of South America with Yucatan and supports a counterclockwise rotation of Yucatan out of the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is compatible with other published reconstructions that treat Yucatan as a separate block independent of South America, particularly ones that rotate Yucatan out of the gulf in a counterclockwise manner. The reconstruction also is compatible with a general model for the early evolution of the gulf basin that includes (1) a Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic rift stage and formation of transitional crust, culminating with the widespread deposition of evaporites; (2) a brief Late Jurassic period of oceanic crust formation in the deep central gulf; (3) a Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous period of cooling nd subsidence of the crust, and buildup of extensive carbonate platforms surrounding a deep basin; and (4) formation of a widespread middle Cretaceous unconformity. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1418------------
Moral and Rational Commitment

We often use the term ‘commitment’ to make claims of apparent normative import. An ontologically scrupulous philosopher says that she cannot accept a certain principle because it would commit her to abstracta. A conscientious friend says that he’d like to make your party but feels bound by a prior commitment. A campaigning politician says that she’s the only candidate who’s really committed to cleaning up Washington. It is surprising, given the ubiquity of such claims, that philosophers seldom discuss the notion of commitment. The first goal of this paper is thus to remedy an oversight. The notion of commitment is interesting and deserving of analysis. My second aim is to provide some evidence for a unifying thesis about commitment. Rational commitments, like the commitment to believe what you know to follow from one of your beliefs, and moral commitments, like the commitment you take on by making a promise, share several important underlying features. I’ll suggest that they are indeed two instances of one normative relation, the relation of being committed. And this relation is distinct from those—especially the relation of having a reason, and the relation of being required—that philosophers have recognized and invoked in constructing their theories. An analogy may be helpful. Many of us recognize that there are moral requirements, and recognize that there are rational requirements. But it would be strange to suppose that there is nothing in common between moral and rational requirements that merits calling them both requirements. It is more natural, I take it, to assume that they are on the contrary two instances of one requirement relation. This does not mean that moral requirements and rational requirements must have all the same qualities; domain-specific differences are likely to arise. Nonetheless, it is potentially important for us to understand what requirements are, in a general sense. This general understanding of the
Transgenic mice with increased Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase activity are resistant to N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neurotoxicity

Administration of N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to mammals causes damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway similar to that observed in Parkinson9s disease. It has been suggested that the mechanism by which MPTP kills dopamine (DA) neurons involves an energy crisis due to the inhibition of mitochondrial complex I. In addition, superoxide radicals (O2-), generated subsequent to the blockade of mitochondrial complex I, may also be involved in MPTP- induced neurotoxicity. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a scavenger enzyme that protects cells from the hazard of O2- radicals. To evaluate further the role of O2- radical in MPTP-induced toxicity, we tested the effects of MPTP in transgenic mice with increased SOD activity. In nontransgenic littermates with normal SOD activity, MPTP injection causes a marked reduction in striatal levels of DA and its metabolites as well as in striatal and nigral 3H-DA uptake; these findings are consistent with a loss in dopaminergic neurons. In contrast, in transgenic mice with increased SOD activity, MPTP injection does not cause any significant changes either in levels of DA and metabolites or in 3H-DA uptake. We show that this lack of toxicity is not due to a lower delivery of MPTP to the brain following its intraperitoneal injection, to reduced brain biotransformation of MPTP to N-methyl-4- phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+), to diminished striatal mitochondrial monoamine oxidase B activity, to decreased synaptosomal uptake of MPP+, to lower potency of MPP+ to inhibit the complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, or to faster brain elimination of MPP+. These results suggest that increased SOD activity is, most likely, the protective factor that confers resistance to transgenic mice against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, this study provides further evidence that some of the deleterious effects of MPTP may be mediated by O2- radicals. The similarity between the MPTP model and Parkinson9s disease further raises the possibility that oxy-radicals may play a significant role in the etiology of this neurodegenerative disorder.
Low-Power Successive Approximation Converter With 0.5 V Supply in 90 nm CMOS

We report on the design and characterization of an ultralow-power converter, designed for use in baseband digitization in wireless sensor network radio receivers. The converter uses a successive approximation architecture and operates robustly with a supply voltage as low as 450 mV, overcoming charge leakage limitations. Implemented in a 90 nm CMOS process, this design achieves a figure of merit of 0.14 pJ/Conv.Step for the converter core and shows the integration of a complete data-conversion subsystem, including reference generation, from a 0.5 V supply.
Carbon-11 radiolabeling of iron-oxide nanoparticles for dual-modality PET/MR imaging

Dual-modality imaging, using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) simultaneously, is a powerful tool to gain valuable information correlating structure with function in biomedicine. The advantage of this dual approach is that the strengths of one modality can balance the weaknesses of the other. However, success of this technique requires developing imaging probes suitable for both. Here, we report on the development of a nanoparticle labeling procedure via covalent bonding with carbon-11 PET isotope. Carbon-11 in the form of [11C]methyl iodide was used as a methylation agent to react with carboxylic acid (–COOH) and amine (–NH2) functional groups of ligands bound to the nanoparticles (NPs). The surface coating ligands present on superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs) were radiolabeled to achieve dual-modality PET/MR imaging capabilities. The proof-of-concept dual-modality PET/MR imaging using the radiolabeled SPIO NPs was demonstrated in an in vivo experiment.
Applications of colored Petri nets in analysis and synthesis of distributed computer systems

A special class of high-level Petri nets, called colored Petri nets has been applied to model, analyze, and synthesize a subclass of distributed systems. This is a class of distributed software systems which can be described by recurrences of the dynamic programming problem solving paradigm, also called software systems with distributed artificial intelligence. Such systems are designed and programmed by means of the actor programming paradigm.
Antipredator response to injury-released chemical alarm cues by convict cichlid young before and after independence from parental protection

Injury-released chemical alarm cues are released when predators attack aquatic prey. These cues are generally released only in this context and as such, conspecific alarm cues form an important component of risk assessment. Minnows (Ostariophysi, Cyprinidae) possess a well-developed chemical alarm system. However, minnows do not respond to conspecific injury-released alarm cues until 30 to 50 d post-hatch. Non-ostariophysan fishes respond to chemical alarm cues with antipredator behavior but the ontogeny of this behavior is not known for any species. Here, we test convict cichlids (Acanthopterygii: Cichlidae), a species known to respond to alarm cues as adults. Convict cichlid parents care for their eggs and defend their developing young from predators for 4 to 6 weeks. In our experiment, we tested the ontogeny of antipredator response to chemical alarm cues in young convict cichlids well within and just beyond the size range typically defended by parents. We found that small convict cichlid young of a size typically defended by parents engaged in area avoidance and grouping behaviors in response to alarm cues and did so as effectively as young that would typically be independent of parental care.
Exploiting military OpSec through open-source vulnerabilities

With the ease of use and connectivity provided by social media, there has become a growing tension between military users' personal needs and military operational security. Like everyone, military members post seemingly trivial information and pictures on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn; all of which can be used, augmented, and aggregated by an adversary to determine the utility and feasibility of possible intelligence targets. In this work, we investigate the current state of DoD policy regarding social media. We then designed an automated approach to determine the amount of openly available information provided by U.S. military members through social media; analyzed it through content analysis; then applied machine learning techniques to learn as much from the provided data as possible. We then ranked the vulnerability of each individual found by the data provided with a simple scoring system; classifying them as least vulnerable, vulnerable, highly vulnerable. In all, we discovered 1100+ potential intelligence targets; hypothesized about potential scenarios in which this publicly available information could have negative consequences; and recommend actions that could mitigate this vulnerability.
Structure and Locus of Control in Marketing Courses

The interaction of teaching methods with other educational constructs is relatively unexplored in marketing education. This paper describes the construct of class structure and how it interacts with teaching methods and certain student characteristics. The paper also describes how the examination of this interaction may help indicate the appropriate method of instruction.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN INTERVIEW INFORMATION AND PHYSICIAN RECORDS ON HISTORY OF MENOPAUSAL ESTROGEN USE

A case-control study of the association between replacement estrogen use and breast cancer risk was conducted between 1975 and 1980 on Oahu, Hawaii. Data from this study were used to compare menopausal estrogen histories obtained through a personal interview with information from the subject's physician(s) or clinical records. The sample included 344 breast cancer cases, 344 hospital controls, and 344 neighborhood controls. Study participants included Japanese and white women aged 45-74 years who were residents of Oahu. Interviewers asked participants whether they had ever used replacement or menopausal estrogens for 1 month or longer. The month and year of initial use and the duration of use for each preparation were recorded for the users. Questions were also asked about a number of other medications. Information on estrogen use from the users and nonusers was then verified by the physician(s) or clinic(s) named by the study subject. The results showed moderate to substantial agreement between users and physicians on ever/never use of estrogens (kappa = 0.74), duration of estrogen use (intraclass correlation coefficient (rI) = 0.54), and age at initial use of estrogens (rI = 0.57). There was no differential misclassification by the case-control status of the subject. Agreement tended to be better for Japanese subjects, younger subjects, nonsmokers, and those of higher socioeconomic status, as measured by two indicators, college education and home ownership. Agreement was also negatively influenced by the duration of estrogen use and length of recall. These results suggest that women can recall estrogen use with a high degree of accuracy and support the use of a personal interview for obtaining information on replacement estrogens in case-control studies.
The Law of Education: Educational Rights and the Roles of Virtues, Perfectionism, and Cultural Progress

This manuscript recognizes the importance of rights-talk in the law of education, but encourages supplementing that rights-talk with a focus on some basic and largely uncontroversial personal and civic virtues; as well as on perfectionism in the sense of self-realization; and on genuine cultural progress over time. Each of these areas of emphasis I argue to be compatible with sound understandings of broadly liberal values, including freedom and autonomy; equality; dignity; and community. To illustrate both the problems and the possibilities of this expanded legal focus throughout the law of education, the manuscript then works through the example of the Supreme Court's Horne v. Flores case.
SWIMMING MORPHOLOGY IN EURYCOPE CORNUTA (ISOPODA: ASELLOTA)

Eurycope cornuta is typical of the many advanced asellotes that have reevolved the ability to swim, albeit now backwards. Pereiopods V-VII are modified as paddles, and their respective body segments are conspicuously enlarged to accommodate the bulky extrinsic musculature of the limbs. However, fundamentally, the skeletomusculature of these appendages is the same as that of unmodified ambulatory pereiopods on other isopods. Even though the architecture of E. cornuta is extensively modified for swimming, the animal is reluctant to do so. The significance of this is discussed. In isopods, the ability to swim as well as walk is primitive. It is seen among the Flabellifera, Gnathiidea, Anthuridea, Epicaridea, and Valvifera, although not necessarily in all developmental stages. In all these
Education's Complexity in the Context of Human Development

Claiming to be a complex approach, the updated worldwide Sustainable Development Goals agreement broadens its educational scope and acknowledges the integrated and indivisible character of human development through diverse dimensions. Complex systems research provides ways to improve our understanding of the complexity of education and to explore how education fits within the context of human development. To account for ‘effect-based’ research on education complexity, using the American Community Survey data, we developed a model by inferring a probabilistic network structure of diverse aspects of human development dimensions including education. We explored the model by network analysis methods to discover the intrinsic relationships among education variables and the extrinsic relationships of education with other dimensions of human development in the USA. The results confirmed the well-known rationale of the relationship between education and wealth, and expanded the understanding of complexity of education as it is part of the life course (timing of individual development) and of the cultural construction of identity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.