cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the normal cores of certain subgroups of nilpotent groups

Let G be a group and H a subgroup of finite index in G. Then of course H contains a G-invariant subgroup C such that G/C is finite. In attempting to establish results of a similar nature, where “finite” is replaced by, for example, “finitely generated”, one notices immediately that a quite differently stated hypothesis is required. One reasonable approach would be to consider subgroups H which are “f.g. embedded” in G—indeed, the notion of a polycyclic embedding was utilised by P. Hall in [1].
Fighting Violence: A Critique of the War On Terrorism

This paper reviews the various ways in which violence is resorted to in the service of political ends. While it is commonly thought that terrorism is an activity that is solely engaged in by political outsiders, this paper will demonstrate that even constitutionally legitimate political entities have been known to themselves engage in terrorist acts. From Robespierre to the World Trade Center, with numerous stops along the way in locations as diverse as Hiroshima, Buenos Aires, and Winnipeg, the paper aims to investigate just what exactly terrorism is, and therefore what the actual object of the war on terror ought to be.
SCATTERED THOUGHTS ON A DEMOCRATIC DILEMMA

Americans, particularly American intellectuals, have a deeply held tradition that ineffectual, limited government is in the public interest. The author questions this premise and suggests that when government is ineffectual, democracy itself suffers.
Adult prostate sarcoma: the Memorial Sloan Kettering experience.

Objective To present our institutional experience with adult prostate sarcoma over 30 years. Materials and Methods We reviewed 38 cases of adult prostate sarcoma diagnosed and treated at our institution between 1982 and 2012. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine if there was an association between specific disease characteristics (tumor size, histology, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, and metastasis at diagnosis) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results A total of 38 patients were included, with a median age of 50 years (range, 17-73 years). Most men presented with lower urinary tract symptoms (45%), hematuria (24%), or acute urinary retention (21%). Diagnosis was established with prostate needle biopsy (68%) or transurethral resection of the prostate (18%). The predominant histologic subtypes were leiomyosarcoma (13 cases, 34%) and rhabdomyosarcoma (12 cases, 32%). Rhabdomyosarcoma was associated with poorer CSS (hazard ratio, 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-7.92; P = .027) compared with leiomyosarcoma. We did not observe a significant relationship between tumor size and CSS. Overall, median CSS was 2.9 years (95% CI, 1.5-5.4), with 7.7 years for clinically localized disease (95% CI 2.5; upper bound not reached) and 1.5 years for metastatic disease (95% CI 1.1, 2.7). Conclusion Adult prostate sarcoma has a poor prognosis, especially in cases of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Surgery remains the standard of care, but it provides limited benefit to those with metastatic disease or as a consolidation therapy after partial response to systemic therapy.
Characterization of the γ Protein and Its Involvement in the Metallocluster Assembly and Maturation of Dinitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract Dinitrogenase, the enzyme capable of catalyzing the reduction of N2, is a heterotetramer (α2β2) and contains the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) at the active site of the enzyme. Mutant strains unable to synthesize FeMo-co accumulate an apo form of dinitrogenase, which is enzymatically inactive but can be activated in vitro by the addition of purified FeMo-co. Apodinitrogenase from certain mutant strains of Azotobacter vinelandii has a subunit composition of α2β2γ2. The γ subunit has been implicated as necessary for the efficient activation of apodinitrogenase in vitro. Characterization of γ protein in crude extracts and partially pure fractions has suggested that it is a chaperone-insertase required by apodinitrogenase for the insertion of FeMo-co. There are three major forms of γ protein detectable by Western analysis of native gels. An apodinitrogenase-associated form is found in extracts of nifB or nifNE strains and dissociates from the apocomplex upon addition of purified FeMo-co. A second form of γ protein is unassociated with other proteins and exists as a homodimer. Both of these forms of γ protein can be converted to a third form by the addition of purified FeMo-co. This conversion requires the addition of active FeMo-co and correlates with the incorporation of iron into γ protein. Crude extracts that contain this form of γ protein are capable of donating FeMo-co to apodinitrogenase, thereby activating the apodinitrogenase. These data support a model in which γ protein is able to interact with both FeMo-co and apodinitrogenase, facilitate FeMo-co insertion into apodinitrogenase, and then dissociate from the activated dinitrogenase complex.
ENERGY-FILTERED RHEED AND REELS FOR IN SITU REAL TIME ANALYSIS DURING FILM GROWTH

Energy-filtered reflection high energy electron diffraction and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy expand the usefulness of reflection high energy electron diffraction for quantitative structure determination and surface spectroscopy during film growth. Several implementations of energy-filtered reflection high energy electron diffraction are discussed, along with the progress and prospects for structure determination. New developments in parallel detection reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (PREELS) enable the use of this method to obtain surface-spectroscopic information in real time during thin film growth, greatly expanding the range of surface information available during growth.
Cognitive performance in surgically menopausal women on estrogen

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may help maintain normal cognitive function. Nondemented surgically menopausal women on ERT (n = 10) enrolled in a longitudinal aging study performed better than age- and education-matched control subjects (n = 25) on selected tests of verbal memory and constructional ability. These results suggest that ERT initiated soon after surgical menopause can have long-term neuroprotective effects in cognitively intact women.
Feeding deterrent response of corn insects to β-exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis☆☆☆

Abstract Exotoxins produced by three varieties of Bacillus thuringiensis were added at different concentrations to the diets of the black cutworm, the fall armyworm, the European corn borer, and the house fly. By day 7 of treatment, mortality of the three lepidopterans was higher at the lower concentrations of exotoxin than at the higher concentrations tested; by day 14 of treatment, mortality was 90% of greater at all the exotoxin concentrations tested. In the house fly tests, mortality increased with increasing exotoxin concentration. Additional lepidopteran tests were run to study both the anomalous effect of toxin concentration on mortality and the effect of feeding inhibition evident by day 7 but not day 14 in treatments with high concentrations of the toxins. The tests, run with the European corn borer and with β-exotoxin calcium salt, showed that both effects could be attributed to a “feeding deterrent” associated with the toxin, and that the deterrent was not odoriforous and did not degrade over time. Apparently, the insects ate very little of the diets high in exotoxin, stopping quickly upon receiving a high dosage of the deterrent, but, nevertheless, having consumed enough toxin to be killed over time (between 7 and 14 days).
The Paradox of the Contented Female Worker: Why Are Women Satisfied with Lower Pay?

Although women in general are aware of and concerned about the gender wage gap, individual women do not report significantly greater dissatisfaction with their pay, which has been termed “the paradox of the contented female worker” (Crosby 1982). The current study proposes a model of the factors leading to pay satisfaction to explain this paradox based on Major’s (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 26:293–355, 1994) work on entitlement. In general, support was found for the hypothesized relationships. The results of this study indicate that although women have lower pay, they do not necessarily feel entitled to higher pay, and thus are not dissatisfied with pay. Women also tended to select female referents who are lower paid, which may account for some of their lower feelings of entitlement. Additionally, although men and women did not differ in the value placed on pay, value of pay was found to relate negatively to pay satisfaction. Based on these findings, researchers interested in pay satisfaction are encouraged to investigate additional personal and situational characteristics that affect referent choice and perceptions of fair pay.
Self-explanatory financial planning models

A financial model is a representation of the activities of a business in terms of quantitative relationships among variables that can help an analyst understand the financial consequences of past activities or assumed future activities. The equations comprising such models form a kind of knowledge base which can be used to generate explanations. In this paper we give some background on financial models, discuss two sorts of explanations in this domain, and present a procedure for explaining model results.
Why Reduced‐Form Regression Models of Health Effects Versus Exposures Should Not Replace QRA: Livestock Production and Infant Mortality as an Example

Do pollution emissions from livestock operations increase infant mortality rate (IMR)? A recent regression analysis of changes in IMR against changes in aggregate “animal units” (a weighted sum of cattle, pig, and poultry numbers) over time, for counties throughout the United States, suggested the provocative conclusion that they do: “[A] doubling of production leads to a 7.4% increase in infant mortality.” Yet, we find that regressing IMR changes against changes in specific components of “animal units” (cattle, pigs, and broilers) at the state level reveals statistically significant negative associations between changes in livestock production (especially, cattle production) and changes in IMR. We conclude that statistical associations between livestock variables and IMR variables are very sensitive to modeling choices (e.g., selection of explanatory variables, and use of specific animal types vs. aggregate “animal units). Such associations, whether positive or negative, do not warrant causal interpretation. We suggest that standard methods of quantitative risk assessment (QRA), including emissions release (source) models, fate and transport modeling, exposure assessment, and dose-response modeling, really are important—and indeed, perhaps, essential—for drawing valid causal inferences about health effects of exposures to guide sound, well-informed public health risk management policy. Reduced-form regression models, which skip most or all of these steps, can only quantifystatistical associations (which may be due to model specification, variable selection, residual confounding, or other noncausal factors). Sound risk management requires the extra work needed to identify and model valid causal relations.
Andy Warhol's “Factory”: The Production Site, Its Context and Its Impact on the Work of Art

It is often observed by historians of postwar American art that painters and sculptors of the 1960s sought a more mechanized “look” for their art. I argue that the changes reflected in the art have their source in a deeper shift – a shift at the level of production, expressed in new studio practices as well as in the space of the artworks themselves.In the period immediately before, during, and after World War II, the dominant topos of the American artist was that of a solitary (male) genius, alone in his studio, sole witness to the miraculous creation of his art. I demonstrate that artists of the 1960s, against this backdrop of heroic modernism, engaged in a different rhetoric and practice, one based on the models of industry and business. The studio of Andy Warhol, named the “Factory,” is viewed as apodictic of this great change, with its rudimentary assembly line and highly social mode of production.The change in practice instantiated in Warhol's Factory is significant in and of itself, but I argue further that it expressed itself in the “place of knowledge” – the space within (or in front of) Warhol's paintings and objects, and the newly social space in which they signify. The context for that signification thus becomes crucial to our understanding of the “Warhol phenomenon” celebrated in popular and arthistorical texts. The ambivalencies embedded in Warhol's Factory, where the artist's role oscillated between manager and proletarian worker, are seen as a function of their context. Conflicting signals are also broadcast by the works of art, which speak in the dialect of mass production with the accent of the irreplaceably unique.
Mobilizing Voluntary Associations into a Social Movement: The Case of Environmental Quality

The mobilization behavior of voluntary associations in a community was studied to explain why some organizations were successfully recruited into the environmental quality movement and others were not. Analysis of a random sample of 209 community organizations in a midwest urban area showed that approximately half were mobilized into supporting the environmental quality movement. Hypotheses on the effects of goal overlap, organizational resources, and position in the multi-organizational field were tested. The significant factors were the size of the manpower base, the leader's personal mobilization into the environmental quality movement and the allocation of social responsibility among community groups for solving local pollution probems. The last factor—the acceptance or rejection of group responsibility for working for the collective good—emerged as the most important explanatory factor. Thirty-one percent of the variance in the mobilization of organizational interest and 22 percent of the variance in the mobilization of group activity was explained.
Coherence Optimization of Vertical Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers (VCSOAs) are attractive devices for use in coherent optical amplification, especially where 2-D amplifier arrays are required. However, the coherence preservation quality of a VCSOA depends strongly on the bias condition, resonant wavelength mismatch, and the optical input power level. We characterize the coherence degree of a VCSOA as a function of these parameters by measuring interference fringe visibility with an interferometer. The dominant factors influencing the contrast of the fringes are the ratio of coherent, stimulated emission photons to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) photons, and the spectral distortion of the amplified signal. Mostly, the overall gain and the saturation characteristic of the amplifier determine the ratio of stimulated emission to ASE. The spectral distortion of the signal is due to the narrow gain window of the VCSOA, but the effect significantly degrades the visibility only for relatively large wavelength mismatch from the gain peak. Analytic expressions may be used to identify the optimal bias current and optical input power to maximize the amplifier gain and visibility of the interference.
A Fully Integrated RF-Powered Contact Lens With a Single Element Display

We present progress toward a wirelessly-powered active contact lens comprised of a transparent polymer substrate, loop antenna, power harvesting IC, and micro-LED. The fully integrated radio power harvesting and power management system was fabricated in a 0.13 μm CMOS process with a total die area of 0.2 mm2. It utilizes a small on-chip capacitor for energy storage to light up a micro-LED pixel. We have demonstrated wireless power transfer at 10 cm distance using the custom IC and on-lens antenna.
Computerized Image Analysis at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) maintains an active and broad program of computerized image analysis. Initially begun as an image enhancement adjunct to a flash radiographic facility, the base of experience has now been expanded to include medical and industrial radiography, astronomical observations, and high-speed framing camera images. In addition to classical image enhancement and restoration, there is now activity in precision high-speed data extraction, often as an end in itself without the need for the analyst to view the image once it is digitized and supplied to the computer. Examples of various applications are given. In order to support these activities LASL has developed a library of image analysis subroutines, and is now developing a user-oriented command language. A substantial hardware installation has been developed. An active research program for development of new digital techniques of image restoration is maintained.
Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly

The ability to characterize higher-order structures formed by nanoparticle (NP) assembly is critical for predicting and engineering the properties of advanced nanocomposite materials. Here we develop a quantitative image analysis software to characterize key structural properties of NP clusters from experimental images of nanocomposites. This analysis can be carried out on images captured at intermittent times during assembly to monitor the time evolution of NP clusters in a highly automated manner. The software outputs averages and distributions in the size, radius of gyration, fractal dimension, backbone length, end-to-end distance, anisotropic ratio, and aspect ratio of NP clusters as a function of time along with bootstrapped error bounds for all calculated properties. The polydispersity in the NP building blocks and biases in the sampling of NP clusters are accounted for through the use of probabilistic weights. This software, named Particle Image Characterization Tool (PICT), has been made publicly available and could be an invaluable resource for researchers studying NP assembly. To demonstrate its practical utility, we used PICT to analyze scanning electron microscopy images taken during the assembly of surface-functionalized metal NPs of differing shapes and sizes within a polymer matrix. PICT is used to characterize and analyze the morphology of NP clusters, providing quantitative information that can be used to elucidate the physical mechanisms governing NP assembly.
Neutralization of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Antiangiogenic Isoforms Is More Effective Than Treatment with Proangiogenic Isoforms in Stimulating Vascular Development and Follicle Progression in the Perinatal Rat Ovary

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) signal transduction arrests vascular and follicle development. Because antiangiogenic VEGFA isoforms are proposed to block proangiogenic VEGFA isoforms from binding to their receptors, we hypothesized that proangiogenic isoforms promote and antiangiogenic isoforms inhibit these processes. The antiangiogenic isoforms Vegfa_165b and Vegfa_189b were amplified and sequenced from rat ovaries. The Vegfa_165b sequence was 90% homologous to human VEGFA_165B. Quantitative RT-PCR determined that Vegfa_165b mRNA was more abundant around Embryonic Day 18, but Vegfa_189b lacked a distinct pattern of abundance. Antiangiogenic VEGFA isoforms were localized to pregranulosa and granulosa cells of all follicle stages and to theca cells of advanced-stage follicles. To determine the effects of VEGFA isoforms in developing ovaries, Postnatal Day 3/4 rat ovaries were cultured with VEGFA_164 or an antibody to antiangiogenic isoforms (anti-VEGFAxxxB). Treatment with 50 ng/ml of VEGFA_164 resulted in a 93% increase in vascular density (P < 0.01), and treated ovaries were composed of fewer primordial follicles (stage 0) and more developing follicles (stages 1–4) than controls (P < 0.04). Ovaries treated with 5 ng/ml of VEGFAxxxB antibody had a 93% increase in vascular density (P < 0.02), with fewer primordial and early primary follicles (stage 1) and more primary, transitional, and secondary follicles (stages 2, 3, and 4, respectively) compared with controls (P < 0.005). We conclude that neutralization of antiangiogenic VEGFA isoforms may be a more effective mechanism of enhancing vascular and follicular development in perinatal rat ovaries than treatment with the proangiogenic isoform VEGFA_164.
A grid certificate authority for community and ad-hoc grids

One of the most important issues in grid computing is to provide a secure environment that allows administrators to contribute their resources and users to utilize them. Currently diverse methods are required to obtain certificates for the different grids. In this paper we showcase a prototype of a tool that simplifies the tasks associated with maintaining a grid certificate authority and simplifies the application process for the user to interact with multiple certificate authorities.
A reaction class approach with the integrated molecular orbital + molecular orbital methodology

We investigate the use of the reaction-class approach within the integrated molecular q molecular orbital IMOMO methodology for improving energetic information of chemical reactions. We have tested this approach using two classes of hydrogen abstraction reactions. One is abstraction from saturated hydrocarbons and the other from unsaturated hydrocarbons. For saturated hydrocarbon systems, this approach yields average unsign errors of the order of 1 kcalrmol in the reaction energy and about 0.2 kcalrmol in the barrier height. The errors are larger in the unsaturated hydrocarbon systems and are of the order of 2 kcalrmol. Analysis of the performance shows that this approach provides a practical and cost-effective tool for studying reactions involving large molecules. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Chance-constrained optimization of uplink parameters for OFDMA cognitive radios

This paper deals with the resource allocation task for the uplink of OFDMA-based cognitive radio (CR) systems. A weighted sum-rate maximization problem is formulated to optimize the subcarrier assignment as well as the power loading per CR user, while protecting the primary user (PU) systems. Since the CR-to-PU channels may not be accurately acquired, the PU interference constraint is cast as a chance constraint. Consequently, a convex conservative approximation of the chance constraint is employed for tractability reasons. In particular, to mitigate the combinatorial complexity incurred for optimal subcarrier assignment, a separable structure is pursued, and the dual decomposition method is employed to obtain a near-optimal solver. The resultant algorithm is tested via simulated tests.
Resource constrained scheduling of hierarchically structured design activity networks

In this paper, a new approach to the problem of scheduling of design activities with precedence and multiple resource constraints is proposed. In addition to the AND type relationship, OR and EXCLUSIVE OR relationships may also exist between design activities. In order to handle these logical relationships, IDEF3 is used for network representation. A large network of design activities can be arranged in different levels of abstraction. A procedure is proposed to transform an IDEF3 model into a set of alternative precedence networks. In the networks selected, the activities that are resource independent are grouped with a partitioning procedure. In order to increase the efficiency of the search for the best schedule, a procedure based on the Christofides et al. (1987) reduction procedure is introduced to determine a lower bound on the completion time of the hierarchically structured design activity network. >
Use of atropine for brady-asystolic prehospital cardiac arrest

The efficacy of atropine in treating prehospital cardiac arrest patients developing asystole or slow pulseless idioventricular rhythms (PIVR) was evaluated in a controlled, prospective study. Twenty-one prehospital cardiac-arrested patients developing asystole or PIVR (less than 40) were divided into atropine-treated or non-atropine (control) groups. Control group patients received treatment including bicarbonate, epinephrine, calcium, isoproterenol, dexamethasone, and transthoracic pacing. Atropine-treated patients received 1 mg atropine intravenously with a repeat dose at one minute if no rhythm change occurred. These patients then received the same therapy as the control group. In both groups, rhythm changes were treated as appropriate for the specific circumstances. No differences in mortality or effected rhythm changes were observed. Ten of the 11 controls and eight of 10 atropine patients developed rhythms other than asystole or PIVR less than 40. However, only two patients in each group were successfully resuscitated in the emergency department and only one control group patient was discharged alive. Our findings are not in agreement with those of previous authors who have advocated the use of atropine in cardiac arrest patients with these arrhythmias. We question the usefulness of atropine in this setting. More study is necessary in order to clearly define its role in the resuscitation of patients who have sustained brady-asystolic arrests.
MOLECULAR SHAPE, REDUCTION, EXPLANATION AND APPROXIMATE CONCEPTS

Soulevant la question de l'irreductibilite explicative de la notion de forme moleculaire, l'A. montre que les concepts approximatifs propres a la philosophie de la chimie, tels que la force, le gene, l'espece et l'esprit, ne peuvent etre reduits, ni de facon explicative, ni de facon eliminative, aux concepts ontologiques de la physique, a moins de reinterpreter les notions memes de reduction, concept et propriete essentielle
Accurate and Efficient Dynamics for Variable-Length Continuum Arms: A Center of Gravity Approach

Abstract To achieve their full potential, soft and compliant continuum robots must move faster and more accurately than they can today. To facilitate this, accurate and computationally efficient dynamic models are essential. While the integral Lagrangian approach can produce accurate models, it is complex and computationally intensive. In this article we propose a new dynamic model based on numerically stable modal kinematics that is both accurate and computationally efficient. The proposed model is a lumped parameter model, but one that is more accurate than prior lumped parameter models because mass locations and quantities are derived from a detailed description of the total energy in a continuum arm with continuously distributed mass. We experimentally validated the model using a pneumatic muscle-actuated continuum arm, and the proposed model successfully simulates the transient and steady-state dynamics of the prototype arm. Further, the model is also compared to the integral Lagrangian and a lumped ...
Detecting Causally Embedded Structures Using an Evolutionary Algorithm

Causality is an important relation among events and entities. Embedded causal structures represent an important class, expressing complex causal chains; but they are traditionally dicult to uncover automatically. In this paper we propose a method for the ecient identification and extraction of embedded causal relations with minimal supervision, by combining a representation of structured language data with modified prototype theory specifically suited to the data type. We then utilize a form of genetic algorithm specifically adapted for our purpose to locate the likely candidate linguistic structures that contain causal chains. With this procedure, we were able to identify many embedded structures with complex causal chains in two corpora of dierent genres, applying this algorithm as a ranking procedure for all structures in the data. We obtained 79.5% percision for top quantiles of both of our datasets (BNC & novels).
Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by persistent and unresolved inflammation, with elevated proinflammatory and decreased anti-inflammatory cytokines, and greater numbers of immune cells. Hyperinflammation is recognized as a leading cause of lung tissue destruction in CF. Hyper-inflammation is not solely observed in the lungs of CF patients, since it may contribute to destruction of exocrine pancreas and, likely, to defects in gastrointestinal tract tissue integrity. Paradoxically, despite the robust inflammatory response, and elevated number of immune cells (such as neutrophils and macrophages), CF lungs fail to clear bacteria and are more susceptible to infections. Here, we have summarized the current understanding of immune dysregulation in CF, which may drive hyperinflammation and impaired host defense.
Universe, a Spacetime Harmonic Oscillator

Energy field waves propagate in the fabric of spacetime. Interaction between spacetime field propagation and matter will generate physical photons. There are three regions of spacetime; (1) events in timelike region corresponding to the expanding universe, (2) events in lightlike region, the fabric of spacetime corresponding to spacetime with no expansion, (3) events in spacelike region corresponding to residual or evanescent universe. Universe is similar to a harmonic oscillator with two phase, right and left expansions. The equilibrium position for a two phase universe is the fabric of spacetime with surge of the stored energy in a singularity, expanding into the next phase of expansion. The evanescent universe is the spacelike event region where mass will decay. Expansion of universe and creation of matter is due to energy field propagation and superposition of energy fields in the fabric of spacetime.
Acts of the Apostles: History, Fiction or Both (Part I)

The fact that the majority of contributions to the study of Acts have been (presumed/predisposed to assuming) that its author was writing history as we understand history, is precisely why this study is interested in addressing the historical question and subsequently offer evidence for an alternative view which suggests that Luke may have made use of literary devices of the sort which were used in the realm of great literature.
Modeling of fast neutral-beam-generated ions and rotation effects on RWM stability in DIII-D plasmas

Here, validation results for the MARS-K code for DIII-D equilibria, predict that the absence of fast Neutral Beam (NB) generated ions leads to a plasma response ~40–60% higher than in NB-sustained H-mode plasmas when the no-wall βN limit is reached. In a βN scan, the MARS-K model with thermal and fast-ions, reproduces the experimental measurements above the no-wall limit, except at the highest βN where the phase of the plasma response is overestimated. The dependencies extrapolate unfavorably to machines such as ITER with smaller fast ion fractions since elevated responses in the absence of fast ions indicate the potential onset of a resistive wall mode (RWM). The model was also tested for the effects of rotation at high βN, and recovers the measured response even when fast-ions are neglected, reversing the effect found in lower βN cases, but consistent with the higher βN results above the no-wall limit. The agreement in the response amplitude and phase for the rotation scan is not as good, and additional work will be needed to reproduce the experimental trends. In the case of current-driven instabilities, the magnetohydrodynamic spectroscopy system used to measure the plasma response reacts differently from that for pressure driven instabilities: themore » response amplitude remains low up to ~93% of the current limit, showing an abrupt increase only in the last ~5% of the current ramp. This makes it much less effective as a diagnostic for the approach to an ideal limit. However, the mode structure of the current driven RWM extends radially inwards, consistent with that in the pressure driven case for plasmas with qedge~2. This suggests that previously developed RWM feedback techniques together with the additional optimizations that enabled qedge~2 operation, can be applied to control of both current-driven and pressure-driven modes at high βN.« less
Discrimination of Rhythmic Displacement by High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Music Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate music students' ability to discriminate the rhythmic deviation of the last tone in a series of six tones that were otherwise equal in duration and occur...
Study on fining agents on removing the haze protein in Chinese rice wine

The tannin,silica and Polyclar R Brewbrite were used to remove haze protein in Chinese rice wine. The molecular weight of protein in the haze was investigated by Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(Tricine-SDS-PAGE). The proteins in the haze of Chinese rice wine and absorbed by fining agent were identified by matrix- assisted laser desorption ionisation- time of flight / time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF/TOF MS). Lundin fraction and colloidal stability of Chinese rice wines before and after fining were analyzed. The results showed that the main components of haze protein in Chinese rice wine were avenin-like protein and dimer α-amylase inhibitor,deriving from the Triticum aestivum. All of the fining agents were able to absorb the haze protein and improve the colloidal stability of Chinese rice wine,especially the tannin.
Reticuloendotheliosis Viruses and Derived Vectors

In most human gene therapy trials, the tools of gene delivery are retroviral vectors. All current vectors are derived from murine leukemia virus (MLV). Although this system is suitable for delivering a large variety of genes into different tissues, it also has its limitations and is not adequate for all potential applications of human gene therapy. Thus, attempts are underway in many laboratories to develop other gene delivery tools. Potential agents range from non-viral based gene delivery systems (eg liposomes) to other viral vectors such as those derived from adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, herpes simplex virus, and several other viruses. Furthermore, the development of other, non-MLV retroviral vector systems, including one derived from HIV, is in progress in several laboratories. In this article, reticuloendotheliosis viruses and their vector systems are reviewed, and their possible use in human gene therapy is discussed.
Market orientation, balance sheets and risk profile of Islamic banks

Banks can perform various functions and balance-sheet structure lies at the heart of the asset-liability management process in banks. Composition of a bank's balance-sheet assets and liabilities is one of the key factors that determine the level of risk faced by the banking institution. Islamic banks face various risks based on the market orientation of a bank which determines its balance sheet structure and the type of products that a bank offers. These risks can be credit, market and liquidity risks and operational risks. Each Shariah financial product carries these risks in varying proportions. This article discusses the risk composition of the product portfolio of a bank that can give the aggregative risk profile by simple aggregation, ignoring correlations, of particular hypothetical category of the Islamic banks.
Companion Angels on a Leash: Welcoming Service Dogs into Classroom Communities for Children with Autism.

Love, affection, acceptance, and companionship to children, these are just some of the benefits of a service dog for children. Yet there is much that these remarkable animals can do. From opening doors for children with cerebral palsy to warning a child with diabetes of low blood sugar, the abilities of a properly trained service dog are wide and varied. As explored in this article, service dogs can be especially beneficial in improving the educational experience of children with special needs, such as autism, by calming them when they experience anxiety, redirecting harmful behaviors, and generally increasing their independence. They can also help develop character traits, such as generosity, responsibility, empathy, and patience, that can be applied to human relationships in the classroom and beyond. Although service dogs are not pets—they are working animals—their role in improving the lives of children with autism and other disabilities puts them in a category that is all their own.
“Why Didn’t You Tell?” Helping Families and Children Weather the Process Following a Sexual Abuse Disclosure

Disclosure of child sexual abuse is typically delayed or incomplete, or may not occur at all. Understanding the reasons for disclosure and nondisclosure is important for parents, investigators, and therapists who provide support for abused children during the disclosure process. In a study of over 600 children and teenagers presenting for medical evaluations following acute or chronic abuse, average time to disclosure was 1.5 years and longest among younger victims and those abused by their biological parent. Children were more likely to delay disclosure due to fear of their family’s reactions than fear for their personal safety. While emotional pressure was the most common single reason for disclosure, clustered reasons relating to external influences, such as a desire to protect others, were more common motivators for disclosure.
An expanded population of pathogenic regulatory T cells in giant cell arteritis is abrogated by IL-6 blockade therapy

Objectives Randomised-controlled trials have recently proven the efficacy of the interleukin (IL)-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab (TCZ) in giant cell arteritis (GCA). However, the mechanism of action of IL-6 blockade in this disease is unknown. Moreover, the role of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the pathogenesis of GCA remains underexplored. Given the plasticity of Tregs and the importance of IL-6 in their biology, we hypothesised that TCZ might modulate the Treg response in GCA. We therefore characterised the Treg compartment of patients with GCA treated with TCZ. Methods We classified 41 patients with GCA into three groups: active disease (aGCA, n=11), disease remission on corticosteroids (rGCA-CS, n=19) and disease remission on TCZ (rGCA-TCZ, n=11). Healthy controls (HCs) were included for comparison. We determined the frequency, phenotype and function of peripheral blood Tregs. Results Patients with aGCA demonstrated a hypoproliferating Treg compartment enriched in IL-17-secreting Tregs (IL-17 + Tregs). Tregs in patients with aGCA disproportionally expressed a hypofunctional isoform of Foxp3 that lacks exon 2 (Foxp3Δ2). Foxp3Δ2-expressing Tregs coexpressed CD161, a marker commonly associated with the Th17 linage, significantly more often than full-length Foxp3-expressing Tregs. Compared with those of HCs, GCA-derived Tregs demonstrated impaired suppressor capacity. Treatment with TCZ, in contrast to CS therapy, corrected the Treg abnormalities observed in aGCA. In addition, TCZ treatment increased the numbers of activated Tregs (CD45RA − Foxp3 high ) and the Treg expression of markers of trafficking (CCR4) and terminal differentiation (CTLA-4). Conclusions TCZ may exert its therapeutic effects in GCA by increasing the proliferation and activation of Tregs, and by reverting the pathogenic Treg phenotype seen during active disease.
Predicting coordinated group movements of sharks with limited observations using AUVs

This paper presents a method for modeling and then tracking the 2D planar size, location, orientation, and number of individuals of an animal aggregation using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). It is assumed that the AUVs are equipped with sensors that can measure the position states of a subset of individuals from within the aggregation being tracked. A new aggregation model based on provably stable Markov Process Matrices is shown as a viable model for representing aggregations. Then, a multi-stage state estimation architecture based on Particle Filters is presented that can estimate the time-varying model parameters in real-time using sensor measurements obtained by AUVs. To validate the approach, a historical data set is used consisting of >100 shark trajectories from a leopard shark aggregation observed in the La Jolla, CA coast area. The method is generalizable to any stable group movement model constructed using a Markov Matrix. Simulation results show that, when at least 40+ of sharks are tagged, the estimated number of sharks in the aggregation has an error of 6+. This error increased to 27+ when the system was tested with real data.
Book Review: Renewing Christian Theology: Systematics for a Global Christianity:

Renewing Christian Theology: Systematics for a Global Christianity By Amos Yong, with Jonathan A. Anderson. Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press, 2014. xxiv + 453 pp. $49.95 (paper).The rise of Pentecostal and charismatic forms of Christianity is reshaping Christianity in the twenty-first century, especially in the global south. This truly landmark book is the first one-volume Pentecostal systematic theology to take into account not only this changing global context, but also the contributions of global and ecumenical theologians. At the same time, Amos Yong wagers that "the Christian theological tradition as a whole has something to gain from engaging especially with renewal voices and perspectives and may even be revitalized in such a discussion" (p. 12).Yong uses the Statement of Faith from his tradition, the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, as the template for structuring his book, signaling his commitment to orthodoxy (p. 12). However, he treats the loci in reverse order, starting with eschatology and ending with the doctrine of scripture. Other theologians, such as Ted Peters, have proposed similar methodological moves, but have not structured their systematic theologies accordingly. To demonstrate the Pentecostal view that theology also must pay attention to orthopathy, artwork chosen by Jonathan Anderson is woven throughout the text "to engage readers visually in order to inspire imaginative thinking about and with the text" (p. xxiv).Each chapter begins with a narrative reflection on a New Testament character, reflecting the oral tradition of global renewal spirituality. This is followed by a treatment of the locus in question, first in terms of the context of the Statement of Faith itself, and then in conversation with ecumenical theology as well as contemporary and global perspectives, raising both contextual considerations and contemporary challenges for global theology. Yong then provides a more in-depth scriptural foundation before offering a constructive restatement of the doctrine and suggested related praxis (orthopraxy). Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and a short bibliography. While acknowledging the importance of the historical-critical method, Yong shows a preference for the narrative method of reading, not only of scripture, but also of Christian doctrine.Those familiar with Yongs corpus will recognize themes from his previous works woven throughout, such as the relationship between Christian theology and the natural sciences (in the chapter on creation and fall), a theology of disability (in the chapter on divine healing), and theology and world religions (in the chapter on the Trinity). …
The Role Of The Cerebellum in Adaptive Regulation of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) functions to keep the eyes stable with respect to the stationary surroundings during turning of the head and so prevents such movements from disrupting the retinal image. To achieve this the reflex generates compensatory eye movements to offset the head rotations. A striking feature of this reflex is that it operates open- loop: the semicircular canal receptors that sense the input (head rotation) are in no way influenced by the output (eye movements). To be successful, the counter-rotations of the eyes should just match the rotations of the head and, though not perfect, the reflex is nonetheless very effective. How is this achieved? In 1971, Gonshor and Melvill Jones demonstrated that the human VOR underwent extensive changes when subjects wore left- right reversing prism spectacles. Since that time, various optical means have been used in a variety of animal species to demonstrate that the VOR is subject to long-term regulation by some visually mediated adaptive process whose normal function, we assume, is to keep the system appropriately calibrated (Collewijn and Grootendorst, 1978, 1979; Gauthier and Robinson, 1975? Gonshor and Melvill Jones, 1971, 1976a,b? Green and Wallman, 1978? Istl-Lenz et al., 1985? Ito et ale, 1979a? Keller and Precht, 1979? Melvill Jones and Davies, 1976? Miles and Eighmy, 1980? Miles and Fuller, 1974? Robinson, 1976? Schairer and Bennett, 1980, 1986a,b). Without such adaptive versatility it is difficult to imagine how the system could establish an appropriate gain during development and survive the rigours of ageing, minor disease, trauma, fatigue and so forth.
RNA Polymerase II and Its General Transcription Factors

RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcribes messenger RNA in the eukaryotic nucleus. The general transcription factors interact with promoter sequences at the 5’ end of genes and assist pol II in initiating transcription. Once initiated, pol II continues to transcribe by elongating the nascent transcript one nucleotide at a time in the 5’ to 3’ direction. At the 3’ end of the gene pol II terminates transcription and releases the completed transcript.
Fetal Hemodynamic Alterations During Advancing Gestation

Since oxygenation for the fetus occurs in the placenta the fetal circulation is arranged so that several sites of shunting are present. In addition, preferential flow and streaming take place to offset the disadvantages of intermixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood returning through the venous circulations. In the presence of fetal stress these patterns are changed, and the distribution of blood flow to different organs is modified. Since individual organ blood flows normally change as gestation advances an understanding and knowledge of these changes is important when considering circulatory alterations invoked by stress.
Passive systems to improve air quality and reduce heat retention in the urban environment

Abstract: Passive systems are explored as a means to abate two major environmental problems plaguing metropolitan areas – poor air quality and heat retention. As the sources of these problems are diffuse, the solutions must also be diffuse and dispatched throughout the urban framework. A passive system is one that can be incorporated into an existing infrastructure and can function only utilizing primary energy sources. Two types of passive systems are discussed in this chapter – photocatalytic building materials, which utilize sunlight to drive the chemical conversion of air pollutants, and vegetative cover, which is a sink for air pollutants and a source of passive cooling.
Low Power Spintronic Ternary Content Addressable Memory

Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) is used in applications that require a low power dissipation and fast data retrieval. This paper presents a domain wall-based spintronic TCAM cell. The proposed design exploits the resistive behavior of this nonvolatile memory, reduces total power dissipation by reducing the voltage swing at the match line, and minimizes delay by employing a tiny sensing unit within each cell. Our experimental evaluation on 45 nm technology for a 256-bit word-size TCAM at an 1 V supply voltage and 50 mV sense margin show that the delay is less than 200 ps. The per-bit search energy is approximately 3 fJ. Experimental evaluation on benchmark applications on the AMD Southern Islands GPU reveal that the GPU always dissipates less power when enhanced with the proposed TCAM design. Furthermore, the proposed method consumes at least 30% less energy when compared to state-of-the-art TCAM designs.
Characterizing Mood States in Individuals Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The purpose of this study was to gain additional insight on patterns of behavior of three individuals dually diagnosed with intellectual disability (ID) and bipolar disorder a...