cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of quantum fields on singularities and particle horizons in the early universe. IV. Initially empty universes

The behaviors of solutions to the semiclassical back-reaction equations are investigated for conformally invariant free quantum fields and a conformally coupled massive scalar field in spatially flat homogeneous and isotropic spacetimes with no classical radiation or matter. The quantum fields are all initially in their vacuum states. Only solutions beginning with the scale factor equal to zero are considered. The behaviors of solutions depend upon two regularization parameters \ensuremath{\alpha} and \ensuremath{\beta} and on the mass m of the scalar field. For \ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\ge}3\ensuremath{\alpha}g0, all solutions beginning with the scale factor equal to zero are without particle horizons, while for 3\ensuremath{\alpha}g\ensuremath{\beta}g0 a one-parameter family of solutions with no particle horizons exists. For \ensuremath{\beta}g0, \ensuremath{\alpha}l0 a one-parameter family of solutions with no singularities or particle horizons exists if m=0 and may exist if m\ensuremath{\ne}0 as well. For m\ensuremath{\ne}0, \ensuremath{\alpha}g0 there is evidence that a one-parameter family of solutions which expand like classical matter-dominated Friedmann universes at late times compared to the Planck time exists. For \ensuremath{\alpha}l0 a two-parameter family of such solutions exists. In both cases particle production due to the massive scalar field fills up the spacetimes.
An asymptotic solution for the surface magnetic field within the paraxial region of a circular cylinder with an impedance boundary condition

It is well-known that the high-frequency asymptotic evaluation of surface fields by the conventional geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) usually becomes less accurate within the paraxial (close to axial) region of a source excited electrically large circular cylinder. Uniform versions of the GTD based solution for the surface field on a source excited perfect electrically conducting (PEC) circular cylinder were published earlier to yield better accuracy within the paraxial region of the cylinder. However, efficient and sufficiently accurate solutions are needed for the surface field within the paraxial region of a source excited circular cylinder with an impedance boundary condition (IBC). In this work, an alternative approximate asymptotic closed form solution is proposed for the accurate representation of the tangential surface magnetic field within the paraxial region of a tangential magnetic current excited circular cylinder with an IBC. Similar to the treatment for the PEC case, Hankel functions are asymptotically approximated by a two-term Debye expansion within the spectral integral representation of the relevant Green's function pertaining to the IBC case. Although one of the two integrals within the spectral representation is evaluated in an exact fashion, the other integral for which an exact analytical evaluation does not appear to be possible is evaluated asymptotically, unlike the PEC case in which both integrals were evaluated analytically in an exact fashion. Validity of the proposed asymptotic solution is investigated by comparison with the exact eigenfunction solution for the surface magnetic field.
RASSF1A in maternal plasma as a molecular marker of preeclampsia.

Objectives This study aimed to quantitate cell free (cf) and cell free fetal (cff) DNA in maternal plasma by determining RASSF1A levels before and after enzyme digestion in women who subsequently developed preeclampsia (PE) and compare them with uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods Twenty-four samples from pregnant women who developed PE and 48 samples from women with uncomplicated pregnancies were analysed. Blood samples were obtained at 11–13 weeks. cfDNA was determined by quantifying RASSF1A using qRT-PCR. A second qRT-PCR was performed following methylation-sensitive enzyme digestion by BstUI, to quantitate hypermethylated RASSF1A sequences of fetal origin. ACTB gene was used as control to confirm complete enzyme digestion. Results cfDNA and cffDNA levels were significantly increased in women who developed PE as compared with uncomplicated pregnancies (median cfDNA: 9402 vs 2698, median cffDNA: 934.5 vs 62, respectively). Following operating characteristic curve analysis, cut-off values of 7486 Eq/mL for cfDNA and 512 Eq/mL for cffDNA were chosen, which provided a sensitivity of 75% and 100% and specificity of 98% and 100%, respectively, to identify women at risk for PE. Conclusions The study demonstrates potential use of cfDNA and cffDNA in maternal plasma as markers for the early prediction of women at risk for PE. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solitary waves of the rotation-modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

The rotation-modified Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation describes small-amplitude, long internal waves propagating in one primary direction in a rotating frame of reference. The main investigation is the existence and properties of its solitary waves. The existence and nonexistence results for the solitary waves are obtained, and their regularity and decay properties are established. Various characterizations are given for the ground states and their cylindrical symmetry is demonstrated. When the effects of rotation are weak, the energy minima constrained by constant momentum are shown to be nonlinearly stable. The weak rotation limit of solitary waves as the rotation parameter tends to zero is studied.
Rolling element bearing feature extraction and anomaly detection based on vibration monitoring

In this paper, an anomaly detection structure, in which different types of anomaly detection routines can be applied, is proposed. Bearing fault modes and their effects on the bearing vibration are discussed. Based on this, a feature extraction method is developed to overcome the limitation of time domain features. Experimental data from bearings under different operating conditions are used to verify the proposed method. The results show that the extracted feature has a monotonic decrease trend as the dimension of fault increases. The feature also has the ability to compensate the variation of rotating speed. The proposed structure are verified with three different detection routines, pdf-based, k-nearest neighbor, and particle-filter-based approaches.
Quantitative analysis of hydrogen peroxide by 1H NMR spectroscopy

A technique utilizing 1H NMR spectroscopy has been developed to measure the concentration of hydrogen peroxide from 10−3 to 10 M. Hydrogen peroxide produces a peak at around 10–11 ppm, depending upon the interaction between solvent molecules and hydrogen peroxide molecules. The intensity of this peak can be monitored once every 30 s, enabling the measurement of changes in hydrogen peroxide concentration as a function of time. 1H NMR has several advantages over other techniques: (1) applicability to a broad range of solvents, (2) ability to quantify hydrogen peroxide rapidly, and (3) ability to follow reactions forming and/or consuming hydrogen peroxide as a function of time. As an example, this analytical technique has been used to measure the concentration of hydrogen peroxide as a function of time in a study of hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyzed by iron(III) tetrakispentafluorophenyl porphyrin.
Neural dynamics of 1-D and 2-D brightness perception: A unified model of classical and recent phenomena

Computer simulations of a neural network model of 1-D and 2-D brightness phenomena are presented. The simulations indicate how configural image properties trigger interactions among spatially organized contrastive, boundary segmentation, and filling-in processes to generate emergent percepts. They provide the first unified mechanistic explanation of this set of phenomena, a number of which have received no previous mechanistic explanation. Network interactions between a Boundary Contour (BC) System and a Feature Contour (FC) System comprise the model. The BC System consists of a hierarchy of contrast-sensitive and orientationally tuned interactions, leading to a boundary segmentation. On and off geniculate cells and simple and complex cortical cells are modeled. Output signals from the BC System segmentation generate compartmental boundaries within the FC System. Contrast-sensitive inputs to the FC System generate a lateral filling-in of activation within FC System compartments. The filling-in process is defined by a nonlinear diffusion mechanism. Simulated phenomena include network responses to stimulus distributions that involve combinations of luminance steps, gradients, cusps, and corners of various sizes. These images include impossible staircases, bull’s-eyes, nested combinations of luminance profiles, and images viewed under nonuniform illumination conditions. Simulated phenomena include variants of brightness constancy, brightness contrast, brightness assimilation, the Craik-O’Brien-Cornsweet effect, the Koffka-Benussi ring, the Kanizsa-Minguzzi anomalous brightness differentiation, the Hermann grid, and a Land Mondrian viewed under constant and gradient illumination that cannot be explained by retinex theory.
Cretaceous-to-recent record of elevated 3He/4He along the Hawaiian-Emperor volcanic chain

Helium isotopes are a robust geochemical tracer of a primordial mantle component in hot spot volcanism. The high 3He/4He (up to 35 RA, where RA is the atmospheric 3He/4He ratio of 1.39 × 10−6) of some Hawaiian Island volcanism is perhaps the classic example. New results for picrites and basalts from the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain indicate that the hot spot has produced high 3He/4He lavas for at least the last 76 million years. Picrites erupted at 76 Ma have 3He/4He (10–14 RA), which is at the lower end of the range for the Hawaiian Islands but still above the range of modern mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB; 6–10 RA). This was at a time when hot spot volcanism was occurring on thin lithosphere close to a spreading ridge and producing lava compositions otherwise nearly indistinguishable from MORB. After the hot spot and spreading center diverged during the Late Cretaceous, the hot spot produced lavas with significantly higher 3He/4He (up to 24 RA). Although 3He/4He ratios stabilized at relatively high values by 65 Ma, other chemical characteristics such as La/Yb and 87Sr/86Sr did not reach and stabilize at Hawaiian-Island-like values until ~45 Ma. Our limited 3He/4He record for the Hawaiian hot spot shows a poor correlation with plume flux estimates (calculated from bathymetry and residual gravity anomalies [Van Ark and Lin, 2004]). If 3He is a proxy for the quantity of primordial mantle material within the plume, then the lack of correlation between 3He/4He and calculated plume flux suggests that variation in primordial mantle flux is not the primary factor controlling total plume flux.
Analysis of KaiA–KaiC protein interactions in the cyano‐bacterial circadian clock using hybrid structural methods

The cyanobacterial circadian clock can be reconstituted in vitro by mixing recombinant KaiA, KaiB and KaiC proteins with ATP, producing KaiC phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cycles that have a regular rhythm with a ca. 24-h period and are temperature-compensated. KaiA and KaiB are modulators of KaiC phosphorylation, whereby KaiB antagonizes KaiA's action. Here, we present a complete crystallographic model of the Synechococcus elongatus KaiC hexamer that includes previously unresolved portions of the C-terminal regions, and a negative-stain electron microscopy study of S. elongatus and Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 KaiA–KaiC complexes. Site-directed mutagenesis in combination with EM reveals that KaiA binds exclusively to the CII half of the KaiC hexamer. The EM-based model of the KaiA–KaiC complex reveals protein–protein interactions at two sites: the known interaction of the flexible C-terminal KaiC peptide with KaiA, and a second postulated interaction between the apical region of KaiA and the ATP binding cleft on KaiC. This model brings KaiA mutation sites that alter clock period or abolish rhythmicity into contact with KaiC and suggests how KaiA might regulate KaiC phosphorylation.
Pyrite formation by reactions of iron monosulfides with dissolved inorganic and organic sulfur species

Abstract Pyrite formation has been investigated at 70°C and pH 6–8 by aging precipitated, disordered mackinawite, Fe9S8, and greigite, Fe3S4, in solutions containing aqueous H2S, HS−, Sx2−, S2O32−, SO32−, colloidal elemental sulfur, and the organic sulfur species thiol, disulfide, and sulfonate. Pyrite formed in all experiments where unoxidized iron monosulfides were aged with species containing zero-valent sulfur, i.e., polysulfides and colloidal elemental sulfur, but not with hydrogen sulfide (or bisulfide), the sulfoxy anions, or the organic sulfur species. Pyrite formation also occurred in experiments where the starting monosulfides were air-exposed prior to aging in sulfide solutions, or when air was bubbled through a reaction vessel containing iron monosulfides suspended in a sulfid sulfide solution. The experiments indicate the rate of conversion from iron monosulfides to pyrite is not only a function of solution chemistry (i.e., pH and aqueous speciation), but also depends on the surface oxidation state of the precursor iron monosulfides. Measurements of δ34S of reactants and products from pyrite-forming experiments suggest that the conversion from iron monosulfides to pyrite may proceed via loss of ferrous iron from, rather than via addition of zero-valent sulfur to, the precursor monosulfides. The sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite in sedimentary environments should reflect the sulfur isotopic composition of the precursor iron monosulfide plus sulfur sources incorporated during surface-controlled growth processes. Pyrite forms produced in this study ranged from poorly developed octahedral grains, in experiments where initial pyritization rates were the slowest, to framboidal aggregates in experiments where initial pyritization rates were the fastest. Although greigite formation occurred in experiments that produced framboids, not all experiments that produced greigite led to framboid formation. The formation of pyrite with framboidal texture is apparently favored when iron monosulfides rapidly convert to pyrite.
Image-guided and -monitored renal artery stenting using only MRI.

Purpose To demonstrate the ability of a unique interventional MR system to be used safely and effectively as the only imaging modality for all phases of MR-guided stent-supported angioplasty. Materials and Methods An experimental disease model of renal stenosis was created in six pigs. An interventional MR system, which employed previously reported tools for real-time catheter tracking with automated scan-plane positioning, adaptive image parameters, and radial true–FISP imaging with steady-state precession (True-FISP) imaging coupled with a high-speed reconstruction technique, was then used to guide all phases of the intervention, including: guidewire and catheter insertion, stent deployment, and confirmation of therapeutic success. Pre- and postprocedural X-ray imaging was used as a gold standard to validate the experimental results. Results All of the stent-supported angioplasty interventions were a technical success and were performed without complications. The average postoperative residual stenosis was 14.9%. The image guidance enabled the stents to be deployed with an accuracy of 0.98 ± 0.69 mm. Additionally, using this interventional MRI system to guide renal artery stenting significantly reduces the procedure time, as compared to using X-ray fluoroscopy. Conclusion This study has clearly demonstrated the first successful treatment of renal artery stenting in an experimental animal model solely under MRI guidance and monitoring. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Activated Carbon Nanofibers as High Capacity Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized by electrospinning followed by thermal treatments. Activated CNFs (ACNFs) with a surface area of 167.9 m2 g−1 were obtained from KOH chemical activation. Both CNFs and ACNFs were tested as electrode materials for Li-ion batteries. The ACNFs electrode exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance compared to CNFs electrode, owing to its higher surface area and porous structure. A reversible capacity of 512 mAh g−1 was retained at the 100th cycle for a current density of 100 mA g−1. Moreover, even at very high current densities of the order of 1000 mA g−1 the ACNF electrode still maintained a reversible capacity of 265 mAh g−1. These results demonstrate the potential application of ACNFs as electrode material for Li-ion batteries. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.011310jss] All rights reserved.
Enhancing dual-task performance with verbal and spatial working memory training: Continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics with NIRS

To better understand the mechanisms by which working memory training can augment human performance we continuously monitored trainees with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) while they performed a dual verbal-spatial working memory task. Linear mixed effects models were used to model the changes in cerebral hemodynamic response as a result of time spent training working memory. Nonlinear increases in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) were observed with increased exposure to working memory training. Adaptive and yoked training groups also showed differential effects in rostral prefrontal cortex with increased exposure to working memory training. There was also a significant negative relationship between verbal working memory performance and bilateral VLPFC activation. These results are interpreted in terms of decreased proactive interference, increased neural efficiency, reduced mental workload for stimulus processing, and increased working memory capacity with training.
A general protocol for temperature calibration of MAS NMR probes at arbitrary spinning speeds

A protocol using 207 Pb NMR of solid lead nitrate was developed to determine the temperature of magicangle spinning (MAS) NMR probes over a range of nominal set temperatures and spinning speeds. Using BioMAS and FastMAS probes with typical sample spinning rates of 8 and 35 kHz, respectively, empirical equations were devised to predict the respective sample temperatures. These procedures provide a straightforward recipe for temperature calibration of any MAS probe.
Public Gardens as Sustainable Community Development Partners Motivations, Perceived Benefits, and Challenges

Local governments are increasingly forging creative alliances to solve community problems and provide local services. The literature recognizes cultural institutions as partners for local community development, yet these alliances remain underutilized. This article identifies the contributions that local government partnerships with cultural institutions—specifically public gardens—make to community development through their services, presence, and location in urban America. Using data from a national survey and 96 expert interviews of public garden and government officials, we explain why these alliances are forming, document their potential to improve communities, and suggest steps that local governments might take to benefit from this vital partner. Results expand our understanding of how nontraditional community development partners can provide resources to local governments to address urban challenges.
Deposition of inhaled nanoparticles in the rat nasal passages: Dose to the olfactory region

In vivo experiments have shown that nanoparticles depositing in the rat olfactory region can translocate to the brain via the olfactory nerve. Quantitative predictions of the dose delivered by inhalation to the olfactory region are needed to clarify this route of exposure and to evaluate the dose-response effects of exposure to toxic nanoparticles. Previous in vivo and in vitro studies quantified the percentage of inhaled nanoparticles that deposit in the rat nasal passages, but olfactory dose was not determined. The dose to specific nasal epithelium types is expected to vary with inhalation rate and particle size. The purpose of this investigation, therefore, was to develop estimates of nanoparticle deposition in the nasal and, more specifically, olfactory regions of the rat. A three-dimensional, anatomically accurate, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the rat nasal passages was employed to simulate inhaled airflow and to calculate nasal deposition efficiency. Particle sizes from 1 to 100 nm and airflow rates of 288, 432, and 576 ml/min (1, 1.5, and 2 times the estimated resting minute volume) were simulated. The simulations predicted that olfactory deposition is maximum at 6-9% of inhaled material for 3- to 4-nm particles. The spatial distribution of deposited particles was predicted to change significantly with particle size, with 3-nm particles depositing mostly in the anterior nose, while 30-nm particles were more uniformly distributed throughout the nasal passages.
Opposing effects of morphine and the neurotrophins, NT-3, NT-4, and BDNF, on locus coeruleus neurons in vitro

The development of noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) neurons is subject to regulation by multiple epigenetic signals. To examine the potential regulation of LC ontogeny by opiates and neurotrophins, we studied the effects of morphine and NT-3, NT-4, and BDNF on the survival and differentiation of LC neurons from prenatal rats in dissociated cell culture. Noradrenergic cells were identified and counted following tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry, and their state of differentiation was assessed by measuring norepinephrine (NE) uptake. Treating LC cultures with morphine starting on day 1 after plating resulted in a 20% decrease in NE uptake and a small (12%) but significant decrease in the number of TH-immunoreactive (TH +) cells. Application of morphine on day 4 after plating had the same effect on NE uptake without influencing TH + cell number. This effect of morphine was blocked by concomitant exposure to naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist), and mimicked by exposure to opioid peptides. Treatment of cultures with the neurotrophins, NT-3 or NT-4, increased NE uptake and TH + cell number, as reported previously. Moreover, we show for the first time that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exerts similar effects, with a large (110%) increase in NE uptake and a modest (20%) increase in TH + cell number. Cotreatment of LC cultures with morphine and NT-3 resulted in an attenuation of the NT-3 effect on both NE uptake and the number of TH + cells. In contrast, cotreatment of LC cultures with morphine and NT-4 or BDNF attenuated the neurotrophin effect on TH + cell number but not on NE uptake. Our results raise the possibility that opioid peptides may modulate the influence of neurotrophins on LC neuronal survival and differentiation.
Comparison of standard (granular and drench) and novel (tablet, stick soak, and root dip) imidacloprid treatments for cottonwood leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) management on hybrid poplar.

Abstract Standard soil application methods (granular and drench) were compared with novel methods (tablet, stick soak, and root dip) for efficacy and duration in hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) against adult and larval cottonwood leaf beetle, Chrysomela scripta F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Beetle feeding can kill saplings and significantly damage trees by reducing tree height, diameter, and biomass. Tablets offer lower risk to applicators and beneficial insects, because insecticides do not need to be measured and sprayed. In field- and container-grown plants, standard granular and drench application methods had similar efficacy and duration compared with tablets. In field-grown plants, adult and larval survivorship was reduced for 12 mo with the two highest rates of tablet (0.25× and 0.5×) treatments, and in container-grown plants, with all rates of tablet (0.25×, 0.5×, and 1×) treatments that were used. Two other novel application methods, stick soak and root dip, offer new methods for protecting vulnera...
Context cue-dependent saccadic adaptation in rhesus macaques cannot be elicited using color

When the head does not move, rapid movements of the eyes called saccades are used to redirect the line of sight. Saccades are defined by a series of metrical and kinematic (evolution of a movement ...
Effect of a c-MYC Gene Polymorphism (g.3350G>C) on Meat Quality Traits in Berkshire

c-MYC (v-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homologue) is a transcription factor that plays important role in many biological process including cell growth and differentiation, such as myogenesis and adipogenesis. In this study, we aimed to detect MYC gene polymorphisms, their genotype frequencies and to determine associations between these polymorphisms and meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs. We identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in intron 2 of MYC gene by Sanger sequencing, i.e., g.3350G>C (rs321898326), that is only found in Berkshire pigs, but not in other breeds including Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire pigs that were used in this study. Genotypes of total 378 Berkshire pigs (138 sows and 240 boars) were determined using Hha I restriction enzyme digestion after polymerase chain reaction. Observed allele frequencies of GG, GC, and CC genotypes were 0.399, 0.508, and 0.093 respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that the g.3350G>C polymorphism was significantly associated with pH45min and cooking loss (p C SNP can be used for pre-selection of pH45min and cooking loss traits in Berkshire pigs.
Graphical Determination of Confined Aquifer Parameters

Dimensional analysis is used to obtain a relationship between the parameters of a homogeneous, isotropic confined aquifer. A dimensionless form of the fundamental differential equation governing the transient flow of groundwater toward a fully penetrating well in an infinite confined aquifer is solved analytically and numerically. Graphical methods of solution are proposed for the determination of any one of the parameters provided the other parameters are known. Field data are used to compare the proposed method with existing methods of determining the coefficients of transmissibllity and storage of a confined aquifer.
Ultrastructure of rat lungs following exposure to o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS).

Three groups of 18 rats were exposed respectively to very large doses of o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS) of 90 000, 60 000 and 30 000 mg min per m3 and then sacrificed at intervals from 15 min to 2 days, after which lungs were examined macroscopically, by electron microscopy and conventional histology.Distress appeared to be maximal between 18–36 hr after exposure, when a total of 6 deaths occurred; 4 after a dosage of 90 000 mg min per m3 and 2 after a dosage of 60 000 mg min per m3. In animals that died there was severe congestion and areas of alveolar haemorrhage, with some interstitial oedema. Survivors showed less marked pulmonary congestion, haemorrhage and oedema. Electron micrographs revealed changes to the alveolar epithelium and interstitium in the form of accumulation of fluid between the membrane layers and collagen-containing areas of the septum. The presence of fluid was associated with degenerative changes of the epithelium and endothelium leading to rupture or dissolution of the cap...
Microscale deformation of (001) and (100) rutile single crystals under spherical nanoindentation

Herein rutile (TiO2) single-crystal surfaces, with (001) and (100) orientations, were indented with hemispherical indenters with radii of 13.5, 5, and 1.4 μm. By converting the load–displacement data to nanoindentation (NI) stress–strain curves, together with microscopic post-indentation observations, we conclude that in the (001) orientation, plastic deformation occurs by the activation of all four {101}<10 $$\bar 1$$ > slip systems. In the (100) orientation, only two of the four {101}<10 $$\bar 1$$ > slip systems, along with {100}<0 $$\bar 1$$ 0> slip, are activated. Because the four {101}<10 $$\bar 1$$ > slip systems in the (001) orientation intersect, the surface is harder and exhibits higher hardening rates after the nucleation of dislocations. The latter are manifested by pop-ins, some of which are large. The pop-in stresses are adequately described by Weibull statistics and were significantly higher for the (001) orientation. The elastic moduli, determined from spherical NI stiffness versus contact radii plots, were 349 ± 5 and 229 ± 4 GPa for (001) and (100) orientations, respectively. Fully spontaneous reversible, stress–strain hysteretic curves—only manifest in the (100) orientation—are attributed to the to-and-fro motion of dislocations comprising incipient kink bands in the {100}<0 $$\bar 1$$ 0> slip system.
Toward a Realist Theory of State Action

The realities of interdependence dictate that the ability of governments to pursue domestic policies effectively is influenced and constrained by developments in the international system. It is equally evident that the realization of international objectives depends meaningfully on domestic politics and economics. Our purpose in this paper is to lay the foundation for a Realist theory of state action which bridges domestic and international politics. We proceed by positing assumptions about state objectives and deducing strategies relevant to their pursuit. First, we examine conceptions of the state found in classical and structural Realism. Second, we present two models or “faces” of state action which relate the goals of state officials in one arena to the strategies available in the pursuit of such goals in the other. Third, building upon these two models, we put forth several hypotheses which explore the types of challenges to the state that arise in one arena that may trigger responses in the second. Fourth, we introduce variations in domestic and international structures and predict the choice of strategy made by the states across venues. Finally, a concluding section examines the implications of this effort for future Realist inquiry and the study of domestic and international politics.
Post-stack seismic impedance conjugate gradient inversion based edge preserving blocky constrain

To improve the resolution of seismic impedance inversion and computational efficiency,a post-stack seismic inversion method based edge preserving blocky constrain was developed.First,according to the sparse characteristic of reflection coefficient,and using regularization technique,the objective function of seismic inversion was constructed to avoid smoothing effect;Secondly,equations of inversion system were deduced based on edge preserving blocky constrain and using the difference of logarithmic impedance in stabilizing the reflection coefficient;Additionally,the conjugate gradient algorithm was deduced,and the key vectors formulas were also derived.The results show that inverted seismic impedance has significant block feature,and the rock bottom line is clear,which indicates that the inversion method is reliable.The features of inversion method are edge preserving,high resolution,fast convergence,and high accuracy,simplicity and efficiency.
The Impact of the 2008 Council of Emergency Residency Directors (CORD) Panel on Emergency Medicine Resident Diversity

Abstract Background In 2008, the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) developed a set of recruitment strategies designed to increase the number of under-represented minorities (URMs) in Emergency Medicine (EM) residency. Objectives We conducted a survey of United States (US) EM residency program directors to: describe the racial and ethnic composition of residents; ascertain whether each program had instituted CORD recruitment strategies; and identify program characteristics associated with recruitment of a high proportion of URM residents. Methods The survey was distributed to accredited, nonmilitary US EM residency programs during 2013. Programs were dichotomized into high URM and low URM by the percentage of URM residents. High- and low-URM programs were compared with respect to size, geography, percentage of URM faculty, importance assigned to common applicant selection criteria, and CORD recruitment strategies utilized. Odds ratios and 95% confidence limits were calculated. Results Of 154 residency programs, 72% responded. The median percentage of URM residents per program was 9%. Only 46% of EM programs engaged in at least two recruitment strategies. Factors associated with higher resident diversity (high-URM) included: diversity of EM faculty (high-URM) (odds ratio [OR] 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1–13.0); applicant's URM status considered important (OR 4.9; 95% CI 2.1–11.9); engaging in pipeline activities (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.4–15.7); and extracurricular activities considered important (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.2–6.0). Conclusion Less than half of EM programs have instituted two or more recruitment strategies from the 2008 CORD diversity panel. EM faculty diversity, active pipeline programs, and attention paid to applicants' URM status and extracurricular activities were associated with higher resident diversity.
Assessment of P2Y12 inhibitor usage and switching in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization

Abstract Background Dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) that undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the effect of switching P2Y12 inhibitors between the loading dose and therapy after discharge is not well described. Methods This post-hoc analysis of a prospectively collected registry included 3219 consecutive ACS patients who underwent PCI. Patients were categorized into four groups: clopidogrel at load and discharge (C–C), loading dose of clopidogrel and discharged on prasugrel/ticagrelor (C–PT), loading dose of prasugrel/ticagrelor and discharged on clopidogrel (PT–C), and prasugrel/ticagrelor at load and discharge (PT–PT). Results While 77.6% of patients received the C–C treatment regimen and 13.6% received the PT–PT strategy, the strategy of P2Y12 switching was fairly common with 6.2% in the PT–C group and 2.6% in the C–PT group. While C–C was the most common treatment regimen, PT–C and PT–PT were more commonly used in STEMI patients than in NSTEMI or unstable angina patients. A significantly lower unadjusted incidence of the composite outcome (death, MI, and repeat revascularization) was appreciated in both the PT–C (1.0%) and PT–PT (2.3%) groups than the C–C group (4.0%). Propensity-score matched analysis still showed significantly reduced risk (HR=0.22, 95% CI 0.05–0.93, p=0.04) in the PT–C group vs. a matched group of C–C controls. Conclusions The strategy of utilizing a newer P2Y12 inhibitor and then switching to clopidogrel in ACS patients following PCI is used with some frequency in routine clinical practice and further studies should evaluate the safety and efficacy of such a strategy.
Marriage, Credit, and a Woman’s Education

Traditional marriage practices, following Anglican canon law, were codified in Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1753, which was presumed to prevent so-called clandestine marriages and to protect the estates of the landed gentry. The social pressures and practices that prescribed, as well as those that resulted from, the marriage act and the marriage market are reflected in much of the fiction of the period, including Daniel Defoe’s Roxana, Sarah Fielding’s The Adventures of David Simple, Sarah Scott’s Millenium Hall, and Frances Burney’s Cecilia. These fictional works reveal a progression in thought about credit and a woman’s place in the market economy. Jane Austen’s novels would eventually extend and complicate this discussion about the importance of a woman’s credit in setting her value on the marriage market. Other writing of the period also addresses how women’s education and behavior helps to determine a woman’s intrinsic and expressed value. Assumptions about education and behavior in Jane Austen’s novels were likely informed by conduct tracts written by Mary Wollstonecraft, John Gregory, James Fordyce, Hannah More, and Hester Chapone. As revealed in the novels of credit and various treatises on women’s education, a woman’s value was largely determined by her behavior. Even if she had high expressed value, her credit might be damaged with transgressive or even immoral behavior.
Induction of Pro-Apoptotic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Multiple Myeloma Cells by NEO214, Perillyl Alcohol Conjugated to Rolipram

Despite the introduction of new therapies for multiple myeloma (MM), many patients are still dying from this disease and novel treatments are urgently needed. We have designed a novel hybrid molecule, called NEO214, that was generated by covalent conjugation of the natural monoterpene perillyl alcohol (POH), an inducer of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, to rolipram (Rp), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4). Its potential anticancer effects were investigated in a panel of MM cell lines. We found that NEO214 effectively killed MM cells in vitro with a potency that was over an order of magnitude stronger than that of its individual components, either alone or in combination. The cytotoxic mechanism of NEO214 involved severe ER stress and prolonged induction of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), a key pro-apoptotic component of the ER stress response. These effects were prevented by salubrinal, a pharmacologic inhibitor of ER stress, and by CHOP gene knockout. Conversely, combination of NEO214 with bortezomib, a drug in clinical use for patients with MM, resulted in synergistic enhancement of MM cell death. Combination with the adenylate cyclase stimulant forskolin did not enhance NEO214 impact, indicating that cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (AMP) pathways might play a lesser role. Our study introduces the novel agent NEO214 as a potent inducer of ER stress with significant anti-MM activity in vitro. It should be further investigated as a potential MM therapy aimed at exploiting this tumor's distinct sensitivity to ER stress.
Egalitarian Spiritual and Legal Traditions

The egalitarian spiritual and legal tradition started in the ancient world when Cosmopolitans and Stoics proclaimed human equality and brotherhood. Medieval theologians promised human equality in heaven. George Berkeley’s plans for a seminary in Bermuda included Native Americans and James Beattie scolded David Hume for his lack of empiricism in describing Africans. Nineteenth-century African English and African American thinkers and activists resisted slavery. Jim Crow followed reining in the Reconstruction Amendments to the US Constitution. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided an aspirational foundation for global egalitarianism. In 1954, the US Supreme Court legally ended school segregation in Brown v Board of Education. The Civil Rights Movement motivated legislation against racial discrimination, in 1964–1965.
Transliteracies in Intercultural Professional Communication

Teaching problem: The comparative/contrastive approach to teaching intercultural communication is based on the premise that global rhetorical practices are not mere indicators of the cultural proclivities of a people, but are also a framework for developing a working knowledge about how members of a culture communicate. However, this approach predisposes learners to contrasting those cultures against their own and reinforces their preconceptions about national cultural characteristics. Augmenting that approach with transliteracies—emphasizing the benefits of knowledge sourcing not limited to scholarly/academic sources—offers a multidimensional perspective to intercultural communication. Research question: How can transliteracy inquiry be applied in teaching and learning global rhetorics? Situating the case: The approaches described here draw on the work of literacy researchers who delineate ways in which transliteracy broadens the scope of learning materials, including texts that are cultural and social (as opposed to linguistic) and that can be studied for what they convey about those cultures. How the case was studied: This paper describes the experience of using transliteracies to teach intercultural professional communication. The material was collected informally over the course of two years of teaching the course through observation, student completed research reports, and reflections. About the case: The shortcomings of contrastive and comparative rhetoric pedagogy in intercultural communication may be due in part to instructional materials selection and prioritization of what teachers deem to be scholarly. Reasoning that the basic architecture of a global rhetorics lies in its surrounding culture, artifacts, and communication systems, I designed an assignment that required students to describe how one culture's heritage, history, governmental systems, and value systems contribute to the development of persuasion and uses of rhetoric. Results: Transliteracies opened up spaces that allowed students to gain an in-depth understanding of others’ rhetorical practices without contrasting them against their own and by approaching them as ethnographic objects of study. Students engaged the object of their scholarship more expansively. Conclusions: Transliteracies in intercultural professional communication served to move students toward a more immersive and empathetic understanding of referent cultures, a stance that enriches professional communication. Students displayed a more altruistic value system in representing their objects of study and were careful to recognize that their work might be accessed by a wider audience. Transliteracies offer a practical toolkit for comprehending and fashioning understandable and compelling arguments about other cultures.
Physical Fitness Test Administration Practices and Students' Cognitive Understanding of Physical Fitness.

The purpose of this study was to examine physical education teachers’ physical fitness test administration practices, specifically how physical education teachers helped their students to develop a cognitive understanding of the health-related physical fitness components before and after test administration. Ten middle school and high school physical education teachers from Central California were interviewed about their test administration practices. The teachers were asked to describe how they conducted the tests and how the students were educated about the health-related fitness components before and after test administration. The results of the study identified only three of the teachers giving specific health-related fitness instruction to their students. The teachers described various instructions given to the students before test administration about the test purposes, but none of the teachers reported discussing with their students that the purpose of the test was to promote a physically active lifestyle. Only half of the teachers reported providing the students with their test results after test administration, and if an explanation of the test results was given to the students, it was typically brief. For students to make the connection between the test results and health-related fitness, it is important for teachers to provide specific health-related fitness instruction. When effective test administration, instruction of health-related fitness, and interpretation of test results to the students occur, physical fitness testing can be a valuable assessment that leads students to be more likely to adopt a physically active lifestyle. Subscribe to TPE
Biopharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Industries, Economics of

The biopharmaceutical and medical equipment industries have been major contributors to recent improvements in health outcomes and also to rising costs. These industries pose unique economic challenges for policymakers and strategic challenges for firms. Characteristics that differentiate these from other industries and have been addressed in the economics literature include: high research and development (RD complex regulation of RD importance of intellectual property (IP); extensive insurance coverage and a range of approaches by payers in different countries to design appropriate controls on prices, reimbursement, and access; global products that face imperfect market segmentation between countries with vastly different incomes, regulatory and reimbursement regimes; and unique emerging sectors, including personalized medicine and biosimilars.
Technology Evolution and its Impact on Air Traffic Management

In this paper, an attempt is made to complement the significant advances in Air Traffic Management (ATM) by providing a somewhat different perspective. The aim is to reflect on the impact of the changes due to the application of new technologies we have seen over the past two decades that provide the foundation for ATM. The thesis is that the technology of the past two decades presents an entirely different class of problems to be solved by today’s engineers and scientists engaged in furthering the state of the art in ATM and also presents a radically new paradigm for solving these problems.
Restorative or Preservative Operations in the Treatment of Rectal Cancer

The majority of rectal cancers present with regional spread of disease (T3N0, T3N1). Principles that guide curative resection are reviewed. The majority of patients with rectal cancer may be treated with sphincter-preservation techniques. Multidisciplinary forms of treatment, e.g., combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy preceding definitive resection, or local excision of selected rectal cancers combined with radiation, are currently under examination as clinical options for extending sphincter preservation under defined circumstances. Standards for judging the success of treatment will remain local control and disease-free survival.
From "Coordinated" to "Integrated" Residency Training: Evaluating Changes and the Current State of Plastic Surgery Programs.

Background Since the inception of the integrated model, educational leaders have predicted its ongoing evolution, as the optimal plastic surgery curriculum remains a source of debate. With the now complete elimination of the "coordinated" pathway, the total number of integrated programs has arguably reached a plateau. Accordingly, this study examines the current state of training in integrated residencies and reevaluates the variability in the first 3 years of training observed previously. Methods Program information was obtained for all 68 integrated plastic surgery programs, and rotation schedules were available for 59. Plastic, general, and subspecialty surgery exposures were quantified and compared. Inclusion of rotations "strongly suggested" by the Residency Review Committee was also examined. Results Plastic surgery exposure ranged from 3.5 to 25 months (mean, 13.9 ± 5.4 months). General surgery ranged from 5 to 22.5 months (mean, 12.8 ± 4.7 months). Subspecialty rotations ranged from 0 to 8 months (mean, 3.6 ± 1.8 months). There was no difference in mean plastic surgery exposure between programs based within departments versus divisions (15.4 months versus 13.3 months; p = 0.184). There remained significant variability in the inclusion of 18 non-plastic surgery rotations, including the "strongly suggested" rotations. Conclusions Plastic surgery exposure remains highly variable with a greater than 7-fold difference between programs. This suggests that programs are still sorting out the ideal curriculum. However, there is an overall trend toward earlier and increased plastic surgery exposure, which now exceeds the average time spent on general surgery rotations.