cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anxiolytic-like effects of morphine and buprenorphine in the rat model of fear-potentiated startle: tolerance, cross-tolerance, and blockade by naloxone

Morphine and buprenorphine have analgesic and anxiolytic-like properties. While their analgesic effects have been well characterized, their anxiolytic-like properties have not. Effects of acute morphine and buprenorphine on the expression of acoustic fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and naloxone pretreatment were assessed. Effects of chronic morphine and buprenorphine on tolerance, cross-tolerance, and withdrawal were also examined. Fear-conditioned rats were given subcutaneous drug treatment immediately before testing for FPS. Experiment 1, rats were administered morphine (0.03, 0.25, 0.63, 2.5, or 10 mg/kg) or buprenorphine (0.004, 0.0075, 0.015, 0.03, or 0.25 mg/kg). Experiment 2, rats were given saline or naloxone (0.5 mg/kg) and 5min later given saline, morphine (2.5 mg/kg), or buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg). Experiment 3, rats received once-daily injections of saline, morphine (10 mg/kg), or buprenorphine (0.25 mg/kg) for 7 days. Immediately before testing, saline-treated rats were given saline, morphine (2.5 mg/kg), or buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg), morphine-treated rats were given morphine (2.5 mg/kg) or buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg), and buprenorphine-treated rats were given buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg) or morphine (2.5 mg/kg). Tolerance and cross-tolerance in analgesia were assessed via the tail-flick test, as were naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. Morphine and buprenorphine had parallel dose–response curves in blocking FPS, with buprenorphine 40 times more potent than morphine. Naloxone reversed these effects. Morphine and buprenorphine showed tolerance and cross-tolerance in their anxiolytic-like and analgesic effects. Chronic buprenorphine produced less withdrawal than chronic morphine. Cross-tolerance between morphine and buprenorphine suggests a common receptor mediating their anxiolytic-like and analgesic effects.
Possible roles of protein kinase A in cell motility and excystation of the early diverging eukaryote Giardia lamblia.

Abstract Since little is known of how the primitive protozoan parasite, Giardia lamblia, senses and responds to its changing environment, we characterized a giardial protein kinase A (gPKA) catalytic subunit with unusual subcellular localization. Sequence analysis of the 1080-base pair open reading frame shows 48% amino acid identity with the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase from Euglena gracilis. Northern analysis indicated a 1.28- kilobase pair transcript at relatively constant concentrations during growth and encystation. gPKA is autophosphorylated, although amino acid residues corresponding to Thr-197 and Ser-338 of human protein kinase A (PKA) that are important for autophosphorylation are absent. Kinetic analysis of the recombinant PKA showed that ATP and magnesium are preferred over GTP and manganese. Kinase activity of the native PKA has also been detected in crude extracts using kemptide as a substrate. A myristoylated PKA inhibitor, amide 14-22, inhibited excystation with an IC50 of 3 μm, suggesting an important role of gPKA during differentiation from the dormant cyst form into the active trophozoite. gPKA localizes independently of cell density to the eight flagellar basal bodies between the two nuclei together with centrin, a basal body/centrosome-specific protein. However, localization of gPKA to marginal plates along the intracellular portions of the anterior and caudal pairs of flagella was evident only at low cell density and higher endogenous cAMP concentrations or after refeeding with fresh medium. These data suggest an important role of PKA in trophozoite motility during vegetative growth and the cellular activation of excystation.
An interpretation of stability constants for soil organic matter‐metal ion complexes under Schubert conditions

Abstract The equilibrium existing between a metal ion and a mixture of ligands in solution can be described in terms of meaningful stability constants and stoichiometries under Schubert conditions (i.e. [Lt]>>[M]). It is shown that for a mixture of ligands an average stability constant can be defined for each stoichiometry which is represented in the system. The average stability constants so‐defined can be expressed as a weighted average of the separate stability constants of the individual complexes present in the mixture. The term conditional limiting average stability product (CLASPC) is suggested to describe such stability constants, and to indicate that their value depends on the concentration units employed. The concepts developed here are of value in analyzing the complexation behavior of natural multi‐ligand systems such as humic and fulvic acids, and extracts from soil, sewage sludge and poultry litter.
The dynamics of innovation and horizontal differentiation

Abstract We study innovation in a dynamic stochastic discrete-time duopoly with endogenous horizontal differentiation. Innovation takes the form of a quality ladder; horizontal differentiation is Hotelling competition. We compute Markov-perfect equilibria and study the effects on long-run innovation of changes in taste heterogeneity (transport costs) and firms' costs of relocating products. Innovation rises as the industry's long-run position moves toward products that are permanently co-located in the space of horizontal tastes. A large enough fall in taste heterogeneity will raise long-run innovation, while more costly product relocation lowers innovation if taste heterogeneity is high, and raises it otherwise.
Classical mechanics in Galilean space-time

Galilean space-time plays the same role in nonrelativistic physics that Minkowski space-time does in relativistic physics. In this paper, the fundamental concepts (velocity, momentum, kinetic energy, etc.) and principles (laws of motion and conservation laws) of classical physics are formulated in the language of Galilean space-time. Much of the development closely parallels the development of similar concepts and principles in the theory of special relativity.
Spent fuel transportation risk assessment: cask fire analyses

AbstractThe US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently completed an updated Spent Fuel Transportation Risk Assessment, NUREG-2125. This assessment considered the response of three certified casks to a range of fire accidents in order to determine whether or not they would lose their ability to contain the spent fuel or maintain effective shielding. The casks consisted of a lead shielded rail cask that can be transported either with or without an inner welded canister, an all steel rail cask that is transported with an inner welded canister, and a DU shielded truck cask that is transported with directly loaded fuel. For the two rail casks, large pool fires that were concentric (fully engulfing), offset from the casks by 3 m, and offset from the cask by 18 m were analysed using the computational fluid dynamics CAFE-3D fire modelling code coupled with the finite element analysis PATRAN-Thermal heat transfer code. All of the fires were assumed to last for 3 h. In addition to these extraregulatory fires, th...
On Spohn's rule for revision of beliefs

Abstract The main ingredients of Spohn's theory of epistemic beliefs are (1) a functional representation of an epistemic state called a disbelief function and (2) a rule for revising this function in light of new information. The main contribution of this paper is as follows. First, we provide a new axiomatic definition of an epistemic state and study some of its properties. Second, we study some properties of an alternative functional representation of an epistemic state called a Spohnian belief function. Third, we state a rule for combining disbelief functions that is mathematically equivalent to Spohn's belief revision rule. Whereas Spohn's rule is defined in terms of the initial epistemic state and some features of the final epistemic state, the rule of combination is defined in terms of the initial epistemic state and the incremental epistemic state representing the information gained. Fourth, we state a rule of subtraction that allows one to recover the addendum epistemic state from the initial and final epistemic states. Fifth, we study some properties of our rule of combination. One distinct advantage of our rule of combination is that besides belief revision, it can be used to describe an initial epistemic state for many variables when this information is given as several independent epistemic states each involving few variables. Another advantage of our reformulation is that we can show that Spohn's theory of epistemic beliefs shares the essential abstract features of probability theory and the Dempster-Shafer theory of belief functions. One implication of this is that we have a ready-made algorithm for propagating disbelief functions using only local computation.
Maximally Fault Tolerant Directed Network Graph with Sublogarithmic Diameter for Arbitrary Number of Nodes

An efficient fault tolerant communication network is an integral part of designing today's parallel processing systems. In this paper we propose a new family of almost regular directed network graphs based on permutation of groups of elements for an arbitrary number of nodes. The graph is shown to have sublogarithmic diameter and almost linear number of edges and is proved to be maximally fault tolerant.
The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology – Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Book reviewed: The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Westminster John Knox Press 2005 (0-6642-2327-3), xv + 487 pp., $25.00
Determination of dissociation constants of weak acids by deconvolution of proton binding isotherms derived from potentiometric data

Potentiometric titration of six carboxylic acid analytes were measured in aqueous and semiaqueous solvents to determine the effect of the solvent composition on the dissociation constants of the acids. The analytes studied were monoprotic (formic acid, acetic acid), diprotic (maleic and succinic acid) and triprotic (1, 2, ranging in composition from 0 to 80% by volume dioxane. The methodology used to assess the acidity constants was deconvolution of the proton binding isotherm of each analyte in each of the solvents. The dissociation constants agreed with those reported in the literature for titration in water. In the presence of the organic component, correlations relating the acidity constants with properties of the media were also found. In particular, affinity distributions derived from potentiometric titration data were used to assess the solvent media for resolving dissociation constants of weak acids and bases.
Transport and mobility in sub-Saharan African cities: An overview of practices, lessons and options for improvements

Abstract Urban mobility is increasingly becoming one of the planning and development issues for cities in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Sub-Saharan cities are growing fast, outstripping the current transport infrastructure. Despite the population and spatial growth, many cities are defined by inadequate planning, rapid urbanisation and deteriorating transport infrastructure and services. In most sub-Saharan African countries, modes of urban mobility are highly dependent on income. Transport options are limited. In fact, walking and cycling are often the main means available for the majority of city commuters. Little effort is made to develop a range of transport options or to improve bike or walking paths. Combined with traffic jams, poor governance and the increasing cost of living, public transport mobility in sub-Saharan cities is having a tremendous impact on their liveability and citizens development aspirations. This paper argues that inclusive and broad ranging transport planning must be prioritised in SSA cities to improve the capacity of citizens to participate in work opportunities as well as to fulfil their daily domestic needs. Using observations and comparing progress in other countries and regions, we note that the majority urban poor, women in particular, are often bearing the brunt of inadequate planning and transport provision. We note that urban planning and transport infrastructure should therefore be (re) designed with particular focus on the wellbeing of the poor. The paper thus ends with a range of suggestions on what planning, design and policy options might be available to better integrate various commuting modes into urban planning infrastructure. In doing so, the paper notes that safety and security are critical elements of improving urban and spatial transport planning in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
Concentrations of indoleamine metabolic intermediates in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid of advanced Parkinson's patients with severe postural instability and gait disorders

Postural instability and gait disorders (PIGD) are the primary causes of disability in many but not all advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We have measured the concentrations of serotonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in samples of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid from ten PD patients with severe disability from PIGD and from ten PD patients with tremor and levodopa induced dyskinesia as their predominant motor dysfunction. The two groups were prospectively matched for duration of disease and age. No significant differences between the two groups were found in the concentration (mean +/- SD in ng/ml, PIGD dominant vs. tremor-dyskinesia dominant) of 5-HIAA (106 +/- 50 vs. 99 +/- 34) or HVA (1,068 +/- 595 vs. 881 +/- 469). Serotonin concentration was significantly lower (0.7 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.9) and 5-HTP concentration was substantially higher (684 +/- 1,054 vs. 6 +/- 5) in the patient group with PIGD as their predominant symptoms. Thus, the distinguishing feature of patients with severe PIGD appears to be a derangement in indoleamine metabolism at the reaction step catalyzed by aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC). These findings suggest that aggravation of PIGD in advanced Parkinson's may be related in part to impaired serotonergic transmission secondary to inhibition or down regulation of AADC.
The Effect of Hyperglycemia on Cerebral Metabolism During Hypoxia-Ischemia in the Immature Rat

Unlike adults, hyperglycemia with circulating glucose concentrations of 25-35 mM/L protects the immature brain from hypoxic-ischemic damage. To ascertain the effect of hyperglycemia on cerebral oxidative metabolism during the course of hypoxia-ischemia, 7-day postnatal rats underwent unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by exposure to 8% O2 for 2 h at 37 degrees C. Experimental animals received 0.2 cc s.c. 50% glucose at the onset of hypoxia-ischemia, and 0.15 cc 25% glucose 1 h later to maintain blood glucose concentrations at 20-25 mM/L for 2 h. Control rat pups received equivalent concentrations or volumes of either mannitol or 1 N saline at the same intervals. The cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglc) increased from 7.1 (control) to 20.2 mumol 100 g-1 min-1 in hyperglycemic rats during the first hour of hypoxia-ischemia, 79 and 35% greater than the rates for saline-and mannitol-injected animals at the same interval, respectively (p < 0.01). Brain intracellular glucose concentrations were 5.2 and 3.0 mM/kg in the hyperglycemic rat pups at 1 and 2 h of hypoxia-ischemia, respectively; glucose levels were near negligible in mannitol- and saline-treated animals at the same intervals. Brain intracellular lactate concentrations averaged 13.4 and 23.3 mM/kg in hyperglycemic animals at 1 and 2 h of hypoxia-ischemia, respectively, more than twice the concentrations estimated for the saline- and mannitol-treated littermates. Phosphocreatine (PCr) and ATP decreased in all three experimental groups, but were preserved to the greatest extent in hyperglycemic animals. Results indicate that anaerobic glycolytic flux is increased to a greater extent in hyperglycemic immature rats than in normoglycemic littermates subjected to cerebral hypoxia-ischemia, and that the enhanced glycolysis leads to greater intracellular lactate accumulation. Despite cerebral lactosis, energy reserves were better preserved in hyperglycemic animals than in saline-treated controls, thus accounting for the greater resistance of hyperglycemic animals to hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.
A three-parameter viscoelastic model particularly suited for dynamic problems

Abstract I n this paper a stress-strain relation is proposed for a linearly viscoelastic solid of the threeparameter type. The mechanical model representation includes a mass. An analysis of the creep function and the elastic modulus shows the similarity of these functions with those of the standard linear solid. As opposed to the stress-strain relation of the standard linear solid the present relation leads to simple solutions of dynamic problems. A wave propagation example is treated.
Biological Effects and Safety in Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review

Since the introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic technique, the number of people exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) has increased dramatically. In this review, based on the results of a pioneer study showing in vitro and in vivo genotoxic effects of MRI scans, we report an updated survey about the effects of non-ionizing EMF employed in MRI, relevant for patients’ and workers’ safety. While the whole data does not confirm a risk hypothesis, it suggests a need for further studies and prudent use in order to avoid unnecessary examinations, according to the precautionary principle.
Changes in electron beam dosimetry with a new scattering foil-applicator system on a CL2100C

Purpose: The optimization of clinical electron beams is a challenge to accelerator manufacturers. There are numerous variations and reports of scattering-foil and applicator configurations. The accelerator at our facility was recently updated with new foils and applicators. We conducted many dosimetric tests to critically evaluate dosimetric changes and their clinical effects. Methods and Materials: The new dual foil systems are thicker and have shaped disks seated on the lower foils. The 12 MeV beam no longer shares a common foil used for 6 and 9 MeV. The applicators now have denser collimating plates, and Fiberglas no longer connects the plates. The new applicator set includes a rectangular 10 x 6 cm applicator that uses one photon jaw setting for all energies. After the electron beam energies were tuned to previous specifications (energy according to ionization depths, symmetry to 5 2%, and flatness to -t 6%), recommissioning took place. Electron beam output checks at various source-to-skin distances (SSD) were conducted for all energies and applicators. Computer-driven water scanning provided percent depth dose, profile, isodose, and Bremsstrahlung data. Surface doses, in-air electron dispersion, effective SSDs, and leakage were also measured. All results compared the previous and updated systems. Results: We found little change in relative percent depth doses for 100 cm SSD between the two systems. Thefferences in PDD due to increasing SSD, however, decreased with the updated system. Surface doses decreased in most cases, while Bremsstrahlung increased in all cases (typically by a factor of two). Beam uniformity indices increased significantly, while penumbra widths decreased. Diagonal profiles are now quite flat for large fields. For a 20 MeV beam, the 90% width along the diagonal axis for a 25 x 25 applicator at d,. depth has increased from 25 to 32 cm. There was little or no change in ‘effective SSD’ or in-air dispersion. Leakage outside the applicators was reduced by a factor of two to three. The flatness characteristics of the 10 x 6 cm applicator were poor in comparison to the improved flatness of the new square applicators. Conclusions: The updated scattering foil-applicator electron beam system has yielded many dosimetric changes. Major improvements have been made in beam flatness and leakage. These positive changes have not been accompanied by any clinically significant dosimetric deficiencies. Electron dosimetry, Scattering foils, Electron applicators, Radiation leakage.
A critical incident simulation technique for nurse selection

Resume Une correlation basse entre le rendement academique et les autres mesures de rendement du nursing, et un manque de predicteurs du rendement sur les lieux de travail revelent le besoin d'un instrument de selection qui puisse prevoir le rendement au travail du nursing. Une epreuve ecrite sur un incident critique simule fut administree aux eleves-infirmieres, infirmieres diplomees et infirmieres chefs, comportant cinq situations qui presentaient des problemes et des reponses a choix multiples, dont les infirmieres et les eleves-infirmieres devaient se servir pour repondre aux questions. Une epreuve “chi-square” ne revelait aucune difference notable parmi les eleves-infirmieres, infirmieres diplomees et les infirmieres-chefs. Les emplois probables de types d'epreuves semblables furent discutes.
Slow injection of prostaglandin E1 decreases associated penile pain

Abstract Objectives A randomized, double-blind study to determine whether speed of intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E, (PGE,) is associated with pain. Methods On two separate occasions, using two different speeds of injection (5 versus 60 seconds), 11 subjects received the same dose of PGE, that they used at home. The presence, duration, and intensity of pain were recorded. Results We found that fast penile injection of PGE, was associated with a greater intensity of pain ( P = 0.04). Conclusions Slow injection of PGE, is less often associated with penile pain, the most common adverse effect of this treatment.
The combination of time series and cross-section data in interindustry flow analysis

Abstract The following problem is analyzed: for all years, there are available outputs and final demands; for some years, we have additional information about interindustry flows. Those flows will thus be estimated for all years on the assumption that all the observed relations are valid only up to a stochastic term. The M.L. estimates for a single equation are then derived as the solution of a system of simultaneous equations.
Multipath-based relocation schemes considering balanced assignment for hopping sensors

When sensors in wireless sensor networks fail or become energy-exhausted, redundant mobile sensors might be moved to cover the sensing holes created by the failed sensors. Within rugged terrains where wheeled sensors are unsuitable, other types of mobile sensors, such as hopping sensors, are needed. In this paper, we address the problem of relocating hopping sensors to the sensing holes. Recent study for this problem considered moving sensors along the shortest path. The shortest path might be used repeatedly and therefore create other sensing holes. In order to overcome these weak nesses, we propose multipath-based schemes considering the balanced assignment for the relocation of hopping sensors. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes guarantee a more balanced migration distribution of efficient sensors and a higher movement success ratio of required sensors than those of the shortest path-based schemes.
Predictability and Dynamics of a Nonintensifying Tropical Storm: Erika (2009)

AbstractIn this study, the predictability of Tropical Storm Erika (2009) is evaluated by analyzing a 60-member convection-permitting ensemble initialized with perturbations from a real-time ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) system. Erika was forecast to intensify into a hurricane by most operational numerical models, but in reality it never exceeded 50 kt (1 kt = 0.51 m s−1). There is a fairly large spread in the final intensities of the 60 ensemble members indicating large uncertainty in the deterministic prediction of Erika's intensity at 36–48-h lead times. An investigation into which factors prevented intensification of the weaker ensemble members provides insight that may aid in the forecasting of the intensity of future tropical cyclones under similar conditions.A variety of environmental and storm-related factors are examined, and the parameters that have the greatest relation to future intensity are determined based on ensemble sensitivity and correlation analysis. It appears that midlevel relative hu...
Rotational optokinesis in reptiles and its bearing on pupillary shape

Members of all orders of reptiles rotate the optic bulb to compensate for changes in pitch of the head. The eye rotates through 20–30° in snakes and turtles, 50° in crocodiles and 60° in rhynochocephalians. The eye fully compensates for changes in pitch of the head over about 1/2 the range of its response. This response is largley mediated by vestibular position reflexes. It is relatively independent of the visual horizon, body proprioceptors and temperature.
Is left ventricular noncompaction in children truly an isolated lesion

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a form of cardiomyopathy resulting from a disorder of endomyocardial morphogenesis. It has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to characterize associated cardiac findings in children with LVNC and to identify risk factors associated with increased mortality. From our echocardiography database, we identified 46 patients diagnosed with LVNC between December 1999 and February 2005. The mean age at presentation was 3.6 ± 5.6 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 1.9 ± 2.1 years. Left ventricular ejection fraction was decreased in 24 patients (52%; mean 39.5% ± 13.1%). Thirty-six patients (78%) had associated cardiac lesions, including atrial septal defect (n = 16 [35%]), ventricular septal defect (n = 17 [37%]), patent ductus arteriosus (n = 14 [30%]), and Ebstein’s anomaly (n = 5 [11%]). Electrocardiogram abnormalities were found in 80% of patients; most commonly they included left (n = 15 [43%]) and right ventricular hypertrophy (n = 19 [54%]). Documented arrhythmias included ectopic atrial rhythm (n = 2), junctional rhythm (n = 2), supraventricular tachycardia (n = 2), and ventricular tachycardia (n = 1). Overall mortality was 20%, and there was no association with ejection fraction, morphologic defect, or arrhythmia. Mean age at diagnosis in survivors (4.5 ± 6.1 years) was higher than nonsurvivors (0.4 ± 0.7 years) (p < 0.0001). LVNC is a rarely isolated form of cardiomyopathy, and it is associated with significant additional cardiac abnormalities. Although it does not have an invariably fatal course, early presentation in infancy does carry an increased risk of mortality.
Evidence for Hydrogen Abstraction from C1 of Taurine by the High-Spin Fe(IV) Intermediate Detected during Oxygen Activation by Taurine:α -Ketoglutarate Dioxygenase (TauD)

The Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases catalyze hydroxylation reactions of considerable biomedical and environmental significance. Recently, the first oxidized iron intermediate in the reaction of a member of this family, taurine:α-ketoglutarate dioxygenase (TauD), was detected and shown to be a high-spin, formally Fe(IV) complex. The demonstration in this study that decay of the Fe(IV) complex is ∼30-fold slower when it is formed in the presence of 1-[2H]2-taurine provides evidence that the intermediate abstracts hydrogen from C1, the site of hydroxylation, and suggests that quantum-mechanical tunneling may contribute to C1−H cleavage.
Sensitivity of Interphase Cells to Chromosome Breakage by X-rays

SEVERAL previous studies have dealt with the sensitivity of interphase cells to chromosome breakage by X-rays. In the root tips of beans (Vicia faba) Revell1 observed that the sensitivity reaches its maximum about 8 hr. prior to mitosis. According to Howard and Pelc2 this time lies in the post-DNA-synthetic period (G2). The results obtained by Sparrow et al.3 in Trillium microspores are also similar to those of Revell. In a recent investigation of the survival of HeLa cells Terasima and Tolmach4 have found that the irradiation of interphase cells, which are presumably in the process of synthesis of DKA (S), reduces their capacity to form colonies more markedly than when they are irradiated at other stages of interphase. In the present work, using tritiated-thymidine to identify directly DJMA-synthesizing cells, it is shown that these cells, which are in the S-phase at the time of irradiation, are more sensitive to chromosome breakage than cells at other stages of interphase (G1 and G2).
Real time optical coherence tomography system

A real-time optical coherence tomography system has been developed. A sensitivity of -89 dB is available at a scanning rate of 720 Hz. Much higher speed can be readily achieved, but with lower sensitivity
Analysis of multiple-unicast throughput in finite-buffer Delay-Tolerant Networks

The problem of computing the throughput capacity of general unicast in a Delay-Tolerant Network under the finite-buffer regime is addressed in this paper. A sparse mobile wireless network deployed on an M × M square-grid is considered, wherein m unique mobile source/destination pairs communicate with the aid of n mobile relay nodes using the store, carry, and forward paradigm. Each mobile relay node is equipped with a finite storage. Thus, several source/destination pairs contend for limited network resources. Under this setup, the throughput achieved per source-destination pair at steady-state node-mobility is analyzed, incorporating practical considerations such as node-to-node contention and finite communication range, for a class of two-hop relay protocols. In addition, two different approaches for buffer management are considered. The paper shows that, using a novel approach based on embedded Markov-chains, accurate analysis of the throughput can be achieved for the above model, as it is validated by simulations. A significant conclusion of this work is that considerable throughput improvements can be achieved by judicially managing the relay-node buffer-space.
Space technology and the optical sciences

The earth-orbiting satellites and the deep-space probes have provided for the optical sciences platforms from which to study the earth, the solar system, and the universe with truly revolutionary capability. For the terrestrial sciences the orbiting platforms for optical measurements in both low and geostationary orbits have given us a view of our planet and a global coverage never before possible. For the astronomical applications of optical instruments that “cataract of the telescopic eye,” the atmosphere of the earth has been left behind and through proximity, including actual contact, we now have resolution and spectral coverage limited only by money and motive.
The Effect of Alpha-Adrenergic Blockade on the Pulmonary Vascular Response to Dopamine in Neonatal Lambs

Summary: The effect of alpha-adrenergic blockade by phentolamine on the pulmonary vascular response to dopamine was studied in chronically prepared newborn lambs. Dopamine was administered at doses of 2.7 μg·kg-1·min-1, 27 μ·kg-1·min-1 and 270μg·kg-1·min-1 with and without alpha-adrenergic blockade. Dopamine infusion at 270 μ·kg-1·min-1 caused a rise in the mean pulmonary artery pressure from 22 ± 3.2 mmHg (mean ± S.E.) at baseline to 36 ± 4.1 mmHg (P < 0.001). This rise was unaffected by alpha-adrenergic blockade. Dopamine infusion alone did not change pulmonary blood flow, but, in the presence of alpha-adrenergic blockade, pulmonary blood flow rose from 190 ± 12 ml·min-1·kg-1 at baseline to 280 ± 13 ml·min-1·kg-1 at the maximum dopamine infusion rate (P < 0.001). Pulmonary vascular resistance was the same before and after alpha-adrenergic blockade and did not change from the baseline value during dopamine infusion.
Weak completeness in E and E 2

Abstract The notions of weak ⩽ m P -completeness for the complexity classes E = DTIME(2 linear ) and E 2 = DTIME(2 polynomial ) are compared. An element C of one of these classes is weakly ⩽ m P - complete for the class if the set P m (C), consisting of all languages A ⩽ m P C , does not have measure 0 in the class. The following two results are proven. 1. (i)|Every problem that is weakly ⩽ m P -complete for E is weakly ⩽ m P -complete for E 2 . 2. (ii)|There is a problem in E that is weakly ⩽ m P -complete for E 2 , but not for E.
Amphiphilicity-Driven Organization of Nanoparticles into Discrete Assemblies

We present a method for organizing metallic nanoparticles in solution that is based on the hydrophobic effect and does not require either hydrogen bonding or molecular recognition. When amphiphilic V-shaped molecules are attached to a gold cluster, an aggregation process ensues in aqueous solution and leads to the formation of well-defined cylindrical and vesicular nanoarrays of particles. The metallic clusters densely pack at the boundary separating the hydrophobic core from the hydrophilic corona of the hybrid micelle-like aggregates. This design allows one to assemble and disassemble the nanoparticles in a reversible manner and control the size and the morphology of the arrays by changing the conditions of the solution preparation. The versatility of this method is demonstrated by its applicability to different metals with covalently attached amphiphilic arms with various chemical compositions (PS-PEO and PB-PEO) and molecular weights.
The deformational instability of aluminum alloys

Abstract Aluminum alloys are structurally unstable from both a thermal and a strain-activated process point of view. The strain-induced structural instability is significant as shown by deformation pole figure work and work-hardening curves. This strain-induced structural instability can be described as a change in disposition of a solute with change in degree of strain. This effect is significant in alloys to aluminum and is generally overlooked. Careful control of the structural instability of aluminum alloys allows significant increases in mechanical properties to be achieved. Recrystallization characteristics and kinetics, finishing characteristics and possibly fatigue and stress-corrosion characteristics are also related to the degree of strain-induced structural instability possessed by the particular alloy system of aluminum under investigation.
Study Blinding and Correlations Between Perceived Group Assignment and Outcome in a Cocaine Pharmacotherapy Trial

While much research has suggested that the integrity of the blind is compromised in psychotropic drug trials, little research has been conducted on blinding in substance abuse trials. The current study examines the integrity of the blind in an outpatient pharmacotherapy trial investigating the effectiveness of amantadine and propranolol in treating cocaine addiction. Results suggest that neither nurses (N = 174, kappa = 0.08, p = 0.22) nor participants (N = 163, kappa = 0.09, p = 0.26) could accurately predict treatment assignment. Furthermore, nurses' perceptions of treatment assignment were significantly related to trial completion, medication compliance, and cocaine use—results that may have training implications for medical personnel.
Seeding the cloning debate.

In June, after months of hard work, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission published its recommendations on cloning, and was met by near silence. President Clinton offered up legislation much along NBAC's guidelines, banning all human cloning (but not of tissues or cells) for five years. But he couldn't find a legislator to sponsor it. Though polls consistently showed Americans were against human cloning, there was no momentum to ban it. Then, in December of 1997 the aptly named Richard Seed showed up at a scientific symposium in Chicago. Seed is a physicist by education who developed a no-longer-used technique for human embryo transfer. He announced to what a Washington Post reporter later described as a "visibly uncomfortable audience" that he had the ability and the team to do human cloning. He just lacked the capital. The handful of reporters at the meeting didn't make much of Seed, and these were no headlines. Seed might have labored on in private, with his project--as expected by the scientists and journalists in the audience--fizzling out for lack of money and expertise. But then science reporter Joe Palca got wind of it. (Palca is the former author of this column and a workmate of mine.) He decided that whether or not Seed himself was capable of cloning, someone someday was going to do it, and Seed's plan to set up a human cloning clinic was worth a story. In Palca's initial 6 January report on National Public Radio, Seed said his reason for cloning was to fulfill Gods intention for man. "We are going to have almost as much knowledge and almost as much power as God," Seed said. "Cloning and the reprogramming of DNA is the first serious step in coming to one with God." Palca's NPR report made it crystal clear that Seed wasn't likely to be successful, and the scientist certainly sounded eccentric. Still, what had been at best a whispered dialogue on cloning grew into a roar. Headlines abounded. Interest groups began faxing reporters. The New York Times ran an editorial criticizing cloning (perhaps inevitably titled "The Bad Seed"). Seed himself appeared On Nightline. Whether or not seed was capable of cloning a human, Washington went into action. The president devoted his weekly radio speech to cloning, terming Seed's intentions "profoundly troubling news." In his State of the Union address, he got a bipartisan round of applause for saving, "[W]e must ratify the ethical consensus of the scientific and religious communities, and ban the cloning of human beings." The Food and Drug Administration got into the act as well. The agency announced that it has jurisdiction over cloning, meaning much more animal research would have to be done before anyone could attempt to clone a human in the United States. …
The Present State of the Art of Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors and Their Future

This paper summarizes recent improvements in the performance and reliability of microwave and millimeter-wave wide-bandgap gallium nitride on silicon carbide devices and their promise for future integrated circuits. Many recent advances have been made as a result of the on-going Phase II wide band gap semiconductor for RF applications (WBGS-RF) program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). During Phase II of the program, significant progress has been made toward realizing wide-bandgap devices that provide outstanding performance at reliability levels that will allow their use in a wide variety of high power applications.
Dielectric elastomer generator with equi-biaxial mechanical loading for energy harvesting

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) are attractive candidates for harvesting electrical energy from mechanical work since they comprise relatively few moving parts and large elastomer sheets can be mass produced. Successfully demonstrations of the DEG prototypes have been reported from a diverse of energy sources, including ocean waves, wind, flowing water and human movement. The energy densities achieved, however, are still small compared with theoretical predictions. We show that significant improvements in energy density (550 J/kg with an efficiency of 22.1%), can be achieved using an equi-biaxial mechanical loading configuration, one that produces uniform deformation and maximizes the capacitance changes. Analysis of the energy dissipations indicates that mechanical losses, which are caused by the viscous losses both within the acrylic elastomer and within the thread materials used for the load transfer assembly, limits the energy conversion efficiency of the DEG. Addressing these losses is suggested to increase the energy conversion efficiency of the DEG.
Locally clocked microprocessor

A 2- mu m CMOS locally clocked sequential microprocessor designed for a self-timed environment is described. The processor's synchronization is based on a pulse that runs through the system. The pulse is channeled through a delay block that simulates the processing time of the instruction to be executed. Since it accrues the average delay, rather than the longest delay of the instructions executed, this processor is thought to have better throughput than one with a globally distributed clock. The processor implements RISC concepts into its architecture and organization and is used for educational purposes. >
Photosensitized production of doubly reduced methylviologen followed by highly efficient methylviologen radical formation using self-assembling ruthenium(II) complexes.

Supramolecular fibers of Ru(II) complexes act as efficient photosensitizers, photochemically generating methylviologen radical (MV˙+) and then converting it quantitatively to doubly reduced methylviologen, (MV0), in the presence of triethanolamine.
A 6b 1.6GS/s ADC with redundant cycle 1-tap embedded DFE in 90nm CMOS

Serial link receivers with ADC front-ends are emerging in order to scale data rates over high attenuation channels. Embedding partial equalization inside the front-end ADC can potentially result in lowering the complexity of back-end DSP and/or decreasing the ADC resolution requirement, which results in a more energy-efficient receiver. This paper presents a 6b 1.6GS/s ADC with a novel embedded DFE structure. Leveraging a time-interleaved SAR ADC architecture, a redundant cycle loop-unrolled technique is proposed in order to relax the DFE feedback critical path delay with low power/area overhead. Fabricated in an LP 90nm CMOS process, the 6b ADC with embedded 1-tap DFE consumes 20mW total power, including front-end T/Hs and reference buffers, and the core time-interleaved ADC occupies 0.24mm2 area.
CALCIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR MOLTING IN Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Calcification of the new exoskeleton is the culmination of a successful molt in crustaceans. This study showed that in Macrobrachium rosenbergii calcium present in the intermolt exoskeleton is moved internally as the molt approaches. Cyclic variations in the calcium concentrations of hemolymph, hepatopancreas and exoskeleton occur between successive intermolt periods. During premolt, hemolymph calcium concentration increases from an intermolt level of 7.67 to 14.8 mmole Ca+2 liter-1 while in the hepatopancreas the change is from 0.77 to 1.22 mmole Ca+2·g dry wt-1. An increase in calcium concentration of the exoskeleton appears to occur over this period (from intermolt 2.92 to 6.68 mmole Ca+2· g dry wt-1). Thus, there is a mobilization of calcium to internal storage sites during premolt. Both the hemolymph and the hepatopancreas store calcium during premolt. Hemolymph and hepatopancreas stores are exhausted b the mid-postmolt phase, falling to a minimum of 4.61 mmole Ca+2 liter-1 and 0.31 mmole Ca+2·g dry wt-1, respectively, while total calcium increases, from 0.56 to 1.39 mmole ·g dry wt-1. The molting process causes a total calcium deficit that must be repaid from internally compartmentalized stores or from some external calcium source. Although internal sources of calcium are important for postmolt calcification in M. rosenbergii, our study indicates that additional uptake of calcium from freshwater may be necessary for complete calcification of the exoskeleton.
Sorting Based Data Centric Storage

Data-centric storage (Shenker et al., 2002), which supports efficient in-network data query and processing, is an important concept for sensor networks. Previous approaches mostly use hash functions to store data, where data with the same key value are stored in sensors at or near the same geographic location. We propose a new data-centric storage method based on sorting. Our method is robust for different network models and works for unlocalized homogeneous sensor networks, i.e., it requires no location information. The idea is to sort the data in the network based on their key values, so that queries - including range queries - can be easily answered. The sorting method balances the storage load well. We present a sorting algorithm that is both decentralized and efficient.
Selective Integration: A Model for Disparity Estimation

Local disparity information is often sparse and noisy, which creates two conflicting demands when estimating disparity in an image region: the need to spatially average to get an accurate estimate, and the problem of not averaging over discontinuities. We have developed a network model of disparity estimation based on disparity-selective neurons, such as those found in the early stages of processing in visual cortex. The model can accurately estimate multiple disparities in a region, which may be caused by transparency or occlusion, in real images and random-dot stereograms. The use of a selection mechanism to selectively integrate reliable local disparity estimates results in superior performance compared to standard back-propagation and cross-correlation approaches. In addition, the representations learned with this selection mechanism are consistent with recent neurophysiological results of von der Heydt, Zhou, Friedman, and Poggio [8] for cells in cortical visual area V2. Combining multi-scale biologically-plausible image processing with the power of the mixture-of-experts learning algorithm represents a promising approach that yields both high performance and new insights into visual system function.
Quantitative Radial Immunodiffusion

Mancini et al. (1965) developed a very simple method to quantitate antigens using gel diffusion. The principle is this: The antigen is placed in a well punched into an agar layer. The agar was mixed while melted at 45°-50°C with the corresponding antibody. The antigen will diffuse into the agar and will form a radial precipitate around the well with the antibody already in the agar. The more antigen we put into the well, the further it will diffuse into the agar and the greater will be the diameter of the circular precipitin zone. Keeping the antibody concentration in the gel and the volume of antigen solution pipetted into the well constant, the amount of antigen in the solution can be determined by measuring the diamter of the precipitation ring, This Exercise describes the procedure for quantitative determination of complement C3 components in sera based on the publications of Fahey and McKelvey (1965) as well as Shanbrom et al. (1967).
X-code: MDS array codes with optimal encoding

We present a new class of MDS (maximum distance separable) array codes of size n/spl times/n (n a prime number) called X-code. The X-codes are of minimum column distance 3, namely, they can correct either one column error or two column erasures. The key novelty in X-code is that it has a simple geometrical construction which achieves encoding/update optimal complexity, i.e., a change of any single information bit affects exactly two parity bits. The key idea in our constructions is that all parity symbols are placed in rows rather than columns.
Place‐Then‐Train: An Alternative Service Paradigm for Persons With Psychiatric Disabilities

Train-place programs make up the traditional paradigm for addressing the vocational and independent living goals blocked by psychiatric disabilities; the strategy is to train persons in the necessary skills to manage their disability, only then placing them in settings where they might accomplish work and residential goals without the fear of relapse. Place-train services, which consist of placing persons on the job or in their apartments and then training them in the skills they immediately need to succeed in these settings, describe an alternative paradigm that challenges many of the notions of traditional services. In particular, place-train approaches contest a basic assumption of traditional services—namely, using a carefully mapped continuum of care to slowly progress persons through safe environments until they are able to cope with the demands of working and living in the real word. Place-train approaches also contest other assumptions of the traditional service delivery system: assessing readiness for specific services, contrasting readiness with adherence to treatment; and defining relapse and recovery. The implication of these challenges for clinical services is discussed.