cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Novel On-Chip Interconnection Topology for Mesh-Connected Processor Arrays

Prior studies on packet-switching on-chip networks have primarily focused on the micro architecture of the router to reduce the communication latency. In this paper, we propose a novel interconnection topology for mesh-connected processor arrays. By sharing routers among PEs and PEs among routers, our network significantly reduces the average hop count for a packet, thereby reducing the network latency and improving the throughput of the network. The interconnection network also requires less area compared to the conventional mesh organization, leaving more resources for the computing fabric. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed network reduces the network latency by up to 50.3 for a multiprocessor with 64 PEs.
Lysis of interarytenoid synechia (Type I posterior glottic stenosis): Vocal fold mobility and airway results

Background: The Type I Posterior Glottic Stenosis (PGS-I) is a well-described but uncommon clinical entity. Despite this, there is little known about the outcome of surgical treatment. Methods: Retrospective case series. Results: Thirteen cases met inclusion criteria. All but one patient had a tracheostomy at the time of initial evaluation. At the postoperative visit, seven patients (54%) had completely normal vocal fold motion. Of the verbal patients, 6 (50%) had normal vocal function as reported by both the patient/caregiver and the physician, and 10 (83%) patients were successfully decannulated. Conclusions: Patients with an isolated interarytenoid synechia have an excellent prognosis with regard to decannulation. Although many patients regain normal vocal fold motion and a return to their preintubation vocal function, a significant proportion can have persistent deficits in vocal fold mobility and some level of dysphonia. This report represents the largest known series of PGS-I cases.
West Urbania: An ethnographic study of communication practices in inner‐city youth culture

In the inner city community here fictitiously referred to as West Urbania, young African American high school students inhabited a sociocultural realm with a distinct set of values, rules, and practices. Although the young men and women faced discrimination, lack of opportunity, pervasive media stereotyping, and alienation, they treasured self‐expression, using it as a means of resistance and self definition. The oral, written, and nonverbal communication practices of these youth empowered their daily efforts to balance the conflicting pressures of the social worlds of street and school, home, and peers. This ethnographic study of West Urbania youth culture illuminates the use of communication as a strategic tool that, in some contexts, can enable members of nondominant social groups to empower themselves by sharing common values and reframing their identities.
The protective effect of some sodium compounds against ammonia intoxication in the avian species

Abstract 1. 1. The possible protective effect of some sodium salts of metabolizable acids against ammonia intoxication in chicks (Gallus domesticus) has been investigated. 2. 2. The following compounds were shown to exert a significant protective effect against ammonia intoxication in the chick when administered intraperitoneally 1 hr prior to the ammonia challenge: 2, 3 and 4 m-moles/kg sodium acetate; 3 m-moles/kg sodium propionate; 3 m-moles/kg sodium butyrate; 3 m-moles/kg sodium bicarbonate; and 3 m-moles/kg potassium acetate. These compounds did not have a comparable effect in mice (Mus musculus). 3. 3. Evidence is presented which indicates that the sodium ion of the metabolizable sodium salts exerts its effect by enhancing uric acid transport or excretion.
Stoichiometric complexation of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor and subtilisin.

Subtilisin (Sbt) andStreptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) were analyzed either alone or together using sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). With all ratios of Sbt to SSI tested, the proteins formed a stoichiometric complex, and migrated abnormally at the top of the gel. Electroblotting and amino acid sequence analysis of the complex band showed both Sbt and SSI present at approximately equal molar ratios. When excess Sbt was present, it migrated as a free but still folded form slightly above the band corresponding to the complex. When excess SSI was present, it migrated as several species with molecular weights smaller than the intact form; in fact, the sequences of some of these species indicated that they lacked different amounts of N-terminal and possibly C-terminal residues.
Knowledge structures in the organization and retrieval of autobiographical memories

Abstract In this paper, the role of knowledge structures in organizing and retrieving autobiographical experiences is investigated. It is proposed that autobiographical events are organized in memory by the knowledge structures that guided comprehension and planning during the experience. Individual experiences are retrieved from memory by first accessing the knowledge structures used to encode the event, then using information in those structures to predict features of the target event, thus directing search to paths likely to lead to that event. Two types of structures are investigated as candidates for these organizing contexts. Activities are sequences of actions performed to achieve a goal, while general actions are situation-free components occurring as part of several activities and represent what is common to that action across those activities. It is predicted that activities are more important in retrieving experiences, because (1) these structures constitute the principal contexts used to store experiences and (2) information contained within these structures is more useful for predicting features of target events. The greater utility of activities in retrieving experiences was demonstrated in two autobiographical memory retrieval time experiments. First, retrieval of a personal experience matching an activity and action combination was faster when subjects were given an activity cue before a general action cue, because processing could get a “head start” when the activity context was presented first. Second, specifying an activity and action led to faster memory retrievals than specifying only the action, while no such facilitation occurred when an activity was augmented by a general action. In both experiments, retrieval was slowed when more processing was required to infer probable features of the target experience, as predicted by the directed nature of the search process. These experiments and this model provide a general framework for studying the organization of events in autobiographical memory.
A facile synthesis of small-ion ternary molybdenum sulfides

The reaction of lithiated molybdenum disulfide with hydrogen at 1000°C leads to Mo6S8 in high yield. This material reacts with n-butyl lithium giving Li4Mo6S8, which can be converted to other small-ion ternary molybdenum sulfides (Chevrel phases) by ion exchange in molten salts. The pseudo binary Mo6S6Br2 gives Li2Mo6S6Br2 with n-butyl lithium.
The hydrogen exchange reaction: Discrepancies between experimental state-resolved differential cross sections and 3-D quantun dynamics

Abstract Measured time-of-flight (TOF) distributions, corresponding to speed- and angle-resolved differential cross sections for the reaction D + H2 > HD + H, are compared with recently published 3-D quantum calculations. The comparison is made in the man- ner least susceptible to distortion: the energy-, angle- and state-resolved theoretical results in center-of-mass (c.m.) coordinates are projected onto the laboratory angle-time axis, and averaged over all experimental resolution parameters to predict the mea- sured TOF distributions. Features directly visible in the experimental data are: (1) relative populations of the v 1 = 0 and v 1 = 1 product vibrational states, (2) the extent of HD product rotational excitation, and (3) the ratio of differential cross sections near 180 ° c.m. to those near 70° c.m. Significant discrepancies with theory are found with respect to features (2) and (3).
RELATION BETWEEN MILP MODELLING AND LOGICAL INFERENCE FOR CHEMICAL PROCESS SYNTHESIS

Abstract The objective of this paper is to show that qualitative knowledge in process synthesis that can be expressed in prepositional logic form has an equivalent representation as linear equations and inequalities. Recent contributions in operations research are reviewed for this purpose including inference problems that can be formulated as MILP problems that can be solved mostly as relaxed LPs. It will also be shown how some of these ideas can be applied to chemical process synthesis. Also, comparisons with production systems are presented, as well as the application of the propositional logic-based approach to the systematic modelling of integer constraints that commonly arise in synthesis problems. Several examples are presented to illustrate the ideas.
Device lead-induced tricuspid regurgitation: does it matter?

The first definitive electronic pacemaker was implanted by Senning and Elmqvist in Sweden in 1958 using a thoracotomy to suture two epicardial electrodes. While the device only fired for 3 h and was followed by numerous surgical pacemaker interventions, the therapy was life saving.1 Since that initial implantation, chronic pacing therapy has rapidly and impressively advanced, first with the development of a totally endocardial device, followed by defibrillator and cardiac-resynchronisation capability and sophisticated diagnostics, all within the last two decades. Despite innovation and progress, complications of device implantation, although relatively infrequent, adversely affect morbidity and, rarely, mortality.2 ,3 Among these is RV lead-associated tricuspid regurgitation,4–7 first described by Gould and colleagues in 1974 with a case of tricuspid valve leaflet perforation found at autopsy.8 Since then numerous studies have reported on pacemaker-associated tricuspid valve dysfunction with a prevalence somewhere between 11% and 29%.9 Hoke et al provide us with more data, obtained retrospectively, on RV lead-associated tricuspid regurgitation from 239 patients who underwent de novo device implantation (191 implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and 28 pacemakers) between January 2002 and January 2009 at a single centre.10 In their study, grade 1 or 2 tricuspid regurgitation was present in 64% (153 patients), grade 3 tricuspid regurgitation in 2% …
Statistical interaction in human genetics: how should we model it if we are looking for biological interaction?

Statistical interaction in human genetics: how should we model it if we are looking for biological interaction?
Magical Flight and Monstrous Stress: Technologies of Absorption and Mental Wellness in Azeroth

Videogame players commonly report reaching deeply “immersive” states of consciousness, in some cases growing to feel like they actually are their characters and really in the game, with such fantastic characters and places potentially only loosely connected to offline selves and realities. In the current investigation, we use interview and survey data to examine the effects of such “dissociative” experiences on players of the popular online videogame, World of Warcraft (WoW). Of particular interest are ways in which WoW players’ emotional identification with in-game second selves can lead either to better mental well-being, through relaxation and satisfying positive stress, or, alternatively, to risky addiction-like experiences. Combining universalizing and context-dependent perspectives, we suggest that WoW and similar games can be thought of as new “technologies of absorption”—contemporary practices that can induce dissociative states in which players attribute dimensions of self and experience to in-game characters, with potential psychological benefit or harm. We present our research as an empirically grounded exploration of the mental health benefits and risks associated with dissociation in common everyday contexts. We believe that studies such as ours may enrich existing theories of the health dynamics of dissociation, relying, as they often do, on data drawn either from Western clinical contexts involving pathological disintegrated personality disorders or from non-Western ethnographic contexts involving spiritual trance.
Renal carbuncle: Comparison between surgical open drainage and closed percutaneous drainage

This article represents a retrospective study of 12 patients with renal carbuncle treated at the combined urological services of The Mason Clinic in Seattle, Washington, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. All patients were initially treated with antibiotics. Two recovered without further treatment. Of the 10 patients who failed to respond, 2 underwent nephrectomy for nonfunctioning kidneys, 4 underwent closed percutaneous drainage, and 4 underwent surgical open drainage. All patients treated with open surgical drainage recovered and retained functioning kidneys. Of the 4 patients who underwent closed percutaneous drainage, 2 failed to respond and required subsequent emergency nephrectomy because of sepsis. The authors believe that renal exploration and open drainage should be the initial definitive mode of surgical treatment of renal carbuncle in those patients who fail antibiotic therapy alone.
Experience with the copper-T and Silicone Shell Loop in parous women: a randomized study.

Abstract A randomized study was conducted to compare the performance of two IUDs, the Copper T-200 and the Silicone Shell Loop D, in parous women. The number of insertions for the TCu 200 and SCS-D were 267 and 221, respectively. The results were analyzed at the end of one and two years, utilizing for the first time in a contraceptive study, the log-rank method of life-table analysis. The findings showed no significant difference in pregnancy rates. The TCu 200 had a significantly higher expulsion rate and the SCS-D had a significantly higher rate of removal for bleeding and pain at the end of two years.
Commodity futures contracts: Furnishing an elastic currency in the nineteenth century

Abstract In this paper, I show that nineteenth century US interest rates are relatively more volatile before 1874 and I propose, and demonstrate how, commodity futures trading is the likely principal proximate explanation for this change in behavior. Borrowing from Turnovsky [Econometrica 51 (1983) 1363], I model the optimizing behaviors of risk averse producers and risk neutral speculators in the absence and presence of futures contracts and I show that, so long as one party to a futures contract was risk averse, futures markets would have quelled interest rate volatility caused by variations in planting and harvesting conditions.
Accurate transcription and processing of 19 Euglena chloroplast tRNAs in a Euglena soluble extract

The transcription and accurate processing of 19 different Euglena gracilis chloroplast tRNAs in a homologous chloroplast soluble extract is described. The chloroplast DNA dependent-RNA polymerase present in the extract selectively transcribes the tRNA genes (Greenberg et al., 1984, J. Biol. Chem., 259: 14880–14887). Two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and RNA fingerprint analysis were used to show that the tRNAs are correctly processed at the 5′- and 3′-ends. The Euglena chloroplast soluble extract contains a 5′-processing or ‘RNase P-like’ activity and RNases responsible for processing tRNA termini. However, it was not determined if the 3′-CCA was added. Therefore, the soluble extract contains activities that are quite similar to an extract of spinach chloroplasts (Greenberg et al. (1984), Plant Mol. Biol., 3: 97–109). After transcription of total chloroplast DNA in the Euglena soluble extract, thirty-three tRNA sized products were resolved by two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Nineteen tRNAs could be identified in this mixture.
Microstructure analysis of plasma immersion ion implanted diamond-like carbon coatings

Abstract This paper discusses the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings using Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII). Microstructure analysis indicates that an adhesion layer composed of carbides is formed by CH4 implantation. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the absence of a long-range crystalline order in these carbides. It was also found that during the formation of the adhesion layer, a thin amorphous carbon layer is formed at the surface of the implanted layer. To promote the adhesion of the following DLC coating, it was found necessary to remove this amorphous carbon layer. This was accomplished by sputter-cleaning with Ar for several minutes and resulted in excellent adhesion of the DLC coatings. The formation of the amorphous carbon layer during CH4 plasma immersion ion implantation is attributed (a) to the low duty cycles used in this process (the neutral species and the residual low energy ions are deposited on the surface during the off-period between pulses), and (b) to the low energy ions (below 1 keV) generated during the rise and fall times of the high-voltage pulses.
On developing cleaner organic unit processes

Abstract Organic waste products, potentially harmful to the human health and the environment, are primarily produced in the synthesis stage of manufacturing processes. Many such synthetic unit processes, such as halogenation, oxidation, alkylation, nitration, and sulfonation are common to a large number of organic chemical manufacture in several different industry sectors. The environmental impact of organic chemical syntheses can be significantly reduced by incorporating cleaner unit processes. A review of research and development activities shows that progress is already being made along these lines worldwide, and commercialization of cleaner organic technologies is also proceeding.
Probabilistic adverbial qualifications of adjectives

Summary These two inquiries are concerned with the effects of probabilistic adverbs (e.g., possibly, definitely ) upon evaluative ratings of adjectives. In Study I, 14 adjectives were rated, along a Pleasant-Unpleasant scale, both in unqualified form and when qualified by each of 10 probabilistic adverbs. Data were scaled by the method of successive intervals. The scale values were then tested against a linear model originally proposed by Cliff to account for the effects of intensive adverbs upon adjectives. This model states that the scale value of an adverb-adjective phrase equals the product of the psychological scale value of the unqualified adjective and an empirical “multiplying value” for the adverb, plus a general constant, K . It was found that the effects of probabilistic adverbs are highly consistent. The correlation between empirical scale values and theoretical ones derived from the model was .987 ( df = 138). It was shown that while the majority of variance is accounted for by adjectives rather than adverbs, nevertheless the high correlation cannot be considered artifactual and thus be attributed to chance effects of the adverbs. In Study II, 7 adjectives from Study I were rated along the same Pleasant-Unpleasant scale both in unqualified form, and when qualified by: (1) each of 4 discriminable probabilistic adverbs from Study I; (2) each of 4 discriminable intensive adverbs from Cliff's study; (3) each of the 32 possible combinations of 1 probabilistic and 1 intensive adverb. Data were again scaled by the method of successive intervals. This study posed two questions. (1) Can the empirical effects of double adverbial qualification be predicted from the observed effects of the two constituent adverbs when used singly? (2) Does the Adverbial Order variable yield differences in the scale values (e.g., definitely rather scared vis-a-vis rather definitely scared )? Five extensions to the basic model, designed to take account of double qualifications, were derived. The effects of double adverbial qualifications were excellently predicted using empirical data derived only from instances of single qualification. The two highest, linear correlations between empirical and theoretical scale values ( r = .991 and .987) for the 224 instances of double qualification were obtained using, as the multiplying value for double adverbial qualifiers, the geometric mean of the multiplying values for the two individual adverbs. The effect of the Adverbial Order variable was negligible. While the majority of variance was again attributable to the adjectives, the superior predictability of the data could not be accounted for by appeal to chance effects of the adverbs. It was also established that an interaction occurs between the effects of the two classes of adverbs. Psychological implications of the relative equivalence of intensive and probabilistic adverbs, of their interaction, and of the non-significant Adverbial Order variable are discussed.
Are real interest rates really nonstationary? New evidence from tests with good size and power

Abstract In this paper, we re-examine the stationarity of international real interest rates, an issue first investigated by Rose [Journal of Finance 43(5) (1988) 1095], using a new set of unit root tests developed by Ng and Perron [Econometrica 69(6) (2001) 1519] with good size and power. Using conventional unit root tests, Rose finds that the nominal interest rate is I(1), while the inflation rate is I(0), for each of the many countries he considers, indicating a nonstationary real interest rate for each country. Using an extended sample period and the Ng and Perron unit root tests, we find that the nominal interest rate is I(1) and the inflation rate is I(0) for only three of the 16 countries we examine. For a number of countries, the Ng and Perron tests indicate that the nominal interest rate and inflation rate are both I(1), so that we need to test for cointegration in order to decipher the integration properties of the real interest rate. Using either the Ng and Perron unit root tests in conjunction with a pre-specified cointegrating vector or the Perron and Rodriguez [Residual based tests for cointegration with GLS detrended data (2001)] cointegration tests for an unspecified cointegrating vector, there is little robust evidence of cointegration. While our results are mixed, they usually provide support for the Rose finding that international real interest rates are nonstationary, albeit often for different reasons than Rose.
Supplementary notes on medieval Islamic multiplication tables

Abstract The astronomical tables compiled by Muslim astronomers in the medieval period are based on the sexagesimal system, and to facilitate their computations these astronomers used multiplication tables displaying products expressed sexagesimally. In a recent publication these tables were described for the first time. The present paper points to the existence of more of these tables, as well as to tables displaying sexagesimal quotients and others for facilitating linear interpolation.
Isochoric heating into the warm dense matter regime by laser-solid produced K-alpha x-rays

An experimental program to study solid-density matter at temperatures of about 1 eV per atom is described. A solid sample is inertially confined while heated by a well-characterized burst of keV photons on the picosecond timescale. Optical probing with sub-picosecond resolution measures properties of the material in this regime.
Hierarchical image coding with diamond-shaped subbands

We present a sub-band image coding/decoding system using a diamond-shaped pyramid frequency decomposition to more closely match visual sensitivities than conventional rectangular bands. Filter banks are composed of simple, low order IIR components. The coder is especially designed to function in a multiple resolution reconstruction setting, in situations such as variable capacity channels or receivers, where images must be reconstructed without the entire pyramid of sub-bands. We use a nonlinear interpolation technique for lost subbands to compensate for loss of aliasing cancellation.
Spin correlations and electron transport in MnBi:Au films

The structural, magnetic, and electron transport properties of Mn55−xAuxBi45 (x = 0, 4.5) thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering have been investigated. The magnetization of the MnBi films decreases and the coercivity increases due to Au doping. The temperature dependence of resistivity between 2 to 300 K shows that the films are metallic but the 4.5% Au-doped film shows a Kondo behavior with resistance minimum at 10.2 K. The magnetoresistance is anisotropic and the positive transverse magnetoresistance is significantly enhanced (16.3% at 70 kOe) by Au doping. We interpret these data in terms of a model in which Au atoms preferentially substitute for Mn atoms on the Mn lattice, and some Mn atoms are displaced to interstitial sites in the NiAs structure. These interstitial Mn atoms are coupled antiferromagnetically to the Mn atoms on the original Mn lattice leading to the large decrease in magnetization, Kondo effect, and the positive magnetoresistance.
Nanoscale EELS analysis of oxides: composition mapping, valence determination and beam damage

Beam damage to ceria abrasive particles during EELS measurements with ~1 nm probes of ~1nA was negligible for typical analysis times (1-5 s). Ce3+ and tri-valent impurities reduce near-surface regions. Ce valence was measured from Ce M5/M4 white line ratios. By defocusing a 1 nA probe to ~5 nm, beam damage to nanoscale MgAl2O4 spinel was sufficiently slowed to allow spectrum imaging measurements of composition variations. Recording spectrum lines in TEM mode can be attractive when dose-rate rather than dose is the limiting factor in beam damage. Multivariate statistical analysis of data from a CoO-Co3O4 interface has revealed an additional interface-related component.
Self-inflicted oral injury to secure narcotic drugs

A contem porary reason for self-inflicted oral injury is discussed to aid the dental community in the prevention of inadvertent participation in drug abuse.
A 3D Hybrid Model for Tissue Growth: The Interplay between Cell Population and Mass Transport Dynamics

To provide theoretical guidance for the design and in vitro cultivation of bioartificial tissues, we have developed a multiscale computational model that can describe the complex interplay between cell population and mass transport dynamics that governs the growth of tissues in three-dimensional scaffolds. The model has three components: a transient partial differential equation for the simultaneous diffusion and consumption of a limiting nutrient; a cellular automaton describing cell migration, proliferation, and collision; and equations that quantify how the varying nutrient concentration modulates cell division and migration. The hybrid discrete-continuous model was parallelized and solved on a distributed-memory multicomputer to study how transport limitations affect tissue regeneration rates under conditions encountered in typical bioreactors. Simulation results show that the severity of transport limitations can be estimated by the magnitude of two dimensionless groups: the Thiele modulus and the Biot number. Key parameters including the initial seeding mode, cell migration speed, and the hydrodynamic conditions in the bioreactor are shown to affect not only the overall rate, but also the pattern of tissue growth. This study lays the groundwork for more comprehensive models that can handle mixed cell cultures, multiple nutrients and growth factors, and other cellular processes, such as cell death.
An Ojibwe perspective on the welfare of children: Lessons of the past and visions for the future

Abstract This critical ethnographic study examines the degree to which culturally consonant child welfare institutions and practices are appropriate and possible within one Ojibwe tribal community. Despite the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 [PL 95-608, 25 U.S.C. Secs. 1901-63], First Nations children continue to be over-represented in the foster and adoptive care populations. Findings from the study suggest that the child welfare institutions, policies, and practices which are imposed upon First Nations communities contribute to an over-reliance on child removal and do little to support the development of strategies which blend the best of both Ojibwe and Euro-American cultures.
Regional differences in the ontogenetic pattern of kynurenine aminotransferase in the rat brain

The ontogenetic pattern of kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT), the biosynthetic enzyme of the neuroprotective excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist, kynurenic acid, was examined in the rat in six brain regions and in the liver. KAT activity increased in all brain areas (but not in the liver) between 3 days and 3 months post-natum, and substantial differences were observed in the rates of the increase. For example, KAT activity in the parietal cortex increased 34-fold during the observation period, whereas enzyme activity in the cerebellum and substantia nigra increased only 3-5 fold over the same interval. Intermediate developmental changes were found in striatum, hippocampus and olfactory bulb. The differential increases in KAT activity became particularly pronounced after the second postnatal week. Since N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are preferential targets of kynurenic acid, play an important role in brain development, the regional heterogeneity of KAT's ontogenetic profile may have a bearing on the function and dysfunction of the young central nervous system.
Involving Undergraduates in Research: Motivations and Challenges

In the United States, one of the main objectives of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is the encouragement and support of undergraduate involvement in hands-on research projects. An early exposure to actual research practice can help these students more quickly and effectively grasp the principles and goals of research in general.
Extracting faces and facial features from color images

In this paper, we present image processing and pattern recognition techniques to extract human faces and facial features from color images. First, we segment a color image into skin and non-skin regions by a Gaussian skin-color model. Then, we apply mathematical morphology and region filling techniques for noise removal and hole filling. We determine whether a skin region is a face candidate by its size and shape. Principle component analysis (PCA) is used to verify face candidates. We create an ellipse model to locate eyes and mouths areas roughly, and apply the support vector machine (SVM) to classify them. Finally, we develop knowledge rules to verify eyes. Experimental results show that our algorithm achieves the accuracy rate of 96.7% in face detection and 90.0% in facial feature extraction.
Design of volumetric antenna arrays based on three-dimensional aperiodic tilings

In recent years there has been a considerable amount of research devoted to developing linear and planar antenna arrays with nonuniform element spacing. One of the inspirations for investigating such nonuniform array layouts comes from recent discoveries in solid state crystallography. For a long period it was assumed that crystals can only have periodic structures with translational symmetry. However in 1984 a new class of metallic solids were discovered which showed icosahedral symmetry [1]. While these structures were not perfectly symmetric, their X-ray diffraction patterns did display rotational symmetry. This new class of solids are known as “quasi-crystals”. The particle formations in quasi-crystals are not periodic in a traditional sense, however they are deterministic and display rotational symmetry. Mathematically, these structures are classified as aperiodic tilings. In general, a tiling is a partition of space into a countable number of tiles without gaps or overlaps.
Cannabinoid-Induced Enhanced Interaction and Protein Levels of Serotonin 5-HT2A and Dopamine D2 Receptors in Rat Prefrontal Cortex

Recent evidence suggests that non-selective cannabinoid receptor agonists may regulate serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor neurotransmission in brain. The molecular mechanisms of this regulation are unknown, but could involve cannabinoid-induced enhanced interaction between 5-HT2A and dopamine D2 (D2) receptors. Here, we present experimental evidence that Sprague-Dawley rats treated with a non-selective cannabinoid receptor agonist (CP55,940, 50 µg/kg, 7 days, i.p.) showed enhanced co-immunoprecipitation of 5-HT2A and D2 receptors and enhanced membrane-associated expression of D2 and 5-HT2A receptors in prefrontal cortex (PFCx). Furthermore, 5-HT2A receptor mRNA levels were increased in PFCx, suggesting a cannabinoid-induced upregulation of 5-HT2A receptors. To date, two cannabinoids receptors have been found in brain, CB1 and CB2 receptors. We used selective cannabinoid agonists in a neuronal cell line to study mechanisms that could mediate this 5-HT2A receptor upregulation. We found that selective CB2 recept...
Outage capacity and cutoff rate of bit-interleaved coded OFDM under quasistatic frequency selective fading

IEEE 802.11a wireless local area network (WLAN) system which employs bit-interleaved coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is one of the most important applications of bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM). The capacity and cutoff rate of BICM have been well studied in flat-fading channels assuming infinite-length ideal interleaving. This assumption is practically justifiable only in fast-fading channels. WLAN channel environment is, however, highly frequency selective while slowly varying in time. In this work, we obtain outage capacity and outage cutoff rate expressions for BICM in such quasistatic frequency selective fades, under a uniform ideal interleaving assumption. These results are also extended to the general case of space-frequency BICM (SF-BICM) which is the multiinput multioutput (MIMO) extension of BICM.
No-Option Patients

Despite advances in preventive health care, medical management, interventional cardiology, and cardiovascular surgery, atherosclerotic disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western Hemisphere. Cardiovascular disease accounted for 38.5% of all deaths or 1 of every 2.6 deaths in the United States in 2001. Cardiovascular disease mortality was about 60% of “total mortality,” i.e., of over 2,400,000 deaths from all causes, cardiovascular disease was listed as a primary or contributing cause on about 1,408,000 death certificates. Since 1900, cardiovascular disease has been the number one killer in the United States every year except 1918 (1). Treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) includes risk factor modification, use of antiplatelet agents, medical therapy by decreasing myocardial oxygen demand and coronary vasodilation, and restoring myocardial perfusion using percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Although significant advances have reduced the mortality of cardiovascular disease, the number of cardiac interventions continues to grow: a total of 1.3 million inpatient cardiac catheterizations, 561,000 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures, and 519,000 coronary artery bypass procedures were performed in 2000 in the United States alone (1).
Integral equation solution of Maxwell's equations from zero frequency to microwave frequencies

We develop a new method to precondition the matrix equation resulting from applying the method of moments (MoM) to the electric field integral equation (EFIE). This preconditioning method is based on first applying the loop-tree or loop-star decomposition of the currents to arrive at a Helmholtz decomposition of the unknown currents. However, the MoM matrix thus obtained still cannot be solved efficiently by iterative solvers due to the large number of iterations required. We propose a permutation of the loop-tree or loop-star currents by a connection matrix, to arrive at a current basis that yields a MoM matrix that can be solved efficiently by iterative solvers. Consequently, dramatic reduction in iteration count has been observed. The various steps can be regarded as a rearrangement of the basis functions to arrive at the MoM matrix. Therefore, they are related to the original MoM matrix by matrix transformation, where the transformation requires the inverse of the connection matrix. We have also developed a fast method to invert the connection matrix so that the complexity of the preconditioning procedure is of O(N) and, hence, can be used in fast solvers such as the low-frequency multilevel fast multipole algorithm (LP-MLFMA). This procedure also makes viable the use of fast solvers such as MLFMA to seek the iterative solutions of Maxwell's equations from zero frequency to microwave frequencies.
IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES CONCERNING THE NEPHRITIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Antibodies were eluted from the isolated glomeruli prepared from the kidneys of 10 patients with the nephritis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies reacting primarily with buffer extracts of nuclei were eluted by acid treatment, and antibodies reacting mainly with DNA and nucleoprotein were eluted with deoxyribonuclease. Quantitative immunochemical studies revealed a high concentration of antinuclear antibody per milligram of γ-globulin in glomerular eluates compared with that in the corresponding serums. The γ-globulin of two eluates was found to consist predominantly of antinucleoprotein antibody. The selective elution of antinuclear antibodies was also indicated by the absence of other serum antibodies in the eluates. DNA antigen was demonstrated in the glomeruli of two kidneys with nephritis by means of isolated anti-DNA antibody labeled with fluorescein. In one of these cases, anti-DNA antibodies were also found concentrated in the glomeruli and, in the second, circulating anti-DNA antibodies were demonstrated in the patient's serum. The immunochemical evidence for the high specific activity of antinuclear antibodies and the association of DNA antigen with DNA antibody in glomeruli add further support for the antigen-antibody complex hypothesis for renal injury in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Social capital in the Japanese youth labor market: Labor market policy, schools, and norms

This paper develops the concept of institutional social capital and discusses its importance in the labor market. Institutional social capital is constituted by the resources inherent in an organization (such as a school) and thereby available to members of that organization. This is contrasted with the social capital available to individuals through their own personal networks. In the labor market context, an example of institutional social capital is the ties that schools have with employers who recruit a proportion of their new employees as they prepare to graduate. The paper examines how these ties and the norms governing the important labor market screening role played by the high school developed in post-WWII Japan. I also discuss an important positive externality — social control over students — generated by schools’ institutional social capital. Finally, I examine current challenges to Japanese high schools’ institutional social capital.
Comparison of Serum Hormone Titers in Golden Hamsters During Testicular Growth Induced by Pinealectomy and Photoperiodic Stimulation

Testicular growth and changes in levels of circulating follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and androgens were compared in intact and pinealectomized hamsters exposed to short (6L: 1 8D) or long (14L: 1OD) days. Testicular growth induced by long days and/or pinelectomy proceeded at the same rate. In all groups an increase in serum FSH preceded testicular growth by 2 weeks, while increased serum titers of PRL occurred simultaneously with testicular growth. Serum LH and androgens were also increased during testicular growth; androgen levels in animals exposed to long days were consistently greater than in males exposed to short days.
Interdependence and Conflict: When Does Symmetry Matter?

This article introduces an altemative to the study of economic interdependence and interstate conflict. Typically, scholars have relied upon relative levels of economic activity to characterize symmetry in interdependence. Instead, I argue that the key to understanding the role of symmetry in interdependence and conflict lies in the relationship between a state's exit (opportunity) costs and the costs it is willing to bear in the face of political conflict with another state. Asymmetry with respect to two states' exit costs/threshold relationships can generate bargaining power that constrains the use of force. This approach improves our understanding of the complex relationship between interdependence and conflict. It also suggests that current measurements of economic interdependence may fail to identify situations where interdependence plays a role in conflict.
Temporal Correlation Mechanisms and Their Role in Feature Selection: A Single-Unit Study in Primate Somatosensory Cortex

Studies in vision show that attention enhances the firing rates of cells when it is directed towards their preferred stimulus feature. However, it is unknown whether other sensory systems employ this mechanism to mediate feature selection within their modalities. Moreover, whether feature-based attention modulates the correlated activity of a population is unclear. Indeed, temporal correlation codes such as spike-synchrony and spike-count correlations (r(sc)) are believed to play a role in stimulus selection by increasing the signal and reducing the noise in a population, respectively. Here, we investigate (1) whether feature-based attention biases the correlated activity between neurons when attention is directed towards their common preferred feature, (2) the interplay between spike-synchrony and rsc during feature selection, and (3) whether feature attention effects are common across the visual and tactile systems. Single-unit recordings were made in secondary somatosensory cortex of three non-human primates while animals engaged in tactile feature (orientation and frequency) and visual discrimination tasks. We found that both firing rate and spike-synchrony between neurons with similar feature selectivity were enhanced when attention was directed towards their preferred feature. However, attention effects on spike-synchrony were twice as large as those on firing rate, and had a tighter relationship with behavioral performance. Further, we observed increased r(sc) when attention was directed towards the visual modality (i.e., away from touch). These data suggest that similar feature selection mechanisms are employed in vision and touch, and that temporal correlation codes such as spike-synchrony play a role in mediating feature selection. We posit that feature-based selection operates by implementing multiple mechanisms that reduce the overall noise levels in the neural population and synchronize activity across subpopulations that encode the relevant features of sensory stimuli.
The Laurel-Convict fault, eastern Sierra Nevada, California: A Permo-Triassic left-lateral fault, not a Cretaceous intrabatholithic break

The Laurel-Convict fault is a prominent, northwest-striking, highangle fault exposed in Paleozoic rocks of the Mount Morrison pendant in the eastern Sierra Nevada of California. The fault zone averages 25‐50 m in width and consists of narrow, anastomosing domains of ductile deformation separating lenses of Paleozoic metasedimentary rock. The fault, which cuts structures in middle Permian metasedimentary rocks, is intruded by a relatively undeformed quartz porphyry felsite dike that has yielded a U-Pb zircon upper intercept age of 225 ± 16 Ma. Displacement on the Laurel-Convict fault is therefore constrained to the interval between middle Permian and Late Triassic. Displacement criteria, including curvature and offset of bedding in the fault zone, rare mesoscopic ductile shear indicators, and restoration of offset lower Paleozoic stratigraphy and structure across splay faults, all indicate a moderate amount of apparent leftlateral strike-slip displacement. Our data do not support previous interpretations of the Laurel-Convict fault as a thrust-faulted terrane boundary or a major right-lateral shear zone. The Laurel-Convict fault is not, therefore, an exposed segment of Intrabatholithic Break 3 (IBB3). Proposed Cretaceous right-lateral displacement of the Sr i = 0.706 isopleth on IBB3 must be accommodated either east of the Mount Morrison pendant in the Owens Valley or west of the pendant in the eastern Sierra Nevada.
Vegetation Dynamics of Restored and Remnant Willamette Valley, OR Prairie Wetlands

Although once common throughout the Willamette Valley of Oregon, USA, prairie wetlands now occupy less than two percent of their historic extent. We compare vegetation trends and spatial patterns in plant community composition for prairie wetlands in the southern Willamette Valley, including four remnants and four restorations, sampled in 2000, 2005, and 2011. Patterns and trajectories of change in species assemblages were evaluated using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP), native and introduced species diversity, and species accumulation curves. Geographic location was a statistically-significant grouping variable according to MRPP. Within each geographic region, vegetation at restorations has become more similar to that of remnants over time. Remnants have significantly higher native species richness than restorations and NMDS ordination of the data for native species separated remnants from restored sites. Species accumulation curves also revealed different patterns for native and introduced species in remnants compared to restorations. While the vegetation of restorations has become more similar to that of nearby remnants, remnants can still be distinguished from restorations based on the native species assemblages. These results show that, with sustained effort, plant communities in restorations can converge with those in remnant patches, and that it is important to preserve and restore sites in different geographic regions, as different locations may preserve different plant assemblages.
Time, Power, and Democratic Transitions:

This study explores the impact of shifting power distributions among contending domestic groups on the dynamics of democratic transitions. A timing game is specified to demonstrate the vital influence exerted by relative power distributions on when an opposition is likely to mobilize and when an authoritarian leader is willing to negotiate. The model suggests that democratic transitions occur under conditions of relative power parity between the authoritarian government and the political opposition. The hypothesized relationship is validated empirically on 17 Latin American countries in the period from 1950 to 1990. The study also highlights the factors that affect the peaceful or conflictual nature of a transition process, such as the degree to which domestic opposition groups are dissatisfied with an authoritarian status quo, the risk propensities of political leaders, and the anticipated costs of domestic or civil conflict. The theoretical and empirical results of this study provide several significant...