cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hippocampal In Silico Models of Seizures and Epilepsy

In silico computational neuroscience models of epileptiform activity and epilepsy-related alterations in brain circuits are constructed from mathematical equations that represent biophysical processes at different scales, from ion channels and synapses, to populations of neurons and large-scale networks encompassing entire brain regions. Computational neuroscience models can be based on simplified mathematical equations that aim to capture only the most important aspects of neural information processing under normal and pathological conditions, or biophysically detailed equations that aim to capture the entire possible range of biophysical dynamics. In this chapter, we review biophysically detailed data-driven network models of hippocampal networks that address clinically relevant biomarkers of epilepsy, such as interictal spikes, and pathological high-frequency oscillations, such as fast ripples. We also discuss a new generation of detailed computational models of large-scale structural and functional connectivity in the hippocampus, and the potential applications of graph analysis to such models that may aid clinical intervention strategies. We conclude with a summary of the current state of full-scale computational models of the hippocampus that aim to combine detailed connectivity descriptions with biophysical dynamics.
Videoscopic-assisted removal of a left ventricular mass in an octogenarian.

An 85-year-old female with history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and emphysema presented with episodes of confusion. MRI demonstrated bilateral acute infarcts. She had non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and underwent percutaneous intervention with drug-elating stent for left anterior descending artery stenosis. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) (see online supplementary video 1) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) demonstrated calcified left ventricular mass (LVM) (see online supplementary video 2), severe mitral annular calcification and moderate mitral stenosis (figure …
CHAPTER 330 – Molecular Basis for Nucleocytoplasmic Transport

Transport of proteins and RNAs between the cytoplasm and the nucleus in eukaryotic cells proceeds through the nuclear pore complex (NPC), a massive proteinaceous structure that spans the nuclear envelope. During the past 15 years, the protein components of the NPC have been completely cataloged by a combination of traditional approaches and proteomic analysis. Moreover, permeabilized cell transport assays developed in higher eukaryotes, in combination with in vivo and genetic approaches in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other organisms, have led to the identification and characterization of major factors and steps in protein and RNA translocation through the NPC. Finally, X-ray crystallography has started to reveal the structures of individual components of the transport machinery at an atomic level, providing complementary information for understanding transport mechanisms. The mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic transport is a key problem in cell biology. Because many of the signals, soluble factors, and nucleoporins involved in nuclear transport have now been described, research is entering a new phase that is directed at obtaining a detailed mechanistic understanding of the transport process. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to understand the three-dimensional structure of the NPC in much greater detail.
Computational Approaches to Nucleic Acid Structure

A summary of recent efforts to understand the influence of chemical architecture on the conformation, properties, and interactions of nucleic acid double helices is presented. The work is a combination of conformational energy calculations, molecular modeling and computer graphics, developments and applications of polymer chain statistics, and Monte Carlo simulation studies. Allatom potential energy studies are used to estimate the base sequence dependent conformations of the right-handed double helix. Simpler energy functions are developed from the atomic level calculations to facilitate the treatment of long chain molecules. The combination of modeling and statistical mechanics is used to demonstrate how variations in local conformation translate into overall changes in macromolecular (secondary and tertiary) structure. The statistical mechanical studies provide a check of the local conformational predictions by relating the three-dimensional arrangements of the polynucleotide to configuration-dependent properties of the chain. New B-spline and Fourier series modeling techniques offer a way to study the conformation and flexibility of constrained DNA. Monte Carlo studies of linear and closed chains are used to study the distribution of molecular conformations and the flexibility of the nucleic acid as a whole.
Nonstatistical Effects in Neutron Capture, A Review of Recent Experiments

Recent experiments dealing with the measurements of gamma ray spectra due to thermal and resonance neutrons are examined for non- statistical effects. The thermal capture data which exhibited correlations between reduced γ-ray intensities and (d, p) strengths are quantitatively accounted for in terms of the potential capture theory of Lane and Lynn. 136Xe, 130Te, and 144Sm are presented as representative examples. In addition, the resonance capture data are reviewed for valence and doorway state effects. Ml transitions observed in thermal data are discussed in terms of a semi-direct process.
The Use of Antibodies as a Tool in Studies in Reproductive Physiology

In an earlier presentation to this symposium (Mikhail et al., 1970) we have reported the development of a radioimmunoassay method for plasma 17β-estradiol and estrone, a method which involves the use of antibodies to 17β-estradiol produced by the hapten technique. The purpose of this presentation is to describe a series of physiologic studies in which such antibodies to steroids were used as experimental tools to evaluate the role of 17β-estradiol, progesterone and testosterone in various reproductive processes.
Broadcast news and writing stylebook

Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook is the go-to resource for writing broadcast news, offering readers the know-how to write excellent stories for television, radio, podcasts and online media. Through clear and concise chapters, this text provides the fundamental rules of broadcast news writing, teaching readers how to craft stories on government, crime, weather, education, health, sports and more. It covers the necessary mechanics news writers need to know, including the nuances of reporting, grammar, style and usage. This new seventh edition is updated with the latest on how stations incorporate online and social media strategies, as well as insights into the directions local news is headed. Author Robert A. Papper has over a quarter century of broadcast news and industry research experience and once again updates this vital text with the information necessary for being a successful news writer today. Also available for this edition is an Instructor’s Guide, found on the book’s webpage. Whether you’re a student seeking to learn the mechanics of successful broadcast news writing or a working professional looking for a definitive reference for your desk, Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook offers a comprehensive guide to writing for television, audio and beyond.
Supplemental carbohydrates influence abiotic stress resistance in honey bees

During periods of pollen and nectar dearth, beekeepers may provide supplemental foods in the form of sucrose (SS), high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), or artificial pollen. However, these lack micronu...
Pitfalls on sample preparation for ex vivo imaging of resected cancer tissue using enzyme-activatable fluorescent probes

In vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging-assisted surgery can aid in determining the margins of tumors during surgical resection. While a variety of fluorescent probes have been proposed for this task, small molecule enzyme-activatable fluorescent probes are ideal for this application. They are quickly activated at tumor sites and result in bright signal with little background, resulting in high sensitivity. Testing in resected specimens, however, can be difficult. Enzymes are usually stable after freezing and thawing but catalytic reactions are generally temperature-dependent. Therefore, tissue sample temperature should be carefully considered. In this study two enzyme activatable probes, γ-glutamylhydroxymethyl rhodamine green (gGlu-HMRG) that reacted with γ-glutamyltransferase and SPiDER-βGal that reacted with β-galactosidase, were employed to determine the effects of temperature on fluorescence signal kinetics in both fresh and frozen and then thawed ex vivo experimental ovarian cancer tissue samples. The results suggest γ-glutamyltransferase was less sensitive to temperature than β-galactosidase. Fresh samples showed higher fluorescence signals of gGlu-HMRG compared with thawed samples likely because the freeze-thaw cycle decreased the rate of internalization of the activated probe into the lysosome. In contrast, no significant difference of SPiDER-βGal fluorescence signal was observed between fresh and frozen tissues. In conclusion, although imaging of fresh samples at 37°C is the best condition for both probes, successful imaging with gGlu-HMRG could be achieved even at room temperature with thawed samples. We demonstrate that temperature regulation and tissue handling of resected tissue are two pitfalls that may influence ex vivo imaging signals with enzyme-activatable fluorescent probes.
ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY | Overview

Atomic spectrometry represents analytical techniques that form the cornerstone of most modern elemental analysis. These optical spectroscopic techniques can be broadly represented by atomic emission, atomic absorption and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Within each of these techniques, variations in sources, atomizers and detectors provide a multitude of options, each of which offers unique analytical advantages. This chapter discusses the fundamental principles behind each of these analytical techniques and gives a brief overview of the instrumentation and analytical versatility available.
Quantitative Measurement of Iron-Silicides by EPMA Using the Fe Lα and Lβ X-ray Lines: A New Twist to an Old Approach.

The recent availability of Schottky-type field emission electron microprobes provides incentive to consider analyzing micrometer-sized features. Yet, to quantify sub-micrometer-sized features, the electron interaction volume must be reduced by decreasing accelerating voltage. However, the K lines of the transition elements (e.g., Fe) then cannot be excited, and the L lines must be used. The Fe Lα1,2 line is the most intense of the L series but bonding effects change its atomic parameters because it involves a valence band electron transition. For successful traditional electron probe microanalysis, the mass absorption coefficient (MAC) must be accurately known, but the MAC of Fe Lα1,2 radiation by Fe atoms varies from one Fe-compound to another and is not well known. We show that the conventional method of measuring the MAC by an electron probe cannot be used in close proximity to absorption edges, making its accurate determination impossible. Fortunately, we demonstrate, using a set of Fe–silicide compounds, that it is possible to derive an accurate calibration curve, for a given accelerating voltage and takeoff angle, which can be used to quantify Fe in Fe–silicide compounds. The calibration curve can be applied to any spectrometer without calibration and gives accurate quantification results.
The Association of Life's Simple 7 with Aldosterone among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study.

Background: Among African Americans (AAs), attaining higher levels of American Heart Association (AHA) ideal cardiovascular health (Life’s Simple 7 [LS7]) is associated with lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We previously showed that aldosterone is associated with higher risk of diabetes and CVD in AAs. Thus, we investigated the association of LS7 metrics with aldosterone in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Methods: Ideal metrics were defined by AHA 2020 goals for health behaviors (smoking, dietary intake, physical activity, and body mass index) and health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose). The number of ideal LS7 metrics attained at baseline were summed into a continuous score (0–7) and categorical groups (Poor: 0–1, Intermediate: 2–3, and Ideal: ≥4 ideal LS7 metrics). Multivariable linear regression was used. Results: Among 4,095 JHS participants (mean age 55 ± 13 years, 65% female), median serum aldosterone was 4.90, 4.30, and 3.70 ng/dL in the poor (n = 1132), intermediate (n = 2288) and ideal (n = 675) categories respectively. Aldosterone was 15% [0.85 (0.80, 0.90)] and 33% [0.67 (0.61, 0.75)] lower in the intermediate and ideal LS7 categories compared to the poor LS7 category. Each additional LS7 metric attained on continuous LS7 score (0–7) was associated with an 11% [0.89 (0.86, 0.91)] lower aldosterone level with variation by sex with women having a 15% lower aldosterone vs. 5% in men. Conclusions: Higher attainment of ideal LS7 metrics was associated with lower serum aldosterone among AAs with a greater magnitude of association among women compared to men.
Catalytic M Center of Copper Monooxygenases Probed by Rational Design. Effects of Selenomethionine and Histidine Substitution on Structure and Reactivity.

The M centers of the mononuclear monooxygenases peptidylglycine monooxygenase (PHM) and dopamine β-monooxygenase bind and activate dioxygen en route to substrate hydroxylation. Recently, we reported the rational design of a protein-based model in which the CusF metallochaperone was repurposed via a His to Met mutation to act as a structural and spectroscopic biomimic. The PHM M site exhibits a number of unusual attributes, including a His2Met ligand set, a fluxional Cu(I)–S(Met) bond, tight binding of exogenous ligands CO and N3–, and complete coupling of oxygen reduction to substrate hydroxylation even at extremely low turnover rates. In particular, mutation of the Met ligand to His completely eliminates the catalytic activity despite the propensity of CuI–His3 centers to bind and activate dioxygen in other metalloenzyme systems. Here, we further develop the CusF-based model to explore methionine variants in which Met is replaced by selenomethionine (SeM) and histidine. We examine the effects on coordina...
C3SRAM: In-Memory-Computing SRAM Macro Based on Capacitive-Coupling Computing

This letter presents C3SRAM, an in-memory-computing SRAM macro, which utilizes analog-mixed-signal capacitive-coupling computing to perform XNOR-and-accumulate operations for binary deep neural networks. The $256\times 64$ C3SRAM macro asserts all 256 rows simultaneously and equips one ADC per column, realizing fully parallel vector-matrix multiplication in one cycle. C3SRAM demonstrates 672 TOPS/W and 1638 GOPS, and achieves 98.3% accuracy for MNIST and 85.5% for CIFAR-10 dataset. It achieves $3975\times $ smaller energy-delay product than conventional digital processors.
A Comparative Analysis of Forecasting Financial Time Series Using ARIMA, LSTM, and BiLSTM

Machine and deep learning-based algorithms are the emerging approaches in addressing prediction problems in time series. These techniques have been shown to produce more accurate results than conventional regression-based modeling. It has been reported that artificial Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) with memory, such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are superior compared to Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) with a large margin. The LSTM-based models incorporate additional "gates" for the purpose of memorizing longer sequences of input data. The major question is that whether the gates incorporated in the LSTM architecture already offers a good prediction and whether additional training of data would be necessary to further improve the prediction. Bidirectional LSTMs (BiLSTMs) enable additional training by traversing the input data twice (i.e., 1) left-to-right, and 2) right-to-left). The research question of interest is then whether BiLSTM, with additional training capability, outperforms regular unidirectional LSTM. This paper reports a behavioral analysis and comparison of BiLSTM and LSTM models. The objective is to explore to what extend additional layers of training of data would be beneficial to tune the involved parameters. The results show that additional training of data and thus BiLSTM-based modeling offers better predictions than regular LSTM-based models. More specifically, it was observed that BiLSTM models provide better predictions compared to ARIMA and LSTM models. It was also observed that BiLSTM models reach the equilibrium much slower than LSTM-based models.
DIAGNOSTIC COMPLEXITIES OF LEFT ATRIAL MASSES AND THE VALUE OF A PULMONARY EMBOLISM RESPONSE TEAM

The difference in managing myxoma and pulmonary embolism (PE) emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis of left atrial masses. Diagnosis requires a systematic and multidisciplinary approach to treatment. 47 year old healthy woman presented with acute onset left lower abdominal pain and pre-
Molecular structure determination: Equilibrium structure of pyrimidine (m-C4H4N2) from rotational spectroscopy (reSE) and high-level ab initio calculation (re) agree within the uncertainty of experimental measurement.

The pure rotational spectrum of pyrimidine (m-C4H4N2), the meta-substituted dinitrogen analog of benzene, has been studied in the millimeter-wave region from 235 GHz to 360 GHz. The rotational spectrum of the ground vibrational state has been assigned and fit to yield accurate rotational and distortion constants. Over 1700 distinct transitions were identified for the normal isotopologue in its ground vibrational state and least-squares fit to a partial sextic S-reduced Hamiltonian. Transitions for all four singly substituted 13C and 15N isotopologues were observed at natural abundance and were likewise fit. Deuterium-enriched samples of pyrimidine were synthesized, giving access to all eleven possible deuterium-substituted isotopologues, ten of which were previously unreported. Experimental values of rotational constants and computed values of vibration–rotation interaction constants and electron-mass corrections were used to determine semi-experimental equilibrium structures (reSE) of pyrimidine. The reSE structure obtained using coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] corrections shows exceptional agreement with the re structure computed at the CCSD(T)/cc-pCV5Z level (≤0.0002 A in bond distance and ≤0.03° in bond angle). Of the various computational methods examined, CCSD(T)/cc-pCV5Z is the only method for which the computed value of each geometric parameter lies within the statistical experimental uncertainty (2σ) of the corresponding semi-experimental coordinate. The exceptionally high accuracy and precision of the structure determination is a consequence of the large number of isotopologues measured, the precision and extent of the experimental frequency measurements, and the sophisticated theoretical treatment of the effects of vibration–rotation coupling and electron mass. Taken together, these demanding experimental and computational studies establish the capabilities of modern structural analysis for a prototypical monocyclic aromatic compound.
CHAPTER VI – Amidases

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on two enzymes, namely, allantoinase and allantoicase. Allantoinase is found in amphibia and in fish. This enzyme acts upon allantoin in the presence of oxygen to form urea and possibly oxalic acid. Allantoicase is an enzyme, which breaks allantoin down to allantoic acid. This enzyme is found in amphibia, fish, plants and soybean. A simple test for allantoicase is to add an aqueous extract of soybean meal to a solution of allantoin and phenol red. Upon standing, the digest will become acid, owing to the formation of allantoic acid. Another enzyme, called urease, is commonly stated to hydrolyze urea to ammonium carbonate. The bacterium can be considered to employ urease to produce ammonia for its needs, but it is not known what the plant employs urease for. It is possible that the plant destroys urea in order to prevent it from accumulating. At any rate, urease is an important link in the cycle of nitrogen in nature.
US Supreme Court Doctrine in the State High Courts

US Supreme Court Doctrine in the State High Courts challenges theoretical and empirical accounts about how state high courts use US Supreme Court doctrine and precedent. Michael Fix and Benjamin Kassow argue that theories that do not account for the full range of ways in which state high courts can act are, by definition, incomplete. Examining three important precedents – Atkins v. Virginia, Lemon v. Kurtzman, and DC v. Heller/McDonald v. Chicago – Fix and Kassow find that state high courts commonly ignore Supreme Court precedent for reasons of political ideology, path dependence, and fact patterns in cases that may be of varying similarity to those found in relevant US Supreme Court doctrine. This work, which provides an important addition to the scholarly literature on the impact of Supreme Court decisions, should be read by anyone interested in law and politics or traditional approaches to the study of legal decision-making.
Immunotherapy with cells (article not eligible for CME credit).

Both older and newer cell therapies have demonstrated impressive responses in otherwise poor-prognosis lymphomas. Consequently, cellular therapy now plays a major role in the management of many non-Hodgkin lymphomas. In this article, we examine the role of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, allogeneic stem cell transplantation, and virus-directed T cells for treatment of lymphomas. We review the current indications for CAR T cells and discuss our clinical approach to selecting and treating patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas to receive CD19-directed CAR T cells. In addition, we highlight newer cell therapies and provide an overview of promising future approaches that have the potential to transform immunotherapy with cells to treat lymphomas.
Metacognitive beliefs and emotional eating in adolescents

Metacognition refers to how people think about their own thoughts. Existing studies have found that compared to healthy controls, individuals with eating disorders manifest elevated levels of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs. No studies to date have investigated what role metacognitive beliefs play in the manifestation of emotional eating, a well-known risk factor for the development of eating disorders. The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations between metacognitive beliefs and emotional eating in a community sample of adolescents. Participants were 135 middle school students (Mean age = 13.62 years; SD = 0.57) who completed the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Children and Adolescents-Short-Form, Metacognition Questionnaire for Children, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children, and a demographic questionnaire. Participants classified as high emotional eaters reported statistically significant higher negative metacognitive beliefs (Mean = 15.56; SD = 4.22) compared to participants classified as low emotional eaters (Mean = 12.85; SD = 4.31; p ≤ 0.001; t = − 3.69). There was a significant positive association between emotional eating and negative metacognitive beliefs in the hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis (standardized beta coefficient = 0.25; p < 0.05) after controlling for socio-demographic variables and negative affect. The current findings provide preliminary evidence that negative metacognitive beliefs may play a role in the manifestation of emotional eating in adolescents. Future prospective studies are needed to elucidate the temporal associations between emotional eating and negative metacognitive beliefs in this population. Level III, case-control analytic study.
Entering or advancing in the IT labor market: The role of an online graduate degree in computer science

Abstract Online graduate degree programs, particularly in technical disciplines, represent a fast-growing market for higher education institutions. Yet, it is unclear how online degree programs fit within students' educational investment decisions and career goals. Based on a foundation of human capital theory, and using data from a 2017 survey of students enrolled in an online master's degree program in computer science at a highly ranked US university, this study explores how motivation for seeking an online graduate degree in computer science varies by student demographics and professional background/preparation. Results show two student markets: one for career mobility, including job advancement and/or career change, and another for skill building without consideration of mobility. Our results also show that while students come from diverse backgrounds, the primary driving factor for seeking the degree is determined by relevant professional experience. Implications for future study and online instructional design are discussed.
Comparative Investigation of SiC Current Source Converter and Matrix Converter Topologies for Medium-Voltage Electric Aircraft Propulsion

Medium-voltage electric propulsion is a promising technology to enable the electrification of aircraft, especially for twin-aisle aircraft. The performance of the medium-voltage power converter plays a critical role in the overall electric propulsion performance. To pursue higher efficiency, reliability, and power density, this paper investigates the comparison of the current source converter, direct and indirect matrix converters, with respect to a multilevel voltage source converter. The emerging Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET modules are used to configure the power converters to achieve higher efficiency and power density. All these converters are modeled and simulated for a megawatt-scale propulsion drive system rated at medium voltage. Simulation results are presented and analyzed to provide a reference for the future aircraft propulsion designs.
Teaching Prerequisite Perspective-Taking Skills to Children with Autism

It is well documented that the acquisition of a perspective taking ability leads to the development of important social and communication skills. The present study sought to facilitate a prerequisite skill to perspective taking in three individuals with autism. Participants viewed pictures of a known individual facing left or right looking at an object. We projected arrows from the eyes of the person in the picture as visual prompts (three varying lengths). Two of three participants were able to select the appropriate discriminative stimuli without prompts. During maintenance tests, only one of three participants maintained accurate responding above 50%. The implications of these findings to the development of a perspective-taking repertoire from a behavior-analytic orientation are discussed.
Density of rapid eye movements during active sleep in preterm newborn infants

Rapid eye movement (REM) density has been helpful as a reliable index of phasic eye movements activity during REM (active) sleep in adults. We evaluated this index in 28 newborns, at 34 to 39 weeks of conceptional age (CA). The 5 hours polysomnographic recording during sleep included electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, electrocardiogram, pneumogram, nasal thermistor for detecting airflow, and continuous oxygen saturation (tcPO2) monitoring. REM density was measured by two distinct criteria: REM density as the duration of phasic eye movements in relation to REM periods (REMP). Such index varied from 10.6 to 14.1% and was higher in the 36-37 weeks CA group. REM density was calculated as a percentage of 10-second epochs of REM sleep in which phasic eye movements occurred. This criterion confirmed the narrow range of such index in this age bracket (39.9-44.6%), was higher in the first REMP and in the 36-37 weeks CA group. Our data suggest that REM density is a consistent phasic REM sleep feature in preterm newborns with levels close to the adult population, in spite of the gradual decrease of REM sleep duration with age. Higher indices were also found in the first REMP and in the 36-37 weeks CA group by both methods.
Identifying Developing Cloud Clusters Using Predictive Features

Forecasters need better data-driven techniques using feature extraction to determine whether a cyclone will develop from a loosely organized cluster of clouds. Prior studies have attempted to predict the formation of tropical cyclones using numerical weather prediction models and satellite and radar data. However, refined observational data and forecasting techniques are not always available or accurate in areas such as the North Atlantic Ocean where data are sparse. In response, this research investigates the predictive features that contribute to a cloud cluster developing into a tropical cyclone without using dynamic models. Instead, it will only use global gridded satellite data which are readily available. Generally, an imbalance occurs in the classification process of cloud clusters since the number of non-developing cloud clusters is greater than the number of developing cloud clusters. Imbalanced data are an essential source of low performance in learning about rare events. To address this issue, the produced cloud cluster feature dataset is balanced by applying the Selective Clustering based Oversampling Technique (SCOT), which addresses data imbalance in a selective manner and can be used in many applications. In this research, the predictive features are identified based on the performance of separating developing and non-developing cloud clusters from the balanced feature dataset when using a standard classifier. The predictive features are identified only if the classification yields a geometric mean of at least 80 % and a Heidke Skill Score of at least 0.8.
Structural dependence of the rotational barrier in calicenes

Abstract Semi-empirical SCF MO calculations have been carried out for calicene and a variety of its derivatives. The pi binding energies of these species were obtained for both a planar structure and a structure where rotation about the intercyclic bond has occurred so that the two rings have assumed a perpendicular arrangement. While the absolute values of pi energy loss calculated by this approach are far too large, the relative values of the rotational barriers for various calicene derivatives follow expectations. It was shown that the incorporation of proper substituents into the molecule could lower the barrier to rotation either by inductive or conjugative effects. These effects would tend to stabilize structures with transfer of charge. Strain energy calculations, to assess the role of steric effects within the calicene system, are also discussed as are considerations of higher energy triplet states in the rotation phenomenon.
Optimal slice size for streaming regions of high resolution video with virtual pan/tilt/zoom functionality

High resolution digital imaging sensors are becoming more widespread. The challenges in delivering this high resolution content to the client are posed by limited resolution of display panels and/or limited bit-rate for communications. We propose a video coding scheme which enables virtual pan/tilt/zoom functionality during the streaming session. This way the server can adapt and stream only those regions of the video content that are desired at that time at the client's end. Apart from generating a multi-resolution representation, our coding scheme uses P slices from H.264/AVC for random access to arbitrary regions within every spatial resolution. We study the trade-off in the choice of slice size. A larger slice size enables higher coding efficiency for representing the entire scene but increases the pixel overhead. The pixel overhead is due to superfluous pixels that are transmitted but not displayed at the client's end. The optimal slice size achieves the best trade-off and minimizes the expected number of bits transmitted to the client per frame. Our analysis helps to predict the optimal slice size, which depends on the signal as well as the display resolution. Experimental results confirm the optimality of the predicted slice size for various test cases.
Evaluating the Immersed Boundary Method in a Ribbed Duct for the Internal Cooling of Turbine Blades

In this paper, immersed boundary method (IBM) is evaluated in a ribbed duct geometry to show the potential of simulating a complex geometry with a simple structured grid. In this framework, instead of resolving the geometry with a body conforming grid, the geometry is immersed into a volume background grid, and the immersed boundary cuts through the background grid and catches the geometry features. A fully developed rib roughed duct geometry is simulated with IBM at a bulk Reynolds number of 1.5 × 104. Three cases have been examined: a stationary case; a case of positive rotation at a rotation number (Ro = ΩDh/U) of 0.3 (destabilizing); and a case of negative rotation at Ro = −0.3 (stabilizing). The dynamic Smagorinsky subgird stress model is used with a second-order central difference discretization. Time averaged mean, turbulent quantities are presented, together with heat transfer. It is found that in general, the simulation with IBM resolves the bulk mean features of the flow with very good accuracy. In the stationary and positive rotation cases, the recirculation patterns and reattachment point predicted by IBM agree very well with the experiment data. In the negative rotation case, prediction of the recirculation zone shows some differences with the experiment. The IBM approach over predicts the turbulent statistics under destabilizing conditions. The overall good agreement between IBM and experimental results suggests that IBM is a promising method to apply to complex blade geometries.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
New methods for bounding adaptive filter poles

A method of bounding the coefficients of autoregressive moving average (ARMA) filters which guarantees strict sense stability (poles remain inside the unit circle) is presented. The method is general, and can be used to stabilize any filter which has a proper rational transfer function. Applications of Kharitonov's theorem or the more general D-stability theory, with additional constraints, yield optimal coefficient bounds which can be computed offline. In contrast to previous bounding approaches, these methods apply to filters of arbitrary order. Poles can also be restricted to lie within any specified simply-connected regions of the z-plane. Significant improvements in convergence behavior and stability are noted. >
POLITICS BENDS THE LAW IN LATIN AMERICA

Most Latin American governments acknowledge the need for substantial judicial reform. This article focuses on three problems in the implementation of justice during the 1990s. The three case studies touch on four countries – Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico and the United States, although the same or similar problems can be found throughout the hemisphere.
Sound generated by fluid-structure interactions

Abstract A tutorial summary is given of the theory of aerodynamic sound with special reference to the generation of sound by flow interacting with rigid and elastic structures. Lighthill's acoustic analogy and the theory of vortex sound are discussed. Several applications of the theory are described that exemplify the considerable progress that has been made in the analytical treatment of flow generated sound at low Mach numbers, including the use of the compact acoustic Green's function to estimate fluid-structure interaction noise when one or more pertinent source dimensions are small compared to the acoustic wavelength. The need to take proper account of additional sources formed by vortex shedding during an interaction is emphasized, and illustrated by the example of blade-vortex interaction noise. The modification caused by surface compliance of the efficiency of sound production by an adjacent flow is discussed by reference to simple analytical models involving vortex flow near the edge of an elastic plate, and over a surface inhomogeneity on a large plate.
The diuretic effect of morphine in the chicken

Abstract The unilateral infusion of morphine 0.35 mg/kg/min into the renal portal circulation of the chicken produces a bilateral increase in urine volume, sodium and potassium excretion. The urine excretion is increased five-fold while sodium and potassium excretion are doubled. The peak diuresis occurs 5 to 15 min after the cessation of morphine infusion. Although the responses are bilateral, the infusion of C14-morphine indicates that the renal portal system is functional and that morphine is handled mainly by the infused kidney. The systemic infusion of morphine via the wing vein also produces the same results as renal portal administration. A second dose of morphine produces a diuretic effect which is much less than seen after the first dose. Rehydration of the chicken prior to the second dose of morphine does not alter this effect. Nalorphine given together with morphine completely blocks the morphine-induced diuresis, while nalorphine alone does not alter the urine flow. The delay in effect and bilateral nature of the response suggests that morphine may act through a hormonal mechanism to produce a diuresis, rather than by a direct action on the kidney tubules.
Effect of physostigmine on plasma lactate and pyruvate in untrained/trained rats

Physostigmine (Phy) is metabolized to eseroline, a phenolic compound that appears to alter mitochondrial functions. The effect of Phy on recovery from exercise and on time course of plasma lactate and pyruvate levels following an acute bout of exercise (AE) was examined in untrained and trained (ET) rats. Phy alone elicited significantly higher plasma lactate and pyruvate levels than sedentary control. AE + Phy had a significantly higher plasma lactate and pyruvate levels compared to AE 2 min postadministration. From 5-30 min postexercise, lactate and pyruvate levels did not differ between these two acutely exercised groups. ET + Phy exhibited significantly lower levels of plasma lactate and pyruvate from 5-60 min postexercise compared to ET. The data show that the "additive" effect of Phy on postexercise plasma lactate and pyruvate levels can be attenuated by an enhanced fitness level in these rats.
Modulation of transcription parameters in glucocorticoid receptor-mediated repression

Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) affect both gene induction and gene repression. The disparities of receptor binding to DNA and increased vs. decreased gene expression have suggested significant mechanistic differences between GR-mediated induction and repression. Numerous transcription factors are known to modulate three parameters of gene induction: the total activity (Vmax) and position of the dose-response curve with glucocorticoids (EC50) and the percent partial agonist activity with antiglucocorticoids. We have examined the effects on GR-mediated repression of five modulators (coactivators TIF2 [GRIP1, SRC-2] and SRC-1, corepressor SMRT, and comodulators STAMP and Ubc9), a glucocorticoid steroid (deacylcortivazol [DAC]) of very different structure, and an inhibitor of histone deacetylation (trichostatin A [TSA]). These factors interact with different domains of GR and thus are sensitive topological probes of GR action. These agents altered the Vmax, EC50, and percent partial agonist activity of endogenous and exogenous repressed genes similarly to that previously observed for GR-regulated gene induction. Collectively, these results suggest that GR-mediated induction and repression share many of the same molecular interactions and that the causes for different levels of gene transcription arise from more distal downstream steps.
The field of vertical motion in selected weather situations

The effect of vertical motion on pressure and temperature changes is briefly discussed, and the role of vertical velocities in the process of condensation is stressed. Two independent methods for the measurement of vertical velocities are outlined, and a practical technique for computation is described. The effect of vertical velocities in bringing about changes in sky condition and weather is illustrated in two cases. The field of vertical velocity from the surface to thirteen kilometers through a Colorado Low is illustrated by means of a cross-section showing in the vertical plane the projections of streamlines of air flow, pressure changes, type of temperature advection, and the locations of the tropopause and the trough line.
Lectin binding sites on the plasma membrane of epididymal and ejaculated chimpanzee sperm

Lectins have been used to analyze variations in the distribution and density of exposed saccharides of the sperm plasma membrane during physiologic maturation and after ejaculation. Studies have been conducted in a number of nonprimate species but have been conducted to only a limited extent in nonhuman primates. In this study, pure suspensions of chimpanzee sperm from the caput and cauda epididymis and from the ejaculate were labeled with lectins conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate in order to visualize changes in the distribution of exposed membrane glycocomponents. The lectins used were Con A, DBA, RCA-I, and WGA. Con A binding showed minimal change during epididymal transit, with an increased binding to the flagellum after ejaculation. DBA binding was relatively constant in all specimens. RCA-I showed distinct changes in binding pattern between epididymal and ejaculated sperm. On ejaculated sperm strong fluorescence was limited to the posterior head and to the midpiece. WGA binding increased during epididymal passage and decreased after ejaculation. There appears to be a wide variety of saccharide groups available for lectin binding on the surface of epididymal and ejaculated chimpanzee sperm. The general similarity in binding patterns of caput and cauda epididymal chimpanzee sperm exposed to Con A and DBA might reflect the fact that sperm morphology does not change during epididymal transit in this species, thus implying a more stable membrane structure than is present in other primates so far studied.
Training users of a prototype DSS

The ITM (interactive training manual) is a mechanized training package which allows users to learn a prototype decision support system while interacting with an actual grapics system and data base. Decision support systems, which offer powerful, computer-based functions to professional nonprogrammers, place heavy demands upon training because users tend to have severe time constraints and a low tolerance for training. This paper describes the ITM and gives results of an experiment which compares the ITM to human tutors. Results show that the ITM decreases instructor time while maintaining or improving student performance. These results are quite encouraging since good human tutors are generally considered to provide the most effective individualized instruction.
The Robert Tiffany Lectureship. Vital signs at the millennium: becoming more than we are.

Presenting this lecture named for my colleague, the late Robert Tiffany, is an honor. He was part of the first International Conference on Cancer Nursing 20 years ago, which was my first international meeting. It was part of what expanded our Texas-only cancer prevention and detection program for nu
Phase stability of a clinical phased array system for deep regional hyperthermia.

Measurements were performed on the amplifiers of a phased array system to evaluate the dependence of phase on frequency. The power from the amplifiers was terminated into a 50 ohm load at the point of connection to the antennas of the applicator, and the power was sampled to determine the phase relation between amplifier channels. It was found that the measured phase difference between two amplifier channels can: (1) change by as much as 20° with frequency; (2) be as much as 12° different than the prescribed phase; and (3) be as much as 30° different than the phase measured and displayed by the system. Previous studies indicate that in order to accurately plan and deliver treatments with this type of device, it is necessary to know the phase relationship of the array to within at least 20°. Since differences as great as 20° were obtained under ideal loading conditions, greater differences could result during normal (clinical) loading conditions, and these may not be compensated by the operator because of ...
New evidence for changes in Plio–Pleistocene deep water circulation from Southern Ocean ODP Leg 177 Site 1090

Abstract Changes in Atlantic deep water circulation were reconstructed by comparing the benthic foraminiferal δ13C record at ODP Site 1090 in the South Atlantic with similar records from the North Atlantic (Sites 982, 607, 925, 929) and deep Pacific (Site 849) oceans. Important deep water circulation changes occurred in the early Pleistocene at 1.55 Myr and during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition at 0.9 Myr. At 1.55 Myr, glacial δ13C values in the Southern Ocean became significantly lower than those in the deep Pacific, establishing a pattern that persisted throughout the late Pleistocene. We propose that the lowering of δ13C values of Southern Component Water (SCW) at this time resulted from expansion of sea ice and reduced ventilation of deep water during glacial periods after marine isotope stage 52. Accompanying this change in Southern Ocean deep water circulation was enhanced interhemispheric coupling between the North and South Atlantic after 1.55 Myr. At ∼0.9 Myr, the magnitude of glacial-to-interglacial variability in δ13C increased and shifted to a longer frequency (100 kyr) along with oceanic δ18O (ice volume). Calculation of percent Northern Component Water (NCW) using Site 1090 as the SCW end member yielded 20–30% less reduction of NCW during glacial periods of the late Pleistocene. Also, a trend toward reduced glacial suppression of NCW during the past 400 kyr is not evident. The apparent decoupling of ice volume and deep water circulation reported previously may be an artifact of using a Pacific, rather than a Southern Ocean, carbon isotopic record to calculate past mixing ratios of NCW and SCW.
An inventory to measure knowledge of behavioral methods with inpatient adults

A 44-item multiple choice inventory designed to assess the knowledge of hospital staff in the use of behavioral methods with adult psychiatric inpatients is described. Data are presented to demonstrate adequate internal consistency, temporal stability and validity. Potential uses and limitations of the inventory are discussed.
The design, fabrication and characterization of a silicon microheater for an integrated MEMS gas preconcentrator

We report the design and fabrication of a microheater unit as a key component of an integrated micro gas preconcentrator that has an ultra-small preconcentrator volume (<0.25 µL) and microvalves for fast injection speeds (<1 ms). Monolithic integration of the microvalves into the microheater of the preconcentrator gives rise to challenges in designing the microheater and implementing thermal isolation for low power and energy consumption. A preconcentrator chamber, 3.5 × 1.5 mm2 in planform area and 40 µm deep, was built in the device layer of a silicon-on-insulator wafer and filled with an array of microposts with a preconcentrator volume of 0.2–0.25 µL. Different generations of the microheaters and their mating dies were fabricated to show the effects of thermal isolation and thermal mass of the system on the performance of the heater. The microheater assembly with the least thermal mass and most thermal isolation can reach 300 °C in 100 ms with 12.3 W of power and is expected to consume less than 2 J during the operation of each preconcentration cycle.
Amorphous to Crystalline Structural Transition during Growth of Silicon by Plasma Enhanced Chemical vapor Deposition

The growth of thin Si films by RF glow discharge undergoes a transition from amorphous to microcrystalline as power density is increased. This results in a substantial change in the film’s electrical conductivity and activation energy for electrical conduction. The RF glow discharge has been characterized in terms of plasma density, plasma potential and electron temperature with emissive Langmuir Probe measurements. The structural transition has been observed with a transmission electron microscope.