cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Petroselinic acid and nonsaponifiable constituents of parsley seed oil

Selective extraction of parsley seed oil (Petroselinum sativum) facilitates the isolation of myristiein (5-allyl-1-methoxy-2,3-methylenedioxybenzene) and is also useful for the preparation of petroselinic acid from the triglycerides of this oil. Coriander seed oil (Coriandrum sativum) is also a satisfactory source for the isolation of petroselinic acid.
A diffusion chamber study of very slow mesons. IV. Absorption of pions in light nuclei

The absorption of slow negative pions has been studied in the light nuclei helium, cabon and nitrogen. The dominant reaction in each case has been observed to be: (1) π− +4He → p + 3n; (2) π− +12C →2α+lp + 3n; (3) π− +14N → 3α + 2n. Prong distributions, proton and alpha spectra have been compiled and compared with the theory of Clark and Ruddelsden. The frequency of α-emission gives strong qualitative support to the α-particle model of nuclear structure. This is supported by the similarity of the proton spectra in reactions (1) and (2). The low average energy of protons in (1) and (2) and of α-particles in (3) supports the two nucleon recoil model in the primary absorption act. In this case (np) initial nucleon states3S1 are favored over (pp) states1S0 in agreement with the inverse reaction — production of mesons in nucleon-nucleon collisions.
The Chromosomal Passenger Complex and a Mitotic Kinesin Interact with the Tousled-Like Kinase in Trypanosomes to Regulate Mitosis and Cytokinesis

Aurora B kinase plays essential roles in mitosis and cytokinesis in eukaryotes. In the procyclic form of Trypanosoma brucei, the Aurora B homolog TbAUK1 regulates mitosis and cytokinesis, phosphorylates the Tousled-like kinase TbTLK1, interacts with two mitotic kinesins TbKIN-A and TbKIN-B and forms a novel chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) with two novel proteins TbCPC1 and TbCPC2. Here we show with time-lapse video microscopy the time course of CPC trans-localization from the spindle midzone in late anaphase to the dorsal side of the cell where the anterior end of daughter cell is tethered, and followed by a glide toward the posterior end to divide the cell, representing a novel mode of cytokinesis in eukaryotes. The three subunits of CPC, TbKIN-B and TbTLK1 interact with one another suggesting a close association among the five proteins. An ablation of TbTLK1 inhibited the subsequent trans-localization of CPC and TbKIN-B, whereas a knockdown of CPC or TbKIN-B disrupted the spindle pole localization of TbTLK1 during mitosis. In the bloodstream form of T. brucei, the five proteins also play essential roles in chromosome segregation and cytokinesis and display subcellular localization patterns similar to that in the procyclic form. The CPC in bloodstream form also undergoes a trans-localization during cytokinesis similar to that in the procyclic form. All together, our results indicate that the five-protein complex CPC-TbTLK1-TbKIN-B plays key roles in regulating chromosome segregation in the early phase of mitosis and that the highly unusual mode of cytokinesis mediated by CPC occurs in both forms of trypanosomes.
Coral mortality associated with thermal fluctuations in the Phoenix Islands, 2002–2005

The Phoenix Islands (Republic of Kiribati, 172–170°W and 2.5–5°S) experience intra- and inter-annual sea surface temperature variability of ≈2°C and have few local anthropogenic impacts. From July 2002, a thermal stress event occurred, which peaked at 21 Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) in January 2003 and persisted for 4 years. Such thermal stress was greater than any thermal event reported in the coral reef literature. Reef surveys were conducted in July 2000, June 2002, and May 2005, for six of the eight islands. Sampling was stratified by exposure (windward, leeward, and lagoon) and depth (5, 10, 15, and 25 m). The thermal stress event caused mass coral mortality, and coral cover declined by approximately 60% between 2002 and 2005. However, mortality varied among sites (12–100%) and among islands (42–79%) and varied in accordance with the presence of a lagoon, island size, and windward vs. leeward exposure. Leeward reefs experienced the highest and most consistent decline in coral cover. Island size and the presence of a lagoon showed positive correlations with coral mortality, most likely because of the longer water residence time enhancing heating. Windward reefs showed cooler conditions than leeward reefs. Recently dead corals were observed at depths >35 m on windward and >45 m on leeward reefs. Between-island variation in temperature had no effect on between-island variation in coral mortality. Mortality levels reported here were comparable to those reported for the most extreme thermal stress events of 9–10 DHW in other regions. These results highlight the high degree of acclimation and/or adaptation of the corals in the Phoenix Islands to their local temperature regime, and their consequent vulnerability to anomalous events. Moreover, the results suggest the need to adjust thermal stress calculations to reflect local temperature variation.
Degraded Text Recognition Using Word Collocation

ABSTRACT A relaxation-based algorithm is proposed that improves the performance of a text recog-nition technique by propagating the influence of word collocation statistics. Word collocationrefers to the likelihood that two words co-occur within a fixed distance of one another. For ex-ample, in a story about water transportation, it is highly likely that the word "river" will occurwithin ten words on either side of the word "boat." The proposed algorithm receives groupsof visually similar decisions (called neighborhoods) for words in a running text that are com-puted by a word recognition algorithm. The position of decisions within the neighborhoods aremodified based on how often they co-occur with decisions in the neighborhoods of other nearbywords. This process is iterated a number of times effectively propagating the influence of thecollocation statistics across an input text. This improves on a strictly local analysis by allowingfor strollg collocations to reinforce weak (but related) collocations elsewhere. An experimentalanalysis is discussed in which the algorithm is applied to improving text recognition results thatare less than 60 percent correct. The correct rate is effectively improved to 90 percent or betterin all cases.
Neural Activations During Auditory Oddball Processing Discriminating Schizophrenia and Psychotic Bipolar Disorder

Background Reduced amplitude of the P300 event-related potential in auditory oddball tasks may characterize schizophrenia (SZ) but is also reported in bipolar disorder. Similarity of auditory processing abnormalities between these diagnoses is uncertain, given the frequent combination of both psychotic and nonpsychotic patients in bipolar samples; abnormalities may be restricted to psychosis. In addition, typically only latency and amplitude of brain responses at selected sensors and singular time points are used to characterize neural responses. Comprehensive quantification of brain activations involving both spatiotemporal and time-frequency analyses could better identify unique auditory oddball responses among patients with different psychotic disorders. Methods Sixty SZ, 60 bipolar I with psychosis (BPP), and 60 healthy subjects (H) were compared on neural responses during an auditory oddball task using multisensor electroencephalography. Principal components analysis was used to reduce multisensor data before evaluating group differences on voltage and frequency of neural responses over time. Results Linear discriminant analysis revealed five variables that best differentiated groups: 1) late beta activity to standard stimuli; 2) late beta/gamma activity to targets discriminated BPP from other groups; 3) midlatency theta/alpha activity to standards; 4) target-related voltage at the late N2 response discriminated both psychosis groups from H; and 5) target-related voltage during early N2 discriminated BPP from H. Conclusions Although the P300 significantly differentiated psychotic groups from H, it did not uniquely discriminate groups beyond the above variables. No variable uniquely discriminated SZ, perhaps indicating utility of this task for studying psychosis-associated neurophysiology generally and BPP specifically.
A Nano-Scale Multi-Asperity Contact and Friction Model

As surfaces become smoother and loading forces decrease in applications such as MEMS and NEMS devices, the asperity contacts which comprise the real contact area will continue to decrease into the nano scale regime. Thus it becomes important to understand how the material and topographical properties of surfaces contribute to measured friction forces at this nano scale. We have incorporated the single asperity nano contact model of Hurtado and Kim into a multi-asperity model for contact and friction which includes the effect of asperity adhesion forces using the Maugis-Dugdale model. Our model spans the range from nano-scale to micro-scale to macro-scale contacts. We have identified three key dimensionless parameters representing combinations of surface roughness measures, Burgers vector length, surface energy, and elastic modulus. Results are given for the normal and friction forces vs. separation, and for the friction coefficient vs. normal force for various values of these key parameters.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
The renin system and atrial natriuretic hormone in congestive heart failure.

The renin angiotensin system is activated in the majority of patients with chronic congestive heart failure of moderate to severe symptomology. Renin release may result from one of several different stimuli: renal tubular sodium delivery and sensing by the macula densa, sympathetic nervous system activity, and baroreceptor to changes in renal blood flow. Difficulties arise with an analysis of renin angiotensin system activity due to the necessity for diuretic therapy in the majority of these patients. Despite the presence of diuretic therapy, however, there is a wide range of renin angiotensin system activity. In evaluating this activity the administration of a converting enzyme inhibitor will block the contribution of angiotensin mediated vasoconstriction, thereby confirming the importance of the renin angiotensin system activity as a mediator of the long-term consequences of heart failure In situations of low plasma renin activity, vasoconstriction is mediated by an alternate mechanism. The mechanisms of this non-renin mediated vasoconstriction are less apparent, but may include calcium mediated vasoconstriction, and the effects of increased cytosolic content. This low renin group of patients appear to be very sensitive to reversal of vasoconstriction by calcium channel antagonists, especially when converting enzyme inhibitors are ineffective. In an analysis of the factors that may result in renin release, tubular delivery of sodium to the macula densa may emerge as the most important regulator of renin release. In milder forms of heart failure, or in the absence of diuretic therapy, the renin angiotensin system does not show the degree of activation that occurs in the more severe form of heart failure when diuretics are given. From a theroretical standpoint, endogenous atrial natriuretic factor may emerge as an important regular of sodium and water excretion, acting either independently, or as a regulator of the renin angiotensin system, It will therefore be necessary to evaluate the impact of atrial natriuretic factor in patients with congestive heart failure particularly in relation to the renin angiotensin system.
RISK OF HEART FAILURE HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH FOLLOWING NON-CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITALIZATION IN PATIENTS WITH MILDLY SYMPTOMATIC HEART FAILURE TREATED WITH CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY

Heart failure hospitalizations are a known risk factor for future heart failure events and death in patients with cardiac disease. However, less is known about the risk for future heart failure events or death in patients hospitalized for non-cardiac reasons. We examined the risk for heart failure
Who should be treated with combination therapy as initial treatment for hypertension

There is currently consensus regarding the need to initiate antihypertensive therapy with a combination of two agents from different antihypertensive classes in selected patients. This consensus extends to the need to bring blood pressure to the appropriate level but has not been defined regarding optimal strategies for selection of combinations that may be most effective at reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension. Because of the heterogeneous nature of hypertension, there may be unique population-specific strategies for selecting antihypertensive regimens. Appropriate combinations of antihypertensive agents are particularly relevant for patients with diabetes, renal disease, and isolated systolic hypertension as well as for African Americans with high-risk hypertension. The antihypertensive regimen for high-risk patients should be based on those agents for which the patient has compelling indications, with the addition of agents deemed most likely to bring the patient to the appropriate blood pressure goal as quickly as possible.
Some influences of temperature on the rearing of the grunion Leuresthes tenuis, an atherine fish

Grunion Leuresthes tenuis (Ayres), an atherine fish, were reared, from artificially fertilized eggs to 160 days posthatching, at temperatures from 18.0° to 25.4° C. The rearing was carried out in five 60 l rectangular containers and two hard moulded plastic pools holding 60 and 450 l. The growth rate was highly correlated with temperature at least up to metamorphosis. Thereafter, the effect of temperature on growth, within lethal limits, appeared to be lost or at least masked by other factors. At low densities, after metamorphosis, growth was proportional to the population density. Size and shape of the rearing containers also influenced the growth rate.
Impedance boundary conditions for imperfectly conducting surfaces

It is shown how the exact electromagnetic boundary conditions at the surface of a material of large refractive index can be approximated to yield the usual impedance or Leontovich boundary conditions. These conditions relate the tangential components of the electric and magnetic fields (or the normal components and their normal derivatives) via a surface impedance which is a function only of the electromagnetic properties of the material. They are valid for surfaces whose radii of curvature are large compared with the penetration depth, and also for materials which are not homogeneous but whose properties vary slowly from point to point. As the refractive index (or conductivity) increases to infinity, the conditions go over uniformly to the conditions for perfect conductivity.
S-100 immunoreactivity in primary and metastatic carcinoma of the breast: A potential source of error in immunodiagnosis

Immunoreactivity for S-100 protein, typically a marker for malignant melanoma and neural-derived tumors, was observed in neoplastic cells of 57 of 68 cases (84%) of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary and/or metastatic carcinoma of the breast of various histologic types. The extent of S-100 immunoreactivity varied, with only a minor proportion of positive tumor cells noted in some cases. An awareness of this staining profile for S-100 protein, particularly in metastatic poorly differentiated neoplasms with unknown primaries, is imperative for accurate immunohistochemical interpretation. Using a panel of reagents which includes antibodies to keratin proteins and epithelial membrane antigen, the epithelial nature of S-100-positive carcinomas may be readily defined. Tumor cells in all cases of primary and metastatic carcinoma of the breast evaluated in this study exhibited strong staining for both of these tissue markers. To preclude misinterpretation of tumor type due to anomalous staining patterns for a specific antibody, eg, S-100 protein, a panel of antibodies is recommended for assessment of metastatic poorly differentiated tumors.
The key or just a cog in the wheel to operability assessment

The ability to measure the hydrostatic pressure in a capillary bed ( P c) was an impetus for the development of the arterial occlusion method [1]. The relevance of P c in pulmonary circulation is its role in pulmonary oedema formation. In order to accurately measure P c, the isogravimetric method and the double occlusion technique have served as standards [2, 3]. However, both techniques require surgical isolation of the organ. The pulmonary artery occlusion technique was developed for in vivo use with a standard fluid-filled pulmonary artery catheter. When incorporated, the technique enabled P c measurements as part of a standard right heart catheterisation procedure. But interest in this technique appeared to wane after discovering that the pulmonary artery occlusion technique, rather than measuring P c, was measuring a pre-capillary pressure in the >80–100 μm calibre range [1, 4]. Although this limited its application in pulmonary oedema research, the technique would later find renewed interest in the field of pulmonary hypertension (PH) [4, 5]. Of the …
Project planning and predictive earned value analysis via simulation

A simulation-based Earned Value Management methodology is introduced for modeling and analyzing project networks with stochastic activity times and activity costs. The methodology uses simulation to establish a project plan and estimate the planned value over the life of the project. During project execution, these reference measures can be used to determine if the project is on track to completion. The simulation tool can be used to evaluate potential alternatives and predict their impact on the project.
Diverse DNA extraction methods and PCR primers for detection of Huanglongbing-associated bacteria from roots of ‘Valencia’ sweet orange on sour orange rootstock

a b s t r a c t Fibrous root samples from Huanglongbing symptomatic (S) and asymptomatic (AS) ‘Valencia’ sweet orange trees (Citrus sinensis) grafted onto sour orange (C. aurantium) rootstock were analyzed using different DNA extraction procedures and primers to detect Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Root sampling procedure was modified from the conventional use of soil probe to reduce fatigue, and to facilitate sample collection. DNA extraction kits including Qiagen DNeasy, Mo Bio PowerSoil and PowerPlant generated root DNA suitable for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic assays. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) using HLBaspr primers and probe on root DNA extracts from a total of 206 samples from 60 AS trees showed unreliable results for the presence of Ca. L. asiaticus. Except for one sample, all the remaining samples gave negative qPCR result using LJ900fpr primers and probe. Further analysis of roots samples from S and AS trees indicate that HLBaspr is not suitable for Ca. L. asiaticus diagnosis in root samples. Leaf samples from all 60 AS trees showed negative qPCR result with HLBaspr. Conventional PCR (cPCR) using OI1/OI2c primers on 10 randomly selected root samples, from the 206 samples, produced non-specific amplification products which were easily distinguished from products specific to Ca. L. asiaticus seen in the positive control. The same root samples did not produce any amplification product in cPCR using A2/J5 primers. Any of the above mentioned cPCR or qPCR assays could accurately detect Ca. L. asiaticus in S leaf samples of Ca. L. asiaticus-infected trees. Root samples from 10 (5 S and 5 AS) additional trees analyzed by cPCR using A2/J5 and Las606/LSS primers and qPCR using LJ900fpr and CQULA (CQULA04F/CQULA04R, and TaqMan probe CQULAP10) clearly showed that all these primers are efficient in detecting Ca. L. asiaticus in root samples. There was no difference in frequency and consistency of Ca. L. asiaticus detection for root samples collected near the tree trunk compared to the roots collected about 1.8 m from the trunk. Ca. L. americanus was not detected in either root or leaf samples.
Love, desire, and the suppression of thoughts of romantic alternatives ☆

Across human societies, people form long-term romantic bonds that can last a lifetime. Many theorists have proposed that the emotion love plays a causal role in maintaining these bonds, but no work to date has tested this hypothesis directly. In this study, we predicted that feeling love for a romantic partner would facilitate suppressing thoughts of attractive alternative mates. We used a relived emotion task to induce love or sexual desire for a romantic partner and asked participants to suppress thoughts of an attractive alternative. After suppression, participants in the love condition reported fewer thoughts of the attractive alternative and accurately recalled fewer attractiveness-related details about the alternative than those in the desire condition. Reports of love, but not sexual desire, predicted greater commitment to the current partner during the study. These results suggest that love serves a function distinct from desire and that love can operate as a commitment device.
Design of a screw-plate system to minimize loosening in sternal fixation

The use of screw-plate fixation devices after open heart sternotomy surgeries are becoming more prevalent with studies showing the device's mechanical superiority. However, there is no current device that is capable of supplying both a compressive and locking force needed to optimally fixate the plate to the bone. This can lead to screw loosening and wobbling within the plate, potentially compromising the integrity of the overall system. The goal of the design is to create an “anti-wobble” screw-plate sternal fixation device capable of reducing sternal displacement post sternotomy plate fixation more efficiently than current market devices. The device will supply “rigid sternal fixation” in the stabilization of two full hemi-sterna, and will allow for minimal screw loosening and back out. The device contains both a locking and compressive mechanism, enhancing the bone-plate interface. Validation testing on the device is currently being completed using an Instron Electroplus E-1000 uniaxial testing device to conduct low loading cyclic testing on human cadaveric sterna.
Analysis of multiple cell upsets due to neutrons in SRAMs for a Deep-N-well process

This work accounts for the single-bit and multiple-cell upset phenomena due to neutron strikes in highly scaled SRAMs implemented in a Deep-N-well process. 3D TCAD simulations are used to explain test results, upset mechanisms and implications for ECC.
The impedance matrix localization (IML) method for moment-method calculations

The impedance matrix localization (IML) method, a modification of the standard method of moments that can be implemented as a modification to existing computer programs, is examined. This modification greatly eases the excessive storage requirements and long computation times of moment-method approaches by using novel bases and testing function that localize the important interactions to only a small number of elements within the impedance matrix elements can be made so small (typically 10/sup -4/ to 10/sup -6/ in relative magnitude) that they may be approximated by zero. In the case of a two-dimensional body with unknowns on its surface, both analytical arguments and numerical calculations suggest that, for an N*N matrix, about 100N matrix elements will need to be kept, even for very large N. The resulting sparse matrix requires storage for only 100N complex numbers rather than for N/sup 2/ numbers. Similar results are expected in three dimensions. The structure of the resulting matrix problem allows the use of highly efficient solution methods. Results are given for one such possibility: iteration preconditioned by incomplete LU decomposition. >
An alternative characterization of robust stability and stability radius for linear time delay systems

This paper considers the problems of robust stability and stability radius pertaining to certain linear time delay systems. The aim is to establish the connection between recently published results on robust stability of time-delay systems based on matrix inequalities and computation of stability radius. As a result of this connection, an alternative formula to compute the real stability radius of time-delay systems with structured uncertainties is provided. We also report on explicit formulas for stability radius of special classes of time-delay systems.
Ginsenoside Rh2 induces apoptosis and paraptosis-like cell death in colorectal cancer cells through activation of p53

Ginsenosides are the main bioactive components in American ginseng, a commonly used herb. In this study, we showed that the ginsenoside Rh2 exhibited significantly more potent cell death activity than the ginsenoside Rg3 in HCT116 and SW480 colorectal cancer cells. Cell death induced by Rh2 is mediated in part by the caspase-dependent apoptosis and in part by the caspase-independent paraptosis, a type of cell death that is characterized by the accumulation of cytoplasmic vacuoles. Treatment of cells with Rh2 activated the p53 pathway and significantly increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic regulator, Bax, while decreasing the levels of anti-apoptosis regulator Bcl-2. Removal of p53 significantly blocked Rh2-induced cell death as well as vacuole formation, suggesting that both types of cell death induced by Rh2 are mediated by p53 activity. Furthermore, we show that Rh2 increased ROS levels and activated the NF-κB survival pathway. Blockage of ROS by NAC or catalase inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling and enhanced Rh2-induced cell death, suggesting that the anti-cancer effect of Rh2 can be enhanced by antioxidants.
Factors controlling streambed coverage of Didymosphenia geminata in two regulated streams in the Colorado Front Range

Didymosphenia geminata is a stalk-forming freshwater diatom which was historically found primarily in oligotrophic lakes and streams, but has recently become a nuisance species in many lotic systems worldwide. In the last 5–8 years, D. geminata has become established in Boulder Creek and South Boulder Creek, two regulated montane streams in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Factors that may influence the growth of D. geminata were monitored during the summer of 2006. D. geminata abundance decreased in Boulder Creek after an unusual flood event caused by 3 days of sustained rainfall in the headwaters of the watershed. However, within a week, coverage had been restored to pre-flood levels. Variations in D. geminata abundance among sites were found to be negatively correlated with total dissolved phosphorus concentrations and bed movement, as measured by Shields stress. In contrast, D. geminata abundance was not significantly correlated with temperature, conductivity, pH, total suspended solids, or dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Our results suggest that bed movement may be a dominant scouring mechanism that acts to control the growth and distribution of D. geminata. The potential role of total dissolved phosphorus and bed movement in decreasing D. geminata coverage adds to the limited base of knowledge regarding controls on the growth and distribution of this species, and could be investigated by researchers studying D. geminata blooms in other stream ecosystems.
Seropositive individuals willingness to communicate, self-efficacy, and assertiveness prior to HIV infection.

The purpose of this study was to examine possible communication similarities between human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)positive and HIV negative individuals. Forty HIV positive heterosexuals, who were infected through heterosexual sex, completed an on-line questionnaire to assess their safer sexual communication, willingness to communicate, condom self-efficacy, and assertiveness prior to HIV infection. Results indicate that prior to infection, HIV positive heterosexuals reported having similar safer sexual communication behaviors to those not infected with the virus. Participants in this study reported high levels of willingness to engage in safer sex communication, but low levels of actual communication. Further, results reveal that participants who engaged more often in safer sex communication were more likely to use condoms. Additionally, participants reported high levels of condom self-efficacy and moderate levels of assertiveness; both variables positively correlated with condom use. Finally, partici...
Autonomous initiation and propagation of action potentials in neurons of the subthalamic nucleus

The activity of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is intimately related to movement and is generated, in part, by voltage-dependent Na(+) (Na(v)) channels that drive autonomous firing. In order to determine the principles underlying the initiation and propagation of action potentials in STN neurons, 2-photon laser scanning microscopy was used to guide tight-seal whole-cell somatic and loose-seal cell-attached axonal/dendritic patch-clamp recordings and compartment-selective ion channel manipulation in rat brain slices. Action potentials were first detected in a region that corresponded most closely to the unmyelinated axon initial segment, as defined by Golgi and ankyrin G labelling. Following initiation, action potentials propagated reliably into axonal and somatodendritic compartments with conduction velocities of approximately 5 m s(-1) and approximately 0.7 m s(-1), respectively. Action potentials generated by neurons with axons truncated within or beyond the axon initial segment were not significantly different. However, axon initial segment and somatic but not dendritic or more distal axonal application of low [Na(+)] ACSF or the selective Na(v) channel blocker tetrodotoxin consistently depolarized action potential threshold. Finally, somatodendritic but not axonal application of GABA evoked large, rapid inhibitory currents in concordance with electron microscopic analyses, which revealed that the somatodendritic compartment was the principal target of putative inhibitory inputs. Together the data are consistent with the conclusions that in STN neurons the axon initial segment and soma express an excess of Na(v) channels for the generation of autonomous activity, while synaptic activation of somatodendritic GABA(A) receptors regulates the axonal initiation of action potentials.
Measurements of a persistent-current qubit driven by an on-chip radiation source

Monolithic integration of control electronics with superconducting qubits will facilitate scalability of a superconducting quantum computer by reducing the room temperature electronics necessary for performing quantum state manipulation. We report the experimental results of the monolithic integration of an on-chip radiation source with a persistent-current (PC) qubit and dc SQUID measurement device. The devices were fabricated at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in a Nb/Al/AlOx/Nb trilayer process. The two PC qubit states were detected by measuring the switching current of an underdamped dc SQUID magnetometer inductively coupled to the qubit. The radiation source comprised an overdamped dc SQUID operating in the voltage state and inductively coupled to the qubit and measurement SQUID through a low-Q RLC filter. The oscillator was designed to have tunable amplitude and frequency to satisfy the requirements for coherent quantum manipulation of a superconducting PC qubit. We will discuss the measurements in the millikelvin regime and the effects of the oscillator noise on the state of the qubit.
Design of minimax controllers for linear systems with nonzero initial conditions and under specified information structures

The solution is obtained to the discrete-time, linear-quadratic, finite-horizon disturbance rejection problem, with hard bounds on the disturbance. It is shown that two regions can be identified in the space of initial conditions: one where a pure-strategy saddle point exists, and the other where no pure-strategy saddle point exists. In the latter region, the structure of the minimax controller is fixed throughout, and a saddle point exists in the class of mixed policies. The construction of such saddle points is discussed. Minimax controllers are obtained for the case in which no information is available to the controller, i.e., the open-loop case. Subsequently, these results are used in solving for minimax controllers with more general information structures. >
Sinonasal melanoma: survival and prognostic implications based on site of involvement.

Background Sinonasal melanoma (SNM) is a rare malignancy that commonly presents at an advanced age and has a slight male predominance. Local recurrence has been implicated as a major reason for treatment failure, and there are poor reported 5-year survival rates. We analyzed the impact of specific location within the sinonasal region on the survival of this rare malignancy. Methods The U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was used to extract data on SNM between 1973 and 2009. Survival trends and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to compare the prognostic implications of involvement of varying areas of the sinonasal tract. Results A total of 567 cases were identified. Females constituted 56.44% patient. Disease-specific survival (DSS) at 5 years was 36.66% for patients diagnosed with nasal cavity disease, 23.80% for patients with maxillary sinus tumors, and 18.20% for patients with ethmoid sinus disease. Patients showing evidence of overlapping sinus involvement had approximate 1-year survival of 54.45% and none survived beyond 49 months. HRs for maxillary sinus, ethmoid sinus, and overlapping sinus disease were 1.34, 1.60, and 2.30, respectively. All DSSs and HRs were statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was a higher proportion of earlier-stage disease in the nasal cavity compared to the most common paranasal sinus region (p < 0.05). Conclusion Prognosis in SNM is dependent on the anatomic subsite. Paranasal sinus involvement indicates a poorer prognosis when compared to nasal cavity disease. Patients presenting with overlapping sinus involvement have the poorest prognosis.
COLOR NIGHT VISION FOR NAVIGATION AND SURVEILLANCE

Fusion of registered images of night scenery that are obtained from cameras tuned to different bandwidths will be a significant component of future night-vision devices. A new algorithm for such multispectral image fusion is described. The algorithm performs gray-scale image fusion using a method based on principal components. The monochrome fused image is then colored by means of a suitable pseudocoloring technique to produce the fused color output image. The approach can easily be used for any number of bandwidths. Examples illustrate the algorithm's use to fuse an intensified low-light visible image with another image obtained from a single forward-looking infrared camera. The algorithm may be implemented readily in hardware for use in night-vision devices as an important aid to surveillance and navigation in total darkness. The applicability of the technology to transportation is also discussed.
STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE IN MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS: A REVISION OF THE STOPFORD AND WELLS MODEL

The Stopford and Wells study of strategy and structure in multinational corporations produced a now familiar model relating certain types of structure to certain elements of a firm's international strategy. This paper re-examines the important relationships expressed by the model, using data from a recent study of 34 large U.S. and European multinationals. While some of the relationships are supported, others are not. A new element of strategy, the relative size of foreign manufacturing, is introduced, and found to be an important predictor of structure. Based on the findings, a revised model for relating strategy and structure in MNCs is proposed.
Academic Advising Ain't What It Used To Be: Strangers in the University

“Academic Advising Ain't What It Used To Be “ was the keynote address at the 1994 NACADA convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Byrd discusses the way undergraduate education is changing in terms of stud...
Tumefactive demyelinating lesions: Characteristics of individual lesions, individual patients, or a unique disease entity?

Whether or not recurrent tumefactive demyelinating lesions are a unique form of CNS demyelinat- ing disease or part of the continuum of multiple sclerosis is a question raised by the case report on which this commentary is based. Detailed review and immunopathologic study of biopsy material may not only confirm or refute a diagnosis of demyelinating disease, but potentially uncover unique features that may assist in understanding pathophysiology and nosology of rare cases with recurrent tumefactive demyelination.
Elucidating Neural Network Functional Connectivity Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder: Toward a Harmonized Methodological Approach

Bipolar disorder (BD), a mood disorder characterized by emotional lability and dysregulation, is associated with alterations in functional connectivity, particularly as assessed using functional MRI. Here, we provide an overview of the extant literature, and themes that have emerged within it. We identified published research describing functional connectivity in BD using PubMed and follow-up searches. The most consistent evidence favors abnormally heightened functional connectivity between the amygdala and the lateral regions of the ventral prefrontal cortex (PFC), both during rest or emotional processing. Altered interactions between the amygdala and more medial PFC regions have been implicated in BD, but are less consistently related to core symptoms and are sometimes associated with mood state or psychosis. Interactions between medial and lateral ventral PFC have also been reported to be altered in BD, and may mediate estimates of amygdala/vlPFC connectivity. We also describe other themes, including an emerging literature examining reward circuitry, which has highlighted abnormal functional interactions between the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex, as well as the advent of examining global network abnormalities in BD. Functional connectivity studies in BD have established altered interactions between PFC and the amygdala. To address the inconsistencies in the literature, we suggest avenues for the adoption of large scale, and network-based analysis of connectivity, the integration of structural connectivity and the acknowledgement of dynamic and context-related shifts in functional connectivity as a means of clarifying the abnormal neural circuitry in the disorder.
Mikroszimulációs modellfejlesztési környezetek

A tanulmany egy mikroszimulacios kutatas nehany eredmenyet irja le, s olyan uj szoftvertechnologiakat elemez (kozte az internet alapu alkalmazasfejlesztest), amelyeket mikroszimulacios modellek fejlesztesehez lehet alkalmazni. Elsőkent az alkalmazasi teruletet, annak nehany jellemzőjet es kovetelmenyet mutatja be. A mikroszimulacios modellek rovid ismerteteset es klasszifikaciojat kovetően a modellalkalmazasok alapvető technologiai megkozeliteset vazolja fel. Majd ket technologiat - az adatbazisorientaltat, illetve az internetorientaltat - elemez reszletesen. Az internetszolgaltatasok realizaciojanak ket jelentős megoldasat a J2EE es a .NET hasonlitja ossze, tovabba roviden felvazolja ezeknek a mikroszimulaciora es a kapcsolodo teruletekre gyakorolt hatasait. Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) kod: L68, L86.
Afro-American Literature of the Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War was declared, fought, and concluded in 1898, and before the end of that year Paul Laurence Dunbar, the most prominent Afro-American poet of the era, celebrated the achievement of Black American participants with his poem "The Conquerors," subtitled "The Black Troops in Cuba."1 Directly addressing Black American soldiers in four six-line, tail-rhyme stanzas,2 Dunbar asserts that through their "valour" on the "red field" of battle in Cuba they won fame, "Blown with the breath of the far-speaking gun, / Goes the word." Yet even though the "Men of night" achieved fame, and even though "Heaven would have crowned [them]," America at the end of the nineteenth century was not ready to acknowledge in any meaningful way their contribution. Thus, assuming the necessary role of poetic "Sayer" as suggested by Emerson in "The Poet," Dunbar stands vis-avis the "Doers," the Black soldiers, his poem articulating and preserving their action until some future time when "voices long muffled and dumb" will speak the truth. Still directly addressing the soldiers in his last stanza, the poet asserts that in that future time
Coded orbital angular momentum based free-space optical transmission in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

An LDPC-coded OAM-based FSO transmission system is experimentally studied in the presence of emulator-induced-scintillation. Coding gains >6.8dB are obtained at BER=10-4 for single OAM mode and dramatic improvement is found in case of OAM multiplexing.
Improving High-Impact Forecasts through Sensitivity-Based Ensemble Subsets: Demonstration and Initial Tests

AbstractEnsemble sensitivity can reveal features in the flow at early forecast times that are relevant to the predictability of chosen high-impact forecast aspects (e.g., heavy precipitation) later in time. In an operational environment, it thus might be possible to choose ensemble subsets with improved predictability over the full ensemble if members with the smallest errors in regions of large ensemble sensitivity can be identified. Since numerous observations become available hourly, such a technique is feasible and could be executed well before the next assimilation/extended forecast cycle, potentially adding valuable lead time to forecasts of high-impact weather events. Here, a sensitivity-based technique that chooses subsets of forecasts initialized from an 80-member ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is tested by ranking 6-h errors in sensitive regions toward improving 24-h forecasts of landfalling midlatitude cyclones on the west coast of North America. The technique is first tested within an idealized...
A Review of International Symposium on Chu Bamboo Slips and Chu Culture and Pre-Qin History and Culture in 2011

The international symposium on Chu bamboo slips and Chu culture and Pre-Qin history and culture was held in Wuhan and Suizhou from 29th to 31st October 2011,with nearly 150 participants and more than 120 papers.The main topics are Tsinghua bamboo slips,Shangbo bamboo slips,Chu text,Chu culture and history,Chu bamboo slips,Pre-Qin history and culture and so on.The advent of Tsinghua Bamboo Slips and the deepening of researches of Chu bamboo slips played a very active role in the further study of Pre-Qin history and Chu culture.
Assessment of changes in profile of Amplatzer septal occluder by electronic beam CT after deployed

Objective To assess the changes in profile of Amplatzer septal occluder by electronic beam computer tomography(EBCT)after deployed in patients with atrial septal defect.Methods ECG- gated single volume scanning was performed in 11 patients with atrial septal defects after the day that occluders were deployed.The same performance was repeated at 3,6 and 12-month follow-up respectively. Diameters of the waist,the left retention disc,the right retention disc and thickness of the waist were measured respectively at three slices selected according to the cardiac anatomy and the profile of occluder.Results Reexaminations were performed in 8 patients at 3 and 6-month follow-up respectively and in 4 patients at 12-month follow-up.The changes in profile of occluder were remarkable at 3 and(or) 6-month follow-up.The major changes were shrinkage of the waist(n=10),and the thickness were (13.79±4.63),(7.02±3.17),(6.65±2.76)and(5.08±2.82)mm at 3,6 and 12-month follow-up respectively(P0.05).No significant changes of diameters of left retention disc[(40.91±8.55), (39.04±13.10),(39.45±13.20)and(44.79±5.27)mm,P0.05],right retention disc[(37.24± 4.98),(36.54±4.83),(37.01±4.73)and(39.56±5.88)mm,P0.05]and waist[(21.55±5.82), (22.80±4.88),(20.52±5.82)and(27.72±4.53)mm,P0.05]was detected at 3,6 and 12-month follow-up respectively.Profiles of 6 occluders at 3-month follow-up,7 occluders at 6-month follow-up and 4 occluders at 12-month follow-up were considered to be optimal,respectively.Together with the changes in profile,the change of occluder position was detected.Conclusion EBCT is an optimal assessment tool which can demonstrate the changes in size,profile and position of the occluder after deployed.
Equity Concerns in U.S. Nuclear Energy Politics: The Need for Alternative Energy for a Sustainable Future

En dehors des problemes economiques, technologiques et ecologiques, l'energie nucleaire a surmonte de nombreux dilemmes socio-politiques
Designing the reader's journal

In this issue, we present one vision of what Neurology® may look like in the future, side by side with our usual format.
Surface Replacement Arthroplasty of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint in Border Digits Using a Lateral Approach

Background: Proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthroplasty in border digits is controversial because of unprotected external loading forces and limited canal sizes in the small finger. The use of neither a semiconstrained, surface replacement proximal arthroplasty (SRA) nor a lateral approach that preserves the external collateral ligament has been well described. Methods: Eight women (mean age, 66 years) underwent SRA of 5 index and 4 small digits for osteoarthritis. Active range of motion, deformity, and grip and pinch strengths were measured, and patients completed a visual analog pain scale, QuickDASH, and satisfaction survey. Radiographs were assessed for implant loosening or subsidence. Results: Mean follow-up was 29 months. Mean pain score decreased from 8.0 to 0.8. Mean coronal deformity decreased from 22° ulnar deviation to 6°. Average PIPJ arc of motion improved from 51° to 56°. No lateral instability was observed. Final lateral pinch averaged 4.4 kg in affected vs 4.0 kg in opposite hand. Average final grip strength was 19 kg in affected vs 16 kg in opposite hand. Postoperative QuickDASH averaged 24; postoperative satisfaction score averaged 3.7 (5-point Likert scale). Radiographic analysis showed no implant subsidence or radiolucent lines. Conclusions: PIPJ SRA appears to be a reasonable option in border digits, as is a lateral approach on the inside border of the affected digit. Pain relief and lateral stability are predictable, and motion improves slightly. If a longitudinal incision is made, placement slightly dorsal to the midaxial line away from the digital nerve may help to avoid a tender scar.
Anxiety and Depression: Implications for Older Adults

By the year 2030, it is projected that one in every three Americans will be 55-years-old or older. This age group is by far the fastest growing segment of the population. With the growing number of older adults, the importance of understanding aging and common disorders of later life is essential. In particular, anxiety and depression are among the most common problems in older adults. However, differentiating anxiety and depression at the mood, symptom, and syndromal levels has been a long-standing problem in psychopathology research. In addition to a growing need for research, clinicians will also need to take an active role in the development and implementation of treatment as the population of older adults increases. In particular, mental health service providers must become informed about the economic implications for older adults as the structure of health insurance continues to change.