cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pore network modeling of the Non-Darcy flows in shale and tight formations

Abstract Pore network modeling is a powerful tool to simulate multiphase flow in porous media. Quasi-static model is used in this work and the drainage displacement process is simulated. In shale and tight formations, there are proposed non-Darcy flow mechanisms: gas non-Darcy flow and liquid low velocity non-Darcy flow. The gas flow in shale and tight formations is generally classified in slip flow and transitional flow regimes according to the Knudsen number values. The BK model (Beskok and Karniadakis, 1999) is used for gas non-Darcy flow in this study and the liquid low velocity non-Darcy flow is mainly based on our previous work (Wang and Sheng, 2017a, b). Both effects are incorporated into our pore network model separately. For gas-water flow, gas is the non-wetting phase with gas non-Darcy flow and water is the wetting phase with Darcy flow. For oil-water flow, the low velocity non-Darcy flow is considered for both water and oil phases. Then our model is applied in 3 cases. Case 1 is the Berea sandstone (Valvatne, 2004), which is the benchmark for conventional pore network modeling. In this case, no non-Darcy flows is considered in our pore network model and it is totally Darcy flow. The absolute permeability and relative permeability are both matched with the experimental data. Case 2 is the Bossier tight gas sandstone (Rushing et al., 2003). Gas apparent permeability vs. pressure was measured at different water saturations in their experiments. In this way, the gas non-Darcy flow in two-phase conditions are verified. Case 3 is the Barnett shale (Moghaddam and Jamiolahmady, 2016), which is our major focus. The two types of non-Darcy flows are studied and further discussed in this case. Specifically, the effect of gas non-Darcy flow enhances the gas permeability 2.66 times of the Darcy permeability when pressure is 10 MPa, while the effect of liquid low velocity non-Darcy flow decreases the liquid permeability to 40% of the Darcy permeability when pressure gradient is 0.1 MPa/m. Two types of relative permeability ( k r ) definition are presented in this study: Darcy permeability based k r and normalized k r where non-Darcy permeability is used as the base permeability. In the results, the normalized relative permeability doesn't change much for both non-Darcy flows, which implies that we can probably assume the relative permeability unchanged and just consider the effect on absolute permeability, when we deal with these non-Darcy flow mechanisms.
Phase Curves of Nix and Hydra from the New Horizons Imaging Cameras

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft's voyage through the Pluto system centered on 2015 July 14 provided images of Pluto's small satellites Nix and Hydra at viewing angles unattainable from Earth. Here, we present solar phase curves of the two largest of Pluto's small moons, Nix and Hydra, observed by the New Horizons LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager and Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera, which reveal the scattering properties of their icy surfaces in visible light. Construction of these solar phase curves enables comparisons between the photometric properties of Pluto's small moons and those of other icy satellites in the outer solar system. Nix and Hydra have higher visible albedos than those of other resonant Kuiper Belt objects and irregular satellites of the giant planets, but not as high as small satellites of Saturn interior to Titan. Both Nix and Hydra appear to scatter visible light preferentially in the forward direction, unlike most icy satellites in the outer solar system, which are typically backscattering.
Power, Dominance, and Constraint: A Note on the Appeal of Different Design Traditions:

The recent field-wide emphasis on power has brought the number of participants used in psychological experiments into focus. Social psychology typically follows a tradition in which many participan...
Does Using an iPad Make an Intervention Innovative

Miller and colleagues report the results of a randomized trial of an iPad-based decision aid and patient self-ordering intervention that achieved a 30% colorectal cancer screening rate, compared wi...
Combination Therapy with Statins: Who Benefits?

Many lipid-lowering drugs improve cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. However, when therapies have been studied in addition to statins, it has been challenging to show an additional clinical benefit in terms of CV event reduction, although overall safety seems acceptable. This debate has been complicated by recent guidelines that emphasize treatment with high-potency statin monotherapy. Combination therapy allows more patients to successfully reach their ideal lipid targets. Further testing of novel therapies may introduce an era of potent low-density lipoprotein decrease without dependence on statins, but until then, they remain the mainstay of therapy.
Fine Structure and Function of the Eukaryotic Chromosome

Our understanding—still far from complete—of the fine structure and function of a eukaryotic chromosome has taken shape during the last decade. The results have been reviewed in numerous books and articles (for example, Lewin, 1980; Gall, 1981; Alberts et al, 1983).
Impacts of Modifications to a Local Planetary Boundary Layer Scheme on Forecasts of the Great Plains Low-Level Jet Environment

AbstractThe Great Plains low-level jet (LLJ) is influential in the initiation and evolution of nocturnal convection through the northward advection of heat and moisture, as well as convergence in t...
A New Disease of Epimedium Caused by Carnation Ringspot Virus

Epimediums (Epimedium grandiflorum) are popular perennial groundcovers and are known to produce a wide range of medicinal effects. Extracts have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Carnation ringspot virus (CRSV) has a wide host range. In 2018, symptoms were observed on epimedium in three different landscape settings across St. Paul, MN. Leaf symptoms consisted of conspicuous mottling, chlorotic ringspots, and distortion of leaf margins. CRSV was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The CRSV host range now includes epimedium, which is the first species of the Berberidaceae family shown to be susceptible to CRSV. The potential risk of infection in other ornamental plant species in the family should be evaluated.
Navigation by Walking In Hyperbolic Space Using Virtual Reality

Previous studies and video games have shown that human spatial reasoning is flexible and can naturally accommodate non-Euclidean spaces. In particular, hyperbolic space has been an effective interface for navigating large, complex datasets. In this study, we seek to test human navigation of hyperbolic space through an immersive virtual reality (VR) game. The game design is minimalistic and focused on navigation and walking. We designed Euclidean and hyperbolic versions of two levels, one based on path-following and the other on path-planning across a branching structure. Initial user testing suggests that people can navigate in hyperbolic virtual environments without major disorientation and may navigate branching structures more intuitively than in Euclidean space.
Imaging the urothelium with OCT

The bladder urothelium is usually considered as an impermeable barrier to urine, but recent reports pointed that it was not only a passive impermeable membrane but also has some sensory and signaling functions. While aquaporin expression has been found in the urothelium, which implicits water transportation through the urothelium, it has never been observed directly the process of water transportation through the urothelium. We describe here for first time how water is transported through the urothelium through osmosis.
Correction to: Morphology of Drained Upland Depressions on the Des Moines Lobe of Iowa

In the article by McDeid, S.M., Green, D.I.S. & Crumpton, W.G. entitled Morphology of Drained Upland Depressions on the Des Moines Lobe of Iowa [Wetlands 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-1108-4 ], the following corrections have been added.
Human papillomavirus-positivity is associated with EREG down-regulation and promoter hypermethylation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) etiology has become evident in head and neck cancers (HNCs) and HPV positivity showed a strong association with its malignant progression. Since aberrant DNA methylation is known to drive carcinogenesis and progression in HNCs, we investigated to determine target gene(s) associated with this modification. Methods We characterized epigenetic changes in tumor-related genes (TRGs) that are known to be associated with HNC development and its progression. Results The expression levels of 42 candidate HNC-associated genes were analyzed. Of these, 7 TGRs (CHFR, RARβ, GRB7, EREG, RUNX2, RUNX3, and SMG-1) showed decreased expressions in HPV-positive (+) HNC cells compared with HPV-negative (−) HNC cells. When gene expression levels were compared corresponding to the DNA methylation conditions, GRB7 and EREG showed significant differential expression between HPV+ and HPV− cells, which suggested these genes as primary targets of epigenetic regulation in HPV-induced carcinogenesis. Furthermore, treatment with a demethylation agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dc), caused restoration of EREG expression and was associated with hypomethylation of its promoter in HPV+ cells, while no changes was noted in HPV− cells. EREG promoter hypermethylation in HPV+ cells was confirmed using methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR). Conclusion We conclude that EREG is the target of epigenetic regulation in HPV+ HNCs and its suppressed expression through promoter hypermethylation is associated with the development of HPV-associated HNCs.
Loss of function mutations in epaR confer resistance to phage NPV1 infection in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF

Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen that inhabits the human gastrointestinal tract. Because of the high frequency of antibiotic resistance among Enterococcus clinical isolates, interest in using phage to treat enterococcal infections and to decolonize high-risk patients for antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus is rising. Bacteria can evolve phage resistance, but there is little published information on these mechanisms in E. faecalis. In this report, we identified genetic determinants of E. faecalis resistance to ϕNPV1. We found that loss-of-function mutations in epaR confer ϕNPV1 resistance by blocking phage adsorption. We attribute the inability of the phage to adsorb to the modification or loss of an extracellular polymer in strains with inactivated epaR. Phage-resistant epaR mutants exhibited increased daptomycin and osmotic stress susceptibilities. Our results demonstrate that in vitro spontaneous resistance to ϕNPV1 comes at a cost in E. faecalis OG1RF.
Conclusion: Living Well with Pessimism, Then and Now

I argue that pessimism becomes an interhistorical vehicle, between the nineteenth century and our time, for better living by allowing for the potential for human solidarity around shared suffering. Pessimism distinguishes itself from nihilism or cynicism by recognizing the impossibility and undesirability of full resignation from the world. Pessimism destroys illusions but also actively resists filling the space left by illusions in a dogmatic way. Rather, it creates an open space for the creation of new kinds of narratives and meanings that allow us to live well in the world, not just in a sense comparable to managing illness, but to live something like a good life in a way that allows a buffer against disappointment, makes room for an ethical imperative to lessen suffering when possible, and avoids misplaced faith in progress and social mandates to cheerfulness.
Safe administration of cemiplimab to a kidney transplant patient with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp

Immunotherapies directed at T-cell activation through antibodies targeting checkpoint proteins, such as programmed cell death 1 (PD1), are rapidly becoming the new standard of care in the treatment of several malignancies. Cemiplimab is a monoclonal antibody targeting PD1 that has recently emerged as a highly active treatment for locally advanced and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Patients who have received an organ transplant (OTRs) have been traditionally excluded from clinical trials with checkpoint inhibitors (CIs), given concerns for organ rejection. Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are more likely to develop cancers than the general population, and skin cancers are among the most frequent malignancies. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with a history of a kidney transplant who presented with a rapidly growing, locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the scalp that recurred within four weeks from surgical resection. The patient was able to safely receive ten cycles of cemiplimab so far with significant clinical benefit, and no issues with his kidney function, while continuing immunosuppression with low dose prednisone alone. An ongoing clinical trial (NCT04339062) is further exploring the safety of CIs in patients with metastatic CSCC who have previously received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant or a kidney transplant.
Precipitation links (PrecipLinks) - a prototype directory for precipitation information

This poster describes a web directory of research oriented precipitation links. In this era of sophisticated search engines and web agents, it might seem counterproductive to establish such a directory of links. However, entering precipitation into a search engine like google will yield over one million hits. To further exacerbate this situation many of the returned links are dead, duplicates of other links, incomplete, or only marginally related to research precipitation or even the broader precipitation area. Sometimes connecting the linked URL causes the browser to lose context and not be able to get back to the original page. Even using more sophisticated search engines query parameters or agents while reducing the overall return doesn't eliminate all of the other issues listed. As part of the development of the measurement-based Precipitation Processing System (PPS) that will support Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) version 7 reprocessing and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission a precipitation links (PrecipLinks) facility is being developed. PrecipLinks is intended to share locations of other sites that contain information or data pertaining to precipitation research. Potential contributors can log-on to the PrecipLinks website and register their site for inclusion in the directory. The price for inclusion is the requirement to place a link back to PrecipLinks on the webpage that is registered. This ensures that users will be able to easily get back to PrecipLinks regardless of any context issues that browsers might have. Perhaps more importantly users while visiting one site that they know can be referred to a location that has many others sites with which they might not be familiar. PrecipLinks is designed to have a very flat structure. This poster summarizes these categories (information, data, services) and the reasons for their selection. Providers may register multiple pages to which they wish to direct users. However, each page may be attached to only one of these categories. Each page to which they refer users will also have a return link to PrecipLinks. The poster describes the operation of the system both the automated and the human processes. It also provides images for the various steps in the registration and use.
In Defense of Group-Libel Laws, or Why the First Amendment Should Not Protect Nazis

The author discusses group libel laws, and the underlying problems when free speech is used as a defense by those who would defame specific racial or ethnic groups and/or minorities. The topic is further explained in reference to various state laws, and the subsequent court cases extant at the time of the article's writing which defined the issue in terms of law. References are also made to such laws in countries other than the United States for the sake of comparison.
Statewide Hospital Discharge Data: Collection, Use, Limitations, and Improvements.

Objectives To provide an overview of statewide hospital discharge databases (HDD), including their uses in health services research and limitations, and to describe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Enhanced State Data grants to address clinical and race–ethnicity data limitations. Principal Findings Almost all states have statewide HDD collected by public or private data organizations. Statewide HDD, based on the hospital claim with state variations, contain useful core variables and require minimal collection burden. AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project builds uniform state and national research files using statewide HDD. States, hospitals, and researchers use statewide HDD for many purposes. Illustrating researchers' use, during 2012–2014, HSR published 26 HDD-based articles on health policy, access, quality, clinical aspects of care, race–ethnicity and insurance impacts, economics, financing, and research methods. HDD have limitations affecting their use. Five AHRQ grants focused on enhancing clinical data and three grants aimed at improving race–ethnicity data. Conclusion ICD-10 implementation will significantly affect the HDD. The AHRQ grants, information technology advances, payment policy changes, and the need for outpatient information may stimulate other statewide HDD changes. To remain a mainstay of health services research, statewide HDD need to keep pace with changing user needs while minimizing collection burdens.
On the Feasibility of Leveraging Smartphone Accelerometers to Detect Explosion Events

In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of leveraging the accelerometer in modern smartphones to detect the triggering of explosion events. By emplacing a static smartphone and a state-of-the-art seismometer in the vicinity of real explosion blasts (conducted at an Explosives Research Lab in a university setting), and comparing their detected event readings, we make several insightful contributions. We find that readings from events in the smartphone and the seismometer are highly correlated in the temporal and frequency domain. We then demonstrate the feasibility of designing an algorithm in the smartphone (executing as an app) to detect the triggering of an explosion based on comparing short term sudden spikes in vibrations due to an explosion event, and long-term dormancy in vibration readings (in the absence of an explosion). To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first work that demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging smartphones for detecting explosion events.
Sphincter-sparing local excision and hypofractionated radiation therapy for anorectal melanoma: a 20-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Anorectal melanoma is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Because survival is determined by distant failure, many centers have adopted sphincter-sparing excision for primary tumor control. However, this approach is associated with high rates of local failure (∼50%). In this study, the authors report their 20-year experience with sphincter-sparing excision combined with radiation therapy (RT) for the treatment of localized anorectal melanoma. METHODS: The authors reviewed the records of 54 patients with localized anorectal melanoma who were treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1989 to 2008. All patients underwent definitive local excision with or without sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymph node dissection. RT (25-36 grays in 5-6 fractions) was delivered to extended fields that targeted the primary site and draining pelvic/inguinal lymphatics in 39 patients and to limited fields that targeted only the primary site in 15 patients. RESULTS: The 5-year rates of local control (LC), lymph node control (NC), and sphincter preservation were 82%, 88%, and 96%, respectively. However, because of the high rate of distant metastasis, the overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years was only 30%. Although there were no significant differences in LC, NC, or OS based on RT field extent, patients who received extended-field RT had higher rates of lymphedema than patients who received limited-field RT. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that combined sphincter-sparing local excision and RT is a well tolerated approach that provides effective LC for patients with anorectal melanoma. Inclusion of the inguinal lymph node basins in the RT fields did not improve outcomes and was associated with an increased risk of lymphedema. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Pension Funds and the U.K. Economy

Abstract The paper considers the impact of U.K. defined benefit (DB) pension plan unding and investment on the U.K. economy. It suggests that many conventional theories are based on incomplete or inconsistent economics. In particular, the author suggests that: • An economy cannot really gain competitive advantage from high returns on the domestic assets in which pension funds invest. • DB liabilities are essentially similar for most schemes and can be closely matched with bonds. • Funding pension liabilities has no primary impact on individuals’ consumption and saving or on firms’ capital investment. • Pension funds are not natural investors in the equity of new ventures. The conclusion of the paper is that the most significant impact of pension funds on the U.K. economy relates to the costs imposed by extreme mismatching between their financial assets and liabilities. The author argues that such risks can, in essence, “crowd out” entrepreneurial risk. He asserts that the U.K. economy would gain from grea...
Sharpregularity theory for second order hyperbolic equations of neumann type

We consider the mixed problem for a general, time independent, second order hyperbolic equation in the unknown u, with datum g e L2(Σ) in the Neumann B.C., with datum f e L2(Q) in the right hand side of the equation and, say, initial conditions u0=u1=0. We obtain sharp regularity results for u in Q and u|∑ in e, by a pseudo-differential approach on the half-space.
RAILROAD DEREGULATION AND CONSUMER WELFARE

Railroad deregulation under the Staggers Act of 1980 generated rate reductions, service enhancements, and other improvements in economic welfare. These benefits appear to be widely shared. There is a low likelihood that some captive shippers pay rates that exceed the rates they would have paid under regulation, some evidence that some captive shippers have paid rates that regulators would judge “unreasonable,” and strong evidence that captive shippers pay higher rates than non-captive shippers. The source of deregulation’s benefits is as noteworthy as their size and distribution. The principal benefits of railroad deregulation stem from cost reduction, not just a closer alignment of prices with pre-deregulation cost levels.
A Quantum Measurement Scenario which Requires Exponential Classical Communication for Simulation

In this paper we consider the following question: how many bits of classical communication and shared random bits are necessary to simulate a quantum protocol involving Alice and Bob where they share k entangled quantum bits and do not communicate at all. We prove that 2^k classical bits are necessary, even if the classical protocol is allowed an \epsilon chance of failure.
Investigations of 6 LiIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 semi-insulating crystals for neutron detection

Neutron detectors are used for illicit material detection, neutron radiography, stellar investigations of chemical content including biological compounds in planetary terrain and to monitor nuclear power plant fuel products and radioactive waste. Li-containing chalcogenide materials are promising alternative thermal neutron detection materials due to the incorporation of the 6 Li isotope at high density. 6 LiInSe 2 is limited in its effective thermal neutron efficiency by 115 In neutron capture which results in gamma decay rather than charge creation. This study includes investigations of mixed crystalline material 6 LiIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 where the indium concentration is reduced by Ga substitution. The optical properties have been tuned by gallium substitution and radiation response has been observed.
Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values of the Benign Central Zone of the Prostate: Comparison With Low- and High-Grade Prostate Cancer

OBJECTIVE. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for benign central zone (CZ) of the prostate were compared with ADC values of benign peripheral zone (PZ), benign transition zone (TZ), and prostate cancer, using histopathologic findings from radical prostatectomy as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study included 27 patients with prostate cancer (mean [± SD] age, 60.0 ± 7.6 years) who had 3-T endorectal coil MRI of the prostate performed before undergoing prostatectomy with whole-mount histopathologic assessment. Mean ADC values were recorded from the ROI within the index tumor and within benign CZ, PZ, and TZ, with the use of histopathologic findings as the reference standard. ADC values of the groups were compared using paired t tests and ROC curve analysis. RESULTS. The ADC of benign CZ in the right (1138 ± 123 × 10−6 mm2/s) and left (1166 ± 141 × 10−6 mm2/s) lobes was not significantly different (p = 0.217). However, the ADC of benign CZ (1154 ± 129 × 10−6 mm2/s) was signif...
Neurotransmitter modulation of calcium current in rat spinal cord neurons

The modulation of Ca2+ currents by neurotransmitters was studied in freshly dissociated rat spinal cord neurons, using the whole-cell patch- clamp technique. GABA, baclofen, adenosine, ATP, serotonin, norepinephrine, somatostatin, and dynorphin A inhibited the current through Ca2+ channels in a substantial fraction of cells, while substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, [D-ala2,d-leu5]- enkephalin, cholecystokinin-8 (sulfated), calcitonin gene-related peptide, angiotensin II, neurotensin, vasopressin, and thyrotropin- releasing hormone had no effect. In the case of baclofen, the inhibition is mediated, at least in part, by a GTP-binding protein. Suppression of Ca2+ current by neurotransmitters may represent a mechanism of presynaptic inhibition in the spinal cord.
O1-S03.02 Cephalosporin susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in the USA, 2000–2010

Background Cephalosporins are recommended by CDC for first-line gonorrhoea treatment. Declining cephalosporin susceptibility and clinical cefixime treatment failure have been reported from Asia, Europe and other regions. We report cephalosporin susceptibility trends among US N gonorrhoeae isolates. Methods The Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) is a sentinel surveillance system that monitors antimicrobial susceptibility among isolates collected from men with urethritis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) are determined by agar dilution. The proportion of isolates with elevated MICs to cefixime (≥0.25 μg/ml) and ceftriaxone (≥0.125 μg/ml) from 2000 through the first half of 2010 were tested for trends using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Susceptibility tests for cefixime were not performed during 2007–2008. Results 61 559 isolates were tested during 2000–June 2010 (annual mean=5845). Overall, 37% of isolates were from men in the northeastern or southern regions of the US, 25% were from the Midwest, and 38% were from the West; 21% were from men who have sex with men (MSM). The proportion of isolates with elevated MICs remained stable for cefixime (CFX) from 2000 to 2006 (0.2% to 0.1%; CFX susceptibility not tested 2007 and 2008) and for ceftriaxone (CRO) from 2000 to 2008 (0.1% to 0.1%); the proportions increased in 2009 and 2010 (CFX: 0.8% and 1.9% [n=53], p Conclusions The proportion of gonococcal isolates with elevated MICs to cefixime and ceftriaxone recently increased in the US. Most of the isolates with elevated MICs were from men in the West and MSM. This is worrisome given trends elsewhere in the world and the history of fluoroquinolone-resistance in the US, which, early in the epidemic, was most often detected in the western US and among MSM. Cephalosporins remain effective for gonorrhoea treatment in the US, yet increasing MICs suggest that resistance may emerge. If cephalosporin resistance does emerge, alternative antibiotic treatment options will be needed.
Chemical agents for reducing solubility of silica in 1N sodium hydroxide

Abstract A short experimental research project examined the effectiveness of several chemical agents for the control of alkali aggregate damage in concrete. The experimental program was conducted in three stages. The first stage was aimed at rapid evaluation of a number of chemical agents for their effectiveness in preventing dissolution of reactive silica in strong alkaline solutions. Promising chemical agents from Stage 1 were selected for use as admixtures and aggregate pre-treatments for the control of ASR in fresh concrete, and as penetrants for the control of ASR in hardened concrete. The results of the first stage are reported herein. Three chemicals - aluminum sulfate, zinc sulfate, and pyrogallol, were identified to be effective retardants of silica dissolution in a high alkali solution (1N sodium hydroxide). It was found that the concentration of chemical needed to reduce the solubility of silica by comparable proportions was higher for opal than for less reactive Spratts aggregate.
Criminal justice education: The dilemma of articulation

Abstract There exists a major problem for criminal justice students in transferring from the two- to four-year institution. This article addresses the historical foundation of this dilemma and provides a path toward solution.
Switching Algorithm to Avoid Attitude Representation Singularity

In this paper, the singularity associated with a minimal attitude parameterization using Euler angles is avoided by a switching algorithm. This algorithm is based on describing the attitude as a function of time with two sets of Euler angle sequences that possess nonconjunctive singularities. This property exists when the singularity causing values of the relevant rotation variables associated with any two Euler angle sequences do not materialize simultaneously. For a given Euler angle set, either antisymmetric or symmetric, another Euler angle set exists such that the pair of representations possesses nonconjunctive singularities. Conditions determining when, and when not, a pair of representations possess this property are developed and analyzed. Nonconjunctive symmetric-antisymmertic and antisymmetric-antisymmetric pairs always exist. This property is exploited by a switching algorithm which facilitates motion description with a minimal parameterization not hindered by singularities. This description may possess computational savings and allow continued use of insightful variables when compared with nonminimal representations such as Euler parameters. The algorithm is numerically demonstrated and validated by several nonlinear six degree of freedom simulation tests.
Stability of registry in strained-layer superlattice interfaces

Stability of lattice registry as a function of lattice parameter mismatch has been studied for a single interface. The interface model consists of two two-dimensional lattice systems each 12 atoms high by 120 atoms long. Each of the two lattice systems has a different lattice parameter, but is initially constrained to match at the interface. The atoms interact with their nearest neighbors either through a Lennard-Jones potential or an anisotropic potential designed to more closely simulate covalent bonding. The stability of registry is then determined via Monte Carlo evolution of the initial state of the system. We find that registry is stable to extremely large mismatches (>15%), from which one can infer that the observed loss of registry above a few percent mismatch is not due to instability of an initially perfect superlattice, but rather to an inability to grow perfect interfaces.
Reconfigurable Quantization of Oversampled Signals Under Discrete-Time Filtering

In modern wireless applications such as carrier aggregation, oversampled ADCs are required to be reconfigurable, to accommodate varying spectral signal energy distributions and bandwidths of interest. While progress has been made using several circuit and system level techniques, a fundamental approach that considers the signal's spectral properties is lacking. In this paper, we re-evaluate the oversampling problem: we use a time-domain analysis to show that given a signal spectrum, quantization noise is decreased under certain discrete-time filtering operations. Using this alternate approach, a collection of ADC architectures are constructed, special cases of which, reduce to well-known data conversion techniques in literature. Analysis and simulations confirm comparable performance of the proposed ADCs with other oversampled ADCs such as Δ-Σ modulators. When additional information about signal energy distribution is available, it is shown that the proposed ADC architectures are adaptable on a system level, thus surpassing the performance of Δ-Σ modulation. Detailed theoretical explanations along with behavioral simulations are shown.
Theophylline incorporation into the nucleic acids of theophylline-stimulated melanoma cells

Theophyllin, an inhibitor of cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase, stimulates melanin biosynthesis in cultures of RPMI 3460 hamster melanoma cells. Although theophylline does produce an initial transient elevation of intracellular cAMP levels, long-term treatment with theophylline produces a significant decrease in cAMP content. There is an inhibition of the theophylline stimulation by dibutyryl-cAMP; this is apparently caused by interference of dibutyryl-cAMP with the uptake and incorporation of theophylline, as shown by experiments with 3H-theophylline. An alternative theory is that theophylline, being a methylxanthine compound, is metabolized by the cell and possibly causes melanotic stimulation by becoming incorporated into cellular nucleic acids or by altering the normal nucleic acid metabolism. The following observations are consistent with this theory: (u) 3H-theophylline was incorporated into both trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble and TCA-insoluble cell fractions; most of the insoluble label became soluble after digestion with ribonuclease and deoxyribonuclease. (2) These nuclease digests of the 3H-theophylline-labeled TCA-insoluble cell fractions contained 3H-labeled material that chromatographed differently from normal nucleotides on ion exchange thin layer sheets. (3) The acid-soluble pool of 3H label disappeared rapidly while both the insoluble label and the induction of melanogenesis remained stable for 50 hr after the removal of exogenous 3H-theophylline.
X-ray laser studies of recombining lithium plasmas created by optical field ionization

A high-intensity short-pulse KrF laser system is used to produce fast recombining plasmas by ionization of preformed lithium fluorine plasma targets. Soft-x-ray emission from these plasmas is measured, and population inversions in hydrogenic lithium are observed as the plasma recombines. For relatively low-temperature target plasma columns a nonlinear increase in the intensity of the 2–1 transition in Li III (135 A) is observed with respect to length.
The alternate iron transport pathway: mobilferrin and integrin in reticulocytes

Iron transport in reticulocytes is known to occur via the well-described transferrin-receptor-endosome pathway. An alternative pathway for iron transport independent of transferrin has been postulated in reticulocytes and other cells. Transport of iron into reticulocytes from ferric citrate solutions was shown to be saturable and independent of transferrin. During transport of iron from ferric citrate, both cell surface integrins, and a soluble protein, mobilferrin, were labelled. This demonstrated that the reticulocyte transferrin independent pathway for iron transport involved integrins and mobilferrin similar to intestinal absorptive cells. This pathway would be expected to transport iron into cells under conditions of iron overload and was capable of providing iron for haemoglobin synthesis. Mobilferrin was also radiolabelled when radioiron labelled transferrin was incubated with reticulocytes and this occurred with a different time course than was observed following reticulocyte exposure to radiolabelled ferric citrate. This suggested that mobilferrin may serve as an intermediary in both pathways.
Lapachol inhibition of DT-diaphorase (NAD(P)H:quinone dehydrogenase).

Lapachol has been found to be a potent inhibitor of the enzyme DT-Diaphorase. Inhibition is competitive versus NADH, Ki = 0.15 μM. Lapachol was not a good substrate for cytochrome P450 reductase, thus inhibition of DT-Diaphorase should not promote its metabolism via radical generating pathways. DT-Diaphorase has been used to test a lapachol affinity chromatography column designed for purification of another coumarin anticoagulant and lapachol sensitive enzyme, vitamin K epoxide reductase.
Review of Joe Rochefort's War by Elliot Carlson

“I have often said that an intelligence officer has one task, one job, one mission. This is to tell his commander, his superior, today, what the Japanese are going to do tomorrow. This is his job. ...
Strategic Assumptions and Moral Implications of the Constabulary Force

Abstract Noting that the use of modern instruments of war had unpredictable and revolutionary consequences, Morris Janowitz introduced the concept of a ‘constabulary force’ to show how a professional military in a liberal democratic state might use modern weapons and yet conserve the existing political order. This article explores the meaning of this concept in three ways. First, it examines the strategic assumptions underlying the concept to explain why Janowitz thought it offered an approach to containing the revolutionary consequences of the use of force that was more promising than alternative concepts of military force. Second, it explores the moral implications of the concept (which Janowitz did not do), identifying key moral commitments a constabulary force must meet to sustain a liberal democratic order as it attempts to resolve dilemmas posed by the use of force. Third, it considers in what way these moral commitments are particular to a constabulary force, while yet preserving an approach to the...
Intravascular and extracellular volumes in the diabetic rat.

Simultaneously measured intravascular (IVV) and extracellular (ECV) volumes in diabetic rats have not been reported. We evaluated IVV and ECV in alloxan induced diabetic rats which were either untreated (DU) or received supplemental daily insulin (DI) for three months. Two separate groups of control rats were comparably weight matched to each experimental group. Radio-iodinated (125-I) human serum albumin (RISA) and 35-S sulfate were used to determine IVV and ECV respectively. In DU rats, values for IVV and ECV expressed as a percentage of body weight were 9.3±0.5% and 35±2% respectively; both are significantly larger than the volumes measured in control rats (IVV=6.6±0.2%, p<0.001 and ECV=28±1%, p<0.01). DI rats had volumes (IVV=6.0±0.3% and ECV=24±3%) which were not significantly different than those of control rats (IVV=5.7±0.1% and ECV=22±1%). Thus, untreated diabetic rats had increased IVV and ECV while diabetic rats that received insulin were normovolemic despite the presence of hyperglycemia.
Flocculation in simulations of sheared fiber suspensions

Abstract We have developed a particle-level, dynamic simulation technique to probe the structural behavior of non-Brownian fiber suspensions in simple shear flow. The model incorporates a variety of realistic features including fiber flexibility, irregular equilibrium fiber shapes, and fiber interactions. Simulated suspensions exhibit heterogeneous structures, or flocculation, when the model fibers are flexible, have deformed equilibrium shapes, and interact through static friction forces, even in the absence of attractive forces between fibers. The addition of kinetic friction and weak attractive forces has little effect on flocculation behavior, while anisotropic fiber bending tends to shift the onset of flocculation to larger coefficients of friction.
Key Components of Perioperative Orientation

ABSTRACT The key components of any orientation program are the learner, the orientation process, and the learner's outcome as a new employee. Retention of a productive, competent perioperative nurse represents a successful outcome of any perioperative orientation program. To achieve optimal employee outcomes, perioperative nurse educators must consider each learner's proficiency level, preferred style of learning, and expectations of the position for which the employee was hired. AORN J 63 (Jan 1996) 183-190.
Simple versus elaborate behavior in grasshoppers: an analysis of communication in the genus Syrbula

The species in the genus Syvbula possess more elaborate courtship behavior than other Orthoptera. This fact is difficult to explain because other species living in similar situations possess very simple behavior. Pair formation is achieved through the attraction of females to stridulating males, or through reciprocal stridulating and approaching between males and females. Occasionally females attract males by singing spontaneously. The two Syrbula species live together in parts of Texas. Reproductive isolation is ensured and needless sexual interactions are prevented by call differences; i.e., females respond only to the songs of their own species. Elaborate courtship is omitted when pairs are formed through an exchange of calling signals. However, in the presence of sexually unreceptive females, males perform elaborate courtship behavior. The movements of appendages are mostly synchronous suggesting they are controlled by a single command from the brain; however, some asymmetry of movements exists (the appendages on the two sides of the body assume different positions and may be out of phase with one another) indicating a more complicated control system than exists in the European species, GomPhocerus rufus. Males assume a position nearly parallel to the female during courtship and the near appendages perform one set of movements and the far appendages a different set. Each side of the body can perform both sets of movements. Intermale rivalry takes several forms: stealing of females by non-calling or non-courting males, the production of male-identifying or male-spacing signals and, possibly, chorusing. The causes for the evolution of elaborate behavior are unknown. It may have evolved due to sexual selection or due to the fact that females of Syrbula require some special sort of priming before each mating. Selection for reproductive isolation does not usually seem to result in elaboration of courtship in grasshoppers. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced and its importance may lie in sexual or species recognition.
ELECTRONIC BAND STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PbTe, PbSe, AND PbS

By using the techniques of wavelength-modulation spectroscopy, we have measured the reflectivity $R(\ensuremath{\omega})$ and the derivative of the reflectivity, $\frac{(\frac{1}{R})dR}{d\ensuremath{\omega}}$, for PbTe, PbSe, and PbS from 1.5 to 6 eV. We have independently calculated the band structure, frequency-dependent dielectric function, density of states, and derivative reflectivity spectrum for all three compounds by the empirical pseudopotential method.
Mating capacity of male deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi) copulating with successive females

Each of 30 male deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi, was provided the opportunity to copulate with 3 successive females for 1 h each. Male capacity was limited; only 22 males copulated with all 3 females and only 11 ejaculated with all 3 females. The amount of copulation decreased with successive females. The numbers of females pregnant in the three ordinal positions were 18, 15, and 8, respectively. However, for the males that ejaculated with a female, there was no decrease in potency across successive females; the decreases that did occur overall were due to males that did not mate. For deer mice, unlike other species, even relatively sensitive methods reveal that males cease copulating before marked decreases in the potency of their ejaculates develop.
A microscale photovoltaic neurostimulator for fiber optic delivery of functional electrical stimulation.

Recent advances in functional electrical stimulation (FES) show significant promise for restoring voluntary movement in patients with paralysis or other severe motor impairments. Current approaches for implantable FES systems involve multisite stimulation, posing research issues related to their physical size, power and signal delivery, surgical and safety challenges. To explore a different means for delivering the stimulus to a distant muscle nerve site, we have elicited in vitro FES response using a high efficiency microcrystal photovoltaic device as a neurostimulator, integrated with a biocompatible glass optical fiber which forms a lossless, interference-free lightwave conduit for signal and energy transport. As a proof of concept demonstration, a sciatic nerve of a frog is stimulated by the microcrystal device connected to a multimode optical fiber (core diameter of 62.5 µm), which converts optical activation pulses (~100 µs) from an infrared semiconductor laser source (at 852 nm wavelength) into an FES signal.
Complete Two-dimensional Muellermetric Imaging of Biological Tissue Using Heterodyned Optical Coherence Tomography

A polarization-sensitive, heterodyned optical coherence tomography system is used to measure partially-polarized reflections from a porcine tendon sample. The complete 4×4 Mueller-metric images of a layer within the sample is produced using such a system.
Differences in calcium uptake in native canine cardiac microsomes are correlated with the ratio of unphosphorylated to phosphorylated phospholamban as determined by Western blot analysis.

Phospholamban (PLM) is detectable by Western blot analysis of canine cardiac microsomes using rabbit antiserum against a peptide containing the 2 to 30 amino acid sequence of PLM. Phosphorylated PLM is distinguishable from the unphosphorylated form by virtue of a reduced electrophoretic mobility. Utilizing digital image analysis to determine relative band densities, it was found that the ratio of unphosphorylated to phosphorylated PLM is correlated with the rate of calcium uptake in 5 preparations of native microsomes (r = 0.94, p