cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of pressure fluctuations in fluidized beds. II. Reconstruction of the data by the Fokker–Planck and Langevin equations

Abstract In this part of the sequel we develop a continuum representation of the pressure fluctuation time series p ( t ) for a fluidized bed (FB), analyzed in part I, by using stochastic methods based on the Markov processes. It is shown that the data may be represented by Markov series with a Markov time scale t M that is estimated based on the data. Using the relation between the Markov processes and the Kramers–Moyal (KM) expansion that is a continuum equation that involves, in principle, an infinite number of coefficients, we represent the pressure fluctuation time series by a KM expansion. However, since the third and higher-order coefficients of the expansion are very small, the KM expansion reduces to a Fokker–Planck (FP) equation that represents p ( t ) in terms of a drift and a diffusion coefficients that are computed based on the data. The FP equation is, in turn, equivalent to a Langevin equation, which is used to reconstruct the data, i.e. generate the time series that mimic, in a statistical sense, the original data. Thus, the Langevin equation may also be used to make probabilistic predictions for the future values of the pressure over time scales that are of the order of the Markov time scale t M . The accuracy of the reconstructed series and, hence, their continuum representation, is demonstrated. We also compute the frequency ν α + of level-crossing at a given level α , i.e. the relative frequency (probability) of occurrence of the event defined, for two times t i −1 and t i , by, ν α + = P [ p ( t i ) > α , p ( t i − 1 ) α ] , where P ( x ) is the probability of the event. Thus, ν α + yields the frequency that a given pressure fluctuation level may be expected. The average time that one should wait in order to observe the pressure at a given level again is also computed. The two quantities may be particularly important for modeling of the FBs. A relation is presented between the drift and diffusion coefficients of the FP equation and the Hurst exponent that has previously been used to describe the pressure fluctuation time series in terms of self-affine stochastic distributions.
A model for a new society: Values, ethics, and the global economy

Increasing interdependencies and vulnerabilities in the global economy appear to require a re-examination of our neoclassical economic individualism. The philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead provides a fundamentally new framework for a view of reality based on organic and social models rather than on mechanistic and individualistic ones. This article summarizes Whitehead's central concepts and explores the ethical implications of his social conception of reality for economic behavior. It also draws ecological implications from his thought and makes suggestions for management behavior. This article concludes that a new way of thinking is required to function ethically in a socially interdependent universe.
Role of integration host factor in stimulating transcription from the σ54-dependent nifH promoter

In a wide variety of nitrogen-fixing organisms among the Purple Bacteria (large division of Gram-negative bacteria) the nitrogen fixation (nif) operons are transcribed by an alternative holoenzyme form of RNA polymerase, sigma 54-holoenzyme. Transcription depends on the activator protein NIFA (nitrogen fixation protein A), which catalyzes isomerization of closed complexes between this polymerase and a promoter to transcriptionally productive open complexes. NIFA-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH promoter of Klebsiella pneumoniae is greatly stimulated by the integration host factor IHF, which binds to a site between the upstream binding site for NIFA and the promoter, and bends the DNA. IHF fails to stimulate activation of transcription from this promoter by another activator of sigma 54-holoenzyme, NTRC (nitrogen regulatory protein C), which lacks a specific binding site in the nifH promoter region. As predicted, if the IHF-induced bend facilitates interaction between NIFA and sigma 54-holoenzyme, substitution of an NTRC-binding site for the NIFA-binding site allowed IHF to stimulate NTRC-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH promoter. The stimulation was of the same order of magnitude as that for NIFA in the native configuration of the promoter-regulatory region (up to 20-fold). With purified NTRC and the substitution construct we could demonstrate that stimulation by IHF in a purified transcription system was comparable to that in a crude coupled transcription-translation system, indicating that the stimulation in the crude system could be accounted for by IHF. The IHF stimulation was observed on linear as well as supercoiled templates, indicating that the geometric requirements are relatively simple. We have attempted to visualize the arrangement of proteins on DNA fragments carrying the nifH promoter-regulatory region of K. pneumoniae by electron microscopy. IHF stimulated NIFA-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH and nifD promoters of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and less so from the nifH promoters of Rhizobium meliloti and Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, consistent with previous observations that stimulation is greatest at promoters that are weak binding sites for sigma 54-holoenzyme in closed complexes.
The importance of staging laparotomy in pediatric Hodgkin's disease

The findings of 247 pediatric patients who presented with supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease and underwent staging laparotomies between April 1969 and December 1991 were reviewed to assess the importance of the staging laparotomy in pediatric Hodgkin's disease. A change in stage occurred in 25% of the cases reviewed. Fifty of the 202 (25%) clinical stage (CS) I or II patients were upstaged to pathological stage (PS) III or IV, and 12 of the 45 (27%) clinical stage III or IV patients were downstaged to pathological stage I or II. Possible risk factors for positive surgical staging, including gender, age, presence or absence of B symptoms, extent of involvement above the diaphragm, and histological type, were used to define subgroups of patients. Three statistically significant subgroups of patients with less than a 10% chance of restaging were identified. These groups included CS I and II patients with lymphocyte-predominant histology, CS I females, and CS III and IV females with nonlymphocyte predominant histology. These subgroups represent 24% of the cohort. Because CS is an accurate predictor of PS in these groups, treatment could be based solely on CS. The impact of radiographic imaging techniques on correctly predicting pathological stage was assessed. The rates of restaging for individuals with lymphangiography or computed axial tomography were not statistically different from those of patients without these radiographic studies. Therefore, abdominal imaging is not a substitute for surgical staging. No mortality and 2.8% morbidity occurred from staging laparotomy. Postsplenectomy sepsis and small bowel obstruction were the most common complications. Ninety-six percent of upstaged patients had splenic involvement, and 54% had positive nodal involvement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reliability challenges of FinFET and other multi-gate MOSFETs

In this paper by showing the results of an analytical model for the different variations of Multi-Gate MOSFETs including the FinFET., All-Around Gate MOSFET., Double-Gate MOSFET., we present a complete and detailed investigation of all the performance aspects of these novel device structures. By having the values of all the performance metrics of the transistors such as drain current., subthreshold swing., threshold voltage., and gate capacitance., we present detailed discussions on the several advantages of all the Multi-Gate structures including the FinFET.
Synthesis and Characterization of Microporous Aluminophosphates of AFI Topology

Aluminophosphates of the AFI (aluminophosphate-5) topology were synthesized and characterized in order to study the influence of acid strength and distribution for the possibility of both conversion and selectivity for oligomerization reactions. It is well known that weaker acid sites lead to a product shift to hydrocarbons of lower carbon chain length and a lower conversion, and a reduction in acid site concentration has a similar effect. However, when a silylating agent modifies the surface acidity, the overall conversion drops, associated with a reduction in sticking probability of an olefin on the silicoaluminophosphate's (SAPO) crystal surface. This is associated with a reduced ability of the surface acid sites to crack the products upon exiting the internal pore system. This research reports on the synthesis and charactizeration of microporous aluminophates of AFI topology. Catalysts’ properties were characterized by a series of spectroscopic and diffraction techniques, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD...
Two-way shuttle avoidance in wild and domesticated mice

Two-way shuttle avoidance was studied in albino mice and wild beach mice. A compound light-sound preaversive stimulus was employed. The albino mice more quickly reached a criterion of 90% avoidance than the wild mice, with the difference between groups significant at the.05 level. All four albino mice and four of five wild mice met the avoidance criterion. The wild mice showed much greater day-to-day variability in avoidance than the albino mice.
Interseismic deformation at the Nankai subduction zone and the Median Tectonic Line, southwest Japan

[1] GPS velocities in the vicinity of the Nankai Trough, southwest Japan, were inverted into three components: interplate loading due to Nankai Trough subduction, deformation associated with deep slip on the Median Tectonic Line (MTL), and the residual rigid plate motion. The results show a gradual decrease of interplate seismic coupling between 25 and 40 km depth on the Nankai Trough interface. This is consistent with the deep slip model, in which the fault extends as a ductile shear zone, with a depth-variable interplate strain accumulation rate. The top 20 km of the interface may not be fully coupled, although the resolution is poor there. The low coupling at shallow depths is consistent with the accretionary prism detected by seismic surveys. The MTL slip rate is estimated to be between 0.00 and 5.50 mm/yr if we assume a vertical fault and between 0.00 and 3.88 mm/yr if we assume a north dipping fault. Combining our results with a geological estimate (4–9 mm/yr) and a geodetic estimate with a denser network (∼5 mm/yr) suggests that the MTL slip rate may be near the upper bound of our geodetic estimate, that is, ∼4–5 mm/yr. The rigid plate motion with respect to the stable Eurasian craton was estimated to be very small, indicating that southwestern Japan is on the Eurasian plate rather than a separate plate.
A Simple Approach to Linear Facility Location

A linear facility is to be located to minimize weighted shortest distances from demand points to the facility. This paper reports on a naive but effective approach. The approach is simple to understand and computer implementation is straightforward. A graphical version may also be used. The approach generalizes to models with more elaborate cost structures than simple proportionality to distance. The analysis addresses uniqueness issues and characterizes the line with respect to other notions of best linear fits.
Application of the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Method for Detecting Organophosphate Residues and Related Compounds in Milk

Summary Known amounts of several cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides were added to raw and pasteurized homogenized samples of mixed-herd milk. Pesticides included in the study were: Sevin, Trithion, parathion, malathion, Guthion, Dipterex, and ronnel. Fifty-gram aliquots of the treated milks were extracted, using acetonitrile and chloroform as primary extraction solvents. Conversion of the extracted pesticides to potent in vitro cholinesterase inhibitors was accomplished by H 2 O 2 -acetic acid oxidation. In vitro cholinesterase assays were carried out, using a direct colorimetric method. Standard curves were prepared by placing known amounts of the pesticides in reaction vessels and measuring the inhibition over a standard time interval. Pesticides included in the study were found to be stable for at least eight days when stored in raw milk at 4C and can be extracted from milk and refrigerated overnight in the final acetonitrile extract prior to the enzyme assay. The levels of pesticides recovered from milk in the investigation were 0.3, 0.04, 0.008, 0.04, 0.04, and 0.2ppm ( µ g per milliliter) for Sevin, Trithion, parathion, malathion, Guthion, and ronnel, respectively. Dipterex could not be recovered. The procedure should be of value in detecting cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides in fluid milk.
Humoral immune response of the small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula

Cartilaginous fishes are the oldest group in which an adaptive immune system based on immunoglobulin-superfamily members is found. This manuscript compares humoral immune function in small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) with that described for spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), another member of the Squalomorphi superorder, and nurse shark, the model for humoral immunity in elasmobranchs and a member of the Galeomorphi superorder. Although small-spotted catshark and nurse shark are separated by over 200 million years we found that immunoglobulin isoforms are well conserved between the two species. However, the plasma protein profile of small-spotted catshark was most similar to that of spiny dogfish, with low levels of pentameric IgM, and IgNAR present as a multimer in plasma rather than a monomer. We show that an antigen-specific monomeric IgM response, with a profile similar to that described previously for nurse sharks, can be raised in small-spotted catshark. Lacking polyclonal or monoclonal antibody reagents for detecting catshark IgNAR we investigated phage-display and recombinant Fc-fusion protein expression as alternative methods to look for an antigen-specific response for this isotype. However, we could find no evidence of an antigen-specific IgNAR in the animals tested using either of these techniques. Thus, unlike nurse sharks where antigen-specific monomeric IgM and IgNAR appear together, it seems there may be a temporal or complete 'uncoupling' of these isotypes during a humoral response in the small-spotted catshark.
INNOVATION HIT RATE, PRODUCT ADVANTAGE, INNOVATIVENESS, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE

This study investigates the average levels of product advantage and innovativeness across the products in the firm's new product development (NPD) portfolio. Launch rate is defined as the percentage of products with a "launch" versus a "discontinued" outcome. A dataset of drug development activity for 73 pharmaceutical companies for the period 1995–2006 supports a positive relationship between average advantage and launch rate and between average innovativeness and launch rate. The interaction of high advantage and high innovativeness reduces launch rate. The distribution of activity across knowledge categories in the development portfolio strengthens the positive relationship between advantage and firm profitability.
Thyroid transcription factor-1 expression during normal human lung development and in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Background/Purpose: Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) was detected in human respiratory epithelial cells from 11 weeks of gestation. TTF-1 is involved in both lung morphogenesis and in the regulation of surfactant proteins. Recently, low expression of TTF-1 in the nitrofen rat model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) was shown and restoration of this downregulation by antenatal glucocorticolds (CS) was reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of TTF-1 as a marker of lung morphogenesis in normal human lung development and in age-matched controls of human lung specimen in hypoplastic lungs of human CDH and other forms of lung hypoplasia. Methods: Immunohistochemistry by a monoclonal TTF-1 antibody was performed on paraffin sections of human fetal and neonatal lung tissues. The so-called developmental group (12 weeks' gestation to full term) included 47 lung specimens. The congenital hypoplasia group included 8 full-term CDH patients who died within 12 hours after birth, 3 full-term CDH patients who had antenatal CS therapy, and 4 full-term CDH patients after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. For comparison, 6 full-term born patients, who died of other forms of pulmonary hypoplasia, were used as comparative specimen. Immunohistochemical localization of TTF-1 was evaluated by light microscopy for 3 different areas of the airways including intrapulmonary bronchi, intermediate airways so-called terminal bronchioles, distal airways, and later sacculi and alveoli. Results: Nuclear TTF-1 staining was observed in the progenitor cells of the developing bronchiolar cells early in the human lung developmental series. At full term, TTF-1 was expressed in both type II epithelial cells and in subsets of respiratory nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells in a pattern similar in all studied groups. No TTF-1 expression was detected at the level of the intrapulmonary bronchi. Conclusions: No difference in TTF-1 expression was observed in the developing early fetal and full-term neither in hypoplastic human lungs. This expression did not change with antenatal CS and postnatal ECMO treatment. Although TTF-1 appears to play an important role in lung morphogenesis, a pivotal role in human lung development is not likely. J Pediatr Surg 37:1258-1262. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Drop-scale chronopotentiometry

Chronopotentiometry has been successfully carried out on one drop of solution. A simple arrangement enabled determinations to be performed in one to two minutes. A potential holdup was clearly indicated for the oxidation of iodide ions on electrolyzing 0.07 ml of a 5·10-6M potassium iodide solution 1M in sulfuric acid, a total of 3.5·10-10 equivalents of iodide ions.
Hydroperoxide as a Prooxidant in the Oxidative Stability of Soybean Oil

Fifteen milliliters of soybean oil having peroxide value (PV) of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 meq/kg oil in a 35 mL serum bottle was sealed air-tight with a Teflon rubber septum and aluminum cap and was stored in a forced-air oven at 50 °C. The oxidative stability of soybean oil was evaluated daily for six days by measuring the headspace oxygen content and volatile compounds in the headspace of a sample bottle by gas chromatography. As the initial PV of the oil increased from 0 to 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, the headspace oxygen decreased and the volatile compounds increased at p 0.05. The oxidative stability of PV 8 meq/kg and 50 ppm TBHQ was better than the control with PV 0 and 0 ppm TBHQ at p < 0.05. TBHQ was an effective antioxidant to improve the oxidative stability of soybean oil.
Amplitude Scintillation of Radio Star at Ultra-High Frequency

Observations of radio star scintillation at a frequency of 915 Mc over a 12-month period (October, 1957-September, 1958) are described. By daily observations of Cygnus A (IAU 19N4A) over a wide range of elevation angles, both the amplitude and rate of scintillation were studied. It was found that the amplitude scintillation is strongest near the horizon and decreases rapidly as the altitude increases. The amount of the intensity fluctuation ranges from less than 3 per cent to over 50 per cent of the undisturbed intensity, while the rate of fluctuation varies from ? to 8 peaks per minute. A fluctuation amplitude greater than 10 per cent was observed at low-altitude angles for 71 per cent of the total observations. The frequency of occurrence of scintillation follows a seasonal variation having two maxima; one in the winter and the other in the summer. During these two maximum periods, the mean fluctuation amplitude was found to be higher than during other periods. It was also found that the mean fluctuation rate in the winter is about three times faster than that in the summer. It was also observed that the scintillation characteristics are markedly affected by the presence of auroras and/or geomagnetic disturbances. During the winter months, the fluctuation rate is roughly proportional to the three-hour geomagnetic K index.
Classical scattering in (1+1)-dimensional string theory.

We find the general solution to Polchinski's classical scattering equations for (1 + 1)-dimensional string theory. This allows efficient computation of scattering amplitudes in the standard $\mathrm{Liouville}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}c=1$ background. Moreover, the solution leads to a mapping from a large class of time-dependent collective field theory backgrounds to corresponding nonlinear $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ models. Finally, we derive recursion relations between tachyon amplitudes. These may be summarized by an infinite set of nonlinear partial differential equations for the partition function in an arbitrary time-dependent background.
Hydrogen and deuterium in graphite limiters from TFTR, PDX and PLT

Abstract Retention of hydrogen isotopes in graphite limiters impacts plasma fueling, isotope changeover rates and tritium inventory in fusion reactors. This paper describes measurements of the amount of deuterium (D) in graphite tiles from the TFTR limiter, and in graphite limiters from PDX and PLT, after extended exposure to high power D plasmas. D concentrations decreased abruptly over the first micron and fell to the bulk value of 4 to 13 atomic ppm beyond 40 microns from the exposed surface. The average near-surface areal densities of D on the TFTR tiles was 10 17 D/cm 2 . The total amount of near-surface D in TFTR limiters estimated using this value is larger than the amount of D in a plasma but small compared to the allowed tritium inventory. The D concentrations found in the bulk are large enough to be an important factor for tritium inventory. The 1 at.% of hydrogen (H) found in the limiters and in graphite not exposed to plasma may be an important source of hydrogen to the plasma. We discuss the influence of the H and D concentrations found in the bulk of graphite on tritium inventory estimates and hydrogen isotope changeover rates.
Learning through the breach: Language socialization among African American cosmetologists

In this article, I analyze a series of breaches (Garfinkel, 1967) observed during an 18-month ethnographic study of an African American cosmetology school in South Carolina. Students, clients, teachers (and this author) committed endless verbal and nonverbal mistakes during everyday hair care encounters. They also employed an array of cultural and professional communicative strategies to resolve them. Their candid deliberations over what went wrong or was supposed to happen in client-stylist and stylist-stylist negotiations provide critical insights into the role of language in marking hair care expertise. Their evaluations also underscore the importance of speaker intentionality and accountability, as well as the virtues of forgiveness, within African American women's hair care practices. Moreover, their breach assessments clarify what is at stake in terms of professionalism and clientdom for African American stylists, their predominantly Black female clientele, and a vulnerable constituency of cosmetolo...
Contributions of mammography in the detection of early breast cancer.

Mammography often eliminates the hesitancy of women to present themselves for diagnosis of breast cancer especially high-risk groups. This shortening of the patient delay aids in the detection of early cancer as 10% of cancers found by mammography are clinically unsuspected. At Emory University Hospital where rapport has been established with the community 80% of operable cases are not beyond Stage 1 of the disease. Of previously unsuspected cancer cases 92% have been found to have negative axillary lymph nodes. This early detection influences treatment and prognosis. Less extensive surgery with subsequent better use of the arm has a favorable psychological effect. Mammography is the best means of detecting unsuspected cancer and particularly a 2nd primary cancer in the opposite breast. The overall accuracy is 88%. Many breast cancers can be detected by mammography 2 years prior to clinical recognition. At present the method is used for patients in high-risk groups. Its potential use in screening of the general population may be developed.
‘We do the impossible’: women overcoming barriers to cervical cancer screening in rural Honduras – a positive deviance analysis

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in Honduras, and sexual behaviour and low screening uptake are two major factors contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality. A qualitative study was conducted to investigate barriers that prevent rural Honduran women from engaging in screening and ways that women overcome those barriers. This study examined examples of positive deviance, or individuals engaging in the uncommon but beneficial practise of screening. Amor por si misma (self-love), and social support were identified as two constructs women employed to overcome barriers to screening. Participants defined self-love as the act of displaying care and concern for oneself and one's health and suggested that it compels women to participate in screening. Social support was defined as receiving tangible aid and advice from others that facilitated women's screening participation. Findings suggest that the concept of self-love could be used in future screening promotion efforts an...
Determination of the thermal offset of the Eppley precision spectral pyranometer.

Eppley's precision spectral pyranometer (PSP) is used in networks around the world to measure downwelling diffuse and global solar irradiance at the surface of the Earth. In recent years several studies have shown significant discrepancy between irradiances measured by pyranometers and those computed by atmospheric radiative transfer models. Pyranometer measurements have been questioned because observed diffuse irradiances sometimes are below theoretical minimum values for a pure molecular atmosphere, and at night the instruments often produce nonzero signals ranging between + 5 and - 10 W/sq m. We install thermistor sondes in the body of a PSP as well as on its inner dome to monitor the temperature gradients within the instrument, and we operate a pyrgeometer (PIR) instrument side by side with the PSP. We derive a relationship between the PSP output and thermal radiative exchange by the dome and the detector and a relationship between the PSP output and the PIR thermopile output (net-IR). We determine the true PSP offset by quickly capping the instrument at set time intervals. For a ventilated and shaded PSP, the thermal offset can reach - 15 W/sq m under clear skies, whereas it remains close to zero for low overcast clouds. We estimate the PSP thermal offset by two methods: (1) using the PSP temperatures and (2) using the PIR net-IR signal. The offset computed from the PSP temperatures yields a reliable estimate of the true offset (+/- 1 W/sq m). The offset computed from net-IR is consistent with the true offset at night and under overcast skies but predicts only part of the true range under clear skies.
St. John's Wort inhibits adipocyte differentiation and induces insulin resistance in adipocytes

Adipocytes are insulin sensitive cells that play a major role in energy homeostasis. Obesity is the primary disease of fat cells and a major risk factor for the development of Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Obesity and its related disorders result in dysregulation of the mechanisms that control adipocyte gene expression and function. To identify potential novel therapeutic modulators of adipocytes, we screened 425 botanical extracts for their ability to modulate adipogenesis and insulin sensitivity. We observed that less than 2% of the extracts had substantial effects on adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Two of the botanical extracts that inhibited adipogenesis were extracts from St. John’s Wort (SJW). Our studies revealed that leaf and flower, but not root, extracts isolated from SJW inhibited adipogenesis as judged by examining PPARγ and adiponectin levels. We also examined the effects of these SJW extracts on insulin sensitivity in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Both leaf and flower extracts isolated from SJW substantially inhibited insulin sensitive glucose uptake. The specificity of the observed effects was demonstrated by showing that treatment with SJW flower extract resulted in a time and dose dependent inhibition of insulin stimulated glucose uptake. SJW is commonly used in the treatment of depression. However, our studies have revealed that SJW may have a negative impact on adipocyte related diseases by limiting differentiation of preadipocytes and significantly inducing insulin resistance in mature fat cells.
Theories on Political Repression in Latin America: Conventional Wisdom and an Alternative

David Pion-Berlin is an assistant professor at Ohio State University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Denver and is the 1985 winner of the Gabriel A. Almond award for the best doctoral dissertation completed and accepted during 1983 or 1984 in the field of comparative politics. This article extends some of the ideas presented in his dissertation, "Ideas as Predictors: A Comparative Study of Coercion in Peru and Argentina." events and processes of the period. It is indeed remarkable, given the extent and gravity of human rights abuses of the last ten to fifteen years, that so little theorizing has been done about it. The subject of political repression in Latin America and throughout the third world has not received the attention it deserves. In fact, the first volume to concern itself exclusively with the subject of state terror-as opposed to civilian terrorwas not published until 1 984!1
Detecting previously unknown aftershocks of the 2011 Tohoku quake

Aftershocks of major earthquakes are usually detected by local seismic monitors, but they can also be detected by more distant seismic arrays. Kiser and Ishii used a technique known as back projection to analyze data from North American seismic stations during the 25 hours following the 2011 magnitude 9 Tohoku earthquake. They compared their data with the aftershock catalog from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which is based on data from local seismic arrays, and found that about half of the aftershocks they detected within the North American data were not included in the JMA catalog. Most of these events took place near the Japan Trench in an area previously thought to be relatively aseismic following the magnitude 9 mainshock. The new data help fill in the record of aftershock distribution for the Tohoku earthquake and demonstrate the usefulness of back-projection analysis of teleseismic data in detecting aftershocks of major earthquakes.
Detection and direction discrimination performance with flicker gratings in peripheral vision

Abstract Detection and direction discrimination experiments were conducted with luminance and flicker gratings. The flicker gratings had bars made up of static random pixels interspersed between other bars with flickering random pixels. All experiments were carried out in peripheral vision with grating images centered at 8 deg eccentricity in the superior retina. Detection of flicker gratings (i) was independent of pixel size, (ii) declined with spatial frequency in the range 1–4 c/deg, and (iii) improved with stimulus area (number of grating cycles). Detection performance with a flicker grating was comparable to that obtained with a low-contrast (0.01) luminance grating, and the results suggest that the spatial structure of a flicker-domain stimulus is based upon signals which are weak compared to the maximum signals attainable with a luminance-domain stimulus. With the detectability of flicker and luminance gratings equated, d ′ for discriminating the direction of motion of a luminance grating increased with step size (1/12 to 1/4 cycle) whereas direction discrimination performance with a flicker grating remained unchanged and at chance levels. Under the conditions tested, there was no evidence that the motion of a flicker-domain stimulus could be processed peripherally. Constraints on alternative models of motion processing are discussed.
Magnetic resonance contrast and biological effects of intracellular superparamagnetic iron oxides on human mesenchymal stem cells with long-term culture and hypoxic exposure

Abstract Background aims Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have gained interest for treatment of stroke injury. Using in vitro culture, the purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term detectability of hMSCs by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after transfection with a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and evaluate the effects of SPIO on cellular activity, particularly under an ischemic environment. Methods hMSCs were exposed to low doses of SPIOs. After a short incubation period, cells were cultured for additional 1, 7 and 14 d to evaluate proliferation, colony formation and multilinear potential. Labeled cells were imaged and evaluated in agarose to quantify R 2 and R 2 ∗ contrast at each time point. Cells were placed in a low-oxygen, low-serum environment and tested for cytotoxicity. In addition, labeled cells were transplanted into an ischemic stroke model and evaluated with ex vivo MRI and histology. Results Cellular events such as proliferation and differentiation were not affected at any of the exposures tested when cultured for 14 d. The low iron exposure and short incubation time are sufficient for detectability with MRI. However, the higher iron dosage results in higher calcification and cytotoxicity under in vitro ischemic conditions. Transplantation of the hMSCs labeled with an initial exposure of 22.4 μg of Fe showed excellent retention of contrast in stroke-induced rats. Conclusions Although SPIO labeling is stable for long-term MRI detection and has limited effects on the multilineage potential of hMSCs, high-dose SPIO labeling may affect hMSC survival under serum and oxygen withdrawal.
Free electron charging of ultrafine aerosol particles

Abstract Experiments of free electron charging of aerosol particles in the free molecule regime are reported. Monodisperse ultrafine silver particles of 5–30 nm were exposed to known concentrations of low energy electrons produced by ionization by α-particles in a unipolar aerosol charger. The kinetic energy of the electrons was varied by changing the electric field intensity in the charger (i.e. between 93 and 279 V cm −1 ). The range of Knudsen number for aerosol charging (i.e. the ratio of the electron mean free path to the particle radius) was from 30 to 261. The charged fraction was measured as a function of particle size in high-purity helium and nitrogen under different charging conditions. The experimental results for the combination coefficient between neutral particles and electrons suggested a free-molecule diffusion charging mechanism which was dependent on the electron mobility, transverse diffusion coefficient, mean free path, and mean kinetic energy (i.e. electron temperature). The functional dependence was similar to that given by the ionic charging theories of Natanson (1960, Sov. Phys. 5, 538–551), and Fuchs (1963, Geofis. Pura Appl. 56, 185–193) when the appropriate electron properties were used. The electron charging models of O'Hara et al. (1989, J. Aerosol Sci. 20, 313–330), and Zagnit'ko et al. (1989, Russ. J. Phys. Chem. 63, 883–888) did not fit the experimental results because they were not derived for the free-molecule regime. A modified Fuchs charging theory that uses an empirical accommodation coefficient for the electrons at the surface of the particle was used to fit the experimental results. Good agreement was found by using an accommodation coefficient of 0.4 for both helium and nitrogen.
Influence of contact sensitivity to dnfb on the induction of carrier-determined tolerance to dnp.

Abstract Contact sensitivity to DNFB, induced by skin painting Balb/c mice with DNFB had no influence on the induction of carrier determined tolerance to DNP. In contrast, contact sensitivity to DNFB, elicited in complete Freund's adjuvant, prevented induction of tolerance to DNP. This effect was not due to the adjuvant alone and was hapten specific since contact sensitivity induced by OCBC in complete adjuvant had no influence on tolerance induction to DNP. In addition, in mice primed with DNFB in complete Freund's adjuvant, the tolerogen becomes immunogenic. It is suggested that the T-cell mediating tolerance to DNP-autologous IgG is different from the T-cell mediating contact sensitivity to DNP autologous carrier. DNFB in complete adjuvant may augment not only contact-sensitized T-cells, which mediate contact sensitivity, but also T-cells which have helper function in the antibody response to DNP.
Relative performance of three methods for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy

Objective This study measures the relative performance of three methods for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis (BV) during pregnancy and assesses the implications of measurement for clinical practice and surveillance. Methods A sample (n = 1,780) of English or Spanish speaking women, with a singleton intrauterine pregnancy and receiving prenatal care at a consortium of public health centers in Philadelphia were consecutively enrolled. Gram stain, clinician’s diagnosis, and a commercial test were the three diagnostic methods used to assess BV. Sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values of clinical diagnosis and the commercial test were assessed using the gram stain/Nugent score as a gold standard. Results The prevalence of BV, measured on the same population, differed considerably depending on the diagnostic test used. The measured prevalences were 55% (Gram stain), 28.5% (clinician’s diagnosis), and 12.6% (commercial test). The prevalence of BV (diagnosed by gram stain) was twice as high among African American women compared to White women. Only 69% BV-positive high-risk women were treated for BV. Conclusions Inaccurate diagnosis of BV leads to missed cases. The identification of true cases is critical for assigning treatment and for assessing treatment effectiveness. Clinician’s routine diagnosis fell short of recommended procedures and performed poorly compared to gold standard in case ascertainment. This inability to ascertain cases may have an impact on our ability to prevent preterm birth.
Teaching between-class generalization of toy play behavior to handicapped children.

In this study, young children with severe and moderate handicaps were taught to generalize play responses. A multiple baseline across responses design, replicated with four children, was used to assess the effects of generalization training within four sets of toys on generalization to untrained toys from four other sets. The responses taught were unique for each set of toys. Across the four participants, training to generalize within-toy sets resulted in complete between-class generalization in 11 sets, partial generalization in 3 sets, and no generalization in 2 sets. No generalization occurred to another class of toys that differed from the previous sets in that they produced a reaction to the play movement (e.g., pianos). Implications for conducting research using strategies based on class interrelationships in training contexts are discussed.
Nonlinear estimation of aircraft models for on-line control customization

This paper describes a new nonlinear estimation procedure used to estimate and track the parameters of a nonlinear aircraft. The Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) is developed and compared to the more traditional Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). State and parameters are estimated on the F-15 for both a complex maneuver and a maneuver with failure. The algorithms have access to the nonlinear dynamic equations, but not the aircraft engine models, aerodynamic models, or atmospheric models. Parameters describing these unknown dynamics are estimated in the EKF and UKF algorithms. Results show the UKF to be more accurate than the EKF, and track all parameters very well at all times, even after a 50% failure of the stabilator. The aerodynamic forces and moments, while difficult to track immediately after the failure because of the discontinuous nonlinearity, did recover quickly and stay within the predicted bounds.
On the Origin of Tremor in Parkinson’s Disease

The exact origin of tremor in Parkinson’s disease remains unknown. We explain why the existing data converge on the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop as a tremor generator and consider a conductance-based model of subthalamo-pallidal circuits embedded into a simplified representation of the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit to investigate the dynamics of this loop. We show how variation of the strength of dopamine-modulated connections in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop (representing the decreasing dopamine level in Parkinson’s disease) leads to the occurrence of tremor-like burst firing. These tremor-like oscillations are suppressed when the connections are modulated back to represent a higher dopamine level (as it would be the case in dopaminergic therapy), as well as when the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop is broken (as would be the case for ablative anti-parkinsonian surgeries). Thus, the proposed model provides an explanation for the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop mechanism of tremor generation. The strengthening of the loop leads to tremor oscillations, while the weakening or disconnection of the loop suppresses them. The loop origin of parkinsonian tremor also suggests that new tremor-suppression therapies may have anatomical targets in different cortical and subcortical areas as long as they are within the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop.
Eukaryotic systems broaden the scope of synthetic biology

Synthetic biology aims to engineer novel cellular functions by assembling well-characterized molecular parts (i.e., nucleic acids and proteins) into biological “devices” that exhibit predictable behavior. Recently, efforts in eukaryotic synthetic biology have sprung from foundational work in bacteria. Designing synthetic circuits to operate reliably in the context of differentiating and morphologically complex cells presents unique challenges and opportunities for progress in the field. This review surveys recent advances in eukaryotic synthetic biology and describes how synthetic systems can be linked to natural cellular processes in order to manipulate cell behavior and to foster new discoveries in cell biology research.
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia and Hypercapnia Inhibit the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Neurotransmission to Parasympathetic Cardiac Neurons in the Brain Stem

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with chronic intermittent hypoxia/hypercapnia (CIHH) episodes during sleep that heighten sympathetic and diminish parasympathetic activity to the heart. Although one population of neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus strongly influences sympathetic tone and has increased activity after CIHH, little is known about the role of this pathway to parasympathetic neurons and how this network is altered in CIHH. We hypothesized that CIHH inhibits the excitatory pathway from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to parasympathetic cardiac vagal neurons in the brain stem. To test this hypothesis, channelrhodopsin was selectively expressed, using viral vectors, in neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and channelrhodopsin-expressing fibers were photoactivated to evoke postsynaptic currents in cardiac vagal neurons in brain stem slices. Excitatory postsynaptic currents were diminished in animals exposed to CIHH. The paired-pulse and prolonged facilitation of the postsynaptic current amplitudes and frequencies evoked by paired and bursts of photoactivation of channelrhodopsin fibers, respectively, occurred in unexposed rats but were blunted in CIHH animals. In response to an acute challenge of hypoxia/hypercapnia, the amplitude of postsynaptic events was unchanged during, but increased after hypoxia/hypercapnia in unexposed animals. In contrast, postsynaptic currents were inhibited during hypoxia/hypercapnia in rats exposed to CIHH. In conclusion, the excitatory pathway to cardiac vagal neurons is diminished in response to both acute and chronic exposures to hypoxia/hypercapnia. This could elicit a reduced cardioprotective parasympathetic activity and an enhanced risk of adverse cardiovascular events in episodes of apnea and chronic obstructive sleep apnea.
Predicting the probability of H3K4me3 occupation at a base pair from the genome sequence context

Motivation: Histone modifications regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. Although nucleosome formation is known to be affected by primary DNA sequence composition, no sequence signature has been identified for histone modifications. It is known that dense H3K4me3 nucleosome sites are accompanied by a low density of other nucleosomes and are associated with gene activation. This observation suggests a different sequence composition of H3K4me3 from other nucleosomes. Approach: To understand the relationship between genome sequence and chromatin structure, we studied DNA sequences at histone modification sites in various human cell types. We found sequence specificity for H3K4me3, but not for other histone modifications. Using the sequence specificities of H3 and H3K4me3 nucleosomes, we developed a model that computes the probability of H3K4me3 occupation at each base pair from the genome sequence context. Results: A comparison of our predictions with experimental data suggests a high performance of our method, revealing a strong association between H3K4me3 and specific genomic DNA context. The high probability of H3K4me3 occupation occurs at transcription start and termination sites, exon boundaries and binding sites of transcription regulators involved in chromatin modification activities, including histone acetylases and enhancer-and insulator-associated factors. Thus, the human genome sequence contains signatures for chromatin modifications essential for gene regulation and development. Our method may be applied to find new sequence elements functioning by chromatin modulation. Availability: Software and supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Contact:misook.ha@samsung.com or wli@uchicago.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Angiotensin II regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the neuronal cultures of normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats

In the present study we investigated the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) by angiotensin II (Ang II) in an attempt to provide cellular and molecular evidence that this hormone has increased neuromodulatory actions in the spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rat brain. Neuronal cells in primary culture from the hypothalamus-brain stem of both normotensive [Wistar-Kyoto (WKY)] and SH rats have been used. These cultures mimic in vivo situations. Ang II caused a time-dependent increase in TH activity in WKY rat brain neurons. A maximal increase of 2.5-fold was observed with 100 nM Ang II in an actinomycin- and cycloheximide-dependent process. In addition, Ang II caused a parallel increase in TH messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, with a maximal stimulation of 5-fold in 4 h by 100 nM Ang II in WKY rat brain neurons. The stimulation of TH mRNA was mediated by the AT1 receptor subtype, resulted from an increase in its transcription, and involved activation of phospholipase C and protein kinase C. Antisense oligonucle...