cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Active resonant subwavelength grating for scannerless range imaging sensors

In this late-start LDRD, we will present a design for a wavelength-agile, high-speed modulator that enables a long-term vision for the THz Scannerless Range Imaging (SRI) sensor. It takes the place of the currently-utilized SRI micro-channel plate which is limited to photocathode sensitive wavelengths (primarily in the visible and near-IR regimes). Two of Sandia's successful technologies--subwavelength diffractive optics and THz sources and detectors--are poised to extend the capabilities of the SRI sensor. The goal is to drastically broaden the SRI's sensing waveband--all the way to the THz regime--so the sensor can see through image-obscuring, scattering environments like smoke and dust. Surface properties, such as reflectivity, emissivity, and scattering roughness, vary greatly with the illuminating wavelength. Thus, objects that are difficult to image at the SRI sensor's present near-IR wavelengths may be imaged more easily at the considerably longer THz wavelengths (0.1 to 1mm). The proposed component is an active Resonant Subwavelength Grating (RSG). Sandia invested considerable effort on a passive RSG two years ago, which resulted in a highly-efficient (reflectivity greater than gold), wavelength-specific reflector. For this late-start LDRD proposal, we will transform the passive RSG design into an active laser-line reflector.
Excitation of cutaneous C nociceptors by intraplantar administration of anandamide.

Abstract Anandamide has been characterized as both an endocannabinoid and endovanilloid. Consistent with its actions as an endovanilloid, previous studies have demonstrated that anandamide can excite primary sensory neurons in vitro via transient receptor potential vanilloid type one (TRPV1) receptors. In the present study, we sought to determine if anandamide excited cutaneous C nociceptors in vivo and if this excitation correlated with nocifensive behaviors. Using teased-fiber electrophysiological methods in the rat, C nociceptors isolated from the tibial nerve with receptive fields (RFs) on the plantar surface of the hindpaw were studied. Injection of anandamide into the RF dose-dependently excited nociceptors at doses of 10 and 100 μg. The TRPV1 receptor antagonists, capsazepine or SB 366791, were applied to the RF to determine if excitation by anandamide was mediated through TRPV1 receptors. Intraplantar injection of either capsazepine (10 μg) or SB 366791 (3 μg) attenuated the excitation produced by 100 μg anandamide. We also determined whether excitation of C nociceptors by anandamide was associated with nocifensive behaviors. Intraplantar injection of 100 μg anandamide produced nocifensive behaviors that were attenuated by pre-treatment with either capsazepine or SB 366791. Furthermore, we determined if intraplantar injection of anandamide altered withdrawal responses to radiant heat. Neither intraplantar injection of anandamide nor vehicle produced antinociception or hyperalgesia to radiant heat. Our results indicate that anandamide excited cutaneous C nociceptors and produced nocifensive behaviors via activation of TRPV1 receptors.
An attractive force in metastasis.

In breast-cancer patients, secondary tumours often form in the lungs and bone marrow, for example, but rarely in the kidneys. The explanation for this bias involves soluble attractant molecules called chemokines.
Histoplasma capsulatum and Vβa mice: cellular immune responses and susceptibility patterns

Certain strains of mice, designated Vβa, have a deletion of the gene segments encoding the β chain of the T-cell receptor variable region. These mice do not express 40 to 50% of the T-cell receptor Vβ chains. In this study, we examined the influence of this deletion on susceptibility to Histoplasma capsulatum. In addition, H. capsulatum-injected Vβa mice were tested for their capacity to generate T-cell dependent responses to H. capsulatum antigens. Susceptibility profiles of Vβa mice, SWR/J (H-2q), SJL/J (H-2s) and C57L-(H-2b), were compared to Vβb strains, C57BL/6 (H-2b) and DBA/1 (H-2q), following intravenous (IV) injection of sublethal and lethal inocula of H. capsulatum yeast cells. One week after injection of 6 × 105 yeast cells, the spleens of SWR/J, SJL/J and C57L mice contained 5- to 7-fold fewer colony forming units (CFU) than spleens of C57BL/6 mice. Approximately 50% fewer CFU of H. capsulatum were recovered from the spleens of DBA/1 mice compared to those from C57BL/6 animals. Subsequently, g...
Refugees, Veterans, and Continuing Pedagogies of PTSD in Asian American Studies

The authors present specific challenges, possibilities, and critical intersections that have emerged in their teaching and learning with both refugees and veterans in Asian American studies courses.
The combined use of ouabain and digitalis in the treatment of congestive heart failure

Abstract 1. 1. A method of obtaining rapid digitalization by the simultaneous administration of ouabain intravenously and digitalis leaf orally is presented. 2. 2. Digitalization was produced sixty times in fifty-nine cases. The patients had varying degrees of congestive heart failure and different types of heart disease; their ages ranged from 28 to 70 years. 3. 3. In the majority of the cases, improvement occurred within one hour. This improvement, once established, was progressive; the maximum effect was attained at the end of twenty-four hours. 4. 4. After the initial digitalization, it was not difficult to establish the maintenance dose of digitalis leaf. 5. 5. The method was found to be applicable to patients with normal sinus rhythm, as well as to those with auricular fibrillation. 6. 6. Evidences of toxicity were the least that could be expected, indicating that the method is a safe one.
Photoionization of the 4d subshell of Ba I

Results are presented for calculations of the photoionization cross section of the 4d subshell of Ba I in the Hartree-Fock and random phase approximation with exchange. Both results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data of Connerade et al. (1974).
An OGCM with movable land-sea boundaries

Abstract An ocean general circulation model (OGCM) with wetting and drying (WAD) capabilities removes the vertical-wall coastal assumption and allows simultaneous modeling of open-ocean currents and water run-up (and run-down) across movable land–sea boundaries. This paper implements and tests such a WAD scheme for the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) in its most general three-dimensional setting with stratification, bathymetry and forcing. The scheme can be easily exported to other OGCM’s.
Recovery from mivacurium-induced neuromuscular blockade after neurosurgical procedures of long duration.

Abstract Study Objective: To determine if recovery following prolonged (5 hours in length or greater) infusions of mivacurium is different from recovery after single bolus administration. Design: open-labelled, controlled study. Setting: Inpatient neurosurgical service at a university hospital. Patients: 36 patients between the ages of 18 to 65 without significant history of renal, hepatic, cardiac, or metabolic disease undergoing neurosurgical procedures. 21 patients had craniotomies or skull base procedures of an estimated length of 5 hours or greater; 15 patients (control) underwent short neurosurgical operations (two hours or less). Interventions: Intravenous (IV) mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg was given with stable general anesthesia with 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen, 0.2% to 0.3% end-tidal isoflurane, and continuous infusion of fentanyl. The control group was allowed to recover spontaneously after single bolus administration while neuromuscular blockade was maintained in the study group with a continuous infusion of mivacurium until 30 minutes before completion of surgery, at which time the infusion was discontinued and neuromuscular function was allowed to recover spontaneously. Measurements and Main Results: The evoked compound electromyogram of the adductor pollicis brevis muscle was measured during stimulation of the ulnar nerve at 2 Hz for 2 seconds at 10-second intervals. Measurements included time to 50% and 90% depression of twitch (T 1 of the TOF response), time to T 1 equal to 25% (T 1 25), 50% (T 1 50), and 75% (T 1 75) of baseline, and TOF ratio (TR) at 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% recovery. Recovery index (RI), which is T 1 75 minus T 1 25, was also determined. All mivacurium infusion rates decreased during surgery. Recovery rates were significantly longer in the long infusion (LI) group than the control group. RI was also increased in the LI group compared with the single bolus control (11.3 ± 1.2 minutes vs. 7.1 ± 0.8 minutes p Conclusions: Recovery following mivacurium by prolonged continuous infusion was slower than that observed after single bolus administration in this patient population. Clinically, this increased time to recovery may be insignificant.
Tissue Regeneration in the Shell of the Giant Queen Conch, Strombus gigas

The crossed-lamellar microarchitecture (microstructure) of the shell of Strombus gigas, the giant Queen conch native to Caribbean habitats, is the most common of the several shell microarchitecture...
Synthesis Characterization and Remediation Potential of Polymerizable Surfactant Monomers of N,N-diallyl-N,N-dialkyl Ammonium Chloride

The amphiphilic polymerizable surfactants N,N-diallyl-N,N-dioctylammonium chloride, N,N-diallyl-N,N-didecylammonium chloride and N,N-diallyl-N,N-didodecylammonium chloride have been synthesized. Experimental techniques including dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and atomic force microscopy indicate the monomers form large, well-organized structures similar to vesicles of naturally occurring lipids. Studies of the sequestration of a model foulant by the didodecyl monomer revealed a strong interaction with a high degree of binding. The loading of higher amounts of cresol causes a change in the properties of the monomer assemblies indicating the formation of mixed micellar aggregates. The large monomer aggregates are retained by the dialysis membrane and present a potential alternative to small micellar assemblies.
Theoretical study of Beloussov’s hyper-restoration hypothesis for mechanical regulation of morphogenesis

Computational models were used to explore the idea that morphogenesis is regulated, in part, by feedback from mechanical stress according to Beloussov’s hyper-restoration (HR) hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, active tissue responses to stress perturbations tend to restore, but overshoot, the original (target) stress. To capture this behavior, the rate of growth or contraction is assumed to depend on the difference between the current and target stresses. Stress overshoot is obtained by letting the target stress change at a rate proportional to the same stress difference. The feasibility of the HR hypothesis is illustrated by models for stretching of epithelia, cylindrical bending of plates, invagination of cylindrical and spherical shells, and early amphibian development. In each case, an initial perturbation leads to an active mechanical response that changes the form of the tissue. The results show that some morphogenetic processes can be entirely self-driven by HR responses once they are initiated (possibly by genetic activity). Other processes, however, may require secondary mechanisms or perturbations to proceed to completion.
EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY PHOTOTHERAPY IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS

Routine initiation of phototherapy (PT) within a few hours of birth in VLBW infants has been suggested as a means of modifying the severity and duration of hyperbilirubinemia (HB). The purpose of this study was to determine whether early PT alters the course of HB in VLBW infants. 16 preterm infants, (BW 878 ± 56 g; EGA 27.6 ± 0.4 weeks - mean ± SEM) were randomly assigned to receive PT either within 8 h of birth (E) or after BR reached 5 mg/dl (L). Irradiance at 450 nm was controlled at 12uw/cm2/nm with a Healthdyne Cavitron PT unit. BR values were measured B.I.D., and specimens for configurational (ZE) and structural (LUM) photoisomers were obtained once each day for analysis by HPLC. Age and BR at the onset of PT, peak BR, age at peak, rate of rise of BR, and total duration of PT were compared for both treatment groups. A significant rise in both ZE and LUM (p<.005) independent of BR concentration was seen following the onset of PT in all patients. This data suggests that the clinical course of HB is not altered in infants receiving early PT compared with infants whose PT was begun at 5 mg/dl. In addition, infants receiving early PT were exposed to PT for a significantly longer time. Since PT may be associated with serious side effects, its prophylactic use does not appear to be justified. (NIH Grant RR-00240)
Assessing Sleep in Adolescents Through a Better Understanding of Sleep Physiology

Adolescents need about nine hours of sleep per night, yet most teens get far less. Inadequate sleep has consequences not only for academic performance but also for mental and physical health; it has been linked to lowered resilience and an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. It's imperative that assessment of sleep become a routine part of adolescent health care. An understanding of sleep physiology is essential to helping nurses better assess and manage sleep deprivation in this population. Sleep assessment involves evaluating the three main aspects of sleep: amount, quality, and architecture. The authors provide an overview of sleep physiology, describe sleep changes that occur during adolescence, and discuss the influence of these changes on adolescent health. They also provide simple questions that nurses can use to assess sleep and risk factors for disrupted sleep, and discuss patient education and other interventions.
X-ray measurement of laser fusion targets using least squares fitting.

This paper presents an x-ray technique for measurement of opaque hollow microspheres used as laser fusion targets. We describe a nondestructive method for holding microspheres that enables microsphere rotation between x-ray exposures. We record film images of the microspheres using contact microradiography. We use computer image analysis for measurement of the microsphere characteristics, which involves mathematically modeling processes that relate the microsphere characteristics to film density and then applying a least squares fit of the model to the image data. We compared this measurement with the optical interferometric measurement for several glass microspheres and found measurement differences <0.3 μm for wall thickness and 0.1 μm for nonconcentricity.
Lightness Dependencies and the Effect of Texture on Suprathreshold Lightness Tolerances

A psychophysical experiment was performed to determine the effects of lightness dependency on suprathreshold lightness tolerances. Using a pass/fail method of constant stimuli, lightness tolerance thresholds were measured using achromatic stimuli centered at CIELAB L* = 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 90 using 44 observers. In addition to measuring tolerance thresholds for uniform samples, lightness tolerances were measured using stimuli with a simulated texture of thread wound on a card. A texture intermediate between the wound thread and the uniform stimuli was also used. A computer-controlled CRT was used to perform the experiments. Lightness tolerances were found to increase with increasing lightness of the test stimuli. For the uniform stimuli this effect was only evident at the higher lightnesses. For the textured stimuli, this trend was more evident throughout the whole lightness range. Texture had an effect of increasing the tolerance thresholds by a factor of almost 2 as compared to the uniform stimuli. The intermediate texture had tolerance thresholds that were between those of the uniform and full-textured stimuli. Transforming the results into a plot of threshold vs. intensity produced results that were more uniform across the three conditions. This may indicate that CIELAB is not the best space in which to model these effects. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 25, 241–249, 2000
Our Scholarly Practices Are Derailing Our Progress: The Importance of “Nothing” in the Organizational Sciences

A recurrent theme in the history of industrial and organizational (I–O) psychology has been to (re)evaluate the vitality, importance (Cascio, 1995), and identity of the field (Ryan & Ford, 2010). We believe that such self-examination and the discussion that typically ensues is valuable. Kepes and McDaniel (2013) fire another important missive in this line of self-critique and focus squarely on the quality of the information we are generating in our scientific endeavors. We focus our commentary on one particular aspect of their message: the publication of null (or even nil) results. Specifically, we discuss why null results may appear rarely in our literature. Then, we offer suggestions and prescriptions for how our field should promote the publication of results without regard to statistical significance. As noted by Kepes and McDaniel, the Journal of Business and Psychology has devoted a special issue to null results (Nothing, Zilch, Nil: Advancing Organizational Science One Null Result at a Time). As coeditors of this special issue along with
Using TCAM efficiently for IP route lookup

Ternary Content Addressable Memories (CAMs) are widely used by high-speed routers to find matching routes in a routing table, because they enable the longest prefix matching operation to complete in a single clock cycle. However, they are costly and their power consumption is very high and some solutions have been proposed. But some issues have not been well studied: first, the memory accesses often take down the high speed of TCAMs; second, the prefixes must be sorted in prefix length decreasing order, which makes the update of routing table very slow. Third, even though the TCAMs are pretty fast, they can only process one match at one time, which make them unscalable. In this paper, we first discuss these problems and propose an efficient algorithm to solve these problems.
Constructive granular systems with universal approximation and fast knowledge discovery

Conventional gradient descent learning algorithms for soft computing systems have the learning speed bottleneck problem and the local minima problem. To effectively solve the two problems, the n-variable constructive granular system with high-speed granular constructive learning is proposed based on granular computing and soft computing, and proved to be a universal approximator. The fast granular constructive learning algorithm can highly speed up granular knowledge discovery by directly calculating all parameters of the n-variable constructive granular system using training data, and then construct the n-variable constructive granular system with any required accuracy using a small number of granular rules. Predictive granular knowledge discovery simulation results indicate that the direct-calculation-based granular constructive algorithm is better than the conventional gradient descent learning algorithm in terms of learning speed, learning error, and prediction error.
Functional alterations in rat thyroid ribosomes.

Ribosomes have been isolated from normal rat thyroid which incorporate 14Cphenylalanine into trichloroacetic acid precipitable protein in a reaction inhibited by puromycin and ribonuclease. Incorporation per mg ribosomal RNA is increased in thiouracil goiters. Added artificial raRNA (Poly U) increases incorporation by ribosomes from control and goitrous thyroids to the same absolute level. The ratio incorporation with Poly U/incorporation without Poly U is always greater in ribosomes from control thyroids. No polysomes were observedobserved on density gradient centrifugation or electron microscopy. Ribosomes from goiters produced by low iodide diets incorporate more phenylalanine than ribosomes from thyroids of rats receiving iodide supplements. Thyroxine injections diminish incorporation by ribosomes from normal and goitrous thyroids. The experiments suggest that endogenous TSH increases both ribosomal and messenger RNA (mRNA) in rat thyroids and permit speculation on the halflife of rat thyroid mRNA. (E...
Association Analysis Techniques for Bioinformatics Problems

Association analysis is one of the most popular analysis paradigms in data mining. Despite the solid foundation of association analysis and its potential applications, this group of techniques is not as widely used as classification and clustering, especially in the domain of bioinformatics and computational biology. In this paper, we present different types of association patterns and discuss some of their applications in bioinformatics. We present a case study showing the usefulness of association analysis-based techniques for pre-processing protein interaction networks for the task of protein function prediction. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges that need to be addressed to make association analysis-based techniques more applicable for a number of interesting problems in bioinformatics.
Current versus future reproduction: an experimental test of parental investment decisions using nest desertion by mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos )

Past investment in offspring may be important in determining a parent's ability to reproduce in the future and, hence, should affect the relative value of current offspring. However, there have been surprisingly few clear tests of whether animals actually adjust parental care in response to diminished opportunities for future reproduction. We modified the experimental protocol of Sargent and Gross [Behav Ecol Sociobiol (1985) 17:43–45] to examine offspring desertion by mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and decoupled the influence of past investment from expected current benefits by controlling for the effect of offspring age on clutch value. Using 9 years of nest mortality data, we accounted for the increasing prospects of egg survival with clutch age by calculating clutch sizes throughout incubation with equivalent expected benefits. Applying this approach, we experimentally reduced 203 clutches at two different incubation stages such that they had equivalent expected benefits but differed in the amount of past investment. Nest desertion rates did not differ between early- and late-incubated clutches that had equivalent expected benefits. Rather, the probability of desertion increased with the severity of the clutch reduction treatment. These results suggest that female mallards adjust parental care according to the expected benefits of current offspring, rather than to diminished prospects for future reproduction due to past investment. We further examined whether females assessed expected benefits on the basis of clutch size alone or clutch size adjusted for the age of the clutch. Using Akaike's Information Criterion, the most parsimonious model to explain the probability of deserting an experimentally reduced clutch included both the proportion of the clutch remaining and clutch age. Thus, female mallards appear to fine-tune their level of parental care not only according to the relative number of offspring in the clutch, but also to the increased prospects for offspring survival as they age.
Pediatric Melanoma: A Review

Background: Malignant melanoma is a rare neoplasm in the pediatric population, but its incidence has risen in recent years. Methods: The literature was reviewed to define the current clinical and pathologic features of pediatric melanoma, highlighting the similarities and differences between adult and pediatric melanoma. Results: Distinctive features of this disease, including frequency and type of genetic abnormalities, predisposing conditions, clinical presentation, stage at diagnosis, prognostic features, and frequency of sentinel lymph node positivity are emphasized. Treatment strategies, extrapolated from adult melanoma trials, are also discussed. Conclusions: Despite the differences between pediatric and adult melanoma, survival rates are similar and are improving in both populations. Further studies will help delineate the pathogenesis of both adult and pediatric melanoma, with the goal of contributing to early detection and improved survival. Melanoma incidence in children has increased in the United States over the last few decades, and continued study is needed to improve early diagnosis, biopsy protocols, therapies, and outcomes.
One-and Two-Photon Fluorescent Polyhedral Oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) Nanosensor Arrays for the Remote Detection of Analytes in Clouds, in Solution, and on Surfaces

A series of polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) nanosensors functionalized with fluorophores that change their wavelength of emission in response to their chemical environment has been synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR, UV, one- and two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF MS, and electrospray MS. When each nanosensor in an array of n nanosensors is functionalized with a different wavelength shifting fluorophore, the array can generate a unique fingerprint comprised of n emission wavelength data points in response to a given chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulant or toxic industrial chemical (TIC). One-photon fluorescence fingerprints were constructed by measuring the fluorescence spectra of nanosensor-analyte pairs in solution. Two-photon fluorescence fingerprints were then generated by remotely interrogating nanosensor-analyte pairs using a femtosecond IR laser and a stand-off fluorimeter. Two-photon fingerprints were obtained for analytes in solution, on a surface, and in cloud form. A four-component nanosensor array could differentiate a homologous series of alcohols and distinguish G and VX classes of nerve agent simulants.
Can New Urbanism Create Diverse Communities

This article examines the differences in diversity between a new urbanist subdivision and a standard suburban subdivision. We examine diversity at the macro level in terms of demographic characteri...
A wide bandwidth sige broadband amplifier for 100 Gb/s Ethernet applications

We present a low-voltage, low-power SiGe broadband amplifier with a bandwidth of 62 GHz, which is intended for use in 100 Gb/s Ethernet applications. The amplifier consumes only 125 mW from a 2.5 V supply. To the authors' knowledge this is the lowest reported power for a non-distributed amplifier with more than 60 GHz bandwidth in a SiGe process technology.
An Adaptive User Interface Generation Framework for Web Services

In a service chain, one web service invokes another based on the WSDL definition. For some Web services, the invoker may be a user. The ways for a service to interact with an application and a user should be different. When the service interacts with a user, it is preferable to provide a friendly graphical user interface (GUI). Also, users may access a web service from different devices, such as desktops and various handheld devices, and the GUI should be designed differently to fit different characteristics of the devices. However, it would be a burden to the web service designer to manually develop the interfaces for potential user interactions or even manually design various interfaces to fit potential user devices. In this paper, an adaptive user interface generation framework is presented to automate the task. The framework takes the WSDL interface specification as input to generate customized GUI for the specific user device. Additional specifications, such as the OWL specification for interface object semantics, can be provided to guide the generation of better GUI.The framework generates GUI in two stages. First, based on input specifications and device characteristics, it generates display preferences and constrains. Then, it invokes a decision algorithm to make the optimal GUI layout decision that satisfies all the display constrains and maximizes the preference values. A case study has been explored and it shows that the framework can effectively and adaptively generate appropriate GUIs for various user devices.
American Chestnut Past and Future: Implications of Restoration for Resource Pulses and Consumer Populations of Eastern U.S. Forests

Forests dominated by oak, beech, hornbeam, and boreal conifers are characterized by resource pulses. Contemporary eastern U.S. oak forests may exhibit dramatic resource pulses in part because of the loss of American chestnut, which comprised 25–50% of the canopy throughout its range. Chestnut loss may have reduced mast resources for wildlife. A newly developed, blight-resistant hybrid makes reintroduction feasible within several years. We use historical data to model the effects of American chestnut mast on consumer populations, illuminating the potential ecological effects of a successful restoration. We parameterized a stochastic population growth model with mast production data to compare consumer population dynamics both pre- and post-blight. We explored the effect of maximum intrinsic population growth rate, degree of density dependence, and reliance upon mast on consumer response to chestnut loss. We parameterized the models for white-footed mouse, eastern chipmunk, gray squirrel, and white-tailed deer. At a northern site 14 years post-blight, simulated annual mast production decreased 80% and the coefficient of variation (CV) increased 60%. At a southern site 35 years post-blight, annual mast production decreased by 35% and the CV increased by 76%. Smaller, more variable mast crops translated to reduced abundance and increased variability in simulated consumer populations. White-footed mice were the most responsive, exhibiting a 48% decrease in population size and 57% increase in interannual variation post-blight. The reintroduction of blightresistant chestnut may fundamentally alter predator–prey interactions, gypsy moth outbreaks, and Lyme disease hot spots through its effect on the character of resource pulses that drive consumer dynamics.
Learning from private and public observations of othersʼ actions

We study how a continuum of agents learn about disseminated information by observing others’ actions. Every period each agent observes a public and private noisy signal centered around the aggregate action taken by the population. The public signal represents an endogenous aggregate variable such as a price or a quantity. The private signal represents the information gathered through private communication and local interactions. We identify conditions such that the average learning curve is S-shaped: learning is slow initially, intensifies rapidly, and finally converges slowly to the truth. We show that increasing public information always slows down learning in the long run and, under some conditions, reduces welfare. Lastly, optimal diffusion of information requires that agents “strive to be different”: agents need to be rewarded for choosing actions away from the population average.
Brothers of the Christian Schools.

The Brothers of the Christian Schools, popularly known in the United States as Christian Brothers, have made numerous significant contributions to the development of Catholic education. Building and staffing schools, colleges, and orphanages, producing textbooks and catechetical materials, advocating for the poor, and creating new models of Catholic education are among their many successes. Manhattan College, St. Mary’s Press, and San Miguel Schools are all products of this community of Catholic educators.
Cyclic Testing of Steel-Latticed Members for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

To evaluate the cyclic behavior of a type of as-built steel-latticed member for the seismic retrofit of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, cyclic testing of three half-scale specimens was conducted at the University of California-San Diego. For eccentrically loaded specimens, local buckling in the end panel caused significant degradation in compressive strength. Net-section fracture of flange angles near rivet holes in which laces were connected also was observed. Bifurcation-type global buckling was observed for the concentrically loaded specimen, causing a drastic drop in compressive strength. The buckling strength could be reliably predicted when the shearing effect and the appropriate effective length were considered. The ductility capacity of these specimens ranged from 2.0 to 2.4. All three specimens were able to reach and exceed the strength predicted by the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) interaction curve by about 6 percent, but this "overstrength" was slightly lower than that typical...
Mapping Wildfire Burn Severity in the Arctic Tundra from Downsampled MODIS Data

Abstract Wildfires are historically infrequent in the arctic tundra, but are projected to increase with climate warming. Fire effects on tundra ecosystems are poorly understood and difficult to quantify in a remote region where a short growing season severely limits ground data collection. Remote sensing has been widely utilized to characterize wildfire regimes, but primarily from the Landsat sensor, which has limited data acquisition in the Arctic. Here, coarse-resolution remotely sensed data are assessed as a means to quantify wildfire burn severity of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire in Alaska, the largest tundra wildfire ever recorded on Alaska's North Slope. Data from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and downsampled Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were processed to spectral indices and correlated to observed metrics of surface, subsurface, and comprehensive burn severity. Spectral indices were strongly correlated to surface severity (maximum R2 = 0.88) and slightly less strongly correl...
Metabolomics Reveals Broad-Scale Metabolic Perturbations in Hyperglycemic Mothers during Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE To characterize metabolites across the range of maternal glucose by comparing metabolomic profiles of mothers with high and low fasting plasma glucose (FPG). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We compared fasting serum from an oral glucose tolerance test at ∼28 weeks' gestation from 67 Northern European ancestry mothers from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study with high (>90th percentile) FPG with 50 mothers with low (<10th percentile) FPG but comparable BMI. Metabolic data from biochemical analyses of conventional clinical metabolites, targeted mass spectrometry (MS)-based measurement of amino acids, and nontargeted gas chromatography/MS were subjected to per-metabolite analyses and collective pathway analyses using Unipathway annotation. RESULTS High-FPG mothers had a metabolic profile consistent with insulin resistance including higher triglycerides, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and amino acids including alanine, proline, and branched-chain amino acids (false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted P < 0.05). Lower 1,5-anhydroglucitol in high-FPG mothers suggested recent hyperglycemic excursions (FDR-adjusted P < 0.05). Pathway analyses indicated differences in amino acid degradation pathways for the two groups (FDR-adjusted P < 0.05), consistent with population-based findings in nonpregnant populations. Exploratory analyses with newborn outcomes indicated positive associations for maternal triglycerides with neonatal sum of skinfolds and cord C-peptide and a negative association between maternal glycine and cord C-peptide (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Metabolomics reveals perturbations in metabolism of major macronutrients and amino acid degradation pathways in high- versus low-FPG mothers.
Transcriptional Program of Apoptosis Induction following Interleukin 2 Deprivation: Identification of RC3, a Calcium/Calmodulin Binding Protein, as a Novel Proapoptotic Factor

Apoptosis of mature T lymphocytes preserves immune system homeostasis by counteracting transient increases in T-cell number. This process is regulated, at least in part, by the cytokine interleukin 2 (IL-2): T cells deprived of IL-2 undergo apoptosis. The mechanism of apoptosis induction by IL-2 deprivation remains to be determined but is known to require RNA synthesis, implying the existence of transcriptionally activated genes whose products induce cell death. To identify such genes, we have performed expression profiling in IL-2-dependent T cells following cytokine deprivation. Our results reveal an intricate transcriptional program entailing the induction of known proapoptotic factors and the simultaneous repression of known antiapoptotic factors. Surprisingly, one gene whose transcription substantially increased was RC3 (also called neurogranin), which encodes a calmodulin binding protein thought to be a neural-specific factor involved in learning and memory. We show that ectopic expression of RC3 in IL-2-dependent T cells increases the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and induces apoptosis even in the presence of cytokine. Buffering the Ca2+ increase with the cytoplasmic Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM [1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N1,N-tetraacetic acid] blocks RC3-induced apoptosis, indicating that the rise in intracellular Ca2+ is required for apoptotic death. RC3 mutants unable to bind calmodulin fail to increase intracellular Ca2+ levels and to induce apoptosis. Based upon these results, we propose that IL-2 deprivation raises the level of RC3 and other apoptotic factors, which induce apoptosis by increasing the intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
Multidimensional causal, stable, perfect reconstruction filter banks

Following our earlier one-dimensional (1-D) work, we show that it is possible to have a large family of biorthogonal perfect reconstruction multidimensional (n-D) subband coding filter banks, which are causal and IIR both at the analysis and at the synthesis ends. While the need for perfect reconstruction IIR filter banks are more apparent for multidimensional signals than for 1-D signals, lack of design techniques have made it impossible to use such schemes. We argue that such filter banks, including their multichannel counterparts, should not only exist in a large variety, but we also indicate a number of tools potentially useful in their design. Specifically, a complete parameterization of such filters leading to design methods in 2-D are given. Parameterizations in frequency domain terms as well as in terms of state space descriptions of filters are provided. These latter techniques have potential for better numerical implementation. The development is valid for two-band as well as for multiband subband coding schemes. Examples of bi-orthogonal version of continuous multidimensional wavelets generated by these iterated filter banks, that have not been previously constructed, are worked out.
The Reference-Dose Place Conditioning Procedure Yields a Graded Dose-Effect Function

A major criticism of the place conditioning procedure for studying conditioned drug reward is that it is relatively insensitive to large quantitative shifts in drug dose (i.e., dose effects are all or none). Experiment 1 demonstrated this lack of sensitivity using a wide range of intravenous (IV) cocaine doses (0.1, 0.3, 0.45, 0.6, 0.9, or 1.2 mg/kg). Rats had cocaine repeatedly paired with one distinct end compartment of a 3 compartment apparatus; vehicle was administered in the other end compartment. In a subsequent drug-free choice test, the 0.45 to 1.2 mg/kg doses of cocaine conditioned a place preference. The magnitude of the effect did not differ. Experiment 2 used a modified version of this standard place conditioning method. In this alternative method termed reference-dose procedure, a fixed dose of cocaine (reference dose) was repeatedly paired with one end compartment (i.e., 0.45 mg/kg); the comparison dose of cocaine was administered in the other end compartment (vehicle, 0.6, or 1.2 mg/kg). Preference for the comparison-dose compartment increased with dose—a graded doseeffect curve. In contrast to the standard procedure, the reference-dose procedure revealed that the conditioned rewarding effect of 1.2 mg/kg of cocaine was greater than that of 0.45 mg/kg. This increase in sensitivity to conditioned reward with the reference-dose procedure will likely increase the utility of the place conditioning method as a preclinical model, as well as a procedure for studying processes mediating associatively-motivated choice behavior.
Increasing activity of H2-metabolizing microbes lowers decompression sickness risk in pigs during H2 dives

The risk of decompression sickness (DCS) was modulated by varying the biochemical activity used to eliminate some of the hydrogen (H2) stored in the tissues of pigs (19.4 ± 0.2 kg) during hyperbaric exposures to H2. Treated pigs (n = 16) received intestinal injections ofMethanobrevibacter smithii, a microbe that metabolizes H2 to water and CH4. Surgical controls (n = 10) received intestinal injections of saline, and an additional control group (n = 10) was untreated. Pigs were placed in a chamber and compressed to 24 atm abs (20.6–22.9 atm H2). After 3 h, the pigs were decompressed and observed for symptoms of DCS for 1 h. Pigs withM. smithii had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) incidence of DCS (44%; 7/16) than all controls (80%; 16/20). The DCS risk decreased with increasing activity of microbes injected (logistic regression, P < 0.05). Thus the supplemental tissue washout of the diluent gas by microbial metabolism was inversely correlated with DCS risk in a dose-dependent manner in this pig model.
Legal Signal Processing

It makes far more economic sense to prepare for disaster in advance than it does to stage heroic relief efforts after calamity strikes. For reasons rooted in politics and emotion, the law does exactly the opposite. Ad hoc relief, as expensive as it is spontaneous, dominates disaster law and policy.The President’s unilateral power to declare a federal disaster under the Stafford Act invites political manipulation. To test whether presidential disaster declarations track the four-year presidential electoral cycle, this paper devises a generalized polynomial and multi-sinusoidal model for detecting cyclical patterns. This model draws heavily upon Fourier analysis and digital signal processing.Presidential disaster declarations since 1953 reveal not one but two forms of periodicity. As expected, a “short wave” of four years shows how disaster declarations track the presidential election cycle. The effect is most pronounced not in election years (when declarations do spike), but in years immediately following a presidential election (when declarations dramatically plummet). Even more surprisingly, the record suggests that presidential disaster declarations also follow a “long wave,” whose frequency appears to be 44 years.
The Legal Culture War Against Tribal Law

This Article argues that tribal advocates should focus on the practical exercises of tribal sovereignty in a manner that the Supreme Court can understand and respect. This Article theorizes that the vessel of tribal sovereignty should be filled with the tangible reality of tribal law and tribal culture. Tribal law and culture are inextricably intertwined with tribal sovereignty. The Court respects internal tribal sovereignty but does not yet understand the link between tribal sovereignty and tribal law and culture. This Article theorizes that the Court will grant more deference to exercises of tribal authority if tribal advocates establish a link between tribal sovereignty and tribal law and culture.
Appendix A: Virtually Synchronous Methodology for Building Dynamic Reliable Services

In this chapter we offer a more formal integration of the virtual synchrony and state machine replication models. The resulting single model is the key to being able to offer virtually synchrony Send side by side with a Paxos protocol called SafeSend in a single platform, as is done in the Isis2 system.
Static Analysis of Physiological Systems

Steady‐state measurements are generally easier to make in physiological systems. It is useful to conduct an analysis that can demonstrate how the static characteristics of the various components lead to the steady‐state behavior of the overall system. This chapter illustrates how a steady‐state analysis may be conducted using SIMULINK. Basically, the program simulates the closed‐loop system in "open‐loop mode". The chapter considers the simple model of the muscle stretch reflex. Starling's law is the consequence of connecting the "heart" and "systemic circulation" components of the model together and allowing the system to operate in closed‐loop mode. In the steady state, the venous return is always equal to the cardiac output, which is a function of many factors affecting the pumping ability of the heart. The chapter also illustrates an example of a physiological control system with negative feedback: The system that regulates blood glucose levels and, an example of the chemoreflex regulation of respiration.
Prenatal fat exposure and hypothalamic PPAR β/δ: Possible relationship to increased neurogenesis of orexigenic peptide neurons

Gestational exposure to a fat-rich diet, while elevating maternal circulating fatty acids, increases in the offspring's hypothalamus and amygdala the proliferation and density of neurons that express neuropeptides known to stimulate consummatory behavior. To understand the relationship between these phenomena, this study examined in the brain of postnatal offspring (day 15) the effect of prenatal fat exposure on the transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) β/δ, which is sensitive to fatty acids, and the relationship of PPAR β/δ to the orexigenic neuropeptides, orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone, and enkephalin. Prenatal exposure to a fat-rich diet compared to low-fat chow increased the density of cells immunoreactive for PPAR β/δ in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PFLH), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), but not the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus or basolateral amygdaloid nucleus. It also increased co-labeling of PPAR β/δ with the cell proliferation marker, BrdU, or neuronal marker, NeuN, and the triple labeling of PPAR β/δ with BrdU plus NeuN, indicating an increase in proliferation and density of new PPAR β/δ neurons. Prenatal fat exposure stimulated the double-labeling of PPAR β/δ with orexin or melanin-concentrating hormone in the PFLH and enkephalin in the PVN and CeA and also triple-labeling of PPAR β/δ with BrdU and these neuropeptides, indicating that dietary fat increases the genesis of PPAR β/δ neurons that produce these peptides. These findings demonstrate a close anatomical relationship between PPAR β/δ and the increased proliferation and density of peptide-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus and amygdala of fat-exposed offspring.
Pemphigus Vulgaris Presenting as a Gingival Lesion

A 26-year-old Hispanic male presented with a nonspecific gingival lesion initially presumed to be of infectious etiology. During continued follow-up over several weeks, the lesion evolved into one typical of desquamative gingivitis. Direct immunofluorescent testing and routine histopathology resulted in a diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris, which was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence. Although it is unusual for pemphigus vulgaris to present with the gingiva as the sole primary site of involvement, this case serves to enhance our awareness of the gingiva as a site at which systemic disease can be manifested.