cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postnatal Maturation and Experience-Dependent Plasticity of Inhibitory Circuits in Barrel Cortex

Sensory experience drives the refinement of sensory maps in developing adult sensory cortices (Wiesel and Hubel 1974; Stryker 1978; Crair et al. 1998; Feldman and Brecht 2005). Tremendous progress has been made toward understanding the process of maturation of excitatory networks. Cortical inhibition has also been shown to play a vital role in the regulation of critical periods for sensory plasticity (Hensch 2005). However, it is unclear whether neocortical inhibitory networks exhibit experience-dependent postnatal maturation. In my laboratory, we employ the so-called “barrel cortex” (Woolsey and Van der 1970) that, represents the individual whiskers on the snout of rodents. The map exhibits plasticity throughout life, in that under- or over-stimulation of a whisker is reflected by contraction or expansion, respectively, of the barrel representing it in the primary somatosensory cortex (Simons and Land 1987). This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying activity-dependent regulation of neocortical inhibitory circuits and the roles of inhibition in somatosensory cortical map plasticity during postnatal development. The focus will be placed on the following questions related to experience-dependent plasticity of neocortical inhibitory networks. (1) How do intrinsic and synaptic properties of inhibitory circuits in barrel cortex change during postnatal maturation? (2) How does sensory stimulation or deprivation affect the maturation of inhibitory circuits? (3) Does the maturation of neocortical inhibitory circuits proceed in an activity-dependent manner or do they develop independently of sensory inputs? (4) What are the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the activity-dependent or -independent maturation of inhibitory networks?
Examining Influence of Family, Friends, and Educators on First-Year College Student Selection STEM Major Selection

This qualitative study investigated how close social groups (family, friends, and educators; FFEs) contribute STEM major selection by undergraduate college students. Through purposeful sampling, four first-year college students at a mid-Atlantic, four-year university were surveyed to determine which group or groups students perceive contributed the greatest influence over their major selection. Interviews explored how and why students believe each social group and subgroup affected their decision. Results indicated family members (particularly mothers) play an early and sustained influence over college STEM major selection. High school educators contribute during the college application period, and college STEM professors influence STEM major persistence. Friends may offer support of STEM selection, but do not directly affect student decision. However, at different points of their educational careers, students perceive FFEs collectively contributed to their STEM major selection.
Towards a New Economic Development Framework for the United States: The Challenge of the Developmental State Approach

AbstractThe paper seeks to frame a new economic development strategy for the United States while taking into consideration a range of impediments to the country’s recent macroeconomic performance. In constructing such a framework, special emphasis is being placed on three key themes: (1) a pragmatic discourse on the “appropriate” developmental policy action by the Federal government, (2) emphasis on strengthening local production lines, and (3) the importance of adopting a long-term perspective. The main focus of the paper is to describe what policy approach might be advisable to boost, rejuvenate, and reposition the production lines of the USA and make the country’s economy more dynamic by effectively employing explicit and thorough developmental state action: this argument is advanced here as a necessary framework for support of selected industries of high potential and achievability in the United States.
Off-Flavors and Harmful Algae

Phytoplankton are an essential part of the microbial community of most aquaculture ponds and the role of algae in oxygen budgets and nutrient cycling has been stressed throughout this book. Quite frequently, however, phytoplankton becomes a nuisance in pond aquaculture. The most common problems are related to excessive total biomass, and most efforts at managing phytoplankton in ponds are directed at the control of overall abundance (see Section 10.8), with little regard to the taxonomic structure of the community. On the other hand, there are times when a particular species of phytoplankton can become a problem, even when overall algal biomass is low. For example, some species of algae produce odorous metabolites that confer undesirable flavors to aquatic animals. Other species produce potent toxins that may either kill the animal under culture or accumulate in its tissues so that the product is toxic to human consumers. Development of off-flavors and problems related to harmful algae are severe economic problems in some types of aquaculture. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize what is known about these problems and discuss management practices that may reduce their impact. At the outset, it should be mentioned that these problems have proven to be quite difficult to manage under commercial aquaculture conditions.
Network Analysis Applied to Pancreatic Islets

Abstract Network analysis uses a relatively recently developed set of mathematical tools, allowing scientists a deeper insight into biological systems. One example of complex networks in biology occurs in the islets of Langerhans, which are electrically coupled clusters of cells found in the pancreas. Pancreatic β cells, the main component in islets, secrete insulin, which is a key player in diabetes. In non-diabetic patients, insulin secretion is pulsatile, but this synchronous behavior is often lost in diabetic patients. Gap junctions, which connect the cytosols of neighboring β cells, are thought to be essential for this coordinated activity in healthy patients. With a network structure of cells (nodes) and gap junctions (edges), mechanistic islet simulations can be run. A functional connectivity network, often used in computational neuroscience, is built from the results of the simulations or experiments by correlating the calcium concentrations of β cells. From the functional connectivity, islets are observed to have small-world and scale-free network structures, which have been observed both computationally and experimentally. Using centralities, hub cells, which follow from the hub-follower property of scale-free networks, are identified as focal points in the islet. Experimentally silencing the activity in hub cells has shown a desynchronization in islet behavior, some aspects of which have been replicated in simulations. Other experiments focus on heterogeneous subpopulations to describe the nature of β cell dynamics in the islet, which recruit neighboring clusters into electrical bursting. Mechanistically, calcium waves coordinate the heterogeneous clusters, thus synchronizing the islet's activity. However, overall coordination and progression of glucose induced islet activity is still being elucidated, and network analysis will continue to play a critical role in that development.
N2N: Network Derivative Mining

Network mining plays a pivotal role in many high-impact application domains, including information retrieval, healthcare, social network analysis, security and recommender systems. State-of-the-art offers a wealth of sophisticated network mining algorithms, many of which have been widely adopted in real-world with superior empirical performance. Nonetheless, they often lack effective and efficient ways to characterize how the results of a given mining task relate to the underlying network structure. In this paper, we introduce network derivative mining problem. Given the input network and a specific mining algorithm, network derivative mining finds a derivative network whose edges measure the influence of the corresponding edges of the input network on the mining results. We envision that network derivative mining could be beneficial in a variety of scenarios, ranging from explainable network mining, adversarial network mining, sensitivity analysis on network structure, active learning, learning with side information to counterfactual learning on networks. We propose a generic framework for network derivative mining from the optimization perspective and provide various instantiations for three classic network mining tasks, including ranking, clustering, and matrix completion. For each mining task, we develop effective algorithm for constructing the derivative network based on influence function analysis, with numerous optimizations to ensure a linear complexity in both time and space. Extensive experimental evaluation on real-world datasets demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed framework and algorithms.
An asymptotically compatible formulation for local-to-nonlocal coupling problems without overlapping regions

Abstract In this paper we design and analyze an explicit partitioned procedure for a 2D dynamic local-to-nonlocal (LtN) coupling problem, based on a new nonlocal Robin-type transmission condition. The nonlocal subproblem is modeled by the nonlocal heat equation with a finite horizon parameter δ characterizing the range of nonlocal interactions, and the local subproblem is described by the classical heat equation. We consider a heterogeneous system where the local and nonlocal subproblems present different physical properties, and employ no overlapping region between the two subdomains. We first propose a new generalization of classical local Neumann-type condition by converting the local flux to a correction term in the nonlocal model, and show that the proposed Neumann-type boundary formulation recovers the local case as O ( δ 2 ) in the L ∞ norm. We then extend the nonlocal Neumann-type boundary condition to a Robin-type boundary condition, and develop a local-to-nonlocal coupling formulation with Robin–Dirichlet transmission conditions. To stabilize the explicit coupling procedure and to achieve asymptotic compatibility, the choice of the coefficient in the Robin condition is obtained via amplification factor analysis for the discretized system with coarse grids. Employing a high-order meshfree discretization method in the nonlocal solver and a linear finite element method in the local solver, the selection of optimal Robin coefficients are verified with numerical experiments on heterogeneous and complicated domains. With the developed optimal coupling strategy, we numerically demonstrate the coupling framework’s asymptotic convergence to the local limit with an O ( δ ) = O ( h ) rate, when there is a fixed ratio between the horizon size δ and the spatial discretization size h .
Dynamically Adaptive Fast Motion Estimation Algorithm for HD Video

This paper presents a novel adaptive Fast Motion Estimation (FME) Algorithm, which reduces the number of search points, computational complexity and therefore lowering power consumption, while providing improved quality per watt in FME. The algorithm minimizes computation and storage and from there, power consumption, while trying to preserve quality as much as possible. It is very suitable for hardware implementation, as in a motion co-processor. The pervasiveness of mobile devices with HD video capabilities demands such low power hardware accelerators. The proposed algorithm is a novel method, that can identify the best search pattern within a given region of the HD video frame, based on its motion dynamics to achieve lower power video encoding. The goal is to achieve the best quality with the minimum number of search iterations. The reduced number of checks translates into power savings. The motivation of the presented algorithm is to learn the motion dynamics within a region from a small subset of blocks within that region and apply that knowledge to the remaining large set of blocks in the same region. This adaptiveness makes it robust with respect to the nature of the video. Thus it works equally well with more dynamic and with less dynamic video sequences. The results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce computations by about 4 times compared to other fixed search patterns algorithms, while staying within 1 dB of PSNR results. That equates to about 75% power savings at the expense of not more than 1 dB of PSNR quality loss.
Was Washington's First Term Legitimate?: Texas v. White and the Constitutional Convention

When scholars and professors of constitutional law recount the origins of the Union, two conflicting theoretical accounts are often presented. In the first theory, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was convened, as the Founders presented at the time, under the authority of the Articles of Confederation, with the Constitution created under the authority to amend the Articles. In the alternate theory, the Articles were scrapped altogether, and the Convention proceeded of its own will, with the Constitution emerging as an artifact of political realism. In a landmark Reconstruction Era case, Texas v. White, Justice Salmon P. Chase adopted the former view, in which the Articles are seen as preserved, forming a backbone of continuity stretching forth from the time of their adoption. This article traces the logical implications of these theories, concluding that the Articles of Confederation’s unanimity requirement combined with two states' late ratification of the Constitution would, under Justice Chase's preferred theory, render George Washington’s first term as president, and any legislation it produced, a nullity. Ironically, it concludes, the safer and more conservative theory is one in which the Constitutional Convention is understood as an ultra vires act by the Framers, rebelling first against the English Crown and, second, against themselves.
Simultaneous Mode, State and Input Set-Valued Observers for Switched Nonlinear Systems.

In this paper, we study the problem of designing a simultaneous mode, input, and state set-valued observer for a class of hidden mode switched nonlinear systems with bounded-norm noise and unknown input signals, where the hidden mode and unknown inputs can represent fault or attack models and exogenous fault/disturbance or adversarial signals, respectively. The proposed multiple-model design has three constituents: (i) a bank of mode-matched set-valued observers, (ii) a mode observer, and (iii) a global fusion observer. The mode-matched observers recursively find the sets of compatible states and unknown inputs conditioned on the mode being the true mode, while the mode observer eliminates incompatible modes by leveraging a residual-based criterion. Then, the global fusion observer outputs the estimated sets of states and unknown inputs by taking the union of the mode-matched set-valued estimates over all compatible modes. Moreover, sufficient conditions to guarantee the elimination of all false modes (i.e., mode-detectability) are provided and the effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated and compared with existing approaches using an illustrative example.
A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test: Exploring Its Validity Evidence and Effectiveness in Equitably Identifying Gifted Students:

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) was developed to more equitably identify students of color, as it advertises itself as a culture-fair measure. In this meta-analytic evaluation, we aimed ...
Experimental, analytical, and numerical investigation of multi-chambered fluid-filled barrier for highway crash attenuators

Abstract Guardrail end terminals and roadside crash cushions are common technologies deployed to absorb and redirect the energy of a colliding vehicle. The purpose of these devices is to reduce damage to structures and vehicles while limiting the effects these collisions have on motorists. The primary mode of energy absorption of these structures is through physical deformation. This physical deformation can often create hazardous scenarios for vehicle occupants. This paper shows the study of a new (patent pending) crash attenuator composed of a multi-chambered, fluid-filled barrier. Kinetic energy of the colliding vehicle is transferred to the fluid and through the internal structure. As fluid moves through the structure, energy is dissipated through viscous friction; therefore, reducing the peak forces experienced by the vehicle and its occupants and reducing damage to the structure and the vehicle. Experiments were conducted using a mechanical ram to impact a dual-chambered cylindrical plastic container partially filled with water. The impact event was recorded using a high-speed camera and the acceleration impulse was measured using an accelerometer attached to the ram. The results of this study show that the addition of interior chambers and fluid decreased the reaction forces by nearly 50% and a two-fold increase in energy absorbing efficiency as compared to an empty structure. Analytical and numerical approaches were used to assess the energy dissipation due to plastic deformation of the structure. The addition of fluid and internal chamber reduced the plastic deformation of the sample by 9.1% as compared to the empty structure. This confirms the ability of the present structure to maintain low reaction forces while reducing damage to the structure and in turn increasing barrier lifetime. The present barrier technology can potentially replace existing guardrail end terminal and crash cushion systems and due to its small footprint, can be utilized in areas where traditional systems cannot be deployed due to space constraints.
Scanning Thermal Microscopy

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is a powerful characterization technique that has been steadily gaining recognition in the scientific community. It can be used on any solid material, and even in a liquid environment. This article covers a brief review of scanning probe history, SThM probes and an practical example on SThM microscopy. Care must be taken to interpret correctly any data acquired. This means to use alternate techniques to form a “big picture” of the tip – sample interaction. Simultaneous acquisition of topography and thermal data is not enough. Some key hurdles to overcome to make this characterization technique more accessible are the commercial availability of low-loss probes and scanning thermal microscopes, and newer thermal probing techniques. Keywords: scanning thermal microscopy; scanning probe microscopy
Social catalysts: enhancing communication in mediated spaces

Mediated communication between public spaces is a relatively new concept. One current example of this interaction is video conferencing among people within the same organization. Large scale video-conferencing walls have begun to appear in public or semi-public areas, such as workplace lobbies and kitchens. These connections provide a link via audio and/or video to another public space within the organization. When placed in public or semi-public work spaces, they are often designed for casual encounters among people within that community. Thus far, communicating via these systems has not met expectations. Some drawbacks to such systems have been lack of privacy, gaze ambiguity, spatial incongruity, and fear of appearing too social in a work environment. In this thesis we explore a different goal and approach to linking public spaces. We are not creating a substitute for face-to-face interaction, but rather new modes of conversational and physical interaction within this blended space. This is accomplished through the introduction of what we are defining as a social catalyst. We address the need for designs best suited for linking public spaces and present a series of design criteria for incorporating mediated communication between public and semi-public spaces. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Carbanions and Other Nucleophilic Carbon Species

This chapter is concerned with carbanions, which are, most simply, the conjugate bases (in the Bronsted sense), formed by deprotonation at carbon, of organic molecules. Carbanions may vary widely in stability, depending on the ability of substituent groups to delocalize negative charge. In the absence of substituents that are effective in delocalizing the charge, proton abstraction from a C-H bond is very difficult.
Co-Authoring: A Natural Form of Cooperative Learning.

Numerous high school seniors nationwide are required to write a term paper in order to graduate. With more and more emphasis on the improvement of student writing, one approach that can be used to prepare students to write an "exit" term paper individually is to require first a co-authored paper. This approach is actually a variation of a cooperative learning program called Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC). CIRC, which is designed for reading, writing, and language arts in grades 3-5 (Slavin 1987), can easily be incorporated into the secondary school English curriculum through co-authoring. Cooperative learning is a methodology in which students work in small groups. Each group member is responsible for learning information provided by the classroom teacher and for helping other group members to learn that information. A cooperative learning group works to produce a product or achieve some other goal (Slavin 1987). Co-authoring is an example of cooperative learning. In co-authoring, students work in small groups to produce a paper. Each student co-author uses previously learned, correct grammar and principles of composition to write a specific section of the paper. Through critiques of sections written by other student co-authors, students help each other learn. The result of co-authoring is a completed paper comprised of sections written and edited by individual group members. Cooperative learning approaches, like co-authoring, provide students with opportunities to discuss and apply information previously presented by the teacher. When students learn in this manner, they increase their knowledge and understanding of a subject (Prescott and
The evaluation of wireless networking through action

The adaptable channel testbed for investigation of wireless networks (ACTION) has been developed as a hardware-in-the-loop testbed that can model a variety of wireless network scenarios. Through the use of discrete devices, networking hardware (both client and infrastructure) can be connected directly without the need to radiate over-the-air. Signal characteristics such as amplitude, phase, and frequency can be changed to simulate wireless channels and introduce modeling features such as mobility (Doppler shift), fading (random phase changes) and amplitude (range). These discrete devices constitute the simulated wireless network environment (SWiNE), providing virtual channel paths as seen by the wireless hardware connected to ACTION. ACTION has been used to model fast-moving platforms (up to Mach 2) by introducing Doppler shift into the channels and analyzing TCP/UDP performance as seen by the application. Packet error statistics along with application throughput numbers are the appropriate metrics. ACTION also enables test setups that include injection of interfering radios and signals to model jamming and interference scenarios. This paper covers the details of the ACTION implementation, some test scenarios that have been set up with ACTION, results from those tests, implications of the results on military communications, and future possibilities for the ACTION platform as a key part of network modeling and simulation from a hardware-in-the-loop perspective
The New Federal Immunity Act and the Judicial Function

(a) ... Such an order [requiring a witness to testify or produce records] may be issued by a United States district court judge upon application by a duly authorized representative of the Congress or of the committee concerned.... (b) Neither House nor any committee thereof nor any joint committee of the two Houses of Congress shall grant immunity to any witness without first having notified the Attorney General of the United States of such action and thereafter having secured the approval of the United States district court for the district wherein such inquiry is being held.
Variability in Expression of CYP3A5 in Human Fetal Liver.

Members of the cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) subfamily of drug metabolizing enzymes exhibit developmental changes in expression in human liver characterized by a transition between CYP3A7 and CYP3A4 over the first few years of life. In contrast, the developmental expression of CYP3A5 is less well understood due to polymorphic expression of the enzyme in human tissues as a result of the prevalence of the CYP3A5*3 allele, which leads to alternative splicing. We further explored the expression of CYP3A5 and the impact of alternative splicing on the variability of CYP3A5 functional activity in a large bank of human prenatal liver samples (7 to 32 weeks of age postconception). The expression of normally spliced CYP3A5 mRNA in all human fetal liver samples varied 235-fold whereas CYP3A5 SV1 mRNA was only detected in fetal liver samples with at least one CYP3A5*3 allele. Formation of 1ʹ-OH midazolam (MDZ) varied 79-fold, and the ratio of 1ʹ-OH MDZ to 4-OH MDZ varied 8-fold and depended on the presence or absence of the CYP3A5*3 allele. Formation of 4-OH MDZ was significantly associated with 1ʹ-OH MDZ (r2 = 0.76, P < 0.0001) but varied (36-fold) independently of CYP3A5 genotype or expression. The substantial interindividual variability that remains even after stratification for CYP3A5 genotype suggests that factors such as environmental exposure and epigenetic alterations act in addition to genetic variation to contribute to the variability of CYP3A5 expression in human prenatal liver.
Book Review: Faisal Devji, The Impossible Indian: Gandhi and the Temptation of Violence:

Faisal Devji, The Impossible Indian: Gandhi and the Temptation of Violence, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012, pp. 191.
APOBEC3B and APOBEC3F Inhibit L1 Retrotransposition by a DNA Deamination-independent Mechanism

The most common transposable genetic element in humans, long interspersed element 1 (L1), constitutes about 20% of the genome. The activity of L1 and related transposons such as Alu elements causes disease and contributes to speciation. Little is known about the cellular mechanisms that control their spread. We show that expression of human APOBEC3B or APOBEC3F decreased the rate of L1 retrotransposition by 5–10-fold. Expression of two related proteins, APOBEC3D or APOBEC3G, had little effect. The mechanism of L1 inhibition did not correlate with an obvious subcellular protein distribution as APOBEC3B appeared predominantly nuclear and APOBEC3F was mostly cytosolic. Two lines of evidence indicated that these APOBEC3 proteins use a deamination-independent mechanism to inhibit L1. First, a catalytically inactive APOBEC3B mutant maintained L1 inhibition activity. Second, cDNA strand-specific C → T hypermutations were not detected among L1 elements that had replicated in the presence of APOBEC3B or APOBEC3F. In addition, lower levels of retrotransposed L1 DNA accumulated in the presence of APOBEC3B and APOBEC3F. Together, these data combined to suggest a model in which APOBEC3B or APOBEC3F provide a preintegration barrier to L1 retrotransposition. A particularly high level of APOBEC3F protein in human testes and an inverse correlation between L1 activity and APOBEC3 gene number suggest the relevance of this mechanism to mammals.
The economic costs of plant closure

In estimating the cost of closure of a firm it is important to take into account all downstream tax and welfare costs. Use must be made of recipient specific expenditures and multipliers in calculating the direct and indirect impacts. In addition, the origin of the subsidy and the manner in which the grant is given must be taken into account. These points are followed through with a specific example.
Sepsis redefined: the search for surrogate markers

Sepsis is a common and severe medical condition with substantial associated morbidity, mortality and cost. Furthermore, the incidence of sepsis has been rising annually over the past three decades, and morbidity and mortality remain high. The management of sepsis is further complicated by its very heterogeneous nature. This extends not only to the offending pathogens, but also to the nature and severity of the host response as well as its clinical manifestations. Efforts to identify surrogate markers for sepsis have therefore been an ongoing struggle. In this article we present some insights into various sepsis markers through history, presenting advantages and caveats associated with their use and interpretation. We also discuss the state of functional genomics, a relatively recent technological advancement that has already begun to change our understanding of sepsis pathophysiology, and offer new directions in the development of a more sensitive and specific sepsis biomarker.
Scale-up criteria for an injector with a confined mixing chamber during precipitation with a compressed-fluid antisolvent

Abstract Four scaling criteria were used to scale-up the precipitation with a compressed-fluid antisolvent (PCA) process from the laboratory to the pilot plant scale using an injector with a confined mixing chamber. The scale-up criteria consisted of maintaining either: (1) constant Reynolds numbers, (2) constant axial velocity, (3) constant residence time and suspension density, or (4) a constant energy dissipation rate, as process scale was changed. Experiments were conducted in a semi-continuous PCA flow apparatus and the biodegradable polymer poly ( l -lactic acid) (PLLA) was used as the model solute. Successful scale-up was based on maintaining measured particle size distributions for PLLA microparticles as process scale was increased. The scale-up criteria of maintaining constant Reynolds numbers or constant axial velocities were not sufficient to ensure equivalent process performance during scale-up. Scale-up at constant Reynolds number resulted in a 40% increase in the average PLLA diameter with a feed concentration of 0.125 wt% PLLA, and a 36% increase in the average diameter was calculated when the feed concentration was increased to 0.25 wt% PLLA. Scale-up maintaining a constant axial velocity resulted in a 32% increase in the average PLLA diameter with a feed concentration of 0.125 wt% PLLA. The shift in the PLLA particle size distributions towards larger size fractions with this criteria was attributed to a low energy dissipation rate in the confined mixing chamber, which directly affected mixing quality and secondary nucleation mechanism(s) in the confined mixing chamber. Scaling the injector with a constant residence time and suspension density, or a constant energy dissipation rate resulted in similar PLLA particle size distributions at each scale of operation, and was attributed to maintaining comparable mixing quality and similar precipitation kinetics with a change in process scale.
Effects of excess lead-oxide and bismuth-oxide content on the electrical properties of high-temperature bismuth scandium lead titanate ceramics

Aeronautic and aerospace applications require piezoelectric materials that can operate at high temperatures. The air-breathing aeronautic engines can use piezoelectric actuators for active combustion control for fuel modulation to mitigate thermo-acoustic instabilities and/or for gas flow control to improve efficiency. The principal challenge for the insertion of piezoelectric materials is their limitation for upper use temperature and this limitation is due to low Curie temperature and increasing conductivity. We investigated processing, microstructure and property relationship of (1-x)BiScO3-(x)PbTiO3 (BS-PT) composition as a promising high temperature piezoelectric. The effect of excess Pb and Bi and their partitioning in grain boundaries were studied using impedance spectroscopy, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric measurement techniques. Excess Pb addition increased the grain boundary conduction and the grain boundary area (average grain size was 24.8?m, and 1.3?m for compositions with 0at.% and 5at.% excess Pb, respectively) resulting in ceramics with higher losses (tan ?= 0.9 and 1.7 for 0at.% and 5at.% excess Pb at 350 °C and at 10kHz) that were not resistive enough to pole. Excess Bi addition increased the resistivity (?grain = 4.1×1010 ?.cm and 19.6 × 1010 ?.cm for compositions with 0at.% and 5at.% excess Bi, respectively), improved poling, and increased the piezoelectric coefficient from 137 to 197 pC/N for 5at.% excess Bi addition. In addition, loss tangent decreased more than one order of magnitude at elevated temperatures (<300 °C). For all compositions the activation energy of the conducting species was similar (? 0.35?0.40 eV).
Floppy modes in network glasses.

We discuss how concepts from rigidity percolation can be used to understand the low-frequency excitations and elastic properties of network glasses like ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{As}}_{\mathrm{y}}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{y}}$. When the mean coordination 〈r〉=2+2x+y is low, these materials are soft and their properties are strongly influenced by low-frequency phonons. We use a bond-depleted diamond lattice to mimic the coordination properties of the glass. We show that a model with only covalent forces is unstable for 〈r〉l2.4 but can be stabilized by small additional forces. We calculate the elastic constants, the density of states, and the Debye-Waller factor as a function of 〈r〉. Despite the simplicity of the model, the rounded phase transition at 〈r〉=2.4 is consistent with recent experimental results involving ultrasonics, inelastic neutron scattering, and M\"ossbauer experiments on ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ glasses. The floppy modes, observed in inelastic neutron scattering, disappear as 〈r〉 increases from 2 up to around 2.4.
The effect of consumers' emotional reactions on behavioral intention: The moderating role of personal relevance and self‐monitoring

This study examines the moderating effects of personal relevance and self-monitoring on the relationship between emotional reactions and behavioral intention. The results show that personal relevance and self-monitoring moderate the emotion-behavioral intention relationship. The magnitude of the relationship increases significantly when these individual difference variables are incorporated as interaction terms. Theoretical and public policy implications are discussed.
Knowledge acquisition, cost savings, and strategic positioning: effects on Sino-American IJV performance

Abstract It has been argued that the establishment of international joint ventures (IJV) is driven by three broad motivational categories: knowledge acquisition, transaction costs savings, and strategic behavior. This research empirically investigated these categories in the Chinese context. This research further employs measures developed for these three motivational variables, plus three moderators of goal similarity, goal complementarity, and guanxi and examines IJV performance in the world's largest emerging economy, China. It was found that among the IJV managers in China, all three motivation variables and moderators were present, and the moderating variables significantly affect the relationship between the three predictors and the IJV performance. The implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.
Gamma-Ray Bursts in Molecular Clouds: H2 Absorption and Fluorescence

If a gamma-ray burst (GRB) with strong UV emission occurs in a molecular cloud, excitation of the surrounding H2 will have observable consequences. The UV will pump H2 into vibrationally excited levels that produce strong absorption at wavelengths λ 1650 A. As a result, both the prompt flash and later afterglow will exhibit strong absorption shortward of 1650 A, with specific spectroscopic features. Such a cutoff in the emission from GRB 980329 may have already been observed by Fruchter and coworkers; if so, GRB 980329 was at redshift 3.0 z 4.4. BVRI photometry of GRB 990510 could also be explained by H2 absorption if GRB 990510 was at redshift 1.6 z 2.3. Fluorescence accompanying the UV pumping of the H2 will result in UV emission from the GRB which can extend over days or months, with 7.5-13.6 eV fluorescent luminosity ~1042 ergs s-1. Spectroscopy can distinguish this fluorescence from other possible sources of transient optical emission, such as a supernova.
Low-power parasitic-insensitive switched-capacitor integrator for delta-sigma ADCs

A low-power parasitic-insensitive switched-capacitor (SC) integrator is proposed for ΔΣ ADCs. Compared to the conventional SC integrator, the new one achieves much lower power dissipation for the same sampling noise specification. A cancellation technique is used to reduce the nonlinearity of the integrator. An effective ΔΣ ADC topology is described which can incorporate the new integrator. Simulation shows that high linearity can be achieved by the new integrator, while consuming very low power.
Abstract Equipartition of Energy Theorems

Abstract Let H be a self-adjoint operator on a complex Hilbert space H . The solution of the abstract Schrodinger equation idu dt = Hu is given by u(t) = exp(−itH)u(0). The energy E = ∥u(t)∥2 is independent of t. When does the energy break up into different kinds of energy E = ∑j = 1N Ej(t) which become asymptotically equipartitioned ? (That is, E j (t) → E N as t → ± ∞ for all j and all data u(0).) The “classical” case is the abstract wave equation d 2 v dt 2 + A 2 v = 0 with A self-adjoint on H 1. This becomes a Schrodinger equation in a Hilbert space H (essentially H is two copies of H 1), and there are two kinds of associated energy, viz., kinetic and potential. Two kinds of results are obtained. (1) Equipartition of energy is related to the C∗-algebra approach to quantum field theory and statistical mechanics. (2) Let A1,…, AN be commuting self-adjoint operators with N = 2 or 4. Then the equation Π j = 1 N ( d dt − iA j ) u(t) = 0 admits equipartition of energy if and only if exp(it(Aj − Ak)) → 0 in the weak operator topology as t → ± ∞ for j ≠ k.
Self-derivation of motion estimation techniques to improve video coding efficiency

This paper presents the techniques to self derive the motion vectors (MVs) at video decoder side to improve coding efficiency of B pictures. With the MVs information self derived at video decoder side, the transmission of these self-derived MVs from video encoder side to video decoder side is skipped and thus better coding efficiency can be achieved. Our proposed techniques derive the block-based MVs at video decoder side by considering the temporal correlation among the available pixels in the previously-decoded reference pictures. Utilizing the MVs derived at video decoder side can be added as one of coding mode candidates from video encoder where the video encoder can utilize this new coding mode during phase of the coding mode selection to better trade off the rate-distortion performance to improve the coding efficiency. Experiments have demonstrated that the BD bitrate improvement on top of ITU-T/VCEG Key Technology Area (KTA) Reference Software platform with an overall about 7% improvement on the hierarchical IbBbBbBbP coding structure under the common test conditions of the joint call for proposal for the new video coding technology from ISO/MPEG and ITU-T committee on January 2010.
MedMon: Securing Medical Devices Through Wireless Monitoring and Anomaly Detection

Rapid advances in personal healthcare systems based on implantable and wearable medical devices promise to greatly improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment for a range of medical conditions. However, the increasing programmability and wireless connectivity of medical devices also open up opportunities for malicious attackers. Unfortunately, implantable/wearable medical devices come with extreme size and power constraints, and unique usage models, making it infeasible to simply borrow conventional security solutions such as cryptography. We propose a general framework for securing medical devices based on wireless channel monitoring and anomaly detection. Our proposal is based on a medical security monitor (MedMon) that snoops on all the radio-frequency wireless communications to/from medical devices and uses multi-layered anomaly detection to identify potentially malicious transactions. Upon detection of a malicious transaction, MedMon takes appropriate response actions, which could range from passive (notifying the user) to active (jamming the packets so that they do not reach the medical device). A key benefit of MedMon is that it is applicable to existing medical devices that are in use by patients, with no hardware or software modifications to them. Consequently, it also leads to zero power overheads on these devices. We demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal by developing a prototype implementation for an insulin delivery system using off-the-shelf components (USRP software-defined radio). We evaluate its effectiveness under several attack scenarios. Our results show that MedMon can detect virtually all naive attacks and a large fraction of more sophisticated attacks, suggesting that it is an effective approach to enhancing the security of medical devices.
Evaluating Historical CGER Assessments: How Well Have They Predicted Subsequent Exchange Rate Movements?

The IMF's Consultative Group on Exchange Rate issues (CGER) has been conducting exchange rate assessments as part of the surveillance process since 1997. This paper evaluates CGER assessments from 1997 to 2006, by comparing these to subsequent movements in real effective exchange rates (REER). We find that CGER's estimated misalignments have predictive power over future REER movements, especially over longer horizons and after changes in fundamentals are accounted for. But while CGER misalignments frequently predict the direction of currency movements correctly, misalignments have tended to be persistent, resulting in systematic errors-overprediction for undervalued currencies and underprediction for overvalued currencies.
Blind Focusing Algorithm Applied to the Acoustic Signal of a Maneuvering Rotorcraft

An algorithm was developed and tested to blindly focus the acoustic spectra of a rotorcraft that was blurred by time-varying Doppler shifts and other effects such atmospheric distortion. First, the fundamental frequency generated by the main rotor blades of a rotorcraft was tracked using a fixed-lag smoother. Then, the frequency estimates were used to resample the data using interpolation. Next, the motion-compensated data were further focused using a technique based upon the phase gradient autofocus (PGA) algorithm. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated by analyzing the increase in the amplitude of the harmonics due to focusing the data. For most of the data, the algorithm focused the harmonics between approximately 10-90 Hz to within 1-2 dB of an estimated upper bound (UB) obtained from conservation of energy and estimates of the Doppler shift. In addition, the algorithm was able to separate two closely spaced frequencies in the spectra of the rotorcraft. The algorithm developed can be used to preprocess data for classification, nulling, and tracking algorithms.
A New Method of Examining Relationships between Individual Difference Measures and Sensitive Behavior Criteria: Evaluating the Unmatched Count Technique

A method is introduced for estimating the relationship between individual difference measures and sensitive behavior criteria that offers respondents greater anonymity than direct self-report. This method uses the unmatched count technique (UCT), a form of a randomized response technique, for eliciting more can-did responses regarding past engagement in counter productive behaviors (CBs). Integrity, conscientiousness, and either UCT-obtained or self-reported CB data were obtained from undergraduates. Results failed to show stronger base rates for UCT-obtained base rates of CB criteria over direct self-report criteria. Mixed results were found regarding the relationships between integrity, conscientiousness, and UCT-obtained versus direct self-report CBs.
Effect of gene dosage on expression of mitochondrial malic enzyme activity in the mouse

THE region of chromosome 7 in Mus musculus in which the albino (c) locus is located is of special interest because it is involved in deficiencies1–6, a duplication7,8, and X-autosome translocations9–11. The structural gene (Mod-2) for mitochondrial malic enzyme (MOD-2) maps about 1 centimorgan (ref. 12) to the distal side of c, and has been shown by genetic experiments4,5 to be deleted in certain lethal albino mutations. Over 30 independently isolated homozygous lethal c-locus mutations have been recovered and characterised at Oak Ridge. In this report we have compared the level of MOD-2 expression in animals heterozygous for lethal c-locus mutations (cch/c*) with that of their cch/cch littermates in order to clarify the precise quantitative effect of gene dosage on the expression of enzyme activity in this system. We have shown that enzyme activity is linearly related to gene dosage in both heart and kidney. The data demonstrate that four out of seven complementation groups of c* mutations are most simply explained as deficiencies that include Mod-2.
High dielectric SrGeO3 perovskite prepared by high pressure synthesis

High pressure synthesis of SrGeO3 perovskite and its properties are reported. The metastable material recovered to room pressure shows a high dielectric constant (>100), due to a “stretched” crystal lattice.
Mitochondrial stress signaling in longevity: a new role for mitochondrial function in aging.

Mitochondria are principal regulators of cellular function and metabolism through production of ATP for energy homeostasis, maintenance of calcium homeostasis, regulation of apoptosis and fatty acid oxidation to provide acetyl CoA for fueling the electron transport chain. In addition, mitochondria play a key role in cell signaling through production of reactive oxygen species that modulate redox signaling. Recent findings support an additional mechanism for control of cellular and tissue function by mitochondria through complex mitochondrial–nuclear communication mechanisms and potentially through extracellular release of mitochondrial components that can act as signaling molecules. The activation of stress responses including mitophagy, mitochondrial number, fission and fusion events, and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRMT) requires mitochondrial–nuclear communication for the transcriptional activation of nuclear genes involved in mitochondrial quality control and metabolism. The induction of these signaling pathways is a shared feature in long-lived organisms spanning from yeast to mice. As a result, the role of mitochondrial stress signaling in longevity has been expansively studied. Current and exciting studies provide evidence that mitochondria can also signal among tissues to up-regulate cytoprotective activities to promote healthy aging. Alternatively, mitochondria release signals to modulate innate immunity and systemic inflammatory responses and could consequently promote inflammation during aging. In this review, established and emerging models of mitochondrial stress response pathways and their potential role in modulating longevity are discussed.