cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil surface CO2 flux in a Minnesota peatland

Soil surface CO2 flux was measured in hollow and hummock microhabitats in a peatland in north central Minnesota from June to October in 1991. We used a closed infrared gas exchange system to measure soil CO2 flux. The rates of CO2 evolution from hummocks (9.8 ± 3.5 g m−2 d−1, [mean ± SE]) were consistently higher than those from hollows (5.4 ± 2.9 g m−2 d−1) (the hummock values included the contribution of moss dark respiration, which may account for 10–20% of the total measured flux). The soil CO2 flux was strongly temperature-dependent (Q10 ≈ 3.7) and appeared to be linearly related to changes in water table depth. An empirical multiplicative model, using peat temperature and water table depth as independent variables, explained about 81% of the variance in the CO2 flux data. Using the empirical model with measurements of peat temperature and estimates of hollow/hummock microtopographic distribution (relative to water table elevation), daily rates of “site-averaged” CO2 evolution were calculated. For the six-month period (May–October), the total soil CO2 released from this ecosystem was estimated to be about 1340 g CO2 m−2.
The technology transfer process between a large science-oriented and a large market-oriented company — The North American Rockwell challenge

This paper discusses the opportunities and problems presented in the transfer of technology in a very large company between its aerospace group and commercial products group. The process is presented in terms of the definition and value of technology, the difficulties of transfer, the objectives to be accomplished, the uses of transfer, and the management of transfer, including techniques for improving transfer. Emphasis is placed upon the practical economics of the process, the organization and motivation of people, and the various mechanisms, such as committees, a “switchboard” group, and other communication means that are being developed.
Galactic HII and the Dispersion Measures of the Pulsars

For pulsars at distances of several kpc, ∫n eds may depend primarily on the HII regions in the line of sight. The importance of hydrogen ionized by early type stars can be estimated.
Memory for words in prose and their locations on the page.

Two experiments are reported that establish that the recall of the within-page spatial location and the content of words from a prose passage are not functionally independent, i.e., that each can serve to cue recall of the other. Depriving college students of the spatial-location cues on a page by having them read a passage in the continuous form from a scroll significantly lowered word recall, whereas providing them with cues that reinstated the within-page location of material at time of test significantly raised recall of words. Providing the content of answers to the questions at time of recall was found to increase memory for location. The data are consistent with a conception of memory as a constellation of features such that recall of one of these features serves a cuing function to facilitate recall of other features.
Wartime violence against women and solidarity

At the Non‐governmental Organization Forum of the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, in September 1995, women from around the world came together and decried the diverse and gender‐specific violence that afflicts women everywhere. From systematic rape as a weapon of war to culturally sanctioned forms of domestic violence, women suffer from gendered violence that increasingly dominates discussions of women's solidarity across national and cultural borders. Yet violence against women is not new nor is the recognition that such violence might promote women's international solidarity. In fact, when we explore the first wave of the international women's movement, from its origins in the late 19th century through the ebb of the Second World War, we can detect the early murmurings of women against the rape of women in wartime.
Some sufficient conditions for the E- and MV-optimality of block designs having blocks of unequal size

In this paper we consider experimental situations in which ν treatments are to be tested inb blocks whereb i blocks containk i experimental units,i=1,...,p, k 1<k 2<...<k p . The idea of a group divisible (GD) design is extended to that of a group divisible design with unequal block sizes (GDUB design) and then a number of results concerning the E- and MV-optimality of GD designs are generalized to the case of GDUB designs.
The Cost of Treating Dyslipidaemia Using National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Guidelines

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of death in industrialised countries and places a large burden on society in terms of healthcare resources and lost productivity. US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines recommend aggressive lipid-modifying therapy for individuals at highest risk for CHD. It has been estimated that more than 50 million individuals in the US (more than one-third of the total population) are candidates for some form of dietary and/or pharmacological intervention to modify their lipid profiles. Most individuals who receive lipid-lowering drug therapy do not meet target goals set by the NCEP; thus, there is a large potential for increased use of drug therapy. Pharmacoeconomic analyses applying NCEP guidelines are sparse; however, available data (using direct costs) suggest that secondary prevention is more cost effective than primary prevention, but that costs associated with primary prevention are generally in line with those of accepted medical interventions. Cost-effectiveness ratios for secondary prevention improved when indirect costs were assessed in one study. A recent randomised prospective 54-week comparative study of statins in 662 patients with hypercholesterolaemia concurrently measured medical outcomes and economic data. Atorvastatin-treated patients were significantly more likely to achieve NCEP goals (overall and at the initial dosage), and to achieve these goals more quickly than patients treated with fluvastatin, lovastatin and simvastatin. The mean cost to reach NCEP goals was consequently lowest for atorvastatin. Results from pharmacoeconomic studies of primary and secondary prevention are therefore in support of NCEP treatment guidelines for hypercholesterolaemia.
Potential Effects of Global Warming on Native Fishes of the Southern Great Plains and the Southwest

Abstract Fish in streams of the southern Great Plains and southwestern North America may be particularly vulnerable to extirpation or extinction due to global warming. Streams of this region already have some of the hottest free-flowing water on earth (summer maxima of 38–40°C), and even now fish live at times very near their lethal thermal limits. Unlike many terrestrial and marine organisms or fishes of some rivers, fishes in these prairie stream systems cannot migrate northward to cooler temperatures in the event of global warming. If warming of 3–4°C occurs, a substantial number of species endemic to this region could face extinction unless they adapt behaviorally or genetically for thermal increases. Existing evidence suggests little likelihood of successful behavioral adjustments. Data on thermal tolerance of local populations provide conflicting evidence: one widespread species of the Great Plains shows no difference in thermal tolerance across its range, whereas another shows adaptation to environ...
The Effect of Knotting Method on the Structural Properties of Large Diameter Nonabsorbable Monofilament Sutures

Objective— To evaluate the effect of knotting method on the mechanical properties of large diameter nonabsorbable monofilament suture materials. Study Design—In vitro mechanical evaluation. Methods— A conventional square knot was compared with the surgeon's knot, sliding half-hitch, and clamped square knot. Knotted suture loops were created in a uniform manner and acutely tensioned to failure (20 mm/min loading rate; n = 20 per knot type for each material). Stiffness, yield, and failure characteristics of USP #2 nylon, #2 polybutester, #2 polypropylene, 27 kg test monofilament nylon fishing line, and 27 kg nylon leader material were evaluated. Results— Compared with a conventional square knot, a surgeon's knot decreased stiffness for #2 polypropylene, 27 kg fishing line, and 27 kg leader (P < .05). A sliding half-hitch weakened all materials except 27 kg leader (P < .05). Clamping the first throw of a square knot increased the stiffness of 27 kg leader loops (P < .05). Conclusions— Based on clinically relevant parameters (stiffness and yield), knotting method had no effect on #2 nylon and #2 polybutester. The surgeon's knot is not recommended for #2 polypropylene and 27 kg fishing line and leader material. A sliding half-hitch decreased the yield of leader material. Clamping the first throw of a square knot had no adverse effects on acute properties of tested materials; it increased the stiffness for leader material. Clinical Relevance— Knotting method does influence the structural properties of suture materials and should be considered when tying knots under tension.
Facile Preparation of Aluminosilicate RTH across a Wide Composition Range Using a New Organic Structure-Directing Agent

RTH type zeolite (aluminosilicate) is a potentially useful catalytic material that is limited by the inability to easily prepare the material over a wide composition range. Here, we report the use of pentamethylimidazolium to prepare aluminosilicate RTH across a wide range of compositions in both fluoride and hydroxide inorganic systems. RTH type zeolites are crystallized with a calcined product Si/Al of 7–27 from fluoride media and 6–59 from hydroxide media. The use of this new, simple organic structure-directing agent that can be prepared in one step allows for dramatic improvement in the compositional space where aluminosilicate RTH can be formed. RTH is tested as a catalyst for the methanol-to-olefins reaction and at complete conversion shows a high propylene/ethylene ratio of 3.9 at a propylene selectivity of 43%.
Impact of cobalt-based catalyst characteristics on the performance of conventional gas-phase and supercritical-phase Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Abstract This study covers the performance of three cobalt-based catalytic systems (high surface area 15% Co/SiO 2 , low surface area 15% Co/SiO 2 , and 15% Co/Al 2 O 3 ) of different characteristics in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) in both conventional gas-phase and supercritical hexane (SCH) phase. The reaction was conducted in a high-pressure FTS reactor setup at reaction temperature of 240 °C, syngas (H 2 /CO ratio of 2) flow rate of 50 sccm/g cat , and total pressures from 20 to 65 bar. The surface characteristics of these catalysts were measured by N 2 physisorption using a TriStar 3000 gas adsorption analyzer. Room temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature and magnetic field ( H ) variation of the magnetization ( M ), and low-temperature (5 K) electron magnetic resonance were used for determining the electronic states (Co 0 , CoO, Co 3 O 4 , Co 2+ ) of cobalt for the calcined, reduced (before the reaction), and used samples (after the reaction). Correlations of the catalyst activity and selectivity with the catalysts surface characteristics reveal that pore radius of the catalyst has an influence on both syngas and CO conversions in gas-phase FTS. However, no such correlation was observed in the case of SCH-FTS, indicating an alleviation of that mass transfer limitations typically controlled by interparticle characteristics of the catalyst. This is attributed to the higher solubility of heavy products in the SCH medium that inhibits the condensation of those products inside the catalyst pores and enhances their in situ extraction. The XRD and magnetic characterizations of the used catalysts reveal that in situ reducibility of the Co 3 O 4 to hcp-Co 0 or fcc-Co 0 is taking place during the FTS reaction. However, minimal in situ reduction was observed in the case of gas-phase FTS, whereby significant changes in the reduced cobalt electronic state and support (alumina, and silica) phase were detected under SCH-FTS conditions. As a result, both the activity and selectivity of the cobalt catalyst was found to be very stable and recoverable during SCH-FTS for relatively long time-on-stream (15 days).
Beyond plagiarism: Ethical misconduct in scientific and technical publishing

Ethical misconduct among scholars’whether plagiarism, data fabrication, data misrepresentation, or other forms of dishonesty’is on the rise, and increasingly in the public spotlight. Marcel LaFollette describes the context in which misconduct takes place, contrasting the nature of the scientific community before and after World War II. In the 1980s, the federal government facilitates, funds, and scrutinizes scientific research far more extensively than ever before. Increased political concern, LaFollette argues, will have far-reaching implications for scientists and their publishers.
TMS 9940 — Single chip microcomputer

Abstract A brief overview of the 990 9900 computer family is given. The architecture of the newest member of the family, the TMS 9940 microcomputer, is discussed in detail with emphasis on its instruction set, memory organization, and I/O structure. Different methods of prototype development for the TMS 9940 software and hardware are illustrated using other members of the family such as the TMS 9980 microprocessor or the AMPS prototype development system. Typical application examples are given including a low cost data terminal and an intelligent system peripheral.
Deep Quench: An Expanded Dynamic Range for Protein Kinase Sensors

Assays that furnish a fluorescent readout of protein kinase activity provide a means to identify and characterize inhibitory agents, assess structure−function relationships, and correlate enzyme activity with cellular behavior. Although several protein kinase sensors have been described in the literature, their fluorescent response to phosphorylation is generally modest to moderate (1.1−8-fold). We have developed a “deep quench” strategy that elicits a dramatic amplification of fluorescence (>60-fold) in cAMP-dependent protein kinase substrates. We describe sensor design, assay development via a combination of library synthesis and screening, characterization of the assay components, and an assessment of two inhibitory species.
Clonidine hyperphagia: Neuroanatomic substrates and specific function

Recent studies have indicated that hhe α2-noradrenergic agonist clonidine (CLON), when peripherally and centrally administered, potentiates feeding is satiated rats in a manner similar to the observed following injection of norepinephrine (NE) into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The present experiments examines the effects of CLON on meal patterns and macronutrient selection and compared these findings to earlier NE-stimulated feeding studies. Administration of CLON (25 nmoles), directly into the PVN (n = 5), similar to PVN injected NE, produced an increase in meal size (190%) and freeding duration (164%), with no change in meal frequency. Additional tests were conducted in rats with PVN electrolytic or 6-hydroxydopamine lesions. In Sham rats (n = 16) peripheral CLON (0.05 mg/kg), like NE, produced an increase in food intake and particularly potentiated carbohydrate ingestion. Discrete electrolytic lesions of the PVN (n = 5) abolished this CLON-induced feeding and carbohydrate preference, suggesting that the PVN may be a primary site for CLON-stimulated hyperphagia. Neurotoxin lesions of the PVN (n = 17), which reduced PVN NE levels by 75%, failed to alter peripheral CLON-induced feeding. This and other evidence indicates that this agonist may be acting via postsynaptic α2 receptors in the PVN to potentiate carbohydrate intake, rather than via presynaptic release of NE from nerve endings in the PVN.
Dissociable systems of working memory for rhythm and melody

Specialized neural systems are engaged by the rhythmic and melodic components of music. Here, we used PET to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in a working memory task for sequences of rhythms and melodies, which were presented in separate blocks. Healthy subjects, without musical training, judged whether a target rhythm or melody was identical to a series of subsequently presented rhythms or melodies. When contrasted with passive listening to rhythms, working memory for rhythm activated the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis, right anterior insular cortex, and left anterior cingulate gyrus. These areas were not activated in a contrast between passive listening to rhythms and a non-auditory control, indicating their role in the temporal processing that was specific to working memory for rhythm. The contrast between working memory for melody and passive listening to melodies activated mainly a right-hemisphere network of frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices: areas involved in pitch processing and auditory working memory. Overall, these results demonstrate that rhythm and melody have unique neural signatures not only in the early stages of auditory processing, but also at the higher cognitive level of working memory.
Enhancement of Muscle Mitochondrial Function by Growth Hormone

Context: Although GH promotes growth and protein anabolism, which are ATP-dependent processes, the GH effect on mitochondrial regulation remains to be determined. Objective: Our objective was to determine the acute effect of GH on mitochondrial oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle of healthy subjects. Design and Setting: The study was a randomized crossover design at an academic medical center. Participants: Nine healthy men and women completed the study. Intervention: GH (150 μg/h) or saline was infused for 14 h on separate days, and muscle biopsies were obtained. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures included mitochondrial function, gene expression, and protein metabolism. Results: The 4-fold increase in plasma GH caused elevations in plasma IGF-I, insulin, glucose, and free fatty acids and a shift in fuel selection, with less carbohydrate (−69%) and leucine (−43%) oxidation and 29% more fat oxidation. Muscle mitochondrial ATP production rate and citrate synthase activity were increased 16–35% in res...
For the Bright Future—Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells with Power Conversion Efficiency of 7.4%

Sun is the largest carbon-neutral energy source that has not been fully utilized. Although there are solar cell devices based on inorganic semiconductor to efficiently harvest solar energy, the cost of these conventional devices is too high to be economically viable. This is the major motivation for the development of organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials and devices, which are envisioned to exhibit advantages such as low cost, flexibility, and abundant availability. [1] The past success in organic light-emitting diodes provides scientists with confidence that organic photovoltaic devices will be a vital alternate to the inorganic counterpart. At the heart of the OPV technology advantage is the easiness of the fabrication, which holds the promise of very low-cost manufacturing process. A simple, yet successful technique is the solution-processed bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell composed of electron-donating semiconducting polymers and electron-withdrawing fullerides as active layers. [2] The composite active layer can be prepared as a large area in a single step by using techniques such as spin-coating, inkjet-printing, spraycoating, gravure-coating, roller-casting etc. [3] In the last fifteen years, a significant progress has been made on the improvement of the power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of polymer BHJ solar cells, and the achieved efficiencies have evolved from less than 1% in the poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) system in 1995, [2] to 4‐5% in the poly(3-hexylthiphene) (P3HT) system in 2005, [4] to around 6%, as reported recently. [5] However, the efficiency of polymer solar cells is still significantly lower than their inorganic counterparts, such as silicon, CdTe and CIGS, which prevents practical applications in large scale.
Ischemia- and reperfusion-sensitive cardiac sympathetic afferents: influence of H2O2 and hydroxyl radicals.

Activation of cardiac sympathetic afferents leads to excitatory cardiovascular reflexes and pain during myocardial ischemia. We hypothesized that cardiac sympathetic afferents are activated by reactive oxygen species produced during ischemia and reperfusion. Single-unit nerve activity of 55 afferents was recorded from the left paravertebral sympathetic chain (T1-T4) in cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose. Receptive fields of all afferents were located on the right or left ventricle. Mechanical and chemical sensitivities of each afferent ending were evaluated by von Frey hairs, cardiac distension, and local application of bradykinin (BK, 142 pmol) or H2O2 (7.5-15 mumol) to the receptive field. Thirty-one afferents (56%) were responsive to bradykinin (BK), H2O2, and ischemia (2 or 10 min). Deferoxamine (Def, 10-100 mg/kg), dimethylthiourea (DMTU, 10-100 mg/kg), or iron-loaded Def (10 mg/kg) were employed to evaluate the role of H2O2 and hydroxyl radicals (.OH) in activating these afferents (10A delta and 21C fibers) during ischemia and reperfusion. Treatment with the nonspecific scavenger DMTU (n = 10) significantly diminished the increase in discharge activity evoked by ischemia and reperfusion. Treatment with Def also significantly attenuated the responses during ischemia and reperfusion. Thus reactive oxygen species, particularly .OH, activate a group of cardiac sympathetic A delta- and C-fiber afferents during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion and may play an important role in mediating cardiovascular sympathetic reflex responses and/or pain transmission.
Development of an Electrochemical Flow-Cell Technique for Studying Methanol Electro-oxidation at Elevated Temperatures

Development of fuel-cell catalysts for elevated temperature applications requires electrochemical techniques that simulate these conditions. A pulsed reactant electrochemical flow cell (PREFC) technique has been developed, capable of independent half-cell measurements of methanol electro-oxidation current and poisoning adsorbate charge on Pt/C-Nafion catalyst layers over a wide range of temperatures (25-100°C) and pressures while maintaining potential control at all times. The cell was fabricated from Pyrex and silicon using standard microfabrication techniques and exhibits adequate corrosion resistance to the sulfuric acid electrolyte for accurate electrochemical measurements up to 100°C. Thin Pt/C-Nafion catalyst layers of 50-100 μg Pt/cm 2 were prepared at roughly 100% catalyst utilization, as determined independently by in situ hydrogen voltammetry and ex situ transmission electron microscopy analysis. Increasing the temperature from 50 to 100°C at 0.35 V PdH resulted in a substantial increase in methanol electro-oxidation rates with an activation energy of 70 kJ/mol. This kinetic enhancement is not due to thermal desorption of the poisoning adlayer, as determined by experiments showing the adlayer to be stable in flowing electrolyte at 95°C for durations up to 15 min. These results also show that the technique is able to perform the methanol oxidation and poisoning adlayer determinations without any significant effects of oxygen or other homogeneous contamination.
Effect of platelet-generated thromboxane on contractions of the pregnant rat uterus.

Recent evidence indicates that thromboxanes are produced by uterine tissues. The effect of platelet-generated thromboxane A2 (TXA2) was therefore studied for its effect on uterine contractions. An incubation tube consisting of washed platelets (WP) was incubated with sodium arachidonate (AA). An aliquot was transferred to an aggregation assay cuvette containing platelet rich plasma (PRP) to test for TXA2 activity. Immediately thereafter, a second aliquot from the incubation tube was transferred to an in vitro preparation of pregnant rat uterus and contractions were monitored. Both assay systems (i.e., aggregation and uterine contraction) contained indomethacin to prevent endogenous prostanoid production from platelets and uteri, respectively. Incubation media from human, rat or rabbit WP incubated with AA for 1 min elicited both platelet aggregation and uterine contractions when transferred to these assay systems. Indomethacin or imidazole added to the incubation tube blocked both responses. Delaying transfer of media until 10 min after addition of AA did not elicit either aggregation or contractile response, consistent with the short production interval and half-life of TXA2. Addition of an antiaggregatory dose of prostacyclin (PGI2) to the incubation tube did not affect TXA2 production or the ability of transferred media to promote uterine contractions. These experiments provide evidence that TXA2 is capable of promoting contractions in the pregnant rat uterus and may be important in the labor mechanism.
Using adjacent sampling for error correcting analog-to-digital converters

The authors address the use of neighboring samples to linearize the behavior of high-speed flash analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). A novel converter architecture is proposed in which a single flash comparator bank and dual latch/encoder stages allow samples to be taken at intervals much smaller than the sampling period. The result is a calibration/compensation procedure which is less sensitive to calibration frequency than are previous schemes. Using two TRW-1025 converters to implement the architecture shows an improvement in the spurious free dynamic range of between 10 dB and 20 dB over the majority of the Nyquist band. >
Epigenetic control of embryonic renal cell differentiation by L1 retrotransposon.

BACKGROUND L1 retroelements may play a central role in morphogenesis through epigenetic mechanisms involving recruitment of chromatin modifying protein complexes. Retroelements are repressed in terminally differentiated cells, and highly active in embryonic, undifferentiated, and transformed cells. It is not clear if the modulation of differentiation by L1 is a “cause” or “effect”. The purpose of this study was to determine if murine embryonic kidney cells of clonal origin (mK4 cells) harbor retrotransposition events upon ectopic expression of L1, and the impact of L1 on embryonic kidney cell differentiation. Given that L1 is reactivated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands, we also sought to investigate the effects of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the genetic network of mK4 cells. METHODS The mK4 cells overexpressing human L1RP were assessed for changes in proliferation and expression of molecular markers of cellular differentiation. RESULTS L1RP increased proliferation rates and markedly downregulated differentiation programming in mK4 cells. These genetic alterations were recapitulated by exogenous activation of L1 by AHR ligands. CONCLUSION L1 regulates nephrogenesis in vitro via both insertional and non-insertional mechanisms that disrupt mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Thus, a feedback loop involving L1, WT1, and AHR may play a role in regulation of kidney morphogenesis. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Automatic 3D lesion segmentation on breast ultrasound images

Automatically acquired and reconstructed 3D breast ultrasound images allow radiologists to detect and evaluate breast lesions in 3D. However, assessing potential cancers in 3D ultrasound can be difficult and time consuming. In this study, we evaluate a 3D lesion segmentation method, which we had previously developed for breast CT, and investigate its robustness on lesions on 3D breast ultrasound images. Our dataset includes 98 3D breast ultrasound images obtained on an ABUS system from 55 patients containing 64 cancers. Cancers depicted on 54 US images had been clinically interpreted as negative on screening mammography and 44 had been clinically visible on mammography. All were from women with breast density BI-RADS 3 or 4. Tumor centers and margins were indicated and outlined by radiologists. Initial RGI-eroded contours were automatically calculated and served as input to the active contour segmentation algorithm yielding the final lesion contour. Tumor segmentation was evaluated by determining the overlap ratio (OR) between computer-determined and manually-drawn outlines. Resulting average overlap ratios on coronal, transverse, and sagittal views were 0.60 ± 0.17, 0.57 ± 0.18, and 0.58 ± 0.17, respectively. All OR values were significantly higher the 0.4, which is deemed “acceptable”. Within the groups of mammogram-negative and mammogram-positive cancers, the overlap ratios were 0.63 ± 0.17 and 0.56 ± 0.16, respectively, on the coronal views; with similar results on the other views. The segmentation performance was not found to be correlated to tumor size. Results indicate robustness of the 3D lesion segmentation technique in multi-modality 3D breast imaging.
Immunomodulatory Effect of the Topical Ophthalmic Janus Kinase Inhibitor Tofacitinib (CP-690,550) in Patients with Dry Eye Disease

Objective To evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of topical ophthalmic tofacitinib (CP-690,550) after an 8-week treatment period in patients with dry eye disease (DED). Design Biomarker substudy of a phase 1/2 prospective, randomized, vehicle- and comparator-controlled clinical trial (NCT00784719). Participants A total of 82 patients with moderate to severe DED enrolled. Methods Patients received 1 of 5 doses of tofacitinib (0.0003%, 0.001%, 0.003%, or 0.005% twice daily [BID] or 0.005% once daily [QD]), active comparator (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion, 0.05% [Restasis, Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA]), or vehicle control BID for 8 weeks. Conjunctival impression cytology and tear fluid samples were collected at baseline and after an 8-week treatment period. Conjunctival cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for human leukocyte antigen DR-1 (HLA-DR). Tear fluids were analyzed by microsphere-based immunoassays for tear levels of cytokines and inflammation markers. Main Outcome Measures Reduction in inflammation assessed by change from baseline in conjunctival cell surface level of HLA-DR and tear level of cytokines and inflammation markers. Results At week 8, a decrease in conjunctival cell surface expression of HLA-DR was observed in patients treated with tofacitinib 0.005% QD and 0.003% BID: 71% and 67% of baseline, respectively, compared with 133% of baseline in patients treated with vehicle ( P =0.023 and P =0.006, compared with vehicle, respectively). Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 in tears was reduced from baseline at week 8 (40% of baseline, P =0.035) in the tofacitinib 0.005% QD group, whereas the vehicle group showed 77% of baseline ( P >0.20). Interleukin (IL)-1β in tears was 36% of baseline ( P =0.053) in the tofacitinib 0.005% QD group and 95% of baseline ( P > 0.20) in the vehicle group. Several other cytokines and inflammation markers in tears, including MMP-9, IL-15, IL-17A, and IL-12p70, were markedly reduced in the tofacitinib 0.005% QD group but not the vehicle group. There was an association between the changes in HLA-DR and the tear inflammation markers ( P r =0.49) and IL-1β ( r =0.46), IL-12p70 with IL-1β ( r =0.90), and IL-17A with MMP-9 ( r =0.82). Conclusions Topical ophthalmic tofacitinib may act as an immunomodulator in patients with DED. Treatment for 8 weeks showed a promising reduction of conjunctival cell surface HLA-DR expression and tear levels of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation markers. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Passive avoidance is linked to impaired fear extinction in humans

Conventional wisdom dictates we must face our fears to conquer them. This idea is embodied in exposure-based treatments for anxiety disorders, where the intent of exposure is to reverse a history of avoidant behavior that is thought to fuel a patient’s irrational fears. We tested in humans the relationship between fear and avoidance by combining Pavlovian differential fear conditioning with a novel task for quantifying spontaneous passive avoidant behavior. During self-guided navigation in virtual reality following de novo fear conditioning, we observed participants keeping their distance from the feared object. At the individual level, passive avoidant behavior was highly associated with maladaptive fear expression (fear-potentiated startle) during late extinction training, indicating that extinction learning was impaired following a brief episode of avoidance. Avoidant behavior, however, was not related to initial acquired fear, raising doubt about a straightforward link between physiological fear and behavioral avoidance. We conclude that a deeper understanding of what motivates avoidance may offer a target for early intervention, before fears transition from the rational to the irrational.
Molecular navigation of the brain

With the completion of the sequencing of the human genome and of the genomes of other model organisms, there is a need to understand the function of each of those genes. One way to do this is to integrate this genome-wide information with patterns of gene expression, and, with this in mind, several
Broadband wireless networks for airport surface communications

Data transmissions that require broadband capabilities are increasing in the airport area. Wireless broadband networks could be used to address these emerging needs, by supporting high- data-rate aeronautical applications in the airport environment. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering the use of the 5091-5150 megahertz (MHz) band for the future potential implementation of such broadband networks. Wireless broadband technologies based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards are evaluated in this paper. The IEEE 802.16-2004 standard specifies the air interface for fixed broadband wireless access systems. IEEE 802.16e-2005 expands IEEE 802.16-2004 to allow for mobile subscriber stations moving at surface vehicular speeds. This paper focuses on the orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) implementation as discussed in IEEE 802.16e-2005. A wireless broadband network is assumed at a large airport. This paper studies the radio frequency (RF) performance of such a network for two different channel bandwidths. An initial traffic analysis methodology is also presented and implemented for a given set of potential future applications. Results for the traffic analysis are also discussed.
Calculated Log Kow as a Guide for Key-Set Mobile Phase Selection in Retention Prediction

Previous reports have demonstrated that the relative solvent strength relationship is transferable between similar columns (e.g., C 18 packing). Method transfer between columns is realized using a "key-set" solvent projection matrix derived from measurements on one column and measurements for compounds in a key combination mobile phase set on each new column. This paper offers a solution to the problem facing the method developer in selecting the best mobile phases as a "key set" to predict the behavior of solutes in other mobile phases of similar composition. Given the known relation of log Kow (or log P) and In k' to the freeenergy change on transfer, one can estimate the k' value range for new compounds in each previously studied mobile phase. The key­ set mobile phases are selected using calculated log Kow as the three to five best-ranked solvents with k' predicted to be between 0.5 and 10. Retention data are collected for 19 new compounds in 20 water–methanol–acetonitrile mobile phases on two different C 18 columns. The average cross-column prediction error based on k for a three-factor model is 6%.
Effects of uneven-age management intensity on structural diversity in two major forest types in New England

Abstract Changes in species and diameter class diversity were followed over time in uneven-aged northern hardwood and spruce–fir stands in New England that have been managed to maintain objectives for species composition and residual stand density. Plots in the northern hardwood stands have been treated for 25 years under uneven-age management and harvested to four residual basal area levels (40, 60, 80, and 100 ft2 per acre) while retaining three structural levels (30, 45, and 60% sawtimber). These plots were harvested once in the past 25 years with remeasurements approximately every 5 years. In addition, the spruce–fir stands have been managed under three uneven-age management regimes that vary in residual diameter class distribution and stand density. Over a 40-year period, these stands have been harvested every 5, 10, or 20 years, with remeasurements approximately every 5 years. Diversity profiles were constructed to follow changes in tree species and horizontal diameter class diversity. Criteria for assessing changes in diversity over time need to be based on the major control variable used in the management of the individual stands. Depending on the measurement used in treatment – basal area, volume, etc. can provide a more accurate assessment of diversity than number of individuals by species.
Particle encapsulation with polymers via in situ polymerization in supercritical CO2

Abstract Fine Dechlorane (DCR) particles with an average size of 12 μm were successfully encapsulated with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) polymers via in situ dispersion polymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Adjusting the process parameters can control the coating thickness, surface morphology, and degree of particle agglomeration. A uniform thin-film encapsulation of the host particles has been achieved under appropriate operating conditions, which is very difficult to obtain using other methods of supercritical fluid processing. SEM micrographs from our experiments show a variety of coating morphologies. It is found that dispersed polymer particles can deposit and aggregate on a thin layer of polymer coated on DCR and undergo plasticization, coagulation, and fusion into the encapsulating polymer. When the pressure is low or the concentration of stabilizer is high, a coexistence of smooth thin-film coating in contact with uncoagulated polymer particles was found. These observations suggest that polymerization occurs simultaneously through two parallel routes: reaction in dispersed polymer particles and reaction in the polymer domains nucleated on the surface of the host particles, which later develop into a uniform polymer layer. The latter resembles a precipitation polymerization as compared to conventional dispersion polymerization. It is also found that the stabilizer plays an important role in polymer growth and particle coarsening on the surface of the host particles. Without the stabilizer, PMMA could not be coated on the host particles and with a large amount of stabilizer, coagulated rough surface morphologies were observed due to steric repulsion. The effects of various process parameters, such as concentrations of monomer, surfactant stabilizer and initiator, and reaction pressure, are also discussed.
Some practical aspects of auroral propagation

Assoclated with visible auroral activity there is some kind of reflection or scattering mechanism that can result in radio communication in the VHF band over distances up to 1000 km with low power transmitters and probably up to 2000 km with high power transmitters. The transmission-loss experienced over such a circuit is somewhat less than is involved in regular VHF scatter-communication but is much greater than for sporadic E openings at VHF. For auroral propagation the direction of arrival is deviated from the great circle plane towards the direction of auroral activity, whereas for regular VHF scatter-transmission, and for sporadic E transmission, propagation is approximately geodesic on most occasions. For auroral propagation the bandwidth available for communication is almost always severeley limited, frequently to the extent that amplitude-modulated (AM) radio-telephony is impossib1e. Moreover the ratio of the fading rate to the carrier frequency is rather more than a power of ten greater than is customary for ionospheric transmiseion under quiet ionospheric conditions. Auroral propagation occurs most frequently at night and is hardly ever experienced between sunrise and noon. It occurs most frequently at the equinoxes and more often in years of high sunspot activity.
Challenges for photonics in future systems

As the physical scaling of transistors comes to an end, new approaches are needed to ensure continued enhancement in system performance. Photonics is uniquely positioned to enable innovative distributed architectures of otherwise all electronic systems. Optical interconnects are, in principle, capable of solving the wiring and IO bottlenecks of CMOS circuitry. Incorporating the advantages of photonics with the integration capability of scaled CMOS electronics leads to a new microprocessor design-point in which an encapsulated processor is defined as a single CMOS chip with optical ports as the only means of external high-speed data communication.
Fabrication of implantable microshunt using a novel channel sealing technique

This letter reports the development of a novel mi- croshunt by combining biocompatible materials with well- established, robust microelectromechanical systems MEMS fabrication processes. The key features of our mi- croshunt fabrication process are summarized as follows: 1 Control over the thickness of channels' enclosure, 2 chan- nels' height scalable by multiple thick resist patterning, 3 structural material deposition by electroplating, and 4 an easy fabrication process suitable for mass production. These features were realized using electroplating for the gold structural material, photoresist sacrificial material, and e-beam evaporation of adhesion layers. The combination of these techniques allows precise control on the microchan- nels width, depth, and length. A novel channel sealing tech- nique that is extendable to more complex geometries is also presented. The developed method involves using a thin gold seed layer deposited via evaporation prior to electroplating the last structural layer, the cover of the channels. This method enhanced the electroplating process, yielding more control of the final thickness of the cover layer compared to methods consisting of overgrowing the channels until they seal. © 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.
Heritable and Idiopathic Forms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Abstract Heritable and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), together formerly known as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH; Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man [OMIM] 178600), are clinically identical progressive disorders characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure with pathologic changes originating in the precapillary pulmonary arteries. BMPR2 is the gene encoding bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2; OMIM 600799 ), which is mutated in over 75% of families with PAH. The BMPR2 gene's association with PAH, as well as the rare association of mutations in other members of the transforming growth factor β superfamily of receptors with PAH (ACVRL1 and ENG), provides insights into disease pathogenesis and risk calculation. These insights augment a growing interest in understanding the factors which make genetically, and other, susceptible individuals resilient to PAH.
Autonomous Air Traffic Control Dialog Management System to Enable Unmanned Aircraft in the National Airspace System

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are one of the fastest growing segments of the aviation industry with the U.S. UAS market projected to nearly double by 2020. UAS have been used extensively overseas in military roles, but there are many civilian missions that could be performed by UAS operating domestically such as law enforcement, homeland security, wildre suppression, air-freight, and aerial-survey. However, despite these potential markets, UAS are currently banned from ying within the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) primarily due to reasons related to operational safety of ight. Among them is the inability of UAS to respond to and engage in the spoken Air Trac Control (ATC) instructions that govern the use of the NAS. In this paper an Autonomous Communication System (AutoComm System) and Dialog Management System (DMS) are developed that enables UAS to autonomously communicate with ATC using spoken natural language speech. The AutoComm System uses probabilistic techniques to automatically learn the rules of ATC communication and models the dialog as a Bayesian network. In order to implement the System several novel contributions were developed including: a novel scheme for part of speech tagging for ATC dialog; a central sliding window algorithm for determining the most probable part-of-speech tagging in the presence of noise and transcription errors in the sentence being labeled; and a robust hybrid method for enabling a DMS to automatically learn rule-based dialog trees while accounting for non-deterministic dialog and variance in accepted phraseology. The results of ying the AutoComm System through simulated and real-world ATC dialog show that the System can correctly respond to the tested ATC communications with an accuracy of 88.5%, and further, can outperform human pilots in a few key metrics. These results show that it is possible to develop and implement a high-accuracy system that enables UAS to autonomously communicate with ATC in order to better integrate UAS into the NAS for a wide variety of missions.
Comment on: "Electron mobilities based on an exact numerical analysis of the dielectric-function-dependent linearized Poisson's equation for the potential of impurity ions in semiconductors"

We believe that an assumption made in this paper, namely, forcing the potential to exhibit a prescribed behavior at a certain distance from a point ion, is not tenable. We present below results of our numerical and variational calculations made without the above assumption.
Social support among releasing men prisoners with lifetime trauma experiences.

High rates of lifetime trauma experiences exist among men incarcerated in US state and federal prisons. Because lifetime trauma experiences have been linked to problematic behavioral and psychiatric outcomes for incarcerated populations, trauma-informed interventions could improve post-release well-being of releasing men prisoners with trauma histories. Social support has consistently been found to have a positive impact on trauma-related outcomes in non-incarcerated populations. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that social support may be an important intervention component for releasing men prisoners with trauma experiences; yet, the relationship between trauma experiences, psychiatric and behavioral factors, and social support has received almost no attention in research with men prisoners. Using a probability sample of 165 soon-to-be-released men, the present study examined differences in certain demographic, criminal justice history, mental health, substance abuse, and social support (type, quality, amount, and source) variables between releasing men prisoners with and without lifetime trauma experiences. Results indicate that men with trauma histories had more negative social support experiences and fewer positive social support resources before prison than their counterparts. Men with trauma histories also had more lifetime experiences with mental health and substance use problems. On further investigation of the subsample of men with trauma histories, those who were older, had substance use disorders, and histories of mental health problems anticipated fewer post-release social support resources. Study findings underscore the nuances of social support for men prisoners with trauma experiences and point to implications for future directions in targeted trauma-informed intervention development for releasing men prisoners.