cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multi-Rician fading model for radio communication systems

A multi-Rician fading model for radio communication systems in which the received signal consists of a finite number of specular components in addition to a diffuse component is presented. The probability density function of the envelope of the received signal is obtained from basic principles, and it is shown that, in some cases, the multi-Rician distribution gives fading which is deeper than Rayleigh fading. It is also shown that this general model includes the Rayleigh and Rician fading distributions as special cases. The use of spatial selection diversity is considered to combat the effects of fading, and the performance of two types of selection diversity receivers in the presence of multi-Rician fading is obtained for various cases of practical interest. >
A new class of affine higher order time-frequency representations

We propose a new class of affine higher order time-frequency representations (HO-TFRs) unifying HO-TFRs which satisfy the desirable properties of scale covariance and time-shift covariance. This new class extends to higher order (N>2) the affine class of quadratic (N=2) time-frequency representations. In this paper, we provide five alternative formulations of the class in terms of multi-dimensional smoothing kernels. We discuss important class members, including the new higher order scalogram that is related to the wavelet transform. We also list additional desirable properties and derive the associated kernel constraints. Finally, we consider a subclass of affine HO-TFRs that intersects with a Cohen's class of time and frequency shift covariant HO-TFRs. A formulation for HO-TFRs satisfying three covariances in this higher order affine-Cohen intersection is derived.
Stress-dependent power-law flow in the upper mantle following the 2002 Denali, Alaska, earthquake

Abstract Far-field continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) time-series data following the 2002 M7.9 Denali, Alaska earthquake imply that mantle viscoelastic rheology is stress-dependent. A linear viscous mantle cannot explain fast early displacement rates at the surface that rapidly decay with time, whereas a power-law rheology where strain rate is proportional to stress raised to the power of 3.5 ± 0.5 provides decay rates and spatial patterns in agreement with observations. This is consistent with laboratory measurements for hot, wet olivine, implying a hydrated mantle and a relatively thin (60-km-thick) lithosphere beneath south-central Alaska. These results suggest that the viscous strength of the lithosphere varies both spatially and temporally, and that effective viscosities inferred from different loading events or observational time-periods can differ by up to several orders of magnitude. Thus, the very conditions that enable the inference of rheologic strength–transient loading and unloading events–significantly alter the effective viscosity.
Genetics of Sex-linked yellow in the Syrian hamster.

Alternating patches of black and yellow pigment are a ubiquitous feature of mammalian color variation that contributes to camouflage, species recognition, and morphologic diversity. X-linked determinants of this pattern—recognized by variegation in females but not in males—have been described in the domestic cat as Orange, and in the Syrian hamster as Sex-linked yellow (Sly), but are curiously absent from other vertebrate species. Using a comparative genomic approach, we develop molecular markers and a linkage map for the euchromatic region of the Syrian hamster X chromosome that places Sly in a region homologous to the centromere-proximal region of human Xp. Comparison to analogous work carried out for Orange in domestic cats indicates, surprisingly, that the cat and hamster mutations lie in nonhomologous regions of the X chromosome. We also identify the molecular cause of recessively inherited black coat color in hamsters (historically referred to as nonagouti) as a Cys115Tyr mutation in the Agouti gene. Animals doubly mutant for Sly and nonagouti exhibit a Sly phenotype. Our results indicate that Sly represents a melanocortin pathway component that acts similarly to, but is genetically distinct from, Mc1r and that has implications for understanding both the evolutionary history and the mutational mechanisms of pigment-type switching.
Vibroacoustic Modeling for Space Shuttle Orbiter Thermal Protection System

A ceramic tile has been developed as part of the thermal protection system of the Space Shuttle orbiter. These tiles are individually attached to the panels of the orbiter through a flexible pad. Closed-form and numerical linear random vibration models were formulated to predict tile dynamic stresses due to the broadband acoustic field on the outer surface and the base excitation on the bonded surface. Analytical results were compared to a full-scale random test. The analytical models were then used to predict dynamic stresses on selected tiles. Conditions were established as to the accuracy of the closed-form techniques. Nomenclature As = strain isolation pad (SIP) surface area A ( = tile exposed surface area c = linear viscous damping coefficient of SIP dB = decibels dco = frequency differential, rad/s fj = /th frequency, Hz fn = natural frequency of tile, Hz F (t) = acoustic force acting on tile g = acceleration of gravity H(fi) = transfer function between tile acceleration and panal acceleration for the /th one-third octave band //;(/,) = transfer function between tile velocity and acoustic pressure for the /th one-third octave band H2 (ff) = transfer function between tile displacement and
Introduction: Vectors and Tensors

This little book is about tensor analysis, as Einstein’s philosophers’ stone, the absolute differential calculus, is called nowadays. I have written it, though, with an eye not toward general relativity, but to continuum mechanics, a more modest theory that attempts to predict the gross behavior of “the masses of matter we see and use from day to day: air, water, earth, flesh, wood, stone, steel, concrete, glass, rubber,....”2
The utility of environmental impact information: a manufacturing case study

Abstract Cost information has been considered an important signal to facility decision-makers. The case study poses the question: Is environmental impact information (costs, energy impacts, chemical risk) sufficient, in and of itself, to prompt proactive change in facilities managers? The findings of the case study do not support the hypothesis that for manufacturing facilities that are already operating environmental systems meeting regulatory compliance, cost information alone will induce significant environmental change in the facility in the short term. Significant environmental change was not measured by direct observations of manufacturing processes. Paradoxically these findings are contradicted by managerial attitudes that cost information offers significant utility to business decision-makers. A number of operational, facility, customer and product factors may explain why the perceived cost of inaction was less than the cost of action. These factors should be tested further. Operationally, managers did not recognize the environmental implications of their job descriptions. Interpretive structure appears to be important. Priority setting is also an issue. Important facility characteristics that should be tested include the maturity of the program, and the complexity of the organization. Important product characteristics include the relative amounts of environmental impacts and costs associated with a product. Customer focus appears to be an important variable as well.
Perspective Taking as a Means of Reducing Negative Stereotyping of Individuals Who Speak English as a Second Language

As a test of the hypothesis that perspective taking reduces stereotyping of individuals who speak English as a second language, 160 college students participated in a 2 ¥ 2 factorial experiment. Participants heard an audio recording of either a native or non-native speaker of English. Then, they wrote a paragraph about the speaker either with instructions to take the speaker’s perspective or with no perspectivetaking instructions. Finally, they rated the speaker on characteristics related to ability and accomplishment. Overall, the participants rated the native speaker of English more highly than the non-native speaker. However, supporting the hypothesis, participants instructed to take the perspective of the non-native speaker rated her more highly than did participants not instructed to take her perspective. In the movie A Walk in the Clouds (Zucker & Arau, 1995), a highly successful but nevertheless frustrated Mexican American man asserts “Just because I speak with an accent doesn’t mean I think with an accent.” The source of the man’s frustration no doubt is shared by millions of individuals who immigrate to lands where they must communicate in what for them is a second language. Unfortunately, it seems that rather than being impressed by the resourcefulness it takes to function with a second language, a foreign accent often may be taken as a sign of muddled thinking. We might expect that the often observed inclination to view members of out-groups negatively (Brewer, 1979; Gaertner, Mann, Murrell, & Dovidio, 1989; Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971) may apply to those who speak with a foreign accent. Lending support to this notion, studies have shown that non-native speakers of a language are viewed as having less status than are native speakers (Nesdale & Rooney, 1990; Nesdale & Rooney, 1996; Ryan & Carranza, 1975; Ryan & Sebastian, 1980). In these studies, status
Introducing Dyadic Interviews as a Method for Collecting Qualitative Data

In dyadic interviews, two participants interact in response to open-ended research questions. There are few precedents for using dyadic interviews as a technique for qualitative research. We introduce this method largely in comparison to focus groups, because both represent forms of interactive interviewing. We do not, however, view dyadic interviews as miniature focus groups, and treat them as generating their own opportunities and issues. To illustrate the nature of dyadic interviewing, we present summaries of three studies using this method. In the first study, we used dyadic interviews and photovoice techniques to examine experiences of people with early-stage dementia. In the second study, we explored the experiences of staff who provided services to elderly housing residents. In the third study, we examined barriers and facilitators to substance abuse treatment among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hawaii. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research using dyadic interviews.
Pathogenesis of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections

M avium is a microorganism well adapted to living in the environment and in different hosts. During the past 15 years, a substantial amount of information has been accumulated about the mechanisms used by M avium to cross the host's mucosal barrier, replicate inside cells, circumvent the host's immune response, and persist inside the host. It turns out that M avium is a fascinating pathogen after all. The increasing knowledge about M avium pathogenesis may one day provide means for a more effective prophylaxis as well as for treatment of the infection.
Magnetic Susceptibilities and Dielectric Constants in the New Quantum Mechanics

IT is well known that the conventional quantum theory must be modified in accordance with the matrix dynamics developed by Born, Heisenberg, and Jordan, and by Dirac. The purpose of the present note is twofold, namely: (1) to show that in the new theory the spacial quantisation relative to the applied field has no direct effect on the magnetic susceptibility (or the dielectric constant), and (2) to give the results of the calculation of the dielectric constant of a diatomic gas by means of the new mechanics.
Old Age in the New Land: The American Experience since 1790

Old age in the new land : the American experience since 1790 , Old age in the new land : the American experience since 1790 , کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن آوری اطلاعات دانشگاه امام صادق(ع)
A leakage-tolerant low-swing circuit style in partially depleted silicon-on-insulator CMOS technologies

The parasitic bipolar leakage and the large subthreshold leakage due to high floating-body voltage reduce the noise margin and increase the delay of the circuits in the partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (PD/SOI). Differential cascode voltage switch logic (DCVSL) has circuit topologies susceptible to the leakage currents. In this paper, we propose a new circuit style to effectively handle the leakage problems in PD/SOI DCVSL. The proposed low-swing DCVSL (LS-DCVSL) uses the small internal swing to prevent the body of evaluation transistors from being charged to high voltage and, hence, suppress the leakages in DCVSL. Simulation results show that the proposed LS-DCVSL five-input XOR circuit is 33% faster than DCVSL five-input XOR circuit. In addition, the proposed circuit does not experience noise margin reduction due to pass-gate leakage.
The message is the message: designing information technology for inclusiveness and accessibility

Universal design advocates designing virtual as well as physical environments to be accessible and usable by as many potential users as possible. However, dominant ways of thinking about accessibility and information technology, and the resulting design and implementation practices, tend to create needless barriers to information and opportunities for a large and growing group of technology users. These assumptions and practices are also disabling the development and uses of information technology in general. We describe some technological and barriers to providing universal access to information technology resources for students with disabilities at North Carolina State University. We present research from social sciences and disability studies that suggests insights and alternative models for understanding how and why "disability" is being socially reconstructed on the Web. We end with general suggestions for accessible technology and Web design that can expand possibilities for both technology development and technology users.
Digital Figurings of the Unimaginable: Visual Media, Death, and Formations of the Sikh Diaspora

In this paper, I analyse how the confluence of martyrdom, terror, and computer-mediated communications has contributed to the emergence of a Sikh diasporic cultural politics. I offer an analysis of a moment of conflict that took place in June 2001 when Sikhs around the world commemorated the seventeenth anniversary of ‘Operation Bluestar’—the Indian government's code-name for a military siege on Sikhism's holiest temple that led to the deaths of several thousand people. Commemorating this day of genocide refocused enduringly significant debates about the status of the martyr in Sikh life and reconstituted the tensions of an ongoing conflict between Sikhs and the Indian nation-state. This moment of conflict also effectively drew together transnational struggles to establish a separate sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan with the emergence of globalising information technologies like the Internet. What I call the diasporic sublime offers a means for addressing this moment of diasporic conflict in relation...
Microarray analysis of UVB-regulated genes in keratinocytes: downregulation of angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin-1.

Abstract Background : Ultraviolet (UV) B light is an environmental mutagen that induces changes in cutaneous gene expression leading to immune suppression and carcinogenesis. Keratinocytes are a primary target for UVB. Objective : To further delineate UVB-induced gene expression changes in keratinocytes. Methods : cDNA microarray technology was utilized to examine gene expression in normal human KC (NHKC) following 20mJcm −2 UVB irradiation. Data was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results : Microarray analysis revealed 57 genes were upregulated, and 27 genes were downregulated, by at least two-fold following UVB. One downregulated gene was the endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed persistent downregulation of TSP-1 up to 18h following UVB. Microarray analysis also revealed upregulation of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF)—an angiogenesis activator. Conclusion : Our results suggest a gene expression mechanism by which UVB induces an angiogenic switch in keratinocytes. This may represent an important early event promoting neovascularization and growth of cutaneous neoplasms.
The Entrepreneurial Propensity of Women

Entrepreneurship is becoming an increasingly important source of employment for women across many countries. The level of female involvement in entrepreneurial activity, however, is still significa...
Power factor and harmonic compensation in industrial power systems with nonlinear loads

Industrial power systems are often characterized as large consumers of reactive power and significant generators of harmonics because most of the load is generally composed of induction motors and static power converters. Consequently, this article analyzes a typical power system configuration where is it desirable to install power factor capacitors and tuned harmonic filters for reactive power compensation and harmonic control. The resonant conditions for a given power factor correction or a harmonic frequency are determined directly from the roots of a quadratic expression. This formulation also allows a quick evaluation of power factor range with excessive harmonic levels, as well as effects of tuned reactors on the resonant frequencies. >
The Minimum Decoding Delay of Maximum Rate Complex Orthogonal Space–Time Block Codes

The growing demand for efficient wireless transmissions over fading channels motivated the development of space-time block codes. Space-time block codes built from generalized complex orthogonal designs are particularly attractive because the orthogonality permits a simple decoupled maximum-likelihood decoding algorithm while achieving full transmit diversity. The two main research problems for these complex orthogonal space-time block codes (COSTBCs) have been to determine for any number of antennas the maximum rate and the minimum decoding delay for a maximum rate code. The maximum rate for COSTBCs was determined by Liang in 2003. This paper addresses the second fundamental problem by providing a tight lower bound on the decoding delay for maximum rate codes. It is shown that for a maximum rate COSTBC for 2m - 1 or 2m antennas, a tight lower bound on decoding delay is r = (m-1 2m) . This lower bound on decoding delay is achievable when the number of antennas is congruent to 0, 1, or 3 modulo 4. This paper also derives a tight lower bound on the number of variables required to construct a maximum rate COSTBC for any given number of antennas. Furthermore, it is shown that if a maximum rate COSTBC has a decoding delay of r where r < r les 2r, then r=2r. This is used to provide evidence that when the number of antennas is congruent to 2 modulo 4, the best achievable decoding delay is 2(m-1 2m_).
The Spatial Distribution of Perkinsus Marinus, a Protozoan Parasite, in Relation to its Oyster Host (Crassostrea Virginica) and an Ectoparasitic Gastropod (Boonea Impressa)

Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of oysters, is an important cause of oyster mortality in the Gulf of Mexico and along the south-eastern coast of the United States (Hofstetter, 1977; Quick & Mackin, 1971). Infections are patchily distributed on many reefs, often with uninfected oysters adjacent to infected oysters. The primary mechanism of transmission from one oyster to another is through the water (Ray, 1954; Mackin, 1962; Andrews, 1965). Because dilution rapidly reduces the number of infective elements below the dosage required to initiate new infections (Andrews, 1979), transmission is most efficient over very short distances and declines rapidly within a few metres of the source.
Inverse matrix evaluation for linear systems

This paper is concerned with an iterative method to recover the system matrix for a linear time-invariant dynamical system. It uses the states as given data and generates a series of simulations, after which it is possible to directly invert for the sought after matrix. It requires the solution to a nonlinear algebraic matrix equation. Numerical results indicate that the algorithm requires only a few iterations to converge to the true solution. The effect of noise on the accuracy of the results is also investigated.
Considerations in the Medical Management of Pregnancy in Transplant Recipients

Pregnancy, although rare in the patient with end-stage renal disease, is not uncommon in the transplant recipient. Physicians taking care of transplant recipients must be able to inform patients about the potential risks of pregnancy in this setting. The patient and her partner must know that the risks associated with pregnancy increase with worsening kidney function and hypertension. Current consensus opinion is that pregnancy can be relatively safely undertaken by 1 year after transplant if the patient has had no rejections during the year, allograft function is adequate, there are no infections that could affect the fetus, the patient is not taking teratogenic medications, and immunosuppressive medication dosing is stable. Consideration must be given to immunosuppression during pregnancy both with respect to the specific agents as well as the level of dosing. None of the medications are FDA category A; all are B or higher. Part of planning for pregnancy should include an evaluation of immunosuppression medication and a plan to modify the regimen prior to conception if its use may be risky for the developing fetus. Rejection can occur during a kidney transplant, so maintaining adequate immunosuppression is important. Other issues that need to be managed when caring for a pregnant transplant patient include: potential for infection (urinary tract infections are very common), hypertension, and anemia. The type of delivery, posttransplant contraception, and breast-feeding also need to be addressed.
Influence of high school students’ perceptions on their preparation for engineering

By the time students enter college, lack of rigorous high school coursework can eliminate engineering as a potential career path. Many university outreach programs exist to promote engineering and to inform students about the requirements of the engineering field. These programs usually focus on the students under the assumption that, if we can get the students interested in engineering, their high schools and support structures will allow them to lay a foundation in high school that will enable them to succeed in a university engineering curriculum. This paper examines that premise using a survey of high school students involved in a university outreach program. The analysis shows the relationships between race, gender and three major categories: confidence, support and perception. Data shows that affecting support networks and confidence may be as important as simply generating interest in STEM fields.
Visualization of intravenously administered contrast material in the CSF on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery MR images: an in vitro and animal-model investigation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery) pulse sequence has been shown to be sensitive to abnormalities of the subarachnoid space. Our clinical experience led us to investigate whether intravenously injected contrast material can affect the appearance of the subarachnoid space on FLAIR MR images. METHODS: After noting unexplained high signal in the subarachnoid space on FLAIR images in a patient, we studied two dogs with sequential FLAIR MR imaging after IV administration of contrast material. A third dog was studied with a 6-hour delayed FLAIR sequence after triple-dose (0.3 mmol/kg) IV contrast administration. CSF was obtained from two animals for measurement of gadolinium concentration. A phantom was developed to determine the lowest concentration at which the effects of gadolinium were evident on FLAIR images in vitro. RESULTS: In all three animals, the appearance of the CSF in the ventricles or subarachnoid space was modified after administration of IV contrast. This was most evident on delayed images. The CSF samples showed a gadolinium concentration of 0.007 mmol/L in the dog who received the 0.1 mmol/kg dose and 0.02 mmol/L in the dog who received a triple dose. In our in vitro phantom experiments, gadolinium effects were evident on FLAIR images at a concentration four times lower than those on T1-weighted images. CONCLUSION: IV contrast material can cross into the CSF in sufficient concentration to alter the appearance of the subarachnoid space on FLAIR images in normal dogs. Although we encountered two patients with CNS disease in whom enhancement of the CSF was seen on postcontrast FLAIR images, additional investigation is needed in humans to determine whether enhancement may occur at triple dose in healthy subjects.
Evaluation of PV module field performance

This paper describes an effort to inspect and evaluate PV modules in order to determine what failure or degradation modes are occurring in field installations. This paper will report on the results of six site visits, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Hedge Array, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) Springerville, Central Florida Utility, Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), the TEP Solar Test Yard, and University of Toledo installations. The effort here makes use of a recently developed field inspection data collection protocol, and the results were input into a corresponding database. The results of this work have also been used to develop a draft of the IEC standard for climate and application specific accelerated stress testing beyond module qualification.
Comparison of Emergency Resuscitation with Colloids and Crystalloids

Clinical management is exceedingly difficult to evaluate in emergency patients because resuscitation is often chaotic, disorderly, and frantic. Resuscitation depends upon many factors: the primary illness or injury, the amount of blood and fluid losses, the patient's age, the prior state of health, the associated medical conditions, the time delay in instituting therapy, the volume and rate of fluids administered, and, finally, the choice of fluids given. Although it is difficult to control the effects of these complex interrelated factors, their influence may be evaluated by stratifying patients and then comparing the direct effects and outcome measures within each stratum. There has been persistent controversy over the relative merits of crystalloids and colloids in fluid resuscitation. We studied reviews of fluid management of all hypotensive patients seen in the adult surgical section of the Emergency Department (ED) during a 2½ year period, to compare the conventional crystalloid resuscitation which had been standard for this busy university-run county hospital with a fluid management protocol consisting of about 1/4 A colloids depending on age, cardiac history, and CVP.
Self Assembled Monolayer Methods in the Fabrication of High-Tc Superconductor SNS Junction Nano-Devices

Although the superconductor/normal metal (SN) interface is one of the most important controlling factors in determining the performance of superconductor/normal metal/superconductor (SNS) junctions, controlling the SN interface still remains difficult. The in situ deposit techniques have been widely used to cope with this problem, but they limit the types of SNS junctions that can be explored. Soft Chemistry Etching methods were developed to fabricate the YBCO/Au/YBCO and TX-YBCO/Au/TX-YBCO SNS junction nano-devices with ex situ deposit. The planar SNS junctions controlled by such methods exhibited good transport properties above 80 K with less than 10-8ω-cm2 contact resistivity. The current state of the suitable fabrication methods of SNS nano-devices will be described with experiment results.
Multiculturalist Liberalism and Harms to Women: Lookin Through The Issue of "The Veil"

In response to recent mandates, prohibitions, or “choices” relating to veil-wearing by Muslim girls and women, this essay raises and responds to the question: “How should civil government treat culture- or religion-based claims of rights that clash with the norm of women’s equality?” – that question being a broadened reformulation of Susan Okin’s 1999 inquiry, “Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?” The essay identifies social and political developments, as well as legal and theoretical developments – relating to women, religions, and governments – that have occurred in the 21st century and that demand that reformulation. Reviewing theories on the veiling controversies, and characterizing some as reflecting only partial visions, the essay embraces and argues for a re-shaped liberalism that is committedly and simultaneously feminist and anti-racist and secular.
Host Plants and Natural Enemies of Rugose Spiraling Whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Florida

Summary The rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a polyphagous pest that has caused significant damage in the Florida landscape. Various plants have been identified as primary hosts in affected areas. Rugose spiraling whitefly was confirmed in 22 counties, and surveys for biological control agents have found several important natural enemies and other species that collectively provide appreciable control of this whitefly pest.
Abstract P1-11-23: Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Compounds in the Attenuation of Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation: Mechanisms of Action

Cannabinoids have been well established as mediators of tumor cell proliferation in several cancer models. The activity of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) agonists as well as cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonists have been extensively studied over the last decade, though their mechanisms of action have yet to be defined in the context of attenuating tumor proliferation. CB1 is abundant in the central nervous system with a low level of expression in the periphery, while CB2 exists primarily on cells of the immune system. Due to the lack of neuronal expression of CB2 receptors, compounds acting at CB2 receptors do not produce the psychotropic effects associated with CB1 receptor compounds. Although CB1 and CB2 compounds have yielded similar antiproliferative results in some tumor cells in vitro, CB2 receptors are markedly upregulated in many tumor cell lines for unknown reasons. Therefore, we focused on compounds selective for the CB2 receptor, including the CB2 selective agonists JWH-015 and AM1241. We show here that CB2 agonists and antagonists alike attenuate the proliferation of mouse and human breast cancer cells in a concentration dependent manner. CB2 agonist induced breast cancer anti-proliferation is not blocked by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716, or the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) antagonist capsazepine. The CB1 and CB2 receptors are classified as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are generally linked to Gai or Gaq. Agonists and antagonists of G protein coupled receptors are typically defined based on their Ga mediated effect on intracellular cAMP levels. This method of classification is not entirely effective: it ignores the possibility of differential effects on alternative kinases and the bg subunit activity. The anti-proliferative activity of both JWH-015 and SR144528 may be explained by alternative receptor coupling pathways, changes in constitutive activity, or activity at a separate receptor. Here, we show a dose and time dependent decrease in phosphorylated ERK in cells treated with either JWH-015 (CB2 agonist) or SR144528 (CB2 antagonist). Together, these data along with the absence of a pertussis toxin effect suggest that the CB2 compounds are acting in a non-Gai coupled manner, and are attenuating a pro-survival pathway. Further studies are necessary to identify the binding partner responsible for the antiproliferative effects of CB2 compounds. We advance the idea that CB2 receptors on breast cancer cells constitutively activate the MAP/ERK pro-survival pathway and that by preventing constituitive activity of the CB2 receptor, CB2 compounds downregulate phosphorylation of the MAPK/ERK pathway to promote apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-23.
Absorption of Cholecystokinin and Secretin from the Colon and Rectum

SummarySecretin may be absorbed to a slight extent from the dog's colon when administered in relatively enormous doses. Chole-cystokinin was not absorbed. Cholecystokinin (4,500 dog units) when placed in the rectum of man is not absorbed to any significant extent.
Tunable few-cycle and multicycle coherent terahertz radiation from relativistic electrons.

We report the generation of tunable, narrow-band, few-cycle and multicycle coherent terahertz (THz) pulses from a temporally modulated relativistic electron beam. We demonstrate that the frequency of the THz radiation and the number of the oscillation cycles of the THz electric field can be tuned by changing the modulation period of the electron beam through a temporally shaped photocathode drive laser. The central frequency of the THz spectrum is tunable from $\ensuremath{\sim}0.26$ to 2.6 THz with a bandwidth of $\ensuremath{\sim}0.16\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{THz}$.
Utilisation of surgical fundoplication for patients with gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease in the USA has declined rapidly between 2009 and 2013

Summary Background Surgical fundoplication has been considered to be one of the leading therapeutic modalities for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during the last several decades. Aim To determine the trend of surgical fundoplication utilisation in GERD patients during the last decade in the United States. Methods Population-based study using a large nationwide database, the Explorys database system, to identify patients diagnosed with GERD and those who underwent surgical fundoplication. Using a quadratic regression model, we determined and compared the trends of surgical fundoplication utilisation annually from 2004 to 2013. Results We identified 4 059 060 patients with the diagnosis of GERD, of whom 2343 (0.05%) underwent surgical fundoplication between 2004 and 2013. There was a significant decline in the number of surgical fundoplications performed over the last 5 years from 0.062% in 2009 to 0.047% in 2013 (P < 0.05). Female patients accounted for the majority of those who underwent fundoplication (62.52%). Caucasian patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years were the most likely group to undergo surgical fundoplication (66.28%). The number of overweight patients undergoing surgical fundoplication has been significantly increasing over the last decade (P < 0.05). Importantly, 80% of surgical patients were treated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) post surgical fundoplication by 2013 (P < 0.001). Conclusions Utilisation of surgical fundoplication in GERD patients has been steadily declining over the past 5 years. The vast majority of patients will resume PPI treatment after surgical fundoplication.
Citrate-cleavage enzyme, 'malic' enzyme and certain dehydrogenases in embryonic and growing chicks.

The activities of several enzymes possibly implicated in lipogenesis were measured in the soluble fraction of homogenates of liver and adipose tissue of embryonic and growing chicks. The activities of adipose-tissue enzymes showed little or no change. The activities of hepatic hexose monophosphate-shunt dehydrogenases, malate dehydrogenase, 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase and NAD-linked α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase also showed little or no change. Isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in liver rose to a peak on the day of hatching and fell to half the peak value during the next 12 days, where it remained to 26 days after hatching. The activities of ‘malic’ enzyme and citrate-cleavage enzyme showed very low stable values in embryonic liver and remarkable rises during the early part of the post-hatching period. An 85-fold increase in the activity of ‘malic’ enzyme activity was completed in 7 days and a 15-fold increase in that of citrate-cleavage enzyme in 5 days. The activities then attained were maintained up to 26 days after hatching. 2. The increases in the activities of hepatic citrate-cleavage enzyme and ‘malic’ enzyme occurred simultaneously with a marked increase in lipogenesis, suggesting a relationship of these enzymes to lipogenesis in chick liver. By contrast, activity of the hexose monophosphate-shunt dehydrogenases does not appear to be thus associated.
The Rise of the Public in Enlightenment Europe: The peculiarities of the English

Foundations of English exceptionalism “For a long time, and especially since the beginning of this century, there has been no country where more has been written about political affairs than England.” August Ludwig Schlozer, the German historian and journalist who made this claim in 1776, was well acquainted with English political culture. As a professor at the University of Gottingen, which was located in the territory of Hanover and founded by George II, Schlozer was himself a subject of the German dynasty that had ruled Britain since 1714. A convinced Anglophile and an ardent admirer of British political institutions, Schlozer considered the rebellious American colonists selfish ingrates. But if Schlozer was anything but an impartial observer, he was right to consider English political culture unique in fundamental ways. Its relatively free press, party structure, and parliamentary system fostered a degree of political contestation – outside as well as within formal institutions of government – that had no counterpart among the major states of the continent. The vibrancy of England's political public sphere grew out of the turbulent struggles of the English Revolution, a period when censorship all but collapsed, political pamphlets flooded the publishing market, popular petitions and the circulation of parliamentary speeches proliferated, and coffeehouses arose as venues of political discussion. Despite the restoration of the Stuart dynasty in 1660, the Exclusion Crisis of 1679–81 (so named after efforts in parliament to exclude Charles II's heir, the Catholic James II, from the succession) was marked by a resurgence of political activism at all levels.
Sub-linear time compressed sensing for support recovery using left and right regular sparse-graph codes

In [1], [2], two schemes have been proposed to recover the support of a K-sparse N-dimensional signal from noisy linear measurements. Both schemes use left-regular sparse-graph code based sensing matrices and a simple peeling-based decoding algorithm. Both the schemes require O(K logN) measurements and the first scheme require O(N logN) computations whereas the second scheme requires O(K logN) computations (sub-linear time complexity when K is sub-linear in N). We show that by replacing the left-regular ensemble with left and right regular ensemble, we can reduce the number of measurements required of these schemes to the optimal order of O(K log N/K) with decoding complexities of O(K log N/K) and O(N log N/K), respectively.
Properties of Abelian Groups Determined by Their Endomorphism Ring

The goal of this paper is to give a survey of how endomorphism rings can be used to study the behavior of modules. While the first part considers modules over arbitrary rings, the second half focuses mainly on the case of torsion-free Abelian groups. Although there are many applications of endomorphism rings to the theory of mixed Abelian groups, a comprehensive discussion of this subject is beyond the framework of a survey article. In particular, we only present core results, and provide an extensive literature list for those who want to get deeper into the subject.
Dynamic Mechanical and Thermal Analyses of Objet Connex 3D Printed Materials

This paper presents the dynamic mechanical and thermal analyses of the inkjet 3D printed materials of the Objet Connex 500 printer by Stratasys. The Objet Connex printer uses different ratios of distinct base materials to produce materials with homogeneous bulk properties using an inkjet process. Small dots of the liquidized polymer base materials are deposited on the print bed and cured with ultraviolet light. This paper examines the materials produced using the base materials TangoPlus (FLX930) and VeroWhitePlus (RGD835), which provide materials with varying levels of rubber-like characteristics. These materials are increasingly used to create prototypes of vibration suppression systems. To better understand the damping properties of these materials, it is necessary to characterize their viscoelastic properties. In this work, the viscoelastic properties are characterized by measuring the frequency and temperature dependent complex modulus. A dynamic mechanical analyzer is used to measure the complex moduli of four materials for a range of frequencies and temperatures. The time-frequency equivalence is used to determine a relationship between frequency and temperature; producing a master curve of the complex moduli over a wide range of frequencies and a single reference temperature. The effects of using tensile versus cantilever testing configurations and the effects of print direction are also discussed.
Evaluating parameter availability for physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in zebrafish

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are considered useful tools to describe the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics. For accurate predictions, PBPK models require species-specific and compound-specific parameters. Zebrafish are considered an appropriate vertebrate model for investigating the toxicity of a wide variety of compounds. However, no specific mechanistic model exists for the pharmacokinetics of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in zebrafish, despite growing concern about this class of ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current state of knowledge for the parameters that would be needed to construct such a model for zebrafish. We chose perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a model PFAA with greater data availability. We have updated a previous PBPK model for rainbow trout to simulate PFOA fate in zebrafish following waterborne exposure. For the first time, the model considers hepatobiliary circulation. In order to evaluate the availability of parameters to implement this model, we performed an extensive literature review to find zebrafish-specific parameters. As in previous approaches, we broadened our search to include mammalian and other fish studies when zebrafish-specific data were lacking. Based on the method used to measure or estimate parameters, or based on their species-specific origin, we scored and ranked the quality of available parameters. These scores were then used in Monte Carlo and partial rank correlation analyses to identify the most critical data gaps. The liver, where fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) and plasma proteins are considered, represented the best model-data agreement. Lack of agreement in other tissues suggest better parameters are needed. The results of our study highlight the lack of zebrafish-specific parameters. Based on sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, parameters associated with PFAA–protein interactions and passive diffusion need further refinement to enable development of predictive models for these emerging chemicals in zebrafish.
Fury Route: Leveraging CDNs to Remotely Measure Network Distance

Estimating network distance between arbitrary Internet endpoints is an essential primitive in applications ranging from performance optimization to network debugging and auditing. Enabling such a primitive without deploying new infrastructure was demonstrated via DNS. However, the proliferation of DNS hosting has made DNS-based measurement techniques far less dependable. In this paper, we show that the heterogeneous infrastructure of different CDNs, combined with the proliferation of the EDNS0 client-subnet extension (ECS), enables novel infrastructureless measurement. We design Fury Route, a system that estimates network distance by utilizing ECS to construct a virtual path between endpoints via intermediate CDN replicas.
Outcome Assessment for ACL Tissue Engineering

Outcome assessment measures, directly or indirectly, how well a medical treatment functions. For clinical treatments this is measured by measuring safety (i.e., the rate of complications) and effectiveness (i.e., resolution of pain or improvement in function). For basic science, outcome assessment often means objectively quantifying cellular behavior and characteristics and other laboratory measurements. When developing tissue engineering treatments for improving outcomes following ACL injury, evaluation of the tissue-engineered structure is necessary to optimize the treatment, too. These evaluations prove that the method will be safe and efficacious and demonstrate that the alternative treatment is better than the gold standard, in our case, ACL reconstruction with an autograft. When translating any new technology from benchtop (lab) to the bedside (clinic), in vitro (petri dish) studies and preclinical models are first required to validate the concept and to prove that it is likely to be efficacious, prior to initiating a clinical trial in humans. This chapter briefly highlights some of the outcome measures that are important at all three levels: in vitro, preclinical, and clinical studies.
Stochastic Ordinary Differential and Difference Equations

Summary Methods are developed for solving ordinary differential and difference equations with random coefficients and/or input. Following an introductory section (Sect. 1), we present methods for solving equations with deterministic coefficients and random input (Sect. 2), finite difference equations with random coefficients of arbitrary and small uncertainty (Sect. 3), and ordinary differential equations with random coefficients of arbitrary and small uncertainty (Sect. 4). The methods include Monte Carlo simulation, conditional analysis, stochastic reduced order models, stochastic Galerkin, stochastic collocation, Taylor series, and Neumann series. Applications from stochastic stability, noise induced transitions, random vibration, and reliability of degrading systems conclude the chapter (Sect. 5).
Megakaryocyte interaction with subendothelial extracellular matrix is associated with adhesion, platelet-like shape change, and thromboxane A2 production

We have examined the morphological and secretory behavior of rat and guinea pig megakaryocytes exposed for up to 24 hours to extracellular matrix produced by cultured bovine endothelial cells. By phase-contrast microscopy of living cells and in more detail by scanning electron microscopy, the megakaryocytes showed a nonreversible adherence, an extensive formation of filopodia around the periphery like the rays of the sun, and a tendency toward flattening. These filopodia were generally linear with attenuated tips and were larger than, but resembled the filopodia of, rat or guinea pig platelets exposed to this extracellular matrix. In contrast, isolated megakaryocytes on glass or on uncoated plastic surfaces did not show these responses; adherence, in the face of gentle agitation before fixation, was minimal, with rare filopodia and no flattening. Megakaryocytes that interacted with the extracellular matrix produced significant amounts of thromboxane A2, but this did not occur on uncoated surfaces and could not be attributed to other contaminating cells in the megakaryocyte suspensions. The appearance in megakaryocytes of these typical platelet responses indicates that megakaryocytes acquire the functional capabilities of platelets by the synthesis and assembly of platelet substances and organelles. Thromboxane production by megakaryocytes stimulated by the extracellular matrix is a readily quantifiable measure of this capacity.