cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bio-Inspired Materials For Parsing Matrix Physicochemical Control Of Cell Migration: A Review

Cell motility is ubiquitous in both normal and pathophysiological processes. It is a complex biophysical response elicited via the integration of diverse extracellular physicochemical cues. The extracellular matrix directs cell motilityvia gradients in morphogens (a.k.a. chemotaxis), adhesive proteins (haptotaxis), and stiffness (durotaxis). Three-dimensional geometrical and proteolytic cues also constitute key regulators of motility. Therefore, cells process a variety of physicochemical signals simultaneously, while making informed decisions about migration viaintracellular processing. Over the last few decades, bioengineers have created and refined natural and synthetic in vitro platforms in an attempt to isolate these extracellular cues and tease out how cells are able to translate this complex array of dynamic biochemical and biophysical features into functional motility. Here, we review how biomaterials have played a key role in the development of these types of model systems, and how recent advances in engineered materials have significantly contributed to our current understanding of the mechanisms of cell migration.
Combination of Vitamins C and E Alters the Response to Coronary Balloon Injury in the Pig

Abstract Restenosis is the major limitation of the long-term success of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The process of restenosis involves repair of vascular injury and remodeling of vessel architecture. Therapeutic interventions that improve vascular function may therefore be beneficial in the treatment of restenosis. Antioxidants such as probucol and vitamins C and E have proved effective in improving endothelial function in hypercholesterolemia, inhibiting lipid accumulation in animal models of atherosclerosis, and decreasing cardiovascular mortality in humans. Forty-two female domestic swine were divided into four study groups: control (n=12); vitamin C (500 mg/d, group C, n=9); vitamin E (1000 U/d, group E, n=10); and vitamins C and E (500 mg/d + 1000 U/d, group C + E, n=11) before oversized balloon injury of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries. Vitamins were administered 7 days before balloon injury and continued until the swine were killed 14 days after inj...
The bone disease associated with factor VIII deficiency in mice is secondary to increased bone resorption

Osteopenia and osteoporosis have increasingly become a recognized morbidity of factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Recently, we demonstrated that FVIII knockout (KO) mice had significantly decreased bone mass and bone strength despite the fact that they did not have haemarthroses. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of bone disease associated with FVIII deficiency. We compared biochemical markers of bone formation and osteoclastogenesis, inflammatory cytokines, as well as static and dynamic histomorphometry of genetically engineered FVIII KO male mice to those of wild-type (WT) controls. At 20 weeks of age, FVIII KO mice, as well as WT controls, were sacrificed. Serum and bones were obtained at the time of sacrifice to study biochemical markers of bone formation (osteocalcin) and osteoclastogenesis (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-β and osteoprotegerin), levels of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1α and interferon-β) and to perform static and dynamic histomorphometry of tibia cancellous bone. There was no difference in the biochemical markers of bone formation or osteoclastogenesis. However, there were differences in the two bone-associated cytokines studied. In addition, histomorphometric examination revealed cancellous osteopenia in FVIII KO mice as evidenced by decreased bone area and trabecular number and increased trabecular separation. Bone formation parameters were normal in FVIII KO mice. In contrast, osteoclast-lined bone perimeter was increased. These data demonstrate that bone disease in FVIII KO mice is due to an increased rate of bone resorption.
"Hugging balloons" through a single 8-French guide: salvage angioplasty with lytic therapy in the infarct vessel of a 40-year-old man.

We report the a case of hugging balloons through an 8-French guiding catheter to stabilize an ectatic right coronary artery following failed thrombolytic therapy in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. Angiographic follow-up at 1 wk and 6 mo revealed persistent vessel patency.
Time course of the insensitivity of prolactin release to morphine administration in the lactating female rat

The effect of morphine on circulating levels of prolactin and growth hormone (GH) in the lactating female model was determined at various time intervals following the termination of suckling. Morphine administration did not produce an increase in prolactin levels when dams remained suckling. Four days after suckling was terminated, 50% of the dams tested showed a morphine induced prolactin increase. The prolactin secretory response to morphine gradually returned in dams, so that after 8 days of non-suckling, all animals tested showed a morphine induced prolactin increase. Consistent with the lack of prolactin stimulation, the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neurons, were insensitive to the morphine induced inhibition of activity during lactation. In contrast, circulating levels of GH were increased in these dams following morphine administration. These results suggest that the lactating female rat is insensitive to the mu mediated stimulation of prolactin release while suckling. However, sensitivity begins to return following at least 4 days of non-suckling.
Activated protein C accelerates venous thrombus resolution through heme oxygenase‐1 induction

Summary Background Thrombus resolution is a complex process that involves thrombosis, leukocyte-mediated thrombolysis, and the final resolution of inflammation. Activated protein C (APC) is an anticoagulant that also possesses immunoregulatory activities. Aim In this study, we sought to examine the effects of APC administration on thrombus resolution using a mouse model of deep vein thrombosis by ligating the inferior vena cava (IVC). Methods The IVCs of C57BL/6 mice were ligated. Beginning on day 4 post IVC ligation, mice were injected intraperitoneally daily with APC, APC plus an heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibitor Sn-protoporphyrin IX (SnPP), SnPP alone, or vehicle control. At different time points following surgery, the thrombus-containing IVCs were weighed and then analyzed by use of biochemical assays and histology. Results Venous thrombi reached maximum size on day 4 post ligation. The APC-treated group exhibited a significant reduction in thrombus weights on day 12 but not on day 7 compared with control mice. The enhanced thrombus resolution in APC-treated mice correlated with an increased HO-1 expression and a reduced interleukin-6 production. No significant difference was found in urokinase-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, or matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 between APC-treated and control mice. Coinjection of the HO-1 inhibitor SnPP abolished the ability of APC to enhance thrombus resolution. Conclusions Our data show that APC enhances the resolution of existing venous thrombi via a mechanism that is in part dependent on HO-1, suggesting that APC could be used as a potential treatment for patients with deep vein thrombosis to accelerate thrombus resolution.
Normalized pulsed energy thresholding in a nonlinear optical loop mirror.

We demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that a Sagnac interferometer can threshold the energies of pulses. Pulses below a given threshold T are suppressed, while those above this threshold are normalized. The device contains an in-loop tunable isolator and 10.4 m of a highly doped silica fiber. We derive an analytical model of the nonlinear optical loop mirror’s pulse energy transfer function and show that its energy transfer function approximates a step function for very high phase shifts (>π). We reveal some limitations of this approach, showing that a step-function transfer function necessarily results in pulse distortion in fast, nonresonant all-optical devices.
On the chromatic number of Steiner triple systems of order 25

It is well known that a Steiner triple system (STS) on v points, an STS(v), can be seen as a collection of 3-subsets of its point set, called triples, such that each pair of points occurs in exactly one triple as well as a decomposition of a complete graph on v vertices into cycles of length 3. By combining those two views on STSs we develop a method for its weak coloring. This method enables us to show that each STS(25) is 4-colorable, which in turn implies that the chromatic spectrum of STS(25) is {3,4}@?.
Age-Dependent Exacerbation of White Matter Stroke Outcomes A Role for Oxidative Damage and Inflammatory Mediators

Background and Purpose—Subcortical white matter stroke (WMS) constitutes up to 30% of all stroke subtypes. Mechanisms of oligodendrocyte and axon injury and repair play a central role in the damage and recovery after this type of stroke, and a comprehensive study of these processes requires a specialized experimental model that is different from common large artery, gray matter stroke models. Diminished recovery from stroke in aged patients implies that damage and repair processes are affected by advanced age, but such effects have not been studied in WMS. Methods—WMS was produced with focal microinjection of the vasoconstrictor N5-(1-iminoethyl)-L-ornithine into the subcortical white matter ventral to the mouse forelimb motor cortex in young adult (2 months), middle-aged (15 months), and aged mice (24 months). Results—WMS produced localized oligodendrocyte cell death with higher numbers of apoptotic cells and greater oxidative damage in aged brains than in young-adult brains. Increased expression of mono...
Examining the Relations Between Rumination and Adjustment: Do Ethnic Differences Exist Between Asian and European Americans?

Past studies have pointed to the dysfunctional nature of rumination in adults. However, past research has not examined ethnic variations. Accordingly, this study examined ethnic differences in rumination in 184 Asian American and 238 European American college students. Consistent with expectations, Asian Americans were found to ruminate more than European Americans. However, rumination was found to have a weaker association with measures of adjustment (viz., affectivity, depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, and life satisfaction) in Asian Americans compared with European Americans. As a result of conducting regression analyses to determine whether rumination was a unique predictor of functioning beyond affectivity, we found rumination to be a more distinct and useful predictor of functioning for Asian Americans than for European Americans. Overall, compared with findings for European Americans, our findings indicate that important ethnic differences need to be considered in studying rumination in Asian Americans.
Legal Recordkeeping in an African Context – The Case of the Rwandan Genocide Archives

Ten years on from the horrors of the civil war in Rwanda in 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda [ICTR] has come a long way in terms of its recordkeeping practices. In four years since 2000 many innovative and sustainable practices have been adopted. The main focus of the work of the Judicial Records and Archives Unit has been to provide a service based on satisfying the users’ requirements. The court proceedings are the raison d’etre of the work of all staff at ICTR. We have developed some innovative and feasible solutions to practical problems. This article sketches some of the challenges we faced in managing records of ICTR. ESARBICA Journal Vol.23 2004: 3-16
Negative Polaron and Triplet Exciton Diffusion in Organometallic “Molecular Wires”

The dynamics of negative polaron and triplet exciton transport within a series of monodisperse platinum (Pt) acetylide oligomers is reported. The oligomers consist of Pt–acetylide repeats, [PtL2–C≡C–Ph–C≡C−]n (where L = PBu3 and Ph = 1,4-phenylene, n = 2, 3, 6, and 10), capped with naphthalene diimide (NDI) end groups. The Pt–acetylide segments are electro- and photoactive, and they serve as conduits for transport of electrons (negative polaron) and triplet excitons. The NDI end groups are relatively strong acceptors, serving as traps for the carriers. Negative polaron transport is studied by using pulse radiolysis/transient absorption at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Laser-Electron Accelerator Facility (LEAF). Electrons are rapidly attached to the oligomers, with some fraction initially residing upon the Pt–acetylide chains. The dynamics of transport are resolved by monitoring the spectral changes associated with transfer of electrons from the chain to the NDI end group. Triplet exciton transport is...
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission: From Launch to the Primary Science Orbit

The Mars reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA, aboard an Atlas V-401 launch vehicle on August 12, 2005. The MRO spacecraft carries a very sophisticated scientific payload. Its primary science mission is to to provide global, regional survey, and targeted observations from a low-altitude orbit for one Martian year (687 Earth days). After a seven-month interplanetary transit, the spacecraft fired its six main engines and established a highly elliptical capture orbit at Mars. During the post Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) early check-out period, four instruments acquired engineering-quality data. This was followed by five months of aerobraking operations. After aerobraking was terminated, a series of propulsive maneuvers were used to establish the desired low-altitude science orbit. As the spacecraft is readied for its primary science mission, spacecraft and instrument checkout and deployment activities have continued. After the science phase is completed, the orbiter will provide telecommunications support for future Mars missions. This paper provides a status of the actual mission to date (through October 2006) and briefly describes the planned operations for the upcoming science mission.
MicroRNA-210 Controls Mitochondrial Metabolism during Hypoxia by Repressing the Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly Proteins ISCU1/2

Repression of mitochondrial respiration represents an evolutionarily ancient cellular adaptation to hypoxia and profoundly influences cell survival and function; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Primarily utilizing pulmonary arterial endothelial cells as a representative hypoxic cell type, we identify the iron-sulfur cluster assembly proteins (ISCU1/2) as direct targets for repression by the hypoxia-induced microRNA-210 (miR-210). ISCU1/2 facilitate the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters, prosthetic groups that are critical for electron transport and mitochondrial oxidation-reduction reactions. Under in vivo conditions of upregulating miR-210 and repressing ISCU1/2, the integrity of iron-sulfur clusters is disrupted. In turn, by repressing ISCU1/2 during hypoxia, miR-210 decreases the activity of prototypical iron-sulfur proteins controlling mitochondrial metabolism, including Complex I and aconitase. Consequently, miR-210 represses mitochondrial respiration and associated downstream functions. These results identify important mechanistic connections among microRNA, iron-sulfur cluster biology, hypoxia, and mitochondrial function, with broad implications for cellular metabolism and adaptation to cellular stress.
Knudsen Diffusion in parallel, multidimensional or randomly oriented capillary structures

Abstract Monte Carlo computations of transmission probabilities of test molecules and the mean-square displacement of a large number of molecules in finite pore network samples are used to compute effective Knudsen diffusivities in two- and three-dimensional parallel random pore structures (consisting of two or three mutually perpendicular bundles of parallel capillaries), and in structures of randomly oriented pores. The orientationally averaged effective diffusivities, which are obtained either directly from the mean-square displacement method or indirectly by orientational averaging of the transmission probability results, are found to be practically independent of the orientational distribution of the pores, that is, of whether the pores are randomly distributed or grouped into one, two or three bundles of parallel capillaries, in the major part of the porosity range.
Generation of 50-μJ subpicosecond pulses at 248 nm

Abstract An efficient 248-nm source used for the seeding of KrF amplifiers is described. The frequency-doubled output of a mode-locked dye oscillator-amplifier system is heterodyned with a 1064-nm pulse to produce a 50-μJ subpicosecond pulse in the ultraviolet.
The effect of extrusion texture on the linear thermal contraction and mechanical properties of the uranium-2.4 wt% niobium alloy

Abstract The effects of forward extrusion in the α-phase on the linear thermal contraction (LTC) and tensile mechanical properties of the uranium-2.4 wt% niobium (U-2.4Nb) alloy were studied. Extrusion parameters investigated included: extrusion ratio, extrusion ram speed, extrusion die angle, and billet preheat temperature. The investigation revealed that the anisotropic LTC developed in the alloy could be correlated with the preferential alignment of the crystallographic axes of the alloy caused by extrusion. The LTC and tensile strengths decreased with an increase in the extrusion ratio. The effects of the other extrusion parameters on the properties were small.
Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure on Meniscus Cell-Seeded PLLA Scaffolds

Cartilage explant studies have shown that mechanical stimuli increase extracellular matrix (ECM) expression and synthesis in vitro [1]. The use of hydrostatic pressure (HP), as a loading regimen, is of particular interest as it causes no cellular deformation. This may be useful in tissue engineering studies where scaffolds with limited mechanical integrity need to withstand intermittent loading conditions. Studies investigating the effect of HP on 3-D cultures of chondrocytes have met with modest success [2, 3]; however literature on meniscal fibrochondrocytes is lacking.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Dietary choline supplementation to dams during pregnancy and lactation mitigates the effects of in utero stress exposure on adult anxiety-related behaviors

Brain cholinergic dysfunction is associated with neuropsychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Maternal stress exposure is associated with these same illnesses in adult offspring, yet the relationship between prenatal stress and brain cholinergic function is largely unexplored. Thus, using a rodent model, the current study implemented an intervention aimed at buffering the potential effects of prenatal stress on the developing brain cholinergic system. Specifically, control and stressed dams were fed choline-supplemented or control chow during pregnancy and lactation, and the anxiety-related behaviors of adult offspring were assessed in the open field, elevated zero maze and social interaction tests. In the open field test, choline supplementation significantly increased center investigation in both stressed and nonstressed female offspring, suggesting that choline-supplementation decreases female anxiety-related behavior irrespective of prenatal stress exposure. In the elevated zero maze, prenatal stress increased anxiety-related behaviors of female offspring fed a control diet (normal choline levels). However, prenatal stress failed to increase anxiety-related behaviors in female offspring receiving supplemental choline during gestation and lactation, suggesting that dietary choline supplementation ameliorated the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behaviors. For male rats, neither prenatal stress nor diet impacted anxiety-related behaviors in the open field or elevated zero maze. In contrast, perinatal choline supplementation mitigated prenatal stress-induced social behavioral deficits in males, whereas neither prenatal stress nor choline supplementation influenced female social behaviors. Taken together, these data suggest that perinatal choline supplementation ameliorates the sex-specific effects of prenatal stress.
A Framework for Managing Transactions in Group-Oriented Mobile Commerce Services

The emerging group-oriented mobile commerce services are receiving a significant interest among researchers, developers, wireless service providers, and users. Some of these services, including mobile auctions, mobile financial services, and multi-party interactive games, are transaction-oriented and will require the network and protocol support for managing transactions. In this paper, we focus on technical challenges of managing transactions in group-oriented mobile commerce services by presenting a framework, which includes requirements, membership-management and support for dependable transactions.
Chemistry and Art: ancient textiles and medieval manuscripts examined through chemistry

El valor socio historico de examinar textiles antiguos y manuscritos medievales se ilustra con ejemplos especificos de la experiencia de la autora. Los materiales examinados incluyen textiles peruanos precolombinos y manuscritos medievales de Armenia y Bizancio, con conexiones hechas a la practica actual en ambos campos. La sintesis de pigmentos con recetas tomadas de manuales de artistas medievales apunta hacia la fuerte relacion entre la quimica moderna y los esfuerzos artesanales de la Edad Media. De la discusion que se presenta deriva el interes de los quimicos por el punto de contacto de la quimica y el arte; no obstante, en la ultima seccion de este trabajo se discute el reciente interes vivido de parte de algunos artistas sobre los cambios quimicos que tienen lugar en una obra de arte terminada
Cognitive and mobility profile of older social dancers.

RESULTS: There were no differences in the frequency of participation in other cognitive and physical leisure activities, chronic illnesses, or falls between OSDs and ONDs. Cognitive test performance was not different between OSDs and ONDs. OSDs had better balance but not strength than ONDs. OSDs had a longer mean stride standard deviation than ONDs (117.8 10.5cm vs 103.4 20.2cm, P 5.008) on quantitative gait assessment, with a more stable pattern during walking with reduced stance time (63.9% vs 65.9%, P 5.01), longer swing time (36.1% vs 34.1%, P 5.01), and shorter double support time (27.9% vs 30.9%, P 5.03). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that long-term social dancing may be associated with better balance and gait in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:1241‐ 1244, 2006.
I/Q modulator image rejection through modulation pre-distortion

I/Q modulators have been widely used to perform digital modulation such as QPSK, QAM, GMSK and MCM. In practice, there exists a small non-90/spl deg/ phase error between the I and Q channels of an I/Q modulator. Also, the I and Q channels may not always have the same gain. The phase error and gain imbalance cause unwanted image signals that are generated in-band and consequently, degrades the system performance. This paper presents an I/Q modulator image rejection algorithm through modulation signal pre-distortion. The presented algorithm is simple and lends itself well towards a digital signal processor (DSP) implementation. Due to its simplicity, the implementation results in almost no increase in modulator complexity. Experimental results shows that for an MCM modulation system, this algorithm can reduce the image by at least 10 dB. For portable products like modems and handhelds, this feature is specially attractive because low complexity implies low cost, small product size and/or long battery life.
Acute psychosis induced by bath salts: a case report with clinical and forensic implications.

Bath salts are new designer drugs with stimulant effects on the central nervous system. White or brown powder sold online and in mini-marts under different brand names, bath salts can be used by injecting, snorting, smoking, or ingesting with food or drink. The case of a 30-year-old Caucasian male who developed acute psychosis within a few hours of injecting himself with bath salts is described. The patient was hospitalized with a complaint of hearing voices. The drug also induced in the patient a state of euphoria, increased energy level, along with decreased need for sleep and decreased appetite. The psychological effects of the bath salts subsided within a few hours of injection and his reality testing remained consistently intact over the next 3 days of hospitalization. This case brings to attention the fact that bath salts were legal throughout the United States until recently and is still not completely controlled. This report informs clinicians of harmful effects of bath salts, including severe agitation with possible rhabdomyolysis, psychosis, suicidal ideation, hypertension, tachycardia, and death.
Are written instructions enough? Efficacy of male condom packaging leaflets among college students

Objective:To evaluate whether or not written condom use instructions successfully inform correct condom use skills.Design:Between-subjects, two-group design.Setting:Public university located in rural Midwestern region of the United States.Method:Participants were randomly assigned to either a control condition (read physical exercise instructions) or a treatment condition (read condom use instructions). Participants answered self-report questions related to condom use and performed a condom demonstration task.Participants:Participants were 106 male and 87 female college students, primarily in their freshmen (52%) or sophomore (22%) year.Results:On average, participants who read the condom instructions did not perform significantly better on the demonstration task. When the specific condom application and removal steps were considered, however, those who read the condom instructions had four times greater odds of successfully pinching the reservoir tip during condom application.Conclusions:These data sugge...
Modulation of myocardial contraction by peroxynitrite

Peroxynitrite is a potent oxidant that is quickly emerging as a crucial modulator of myocardial function. This review will focus on the regulation of myocardial contraction by peroxynitrite during health and disease, with a specific emphasis on cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling, proposed signaling pathways, and protein end-targets.
IMPORTANCE OF THE ‘CROSSOVER’ CONCEPT IN EXERCISE METABOLISM

1. The 'crossover' concept is a model of substrate supply during exercise which makes the following predictions. 2. Lipid is the major fuel (approximately 60%) for non-contracting skeletal muscle and the body at rest. 3. Energy flux, as determined by exercise intensity, is the major factor in determining the balance of substrate utilization during exercise. Thus, moderate and greater exercise intensities increase contraction-induced muscle glycogenolysis and glycolysis, increase recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibres, increase sympathetic nervous system activity and down-regulate mitochondrial fatty acid uptake. 4. Glycogen and glucose utilization scales exponentially to relative exercise power output with a greater gain in glycogen than in glucose use at high power. The relationship between free fatty acid flux and power output is an inverted hyperbola. Consequently, at high power outputs, the role of lipid oxidation is diminished. 5. Factors such as endurance training, energy supply, as influenced by dietary manipulation, and prior exercise play secondary roles in determining the balance of substrate utilization during exercise. 6. Comparisons of the metabolic responses in subjects engaged in activities requiring vastly different metabolic rates or comparisons of subjects of different gender, age or training status require normalization of data to total energy flux.
Specificity of TGFbeta signaling is conferred by distinct type I receptors and their associated SMAD proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans

In C. elegans, the TGFbeta-like type II receptor daf-4 is required for two distinct signaling pathways. In association with the type I receptor daf-1, it functions in the dauer pathway. In addition, it is also required for body size determination and male tail patterning, roles which do not require daf-1. In an effort to determine how two different signals are transmitted through daf-4, we looked for other potential signaling partners for DAF-4. We have cloned and characterized a novel type I receptor and show that it is encoded by sma-6. Mutations in sma-6 generate the reduced body size (Sma) and abnormal mail tail (Mab) phenotypes identical to those observed in daf-4 and sma-2, sma-3, sma-4 mutants (C. elegans Smads), indicating that they function in a common signaling pathway. However, mutations in sma-6, sma-2, sma-3, or sma-4 do not produce constitutive dauers, which demonstrates that the unique biological functions of daf-4 are mediated by distinct type I receptors functioning in parallel pathways. We propose that the C. elegans model for TGFbeta-like signaling, in which distinct type I receptors determine specificity, may be a general mechanism of achieving specificity in other organisms. These findings distinguish between the manner in which signaling specificity is achieved in TGFbeta-like pathways and receptor tyrosine-kinase (RTK) pathways.
Global satellite millimeter-wave precipitation retrievals trained with a cloud-resolving numerical weather prediction model

This paper develops global retrieval algorithms for surface precipitation rate (mm/h), peak vertical wind (m/s), and water-paths (mm) for rainwater, snow, graupel, cloud water, cloud ice, and the sum of rainwater, snow, and graupel, for the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) aboard the NOAA-15, -16, and -17 satellites. These retrieved products are expected to be available to researchers and operational users shortly after each orbit is completed, thus providing up to 4-6 precipitation-rate images each day for nearly every spot on earth with nominal 15-km resolution. The same algorithm could be adapted to similar instruments such as AMSU/MHS on the NOAA-18 satellite and AMSU/HSB aboard the Aqua satellite. The algorithm was trained using a numerical weather prediction model (MM5) for 106 globally distributed storms that predicted brightness temperatures consistent with those observed simultaneously by AMSU. Neural networks were trained to retrieve hydrometeor water-paths and 15-minute average surface precipitation rates for rain and snow at ~15-km resolution for land and sea at all viewing angles. Different estimators were trained for land and sea, where surfaces classed as snow or ice were generally excluded from this study. Surface- sensitive channels were incorporated by using linear combinations (principal components) of their brightness temperatures that were observed to be relatively insensitive to the surface, as determined by visual examination of global images of each brightness-temperature-spectrum principal component. Predicted rms errors for retrieved precipitation rates, hydrometeor water paths, and peak vertical wind were evaluated using independent samples of MM5 truth. AMSU and AMSR-E retrieved precipitation rates were also compared.
Dynamic crack curving and branching in line-pipe

The newly derived dynamic crack curving and crack branching criteria are briefly reviewed. The two criteria are justified by a micro-mechanics model and are used to predict crack curving and crack branching of dynamic photoelastic experiments involving Homalite-100 fracture specimens. The latter crack branching criterion requires as a necessary condition a critical dynamic stress intensity factor, K /SUB lb/ , which is accompanied by a sufficient condition involving the former crack curving criterion. This criteria is further verified by a dynamic finite element analysis of a bursting steel pipe of Congleton (26) and Almond, et al. (27), where the numerically computed branching stress intensity factor and branching angle are in good agreement with experimental results.
Causal analysis of exercise and calcium intake behaviors for osteoporosis prevention among young women in Thailand

The goal of health education is to provide information to affect attitudes, beliefs, and intentions for behavior change. However, little is known about the effects of changes in knowledge on behaviors for osteoporosis prevention. Our objective is to develop and test theoretical models of the effects of knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy on exercise and calcium intake among young women before and after an intervention program. First, we hypothesized that knowledge would positively predict attitude, self-efficacy, calcium intake, and exercise. Second, attitude would positively predict self-efficacy, calcium intake, and exercise. Third, self-efficacy would positively predict calcium intake and exercise. Fourth, attitude and self-efficacy would mediate the effect of knowledge on calcium intake and exercise. At the beginning and end of the study, participants in the control group and intervention group completed the osteoporosis knowledge test, the osteoporosis health belief scale, the osteoporosis self-ef...
The Philadelphian system: sovereignty, arms control, and balance of power in the American states-union, circa 1787–1861

A rediscovery of the long-forgotten republican version of liberal political theory has arresting implications for the theory and practice of international relations. Republican liberalism has a theory of security that is superior to realism, because it addresses not only threats of war from other states but also the threat of despotism at home. In this view, a Hobson's choice between anarchy and hierarchy is not necessary because an intermediary structure, here dubbed “negarchy,” is also available. The American Union from 1787 until 1861 is a historical example. This Philadelphian system was not a real state since, for example, the union did not enjoy a monopoly of legitimate violence. Yet neither was it a state system, since the American states lacked sufficient autonomy. While it shared some features with the Westphalian system such as balance of power, it differed fundamentally. Its origins owed something to particular conditions of time and place, and the American Civil War ended this system. Yet close analysis indicates that it may have surprising relevance for the future of contemporary issues such as the European Union and nuclear governance.
Dream Headline 2016: "A Woman to Lead the United Nations".

In an unprecedented move, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly voted this morning to appoint a woman to serve as its ninth Secretary General. The first woman to serve as Secretary General will assume leadership January 1, 2017, through 2026. The 5 permanent members of UN Security Council, which consists of representatives from China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, by charter, recommend their candidate to the General Assembly for final approval. The above is a dream news story. There are myriad reasons why it's fitting for a woman to be the next leader of the UN. The global agenda is rife with issues that disproportionally affect women. High rates of maternal and infant mortality, child marriage, early pregnancy, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, gender inequality, and human rights violations need to be effectively tackled. The fixes will be neither easy nor quick as each issue is tied to complex socioeconomic condit...
Detection of traveling ionospheric disturbances by medium‐frequency Doppler sounding using AM radio transmissions

Nighttime traveling ionosphere disturbances (TIDs) propagating in the lower F region of the ionosphere have been detected by measuring time variations in the Doppler shifts of commercial AM radio broadcast signals. Three receivers, components of the Intercepted Signals for Ionospheric Science (ISIS) Array software radio instrumentation network in the northeastern United States, recorded signals from two radio stations during 11 nights in March–April, 2012. By combining these measurements, TIDs were detected as approximately 40min periodic variations in the frequencies of the received signals resulting from Doppler shifts produced by the ionosphere. The variations had amplitudes of up to a few tenths of a hertz and were correlated across the array. For one study interval, 0000–0400 UT on 13 April 2012, simultaneous GPS total electron content, Digisonde®, and Super Dual-Auroral Radar Network coherent backscatter radar measurements confirmed the detection of TIDs with the same characteristics. Besides TIDs, the receiver network often detected large (nearly 1 Hz) upward (downward) Doppler shifts of the AM broadcast signals at the dawn (dusk) terminator. These results demonstrate that AM radio signals can be used for detection and monitoring of nighttime TIDs and related effects.
The greening of the concrete industry

Abstract The concrete industry is known to leave an enormous environmental footprint on Planet Earth. First, there are the sheer volumes of material needed to produce the billions of tons of concrete worldwide each year. Then there are the CO2 emissions caused during the production of Portland cement. Together with the energy requirements, water consumption and generation of construction and demolition waste, these factors contribute to the general appearance that concrete is not particularly environmentally friendly or compatible with the demands of sustainable development. This paper summarizes recent developments to improve the situation. Foremost is the increasing use of cementitious materials that can serve as partial substitutes for Portland cement, in particular those materials that are by-products of industrial processes, such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag. But also the substitution of various recycled materials for aggregate has made significant progress worldwide, thereby reducing the need to quarry virgin aggregates. The most important ones among these are recycled concrete aggregate, post-consumer glass, scrap tires, plastics, and by-products of the paper and other industries.
Achievable Performance Improvements Provided by Cooperative Diversity

This paper examines the achievable performance gains when a particular class of cooperative relaying known as best-select is employed. In essence, best-select seeks to improve performance by exploiting diversity. We closely examine a particular topology when the number of nodes is finite as well when the node density goes to infinity. Determining the performance is complicated by the correlation of the channel gains between nearby channels (i.e., when the receivers are nearby and the transmitters are nearby). This challenge is overcome by modeling the channels as spatially continuous diffusion processes and as a random field and then using a Poisson clumping heuristic. In the example network and metric studied, it is found that in the limit, node cooperation can provide an increase in the end-to-end performance by 35 dB (i.e., a factor of ∼3000) in a 5-hop network. This result motivates further work in the design of multihop cooperative protocols.
Generation and Evaluation of Monodisperse Sodium Chloride and Oleic Acid Nanoparticles

Nanomaterial application has been recognized as a most important future development for nanomaterial production industries. However, harmful toxic pollutants, especially nanoparticles, could also be produced in the process. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate control technologies by generating monodisperse nanoparticles for experimental purposes. In this research project, atomization and vaporization-condensation technologies were applied to generate solid (NaCl) and liquid (oleic acid) polydisperse particles. A differential mobility analyzer (DMA) was utilized to segregate and produce test nanoparticles. In the generation of polydisperse particles, the geometric standard deviation (GSD) and total number concentration (NC) of NaCl particles segregated from various NaCl(aq) concentration were 1.59−1.89 and 8.47 × 10 5 − 4.2 × 10 6 #/cm 3 . Results show that as NaCl(aq) concentration increases, GSD also increase. However, there is a logarithm relation (y = 2 × 10 6 Ln(x) + 2 × 10 6 ) between NaCl(aq) concentration and NC. For polydisperse oleic acid particles, GSDs and NC of particles segregated from various furnace temperatures are 1.43−1.65 and 7.12 × 10 5 − 5.35 × 10 6 #/cm 3 , respectively. GSDs and NC of oleic acid particles generated from various carrier gas flow are 1.41−1.63 and 7.31×10 6 − 9.42 × 10 6 #/cm 3 , respectively. Furnace temperature and NC are a logarithm relation. Carrier gas flow and NC is a polynomial function. GSD varies as furnace temperature and carrier gas flow increase. Monodisperse nanoparticles were successfully generated from the atomization of 0.5% NaCl(aq) and oleic acid. The GSD, count median diameter (CMD), and total number concentration (NC) NaCl particles segregated from various DMA voltages were 1.04 − 1.08 and 8.33 nm − 128 nm, and 9.89 × 10 2 − 2.67 × 10 5 #/cm 3 , respectively. The GSD, CMD, and total NC of monodisperse oleic acid particles produced from various DMA voltages were 1.04 − 1.06, 8.9 nm − 92.5 nm, and 2.4 × 10 4 − 7.6 × 10 5 #/cm 3 , respectively.
Experience counts better patient outcomes with higher device volumes.

With the recently expanded coverage guidelines by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), there is now a much larger pool of patients potentially eligible for implantation of prophylactic ICDs. It would be unusual to find an
Evaluation of Analytical Methods in Water for the Chemicals Listed Under the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65)

The California Proposition 65 is designed to reduce the public’s exposures to a list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants and to provide warnings to the public about such exposures. One critical issue concerns the amount of a chemical which may create liability. The Act exempts any discharger or releaser of less than the lawful level (i. e., significant amount) of a chemical, and the lawful level is established by quantitative risk assessment approved by the California State Health and Welfare Agency. As of October 1, 1989, there are 323 chemicals listed, and lawful levels have been established for 50 carcinogens and two reproductive toxicants. One chemical, ethylene oxide, has lawful levels for both cancer and reproductive toxicity. The Act defines “significant amount” as any detectable amount of a chemical using a method of analysis according to the criteria specified in section 12901 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. Therefore, the California State Department of Health Services, through the Air and Industrial Hygiene Laboratory at the Division of Laboratories, initiated an effort to determine the availability and suitability of methods for sampling and analysis in all possible media. This report presents the progress in evaluating potential methods of analysis in water. The emphasis is on the first 51 chemicals with established lawful levels. Methods of analysis are chosen according to the following hierarchy: state or local agencies’ methods, federal agencies’ methods, published methods, and scientifically valid methods. Each method is evaluated for the completeness of validation and standardization. This report summarizes available validated and scientifically valid methods in water for some of the 51 listed chemicals and provides recommendations for a number of the rest of the 51 chemicals. A data base is being developed to include sampling and analysis methods, method performance data, commercial cost estimate, and references. This information is crucial to the success of programs designed for implementing Proposition 65.
The Parmenides and De Anima in Hegel's Perspective

In the chapter on ‘Plato and Aristotle’ of the Lectures on the History of Philosophy Hegel praises Aristotle's work for displaying a principle of ‘pure subjectivity’ in a manner that he considers to be largely absent from the Platonic corpus: In general, Platonic thinking [das Platonische] represents objectivity, but it lacks a principle of life, a principle of subjectivity; and this principle […], not in the sense of a contingent, merely particular subjectivity, but in the sense of pure subjectivity, is proper to Aristotle. (W vol. 19, p. 153) Elsewhere, Hegel refers to Aristotelian conceptions of organic life and of thinking as to the earliest speculative insights of Western philosophy. In § 378 of the Encyclopaedia (1830) he calls the De Anima ‘the best or even only work of speculative interest ever written on the philosophy of spirit’. In yet other places, however, Hegel attributes at least ‘intuitive’ forms of speculation to Plato as well. In a preliminary way, a 'speculative relation’ in Hegel's acceptation is instantiated by a subject's theoretical and practical relation to itself — that is, theoretical self-knowing and practical self-will. ‘Speculative’ is any concept which grasps as a unity what other kinds of cognition keep asunder: for example, the subjective and objective dimensions of a phenomenon or state of affairs. But even independently of a detailed analysis of what ‘the speculative’ entails, one is struck by the apparent inconsistency of these claims regarding Plato or Aristotle with Hegel's overall view of the logical necessity of philosophy's historical development. This view is synthetically expressed in the 1820 Introduction to these same Lectures.