cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the electric axis of stimulation on the induced transmembrane potentials in ellipsoidal bidomain heart.

This theoretical study was provoked by and de- signed to interpret, complement and extend the implications of recent experimental observations by Wikswo and Lin ~PACE, 21:940, 1998! on the epicardial surface of rabbit hearts. Using a macroscopic bidomain representation of the cardiac structure and the finite element method, we model the response of the heart to uniform electric fields applied under different angles. To overcome intra- and interspecies differences in the geomet- ric and structural characteristics of the cardiac muscle, the analysis is conducted for an idealized ellipsoidal heart. Al- though idealized, this heart model incorporates important struc- tural features, i.e., fiber curvature, transmural fiber rotation, and unequal anisotropy for the intra- and extracellular domains. This study shows that regions of maximum polarization of opposite sign may develop along an axis, significantly deviat- ing from the axis of the applied electric field. The polarization evoked inside the ventricular wall seems to be a major con- tributor to this phenomenon. Nonperiodic structural inhomoge- neities on multicellular level ~endocardial ''trabeculation'' in our model! result in local unaligned polarization dipoles weak- ening the magnitude of the global polarization dipole and re- ducing its deviation from the axis of stimulation. Our results might be helpful in improving current understanding of defibrillation mechanisms. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. @S0090-6964~00!00703-7#
A NEW SEMICLASSICAL DYNAMICS FROM THE INTERACTION REPRESENTATION

This paper develops a new semiclassical mechanics from an exact quantum prescription. In this formulation, a zeroth order propagation, rather than Hamiltonian, is specified. The exact, full evolution operator is then given from a specific interaction representation of the evolved "perturbation" Hamiltonian. We then investigate a variety of approximate, semiclassical, and mixed Quantum/Classical methods, along with exact methodologies to evaluate this time dependent interaction Hamiltonian. The approximate full evolution operator can be described in a variety of ways including an iterated Lippman-Schwinger like equation, and an expansion of the perturbation propagator generated from the time evolved Hamiltonian.
The New Delhi office of the Library of Congress at twenty: Changing acquisition parameters

Abstract Initially established as the American Libraries Book Procurement Center (ALBPC) under PL-480 to acquire and process Indian materials, the Library of Congress New Delhi Field Office now handles cooperative programs in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as well as Library of Congress single copy programs in Burma and Thailand. It also has an active microfiche program serving the Jakarta field office, recently adding more South Asian materials. The office initially relied on a number of blanket order dealers but has come to rely more on staff travel to identify and supplement important materials. The surplus rupees which have paid for the program to this point are expected to be exhausted in the next 5 years and this will require that participants assume the costs of operations.
Dynamic power management using on demand paging for networked embedded systems

The power consumption of the network interface plays a major role in determining the total operating lifetime of wireless networked embedded systems. In case of on-demand paging, a low power secondary radio is used to wake up the higher power radio, allowing the latter to sleep for longer periods of time. In this paper we present use of Bluetooth radios to serve as a paging channel for the 802.11b wireless LAN. We have implemented an on-demand paging scheme on an infrastructure based WLAN consisting of iPAQ PDAs equipped with Bluetooth radios and Cisco Aironet wireless networking cards. Our results show power saving ranging from 23% to 48% over the present 802.11b standard operating modes with negligible impact on performance.
Freeze-fracture cytochemistry: review of methods.

"Freeze-fracture cytochemistry" encompasses a diversity of recently developed techniques in which freeze-fracture and cytochemistry are combined. Cytochemical labeling may, in principle, be integrated into one of three basic points in the standard freeze-fracture procedure; 1) before the specimen is frozen, 2) after it has been fractured, or 3) after it has been platinum shadowed and/or carbon coated. Visualization of the labeled cellular structures can be achieved by a variety of different methodologies. For example, the markers (usually colloidal gold particles) may be viewed embedded within a replica, or attached to it via fragments of membrane (or other cellular components). Sectioning is a central strategy in a number of techniques, either in combination with or in place of replication. The different combinations of methods that have been devised are not, for the most part, alternative ways of arriving at the same result; each provides quite distinct information about specific classes of membrane component or other structure in the cell. The purpose of this review is to present, within a single article, a systematic survey of the full range of techniques currently available in freeze-fracture cytochemistry. Emphasis is placed on explaining the principles underlying the methods and on illustrating their applications. With the success recently achieved, freeze-fracture cytochemistry has moved from the phase of experimental development to a position in which it may be expected increasingly to make significant contributions across a wide spectrum of problems in cell and membrane biology.
Thyroid function in embryonic and perinatal Japanese quail.

Abstract Thyroid function in Japanese quail embryos is similar to that of domestic fowl embryos, suggesting the existence of a common pattern of thyroid development in precocial birds, regardless of differences in body size. From 10 to 15 days of incubation there are steady increases in the capacity for hormone production and release, but circulating triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and thyroxine (T 4 ) concentrations are low. During the perinatal period hormone secretion rises sharply. Serum concentrations of both T 3 and T 4 are significantly higher in embryos that have penetrated the chorioallantoic membrane than in ones that have not. Thus high thyroid hormone concentrations are associated with the beginning of pulmonary respiration and the high metabolic demands of the hatching process.
Cultural competence: development of a conceptual framework.

Purpose. To describe the development of a conceptual framework for cultural competence that could help and guide the training of rehabilitation practitioners, students and researchers.Method. A systematic review of the literature yielded 259 usable documents that were further reviewed by two independent readers to identify 32 publications that described cultural competence conceptual models.Results. After eliminating redundancy, 18 unique cultural competence models were identified. A synthesis model was first developed which included four components. After an empirical validation of the model, a new model with only three components emerged.Conclusion. The empirically validated conceptual framework is a promising tool for training and evaluation of cultural competence.
High-Resolution Seismic Expression of Karst Evolution within the Upper Floridan Aquifer System: Crooked Lake, Polk County, Florida

ABSTRACT We collected 43 km of high resolution seismic reflection profiles from a 14.5-hectare lake in the central Florida sinkhole district and data from three adjacent boreholes to determine the relationship between falling lake levels and the underlying karst stratigraphy. The lake is separated from karstified Paleogene to early Neogene carbonates by 65-80 m of siliciclastic sands and clays. The carbonate and clastic strata include three aquifer systems separated by clay-confining units: a surficial aquifer system (fine to medium quartz sand in the upper 20-30 m), the 25-35 m thick intermediate aquifer system (in Neogene siliciclastics), and the highly permeable upper Floridan aquifer system in Paleogene to early Neogene limestones. Hydraulic connection between these aquifer systems is indicated by superjacent karst structures throughout the section. Collapse zones of up to 1000 m in diameter and > 50 m depth extend downward from a prominent Middle Miocene unconformity into Oligocene and Upper Eocene limestones. Smaller sinkholes (30-100 m diameter, 10-25 m depth) are present in Middle to Late Neogene clays, sands, and carbonates and extend downward to or below the Middle Miocene unconformity. Filled and open shafts (30-40 m diameter; 10-25 m depth) ring the lake margin and overlie subsurface karst features. The large collapse zones are localized along a northeast-southwest line in the northern ponds and disrupt or deform Neogene to Quaternary strata and at least 50 m of the underlying Paleogene carbonate rock . The timing and vertical distribution of karst structures are used to formulate a four-stage model that emphasizes stratigraphic and hydrogeologic co-evolution. (1) Fracture-selective shallow karst features formed on Paleogene/early Neogene carbonates. (2) Widespread karstification was limited by deposition of Middle Miocene clays, but vertical karst propagation continued and was focused because of the topographic effects of antecedent karst. (3) Groundwater heads increase with the deposition of thick sequences of clastics over the semipermeable clays during Middle and Late Neogene time. The higher water table and groundwater heads allowed the accumulation of acidic, organic-rich soils and chemically aggressive waters that percolated down to Paleogene carbonates via localized karst fea ures. (4) After sufficient subsurface dissolution, the Paleogene carbonates collapsed, causing disruption and deformation of overlying strata. The seismic profiles document an episodic, vertically progressive karst that allows localized vertical leakage through the clay-confining units. The spatial and temporal karst distribution is a result of deposition of sediments with different permeabilities during high sea levels and enhanced karst dissolution during low sea levels. Recent decreases in the potentiometric elevation of the Floridan Aquifer System simulates a sea-level lowstand, suggesting that karst dissolution will increase in frequency and magnitude.
Tigecycline: A New Glycylcycline for Treatment of Serious Infections

Tigecycline is a new semisynthetic glycylcycline for the treatment of serious infections. Of the glycylcyclines, tigecycline is the most studied and appears to hold promise as a new antimicrobial agent that can be administered as monotherapy to patients with many types of serious bacterial infections. For patients with serious infections, the initial choice for empirical therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics is crucial, and, if the choice is inappropriate, it may have adverse consequences for the patient. Tigecycline has been designed to overcome many existing mechanisms of resistance among bacteria and confers broad antibiotic coverage against vancomycin-resistant enterococci, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and many species of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Tigecycline has been efficacious and well tolerated in human clinical phase 2 studies, which warranted further evaluation of tigecycline in larger studies for treatment of many indications, including complicated skin and skin-structure infections, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and infections of the lower respiratory tract.
Gene and protein expression profiles of anti- and pro-apoptotic actions of dopamine, R-apomorphine, green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechine-3-gallate, and melatonin.

Significant evidence has been provided to support the hypothesis that oxidant stress may be responsible for degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in Parkinson's disease. Dopamine (DA), R-apomorphine (R-APO), green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechine-3-gallate (EGCG), and melatonin are neuroprotective and radical scavenger compounds. The aim of this study was to establish the mechanism of the concentration-dependent neuroprotective and pro-apoptotic action of these drugs via gene expression and protein determination. cDNA microarrays provide new prospects to study and identify various mechanisms of drug action. We employed this technique for the study reported in this paper. Total RNA was extracted from SH-SY5Y cells exposed to low neuroprotective and high toxic concentrations of the drugs, followed by synthesis of cDNA, and hybridization to a microarray membrane related to apoptosis, survival, and cell cycle pathways. We demonstrated a concentration and time-dependent correlation between R-APO, DA, EGCG, and melatonin in modulation of cell survival/cell death-related gene pathways. The results were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and protein profiles. Unlike the effects of low concentrations (1-10 micro M), where an antiapoptotic response was manifest, a proapoptotic pattern of gene expression was observed at high toxic concentrations (50-500 micro M) of the antioxidants (e.g., increase in caspases, fas, and gadd45). Our results have provided novel insights into the gene mechanisms involved in both the neuroprotective and proapoptotic activities of neuroprotective drugs. We have shown that DA, R-APO, EGCG, and melatonin exhibit similar gene expression and protein profiles.
Intracartotid Amobarbital Procedure Memory Performance and Age at First Risk for Seizures Distinguish Between Lateral Neocortical and Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: To determine whether intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) memory-performance asymmetries and early risk factors for epilepsy distinguish between lateral neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (LNTLE) and mesiobasal temporal lobe epilepsy (MBTLE). Methods: We studied 10 patients with LNTLE and 22 with MBTLE. All LNTLE patients showed (a) presence of temporal neocortical lesion or lateral seizure onset by intracranial recording, and (b) absence of mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) by histopathologic analysis. All patients with MBTLE showed (a) video-scalp EEG seizures consistent with mesial TLE, and (b) presence of unilateral MTS by histopathologic analysis. All patients had good surgical outcomes (Engel I or II). Unilateral IAP memory performance was defined as percentage of memory items presented during hemispheric anesthesia that was recognized after recovery. IAP asymmetry scores were the differences in memory performance after right and left injections. Results: Mean memory-asymmetry scores were significantly lower in the LNTLE than in the MBTLE group. An IAP memory asymmetry of <25% correctly classified seven of 10 patients with LNTLE, and an asymmetry of ≥25% correctly classified 18 of 22 patients with MBTLE. Age at first risk for epilepsy was significantly younger in those with MBTLE than in those with nonlesional LNTLE. Results suggest that both IAP memory performance and age at first risk can help distinguish between MBTLE and LNTLE.
Association of Rubisco activase with chaperonin-60β: a possible mechanism for protecting photosynthesis during heat stress

Previous studies have shown that inhibition of photosynthesis by moderate heat stress is a consequence of Rubisco deactivation, caused in part by the thermal instability of Rubisco activase. This involvement of Rubisco activase was confirmed in heat stress and recovery experiments using transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Compared with wild-type plants, photosynthesis, the effective quantum yield of photosystem II, and Rubisco activation were less thermotolerant and recovered more slowly in transgenic Arabidopsis plants with reduced levels of Rubisco activase. Immunoblots showed that 65% of the Rubisco activase was recovered in the insoluble fraction after heat stress in leaf extracts of transgenic but not wild-type plants, evidence that deactivation of Rubisco was a consequence of thermal denaturation of Rubisco activase. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants used in this study contained a modified form of Rubisco activase that facilitated affinity purification of Rubisco activase and proteins that potentially interact with Rubisco activase during heat stress. Sequence analysis and immunoblotting identified the β-subunit of chaperonin-60 (cpn60β), the chloroplast GroEL homologue, as a protein that was bound to Rubisco activase from leaf extracts prepared from heat-stressed, but not control plants. Analysis of the proteins by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis showed that cpn60β was associated with Rubisco activase in a high molecular mass complex. Immunoblot analysis established that the apparent association of cpn60β with Rubisco activase was dynamic, increasing with the duration and intensity of the heat stress and decreasing following recovery. Taken together, these data suggest that cpn60β plays a role in acclimating photosynthesis to heat stress, possibly by protecting Rubisco activase from thermal denaturation.
Political Obstacles to Decentralization: Evidence from Argentina and the Philippines

Decentralization has swept across the developing world in recent years. Although the speed and scope of the shift toward more decentralized practices is striking, decentralization is neither inevitable nor irreversible. Rather, it faces enormous political obstacles and can be subject to serious setbacks. This article accounts for attempts by national politicians to thwart decentralization in two countries that recently adopted some of the most significant decentralizing changes in their respective regions: Argentina and the Philippines. Based on fieldwork in each country, it suggests that even after the political decision to decentralize has been made, national politicians may face deep-seated incentives to preserve centralized control over fiscal policy. In Argentina, President Carlos Menem partially reversed the previous decentralization of revenue because fiscally-independent provincial governors were a challenge to his political interests and capabilities. In the Philippines, legislators attempted to reverse and then circumvent decentralization since it threatened their status as brokers claiming personal credit for negotiating fiscal transfers from the centre. The article identifies an intermediate outcome in both countries, according to which decentralizing policies are neither entirely reversed nor implemented as initially designed.
Effect of birefringence on low-angle light-scattering patterns from oriented polymer films. II

Abstract : The effect of birefringence of a polymer film upon its photographic light scattering pattern is considered for the case of a single anisotropic two-dimensional spherulite imbedded in a birefringent matrix. It is shown that for the case of a polarizer and analyzer crossed at +45 deg. and -45 deg. to the analyzer the scattering pattern is modified in a manner agreeing with experimental observation. (Author)
Managing Information Intensive Service Facilities: Executive Contracts, Market Information, and Capacity Planning

Effectively managing IT service centers such as call centers, computerized diagnostic imaging facilities, data centers, e-commerce sites, SaaS, and telecommunication networks has always been a challenging task, especially, when the managers running the centers possess private information about market condition and their marketing efforts. Prior studies often model IT service centers as queueing systems with exogenous demand and mostly focus on capacity allocation through an internal pricing scheme. Demand uncertainty and managers' private information (i.e., agency issues) are usually ignored. For service centers in general, customers often experience delays due to stochastic arrivals and random service times. Successfully soliciting market information from the managers becomes critical for the centers' profitability. If firms invest too much in capacity, while delay costs are under control capacity costs go up. If firms under-invest in capacity then delay costs explode. Because managers' information regarding market demand is valuable for the firms, how to solicit true market information and thereby induce desired levels of marketing effort from the managers becomes critical and is the focus of this paper. We present two incentive contracts that can effectively induce true market information from the managers. We show that one contract can even induce the first-best effort levels from the managers. Our study provides guidelines for firms that deal with congestion-prone systems with incomplete information, and it sheds light on how to effectively manage service facilities with combined moral hazard and adverse selection issues.
ROFL: routing on flat labels

It is accepted wisdom that the current Internet architecture conflates network locations and host identities, but there is no agreement on how a future architecture should distinguish the two. One could sidestep this quandary by routing directly on host identities themselves, and eliminating the need for network-layer protocols to include any mention of network location. The key to achieving this is the ability to route on flat labels. In this paper we take an initial stab at this challenge, proposing and analyzing our ROFL routing algorithm. While its scaling and efficiency properties are far from ideal, our results suggest that the idea of routing on flat labels cannot be immediately dismissed.
Distributed Sparse Linear Regression

The Lasso is a popular technique for joint estimation and continuous variable selection, especially well-suited for sparse and possibly under-determined linear regression problems. This paper develops algorithms to estimate the regression coefficients via Lasso when the training data are distributed across different agents, and their communication to a central processing unit is prohibited for e.g., communication cost or privacy reasons. A motivating application is explored in the context of wireless communications, whereby sensing cognitive radios collaborate to estimate the radio-frequency power spectrum density. Attaining different tradeoffs between complexity and convergence speed, three novel algorithms are obtained after reformulating the Lasso into a separable form, which is iteratively minimized using the alternating-direction method of multipliers so as to gain the desired degree of parallelization. Interestingly, the per agent estimate updates are given by simple soft-thresholding operations, and inter-agent communication overhead remains at affordable level. Without exchanging elements from the different training sets, the local estimates consent to the global Lasso solution, i.e., the fit that would be obtained if the entire data set were centrally available. Numerical experiments with both simulated and real data demonstrate the merits of the proposed distributed schemes, corroborating their convergence and global optimality. The ideas in this paper can be easily extended for the purpose of fitting related models in a distributed fashion, including the adaptive Lasso, elastic net, fused Lasso and nonnegative garrote.
INTEGRATED ORBIT, ATTITUDE, AND STRUCTURAL CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SPACE SOLAR POWER SATELLITES

The major objective of this study is to develop an integrated orbit, attitude, and structural control systems architecture for very large Space Solar Power Satellites (SSPS) in geosynchronous orbit. This study focuses on the 1.2-GW Abacus SSPS concept characterized by a 3.2 x 3.2 km solar-array platform, a 500-m diameter microwave beam transmitting antenna, and a 500 x 700 m earth-tracking reflector. For this baseline Abacus SSPS configuration, we derive and analyze a complete set of mathematical models, including external disturbances such as solar radiation pressure, microwave radiation, gravity-gradient torque, and other orbit perturbation effects. The proposed control systems architecture utilizes a minimum of 500 1-N electric thrusters to counter, simultaneously, the cyclic pitch gravity-gradient torque, the secular roll torque caused by an offset of the center-of-mass and center-of-pressure, the cyclic roll/yaw microwave radiation torque, and the solar radiation pressure force whose average value is about 60 N.
Spéculation et intérêt collectif

Cet article decrit une situation ou la possibilite de speculer sur un marche financier incite un individu rationnel a avoir une action socialement nefaste. Pour cela, on utilisera une modelisation microstructurelle du processus d’echange, qui endogeneise le mouvement des prix, leur contenu informationnel et la liquidite du marche. L’exemple considere ici est a opposer a celui etudie par Hirshleifer (1971), ou les opportunites speculatives favorisent l’internalisation d’externalites positives.
Metabolizable Energy Values Determined with Intact and Cecectomized Roosters

ABSTRACT Mature White Leghorn roosters that were intact or cecectomized were used to determine the ME of a diet. Seven intact and 7 cecectomized roosters were fasted for 3 d, with total excreta collection on d 2 and 3. Approximately 1 wk after completion of the trial, the same roosters were force-fed 28 g of a diet that was 85% corn and 15% soybean meal after a 1-d fast. Excreta were collected from d 2 and 3 and dried. There was no difference in the energy and nitrogen excreted by intact and cecectomized roosters when they were fasted for 3 d. The energy and nitrogen excreted by cecectomized roosters were greater than by intact roosters when they were fed the test diet. As a result, the AME, TME, AMEn, and TMEn were all larger from intact roosters than from cecectomized roosters. Our results suggest that intact roosters should be used to determine the energy content of ingredients that will be fed to commercial flocks.
Anonymity and Counter-Normative Arguments in Computer-Mediated Discussions

A laboratory study examines (a) the effects of source and participant anonymity on the incidence of counter-normative arguments during computer-mediated discussion of an issue that has a normative position, and (b) how the incidence of counter-normative arguments, in turn, affects members' agreement with the normative position. In source-anonymous groups, members know their group's composition but they do not know who has provided what input. In participant-anonymous groups, members do not know their group's composition or the source of any input. When initial opinions among group members differ, source anonymity leads to a lower incidence of counter-normative arguments compared with the identified or participant-anonymity conditions. In groups with a lower incidence of counter-normative arguments, there is greater agreement with the issue's normative position, and members also deviate less from each other after the discussion. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are presented.
Integrating the Study of Shine's Actualized and Pure Single-Subject Behavior Functions

The purpose of the present paper is to illustrate how an integrated study of Shine's actualized and pure single-subject behavior functions can produce more information than studying only one behavior function would. After summarizing the mathematics behind Shine's viewpoint, an actual experimental example is used to illustrate such an integrated study. The results of an ordinary regression analysis approach to the actualized behavior function are integrated with the results of a time-series analysis approach to the pure behavior function. This integration provides an estimate of the degree of experimental control over sources of systematic variation for the experiment. The estimate indicates an apparent poor degree of control. Further analysis leads to the tentative identification of a major contributor to the apparent poor degree of control over sources of systematic variation.
Sentinel Lymph Node Histopathology in Breast Cancer: Minimal Disease Versus Artifact

The presence or absence of tumor deposits in axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast carcinoma remains central to staging and prognosis as well as guidance of treatment decisions. Sentinel lymph node biopsy can be reliably performed by experienced teams to avoid axillary dissection and its resultant morbidities in recognized subsets of breast cancer patients. 1 With general acceptanceofsentinellymphnodeexaminationhascometheincreasing
Pricing for a Durable-Goods Monopolist Under Rapid Sequential Innovation

A durable-goods monopolist who will be introducing new and improved versions of his product must decide how to price his products, keeping in mind the relative attractiveness of the current and future products. Dhebar 1994 has shown that if technology is changing too quickly and the producer cannot credibly commit to future prices and quality, then no equilibrium strategy exists. That is, there is no credible strategy for the future product that the producer can commit to in the first period. We show that an equilibrium pricing strategy exists if the monopolist does not offer upgrade pricing, that is, special pricing to consumers who have bought an earlier version. The author shows the possible purchase patterns in equilibrium and derives the optimal pricing strategy.
Characteristics of the Heavy User of Fashionable Clothing

Marketing strategies are often based on identifying heavy users and using demographics to profile and to distinguish them from light and non-users. Frequently, however, demographics do this poorly ...
The role of TNF-α in insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is an important component of the metabolic syndrome associated with obesity. Early-stage insulin-resistance and related mild glucose intolerance may be compensated by increased insulin secretion. When combined with impaired insulin secretion, insulin resistance plays an important role in type 2 diabetes (1). Insulin-resistance is also associated with a variety of pathological conditions, including trauma, infection, and cancer. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are the most common metabolic diseases in Western societies, together affecting as much as half of the adult population (2). The prevalence of these conditions is not only high, but continues to increase. We have only recently come to appreciate the role of fat, especially visceral fat, as an endocrine organ. Visceral fat is the source of a number of substances which might play a role in the development of insulin resistance. Among the latter are tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), adiponectin, IL-6, resistin and free fatty acids. This review will discuss the regulation of insulin responses by TNF-α and evidence supporting the hypothesis that over expression of TNF-α plays a role in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance.
Electronic halftones

To derive the greatest advantage from automation in the production of newspapers and books the present optical method of producing halftone dot patterns must be replaced by an electronic method. This article discusses developmental electronic-halftone techniques that use a high-resolution cathode-ray tube as the display device.
Cation-Specific Influences on the Solvation and Solvent Accessibility of Alanine-Rich Peptides

Studies in our lab correlated salt-induced changes in protein solvation to changes in water structure, protein aggregation and thermal stability. In order to better isolate and identify how salts influence protein structure and solvation, we extended our studies to include small peptides. Previous studies with alanine-rich peptides have correlated co-solvent-induced changes in solvation with stability. We utilized Attenuated Total Reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) to study salt-induced changes in these peptides in 1H2O and 2H2O. Our data suggests ion-specific changes that reflect differences in peptide structure and/or solvation. CD spectra show significant secondary structure changes, particularly of the uncapped peptide, in the presence of some salts. These structural changes correlate with infrared experiments performed on partially dehydrated peptide thin films that show differences in the structure and 1H/2H exchange of the peptides. The 1H/2H exchange experiments show some salts alter peptide solvation and suggest changes in the solvent accessibility of the peptide. Peptide infrared data also show specific cation interactions to the peptide backbone. Furthermore, our data suggest cations preferentially influence solvation in an order consistent with the Hofmeister series, with Ca2+ and Mg2+ showing the most significant changes in peptide solvation.
Fletcher factor activity in plasmas of various species.

SummaryThe plasmas of 18 species were assayed for Fletcher factor activity using human Fletcher trait plasma as a substrate. Ape, swine, guinea pig and mouse plasmas had Fletcher factor activity comparable to that of human plasma. In contrast, bovine, dog, cat, rabbit and cetacean plasmas contained almost no Fletcher factor. In immunodiffusion studies using rabbit anti-human kallikrein (Fletcher factor) serum, only human and ape plasmas gave a precipitin line. There is a good correlation between Fletcher factor activity tested on human substrates and kaolin-activated TAMe esterase levels of each species' own plasma at 1 min incubation.
The Nomadic Peoples of Northern Greece: Ethnic Puzzle and Cultural Survival

T HIS paper sketches some of the stark realities of social change facing the nomadic shepherd groups of northern Greece. My interest became focused upon them during a recent sabbatic year in that country when I was trying to understand the social effects of some of the technological changes which our American Mission was ushering in. Our agricultural specialists were emphasizing productivity-the raising of more food so that people would not go hungry and so that Greece would not have to pay for imported food stocks from her inadequate supply of foreign exchange. What were some of the repercussions of this and related policies? For centuries pastoralism has been the type of adjustment that many of the Greek mountain villagers as well as the non-Greek nomads have made to their habitat conditions. For half the year they kept their herds down on the plains to graze on unoccupied land or upon cropland lying fallow; the other six months they drove their flocks and took their families to the upland pastures in the mountains where there was lush grass through much of the summer. As population pressure mounted, more of the unoccupied land was taken over by the agriculturally-minded peasants. As scientific farming increased, there was less fallow land; and shepherds, even though willing to pay rent for grazing rights, were no longer welcome in the plain. Our American program with its accent on productivity was hastening the demise of these transhumant shepherd groups. This was more than mere occupational displacement; it also involved the cultural assimilation into a settled economy of some distinct ethnic groups who heretofore had resisted such tendencies though with diminishing success. These nomads have from time immemorial made their circuits through Albania, what is now Yugoslavia, southern Bulgaria, and northern Greece.' They dress differently from the Greeks; their dwellings are very different, and some of them differ linguistically. Throughout much of Greece one can see their rounded branch and reed huts, surrounded by wattled sheepfolds, put up either in some isolated, sheltered spot or at the edge of some village. Although in Greece they do not number more than 10,000-12,000 families, they stand out picturesquely wherever they are.2 The men are dressed in tight-fitting black felt trousers and a black waistcoat and usually carry a black hiplength cape slung over their shoulder. They wear a round brimless lambskin cap (Kalpaki). Many of the nomad women, in contrast to most of the Greek peasant women who now wear variations of western dress, still keep to their heavy pleated homespun skirts, thick wool stockings, and usually a wide leather belt.3
Design and Development of an AffordableHaptic Robot with Force-Feedback andCompliant Actuation to Improve Therapyfor Patients with Severe Hemiparesis

The study describes the design and development of a single degree-of-freedom haptic robot, Haptic Theradrive, for post-stroke arm rehabilitation for in-home and clinical use. The robot overcomes many of the weaknesses of its predecessor, the TheraDrive system, that used a Logitech steering wheel as the haptic interface for rehabilitation. Although the original TheraDrive system showed success in a pilot study, its wheel was not able to withstand the rigors of use. A new haptic robot was developed that functions as a drop-in replacement for the Logitech wheel. The new robot can apply larger forces in interacting with the patient, thereby extending the functionality of the system to accommodate low-functioning patients. A new software suite offers appreciably more options for tailored and tuned rehabilitation therapies. In addition to describing the design of the hardware and software, the paper presents the results of simulation and experimental case studies examining the system's performance and usability.
Electron Irradiation Induced Trap In N-Type Gan

A 1-MeV-electron-irradiation (EI) induced trap at Ec-0.18 eV is found in n-type GaN by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements on Schottky barrier diodes, fabricated on both metal-organic-chemical-vapor-deposition and hydride-vapor-phase-epitaxy material grown on sapphire. The 300-K carrier concentrations of the two materials are 2.3 × 1016 cm−3 and 1.3 × 1017 cm−3, respectively. Up to an irradiation dose of 1 × 1015 cm−2, the electron concentrations and pre-existing traps in the GaN layers are not significantly affected, while the EI-induced trap is produced at a rate of at least 0.2 cm−1. The DLTS peaks in the two materials are shifted slightly, possibly due to electric-field effects. Comparison with theory suggests that the defect is most likely associated with the N vacancy or Ga interstitial.
Sunflower Bud Moth: Behavior and Impact of the Larva On Sunflower Seed Production In the Southern Plains

Peak infestation of sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. by larvae of the sunflower bud moth, Suleima helianthana (Riley), averaged 12.7% in mid-May-planted plots and 3.7% in mid-July-planted plots at Chillicothe (1975–1976) and Bushland (1976–1977), Texas, respectively. Peak infestation at Chillicothe occurred in late July, and at Bushland in late June and late Aug. From 63.4–85.3% of 1st-generation larvae were found in the stalks, whereas ca. 60% of the 2nd-generation larvae were found in the receptacles. Most infested plants harbored a single larva. The only infestations that caused a significant loss of seed were those that occurred in either the terminal of small plants or in receptacles of less than 5 cm diam. New host records are given for S. helianthana on 17 species of Helianthus .
Autoregressive model and power spectrum characteristics of current signal in high frequency group pulse micro-electrochemical machining

The identification of the inter-electrode gap size in the high frequency group pulse micro-electrochemical machining (HGPECM) is mainly discussed. The auto-regressive(AR) model of group pulse current flowing across the cathode and the anode are created under different situations with different processing parameters and inter-electrode gap size. The AR model based on the current signals indicates that the order of the AR model is obviously different relating to the different processing conditions and the inter-electrode gap size; Moreover, it is different about the stability of the dynamic system, i.e. the white noise response of the Green's function of the dynamic system is diverse. In addition, power spectrum method is used in the analysis of the dynamic time series about the current signals with different inter-electrode gap size, the results show that there exists a strongest power spectrum peak, characteristic power spectrum(CPS), to the current signals related to the different inter-electrode gap size in the range of 0-5 kHz. Therefore, the CPS of current signals can implement the identification of the inter-electrode gap.
The juxtaglomerular apparatus of the hypertensive kidney.

The juxtaglomerular apparatus has been described as a cuff of modified smooth muscle cells of the media of the afferent arteriole which are present for a variable distance along this vessel before it enters the glomerulus. With Masson's trichrome stain, these modified smooth muscle cells appear as large, palestaining cells with large, prominent ovoid nuclei whose chromatin network is arranged in a somewhat radial pattern. They are afibrillar and their appearance has given rise to the term epithelioid cells. They are imbedded in a delicate fibrillar network, but, unlike similar-appearing cells in the carotid and aortic bodies, their innervation is no different from that of unchanged smooth muscle cells. While not prominent, they are occasionally seen in the wall of the afferent arteriole of the normal human kidney. In contrast, the efferent arteriole has only circular smooth muscle in its wall. Under certain hypertensive conditions these cells undergo hypertrophy and hyperplasia and are found to extend much farther along the afferent arteriole than its juxtaglomerular segment and even to be associated with the interlobular artery and the efferent arteriole. Under the same conditions, these cells take on acidophilic granules. These changes are most evident in the juxtaglomerular apparatuses of the outer cortical glomeruli. Smith has summarized the early literature concerning the juxtaglomerular apparatus. The epithelioid cells have been described in the kidneys of the mouse, cat, dog, rabbit, and of man of all ages, and even of human fetuses. The initial concept of this structure was that its cells were derived from smooth muscle cells and that they functioned as a device for regulation of blood flow through the glomerulus. More recently, Goormaghtigh' has postulated that these cells exhibit endocrine activity and suggested that they are the site of renin production. In acute and subacute experiments with dogs and rabbits made hypertensive by the Goldblatt or Drury technic or by giving large doses of calciferol, he found transformation of smooth muscle cells into afibrillar epithelioid cells accompanied by mitotic activity, hypertrophy and hyperplasia, acidophilic and basophilic granulation, and vacuolization of these cells. He noted similar changes in human kidneys in cases of fulminating scarlet fever, eclampsia,' 10 acute and subacute glomerulonephritis, early in the course of primary hypertension, and in the crush syndrome. Kaufman' found hypertrophy and hyperplasia without granulation of the epithelioid cells in the kidneys of patients who showed clinical evidence of hypertension with progressive arteriolar nephrosclerosis, malignant nephrosclerosis, and chronic pyelonephritis with secondary vascular changes. Graef described similar findings in a kidney removed from a patient in her fifth month of pregnancy who subsequently
Memristors based on an organic monolayer of molecules and a thin film of solid electrolytes

The memristor is a fundamental circuit element (along with capacitor, resistor and inductor) whose conductance is dependent on the previous functioning history. The concept was postulated almost four decades ago and was actually fabricated only recently. We report the fabrication of memristive junctions using an insulating film of a monolayer of cadmium stearate deposited using the Langmuir-Blodgett method in the gap of an inert electrode and a chalcogenide solid electrolyte. The thickness of the organic monolayer is about 2.8nm and its presence helps ensure a constant gap size between the electrodes. We used an energetic plasma process to create the chalcogenide solid electrolyte using sulfur (S) containing plasma for converting thin films of copper (Cu) into a mix of covelite phase CuS and chalcocite phase Cu 2 S.
Periodontal disease, tooth loss and dementia: Is there a link? A systematic review.

Background It has been suggested that dementia is caused by neuronal damage due to chronic inflammation from peripheral sources such as the oral cavity in periodontal disease. Objective The aim of our review was to assess the risk of dementia or cognitive impairment associated with chronic periodontitis and multiple tooth loss. Materials and methods An extensive search of electronic databases of articles on the relation between periodontitis, tooth loss and dementia published on or before April 2016 was conducted. Experimental and human studies that provided a description consistent with multiple tooth loss, chronic periodontal disease and cognitive impairment obtained by validated methods were selected. The data extracted from the articles included study design, country of origin, sample size, methods used to assess periodontitis and cognition, average age at the baseline and number of years of follow-up. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of human studies. Results The literature search yielded 756 articles which were independently screened, and 16 articles were included in the review. Four human studies reported an association of subsequent dementia with multiple tooth loss. One human study reported that chronic periodontal disease was associated with dementia. Eight experimental studies demonstrated an association between cognitive impairment and tooth loss. Conclusion The literature on chronic periodontitis and multiple tooth loss as risk factors to dementia remains inconclusive. More randomised clinical trials on the association between periodontitis and dementia with uniform criteria for evaluation and diagnosis of periodontitis are warranted.
Dynamic modeling of a microbial fuel cell considering anodic electron flow and electrical charge storage

Abstract To describe the anodic electron flow and electric charge storage behavior of an MFC system from an electrical perspective, a dynamic model based on a novel electrical equivalent circuit is developed. Conventional equivalent circuits typically have series impedances to model the system from the standpoint of terminal quantities: output voltage and current. However, the conventional approaches do not properly explain internal anodic electron flow and double-layer charge storage characteristics of MFCs. The proposed model uses an equivalent capacitance in parallel and series resistances to accurately model and characterize the anodic electron flow, electrical charge storage, and the dynamic characteristics of both output voltage and current. Two straightforward test methods are proposed to determine the equivalent circuit parameters. Experimental results showed the validity of proposed MFC model.
An earthworm-like robot using origami-ball structures

Earthworms possess extraordinary on-ground and underground mobility, which inspired researchers to mimic their morphology characteristics and locomotion mechanisms to develop crawling robots. One of the bottlenecks that constrain the development and wide-spread application of earthworm-like robots is the process of design, fabrication and assembly of the robot frameworks. Here we present a new earthworm-like robot design and prototype by exploring and utilizing origami ball structures. The origami ball is able to antagonistically output both axial and radial deformations, similar as an earthworm’s body segment. The origami folding techniques also introduce many advantages to the robot development, including precise and low cost fabrication and high customizability. Starting from a flat polymer film, we adopt laser machining technique to engrave the crease pattern and manually fold the patterned flat film into an origami ball. Coupling the ball with a servomotor-driven linkage yields a robot segment. Connecting six segments in series, we obtain an earthworm-like origami robot prototype. The prototype is tested in a tube to evaluate its locomotion performance. It shows that the robot could crawl effectively in the tube, manifesting the feasibility of the origami-based design. In addition, test results indicate that the robot’s locomotion could be tailored by employing different peristalsis-wave based gaits. The robot design and prototype reported in this paper could foster a new breed of crawling robots with simply design, fabrication, and assemble processes, and improved locomotion performance.