cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsteady heat transfer near a bluff body in contact with a moving wall

Results of a numerical study concerning two-dimensional time-dependent laminar flow near a square bluff body are reported. The configuration investigated is that of flow around a square block in contact with a moving wall, with fluid approaching the block parallel to the wall and at the wall speed. This geometry provides a two-dimensional model for the flow near a magnetic head-arm assembly flying over a rotating disk. Numerical calculations were also made for the case of flow past a square block adjacent to a fixed wall. The Reynolds numbers investigated ranged from 100 to 1000. Comparisons between the two calculated cases show that a moving wall exerts a significant destabilizing effect on the recirculation region behind a block, leading to a lower Reynolds number for the onset of flow unsteadiness. The vortex shedding phenomenon has been characterized in terms of the Strouhal number, and plots of Strouhal number versus Reynolds number are presented for the moving wall and fixed wall cases. Plots of the Nusselt number variation with time and Reynolds number are also presented. >
Observer-Based Decentralized Guaranteed Cost Control of Uncertain Interconnected Time-Delay Systems

This paper investigates the design of observer-based robust decentralized guaranteed cost controllers for a class of uncertain large-scale interconnected time-delay systems with a given quadratic cost function. The uncertainties are assumed to be norm-bounded and do not require a matching condition. Both state and input delays are considered. The conditions for the existence of the guaranteed cost controllers are derived. It is shown that the controllers can be constructed in terms of the feasible solution of the linear matrix inequalities (LMI). The closed-loop system is global quadratically stable.
Sampling Natural Viral Communities from Soil for Culture-Independent Analyses

An essential first step in investigations of viruses in soil is the evaluation of viral recovery methods suitable for subsequent culture-independent analyses. In this study, four elution buffers (10% beef extract, 250 mM glycine buffer, 10 mM sodium pyrophosphate, and 1% potassium citrate) and three enumeration techniques (plaque assay, epifluorescence microscopy [EFM], and transmission electron microscopy [TEM]) were compared to determine the best method of extracting autochthonous bacteriophages from two Delaware agricultural soils. Beef extract and glycine buffer were the most effective in eluting viable phages inoculated into soils (up to 29% recovery); however, extraction efficiency varied significantly with phage strain. Potassium citrate eluted the highest numbers of virus-like particles from both soils based on enumerations by EFM (mean, 5.3 10 8 g of dry soil 1 ), but specific soil-eluant combinations posed significant problems to enumeration by EFM. Observations of virus-like particles under TEM gave confidence that the particles were, in fact, phages, but TEM enumerations yielded measurements of phage abundance (mean, 1.510 8 g of dry soil 1 ) that were about five times lower. Clearly, the measurement of phage abundance in soils varies with both the extraction and enumeration methodology; thus, it is important to assess multiple extraction and enumeration approaches prior to undertaking ecological studies of phages in a particular soil.
On the role definitions in and beyond cryptography

More than new algorithms, proofs, or technologies, it is the emergence of definitions that has changed the landscape of cryptography. We describe how definitions work in modern cryptography, giving a number of examples, and we provide observations, opinions, and suggestions about the art and science of crafting them.
Near and SUB-keV Boron Implantation and Rapid Thermal Annealing: a Sims and Tem Study

Atomic profiles (SIMS) and cross-section TEM images of selectively etched, annealed profiles were studied for Boron energies from 20 da eV (200 eV) to 10 keV and RTP anneals at 900, 975 and 1050 C Consistent variations of dopant depth was obtained over this process range. TEM images showed evidence of lateral dopant variation near the edges of poly-Si gate structures, perhaps an effect of lateral straggling and reflection of ions from the poly mask.
Peristaltic contractions of the murine urogenital sinus.

Urogenital sinuses from 14- to 17-day old embryonic mice were grown in vitro for six days. Fourteen-day old urogenital sinuses exhibited weak, irregular peristaltic contractions, while in explants from 15- to 17-day old embryos peristaltic contractions were forceful and regular in rhythm. Neither testosterone dipropionate nor Cyproterone acetate substantially influenced contractile activity whereas estradiol was slightly inhibitory. Exposure to cytochalasin-B resulted in a complete, but reversible inhibition of peristalsis. The initiation of peristaltic contractions correlated well in time with the presumed onset of urine production by the developing kidneys, and it is suggested that these peristaltic contractions may facilitate urine transport from the kndneys to the amnionic cavity.
Economists and public policy: Chicago political economy versus conventional views*

Both conventional welfare economics and public choice analysis suggest that economists have an important educational role to play in the public policy process — in improving the decision-making process. In sharp contrast, information and incentive problems related to voting rules, the bureaucracy, and the legislature do not arise in CPE because these processes are all perfect agents of interest groups. Consequently, the political process is efficient and there is no scope for beneficial economic analysis as it relates to the sugar program or other public policies. That is, the polity is efficient or it would be reordered by competing interest groups to make it so. But, as Mitchell (1989: 290) stresses, the important unanswered question in CPE remains: if there is no scope for improvement how and why does change occur? The analysis here suggests that the sugar program (and similar policies) may persist not because they are beneficial to the public at large but rather because information and incentive problems in the collective choice process lead to perverse results. Consequently, economic analysts can make a positive contribution to the public policy process by providing information about the responsiveness of alternative institutional arrangements to the values and choices of individual citizens (Wiseman, 1989). The Friedmans' “Tide in the Affairs of Men” view holds that economic analyses are important in changing public opinion, which is an important precursor to changes in public policy. In scores of studies over the past fifty years, economists have shown that the sugar and other argiculture price-support programs are inconsistent with the goal of open markets and provide most of the benefits to people with above-average incomes. Although only modest changes have been made in farm programs, deregulation of agriculture finally is being seriously discussed. For example, in 1987 the Reagan Administration proposed a sweeping initiative under the Uruguay Round of GATT to phase out all trade-distorting agricultural programs by the year 2000. The fact that the elimination of agricultural trade restrictions was seriously discussed under GATT auspices for the first time in forty years reflects the growing recognition that the sugar program and other domestic farm programs are better explained by rent-seeking than by a “what is, is efficient” view of agricultural policies. This change in intellectual climate is consistent with the thesis that ideas have consequ4ences and that economists can play an important role in affecting both the intellectual tide and the course of public policy.
A multi-divisional approach for optical interconnections

This paper investigates a multi-divisional approach to combine space division, TDM and WDM for optical interconnection in lightwave networking. As the most important step to achieve wavelength reuse in WDM, wavelength interchange is illustrated with respect to time-slot interchange in TDM. By space, time and wavelength expansions, multi-divisional architectures are developed, and their blocking characteristics are evaluated through spacetime/wavelength transformation. Also, the practical implementation of these multi-divisional architectures is addressed from the perspective of real electronic and optical devices.
Osmium Barriers for Direct Copper Electrodeposition in Damascene Processing

Seedless superfilling by copper electrodeposition is demonstrated on submicrometer trenches with Ir barrier layers deposited by atomic layer deposition. The Cu deposition is seen to occur smoothly and continuously on the Ir without the benefit of a copper seed layer. The work supports efforts to develop diffusion barriers compatible with seedless superfill for damascene fabrication of interconnects. It also indicates the suitability of atomic layer deposition for fabrication of barrier layers, in this case Ir, for seedless processing.
Effect of diet on fat cell size and hormone-sensitive lipase activity

This study was designed to examine the relationship between diet-induced insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia, fat cell hypertrophy, and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) to elucidate whether an attenuated HSL activity leads to obesity. Female Fischer 344 rats were fed either a low-fat, complex-carbohydrate diet or a high-fat, refined-sugar (HFS) diet for 2 wk, 2 mo, or 6 mo. Adipose tissue morphology and HSL activity as well as plasma free fatty acid and glycerol levels were determined at these times. No differences between groups were seen after 2 wk except the previously reported hyperinsulinemia in the HFS animals. At both 2 and 6 mo, the HFS animals demonstrated adipocyte hypertrophy. Basal and stimulated HSL activities and plasma glycerol were significantly elevated in the HFS group. There was a positive correlation between adipocyte size and HSL activity for both basal and stimulated states. These results demonstrate that an attenuated HSL activity is not observed with the onset of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia and therefore does not play a role in the development of obesity.
Sonar signals of big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, contain information about individual identity, age and family affiliation

Abstract We examined the possibility that the echolocation (sonar) signals used by big brown bats convey information beyond species identity (e.g. individual identity, family membership, age class, sex). The echolocation signals of six adult females, their 12 offspring, and eight additional offspring were recorded as bats performed a standardized laboratory target-detection task. Sonar signals were analysed for consistency within individuals, and for similarity within families, within age classes (adult versus juvenile), and within sex for juveniles. Evidence was found for individual distinctiveness of emissions, for resemblance of the sonar emissions used by different individuals within a family, and for differences between the emissions of adults and juveniles. No evidence was found for differences between the echolocation calls of juvenile males and females. Individual differences in sonar signals may allow a bat to identify other bats by their sonar calls and may also prevent jamming of the bat's sonar receiver. Similarity within families suggests a heritable component to call variation, although learning cannot be ruled out and is indeed suggested by the findings that the sonar signals of family members (a mother and her offspring) are more evenly distributed in cross-correlation space than expected by chance, and that heritability estimates are higher based on mother-offspring comparisons than on sibling-sibling comparisons. The finding that the emissions of juveniles differ from those of adults and that the repeatability of sonar signals improves with the age of the juvenile suggests that acquisition of a stable, adult-like signal requires several months, well beyond the time young start flying, at about 1 month. The ability to recognize other individuals or classify them by age and family on the basis of their echolocation calls could be important to bats in a number of social interactions, including mother-offspring recognition, territoriality and altruism.
Transparency-based hierarchical test generation for modular RTL designs

We discuss a novel hierarchical test generation methodology for RTL designs, based on the concept of modular transparency. We introduce the channel notion, a powerful mechanism that captures modular transparency in terms of bijection functions defined on variable bitwidth signal entities. Through a recursive search algorithm, transparency channels are further combined into reachability paths suitable for translating local test vectors for each module into global design test. A divide and conquer hierarchical test generation methodology is described, resulting in significant test generation time speed-up and comparable fault coverage and vector count to complete circuit gate-level ATPG.
Experiments in Nuclear Astrophysics

Astrophysics is a rapidly growing field, driven by observations from ground and space-based telescopes, which cover all wavelengths, from radio waves to ultra-high energy gamma rays. Nuclear physics experiments provide critical input parameters, which are important for the interpretation of the observational data. New developments in accelerators and instrumentation during the last years have produced many experimental cross sections, masses and half-lives, needed to describe the new observations. In this contribution recent accomplishments relevant to studies of supernovae will be discussed.
Effects of Product Usage Context on Consumer Product Preferences

We present a framework for understanding product usage context and its impact upon customer needs and product preferences. We conduct customer interviews with two sets of representative products from the functional families of “mobile lighting” and “food boiling” products. Customer interviews lead to identification and characterization of distinct product usage contexts. Interactive surveys measuring customer product choice support the hypothesis that customer product preferences differ for each usage context identified. Further analysis shows that attributes of these chosen products are related to factors of the usage context (e.g. mass is related to transportation mode). These results demonstrate that valuable insight for product design is available through an understanding of usage context, and future work will refine and test methods to formally bring contextual information to bear on product design. These capabilities will be especially important for contexts in which needs assessment has traditionally been difficult, such as with latent needs and frontier design environments.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Relative importance of microhabitat, plant form and photosynthetic physiology to carbon gain in two alpine herbs

1. The effects of microhabitat and plant form on sunlight interception, leaf temperatures, frost occurrence and photosynthesis were evaluated for Caltha leptosepala DC and Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh. Both plants are perennials that commonly emerge from alpine snowbanks where the combination of cool temperatures and strong sunlight is among the most extreme for vascular plants. 2. Caltha leptosepala occurred in microsites where colder air accumulates, and has larger, less inclined and more densely clustered leaves compared to E. grandiflorum (which has two steeply inclined leaves). 3. These differences in microsite and plant form led to leaf temperatures below 0 °C on 70% of nights during the summer growth season in C. leptosepala, compared to only 38% in E. grandiflorum. Leaves of C. leptosepala warmed more slowly on mornings following frosts compared to E. grandiflorum, due to less aerodynamic coupling between leaf and air temperature, and also a 45% smaller ratio of sunlit to total leaf area due to mutual shading among leaves. 4. As a result, night frost did not affect subsequent CO2 assimilation (A) in E. grandiflorum, while frostless nights and warmer mornings led to 35% greater A in C. leptosepala in the early morning. 5. There were no appreciable differences in the temperature and light response of photosynthesis between the two species. The apparent quantum yield of A declined only ≈8% in both species following frost and exposure to strong sunlight, indicating little adjustment of photosynthetic physiology. 6. Greater daily carbon gain probably occurs for E. grandiflorum because of its plant form and microclimate, rather than differences in photosynthetic physiology.
Photodynamic Therapy for Choroidal Metastasis.

Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of choroidal metastasis. Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods Patients with choroidal metastasis treated with PDT at a single institution were reviewed. PDT was applied with verteporfin at a dose of 6 mg/m2 body surface area and a 689 nm diode laser for 83 seconds. Visual acuity, tumor basal diameter, tumor thickness by ultrasonography, and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), as well as associated features including subretinal fluid, were recorded before PDT and during follow-up examinations. Results Twenty-one tumors in 13 eyes of 10 patients were included. Eight tumors were treated with a single session of PDT, 11 tumors received 2 sessions, 1 tumor received 3 sessions, and 1 tumor received 5 sessions. At the end of a mean follow-up of 12 months (range, 3–42 months), 9 eyes (69%) had stable or improved visual acuity, while 4 eyes (31%) had decreased visual acuity. Mean logMAR change in visual acuity was −0.09 (range, −1.3 to 0.8). Seventeen of 21 tumors (81%) were flat at last follow-up. The mean decrease in ultrasound-measured thickness was 0.83 mm (range, 2.6 mm decrease to 1.4 mm increase), while the decrease in EDI-OCT-measured thickness was 400 μm (range, 1280 μm decrease to 280 μm increase). Eighteen tumors (86%) had complete resolution of subretinal fluid. There were no PDT-related complications. Conclusions Photodynamic therapy may be an effective therapeutic option for the management of choroidal metastasis in selected cases.
The Effects of Chromosomal Aneuploidy on Early Development Experimental Approaches

While chromosome imbalance (aneuploidy) is a frequent outcome of conception and a cause of embryonic and fetal death (Golbus, Chapter 9, this volume), very little work had been done until very recently on the effects of chromosome abnormalities during the preimplantation period of development. The major reasons for this lack of investigation have been the following: the frequencies of spontaneous aneuploidy in convenient experimental animals, particularly the mouse, are relatively low; techniques for identifying individual chromosomes were not available; nondestructive methods for identifying the aneuploid embryos did not exist. However, the recent development of staining techniques that permit specific chromosome identification and of two experimental approaches described in this chapter now make it possible to use the mouse as a subject for the systematic study of early embryonic aneuploidy.
Construction Problems in Finite Projective Spaces

The present paper represents a complete reworking of eight lectures given in Bressanone, Italy in the summer of 1972. The spirit of the lectures has been preserved (or so I hope) and also the order of the material. However, a few topics are treated more carefully here than seemed desirable in the lectures, and a few results have been added that were unknown in the summer of 1972. The latter – at least insofar as they were not due to me – should be easy to identify in the paper.
Active control of combustion instability with on-line system identification

In this study, an adaptive control system is developed for suppressing pressure oscillations in a generic combustor, where the unsteady e owe eld associated with the combustion instability is described by a nonlinear inhomogeneous wave equation. Control action is achieved by injecting auxiliary liquid fuel, and is modeled as an array of time-delayed combustion sources. The adaptive controller employs on-line system identie cation (SID) for robustness with respect to transientoperating states, modeling uncertainties,externaldisturbances, andadditional modesof instability that may arisein thecourseof control. Comparisonsare made between the adaptive controller and a previously developed proportional-plus-integral (PI) controller, in terms of performance (degree of oscillation suppression, and speed with which oscillations are damped ), robustness against plant parameter changes (particularly unknown factors of the auxiliary characteristics ), and control-fuel mass expenditure. The adaptive controllerexhibitsgoodperformancewith aclearadvantageoverthePIcontrollerinrobustness. Also, theadaptive controller with on-line SID stabilizes the pressure oscillations without exciting additional mode (s).
Accident Analysis on An Explosion of A Water Wall Tube of One Ultra Supercritical Boiler

Based on component analysis,macroscopic inspection,micro-organization analysis and micro-hardness test,this paper analyzes an explosion accident reason of a water wall tube of one ultra supercritical boiler.The research result indicates that for reasons of uncertain working condition during the period of commissioning and foreign bodies appearing in the tube in process of installation and manufacturing of new units or there is inside convex and wielding tumor in wielding lines,explosion happens which is resulted from short-time overheat of the water wall tube.At last,it puts forward relevant referred measures for future water wall tube explosion of ultra supercritical boiler.
Ultrasonic synthesis of flower-like manganese wads and its decolorization performance for methylene blue

Flower-like manganese wads(MWs) was synthesized via a simple and inexpensive ultrasonic method for the first time. The structure and morphology of MWs were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). The decolorization efficiencies of MWs for azo dye methylene blue(MB) were examined as a function of solution pH, stirring time, MWs dosage, and initial MB concentration. Results showed that MWs had higher decolorization efficiency(the maximum decolorization rate of nearly 100% in 90min) than other catalysts, such as Mn3O4/H2O2(the maximum decolorization rate of 99.7% in 3h), ZnS/CdS(the maximum decolorization rate of 73% in 6h under light irradiation), and sulfate modified titania(the maximum decolorization rate of nearly 100% in 4h under solar radiation). Most importantly, MWs alone can effectively remove MB from the solution without using H2O2or other special devises such as UV light and ultrasonic equipment.
Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of sweet sorghum after acid pretreatment

ABSTRACTThe sweet sorghum bagasse pretreated with 5% (w/w) acetic acid at an accumulated solid concentration of 20% (w/v) during the 96-h fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation achieved a maximum ethanol concentration of 53.1 g/L and ethanol yield of 88.7%, compared to 25.7 g/L and 86.7% for the 96-h batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation at a solid concentration of 10% (w/v), respectively. For comparison, the bagasse pretreated with 0.5% (w/w) sulfuric acid and water under the same fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation conditions produced maximum ethanol concentrations of 44.3 and 36.5 g/L, and ethanol yields of 77.6 and 69.7%, respectively.
Intrahepatic arteriovenous shunting in cirrhosis of the liver.

ABSTRACT Intrahepatic arteriovenous shunts have been demonstrated in 5 cirrhotic patients using 131I labelled macroaggregates of human serum albumin (131IMAA) injected into the hepatic artery (HA): In the cirrhotic patients, 6.0 to 33.8% (22.4 + 12.4) of the HA flow hypassed the sinusoidal bed. The shunted flow was 3% or less in each of the 3 non-cirrhotic patients tested (2.4 ± 0.9). Liver-lung scans were performed in all patients. Three of the five cirrhotic patients showed patchy uptake of 131IMA in the lungs. The three non-cirrhotic patients all showed homogeneous uptake of 131IMAA in the liver with no activity in the lungs.
Chapter Four The Third Mode of FESF: Epistemology and Science

In this chapter, Calvin develops the third of four modes of FESF, in which approaches to and attitudes about science and technology raise epistemological concerns. This chapter describes some of the ways in which feminist scientists and philosophers have challenged both the principles and practices of science, including gender disparities in the field and in interpretation of data, a challenge to the scientific method, and re-examination of the relationship of the Subject and the object of inquiry. To illustrate these concepts, Calvin draws examples from Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Helen Collins, Amy Thomson, and Nalo Hopkinson.
Development of prognostic signatures for intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer

The incidence of Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most common type of thyroid malignancy, has risen rapidly worldwide. PTC usually has an excellent prognosis. However, the rising incidence of PTC, due at least partially to widespread use of neck imaging studies with increased detection of small cancers, has created a clinical issue of overdiagnosis, and consequential overtreatment. We investigated how molecular data can be used to develop a prognostics signature for PTC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) recently reported on the genomic landscape of a large cohort of PTC cases. In order to decrease unnecessary morbidity associated with over diagnosing PTC patient with good prognosis, we used TCGA data to develop a gene expression signature to distinguish between patients with good and poor prognosis. We selected a set of clinical phenotypes to define an ‘extreme poor’ prognosis group and an ‘extreme good’ prognosis group and developed a gene signature that characterized these. We discovered a gene expression signature that distinguished the extreme good from extreme poor prognosis patients. Next, we applied this signature to the remaining intermediate risk patients, and show that they can be classified in clinically meaningful risk groups, characterized by established prognostic disease phenotypes. Analysis of the genes in the signature shows many known and novel genes involved in PTC prognosis. This work demonstrates that using a selection of clinical phenotypes and treatment variables, it is possible to develop a statistically useful and biologically meaningful gene signature of PTC prognosis, which may be developed as a biomarker to help prevent overdiagnosis.
Ghrelin: A History of Its Discovery

Historically, in 1981, growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) initially were thought to reflect the actions of elusive GHRH but fortunately in 1982 GHRH was isolated. By 1984 GHRP-6 results revealed that the actions of GHRH and GHRP were distinguishable from each other. To appreciate GHRP and GHRH interrelationships on GH release, detailed in vitro and in vivo dose–response studies were essential. Over subsequent years GHRPs were studied by many talented basic and clinical investigators. By 1995 GHRP icv administration was found to increase food intake in conscious rats and in 1996 the GHS-1a receptor was cloned. Finally, in 1999 the GHRP/GHS natural hormone, ghrelin, was isolated, synthesized, and found to have essentially the same activity as that of GHRPs/GHSs in animals and humans. A major surprise and a reorienting finding was the primary anatomical location of ghrelin in the stomach and, in addition, strong enhancement of food intake. Over time, GH secretion has been hypothesized to be primarily regulated by the hypothalamic hypophysiotropic tripartite system of GHRH, ghrelin, and SRIF rather than the bipartite system of GHRH and SRIF. Since the isolation of ghrelin, actions of this hormone have continued to expand from the hypothalamic CNS to peripheral sites. This includes both direct and indirect actions particularly related to nutrition and metabolism as well as a cornucopia of unexpected actions. In summary, unnatural GHRP begot natural ghrelin and its receptor. This reverse pharmacology approach forecasts that variations of the unnatural to natural sequence of events likely will be more frequent, modified, expanded, and refined in the future.
In Situ Measurements of Protein Forces and Intracellular Ca2+ under Fluid Shear Stimuli

During traumatic brain injury, brain cells experience transient shear stresses that alter the forces in structural proteins. An increase in intracellular Ca2+ is seen universally in cells subjected to shear forces, but how are mechanical forces coupled to the Ca2+ influx is not well understood. We used a microfluidic chamber driven with a high-speed pressure servo to generate controlled fluid shear stress to cultured astrocytes, and simultaneously measured the intracellular responses using FRET-based force sensors actinin-cpstFRET and Ca2+ probes jRCaMP1h. We found that fluid shear generated non-uniform stresses in actinin. The time dependent force distribution is highly sensitive to the feature of the stimulus such as amplitude, duration rise time, and the frequencies of stimulation. In cells with weaker stress fibers, a rapid shear pulse (23 dyn/cm2, 2 ms rise time, 400 ms duration) produced an immediate and long-lasting increase in actinin stress at the upstream end of the cell and minimal changes at the downstream end. In contrast, a slow ramp to the same amplitude caused a minimal, and a more uniform increase in actinin stresses. Simultaneous Ca2+ imaging showed that the initial Ca2+ rise began at the upstream end of the cell where there was high strain, and it propagated to the entire cell within ∼4 s. Moreover, the Ca2+ peaked much faster (∼4 s) at the front end and slower in the center of cell body (∼10 s). This behavior occurred in ∼40% cells. In cells with abundant strong actin bundles, there was minimal response to shear stress. The actinin stress increased transiently and uniformly over the entire cell during the period of stimulation, and the Ca2+ rise appeared starting from the cell body. These results suggest that the force distribution directly alter the initial Ca2+ dynamics in different cellular domains. This work was funded by NINDS.
The ambivalence of ritual in violence: Orthodox Christian perspectives

Dr Simion is participating in the research project, ‘Political Theology’, directed by Dr Tanya van Wyk, Department of Dogmatics and Christian Ethics, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria.
Discerning Risk of Disease Transition in Relatives of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Utilizing Soluble Mediators and Clinical Features

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases cause significant morbidity. Identifying populations at risk of developing SLE is essential for curtailing irreversible inflammatory damage. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with transition to classified disease that would inform our understanding of the risk of SLE. Methods Previously identified blood relatives of patients with SLE, who had <4 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SLE at baseline, were enrolled in this follow-up study (n = 409 unaffected relatives). Participants provided detailed family, demographic, and clinical information, including the SLE-specific portion of the Connective Tissue Disease Screening Questionnaire (SLE-CSQ). Serum and plasma samples were tested for the presence of lupus-associated autoantibodies and 52 soluble mediators. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were applied to identify factors predictive of disease transition. Results Of the 409 unaffected relatives of SLE patients, 45 (11%) had transitioned to classified SLE at follow-up (mean time to follow-up 6.4 years). Relatives who transitioned to SLE displayed more lupus-associated autoantibody specificities and higher SLE-CSQ scores (P < 0.0001) at baseline than did relatives who did not transition. Importantly, those who had developed SLE during the follow-up period also had elevated baseline plasma levels of inflammatory mediators, including B lymphocyte stimulator, stem cell factor (SCF), and interferon-associated chemokines (P ≤ 0.02), with concurrent decreases in the levels of regulatory mediators, transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), and interleukin-10 (P ≤ 0.03). GEE analyses revealed that baseline SLE-CSQ scores or ACR scores (number of ACR criteria satisfied) and plasma levels of SCF and TGFβ, but not autoantibodies, were significant and independent predictors of SLE transition (P ≤ 0.03). Conclusion Preclinical alterations in levels of soluble mediators may predict transition to classified disease in relatives of SLE patients. Thus, immune perturbations precede SLE classification and can help identify high-risk relatives for rheumatology referral and potential enrollment in prevention trials.
Portable millimeter wave 3D imaging radar

The paper aims to build a new, portable, and affordable millimeter wave imaging radar. The proposed radar uses rotation movement and applies inverse Radon transform to resolve a 2D image of each range bin. Consequently, 3D imaging can be realized by the radar system. Its resolution is comparable to light-based imaging sensors, such as cameras and LIDAR - light detection and ranging. Because of using a single transceiver element, the new radar imaging system is compact, low cost, and portable. It can be used for detection, security and surveillance systems.
Massive MIMO pilot distortion attack and zero-startup-cost detection: Analysis and experiments

Accurate Channel State Information (CSI) is a key requirement for massive MIMO to achieve multi-fold increases in throughput and secrecy rate. Consequently, an adversary targeting the channel sounding process has the potential to significantly degrade performance. In this paper, we first present and model the Pilot Distortion Attack, a simple but devastating jamming strategy in which the adversary distorts the AP's CSI measurement of even a single client leading to denial-of-service for all clients associated with the AP. We propose MACE as a countermeasure that exploits the AP's large antenna array to detect jamming with zero startup cost and zero additional network overhead. Our key insight is that with many antennas, the AP's variance estimator of client Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) will significantly increase when there are jamming signals present. We build a testbed with a 72-antenna massive MIMO AP and conduct the first experimental study of the Pilot Distortion Attack. Our results show that a single-antenna adversary jamming no more than 1/60 of the time and having no more transmit power than any client can cause over 26% reduction of achievable rate of all clients. Moreover, by setting a single threshold, MACE can achieve 0.97 true positive at 0.01 false positive for various client/adversary locations and for a wide range of SNR (5 ∼ 35 dB) and SIR (− 5 ∼ 35 dB) with SNR — SIR≥5 dB.
CUBA: interprocedural Context-UnBounded Analysis of concurrent programs

A classical result by Ramalingam about synchronization-sensitive interprocedural program analysis implies that reachability for concurrent threads running recursive procedures is undecidable. A technique proposed by Qadeer and Rehof, to bound the number of context switches allowed between the threads, leads to an incomplete solution that is, however, believed to catch “most bugs” in practice. The question whether the technique can also prove the absence of bugs at least in some cases has remained largely open. In this paper we introduce a broad verification methodology for resource-parameterized programs that observes how changes to the resource parameter affect the behavior of the program. Applied to the context-unbounded analysis problem (CUBA), the methodology results in partial verification techniques for procedural concurrent programs. Our solutions may not terminate, but are able to both refute and prove context-unbounded safety for concurrent recursive threads. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method using a variety of examples, the safe of which cannot be proved safe by earlier, context-bounded methods.
Prevalence and predictors of atrial arrhythmias in patients with sinus node dysfunction and atrial pacing

This study aimed to determine the incidence, prevalence, and predictors of atrial arrhythmias (AAs) in patients with symptomatic sinus node dysfunction (SND) who required permanent pacemaker implantation. Also, we evaluated the impact of atrial pacing (AP) on AAs. All consecutive patients who underwent pacemaker implantation from 2005 to 2011 were included. Atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFL), atrial tachycardia (AT), and AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) were detected via pacemaker interrogation and clinical documentation. The study group included 322 patients (44% male) with mean age 68.8 ± 15 years and followed for an average of 5.6 ± 2.2 years (median 5.7 years). Overall, 61.8% were found to have any AA at follow-up. Individual prevalence of AAs was high as follows: AF 43.5%, AFL 6.5%, AT 25%, and AVNRT 6.8%. AF was documented in 23% of patients (n = 74) prior to pacemaker; among those, 15% (n = 11) had no recurrence of AF with average AP of 74%. The incidence of new-onset AF after pacemaker was 15.8%. In subgroup analysis, prevalence of AF was increased by 16% with high rate of AP (81–100%) and 17% with lower rate of AP (0–20%). Incidence of new-onset AF was not affected by AP. Diabetes, hypertension, and left atrial enlargement were predictors of AAs. White men and women had higher prevalence of AF. AAs are highly prevalent in SND, particularly in white patients. Paroxysmal AF is suppressed with AP in minority, but there is no impact of AP on new-onset AF. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, and dilated atria must be monitored closely for early detection of AAs.
Differentiation and diffusion: shifting public opinion attitudes toward foreign policy in North Africa

Drawing on Arab Barometer data, this article provides the backdrop for understanding continuity and change since the Arab Spring in national-level public opinion attitudes toward economic and polit...
Multimodular Ultrasound Orientation: Residents' Confidence and Skill in Performing Point-of-care Ultrasound.

Introduction The objectives of this study were to determine if a multimodular introductory ultrasound course improved emergency medicine intern confidence in performing a point-of-care ultrasound and if our educational objectives could be met with our chosen structure. Methods This is a prospective, observational study evaluating three consecutive incoming emergency medicine residency classes from three residency programs. A one-day introductory ultrasound course was delivered. The course consisted of 1) flipped classroom didactics, 2) in-person, case-based interactive teaching sessions, and 3) check-listed, goal-driven, hands-on instruction. Results Over three years, 73 residents participated in this study. There was no significant difference in performance on the written test (p = 0.54) or the skills assessment (p = 0.16) between years. Performance on the written pre-test was not a predictor of performance on the skills test (R2 = 0.028; p = 0.19). Prior to training, residents were most confident in performing a focused assessment with sonography for trauma examination (median confidence 5.5 (interquartile range (IQR): 3 - 7) on a 10-point Likert scale where 1 represents low confidence and 10 represents high confidence). They reported the lowest confidence in performing a cardiac ultrasound (3 (IQR: 2 - 6)). Following training, residents reported increased confidence with all applications (p < 0.001). Eighty-five percent (confidence interval (CI): 73, 92) of residents agreed that the online ultrasound lectures effectively teach point-of-care ultrasound applications and 98% (CI: 88, 100) agreed that case-based interactive sessions helped them understand how ultrasound changes the management of acutely ill patients. Conclusions A written test of knowledge regarding the use of point-of-care ultrasound does not correlate with procedural skills at the start of residency, suggesting that teaching and evaluation of both types of skills are necessary. Following a multimodular introductory ultrasound course, residents showed increased confidence in performing the seven basic ultrasound applications. Residents reported that an asynchronous curriculum and case-based interactive sessions met the learning objectives and effectively taught point-of-care ultrasound applications.
Acute-onset quadriplegia with hyperreflexia.

MRI showed diffuse T2 hyperintensity beginning at the level of the medulla and extending to the level of C7.
Perspectives on the future of behavior analysis: introductory comments.

The three papers in this special section are written versions of talks presented as part of a panel discussion at the 2009 Association for Behavior Analysis International annual convention in Phoenix, Arizona. The panel discussion, titled “Future Perspectives of Behavior Analysis” and presented as part of the professional development series, was organized and chaired by Timothy C. Fuller and featured talks by Patrick C. Friman, David C. Palmer, and Alan D. Poling. All three talks were entertaining and provocative and stirred a lot of discussion, some of it heated. As an audience member and associate editor of The Behavior Analyst (TBA), I immediately realized that these were important talks for our field presented by three of its best thinkers and that a broader audience needed to hear them. Consequently, soon after the convention ended, I invited each presenter to submit a written version of his talk for a special section of TBA on the future of behavior analysis. In the panel discussion, Alan Poling presented first, followed by Patrick Friman and then David Palmer. For this special section, we are following the same order although the papers could be printed in any order. The papers are written in a more readable first-person style than most journal articles (as they were read in the panel discussion) which, I think, increases their accessibility. Each paper takes a different perspective on the current status and future of behavior analysis. However, to varying degrees, all three papers note concerns about behavior analysis that, if left unchecked, do not augur well for a healthy future. But each of the papers tempers any implicit pessimism with suggestions for how we behavior analysts can influence the evolution of our field experimentally, practically, and theoretically. It may be the case, however, that we cannot shape the developmental course of our field, and that, like evolution by natural selection at the biological level, the evolution of the practice of behavior analysis, whether in research or application, is subject only to selection by the culture. Rather than surrender to that somewhat fatalistic view, the three papers that comprise this special section offer suggestions for things we can do to increase variations in the practice of behavior analysis that might lead to greater chances of cultural selection.
Hypothalamic mTORC2 is essential for metabolic health and longevity

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that regulates growth and metabolism. mTOR is found in two protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, that have distinct components and substrates and are both inhibited by rapamycin, a macrolide drug that robustly extends lifespan in multiple species including worms and mice. Although the beneficial effect of rapamycin on longevity is generally attributed to reduced mTORC1 signaling, disruption of mTORC2 signaling can also influence the longevity of worms, either positively or negatively depending on the temperature and food source. Here, we show that loss of hypothalamic mTORC2 signaling in mice decreases activity level, increases the set point for adiposity, and renders the animals susceptible to diet-induced obesity. Hypothalamic mTORC2 signaling normally increases with age, and mice lacking this pathway display higher fat mass and impaired glucose homeostasis throughout life, become more frail with age, and have decreased overall survival. We conclude that hypothalamic mTORC2 is essential for the normal metabolic health, fitness, and lifespan of mice. Our results have implications for the use of mTORC2-inhibiting pharmaceuticals in the treatment of brain cancer and diseases of aging.
Facile one-pot synthesis of PdM (M = Ag, Ni, Cu, Y) nanowires for use in mixed matrix membranes for efficient hydrogen separation

Palladium (Pd) and palladium alloy nanowires (PdM; M = Ag, Ni, Cu, Y) of varying compositions were synthesized by facile and scalable one-pot polyol reduction of metallic salts using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as a capping agent. Alloy nanowires with a high surface area-to-volume ratio and an interconnected network (fractal-like) morphology may provide pathways for rapid hydrogen (H2) transport through a mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) containing them. The use of PdM nanowires provides two benefits. First, incorporation of a metal like Ag, Cu, Y, or Ni into Pd at an appropriate level can increase the H2 diffusivity while reducing the use of Pd. Second, alloying can reduce Pd embrittlement and susceptibility to poisoning. Polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes loaded with PdM nanowires were prepared and tested at 150 °C and 100 psig for mixed gas H2/CO2 separation. MMMs containing 50 mass% pure Pd nanowires and 50 mass% Pd0.75Ag0.25 alloy nanowires showed H2 permeabilities of 53 and 38 barrer, respectively, which were dramatically increased from the permeability of 25 barrer for pure PBI.
Eliminating race-based reference ranges in haematology: a call to action

Summary In haematology, as in all of medicine, the use of reference intervals for laboratory variables is essential to define disease states and inform treatment decisions. There are many haematological variables, including haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, absolute neutrophil count, and iron indices, that are often reported to be different on the basis of a person's race or ethnicity. Although there are many haematological conditions with a genetic basis, such that it is appropriate to consider ancestry in the diagnostic algorithm, defining pathology on the basis of a social construct such as race is unacceptable. The inclusion of separate thresholds or simple statements that so-called normal values vary by race further validates the common misperception that there are physiological differences between Black and white patients. These statements might have downstream effects on diagnostic and treatment decisions that exacerbate existing racial health disparities. In this Viewpoint, we argued for the removal of race-based reference intervals across haematology.
Director Motivational Orientations: How New Director Regulatory Focus Shapes Market Reactions

We draw on regulatory focus theory and the governance literature to examine how and when shareholders react to the motivational orientations of newly appointed directors. We theorize that because d...