cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examination of the influence of cooperative segmental dynamics on the glass transition and coefficient of thermal expansion in thin films probed using poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s

Abstract The thermal behavior of thin films of a homologous series of poly( n -alkyl methacrylate)s supported on silicon substrates was probed using spectroscopic ellipsometry. Deviations from bulk behavior for the glass transition temperature ( T g ) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were observed for films thinner than approximately 60 nm, consistent with most observations for confinement effects in polymer films. However, the extent of the decrease of CTE and the deviation in T g are significantly influenced by the alkyl chain length. As the alkyl chain length is increased from methyl to n -octyl, the deviation from bulk behavior is significantly suppressed. This behavior is similar to that observed by Torkelson and coworkers (Physical Review Letters 2004; 92: 095702) for polystyrene films as small molecule diluents were added; this behavior was attributed to the decrease in size of the cooperative segmental dynamics, ξ i (CRR), with addition of solvent. ξ i (CRR) decreases as the alkyl chain length is increased; this is consistent with the hypothesis for the relationship between ξ i (CRR) and confinement effects in thin polymer films. However, a two order of magnitude difference between the thickness of nanoconfinement onset and ξ i (CRR) for poly( n -octyl methacrylate) results in uncertainty for ξ i (CRR) as the origin of the nanoconfinement effect.
A prescription for the identification of finite plastic strain

Abstract Although the concept of plastic strain is fundamental to the theory of plasticity, no satisfactory method has been previously given for its identification at arbitrary finite deformations. In the present paper, a procedure is described, by means of which plastic strain can be identified, both conceptually and experimentally. This, and other procedures or prescriptions, enable one to relate the concepts which appear in the rate-type constitutive theory to measurements of stress and strain. The procedure given for the identification of plastic strain also allows one to define a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient which is free from the shortcomings of the one that has been usually employed during the past 20 years.
The functional responses of adaptive consumers of two resources

Abstract This article investigates some aspects of the shape of the functional responses of consumers that utilize two resources. Adaptive variation in consumption behavior is shown to have a major effect on the relationship between amount of resource available and its rate of consumption by an average consumer individual. The effects of adaptive variation are dependent on the nutritional status of the two resources. If the resources are linearly substitutable, increases in the density of resource i will usually increase the quantity, functional response on i divided by density of i , and increases in the density of resource j will decrease this quantity. The result is that the functional response to resource i will generally decrease with the density of resource j , and will increase faster than it would otherwise have increased with the density of resource i . If resources are nonsubstitutable, an adaptive functional response to resource i will increase with the density of resource j , and it will increase more slowly with the density of resource i than it would have without adaptive change. If resources are both complementary and substitutable, the functional response will exhibit ranges of smooth change separated by rapid jumps between values, and different ranges of resource densities will result in a functional response with the characteristics of linearly substitutable or of non-substitutable resources. Adaptive functional response shape is dependent upon the tradeoff involved in raising each functional response. These results have implications for the types of indirect interactions that occur between resources as the result of a common consumer's functional response. They also suggest that the adaptive response of competing consumers to each other will differ depending on the nutritional status of the resources for which they are competing. Implications of these findings for consumer growth isocline shape and several other issues are explored.
Joint adaptive mean-variance regularization and variance stabilization of high dimensional data

The paper addresses a common problem in the analysis of high-dimensional high-throughput ''omics'' data, which is parameter estimation across multiple variables in a set of data where the number of variables is much larger than the sample size. Among the problems posed by this type of data are that variable-specific estimators of variances are not reliable and variable-wise tests statistics have low power, both due to a lack of degrees of freedom. In addition, it has been observed in this type of data that the variance increases as a function of the mean. We introduce a non-parametric adaptive regularization procedure that is innovative in that (i) it employs a novel ''similarity statistic''-based clustering technique to generate local-pooled or regularized shrinkage estimators of population parameters, (ii) the regularization is done jointly on population moments, benefiting from C. Stein's result on inadmissibility, which implies that usual sample variance estimator is improved by a shrinkage estimator using information contained in the sample mean. From these joint regularized shrinkage estimators, we derived regularized t-like statistics and show in simulation studies that they offer more statistical power in hypothesis testing than their standard sample counterparts, or regular common value-shrinkage estimators, or when the information contained in the sample mean is simply ignored. Finally, we show that these estimators feature interesting properties of variance stabilization and normalization that can be used for preprocessing high-dimensional multivariate data. The method is available as an R package, called 'MVR' ('Mean-Variance Regularization'), downloadable from the CRAN website.
Superfluorescence from flash-pumped H2O vapor

We report the observation of intense amplified spontaneous emission on fifteen far-infrared lines from flashed pumped H2O vapor in the 0.010–0.080 Torr pressure range. A mechanism based on direct optical pumping and collisional redistribution between resonance perturbed levels will be presented.
Elimination of the NLRP3-ASC Inflammasome Protects against Chronic Obesity-Induced Pancreatic Damage

Clinical evidence that the blockade of IL-1β in type-2 diabetic patients improves glycemia is indicative of an autoinflammatory mechanism that may trigger adiposity-driven pancreatic damage. IL-1β is a key contributor to the obesity-induced inflammation and subsequent insulin resistance, pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, and the onset of type 2 diabetes. Our previous studies demonstrated that the ceramides activate the Nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (Nlrp3) inflammasome to cause the generation of mature IL-1β and ablation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome in diet-induced obesity improves insulin signaling. However, it remains unclear whether the posttranslational processing of active IL-1β in pancreas is regulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome or whether the alternate mechanisms play a dominant role in chronic obesity-induced pancreatic β-cell exhaustion. Here we show that loss of ASC, a critical adaptor required for the assembly of the NLRP3 and absent in melanoma 2 inflammasome substantially impro...
Thermal effects on ESR signal evolution in nano and bulk CuO powder

Abstract In order to understand the effects of low dimension on the magnetic properties of CuO, a systematic electron spin resonance study is carried out on CuO nano and bulk powders. Sol–gel produced CuO nanopowder was calcined at temperatures from 200 to 1000 °C to produce nanoparticles of varying size. A broad electron spin resonance (ESR) signal was obtained for the CuO nanoparticles, representative of antiferromagnetic ordering. This ordering persists even at higher calcination temperatures. On the contrary, CuO bulk powder shows two separate ESR signals which merge into one at higher temperatures. These data indicate that the antiferromagnetic ordering is preserved up to 800 °C in CuO nanomaterial. In bulk CuO powder, the ESR signal breaks from antiferromagnetic ordering at lower temperatures. This is a result of the high latent heat of bulk material, which leads to early decomposition of the powder. With evidence from detailed thermal analysis, the observed differences in the ESR data for bulk and nano CuO as a function of calcination temperature are explained on the basis of particle size difference.
The isolation and identification of two sterols from two species of blue-green algae.

Abstract 1. 1. Two sterols were isolated from each of two species of Blue-green Algae, Anacystis nidulans and Fremyella diplosiphon , and identified as cholesterol and β-sitosterol. 2. 2. The results show that very harsh methods must be used to extract the sterols from the algae. This suggests that the sterols may be bound very tightly within the cell.
Winogradsky Rothko: Bacterial Ecosystem as Pastoral Landscape

Made in the dimensions of a Mark Rothko painting, a steel and glass frame was filled with mud and water. By applying a microbiology technique developed by a 19th-century soil scientist, Sergei Winogradsky, pigmented bacteria that existed in the mud and water composed a landscape. As bacteria colonize their optimal zones, they change their environments by depleting their resources and releasing by-products. As a bacterial species reaches its carrying capacity, the environment no longer hospitable to the original colonizer may now be the optimal environment for a potential successor to that zone resulting in an evolving color-field of living pigments. The appearance/disappearance of color indicates both procurement and loss of finite material resources; the agents that act out upon the landscape and synthesize change become acted upon by their consequentially changed world. For this article, the ecological industry of the figure and field of Winogradsky Rothko serves as a point of departure for thinking tow...
Socioscientific evidence and supreme court numerology: When justices attempt social science

In Stanford v. Kentucky, in which two juveniles sentenced to death raised an Eighth Amendment challenge, Justice Scalia's plurality opinion set the ground rules for deciding juvenile death penalty cases. He ruled "socioscientific" evidence and philosopher-king decisions out of bounds. Scalia argued that the Court must do its own social science analysis of the objective indicia to gauge whether community sentiment finds such a punishment cruel and unusual. In determining whether a "national consensus" exists, Justice Scalia transformed the empirical question into an impossible question, requiring that a categorical aversion must be shown. Petitioners lost, but so too did social science jurisprudence, as "statistical magic" and "numerology" reigned supreme. Language: en
The IL sequence in the LLKIL motif in CXCR2 is required for full ligand-induced activation of Erk, Akt, and chemotaxis in HL60 cells.

The chemotaxis of differentiated HL60 cells stably expressing CXCR2 was examined in a microfluidic gradient device where the steepness of the CXCL8 chemokine gradient was varied from 2 pg/ml/μm (0-1 ng/ml over a width of 500 μm) to 50 pg/ml/μm (0-25 ng/ml over 500 μm). The differentiated HL60 cells stably expressing CXCR2 exhibited little chemotaxis in response to a 0-1 ng/ml gradient, but displayed an increasing chemotactic response as the gradient steepness increased from 0 to 5, 0 to 10, and 0 to 25 ng/ml, demonstrating that steepness of gradient is a major determinant of the relative ability of cells to persistently migrate up a chemotactic gradient. When HL60 cells expressed CXCR2 mutated in the C terminus LLKIL motif (IL to AA), ligand-induced internalization of receptors was reduced 50%, whereas cell migration along the gradient of CXCL8 was completely lost. Although both mutant and wild-type receptors could mediate Akt and Erk activation in response to CXCL8, the level of activation of these two kinases was much lower in the cell line expressing the mutant receptors. These data imply that the IL amino acid residues in the LLKIL motif are very important for activation of the signal transduction cascade, which is necessary for cells to sense the chemokine gradient and respond with chemotaxis. Moreover, because mutation of the IL residues in the LLKIL motif resulted in only 50% reduction in receptor internalization, and a 50% reduction in Akt and Erk phosphorylation, but a complete loss of chemotactic response, the data imply that IL amino acid residues in the LLKIL motif are key either for amplification or oscillation of crucial signaling events or for establishment of a threshold for signals required for chemotaxis.
A combined ecological and epidemiologic investigation of metal exposures amongst Indigenous peoples near the Marlin Mine in Western Guatemala

In August 2009 a combined epidemiological and ecological pilot study was conducted to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the form of exposures to toxic metals experienced by mine workers and Indigenous Mam Mayan near the Marlin Mine in Guatemala. In the human study there were no differences in blood and urine metals when comparing five mine workers with eighteen non-mine workers, and there were no discernible relationships between metal exposures and self-reported health measures in any study group. On the other hand, individuals residing closest to the mine had significantly higher levels of certain metals (urinary mercury, copper, arsenic, and zinc) when compared to those living further away. The levels of blood aluminum, manganese, and cobalt were elevated in comparison to established normal ranges in many individuals; however, there was no apparent relationship to proximity to the mine or occupation, and thus are of unclear significance. In the ecological study, several metals (aluminum, manganese, and cobalt) were found significantly elevated in the river water and sediment sites directly below the mine when compared to sites elsewhere. When the human and ecological results are combined, they suggest that exposures to certain metals may be elevated in sites near the mine but it is not clear if the current magnitude of these elevations poses a significant threat to health. The authors conclude that more robust studies are needed while parallel efforts to minimize the ecological and human impacts of mining proceed. This is critical particularly as the impact of the exposures found could be greatly magnified by expected increases in mining activity over time, synergistic toxicity between metals, and susceptibility for the young and those with pre-existing disease.
Noxious Cold Ion Channel TRPA1 Is Activated by Pungent Compounds and Bradykinin

Six members of the mammalian transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels respond to varied temperature thresholds. The natural compounds capsaicin and menthol activate noxious heat-sensitive TRPV1 and cold-sensitive TRPM8, respectively. The burning and cooling perception of capsaicin and menthol demonstrate that these ion channels mediate thermosensation. We show that, in addition to noxious cold, pungent natural compounds present in cinnamon oil, wintergreen oil, clove oil, mustard oil, and ginger all activate TRPA1 (ANKTM1). Bradykinin, an inflammatory peptide acting through its G protein-coupled receptor, also activates TRPA1. We further show that phospholipase C is an important signaling component for TRPA1 activation. Cinnamaldehyde, the most specific TRPA1 activator, excites a subset of sensory neurons highly enriched in cold-sensitive neurons and elicits nociceptive behavior in mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate that TRPA1 activation elicits a painful sensation and provide a potential molecular model for why noxious cold can paradoxically be perceived as burning pain.
From programs to lives: A comment

Reviewed the article by Bond et al., and suggested that the perspective used to frame the issues distorts the nature of the problems we currently face in mental health policy. The conventional evaluative frame is no longer useful in the "inclusionary" system of care that operates. Researchers should study lives, placing programs in the background and putting the person in the foreground.
Some law enforcement operations implications of crime seasonality

Abstract Criminal justice system policy makers have recently begun to utilize sophisticated techniques of analysis to explore questions of resource allocation and program evaluation.1, 2, 6, 8, 10 All too often, however, the benefits of such techniques have been denied to the large proportion of criminal justice units which lack access to extensive computer facilities and large technical staffs. This paper illustrates how one important crime data time series property—seasonal variation— may be adjusted for and utilized with some fairly simple procedures. The police operations and planning implications of the presence of seasonality in crime data are then examined. The authors develop their discussion with reference to seasonal variation in monthly data on major crimes for a large United States urban area, Miami, Florida. The time period of the study is 1949–1972.
Effects of measurement errors on microwave antenna holography

The effects of measurement errors appearing during the implementation of the microwave holographic technique are investigated in detail, and many representative results are presented based on computer simulations. The numerical results are tailored for cases applicable to the utilization of the holographic technique for the NASA's Deep Space Network antennas, although the methodology of analysis is applicable to any antenna. Many system measurement topics are presented and summarized. >
The effect of neutron energy on defect production in alumina

In a deuterium-tritium fusion reactor, neutrons are produced at an energy of about 14 MeV. When these neutrons and other lower energy neutrons from (n,xn) reactions travel through insulating materials in the reactor, displacement damage will occur as they interact with atoms in the insulating material. Using the Monte Carlo Code TRIM (Transport Ions in Matter), calculations using Al and O ions at energies that simulate expected recoil energy levels in alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) were performed. This study focuses on recoil energy ranging from 100 eV to 10 MeV. In addition, recoil energy spectra for aluminum and oxygen were calculated for 1 MeV and 14 MeV neutrons using the computer code, SPECTER. Combining the TRIM and SPECTER calculations, it was possible to determine the number of aluminum and oxygen vacancies created in alumina resulting from a specific neutron energy.
Laminar xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the prodromal stage of black‐walnut induced equine laminitis

Summary Reasons for study: Xanthine oxidase (XO)-dependent production of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, a characteristic of ischaemia-reperfusion injury, may contribute to the development of equine laminitis. Objective: To determine the levels of XO and antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase [SOD]) in the digital laminae of normal horses (CON) and horses in the developmental stage of laminitis using the black walnut extract (BWE) model. Methods: Healthy horses (n = 12) were administered BWE (BWE group, n = 6), or water (CON group, n = 6) through a nasogastric tube. At the onset of leucopenia in the BWE-treated animals, all horses were anaesthetised, digital laminae and other samples collected rapidly and flash frozen, and the animals subjected to euthanasia. Extracts of the frozen tissues were assayed for the 2 conformational forms of xanthine: oxygen oxidoreductase (XOR), namely, xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) and xanthine oxidase (XO), as well as the antioxidant enzymes, SOD and catalase. Results: Extracts of liver, lungs and skin, but not digital laminae, from either CON or BWE-treated horses had endogenous SOD, whereas all had endogenous XO and catalase. The levels of XDH, XO and catalase were similar in extracts of laminae from CON and BWE-treated horses as was the ratio of XDH to XO in extracts. Conclusions and potential relevance: The absence of increased XO activity suggest against the involvement of this reactive oxygen intermediate-generating system in the development of laminar pathology in BWE-treated horses. Conversely, the absence of SOD from extracts of equine digital laminae, but not other tissues, suggests that the equine digital laminae are highly susceptible to damage by superoxide anion, produced, for example, by emigrant inflammatory leucocytes.
Minor components of the DNA of Physarum polycephalum. Cellular location and metabolism.

DNA metabolism in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum was studied by centrifugation in CsCl of lysates of cultures labeled with radioactive thymidine at various times in the cell cycle. During the G2 (premitotic) phase of the cell cycle, two components of the DNA are labeled. One component is lighter (buoyant density 1.686 g/cc) than the mean of the principal DNA (1.700 g/cc), and one is heavier (approximately 1.706 g/cc). The labeled light DNA was identified chemically by its denaturability, its susceptibility to DNase, and the recovery of its radioactivity in thymine. Cell fractionation studies showed that the heavy and the principal DNA components are located in the nucleus and that the light DNA is in the cytoplasm. The light DNA comprises approximately 10% of the DNA. About ⅓–½ of the light DNA is synthesized during the S period, and the remainder is synthesized throughout G2 (there is no G1 in Physarum). The light DNA is metabolically stable. A low, variable level of incorporation of radioactive thymidine into the principal, nuclear DNA component was observed during G2.
A hybrid Nano/CMOS dynamically reconfigurable system—Part II: Design optimization flow

In Part I of this work, a hybrid nano/CMOS reconfigurable architecture, called NATURE, was described. It is composed of CMOS reconfigurable logic and interconnect fabric, and nonvolatile nano on-chip memory. Through its support for cycle-by-cycle runtime reconfiguration and a highly-efficient computation model, temporal logic folding, NATURE improves logic density and area-delay product by more than an order of magnitude compared to existing CMOS-based field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). NATURE can be fabricated using mainstream photo-lithography fabrication techniques. Thus, it offers a currently commercially feasible architecture with high performance, superior logic density, and excellent runtime design flexibility.In Part II of this work, we present an integrated design and optimization flow for NATURE, called NanoMap. Given an input design specified in register-transfer level (RTL) and/or gate-level VHDL, NanoMap optimizes and implements the design on NATURE through logic mapping, temporal clustering, temporal placement, and routing. As opposed to other design tools for traditional FPGAs, NanoMap supports and leverages temporal logic folding by integrating novel mapping techniques. It can automatically explore and identify the best temporal logic folding configuration, targeting area, delay or area-delay product optimization. A force-directed scheduling technique is used to optimize and balance resource usage across different folding cycles. By supporting logic folding, NanoMap can provide significant design flexibility in performing area-delay trade-offs under various user-specified constraints. We present details of the mapping procedure and results for different architectural instances. Experimental results demonstrate that NanoMap can judiciously trade off area and delay targeting different optimization goals, and effectively exploit the advantages of NATURE.Part I of this work will appear in JETC Vol. 5, No. 4.
Pericontusion axon sprouting is spatially and temporally consistent with a growth-permissive environment after traumatic brain injury.

We previously reported that pericontusional, extracellular chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are profoundly reduced for 3 weeks after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) indicating a potential growth-permissive window for plasticity. Here, we investigate the extracellular environment of sprouting neurons after controlled cortical impact injury in adult rats to determine the spatial and temporal arrangement of inhibitory and growth-promoting molecules in relation to growth-associated-protein 43-positive (GAP43+) neurons. Spontaneous cortical sprouting was maximal in pericontused regions at 7 and 14 days after injury but absent by 28 days. Perineuronal nets (PNNs) containing CSPGs were reduced at 7 days after injury in the pericontused region (p < 0.05), which was commensurate with a reduction in extracellular CSPGs. Sprouting was restricted to the PNNs and CSPG-deficient regions at 7 days, indicating that the pericontused region is temporarily and spatially permissive to new growth. At this time point, GAP43+ neurons were associated with brain regions containing cells positive for poly-sialic acid neural cell adhesion molecule but not with fibronectin-positive cells. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was reduced in the immediate pericontused region at 7 days. Along with prior Western blot evidence, these data suggest that a lowered intrinsic growth stimulus together with a later return of growth-inhibitory CSPGs may contribute to the ultimate disappearance of sprouting neurons after TBI.
Multidimensional multiphysics simulation of TRISO particle fuel

Abstract Multidimensional multiphysics analysis of TRISO-coated particle fuel using the BISON finite element nuclear fuels code is described. The governing equations and material models applicable to particle fuel and implemented in BISON are outlined. Code verification based on a recent IAEA benchmarking exercise is described, and excellent comparisons are reported. Multiple TRISO-coated particles of increasing geometric complexity are considered. The code’s ability to use the same algorithms and models to solve problems of varying dimensionality from 1D through 3D is demonstrated. The code provides rapid solutions of 1D spherically symmetric and 2D axially symmetric models, and its scalable parallel processing capability allows for solutions of large, complex 3D models. Additionally, the flexibility to easily include new physical and material models and straightforward ability to couple to lower length scale simulations makes BISON a powerful tool for simulation of coated-particle fuel. Future code development activities and potential applications are identified.
An Instrument for Measuring Size-Resolved Aerosol Hygroscopicity at both Sub- and Super-Micron Sizes

A new instrument to measure the size-resolved hygroscopic growth of both sub- and super-micron atmospheric aerosol is described. It consists of two white-light optical particle counters measuring the same sample aerosol simultaneously at two different controlled relative humidities. Calibration with aerosols of different refractive index confirms the expected relative insensitivity of the instrument to index of refraction. Data obtained in the field from airborne sampling support the utility of the instrument in measuring differences in size-resolved hygroscopicity in the marine boundary layer and also in addressing the issue of kinetic limitations to aerosol condensational growth.
Model for the generation of positive charge at the Si-SiO2 interface based on hot-hole injection from the anode

A comprehensive model for the generation of positive charge and fast interface states in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures during electron injection is quantitatively analyzed. According to this model, the injected electrons are accelerated in the ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ conduction band by the external electric field. Once they reach the anode-${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ interface, a significant fraction of them lose their kinetic energy by exciting surface plasma oscillations. The decay of these collective excitations into hot-electron-hole pairs results in the injection of holes into the oxide and their trapping at the Si-${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ interface. The theoretical predictions agree with the experimental dependence of the phenomenon on anode field, temperature, gate material, and oxide thickness.
Test-Bed Design and Modeling for Aircraft Interior Acoustic Control

A cylindrical test-bed has been designed and modeled to aid in the study and control of interior acoustics in aircraft. The test-bed accounts for local as well as global structural- acoustic dynamics encountered in typical aircraft. The design is based on several existing aircraft and models used to study aircraft dynamics. The test-bed incorporates the basic geometry and materials common to a majority of aircraft, including an aluminum skin shrouding a framed structure composed of ribs and stringers. The design is approximately a one-third scale representation with a cylindrical geometry measuring 0.91 m diameter and 1.98 m long. The test-bed has been modeled using finite element method and Rayleigh-Ritz assumed modes analysis. The models were used to refine the design of the test-bed as well as to model the coupled structural-acoustic dynamics. The models predict that the test-bed will have a modal structure commensurate with experimental identifications on existing aircraft.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cloning and Characterization of 4.1G (EPB41L2), a New Member of the Skeletal Protein 4.1 (EPB41) Gene Family

Abstract The prototypical erythrocyte membrane skeletal protein 4.1 (HGMW-approved symbol EPB41), here designated 4.1R, is encoded by a large, complexly spliced gene located on human chromosome 1p32–p33. In this paper we report evidence for a second 4.1 gene, 4.1G (HGMW-approved symbol EPB41L2), which maps to human chromosome 6q23 and is widely expressed among human tissues. The complete nucleotide sequence of 4.1G cDNA predicts a 113-kDa protein that exhibits three regions of high homology to 4.1R, including the membrane binding domain, the spectrin–actin binding domain, and the C-terminal domain. Interspersed among the shared domains are unique sequences that may define functional differences between 4.1R and 4.1G. Specific isoforms of 4.1R and 4.1G exhibit differential subcellular localizations. These results expand the 4.1 gene superfamily and demonstrate that the diverse cellular complement of 4.1 isoforms results from both alternative splicing and expression of distinct genes.
Blast waves in real gases

Abstract Real gas effects of compressibility, vibrational excitation, dissociation, ionization and electronic excitation are taken into account in blast wave formulation. Residual property concepts, as well as those of equilibrium quantum statistical thermodynamics, are utilized to relate the different microscopic internal energy excitation levels to macroscopic thermodynamic properties. Jump conditions across the shock front are then evaluated and a non-self-similar quasi-similar solution is obtained for the adiabatic point explosion problem. From the results it appears that temperature profiles are affected most by the real gas properties of the medium. Some of their effects are evident in density profiles, while pressure and particle velocity are relatively unaffected. Finally, the shock front decays slower than in the perfect gas case, especially during the initial stages of propagation.
Portable antenatal ultrasound platform for village midwives

Ultrasound imaging is an effective tool for identifying maternal mortality risk factors. Unfortunately, ultrasound is nearly absent in many rural healthcare facilities in developing regions due to the high costs of both equipment and required training. To leverage existing healthcare systems commonly found in these contexts, we have focused our efforts on increasing the diagnostic capabilities of midwives -- often central medical figures in rural and low-income communities. We have designed and built a low-cost portable ultrasound device consisting of a USB ultrasound probe and a touchscreen netbook for a total cost of around USD3500. Compared to currently available ultrasound devices, we simplified the user interface while maintaining functionality to allow midwives to detect three common obstetrical conditions: placenta previa, multiple gestations, and breech presentation. To evaluate our solution, we tested the accuracy of ultrasound measurements, image quality, and whether midwives could use ultrasound. Testing performed by nine clinicians indicated our device would be appropriate for identifying the three conditions. Our modular design approach allows for easy modification, and the device is designed to utilize existing local healthcare resources in order to create a sustainable solution that does not depend on continuous foreign assistance.
The growth response of an estuarine diatom (Melosira nummuloides [dillw.] Ag.) to UV-B (290–320 nm) radiation

An increase in the transmission of solar radiation in the UV-B region (specifically, 290–320 nm) is expected to occur as a result of anthropogenic degradation of stratospheric ozone. The potential impact of increased levels of UV-B radiation upon the biosphere is of ecological concern. In a previous study a community of estuarine organisms received a daily exposure to a simulated solar spectrum enhanced in UV-B radiation for a period of six weeks. A dominant species of diatom growing at the surface of these communities was isolated and identified to beMelosira nummuloides. Short chains of this diatom were irradiated for a four-hour period on each of three consecutive days. Fluorescent sunlamps filtered by a 290 nm cut-off filter (0.13–0.50 mm cellulose acetate) or a 315 nm cut-off filter (0.13mm Mylar ‘S’) provided a range of fluence which closely approximated natural fluence levels. A least squares regression analysis of the number of cell divisions on the biologically weighted fluence indicated a significant depression in the growth of this species by radiation in the 290–320 nm waveband.
Merger Statistics Revisited: A Comment

In a recent paper in this JOURNAL, Richard Tilly investigated mergers among leading German industrial firms during the 1880-1913 period.' He was concerned with two issues in his paper. One was the timing of merger activity, in particular its relation to stock price fluctuations; the second was the contribution of mergers to the growth of the enterprises in his sample. I wish to comment on Tilly's treatment of the latter. The measurement of the contribution of mergers to firm growth is not a simple matter. Tilly proceeded as follows. He first calculated the total growth in assets of his sample firms over the period; then he calculated the total assets of firms acquired during the period. The ratio of assets acquired to total asset growth was .17; Tilly proposes that this ratio is a measure of the contribution of mergers ("external growth") to total enterprise growth. The low value of the ratio of acquired to total assets "suggests that the emphasis in the literature on external growth has been exaggerated and that there were more important avenues of growth open: external growth was only a sixth of total growth" (Tilly, p. 635). He also draws implications from his evidence for diversification"If diversification was as important for success as many authors say, then according to the evidence here, it must have depended largely on redirection of internal growth" (Tilly, p. 639). Tilly's procedure is one answer to a difficult question: to what extent is the later growth of an amalgamated company due to the acquired firm, the acquiring firm, or a combination of the two?2 In fact, it is an extreme answer, and his conclusions are in part dependent upon it. Merger contributes to the growth of the acquiring firm not only through the aquired firm's size at the time of the merger, which Tilly accounts for, but also through the subsequent growth of the acquired firm. In Tilly's procedure, all growth that is due to the subsequent growth of the acquired firm is designated internal, rather than external, and is assigned to the acquiring firm. Let me illustrate the problem with a hypothetical example. Firm A has assets of $1 million in 1880, while Firm B has assets of $500,000. Firm A acquires Firm B in that year, and makes no other acquisitions. By 1890, Firm A's asset size is $2 million. Under the Tilly procedure, total asset growth of Firm A is $1 million in the ten-year interval; one-half of that is external growth through the acquisition of Firm B, while one-half is defined to be internal growth. Yet it is quite likely that, had it not been acquired, Firm B would have grown internally in subsequent years; that is, its assets would have generated quasirents sufficient to finance further enterprise growth, and the growth of its markets would have provided the incentive to expand. If this is true, then Firm B's assets, after being acquired by Firm A, should also have generated quasirents sufficient to finance some further growth of Firm A. Let us call this later growth in Firm A, that is due to the acquired assets of Firm B, indirect growth by merger.
Simple Features for Separating CPFSK from QAM and PSK Modulations

In this letter we propose simple and robust features to distinguish continuous-phase frequency shift keying from quadrature amplitude modulation and phase shift keying modulations. The features are based on sample mean and sample variance of the imaginary part of the product of two consecutive complex signal values. Root raised cosine pulses are used to generate the linearly modulated signals. Support vector machines are employed to distinguish the signals. One benefit of using support vector machines is that it requires very few realizations for training. Moreover, no a priori information is required about carrier amplitude, carrier phase, carrier offset, symbol rate, pulse shape, initial symbol phase (timing offset) and channel impulse response. Effectiveness of the features and signal separation by support vector machines is tested by observing the joint effects of additive white Gaussian noise, carrier offset, lack of symbol and sampling synchronization, and either fast or slow fading. In the course of doing that, the proposed classifier is compared to the wavelet based classifier, equipped by support vector machines.
Psychophysics: Are our senses critical?

The sensitivity and dynamic range of a network made of neuron-like elements is now shown to be maximized at the critical point of a phase transition. This raises the question of whether critical senses might improve survival in a critical world.
Smooth pursuit eye movements in response to predictable target motions

The human smooth pursuit eye movement system has a latency of about 150 msec. However, this study shows that humans can learn to perform zero-latency tracking of targets that move with continuous velocity and amplitude-limited acceleration. Superposition of eye velocity and target velocity records, for our unique target waveforms, demonstrated that the subject was using the correct waveform and not just approximating it with a sinusoid or some other simple waveform. Calculation of the mean square error between target and eye position gave a quantitative measure of how well the human can track. The mean square error between target and eye position was 0.32 deg2 for one thousand seconds of steady-state tracking by seven subjects. For several cycles at a time all subjects were able to reduce this error to less than 0.1 deg2.
Instabilities in the feedback linearization of a double inverted pendulum

Numerical results in the feedback linearization of a double pendulum system are presented. Singularities in the vector field of the closed-loop system manifest themselves as numerical instabilities when the denominator of the linearizing control input is sufficiently small. In a practical example, such as balancing a two-link manipulator along an equilibrium manifold, a method to steer the system away from an ill-conditioned control law is suggested. >
Competitive fare and frequency effects in airport market share modeling

Abstract Previous efforts to model the distribution of passenger traffic between airports in a multi-airport system have focused on ‘catchment areas’ associated with competing airports, which generally do not change in the short to medium term. Since deregulation of US airline markets, however, there have been substantial shifts in airport market shares as a result of changes in relative airline fares and service frequency at competing airports serving the same metropolitan area. In this paper, we develop and estimate an airport market share model based on the dynamics of airline pricing and frequency decisions, which can in fact vary dramatically over time. We argue that the distribution of traffic between competing airports is modeled most correctly at the level of the origin-destination market, as a function of relative fares charged by airlines at each airport and the effective frequency of service in the O-D market from each airport. The statistical estimation of price and time elasticities for several case studies demonstrates the importance of including these airline supply decisions in the modeling of airport market shares.
An electro-diffusion model for computing membrane potentials and ionic concentrations in branching dendrites, spines and axons

The Nernst-Planck equation for electrodiffusion was applied to axons, dendrites and spines. For thick processes (1 μm) the results of computer simulation agreed accurately with the cable model for passive conduction and for propagating action potentials. For thin processes (0.1 μm) and spines, however, the cable model may fail during transient events such as synaptic potentials. First, ionic concentrations can rapidly change in small compartments, altering ionic equilibrium potentials and the driving forces for movement of ions across the membrane. Second, longitudinal diffusion may dominate over electrical forces when ionic concentration gradients become large. We compare predictions of the cable model and the electro-diffusion model for excitatory postsynaptic potentials on spines and show that there are significant discrepancies for large conductance changes. The electro-diffusion model also predicts that inhibition on small structures such as spines and thin processes is ineffective. We suggest a modified cable model that gives better agreement with the electro-diffusion model.
Recruitment and Growth of Old World Climbing Fern in Hurricane-Caused Canopy Gaps

Abstract Following 2 y of severe hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, we examined the role of canopy gaps in promoting recruitment and growth of the exotic fern, Old World climbing fern Lygodium microphyllum (hereafter Lygodium), on tree islands of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. We selected 12 sample tree islands, on which we placed three 1-m2 plots in a hurricane-caused canopy gap and three plots in an adjacent closed canopy area. Spore traps were placed in canopy gaps and closed canopy areas to quantify the number of spores reaching the forest floor on each island. In addition, in each plot occurrence and growth of Lygodium was measured across four height classes (recruitment class, understory, midstory, and canopy). We predicted that recruitment and growth of Lygodium would be higher in canopy gaps than in closed canopy areas. After 3 y of biannual monitoring, a significantly greater number of spores were foundin canopy gaps (4,804 spores·m2·d) than in closed canopy areas...
Structure and crystallization behaviour of Li2O-Fe2O3-SiO2 glasses

Iron-containing lithium disilicate glasses, other silicate and borate glasses, and crystallized lithium disilicate glasses have been studied by Raman spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. In the as-quenched glasses the presence of iron leads to a strong Raman band at 950 cm−1 and to a broad Raman scattering continuum below 500cm−1. There is also an emission due to trivalent iron at about 14000cm−1 Lithium metasilicate has been identified in all crystallized glasses with more than 1% Fe2O3. It was possible to crystallize some of the glasses by irradiating them with intense blue laser light, and Raman spectra of various stages of photocrystallization have been obtained. By comparing the Raman spectra of the crystallized glasses with those of as-quenched glasses it is deduced that the trivalent iron has its own distinct local environment in the glass.
Characterization of a Laser Plasma in a Pulsed Magnetic Field. Part II: Time-Resolved Emission and Absorption Studies:

Temporally resolved emission and absorbance measurements were made in order to investigate the dynamic effects of a high-intensity pulsed magnetic field on a laser plasma. Temporally resolved emission studies were spatially resolved so that the effects of the magnetic field on plasma propagation both along and normal to the magnetic field could be probed. The mechanism of interaction of the field was investigated by observing plasma emission in spatial zones most likely to be influenced by an induced secondary current in the plasma. Spatial and temporal discrimination of emission enhancements indicated that radial compression was due to static magnetic field interactions with the laser plasma and that mild Joule-heating from the small induced current was most likely responsible for emission enhancements later in time. Spatially integrated absorbance measurements in the decaying plasma showed a decrease in absorbance as a result of the magnetic confinement; this is attributed to an increased rate of condensation of the atoms in the vapor cloud produced by the pinched plasma. More efficient coupling of energy from the magnetic field to the plasma would require low-pressure operation in a controlled atmosphere and/or a pulsed magnetic field having a greater dB/dt.
Reactions of dysmenorrheic and nondysmenorrheic women to experimentally induced pain throughout the menstrual cycle

It has been proposed that dysmenorrheic women have a heightened pain sensitivity compared to nondysmenorrheic women, although previous studies investigating this hypothesis have yielded conflicting results. This study investigated the pain sensitivity of nondysmenorrheic women and of women suffering from spasmodic, congestive, and combined dysmenorrhea, across three phases of the menstrual cycle: premenstrual, menstrual, and intermenstrual. No interaction between type of dysmenorrhea and menstrual phase was found for either pain threshold or pain tolerance, using three procedures of experimentally induced pain. On a self-report measure of pain, however, the congestive and combined dysmenorrheics reported the highest degree of pain and distress, especially during the premenstrual and menstrual phases; nonsufferers reported the lowest degree and were stable across phases.