cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wireless powering/harvesting for RFID sensors

Summary form only given. With the explosion of mobile phones and wireless internets, we are now living in a sea of radio waves. Unfortunately, most of the radio frequency (RF) energy just goes wasted unless it's intercepted by its intended RF devices. We are also living in the world of sensors which play important roles in safeguarding our modern technologies and infrastructures. Most sensors require electrical power for either sensing operations or for sending sensed data to data collection and processing devices. Such power is commonly provided from batteries that need to be recharged or replaced periodically, which undesirably increases operation cost and decreases sensor's life cycle. There are many applications where embedded sensors would be very useful but have not been taken advantage of due to the inability to service the batteries. Therefore, it makes sense to harvest the ubiquitous RF energy for sensors or to wirelessly deliver power to sensors. In the case of wireless power delivery, a narrow RF beamwidth is used for maximal and targeted power delivery. The input power to the rectifier can be much higher than previous ambient RF energy case, and therefore the efficiency needs to be optimized for such condition. This efficiency optimization involves input impedance matching network, output load optimization, and most importantly, choosing the right rectifying diode. We will discuss about the diode selection guidelines and present some rectifier circuit design examples for input power in a few Watts range.
Inorganic pyrophosphate: D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase in mung beans and its activation by D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and D-glucose 1, 6-bisphosphate.

Abstract Inorganic pyrophosphate: D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase was detected in extracts of mung bean sprouts, the first such detection in C3 plants. The enzyme had an absolute requirement for a divalent metal (Mg++) as well as for D-fructose 6-phosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate. An examination of anomalous kinetics revealed that the enzyme was activated by a product of the reaction, D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate; micromolar concentrations of this effector increased the activity of the enzyme about 20-fold. D-Glucose 1,6-bisphosphate at higher concentrations could substitute for D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate as an activator, but not as a substrate in the reverse reaction. The enzyme was fully active under conditions wherein ATP: D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase from the same source was inhibited >99% (e.g., in the presence of 10 μM phosphoenolpyruvate).
Bacterial incorporation of leucine into protein down to −20 °C with evidence for potential activity in sub-eutectic saline ice formations

Direct evidence for metabolism in a variety of frozen environments has pushed temperature limits for bacterial activity to increasingly lower temperatures, so far to -20 degrees C. To date, the metabolic activities of marine psychrophilic bacteria, important components of sea-ice communities, have not been studied in laboratory culture, not in ice and not below -12 degrees C. We measured [3H]-leucine incorporation into macromolecules (further fractionated biochemically) by the marine psychrophilic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H over a range of anticipated activity-permissive temperatures, from +13 to -20 degrees C, including expected negative controls at -80 and -196 degrees C. For incubation temperatures below -1 degrees C, the cell suspensions [all in artificial seawater (ASW)] were first quick-frozen in liquid nitrogen. We also examined the effect of added extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on [3H]-leucine incorporation. Results showed that live cells of strain 34H incorporated substantial amounts of [3H]-leucine into TCA-precipitable material (primarily protein) down to -20 degrees C. At temperatures from -1 to -20 degrees C, rates were enhanced by EPS. No activity was detected in the killed controls for strain 34H (or in Escherichia coli controls), which included TCA-killed, heat-killed, and sodium azide- and chloramphenicol-treated samples. Surprisingly, evidence for low but significant rates of intracellular incorporation of [3H]-leucine into protein was observed for both ASW-only and EPS-amended (and live only) samples incubated at -80 and -196 degrees C. Mechanisms that could explain the latter results require further study, but the process of vitrification promoted by rapid freezing and the presence of salts and organic polymers may be relevant. Overall, distinguishing between intracellular and extracellular aspects of bacterial activity appears important to understanding behavior at sub-freezing temperatures.
A continuum theory for viscoelastic composite beams

A dynamical continuum theory is developed for laminated composite beams. Starting with an assumed displacement- and temperature field, the one-dimensional approximate theory is consistently constructed within the frame of the three-dimensional theory of linear, nonisothermal, anisotropic, coupled viscoelasticity. Each constituent of the beam may possess different constant thickness and mechanical properties. All dynamic interactions between the adjacent constituents are included. Further, the effects of transverse shear and normal strains and rotatory inertia as well as those of cross-sectional distortion are all taken into account. The resulting equations consist of the macroscopic beam equations of motion and heat conduction, the kinematical relations, the initial and boundary conditions and the constitutive equations, and they govern the extensional, flexural and torsional motions of laminated composite beams. The special cases of constituents which made of either isotropic thermoviscoelastic or anisotropic thermoelastic materials are discussed briefly.
Signal transduction in electrically stimulated articular chondrocytes involves translocation of extracellular calcium through voltage-gated channels.

Summary Objective To ascertain, using specific inhibitors, the potential role of calcium-related signal transduction pathways in the mechanism of cartilage matrix protein gene induction and metalloproteinase gene suppression by capacitively coupled electric fields. Methods Articular chondrocytes were isolated from adult bovine patellae and cultured in high density for 7 days. To study matrix protein expression, cells cultured in the absence or presence of specific calcium pathway inhibitors were exposed to a capacitively coupled electrical field (60kHz, 20mV/cm): for aggrecan 1h at 50% duty cycle and for type II collagen 6h at 8.3% duty cycle. To study metalloproteinase expression in the presence of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), cells were cultured as above but exposed for only 30min to a 100% duty cycle signal. At harvest, total mRNA was isolated and aggrecan, type II collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-1, -3 and -13) and aggrecanase [a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombo s pondin repeats (ADAMTS-4 and -5)] mRNA expression were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results (1) In the absence of inhibitors, appropriate electrical stimulation induces a 3–4-fold up-regulation of both aggrecan and type II collagen mRNA and a 3.7–9.6-fold down-regulation of IL-1β-induced metalloproteinases; (2) the presence of inhibitors alone does not affect any target mRNA levels; (3) inhibitors of intracellular calcium regulation and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3 ) formation [8-(diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5,-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8) and neomycin, respectively] have no effect on regulation of target mRNA levels by electrical stimulation; and (4) inhibitors of voltage-gated calcium channels (verapamil), calmodulin activation ( N -(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride, W-7), calcineurin activity (cyclosporin A), phospholipase C activity (bromophenacyl bromide, BPB) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) synthesis (indomethacin) completely inhibit the effects of electrical stimulation. Conclusions The results are consistent with the effects of electrical stimulation involving a pathway of extracellular Ca 2+ influx via voltage-gated calcium channels rather than from intracellular Ca 2+ repositories; and with downstream roles for calmodulin, calcineurin and n uclear f actor of a ctivated T-cells (NF-AT) rather than for phospholipase C and IP 3 .
Laminar heat transfer in the entrance region of ducts

A finite difference technique is used for the evaluation of the rate of heat transfer in the thermal entrance region of ducts with axial conduction. The velocity profile is fully developed and flow in a tube and between parallel plates is studied. Local and average Nusselt numbers and mixing temperatures are presented as a function of the Peclet number. A criterion is also established which proves useful for predicting the conditions under which axial conduction may be ignored.
Low-Temperature Hybrid CMOS Circuits Based on Chalcogenides and Organic TFTs

In this letter, we demonstrate a fully integrated approach to fabricate cadmium sulfide (CdS)-pentacene complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) digital circuits compatible with flexible electronics. Low-cost and low-temperature chemical bath deposition is used to deposit CdS at 70°C with mobility values >; 10 cm2/V·s and threshold voltages around 5 V for fully integrated devices. p-MOS thin-film transistors were fabricated using thermally evaporated pentacene as semiconductor with mobility and threshold voltages in the range of 3×10-2 cm2/V·s and -3 V, respectively. The CMOS integration approach includes six mask levels with a maximum processing temperature of 100°C.
Civilization and Society

We have developed a societal perceptual space theory for analyzing a natural history of society. Can we apply this theory to contemporary problems of societal control? Failure of proper control in the systems of a society is an important issue. We have seen how poor economic performance or the break-down of military/economic ­systems has created political chaos in societies – during which tyrants have taken ­control. Let us next look at the challenges of proper control in the complexity of modern societal systems.
NT-PGC-1α activation attenuates high-fat diet-induced obesity by enhancing brown fat thermogenesis and adipose tissue oxidative metabolism

The transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ coactivator (PGC)-1α and its splice variant N terminal (NT)-PGC-1α regulate adaptive thermogenesis by transcriptional induction of thermogenic and mitochondrial genes involved in energy metabolism. We previously reported that full-length PGC-1α (FL-PGC-1α) is dispensable for cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis in FL-PGC-1α−/− mice, since a slightly shorter but functionally equivalent form of NT-PGC-1α (NT-PGC-1α254) fully compensates for the loss of FL-PGC-1α in brown and white adipose tissue. In the current study, we challenged FL-PGC-1α−/− mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) to investigate the effects of diet-induced thermogenesis on HFD-induced obesity. Despite a large decrease in locomotor activity, FL-PGC-1α−/− mice exhibited the surprising ability to attenuate HFD-induced obesity. Reduced fat mass in FL-PGC-1α−/− mice was closely associated with an increase in body temperature, energy expenditure, and whole-body fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Mechanistically, FL-PGC-1α−/− brown adipose tissue had an increased capacity to oxidize fatty acids and dissipate energy as heat, in accordance with upregulation of thermogenic genes UCP1 and DIO2. Furthermore, augmented expression of FAO and lipolytic genes in FL-PGC-1α−/− white adipose tissue was highly correlated with decreased fat storage in adipose tissue. Collectively, our data highlight a protective effect of NT-PGC-1α on diet-induced obesity by enhancing diet-induced thermogenesis and FAO.
Influence of rotational inertia on turning performance of theropod dinosaurs: clues from humans with increased rotational inertia.

SUMMARY The turning agility of theropod dinosaurs may have been severely limited by the large rotational inertia of their horizontal trunks and tails. Bodies with mass distributed far from the axis of rotation have much greater rotational inertia than bodies with the same mass distributed close to the axis of rotation. In this study, we increased the rotational inertia about the vertical axis of human subjects 9.2-fold, to match our estimate for theropods the size of humans, and measured the ability of the subjects to turn. To determine the effect of the increased rotational inertia on maximum turning capability, five subjects jumped vertically while attempting to rotate as far as possible about their vertical axis. This test resulted in a decrease in the average angle turned to 20 % of the control value. We also tested the ability of nine subjects to run as rapidly as possible through a tight slalom course of six 90° turns. When the subjects ran with the 9.2-fold greater rotational inertia, the average velocity through the course decreased to 77 % of the control velocity. When the subjects ran the same course but were constrained as to where they placed their feet, the average velocity through the course decreased to 65 % of the control velocity. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that rotational inertia may have limited the turning performance of theropods. They also indicate that the effect of rotational inertia on turning performance is dependent on the type of turning behavior. Characters such as retroverted pubes, reduced tail length, decreased body size, pneumatic vertebrae and the absence of teeth reduced rotational inertia in derived theropods and probably, therefore, improved their turning agility. To reduce rotational inertia, theropods may have run with an arched back and tail, an S-curved neck and forelimbs held backwards against the body.
Provenge: combating prostate cancer with a vengeance?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Management of advanced, castration-resistant prostate cancer is challenging and treatment is limited t...
Numerical study on mixture formation characteristics in a direct-injection hydrogen engine

Numerical modeling of direct hydrogen injection and in-cylinder mixture formation is performed in this paper. Numerical studies on direct-injection hydrogen engines are very limited due mainly to the complexity in modeling the physical phenomena associated with the high-velocity gas jet. The high injection pressure will result in a choked flow and develop an underexpanded jet at the nozzle exit, which consists of oblique and normal shock waves. A robust numerical model and a very fine computational mesh are required to model these phenomena. However, a very fine mesh may not be feasible in the practical engine application. Therefore, in this study a gas jet injection model is implemented into a multidimensional engine simulation code to simulate the hydrogen injection process, starting from the downstream of the nozzle. The fuel jet is modeled on a coarse mesh using an adaptive mesh refinement algorithm in order to accurately capture the gas jet structure. The model is validated using experimental and theoretical results on the penetrations of single and multiple jets. The model is able to successfully predict the gas jet penetration and structure using a coarse mesh with reasonable computer time. The model is further applied to simulate a direct-injection hydrogen engine to study the effects of injection parameters on the in-cylinder mixture characteristics. The effects of the start of fuel injection, orientation of the jets, and the injector location on the mixture quality are determined. Results show that the hydrogen jets impinge on the walls soon after injection due to the high velocity of the gas jet. The mixing of hydrogen and air takes place mainly after wall impingement. The optimal injection parameters are selected based on the homogeneity of the in-cylinder mixture. It is found that early injection can result in more homogeneous mixture at the time of ignition. Results also indicate that it is more favorable to position the injector near the intake valve to take advantage of the interaction of hydrogen jets and the intake flow to create a more homogeneous mixture.
The domain of analyticity of Dirichlet–Neumann operators

Dirichlet–Neumann operators arise in many applications in the sciences, and this has inspired a number of studies on their analytical properties. In this paper we further investigate the analyticity properties of Dirichlet–Neumann operators as functions of the boundary shape. In particular, we study the size of the disc of convergence of their Taylor-series representation. For this we use a complexification technique which requires a novel reformulation of the problem, coupled with methods for systems of elliptic partial differential equations. Numerical results to illustrate our theoretical conclusions are presented.
Developing a Bicultural Model for Academic Achievement: A Look at Acculturative Stress, Coping, and Self-Perception

This project analyzed multimodel student archival data to address the relationship between academic achievement, acculturative stress, and coping factors. Participants were 126 children between 8 and 11 years of age (59 White and 67 Latino). Measurements included demographics, SAFE-C, A-COPE, Self-Perception Profile for Children, and Harter Teacher's Rating Scale. Latinos used more social support and religious coping strategies than Whites (p < .001). A general model of achievement for both groups accounted for 33% of the variance in academic achievement (p < .001). Ethnically specific models accounted for a greater amount of the variance: 57% for a model for Whites and 64% for a model for Latinos (p < .001). This study demonstrates the importance of investigating ethnic differences independently when conducting cross-ethnic research.
Gemfibrozil enhances the listeriacidal effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in J774 macrophages.

J774 macrophage-like cells express organic anion transporters that promote the efflux of fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as norfloxacin (NFX) from these cells. Gemfibrozil (GFZ) blocks organic anion transport in J774 cells, thereby facilitating the intracellular accumulation of NFX (Cao, C., H.C. Neu, and S.C. Silverstein. 1991. J. Cell Biol. 115:467a [Abstr.]). To determine whether GFZ enhances the efficacy of fluoroquinolone antibiotics against intracellular bacterial pathogens, J774 cells were infected with Listeria monocytogenes and incubated in medium containing a fluoroquinolone antibiotic in the presence or absence of GFZ. Intracellular growth of L. monocytogenes was evaluated by lysing J774 cells and assaying for colony-forming units of Listeria. GFZ intensified the bacteriostatic effect of 4 micrograms/ml NFX and rendered 8 micrograms/ml bactericidal for L. monocytogenes. GFZ had a similar potentiating effect when used in combination with 2 micrograms/ml ciprofloxacin (CFX). CFX plus GFZ was bactericidal for intracellular L. monocytogenes. Treatment of J774 cells with NFX plus GFZ markedly reduced the cytotoxic effect of the bacteria on these cells. Over 55% of cells treated with 8 micrograms/ml NFX alone were dead 16 h after infection, whereas only 5% of cells treated with 8 micrograms/ml NFX plus GFZ were dead at 16 h. Similarly, GFZ potentiated the ability of 2 micrograms/ml to protect J774 cells against the cytocidal effect of Listeria. NFX in combination with GFZ limited cell-to-cell spread of L. monocytogenes. In antibiotic-free medium, > 99% of J774 cells contained intracellular L. monocytogenes at 14 h after infection. NFX alone in the medium did not change this outcome. However, 4 micrograms/ml NFX plus GFZ decreased bacterial spread by approximately 40% at 24 h postinfection, and 8 micrograms/ml NFX plus GFZ prevented all spread beyond the initially infected cell population. These results suggest that GFZ could be used clinically to enhance the efficacy of fluoroquinolone and of other anionic antibiotics against bacteria that grow and/or reside within macrophages and/or other cells.
On the Job: Is Long-Term Employment a Thing of the Past? Edited by David Neumark. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2001. Pp. 527. $59.95.

This volume contributes to a large literature on job stability and job security by offering a set of closely related papers that attempt to measure recent trends in the United States. Most earlier literature found little change in job stability and job security during the 1980s, seeming to contradict public and media perceptions of a sharp decline in both. The present volume traces its origins to a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in fall 1996, at which conflicting evidence on trends in the early 1990s was presented. A follow-up conference sponsored by the Russell Sage Foundation encouraged the authors to update their findings through the mid-1990s and to reconcile differences across data sets and methodologies. After review by anonymous referees, 12 papers were collected in this volume. All of them are written by distinguished authors who have contributed previously to this literature.
G4‐associated human diseases

Recent research has established clear connections between G-quadruplexes and human disease. Features of quadruplex structures that promote genomic instability have been determined. Quadruplexes have been identified as transcriptional, translational and epigenetic regulatory targets of factors associated with human genetic disease. An expandable GGGGCC motif that can adopt a G4 structure, located in the previously obscure C9ORF72 locus, has been shown to contribute to two well-recognized neurodegenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This review focuses on these advances, which further dispel the view that genomic biology is limited to the confines of the canonical B-form DNA duplex, and show how quadruplexes contribute spatial and temporal dimensionalities to linear sequence information. This recent progress also has clear practical ramifications, as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease depend on understanding the underlying mechanisms.
Robust control of multivariable two-time-scale nonlinear systems

Abstract This paper focuses on the synthesis of well-conditioned multivariable robust controllers for a broad class of multi-input multi-output two-time-scale nonlinear systems with time-varying uncertain variables, modeled within the framework of singular perturbations. The proposed controller stabilizes the fast dynamics, guarantees boundedness of trajectories, and ensures that the ultimate discrepancy between the outputs and the external reference inputs in the closed-loop system can be made arbitrarily small by an appropriate choice of controller parameters, provided that the singular perturbation parameter is sufficiently small. The developed control method is tested, through simulations, on a fluidized catalytic cracking reactor.
Robust Optimization of an Automotive Valvetrain Using a Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm

A robust optimization of an automobile valvetrain is presented where the variation of engine performances due to the component dimensional variations is minimized subject to the constraints on mean engine performances. The dimensional variations of valvetrain components are statistically characterized based on the measurements of the actual components. Monte Carlo simulation is used on a neural network model built from an integrated high fidelity valvetrain- engine model, to obtain the mean and standard deviation of horsepower, torque and fuel consumption. Assuming the component production cost is inversely proportional to the coefficient of variation of its dimensions, a multi-objective optimization problem minimizing the variation in engine performances and the total production cost of components is solved by a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The comparisons using the newly developed Pareto front quality index (PFQI) indicate that MOGA generates the Pareto fronts of substantially higher quality, than SQP with varying weights on the objectives. The current design of the valvetrain is compared with two alternative designs on the obtained Pareto front, which suggested potential improvements.
Novel plasmid combinations in Haemophilus ducreyi isolates from Thailand.

Abstract Thirty isolates of Haemophilus ducreyi collected in Thailand in 1984 were characterized by plasmid content. Three novel plasmids with estimated molecular masses of 1.8, 2.6, and 2.8 MDa were observed in 29 isolates, in addition to the 3.2-, 5.7-, and 7.0-MDa beta-lactamase and 4.4-MDa sulfonamide resistance plasmids. At least three of the seven plasmids were observed in each of the 29 isolates. The number and diversity of plasmids observed in these isolates of H. ducreyi distinguish them from strains previously described.
3-pentanone fluorescence yield measurements and modeling at elevated temperatures and pressures

Measurements of 3-pentanone fluorescence quantum yield (FQY) over a wide range of temperatures and pressures in air and nitrogen bath gases are reported and a comprehensive FQY model in support of quantitative planar laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics at elevated pressures and temperatures is presented. Measurements were made of the FQY for 20 mbar of 3-pentanone in nitrogen and air for pressures between 1 and 25 bar in a high-pressure and high-temperature cell for excitation wavelengths of 248, 266, 277, and 308 nm. The measurements were performed in nitrogen from 298 to 745 K and in air from 298 to 567 K. The 3-pentanone FQY data were used to optimize FQY model parameters, including the oxygen and nitrogen quenching rates and vibrational relaxation cascade parameters for nitrogen and oxygen. This work introduces vibrational energy dependence for cascade parameters, as well as a nitrogen quenching rate. The new 3-pentanone FQY model agrees with the measurements within 10%, as well as with fluorescence signal measurements from optical internal combustion engines at pressures and temperatures up to 28 bar and 1100 K.
Operative exposure and management of axillary vessel injuries

Axillary vessel injuries are uncommon and challenging injuries encountered by trauma surgeons. Proximity of this vessel to other adjacent veins including the axillary vein, brachial plexus and the osseous structures of the shoulder and upper arm account for a large number of associated injuries. Systematic review of the literature, with emphasis on the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of these injuries, incorporating the authors’ experience. Although uncommon, axillary arterial injuries can result in significant morbidity, limb loss and mortality. Early diagnosis and timely repair of the artery leads to good outcomes.
Capacitor voltage balancing control for a modular matrix converter

This paper describes a simplified capacitor voltage balancing scheme for a modular matrix converter operating in two-level switching mode. The proposed scheme is based on the conventional space vector modulation technique. By using two additional space vectors having opposite direction, the proposed controller is able to regulate all nine capacitor voltages in the converter. A Lyapunov-based control algorithm guarantees stability. This paper also includes experimental waveforms and data to verify the proposed control scheme. The control scheme can be implemented for a real time control using a microprocessor and FPGAs.
Pathological heterogeneity of idiopathic central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders

The last decade has seen a resurgence of interest in MS neuropathology. This resurgence was partly fueled by the development of new molecular and histochemical tools to examine the MS lesion microscopically, as well as technological advances in neuroimaging, which permit a dynamic assessment of lesion formation and disease progression. The heterogeneous pathology of MS in relation to stage of lesion activity, phase of disease, and clinical course is discussed. Pathological studies reveal that the immune factors associated with multiple different effector mechanisms contribute to the inflammation, demyelination, and tissue injury observed in MS lesions. While many agree that pathological heterogeneity exists in white matter demyelinated lesions, it is uncertain whether these observations are patient-dependent and reflect pathogenic heterogeneity or, alternatively, are stage-dependent with multiple mechanisms occurring sequentially within a given patient. Evidence supporting both concepts is presented. Remyelination is present in MS lesions; however, the factors contributing to the extent of repair and oligodendrocyte survival differ depending on the disease phase. A variable and patient-dependent extent of remyelination is observed in chronic MS cases and will likely need to be considered when designing future clinical trials aimed to promote CNS repair. MS is one member of a spectrum of CNS idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disorders that share the basic pathological hallmark of CNS inflammatory demyelination. Advances based on recent systematic clinicopathologic-serologic correlative approaches have led to novel insights with respect to the classification of these disorders, as well as a better understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms.
Heat Stress Alters Ovarian Insulin Mediated Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase and Steroidogenic Signaling in Gilt Ovaries

Heat stress (HS) compromises a variety of reproductive functions in several mammalian species. Inexplicably, HS animals are frequently hyperinsulinemic despite marked hyperthermia-induced hypophagia. Our objectives were to determine the effects of HS on insulin signaling and components essential to steroid biosynthesis in the pig ovary. Female pigs (35 ± 4 kg) were exposed to constant thermoneutral (20°C; 35%-50% humidity; n = 6) or HS conditions (35°C; 20%-35% humidity; n = 6) for either 7 (n = 10) or 35 days (n = 12). After 7 days, HS increased (P < 0.05) ovarian mRNA abundance of the insulin receptor (INSR), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), protein kinase B subunit 1 (AKT1), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHCGR), and aromatase (CYP19a). After 35 days, HS increased INSR, IRS1, AKT1, LDLR, LHCGR, CYP19a, and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR) ovarian mRNA abundance. In addition, after 35 days, HS increased ovarian phosphorylated IRS1 (pIRS1), phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), STAR, and CYP19a protein abundance. Immunostaining analysis revealed similar localization of INSR and pAKT1 in the cytoplasmic membrane and oocyte cytoplasm, respectively, of all stage follicles, and in theca and granulosa cells. Collectively, these results demonstrate that HS alters ovarian insulin-mediated PI3K signaling pathway members, which likely impacts follicle activation and viability. In summary, environmentally induced HS is an endocrine-disrupting exposure that modifies ovarian physiology and potentially compromises production of ovarian hormones essential for fertility and pregnancy maintenance.
Activation of a vmp pseudogene in Borrelia hermsii: an alternate mechanism of antigenic variation during relapsing fever.

Summary The relapsing fever agent, Borrella hermsii, undergoes multiphasic antigenic variation to evade its host's immune response. A frequently observed switch is serotype 7 to 26. Unlike silent vmp genes previously characterized, the transcriptionally silent vmp26 sequence was a pseudogene in lacking a start codon. In serotype 7 the location of the silent vmp26 sequence just downstream of vmp7 on the expression plasmid, as well as on the silent plasmid, was also unique. The demonstration of a predicted circular recombination product in serotype 7 but not serotype 21 populations indicates that the pseudogene was activated by an intramolecular recombination producing a deletion of DNA between 20-nucleotide direct repeats in vmp7 and Ψvmp26.
ESR measurements of phosphorus dimers in isotopically enriched 28 Si silicon

Dopants in silicon have been studied for many decades using optical and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Recently, new features have been observed in the spectra of dopants in isotopically enriched $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ since the reduced inhomogeneous linewidth in this material improves spectral resolution. With this in mind, we measured ESR on exchange coupled phosphorus dimers in $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ and report two results. First, a fine structure is observed in the ESR spectrum arising from state mixing by the hyperfine coupling to the $^{31}\mathrm{P}$ nuclei, which is enhanced when the exchange energy is comparable to the Zeeman energy. This fine structure enables us to spectroscopically address two separate dimer subensembles, the first with exchange $(J)$ coupling ranging from 2 to 7 GHz and the second with $J$ ranging from 6 to 60 GHz. Next, the average spin relaxation times ${T}_{1}$ and ${T}_{2}$ of both dimer subensembles were measured using pulsed ESR at 0.35 T. Both ${T}_{1}$ and ${T}_{2}$ for transitions between triplet states of the dimers were found to be identical to the relaxation times of isolated phosphorus donors in $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$, with ${T}_{2}=4$ ms at 1.7 K limited by spectral diffusion due to dipolar interactions with neighboring donor electron spins. This result, consistent with theoretical predictions, implies that an exchange coupling of 2--60 GHz does not limit the dimer ${T}_{1}$ and ${T}_{2}$ in bulk Si at the 10-ms time scale.
Hybrid Reconstruction Algorithms for Time Domain Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography

We present two algorithms for lifetime multiplexing tomography using time domain measurements that efficiently combines the high resolution capability of early photon tomography with the lifetime separation capability of late arriving photons.
Numerical Simulation Modeling of Aluminum Burning for Heavily Aluminized HE

The objective of this investigation is to model the burning of aluminum particles. An aluminum evaporation/reaction model was incorporated within a multi-phase flow model. The new scheme was applied to the simulation of blast wave evolution, where the HE model includes a significant percentage of aluminum particles, whose long-time burning and energy release must be considered. The evaporation of small aluminum particles with diameters from 5 to 500micron, reacting with oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide was initially tested in a 1-D code. The pressure profiles were significantly different than those obtained an inert aluminum model and from a single-reaction model which only considered a reaction with oxygen. Once validated, the models from 1-D code were incorporated into a 3-D production code. The newly developed 3D flow that includes the aluminum burning model was compared with experimental data. Results with the new model showed very good agreement in terms of the blast evolution, pressure, impulse, and energy behind the wave.
When children ignore evidence in category-based induction. Irrational inferences?

Abstract The process of induction—generalizing information obtained from limited samples to inform broader understandings—plays a critical role in learning across the life span. Previous research on the development of induction has found important developmental changes in one critical component of induction—how children and adults evaluate whether a sample of evidence is informative about a broader category. In particular, when acquiring knowledge about biological kinds, adults view samples that provide diverse representation of a category (e.g. an eagle, a penguin, and a robin, for the category birds ) as more informative than a less diverse sample (e.g. three robins) for drawing inferences about the kind. In contrast, children younger than 8 years often neglect this feature of sample composition, viewing both types of samples as equivalently informative. Is this a case of children making irrational inferences? This chapter examines how these findings can be reconciled with rational constructivist approaches to cognitive development, focusing on (1) the role of the sampling context in determining how learners incorporate information about sample composition into inductive inferences and (2) how developmental differences in learners' intuitive theories influence how they make sense of new evidence. This chapter highlights how strong tests of rational approaches come from incidences where children's performance appears to be quite nonnormative.
Technological Improvisation

If our ideas about the outside world are correct, our technology will work well. If those ideas are wrong, we're likely to see results we didn't anticipate. The Web extra at https://youtu.be/JoQ_lWknpjM is an audio recording of author David Alan Grier expanding on his Errant Hashtag column, in which he describes using technological improvisation to gather data and assess options before making and executing plans.
Transgenic Approaches to the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease

Different genes known to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease have been introduced into transgenic mice in an attempt to model the disease. Transgenic mice overexpressing mutant presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenes show elevated levels of the highly amyloidogenic fragment, Aβ(42)43, compared to mice overexpressing wild type PS1. Mutations in both PS1 and APP have therefore been shown to have a similar effect on Aβ(42)43 levels suggesting a common link to AD pathogenesis. Although mutant PS1 and APP transgenic mice do not show all the features of the human disease, it is now possible to extend and enhance the AD phenotype by crossing transgenic mice together.
Kairotropy: Discovering Critical Illness Trajectories Using Clinical Phenotypes with Big Data

In 1967, Alvan Feinstein defined “iatrotropic stimulus” as “the particular reason why a person decided to seek medical attention at a particular time” [1]. His purpose was to draw the attention of clinicians and researchers to the fact that the medical system becomes aware of a disease only at the moment a patient decides to arrive into the healthcare system, and not necessarily at the time that the disease begins. This concept is powerful in that it encourages the clinician as well as the epidemiologist to see the broader picture of a patient’s experience and understand the contextual drivers behind utilization patterns. The primary care setting is often the first point of catchment for iatrotropy, suggesting that “health problems are presented to healthcare workers for the first time because they are not solvable by patients and their social networks without professional medical help” [2]. Given the unique causes, costs, and sequelae of critical illness, a particular kind of health problem, here we introduce the term “kairotropic stimulus” to signify “the particular reason why a person is in need of critical care services at a particular time”.
The Ethical, Infinite Resignation, and the Demonic

In Fear and Trembling, in that dimension of his ‘Dialectical Lyric’ that makes it dialectical, Johannes de Silentio juxtaposes the faith of the knight of faith, the faith of Abraham, to other states that are misleadingly similar to it. In doing so he brings into graphic relief the nature of faith against the background of what it is not. The three primary states with which he dialectically contrasts faith — the biblical faith of the Fear and Trembling model — are the ethical, infinite resignation, and the demonic. Each in its way is like faith, for faith shares something with each. Yet, though some would identify each of these three states with faith, none is faith. In this chapter I want to bring out the contrast between faith and each of these three states, as that contrast emerges in Fear and Trembling, and I want to do so with faith’s joyfulness in mind. I shall take the three in order.
The materials irradiation experiment for testing plasma facing materials at fusion relevant conditions

The Materials Irradiation Experiment (MITE-E) was constructed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Laboratory to test materials for potential use as plasma-facing materials (PFMs) in fusion reactors. PFMs in fusion reactors will be bombarded with x-rays, neutrons, and ions of hydrogen and helium. More needs to be understood about the interactions between the plasma and the materials to validate their use for fusion reactors. The MITE-E simulates some of the fusion reactor conditions by holding samples at temperatures up to 1000 °C while irradiating them with helium or deuterium ions with energies from 10 to 150 keV. The ion gun can irradiate the samples with ion currents of 20 μA–500 μA; the typical current used is 72 μA, which is an average flux of 9 × 1014 ions/(cm2 s). The ion gun uses electrostatic lenses to extract and shape the ion beam. A variable power (1-20 W), steady-state, Nd:YAG laser provides additional heating to maintain a constant sample temperature dur...
Eliciting Naturalistic Cortical Responses with a Sensory Prosthesis via Optimized Microstimulation

Abstract : Objective. Lost sensations, such as touch, could one day be restored by electrical stimulation along the sensory neural pathways. Such stimulation, when informed by electronic sensors, could provide naturalistic cutaneous and proprioceptive feedback to the user. Perceptually, microstimulation of somatosensory brain regions produces localized, modality-specific sensations, and several spatiotemporal parameters have been studied for their discernibility. However, systematic methods for encoding a wide array of naturally occurring stimuli into biomimetic percepts via multi-channel microstimulation are lacking. More specifically, generating spatiotemporal patterns for explicitly evoking naturalistic neural activation has not yet been explored. Approach. We address this problem by first modeling the dynamical inputoutput relationship between multichannel microstimulation and downstream neural responses, and then optimizing the input pattern to reproduce naturally occurring touch responses as closely as possible. Main results. Here we show that such optimization produces responses in the S1 cortex of the anesthetized rat that are highly similar to natural, tactile-stimulus-evoked counterparts. Furthermore, information on both pressure and location of the touch stimulus was found to be highly preserved. Significance. Our results suggest that the currently presented stimulus optimization approach holds great promise for restoring naturalistic levels of sensation.
Selection on Position of Nonsense Codons in Introns.

Introns occasionally remain in mature messenger RNAs (mRNAs) due to splicing errors and the translated, aberrant proteins that result represent a metabolic cost and may have other deleterious consequences. The nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway degrades aberrant mRNAs, which it recognizes by the presence of an in-frame premature termination codon (PTC). We investigated whether selection has shaped the location of PTCs in introns to reduce waste and facilitate NMD. We found across seven model organisms, that in both first and last introns, PTCs occur earlier in introns than expected by chance, suggesting that selection favors earlier position. This pattern is more pronounced in species with larger effective population sizes. The pattern does not hold for last introns in the two mammal species, however, perhaps because in these species NMD is not initiated from 3′-terminal introns. We conclude that there is compelling evidence that the location of PTCs is shaped by selection for reduced waste and efficient degradation of aberrant mRNAs.
Origin of the Zika virus revealed: a historical journey across the world

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus within the Flaviviridae family, the recent spread of which has promoted public concern. Methods This study outlines the clinical features, potential for teratogenicity, diagnosis, and treatment of ZIKV infection. Results Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Stegomyia (= Aedes) mosquito, blood transfusion, sexual intercourse, and perinatal routes. Infection has been characterized as mildly symptomatic. Symptoms include mild fever, headache, arthralgia, myalgia, non-purulent conjunctivitis, and a pruritic maculopapular rash. It is rarely life-threatening, but both Guillain–Barre syndrome and fetal microcephaly have been reported. ZIKV belongs to the same family as bovine viral diarrhea virus, which causes hydrocephalus and microcephaly in newborn calves, and hepatitis C virus, which can be vertically transmitted in human pregnancies, and hence there remains concern for potential similarities. Diagnostic methods include polymerase chain reaction performed in blood samples during infection, and in urine and saliva. Pregnant women undergo antibody testing for immunoglobulin M. Treatment involves supportive care, and acetaminophen and antihistamines to control symptoms. Conclusions Although there was no evidence of the circulation of ZIKV in the Western hemisphere prior to 2014, the global spread of Stegomyia aegypti and increases in urban populations and international travel have fostered its evolution. Adherence to current guidelines for the prevention of ZIKV transmission is especially relevant in regions experiencing ongoing outbreaks. Concern for microcephaly in newborns warrants further investigation into the potential long-term effects of ZIKV infection, especially in relation to reproductive health and mother–fetus transmission.
Abundant collateralization of temporal lobe projections to the accumbens, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, central amygdala and lateral septum

Behavioral flexibility is subserved in part by outputs from the cerebral cortex to telencephalic subcortical structures. In our earlier evaluation of the organization of the cortical–subcortical output system (Reynolds and Zahm, J Neurosci 25:11757–11767, 2005), retrograde double-labeling was evaluated in the prefrontal cortex following tracer injections into pairs of the following subcortical telencephalic structures: caudate–putamen, core and shell of the accumbens (Acb), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). The present study was done to assess patterns of retrograde labeling in the temporal lobe after similar paired tracer injections into most of the same telencephalic structures plus the lateral septum (LS). In contrast to the modest double-labeling observed in the prefrontal cortex in the previous study, up to 60–80 % of neurons in the basal and accessory basal amygdaloid nuclei and amygdalopiriform transition area exhibited double-labeling in the present study. The most abundant double-labeling was generated by paired injections into structures affiliated with the extended amygdala, including the CeA, BST and Acb shell. Injections pairing the Acb core with the BST or CeA produced significantly fewer double-labeled neurons. The ventral subiculum exhibited modest amounts of double-labeling associated with paired injections into the Acb, BST, CeA and LS. The results raise the issue of how an extraordinarily collateralized output from the temporal lobe may contribute to behavioral flexibility.
‘The global assemblage of digital flow’: Critical data studies and the infrastructures of computing

Geographers have been at the forefront of interrogating the changes made possible by the ubiquity of computing and the phenomenon of ‘big data’ in an emerging field known as ‘critical data studies’. In this article, I argue that engagement with the proliferation of computing infrastructures that make these new developments possible in the first place allows critical data studies to gain important historical-geographical perspective, connect to new manifestations of uneven development, and better grasp the role of non-human actors within emerging socio-technical relations. This expanded empirical framing opens up new theoretical implications and opportunities for public engagement with critical infrastructure.