cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Punishment and reward normalize error-related cognitive control in PTSD by modulating salience network activation and connectivity.

Abstract Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology disrupts inhibitory control during sustained attention. However, PTSD-related inhibitory control deficits are partially ameliorated when punishments and rewards are administered based on task performance, which suggests motivational processes contribute to these deficits. Additionally, PTSD may also impair error-related cognitive control following inhibitory control failures as measured by post-error slowing (PES). However, it remains unclear if motivational processes also contribute to impaired error-related cognitive control in PTSD. Using an incentivized sustained attention paradigm in two independent samples of post-9/11 veterans, we characterized PTSD-related differences in PES during both non-motivated conditions (no task-based incentives) and motivated conditions (task-based rewards and punishments). In Study 1 (n = 139), PTSD symptom severity was modestly associated with smaller PES in the non-motivated condition, whereas no PTSD-related association was observed in the motivated condition. In Study 2 (n = 35), we replicated and extended these results by using fMRI to characterize modulation of the triple network system comprised of the Salience Network (SN), Frontoparietal Control Network (FPCN), and Default Mode Network (DMN). In the non-motivated condition, PTSD symptom severity was associated with non-specific SN and FPCN hyperactivation during both failed and successful inhibitory control. In the motivated condition, PTSD symptom severity was associated with greater focal activation of both the SN and Superior Parietal Lobule cluster (an FPCN node) during punished inhibitory control failures and weaker SN-FPCN connectivity during rewarded inhibitory control successes. Together, these results suggest that dysregulated motivational processes in PTSD may contribute to impaired error-related cognitive control.
Hydrothermal reactions involving equilibrium between minerals and mixed volatiles

Abstract The properties of fluids in the CO 2 CH 4 H 2 O system including CO 2 H 2 O and CH 4 H 2 O binary and CO 2 CH 4 H 2 O ternary mixtures with total gas compositions varying from 5.5 to 16.5 mole% were studied at temperatures between 400° and 600°C and pressures between 1000 and 3000 bar. Gas-loading techniques described in Part 1 combined with synthetic fluid inclusion methods were utilized to produce fluid inclusions of known composition. Densities, isochores, liquid-vapor curves and clathrate melting relations were determined for the binary and ternary compositions using measurements of the melting temperature of solid carbon dioxide, the homogenization temperature of carbon dioxide, the clathrate melting temperature and the homogenization temperature of the bubble. The liquid-vapor curves for the CH 4 H 2 O binary were found to be in excellent agreement with previously published results of H. Welsch while significant differences exist for the CO 2 H 2 O binary when compared to those of S. Takenouchi and G.C. Kennedy. Isochores resulting from this study vary significantly from theoretical calculations particularly in the case of low CO 2 concentrations in the CO 2 H 2 O binary.
The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and the Estate Tax Marital Deduction: Should Prenuptial Agreements Alter the Relationship?

This Article joins the chorus of those criticizing the use of the economic unit presumption, using a song sheet involving prenuptial agreements to do so. To make this criticism, this Article considers a discrete question: Should married individuals be able to avail themselves of the 100% estate tax marital deduction when their marriage is governed by a prenuptial agreement? Put another way, should the existence of a prenuptial agreement ever rebut the economic unit presumption? Or, do the elements of simplicity and administrative ease gained through the use of the economic unit presumption still support the presumption even if there is a written agreement undercutting, in some fashion, the existence of an economic unit? The 100% marital deduction provides a benefit to married individuals. Should they be allowed this benefit if they have avoided the burdens associated with marriage, in some manner, by executing a prenuptial agreement? In considering this discrete question, the use of marriage as the only proxy for the economic unit presumption is accepted. Given the lack of a baseline of economic activity between spouses with which to determine if they actually function as economic units, the use of marriage as a proxy for the economic unit presumption adds an element of simplicity to the Transfer Tax Code and eases enforcement concerns associated with determining the transfer tax consequences of intramarriage transfers. For discussion purposes, the use of the economic presumption is accepted, generally, outside of the context of marriages governed by prenuptial agreements.
Empirical Evidence On The Motivation For Dutch Auction Versus Fixed Price Tender Offers

Persons (1994) presents a model in which firms choose between the Dutch auction and fixed price repurchase methods. We examine the empirical implications of the model and document a number of findings that are consistent with the model. For instance, takeover activity prior to repurchase announcements is significantly higher for firms announcing Dutch auctions. However, takeover activity significantly declines after Dutch auctions but is not significantly different after fixed price offers. Moreover, using a logistic regression analysis, we find that Dutch auctions are more likely to be adopted by large firms with low Tobin’s q ratios, low inside ownership, and that were subject to prior takeover pressure. When we split the sample between repurchases with and without prior takeover activity, we find that repurchases without prior takeover activity result in a permanent increase in value while those with prior takeover activity result in only a temporary increase in value. We also find that the higher incidence of takeover battles following defensive fixed price repurchases results in lower post-repurchase returns relative to defensive Dutch auctions. These findings indicate that if the repurchase is used as a takeover deterrent, Dutch auctions are the more effective repurchase method.
Integrating Social Media Technologies in Higher Education: Costs-Benefits Analysis

Social networking and electronic channels of communication are effective tools in the process of teaching and learning and have increasingly improved the quality of students’ learning outcomes in higher education in recent years. The process encourages students’ active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities and group work, and provides a flow of information dissemination in a sophisticated method that yields measurable results. Faculty can monitor collaborative and independent activities of their students and can also provide timely feedback. Studies identified some issues associated with social networking and students’ learning ability, but argue that performance assessment and learning outcomes can be adequately managed as a result of social networking mechanism. This paper concludes that electronic media enhance collaborative learning activities, enabling students to engage in an ongoing communication with one another in the process of learning. Effective use of social networking tools in learning environments by faculty can sustain the quality of instructions and skills-development in business education.
Toward the In Situ Detection of Individual He2*Excimers Using a Ti TES in Superfluid Helium

Abstract—We characterize a single titanium (Ti) transitionedge sensor (TES) designed for in-situ detection of individualHe 2 * excimers. We ﬁnd a critical temperature of 420 mK, anelectrothermal time constant of ∼3 µs, and a total energy reso-lution of 1.5 eV. We observe the detector response to short laserpulses, and present a successful analysis strategy for extractingdirect-TES-hit pulse areas from a much larger substrate hitbackground. We discuss near-term plans for coupling multiplesuch TESs together with a shared aluminum (Al) absorber,increasing the He 2 * collection area to millimeter scales. Finally,we brieﬂy discuss the technical challenges (and solutions) ofinstalling a hermetic superﬂuid volume in a cryogen-free dilutionrefrigerator.Index Terms—Transition Edge Sensor, Helium excimer, UVSensor I. I NTRODUCTION T HE dynamics of quantum turbulence in superﬂuid 4 Heis a ﬁeld of active research. Quantum vortices are madeobservable by trapping particles within the vortex core. Theparticles used for tagging the vortices in this way wouldideally be easily observed, long-lived, and small in diameterso as not to perturb the vortex dynamics under study. Micron-scale hydrogen ice particles have been used [1], [2], but He
Cloud Service Security & application vulnerability

Cloud computing is one of today's most appealing technology areas due to its cost-efficiency and flexibility. However, despite significant interests, deploying cloud computing in an enterprise infrastructure offers significant security concerns. Successful implementation of cloud computing in an enterprise requires proper planning and understanding of emerging risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and possible countermeasures. This paper discusses security concerns of the three cloud computing models namely “Software as a Service” (SaaS), Platform as a Service” (PaaS) and “Infrastructure as a Service” (IaaS). It also discusses Cloud-based Security Tools currently available today. Under the U.S. Federal Security Requirements for Cloud Security. The paper demonstrated the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). The paper also discusses Cloud Data Encryption, Homomorphic Encryption and Access Control (Identity Access Management). Finally, this paper talks about cloud applications focusing on select cloud applications. It also looks at some of the known vulnerability issues associated with the applications and also the future of cloud applications.
THEMIS observations of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves and associated ion heating near the Earth's dayside magnetopause

We present the first observations of large-amplitude electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) waves near the Earth's dayside magnetopause at MLT of ∼14 using data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites. The EIC waves were identified in a boundary layer in the magnetosphere adjacent to the magnetopause where reconnection was occurring. The EIC wave power was primarily at 2fcH (where fcH is the hydrogen cyclotron frequency) and simultaneously observed with perpendicular ion heating. The EIC waves had electric field amplitudes as large as 30 mV/m peak to peak with significant power both perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field. These amplitudes were greater than those of previously observed ion cyclotron harmonics at the nightside magnetopause. The EIC waves occurred during an interval of enhancements in the quasi-static electric field and fluctuations in the background magnetic field, plasma density, and temperatures. The observations indicate that a plasma density gradient is a possible source of free energy for the EIC waves. The observed flow shears are not large enough to drive the waves. Whistler mode waves were identified near the EIC wave region but closer to the magnetopause in a region with slightly higher ion and electron temperatures.
Metacognitive Strategy Instruction

This article characterizes metacognitive instruction as endeavoring to teach students to plan, implement, and evaluate strategic approaches to learning and problem solving. Particular emphasis is given to an instructional program developed to enhance text comprehension. Components determined to be critical to the success of this endeavor as well as other metacognitive interventions include selecting strategies wisely, providing guided instruction in the acquisition and application of these strategies, and informing the learner regarding the utility and consequences of employing the strategies.
Two bactericidal targets for penicillin in pneumococci: autolysis-dependent and autolysis-independent killing mechanisms.

Abstract It has been assumed that penicillin (and also other cell wall inhibitors) kill pneumococci predominantly by triggering their major autolytic enzyme (an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase; referred to as amidase), resulting in massive cell wall degradation. Three types of experiments suggest that only part of this killing is due to cell lysis by amidase. (i) Suppression of penicillin-induced lysis by specific inhibitors of amidase protected pneumococci only marginally from killing in spite of prolonged exposure to concentrations of penicillin that were 10x, 20x, or 100x greater than the MIC. (ii) Mutants from which the amidase was completely eliminated by plasmid insertion or deletion (Lyt-) were still killed, albeit at a slower rate than the wild-type Lyt+ strains (3 to 4 log units instead of 4 to 5 log units per 6 h, i.e., about 1 log unit slower than the wild type; P less than 0.001). (iii) A new mutation (cid), which was not related to the amidase gene, further reduced killing of mutants lacking amidase to 1 log unit per 6 h (Lyt- Cid- phenotype). Reintroduction of the amidase gene into Lyt- Cid- cells partially restored penicillin-induced lysis but increased only slightly the rate of killing (from 1 log unit per 6 h in Lyt- Cid- cells to 2 log units per 6 h in Lyt+ Cid- cells). We conclude that penicillin kills pneumococci by two distinct mechanisms: one that involves the triggering of the amidase (about 1 log unit of killing per 6 h) and another, amidase-independent mechanism that is responsible for 3 to 4 log units of killing per 6 h. Triggering of the amidase activity in situ in growing bacteria was significantly reduced in Lyt+ Cid- cells, indicating that there is some regulatory interaction between the cid gene product and the amidase.
Effect of caged fluorescent dye on the electroosmotic mobility in microchannels.

We report on measurements of electroosmotic mobility in polymer microchannels and silica capillaries with and without the addition of a caged fluorescein dye to the buffer. For PMMA microchannels, the mobility was found to increase from (2.6 ± 0.1) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 to (4.6 ± 0.1) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 upon addition of 1.2 mmol/L of caged dye. For PC microchannels, the mobility increased from (4.3 ± 0.2) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 to (5.4 ± 0.1) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 upon addition of caged dye. For PDMS microchannels, the mobility increased from (4.3 ± 0.2) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 to (6.4 ± 0.5) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 upon addition of caged dye. For fused-silica capillaries, the mobility ((5.5 ± 0.2) × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1) was unaffected by the addition of the caged dye.
Evaluation of algorithms for ratio imaging in fluorescence microscopy

Ratio imaging in fluorescence microscopy is used in measuring parameters such as pH, pCa, cytoplasmic porosity, and the relative concentration of fluorescent analogs within single cells. The fastest method for ratio imaging is to use lookup tables on special-purpose image processors. Since lookup tables store integers in integer addresses, using a lookup table will generate rounding errors. The magnitude of the error will depend on the transformation performed and on the number of levels used in the lookup table. We examined ratio imaging by lookup table and computed the errors generated by both inversion and log subtraction methods. Both uniformly fluorescing fields and fluorescing cell images were employed to provide data for use in confirming our calculations and illustrating both the magnitude and spatial incidence of errors. It is shown that, through proper design of lookup tables, a significant reduction can be made in the errors generated in comparison with common methods available in most image processors.
Role of mood and connotation in the spacing effect

Half of the 36 subjects in this study underwent a procedure designed to induce a depressed mood, and a neutral mood was induced in the other half of the subjects. All subjects then heard and attempted to free-recall a word list that contained words of neutral, good, and bad connotation. The words were presented once within the list, or they were presented twice with spacing intervals of 0 or 7. Neither mood nor connotation had a main effect on the number of words recalled. Depressed subjects showed a spacing effect for the affectively loaded words but not for the neutral ones. In contrast, the nondepressed subjects showed a spacing effect for the neutral words but not for the affectively toned ones.
SYMMETRY ADAPTED BASIS DEFECT PATTERNS FOR ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF ENERGY DISORDER ON CYCLIC ARRAYS OF COUPLED CHROMOPHORES

Abstract The effects of diagonal and off-diagonal energy disorder on the exciton level structure and spectroscopic properties of cyclic (C n ) arrays of coupled chromophores are analyzed using symmetry adapted basis defect patterns (BDP). An important aspects of this approach is that any arbitrary defect pattern can be expressed as a superposition of BDP. Determination of the effects of each BDP on the exciton manifold allows for a systematic approach to the question of whether or not energy disorder can account for spectroscopic data given a zero-order C n -Hamiltonian. The insights provided by representation theory and the BDP are illustrated with an application to a C 9 -ring of bacteriochlorophyll molecules such as found in light harvesting complex 2 of purple bacteria. An understanding of how energy disorder affects exciton level structure is essential for understanding inter-exciton level relaxation dynamics.
A Comparison Study of Stress Corrosion Crack Growth Rates for AA7XXX Alloys as a Function of Bulk Aqueous Chloride Concentrations

Abstract Alternative aluminum alloys are under consideration for drop-in replacement and refurbishment of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking prone AA7075-T6 (UNS A97075) components on aging military aircraft. An assessment of new materials for refurbishment and replacement of older generation, aging components is necessary for a viable life extension program. A quantitative database of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) properties of old generation materials compared to currently available materials is needed as a guideline/justification for part replacement. This effort evaluates AA7150-T7751 (UNS A97150) and AA7040-T7651 (UNS A97040), both which meet mechanical property requirements and are thought to be superior to AA7075-T6 in terms of corrosion performance. Specifically, stress corrosion crack growth rates for these plate alloys were documented and found to be similar in various bulk aqueous chloride environments and to represent a significant improvement over measured rates for AA7075-T651.
Reinforced Multicategory Support Vector Machines

Support vector machines are one of the most popular machine learning methods for classification. Despite its great success, the SVM was originally designed for binary classification. Extensions to the multicategory case are important for general classification problems. In this article, we propose a new class of multicategory hinge loss functions, namely reinforced hinge loss functions. Both theoretical and numerical properties of the reinforced multicategory SVMs (MSVMs) are explored. The results indicate that the proposed reinforced MSVMs (RMSVMs) give competitive and stable performance when compared with existing approaches. R implementation of the proposed methods is also available online as supplemental materials.
Toward intelligent computerized clinicians

The current scientific interest in computer thinking is explored for constructing a simulated psychodiagnostician. Going beyond simply building an expert system, this paper proposes to use a self-learning and generalizing computer architecture. State Operator And Result, or the SOAR system, to model intelligent clinical behavior. Accordingly, it fosters the collection and analysis of process-tracing verbal protocols for building psychodiagnosticians. It also holds out the possibility of going beyond psychodiagnosis for functioning as a multitask clinical psychologist.
A 25-year analysis of deaths from uterine cancer in Louisville, Kentucky.

Abstract Mortality rates for carcinoma of the cervix and for other malignant neoplasms of the uterus including other and unspecified parts were reviewed over a 25-year period, 1953–1977. The official death certification of each patient was checked against the patient records in the Louisville Uterine Cancer Registry. Errors were found in assigning residency status, inappropriate coding of cervix cancer as uterus other than cervix, and vice versa, attributing deaths from other cancer to uterus or cervix and to assigning deaths to a uterine site in cases known not to have cancer by virtue of autopsy or prior hysterectomy. The errors often counterbalanced and tended to decrease with time, nonetheless they were significant. After correction, the death rates from cervix cancer had declined by 52.3% for residents of Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, over the 25-year period. This is attributed to a mass population screening program initiated in 1956, since a mortality decrease over a similar time period has never been documented in an unscreened population.
Decentralized adaptive control of uncertain systems with gain scheduled reference models

Control theoretic concepts for decentralized adaptive control of uncertain systems with gain scheduled reference model is developed. For each subsystem a single Lyapunov matrix is computed, using convex optimization tools, for multiple linearizations near equilibrium and non-equilibrium points of the nonlinear closed-loop gain scheduled reference subsystem. This approach guarantees stability of the closed-loop gain scheduled reference model. Then, decentralized adaptive state feedback control architecture is developed and its stability is proved. Specifically, the resulting closed-loop system is shown to have bounded solutions with bounded tracking error for all the subsystems. Simulation results for two different models of a turboshaft engine, including the nominal engine model and an engine model with a new core subsystem, illustrate the possibility of stable decentralized adaptive control of gas turbine engines with proper tracking performance.
Calabi–Yau $n$-folds in projective superspace

Abstract We show that Calabi–Yau n -folds serve as (partial) moduli spaces for a large class of supersymmetric field theory models, constructed in spacetimes of various dimensions and signatures, and with various numbers of supersymmetry generators.
A puzzle about epistemic akrasia

In this paper I will present a puzzle about epistemic akrasia, and I will use that puzzle to motivate accepting some non-standard views about the nature of epistemological judgment. The puzzle is that while it seems obvious that epistemic akrasia must be irrational, the claim that epistemic akrasia is always irrational amounts to the claim that a certain sort of justified false belief—a justified false belief about what one ought to believe—is impossible. But justified false beliefs seem to be possible in any domain, and it’s hard to see why beliefs about what one ought to believe should be an exception. I will argue that when we get clearer about what sort of psychological state epistemic akrasia is, we can resolve the puzzle in favor of the intuitive view that epistemic akrasia is always irrational.
Severe tricuspid valve regurgitation is not an innocent finding to be ignored

In this issue of iJACC , Topilsky et al. [(1)][1] at the Mayo Clinic present a provocative study on the clinical outcome of isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR). These authors studied the late outcomes of patients with isolated TR collected in a program of TR quantification that enrolled patients
Knowledge-based inferences across the hemispheres: domain makes a difference.

Abstract Language comprehension occurs when the left-hemisphere (LH) and the right-hemisphere (RH) share information derived from discourse [Beeman, M. J., Bowden, E. M., & Gernsbacher, M. A. (2000). Right and left hemisphere cooperation for drawing predictive and coherence inferences during normal story comprehension. Brain and Language, 71, 310–336]. This study investigates the role of knowledge domain across hemispheres, hypothesizing that the RH demonstrates inference processes for planning knowledge while the LH demonstrates inference processes for knowledge of physical cause and effect. In experiment 1, sixty-eight participants completed divided-visual-field reading tasks with 2-sentence stimuli that relied on these knowledge areas. Results showed that readers made more planning inferences from the RH and more physical inferences from the LH, indicating inference processes occur from each hemisphere dependent upon the knowledge domain required to support it. In experiment 2, sixty-four participants completed the same reading task with longer, story-length stimuli to demonstrate the effect in a more realistic setting. Experiment 2 results replicated the findings from experiment 1, extending previous findings, specifying that hemispheric differences for inferences rely on knowledge domains.
A note on iterated duals of certain topological spaces

Problem 540 in Open Problems in Topology (1990) asks whether iterating the operation of taking the dual topology eventually leads to a mutually dual pair of topologies. We give an affirmative answer to Problem 540 for several classes of spaces. Some of the special cases covered are: any T1 space (already solved in 1966 by Strecker), the lower Vietoris topology on any hyperspace, the Scott topology for reverse inclusion on any hyperspace, and the upper Vietoris topology on the hyperspace of a regular space. We find in all these cases that Tdd=Tdddd, and therefore at most four distinct topologies, T,Td,Tdd,Tddd, can be created by iterating the dual operator starting with any one of these special cases.
Spinodal decomposition, ordering transformation, and discontinuous precipitation in a Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to study the microstructure and transformation kinetics of a Cu–15Ni–8Sn (wt%) alloy. Five different transformation products were observed: a modulated structure resulting from spinodal decomposition; a DO22 ordered structure; an L12 ordered structure; grain boundary and intragranular γ (DO3) precipitates; and discontinuous γ precipitates. It was found that spinodal decomposition occurred during the early stage of decomposition below ∼500°C. DO22 ordering appeared after spinodal decomposition, and L12 ordering appeared after DO22 ordering. Discontinuous precipitation took place at a very late stage of the decomposition process. A time–temperature transformation (TTT) diagram was established on the basis of extensive TEM characterization. Five separate C-curves were found for the five transformation products. This TTT diagram is very helpful in clarifying the confusion and inconsistency in the literature concerning the precipitation process in the alloy. This work is one of the first experimental studies which report that spinodal decomposition can take place before ordering. It also provides evidence for the coexistence of both DO22 and L12 long range order (LRO) structures in the alloy.
An Overview of Rule-Based Expert Systems: ABSTRACT

One of the more successful applications of artificial intelligence techniques has been the development of programs that have come to be known as rule-based expert systems. These programs encode knowledge about specialized problem areas in the form of sets of if-then rules, typically obtained by interviewing people who are specialists or experts in those problems. The rules can then be used by the program to solve similar problems. The modular structure that results allows incremental development, leading to performance that continually improves as the rule base is expanded. Most of the rule-based expert systems that have been developed to date have been designed for problems in medical diagnoses. However, among several efforts that are relevant to the petroleum industry, a program called Prospector has been developed for the U.S. Geological Survey for certain problems in hard-rock mineral exploration, and a program called the Dipmeter Adviser has been developed by Schlumberger for the geological interpretation of dipmeter data. This presentation will describe the basic principles behind all such systems and will summarize the current state of the art. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1704------------
Leukotrienes cause mesenteric vasoconstriction and hemoconcentration in rats without activating thromboxane receptors.

Abstract Thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 (TP)-receptor activation has been reported to participate in some of the response to peptide leukotrienes (LT). We examined the effect of TP-receptor antagonism on LT-induced mesenteric vasoconstriction and hemoconcentration in anesthetized rats. The antagonist used in these studies, SQ 30,741, was shown to have high selectivity and potency for vascular TP-receptors in the rat. Arterial (i.a) injection of LTC4 and D4 elicited dose-dependent and transient reductions in mesenteric blood flow without changes in arterial blood pressure. These responses were unaffected by a dose of SQ 30,741 which produced ∼99% inhibition of similar responses to U-46,619. In contrast, LT-induced mesenteric vasoconstriction was inhibited ∼90% by two LT antagonists, LY 171,883 and SKF 104,353. In other experiments i.v. infusion of LTD4 caused increases in hematocrit and reductions in arterial blood pressure that were not influenced by SQ 30,741. These data suggest that increases in mesenteric vascular resistance and hemoconcentration in response to LTs are not the result of TP-receptor activation.
Anomalous differentiation of melanin granules caused by thiouracil.

Abstract Thiouracil causes a specific anomalous gigantism of the melanin granule in the otolith cells of ascidian larvae reared throughout embryogenesis in the drug; the melanin product itself is physically different from the normal melanin. The anomaly results from an attachment of thiouracil to a tyrosine oxidation product (possibly dopaquinone) during melanin granulogenesis and attachment occurs in a 2:1 molar ratio. This binding property of thiouracil is suggested as the basis of a method for chemotherapy of malignant melanotic melanomas.
On volatility of prices in arbitrage-free markets

This paper addresses the question of what one can learn about the dynamics of an economy from observing cross-sectional and time series variations in the volatility of prices in an arbitrage-free securities market. We introduce the notions of stochastic derivatives, marginal risk-adjusted growth rates, and marginal risk exposure in a single factor economy. We show that future variations in the state of the economy are due to two independent sources: the marginal risk-adjusted growth rate and the changes in marginal risk exposure. Using the martingale characterization of arbitrage-free prices, together with a martingale representation formula due to Haussmann (1978), we show that cross sectional variations in price volatility of assets with linear payoffs can be used to identify the sum of these two sources. Measurements of price volatility for assets with linear payoffs are not sufficient for complete identification of the independent determinants of possible future variations in the economy. However, using the volatility of prices of options on the state variable, we can identify the stochastic derivative and hence compute the price volatility of any path independent contingent claim.
Physical Cultural Studies and Embodied Research Acts

This article critically examines the emerging field of physical cultural studies, especially its contributions to our understandings of “the body” in and through its ongoing relationship with the research act. That is, a focus on the confluence of the embodied self and the [auto-]ethnographic self as it relates to the conduct of inquiry. It also addresses the politics of the body within a particular neoliberal condition, and the way the body and its health and well-being is leveraged as a pedagogical apparatus of neoliberalism. It concludes by arguing that we need to privilege bodily copresence within the theory, method, and practice of physical cultural studies.
Discriminative stimulus effects of pentobarbital in pigeons

Pigeons were trained to discriminate the IM injection of pentobarbital (5 or 10 mg/kg) from saline in a task in which 20 consecutive pecks on one of two response keys produced access to mixed grain. Pentobarbital (1.0–17.8 mg/kg) produced a dose-related increase in the percentage of the total session responses that occurred on the pentobarbital-appropriate key. The concomitant administration of bemegride (5.6–17.8 mg/kg) antagonized the discriminative control of behavior exerted by the training dose of pentobarbital. Benzodiazepines, diazepam (1.0 mg/kg) and clobazam (3.2 mg/kg), and barbiturates, methohexital (10 mg/kg), phenobarbital (56 mg/kg), and barbital (56 mg/kg), produced responding on the pentobarbital-appropriate key similar to that produced by pentobarbital. In contrast, narcotics such as morphine, ethylketazocine, cyclazocine, and SKF-10,047, at doses up to and including those that markedly suppressed response rates, produced responding predominantly on the saline-appropriate key. Similarly, the anticonvulsants, valproate, phenytoin, and ethosuximide occasioned only saline-appropriate behavior, indicating that not all anticonvulsants share discriminative stimulus effects with pentobarbital. Muscimol, a direct GABA agonist, and baclofen, a structural analogue of GABA, also failed to produce pentobarbital-appropriate responding. Ketamine, dextrorphan, and ethanol (0.3–3.2 g/kg, orally) produced intermediate levels of pentobarbital-appropriate responding, suggesting that the discriminative effects of these drugs may be somewhat like those of pentobarbital.
Landau Damping of Coherent Plasmons

We use ultrafast THz spectroscopy to study damping of coherent plasmon oscillations in InSb. Spatial confinement restricts the plasmon wave vector resulting in collisionless or Landau damping of the collective electronic motion.
Mitochondrial mechanisms of death responses in pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a severe and frequently lethal disorder, a major cause of which is alcohol abuse. Parenchymal cell death is a major complication of pancreatitis. In experimental models of acute pancreatitis, acinar cells have been shown to die through both necrosis and apoptosis, the two principal pathways of cell death. The severity of experimental acute pancreatitis correlates directly with the extent of necrosis and inversely with apoptosis. Thus, understanding the regulation of apoptosis and necrosis is becoming exceedingly important in investigations of the pathogenesis and treatment of pancreatitis. Over the past decade, the mitochondria have emerged as a master regulator of cell death in various physiological and pathological processes. Release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol is a central event in apoptosis, whereas mitochondrial depolarization resulting in ATP depletion leads to necrosis. The present review focuses on the mitochondrial mechanisms of death responses in pancreatitis, with emphasis on mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and its role in the balance between apoptosis and necrosis in acute pancreatitis, and alcohol's effects on death responses of pancreatitis.
Experimental Study on Flotation Process Conditions of Lead-Zinc Ore

On the basis of analyzing sample properties of lead-zinc ore, the optimum experimental condition combination was obtained from systematic experimental studies of the conditions. The experimental condition combination was validated by the full process closed-circuit experiment, which showed that the good separation indexes on lead grade of 59.78% in lead concentrates, the lead recovery of 87.50%, and zinc concentrate grade of 56.33%, the zinc recovery of 93.60%, and sulfur concentrate contained 0.50% of lead, 0.47% of zinc.
Ground-based experiments on the minimization of convection during the growth of crystals from solution

Crystals were grown from solution in the earth's gravitational field with the substantial absence of convection by (1) downward unidirectional growth in an isothermally cooled solution and (2) upward unidirectional growth in a positive vertical thermal gradient. Growth rates were 1.3 to 1.8 times the predictions for convectionless growth, and an order of magnitude less than for growth with vigorous convection. Crystals grown in the isothermal configuration were of comparable or superior quality to those grown with substantial convection. The imposition of a 0.5 to 0.8 C/mm gradient greatly stabilized the growth interface so that flat (001) surfaces could be grown on KDP. Crystals grown in a thermal gradient, however, were filled with far more fluid inclusions than crystals grown isothermally.
Novel method to determine blast resistant glazing system response to explosive loading

Abstract The goal of the measurement system presented herein is to provide a rich set of data detailing the forces and displacements within a Blast Resistant Glazing System (BRGS) subjected to an explosive load. Designers often rely on post test examination and develop inferences based upon forensic remains when failure occurs. A comprehensive measurement system would alleviate guesswork allowing cost effective solutions to be implemented more quickly and with more confidence. The measurement system can be divided into four subsystems. Three key physical phenomena recorded include pressure, the deflection of the window when loaded, and the reaction forces generated at the surrounding support members. High speed video, the fourth system, provides a visual record of the event. Measurement of force and deflection of the BRGS agreed within 9% of values calculated using SDOF methods. BRGS with new materials can now be evaluated more efficiently by using this measurement system.
A Model for Prediction of Temperature in Disk Pair in Dry Friction Contact

In applications involving substantial friction, surface failure is an inevitable phenomenon. Friction induced failure typically involves the generation of considerable heat. Existence of significant frictional force leads to relatively high interface temperature as a result of dynamic nature of flash temperatures at the contact areas. A first step in predicting friction induced failure is to develop an accurate thermo-mechanical model of the friction system. A thermo-mechanical model is developed in this paper based on a lumped parameter representation of a two-disk brake. A disk is viewed as consisting of three main regions, (1) the surface contact, (2) the friction interface, and (3) the bulk. The lumped parameter model is obtained by dividing a disk into a number of concentric rings and stacked layers. The friction layer contains both the interface and contact elements, each include the equivalent thermal capacitance and conductive resistance. The contact capacitance and resistance are described in terms of the elastic contact interaction between the surfaces of the two disks. Therefore they are obtained using the Greenwood and Williamson model for contact of rough surfaces. Each is described as a statistical summation of the micron-scale interaction of the surfaces. The model is shown to provide accurate prediction of bulk temperature using a dynamometer test on a carbon composite disk pair.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Is trastuzumab active following conventional adjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive early breast cancer?

Is trastuzumab active following conventional adjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive early breast cancer?
Diagnostics and control of pressurized reactors using artificial neural networks

ABSTRACT A methodology employing artificial neural networks and fuzzy arithmetic in the diagnosis and control of complex systems such as pressurized water reactors is presented. Fuzzy numbers represent the linguistic values of plant-specificvariables, e.g., peiformance or availability. The notion of a virtual instrument, i.e., a software-based measuring device calibrated to the idiosyncrasies of a specific system is used. Neural networks perform a mapping of physically measurableparameters to fuzzy numbers called Virtual Measurement Values (VMV). The methodology is tested with start-up data from an experimental nuclear reactor. The results demonstrate the very good capacity of such virtual instruments for failure- tolerance and suggest the possibility of developing alternative algorithms for diagnostics and control. 1. INTRODUCTION Recent advances in computational and communication technologies as well as theoretical developments in the fieldsof neural networks and fuzzy logic compel us to reexamine the way we think about measurement and measuring devices. It isnow possible to set up and run numerous instruments in a simple graphical way on a PC or MAC. National Instruments, forexample, offers LabVIEW II, a HypeCard-based environment where a user can set up a complete control panel on the screen ofa Macintosh computer to control a chemical reactor using buttons, stirrers, emergency shutdown switches and flow meters.A virtual measuring device is a software-based instrument for the timely and reliable estimation of user-specified dynamicvariables with operational significance.In the approach considered here the output of a virtual measuring device is a set of fuzzy numbers,1 each uniquelyand unambiguously defined by a membership function.2'3 The fuzzy numbers partition the output range of the device into anumber of categories, chosen by the designer of the instrument. For example, if it is of interest to measure the position of aflow control valve disk, a parameter of considerable significance for a control strategy involving the regulation of flow, wemay partition the measurement space into three categories, e.g., closed, medium and open. If subsequently it is desirable to
On-line identification and attitude control for SCOLE

This paper documents on-line linear least-square identification and attitude control of SCOLE, a laboratory apparatus representing an offset-feed antenna attached to the Space Shuttle. Identification is done autonomously by starting a slew maneuver in pitch or roll with reaction jets and observing the time history data of associated Euler angles when the jets are quiescent. Linear least-square analysis is used to select the parameters that best fit the output of an Autoregressive (AR) model to the data. The control effectiveness of the jets is determined in a subsequent test, again using linear least squares. The parameters so derived are used to design switching lines for time-optimal attitude control. This report describes the identification and control algorithms and the experimental apparatus and procedures used. Also, experimental data are presented that reflect the performance of the identification algorithms and the attitude control system.
Blood glutathione redox status and global methylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA in Bangladeshi adults.

Oxidative stress and DNA methylation are metabolically linked through the relationship between one-carbon metabolism and the transsulfuration pathway, but possible modulating effects of oxidative stress on DNA methylation have not been extensively studied in humans. Enzymes involved in DNA methylation, including DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases, may show altered activity under oxidized cellular conditions. Additionally, in vitro studies suggest that glutathione (GSH) depletion leads to global DNA hypomethylation, possibly through the depletion of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We tested the hypothesis that a more oxidized blood GSH redox status is associated with decreased global peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA methylation in a sample of Bangladeshi adults. Global PBMC DNA methylation and whole blood GSH, glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and SAM concentrations were measured in 320 adults. DNA methylation was measured by using the [3H]-methyl incorporation assay; values are inversely ...
Gray's paradox: A fluid mechanical perspective

Nearly eighty years ago, Gray reported that the drag power experienced by a dolphin was larger than the estimated muscle power - this is termed as Gray's paradox. We provide a fluid mechanical perspective of this paradox. The viewpoint that swimmers necessarily spend muscle energy to overcome drag in the direction of swimming needs revision. For example, in undulatory swimming most of the muscle energy is directly expended to generate lateral undulations of the body, and the drag power is balanced not by the muscle power but by the thrust power. Depending on drag model utilized, the drag power may be greater than muscle power without being paradoxical.
The Prodigious Fiction of Richard Powers, William Vollmann, and David Foster Wallace

(1996). The Prodigious Fiction of Richard Powers, William Vollmann, and David Foster Wallace. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction: Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 12-37.
Purification and characterization of GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase from porcine thyroid

The enzyme GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase has been purified 1500-fold from porcine thyroid tissue. The enzyme exhibits a molecular mass of 251000 Da as determined by sedimentation techniques. Its subunit size was determined as 41500 Da by dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has a Km of 3.3 microM with respect to GDP-D-mannose and appears specific with respect to this substrate. The enzyme appears to be inhibited by guanine nucleotides and by guanine nucleotide sugars. It is particularly susceptible to inhibition by GDP-L-fucose. It is suggested that this compound may have a physiological function as an end-product feedback inhibitor.
Chiral stability of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.

Synthetic pyrethroids are chiral compounds consisting of multiple stereoisomers. Evaluation of enantioselectivity in environmental fate and ecotoxicity requires analytical methods that preserve stereoisomer integrity during analysis. In this study, we characterized the stability of stereoisomers from four commonly used pyrethroids, cis-bifenthrin (cis-BF), permethrin (PM), cypermethrin (CP), and cyfluthrin (CF), during gas chromatography (GC) analysis and sample preparation. Stereoisomers of cis-BF and PM were found to be stable, but those of CP and CF were unstable, under heat or in water. Isomer conversion occurred only at the αC in CP or CF, causing the analyte stereoisomer to convert to an epimer. At a GC inlet temperature of 260 °C, about 9% conversion occurred for CP and CF. In organic solvents and sterile water, stereoisomers of cis-BF and PM were stable, but slow isomer conversion was observed for CP and CF in water at ambient temperature. However, isomer conversion for CP and CF was relatively in...