cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Duality, moments, and Regge trajectories in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics

We investigate the correctness and accuracy of some recent schemes of implementation of the QCD duality relation by means of quantum-mechanical example. Such schemes, including a recently discussed S-matrix method and the Borel-transform method, purport to determine bound states given high-energy behavior. For a power-law confining potential with no short-range component both methods work well to predict the leading Regge trajectory. Addition of short-range components makes it clear that the nature of the long-range confinement must be specified ab initio; then the S-matrix method gives a successful numerical approximation to the leading trajectory. The Borel-transform method is not capable of fitting the widths of states.
A megavolt test stand for measuring cathode and anode emissions with nanosecond pulses

A new test stand has been constructed for measuring emissions from cathode and anode surfaces under high electrical stress in vacuum. An L-3 PulseRad is used as the generator to provide ∼50-ns electrical pulses of up to 1 MV. The usual sealed glass x-ray tube has been replaced by a stacked ring insulator so that custom load hardware can be used with the generator [1].
A pilot study of gentle yoga for sleep disturbance in women with osteoarthritis.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a gentle yoga intervention for sleep disturbance in older women with osteoarthritis (OA) and to collect initial efficacy data on the intervention.
Redox chemistry of aquatitanium(II), Ti2+(aq)☆

Abstract The growth of industrial interest, since 1960, in organic derivatives of titanium(II) (such as alkoxides and cyclopentadienyls) stands in contrast to the elusive nature of this state as its salts in polar media. The preparation, in 2003, of triflates of this ion in HF–CF 3 SO 3 H made solutions of this cation conveniently available, although such preparations contained Ti(IV) as well. The standard potential for the Ti(II,III) couple remains in doubt. Rates of reduction, using Ti(II), of quinones and complexes of Co(III), Ru(III) and Fe(III) are often very similar to rates for reductions by Ti(III). A number of Ti(II) reductions are catalyzed by Ti(IV). Depending on the oxidant and the medium, such catalysis may involve: (a) the rapid formation of a 1:1 Ti(II)–Ti(IV) complex ( K f = 400 M −1 at 22 °C); (b) slow comproportionation, yielding Ti(II) (Ti(II) + Ti(IV) → 2Ti(III); or (c) slow conversion of Ti(II)(aq) to a more reactive coordinatively unsaturated transient. Trapping experiments with [Co(NH 3 ) 5 Br] 2+ demonstrate that the oxidations of Ti(II) using Cr(VI) or Cr(IV) proceed via le − transactions.
Unsuspected invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in young women

Although the incidence of preinvasive vulvar lesions seems to be rising in the younger population, invasive squamous cell carcinoma remains exceedingly rare. As a result, diagnostic biopsy is often delayed and ablative therapy frequently instituted without an adequate histologic diagnosis. We recently treated three women aged 25 or less who had invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. In no case was the correct diagnosis initially suspected. All three patients had T2 lesions at the time of diagnosis and were treated by radical wide excision. One patient developed a second ipsilateral vulvar cancer which has recurred in the contralateral groin; the other two patients are free of disease 8 months and 4 years after resection. An awareness of the possibility of invasive vulvar carcinoma, even in the relatively young patient, should lead to prompt and thorough histologic evaluation of any vulvar lesion. Pretreatment evaluation is particularly important when ablation of extensive lesions is planned.
It is time for a computer application degree

Contemporary computer technology has spread computing activity to almost every field. The computing industry's need for application software developers who have not only proficient programming skills but also a good understanding of subjects in a specific application field has grown rapidly. Continuing to use existing degree programs in computer science to train expected application software developers would not only be a disservice to students but also hamper the further development of computer science programs themselves. Thus, a new degree program is called for in the sub-discipline of computer applications.
Spatial hole burning effects in distributed feedback lasers

The effects of spatial hole burning in a steady-state distributed feedback (DFB) laser are examined by numerically solving the coupled mode equations that describe the system. An approximate solution for the gain above threshold is derived and compared to the exact solution. It is shown that the self-induced grating that arises due to spatial hole burning significantly reduces the mode discrimination of index-coupled DFB lasers. This makes it difficult for these lasers to maintain single-longitudinal-mode behavior above threshold. However, it is found in addition that bulk-modulated (gain-coupled) DFB lasers do not lose their mode selectivity above threshold, indicating that these lasers may be better choices for narrow-linewidth operation. >
Monitoring key company events through deliberative learning

Recent scandals concerning the discovery of fraud committed by a few high profile companies has reinforced a need for innovative approaches to detecting fraudulent company behavior. Fraud detection experts agree that many of the critical clues to fraud, such as frequent management and auditor changes, can be found in qualitative sources such as news articles, press releases, and footnotes accompanying financial statements. This paper presents a simulated multi-agent system that learns how to collect valuable events from textual sources with pinpoint precision, utilizing the best content providers for each event type while minimizing the overall cost.
Why Borrow Trouble for Yourself and Lend It to Neighbors? Understanding the Historical Roots of Pakistan's Afghan Policy

Abstract Despite the long-standing Pakistan-Afghanistan border dispute and Afghanistan's irredentist claims on Pakistani territory west of the Indus River, Pakistan's current Afghan policy is a continuation of its “long confrontation” with India. Given the hostile nature of Indo-Pakistani and Pakistani-Afghan relations, Pakistan views its Afghan border as its vulnerable “back door” and is desperate to counter an Indo-Afghan alliance. The Pakistan Army, the key foreign policy decision maker in Islamabad, remains determined to prevent itself from being outflanked by India. Thus Pakistani support for the Afghan Taliban is likely to continue unabated, because the Taliban is viewed as Pakistan's trump card to play against any pro-Indian Afghan government. Barring a radical rethink by the army, Afghanistan's Finlandization is likely the only viable long-term solution to the Afghan problem.
Process development toward the pilot scale synthesis of the piperidine-based cocaine analogue and potent dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor CTDP 31,446

(+)-Methyl 4β-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-methylpiperidine-3α-carboxylate hydrochloride (CTDP 31,446) is known as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. This cocaine analogue lacking the tropane skeleton is being considered for potential treatment of cocaine addiction. Herein we report the development of a scalable process for the preparation of this compound. This study was mainly aimed at improving the process throughput, eliminating chromatographic purifications for the separation of (±)-6-cis isomer from (±)-6-trans isomer, and developing a robust crystallization for isolation of pure (±)-6-cis in a single crop with a good mass recovery. The process development work also highlights an efficient recycle of (±)-6-trans via a kinetic epimerization followed by crystallization of the resulting (±)-6-cis isomer. The resolution of (±)-6-cis and the crystallization of the final HCl salt were optimized and implemented to afford CTDP-31,446 with high purity and good mass recovery.
Raman and infrared spectra, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, and ab initio calculations of trifluoroacetyl isocyanate

Abstract The Raman (2500 to 10 cm −1 ) and infrared (2500 to 30 cm −1 ) spectra of trifluoroacetyl isocyanate, CF 3 C(O)NCO, have been recorded for the gas and solid. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid has been recorded and qualitative depolarization values obtained. The observed bands are assigned on the basis of a more stable cis conformer (isocyanate group cis to the carbonyl bond) and the less stable trans conformer in the fluid phases and only the cis rotamer is present in the solid. From the variable-temperature studies of the infrared spectrum of the sample dissolved in liquified krypton, the conformer pair at 1796 and 1781 cm −1 has been used to determine the Δ H value of 163 ± 12 cm −1 (466 ± 34 cal mol −1 ) which should represent closely the value of Δ H for the gas. The potential function governing conformational interchange has been determined from the asymmetric torsional frequencies and Δ H value. The values of the potential constants are: V 1 = 356 ± 14, V 2 = 1865 ± 60, and V 3 = −203 ± 6 cm −1 . Additionally, variable-temperature studies of the Raman spectrum of the liquid give a Δ H of 236 ± 30 cm −1 (675 ± 86 cal mol −1 ). A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for the cis conformer based on infrared band contours. Raman depolarization data, group frequencies, relative intensities, and normal coordinate calculations. Also, several of the fundamentals of the trans conformer have been assigned. The experimental conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, structural parameters, and fundamental vibrational frequencies are compared with those obtained from ab initio gradient calculations employing the RHF/3-21G, RHF/6-31G* and/or MP2/6-31G* basis sets and to the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
Pregnancy loss, polycystic ovary syndrome, thrombophilia, hypofibrinolysis, enoxaparin, metformin.

Thrombophilia, hypofibrinolysis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and spontaneous abortion (SAB) alone and concurrently. The efficacy and safety of combined enoxaparin-metformin was prospectively assessed in women with PCOS with one or more previous SAB, thrombophilia, and/or hypofibrinolysis. Twenty-four white women with PCOS were studied; 23 with previous pregnancies, seven with RPL of unknown etiology (>/=three consecutive pregnancy losses 21.1 U/mL) of the PAI-1 gene product, plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI-Fx) (33% vs. 8%, p(f) =. 018), and for high factor VIII (>150%) (22% vs. 0%, p(f) = .037). Of the 24 women, 23 had 65 previous pregnancies without metformin or enoxaparin, with 18 live births, 46 SAB (71%), and one elective abortion. On metforminenoxaparin, the same 23 women had 26 current pregnancies (28 fetuses), with 20 live births, two normal pregnancies 13 weeks or longer, and six SAB (21%), 3.4-fold lower than previous gestations (McNemar's S = 33.6, p <. 0001). There were no adverse maternal or fetal therapy effects. Enoxaparin-metformin reduces pregnancy loss in women with PCOS with one or more previous SAB, who also have thrombophilia and/or hypofibrinolysis.
Dilemmas within the surgical intensive care unit.

The change of death from a moral to a technical matter has come about for many reasons based in social evolution and technical advance, and the effects on the dying have been profound. When death is imminent, recognition, avoidance, denial, and readiness can all go hand in hand for the patient, family members and professional staff. Often, no one is ready and death still comes. This is why one faces death rather than masters it.
A field evaluation of distance measurement error in auditory avian point count surveys

Detection distance is an important and common auxiliary variable measured during avian point count surveys. Distance data are used to determine the area sampled and to model the detection process using distance sampling theory. In densely forested habitats, visual detections of birds are rare, and most estimates of detection distance are based on auditory cues. Distance sampling theory assumes detection distances are measured accurately, but empirical validation of this assumption for auditory detections is lacking. We used a song playback system to simulate avian point counts with known distances in a forested habitat to determine the error structure of distance estimates based on auditory detections. We conducted field evaluations with 6 experienced observers both before and after distance estimation training. We conducted additional studies to determine the effect of height and speaker orientation (toward or away from observers) on distance estimation error. Distance estimation errors for all evaluations were substantial, although training reduced errors and bias in distance estimates by approximately 15%. Measurement errors showed a nonlinear relationship to distance. Our results suggest observers were not able to differentiate distances beyond 65 m. The height from which we played songs had no effect on distance estimation errors in this habitat. The orientation of the song source did have a large effect on distance estimation errors; observers generally doubled their distance estimates for songs played away from them compared with distance estimates for songs played directly toward them. These findings, which we based on realistic field conditions, suggest measures of uncertainty in distance estimates to auditory detections are substantially higher than assumed by most researchers. This means aural point count estimates of avian abundance based on distance methods deserve careful scrutiny because they are likely biased.
Has the 80-hour work week increased faculty hours?

Objective The 80-hour work week has affected not only surgical residents but also faculty. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of resident hour restrictions on faculty hours and attitudes. Design Anonymous survey. Setting A single, large academic medical center. Participants All faculty in the Departments of Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, and Otolaryngology. Methods Faculty were surveyed 6 months before and 6 months after the institution of the resident 80-hour work week. Surgeons detailed hours worked over 1 week and answered yes/no questions about changes in patient care and resident education. P values were determined by Chi-square tests or Student t-tests as appropriate. Results Of the 118 surveys distributed, 88 were returned (75%). Respondents were evenly divided between general surgeons (GS) and subspecialists (SS). Initially, 70% of faculty predicted that resident work-hour restrictions would increase faculty hours; however, only 47% of faculty felt that this had occurred. When current faculty work hours were compared with previously collected data, no differences were found. Faculty reported working an average of 69.9 ± 12.2 hours per week this year, compared with 70.4 ± 12.5 hours last year. When asked about the global impact of the 80-hour work week on faculty, 46% viewed the changes as harmful to the faculty. More concerning, 50% of all faculty felt the care their patients received was worse than previously, with only 2% feeling patient care had improved. This perception was significantly more common among GS faculty (70% GS vs 37% SS; p Conclusions Faculty work hours have not increased in the 6 months after the institution of the 80-hour resident work week. However, the majority of the faculty feels that both patient care and resident education have deteriorated.
Giftedness and Egalitarianism in Education: A Zero Sum?:

Schools can meet the needs of gifted students without violating the principle of egalitarianism. This is not a zero sum game. In fact, the authors argue that schools cannot be truly egalitarian unless they acknowledge learning differences, including those differences pos sessed by students of high ability.
Stakeholders of the Organizational Mind

The article presents a review of the book “Stakeholders of the Organizational Mind,” by Jan Mitroff.
Level set based shape prior segmentation

We propose a level set based variational approach that incorporates shape priors into Chan-Vese's model for the shape prior segmentation problem. In our model, besides the level set function for segmentation, as in Cremers' work, we introduce another labelling level set function to indicate the regions on which the prior shape should be compared. Our model can segment an object, whose shape is similar to the given prior shape, from a background where there are several objects. Moreover, we provide a proof for a fast solution principle, which was mentioned by F. Gibou et al., and similar to the one proposed in [B. Song et al., (2002)], for minimizing Chan-Vese's segmentation model without length term. We extend the principle to the minimization of our prescribed functionals.
Protein Redox Modification as a Cellular Defense Mechanism against Tissue Ischemic Injury

Protein oxidative or redox modifications induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) not only can impair protein function, but also can regulate and expand protein function under a variety of stressful conditions. Protein oxidative modifications can generally be classified into two categories: irreversible oxidation and reversible oxidation. While irreversible oxidation usually leads to protein aggregation and degradation, reversible oxidation that usually occurs on protein cysteine residues can often serve as an “on and off” switch that regulates protein function and redox signaling pathways upon stress challenges. In the context of ischemic tolerance, including preconditioning and postconditioning, increasing evidence has indicated that reversible cysteine redox modifications such as S-sulfonation, S-nitrosylation, S-glutathionylation, and disulfide bond formation can serve as a cellular defense mechanism against tissue ischemic injury. In this review, I highlight evidence of cysteine redox modifications as protective measures in ischemic injury, demonstrating that protein redox modifications can serve as a therapeutic target for attenuating tissue ischemic injury. Prospectively, more oxidatively modified proteins will need to be identified that can play protective roles in tissue ischemic injury, in particular, when the oxidative modifications of such identified proteins can be enhanced by pharmacological agents or drugs that are available or to be developed.
The rate of mixing for geodesic and horocycle flows

Using elementary methods we show that for every unitary representation π7 of G = SL(2, ℝ) with no non-zero invariant vectors the matrix coefficients 〈 π(a(t))v, w 〉 ofdecay exponentially fast for any vectors v, w Holder continuous in the direction of the rotation subgroup of G.
RNAi mediated gene knockdown and transgenesis by microinjection in the necromenic Nematode Pristionchus pacificus.

Although it is increasingly affordable for emerging model organisms to obtain completely sequenced genomes, further in-depth gene function and expression analyses by RNA interference and stable transgenesis remain limited in many species due to the particular anatomy and molecular cellular biology of the organism. For example, outside of the crown group Caenorhabditis that includes Caenorhabditis elegans3, stably transmitted transgenic lines in non-Caenorhabditis species have not been reported in this specious phylum (Nematoda), with the exception of Strongyloides stercoralis4 and Pristionchus pacificus5. To facilitate the expanding role of P. pacificus in the study of development, evolution, and behavior6-7, we describe here the current methods to use microinjection for making transgenic animals and gene knock down by RNAi. Like the gonads of C. elegans and most other nematodes, the gonads of P. pacificus is syncitial and capable of incorporating DNA and RNA into the oocytes when delivered by direct microinjection. Unlike C. elegans however, stable transgene inheritance and somatic expression in P. pacificus requires the addition of self genomic DNA digested with endonucleases complementary to the ends of target transgenes and coinjection markers5. The addition of carrier genomic DNA is similar to the requirement for transgene expression in Strongyloides stercoralis4 and in the germ cells of C. elegans. However, it is not clear if the specific requirement for the animals' own genomic DNA is because P. pacificus soma is very efficient at silencing non-complex multi-copy genes or that extrachromosomal arrays in P. pacificus require genomic sequences for proper kinetochore assembly during mitosis. The ventral migration of the two-armed (didelphic) gonads in hermaphrodites further complicates the ability to inject both gonads in individual worms8. We also demonstrate the use of microinjection to knockdown a dominant mutant (roller,tu92) by injecting double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the gonads to obtain non-rolling F1 progeny. Unlike C. elegans, but like most other nematodes, P. pacificus PS312 is not receptive to systemic RNAi via feeding and soaking and therefore dsRNA must be administered by microinjection into the syncitial gonads. In this current study, we hope to describe the microinjection process needed to transform a Ppa-egl-4 promoter::GFP fusion reporter and knockdown a dominant roller prl-1 (tu92) mutant in a visually informative protocol.
A 1 Watt 1-5 GHz Class B push-pull Si/SiGe HBT power amplifier

A 1–5 GHz, Class B push-pull power amplifier implemented in a through-wafer via Si/SiGe HBT process is reported. The amplifier utilized low loss, broadband baluns, coupled spiral inductor transformers, and a differential f T -doubler. Output powers of greater than 30 dBm and efficiencies greater than 30% from 1 GHz to 4 GHz have been achieved at V C C = 6V. An output power of 25 dBm is achieved at V CC = 3.3V over this bandwidth.
Petrogenesis of slab-derived trondhjemite–tonalite-dacite/adakite magmas

The prospect of partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust to produce arc magmatism has been debated for over 30 years. Debate has centred on the physical conditions of slab melting and the lack of a definitive, unambiguous geochemical signature and petrogenetic process. Experimental partial melting data for basalt over a wide range of pressures (1–32 kbar) and temperatures (700–1150°C) have shown that melt compositions are primarily trondhjemite–tonalite–dacite (TTD). High-Al (> 15% Al 2 O 3 at the 70% SiO 2 level) TTD melts are produced by high-pressure (≥ 5 kbar) partial melting of basalt, leaving a restite assemblage of garnet + clinopyroxene ± hornblende. A specific Cenozoic high-Al TTD (adakite) contains lower Y, Yb and Sc and higher Sr, Sr/Y, La/Yb and.Zr/Sm relative to other TTD types and is interpreted to represent a slab melt under garnet amphibolite to eclogite conditions. High-Al TTD with an adakite-like geochemical character is prevalent in the Archean as the result of a higher geotherm that facilitated slab melting. Cenozoic adakite localities are commonly associated with the subduction of young ( −1 ) conducive for slab dehydration melting. Viable alternative or supporting tectonic effects that may enhance slab melting include highly oblique convergence and resultant high shear stresses and incipient subduction into a pristine hot mantle wedge. The minimum P–T conditions for slab melting are interpreted to be 22–26 kbar (75–85 km depth) and 750–800°C. This P–T regime is framed by the hornblende dehydration, 10°C/km, and wet basalt melting curves and coincides with numerous potential slab dehydration reactions, such as tremolite, biotite + quartz, serpentine, talc, Mg-chloritoid, paragonite, clinohumite and talc + phengite. Involvement of overthickened (>50 km) lower continental crust either via direct partial melting or as a contaminant in typical mantle wedge-derived arc magmas has been presented as an alternative to slab melting. However, the intermediate to felsic volcanic and plutonic rocks that involve the lower crust are more highly potassic, enriched in large ion lithophile elements and elevated in Sr isotopic values relative to Cenozoic adakites. Slab-derived adakites, on the other hand, ascend into and react with the mantle wedge and become progressively enriched in MgO, Cr and Ni while retaining their slab melt geochemical signature. Our studies in northern Kamchatka, Russia provide an excellent case example for adakite-mantle interaction and a rare glimpse of trapped slab melt veinlets in Na-metasomatised mantle xenoliths.
Evolutionary algorithms for induction motor parameter determination

This paper demonstrates the applicability of evolutionary algorithms to the problem of motor parameter determination. Motor parameter determination problems can range from high accuracy requirement for motor controlled drives to low accuracy requirements for system studies. The latter problem is addressed here, using both the genetic algorithm and genetic programming. Comparative results are presented.
The influence of food supply on the response of Olympia oyster larvae to ocean acidification

Increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide drive accompanying changes in the marine carbonate system as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) enters seawater and alters ocean pH (termed "ocean acidification"). However, such changes do not occur in isolation, and other environmental factors have the potential to modulate the consequences of altered ocean chemistry. Given that physiological mechanisms used by organisms to confront acidification can be energetically costly, we explored the potential for food supply to influence the response of Olympia oyster ( Ostrea lurida ) larvae to ocean acidification. In laboratory experiments, we reared oyster larvae under a factorial combination of p CO 2 and food level. Elevated p CO 2 had negative effects on larval growth, total dry weight, and metamorphic success, but high food availability partially offset these influences. The combination of elevated p CO 2 and low food availability led to the greatest reduction in larval performance. However, the effects of food and p CO 2 interacted additively rather than synergistically, indicating that they operated independently. Despite the potential for abundant resources to counteract the consequences of ocean acidification, impacts were never completely negated, suggesting that even under conditions of enhanced primary production and elevated food availability, impacts of ocean acidification may still accrue in some consumers.
Number of events and reliability in fMRI.

Relatively early in the history of fMRI, research focused on issues of power and reliability, with an important line concerning the establishment of optimal procedures for experimental design in order to maximize the various statistical properties of such designs. However, in recent years, tasks wherein events are defined only a posteriori, on the basis of behavior, have become increasingly common. Although these designs enable a much wider array of questions to be answered, they are not amenable to the tight control afforded by designs with events defined entirely a priori, and little work has assessed issues of power and reliability in such designs. We demonstrate how differences in numbers of events—as can occur with a posteriori event definition—affect reliability, both through simulation and in real data.
The nucleariid amoebae : More protists at the animal-fungal boundary

Nucleariid amoebae are naked amoebae, generally characterized by a spherical or sometimes flattened body with radiating filopodia. Most species preferentially consume algal prey or cyanobacteria. Phylogenetic analyses of the small-subunit rRNA coding regions from four nucleariid amoebae place these species near the origin of the animal-fungal divergence, together with the choanoflagellate-Corallochytrium and the ichthyosporean clades. The species Nuclearia delicatula, N. moebiusi, and N. simplex form a monophyletic group, while ATCC 30864, tentatively but possibly incorrectly assigned to Nuclearia sp., represents a separate line of descent. These nucleariids are unrelated to the lineage containing the testate filose amoebae (Testaceafilosia). Our findings expand the morphological and phylogenetic diversity of protists at the animal-fungal divergence.
Link analysis and design of high speed storage buses in backplane and cabling environments

This paper discusses electrical performance and design aspects of SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) link channels in various server storage system configurations through modeling and simulation analysis in frequency and time domain. The signal loss behaviors are investigated in two interconnect structures, internal SAS links in host enclosure backplanes and external SAS links in cabling environment. While signals in external SAS links experience excessive loss through lengthy cables in meters, those of internal SAS links are impaired by multiple discontinuities of board components over less than a couple of feet of PCB routing though largely dependent of system design. While eye closure is parallel to loss magnitude in general, higher degree of discontinuities exhibited in frequency loss behavior of channels result in more eye closure despite lower loss magnitude reducing design space budget and the impact is greater with higher data rates.
Probing astrocyte metabolism in vivo: proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the injured and aging brain

Following a brain injury, the mobilization of reactive astrocytes is part of a complex neuroinflammatory response that may have both harmful and beneficial effects. There is also evidence that astrocytes progressively accumulate in the normal aging brain, increasing in both number and size. These astrocyte changes in normal brain aging may, in the event of an injury, contribute to the exacerbated injury response and poorer outcomes observed in older traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. Here we present our view that proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS), a neuroimaging approach that probes brain metabolism within a defined region of interest, is a promising technique that may provide insight into astrocyte metabolic changes in the injured and aging brain in vivo. Although (1)H-MRS does not specifically differentiate between cell types, it quantifies certain metabolites that are highly enriched in astrocytes (e.g., Myo-inositol, mlns), or that are involved in metabolic shuttling between astrocytes and neurons (e.g., glutamate and glutamine). Here we focus on metabolites detectable by (1)H-MRS that may serve as markers of astrocyte metabolic status. We review the physiological roles of these metabolites, discuss recent (1)H-MRS findings in the injured and aging brain, and describe how an astrocyte metabolite profile approach might be useful in clinical medicine and clinical trials.
Fission modes of /sup 24/Mg

Coincidence measurements of electrodisintegration products have been used to simultaneously study the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$+$^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$+$^{8}\mathrm{Be}$, and $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$+$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decay channels of $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$. Asymmetric fission into $^{16}\mathrm{O}$+$^{8}\mathrm{Be}$, is concentrated between 18 and 28 MeV in $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$ and exhibits resonances with cross sections ten times those of symmetric fission. There is little correlation among resonances in the three decay channels. The fission yields are not consistent with statistical decays from giant resonances, and suggest highly clustered states in $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$.
Tunable multipole resonances in plasmonic crystals made by four-beam holographic lithography

Plasmonic nanostructures confine light to sub-wavelength scales, resulting in drastically enhanced light-matter interactions. Recent interest has focused on controlled symmetry breaking to create higher-order multipole plasmonic modes that store electromagnetic energy more efficiently than dipole modes. Here we demonstrate that four-beam holographic lithography enables fabrication of large-area plasmonic crystals with near-field coupled plasmons as well as deliberately broken symmetry to sustain multipole modes and Fano-resonances. Compared with the spectrally broad dipole modes we demonstrate an order of magnitude improved Q-factors (Q = 21) when the quadrupole mode is activated. We further demonstrate continuous tuning of the Fano-resonances using the polarization state of the incident light beam. The demonstrated technique opens possibilities to extend the rich physics of multipole plasmonic modes to wafer-scale applications that demand low-cost and high-throughput.
CSIRO v. Cisco: The Convergence of RAND and Non-RAND Royalties for Standards-Essential Patents

In Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation v. Cisco Systems, Inc., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit established important new guidelines for the calculation of “reasonable royalty” damages for standards-essential patents (SEPs), even in the absence of the patent holder’s commitment to license on reasonable and nondiscriminatory (RAND) terms. Chief Judge Prost, writing for a panel that also included Judges Dyk and Hughes, found that Chief Judge Leonard Davis of the Eastern District of Texas erred by failing, among other things, to account for the “standard-essential status” of a Commonwealth Scientific (CSIRO) patent infringed by Cisco. The decision signals another important step toward the convergence of “reasonable royalty” damages in RAND and other patent cases.
Effects of oxygen on determination of thiocholine by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid).

SummaryThe DTNB (5,5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid) method has been recommended for measuring the hydrolysis of thiocholine esters. During studies on the alkaline hydrolysis of benzoylthiocholine, however, analytical errors have been encountered and traced to the presence of molecular oxygen. Although oxygen does not influence the rate of benzoylthiocholine hydrolysis, it does compete with DTNB for the hydrolysis product thiocholine. Furthermore it produces fading of the chromogen on which the assay is based by oxidizing the monothiol TNB back to the DTNB. Thus the amount of thiocholine released is significantly underestimated if hydrolysis periods of 30 minutes or more are employed. In the absence of oxygen DTNB can be added at any time during the hydrolysis, but in the procedure recommended here it is present throughout. This modified DTNB method was used to determine rate constants for auto-oxidation of thiocholine and for spontaneous alkaline hydrolysis of acetyl- and benzoylthiocholines. Unlike acet...
Judicial Federalilsm and Equality Guarantees in State Supreme Courts

The new judicial federalism emphasizes state court reliance on state constitutional grounds for the enhanced protection of individual rights. Commentary in the legal literature gives the impression of much state court activism in this area. However, a quantitative analysis of 2,286 equal protection cases decided by state supreme courts between 1975 and 1984 shows much lower levels of the exclusive use of state constitutions. The data also reveal significant regional variations in the nature of equal protection cases filed, the types of alleged discrimination, the use of independent and adequate state grounds, and the frequency of judicial invalidation of state action. These variations are explored in terms of political culture, the institutional features of the state judiciary, and the content of state bills of rights.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Rupture Following Transarterial Chemoembolization

As the incidence of primary and metastatic liver cancer increases, minimally invasive treatment methods such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have gained momentum as their efficacy and safety profile have been validated. Complications of TACE are rare and typically well tolerated. A unique complication is tumor rupture with hemorrhage. Reports of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rupture after TACE are limited. It is critical to recognize this complication and understand the treatment options, which range from conservative to surgical management. This report describes a case of HCC rupture following TACE successfully managed with coil embolization.
Effects of recombined human growth hormone on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor axes in patients with chronic severe viral hepatitis

Objective To investigate the influence of recombined human growth hormone(rHGH) on the growth hormone(GH) and insulin-like growth factor(GH-IGF) axes in the patients with chronic severe viral hepatitis(CSVH).Methods Twenty-five patients with CSVH(CSVH group) were treated with GH(4.5) U/d.GH,insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1),insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3) and insulin were deterimined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) before and after treatment.Meanwhile,15 blood donors served as normal controls(normal control group).Results Before treatment,the serum GH,IGF-1 and IGFBP-3,insulin level of CSVH group had more difference than those of normal control group((5.50)±(4.21)) μg/L vs((1.57)±(1.27)) μg/L,((80.45)±(69.99)) μg/L vs((172.97)±(78.12)) μg/L,((109.93)±(87.53)) μg/L vs((373.41)±(119.07)) μg/L,((31.99)±(49.87)) mg/L vs((6.72)±(1.09)) mg/L(P(0.05)-(0.001)).After rhGH treatment,IGF-1,IGFBP-3 were increased significantly in survival CSVH patients(P(0.01)),while GH and insulin had a tendency of decrease but no significance(P(0.05)).Conclusion GH-IGF axes of CSVH patients were abnormally changed.rhGH treatment may improve GH resistant state of CSVH patients and increase synthesization of IGF-1,IGFBP-3.rHGH plays an important role in improving nutrition and metabolism of the patients.
Who Left the Defibrillator On

Article-at-a-Glance Background Two related scenarios involving defibrillator devices reveal how inadvertent hazardous design can go unnoticed until engineers or patient safety personnel use human factors engineering (HFE) analysis. The first adverse event, in which the device was inadvertently turned off while being used to externally pace the patient's heart, resulted in an increased length of stay. The second scenario describes a similar close call and the useless acts of sanctioning the nurse and firing the engineer technician. Comments and Recommendations Feedback to the end user about a device's status is an important design issue. It does not take much expertise to detect when there are problems with "dialogue" from the device to the person (that is, feedback). Many HFE issues have been cited in emergency care areas, and many medical devices—not just defibrillators—do not have readable and understandable feedback to the end user or the kind of automation that would make the wrong action harder to accomplish. All the interactions of multifunction devices with end users in a hectic, noisy, and dynamic environment need to be usability tested and validated. Nurses and engineering personnel can be trained to more easily see HFE design issues—and not dismiss them as individual failings or "someone else's job." Medical device companies are starting to follow the guidelines and regulations that should help prevent adverse events. Conclusion The defibrillator's design problems had successfully masqueraded as "expected" glitches with hospital electrical utilities, personnel shortcomings, and personality problems. Adverse events related to seemingly simple devices can be prevented with HFE analysis.
Gait-Based Wi-Fi Signatures for Privacy-Preserving

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data, high fidelity localization and tracking systems that employ cameras, RFIDs, and attached sensors intrude on personal privacy. However, the benefit of localization information sharing enables trend forecasting and automation. To address this challenge, we introduce Wobly, an attribute based signature (ABS) that measures gait. Wobly passively receives Wi-Fi beacons and produces human signatures based on the Doppler Effect and multipath signals without attached devices and out of direct line-of-sight. Because signatures are specific to antenna placement and room configuration and do not require sensor attachments, the identities of the individuals can remain anonymous. However, the gait based signatures are still unique, and thus Wobly is able to track individuals in a building or home. Wobly uses the physical layer channel and the unique human gait as a means of encoding a person's identity. We implemented Wobly on a National Instruments Radio Frequency (RF) test bed. Using a simple naive Bayes classifier, the correct identification rate was 87% with line-of-sight (LoS) and 77% with non-line-of-sight (NLoS).
In situ localization of renin and its mRNA in neonatal ureteral obstruction.

Angiotensin II is an important mediator of renal vasoconstriction resulting from chronic unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Distribution of renin mRNA and immunoreactive renin (IR) was examined...
Configuration control of rover-mounted manipulators

This paper presents a simple online approach for motion control of rover-mounted manipulators. An integrated kinematic model of the rover-plus-manipulator system is derived which incorporates the nonholonomic rover constraint with the holonomic end-effector constraint. The redundancy introduced by the rover mobility is exploited to perform a set of user-specified additional tasks during the end-effector motion. The configuration control approach is utilized to satisfy the nonholonomic rover constraint, while accomplishing the end-effector motion and the redundancy resolution goal simultaneously. This framework allows the user to assign weighting factors to the rover movement and manipulator motion, as well as to each task specification. The computational efficiency of the control scheme makes it particularly suitable for real-time implementation. The proposed method is applied to a planar two-jointed arm mounted on a rover, and computer simulation results are presented for illustration. >
NeverMind: Using Augmented Reality for Memorization

NeverMind is an interface and application designed to support human memory. We combine the memory palace memorization method with augmented reality technology to create a tool to help anyone memorize more effectively. Preliminary experiments show that content memorized with NeverMind remains longer in memory compared to general memorization techniques. With this project, we hope to make the memory palace method accessible to novices and demonstrate one way augmented reality can support learning.
Charge radii of neutron-deficient K 36 and K 37

Background: The systematic trend in mean-square charge radii as a function of proton or neutron number exhibits a discontinuity at the nucleon-shell closures. While the established $N=28$ shell closure is evident in the charge radii of the isotopic chains of K through Mn, a similar signature of the $N=20$ shell closure is absent in the Ca region.Purpose: The isotope shift between neutron-deficient $^{36}\mathrm{K}$ and $^{37}\mathrm{K}$ was determined to investigate the change of the mean-square charge radii across $N=20$ in the K isotopic chain.Methods: The $D1$ atomic hyperfine spectra of $^{36}\mathrm{K}$ and $^{37}\mathrm{K}$ were measured using an optical pumping and subsequent $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay asymmetry detection technique. Atomic rate equations were solved to fit the resonant line shape. The result was compared to Skyrme energy-density functional and shell-model calculations.Results: The isotope shift was obtained as $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{37,36}=\ensuremath{-}139(4)(3)$ MHz. Using a re-evaluated isotope shift, $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{39,37}=\ensuremath{-}264(2)(3)$ MHz, the isotope shift relative to $^{39}\mathrm{K}$ was determined to be $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{39,36}=\ensuremath{-}403(5)(4)$ MHz. The differential mean-square charge radius was then deduced as $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\langle}{r}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}}^{39,36}=\ensuremath{-}0.16(5)(8)\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{fm}}^{2}$. The Skyrme energy-density functional and shell-model calculations overpredict the experimental values below $N=20$ and underpredict them above $N=20$, and their agreement is marginal.Conclusions: The absence of the shell-closure signature at $N=20$ in the K isotopic chain is understood as a balance between the monopole and the quadrupole proton-core polarizations below and above $N=20$, respectively.
Relationship between Urinary Calcium and Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Calcium Nephrolithiasis

Purpose: Calcium nephrolithiasis is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture. Hypercalciuria has been assumed to be pathogenic for bone loss in kidney stone formers, although this association was shown in small cross-sectional studies. We explored the association of urine calcium with bone mineral density in kidney stone formers.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied bone mineral density in kidney stone formers. Excluded were subjects with hypercalcemia, chronic bowel disease, primary hyperparathyroidism, distal renal tubular acidosis or endogenous creatinine clearance less than 40 ml per minute. We included 250 males and 182 females subdivided into 145 who were estrogen treated and postmenopausal, and 37 who were nonestrogen treated and postmenopausal. We assessed the association of lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density with 24-hour urine calcium on random and restricted diets, and while fasting using univariable and multivariable models adjusting for body ma...
Protein Corona Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles Exposed to Fish Plasma.

Nanoparticles (NPs) in contact with biological fluids experience changes in surface chemistry that can impact their biodistribution and downstream physiological impact. One such change involves the formation of a protein corona (PC) on the surface of NPs. Here we present a foundational study of PC formation following the incubation of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs, 50 nm) in the plasma of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). The level of PC formation increases with exposure time and is also affected by gender, with AgNPs incubated in male plasma having PCs slightly thinner than and ζ potentials less negative than those of AgNPs incubated in female plasma. Proteomic analysis also revealed gender-specific differences in PC composition: in particular, egg-specific proteins (vitellogenin and zona pellucida) were identified in only PCs derived from female plasma, raising the possibility of their roles in AgNP-related reproductive toxicity by promoting their accumulation in developing oocytes.
The early Rousseau’s egalitarian feminism: a philosophical convergence with Madame Dupin and ‘The Critique of the Spirit of the Laws’

ABSTRACTFeminists have long criticized Rousseau for his patriarchal political theory. But when his lesser-known writings on women from the 1740s are taken into account, including a nearly 900-page manuscript critiquing Montesquieu from a feminist perspective, we see how the early Rousseau robustly converged in feminist ideas with his employer Madame Louise Dupin, before he gradually diverged from this egalitarian school of thought over the course of the 1750s. I add to the evidence of the early Rousseau’s egalitarian response to ‘the woman question’ by showing his philosophical convergence with the feminist arguments of the anonymous ‘Critique of the Spirit of the Laws’ (c. 1749) as well as Madame Dupin’s ‘Ouvrage sur les femmes’ (c. 1745–1751) – manuscripts largely in his secretarial hand. Through this triangulation of understudied texts, we find that the early Rousseau was not a patriarchal apologist, but rather a feminist secretary and a secretary to a feminist.