cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of illumination pattern on FSS-based sensor resolution

Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) are periodic arrays of conductive elements, and when illuminated by electromagnetic energy, have a specific transmissive or reflective response. FSS-based sensing is a relatively new application of FSSs, and recently these sensors have shown promise for crack detection, strain and temperature sensing, amongst others. Generally speaking, when an FSS sensor is illuminated in its entirety, the response of the sensor is related to the entire FSS landscape. In this way, the resolution of the sensor is equal to the FSS dimensions. However, this is limiting as it relates to localized sensing. As such, to improve the achievable resolution, the FSS sensor must be illuminated locally in order for the detected response to be related to a specific region of the sensor. In this way, an FSS sensor can be considered as consisting of many sensor cells which are illuminated individually. To this end, in this paper, the effect of illumination pattern and cell dimensions are studied as it relates to the FSS sensor resolution. For this work, a grounded loop FSS was designed to operate at X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). Five different FSS dimensions were considered for simulation, with three of these fabricated for measurement. From this, the achievable resolution for a given sensor design and illumination pattern is quantified. Additionally, the performance of these sensors is compared to that of the ideal FSS (infinite dimensions and uniform illumination). The results show that optimum sensor cell size (for a given FSS design and illumination pattern) is determined based on when the FSS response (resonant frequency and Q-factor) is constant (with respect to increasing cell size). In addition, as the cell size is directly related to the illumination footprint, the optimum cell size can be adjusted per sensing applications needs based on the illumination source and distance from the FSS.
Rank Advancement in Academia: The Roles of Postdoctoral Training

The proliferation of postdoctoral training in academia calls for an empirical assessment of its roles in trainees’ career development. This study fills in the gap by examining a representative sample of academic scientists and engineers working at research extensive universities, finding that postdoctoral training hardly facilitates scientists’ pursuit of early tenure or promotion, nor helps to better off individual niches in the prestige hierarchy once they successfully land academic employment. Academic success proves to be shaped by the interplay between organizational context and individual efforts, the latter further constrained by both career and organizational structures.
Practical Productions of Graphene, Supply and Cost

Graphene in small platelets of high aspect ratio is available by chemical exfoliation of graphite, with a variety of methods and a long history. Graphite is a widely available mineral, at a cost between $1.50 and $2.00 per kg, according to “Mineral Commodity Summaries 2013” published by US Department of the Interior and US Geological Survey. (For comparison, the same source estimates indium metal at ~$650 /kg, with a separate estimate for indium tin oxide, ITO, that is deposited on glass to make the leading form of transparent conductor, as $800 /kg.) Typically, however, the exfoliation processes leave nano-platelets of only 100–500 nm lateral extent, single monolayer to tens of monolayers in thickness, with defects primarily, but not entirely, at the edges.
Coulomb-Gas Construction on Higher-Genus Riemann Surfaces

The Coulomb-gas construction provides a powerful tool for computing correlation functions in the minimal series of two-dimensional conformai field theories. The basic idea is to replace the irreducible highest-weight representations of the Virasoro algebra with the simpler Fock space of a free scalar field. It has been known for some time [1] that on such Fock spaces one can construct representations of the Virasoro algebra with arbitrary central charge.
Predicting X‐ray solution scattering from flexible macromolecules

Wide-angle X-ray solution scattering (WAXS) patterns contain substantial information about the structure and dynamics of a protein. Solution scattering from a rigid protein can be predicted from atomic coordinate sets to within experimental error. However, structural fluctuations of proteins in solution can lead to significant changes in the observed intensities. The magnitude and form of these changes contain information about the nature and spatial extent of structural fluctuations in the protein. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on a crystal structure and selected force field generate models for protein internal motions, and here we demonstrate that they can be used to predict the impact of structural fluctuations on solution scattering data. In cases where the observed and calculated intensities correspond, we can conclude that the X-ray scattering provides direct experimental validation of the structural and MD results. In cases where calculated and observed intensities are at odds, the inconsistencies can be used to determine the origins of these discrepancies. They may be because of overestimates or underestimates of structural fluctuations in MD simulations, under-sampling of the structural ensemble in the simulations, errors in the structural model, or a mismatch between the experimental conditions and the parameters used in carrying out the MD simulation.
Empirical modelling of hydraulic pumps and motors based upon the Latin hypercube sampling method

The effectiveness of orthogonal and Latin hypercube (LHS) experimental design strategies was compared in axial piston pump and radial piston motor testing. Stratified sampling via LHS was used to create test plans of varying sample size. Pump flow and motor torque-loss models were derived from the experimental results based on a comprehensive list of physically significant terms. The effectiveness of the sampling plans was evaluated by tracking the evolution of model errors using progressively sequenced regression. Progressively sequenced regression identified the minimum sample size required to achieve data saturation by incrementally increasing the number of data points included in the regression analysis. It was found that LHS produced higher fidelity models but reached data saturation no sooner than the orthogonal method. These results demonstrate the merit of combining LHS with progressively sequenced regression to improve empirical model fidelity and determine minimum sample-size requirements in hydraulic pump and motor testing.
An analysis of online pregnancy message boards: Mother-to-mother advice on medication use.

Abstract Problem and background Psychotropic medication use is increasingly common among pregnant women. Many women solicit information from other mothers about the safety of these medications for use during pregnancy, yet little is known about the specific advice they receive. Aim The purpose of the current study was to examine the type of feedback women receive on a popular internet message board about psychotropic medication use during pregnancy. Methods A modified Consensual Qualitative Research approach was used to analyze 1728 comments posted by Babycenter.com users about the safety of the use of six common psychotropic medications during pregnancy. Researchers analyzed the comments for overall themes and core ideas. Findings Results found that comments were comprised of six themes: (1) Personal Anecdotes, (2) Suggesting Alternative Solutions, (3) Directives, (4) Judgement, (5) Social Support, (6) Skepticism & Mistrust, and (7) Risks vs. Benefits. While many comments conveyed emotional support, or encouraged women to seek professional advice, others contained inaccurate and/or contradictory information, or harsh criticism. Conclusion Given that the decision about the use of medication during pregnancy has implications for the health of the mother and fetus, it is important for care providers to be aware of what feedback women may receive from this source. Providers should address questions and concerns that women have about safety of these medications and recognize how the social context of the internet impacts the emotional health of pregnant women faced with these decisions.
Mechanisms of circadian clock interactions with aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling

Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain-containing proteins are critical to homeostatic regulatory networks that mediate responsiveness to environmental change. PAS domains are multifunctional structural motifs that allow protein-protein interactions amongst family members, typically forming heterodimeric transcription factors to affect the transcription of target genes. Prototypical PAS domain-dependent pathways include the circadian clock network and metabolic regulation of the xenobiotic response through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Both pathways are increasingly linked to health, and alteration in their function contributes to development of disease. The AhR demonstrates promiscuity in ligand binding and selectivity during heterodimer formation, which allows varied combinations of protein-protein interactions with other Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain-containing proteins and crosstalk amongst signalling pathways, including the molecular clockworks. AhR and the circadian signalling pathways are highly integrated and reciprocally regulated. AhR exhibits a rhythmic expression and time-dependent sensitivity to activation by AhR agonists. Conversely, AhR influences amplitude and phase of rhythms in circadian clock genes, hormones, and behaviour. Understanding the molecular interactions between AhR and the clock provides insight into physiological regulation of rhythmic processes and provides an innovative approach to development of therapeutics.
Brief Report: Kidney Dysfunction Does Not Contribute Significantly to Antiretroviral Therapy Modification in Treatment-Naive PLWH Receiving Initial ART.

BACKGROUND Antiretroviral therapy (ART) durability, time to modification or cessation, has declined. The study objective was to determine whether kidney dysfunction is contributing to reduced durability. METHODS This retrospective follow-up study of CNICS evaluated treatment-naive PLWH initiating ART between 2007 and 2014. Regimen modification was defined as cessation/modification of any part of the 3-drug ART regimen. We evaluated the role of kidney dysfunction in initial regimen modification as both a mediator and effect measure modifier. Associations of the variables with the ART modification were examined using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS Of 4515 PLWH included in the analysis, 1967 modified their ART. Of those receiving TDF-based ART (n = 3888), 1580 (41%) modified their regimen compared with 387 (62%) receiving other regimens. Overall, the median eGFR decreased by 5 mL/min/1.73 m (quartiles: first = -16, third = 0) from baseline to follow-up. Of the 128 patients with low baseline eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m), the final eGFR remained low in 73% while it increased to above 60 mL/min/1.73 m in 27%. Of the 4387 with normal baseline eGFR, only 135 (3%) had a final eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m. Those with low eGFR at the baseline and/or final visits were more likely to modify ART than others (hazards ratio = 1.75, 95% confidence interval: 1.39 to 2.19, P < 0.001). Relative to other regimens, TDF-based ART was less likely to be modified when accounting for numerous clinical and demographic traits. CONCLUSIONS For patients in our study initiated on ART, including TDF-based ART, in the last decade, kidney dysfunction is not a major factor leading to regimen modification.
Positive Selection and Functional Divergence at Meiosis Genes That Mediate Crossing Over Across the Drosophila Phylogeny.

Meiotic crossing over ensures proper segregation of homologous chromosomes and generates genotypic diversity. Despite these functions, little is known about the genetic factors and population genetic forces involved in the evolution of recombination rate differences among species. The dicistronic meiosis gene, mei-217/mei-218, mediates most of the species differences in crossover rate and patterning during female meiosis between the closely related fruitfly species, Drosophila melanogaster and D. mauritiana. The MEI-218 protein is one of several meiosis-specific mini-chromosome maintenance (mei-MCM) proteins that form a multi-protein complex essential to crossover formation, whereas the BLM helicase acts as an anti-crossover protein. Here we study the molecular evolution of five genes— mei-218, the other three known members of the mei-MCM complex, and Blm— over the phylogenies of three Drosophila species groups— melanogaster, obscura, and virilis. We then use transgenic assays in D. melanogaster to test if molecular evolution at mei-218 has functional consequences for crossing over using alleles from the distantly related species D. pseudoobscura and D. virilis. Our molecular evolutionary analyses reveal recurrent positive selection at two mei-MCM genes. Our transgenic assays show that sequence divergence among mei-218 alleles from D. melanogaster, D. pseudoobscura, and D. virilis has functional consequences for crossing over. In a D. melanogaster genetic background, the D. pseudoobscura mei-218 allele nearly rescues wildtype crossover rates but alters crossover patterning, whereas the D. virilis mei-218 allele conversely rescues wildtype crossover patterning but not crossover rates. These experiments demonstrate functional divergence at mei-218 and suggest that crossover rate and patterning are separable functions.
Moral Inhabitability and Educational Environments

By the beginning of the twentieth century, urbanization, industrialization and immigration contributed to the rapid rise in the number of hospitals in America and Britain, a change that continued well into the twentieth century [1]. Nightingale’s strategy of nurse education which in effect meant the staffing of hospitals with a strictly disciplined labour force of probationers (women) who practised under the watchful eye of physicians (men) was one which was based on the existing culture as much as it was the institutional framework of the hospital. In Nightingale’s effort to make the profession ‘respectable’ within the culture, it had to be tied to the prevailing Victorian idea of womanhood and subordinate to medicine [2]. This inherently created a system that was too strict to yield enough nurses to meet the demand, even at a time when women were not given a choice of ‘vocation’ outside of teaching or nursing. The system of nurse education conceived in this fashion made political and economic sense for its time and the model existed in both America and Great Britain with some variations. Hospital nurse training schools opened in both countries because of a need for nurses to staff them. It was an exploitative system whereby a cheap labour force of female nurses worked 12-h days, 6 days a week, 50 weeks per year in a strict, paternalistic, demanding, physically, emotionally and mentally draining environment, a system free from any contractual agreement with the hospital or the school at the completion of their training [3]. These schools developed due to a social need, and their growth was fuelled by the advent of two World Wars [4].
Association between concomitant use of hydrochlorothiazide and adverse chemotherapy-related events among older women with breast cancer treated with cyclophosphamide

Background: The pharmacy reference database, Micromedex, lists concomitant hydrochlorothiazide and cyclophosphamide use as a potential, major drug–drug interaction (DDI), although only one small, single-center study supports this claim. Our objective was to estimate associations between this potential DDI and two adverse chemotherapy-related events, neutropenia-related hospitalizations and treatment regimen discontinuation, among a cohort of women with breast cancer initiating adjuvant chemotherapy containing cyclophosphamide. Methods: Using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER)-Medicare data, we included women 66 years and older with breast cancer diagnosis between 2007 and 2011, who initiated a regimen containing cyclophosphamide. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for adverse outcomes comparing women exposed versus unexposed to the potential DDI were assessed using modified multivariable Poisson regression adjusting for potential confounders. Results: In total, 27% of women receiving cyclophosphamide treatment were exposed to concomitant hydrochlorothiazide, of which 11% experienced a neutropenia-related hospitalization and 21% discontinued their chemotherapy regimen prior to completion. Adjusted risks of both adverse events were similar between those exposed and unexposed to the potential DDI [neutropenia-related hospitalization: adjusted RR (aRR) = 0.92 (0.70–1.21); treatment discontinuation: aRR = 1.00 (0.96–1.05)]. Conclusions: Our results do not support an association between concomitant hydrochlorothiazide use and two clinically relevant adverse chemotherapy-related events. Impact: Our results support reassessing and potentially lowering severity of this potential interaction in drug reference databases.
The United States can generate up to 3.2 EJ of energy annually from waste

Biomass such as agricultural and forestry residues, animal manure and municipal solid wastes can be a replenishable and widely available source of energy. Harnessing this resource can have significant energy and environmental benefits.
Functional MRI Methods

Establishing neural markers, which can be successfully replicated across data sets and across analysis modalities is a major goal of translational neuropsychiatry research. Despite advancements in the field of neuroimaging, pace of discovery for replicable biomarkers has been remarkably slow in the context of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. In this chapter, we review task and resting-state functional MRI data acquisition methods, various data processing strategies with an emphasis on data quality assurance, and suggest some advanced topics that may aid clinical translation.
In vivo reduction of striatal D1R by RNA interference alters expression of D1R signaling-related proteins and enhances methamphetamine addiction in male rats.

This study sought to determine if reducing dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) expression in the dorsal striatum (DS) via RNA-interference alters methamphetamine self-administration. A lentiviral construct containing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knock down D1R expression (D1RshRNA). D1RshRNA in male rats increased responding for methamphetamine (i.v.) under a fixed-ratio schedule in an extended access paradigm, compared to D1R-intact rats. D1RshRNA also produced a vertical shift in a dose–response paradigm and enhanced responding for methamphetamine in a progressive-ratio schedule, generating a drug-vulnerable phenotype. D1RshRNA did not alter responding for sucrose (oral) under a fixed-ratio schedule compared to D1R-intact rats. Western blotting confirmed reduced D1R expression in methamphetamine and sucrose D1RshRNA rats. D1RshRNA reduced the expression of PSD-95 and MAPK-1 and increased the expression of dopamine transporter (DAT) in the DS from methamphetamine, but not sucrose rats. Sucrose density gradient fractionation was performed in behavior-naive controls, D1RshRNA- and D1R-intact rats to determine the subcellular localization of D1Rs, DAT and D1R signaling proteins. D1Rs, DAT, MAPK-1 and PSD-95 predominantly localized to heavy fractions, and the membrane/lipid raft protein caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and flotillin-1 were distributed equally between buoyant and heavy fractions in controls. Methamphetamine increased localization of PSD-95, Cav-1, and flotillin-1 in D1RshRNA and D1R-intact rats to buoyant fractions. Our studies indicate that reduced D1R expression in the DS increases vulnerability to methamphetamine addiction-like behavior, and this is accompanied by striatal alterations in the expression of DAT and D1R signaling proteins and is independent of the subcellular localization of these proteins.
Inventory Sharing and Demand-Side Underweighting

Problem definition : Transshipment/inventory sharing has been used in practice because of its risk-pooling potential. However, human decision makers play a critical role in making inventory decisio...
Constrained Learning with Non-Convex Losses.

Though learning has become a core technology of modern information processing, there is now ample evidence that it can lead to biased, unsafe, and prejudiced solutions. The need to impose requirements on learning is therefore paramount, especially as it reaches critical applications in social, industrial, and medical domains. However, the non-convexity of most modern learning problems is only exacerbated by the introduction of constraints. Whereas good unconstrained solutions can often be learned using empirical risk minimization (ERM), even obtaining a model that satisfies statistical constraints can be challenging, all the more so a good one. In this paper, we overcome this issue by learning in the empirical dual domain, where constrained statistical learning problems become unconstrained, finite dimensional, and deterministic. We analyze the generalization properties of this approach by bounding the empirical duality gap, i.e., the difference between our approximate, tractable solution and the solution of the original (non-convex)~statistical problem, and provide a practical constrained learning algorithm. These results establish a constrained counterpart of classical learning theory and enable the explicit use of constraints in learning. We illustrate this algorithm and theory in rate-constrained learning applications.
A Phase II, Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Intranasal Glulisine in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Probable Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

Intranasal insulin is a potential treatment for neurodegenerative disease shown to increase cerebral glucose uptake, reduce amyloid plaques, and improve verbal memory in cognitively impaired as well as healthy adults. Investigations have suggested rapid-acting insulins such as glulisine may result in superior cognitive benefits compared with regular insulin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rapid-acting intranasal glulisine in subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We performed a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of intranasal glulisine 20 IU twice daily versus saline placebo in 35 memory-impaired (MCI/AD) subjects using the Impel NeuroPharma I109 Precision Olfactory Delivery (POD®) device. The 13-item Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog13), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) global score, and Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) were measured at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcome measures included digit span forward/backwards, Trail Making Test Parts A/B, Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), and Weschler Memory Scale (WMS)-IV logical memory. Adverse effects (AEs) and serious adverse effects (SAEs) were measured along with blood glucose/insulin levels. No significant difference in ADAS-Cog13, CDR Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB), or FAQ scores were found between treatment groups at 3 and 6 months. Subjects in the saline group were significantly older than those in the glulisine group (p = 0.022). No significant differences in sex, education, apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) status, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score existed between treatment groups. Overall, the number of adverse events per person was similar between groups (2.32 vs. 2.24; p = 0.824), although subjects receiving intranasal glulisine had higher rates of nasal irritation (25.0% vs. 13.9%) and respiratory symptoms (15.9% vs. 8.3%) compared with placebo. There were no differences in blood sugar or rate of hypoglycemia between the treatment and placebo groups. Intranasal glulisine was relatively safe and well-tolerated and did not consistently impact peripheral glucose or insulin levels. There were no enhancing effects of intranasal glulisine on cognition, function, or mood, but the ability to detect significance was limited by the number of subjects successfully enrolled and the study duration. NCT02503501.
Between the Dollar-Sterling Gold Points: Exchange Rates, Parity and Market Behavior

List of figures List of tables Preface List of symbols 1. Introduction Part I. Monetary Standards: 2. The various monetary standards 3. American monetary standard 4. British monetary standard Part II. Exchange Rate: 5. Parity 6. Exchange-rate data 7. Exchange-market integration Part III. Gold Points: 8. Gold points: theory and practice 9. Gold-point estimates Part IV. External and Internal Integration: 10. External integration 11. Internal integration Part V. Market Efficiency: 12. Theory of market efficiency 13. Empirical testing of market efficiency Part VI. Regime Efficiency 14. Market forces 15. Policy variables 16. Net outcome Part VII. Conclusions: 17. Summary and conclusions Notes References Index.
THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS: LEARNED CORRESPONDENCE, 1680–1720

(1987). THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS: LEARNED CORRESPONDENCE, 1680–1720. The Seventeenth Century: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 95-112.
Sovereign Risk, Currency Risk, and Corporate Balance Sheets

We examine the question of why a government would default on debt denominated in its own currency. Using a newly constructed dataset of 14 emerging markets, we document that the private sector continues to borrow from abroad in foreign currency while sovereigns increasingly borrow from foreigners in local currency. Because depreciation can be very costly for a corporate sector with a currency mismatch due to foreign currency liabilities, emerging market sovereigns may still prefer to default on local currency sovereign debt rather than inflate the debt away. Using our crosscountry dataset, we show that a higher reliance on external foreign currency corporate financing is associated with a higher default risk on sovereign debt. We quantify the eects of corporate balance sheet mismatch on sovereign credit risk by introducing local currency sovereign debt and private currency mismatch into a standard sovereign debt model. The model demonstrates how the currency composition of corporate borrowing aects the sovereign’s incentive to inflate or default in times of fiscal stress. Reductions in the share of private external debt in foreign currency can lead to significant reductions in sovereign default risk. A calibration of the model generates the empirical patterns of currency and credit risk in local currency sovereign debt documented in Du and Schreger (2014).
Bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase. Isolation and characterization of tryptic, cyanogen bromide, and maleylated tryptic peptides.

Tryptic and cyanogen bromide peptides were isolated from reduced and S-carboxymethylated bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, and maleylated tryptic peptides were isolated from the individual cyanogen bromide fragments. Based upon end group analyses of the intact protein and the yields and partial sequence analyses of these peptides, a partial sequence of the enzyme was deduced. From these data it was concluded that the 2 subunits of bovine dismutase appear to be chemically identical. Each subunit is acetylated at the NH2 terminus, has lysine at the COOH terminus, and contains no tryptophan.
Cryoablation of renal tumours in patients with solitary kidneys

OBJECTIVE To investigate the use of cryoablation for small renal tumours (≤ 5 cm) in patients with solitary kidneys, as the advantage of this technique might be to preserve nephrons for maintaining renal function with minimal morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with a radiographically documented solid renal mass in a solitary kidney were evaluated for treatment with percutaneous cryoablation. Under general anaesthesia the patients were placed in an interventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit. A gradient imaging technique was used to locate the tumour and one to four 3-mm cryoprobes placed percutaneously into the tumour. An argon-based cryoablation system was used to treat the tumour with three freeze-thaw cycles, at a probe tip temperature of −120°C. Patients were admitted for 23 h observation and assessed for follow-up at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months, and then every 6 months. Radiological imaging studies (computed tomography or MRI) were used at 1, 3 and 6 months and every 6 months afterward, to assess for recurrent or new tumour appearance. RESULTS To date, 14 patients with renal masses in a solitary kidney have been treated; two were lost to follow-up and excluded from the analysis, leaving 10 men and two women (mean age 62.5 years, range 29–76). In all, 15 tumours (mean diameter 3.1 cm) were treated; the mean (range) treatment time was 96.7 (30–143) min. There were no complications during treatment. Two patients had gross haematuria afterward that resolved within 24 h. The mean follow-up was 17 (2–30) months, with three patients requiring re-treatment for incomplete tumour ablation. There is no radiographic evidence of local tumour recurrence to date. In two patients the tumour was not completely ablated. There was no significant change in serum creatinine from preoperative values. CONCLUSION Percutaneous cryoablation of tumours in solitary kidneys caused minimal morbidity and little change in serum creatinine levels. Although the follow-up is brief there was no local recurrence. Cryoablation may be a treatment option for patients with tumour in solitary kidneys but a long-term follow-up is needed to confirm these results.
Cosmology: supernovae and dark energy

Supernovae are the best tools astronomers have to precisely measure large distances, and therefore to track the expansion history of the Universe. Observations of distant supernovae have surprisingly indicated that the Universe is not decelerating under the gravitational pressure of the matter within it, but rather accelerating - pulled apart by some pervasive smooth tension, or "dark energy".
SMM coronagraph observations of particulate contamination

Some recent images taken by the white light coronagraph telescope aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observatory show bright streaks that are apparently caused by particles associated with the spacecraft. In this report we describe these observations, and we analyze the times of their occurrence. We demonstrate that the sightings occur most often near SMM's orbital dawn, and we speculate that thermal shock is the mechanism that produces the particles. Although these sightings have not seriously affected the coronagraph's scientific operations, the unexpected passage of bright material through the field of view of sensitive spaceborne telescopes can lead to data loss or, in some cases, serious detector damage. The topic of space debris has become a significant concern for designers of both manned and unmanned orbiting platforms. The returned samples from the SMM spacecraft and the observations reported here provide a baseline of experience for future orbital platforms that plan long duration missions.
Chapter 7 Axonal Ankyrins and Ankyrin-Binding Proteins: Potential Participants in Lateral Membrane Domains and Transcellular Connections at the Node of Ranvier

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the roles of axonal ankyrins and ankyrin-binding proteins in the formation of lateral-membrane domains and transcellular connections at the node of Ranvier. Molecular interactions at the interface between extracellular and cytoplasmic compartments are believed to be of basic importance for establishment of lateral-membrane domains and formation of specialized sites of cell–cell contact. This interface is especially important for nerve axons, which require mechanisms for appropriate organization of ion channels involved in initiation and conductance of action potentials, and recognition systems for synaptogenesis during early development as well as to form specific contacts with glial cells along the length of axons. Nodes of Ranvier are flanked by intricate glial-cell processes and contain high concentrations of voltage-dependent sodium channels. Nodes of Ranvier of myelinated nerves are of considerable clinical interest because of their involvement in pathological conditions, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and trauma; they are also the sites of regeneration of damaged peripheral nerve axons. Myelinated axons and nodes of Ranvier also exemplify several basic issues for cell biologists: formation of polarized cell domains, assembly of integral proteins into lateral-membrane domains, and formation of morphological structures that require cooperation between distinct types of cells.
A Review of “C. Stacey Woods and the Evangelical Rediscovery of the University”

As institutions of higher education in the United States became more secular around the turn of the twentieth century, Christians began to respond with the creation of a variety of student-driven c...
The Honey Community: Use of Combined Organizational Data for Community Protection

The United States has US CYBERCOM to protect the US Military Infrastructure and DHS to protect the nation's critical cyber infrastructure. These organizations deal with wide ranging issues at a national level. This leaves local and state governments to largely fend for themselves in the cyber frontier. This paper will focus on how to determine the threat to a community and what indications and warnings can lead us to suspect an attack is underway. To try and help answer these questions we utilized the concepts of Honey pots and Honey nets and extended them to a multi-organization concept within a geographic boundary to form a Honey Community. The initial phase of the research done in support of this paper was to create a fictitious community with various components to entice would-be attackers and determine if the use of multiple sectors in a community would aid in the determination of an attack.
Infrared Brightness Temperature of Mars, 1983-2103

The predicted infrared brightness temperature of Mars using the 1976 model of Wright is tabulated here for the period 1983 to 2103. This model was developed for far-infrared calibration, and is still being used for JCMT calibration.
Stability conditions for asymmetric dual-user shared control method with uncertain time delay

This paper presents a novel method— asymmetric dual-user shared control method to enhance the variety of the training mode and improve the flexibility of the dual-user tele-manipulation process. Firstly, we model the novel dual-user shared control architecture with multi-dominance factors and analysis the relationship between the proposed method and the original one. Then, several performance measuring functions are built to analysis and conclude some properties such as the system transparency and movement tracking performance influenced by impedance or dominance factors. Furthermore, we presented the system stability conditions with uncertain communicating delay using passivity theory, as well as the results in ideal transparency and ignoring the effect of all dominance factors. The whole paper is concluded in the end.
Association study of gene polymorphism and bronchopulmonary dysplasia [16]

In Reply .— We thank Lin et al for their thoughtful comments on our study1 and appreciate the opportunity to respond to their question. As they suggested, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the contribution of potential confounders that were revealed in our univariate analysis to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). After including birth weight, gestational age, antenatal steroids, prolonged rupture of …
Spacetime quantization of the Braaten-Pisarski-Frenkel-Taylor-Wong action: Spacelike plasmon cut and new phase of the thermal vacuum.

The properties of quark propagation through a hot medium are summarized by the Braaten-Pisarski-Frenkel-Taylor-Wong effective action. The fermion thermal propagator shows a pseudo-Lorentz-invariant particle pole as well as a spacelike cut. In an earlier paper, we performed the explicit quantization of the action in momentum space, and showed how a canonical Dirac field of mass [ital T][prime] arises. In this paper, we perform the quantization in coordinate space. In the process, we relate the spacelike plasmon cut in the propagator to the homogeneous solutions of the local equaton of motion for auxiliary fields. Our quantization shows how the spacelike cut produces a 90[degree] phase factor in the thermal vacuum at high [ital T]. This phase factor is responsible for the vanishing of [l angle][bar [psi]][psi][r angle] at high [ital T].
Q & A: the Snyderome

Michael Snyder answers Genome Biology's questions on the human and professional stories underlying his Snyderome integrative omics project.
Lipid rafts and oxidative stress-induced cell death.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in response to a number of physiologic or pathologic conditions. In addition to ROS produced extrinsically, a cell may produce ROS as a result of normal metabolism and signaling processes. When sufficient quantities of ROS are present within the cell, this oxidative stress may have profound effects on the cell, including the induction of cell death. Various signaling pathways are initiated in response to oxidative stress, through which the cell's demise is assured. Many of these signaling pathways involve cholesterol-enriched domains of the cell membrane known as lipid rafts. These lipid rafts are platforms for initiation or transduction of the signal and may modulate protein activity through a direct change in local membrane structure or by allowing protein–protein interactions to occur with higher affinity/specificity or both. Among the examples discussed in this review are death-receptor signaling, induction of membrane-associated tyrosine kinase activation, ...
The action of ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation on spores of Bacillus subtilis. I. The ultraviolet lethal action, mutation action and absorption spectra☆

Abstract The lethal action, mutation action, and absorption spectra have been experimentally determined for spores of the bacterium, Bacillus subtilis . These spectra indicate the wavelength specificity of the different effects of ultraviolet radiation, and suggest the possibility of using this technique to obtain detailed genetic information.
Macrophage-stem cell crosstalk after myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarcts are wounds inflicted by ischemic injury of the heart muscle. As in any other wound, a sufficient healing process after acute injury is prerequisite to the recovery and integrity of the organ's function. If infarct healing derails, fibrosis may be insufficient or too widespread,
Stardust in the TEM

Abstract We report here high resolution TEM and diffraction studies of two phases, diamond and silicon carbide, recently discovered in dissolution residues from two carbonaceous meteorites (Allende and Murray). Isotopic anomalies of Xe, Ne, C, N, and Si in the residues indicate a presolar origin for these phases in carbon-rich circumstellar environments. Lattice column images and azimuthally-averaged diffraction ring profiles confirm previous reports of the fcc diamond structure, but ring broadening indicates that the number-average crystallite size is ≈ 1 nm. The diamond crystals were therefore likely quenched from the solid phase, or nucleated from the vapor phase under high supersaturation conditions, and given little chance to grow thereafter. The silicon carbide crystals, ranging in size typically from tens of nm to several μm, are fcc β-SiC crystals. High resolution images show frequent 111; twins in the form of 2 nm laths on the twin plane, and occasional “bulk” twins with boundaries near perpendicular to the plane of twinning. Neither dislocations or facets associated with growth, nor structural damage associated with exposure to radiation, are evident from examinations do far. Size distributions for SiC and diamond show little overlap, and thereby cluster only at opposite ends of the 1 μm to 5 nm range observationally associated with dust between stars.
Optical absorption by atomically doped carbon nanotubes

We analyze optical absorption by atomically doped carbon nanotubes with a special focus on the frequency range close to the atomic transition frequency. We derive the optical absorbtion line-shape function and, having analyzed particular achiral nanotubes of different diameters, predict the effect of absorbtion line splitting due to strong atom-vacuum-field coupling in small-diameter nanotubes. We expect this effect to stimulate relevant experimental efforts and thus to open a path to new device applications of atomically doped carbon nanotubes in modern nanotechnologies.
First results from the Telescope Array

The Telescope Array Project is a successor to the High Resolution Flyʼs Eye (HiRes) and AGASA (Akeno Giant Air Shower Array) experiments. It is the largest ultra high energy cosmic ray experiment in the northern hemisphere. The Telescope Array observatory has been collecting data since 2008 using a hybrid of fluorescence telescopes and scintillator surface detectors. Some of the first results from the experiment are presented including the monocular spectrum from the Middle Drum fluorescence site and the spectrum from the scintillator array. These are in good agreement with the spectrum from the High Resolution Flyʼs Eye. In addition, a first pass at a composition measurement is made and indicates a predominantly light composition in the 10 19 eV region. Finally, some of the ongoing work of the group is presented including a novel technique for an end to end calibration of the telescopes involving a 40 MeV linear accelerator.
Voluntary Organizations and Attitudes Toward the Community

Voluntary organizations have long been believed to have important effects on the attitudes of their members, but the relatively few attempts to investigate such effects have produced inconsistent results. This paper uses a statewide proportional sample to investigate relationships between (a) membership and participation in ten types of voluntary organizations and (b) two types of attitudes about the community. After individual and community characteristics were controlled, experience with voluntary organizations was found to explain about five percent of the variance in respondents' perceptions of their ability to influence community affairs, but relationships with willingness to leave the community were considerably weaker. Somewhat stronger relationships were found when the analysis was confined to respondents for whom voluntary organizations or community participation was particularly salient. Overall, this paper indicates that the impact of voluntary organizations on community attitudes is weaker than earlier theoretical statements have suggested. However, it also shows that the relationship varies according to type of organization, salience of participation for the respondent, respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, and the specific community attitude being investigated.
Shuttle Entry Air Data System Preflight Testing and Analysis

Data from the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) port arcjet test were correlated using conventional finite difference thermal analysis methods to demonstrate the applicability of such methods to flight analyses. The arcjet tests were conducted to demonstrate the integrity of the SEADS-coated columbium port and provide data required to accomplish SEADS preflight analysis. The successful correlation of the results from finite difference thermal analysis methods and the test data demonstrated these methods for flight analysis. Using these techniques, a preflight analysis of the SEADS was performed and it was concluded that the maximum port temperature will be at a safe level for the first SEADS mission.
Nucleotide and pentose synthesis after serum-stimulation of resting 3T6 fibroblasts.

We have investigated the de novo synthesis of intermediates of purine nucleotides in 3T6 fibroblasts and determined the manner by which the activity of this pathway is increased in resting cells by the addition of fresh serum. Within 30 minutes after stimulation, 3T6 cells began to synthesize increased amounts of purines by the de novo pathway as measured by increased amounts of formylglycinamide ribonucleotide, a representative intermediate of this pathway. Within 15 minutes after serum-stimulation 3T6 cells exhibited a substantial increase in their capacity to synthesize ribose compounds, particularly in the form of 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP). The availability of PRPP appeared to be limiting for the synthesis of purine nucleotides in resting fibroblasts, but not necessarily in serum-stimulated cells. The amount of the enzyme PRPP synthetase as measured in vitro remained constant for at least the first four hours. Therefore, a study was made of various compounds known to activate PRPP synthetase in vitro. No evidence was found that suggested involvement of concentrations of cyclic nucleotides or phosphate. Experiments with methylene blue, an artificial electron acceptor that stimulates the production of ribose 5-phosphate by the hexose monophosphate shunt, indicated that one of the immediate consequences of the addition of serum is increased cycling of the pyridine nucleotide coenzymes, NADP+ and NADPH, and that the rapid increase in formation of ribose compounds and, consequently, purine nucleotides was caused as a result of modulation by this coenzyme. The relative ration of ATP:ADP:AMP as well as their concentrations remain constant in resting and serum-stimulated cells under normal assay conditions. However, there was a substantial decrease in ATP concentrations with a corresponding increase in AMP concentration with methylene blue in the assay buffer. The production of AMP from ATP was 5-fold greater in the serum-stimulated than in the resting fibroblasts. The increased production of AMP is thus serum-dependent and may reflect a basic enzymatic function of proliferative as compared to resting cells.
A lattice-based micromechanical continuum formulation for stress-driven mass transport in polycrystalline solids

Abstract This work represents a first step toward the development of a continuum field formulation for the coupled phenomena of diffusion and mechanics in polycrystalline solids. The basis of the formulation lies in lattice-level mechanisms, from which a continuum thermodynamic description of processes at micron length scales is developed. Considering self-diffusion, the composition problem is posed in terms of a binary vacancy–atom mixture. For mechanics, isotropic linear elasticity and isothermal conditions are assumed. The coupled constitutive relations for composition and mechanics are formally derived from the underlying thermodynamic principles. When applied to governing partial differential equations for each subproblem, the coupled nature is realized. Under applied tractions or intrinsic stress, the atoms diffuse — in general from surfaces with compressive normal traction to those with relatively tensile normal traction. The flow is mediated by electric fields via the mechanism of electromigration. In the case of metal interconnect lines in integrated circuit devices, the results of these microscopic processes are manifested in phenomena such as diffusional creep, hillock formation, grain growth, grain boundary motion, void formation and void evolution. These phenomena have a significant impact on the function, performance and failure of interconnect lines. A computational framework based on the finite element method has been developed to solve the coupled equations. Several numerical examples are presented and comparisons with analytical results are provided where the latter are available.