cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Luminescence dating of anthropogenic rock structures in the northern Rockies and adjacent High Plains, North America: A progress report

Abstract Anthropogenic rock alignments, both circular and linear, are common in the northern Rockies and adjacent High Plains of North America. Their ages are largely unknown. Luminescence dating of single-grain feldspars is applied to sediment under the rocks on the assumption that prior to rock placement turbation processes zeroed sufficient number of grains and that these processes ended with the rock placement. Ages of single grains are corrected for anomalous fading and the age of placement is estimated using the minimum age model. Vertical distributions of ages show that youngest ages are clustered just under the rock, conforming to the turbation model. Low precision in fading corrections led to attempts to reduce fading with higher temperature stimulations. These did reduce fading but also recovered known doses poorly, suggesting possible age over-estimation. This uncertainty coupled with a problem of small sample sizes from material with generally low sensitivity resulted in overall low precision in ages, but still an improvement over the current lack of chronological information.
Materials for wear-resistant surfaces☆

Abstract The basic nature of the wearing process is reviewed in terms of macroscopic phenomena and related briefly to microscopic considerations such as crystal structure and hardness. Problems confronting the designer are examined, and alternatives dependent upon design conditions are discussed. Major emphasis is on four groups of metals and alloys and on cermets, ceramics, graphite, and plastics. Applications are related to the desirable properties of each of these materials. Composition, property, and application data are presented in tables and figures. Reference sources were intentionally drawn largely from journal literature and reports on recently developed property and application data current at the time this material was written. A brief list of supplemental refernces is included relating largely to wear problems in aerospace and nuclear environments.
Bacterial conjugation: Running rings around DNA

Helicases are active in many aspects of DNA replication, recombination, repair and transcription. An integral membrane bacterial protein assembly involved in the transfer of DNA between cells has been shown to resemble a ring helicase, suggesting that it hydrolyzes ATP to pump DNA through a central channel.
A comparison of mothers' and providers' preferences and evaluations of day care center services

Mothers and providers in five commercial centers evaluated center services, program goals, and teacher qualifications. Ratings were generally high, but providers' ratings were lower in comparison to mothers. Greater differences were found in the evaluation of services than in values. Differences in expectations and experiences are suggested as reasons.
Flexible display technology for the objective force

The Army has initiated a flexible display research program. This program is part of the Army's strategy to create technologies that will enable revolutionary designs and transformational weapons systems for the Objective Force. The ARL flexible display program is more general than just for the dismounted soldier-it will also have implications for air and vehicular crews, and for the other services, even though it is not a DoD tri-service program per se. “Flexible” is defined in the program as displays that operate under conditions from conformal applications, limited flexing, to rollable displays for compact storage. The Army program will include display manufacturing concepts that enable roll-to-roll processes reduce cost, to tap a strong U.S. domestic industrial strength, and, eventually, to enable fabrication of very large sizes. There is commercial interest in flexible displays for applications ranging from wearable electronics for road-warriors and gamers to large screen 71-in. 1920x1200 color pixel consumer high definition television sets for walls. Industry willingness to cost share will be a key criterion in identifying investment opportunities that are necessary and timely from among all that may be envisioned. Some anticipated military applications and a roadmap are presented that identify the technology barriers at the materials, device and manufacturing levels to the creation of flexible display technology.
New first-order formulation for the Einstein equations

We derive a new first-order formulation for Einstein's equations which involves fewer unknowns than other first-order formulations that have been proposed. The new formulation is based on the $3+1$ decomposition with arbitrary lapse and shift. In the reduction to first-order form only eight particular combinations of the 18 first derivatives of the spatial metric are introduced. In the case of linearization about Minkowski space, the new formulation consists of a symmetric hyperbolic system in 14 unknowns, namely, the components of the extrinsic curvature perturbation and the eight new variables, from whose solution the metric perturbation can be computed by integration.
THE EFFECTS OF TEACHER ATTENTION ON FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASS1

A kindergarten class, composed of five girls ages 4.8 to 6 yr, participated in the study. In each of 20 daily sessions a sequence of 10 simple instructions was given to the class, In baseline sessions, the teacher did not interact with the students, other than to give instructions. During these sessions, the children followed the teacher's instructions 60% of the time. When the teacher began attending to each child if she followed an instruction, the mean percentage of instructions followed increased to 78%. Subsequently, the teacher again employed the baseline procedures and the percentage of instructions followed decreased to 68.7%. When the teacher again provided attention dependent on the children's following the instructions, the percentage of instructions followed increased to 83.7%. The results are consistent with research that has treated instructions as discriminative stimuli. The general findings are that consequences of instructed behavior determine the extent to which the instructions are followed.
Marine Stratocumulus Convection. part II: Horizontally Inhomogeneous Solutions

Abstract Solutions of the horizontally inhomogeneous version of the coupled, convective-radiative, cloud-topped mixed-layer model described in Part I of this study are presented. Both numerical and approximate analytical methods are used to investigate the downstream variations which occur as boundary-layer air flows through regions of varying sea surface temperature and large-scale divergence. Six numerical experiments are performed. In the first two experiments boundary-layer air flows through regions of constant large-scale divergence but of increasing or decreasing sea surface temperature. In the cold advection case the boundary layer warms, moistens and deepens in time, while the turbulent fluxes increase. In the warm advection case the boundary layer cools, drys and becomes shallower, while the turbulent fluxes decrease. In addition the cloud base descends and there is a tendency to form a surface fog. In the third and fourth experiments boundary-layer air flows through regions of constant sea surfa...
Pancreatitis in the Pediatric ICU Patient

Several factors may be involved in the etiology of pancreatitis, including traumatic injury, drugs, toxins, infectious agents, and biliary disease. As opposed to the general pediatric population, the diagnosis in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) population may be masked by the inability of the patient to communicate due to associated disease processes, use of sedative/analgesic agents, or altered cognitive function. Due to these issues, a high index of suspicion is necessary to arrive at a timely diagnosis. This issue is of significant importance, as the compromised ICU patient may be unable to tolerate the added stress of a secondary illness such as pancreatitis. The authors present five cases, review the possible etiologies of pancreatitis in the PICU patient, and discuss its presentation in this unique patient population. The incidence in our PICU of five cases in approximately 1,200 admissions over an 18-month period suggests that this problem is of a greater magnitude than we would have previously thought.
Cx32 and Cx47 mediate oligodendrocyte:astrocyte and oligodendrocyte:oligodendrocyte gap junction coupling

In addition to the extensive gap junction coupling between astrocytes themselves, oligodendrocytes are thought to be exclusively coupled to astrocytes (O:A coupling) via heterotypic gap junctions composed of Cx47:Cx43 and Cx32:Cx30. We used fluorescent dyes to examine functional coupling in acute slices from the cerebra of mice lacking Cx32 and/or Cx47. In the corpus callosum, unexpectedly, oligodendrocytes appeared to be directly and exclusively coupled to other oligodendrocytes (O:O coupling), and electron microscopy revealed gap junctions between adjacent oligodendrocytes. O:O coupling was more affected in mice lacking Cx32 than in mice lacking Cx47. In the neocortex, oligodendrocytes appeared to be directly and exclusively coupled to astrocytes; Cx47, but not Cx32, was required for O:A coupling.
Contact problem of a non-linear viscoelastic spherical membrane enclosing incompressible fluid between two rigid parallel plates

Abstract The process of using the atomic force microscopy to characterize the mechanical properties of various micro and nano structures requires better understanding of the contact problem of closed membranes enclosing fluid. This paper investigates the deformation of a non-linear viscoelastic, homogenous, and uniformly thin spherical membrane containing incompressible fluid between two rigid parallel plates. The Pipkin–Rogers non-linear single integral constitutive equation is used to model the membrane material. This includes Quasi-Linear Viscoelasticity (QLV) as a special case. The influence of various viscoelastic properties on the response is investigated. It is shown that, in a step deformation experiment, time dependence of the deformation indicates that the material should not be modeled using QLV.
Some Approximate Atomic and Molecular Energy Formulas

We have tested several approximate formulas that relate atomic and molecular energies to the electrostatic potentials at the nuclei, V 0 and V 0,A , respectively. They are based upon the assumption that the chemical potentials can be neglected relative to V 0 and V 0,A . Exact, Hartree-Fock and density-functional values were used for the latter. The results are overall encouraging; the errors in the energies generally decrease markedly as the nuclear charges Z increase and the assumptions become more valid. Improvement is needed, however, in fitting the V 0 and V 0,A to Z .
Hypersonic glider guidance using Model Predictive Control

A Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach to hypersonic glider flight management is proposed. Given the capability of MPC to handle constraints, it is promising for application to a hypersonic glider with path constraints. With this approach, the glider navigates through defined way points while avoiding exclusion zones. The minimum-time formulation of MPC is employed. The glider's capability to perform the maneuvers is demonstrated using simulations.
Flow Impeding Fungal Thrombus in the Ascending Aorta

Mycotic endoaortitis is a rarely occurring infectious entity with an extremely high mortality rate. We report an uncommon case of Phialemonium endoaortits with its management. This large fungal thrombus in the ascending aorta caused significant impediment to the blood flow.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and the cardiovascular responses to acute pain in humans

Abstract Objective To determine if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reduces both acute pain perception and the resultant cardiovascular responses. Methods Data were acquired on 15 healthy subjects at rest and in response to three cold pressor tests: 0, 7, and 14 °C. Subsequently, single sessions of sham and active anodal tDCS (2.0 mA for 40 min) were delivered to the left primary motor cortex (M1). Results Perceived pain was reduced only after active tDCS with the 14 °C cold pressor test. This was accompanied by tendency for lesser increases in heart rate (∼2 beats/min, p = 0.09) and blood pressure (∼3 mm Hg, p = 0.06). The effect size of tDCS on peak heart rate and blood pressure responses at 14 °C was 0.47 and 0.54, respectively. On the other hand, baseline heart rate, blood pressure, leg blood flow, and leg vascular resistance were unaffected by tDCS. No other responses were affected. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that M1 anodal tDCS has no effect on basal hemodynamics or cardiovascular autonomic outflow and has only modest effects on the responses to acute pain in healthy humans. Significance Application of tDCS shifts the pain perception threshold in healthy individuals but does not significantly modulate efferent cardiovascular control at rest or in response to pain.
Detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in serum and body fluids by sequential competition ELISA

A micro-ELISA based on competition with the biotin-labeled 25 kDa gag (p25gag) recombinant protein of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was compared to commercial antigen capture ELISAs for the detection of viral antigens in a variety of body fluids including serum, cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF), sputum, saliva, milk, semen, vaginal and bronchial fluids, as well as earwash fluid. Two-thirds (24/30) of these specimens contained IgG and/or IgA antibodies to HIV. The results were correlated with the recovery of infectious HIV in culture. The competition ELISA detected the presence of HIV antigen in 4 out of 8 sera, 5 out of 6 CSF and 6 out of 15 other body fluids that were found to contain infectious virus. Comparatively, 5 of the 8 sera, 3 of the 6 CSF, and 2 of the 15 body fluids tested positive for HIV antigen by capture ELISA. The data suggest that the competition test is more effective than the capture method in detecting antigen in CSF and body secretions, which might be due to the presence of immune complexes. However, both ELISA methods showed similar susceptibility to antibody interference in spiked specimens. The results confirm that antigenemia status can be of value in assessing HIV infection when used in combination with other clinical and laboratory data.
Strain softening in nanocrystalline or ultrafine-grained metals: A mechanistic explanation

A mechanism which is based on the formation of residual internal stresses caused by dislocation creation and absorption at grain boundaries is proposed to explain the unique strain softening phenomenon in nanocrystalline and ultrafine-grained metals. With the residual internal stresses caused by plastic deformation in individual grains, in order to create new dislocations at grain boundaries for further plastic deformation, lower external stress is required when compared with that without the residual internal stress field, which results in strain softening.
Detection of multi-color fluorescent objects with single photon spectrometer

Single photon counting is the most sensitive and accurate method for detection of very weak fluorescent signals obtained in many applications such as DNA sequencing, detection of biological reporters on micro-beads, detection of droplets in micro-fluidic systems, etc. In this paper we describe the use of single photon spectrometer for detection and characterization of very weak multicolor fluorescence produced by mixtures of various fluorescent dyes and quantum dots.
Writing style and the narrative essay

Background. Writing styles reflect the ways that writers think about themselves and about writing, as well as the pattern of strategies that writers consistently use to achieve their goals (Lavelle, 1993). Generally, writing styles may be considered along the deep/surface continuum with deep styles geared toward making a complex meaning beyond the given words, and surface writing reflecting a listing approach based on the reproduction of information. However, some students have adopted an Elaborative style reflecting a high degree of personal expression in writing. The Elaborative style employs a self-referencing strategy — ‘Writing makes me feel good’, ‘I put a lot of myself in writing’ represents an affective dimension in writing — one geared toward personal meaning. Unfortunately, Elaborative writing is usually encouraged only in the composition class where it is considered a precursor to academic or objective composition. Aims. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among writing styles as measured by the Inventory of Processes in College Composition (Lavelle, 1993), writing apprehension, and writing performance on a personal narrative writing task. Given the self-referencing strategy associated with the Elaborative style, it was hypothesised that Elaborative scale scores would predict narrative essay outcomes in terms of the degree of personal investment and complexity. Sample. The sample consisted of 74 college students enrolled in freshman composition, a general studies course at a medium size midwestem university in the United States. Methods. The Inventory of Processes in College Composition and the Daly Miller Writing Apprehension Test were administered to students during a regular, 50-minute class period. Students also responded in essay format to a personal writing prompt: ‘My Most Unforgettable Character’. Results. Results support the Elaborative writing style as predictive of the degree of personal involvement in writing a narrative essay but not as predictive of the complexity of writing outcome. Writing apprehension in conjunction with Procedural scale score were predictive of the complexity of essay outcomes and Elaborative and Low self-efficacy writing styles were predictive of writing apprehension. Conclusions. The Elaborative construct represents a highly personal and emotive approach to writing and learning and is useful in understanding writers' strengths and deficits. Elaborative writers were confident and highly invested in writing a brief narrative essay, but might be encouraged to be more planful in order to achieve a greater level of complexity. Writing apprehension has been supported as a multidimensional construct related to writing self-efficacy. Implications for instruction include offering a wide range of writing assignments, emphasis on reflection and planning, and consideration of narrative writing as an educational tool in content areas.
On the Switching Gap of Ahlswede-Cai-Li-Yeung's Single-Source Multicast Network

Ahlswede, Cai, Li, and Yeung have proposed a new paradigm of network coding in multicast networks. They demonstrated that network coding can achieve the maximum information flow in the single-source multicast networks beyond the conventional network switching. A basic problem arising here is that, for a given single-source multicast network, what is the switching gap of the network defined as the ratio of the maximum information flow in the multicast network with network coding to that only with network switching. In this brief, we investigate the maximum possible switching gap of Ahlswede-Cai-Li-Yeung's single-source multicast network and find some condition, in terms of the capacity of links, under which Ahlswede-Cai-Li-Yeung's network has the minimum possible switching gap of one.
The rationale for targeted therapies in medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in children. Patients with MB who are classified as having high-risk disease or those with recurrent disease respond poorly to current therapies and have an increased risk of MB-related mortality. Preclinical studies and molecular profiling of MB tumors have revealed upregulation or activation of several key signaling pathways such as the sonic hedgehog and WNT pathways. Although the exact mechanisms underlying MB tumorigenesis remain poorly understood, inhibiting these key pathways with molecularly targeted therapies represents an important approach to improving MB outcomes. Several molecularly targeted therapies are already under clinical investigation in MB patients. We discuss current preclinical and clinical data, as well as data from clinical trials of targeted therapies that are either ongoing or in development for MB.
Lupeol, a Novel Androgen Receptor Inhibitor: Implications in Prostate Cancer Therapy

Purpose: Conventional therapies to treat prostate cancer (CaP) of androgen-dependent phenotype (ADPC) and castration-resistant phenotype (CRPC) are deficient in outcome which has necessitated a need to identify those agents that could target AR for both disease types. We provide mechanism-based evidence that lupeol (Lup-20(29)-en-3b-ol) is a potent inhibitor of androgen receptor (AR) in vitro and in vivo . Experimental Design: Normal prostate epithelial cell (RWPE-1), LAPC4 (wild functional AR/ADPC), LNCaP (mutant functional/AR/ADPC), and C4-2b (mutant functional/AR/CRPC) cells were used to test the anti-AR activity of lupeol. Cells grown under androgen-rich environment and treated with lupeol were tested for proliferation, AR transcriptional activity, AR competitive ligand binding, AR–DNA binding, and AR–ARE/target gene binding. Furthermore, in silico molecular modeling for lupeol–AR binding was done. Athymic mice bearing C4-2b and LNCaP cell–originated tumors were treated intraperitoneally with lupeol (40 mg/kg; 3 times/wk) and tumor growth and surrogate biomarkers were evaluated. To assess bioavailability, lupeol serum levels were measured. Results: Lupeol significantly inhibited R1881 (androgen analogue) induced (i) transcriptional activity of AR and (ii) expression of PSA. Lupeol (i) competed antagonistically with androgen for AR, (ii) blocked the binding of AR to AR-responsive genes including PSA, TIPARP, SGK, and IL-6, and (iii) inhibited the recruitment of RNA Pol II to target genes. Lupeol sensitized CRPC cells to antihormone therapy. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that lupeol is bioavailable to mice. Lupeol inhibited the tumorigenicity of both ADPC and CRPC cells in animals. Serum and tumor tissues exhibited reduced PSA levels. Conclusion: Lupeol, an effective AR inhibitor, could be developed as a potential agent to treat human CaP. Clin Cancer Res; 17(16); 5379–91. ©2011 AACR .
Inter-core cooperative TLB for chip multiprocessors

Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLBs) are commonly employed in modern processor designs and have considerable impact on overall system performance. A number of past works have studied TLB designs to lower access times and miss rates, specifically for uniprocessors. With the growing dominance of chip multiprocessors (CMPs), it is necessary to examine TLB performance in the context of parallel workloads. This work is the first to present TLB prefetchers that exploit commonality in TLB miss patterns across cores in CMPs. We propose and evaluate two Inter-Core Cooperative (ICC) TLB prefetching mechanisms, assessing their effectiveness at eliminating TLB misses both individually and together. Our results show these approaches require at most modest hardware and can collectively eliminate 19% to 90% of data TLB (D-TLB) misses across the surveyed parallel workloads. We also compare performance improvements across a range of hardware and software implementation possibilities. We find that while a fully-hardware implementation results in average performance improvements of 8-46% for a range of TLB sizes, a hardware/software approach yields improvements of 4-32%. Overall, our work shows that TLB prefetchers exploiting inter-core correlations can effectively eliminate TLB misses.
Transdural spinal cord herniation: imaging and clinical spectra.

PURPOSE: Transdural herniation of the spinal cord is a rarely reported clinical entity, and many of the existing reports were published before the advent of MR imaging. We describe five current cases and compare them with findings in 25 cases reported in the literature to delineate the clinical and imaging spectra of transdural spinal cord herniation. METHODS: MR imaging, CT myelography, and conventional myelography were performed in five patients with transdural herniation of the spinal cord. These studies, along with clinical findings, are described. Intraoperative photographs are included for one case. The salient features of both the current and previously reported cases are summarized in tabular form. RESULTS: In three cases, transdural spinal cord herniation occurred posttraumatically, in one case the cause was iatrogenic and in the others the herniation occurred spontaneously. Imaging features not previously reported include dorsally directed herniations at thoracolumbar levels (two patients), apparent (lacking surgical confirmation) syringomeyelia (one case), a vertebral body nuclear trail sign (one case), and intramedullary hyperintensities on MR images (two cases). Clinical features not previously reported include unilateral pyramidal-sensory deficits (one case) and isolated unilateral pyramidal signs (one case). Clinical findings similar to previous reports include progressive paraparesis (two cases) and progressive Brown-Sequard syndrome (one case). CONCLUSION: Our five cases illustrate certain clinical and imaging findings not previously reported, and, together with the established features of the 25 cases in the literature, delineate the spectra of transdural spinal cord herniation.
Fusing spatially and temporally separated single-point turbulent plasma flow measurements into two-dimensional time-resolved visualizations

Single-point measurements of time-resolved plasma density fluctuations are collected throughout a planar region of the exhaust plume downstream from a Hall effect thruster. A matrix of empirical discrete time transfer functions is created between the thruster discharge current (input) signal and the measured (output) electron density signals, thus estimating the thruster-plume system. Appling a fixed input signal, the two-dimensional time-resolved response of the plume is then determined - revealing the structure and evolution of the plasma discharge. Discrete turbulent bursts of plasma are tracked as the thruster exhales breaths of ionized propellant at rates in excess of 12 km/s. In effect, fusion in both the spatial and time domain is being used in this novel application.
Design issues in system support for programmable routers

Placement of computation inside the network is a powerful computation model that can improve the overall performance of network applications. The authors address the problem of providing sound and efficient system support for placing computation in a network router We identify a set of requirements, related to protection, resource control, scheduling and efficiency, that are relevant to the design of this system support. We have developed a system that attempts to meet these requirements, and have used it to write a router application that performs aggregated congestion control.
Reliability of a brief intercept survey for trail use behaviors.

Purpose: This study assessed test-retest reliability of an interviewer-administered trail survey. Methods: An intercept survey was conducted with adults using 2 paved trails in Indiana and South Carolina (N = 295; mean age = 46.9 ± 18 y). The survey included items on frequency and duration of trail use for recreation and transportation, other patterns of trail use, and sociodemographic characteristics. Fifty-five adults completed the survey twice (2−16 d apart; mean = 7.4 ± 2.6 d). Test-retest reliability was assessed with Spearman rank correlation coefficients, Kappa coefficients, and percent agreement. Results: Kappa coefficients and percent agreement for 9 categorical items ranged from 0.65 to 0.96 and from 64.0% to 98.2%, respectively. Among these items, the lowest Kappas were found for perceived safety (0.65) and reported duration of visits for recreational purposes (0.67). Spearman rank correlation coefficients for travel distance to and on the trail and frequency of trail use during the past 7 days...
Protein binding predictions in infants.

Plasma binding protein levels are lower in the newborn than in the adult and gradually increase with age. At birth, human serum albumin (HSA) concentrations are close to adult levels (75%–80%), while alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) is initially half the adult concentration. As a result, the extent of drug binding to HSA is closer to that of the adult than are those drugs bound largely to AAG. A model that incorporates the fraction unbound in adults and the ratio of the binding protein concentration between infants and adults successfully predicted the fraction unbound in infants and children.
INDUCTION BY MUTAGENS OF TANDEM GENE DUPLICATIONS IN THE glyS REGION OF THE ESCHERICHIA COLI CHROMOSOME

Four mutagens (ultraviolet light, nitrous acid, the acridine half mustard ICR 372, and niridazole) have been found to increase the frequency of tandem gene duplications in the glyS region of the Escherichia coli chromosome. This result was obtained by quantitating the spontaneous and mutagen-induced reversion frequency of a glycyl-tRNA synthetase (glyS) mutant. Following mutagenesis, as many as 0.2% of the survivors were observed to contain duplications in the glyS region. In addition, several classes of stable revertants of the glyS mutant have been identified.
Neglected Tropical Diseases: Moving Beyond Mass Drug Treatment To Understanding The Science

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a major health burden in many developing countries. To date, global efforts to control thirteen parasitic and bacterial infections that affect more than 1.4 billion people have relied on mass drug administration. This singular approach should now be expanded to a more comprehensive suite of tools including coordinated community-based programs, vector control, local training, education, and environmental change. In addition, an intensive basic research agenda is urgently needed to develop effective diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic interventions to stay one step ahead of the evolutionary adaptation tactics of disease-causing microbes and parasites.
Discrete validation of a smart power ASIC (SPIC) for a distributed power system

We describe the design and implementation and discrete validation of a high-voltage BCD-technology based smart power integrated circuit (SPIC) design, which is an "one-chip solution" to control, drive, and protect a two-stage distributed power system (DPS). As such, the proposed SPIC achieves higher power density, reduced design-cycle time, and enhanced system reliability. The DPS comprises a front-end AC-DC single-switch power-factor-correction (PFC) converter, which is cascaded with a back-end DC-DC four-switch full-bridge zero-voltage-switching (FBZVS) converter. The current-and the voltage-mode controllers for the PFC and the FBZVS converters, respectively, are integrated into the SPIC. The SPIC can "directly" fire the 2 high-side and 3 low-side devices in the power system. A combination of bootstrap and charge-pump techniques is used to power the gate-drive circuits for the high-side power devices; hence, the duty cycle for a high-side power device is 100% and independent of the turn-on time of the low-side power device in the same leg of the FBZVS converter. Additionally, a more reliable two-stage fault protection scheme is implemented in the SPIC including protection features such as under-voltage lockout, over-current protection, adaptive shoot-through protection, and soft-start capability. This paper illustrates several key experimental results obtained by controlling the DPS using the discrete SPIC to validate the functionalities of the latter and its satisfactory performance.
Efficacy and safety of a form of cranial electrical stimulation (CES) as an add-on intervention for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: A three week double blind pilot study.

We examined efficacy and safety of one specific cranial electrical stimulator (CES) device at a fixed setting in subjects with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). Thirty subjects (57% female, mean age 48.1 ± 12.3 years) with MDD and inadequate response to standard antidepressants were randomized to 3 weeks of treatment with CES (15/500/15,000 Hz, symmetrical rectangular biphasic current of 1-4 mAmp, 40 V) or sham CES (device off) for 20 min, 5 days per week. The primary outcome measure was improvement in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17). Adverse effects (AEs) were assessed using the Patient Related Inventory of Side Effects (PRISE). Completion rates were 88% for CES, 100% for sham. Both treatment groups demonstrated improvement of about 3-5 points in HAM-D-17 scores (p < 0.05 for both), and no significant differences were observed between groups. Remission rates were 12% for CES, and 15% for sham, a nonsignificant difference. CES was deemed safe, with good tolerability; poor concentration and malaise were the only distressing AEs that differed significantly between CES and sham (p = 0.019 and p = 0.043, respectively). Limitations include a small sample and lack of an active comparator therapy. Although both treatment groups improved significantly, this CES at the setting chosen did not separate from sham in this sample. Thus we cannot rule out that the benefit from this setting used in this particular form of CES was due to placebo effects. Since this form of CES has other settings, future studies should test these settings and compare it against other CES devices. Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT01325532.
Monotonic and non-monotonic properties of product quality in flexible manufacturing systems with batch operations

Many flexible manufacturing systems implement batch production, in order to shorten changeover time, reduce cost, and improve quality. In such systems, different types of products are grouped into batches where all parts in each batch have the same type. The change of product type only occurs after the last job in a batch is processed. In this paper, we present an analytical method to evaluate the quality performance of flexible manufacturing systems with batch operations and investigate the monotonic and non-monotonic properties of product quality with respect to quality failure and repair probabilities and batch sizes.
Versatile microfluidic generation of chemical concentration gradients in a flow-free setting

This paper presents a novel class of microfluidic concentration gradient generation (CGG) devices capable of producing virtually arbitrary user-specified gradient profiles in a flow-free setting. Intended for use in cell biology studies where fluid flow disturbances are to be avoided, our devices allow cells to be studied in a stationary fluid medium while constantly replenishing chemical solution and buffer to establish temporally stable gradients in an efficient manner. By exploiting a gradient forming channel network, gradient profiles of arbitrary shapes can be attained. We describe the concept, design and experimental demonstration of flow-free generation of stable gradients with different prescribed shapes.
Interkingdom responses of flies to bacteria mediated by fly physiology and bacterial quorum sensing

Insect location and utilization of a resource is influenced by a host of variables including nutrients acquired prior to encountering a stimulus and age of the individual. For the carrion system, we hypothesized that volatiles to which primary colonizers, such as blow flies, respond are the same signalling molecules produced and utilized for quorum sensing by bacteria found on the resource. We provided freshly emerged blow flies, Lucilia sericata, different diets (blood or powdered milk) and assessed their behaviour in a dual-choice assay based on sex and ovarian status of 7-day-old or 14-day-old adults. We determined their preference between wild-type Proteus mirabilis, which is able to swarm (a quorum-sensing response), or mutated (by transposon mutagenesis) P. mirabilis, which is unable to swarm. In most instances, an individual's sex did not significantly influence its response. Age and diet appeared to regulate fly motivation and preference. Seven-day-old flies had a significantly greater probability of responding to the wild type than to the mutant, regardless of diet, but the percentage of milk-fed flies that responded was significantly smaller (85% less) than the percentage of blood-fed flies that responded. Blood-fed flies oviposited, whereas milk-fed flies did not. Seven-day-old flies oviposited predominately on the wild type, whereas 14-day-old flies oviposited predominately on the mutant. Our results demonstrate that the mechanism used by L. sericata for detecting a resource can be associated with bacterial quorum sensing, and that the physiological state of the insect influences its response. We also identified several differences in volatile compounds produced by the bacteria that could explain blow fly response.
Psychiatric Side Effects of Mefloquine: Applications to Forensic Psychiatry

Mefloquine (previously marketed in the United States as Lariam®) is an antimalarial medication with potent psychotropic potential. Severe psychiatric side effects due to mefloquine intoxication are well documented, including anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, persecutory delusions, dissociative psychosis, and anterograde amnesia. Exposure to the drug has been associated with acts of violence and suicide. In this article, we discuss the history of mefloquine use and describe plausible mechanisms of its psychotropic action. Mefloquine intoxication has not yet been successfully advanced in legal proceedings as a defense or as a mitigating factor, but it appears likely that it eventually will be. Considerations for the application of claims of mefloquine intoxication in forensic settings are discussed.
‘Forced normalisation’ in the neurosurgical era

The correlation between epilepsy and behavioural disorders is well known. Forced normalisation is a phenomenon where there is worsening of the patient9s behavioural disorder when a better seizure control has been obtained. A complication of anti-epileptic treatment worsening the behavioural disorder is sometimes the proposed mechanism. The author presents the report of a young man with temporal lobe epilepsy and poor seizure control in the past 12 years. The patient had comorbid impulse control disorder previously well controlled with medications. MRI demonstrated left mesial temporal sclerosis and intracranial EEG recording located seizure foci in the left medial temporal lobe. The patient underwent left temporal lobectomy for seizure control with partial success. However, after operation, the patient9s impulse control disorder worsened and he was involved in physical altercations leading to incarceration. This illustrates a case where partial seizure control was obtained with a surgical procedure, but resulted in worsening of the patient9s behavioural disorder.
Hyperspectral guided-mode quantum efficiency: A novel characterization technique for thin-film photovoltaics

We present a novel and comprehensive technique to measure the internal quantum efficiency of light absorbed as a guided-mode in a thin-film photovoltaic (TPV) over a broad range of wavelengths. Evanescent prism coupling is utilized to selectively excite individual guided-modes at a given wavelength and polarization across a broad spectrum. The Guided-Mode Quantum Efficiency (GIQE) provides a direct quantitative method to design TPVs which can optimize light trapping through guided-modes for higher power conversion efficiency. Furthermore, using theoretical photocarrier generation profile and GIQE of a specific guided-mode, we can probe the spatially dependent charge extraction in the active layer in a direction normal to the substrate. Therefore this technique enables the identification of regions of poor performance due to recombination and trapping within the active layer in a TPV device.
A computational study of conformational interconversions in 1,4-dithiacyclohexane (1,4-dithiane).

Ab initio molecular orbital theory with the 6-31G(d), 6-31G(d,p), 6-31+G(d), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31+G(2d,p), 6-311G(d), 6-311G(d,p), and 6-311+G(2d,p) basis sets and density functional theory (BLYP, B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91) have been used to locate transition states involved in the conformational interconversions of 1,4-dithiacyclohexane (1,4-dithiane) and to calculate the geometry optimized structures, relative energies, enthalpies, entropies, and free energies of the chair and twist conformers. In the chair and 1,4-twist conformers the CHax and CHeq bond lengths are equal at each carbon, which suggest an absence of stereoelectronic hyperconjugative interactions involving carbon–hydrogen bonds. The 1,4-boat transition state structure was 9.53 to 10.5 kcal/mol higher in energy than the chair conformer and 4.75 to 5.82 kcal/mol higher in energy than the 1,4-twist conformer. Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations showed that the 1,4-boat transition state structure was the energy maximum in the interconversion of the enantiomers of the 1,4-twist conformer. The energy difference between the chair conformer and the 1,4-twist conformer was 4.85 kcal/mol and the chair-1,4-twist free energy difference (ΔG°c-t) was 4.93 kcal/mol at 298.15 K. Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations connected the transition state between the chair conformer and the 1,4-twist conformer. This transition state is 11.7 kcal/mol higher in energy than the chair conformer. The effects of basis sets on the 1,4-dithiane calculations and the relative energies of saturated and unsaturated six-membered dithianes and dioxanes are also discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 909–919, 2003
Is Review by Peers as Fair as it Appears

Recent research shows that journal reviewing practices are neither objective nor fair. I propose a procedure to increase the likelihood of publishing important papers. This will be tested by Interfaces for a year.
Eigenvalue method for approximating cycle slip rates in PLLs

The small eigenvalues of a PLL's Fokker-Planck operator are useful for approximating the rates at which noise-induced cycle slips occur. A method is presented for numerically approximating these small eigenvalues. An a finite dimensional subspace of 2/spl pi/m-periodic functions (m is a user-supplied problem-dependent integer), the eigenvalue problem is reformulated (in an approximate sense) by a finite dimensional system of differential equations with 2/spl pi/-periodic coefficients. The unknown eigenvalue appears as a parameter of this system; it must be selected so that the system has a particular periodic solution. Next, a method is discussed for numerically approximating the periodic solutions and small eigenvalues. The method utilizes as a constraint the known scale factor change that the eigenfunctions must experience from one 2/spl pi/ interval to the next. This scale factor is shown to be a multiplier of the system of differential equations. Finally, the method is applied to a simple example.
Generating Customized Sparse Eigenvalue Solutions with Lighthouse

Sparse eigenvalue problems arise in many areas of scientific computing. A variety of high-performance numerical software packages including many different eigensolvers are available to solve such problems. The two main challenges are finding the routines that can correctly solve the problem and implementing the desired solution accurately and efficiently using the appropriate software package. In this paper, we describe an approach that addresses these issues by intelligently identifying the sparse eigensolver that is likely to perform the best for given input characteristics and by generating a code template that uses that solver. The results are delivered to users through Lighthouse, a novel interface and search platform for users seeking highperformance solutions to linear algebra problems. This paper describes the development of the approach with a focus on the analysis of sparse eigensolvers in SLEPc and their integration into Lighthouse. Keywords–expert systems; sparse eigensolvers; machine learning.
An Analysis of Close Corporation Legislation in the United States

Some ten years ago this author analyzed the trend toward the adoption of special legislation aimed at solving the problems of the closely held corporation. I argued that an attempt at statutory resolution was fundamentally misguided, in that a dual corporation law regime, that is, separate statutory schemes for general and close corporations, would provide at best limited benefits while creating potentially serious problems. Those views, however, have remained a distinct minority among academicians, and the state legislative trend toward a dual regime has continued unabated. Even the 1984 revisers of the Model Business Corporation Act, whose drafters saw no need for special legislation at the time of the 1969 revision of the Act, have proposed a Model Statutory Close Corporation Supplement for jurisdictions that want to distinguish statutorily between ordinary corporations and so-called close corporations. As states consider and adopt versions of the revised Model Act, many are likely to adopt the Model Supplement as well. These developments as well as recent court decisions in both single and dual regimes cast new light on the analytical problems inherent in legislating separately for close corporations. This article reconsiders the case for special close corporation legislation against the background of close corporation statutes adopted to date and judicial interpretations of both the general and the special statutes. The article concludes that the case against special close corporation legislation is even stronger than it was ten years ago.
Retrograde coronary perfusion: a superior route to deliver therapeutics to the heart?*.

As the genomics and proteomics revolutions progress and the molecular biology of various cardiovascular pathologies is better understood, an increasing number of potential molecular therapies are being proposed. The ultimate success of any of these therapies depends upon many factors, including the
Di-jet production and angular correlations in DIS at NLO

Angular correlations are a sensitive probe of the dynamics of QCD at high energy. In particular azimuthal angular correlations between two hadrons produced in Deeply Inelastic Scattering (DIS) of a virtual photon on a hadron or nucleus offer the best environment in which to investigate high gluon density (gluon saturation) effects expected to arise at small x . Here we give a progress report on our derivation of Next to Leading Order (NLO) corrections to di-jet (di-hadron) production in DIS.
Abnormalities of the Tubular Genital Organs

Abnormalities of the tubular reproductive tract are responsible for decreased fertility in the cow. Typically, these are related to congenital defects such as segmental aplasia or to acquired conditions resulting from infections or trauma caused during breeding or parturition. Infection of the tubular tract may result in vaginitis, cervicitis, metritis, endometritis, pyometra, or salpingitis. Trauma to the tract may result in urovagina, pneumovagina, or prolapse of the vagina or uterus. Retained placenta may result in metritis. Potentially, all of these conditions, unless properly treated, may result in reduced fertility or, in the extreme, sterility. Judicial and properly timed use of antibiotics and ecbolic agents should return the tract to proper function with little or no reduction in fertility. Some conditions, such as prolapse, retained placenta, and pneumovagina, may call for manual or surgical intervention for successful resolution.