cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LONG-TERM RISK OF RECURRENT ARRHYTHMIA IN PATIENTS WITH TYPICAL ATRIAL FLUTTER UNDERGOING PULMONARY VEIN ANTRUM ISOLATION OR CAVO-TRICUSPID ISTHMUS ABLATION WITH PERMANENT ISOLATION

Background: Cavo-tricuspid isthmus isolation (CTI) effectively targets typical atrial flutter (AFL) with a reported success rate of >85%. However, the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) following CTI remains high at around 50%. Purpose: This study examined the risk of AF and AFL in
S Corporation Stock Sales: Tax Efficiency and Transaction Costs

Allowing buyers and sellers of S corporation stock to choose whether to close the corporation’s books leads to increased transaction costs. Inaccurate reporting can occur if the parties choose not to close the books. Mandatory closing of the books, or a default rule of closing the books coupled with mandatory closing for extraordinary items, would decrease transaction costs and improve accuracy.
Abdominal Aorta Dilatation and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Another Dimension of Arterial Age?

Aortic aneurysm is defined as having a permanent localized dilatation of the aorta, with at least 50% increase in diameter compared with the expected normal diameter of that aortic segment.1 The same guidelines do not offer a definition for a localized aortic dilatation of <50% of the expected normal diameter, commonly referred to in clinical practice as mild aortic dilatation. Further, this definition does not specify what represents a normal diameter. It has been recognized that aortic diameters are affected by age, sex, body size, and imaging modality.1 Thus, without taking these factors into account, normal diameters can be misclassified as abnormal. See Article by Qazi et al The lack of standardized cutoffs for the aorta represented a challenge in which normal needed to be defined before defining what is abnormal but nonaneurysmal. Many smaller studies attempted to address this,1–4 but it was not until a landmark study using the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation cohorts data took a comprehensive approach defining sex-specific normal diameters of the aorta at multiple segments stratified by age and body surface area, using noncontrasted multidetector computed tomography (CT) in a community-based cohort.5 However, the question remained, what is the clinical significance of having a dilated, nonaneurysmal aorta? Abdominal aortic aneurysm has been recognized to be associated with atherosclerotic risk factors, supported by an abundance of prospective studies from national screening programs which showed increased mortality in patients with mild aortic aneurysms.6–9 Years later, the Tromso study was published.10 This was a population-based study of 6295 men and women aged 25 to 84 years and followed up for 10 years who did not have aneurysmal abdominal aorta using ultrasonography. In the study, subjects with age- and sex-adjusted infrarenal aortic diameter 27 to …
Synthesis and characterization of a phosphine oxide based Poly(arylene ether ketone) and blends with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) for gas separations

Abstract Membranes were prepared from blends of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) and two poly(arylene ether ketone) random copolymers, one that contained a phosphine oxide monomer (POPAEK) and one that did not (BPAPAEK). Two Tg's for all of the blends except for those with the lowest molecular weight PPO showed that these were two-phase materials. Partial crosslinking with UV light resulted in materials with decreased permeabilities and increased gas selectivities. Blend compatibility was improved with the phosphine oxide. Permeabilities of PPO/POPAEK blends were closer to a miscible additivity model than the PPO/BPAPAEK blends, suggesting that POPAEK has more favorable interactions with PPO. This was reinforced by the fact that blends containing the POPAEK did not display significant reductions in tensile properties even at intermediate compositions where the blend interfacial area was largest. SEM images of fracture surfaces of the blends with high concentrations of PPO showed a finer microstructure with the POPAEK copolymer.
Time-Space Optimal Parallel Computation

The development of parallel file rearrangement algorithms that simultaneously optimize both time and space is surveyed. The classic problem of merging two sorted lists is used to illustrate fundamental techniques. Recent implementations on real parallel machines are also discussed. A primary aim of this research is to help narrow the gap between the theory and practice of parallel computing.
Constrictive Pericarditis and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Approximately 50% of all patients with newly diagnosed congestive heart failure in developed countries have a normal ejection fraction,1 most of which are due to a myocardial disease resulting in diastolic heart failure.2 Among many etiologies of diastolic heart failure, restrictive cardiomyopathy constitutes only a very small proportion of the total cases. Because diastolic heart failure implies an intrinsic myocardial abnormality in diastolic function, constrictive pericarditis may not be classified as diastolic heart failure, although its main hemodynamic burden arises from the diastolic phase.
Neutral Beam Penetration Considerations for CIT

Neutral beam injection into CIT is discussed. Monte Carlo methods are used to evaluate available windows of operating density and beam energies. The beam deposition profile is determined for a wide...
Physiological Considerations of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Animal Models.

Abstract Characterizing the nature and underlying neurobiological causes of psychiatric and neurological diseases at the circuit and network levels has remained elusive and necessitates the use of robust animal models. Noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging allows systems-level insight into disease phenotype in humans and animals alike, and functional neuroimaging represents an ideal platform for translational and reverse-translational research, with common measurements collected across species. Animal neuroimaging allows invasive manipulations and conveniently bypasses many limitations associated with human subjects; however, awake animal imaging introduces its own constraints to reduce motion and limit subjective stress. Anesthetics offer a viable alternative, but the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and molecular targets of anesthetics and their effects on physiology, neural activity, and neurovascular coupling must be considered. We discuss the physiological basis of and the influence of anesthetics on neurovascular coupling. We discuss anesthetic use in functional magnetic resonance imaging and focus on an anesthetic protocol developed in our laboratory. Finally, we discuss in detail our most recent work examining the physiological basis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging using this anesthetic regimen and the future directions of animal neuroimaging research. Using animal imaging in combination with cutting-edge in vivo neuromodulatory techniques is essential for causal understanding of brain function in health and disease and offers an exemplary bridge between human and animal research studies.
TCT-785 Misclassification of Type 2 Myocardial Infarction and its Implication on Outcomes

Cardiovascular specialists are aware of the different mechanisms of myocardial infarction (MI); type 1 MI being plaque rupture mediated and type 2 MI caused by a mismatch in myocardial oxygen supply and demand. However, type 2 MI patients are often misclassified under the diagnosis of non–ST-
Lack of Sphenoid Pneumatization Does Not Affect Endoscopic Endonasal Pediatric Skull Base Surgery Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Currently, due to the rarity of pathology, there are limited data surrounding outcomes of pediatric skull base surgery. Traditionally, surgeons have proceeded with caution when electing endonasal endoscopic transsellar/transplanum approaches to the skull base in pediatric patients due to poor sphenoid pneumatization. In this study, we review outcomes of endoscopic pediatric skull base surgery based on sphenoid pneumatization patterns. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. METHODS A review of all cases of pediatric (age < 18 years) craniopharyngioma managed via an endoscopic endonasal approach at a tertiary academic medical center. RESULTS A total of 27 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 8 years. Nineteen (70%) patients were male. Presellar, sellar/postsellar, and conchal sphenoid pneumatizations were found in 6, 11, and 10 patients, respectively. There was no significant association between sphenoid pneumatization pattern and extent of resection (gross vs. subtotal, P = .414), postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak (P = .450), intraoperative estimated blood loss (P = .098), total operative time (P = .540), and length of stay (P = .336). On multivariate analysis, after accounting for age, sex, preoperative cranial nerve involvement, and cavernous sinus invasion, there remained no significant association between sphenoid pneumatization pattern and extent of resection (P = .999) and postoperative CSF leak (P = .959). CONCLUSIONS Sphenoid pneumatization pattern does not appear to affect outcomes in endoscopic skull base surgery in the pediatric population. Importantly, lack of sphenoid pneumatization does not impede gross total resection or increase complications. Thorough knowledge of the anatomy during the endoscopic approach is critical to optimize outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 129:832-836, 2019.
Straightforward method for singularized and region-specific CNS microvessels isolation.

Abstract Background Current methods for murine brain microvasculature isolation requires the pooling of brain cortices while disregarding the rest of the CNS, making the analysis of single individuals non feasible. New method Efficient isolation of brain microvessels requires the elimination of meninges, vessels of high caliber vessels and choroid plexus, commonly done by rolling the over filter paper, but can’t be done on other CNS regions. We overcome this hurdle by using a double-pronged pick, as well as elution and filtration through cell strainers after centrifugation. Results We were able to develop a region-specific murine CNS microvessels isolation, that allows for the comparison of the neurovascular unit from these regions both within the same individual and between multiple individuals and/or treatment groups without pooling. Additionally, we were able to adapt this method to macaque CNS tissue. Comparison with existing method(s) Although similar to a previously published method that requires no enzymatic dissociation and no ultracentrifugation, it does differ in its ability to isolate from a single experimental animal and from non-cortical tissues. However, it relies heavily on the researcher dissecting skills and careful elution and filtration of re-suspended samples. Conclusions CNS region-specific microvessels comparison can inform of molecular and/or cellular differences that would otherwise be obscured by excluding non-cortical tissue. Additionally, it allows for the unmasking of variations between individuals that remained hidden when pooling of multiple samples is the norm. Lastly, isolation of region-specific microvessels for non-human primate CNS allows for more translationally relevant studies of the BBB.
LAMINATION RESIDUAL STRAINS AND STRESSES IN HYBRID LAMINATES.

An investigation is conducted of the effects of hybridization on the magnitude of lamination residual stresses. Eight-ply graphite/Kevlar 49/epoxy and graphite/S-glass/epoxy laminates were studied. The same matrix resin was selected for all basic materials to ensure compatibility and uniform curing of the various plies. The specimens, with inserted strain gages and thermocouples, were subjected to curing and postcuring cycles in an autoclave. Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to a thermal cycle from room temperature to 444 K and down to room temperature. It was found that hydridizing reduces apparently residual strains and stresses in the graphite plies. However, these strains were not affected much by the type and degree of hybridization.
Short- and Long-term Effects of a Mobile Phone App in Conjunction With Brief In-Person Counseling on Physical Activity Among Physically Inactive Women: The mPED Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Mobile phone applications (apps) and activity trackers allow researchers to remotely deliver an intervention and monitor physical activity but have not been rigorously evaluated for longer periods. Objective To determine whether a mobile phone–based physical activity education app, in conjunction with brief in-person counseling, increases and then maintains levels of physical activity. Design, Setting, and Participants In this parallel randomized clinical trial, community-dwelling physically inactive women recruited between May 2011 and April 2014 were randomized in equal proportions into the control (n = 69), regular (n = 71), and plus (n = 70) groups. Data were analyzed using intention to treat from September 16, 2016, through June 30, 2018. Interventions The regular and plus groups were instructed to use the app on their mobile phone and an accelerometer every day for 3 months and attend brief in-person counseling. During the 6-month maintenance period, the plus group continued to use the app and accelerometer, while the regular group stopped using the app but continued using the accelerometer. The control group used the accelerometer throughout. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary and secondary outcomes were daily accelerometer-measured total steps and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Results The 210 participants had a mean (SD) age of 52.4 (11.0) years. At baseline, the mean (SD) daily total steps by accelerometer in the control, regular, and plus groups were 5384 (2920), 5063 (2526), and 5837 (3235), respectively. During the 3-month intervention period, daily steps and MVPA increased in the combined regular and plus groups compared with the control group (between-group differences, 2060 steps per day; 95% CI, 1296-2825 steps per day;P Conclusions and Relevance In this trial, the intervention groups substantially increased their physical activity. However, use of both the app and accelerometer for an additional 6 months after the initial 3-month intervention did not help to maintain increases in physical activity compared with continued use of the accelerometer alone. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT01280812
Identification of nicotinamide aminonaphthyridine compounds as potent RET kinase inhibitors and antitumor activities against RET rearranged lung adenocarcinoma.

Abstract RET rearrangement is a recently identified oncogenic mutation in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) that accounts for approximately 2% of all NSCLCs. More than six fusion partners have been identified in NSCLC, such as KIF5B, CCDC6, NCOA4, TRIM33, CLIP1 and ERC1. Many RET inhibitors have been reported and some have progressed to the clinic. Similar to most kinase inhibitors, patients often respond to current RET inhibitors but relapse can occur due to the emergence of mutant RET kinases, such as RET (S904F) and (V804L/M), which are resistant to inhibition. Our group previously reported that the benzamide aminonaphthyridine HSN356, a multikinase inhibitor, also inhibited RET. In this study, we prepared various nicotinamide analogs of HSN356 and investigated RET inhibition to uncover the salient moieties on HSN356 that are important for kinase inhibition and to also evaluate if HSN356 and analogs thereof could inhibit mutant RET kinases, such as RET (S904F) and (V804L/M). Compound 3 (HSN608), the nicotinamide analog of HSN356, inhibits RET and mutant forms better than reported RET inhibitors such as Alectinib, Sorafenib, Vandetanib and Apatinib, and comparable to BLU667. HSN608 inhibited the growth of CCDC6-RET driven LC-2/ad cell line with IC50 of ~3 nM. Under similar conditions, BLU667 and vandetanib (two drugs being evaluated against RET-driven cancers in the clinic) inhibited the growth of LC-2/ad with IC50 values of ~10 and 328 nM respectively.
CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROCRACKS

ABSTRACT Microcracks in rocks can be characterized by their effects on various physical properties. One technique which we have developed recently, termed differential strain analysis (DSA), uses high precision strain (2 or 3 × 10–6) measured as a function of hydrostatic pressure. DSA yields the strain at zero pressure (or any other pressure) due to cracks that close completely as a function of crack-closure pressure. By-products of DSA are compressibility and the open microcrack porosity that remains at any pressure. Strains measured in any three orthogonal directions are sufficient to yield volumetric quantities; strains measured in six independent directions yield tensor quantities. The data are useful for characterizing cracks in rocks, for testing theoretical expressions for the effect of cracks on physical properties, and for correlating empirically physical properties with various crack parameters. From the data on fifty rocks, obtained during the past three years, we conclude that: (1) the cracks produced by different processes in the laboratory as well as in nature yield cracks with differing characteristics; (2) most natural cracks in terrestrial igneous rocks are closed completely at pressures equal to or less than 500 bars; and (3) shocked lunar rocks contain cracks that do not close completely at pressures of several kilobars.
Lower Gastrointestinal Kaposi Sarcoma in HIV/AIDS: A Diagnostic Challenge

Gastrointestinal Kaposi sarcoma (GI-KS) is the most common extra-cutaneous site of KS in HIV/AIDS, and the majority (75%) of affected patients are asymptomatic. GI-KS rarely occurs in the absence of cutaneous lesions. Opportunistic GI infections in HIV/AIDS and GI-KS can present with similar symptoms especially diarrhea, creating a diagnostic challenge. We present a 46-year-old homosexual male with a medical history of HIV/AIDS and neurosyphilis, who presented with 2 weeks of nonbloody diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. He was initially worked up for infectious diarrhea, initiated on highly active anti-retroviral (HAART) and supportively managed with rehydration therapy and analgesia. However, his clinical symptoms did not improve, necessitating abdomen/pelvic CT scan which revealed extensive recto-sigmoid colon thickening and pelvic lymphadenopathy. Due to a high suspicion of malignancy, diagnostic endoscopy and biopsy were done which showed colonic KS. He was treated with intravenous pegylated doxorubicin in addition to HAART which evidently resulted in significant clinical and radiological improvement. The diagnosis of GI-KS could be challenging in the presence of overlapping features with opportunistic GI infections and the absence of cutaneous manifestations of KS because clinicians tend to focus more on infectious etiology. We suggest that clinicians should consider GI-KS in the differential diagnosis of patients with HIV/AIDS that present with diarrhea and other nonspecific abdominal symptoms. Early endoscopic evaluation with biopsy could help to ensure the timely diagnosis and management of GI-KS and ultimately improve outcomes.
How to be a maker 2: Sizzling in the sunshine

Make sure your barbecue food is cooked through with this do-it-yourself digital temperature sensor. Hannah Joshua shows how
Chapter Twelve Tō Heteron: The Problem of Otherness in Western Philosophy and Christian Theology

While the history of philosophy is commonly seen as focusing on the problem of unity and multiplicity, the one and the many, an even stronger case can be made for regarding as essential the relation between what Plato calls “the same” (tō auto) and “the other” (tō heteron)—stronger, because when it is properly understood, the problem of the one and the many can be seen as derivative from that of same and other. How can we approach otherness without reducing it to the sameness of our own realm of will or understanding? The difficulty of philosophically addressing the other is traced throughout the history of metaphysics, with only Kierkegaard and Levinas taking seriously the problem itself, and neither arriving at a satisfactory resolution. It is concluded the solution to the problem of the other is to be found in ancient patristic thought, and ultimately in the Christian life—the life that seeks to participates in the self-emptying, self-giving life of the Holy Trinity—the life that gives itself away, abandons itself for the sake of the other, that the other may be, and that it might above all participate in the kenotic love through which the eternally same-in-other God creates and sustains the world, and re-unites it to Himself.
Cell Types in Environmental Epigenetic Studies: Biological and Epidemiological Frameworks.

This article introduces the roles of perinatal DNA methylation in human health and disease, highlights the challenges of tissue and cellular heterogeneity to studying DNA methylation, summarizes approaches to overcome these challenges, and offers recommendations in conducting research in environmental epigenetics. Epigenetic modifications are essential for human development and are labile to environmental influences, especially during gestation. Epigenetic dysregulation is also a hallmark of multiple diseases. Environmental epigenetic studies routinely measure DNA methylation in readily available tissues. However, tissues and cell types exhibit specific epigenetic patterning and heterogeneity between samples complicates epigenetic studies. Failure to account for cell-type heterogeneity limits identification of biological mechanisms and biases study results. Tissue-level epigenetic measures represent a convolution of epigenetic signals from individual cell types. Tissue-specific epigenetics is an evolving field and the use of disease-affected target, surrogate, or multiple tissues has inherent trade-offs and affects inference. Likewise, experimental and bioinformatic approaches to accommodate cell-type heterogeneity have varying assumptions and inherent trade-offs that affect inference. The relationships between exposure, disease, tissue-level DNA methylation, cell type–specific DNA methylation, and cell-type heterogeneity must be carefully considered in study design and analysis. Causal diagrams can inform study design and analytic strategies. Properly addressing cell-type heterogeneity limits sources of potential bias, avoids misinterpretation of study results, and allows investigators to distinguish shifts in cell-type proportions from direct changes to cellular epigenetic programming, both of which provide insights into environmental disease etiology and aid development of novel methods for prevention and treatment.
California Climate Policies Serving Climate Justice

As the Green New Deal highlights the importance of integrating social justice into climate policy, California has been steadily incorporating climate justice elements into its comprehensive climate strategies. This essay, published in the ABA’s Natural Resources & Environment journal, shines a spotlight on several of the state’s innovative programs and surfaces both the opportunities and the challenges of integrating social and environmental justice into greenhouse gas reduction programs. It provides a short introduction to issues explored in more depth in “A Broader Vision for Climate Policy: Lessons from California,” available here: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3191532.
Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) Syndrome, A Central Nervous System Vasculitis Mimic

A 37-year-old male with diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with severe headache. Over a one-month period, magnetic resonance imaging showed acute strokes in the right paramedian pons, left thalamus/globus pallidus/subinsula, and right corona radiata. Evaluation for primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) included lumbar puncture revealing 7 white blood cells, normal protein and glucose.
Application of Surface Analysis to High Performance Polymeric Adhesives and Composites

The paper details the use of scanning electron microscopy, surface reflectance infrared spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, ion scattering spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the analysis of polymeric adhesives and composites. A brief review of the principle of each surface analytical technique will be followed by application of the technique to interfacial adhesion with an emphasis on polymer/metal, fiber/matrix, and composite/composite adhesion.
Cellular responses of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Because of the continued development and production of a variety of nanomaterials and nanoparticles, their uptake and effects on the biota of marine ecosystems must be investigated. Filter feeding bivalve molluscs are highly adapted for capturing particles from the external environment and readily internalize nano- and micro-sized particles through endocytosis, so they are commonly used as valuable indicator species for nanoparticle studies. In these studies, adult eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, were exposed to a range of titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2-NP) concentrations (5, 50, 500, and 5000 μg/L) in conjunction with natural sunlight. Isolated hepatopancreas tissues were also exposed to the same TiO2-NP concentrations using particles exposed to similar light and dark conditions. Dose-dependent decreases in lysosomal stability were observed in the adult oyster studies as well as in the isolated tissues, at exposures as low as 50 μg/L. Titanium accumulation in isolated hepatopancreas tissue studies was directly correlated to lysosomal destabilization. Based on measurements of lipid peroxidation as an indicator of oxidative stress, TiO2-NPs toxicity was not related to increased ROS production over the short-term course of these exposures. Analysis of particle size using dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicated that concentration had a significant impact on agglomeration rates, and the small agglomerates as well as individual particles are readily processed by oysters. Overall, this study illustrates that low concentrations of TiO2-NPs may cause sublethal toxicity on oysters, which might be enhanced under natural sunlight conditions. In estuarine environments, where these nanomaterials are likely to accumulate, agglomeration rates, interaction with organics, and responses to sunlight are critical in determining the extent of their bioreactivity and biological impacts.
Taiwan’s New Adversarial System and the Overlooked Challenge of Efficiency-Driven Reforms

The end of martial law marked the beginning of Taiwan’s criminal justice revolution. Taiwan has overhauled the inquisitorial structure of its dictatorial past to adopt a system that emphasizes contested trials in which the prosecution and defense play active roles. In embracing a so-called “reformed adversarial system,” Taiwan has concomitantly adopted several means of settling criminal disputes in an expeditious fashion, namely, deferred prosecution, plea bargaining, file-based adjudication, and simplified trials. The domestic debate behind the use of these procedures has centered on efficiency grounds. Beyond a narrow focus on saving resources, what has gone unrecognized is how these efficiency-driven procedures are creating a distinct channel of streamlined, prosecutor-dominated justice that is emerging alongside the adversarial one and even impeding the development of the new adversarial approach. There remains a void both in the domestic Taiwanese context and in the broader international literature as to how streamlined criminal proceedings play into a larger transition towards an adversarial system.
The Fishery Manager's Perspective on Unusual Algae Blooms

The principal goals of fishery resource managers are to assure that fishery resources are maintained in a viable condition for future generations and that optimum yield from harvestable fisheries is achieved. In the context of these goals, fishery managers confront certain well defined issues when a phenomenon such as an unusual algae bloom occurs. These issues will be defined and the status of their resolution relative to New York’s Brown Tide algae blooms will be discussed.
Thermal control of a lidar laser system using a non-conventional ram air heat exchanger

This paper describes the analysis and performance testing of a uniquely designed external heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is attached externally to an aircraft and is used to cool a laser system within the fuselage. Estimates showed insufficient cooling capacity with a conventional staggered tube array in the limited space available. Thus, a non-conventional design wes developed with larger tube and fin area exposed to the ram air to increase the heat transfer performance. The basic design consists of 28 circular finned aluminum tubes arranged in two parallel banks. Wind tunnel tests were performed to simulate air and liquid flight conditions for the non-conventional parallel bank arrangement and the conventional staggered tube arrangement. Performance comparisons of each of the two designs are presented. Test results are used in a computer model of the heat exchanger to predict the operating performance for the entire flight profile. These analyses predict significantly improved performance over the conventional design and show adequate thermal control margins.
Adaptive controller design and disturbance attenuation for SISO linear systems with noisy output measurements

We address the worst-case adaptive controller design problem for uncertain single-input single-output linear systems with noisy output measurements, under the assumption that the (parametrically) unknown system is minimum phase with a known relative degree and unknown high-frequency gain of known sign. We first formulate this adaptive control problem as a nonlinear H∞ control problem with imperfect state measurements, which then directly addresses transient performance and robustness of adaptive control systems. Then, by utilizing cost-to-come function analysis and integrator backstepping methodology, we derive explicit expressions for the worst-case adaptive controllers. Using a soft projection technique, we guarantee the bounded-input bounded-output property of the closed-loop system with respect to exogenous disturbance inputs without any assumption of persistency of excitation of the reference signal.
A comparison of parallel language approaches to data representation and data transferral

Recent progress in integrated circuit technology has made parallel processing a practical method for dealing with large-scale computational problems. A wide variety of parallel architectures have been proposed. Many different languages have been developed for use on these architectures, with various conventional languages being the base language. The ways in which these parallel languages approach the problem of data management are discussed. Methods of data transferrai and their relationship to the underlying architectures are examined. Transferrai among processor memories and between primary and secondary memory will both be discussed. Data allocation among processor memories will also be described.
Dichlorido(η6-p-cymene)(4-fluoro­aniline-κN)ruthenium(II)

The title compound, [RuCl2(C10H14)(C6H6FN)], a pseudo-octa­hedral d6 complex, has the expected piano-stool geometry around the Ru(II) atom. The fluoro­aniline ring forms a dihedral angle of 19.3 (2)° with the p-cymene ring. In the crystal, two mol­ecules form an inversion dimer via a pair of N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. Weak inter­molecular C—H⋯Cl inter­actions involving the p-cymene ring consolidate the crystal packing.
Marketing Issues and Challenges in Transitional Economies

The movement towards freer markets in China, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics and others (the so-called “Transitional Economies,” or TEs), has led to great interest in the marketing challenges and issues unique to these economies. Some of this interest comes from multinational corporations (MNCs), who see the growth and leadership potential in these emerging markets and have hastened to expand their operations in them (Nakata and Sivakumar 1995). Others are interested in these newly-opened TE markets because of the potential threat they represent to local TE corporations (TECs), as new MNC competitors flood in and take away market demand from these TECs. Some of these observers wish to strengthen these TECs, because strengthening them should contribute to the overall health of these TE economies and thus to the likelihood of success of the fragile economic transition process.
Pattern formation in spatially extended nonlinear systems: Toward a foundation for meaning in symbolic forms

This paper brings together observations from a variety of fields to point toward what the author believes to be the most promising computational approach to the modeling of brain-like symbol formation, unifying perceptual and linguistic domains under a common computational physics. It brings Cassirer’s Gestalt era evolutionary theory of language and symbolic thought to the attention of the situated cognition community, and describes how recent observations in experimental brain dynamics and computational approaches can be brought to bear on the problem. Research by the author and others in oscillatory network models of ambiguous perception with an attentional component is emphasised as a starting point for exploring increasingly complex pattern formation processes leading to simple forms of linguistic performance. These forms occupy a space between iconic representations and grammar. The dynamic pattern network framework suggests that to separate perception, representation or models and action in a realis...
Proton and hydrogen atom adducts to cytosine. An experimental and computational study

Abstract Cytosine cations were generated by chemical ionization and fast-atom bombardment of cytosine, and their dissociations in the gas phase were studied by tandem mass spectrometry and quantum chemistry calculations at levels of theory up to CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ. Metastable cytosine cations undergo loss of NH 3 , H 2 O, and [CHNO] molecules as major dissociations. Mechanisms for these dissociations were established by a combination of MS 3 , deuterium labeling, and calculations. Several tautomers of protonated cytosine were identified to exist as local energy minima. The tautomers are predicted to undergo facile prototropic isomerizations at internal energies below the lowest ion-dissociation thresholds. The lowest-energy elimination of ammonia proceeds from open-ring structures and is accompanied by exchange of the N-3 and N-7 positions in cytosine, so that either nitrogen atom can be lost in the ammonia molecule. Cytosine radicals corresponding to hydrogen atom adducts are stable when formed by femtosecond electron transfer to the cations. A fraction of the radicals dissociate by loss of hydrogen atom to form cytosine tautomers. Ring-cleavage dissociations leading to the loss of CO and HNCO are less abundant, and are predicted to proceed from excited electronic states accessed by vertical electron transfer.
Murine thyroid follicular epithelial cells can be induced to express class II (Ia) gene products but fail to present antigen in vitro

Abstract To determine whether thyroid follicular epithelial cells (TFEC) might be involved in the induction of autoimmune thyroiditis, they were tested for their potential to express Ia antigens, and for their ability to present antigen in vitro . Results showed that Ia antigens, absent on normal TFEC, could be readily induced with interferon γ, as detected by immunofluorescence. Maximal expression of Ia antigens in over 50% of TFEC was observed after 4 days of culture in the presence of IFN-γ, and was quantitatively comparable to spleen cells by cytofluorometric analysis. Moreover, primary TFEC in culture secreted thyroglobulin (tg) and interleukin 1. However, TFEC consistently failed to stimulate various populations of T cells. These included lymph node cells sensitized to tg, a T-cell clone specific for azo-benzene-arsonate tyrosine (ABA), and a hybridoma specific for beef insulin. Likewise, Ia-positive TFEC did not stimulate T-cell hybridomas restricted to the class II alloantigen I-A b , while stimulating a hybridoma specific for the class I alloantigen K b . T-cell unresponsiveness could not be explained by inhibitory activity of TFEC, released either into the culture supernatant or exerted by cell contact. The data indicate that Ia-positive TFEC failed to serve as class II-restricted antigen-presenting cells (APC) in vitro and thus argue against a primary role for these cells in the inductive phase of thyroiditis.
The attachment of glycolytic enzymes to muscle ultrastructure

The glycolytic enzymes, lactic dehydrogenase and aldolase, usually thought to be freely dissolved in the sarcoplasmic matrix, are in good part attached to the muscle ultrastructure. This attachment becomes manifest when the enzyme activities and specific activities of the press juices of whole skeletal muscles (rabbit) are compared with those of minced muscles, all obtained by ultracentrifugation of the tissues at 40,000 xpm for 16 to 20 hours. Mincing causes a great increase in the activities, associated with a rise in the volume and protein concentration of the press juices. We interpret these increases to be due to the solution in the matrix of enzymes previously attached to the ultrastructure. The same conclusion is reached by a different method, which we call “washing the ultrastructure.” It consists in multiple centrifugations of whole skeletal muscles, and removal of press juices, alternating with periods of imbibition of a buffer (0.1 M phosphate at pH 7.5) too dilute to dissolve out the fibrous proteins. During the imbibitions enzymes diffuse out into the buffer not imbibed, which becomes an extract. After four centrifugation-imbibition sequences in as many days nearly all of the fluid matrix has been replaced by buffer. Enzyme activities fall steeply in press juices and extracts until nearly all freely dissolved enzymes have been washed away. Homogenates of the pressed muscles then show activities which are about half of those found in the homogenates of unpressed control muscles. We conclude that the enzymes found in the homogenates of the pressed muscles have previously been attached to the ultrastructure. Similar experiments with heart muscle indicate that nearly all of these enzymes are normally attached to the ultrastructure. Press juices contain only traces of activity, even after the heart has been minced. A fraction of the enzymes is slowly detached during the centrifugation-imbibition sequences, appearing mainly in the extracts.
War, the Military Revolution(s) Controversy, and Army Expansion A Test of Two Explanations of Historical Influences on European State Making

One school of thought on European state making argues that discontinuous change in weapons and tactics led to the expansion of armies, and, therefore, states. Others argue that decision makers expanded state organizations to make war for its own sake, not simply because the tools of war changed. Although this controversy is not easily resolved, the empirical evidence indicates that major expansions in army sizes over the past 500 years were almost exclusively related to major wars fought over regional and global primacy. Moreover, the leaders in expanding armies were usually the states aspiring to regional hegemony and their principal opponent. This evidence buttresses the argument for drawing a direct relationship between war and state making—instead of emphasizing an indirect relationship between weapons/tactics and army size.
The tripartite synapse: roles for gliotransmission in health and disease

In addition to being essential supporters of neuronal function, astrocytes are now recognized as active elements in the brain. Astrocytes sense and integrate synaptic activity and, depending on intracellular Ca(2+) levels, release gliotransmitters (e.g. glutamate, d-serine and ATP) that have feedback actions on neurons. Recent experimental results have raised the possibility that quantitative variations in gliotransmission might contribute to disorders of the nervous system. Here, we discuss targeted molecular genetic approaches that have demonstrated that alterations in protein expression in astrocytes can lead to serious changes in neuronal function. We also introduce the concept of 'astrocyte activation spectrum' in which enhanced and reduced gliotransmission might contribute to epilepsy and schizophrenia, respectively. The results of future experimental tests of the astrocyte activation spectrum, which relates gliotransmission to neurological and psychiatric disorders, might point to a new therapeutic target in the brain.
Dissociation of inositol-requiring enzyme (IRE1α)-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation from hepatic insulin resistance in conditional X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) knock-out mice.

Hepatic insulin resistance has been attributed to both increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and accumulation of intracellular lipids, specifically diacylglycerol (DAG). The ER stress response protein, X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1), was recently shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis, suggesting that hepatic insulin resistance in models of ER stress may result from defective lipid storage, as opposed to ER-specific stress signals. Studies were designed to dissociate liver lipid accumulation and activation of ER stress signaling pathways, which would allow us to delineate the individual contributions of ER stress and hepatic lipid content to the pathogenesis of hepatic insulin resistance. Conditional XBP1 knock-out (XBP1Δ) and control mice were fed fructose chow for 1 week. Determinants of whole-body energy balance, weight, and composition were determined. Hepatic lipids including triglyceride, DAGs, and ceramide were measured, alongside markers of ER stress. Whole-body and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity were determined by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies. Hepatic ER stress signaling was increased in fructose chow-fed XBP1Δ mice as reflected by increased phosphorylated eIF2α, HSPA5 mRNA, and a 2-fold increase in hepatic JNK activity. Despite JNK activation, XBP1Δ displayed increased hepatic insulin sensitivity during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies, which was associated with increased insulin-stimulated IRS2 tyrosine phosphorylation, reduced hepatic DAG content, and reduced PKCϵ activity. These studies demonstrate that ER stress and IRE1α-mediated JNK activation can be disassociated from hepatic insulin resistance and support the hypothesis that hepatic insulin resistance in models of ER stress may be secondary to ER stress modulation of hepatic lipogenesis.
Gestation Period for Australopithecus

LEUTENEGGER1 has provided estimates of the foetal size at birth of two species of Australopithecus. Huggett and Widdas2 drew attention to the relationship between foetal age and weight in mammals, and we have been assessing both specific foetal growth rates and length of gestation (J. F. D. F. and A. St G. Huggett, unpublished data). It is quite clear that in the higher primates the foetal growth rate is 0.06. Using this and the estimates of foetal sizes at birth in the Huggett/Widdas formula2 we obtain gestation periods for A. africanus of 257 days and A. robustus 300 days.
Membrane-initiated estradiol signaling regulating sexual receptivity

Estradiol has profound actions on the structure and function of the nervous system. In addition to nuclear actions that directly modulate gene expression, the idea that estradiol can rapidly activate cell signaling by binding to membrane estrogen receptors (mERs) has emerged. Even the regulation of sexual receptivity, an action previously thought to be completely regulated by nuclear ERs, has been shown to have a membrane-initiated estradiol signaling (MIES) component. This highlighted the question of the nature of mERs. Several candidates have been proposed, ERα, ERβ, ER-X, GPR30 (G protein coupled estrogen receptor), and a receptor activated by a diphenylacrylamide compound, STX. Although each of these receptors has been shown to be active in specific assays, we present evidence for and against their participation in sexual receptivity by acting in the lordosis-regulating circuit. The initial MIES that activates the circuit is in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH). Using both activation of μ-opioid receptors (MOR) in the medial preoptic nucleus and lordosis behavior, we document that both ERα and the STX-receptor participate in the required MIES. ERα and the STX-receptor activation of cell signaling are dependent on the transactivation of type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1a) that augment progesterone synthesis in astrocytes and protein kinase C (PKC) in ARH neurons. While estradiol-induced sexual receptivity does not depend on neuroprogesterone, proceptive behaviors do. Moreover, the ERα and the STX-receptor activation of medial preoptic MORs and augmentation of lordosis were sensitive to mGluR1a blockade. These observations suggest a common mechanism through which mERs are coupled to intracellular signaling cascades, not just in regulating reproduction, but in actions throughout the neuraxis including the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and dorsal root ganglias.
ATLAS-1 and middle atmosphere global change

To understand the extent and trends of middle atmosphere change, it is necessary to establish the baseline of atmospheric behavior and its response to changes in solar irradiance over at least a solar cycle. An element in NASA's global change program is the ATLAS shuttle series. The international payload includes several instruments intended to make precise, absolute measurements of solar irradiance, each being calibrated before and after each shuttle flight. These instruments, in addition to obtaining an 11-year database, will also intercalibrate solar instruments on the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) and Upper Atmosphere Research (UARS) satellites. Other instruments will measure the atmospheric composition and temperature, also intercalibrating instruments on Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS)-N and UARS. Some have flown on shuttle missions dating back to 1983 and it is hoped that the ATLAS series will provide a capability until the turn of the century. This paper reviews the early results of the ATLAS-1 mission, which flew between March 24 and April 2, 1992.
Leitgeb and Pettigrew on Accuracy and Updating

Leitgeb and Pettigrew argue that (1) agents should minimize the expected inaccuracy of their beliefs and (2) inaccuracy should be measured via the Brier score. They show that in certain diachronic cases, these claims require an alternative to Jeffrey Conditionalization. I claim that this alternative is an irrational updating procedure and that the Brier score, and quadratic scoring rules generally, should be rejected as legitimate measures of inaccuracy.
The role of positive-sum games in economic growth

Positive-sum games specific to dynamic equilibrium are contrasted to zero-sum games associated with static equilibrium. It is shown how the involved synergistic interactions and dynamic flexibilities explain how economic growth comes about.
Crystal field effects on the reactivity of aluminum-copper cluster anions

The limits and useful modifications of the jellium model are of great interest in understanding the properties of metallic clusters, especially involving bimetallic systems. We have measured the relative reactivity of ${\text{CuAl}}_{n}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ clusters $(n=11--34)$ with ${\text{O}}_{2}$. An odd-even alternation is observed that is in accordance with spin-dependant etching, and ${\text{CuAl}}_{22}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ is observed as a ``magic peak.'' The etching resistance of ${\text{CuAl}}_{22}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ is explained by an unusually large splitting of the $2{\text{D}}^{10}$ subshell that occurs because of a geometric distortion of the cluster that may also be understood as a crystal field splitting of the superatomic orbitals.