cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal estimator models for spatial orientation and vestibular nystagmus

Mathematical models have played an important role in research on the vestibular system over the past century, from the torsion pendulum analogies of the semicircular canal to the optimal estimator “observer” models of multisensory interaction and adaptation. This short review is limited to our own contributions in bringing the technology of feedback control theory to bear on the understanding of human spatial orientation, eye movements, and nystagmus, both on Earth and in space. It points to the importance of the “internal model” concept for treatment of the manner in which the brain constantly makes predictions about future sensory feedback, adjusts the weightings of sensors according to their signal-to-noise ratios, and adapts control according to the motion environment, and availability of sensory cues.
A simple non-exponential function for use in atomic and molecular wave functions for use in atomic and molecular wave functions

The function Φ m(r, μ) = (1 + μr/m)-m, previously discussed by Shillady and Somorjai in connection with the helium atom isoelectronic series, has been applied in more extended calculations to the same systems and to the hydrogen molecule in their ground states. Expectation values of various powers of r1 and r12 are calculated. It is concluded that the Φm(r, μ) are convenient to use, and in particular show promise of being useful in the study of negative ions.
Quantitative German History in the United States and the United Kingdom

What has happened to quantitative history? Is it dead? Any working historian alive today in the English-speaking world surely knows that it has come under heavy attack at least since Lawrence Stone, one of its former proponents, began sounding its death knell in a provocative and widely cited essay written at the turn of this decade by declaring scientific history a “myth” and calling for a “revival of narrative.” Georg Iggers, perhaps the leading historiographer of European and especially German history, wrote recently that “the past few years have seen a profound disillusionment with the quantitative approaches which were at the core of would-be scientific history…. The heady optimism of Marxists, Annalists, and American cliometricians that history would become a rigorous science has been shattered. What has taken its place in recent historical writing is a return from analysis to narrative, with a central focus, as Stone says, on ‘man not circumstances. Indeed many pioneering American cliometricians have turned conciliatory like Robert Fogel, irritable and combative like Charles Tilly, or downright depressed like J. Morgan Kousser.
On the Dual Nature of the MRAC and MRAI Problems

The dual relation between the Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) and Identification (MRAI) problems is discussed. A common framework for both problems is established.
Surface Components of Ejaculated Chimpanzee Sperm

Surface components of ejaculated chimpanzee sperm were radiolabeled by enzymatic iodination with lactoperoxidase and Na125I. The sperm were lysed and the labeled components analyzed on SDS-7.5% polyacrylamide gels. Electrophoresis of solubilized radioactivity resolved four components with approximate molecular weights of 72,000, 49,000, 25,000 and 17,000 daltons. To identify components, which might be adsorbed to the chimpanzee sperm surface from seminal secretions, seminal plasma was labeled. Electrophoresis of labeled seminal plasma resolved three components with approximate molecular weights of 63,000, 26,000, and 17,000 daltons, two of which comigrated with a labeled sperm surface component.
The tumor suppressor APC differentially regulates multiple β-catenins through the function of axin and CKIα during C. elegans asymmetric stem cell divisions

The APC tumor suppressor regulates diverse stem cell processes including gene regulation through Wnt-β-catenin signaling and chromosome stability through microtubule interactions, but how the disparate functions of APC are controlled is not well understood. Acting as part of a Wnt-β-catenin pathway that controls asymmetric cell division, Caenorhabditis elegans APC, APR-1, promotes asymmetric nuclear export of the β-catenin WRM-1 by asymmetrically stabilizing microtubules. Wnt function also depends on a second β-catenin, SYS-1, which binds to the C. elegans TCF POP-1 to activate gene expression. Here, we show that APR-1 regulates SYS-1 levels in asymmetric stem cell division, in addition to its known role in lowering nuclear levels of WRM-1. We demonstrate that SYS-1 is also negatively regulated by the C. elegans homolog of casein kinase 1α (CKIα), KIN-19. We show that KIN-19 restricts APR-1 localization, thereby regulating nuclear WRM-1. Finally, the polarity of APR-1 cortical localization is controlled by PRY-1 (C. elegans Axin), such that PRY-1 controls the polarity of both SYS-1 and WRM-1 asymmetries. We propose a model whereby Wnt signaling, through CKIα, regulates the function of two distinct pools of APC - one APC pool negatively regulates SYS-1, whereas the second pool stabilizes microtubules and promotes WRM-1 nuclear export.
Numerical solutions of the steady-state vorticity equation in rectangular basins

The Navier-Stokes vorticity equation is solved numerically for the circulation induced in a vertical plane, by a constant stress acting on a liquid, enclosed in a basin of uniform depth and vertical sides.Solutions of the linearized vorticity equation are obtained for all Reynolds numbers (τsD2/4ρν2 where νs is the surface stress, ρ is the density, ν is the kinematic viscosity, and D is the depth of the liquid) and solutions of the complete vorticity equation for Reynolds numbers 0–400.The notable feature of the solutions is the totally different end circulations. At the upwind end the flow becomes very slack, and the vorticity equation has a boundary-layer limit, while at the downwind end a damped wave occurs and the equation has an inviscid limit.At Reynolds numbers between 400 and 600, the streamlines at the downwind end lead to a condition of hydrodynamic instability, in approximate agreement with some experimental observations by G. H. Keulegan.
Ethics and Community-Based Participatory Research: Commentary on Minkler

As always in her distinguished career, Meredith Minkler gives voice to those who could be the victims of our well-meaning but sometimes insensitive and potentially harmful professional practices, research, policies, programs, or services. That voice, always articulate and unflinching, if sometimes hoarse from crying out in the wilderness, makes us look more critically at our assumptions and methods. The wilderness in this case is the relatively uncharted territory of community-based participatory research (CBPR). 1 Ethical issues arise most predictably and wickedly when new technologies offer new choices of action where competing moralities, laws, and politics had attained something of an equilibrium or stalemate with the old technologically feasible choices. Thus have we grappled with the uneasy questions raised in recent years following the introduction of new potential actions and choices offered by the unraveling of the human genome, the discovery of the multitude of possible cellular forms that stem cells could be programmed to develop, and the advances in pharmaceutical therapies that could benefit people in populations and countries that cannot afford the costs associated with their development. We are caught more off guard, however, when ethical issues arise within our zones of philosophical comfort and even smug self-righteousness. Such are some of the issues that Professor Minkler raises in relation to CBPR. This approach to research seemed to fit so comfortably into the philosophical commitments of health education to participatory approaches in community work, into our educational and behavioral science assumptions about participation in the learning process, into our social commitments to shared decision making and learning that we hardly anticipated an assault from ethical quarters. Resistance was not unexpected from those who doubted the methodological rigor of such research or questioned the objectivity of scientists who abandoned the arm’s-length posture of positivist science or the unblinding of “subjects” of research in making them coresearchers. But ethical questions were the last we might have expected to face.
Different evolutionary fates of recently integrated human and chimpanzee LINE-1 retrotransposons

The long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is a highly successful retrotransposon in mammals. L1 elements have continued to actively propagate subsequent to the human–chimpanzee divergence, ∼6 million years ago, resulting in species-specific inserts. Here, we report a detailed characterization of chimpanzee-specific L1 subfamily diversity and a comparison with their human-specific counterparts. Our results indicate that L1 elements have experienced different evolutionary fates in humans and chimpanzees within the past ∼6 million years. Although the speciesspecific L1 copy numbers are on the same order in both species (1200–2000 copies), the number of retrotransposition-competent elements appears to be much higher in the human genome than in the chimpanzee genome. Also, while human L1 subfamilies belong to the same lineage, we identified two lineages of recently integrated L1 subfamilies in the chimpanzee genome. The two lineages seem to have coexisted for several million years, but only one shows evidence of expansion within the past three million years. These differential evolutionary paths may be the result of random variation, or the product of competition between L1 subfamily lineages. Our results suggest that the coexistence of several L1 subfamily lineages within a species may be resolved in a very short evolutionary period of time, perhaps in just a few million years. Therefore, the chimpanzee genome constitutes an excellent model in which to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of L1 retrotransposons.
Computational aspects of the linear optimal regulator problem

This paper considers computational problems arising in the solution of the linear optimal regulator problem. The proposed solution for the constant feedback gain matrix is an adaption of the eigenvector solution proposed by many authors. Techniques are given which are numerically stable and do not require complex arithmetic. These techniques offer considerable savings in computation time and eliminate many of the problems that plague more conventional methods.
Scheduling of DSP programs onto multiprocessors for maximum throughput

A flow graph scheduling algorithm that simultaneously considers pipelining, retiming, parallelism, and hierarchical node decomposition is presented. The ability to simultaneously consider the many types of concurrency allows the scheduler to find efficient multiprocessor solutions for a wide range of DSP applications. It has been implemented as part of a software environment for scheduling DSP programs onto fixed and configurable multiprocessor systems. The results on a set of benchmarks demonstrate that the algorithm achieves near ideal speedups even across programs with different types of concurrency. >
Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value

In this chapter, we examine, from an ultimate perspective, how and why various bodily traits—leg length, foot size, breast size, body shape (waist-to-hip ratio), and body size (body mass index)—affect judgments of female attractiveness. Bodily trait values associated with optimal health and reproductive profiles are generally considered attractive across cultures and time periods, yet some traits may showcase certain classes of information better than others. Namely, bodily traits appear to better convey a woman’s immediate fertility, while facial traits may better convey her reproductive value. Consistent with this premise, we review research demonstrating a perceptual tendency for men to preferentially attend to women’s bodies in short-term mating contexts but not long-term mating contexts. Finally, we suggest future directions that promise to spur research on the asymmetrical abilities of facial and bodily traits to reveal key information pertaining to women’s reproductive condition.
Comparison of the BACTEC 9240 and BacT/Alert Blood Culture Systems for Detection of Bacterial Contamination in Platelet Concentrates

The BACTEC 9240 blood culture system with a standard aerobic medium, Plus Aerobic/F, was compared to the BacT/Alert system with a platelet-specific medium, BPA, as a means for detecting bacterial contamination of platelet preparations. One hundred thirteen platelet units seeded with low levels of different bacteria were examined with both systems. In 93 instances, growth was detected first in the BACTEC system; in 12 cases, growth registered first in the BacT/Alert system. Among all comparisons, growth was detected, on average, 1.7 h sooner with the BACTEC system. The differences in length of time to detection were statistically significant.
Experimental Peri-Implant Tissue Breakdown Around Hydroxyapatite-Coated Implants

This study monitored experimental peri-implant tissue breakdown around hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated titanium dental implants. Thirty-two HA-coated cylindrical implants, in groups of two, were bilaterally inserted in the posterior maxilla and mandible in 4 Macaca mulatta monkeys. Two months after healing-abutment connection, a 2-month plaque control program was initiated. Clinical and radiographic recordings and peri-implant submucosal microbial samples were then obtained (baseline). Cotton ligatures were next placed around the healing-abutments and plaque control measures were abandoned. Clinical and radiographic recordings were repeated at 5 and 10 months post-baseline. Microbial samples were repeated at 10 months post-baseline, and ligatures were removed. Clinical, radiographic, and microbial examinations were again repeated at 11 months post-baseline. Mean modified plaque index (mPI; P < 0.01), gingival index (Gl; P < 0.01), and bleeding on probing (BOP; P < 0.05) scores increased over the plaque accumul...
The eradication of muskrats and coypus from Britain

Introduced vertebrates can cause massive environmental damage but most attempts to remove feral populations have failed. This paper discusses the eradication campaigns against feral muskrats, Ondatra Zibethicus and coypus, Myocastor coypus in Britain. Both specks were introduced in the 1920s to be farmed for pelts and feral populations became established following escapes. The risk of environmental damage by muskrats was well known from Europe and;in eradication campaign started promptly in 1932 making use of overseas expertise and a control strategy designed by pest control specialists. The campaign was brought to a successful conclusion in 1939 when at least 4388 muskrats had been killed. In the 1930s, few believed that coypus would cause significant environment damage and early trapping efforts were inadequate. An early campaign achieved only limited success partly because of the lack of biological information. The eradication campaign which started in 1981, was based on a long tem study of population ecology. The effect of trapping and cold weather was quantified and detailed population simulations were used to plan the numbers of trappers, the time needed for eradication arid thus the likely cost of the campaign. An incentive bonus scheme was designed to overcome the problem that trappers would be reluctant to work themselves out of a job. Trapper deployment was planned using capture/trapping effort ratios and progress was checked by Ministry of Agriculture field staff. The muskrat campaigns succeeded because technical information to help plan the work was available and because action was taken quickly. Where an introduced population is well established, as with coypus in Britain, a closely integrated programme involving applied population ecology and a well-planned control organization may he essential for succesful removal.
Kernel Based Fuzzy Ant Clustering with Partition Validity

We introduce a new swarm intelligence based algorithm for data clustering with a kernel-induced distance metric. Previously a swarm based approach using artificial ants to optimize the fuzzy c-means (FCM) criterion using the Euclidean distance was developed. However, FCM is not suitable for clusters which are not hyper-spherical and FCM requires the number of cluster centers be known in advance. The swarm based algorithm determines the number of cluster centers of the input data by using a modification to the fuzzy cluster validity metric proposed by Xie and Beni. The partition validity metric was developed based on the kernelized distance measure. Experiments were done with three data sets; the Iris data, an artificially generated data set and a Magnetic Resonance brain image data set. The results show how effectively the kernelized version of validity metric with a fuzzy ant method finds the number of clusters in the data and that it can be used to partition the data.
Effect of Contact Information on the Credibility of Online Health Information

This study analyzed the effects of publisher contact information on the credibility of online health information. Participants (n = 144) rated the credibility of Web pages with a ldquoContact Usrdquo link more highly than pages that had no contact information. Other types of contact information (street addresses and email links) did not significantly affect the credibility ratings. Qualitative results indicate that the ldquoContact Usrdquo link served as a peripheral cue to credibility, rather than triggering conscious analysis. This paper also discusses how the effectiveness of credibility cues can vary according to reader characteristics.
The connection domain is implicated in metalloporphyrin binding and inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase.

We have shown that heme and zinc protoporphyrin inhibit both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) reverse transcriptases (RTs) and, in combination with other nucleoside and non-nucleoside inhibitors, exert an additive effect on HIV-1 RT inhibition. Screening of a phage peptide library against heme resulted in the isolation of a peptide with sequence similarity to sequence 398–407 from the connection subdomain of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs, suggesting that this highly conserved region of HIV RTs corresponds to the binding site for metalloporphyrins and a new site for inhibition of enzyme activity. Inclusion of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the exact sequence 398–407 of HIV-1 RT in RT inhibition assays had a protective effect on metalloporphyrin inhibition, as it was able to reverse the inhibitory effect of both metalloporphyrins on HIV-1 RT activity. Furthermore, intrinsic fluorescence assays indicated that these metalloporphyrins bind to synthetic peptide 398–407 as well as to intact dimeric HIV-1 RT. The identification of this novel inhibition site will help to expand our understanding of the mode of action of metalloporphyrins in RT inhibition and will assist in the design and development of more potent metalloporphyrin RT inhibitors for the management of HIV infection.
The dependence of interspace discharge transitivity upon the gap debris in precision electrodischarge machining

Abstract The present study confirms the indispensable stabilizing role of gap debris in precision electrodischarge machining (EDM). It is well known that failure to evacuate surfeited debris in a spark gap results in arcing that damages the tool electrode as well as the work. A machining process in pure kerosene is very unstable due to arcing. The latter cause for arcing is frequently observed, but is poorly understood. It is a well-known fact that the presence of minute particles in insulating liquids drastically lowers breakdown strength. A stable process without arcing depends on discharge transitivity rather than on the ease of breakdown. As a result, an easy breakdown process with the help of the foreign particles does not show the entire stabilizing contribution of debris. Our experimental and analytical investigations on general precision EDM reveal that discharge transitivity in gap space relies on the presence of a sedimentary debris layer on the work's surface. Actually, the inherent transitivity due to surface irregularity will disappear because of the very low surface roughness ( R a μ m). Spark movement should be attributed to effects from the mechanical impact of discharge pulses, the distribution of breakdown strength, and the distribution of electrical field. We can derive a process model regarding the tendency of spark movement to expound the functions of debris content and gap size. Pertinent new understanding will eventually give an explanation of the complicated role of gap debris. A process model will lead to a more relevant conception of gap size and its control than most currently accepted understanding.
The Repetitive High Energy Pulsed Power module

In the Repetitive High Energy Pulsed Power (RHEPP) module, pulse compression is done exclusively with magnetic switches (saturable reactors). Such switches have the potential of performing efficiently and reliably for >10/sup 10/ shots. The objective of the RHEPP project is to explore the feasibility of using magnetic pulse compression technology in continuous high average power applications. The RHEPP system consists of a compressor driving a linear induction voltage added with a diode load. Construction and initial testing in a bipolar mode of the first two stages of the compressor have been completed. This system has operated for a total of 332 min (4.8*10/sup 6/ pulses) at full power (600 kW) with an efficiency of 94+/-3%. The first stage magnetic switch has a pulse compression factor of 8.4 (4.2 ms to 500 mu s time to peak). It has two parallel-connected, 67 n turns copper coils and a 760 kg core of 2 mil silicon steel with a magnetic cross sectional area of 0.065 m/sup 2/. The second stage magnetic switch has a pulse compression factor of three (500 mu s to 170 mu s). It has two parallel-connected, 36 turn copper coils and a 361 kg core of field annealed 2605 CO Metglas with a magnetic area of 0.019 m/sup 2/. >
The School Psychologist's Primer on Childhood Depression: A Review of Research Regarding Epidemiology, Etiology, Assessment, and Treatment.

The purpose of this article is to provide school psychologists with a synthesis of important information regarding the epidemiology, etiology, assessment, and treatment of childhood depression. A review of the recent research and relevant literature is summarized reflecting the contemporary knowledge regarding depression during childhood and adolescence. In addition, reputable websites are included for professionals who use the internet as a resource. This article emphasizes the importance of understanding the multidimensional etiology of depression. With regard to depression, a developmental perspective emphasizes how these conditions emerge, considering the dynamic interplay of sociocultural, biogenetic, personality, family, emotional, cognitive and behavioral domains. School psychologists are in a critical position to facilitate the academic achievement and healthy development of youth who are suffering from depression. This article provides school psychologists with the foundation, knowledge and resources that are needed to be the most effective advocates and collaborators for students and families facing the challenges of depression.
Federal Project Financing Incentives for Green Industries: Renewable Energy and Beyond

The federal government, through the U.S. Department of Energy, has been promoting the development and emergence of viable domestic renewable energy and energy efficiency industries through numerous administrations. This Article discusses the types of legal instruments used by the federal government to provide incentives and assistance to aid in the development of green technologies that are targeted for potential commercialization in the future energy marketplace. The relative merits of those respective instruments and the need for Congress to set out green energy priorities in comprehensive energy policy legislation in the near future are discussed.
Differential effects of in vivo ethanol on LPS-induced TNF and nitric oxide production in the lung

Alcohol (EtOH) has been shown to suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) generation and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production in the lung in vivo. We have previously reported that EtOH suppressed gene expression for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) with a subsequent decrease in release of reactive nitrogen intermediates by alveolar macrophages and recruited lung neutrophils. We hypothesized that a similar mechanism may be involved in EtOH-induced suppression of LPS-stimulated TNF production. In contrast to what we found with iNOS, EtOH had no effect on TNF mRNA in alveolar macrophages or recruited lung neutrophils. However, immunoreactive and bioactive TNF was reduced by 72%. EtOH treatment resulted in an increased level of the membrane-bound 26-kDa form of TNF, which suggested that proteolytic cleavage of this prohormone was affected by EtOH. Experiments with t-butyl alcohol, a tertiary alcohol that is not metabolized to acetaldehyde, yielded similar results. Thus EtOH appears to be the active substance in suppression of TNF in the lung in vivo. Pretreatment with intratracheal interferon-gamma 24 h before intratracheal LPS increased TNF bioactivity partly due to increased TNF mRNA and by increasing TNF processing, as evidenced by a decrease in the 26-kDa TNF prohormone and an increase in immunoreactive and bioactive TNF.
Evaluation of maize weevils Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky infestation on seven varieties of maize

Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky), the maize weevil, is a serious pest of economic importance in stored products in tropical and subtropical countries; infestation often starts in the field, but serious damage is done during maize storage. This study evaluated S. zeamais infestation on seven varieties of maize. Seven commercial maize varieties (white dent, yellow dent, orange flint, Indian flint, white popcorn, yellow popcorn and sweet corn), two temperature conditions (10 and 27 °C) and three storage times (30, 60, and 90 d) were used. The moisture contents of all maize samples were adjusted to 15.5 ± 0.5% (wet basis) prior to initiating storage trials. Numbers of live weevils, – seed damage, weight loss, and weight of powder produced were assessed at the end of each storage time. As expected, severe damage was observed at 27 °C and 90 d for all maize varieties. Exponential growth rates of S. zeamais were observed in almost all maize varieties. Among seven varieties evaluated, orange flint corn, yellow and white popcorn show resistance to S. zeamais. Nevertheless, sweet and dent corn were most susceptible to S. zeamais -infestation - Higher numbers of live S. zeamais were observed on Indian flint corn, sweet corn and yellow dent corn. Consequently, there was higher seed weight damaged and weight loss. Further, seed damaged, percentage seed weight loss and weight of powder produced was significantly and positive correlated with number of live S. zeamais (r = 0.91, P < 0.05), (r = 0.88, P < 0.05), and (r = 0.89, P < 0.05) respectively. Thus, some varieties of flint corn and popcorn can be considered as potential maize varieties to be used to reduce postharvest loss of maize in tropical countries due to natural resistance to S. zeamais infestation.
Using HBCUS to Conduct Research on Black Political Attitudes and Behavior

This paper will provide an overview of Jackson State University's Political Science Research Laboratory. The lab includes a call center, experimental research and oral histories. Given the dearth of data used to study black racial and political attitudes, researchers from the center conduct experiments and surveys using black subjects. The lab also houses oral histories of black state legislators and offers a call center that is designed to collect survey data at the state, local and national level using random digit dialing methods. Most important, however, is that the lab is a student operated lab designed to help create a pipeline of black students enrolling in political science PhD programs.
The New Private Public Interest Bar

This 1986 article was the first in the world to name and describe the phenomenon of practicing public interest environmental law on a regular basis from a private law firm. A private public interest lawyer is not one who works in a large law firm and does occasional pro bono work on the side. Such lawyers face limits imposed by the business interests of the other clients of the law firm. Rather, a private public interest lawyer habitually represents smaller clients against big economic interests or government, making positional conflicts far less likely. This article gives examples of such practices and describes how professors may help environmental law students enter this alternative mode of law practice. Since this article was published more than 20 years ago, the number of private public interest environmental lawyers has grown to equal the number practicing public interest environmental law on the staffs of nonprofit organizations.
Substantiation of Transportation Infrastructure – Patterns of Governance and Public Finance in Development: An Analytical Comparison of the United States and China

This paper explores patterns of governance and public finance in development through dissecting the substantiation of transportation infrastructure. We propose three propositions: modern society has increasing demands for government in promoting socio-economic progress; infrastructure is the basis for economic development and requires government coordination and balancing central planning with decentralized implementation; and transportation facilities contain public goods elements and optimal transportation financing involves using central grants together with sub-central revenues. We examine two country cases, the United States and China that have run through “great experiments,” the former with federalism and the latter socialism. Our research questions are: Is government financing of infrastructure necessary in promoting development? Is infrastructure planning an essential policy tool in promoting growth? We draw four general lessons. First, government has an irreplaceable role in infrastructure substantiation due to its long cycle, huge investment and public good elements. Second, central governments need to provide blueprints and policy direction in the substantiation process. We found that transportation planning has been stronger in the U.S. than commonly perceived while in China, central planning has been less rigid than generally understood. Third, fiscal federalism is a universal principle detached from a country’s political system: China in fact has a long history of fiscal federalism. Finally, central, sub-central and local governments all have an important role in funding transportation facilities. This paper contributes to the literature in several ways: to clear government of its exaggerated negative effect on development, to provide positive evidence for overall planning in infrastructure, and to extend fiscal federalism beyond political boundaries.
STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF NITROGENOUS SUBSTANCES WHICH HAVE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS AGAINST ACUTE HYDRAZINE TOXICITY IN MICE.

SummaryA continuation of previous studies on the protective effects of various substances against acute hydrazine toxicity in mice has revealed several interesting structural features which are consistent with the provisional interpretation that the protective actions of L-arginine and L-ornithine can be attributable, at most, only in part to their roles in ammonia detoxication via urea biosynthesis in liver. That the protection against lethality which they afford also must have another basis is suggested by the finding that citrulline exerted no protective action, while α,γ-diaminobutyric and α,γ-diaminopropionic acids and several diamines did. Likewise, α,γ-diaminobutyric, which was more effective against hydrazine than arginine or ornithine, gave no protection against ammonia poisoning under the same condition under which the latter substances showed their typical effects. The experiments indicate that for an aliphatic amine to have a protective action it must have at least 2 amino groups, and that for...
Immobilization of Carbon Dots in Molecularly Imprinted Microgels for Optical Sensing of Glucose at Physiological pH

Nanosized carbon dots (CDs) are emerging as superior fluorophores for biosensing and a bioimaging agent with excellent photostability, chemical inertness, and marginal cytotoxicity. This paper reports a facile one-pot strategy to immobilize the biocompatible and fluorescent CDs (∼6 nm) into the glucose-imprinted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-acrylamide-vinylphenylboronic acid) [poly(NIPAM-AAm-VPBA)] copolymer microgels for continuous optical glucose detection. The CDs designed with surface hydroxyl/carboxyl groups can form complexes with the AAm comonomers via hydrogen bonds and, thus, can be easily immobilized into the gel network during the polymerization reaction. The resultant glucose-imprinted hybrid microgels can reversibly swell and shrink in response to the variation of surrounding glucose concentration and correspondingly quench and recover the fluorescence signals of the embedded CDs, converting biochemical signals to optical signals. The highly imprinted hybrid microgels demonstrate much higher se...
The Biopsychosocial Approach: General Systems, Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, and Complexity Theory

The biopsychosocial approach is based on general systems theory which was one of the theoretical advances over the past century that led to improvements in the understanding of highly complex systems. General systems theory, cybernetics, along with several other approaches, are together known as nonlinear dynamical systems theory or complexity theory. Over recent decades, these approaches have become essential for understanding complex natural phenomena and living systems in particular. The human mind and brain are the most complicated phenomena known to exist, and so these approaches are critical to the scientific understanding of human psychology. An introduction to nonlinear dynamical systems and complexity theory is provided along with examples of their application in psychology.
Ultrafast Electro-Optic Field Sensor and Its Image Applications

Free-space electro-optic field sensors have be used to characterize the temporal, spectral, and spatial distribution of freely propagating terahertz beams (THz beams). This detection system, which uses an electro-optic crystal sensor, provides diffraction-limited spatial resolution, femtosecond temporal resolution, DC-THz spectral bandwidth, and a sub-mV/cm field detectability.
William Pitt and Economical Reform, 1783–92

As the heir of Burke, Cavendish, Shelburne, and the Commissioners for Public Accounts, Pitt was committed to administrative reform, although it created political difficulties that he was reluctant to face. He depended on a King who was averse to almost all change, a body of courtiers who deferred to the King, office holders looking to preserve their incomes, perks, and casual approach toward their duties, and country gentlemen who were uninterested in such matters. He would have to deal with an inveterate Opposition that would pick at everything he proposed and aggravate every sore spot. As he had discovered when he presented his Custom House Bill in 1783, the fiscal-military state had spread its tentacles throughout the country, and reform, however necessary or well conceived, could arouse resistance in unexpected places.
GABA Involvement in the Circadian Regulation of Sleep

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a fundamental role in the circadian regulation of behavior and physiology. GABA and its receptors are found in most, if not all, cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the location of the putative master circadian pacemaker. Furthermore, nearly every cell in the SCN receives GABAergic input. Thus, GABA is anatomically positioned to play a major role in regulating the circadian clock. The available data indicate firstly that GABA release in the SCN is required for nonphotic stimuli to phase shift the clock during the day, when the circadian clock is not reset by light. Secondly, the acute release of GABA in the SCN potentially inhibits the phase-shifting effects of light exposure at night, and these effects are likely mediated at least in part by extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Thirdly, several lines of recent evidence suggest that the sustained release of GABA in the SCN may mediate the ability of light to phase shift the clock. In summary, although much remains to be learned about GABA function in the SCN, existing data indicate that GABA activity in the SCN can profoundly influence circadian phase and the ability of phase shifting stimuli such as light to reset the clock.
Direct-Write 3D-Printing of NdFeB Bonded Magnets

ABSTRACTWe report a method to fabricate Nd–Fe–B (NdFeB) bonded magnets of complex shape via extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D-printing. We have successfully formulated a 3D-printable epoxy-based ink for direct-write AM with anisotropic MQA NdFeB magnet particles that can be deposited at room temperature. The new feedstocks contain up to 40 vol.% MQA anisotropic NdFeB magnet particles, and they are shown to remain uniformly dispersed in the thermoset matrix throughout the deposition process. Ring, bar, and horseshoe-type 3D magnet structures were printed and cured in air at 100°C without degrading the magnetic properties. This study provides a new pathway for fabricating NdFeB bonded magnets with complex geometry at low temperature, and presents new opportunities for fabricating multifunctional hybrid structures and devices.
Standing Up for Inherent Rights: The Role of Indigenous-Led Activism in Protecting Sacred Waters and Ways of Life

Time and time again, Indigenous people throughout the world are faced with the need to reassert their way of life, and to “buck” political and social systems that continually marginalize their trea...
Simulation-Based Dual Mode Controller for Nonlinear Processes

Abstract This paper presents a simulation-based strategy for designing anonlinear override control scheme to improve the performance of a local linear controller. The higher-level nonlinear controller monitors the dynamic state of the system under the local controller and sends an override control action whenever the system is predicted to move outside an acceptable operating regime under the local controller. For this purpose, a cost-to-go function is defined, an approximation of which is constructed hy using simulation or historic operation data. The cost-to-go function delineates the "admissible" region of state space within which the local controller is effective, thereby yielding a switching rule. The same cost-to-go function can also be used to calculate override control actions designed to hring the system state back into the admissible region as quickly as possible. One potential problem of this approach is the lack of robustness when the simlllation data sparsely cover the state space and the data-based approximation of the cost-to-go function is extrapolated to a region previously unseen. Hence, successful application of the proposed method requires safeguarding against undue extrapolations. For this reason, a kernel-based local approximation, instead of a global approximator like a neural network, is used to interpolate the cost-to-go values. It is shown that the kernel-based local regression provides convenient means to implement a risk-sensitive control scheme which avoids excessive extrapolation. The proposed scheme is demonstrated and discussed with non linear examples.
Structure and reconstitution of yeast Mpp6-nuclear exosome complexes reveals that Mpp6 stimulates RNA decay and recruits the Mtr4 helicase.

Nuclear RNA exosomes catalyze a range of RNA processing and decay activities that are coordinated in part by cofactors, including Mpp6, Rrp47, and the Mtr4 RNA helicase. Mpp6 interacts with the nine-subunit exosome core, while Rrp47 stabilizes the exoribonuclease Rrp6 and recruits Mtr4, but it is less clear if these cofactors work together. Using biochemistry with Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins, we show that Rrp47 and Mpp6 stimulate exosome-mediated RNA decay, albeit with unique dependencies on elements within the nuclear exosome. Mpp6-exosomes can recruit Mtr4, while Mpp6 and Rrp47 each contribute to Mtr4-dependent RNA decay, with maximal Mtr4-dependent decay observed with both cofactors. The 3.3 A structure of a twelve-subunit nuclear Mpp6 exosome bound to RNA shows the central region of Mpp6 bound to the exosome core, positioning its Mtr4 recruitment domain next to Rrp6 and the exosome central channel. Genetic analysis reveals interactions that are largely consistent with our model.
The random gas of hard spheres

The inconsistency between the time-reversible Liouville equation and time-irreversible Boltzmann equation has been pointed out by Loschmidt. To avoid Loschmidt’s objection, here we propose a new dynamical system to model the motion of atoms of gas, with their interactions triggered by a random point process. Despite being random, this model can approximate the collision dynamics of rigid spheres via adjustable parameters. We compute the exact statistical steady state of the system, and determine the form of its marginal distributions for a large number of spheres. We find that the Kullback–Leibler entropy (a generalization of the conventional Boltzmann entropy) of the full system of random gas spheres is a non-increasing function of time. Unlike the conventional hard sphere model, the proposed random gas system results in a variant of the Enskog equation, which is known to be a more accurate model of dense gas than the Boltzmann equation. We examine the hydrodynamic limit of the derived Enskog equation for spheres of constant mass density, and find that the corresponding Enskog–Euler and Enskog–Navier–Stokes equations acquire additional effects in both the advective and viscous terms.
Investigation of human-robot comfort with a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle compared to a ground robot

This paper presents an investigation of human comfort with a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV) through a study offering a comparison of comfort with a sUAV versus a ground vehicle. Current research on human comfort with sUAVs has been limited to a single previous study, which did not include free flight, and while ground vehicle distancing has been studied, it has never been directly compared to a sUAV. The novelty in the approach is the use of a motion capture room to achieve smooth trajectories and precise measurements, while conducting the first free flight study to compare human comfort after interaction with aerial versus ground vehicles (within subjects, N=16). These results will contribute to understanding of social, collaborative, and assistive robots, with implications for general human-robot interactions as they evolve to include aerial vehicles. Based on the reduced stress and distance (36.5cm or 1.2ft) for ground vehicles and increased stress and distance (65.5cm or 2.15ft) for sUAVs, it is recommended that studies be conducted to understand the implications of design features on comfort in interactions with sUAVs and how they differ from those with ground robots.
Vesicle-based drug carriers: Liposomes, polymersomes, and niosomes

Abstract Phospholipids, block copolymers and surfactants are surface-active molecules that assemble into bilayer structures in aqueous solutions, forming nanoscale vesicles: phospholipid-based liposomes, polymer-based polymersomes, or surfactant-based niosomes. These vesicles are highly versatile and can be used for the delivery of pharmaceutical agents—enabling targeted and controlled release while shielding the encapsulated drugs from environmental degradation agents and the immune system. The performance of vesicle-based drug carriers has been shown to depend on both their constituent chemistry (e.g., surface moieties) and their physical properties (size, shape). This review examines the characteristics of vesicle-based formulations and their application to biomedical applications ranging from cancer therapies to delivery across the blood–brain barrier (BBB).
PLOrk Beat Science 2.0.

PLOrk Beat Science (PBS) arose from the desire to explore the intersection of traditional and new music paradigms. We experiment with the fusion of divergent genres and forage through the tensions and complementarity between improvisation and automation, acoustic and electronic, spontaneity and control, human and machine. PBS 2.0 explores effective production of laptop chamber music and the interaction of human and machine intelligence. Sound emanates from individual laptops via (five) omni-directional hemispherical speakers, used in the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) and the Stanford Laptop Orchestra (SLOrk), providing a distributed array of 30 independently addressable audio channels. These speakers facilitate inter-performer communication and collaboration, much like traditional chamber settings. The coupling of speakers to localized sound sources also spatially informs the listener’s relationship to the music. The software system is implemented in the ChucK audio programming language. A server process maintains a shared and precise time grid across all machines, connected via a closed local area network. The machines serve as distributed soundbanks, whose contents are remotely triggered in real-time by performers. Tabla and drum sounds are sampled; all other sounds are synthesized in real-time. Layers of human and machine interaction arise and evolve throughout the piece. A live, unprocessed flute solo gradually becomes digitally mediated and dissected, only to then evolve itself into a mediator of the computer output, its timbral and pitch content used to drive synthesis parameters in real-time. The nature of human and machine control over the sound also develops via the mapping function from the various gestural controllers to synthesis and compositional parameters, which starts from a simplistic and static function and develops into an increasingly complex and novel relationship between gestural expression and sonic space. This real-time evolution of the mapping is a joint effort between human and machine, the result of an interactive machine learning process. Our on-the-fly machine learning approach, used for both real-time controller mapping evolution and construction of the flute timbral and pitch control, is described in a paper submitted to NIME 2009 by Rebecca Fiebrink, Dan Trueman, and Perry Cook.