cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shape‐Memory Alloys, Magnetically Activated Ferromagnetic Shape‐Memory Materials

For years it was speculated that the large strains associated with the thermoelastic shape-memory effect, such as in NiTi alloys, could be captured by application of a magnetic field in certain martensites that are also ferromagnetic. Ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys (FSMAs) moved from a hypothetical new class of active materials, to join piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials, upon observation of a 0.2% magnetic field induced strain in a single crystal of Ni2MnGa in 1996. This article focuses on the application of a magnetic field to a twinned M phase that is ferromagnetic. It is necessary that the magnetic anisotropy of the M phase be large compared to the energy required for twin boundary motion and, further, that the preferred direction of magnetization changes across the twin boundary. When this is the case, application of a magnetic field results in a difference in Zeeman energy, across the twin boundary. This energy difference exerts a pressure on the twin boundary so as to grow the twin variants having the more favorably oriented magnetization. The resulting field-induced twin-boundary motion produces a large strain, fully within the martensitic state of an FSMA. This article describes the crystallography and magnetism of Ni–Mn–Ga in order to explain the very large strains produced by field-induced twin-boundary motion in martensite. Examples of field-induced strain by twin boundary motion in Ni–Mn–Ga FSMA samples having different twin structures are given. Martensitic Fe70Pd30 has also shown field-induced strains of 0.5%, and efforts are under way to develop other iron-base FSMAs. These other materials are not be covered in depth. The state of theoretical modeling of strain and magnetization in FSMAs is reviewed. FSMA field-induced strains are compared and contrasted with the thermoelastic shape-memory effect and magnetostriction. Keywords: Ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys (FSMAs); Field induced strain; Magnetization; Twin rearrangement; Quantitative models; Twin-boundary motion; Micromagnetics; Strain under load
An antenna concept integrated with future solar sails

Inflatable solar sails have been proposed which enable planetary missions employing solar power flux to provide thrust for the spacecraft thus decreasing the required additional propellant. To maximize the capture of solar flux, solar sails are required to have a large surface area (i.e. 100 m in diameter). A question has been raised if one can envision an antenna concept that can be readily integrated into the solar sail itself. Assuming that the inner portion of the sail has an acceptable level of flatness, one may then seek for concepts that provide required antenna gain. Applications of zone plate Fresnel antennas can be envisioned in solar sails. The zone plate (Fresnel) antenna is a type of reflector antenna in which strips of reflecting/nonreflecting materials are arranged on a flat surface to maximize the directivity of the plate. Having a lesser gain compared to parabolic antennas, they may be used in place of parabolic antennas where geometry may dictate a non-parabolic reflector surface. These sails can have a variety of shapes; however we focus on flat sails although most of the analysis can be easily extended to non-flat shapes. Our intention is to propose a comparable and alternative means of antenna design for deep space communication by taking advantage of solar sails' large surface area and by incorporating zone plate Fresnel antennas on the sail. In addition, for the purpose of developing clear insight into the performance of the antenna and to avoid unnecessary added complexity in the analysis, we propose a 2D MoM and PO analysis of the geometry in order to assess the computational accuracy of PO for the 3D structures.
Measuring conceptual health knowledge in the context of oral health literacy: preliminary results.

Objectives Health literacy encompasses several abilities including word recognition, reading comprehension, communication skills, and conceptual knowledge. To date, conceptual knowledge has not been included in oral health literacy research. This study assesses the validity and reliability of a new instrument and describes conceptual oral health knowledge among a sample of low-income adults.
Mixing dipolar condensates: a new opportunity for enhancing superfluid pairing in a spin-polarized Fermi gas

The recent experimental progress in realizing Bose-Fermi mixtures and dipolar quantum gases has created the exciting possibility of creating dipolar Bose-Fermi mixtures with intriguing and unique properties. In a dipolar condensate, the dipole-dipole interaction represents a control knob inaccessible to nondipolar Bosons. Thus, mixing dipolar bosons with fermions may open up new possibilities for creating superfluids with unconventional pairings. We consider a mixture of a spin-polarized Fermi gas and a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in a three-dimensional setting in which s-wave scattering between fermions and the quasiparticles of the dipolar condensate can result in an effective attractive Fermi-Fermi interaction anisotropic in nature and tunable by the dipolar interaction. We develop a procedure which allows us to determine the parameters such as densities and scattering lengths that are required to achieve optimal critical temperature before the system starts to phase separate. We perform a systematic investigation, finding that a superfluid with a critical temperature, that is orders of magnitude higher than achievable in nondipolar mixtures, can be realized in dipolar mixtures at experimentally accessible densities and scattering lengths before the system phase separates.
Atomic layer deposition of TiO 2 thin films on nanoporous alumina templates: Medical applications

Nanostructured materials may play a significant role in controlled release of pharmacologic agents for treatment of cancer. Many nanoporous polymer materials are inadequate for use in drug delivery. Nanoporous alumina provides several advantages over other materials for use in controlled drug delivery and other medical applications. Atomic layer deposition was used to coat all the surfaces of a nanoporous alumina membrane in order to reduce the pore size in a controlled manner. Neither the 20 nm nor the 100 nm TiO2-coated nanoporous alumina membranes exhibited statistically lower viability compared to the uncoated nanoporous alumina membrane control materials. Nanostructured materials prepared using atomic layer deposition may be useful for delivering a pharmacologic agent at a precise rate to a specific location in the body. These materials may serve as the basis for “smart” drug delivery devices, orthopedic implants, or self-sterilizing medical devices.
Discriminative stimulus properties of (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and (±)-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine in pigeons

Abstract Pigeons trained to discriminate (+)-amphetamine (AMPH) from saline in a two-key food-maintained drug discrimination paradigm, were used to investigate the discriminative stimulus (DS) effects of two structural analogues of amphetamine, namely (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and (±)-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). After discrimination performance was stable (90% injection-appropriate responding), test sessions with various doses of AMPH were conducted and a dose-dependent relationship for AMPH-appropriate responding was obtained. Both MDMA (3.0 mg/kg) and MDA (3.0 or 5.6 mg/kg) substituted for AMPH; however, at these doses MDA produced a greater decrease in response rate compared to AMPH and MDMA. Furthermore, while MDMA and MDA were similar in potency in producing drug-appropriate responding, both were less potent than AMPH. These results indicate that MDMA and MDA have DS effects similar to AMPH in pigeons.
Detection of Congenital Ventricular Diverticulum by Cross Sectional Echocardiography

This report describes a 47 year old white female with recurrent cerebral embolization in association with a 2 cm. diameter submitral valvular intramural ventricular diverticulum. There was no history of coronary artery disease, myocarditis, or chest trauma. The cardiovascular examination, electrocardiogram, and standard M-mode echocardiogram were normal. Tests for the presence of collagen-vascular and inflammatory disease were negative. Although the diverticulum was not visible on chest x-ray or fluoroscopy, it was readily demonstrable with real-time, cross-sectional echocardiography. Through the use of ultrasound we were able to define the location and extent of the diverticulum and record the effect of ventricular contraction on its configuration. Angiography, and subsequently surgery, confirmed the nature of the diverticulum and normalcy of adjacent myocardium and coronary arteries. At surgery, the diverticulum was found to have a wide ostium and its inner surface was continuous with the endocardium — as predicted by the echocardiogram. The walls and floors were smooth and white, and appeared to be composed of fibrous tissue.
Delaying cholecystectomy for complicated gallstone disease in pregnancy is associated with recurrent postpartum symptoms.

Pregnancy is a risk factor for gallstone disease; in some patients, cholecystectomy may be delayed to the postpartum period. Our aim was to examine the effect of antepartum interventions on postpartum outcomes in complicated gallstone disease (CGD) during pregnancy. Retrospective analysis of patients seeking medical care for CGD (cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, or gallstone pancreatitis) during pregnancy at a single tertiary care institution over a 10-year period (2002–2012). Patients were contacted via standardized telephone survey to account for outside hospitalizations. We identified 56 patients with CGD during pregnancy, 42.9 % initially presenting during the second trimester. Choledocholithiasis was the most common diagnosis (n = 30). Antepartum cholecystectomy was performed in 17.9 %. Seventeen patients did not follow up postpartum and did not complete telephone survey. Of the remaining 29 patients, 58.6 % had recurrent postpartum symptoms, 35.3 % recurred within 1 month, and 82.4 % within 3 months of delivery. Antepartum ERCP with biliary sphincterotomy decreased postpartum symptom recurrence (38.5 vs. 75.0 %, p = 0.07). The majority of patients with CGD who do not undergo antepartum cholecystectomy have recurrent postpartum symptoms often within 3 months postpartum. When appropriate, physicians should advocate for antepartum or early postpartum cholecystectomy to minimize symptom recurrence and unplanned hospitalizations.
The Role of Laboratory Evaluation in the Management of Hospital-Based DM: “When Did HbA1C Become an Inpatient Test?”

Hyperglycemia in the hospital setting is deleterious to patient outcomes. Patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM) may present with hyperglycemia when they are acutely ill. The poor outcomes associated with hyperglycemia are potentially preventable with improved protocols to screen, diagnose, and treat DM in perioperative, critically ill, and non-critically ill patients. The role of lab tests, specifically the utility of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), in these scenarios is not well described. HbA1c is a rapid, cost-effective test that does not require a fasting blood sample. It can be used to screen, diagnose, and monitor glycemic control in patients with pre-diabetes or DM. Newer studies also support its use as a bundled measure in hospital quality improvement initiatives. Judicious use of HbA1c in the hospital can lead to improvement in quality of diabetes care and patient outcomes.
Stability of MEG for real-time neurofeedback

Movement-related field potentials can be extracted and processed in real-time with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and used for brain machine interfacing (BMI). However, due to its immense sensitivity to magnetic fields, MEG is prone to a low signal to noise ratio. It is therefore important to collect enough initial data to appropriately characterize motor-related activity and to ensure that decoders can be built to adequately translate brain activity into BMI-device commands. This is of particular importance for therapeutic BMI applications where less time spent collecting initial open-loop data means more time for performing neurofeedback training which could potentially promote cortical plasticity and rehabilitation. This study evaluated the amount of hand-grasp movement and rest data needed to characterize sensorimotor modulation depth and build classifier functions to decode brain states in real-time. It was determined that with only five minutes of initial open-loop MEG data, decoders can be built to classify brain activity as grasp or rest in real-time with an accuracy of 84±6%.
Image measurement and recognition (abstract only)

Images, like snowflakes, come in virtually infinite variety. In this abstract, we will focus our attention on image edge detection and image grammars.There are three steps in the syntactic method for image recognition [1]: Decompose the images into subimages or primitivesDescribe the structural relationship among the primitives by some operatorsDetermine a grammar governing the ways of combination of the primitives and the operatorsThe process of reducing an image to line drawings of boundaries is known as edge detection. Several methods have been used so far in this process.Local methods: This category of procedures uses the concept of discrete gradient transformation to detect local intensity (grey level value) variations. A point is classified as belonging to an edge if the discrete gradient exceeds some threshold value.Regional methods: One first considers what a theoretical edge should look like and then finds, for each region, how far from this configuration it is by using a best fit criterion such as the least square one.Global methods: A linear shift invariant filtering operation is performed on the image.Sequential methods: One first finds some elements belonging to an edge and then proceeds from these points onwards in a sequential way in order to find the remaining points belonging to the same edge. This kind of methods is also known as contour following.Heuristic methods: One searches a narrow band between the successive points in the plan and let the program connect them. For instance, dynamic programming may be used for extracting curves in a noisy environment.Dynamic methods: One uses a sequence of thresholds and considers the “stable regions” of darker pixels which have small variation whilst the image is thresholded at different values.Relaxation methods: One considers each pixel and its neighbors simultaneously and iteratively. Define a probability for a pixel to belong to some edge class. The probability converges after iterations and determines whether a pixel belongs to the edge class.Images grammars may be classified into one-, two-, or higher dimensional according to the connectivity of primitives can be expressed. Early studies borrowed much theoretical construct from the field of formal languages and were mostly concentrated on one-dimensional, that are, string grammars, in which the only relation between primitives is the linear concatenation.
Modern Diasporas in the Age of Globalization

Diaspora Politics: At Home Abroad. By Gabriel Sheffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 304 pp., $60.00 (ISBN: 0-521-81137-6). The historic upsurge in international migration during the past fifty years has affected communities around the world at both the macro and micro levels. Correspondingly, public opinion and policymakers in the societies that send and receive immigrants have expressed renewed interest in and have given increasing attention to migration-related issues and concerns. In the same vein, a resurgence of scholarship in the field of migration study has occurred. However, despite the numerous hypotheses that have emerged during the last decades to identify the root causes of migration and explore the immigrants' adaptive modalities, no unified grand theory of migration has emerged because of the complexity of the issue. Consequently, the theoretical underpinnings of this branch of the social sciences have remained disparate and divergent. It is, therefore, heartening to see that Gabriel Sheffer, although refraining from offering “normative and prescriptive solutions for problems caused by the presence of ethno-diasporas in host countries” (p. 6), has engaged his talent and expertise to formulate “a more comprehensive theory of current diasporism” (p. xii). In short, Diaspora Politics: At Home Abroad seeks to explain migration's various facets and strives to provide a sound basis for public understanding of migration …
Nondestructive testing of drilled shaft foundations

Caltrans has shown that gamma-gamma logging is a viable, nondestructive method for detecting defects in drilled shaft bridge foundations. These defects, if left undetected, could contribute to early failure during an earthquake. This form of nondestructive testing is required by Caltrans for all drilled shafts constructed by slurry displacement methods, and is a proven technology in the field. This paper will provide an overview of Caltrans nondestructive testing practices and presents a case study demonstrating defects which can be discovered during construction.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effective therapy of childhood atopic dermatitis allays food allergy concerns

Background Roughly one third of children with atopic dermatitis (AD) have IgE-mediated food allergy. Most parents and pediatricians assume foods also cause the eczema, a focus that diverts proper skin therapy and has negative outcomes including nutritional deficiency, costly referrals, and unnecessary testing. This project investigates the relationship between food allergy and AD, both before and after treatment in an established AD population. During an open trial of topical tacrolimus we observed a decrease in parental food allergy concern during good control of their child's eczema. We tested this observation by follow-up interviews and a questionnaire study to compare parental estimates of food allergy concerns after therapy with concerns before beginning the trial. Study subjects were children 11 years old and younger with AD and suspicion of food allergy. AD and food allergy parameters, pre- and post-treatment, were retrospectively assessed by a questionnaire given to the parents. Results Twenty-three patients were enrolled: 16 had positive food allergy tests (7 RAST and/or 10 skin prick tests) and 30% had a definite history of immediate IgE reactions to foods. Ninety-five percent of parents felt that food allergy exacerbated their child's AD. Treatment durations were 3 to 45 months. Parental concern of food allergy decreased significantly from 7.7 to 4.0 on a 10 point scale (P Conclusions In this selected university-based childhood AD population, nearly all parents were convinced their child had food allergy and further that the food contributed to the AD. The level of concern about food reactions was significantly decreased and the number of food reactions declined during effective topical therapy. This preliminary assessment of parental perceptions suggests that successful, stable therapy of AD reduces perceived food reactions and allays parental concerns about food allergy. Such therapy may encourage parents to refocus on direct skin care as the primary effort in AD therapy. We conclude that the effect of successful AD treatment on food allergy and food allergy concern are of interest and worthy of further study.
Boson fields with nonlinear selfinteraction in two dimensions

Semiboundedness of the total Hamiltonian is proved for a selfinteracting Boson field in two dimensional space time. The interaction is given by a Wick polynomial:P(Φ):. The polynomialP is required to have even degree and its leading coefficient must be positive. A space cutoff is introduced in the interaction Hamiltonian.
The Solution of problems in radiowave propagation by the method of parabolic equations and transformation operators

(1978). The Solution of problems in radiowave propagation by the method of parabolic equations and transformation operators. Applicable Analysis: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 11-22.
Adaptive separation of free-surface multiples through independent component analysis

We present a three-stage algorithm for adaptive separation of free-surface multiples. The free-surface multiple elimination (FSME) method requires, as deterministic prerequisites, knowledge of the source wavelet and deghosted data. In their absence, FSME provides an estimate of free-surface multiples that must be subtracted adaptively from the data. First we construct several orders from the free-surface multiple prediction formula. Next we use the full recording duration of any given data trace to construct filters that attempt to match the data and the multiple predictions. This kind of filter produces adequate phase results, but the order-by-order nature of the free-surface algorithm brings results that remain insufficient for straightforward subtraction. Then we construct, trace by trace, a mixing model in which the mixtures are the data trace and its orders of multiple predictions. We separate the mixtures through a blind source separation technique, in particular by employing independent component analysis. One of the recovered signals is a data trace without free-surface multiples. This technique sidesteps the subtraction inherent in most adaptive subtraction methods by separating the desired signal from the free-surface multiples. The method was applied to synthetic and field data. We compared the field data to a published method and found comparable results.
Tracking medical students' clinical experiences using natural language processing

Graduate medical students must demonstrate competency in clinical skills. Current tracking methods rely either on manual efforts or on simple electronic entry to record clinical experience. We evaluated automated methods to locate 10 institution-defined core clinical problems from three medical students' clinical notes (n=290). Each note was processed with section header identification algorithms and the KnowledgeMap concept identifier to locate Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concepts. The best performing automated search strategies accurately classified documents containing primary discussions to the core clinical problems with area under receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.90-0.94. Recall and precision for UMLS concept identification was 0.91 and 0.92, respectively. Of the individual note section, concepts found within the chief complaint, history of present illness, and assessment and plan were the strongest predictors of relevance. This automated method of tracking can provide detailed, pertinent reports of clinical experience that does not require additional work from medical trainees. The coupling of section header identification and concept identification holds promise for other natural language processing tasks, such as clinical research or phenotype identification.
Growth of Large-Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) give every indication that they will make a major impact on science and technology. Their unusual physical and chemical properties, which depend on nanotube diameter and helicity, make them particularly attractive for future molecular nanotechnology applications. Production of a variety of nanotubes will be necessary to explore novel properties arising from a variety of detailed atomic structures. We have synthesized large-diameter SWNTs by adding catalyst promoters, using either Co or Fe as primiary catalyst. SWNTs produced by transition metal catalysts alone have a diameter distribution between 1 and 2 nm. Adding catalyst promoter alters the diameter distribution to a much wider range, with a variety of helicities, and dramatically increases the nanotube yields. The results indicate the need for a general growth mechanism that accounts for the effect of catalyst promoters.
The Deadly Sins and Saving Virtues: How They Are Viewed Today by Clergy

In 1989 the results of a survey on laity attitudes toward the traditional deadly sins and the schedule of virtues formulated by Erik H. Erikson were published in Pastoral Psychology. This study reports the results of a similar survey conducted ten years later. While the results were generally similar to the earlier study, there were some changes in the way respondents ranked the sins and virtues, indicated their personal identification with them, and viewed their gender-relatedness. The major conclusions drawn from comparison of the 1999 with the 1989 surveys is that men have become more conscious of the role of melancholy in their lives, and exhibit somewhat less hopefulness than ten years ago; that both men and women place greater emphasis on the importance of fidelity in their lives; that women are somewhat less oriented to the virtue of care traditionally ascribed to them, whereas men exhibit greater orientation to care; and that women emphasize competence while men emphasize purpose.
A vote for scientists as politicians.

![Figure][1] CREDIT: DIGITAL VISION/THINKSTOCK I applaud and admire B. Alberts's long-time advocacy for science education and the engagement of scientists with their communities, but his Editorial “Policy-making needs science” (3 December 2010, p. [1287][2]) leaves out one essential activity. Scientifically trained individuals need to enter political office. Thoughtful National Academy documents have no impact when ideology is the rule of the land. All of our advocacy and all of our reports will not affect the bottom line if those massive efforts can be thwarted by a single vote cast by a single official. Therefore, in addition to improved science education, our society needs people trained in the scientific process and scientific thinking to serve in the political arena, not just as advisers, but as the actual policy-makers at the local, state, and federal level. This can only happen if the scientific community supports such career ambitions. As Carl Sagan said, “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge” ([ 1 ][3]). It is that way of thinking that we need in the minds of those casting votes critical for our future. 1. [↵][4] 1. C. Sagan , Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science (Random House, New York, 1979), p. 13. [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1200613 [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text"
Extraperitoneal laparoscopic urethropexy with Marlex mesh.

Abstract Objectives. Extraperitoneal laparoscopic urethropexy (ELU) has recently been developed as a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Use of the laparoscopic stapling device and Marlex mesh in the extraperitoneal space may allow for a technically easier procedure and shorter operative times compared with other laparoscopic techniques without compromising long-term efficacy. We present our initial results and 2.5-year interim analysis with this alternative method of laparoscopic urethropexy. Methods. Twenty-four consecutive patients with urodynamically demonstrated genuine SUI underwent attempted ELU at a single institution from December 1994 to December 1995. Operative data were collected from the patient chart, and follow-up data were obtained by telephone interview. Treatment was considered successful if, at last follow-up, a patient was using one or fewer pads daily and would recommend the procedure to a friend. Results. ELU was completed in 22 of 24 patients. In 1 patient with a prior history of pelvic surgery, the preperitoneal space was not accessible. Of the 22 patients, 20 were available for follow-up. The mean operative time was 69 minutes. There were no intraoperative complications. At initial follow-up (mean 10.5 months), 18 (90%) of 20 patients reported subjective cure of SUI (one or fewer pads daily). At a mean follow-up of 29 months (range 23 to 34), 16 (80%) of 20 patients had subjective cure of SUI. Six patients would not recommend the procedure to a friend, all of whom had de novo urgency and/or urge incontinence. Thus, using our strict criteria, ELU was successful in 14 (70%) of 20 patients at a mean follow-up of 2.5 years. No patient has had permanent urinary retention. Conclusions. ELU can be performed rapidly and safely in patients without previous pelvic surgery. De novo urgency incontinence may be problematic. Future analysis of this subset of patients will determine whether this procedure is durable in the long term.
Integrating a radiology information system with a picture archiving and communications system

Images stored in the central database of a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) must be identified and described with textual information such as patient name, exam procedures, and diagnostic reports. Most radiology departments already use a radiology information system (RIS) for departmental administrative functions, such as exam scheduling, film tracking, billing etc., so this information is readily available. Ideally, the PACS and the RIS should be combined into one complete system, which is not easily achievable due to costly investment of replacing the current RIS and slow clinical acceptance of the PACS. Alternatively, for a successful PACS operation using the existing RIS, the two systems should be linked together so that the PACS can freely retrieve the RIS information whenever the need arises. As a part of the PACS evaluation project, an interface system to link our RIS (DECrad) to our PACS (AT&T CommView) has been implemented using an external microcomputer system running UNIX. The interface system handles proprietary communication protocols on each side, translating the information from one format to the other. Although the interface system translated the RIS transactions and transferred them to the PACS, they were not always associated with the image data at the PACS. This paper presents the design concept and the implementation details of the interface system we have developed. The performance and the problem areas of the interface system are also investigated, as well as suggesting future directions for a better implementation.
Casimir interactions between graphene sheets and metamaterials

The Casimir force between graphene sheets and metamaterials is studied. Theoretical results based on the Lifshitz theory for layered, planar, two-dimensional systems in media are presented. We consider graphene-graphene, graphene-metamaterial, and metal-graphene-metamaterial configurations. We find that quantum effects of the temperature-dependent force are not apparent until the submicron range. In contrast to results with bulk dielectric and bulk metallic materials, no Casimir repulsion is found when graphene is placed on top of a magnetically active metamaterial substrate, regardless of the strength of the low-frequency magnetic response. In the case of the metal-graphene-metamaterial setting, repulsion between the metamaterial and the metal-graphene system is possible only when the dielectric response from the metal contributes significantly.
The endodermal nerve net of scyphozoa.

The endodermal nerve nets of the scyphozoan jellyfish Phacellophora camtschatica and Cyanea capillata were stained with methylene blue. Small animals (3–7.5 cm in diameter) stained easily. The endodermal nerve net of both species is a synaptic net consisting of bipolar and some few tripolar nerve cells with unbranched neurites. The neurites terminate on other neurites. Very few free nerve endings were observed. The neurites have a diameter of 1/4-1/2 μ and there is no indication of the presence of neurites too fine to be followed in the light microscope. The gross appearance of the net changes with the size of the medusa. Staining 15–53 cm diameter animals showed that the nerve cells increase in size with the size of the animals, that the density of the nerve net decreases. The endodermal nerve net is very similar to our interpretation of the Diffuse Nerve Net of the ectoderm but without the typical primary sense cells. In both cases the appearance of branching neurites is interpreted as an artifact caused by neurites terminating on other neurites.
The asymptotic blow-up of a surface in Euclidean 3-space

Given a smoothly immersed surface in Euclidean (or affine) 3-space, the asymptotic directions define a subset in the Grassmann bundle of unoriented one-dimensional subspaces over the surface. This links the Euler characteristic of the region where the Gauss curvature is nonpositive with the index of singularities in a natural line field defined on this subset. To apply this we need only identify mechanisms which restrict the index of the singularities. In Section 2.1 we show that specific configurations of nonpositive Gauss curvature cannot be realized by an immersed surface and that specific configurations in 2-sphere cannot be realized as Gauss images of surfaces. In Section 2.2 we prove an existence theorem for surfaces which satisfy regularity conditions and a Symplectic Monge Ampere PDE. In general, a PDE of this type will not restrict the indices of the singularities over a solution. However, we show that over a surface of nonzero constant mean curvature the indices are restricted and, hence, that specific configurations of nonpositive Gauss curvature cannot be realized by a constant mean curvature surface.
Retrograde transneuronal transport properties of fragment C of tetanus toxin

The atoxic fragmentC of tetanustoxin reliably undergoes retrograde direct and transneuronaltransport, but the full extent of its transport capabilities has not been examined. The primary visual pathways provide an excellent system for investigating, for the first time, the possibility of anterograde direct and transneuronaltransport of fragmentC. Following injection into the eye of the rat and rabbit, fragmentC, localized with a monoclonal antibody, underwent anterograde direct transport to all retinorecipient areas. From these areas, fragmentC exhibited retrogradetransneuronaltransport, strongly and reliably labeling regions that project to retinorecipient areas, including layers V and VI of visual cortex, the parabigeminal nucleus, the suprageniculate nucleus, and the reticular thalamus. In contrast, the absence of fragmentC in regions receiving only input from, but not projecting to, retinorecipient areas, most notably layer IV of visual cortex, provides strong evidence for the lack of anterograde transneuronaltransport. Thus, while fragmentC can be induced to undergo anterograde direct transport by injection into the eye, it exhibits only retrogradetransneuronaltransport. These characteristics suggest that fragmentC of tetanustoxin is a consistent and reliable retrogradetransneuronal marker for the elucidation of central nervous pathways.
Geographic variation in a widespread neotropical species, Mouriri myrtilloides (Melastomataceae)

Geographic variation inMouriri myrtilloides (Swartz) Poiret is analyzed on a morphological basis. Plants from Central America have medium puberulence, long calyx lobes, and short petioles and pedicels; those from Jamaica and Haiti are glabrous and have short calyx lobes, petioles, and pedicels; while those from Cuba have maximum puberulence, medium calyx lobes and pedicels, and long petioles. Glabrous or near-glabrous plants also appear rarely and more or less at random in Central and South America. Distribution in South America is limited to the northwest quarter of the continent. Most plants of this region are similar to those of Central America except that they have slightly shorter calyx lobes. However, the very short calyx lobes of plants from Jamaica and Haiti often occur in South America and rarely in Panama. Furthermore, most features of the Cuban plants appear in those of the Orinoco Basin, while individuals with one of these features, strong puberulence, are occasional elsewhere in South America. It is suggested that the complex originated in northwest South America and diversified there, subsequently radiating north and west. Considerations and problems related to such a dispersal are discussed. Taxonomically the complex is treated as consisting of four subspecies: ssp.parvifolia of Central America and much of the north-west quarter of South America, ssp.myrtilloides of Jamaica and southwest Haiti, ssp.acuta of Cuba, and ssp.orinocensis of the Orinoco Basin, the latter being a new taxon.
The Myth of Increasing Non-Work Vs. Work Activities

The promised decrease of the average workweek below the present 40 hours is a myth. Three recent trends in the labor force are examined in terms of their impact on an expected increase in overtime and dual-jobholding rates: (1) changes in management philosophy and practice toward more job enrichment, (2) the increased participation of females, and (3) the increasing proportion of the labor force employed in the relatively inefficient service occupations. The author predicts a future increase in overtime among select occupations and a general rise in dual-jobholding families. In short, for those who are able to work and choose to do so, they will probably choose more of it. Moreover, the next major historical era that will substantially alter the distribution of work and non-work activities will probably consist of “counter-work cultures” that will seek to legitimize a new series of alternative value systems for the use of human time.
Evidence for human placental synthesis of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 23,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

ABSTRACT: The two principal dihydroxylated metabolites of the vitamin D prohormone 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] are 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3, the active hormone] and 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3, a putative regulator of developmental bone formation]. Although several studies have demonstrated placental synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3 from 25(OH)D3, placental production of 24,25(OH)2D3 has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we studied 25(OH)D3 metabolism in term human placenta using a villous explant model and cultures of isolated trophoblast and villous mesenchymal cells. We determined that both vitamin D-replete and vitamin D-deficient trophoblast metabolize 25(OH)D3 predominantly via 24-hydroxylation. Placental 24,25(OH)2D3 was identified by cochromatography with authentic standard on four different HPLC systems, scanning UV spectrophotometry profile of the metabolite, sensitivity to periodate cleavage, and mass spectrometry of the putative placental 24,25(OH)2D3 and its periodate cleavage product. We also identified for the first time placental synthesis of 23,25(OH)2D3 using cochromatography with authentic standard on two different HPLC systems, scanning UV spectrophotometry, resistance to periodate cleavage, and mass spectrometry. When trophoblast was incubated for up to 4 h with physiologic concentrations of [3H]25(OH)D3 (6 nM) significant amounts of [3H]24,25(OH)2D3 were produced, but ]3H]1,25(OH)2D3 could not be consistently detected. In contrast, when we incubated trophoblast with supraphysiologic concentrations of 25(OH)D3 (6–10 μM), both 24,25(OH)2D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 were synthesized. These results provide unequivocal evidence for placental synthesis of both 24,25(OH)2D3 and 23,25(OH)2D3. These findings also suggest that supraphysiologic substrate concentrations saturate the placental 24-hydroxylase and may permit accumulation of placental 1,25(OH)2D3 by preventing its further metabolism. Consequently, the identification of this high basal 24-hydroxylase activity in trophoblast may explain inconsistencies among previous reports regarding placental 1,25(OH)2D3 production. We speculate that active placental 24-hydroxylation may serve important functions in perinatal vitamin D metabolism.
Effects of sulfur impurity on the scale adhesion behavior of a desulfurized Ni-based superalloy aluminized by chemical vapor deposition

The surface of a single-crystal Ni-based superalloy, which contained a bulk sulfur content of ∼0.4 ppmw, was aluminized in a hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, using AlCl3 and H2 as gaseous precursors, at 1100 °C. The chemical composition and microstructure of the resulting aluminide coating were characterized with particular emphasis on sulfur incorporation as an impurity during aluminizing. Depth profiling by glow-discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS) was used as a qualitative means of assessing the level of sulfur in the coating structure. Sulfur contamination, which was initially observed at the coating surface and the substrate-coating interface, could be reduced by some minor reactor modifications. With the reduced sulfur content, scale adhesion on the surface of the aluminide grains of the coating was significantly improved during cyclic oxidation, whereas scale spallation at the coating’s grain boundaries became more apparent.
Evidence of surface-reaction rate limitations in SOFC composite cathodes

Abstract An analytical model has been developed and experimentally tested to determine the factors that lead to high overpotentials in composite solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes. Results suggest that the performance of infiltrated, composite electrodes is limited by O2 adsorption and incorporation into the perovskite lattice. The impedance of cathodes prepared by infiltration of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 (LSF) into porous yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) depends strongly on the surface area of the perovskite phase and is independent of LSF film thickness. Model predictions about the effect of the microstructure and ionic conductivity of the porous electrolyte scaffold were also verified.
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Plectosphaeroic Acid B

The first total synthesis of a member of the plectosphaeroic acid family of fungal natural products is reported. Key steps include the late-stage formation of the hindered N6–C9″ bond and stereoselective introduction of the two methylthio substituents.
Epilogue: some final thoughts on EBP.

Purpose In this afterward, I will offer some final thoughts on this clinical forum by considering a central question of EBP—how experimental validation is defined—to illustrate the difficulty invol...
Group II introns break new boundaries: presence in a bilaterian's genome.

Group II introns are ribozymes, removing themselves from their primary transcripts, as well as mobile genetic elements, transposing via an RNA intermediate, and are thought to be the ancestors of spliceosomal introns. Although common in bacteria and most eukaryotic organelles, they have never been reported in any bilaterian animal genome, organellar or nuclear. Here we report the first group II intron found in the mitochondrial genome of a bilaterian worm. This location is especially surprising, since animal mitochondrial genomes are generally distinct from those of plants, fungi, and protists by being small and compact, and so are viewed as being highly streamlined, perhaps as a result of strong selective pressures for fast replication while establishing germ plasm during early development. This intron is found in the mtDNA of an annelid worm, (an undescribed species of Nephtys), where the complete sequence revealed a 1819 bp group II intron inside the cox1 gene. We infer that this intron is the result of a recent horizontal gene transfer event from a viral or bacterial vector into the mitochondrial genome of Nephtys sp. Our findings hold implications for understanding mechanisms, constraints, and selective pressures that account for patterns of animal mitochondrial genome evolution
PLEUROCLADIA LACUSTRIS IN ARCTIC AMERICA(1).

SUMMARY Several large populations of Pletirocladia lacustris A. Br. were found at Devon Island, N.W.T., Canada, in an intermittently marine habitat. The morphology, cytology, and ecology of this species were described from living material from two habitats, the limestone and granite shores. The genus Kolderupia Lund ivas found synonymous with Pleurocladia; consequently Kolderupia maritima and K. lucifuga were lectotypified, characterized, and transferred to Pleurocladia. The genus Pleurocladia should be regarded as a member of the Ectocarpaceae until life history studies show a need for reclassification. In the Ectocarpaceae, Pleurocladia is probably most closely related to Protectocarpus Kuckuck. The distribution of P. lacustris indicated that the species, if not extremely rare, is uncommon.
Identification and cloning of site C splice variants of plasma membrane Ca-ATPase in the gerbil cochlea

Abstract Plasma membrane Ca-ATPase (PMCA) gene products were identified in the gerbil cochlea by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cochlear cDNA was amplified using PMCA isoform-specific primers from splice site C, the calmodulin binding domain. PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The putative housekeeping PMCA genes, lb and 4b, as expected, were present in the gerbil cochlea and shared 98.6 and 100% amino acid homology with published rat sequences, at splice site C, respectively. PMCA2b, 3a and 3b splice variants also were detected in cochlear cDNAs and shared 95, 94.3 and 98% amino acid homology with their rat counterparts. PMCA isoforms 2 and 3 have been shown to occur in highly specialized tissues, such as muscle and brain, that require finely tuned regulation of intracellular free Ca 2+ levels. The presence of several isoforms and splice variants of PMCA in the cochlea most probably reflects their differential expression among the several cell types that have been shown to contain immunoreactive PMCA. This suggests that the cochlea has developed complex mechanisms that finely tune intracellular Ca 2+ levels in different highly specialized cell types.
New cluster of ribosomal genes in Bacillus subtilis with regulatory role in sporulation

STUDIES of the onset of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis can provide information of value to the study of differentiation in general. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in initiating sporulation, or any other developmental process. Mutations at any one of nine distinct genetic loci may block sporulation in B. subtilis at early stages without affecting vegetative growth1,2. These mutations are pleiotropic, in that they are not only blocked in sporulation but are also impaired, to various degrees, in stage 0 functions such as antibiotic and protease production, competence for transformation, and sensitivity to surface active antibiotics and phage3. We have examined the ribosomal composition of these stage 0 mutants and of the same mutants bearing an additional mutation in another locus, abrB, that results in suppression of the pleiotropic mutant phenotype without suppressing the sporulation defect. We report here that abrB mutations define a new cluster of ribosomal protein genes, with the origin proximal to the main group of ribosomal genes. These findings demonstrate the involvement of ribosomes in the control of early stages of the sporulation cycle.
Challenges and research questions for testing in mobile development: report on a mobile testing activity

In this report we document the mobile testing activity that we facilitated as part of the Workshop on Mobile Development Life-cycle (MobileDeLi) in conjunction with SPLASH 2013. Together with the workshop attendees, we listed the challenges in mobile testing and discussed a research agenda to deal with the significant challenges.
Solving the Stochastic Growth Model by Backsolving With a Particular Nonlinear Form for the Decision Rule

Backsolving is a class of methods that generate simulated values for exogenous forcing processes in a stochastic equilibrium model from specified assumed distributions for Euler-equation disturbances. It can be thought of as a way to force the approximation error generated by inexact choice of decision rule or boundary condition into distortions of the distribution of the exogenous shocks in the simulations rather than into violations of the Euler equations as with standard approaches. Here it is applied to a one-sector neoclassical growth model with decision rule generated from a linear-quadratic approximation.