cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel mouse model of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor expression: A look at the brain

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone with a number of functions to maintain energy homeostasis and contribute to motivated behavior, both peripherally and within the central nervous system (CNS). These functions, which include insulin secretion, gastric emptying, satiety, and the hedonic aspects of food and drug intake, are primarily mediated through stimulation of the GLP-1 receptor. While this receptor plays an important role in a variety of physiological outcomes, data regarding its CNS expression has been primarily limited to regional receptor binding and single-label transcript expression studies. We thus developed a bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mouse, in which expression of a red fluorescent protein (mApple) is driven by the GLP-1R promoter. Using this reporter mouse, we characterized the regional and cellular expression patterns of GLP-1R expressing cells in the CNS, using double-label immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. GLP-1R-expressing cells were enriched in several key brain regions and circuits, including the lateral septum, hypothalamus, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hippocampus, ventral midbrain, periaqueductal gray, and cerebral cortex. In most regions, GLP-1R primarily colocalized with GABAergic neurons, except within some regions such as the hippocampus, where it was co-expressed in glutamatergic neurons. GLP-1R-mApple cells were highly co-expressed with 5-HT3 receptor-containing neurons within the cortex and striatum, as well as with dopamine receptor- and calbindin-expressing cells within the lateral septum, the brain region in which GLP-1R is most highly expressed. In this manuscript, we provide detailed images of GLP-1R-mApple expression and distribution within the brain and characterization of these neurons.
Symposium Introduction: What Can We Learn from Transnational Courts About Judicial Diversity?

Transnational judicial bodies have grown in number and importance in the past century, becoming major players in international politics, lawmaking, and the global economy. Their decisions affect us all, whether directly or mediated by domestic legal systems. Yet the judges sitting on transnational courts are often at odds with the billions of people affected by their decisions in terms of representation. Judicial diversity is now the consecrated expression to describe whether and to what extent judges come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. At the same time, talking about “judicial diversity” abstractly tells us little about the types of identity traits considered relevant for inclusion on the transnational bench. Is judicial diversity a useful concept in this setting? Would “integration” better describe the goal of transforming predominantly white and male international organizations? This introduction argues that the literature on judicial diversity at the international level needs to move from a primary focus on gender to the intersectional representation of other marginalized groups defined by race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, socioeconomic background, language, and different abilities, among other traits. The paradox of transnational courts is that if by one measure they lack in judicial diversity, by another measure, they are designed based on the very principle of judicial diversity, unlike their domestic counterparts. In the international context, the idea of representation has always been assumed and valued, be it understood as descriptive or substantive representation. Some forms of identities, such as national origin, are not only desirable, but also thought to be essential to the courts’ mission, while other forms of identity, such as race, sex, gender identity and expression, class, or disability, may be ignored or challenged. The goal of this symposium is to investigate this tension by offering case studies examining different dimensions of diversity at a number of transnational courts.
State Actions and Shortages of Personal Protective Equipment and Staff in U.S. Nursing Homes.

Background It is crucial that nursing homes have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Some states have taken actions to mitigate shortages of PPE and staffing in nursing homes, including creating dedicated long-term care (LTC) teams and supporting staffing capacity. Objective To examine whether state actions and nursing home characteristics are associated with shortages of PPE and staffing. Design and setting Facility-level data, released July 31, 2020, from the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, were combined with data from other sources. Our sample was the 13,445 facilities with information about PPE and staffing shortages for each of the 5 weeks between the week ending June 21, 2020, and the week ending July 19, 2020. Associations between facility characteristics and shortages were examined using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Measurements Outcome variables were whether or not a facility lacked a 1-week supply of PPE ("PPE shortage") and whether or not a facility had a staffing shortage during 1 or more weeks over the 5-week study period. Results Over the 5-week study period, 27.6% of facilities reported 1 or more weeks of PPE shortage, 30.2% of facilities reported at least 1 week of staffing shortage, and 46.5% of facilities lacked PPE and/or staff. Facilities located in states in the Northeast PPE Consortium or with LTC teams were modestly less likely to have had a PPE shortage, and facilities located in states that implemented processes to match job seekers with LTC facilities were marginally significantly less likely to have had a staffing shortage. Conclusion Given that nearly half of U.S. nursing homes recently faced a shortage of PPE and/or staff, and that state budget deficits may limit further state actions, ongoing federal assistance with PPE and staffing of nursing homes is needed.
A gap analysis of farm tourism microentrepreneurial mentoring needs in North Carolina, USA

Tourism is frequently proposed as a strategy to revitalize rural economies. The current mushroom­ing of web platforms for the tourism sharing eco­nomy affords rural microentrepreneurs opportu­nities to capitalize on the growing demand for authentic experiences. However, these platforms may actually be widening the socio-economic gap between individuals across the digital and urban/ rural divides. In addition, the well-established urban culture of entrepreneurial mentorship is not taking hold in the rural areas, which direly need to attract and support nascent entrepreneurs. Farms are increasingly adopting tourism to diversify their business models, and Extension agents are trusted mentors par excellence of agribusiness entrepreneurs; therefore, this study explores the extent to which Extension agents feel able to address the mentoring needs of farm tourism microentrepre­neurs. We measured both tourism e-microentrepre­neurial self-efficacy (TeMSE) among farmers and tourism e-microentrepreneurial mentoring self-efficacy (TeMMSE) of Extension agents. Results show that farmers have relatively low self-efficacy in the dimensions of e-marketing and marshalling resources, and that agents may be efficacious men­tors in these dimensions. Farmers also show low self-efficacy in adapting to externalities; however, agents do not perceive themselves as efficacious mentors in this dimension. We conclude with a discussion of practical implications for train-the-trainer strategies to enable farm tourism micro­entrepreneurship success.
Hepatitis C testing and treatment uptake among young people who use opioids in New York City: A cross‐sectional study

Young people who use drugs have a rising hepatitis C (HCV) incidence in the United States, but they may face barriers to testing and treatment adoption due to stigma. We conducted a cross-sectional study of New York City residents aged 18-29 years who reported non-medical prescription opioid and/or heroin use in the past 30 days. Participants were recruited from the community between 2014-2016 via respondent-driven sampling. Participants completed an in-person structured survey that included questions about HCV testing and treatment and received HCV antibody testing. There were 539 respondents: 353 people who inject drugs (PWID) and 186 non-PWID. For PWID, median age was 25 years, 65% were male and 73% non-Hispanic White. For non-PWID, median age was 23 years, 73% were male and 39% non-Hispanic White. 20% of PWID and 54% of non-PWID had never been tested for HCV (P < .001). Years since first injection (aOR 1.16, CI: 1.02-1.32, P = .02) and history of substance use treatment (aOR 3.17, CI: 1.53-6.61, P = .02) were associated with prior testing among PWID. The seroprevalence of HCV among PWID was 25%, adjusted for sampling weights. Of the 75 who were aware of their HCV-positive status, 53% had received HCV-related medical care, and 28% had initiated treatment. HCV prevalence among young PWID is high, and many have never been tested. Injection experience and treatment engagement is associated with testing. Interventions to increase testing earlier in injection careers, and to improve linkage to HCV treatment, will be critical for young PWID.
Once again on the parallelism between expression and content

This article revisits the idea of parallelism between the two semiotic planes – expression and content – focusing on two seemingly contradictory analogies found in the structural literature, namely...
Biomimetic Optimal Tracking Control using Mean Field Games and Spiking Neural Networks

Abstract This paper investigates decentralized optimal tracking control for multi-agent systems (MAS)s with a large population. Unlike conventional decentralized control, two major challenges must be addressed when the population size of the MAS is large: the “curse of dimensionality” and environmental uncertainties. The paper develops a novel online learning decentralized adaptive optimal control strategy to address these challenges by combining the emerging Mean Field Games (MFG) theory with a novel Biomimetic Actor-Critic-Mass (B-ACM) learning algorithm. Mean-field control is developed as a decentralized optimal controller that can effectively reduce the computational complexity and the communication effort. A Biomimetic neural network that mimics the human brain, which is much more efficient than traditional Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), is designed using Spiking Neural Networks (SNN)s. The information is encoded into a sparse spikes vector similar to the human brain. The SNN technique and mean-field control are merged into one unified framework, B-ACM. The B-ACM includes three regions of neurons in coordination with mean-field control: 1) Reward region to approximate the optimal cost function, 2) MAS Population Estimation region to predict the effects from other agents, and 3) Action region to compute the optimal control. Moreover, the paper introduces a novel SNN weight update law based on gradient descent. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is validated through numerical simulations.
A Thick Origami Traveling Wave Antenna

This paper presents a thick origami foldable traveling wave antenna. A typical microstrip rampart-line antenna is appropriately modified to enable folding/unfolding capability using a surrogate hinge. This antenna is designed on a 1.5 mm-thick FR4 substrate circularly polarized at 3.4 GHz and exhibits a peak gain of approximately 2.85 dB at broadside.
Spatical Context Based Satellite Image Classification-Review

This article investigated significant far off detecting picture order procedures, pixel-wise and sub-pixel-wise strategies. It featured the significance of fusing spatial-relevant data in remote detecting picture order. Further, this paper assembled spatial-logical investigation methods into three significant classes, including Markov irregular fields (MRFs), surface extraction demonstrating, also, 3) picture division and article based picture examination. Last, this paper contended the need to create geographic data examination models for spatial-relevant orders utilizing two contextual analyses.
Novel tool to quantify with single-cell resolution the number of incoming AAV genomes co-expressed in the mouse nervous system.

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors are an established and safe gene delivery tool to target the nervous system. However, the payload capacity of <4.9 kb limits the transfer of large or multiple genes. Oversized payloads could be delivered by fragmenting the transgenes into separate AAV capsids that are then mixed. This strategy could increase the AAV cargo capacity to treat monogenic, polygenic diseases and comorbidities only if controlled co-expression of multiple AAV capsids is achieved on each transduced cell. We developed a tool to quantify the number of incoming AAV genomes that are co-expressed in the nervous system with single-cell resolution. By using an isogenic mix of three AAVs each expressing single fluorescent reporters, we determined that expression of much greater than 31 AAV genomes per neuron in vitro and 20 genomes per neuron in vivo is obtained across different brain regions including anterior cingulate, prefrontal, somatomotor and somatosensory cortex areas, and cerebellar lobule VI. Our results demonstrate that multiple AAV vectors containing different transgenes or transgene fragments, can efficiently co-express in the same neuron. This tool can be used to design and improve AAV-based interrogation of neuronal circuits, map brain connectivity, and treat genetic diseases affecting the nervous system.
Selective Posterior Rhizotomy: A Guide for Intraoperative Neurophysiography

ABSTRACTSelective posterior rhizotomy is a neurosurgical procedure performed to reduce lower limb spasticity in some children with cerebral palsy. A brief overview of the surgical procedure and its history are provided. Detailed methodology with respect to setup, muscle selection, stimulation paradigms, recording parameters for evoked compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), record keeping, and interpretation of those CMAPs is provided.
FEMA's Organized Response With a Pediatric Subspecialty Team: The National Disaster Medical System Response: A Pediatric Perspective

A hurricane in New Orleans, Louisiana, was no longer just a threat but a reality. At the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, a small group of Boston-based National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) physicians met with military officers, who informed us that 5 years ago they were charged with preparation for potential national disasters. A hurricane in New Orleans was 1 of 3 scenarios they predicted. As a nation, as individuals, and as a disaster team we were living that prediction. Although we took care of disaster victims of all ages and disaster-relief workers, for those of us in the field of pediatrics, our focus was on the youngest victims of the disaster. Preparation begins not days but years before a disaster. Teams deployed to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are part of the NDMS, a federally coordinated system that augments the nation's emergency medical response capacity. In 1984 the NDMS, by declaration of the President, became an agency of the US Public Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. It is a public/private partnership between government agencies, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), civilian hospitals, and emergency-response organizations. The role of the NDMS is to provide civilian medical support to the US government for victims of domestic disasters. A national network of teams provides a single integrated medical response to assist state and local authorities with medical care. The first NDMS team was formed in 1986. In March 2003, the NDMS was transferred from the US Public Health Service to the Response Division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Department of Homeland Security. The NDMS, using government and private-sector resources, is mandated to provide medical response, patient evacuation, and definitive medical care. Specifically, the NDMS assesses health/medical needs; coordinates, mobilizes, and manages teams of medical … Address correspondence to Debra L. Weiner, MD, PhD, Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: debra.weiner{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Undue Hardship in the Bankruptcy Courts: An Empirical Assessment of the Discharge of Educational Debt

The discharge in bankruptcy embodies the policy that relief should be granted to an individual who has ceased to be economically productive by virtue of burdensome debt obligations (the fresh start policy). Once the debtor has been deemed eligible for discharge, forgiveness of debt is automatic, accomplished through legislative rule and its judicial enforcement. With regard to the discharge of educational debt, however, Congress has devolved the exercise of debt relief to courts. An obligation to repay such debt will be discharged if a debtor establishes that undue hardship would be suffered in the absence of its discharge. A court must therefore wrestle to define the boundaries of the fresh start policy as it decides whether a debtor's circumstances warrant forgiveness of educational debt. Commentators and reformers have criticized both the law itself, for granting educational debt conditionally dischargeable status in the first instance, and its application, arguing that the standard has been interpreted too narrowly by courts. The literature, however, has yet to analyze systematicallywith the purpose of ascertaining whether such criticism is warrantedthe decision-making process of bankruptcy judges who make undue hardship determinations. This Article undertakes such an analysis and provides an empirical account of undue hardship discharge determinations made by bankruptcy courts and documented in issued opinions. The information gathered in this study illustrates that debtors who have sought relief from educational debt have done so under conditions evincing financial distress. This portrait starkly contrasts with the image of an opportunistic debtor seeking to avoid repayment of student loans on the eve of a lucrative career, a stereotype stylized by courts on the basis of what they have deemed to have been Congress's intent when it made educational debt conditionally dischargeable. After portraying the class of individual that has been subject to the law, the Article examines how the law has functioned in its application. One might expect that, in separating the group of debtors in this study by legal outcome (i.e., grant of discharge and denial of discharge), significant differences would reveal themselves with respect to certain demographic and financial characteristics. After all, it is factual circumstances that give content to the law. Contrary to that expectation, however, the data reveal few statistically significant differences between the two groups. Instead, legal outcome is best explained by differing judicial perceptions of how the same standard applies to similarly situated debtors. This Article concludes that the law governing the discharge of educational debt, by virtue of its application, has been uniform only in form and not in substance, and it prescribes a reorientation of the undue hardship standard that comports with the structure of the Bankruptcy Code and that better effectuates uniformity in the implementation of debtor relief.
Why are pathogenic SIV and HIV infections characterized by high level immune activation when other chronic virus infection are not? Lessons from nonpathogenic SIV infection in natural host species

Pathogenic SIV infections of non-human primates (such as rhesus macaques [RMs]) and HIV infections of humans are characterized by progressive CD4 T cell depletion and dysfunction in association with high levels of virus replication and generalized immune activation. In marked contrast, non-pathogenic infections of non-human primate species that are natural hosts for SIV infection, such as sooty mangabeys (SMs), are characterized by the numerical and functional preservation of CD4 T cell populations and the absence of aberrant immune activation despite levels of virus replication that equal or exceed those commonly found in pathogenic SIV and HIV infections. In light of these observations, it appears that chronic generalized immune activation and its associated immunopathology are more important drivers of progression to AIDS than the direct cytopathic consequences of virus infection. To better understand the cellular and molecular bases of whether or not chronic immune activation and attendant immunopathology follow CD4+ T cell tropic lentivirus infection, we studied how and when host innate and adaptive immune responses diverge following SIV infection of SMs and RMs, and compared these results with those obtained in studies of HIV-infected humans. Interestingly, differences in innate immune responses (eg, dendritic cell activation and migration) to infection are evident from the first days of infection, which are then followed by substantive differences in the magnitude and nature of adaptive immune responses. These differences in in vivo behavior of dendritic cells are recapitulated following ex vivo exposure of SM, RM and human plasmacytoid dendritic cells to specific TLR ligands and to inactivated virus. In contrast to pDCs from RMs and humans, pDCs from SMs fail to produce IFN-alpha following exposure to specific TLR ligands and to SIV – apparently the result of divergent propagation of activation signals along post-receptor pathways. At the organismal level, gene expression profiling studies further indicate that a major feature distinguishing pathogenic from non-pathogenic CD4+ T cell tropic lentivirus infections is the extent to which a pattern of type 1 interferon production and response profiles are manifest. In all, our results indicate that natural host species, such as SMs, may avoid AIDS by the genetically programmed failure of their innate immune systems to respond to the presence of virus in a way that initiates and maintains a state of generalized and deleterious immune activation.
International Ultraviolet Explorer Atlas of O-typespectra from 1200 to 1900 Angstrom

The IUE archives provide an unprecedented sample of uniform, high-quality ultraviolet stellar spectra. In particular, they contain high-resolution SWP data for nearly 200 different O stars. We have undertaken a survey of the 1200-1900 A region in about 120 of them having homogeneous optical spectral classifications to investigate systematically the behavior of the ultraviolet features, incuding the prominent stellar wind profiles and the degree to which they correlate with the optical types. The standard extracted spectrograms have been rebinned to a constant wavelength resolution of 0.25A and uniformly normalized (not dereddened) at the GSFC RDAF. They are then plotted at 10A/cm, with reseau, photometric quality and echelle order junction flags available. This atlas contains such plots for about 100 stars, arranged in spectral-type, luminosity and peculiar object sequences. The results show a high degree of correlation between the ultraviolet features, both photospheric and stellar-wind, and the optical classifications for the majority of the O-type stars.
Transmission of Cancer from Organ Donors

One hundred and seventeen of 270 (43%) recipients of organs obtained from donors with malignancies had evidence of transmitted cancers. In 9 instances these were removed from renal allografts immediately prior to transplantation. Including these cases there were 45 recipients of organs in which a neoplasm involved the allograft, 6 others in whom adjacent structures were invaded, and another 66 patients who had distant metastases. Precautions to prevent cancer transmission include meticulous preoperative screening of donors, careful examination of all organs at the time of harvesting, biopsy of any suspicious lesions, and routine donor autopsy, if possible.
SOMAESTHETICS AND THE CARE OF THE BODY

: This article poses a number of questions to Richard Shusterman concerning his concepts of somaesthetics and body consciousness in his book Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics. How do the concepts relate to the kind of forgetfulness of the body that can happen in expert performance? What is the nature of somatic reflection, and how is it different from pre-reflective awareness of the body? The article suggests that our immersed involvement and overt orientation toward things, and toward other people that concern us, involve bodily practices characterized by a performative forgetting of the body. Depending on the nature of the way we become aware of (or practice awareness of) the body, performance may be improved or disrupted.
Rapid radiometric method of testing susceptibility of mycobacteria and slow-growing fungi to antimicrobial agents.

Abstract [3H]uracil incorporation into the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of mycobacteria and [3H]guanine incorporation into the RNA of fungi were used as measures of cell viability in the presence of several antimicrobial agents. There appeared to be an excellent correlation between traditional susceptibility tests, which required 1 to 4 weeks, and tests of the inhibition of incorporation of RNA precursors, which were completed in 4 to 48 h. The radiometric method may be useful in rapidly determining the susceptibility of slow-growing organisms to antimicrobial agents.
Molecular Cloning of cDNA for Matriptase, a Matrix-degrading Serine Protease with Trypsin-like Activity

A major protease from human breast cancer cells was previously detected by gelatin zymography and proposed to play a role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. To structurally characterize the enzyme, we isolated a cDNA encoding the protease. Analysis of the cDNA reveals three sequence motifs: a carboxyl-terminal region with similarity to the trypsin-like serine proteases, four tandem cysteine-rich repeats homologous to the low density lipoprotein receptor, and two copies of tandem repeats originally found in the complement subcomponents C1r and C1s. By comparison with other serine proteases, the active-site triad was identified as His-484, Asp-539, and Ser-633. The protease contains a characteristic Arg-Val-Val-Gly-Gly motif that may serve as a proteolytic activation site. The bottom of the substrate specificity pocket was identified to be Asp-627 by comparison with other trypsin-like serine proteases. In addition, this protease exhibits trypsin-like activity as defined by cleavage of synthetic substrates with Arg or Lys as the P1 site. Thus, the protease is a mosaic protein with broad spectrum cleavage activity and two potential regulatory modules. Given its ability to degrade extracellular matrix and its trypsin-like activity, the name matriptase is proposed for the protease.
AN INDIVIDUAL‐BASED FISHERY MODEL AND ASSESSING FISHERY STABILITY

. The stability of a fishery system was investigated using two forms of a stochastic computer simulation model that was individually based in terms of the fishing boats. Fish catch was partitioned among boats according to two catch processes: an unranked process in which all boats had equal ability to catch fish and a ranked catch model in which a boat's ability to catch fish depended on its wealth. Stock size, total catch, fleet size and individual boat wealth were modeled over a series of years. In the unranked catch model the fish stock size and fleet size were significantly more variable than in the ranked catch model.
“Black Plate” Formation in TiX alloys

Abstract Typically of many TiX systems, two different types of proeutectoid α plate are observed in a Ti-6.6 at.% Cr alloy, Rather ill-formed normal α plates appearing at higher reaction temperatures are increasingly replaced by slender, almost perfectly formed black plates below a characteristic temperature. Lengthening kinetics of black plates are about an order of magnitude more rapid than those of normal α. Both varieties, however, are h.c.p. and obey the Burgers' orientation relationship with respect to the β matrix, but black plates maintain a near-{110}β, habit in contrast to a near-{111}β habit associated with normal α plates. A model based on the thermodynamics of the β phase is presented to explain the distinctions in kinetics, morphology and crystallography between the two types of α. Accordingly, as a consequence of the doubly inflected free energy-composition curve associated with the β phase, normal α precipitation occurs when the a phase equilibrates with a Ti-rich β phase while black plates form at temperatures where the α phase can maintain equilibrium with the Cr-rich β phase.
Reliable indirect labor standards achieved through computerized computation of mean slot values of the gamma distribution

Abstract The importance of reasonably accurate (within ± 10%) indirect labor standards is recognized by the vast majority of practicing industrial engineers. Traditional work measurement methodologies including stopwatch study, standard data, and fundamental motion data can do the job, but these techniques are often not cost effective because of the time required to develop fair standards in advance of the work being done. Slotting methods such as used in the technique referred to as “Universal Indirect Labor Standards” allow the relatively rapid assignment of standards in a very short time. A method of developing Universal Indirect Labor Standards that will give satisfactory results is to slot a sample of benchmark jobs in the form of the gamma distribution. The value of each slot is computed by calculating the expected value (mean) of the gamma distribution that characterizes each slot. The computer is an effective tool to make these laborious computation and arrive at good universal standard values for each slot in the distribution characterized by the benchmark jobs.
The Effect of Charge Shape on Partially Confined Detonations

More than 500,000 tons of obsolete and unwanted conventional weapons exist in the United States. The disposal of these unexploded ordnances, in an environmentally sound and cost-effective way, is of paramount importance. Different types of incinerators and detonation chambers have been proposed to eliminate these unwanted energetic materials. However, questions about the design of such facilities and the environmental consequences of their use must be answered. This paper describes numerical simulations of a large-scale, partially confined detonation facility. Detonation facility designs were evaluated by a series of axisymmetric, time-dependent simulations using FAST3D, a numerical model based on flux-corrected transport coupled to the virtual cell embedding algorithm for simulating complex geometries. The simulations assisted in determining the shape and size of the detonation charge mass that maintained the structural integrity of the facility. Comparisons of the pressure and structural analyses for spherically and cylindrically shaped RDX charges in a fixed volume show that the 50-lb spherically shaped charge resulted in an efficient detonation and maintained the structural integrity of the detonation facility.
Effects of magnetic fields on the light yield of scintillators

Abstract We describe studies of the light yield of scintillators as a function of an externally applied magnetic field. The studies involved using fluoroscopic measurements, measuring indices of refraction, employing a wide variety of sources from fission fragments to cosmic rays, and making measurements as a function of the scintillator type and thickness and of the direction of the applied field. We observed the light yield to increase with increasing magnetic field, independent of geometry or direction of the magnetic field. The effect was much larger in acrylic scintillator than in polyvinyltoluene or polystyrene-based scintillator. We believe that the change in the light yield is due to a local light saturation of the material. As the magnetic field increases, the low-energy electrons spiral away from each other and the light yield increases.
Ambiguities in pion-nucleus optical potentials and the determination of neutron radii

The ..pi../sup + -/ : /sup 48/Ca elastic scattering data are shown to be reproduced with a wide range of rms neutron radii if the optical-model parameters are suitably adjusted. The corresponding total cross sections vary signigicantly.
Liquid Crystalline Symmetrical 3,6-Diaryl-1,2,4,5-Tetrazines

A new series of symmetrical 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrazines with four alkoxy tails were synthesized along with new examples with two alkoxy tails. Mesogenic properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. The influence of the number and length of alkoxy chains attached to the 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine core is discussed. Compared with the two-tailed tetrazines, 6 the four-tailed liquid crystalline tetrazines, 5e–g possess lower smectic-C phase transitions, and clearing point temperatures.
We need assurance! [assurance of computing quality, reliability, and safety]

When will we be secure? Nobody knows for sure - but it cannot happen before commercial security products and services possess not only enough functionality to satisfy customers' stated needs, but also sufficient assurance of quality, reliability, safety, and appropriateness for use. Such assurances are lacking in most of today's commercial security products and services. The author discusses paths to better assurance in operating systems, applications, and hardware through better development environments, requirements definition, systems engineering, quality certification, and legal/regulatory constraints. The author also gave some examples
Concurrent iterative solution of large finite element systems

A general iterative algorithm for the solution of large finite element systems of arbitrary domain geometry is designed to operate efficiently on modern computers with concurrent processors. The domain is recursively and automatically subdivided into the same number of subdomains as available processors. Convergence is ensured because of the Gauss–Seidel type of iterations operated on each subdomain and corresponding interface. This subdomain iterative solution approach is compatible with the other phases of a complete concurrent finite element analysis (concurrent stiffness formation and assembly and concurrent element post-processing), from both the data structure and computation points of view. Implementation of the resulting stratagem on MIMD computers is presented. Several examples are run on a hypercube multiprocessor to validate the proposed algorithm and assess its performance. An efficiency of 91 per cent is achieved for a problem with 16,000 degrees-of-freedom.
Intracellular distribution of phosphate in cultured Humulus lupulus cells growing at elevated exogenous phosphate concentrations

The distribution of inorganic phosphate (Pi) between the cytoplasm and the vacuole of Humulus lupulus L. cells grown in suspension culture at different exogenous Pi levels was examined by 31-P nuclear magnetic resonance. In growing cells excess Pi accumulated in the vacuoles and the inhibitory effect of high exogenous Pi was not associated with a change in the cytoplasmic Pi level or with a change in the cytoplasmic pH.
Mixed Valence Compounds of Vanadium II. Properties and Formation Mechanism

A second mixed valence compound of vanadium was obtained by decomposition of vanadyl (IV)bis (acetylacetonate) by fluoride ions in a nonpolar solvent. The compound has the formula [(C2H5)4N]4[V10O26F2H2] i.e. two oxygens of the previous compound [(C2H5)4N]4[V10O28H4] were replaced by fluoride ions. The thermal stability, electronic and ESR spectra are described. The properties of this compound are very similar to the compound obtained by addition of a halide ion (chloride, bromide or iodide) to vanadyl(IV) bis (acetylacetonate) in the presence of another metal complex. The mechanism of formation of these compounds is discussed.
Clostridium perfringens invasiveness is enhanced by effects of theta toxin upon PMNL structure and function: The roles of leukocytotoxicity and expression of CD11/CD18 adherence glycoprotein

Clostridium perfringens infections are characterized by the lack of an inflammatory response at the site of infection and rapidly progressive margins of tissue necrosis. Studies presented here investigated the role of theta toxin from C. perfringens in the pathophysiology of these events. Mice passively immunized with neutralizing monoclonal antibody against theta toxin and challenged with an LD100 of log phase C. perfringens had significantly less mortality than untreated controls. Intramuscular injection of killed, washed C. perfringens in mice induced a massive time-dependent influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) into tissue; injection of either viable, washed C. perfringens or killed organisms plus theta toxin dramatically attenuated PMNL influx although PMNL accumulated in adjacent vessels. The anti-inflammatory effects could not be attributed to an absence of chemoattractants since C. perfringens proteins had chemotactic factor activity, and killed bacilli generated serum-derived chemotactic factors. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the dramatic leukocidal effects of high doses of theta toxin on PMNL. In contrast, sublethal concentrations of theta toxin primed PMNL chemiluminescence, disrupted PMNL cytoskeletal actin polymerization/disassembly, and stimulated functional upregulation of CD11b/CD18 adherence glycoprotein. In summary, these results demonstrate that theta toxin is an important virulence factor in C. perfringens infection. In a concentration-dependent fashion, theta toxin contributes to the pathogenesis of clostridial gangrene by direct destruction of host inflammatory cells and tissues, and by promoting dysregulated PMNL/endothelial cell adhesive interactions.
Acute Colonoscopy-Induced Splenic Rupture Presenting to the Emergency Department

Splenic rupture due to colonoscopy is a rarely reported event in the emergency medicine literature. Patients experiencing such an occurrence are likely to report to the emergency department. This paper documents an 84-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and nausea less than 24 hours following a colonoscopy. An abdominal ultrasound revealed splenomegaly and free fluid. An abdominal computed tomography was significant for a splenic laceration. She underwent radiologic guided embolization and recovered without incident. Emergency medicine physicians need to consider splenic rupture as a differential in patients presenting after colonoscopy with abdominal pain.
Theoretical problems of cognitive science

Aspects of the controversy concerning the theoretical status of some recent thinking on human cognition are discussed; in particular, the concept of ‘unconscious knowledge’, the ‘functionalist’ analysis of the mental; the problem of the domains of explananda, given the recalcitrant difficulty in providing warrantable and generalizable criteria for individuating components of an organism's ‘behavior'; the problem of the polymorphous character of various mental predicates and their misconceived treatment as ‘state’ or ‘process’ descriptors; the possible ‘over‐intellectualizing’ of central‐nervous‐system processes, and the availability of an alternative program for the ‘middle‐ground’ between common‐sense reasoning and neuroscientific research in the study of ‘mind’. Throughout the discussion, a broadly neo‐Wittgensteinian approach is advanced.
Delegation control of multiple unmanned systems

Maturing technologies and complex payloads coupled with a future objective to reduce the logistics burden of current unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations require a change to the 2-crew employment paradigm. Increased automation and operator supervisory control of unmanned systems have been advocated to meet the objective of reducing the crew requirements, while managing future technologies. Specifically, a delegation control employment strategy has resulted in reduced workload and higher situation awareness for single operators controlling multiple unmanned systems in empirical studies 1,2 . Delegation control is characterized by the ability for an operator to call a single "play" that initiates prescribed default actions for each vehicle and associated sensor related to a common mission goal. Based upon the effectiveness of delegation control in simulation, the U.S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD) developed a Delegation Control (DelCon) operator interface with voice recognition implementation for play selection, real-time play modification, and play status with automation transparency to enable single operator control of multiple unmanned systems in flight. AFDD successfully demonstrated delegation control in a Troops-in-Contact mission scenario at Ft. Ord in 2009. This summary showcases the effort as a beneficial advance in single operator control of multiple UAS.
Piperidine, pyridine alkaloid inhibition of fetal movement in a day 40 pregnant goat model.

Abstract Inhibition of fetal movement is one mechanism behind the development of multiple congenital contracture-type defects in developing fetuses of humans and animals. We tested the alkaloids anabasine, lobeline, and myosmine for agonist actions, and sensitivity to alpha conotoxins EI and GI blockade at fetal muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) expressed by TE-671 cells. We also determined if the alkaloids decreased fetal movement in an IV dosed, day 40 pregnant goat model. In TE-671 cells, all three alkaloids elicited concentration-dependent changes in membrane potential sensing dye fluorescence. 1.0 μM alpha conotoxin GI shifted the concentration–effect curves of anabasine and myosmine to the right, and decreased maximal responses. Neither of the conotoxins blocked the actions of lobeline in TE-671 cells. In the day 40 pregnant goats, 0.8 mg/kg anabasine abolished fetal movement at 30 and 60 min after dosing and fetal movement was reduced by lobeline and myosmine. The blockade of anabasine and myosmine actions in TE-671 cells by alpha conotoxin GI indicates that they are agonists at fetal muscle-type nAChR. All three alkaloids did significantly decrease fetal movement in the day 40 pregnant goat model suggesting a potential for these alkaloids to cause multiple congenital contracture-type defects in developing fetuses.
O manuscrito de Einstein de 1912 como pista para o desenvolvimento da teoria da relatividade restrita

Examina-se o manuscrito escrito por Einstein em 1912, mas nao publicado, que faz uma revisao da teoria da relatividade restrita. Nele, identificam-se algumas pistas sobre como Einstein desenvolveu suas ideias antes de 1905. Em particular, a explicacao dada para o experimento de Fizeau indica como Einstein pode manter o principio de constância da velocidade da luz, mesmo parecendo ser incompativel com o principio de relatividade.
Effects of gamma-induced displacements on HFIR pressure vessel materials

Abstract Accelerated radiation-induced embrittlement of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) surveillance materials has been investigated since its discovery in 1986. Recent comprehensive dosimetry experiments revealed the presence of an intense gamma field at the HFIR surveillance locations near the pressure vessel. Gamma-induced reactions were found to dominate the response of several dosimeters and were crucial for the explanation of dosimetry results. This finding precipitated an assessment of the gamma-induced displacements-per-atom (dpa) rate, which was found to exceed the neutron-induced dpa rate at all locations analyzed. When the sum of neutron and gamma dpa is used for the interpretation of the HFIR surveillance results, the HFIR data are consistent with data from the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) and other test reactors. The accelerated embrittlement is therefore explained in terms of hitherto uncounted dpa induced by gamma rays.
Flavin-based [2]rotaxanes.

We report the synthesis of flavin-stoppered hydrogen bonded [2]rotaxanes 1 and 2. We also report the electrochemically controllable properties of these systems in solution, and for derivative 2, as an electropolymerized thin film.
Value Added Taxation: A Tax Whose Time Has Come?

Value-added taxes (VATs) are used in a large number of developed countries and have been under consideration at the national level in the United States in recent years. This paper provides an introduction to the tax for those unfamiliar with it. The author begins by describing how VATs work and briefly surveys their use by other countries. The remainder of the paper considers the economic impact as well as design issues that are likely to arise if the United States were to implement a VAT.
Conditional probability analyses of the spike activity of single neurons.

With the objective of separating stimulus-related effects from refractory effects in neuronal spike data, various conditional probability analyses have been developed. These analyses are introduced and illustrated with examples based on electrophysiological data from auditory nerve fibers. The conditional probability analyses considered here involve the estimation of the conditional probability of a firing in a specified time interval (defined relative to the time of the stimulus presentation), given that the last firing occurred during an earlier specified time interval. This calculation enables study of the stimulus-related effects in the spike data with the time-since-the-last-firing as a controlled variable. These calculations indicate that auditory nerve fibers “recover” from the refractory effects that follow a firing in the following sense: after a “recovery time” of approximately 20 msec, the firing probabilities no longer depend on the time-since-the-last-firing. Probabilities conditional on this minimum time since the last firing are called “recovered probabilities.” The recovered probabilities presented in this paper are contrasted with the corresponding poststimulus time histograms, and the differences are related to the refractory properties of the nerve fibers.
Treadmill Politics, Information Politics, and Public Policy Toward a Political Economy of Information

Here, the author reviews arguments about the uses of collaborative and performance-based information in environmental politics. The use of information is considered as a way to transform treadmill politics. In particular, recent experiments in participatory forest standard setting and certification operate to generate information about forest practice and policy for interested parties. The case that environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or other civil society groups armed with collaborative and performance-based information can push more effectively for social change is considered, as is the role of the state in (potentially) fostering information provision as public policy. Results presented here follow the completion of 40 interviews with certification actors in the United States, archival research on key documents, analysis of transcripts of industry and NGO conferences on certification, and field tours with managers of certified lands.