cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observability-Blocking Control using Sparser and Regional Feedback for Network Synchronization Processes.

The design of feedback control systems to block observability in a network synchronization model, i.e. to make the dynamics unobservable from measurements at a subset of the network's nodes, is studied. First, a general design algorithm is presented for blocking observability at any specified group of $m$ nodes, by applying state feedback controls at $m+2$ specified actuation nodes. The algorithm is based on a method for eigenstructure assignment, which allows surgical modification of particular eigenvectors to block observability while preserving the remaining open-loop eigenstructure. Next, the topological structure of the network is exploited to reduce the number of controllers required for blocking observability; the result is based on blocking observability on the nodes associated with a vertex-cutset separating the actuation and measurement locations. Also, the design is modified to encompass regional feedback controls, which only use data from a subset of accessible nodes. The regional feedback design does not maintain the open-loop eigenstructure, but can be guaranteed to preserve stability via a time-scale argument. The results are illustrated with numerical examples.
The Transparent Becoming of World: A Crossing Between Process Philosophy and Quantum Neurophilosophy

The Transparent Becoming of World undertakes a penetrating inquiry into the quotidian world we take for granted and the brain that silently hoists our bubbles of world-thrownness. After critiquing the traditional views of direct realism, indirect realism and idealism, the continual becoming of world is explained by a novel integration of process dynamics, as formulated by Whitehead, Heidegger and Bohm, with the burgeoning field of quantum neurophilosophy. A rich ontological duality newly opened by quantum brain theory is exploited: the “between-two” of dual quantum modes. Existence as world-thrownness is between-two in waking and dreaming alike. This highly original interdisciplinary book may be of interest to philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists, consciousness researchers, indeed anyone attracted to the enigma of their own lived existence. (Series A)
OR25 High-throughput sequencing using next-generation sequencing within 72 h

Aim Demonstrate the ability of a high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay to process 96 samples on the Illumina MiSeq and report results within 72 h. Methods DNA extraction was performed with the BioSprint 96 automatic DNA extractor. PCR products and sequencing library were prepared using an Omixon Holotype X2 kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Five loci from 96 samples were sequenced each run using a 300-cycle Illumina MiSeq Reagent v2 kit (150 bp paired end reads). Results We evaluated 40 samples used in the ASHI Proficiency Testing (PT) program in 2012–2014 in either duplicate or triplicate over 2 sequencing runs. Excluding 2 replicate samples due to weak PCR amplification, NGS results were 100% concordant with both our Sanger-based sequencing results and the official ASHI PT results for the 5 loci tested (HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1). For class I genes we provided full coverage from 5’UTR to 3’UTR. For class II genes, coverage was provided from intron 1 to the 3’UTR (DQB1) or intron 4 (DRB1). Specifically looking at the coverage for exons 2 and 3, we had coverage >75× to confidently type the alleles. Furthermore, for samples where results sent to ASHI by different labs were not in full agreement, our NGS results concurred with the interpretation of results provided by ASHI. For illustrative purposes, we present samples HT-148, HT-153, HT-154, HT-168 and HT-175 demonstrating how this NGS methodology provides better calls due to expanded exon coverage and phasing over longer regions. Conclusions Our modified protocol of the Omixon Holotype X2 kit can provide whole gene sequencing data on 5 loci for 96 samples within 72 h of sample delivery. In this study, we evaluated 5 loci and correctly typed 40 ASHI samples in replicate without the need for further trans-ambiguity resolution. Currently, our lab has successfully performed the 7 locus assay including HLA-DPB1 and DQA1 with samples extracted from either blood or buccal swabs with similar high-quality results within 72 h.
TH-A-213-01: Small Field Dosimetry: Overview of AAPM TG-155

Modern radiotherapy techniques such as SRS/SRT, SBRT, IMRT, VMAT as well as specialized machines such as Tomotherapy, CyberKnife and Gamma Knife use small photon fields with at least one dimension <3 cm. Dosimetry in such small fields is challenging because of large detector perturbations due to non-equilibrium conditions, occlusion of the primary photon source and large dose gradients across the field. Many small-size dosimeters have been proposed for use in small fields. However, their characteristics especially the volume averaging and fluence perturbations have only recently been adequately understood. An IAEA-AAPM working group has provided a framework for reference dosimetry in non-compliant beams and the measurement of field output factors small fields (1). The AAPM TG-155 (2) has adopted this framework to provide guidelines on relative dosimetry. This course explains the code of practice for absolute dosimetry that is under review and discusses the availability of correction factors to convert detector readings to doses. TG-155 defines small field conditions, provides recommendations for suitable detectors and recommendations for good working practice for relative dosimetry (PDD, TMR, output factor, etc.) and dose calculations based on the new formulation. It also discusses beam modeling and dose calculations as a critical step in clinical utilization of small field radiotherapy. 1. Alfonso et al, Med Phys 35, 5179–5186 (2008). 2. Das et al, Med Phys (under review, 2014) Learning Objectives: 1. Concepts and recommended procedures in the IAEA-AAPM code of practice for dosimetry of small fields. 2. Physics of dosimetry in non-equilibrium conditions and definition of small fields 3. Recommended procedures for relative dosimetry in TG-1554. 4. Choice of detectors for small field dosimetry, perturbations and corrections for dosimetry 5. Understand the detector properties required for small field measurements 6. Understand the advantages and limitations of commercially available detectors for small field dosimetry Research supported with operating grants from CIHR, NSERC, and BIOWin, a program funded at the Universite Catholique Louvain by the Walloon Government (Belgium). Student stipends supported by Medical Physics Research Training Network funded by the Collaborative Research and Training Experience program of the NSERC. Seuntjens: support by Sun Nuclear Corporation
That Botts Business: Earthworm Tractors and Much More

Les recits populaires de William Hazlett Upson - les histoires d'Alexander Botts, le vendeur de tracteurs -, publies entre 1920 et 1975 dans le Saturday Evening Post sont un indicateur exceptionnel sur la maniere dont la culture populaire americaine a reagi aux evenements de cette periode. Les histoires d'Alexander Botts different fondamentalement des descriptions critiques de l'Amerique par des ecrivains comme Dos Passos, Steinbeck ou Miller. Meme quand elles evoquent les moments de crise de la societe americaine, elles s'inscrivent dans la mythologie americaine du succes (entre l'homme et la machine) et refletent les mythes positifs de l'Amerique : la Grande Depression n'existe pas, ni les morts de la guerre, le racisme ou la pauvrete. Par contre il y est question d'ethique (du travail) puritaine. Botts represente les possibilites pour l'Americain moyen dans une societe capitaliste, competitive. De plus ses histoires sont droles. La forme epistolaire de ses recits donne un bon apercu de la maniere dont les affaires furent (et sont) conduites par les entrepreneurs americains. Botts, c'est l'Americain d'aujourd'hui, et des generations precedentes ; c'est ce qui explique sa formidable popularite.
Building (1-ε) dominating sets partition as backbones in wireless sensor networks using distributed graph coloring

We recently proposed in [19,20] to use sequential graph coloring as a systematic algorithmic method to build (1−e) dominating sets partition in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) modeled as Random Geometric Graphs (RGG). The resulting partition of the network into dominating and almost dominating sets can be used as a series of rotating backbones in a WSN to prolong the network lifetime for the benefit of various applications. Graph coloring algorithms in RGGs offer proven constant approximation guarantees on the chromatic number. In this paper, we demonstrate that by combining a local vertex ordering with the greedy color selection strategy, we can in practice, minimize the number of colors used to color an RGG within a very narrow window of the chromatic number and concurrently also obtain a domatic partition size within a competitive factor of the domatic number. We also show that the minimal number of colors results in the first (δ+1) color classes being provably dense enough to form independent sets that are (1−e) dominating. The resulting first (δ+1) independent sets, where δ is the minimum degree of the graph, are shown to cover typically over 99% of the nodes (e.g. e
The Effectiveness of Probiotics for Managing Diarrhoea in People with HIV Infection: A Critically Appraised Topic

Objectives The implications of HIV infection are vast. Management of clinical symptomatology, though, cannot be overshadowed by focus on disease management. These must be managed in concert. Diarrhoea, a common complaint of HIV-infected people, can be difficult to manage, and complicated further by polypharmacy. This review will critically appraise literature related to the management of diarrhoea with probiotics in HIV-infected people. Methods PubMed, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials investigating the use of probiotics in HIV-infected people, which included diarrhoeal symptoms as a primary or secondary endpoint. Results Three randomized controlled trials and one randomized control cross-over study were identified as best evidence. One study identified a statistically significant improvement in diarrhoea for those treated with probiotics. An additional study identified improvement in diarrhoea; however, a similar improvement was seen in those treated with placebo. Two studies did not identify a statistical difference for those treated with probiotics. Conclusions There is insufficient evidence to allow a strong recommendation to be made for or against the use of probiotics for diarrhoea, but safety and lack of drug−drug interactions make it a reasonable option for some patients.
Potentially Arable Soils Of The World And Critical Measures For Their Use

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the principle of interactions in soil use, the ways to extract a higher production from existing arable soils, and new potentially arable soils. The most important single principle for guiding improved farming and agricultural development is the principle of interactions; each practice or each program within a system affects all other components of the system, so that a proper combination gives a far greater result than the sum of the several components considered singly. In addition to the great potentials for higher yields on the arable soils now in use and for reduction in the wastes of farm products in harvesting, storage, and marketing, the total hectares of available arable soils in the world could be a bit more than doubled. Today's science and technology have an even more dramatic effect on farming. They make possible highly effective new systems of soil use on many kinds of soil that are unresponsive to the only possible systems available a few decades ago. For a great many natural, cultural, economic, historical, political, and technological reasons, the population of the world is not distributed in the same way as the soils suitable for cultivation.
Indian ‘Compensatory Discrimination’ and American ‘Affirmative Action’: Some Parallels—A Review of Galanter's Competing Equalities*

What importance does Galanter's Competing Equalities have for non-Indianists or, more specifically, for American students of law and social change with respect to racial and ethnic discrimination? To engage in understatement, much.
γ-Aminobutyric Acid Neurons Integrate and Rapidly Transmit Permissive and Inhibitory Metabolic Cues to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons

Negative energy balance inhibits fertility by decreasing GnRH release; however, the mechanisms are not well understood. GnRH neurons can be excited by activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptors, and GABAergic neurons provide a major synaptic input. We hypothesized that permissive metabolic signals mediated by leptin and inhibitory signals conveyed by neuropeptide Y (NPY) and opiates rapidly alter GABA(A) receptor-mediated drive to GnRH neurons. In fed and fasted female mice, GABAergic postsynaptic currents (PSCs) were recorded from GnRH neurons before and after in vitro treatment with leptin, NPY, or met-enkephalin. Leptin increased PSC frequency in fed and fasted mice, indicating that it increased presynaptic activity. Leptin also increased PSC size. Inhibiting leptin receptor signaling pathways within GnRH neurons abolished the latter effect, indicating a direct action on these cells. In fed, but not fasted, mice, NPY and met-enkephalin decreased PSC frequency in an antagonist-reversible manner, but did not alter PSC size. NPY-1 receptor antagonists alone increased frequency in fed and fasted mice, as did opiate receptor blockade in fasted animals, suggesting that endogenous NPY and opiates modulate GABAergic drive to GnRH neurons. These data suggest that GABAergic afferents integrate metabolic signals for delivery to GnRH neurons. Decreased sensitivity to NPY and opiates in fasted mice indicate that these peptides send physiologically relevant signals regarding energy balance to GnRH neurons.
In vitro cultivation of Eimeria acervulina (Coccidia).

Abstract Eimeria acervulina oocysts were sterilized with 50 ppm chlorine and viable sporozoites were released mechanically with the aid of trypsin and bile. These sporozoites, when suspended in the appropriate cell culture nutrient, were used as inoculum for chick embryo kidney, chick embryo fibroblast, mouse fibroblast, human amnion, and HeLa cell cultures. Infection of the host cell by sporozoites occurred in cultures of each cell type. Apparent cell infection occurred as early as one hour post inoculation, and forms recognized as trophozoites were observed at 18 to 24 hours. Further development failed to occur.
An Evaluation of Analysis Methodologies for Predicting Cleavage Arrest of a Deep Crack in an RPV Subjected to PTS Loading Conditions

Several calculational procedures are compared for predicting cleavage arrest of a deep crack in the wall of a prototypical reactor pressure vessel (RPV) subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) types of loading conditions. Three procedures examined in this study utilized the following models: (1) a static finite-element model (full bending); (2) a radially constrained static model; and (3) a thermoelastic dynamic finite-element model. A PTS transient loading condition was selected that produced a deep arrest of an axially oriented initially shallow crack according to calculational results obtained from the static (full-bending) model. Results from the static models were compared with those generated from detailed thermoelastic dynamic finite-element analysis. The dynamic analyses modeled cleavage-crack propagation using a node-release technique and an application-mode methodology based on dynamic fracture toughness curves generated from measured data. Comparisons presented here indicate that the degree to which the dynamic solutions can be approximated by the static models is highly dependent on several factors, including the material dynamic fracture curves and the propensity for cleavage reinitiation of the arrested crack under PTS loading conditions. Additional work is required to develop and validate a satisfactory dynamic fracture toughness model applicable to postcleavage arrest conditions in an RPV.
Open regional science

This presidential address will contrast two worlds of science. The first, and the one we regional scientists currently find ourselves embedded within, is what I will call captured science. While this is our status quo, it is not generally what holds everywhere in the broader scientific community where a second and new type of science is operative. This is what I will call open science. My purpose in this talk is to situate regional science within the paradigm of open science by arguing that our future should be linked to open data, open modeling, open software, open collaboration, and open publication.
A nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide assay utilizing liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Abstract An assay for the determination of NAD has been developed utilizing the coupled oxidoreductase activity of liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The coupled reaction between ethanol and lactaldehyde is driven by the removal of one of the products, acetaldehyde, into a semicarbazide solution. Under the stated conditions, a linear relationship exists between the absorbance of acetaldehyde semicarbazone and NAD concentration in the reaction mixture. The principal advantages of this method are speed and simplicity. NAD + and NADH are assayed by the same procedure, which is also used to measure NADP + and NADPH after these nucleotides have been converted to NAD + and NADH, respectively.
Millisecond Timescale Disinhibition Mediates Fast Information Transmission through an Avian Basal Ganglia Loop

Avian song learning shares striking similarities with human speech acquisition and requires a basal ganglia (BG)-thalamo-cortical circuit. Information processing and transmission speed in the BG is thought to be limited by synaptic architecture of two serial inhibitory connections. Propagation speed may be critical in the avian BG circuit given the temporally precise control of musculature during vocalization. We used electrical stimulation of the cortical inputs to the BG to study, with fine time resolution, the functional connectivity within this network. We found that neurons in thalamic and cortical nuclei that are not directly connected with the stimulated area can respond to the stimulation with extremely short latencies. Through pharmacological manipulations, we trace this property back to the BG and show that the cortical stimulation triggers fast disinhibition of the thalamic neurons. Surprisingly, feedforward inhibition mediated by striatal inhibitory neurons onto BG output neurons sometimes precedes the monosynaptic excitatory drive from cortical afferents. The fast feedforward inhibition lengthens a single interspike interval in BG output neurons by just a few milliseconds. This short delay is sufficient to drive a strong, brief increase in firing probability in the target thalamic neurons, evoking short-latency responses. By blocking glutamate receptors in vivo, we show that thalamic responses do not appear to rely on excitatory drive, and we show in a theoretical model that they could be mediated by postinhibitory rebound properties. Such fast signaling through disinhibition and rebound may be a crucial specialization for learning of rapid and temporally precise motor acts such as vocal communication.
Career development of science teachers

In June, 1958, the U.S. Office of Education made a grant to the Harvard Graduate School of Education to undertake a five-year study of career development, with special attention to scientific careers. Its general purpose has been to examine the process of becoming a scientist, from elementary school through four years after college graduation, in order to determine the major factors affecting that process. The study reported here by Dr. Lee is the first of several related investigations to be undertaken by doctoral students at Harvard. The five-year study is under the direction of William W. Cooley.
Excess passenger weight impacts on US transportation systems fuel use (1970–2010)

Over the past 40 years, the percentage of the US population that is overweight and obese has increased significantly, with nearly 70% of American adults now overweight or obese (National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 2013). The excess weight that Americans are carrying is taking a toll on the social and physical infrastructure of the country, and may also be counteracting the efforts of industries and policymakers to move towards a more energy efficient and sustainable future. This article analyzes the transportation industry to determine the amount of additional fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel costs that are attributed to excess passenger weight in light-duty vehicles, transit vehicles, and passenger aircraft in the US from 1970 to 2010. Using driving and passenger information in the US and historical anthropometric data, it is estimated that since 1970 over 205 billion additional liters of fuel were consumed to support the extra weight of the American population. This is equivalent to 1.1% of total fuel use for transportation systems in the United States. Also, excess passenger weight results in an extra 503 million metric tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide emissions and $103 billion of additional fuel cost over the last four decades. If overweight and obesity rates continue to increase at its current pace, cumulative excess fuel use could increase by 460 billion liters over the next 50 years, resulting in an extra 1.1 billion metric tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide and $200 billion of additional fuel costs by the year 2060.
Atmospheres and Plasma Interactions at Saturn’s Largest Inner Icy Satellites

We explore the possible existence of atmospheres on Saturn's icy satellites, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. Only the most massive satellite, Rhea, has the potential to hold a thin oxygen atmosphere/exosphere. The masses of the other satellites are too small to retain gravitationally atmospheres in the presence of large thermal escape rates. If the temperature of Rhea's atmosphere is close to its surface temperature, then a molecular oxygen column density of 6 × 1017 m-2 is possible and causes a discernable plasma interaction with Saturn's magnetosphere that can be probed by close flybys of the Cassini spacecraft.
Atypical E2F Transcriptional Repressor DEL1 Acts at the Intersection of Plant Growth and Immunity by Controlling the Hormone Salicylic Acid

In plants, the activation of immunity is often inversely correlated with growth. Mechanisms that control plant growth in the context of pathogen challenge and immunity are unclear. Investigating Arabidopsis infection with the powdery mildew fungus, we find that the Arabidopsis atypical E2F DEL1, a transcriptional repressor known to promote cell proliferation, represses accumulation of the hormone salicylic acid (SA), an established regulator of plant immunity. DEL1-deficient plants are more resistant to pathogens and slightly smaller than wild-type. The resistance and size phenotypes of DEL1-deficient plants are due to the induction of SA and activation of immunity in the absence of pathogen challenge. Moreover, Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 5 (EDS5), a SA transporter required for elevated SA and immunity, is a direct repressed target of DEL1. Together, these findings indicate that DEL1 control of SA levels contributes to regulating the balance between growth and immunity in developing leaves.
Structure-based design of a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs: Secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors, SPI

Human non-pancreatic secretory phospholipase A(2) (hnps-PLA(2)) is a group IIA enzyme that is massively over-expressed in a variety of severe inflammatory diseases. The enzyme degrades membrane phospholipids and it has been hypothesized that this activity can lead to a loss of tissue and organ integrity and function. This report overviews efforts directed toward the identification and clinical evaluation of a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs that specifically targets and inhibits the catalytic site of this hydrolytic enzyme. To achieve this goal, structure-based drug design was applied to a lead molecule identified by random high volume screening. Through an iterative process consisting of X-ray structure determination followed by inhibitor modification and testing, the lead compound was improved more than 6000-fold. Detailed information learned from earlier X-ray studies of stable substrate mimics aided this inhibitor improvement process. The optimized drug candidate, LY315920/S-5920, is currently undergoing phase II clinical evaluation. The outcome of studies such as these will define with greater clarity the pathological role of hnps-PLA(2) in human inflammatory diseases.
Association of P-mobile element activity and DNA methylation pattern changes in conditions of Drosophila Melanogaster prolonged irradiation

Changes of DNA methylation patterns of two Drosophila melanogaster strains (Canton-S and ri) irradiated with gamma-radiation in laboratory conditions with a low dose rate (1.2 × 10−8, 0.3 × 10−8, and 0.12 × 10−8 Gy/s) have been studied. Two restrictases GluI and GlaI have been used taking in to account methylation peculiarities of Drosophila melanogaster. The difference between the patterns of DNA methylation in males and females in every studied strain in the control has been identified. The decrease of the methylation level in recognition sites for restrictase GluI in males and females of the ri-strain with higher activity of the P-mobile element as the result of chronic irradiation has been found. The decrease of the methylation level in recognition sites for restrictase GlaI in females of both strains has been noted. The question on the association of DNA methylation processes and activation of mobile elements has been discussed.
Genetic Variances for Forage Yield in Crested Wheatgrass at Six Levels of Irrigation

(...) A line-source sprinkler system was used under a field rainout shelter to evaluate the dry matter yield of 29 clonal lines of crested wheatgrass at six levels of water application. Forage yield declined linearly from optimum water levels to levels representative of severe drought. Broad-sense heritability values along with the range and genetic variance among clonal lines also declined markedly as water application decreased. (...)
Inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODase) is the rate-limiting step in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, required for the proliferation of many cell types and for the growth of microorganisms. Inhibitors of this enzyme have potential as immunosuppressive agents for the prevention of organ transplant rejection, and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Other possible applications are as anti-infective agents such as antimalarials and antibacterials. Two major chemical classes of mammalian DHODase inhibitors have been described in the literature, based on the drugs brequinar (BQR) and leflunomide (LFM). A few inhibitors of microbial enzymes have also been disclosed. Since DHODase inhibition has not yet been reviewed, this paper covers the patents and associated publications which have appeared during the past 13 years.
Polymer pendant ligand chemistry, 4. Recovery of precious metal ions from strongly acidic solution with a polymer-supported o-phenylenediamine hydrochloride ligand

Abstract We report on the synthesis and reactivity of a polymer-supported o-phenylenediamine hydrochloride ligand, PS-PDHC, using macroporous 6% crosslinked polystyrene-divinylbenzene beads. The PS-PDHC ligand was found to be highly selective to AuCl4− ions in strongly acidic solutions in the presence of other precious metal ions, PdCl42−, PtCl42−, RhCl63−, and RuCl52− (selectivity values: 2.5, Au/Pd; 7.5, Au Pt ; 7, Au Rh ; 2.2, Au Ru ) as well as other transition metal ions, Fe 3+, Cr3+, CU2+, Nit+, and Mn2+. The sorption capacity, selectivity, kinetics of removal and recovery, and solution isotherms have been determined for AuCl4− ions in competition with the above-mentioned metal ions. The relative ease of formation of the anionic complex in 0.5 M HCI, AuCl4− was thought to be the primary reason for its selective ability to bind to the PS-PDHC ligand by an anion-exchange mechanism. Therefore, the effect of the HCI concentration on the kinetics of AuCl4− ion removal from solution was also investigated to clearly show that raising the pH from 0 to 5 caused a dramatic decrease in rate. The AuCl4− ion can be recovered quantitatively from the PS-PDHC beads using a 5% thiourea solution in 0.1 M HCl, allowing the polymer-supported ligand to be reused.
Deterritorialization and the Crisis of Recognition in Turn of the Millennium Québec Film 1

This essay examines the role of deterritorialization in protagonists’ identity crises in three turn of the millennium films from Quebec: Louis Belanger's Post Mortem (1999), Denis Villeneuve's Maelstrom (2000), and Andre Turpin's Un crabe dans la tete (2001). It considers these works’ and their filmmakers’ status as representative of a new generation of filmmakers in Quebec. Rather than propose an explicitly territorialized type of film that some critics appeared to expect on their release, these films stage the story of an individual protagonist's alienation and crisis in meaning. In each film, this crisis involves a clear encounter with death, accompanied by some form of deterritorialization, and often explores the redemptive power of love. In spite of the ambivalent response of institutional critics, these films were highly successful at the Jutra and Genie awards ceremonies, demonstrating that their stories, their images and performances struck a chord with the contemporary film industry's stakeholder...
Agents of Exception: Border Security and the Marginalization of Muslims in India

The narratives of fear and uncertainty from the discourse of the ‘global war on terror’ have been used by many governments to expand securitization processes. As more aggressive security tactics have been deployed, scholars have sought to understand the changing relationship between individual rights and the authority of sovereign states by drawing on Giorgio Agamben's insights into the state of exception. In this paper I argue that borderlands are a key site for investigating the connections between the state of exception and securitization processes because political borders are the symbolic markers of the limits of a sovereign's authority. I trace the securitization of the borderlands between India and Bangladesh and I describe the increasingly exceptional measures employed by Indian border security forces in order to prevent terrorist threats from entering India. At the intersection of the state of exception in the borderlands and the securitization narratives and practices of the global war on terror...
Nonhematological Benefits of Iron

Iron deficiency anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its importance in supporting erythropoiesis is unquestioned especially in those patients treated with erythropoietin. Clinical symptomatology such as fatigability, cold intolerance, failure to concentrate and poor effort intolerance is often attributed to anemia or uremia. That iron deficiency, per se, can cause these symptoms is poorly recognized. Clinical and animal studies that support the benefits of iron supplementation, independent of increasing hemoglobin, such as those on immune function, physical performance, thermoregulation, cognition, and restless leg syndrome and aluminum absorption is the subject of this narrative review.
Synthesis of 17-α-Substituted Estradiol-Pyridin-2-yl Hydrazine Conjugates as Effective Ligands for Labeling with Alberto's Complex fac-[Re(OH2)3(CO)3]+ in Water

The development of (99m)Tc-estradiol radiopharmaceuticals would be advantageous for the detection of estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Estradiol derivatives conjugated to organometallic tricarbonyl-Tc(I) and related Re(I) complexes are capable of achieving high receptor binding affinity, but effective methods for synthesizing radiolabeled complexes in water are not available. Our interest in the synthesis of 2-hydrazinopyridines as ligands for Tc and Re led us to investigate Pd-catalyzed amination reactions of halo-pyridine substrates with di-tert-butyl hydrazodiformate. Both 2- and 4-substituted halo-pyridine substrates undergo C-N coupling with di-tert-butyl hydrazodiformate to produce Boc-protected pyridine hydrazine derivatives. Only highly electrophilic 3-pyridine halides were converted to the hydrazine. The Boc-protected 5-bromopyridin-2-yl hydrazine substrate 3 was prepared by regioselective substitution at the 2-position of 2,5-dibromopyridine. This bifunctional chelate was attached to ethynyl or vinyl groups at the 17alpha position of estradiol, using Sonogashira and Suzuki/Miyaura coupling reactions to synthesize 1 and 2 in high yields, respectively. Deprotection of 1 under acidic conditions provided the hydrazine hydrochloride salt 25. The 17alpha-estradiol-tricarbonylrhenium(I) complex 4 was synthesized by labeling 25 with fac-[Re(OH(2))(3)(CO)(3)](+) in aqueous ethanol. This complex exhibited excellent stability and high receptor binding affinity for the estrogen receptor, and it is a promising model for evaluation of the analogous Tc-99m complexes as diagnostic imaging agents for breast tumors.
Reconstruction of the phase of matter-wave fields using a momentum-resolved cross-correlation technique

We investigate the potential of the so-called cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating (XFROG) technique originally developed for ultrashort laser pulses for the recovery of the amplitude and phase of the condensate wave function of a Bose-Einstein condensate. Key features of the XFROG method are its high resolution, versatility, and stability against noise and some sources of systematic errors. After showing how an analog of XFROG can be realized for Bose-Einstein condensates, we illustrate its effectiveness in determining the amplitude and phase of the wave function of a vortex state. The impact of a reduction of the number of measurements and of typical sources of noise on the field reconstruction are also analyzed.
Correlation of high-Tc superconductivity with density of states peaks

Abstract The variation of T c with hole concentration in the copper oxide superconductors can readily be understood in terms of a density of states peak split by interlayer interaction.
Surface chemistry and dissolution kinetics of glassy rocks at 25°C

Abstract The weathering rates and mechanisms of three types of glassy rocks were investigated experimentally at 25 °C, pH 1.0 to 6.2, and reaction times as much as to 3 months. Changes in major element chemistry were monitored concurrently as a function of time in the aqueous solution and within the near surface region of the glass. Leach profiles, obtained by a HF leaching technique, displayed near-surface zones depleted in major cations. These zones increased in depth with increasing time and decreasing pH of reactions. Release rates into the aqueous solution were parabolic for Na and K and linear for Si and Al. A coupled weathering model, involving surface dissolution with concurrent diffusion of Na, K, and Al, produced a mass balance between the aqueous and glass phases. Steady state conditions are reached at pH 1.0 after approximately 3 weeks of reaction. Steady-state is not reached even after 3 months at pH 6.2. An interdiffusion model describes observed changes in Na diffusion profiles for perlite at pH 1.0. The calculated Na self-diffusion coefficient of 5 × 10 −19 cm 2 · s −1 at 25°C approximates coefficients extrapolated from previously reported high temperature data for obsidian. The self-diffusion coefficient for H 3 O + , 1.2 × 10 −20 cm 2 · s −1 , is similar to measured rates of water diffusion during hydration of obsidian to form perlite.
Magnetic Susceptibility of Vanadium Dioxide

WE have found that the reduction of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) as described below gives a form of vanadium oxide (VO2) which has not the magnetic discontinuity (at 341° K.) reported in the literature1,2.
Maintenance and neuronal cell differentiation of neural stem cells C17.2 correlated to medium availability sets design criteria in microfluidic systems

Background Neural stem cells (NSCs) play an important role in developing potential cell-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease. Microfluidics has proven a powerful tool in mechanistic studies of NSC differentiation. However, NSCs are prone to differentiate when the nutrients are limited, which occurs unfavorable by fast medium consumption in miniaturized culture environment. For mechanistic studies of NSCs in microfluidics, it is vital that neuronal cell differentiation is triggered by controlled factors only. Thus, we studied the correlation between available cell medium and spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation of C17.2 NSCs in standard culture medium, and proposed the necessary microfluidic design criteria to prevent undesirable cell phenotype changes. Methodology/Principal Findings A series of microchannels with specific geometric parameters were designed to provide different amount of medium to the cells over time. A medium factor (MF, defined as the volume of stem cell culture medium divided by total number of cells at seeding and number of hours between medium replacement) successfully correlated the amount of medium available to each cell averaged over time to neuronal cell differentiation. MF smaller than 8.3×104 µm3/cell⋅hour produced significant neuronal cell differentiation marked by cell morphological change and significantly more cells with positive β-tubulin-III and MAP2 staining than the control. When MF was equal or greater than 8.3×104 µm3/cell⋅hour, minimal spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation happened relative to the control. MF had minimal relation with the average neurite length. Significance MFs can be controlled easily to maintain the stem cell status of C17.2 NSCs or to induce spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation in standard stem cell culture medium. This finding is useful in designing microfluidic culture platforms for controllable NSC maintenance and differentiation. This study also offers insight about consumption rate of serum molecules involved in maintaining the stemness of NSCs.
Weapons in Schools and Zero-Tolerance Policies.

Horrific events such as the fatal shooting of three high school students in Chardon, Ohio, in the winter of 2012 places tremendous pressure on state and local agencies to ensure that schools provide a safe and conducive learning environment for all students. To help curb school violence, schools have adopted zero-tolerance policies, which often call for an "automatic" punishment and treat offenses with uniform severity regardless of intent, circumstances, or student's record. This article addresses the issues associated with zero-tolerance policies by examining relevant legislative mandates and case law and provides recommendations for improved practice. Language: en
Group Size and Density Effects on Physical Indices and Cell-Mediated Immunity in Two Genetic Lines of White Leghorn Layers

Social stress resulting from varied group sizes with density in caging systems is a common problem that affects bird welfare in the poultry industry in the United States. To examine whether there is a genetic basis for variations in response to group size and density, 2 genetic strains of White Leghorn hens were used in this study: HGPS, a line selected for high group productivity and survivability in multiple-bird cages and DXL (Dekalb XL), a commercial line individually selected for production. Birds from each line were housed in either 4-bird cages (542 cm 2 /bird) or 10-bird cages (434 cm 2 /bird) from 17 to 60 wk of age. Blood samples, BW, and adrenal weight were collected from the birds at 30, 45, and 60 wk of age (n = 12, respectively) after euthanasia. Subsets of T cells (CD4 + and CD8 + ) were measured by flow cytometry. Hematological parameters were collected from blood smears. Results showed that there were no significant differences for BW, the relative adrenal glands, and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio between and across lines after the treatments (P > 0.05, respectively). Compared with DXL birds, the HGPS birds had a greater ratio of CD4 + :CD8 + at 30 and 45 wk of age. There was an age-associated decrease in CD4 + cells in all groups from 45 to 60 wk of age. However, an age-related decrease in CD8 + cells from 45 to 60 wk was found in the DXL birds only. The unique changes in T-cell subpopulations and the ratio of CD4 + :CD8 + may suggest that HGPS birds had a greater cell-mediated immunity than DXL birds. The genetic basis of variations in immunity may correlate with the line-unique ability of birds to cope in social environments and their survivability.
A generalization of the matrix sign function solution for algebraic Riccati equations

This paper extends the use of the matrix sign function to the solution of generalized algebraic Riccati equations [4] for both continuous- and discrete-time systems. These problems involve Hamiltonian and symplectic pencils, respectively, rather than the standard Hamiltonian and symplectic matrices [4]. While ih is possible to convert a generalized eigenproblem or pencil N - ?L into a standard eigenproblem for L-1N if L is nonsingular, it may be numerically undesirable to do so. The approach outlined in this paper makes explicit computation of L-1N unnecessary and extends use of the matrix sign function to generalized eigenvalue problems.
Relative Age Dating Techniques and a Late Quaternary Chronology, Arikaree Cirque, Colorado

Late Quaternary deposits in Arikaree Cirque are re-examined, using eight relative age dating methods including lichenometry. If snowkill of lichens is unrecognized, an erroneously young age may be assigned to Neoglacial deposits if only lichenometric methods are employed. The data were entered into two clustering programs, which were used to group sample sites according to age. The results of this study differ from those of Benedict (1968) in two ways: (1) no deposits of unequivocal Audubon age are believed to exist in Arikaree Cirque—those deposits previously thought to be Audubon age have an Audubon lichen cover because of snowkill of the original lichen cover sometime after deposition; and (2) deposits originally mapped as Temple Lake are thought to include both pre-altithermal (Pinedale) and post-altithermal (early Neoglacial) deposits.
LkH-alpha 101 - The stellar wind, the surrounding nebula, and an associated radio star cluster

Radio observations of LkH-alpha 101 have been taken to determine the characteristics of the stellar wind from the central star as well as to image the surrounding nebulosity. They also revealed the presence of a high concentration of weak compact radio sources in the neighborhood of LkH-alpha 101, four of which have optical stellar counterparts. Spectra of three of the stars indicate two T Tauri stars and a highly obscured B star.
Intermittency in the atmospheric surface layer: Unresolved or slowly varying?

We present streamwise velocity structure functions = (with p=1:5) obtained in the near neutral atmospheric surface layer at the Utah SLTEST site at the highest terrestrial Reynolds number Re_τ=O(10^6). We show that the occurrence of very large scale coherent oscillations in the streamwise velocity throughout the wall region, interpreted as genuine structural features of the canonical turbulent boundary layer, affects the scaling exponents of the p>3 order structure functions. This results in a slight alteration of the intermittent behavior of the velocity field. It was found that for positive (fast) large scale oscillation of the low-pass filtered velocity signal, deviations from the Kolmogorov K41 prediction (absence of multiscaling) are more marked, as compared to negative (slow) excursion. The results are discussed in terms of convergence of statistics from atmospheric boundary layer measurements.
Video in qualitative research: analysing social interaction in everyday life, by Christian Heath, Jon Hindmarsh and Paul Luff, London, SAGE, 2010, 184 pp., £22.99, ISBN 978 1-41-292943-1

As we read, we realized that this book began with a wonder. Specifically, the authors of this book wondered why more qualitative researchers are not using video and video analysis to explore activi...
Lower Extremity Muscle Activation and Alignment During the Soccer Instep and Side-foot Kicks

Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Objectives To quantify phase duration and lower extremity muscle activation and alignment during the most common types of soccer kick—the instep kick and side-foot kick. A second purpose was to test the hypotheses that different patterns of lower extremity muscle activation occur between the 2 types of kicks and between the kicking limb compared to the support limb. Background Soccer players are at risk for lower extremity injury, especially at the knee. Kicking the soccer ball is an essential, common, and distinctive part of a soccer player's activity that plays a role in soccer player injury. Regaining the ability to kick is also essential for soccer athletes to return to play after injury. Methods Thirteen male soccer players underwent video motion analysis and electromyography (EMG) of 7 muscles in both the kicking and supporting lower extremity (iliacus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, hamstrings, gastrocnemius) and 2 addit...
Ribonuclease inhibitors from the livers of five mammalian species

Inhibitors of neutral ribonuclease have been purified to homogeneity from beef, pig, sheep, mouse, and rat liver by affinity chromatography on Sepharose-RNase A with overall yields ranging from 60-80%. Each of the purified inhibitors presents a single band by SDS-gel electrophoresis; molecular weight estimates by SDS-gel electrophoresis and by gel filtration are ca. 50 000. Each of the inhibitors forms a complex with beef pancreatic RNase A with a molecular weight of ca. 64 000, suggestive of 1:1 binding on a molar basis. The inhibitors from liver are very similar in properties and amino acid composition to the previously isolated inhibitor from human placenta (Blackburn et al. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 5904) and beef brain (Burton et al. (1980) Int. J. Peptide Protein Res. 16, 359). Pig liver offers an alternative to human placenta as a source for an RNase inhibitor of this type (yield, ca. 8 mg/kg of tissue). Immunological similarities were examined using antiserum directed against human placental RNase inhibitor. Cross reactivity of the liver RNase inhibitors with the antiserum raised against placental RNase inhibitor ranged from 15% for mouse RNase inhibitor to as low as 2% for pig and sheep RNase inhibitor.
Slab-coupled optical waveguide lasers and amplifiers

Slab-coupled optical waveguide lasers (SCOWLs) and amplifiers (SCOWAs) are inherently low-confinement structures with large nearly-circular modes that are easily coupled to optical fibers or collimated for free-space applications. Recently SCOWL powers have increased to 3 W by increasing the cavity length to 1 cm and improving the heat removal. SCOWAs are coherently combined using active phase control to achieve a very high-brightness source. Our coherent beam combining system consists of single-pass amplifiers with angled-facet SCOWAs that suppress feedback. Single-pass, 5-mm long, SCOWAs have now been demonstrated with 1.5 W CW output with only 50 mW seed power. Arrays of 47 SCOWAs have demonstrated a raw power of 57 W with 50 mW of seed power per element. A coherent beam combining demonstration is currently being assembled.