cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 119: Central Phospholipase A2, Cyclooxygenase-1, Prostaglandin D Synthase and DP1 Receptor Expression During the Development of Angiotensin II-salt Hypertension

Chronic angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion combined with high salt in the diet has been used to study the development of Hypertension (HT). We have found that cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition during the early stages of Ang II infusion prevented the development of HT and sympathetic hyper-activity in AngII-salt model. It is likely that these changes are mediated through alterations in the levels of COX and related enzymes. Therefore, we hypothesized that enzymes such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2), prostaglandin D synthase (PGDS) and COX-1 may be altered in specific brain regions to promote AngII-salt HT. To test this, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with radio-telemeters and placed on a 2% NaCl diet. They were infused with Ang II (150 ng/kg/min, sc) or the vehicle after obtaining 3 days of basal recording. Mean arterial pressure was significantly elevated in AngII-treated animals compared to controls. Animals were sacrificed 4 days after Ang-II infusion. The brains were removed, frozen and sectioned. Middle cerebral artery (MCA), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (OVLT), subfornical organ (SFO), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and choroid plexus (CP) were dissected and processed for western blotting. Western blot analysis showed a significant up-regulation of PLA2 in the MCA, PGDS in the choroid plexus. However, there was no change in the protein levels of COX in AngII treated rats. Next, we measured the levels of PGDS receptor, DP1 and found up-regulation of the receptor in the PVN. The results indicated that there is alteration in the protein levels of PLA2, PGDS and DP1 during the early stages of HT development in this model. This altered protein expression could be critical in driving the development of AngII-salt HT.
Propagation of Sound from a Fluid Wedge into a Fast Fluid Bottom

The ocean waters lying above the continental shelf often can be modeled with a fair degree of accuracy by a fluid wedge overlying a bottom. In those cases where the bottom consists of unconsolidated sediments, it is also an admissible approximation to treat the bottom as a fluid. See Fig. 1. If the speed of sound in the bottom exceeds that in the water layer (a fast bottom), the wedge can support trapped normal-mode propagation. Let acoustic energy from a distant source propagate up the slope towards the apex of the wedge. As the apex is approached and the local thickness of the wedge decreases, the modes carrying the energy will experience the condition for cutoff at varying distances from the apex. We can estimate the depth at which a given normal mode would be cut off by calculating the depth H for which the equivalent mode would just be cut off in a layer of constant depth. If the wedge angle is 3 the lowest mode of propagation would experience cutoff when the distance from the apex decreases to a dump distance X = H/β, the next mode at the distance 3X, the third at 5X, and so forth. Thus, as the acoustic energy propagates towards the apex, successively lower modes will be cut off and the energy contained in each of them transmitted into the bottom.
Coil embolization of an acutely expanding spontaneous splenic artery dissection.

Abstract Symptomatic dilation of a spontaneous splenic artery dissection is a very rare and potentially catastrophic nonatherosclerotic vascular disease. Splenic artery rupture has not been reported after acute diffuse dilation, but it has been reported with celiac artery dissections. We believe treatment is mandatory if pain persists despite blood pressure control. The presentation and endovascular treatment of a spontaneous celiac trunk dissection with continued expansion of the splenic artery branch are discussed.
Noisy Reaction-Diffusion Models and their Biological Implications

Reaction-diffusion processes arise in a wide variety of biophysical contexts ranging from intracellular signaling to pattern formation of microorganism colonies and to Darwinian evolutionary dynamics. In these processes, the discrete number of participating “individuals” (biological macromolecules, bacterial cells, or perhaps genomic types) can lead to stochastic fluctuations in what otherwise would be spatially-extended, nonlinear yet deterministic equations of motion. This talk will forcus on several examples of phenomena in which this noise plays a primary role; these include cutoff effects in population genetics, noise-induced instabilites in models of bacterial colony growth, and nucleation-induced stochastic oscillations in cell calcium.
Reactivity of Dinuclear and Tetranuclear Clusters of Molybdenum and Tungsten

The reactivity of dinuclear and tetranuclear clusters of molybdenum and tungsten are reviewed with particular attention to oxidative addition and reductive elimination sequences. Principles pertaining to the design of a catalytic system are discussed in light of the above and specific attention is given to the hydrogenation and isomerization of alkenes by W4(H)2(OPri)14. Recent studies of the reductive coupling and selective cross coupling of ketones/aldehydes to olefins are presented in their reactions with W2(OR)6(py)2 compounds. A two step mechanism is proposed based on the initial cleavage of the C-O double bond to give an alkylidene bridged oxo compound followed by further reaction with aldehyde or ketone. A pinacol coupling is ruled out. Recent studies of the activation of carbon monoxide by W2(OR)6 and W4(OR)12 clusters are presented with the latter providing the first example of the stoichiometric cleavage of C≡O to carbide and oxide ligands on a cluster.
Belated Pessimism: Technology and Twentieth-Century German Conservative Intellectuals

Technological pessimism in the tradition of radical, that is, illiberal and antidemocratic German conservatism is less a product of the famous revolt against modernity of the period of 1870 to 1945 than of the unconditional, unambiguous defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Technological pessimism on the German intellectual Right is thus a more recent phenomenon than we often assume to be case when observers subsume it under the broader rubric of cultural pessimism, which indeed has a long historical trajectory in German history. Enthusiasm for technological advance in twentieth-century German history was compatible at times with the counter-Enlightenment tradition. Among former radicalized right-wing intellectuals after 1945, a subdued and much tamed cultural pessimism coexisted with a mild technological pessimism. Not until the 1960s, when cultural as well as technological pessimism reemerged on the political and cultural Left in West Germany, did technological pessimism play a significant role in German politics.
Toward a Phenomenology of the Aesthetic Object

What distinguishes phenomenological philosophizing from other avenues of approach is the central challenge it extends to the knower to hold himself back from, aside from, the “accepted” world of common sense: to hold in abeyance the judgments and decisions and attitudes that are characteristic of thought which begins with the “obvious” facts and existents of reality. If philosophy has a radical and unique core, it is that philosophizing at its finest is unwilling to go along with traditional presuppositions; it seeks the heart of the knowing of things. Philosophy is thus Kantian and Husserlian in so far as it examines the grounds of knowledge and distinguishes between the experienced world and our experience of the world. In the greatest sense philosophy brackets the natural attitude in order to penetrate to that order of knowledge in which distinctions between ground and object are possible. That consciousness, the ego, the cogito should then prove to be central to the entire inquiry is understandable and to be expected, for it is only through bringing our own awareness into the field of analysis that the pre-conditions of knowing can be explored.
Counseling Services for Special Education Students

School counselors have been providing services to an increasing number of special education students, especially since the passage of Public Law 94142 and other laws mandating equitable education o...
From first email to first date: Strategies for initiating relationships in online dating:

The present study explores the relationship initiation process in online dating using participants’ (N = 105) naturally occurring email messages to a prospective romantic partner. Data were collect...
RaceR: A Thread Mapping Algorithm for Race Reduction in Multi-Level Shared Caches

Multi-level hierarchical cache architectures are now being widely used in the design and fabrication of multi and many-core chips. However, when two or more threads race to write their own data into the shared-cache, contentions may happen. This natural conflict seriously aggravates the performance of multi-core systems by showing variant performance in multiple runs of even a same program. In this paper, an efficient thread-mapping algorithm is proposed to minimize the cache race condition between threads of multi-core systems. The proposed algorithm, dynamically monitors races on cache blocks and distributes existing and new threads on cores such that the cache contention is minimized. The proposed algorithm uses instructions per cycle (IPC) parameter to detect conflicting threads on the multi-core system. Upon detection of a high contention rate, two mechanisms of cache access rate reduction, and thread migration are used to resolve the race situation. The first solution is a short term one with negligible performance loss, while the former totally resolves the problem with a relatively higher performance cost. Evaluations of the proposed algorithm are done by the use of AKULA simulator alongside SPEC CPU 2006 benchmark suit. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves system performance by average of 6.12% for the SPEC CPU 2006 benchmark suit.
Immunosuppressive therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: considerations for myoblast transfer studies.

The issue of immunosuppressive therapy in relation to myoblast transfer is extremely important. Several points must be addressed. The first to consider is whether immunosuppression is necessary for this treatment to be successful. The second is the choice of drugs to be used and what impact they will have on the natural history of the disease exclusive of the potential benefits of the transplanted cells.
Lessons Learned From the Creating Active Communities and Healthy Environments Toolkit Pilot: A Qualitative Study:

The US Army Public Health Center developed the Creating Active Communities and Healthy Environments (CACHE) Toolkit to help military installations evaluate the quality of their built environments r...
Optomechanical cooling in continuous waveguide systems through spontaneous inter-modal Brillouin scattering

We demonstrate continuum optomechanical cooling in a multimode optomechanical silicon waveguide. This process yields powerful optomechanical control and offers new strategies for noise mitigation in Brillouin-photonic technologies.
Natural Image Manipulation for Autoregressive Models Using Fisher Scores

Deep autoregressive models are one of the most powerful models that exist today which achieve state-of-the-art bits per dim. However, they lie at a strict disadvantage when it comes to controlled sample generation compared to latent variable models. Latent variable models such as VAEs and normalizing flows allow meaningful semantic manipulations in latent space, which autoregressive models do not have. In this paper, we propose using Fisher scores as a method to extract embeddings from an autoregressive model to use for interpolation and show that our method provides more meaningful sample manipulation compared to alternate embeddings such as network activations.
Spatial resolution comparison of a diffractive plenoptic camera and an intermediate image diffractive plenoptic camera

The diffractive plenoptic camera (DPC) was developed as a system that would capture the spectral and spatial information of a scene in one snapshot. While the DPC couples a diffractive optic with plenoptic camera designs to provide snapshot spectral imaging capabilities, it produces rendered images with low pixel count and low spatial resolution. A modified setup of the DPC, the intermediate image (II)DPC, was built and tested for the first time and compared to both the DPC and a diffractive-optic camera as a system that could improve the cutoff spatial frequency of the rendered images. This paper reports on the spatial resolution achieved for different configurations of the IIDPC and looks at the factors limiting performance. The IIDPC improved on the cutoff spatial resolution over the DPC over a wavelength range of 750 to 790 nm for a design wavelength of 770 nm and improved resolution over a diffractive-optic camera at wavelengths below 750 nm or above 790 nm, with the best results achieved for IIDPC configurations with the largest magnification. Frequency analysis of each system determined that the optic limiting performance was the microlens array. Models showed that decreasing the microlens size improved resolution but reduced the spectral range for the DPC, while decreasing the f / # of the microlenses improved the resolution for the IIDPC. These results will help optimize the designs of future systems.
The Empathy Project: A Skills-Development Game: Innovations in Empathy Development.

Abstract Context Empathy is increasingly described as a learnable skill and is included in professionalism requirements for health care providers, yet there are few effective tools for developing and practicing empathy skills. Innovation An educational innovation intended to isolate and develop skills to respond to patients' emotions. The game-based tool was developed on the job during the authors' Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship year and was played with learners in various disciplines. Outcomes Feedback from learners was overwhelmingly positive, although a key factor in optimization of learning was the presence of a communication expert as facilitator. Learner responses were measured using a novel assessment tool, and findings suggest statistically significant expansion of language and intent to express empathy. Learners demonstrated immediate growth in naming emotions, reflecting understanding and respect of emotional expression, and supporting and exploring emotional content. Comment This innovative game-based learning tool is of low cost and feasible to deploy. It could be easily incorporated into medical education curricula aimed at developing communication skills, especially the skill of responding to emotion with empathy. Future research is needed to assess the effects the innovation has on behavior as well as its impact on patient-centered outcomes.
Identification of a molecular fingerprint for synaptic glia

The inability to specifically identify and manipulate synaptic glial cells remains a major obstacle to understanding fundamental aspects of synapse formation, stability and repair. Using a combinatorial gene expression approach, we discovered molecular markers that allow us to specifically label perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs), glial cells at neuromuscular synapses. Using these markers, we demonstrate that PSCs fully-differentiate postnatally and have a unique molecular signature that includes genes predicted and known to play critical roles at synapses. These findings will serve as a springboard for unprecedented approaches for studying molecular determinants of PSC differentiation and function at neuromuscular synapses and possibly synapse-associated glia throughout the CNS.
Trajectories of Serum Sodium on In-Hospital and 1-Year Survival among Hospitalized Patients.

Background and objectives This study aimed to investigate the association between in-hospital trajectories of serum sodium and risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality in patients in hospital. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This is a single-center cohort study. All adult patients who were hospitalized from years 2011 through 2013 who had available admission serum sodium and at least three serum sodium measurements during hospitalization were included. The trend of serum sodium during hospitalization was analyzed using group-based trajectory modeling; the five main trajectories were grouped as follows: (1) stable normonatremia, (2) uncorrected hyponatremia, (3) borderline high serum sodium, (4) corrected hyponatremia, and (5) fluctuating serum sodium. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality. Stable normonatremia was used as the reference group for outcome comparison. Results A total of 43,539 patients were analyzed. Of these, 47% had stable normonatremia, 15% had uncorrected hyponatremia, 31% had borderline high serum sodium, 3% had corrected hyponatremia, and 5% had fluctuating serum sodium trajectory. In adjusted analysis, there was a higher in-hospital mortality among those with uncorrected hyponatremia (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.67), borderline high serum sodium (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.38 to 2.00), corrected hyponatremia (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.20), and fluctuating serum sodium (OR, 4.61; 95% CI, 3.61 to 5.88), compared with those with the normonatremia trajectory. One-year mortality was higher among those with uncorrected hyponatremia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.38), borderline high serum sodium (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.26), corrected hyponatremia (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.42), and fluctuating serum sodium (HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.89 to 2.33) compared with those with the normonatremia trajectory. Conclusions More than half of patients who had been hospitalized had an abnormal serum sodium trajectory during hospitalization. This study demonstrated that not only the absolute serum sodium levels but also their in-hospital trajectories were significantly associated with in-hospital and 1-year mortality. The highest in-hospital and 1-year mortality risk was associated with the fluctuating serum sodium trajectory. Podcast This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2020_03_25_CJN.12281019.mp3
Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus and the Risk of Acute Rejection in Heart Transplant

Purpose The development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is associated with an increased risk of acute rejection after kidney and liver transplantation, however, the outcomes after orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) have yet to be systematically studied. We sought to investigate whether there is any relationship between the development of PTDM and acute rejection after cardiac transplant. Methods This was a single center retrospective review of 100 consecutive OHT patients between May 2015 and May 2018. A total of 39 patients with a documented history of diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who developed PTDM and those who did not. PTDM was defined by a hemoglobin A1C (HBA1c) ≥ 6.5 and/or a fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥ 126 at 6 months post-transplant. Rates of rejection (ISHLT grading ≥ 1R/1B - 3R/3B) were compared between the 2 groups. Results Of the 61 patients (mean age 54.5 ± 11.9), 12 (19.6%) developed persistent PTDM at 6 months. Nine of the 12 patients who developed PTDM at 6 months had rejection compared to 9 of 49 patients who did not develop PTDM (75 % vs 18.37 %; p= Conclusion PTDM is associated with an increased risk of acute cellular rejection within 6 months post-OHT. Larger studies are warranted to examine whether any causal relationship exists between the development of PTDM and acute rejection in heart transplant recipients.
Endovascular management of complete disruption of aortic anastomosis after pediatric multivisceral transplant.

Abstract Multivisceral transplantation is a life-saving treatment for many chronically ill patients with advanced abdominal pathologies. For such transplants, a complex arterial reconstruction is required, with numerous anastomoses on a composite donor graft and the native aorta. In these patients, anastomotic disruption or pseudoaneurysm formation, often in the setting of infection, are deadly complications. Open surgical repair is hazardous, because many of these patients have dense adhesions. Reported cases of disruption at the aortic anastomosis to date have resulted in patient demise. We report the case of a pediatric multivisceral transplant recipient with ruptured aortic pseudoaneurysm. He underwent an emergent endovascular parallel stent grafting technique, which successfully controlled bleeding and maintained graft perfusion.
Brain Metastasis Recurrence Versus Radiation Necrosis: Evaluation and Treatment

Radiation necrosis (RN) occurs in 5% to 25% of patients with brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery. RN must be distinguished from recurrent tumor to determine appropriate treatment. Stereotactic biopsy remains the gold standard for identifying RN. Initial treatment of RN often involves management of edema using corticosteroids, antiangiogenic therapies, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. For refractory symptoms, surgical resection can be considered. Minimally invasive stereotactic laser ablation has the benefit of providing tissue diagnosis and treating RN or recurrent tumor with similar efficacy. Laser ablation should be considered for lesions in need of intervention where the diagnosis requires tissue confirmation.
Effects of Verbal Priming With Acute Exercise on Convergent Creativity.

The acute effects of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise during anagram problem solving on subsequent creativity performance has yet to be empirically investigated, which was this study’s purpose...
Development and validation of a novel LC-MS/MS assay for C-peptide in human serum

Abstract Introduction C-peptide is used as a marker of endogenous insulin secretion in the assessment of residual β-cell function in diabetes and in the diagnostic workup of hypoglycemia. Previously developed LC-MS/MS methods to quantify serum concentrations of C-peptide have monitored intact peptide, which ionizes poorly. As a result, methods have leveraged immunoaffinity enrichment or two-dimensional chromatography. In this study, we aimed to use proteolysis during sample preparation to enhance the sensitivity of traditional LC-MS/MS. Methods Due to the absence of arginine and lysine residues in C-peptide, we utilized Glu-C as the proteolytic enzyme in the method. After protein precipitation using acetonitrile and solid phase extraction with mixed anion exchange, lower molecular weight polypeptides were reduced, alkylated, and proteolyzed. The two amino-terminal peptide fragments, EAEDLQVGQVE and LGGGPGAGSLQPLALE, were monitored using multiple reaction monitoring in positive ion mode (Acquity ULPC-Xevo TQ-S, Waters). The former peptide was used for quantification and the latter for quality assurance. Results Glu-C was determined to be a reliable proteolytic enzyme with monotonic digestion kinetics. The assay was linear between 0.1 and 15 ng/mL and had a lower limit of quantification of 0.06 ng/mL. Total imprecision was 7.7 %CV and long-term imprecision at 0.16 ng/mL was 10.0%. Spike-recovery experiments demonstrated a mean recovery of 98.2 % (± 9.1 %) and the method compared favorably with a commercially available immunoassay and a reference measurement procedure. Conclusion Protein precipitation with solid phase extraction and proteolysis with Glu-C is a robust sample preparation method for quantification of C-peptide in human serum by LC-MS/MS.
How Does Local TV News Change Viewers’ Attitudes?The Case of Sinclair Broadcasting

How does local television news shape viewers’ national political attitudes? The answer is unclear, because local news typically focuses on local, not national, stories, and is politically neutral. ...
A modular computational framework for medical digital twins

This paper presents a modular software design for the construction of computational modeling technology that will help implement precision medicine. In analogy to a common industrial strategy used for preventive maintenance of engineered products, medical digital twins are computational models of disease processes calibrated to individual patients using multiple heterogeneous data streams. They have the potential to help improve diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. Their large-scale development relies on both mechanistic and data-driven techniques and requires the integration and ongoing update of multiple component models developed across many different laboratories. Distributed model building and integration requires an open-source modular software platform for the integration and simulation of models that is scalable and supports a decentralized, community-based model building process. This paper presents such a platform, including a case study in an animal model of a respiratory fungal infection.
Introduction to Special Issue on Accessibility

The articles in this special issue advance technical and professional communication engagement with accessibility.
Executive Functioning Predicts Adaptive Functioning and Self-Care Independence in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the impact of executive functioning (EF) on adaptive functioning and self-care independence in pre-transition youth with sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS Thirty-four youth with SCD (ages 12-18 years) completed a brief neuropsychological battery and their caregivers completed questionnaires assessing adaptive functioning, EF behaviors, and independence in completing self-care tasks, including disease management. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were utilized to investigate if EF predicted significantly more variability in adaptive functioning and self-care independence than what is accounted for by socioeconomic status (SES), disease knowledge, and estimated intellectual functioning. RESULTS Mean performance on standardized measures assessing working memory, processing speed, and EF skills fell in the low average range. Performance-based EF and caregiver-reported EF behaviors predicted variance in adaptive functioning and self-care independence above and beyond that accounted for by SES, disease knowledge, and intelligence, with moderate to large effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS EF skills may support the ability of youth with SCD to adequately achieve independence in self-care, including medical self-care, and other adaptive skills, which may increase the likelihood of successful transition to young adulthood. These findings provide support for the role of neuropsychological screening and individualized intervention in interdisciplinary transition programs.
Getting in synch: Unpacking the role of parent-child synchrony in the development of internalizing and externalizing behaviors

While substantial research supports the role of parent-child interactions on the emergence of psychiatric symptoms, few studies have explored biological mechanisms for this association. The current study explored behavioral and neural parent-child synchronization during frustration and play as predictors of internalizing and externalizing behaviors across a span of 1.5 years. Parent-child dyads first came to the laboratory when the child was 4-5 years old and completed the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule: Biological Synchrony (DB-DOS: BioSync) task while functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data were recorded. Parents reported on their child's internalizing and externalizing behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) four times over 1.5 years. Latent growth curve (LGC) modeling was conducted to assess neural and behavioral synchrony as predictors of internalizing and externalizing trajectories. Consistent with previous investigations in this age range, on average, internalizing and externalizing behaviors decreased over the four time points. Parent-child neural synchrony during a period of play predicted rate of change in internalizing but not externalizing behaviors such that higher parent-child neural synchrony was associated with a more rapid decrease in internalizing behaviors. Our results suggest that a parent-child dyad's ability to coordinate neural activation during positive interactions might serve as a protective mechanism in the context of internalizing behaviors.
Lehrsätze und Aufgaben

Das vorliegende Kapitel besteht aus zwei Teilen. Der erste Teil enthalt eine Zusammenstellung von Bemerkungen, Lehrsatzen und Erganzungen, welche aus Platzgrunden nicht in den fortlaufenden Text des Buches aufgenommen werden konnten. Der Leser wird ausgiebige Hinweise zur Literatur finden. Beweise sind aber oft nur angedeutet oder ganz unterdruckt worden. Die Bemerkungen sind in ihrer Reihenfolge der Stoffanordnung des Haupttextes lose angepast und dem bisherigen Gebrauche folgend wiederum durchparagraphiert. Der zweite Teil des Kapitels bringt als Anreiz fur den Leser eine Auswahl heute ungeloster Probleme und als lohnend erscheinender Aufgabenstellungen. Obwohl zwischen den einzelnen Aufgaben oft Zusammenhange bestehen, wie z. B. zwischen § 887 und § 898 oder § 946 und § 948, so ist dieses nicht immer ausdrucklich festgestellt. Abgesehen davon, das die Aufgaben ahnlich wie die Erganzungen angeordnet erscheinen, sind auch Ruckverweisungen auf den Haupttext sparlich gehalten. Fragestellungen aus Gebieten, in welchen sich die Forschung zur Zeit der Manuskriptniederschrift in regem Flus befand, sind i. a. beiseite gelassen worden. So findet man hier beispielsweise lediglich vier Aufgaben (§§ 889, 890, 924, 929) uber das Nichtauftreten von Verzweigungspunkten, drei Aufgaben (§§ 911, 912, 913) uber Aggregate von Minimalflachen und drei Aufgaben (§§ 915, 916, 917) uber Hindernisprobleme, obwohl es sich gerade bei diesen Gebieten auch jetzt noch um nahezu unaufgeschlossenes Neuland handelt.
Sputtering of Lunar Regolith by Solar Wind Protons and Heavy Ions, and General Aspects of Potential Sputtering

New simulation results for the sputtering of lunar soil surface by solar-wind protons and heavy ions will be presented. Previous simulation results showed that the sputtering process has significant effects and plays an important role in changing the surface chemical composition, setting the erosion rate and the sputtering process timescale. In this new work and in light of recent data, we briefly present some theoretical models which have been developed to describe the sputtering process and compare their results with recent calculation to investigate and differentiate the roles and the contributions of potential (or electrodynamic) sputtering from the standard (or kinetic) sputtering.
Pedagogical Framework: A Pathway to Citizenship Preparation

In Chapter 1 we provided a framework for our work in QR STEM. In this chapter we walk through the process of collaborating with teachers in developing a unit driven by a performance task with a focus on the context of energy and environment. We have selected the very broad areas of energy and environment as fields from which to select topics.
The Brody-Hughston Fisher Information Metric

We study the interrelationships between the Fisher information metric recently introduced, on the basis of maximum entropy considerations, by Brody and Hughston (quant-ph/9906085) and the monotone metrics, as explicated by Petz and Sudar. This new metric turns out to be not strictly monotone in nature, and to yield (via its normalized volume element) a prior probability distribution over the Bloch ball of two-level quantum systems that is less noninformative than those obtained from any of the monotone metrics, even the minimal monotone (Bures) metric. We best approximate the additional information contained in the Brody-Hughston prior over that contained in the Bures prior by constructing a certain Bures posterior probability distribution. This is proportional to the product of the Bures prior and a likelihood function based on four pairs of spin measurements oriented along the diagonal axes of an inscribed cube.
Write endurance in flash drives: measurements and analysis

We examine the write endurance of USB flash drives using a range of approaches: chip-level measurements, reverse engineering, timing analysis, whole-device endurance testing, and simulation. The focus of our investigation is not only measured endurance, but underlying factors at the level of chips and algorithms--both typical and ideal--which determine the endurance of a device.Our chip-level measurements show endurance far in excess of nominal values quoted by manufacturers, by a factor of as much as 100. We reverse engineer specifics of the Flash Translation Layers (FTLs) used by several devices, and find a close correlation between measured whole-device endurance and predictions from reverse-engineered FTL parameters and measured chip endurance values. We present methods based on analysis of operation latency which provide a non-intrusive mechanism for determining FTL parameters. Finally we present Monte Carlo simulation results giving numerical bounds on endurance achievable by any on-line algorithm in the face of arbitrary or malicious access patterns.
Density functional study of the overdoped iron chalcogenide TlFe 2 Se 2 with ThCr 2 Si 2 structure

We report density functional calculations of electronic structure and magnetic properties of ternary iron chalcogenide TlFe{sub 2}Se{sub 2}, which occurs in the ThCr{sub 2}Si{sub 2} structure and discuss the results in relation to the iron-based superconductors. The ground state is antiferromagnetic with checkerboard order and Fe moment {approx}1.90{micro}{sub B}. There is strong magnetoelastic coupling similar to the Fe-based superconductors, reflected in a sensitivity of the Se position to magnetism. Tl is monovalent in this compound, providing heavy electron doping of 0.5 additional carriers per Fe relative to the parent compounds of the Fe-based superconductors. Other than the change in electron count, the electronic structure is rather similar to those materials. In particular, the Fermi surface is closely related to those of the Fe-based superconductors, except that the electron cylinders are larger, and the hole sections are suppressed. This removes the tendency toward a spin-density wave.
Entrapment, Shocked Consciences, and the Staged Arrest

This Article discusses the relatively spare and unsettled case law relating to the staged arrest, reflected primarily in United States v. Archer and Nigrone v. Murtagh. Part III of this Article examines the defense of entrapment, one of the most confusing and controversial legal doctrines, and its application to the staged arrest. Because the staged arrest ineluctably raises questions of offensive government conduct that neither constitutes unlawful entrapment nor invades any independent rights of citizens, Part IV considers the analysis of courts that have invoked the due process clause to limit government investigations. In view of the failure of these courts to provide any meaningful due process standards to control police undercover practices, Part V sets out objective criteria helpful in evaluating the due process implications of undercover procedures in general, and the staged arrest in particular. Finally, part VI proposes, as a safeguard against government abuse of power, a procedure similar to the warrant procedure for obtaining judicial authorization to conduct certain types of undercover investigations, in this instance a "staged arrest warrant.
Behavior and Mind: The Roots of Modern Psychology

This text attempts a synthesis of two apparently contradictory views of psychology: psychology as the science of internal mental mechanisms; and psychology as the science of complex external behaviour (referred to by the author as "mental life"). Although many monographs on psychology or the philosophy of mind reject either one approach or the other (usually the behaviouristic approach), the author of this study argues that the two approaches are complementary, not contradictory.
Nitric oxide and gallbladder motility in prairie dogs

In this study we evaluated the role of nitric oxide (NO) on gallbladder motility in the normal prairie dog by 1) immunohistochemistry, 2) an enzymatic assay for NO synthase (NOS), and 3) an in vivo model to measure whole gallbladder tone and contractility. NOS was localized to gallbladder mucosal cells by NADPH-diaphorase and polyclonal antibodies to a constitutive brain NOS. Gallbladder mucosal homogenates demonstrated total NOS activity in the range of 578 +/- 115 pmol x mg protein(-1) x 30 min(-1). Blockade of NOS activity in vivo using N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester resulted in an up to 80% increase in gallbladder tone from basal. A 40% increase in tone was seen with methylene blue, suggesting that tone was maintained by both NO activation of guanylate cyclase and possibly direct effects on Ca2+ channels. An exogenous nitrosothiol, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-cysteine, abolished cholecystokinin (CCK) octapeptide and bethanechol-stimulated gallbladder contraction. We conclude that the prairie dog gallbladder contains constitutive NOS and synthesizes NO, which is important for the maintenance of basal gallbladder tone and is an inhibitor of the contractile response of the gallbladder to agonists such as CCK and bethanechol.
Evaluation of meteoric calcite cements as a proxy material for mass-47 clumped isotope thermometry

Abstract Meteoric diagenetic cements are ubiquitous throughout geologic history, affecting most carbonate exposures worldwide. They can often be difficult to interpret, as it is usually difficult to separate the influences of water δ18O and temperature on isotopic signals contained within the carbonate rock body. Despite this difficulty in interpretation, meteoric phreatic cements can potentially be a useful proxy material, as they form slowly in equilibrium at mean annual temperature and are not affected by any biogenic effects that can bias other proxy materials. We applied the mass-47 clumped isotope paleothermometer to Pleistocene and Holocene carbonates from Bermuda and Barbados in order to investigate the effects of meteoric diagenesis on Δ47 signals, and to determine their suitability as a paleotemperature proxy. Phreatic calcite cements are found to record the same temperatures as unaltered carbonate sediments, while any sample exhibiting vadose characteristics is biased towards unreasonably hot apparent formation temperatures. Burial heating and re-equilibration are not geologically viable explanations for the anomalously hot temperatures recorded in vadose cements, as neither Bermuda or Barbados has any burial history. Instead, it is likely that precipitation in the vadose zone occurs on timescales quicker than isotopic equilibrium can be achieved, driven by a combination of CO2 degassing and evaporation, which have been previously shown to cause problems in speleothems and pedogenic carbonates. We conclude by suggesting that meteoric phreatic calcites may be an ideal phase for paleotemperature reconstruction, as they accurately record mean annual temperatures and form under equilibrium conditions, while also being resistant to further mineral driven diagenesis. Vadose cements, and any sample likely affected by processes similar to vadose diagenesis, should be avoided for climate reconstructions using the mass-47 clumped isotope thermometer.
Six week case methodology: implications for international business and the classroom

This research uses a survey methodology to analyze the effectiveness of case application in the classroom when used in a six week format as opposed to the more traditional form of study and case usage. The complexity of the global business classroom and course topics suggests the need for increasing levels of in-depth study and understanding necessary for today’s student. A six week case method of study takes the traditional approach of case study and extends it in such a way as to continually build on knowledge and information gathering over a longer time period. By revisiting the same case on multiple occasions, students engaged in in-depth analysis by continually aggregating and analyzing information. A pre and post survey gauged various indicators of effectiveness for the use of the extended format of case usage. Hypotheses were tested using z-tests and results and implications are discussed.
Land station and mobile station equipment for a cellular system application

The FCC has opened a new area of mobile telephone service with the allocation of the 800 MHz band for cellular mobile phone service. A joint effort by General Electric and Northern Telecom has resulted in a unique cellular mobile phone system. This paper discusses the land station and mobile portion of the system developed by General Electric.
Ratings of perceived exertion at the anaerobic threshold.

To determine ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) at the anaerobic threshold (AT), 13 men and 17 women, 21 to 37 years of age. performed a progressive, load-incremented bicycle ergometer stress test during which physiological measurements and RPE were obtained every 30s. The mean (± SD) AT expressed as a percentage of the maximal oxygen uptake was 60.1 ± 7.8 and 60.3 ± 7.7 for males and females respectively. Ratings of perceived exertion at anaerobic threshold (RPE-AT) ranged from 11 to 16. The mean RPE-AT for females (13.1 ±0.9), males (14.2± 0.9) and the combined group (13.6+1.2) corresponded to a perception of work as ‘somewhat hard’. It was concluded that young men and women perceive an exercise intensity equal to the anaerobic threshold as ‘somewhat hard’. The similar perception of the exercise intensity corresponding to anaerobic threshold by different individuals makes it possible to prescribe an exercise intensity equivalent to the anaerobic threshold using ratings of perceived exertion.
The quasi-static fracture behavior of an aluminum alloy metal-matrix composite

Abstract A study has been made to understand the microstructure, tensile deformation and fracture characteristics of an aluminum alloy 2080, discontinuously-reinforced with varying amounts of silicon carbide particles. Results reveal the elastic modulus and strength of the metal-matrix composite increase with an increase in reinforcement content in the metal matrix. The increased strength of the Al SiC p composite is ascribed to the competing and synergistic influences of residual stresses generated as a result of intrinsic differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the composite constituents and strengthening from constrained plastic flow and triaxiality in the ductile matrix which is due to the presence of hard and elastically deforming reinforcements. Fracture on a microscopic scale comprised cracking of the individual and clusters of particules present in the microstructure. Particle cracking increased with reinforcement content in the aluminum alloy matrix. Final fracture of the composite resulted from crack propagation through the matrix between particulate clusters. The intrinsic mechanisms and micromechanisms contributing to strength and governing the tensile fracture process are discussed.
Heating induced optical property changes in beef muscle

Abstract Optical scattering, absorption and absorbance spectra were evaluated in beef psoas major and semitendinosus muscle samples heated to different temperatures. Corresponding Warner–Bratzler shear force values were also measured as an assessment of the tenderness property. The characteristic absorbing peaks of myoglobin and its derivatives were better resolved in the absorption spectra than in the conventional absorbance spectra. Optical scattering coefficients were susceptible to muscle structural changes induced by heating. Taken together with shear force measurements, our measurements suggest that myofibril and collagen components have different effects on the optical scattering properties of meat. These results provide insight into the complicated process of light-muscle interactions, which is essential for the development of optical techniques for muscle characterization.
Radio-over-fiber technologies for high data rate wireless applications

The paper discusses two approaches for increasing data throughput needed for the delivery of bandwidth-hungry services to wireless users. Small radio cells are a stop-gap solution for dealing with today's capacity-limited wireless systems. However, the ultimate path towards wireless communication at gigabit-per-second data rates is millimeter-wave frequencies such as 60 GHz. We discuss the benefits of using radio-over-fiber (RoF) technologies to feed the high-density of remote antenna units present in small-cell wireless systems operating at either low frequencies or mm-wave-frequencies. We investigate the performance of a simple 60 GHz RoF link transmitting 4 Gbps (single carrier), and show that the severe impact of ripples in the link response can be minimized by using simple linear feed-forward equalization, resulting in tremendous system performance improvement. We further demonstrate the use of a RoF system to generate a 7 Gbps QPSK-modulated 60 GHz signal.
Leveraging Management Development through the Management of Transfer

The critical need to actively manage the transfer of training process is apparent from the scope of industrial training and the relapse rate of the trainee. Transfer management consists of a variety of actions before, during and after training by managers of trainees, management development personnel and management trainees to increase the probability of success. Knowledge of the typical barriers to transfer is useful as they can be removed, diminished, converted to positive forces or countered by balancing forces. The final product of a literature review is a set of 95 distinguishable transfer strategies. These form action propositions for transfer of training. An open‐ended survey of 84 human resource development professionals was conducted in which they were asked to report the most important impediments to training transfer. From this list, a set of nine frequently mentioned factors was derived and presented to a group of 36 trainers who ranked the three most powerful forces against transfer as: lack of on‐the‐job reinforcement, interference from the immediate environment and a non‐supportive organisational climate. The importance of transfer and impediments to it are discussed.
An Artificial Perch to Help Snail Kites Handle an Exotic Apple Snail

Abstract. In the United States, the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) is a federally endangered species and restricted to the wetlands of south-central Florida where the current population numbers less than 1,500. The Snail Kite is an extreme dietary specialist, previously feeding almost exclusively on one species of snail, the Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea paludosa). Within the past decade, an exotic species of apple snail, the Island Apple Snail (Pomacea insularum), has become established on lakes in central Florida. Island Apple Snails are larger than the native Florida Apple Snails, and Snail Kites handle the exotic snails less efficiently. Juvenile Snail Kites, in particular, have lower daily energy balances while feeding on Island Apple Snails. An inexpensive, easy-to-construct platform was developed that would provide Snail Kites with a flat, stable surface on which to extract snails. The platform has the potential to reduce the difficulties Snail Kites experience when handling exotic snai...