cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late Pleistocene channel incisions in the southern Eel River Basin, northern California: implications for tectonic vs. eustatic influences on shelf sedimentation patterns

Abstract High-resolution multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles from the southern offshore Eel River Basin off northern California show multiple, superimposed buried channels beneath the continental shelf. These channels display consistent southwest orientations. Their dendritic map pattern and low but consistent cross-shelf gradients suggest that they formed by fluvial erosion during periods of shelf exposure associated with relative sea-level lowstands. All of the channels were incised after ∼500 ka, the age of the onshore–offshore Hookton Datum. Their frequency of incision exceeds that of known glacioeustatic lowstands since ∼500 ka, confirming that some of the surfaces must have formed during relative lowstands initiated by local tectonic uplift. Sedimentation patterns in the Eel River Basin shift dramatically in response to relative sea-level fluctuations. Today, sediments from the Eel River move north and west on the shelf, in response mainly to large winter storm events. In contrast, fluvial incision on the exposed shelf during relative lowstands directed sediments to the southwest, most likely into the head of the Eel Canyon. Shelf channels were probably fed not only by ancestral rivers, but also by local uplifts like the Table Bluff Anticline. Increases in gradient and channel depths at the southern end of the MCS coverage indicate that canyon-forming processes modified fluvial channels as they converge towards embayments near the head of the Eel Canyon. Cyclic recurrence and consistent orientation of these channels demonstrate that the Eel Canyon has been extant through numerous relative sea level cycles, and is perhaps as old as ∼500 ka.
Surface-enhanced nonequilibrium electronic heating in thin silver films due to the excitation of single metal-boundary surface plasmons

Abstract We report the first observation of nonequilibrium heating of the electronic and lattice modes in a thin silver film enhanced due to the excitation of single metal-boundary surface plasmons at a metal-air interface. The heating enhancement due to plasmon decay is more than two orders of magnitude as compared to heating by a directly incident laser beam. The heating is probed on a picosecond time-scale by thermally-induced changes in the ultraviolet reflectivity of the film.
‘We wear Arsenal, but we are Deportivo Hidalgo’: jerseys, team names and senses of place in Latino recreational fútbol leagues in Oklahoma City

This paper focuses on a Latino recreational futbol (soccer) league in Oklahoma City and the meaning of jerseys and team names the players choose while participating in this league. For example, it is quite common to find teams of Latino men wearing the jerseys of European professional teams. To wear the jerseys of European professional teams while playing futbol in Oklahoma City operates as symbolic capital which demonstrates one’s futbol knowledge and declares one’s belonging in this subculture of recreational futbol. Yet the team names belie any interpretation that these Latino men somehow see themselves as culturally European when on the pitch. Team names are meant to connote senses of place of origin. This declaration of local identity is important because other players and teams may be from the same country; thus to name one’s team after a specific locality signifies one’s identity with that locale as opposed to others.
Synchronizing Transmission Schedules of Partitioned Ad Hoc Networks

We present a new protocol for synchronizing terminals in wireless ad hoc networks which communicate using transmission schedules. Synchronization between terminals is required in these networks to support reliable time-slotted transmissions and, in some cases, periodic network control phases. A common global time reference, such as a beacon from a base station or a GPS time signal, may not be available to all terminals at all times. Distributed terminal initialization and clock drift may lead to a situation in which several groups of terminals are locally synchronized, but lack a common global synchronization. We introduce a distributed protocol designed to respond to and correct synchronization differences between groups of terminals. When a synchronization difference is detected, the protocol first attempts to resolve the synchronization ambiguity, i.e. determine which synchronization is correct. The protocol then provides an orderly process of silencing and resynchronizing portions of the network so that terminals may adopt a common synchronization. The basic properties of the protocol are analyzed and verified through simulation.
Race And Juvenile Court Decision Making Revisited

Unfortunately, racism, perpetrated by virtually all of America's governmental institutions, has long been a fact and problem of American life. Prior research suggests that America's juvenile justice systems have not been void of the negative effects of racism; thus, racial equity in dispositional decisions is a major issue in dispensing juvenile justice. The study presented in this research examined Nebraska Crime Commission data over a consecutive six year period and found, all else being equal, that black youths are usually more likely to receive harsher treatment than are whites in terms of: (1) experiencing pre-hearing detention, (2) being formally prosecuted by petition, and (3) receiving a harsher final penalty. With regard to judging an accused youth to be delinquent, the analysis reveals a reversal of the foregoing relationship between race and harshness of the decision.The research concludes with some policy recommendations to remove racial biases from juvenile justice processing.
Chemical ionization mass spectrometry of amygdalin with ammonia gas

Under ammonia chemical ionization conditions using the liquid chromatographic moving belt interface for sample introduction, molecular weight information has been observed for the cyanogenic glyceside, amygdalia (D-mandelonitrile-β-D-glucosido-6-β-D-glucoside). Additionally, the use of deuterated ammonia has permitted a detailed fragmentation pathway to be outlined via determinations of total acidic hydrogens.
Preconditioning the Human Brain Proving the Principle in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Organisms have developed complex endogenous defenses to counter environmental stress. The successful resistance to adversarial conditions, such as calorie or oxygen deprivation, has ensured that the strongest will survive. This lies at the root of preconditioning, that is, what is survived will strengthen; surviving mild forms of injury leads to tolerance of otherwise noxious injury. Preconditioning induces basic cellular survival mechanisms. Many different stimuli lead to preconditioning: drugs, ischemia, hypoxia, or hypothermia. In ischemic preconditioning exposing an organ to brief ischemia, induces temporary resistance to more severe ischemia, in the same or even a distant organ. The latter phenomenon is known as remote ischemic preconditioning. In this manner, for example, a limb is transiently made ischemic to protect the brain. Ischemic preconditioning has emerged as one of the most powerful anti-ischemic strategy in preclinical investigations. In laboratory models, protection through preconditioning has been consistently demonstrated across multiple organ systems and in many different animal species, leaving little doubt about the existence of this phenomenon. A recent literature search (Medline September 2012), combining the terms preconditioning and brain, lists >1000 citations. This large body of laboratory evidence supports investigating whether, and to what an extent, protection through preconditioning can be reproduced in humans. Proof of concept work is needed, and with that the question arises, which clinical setting may be most suitable for preliminary clinical trials. Preconditioning has been proposed as therapy for cerebral ischemia in several clinical settings of anticipated brain ischemia. These include carotid endarterectomy/stenting, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).1,2 In the present review, we provide evidence that supports preconditioning for therapy of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after SAH, arguing that proof of the ischemic preconditioning principle, may be most feasibly demonstrated in this setting. Early studies of cerebral preconditioning included …
Chiral Kinetic Theory

We derive the nonequilibrium kinetic equation describing the motion of chiral massless particles in the regime where it can be considered classically. We show that the Berry monopole which appears at the origin of the momentum space due to level crossing is responsible for the chiral magnetic and vortical effects.
Intracerebroventricular enzyme replacement therapy with glycosylation-independent lysosomal targeted NAGLU leads to widespread enzymatic activity, reduction of lysosomal storage and of secondary defects in brain of mice with Sanfilippo syndrome type B

Treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome type B) is hampered because recombinant alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGLU) contains little/no mannose 6-phosphate. We developed a fusion protein of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and NAGLU (rhNAGLU-IGF2). IGF2 is a natural ligand of the mannose-6phosphate receptor, and thus provides glycosylation-independent lysosomal targeting. Purified rhNAGLU-IGF2 is active in biochemical and cell-based assays (see Abstract: Aoyagi-Scharber, et al.). To evaluate rhNAGLU-IGF2 in vivo, adult (16 wk) MPS IIIB mice were catheterized into the left ventricle and given 4 twice-weekly injections of vehicle or rhNAGLU-IGF2 (100 μg). Mice were harvested 1d, 7d, 14d, and 28d after the last injection (n= 4-8 per group). Vehicle-treated heterozygotes were used as controls. Forebrain NAGLU activity ranged from 100x (1d, p b 0.001), 400x (7d, p = 0.001), 30x (14d, p = 0.9), and 130x fold (28d, p = 0.002) in rhNAGLU-IGF2 treated mice vs. vehicle-treated heterozygotes. Hexosaminidase activity was reduced by 26% (1d), 44% (7d), 51% (14d), and 57% (28d) in rhNAGLU-IGF2 treated vs vehicle-treated MPS IIIB mice (p b 0.001). Brain heparan sulfate was reduced from 228 pmol/ 5 μg brain (in vehicle-treated MPS IIIB) to 79.3 (1d), 24.8 (7d), 20.8 (14d), 17.4 (28d) in rhNAGLU-IGF2-treatedMPS IIIBmice (p b 0.001), vs 10.5 in vehicle-treated heterozygotes. In multiple brain regions, robust neuronal uptake was evident by immunostaining with NAGLU antibody and reduced LAMP1 signal with rhNAGLU-IGF2 treatment. In a separate experiment using 8 week-old mice, secondary accumulations were measured 1d after the last injection. Neuronal accumulations of SCMAS, glypican 5, amyloid beta and P-GSK3 beta in themedial entorhinal cortex and of P-tau in the dentate gyrus were reduced to the control level of these proteins. Accumulation of CD68 in activated microglia in the somatosensory cortex was reduced about half-way to control. In summary, we achieved broad distribution of NAGLU and improvement in neuropathology with short-term intraventricular rhNAGLU-IGF2. Glycosylation-independent lysosomal targeting may permit development of superior therapy for Sanfilippo syndrome type B. Support from NIH/NINDS 1R21NS078314-01A1 and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Electron transfer processes in collisions of highly charged energetic (0.1-1.0 MeV/nucleon) ions with helium atoms

Abstract We have investigated charge transfer in collisions of energetic (0.1−1 MeV/nucleon) highly charged ions with helium atoms with the principal aim of clarifying the nature of two-electron processes. The sensitivity of partial charge-changing cross sections (i.e., single- and double-charge transfer, transfer ionization (TI), and single and double ionization) to core configuration and scaling rules for one- and two-electron process were investigated with iodine ions ( q =5+ → 26+) and uranium ions ( q =17+ → 44+) using an ion-charge state, recoil-ion coincidence method. Using zero-degree electron spectroscopy in coincidence with charge transfer, we found that at the higher energies, as in the case of 0.1 MeV/nucleon ions previously reported, TI involves the transfer of two electrons to a higher correlated state followed by loss of one electron to the continuum. In addition, we observe very high Rydberg electrons in coincidence with TI, implying a possible up-down correlation in the pair transfer. In addition, we made measurements of VUV photons emitted at the collision in coincidence with He + and He 2+ recoils. The results show that TI leads to capture into lower n states than single-charge transfer.
The universe of alternatives in schooling: The contributions of Seymour B. Sarason to education

This paper pays tribute to Seymour B. Sarason and his path-breaking theoretical and practical contributions to the field of education. Sarason innovated in his collaborative methods of working with schools toward the goals of both understanding and helping. He demonstrated that the assessment and development of ability was sharply limited by the social conditions of schooling. He richly articulated the unspoken regularities of the school culture and illustrated how this systemic knowledge must play a role in the goals and processes of school change in order to avoid failure in reform. His axioms about the nature of the educational enterprise have important implications for the redesign of schooling. The axioms articulated by Seymour Sarason about the nature of schooling and systemic change serve as conceptual trail markers for those who seek to improve the human condition through education. In his work, Sarason has charted new territory and significantly expanded our understanding of school setting variables and their relationship to the development of both students and teachers. In this paper, I begin with a characterization of Sarason's unique methods of approaching the schools. I then describe the essence of his contributions, that is, the articulation of postulates about three aspects of schooling: human ability and performance; school culture (the context for developing human ability); and school institutional change. Finally, I consider the implications of Sarasonian theory for the redesign of schooling. For Sarason, work in the schools was always a primary and ongoing part of his professional life:
Wavefront measurement by using photonic crystals

This paper presents a novel method of wavefront measurement for adaptive optic systems by using a photonic crystal. In adaptive optics the wavefront shape of the incident wave is measured and used to set a reconfigurable mirror array to compensate for the aberration, reduce distortion and improve image and beam quality. In a 2D approach, the tilted wavefront at each pixel enters a V-shape structure of waveguides in a photonic crystal. By measuring and comparing the output power in the two waveguides, we can determine the tilted angle of the incident light at that pixel. This method can also be applied in a 3D approach.
Assessment of pretreatment laparotomy in patients with cervical carcinoma prior to radiotherapy.

Abstract One hundred fifty-five patients with cervical cancer not amenable to radical surgery underwent selective, paraaortic lymphadenectomy and exploratory laparotomy prior to the initiation of radiotherapy. Fifty-one patients underwent transperitoneal lymphadenectomy; the remainder had the procedure performed using the extraperitoneal approach. Twenty-six patients (17%) were found to have metastatic disease to the paraaortic lymph nodes. The incidence of paraaortic metastases increased with advancing clinical stage. Twenty-four of the 26 patients were treated with extended-field radiotherapy which did not exceed 5100 cGy to the paraaortic region. Twenty-three percent of the patients with positive paraaortic nodes had documented intraperitoneal tumor. Two- and five-year actuarial survival rates for patients with paraaortic metastases were 35 and 27%, respectively. Approximately 4.6% of patients undergoing a selective paraaortic lymphadenectomy derived therapeutic benefit from the information supplied by the procedure. Using a Cox model, tumor histology, status of the paraaortic lymph nodes, tumor size, and presence of intraperitoneal disease were statistically significant prognostic factors in patient survival. Tumor size and presence of intraperitoneal disease were major predictors Of patient Survival.
Unsteady wake measurements of an oscillating flap at transonic speeds

The steady and unsteady wake profiles of an airfoil with an oscillating flap were measured at nominal free stream Mach number of 0.8 in the NASA Ames 11 x 11-foot wind tunnel. The instantaneous wake velocity and pressure profiles at four axial locations are presented up to one chord length from the trailing edge. Both fundamental harmonic frequency and typical time history data are presented to observe the effects of airfoil incidence and flap angle. The drag coefficient obtained from the wake pressure measurements is compared with that obtained from the airfoil pressure distribution.
Intrahousehold Car-Type Choice for Different Travel Needs

A new generation of travel demand models based on individual microsimulation of activities and travel has opened the way for more detailed analysis and modeling of vehicle use. However, the first activity-based models—those applied in practice as well as activity-based model systems developed as research projects—inherited the simplified approach to car allocation and use with no distinction between vehicle types and certainly no explicit modeling of allocation and use of individual vehicles by household members. Structural modeling of car use by vehicle type is essential for air quality and other environmental issues. Further developments of more elaborate policies (toll roads, area pricing, parking restrictions, etc.) that could be differentiated by vehicle size, type, and occupancy are also foreseen. The current study outlines a modeling approach to this issue that can be incorporated into the framework of an operational travel model, as well as reports on the results of estimation for a model of car-t...
More than acorns and small seeds: A diachronic analysis of mortuary associated ground stone from the south San Francisco Bay area

Abstract The archaeological record of central California contains a rich variety of ground stone milling tools—from highly expedient cobble tools to large ornate mortars and finely finished pestles more than half a meter in length. Historical trends in research objectives, along with assumptions about the entirely mundane character of ground stone tools, have caused much of the variability and many “extra-utilitarian” aspects of these artifacts to be overlooked. This study analyzed grave-associated ground stone from the southern San Francisco Bay Area and employed use-wear analysis (macroscopic and microscopic) and morphological comparisons to investigate potential distinctions in form, manufacturing effort, use, and association over approximately 6000 years of prehistory. Ground stone morphologies, patterns of use-wear, and the way that ground stone was interred with people changed between the earliest and the latest periods analyzed in this study. During the Late Holocene, ground stone underwent a diversification of form and perhaps purpose. An overtly symbolic dimension associated with mortars and pestles seems to emerge with the addition of highly formalized and expensive flower-pot mortars, very long shaped pestles, and additional embellishments such as shell bead applique and painted designs. Large, costly, highly formalized, and embellished mortars exist alongside smaller, less costly, less formalized milling tools. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence supports the inferred association of certain mortars with feasting and ritual activities. Differences in the representation of some of these forms in male and female graves may reflect changes in the roles of women and men in community ritual and politics.
Use of an in vitro model to assess the effects of APF gel treatment on the staining potential of dental porcelain

Porcelains and resin composites exposed to acidulated phosphate fluorides (APF) have been reported to result in increased roughness, loss of weight, and loss of specular reflectance (gloss). Six samples of five commercial porcelains were subjected to five four-minute treatments with APF gels. Samples were then subjected to a nine-day cyclic staining procedure that utilized a tea, coffee, and mucin mixture. Changes in reflectance were then measured by means of a Minolta Chromameter (CR121) and converted to CIE L* a* b* values at illuminant D65 against a white background. delta L*, delta a*, delta b*, and delta E values were calculated. There was a substantial decrease in the L* value (lightness) for all porcelains. The average L* value for APF-treated and then stained porcelains was 43.6, for the stained-untreated samples, 48.2, and for untreated-unstained porcelain, 53.5. For three of the five porcelains, the differences in L* between treated and untreated stained porcelains were statistically significant. Changes in a* and b* values were also found to be consistent with but not as large as the changes in L*.
Substratum compliance regulates human trabecular meshwork cell behaviors and response to latrunculin B.

PURPOSE. To determine the impact of substratum compliance and latrunculin-B (Lat-B), both alone and together, on fundamental human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cell behavior. Lat-B is a reversible actin cytoskeleton disruptor that decreases resistance to aqueous humor outflow and decreases intraocular pressure. METHODS. HTM cells were cultured on polyacrylamide hydrogels possessing values for compliance that mimic those reported for normal and glaucomatous HTM, or tissue culture plastic (TCP). Cells were treated with 0.2 Mo r 2.0M Lat-B in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or DMSO alone. The impact of substratum compliance and/or Lat-B treatment on cell attachment, proliferation, surface area, aspect ratio, and migration were investigated. RESULTS. HTM cells had profoundly decreased attachment and proliferation rates when cultured on hydrogels possessing compliance values that mimic those found for healthy HTM. The effect of Lat-B treatment on HTM cell surface area was less for cells cultured on more compliant hydrogels compared with TCP. HTM cell migration was increased on stiffer hydrogels that mimic the compliance of glaucomatous HTM and on TCP in comparison with more compliant hydrogels. Lat-B treatment decreased cellular migration on all surfaces for at least 7 hours after treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Substratum compliance profoundly influenced HTM cell behaviors and modulated the response of HTM cells to Lat-B. The inclusion of substratum compliance that reflects healthy or glaucomatous HTM results in cell behaviors and responses to therapeutic agents in vitro that may more accurately reflect in vivo conditions. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:9298‐9303) DOI:10.1167/iovs.11-7857
Dynamic modelling and identification of a waterjet cutting system

This paper describes a new dynamic model for a waterjet cutting system that includes a double-acting reciprocating intensifier pump. Since the system operates at high pressures the fluid flow is assumed to be compressible. The dynamic model includes the characteristics of the intensifier pump, the check valves, the accumulator, the system piping and compressible jet flow through the nozzle. The system model is presented as a set of differential-algebraic equations. Experimental results for an actual system are used to identify the discharge coefficient of the nozzle, certain unknown parameters associated with the check valve, and to determine the velocity profile of the piston in the intensifier pump. This is accomplished by formulating and solving a parameter optimization problem. The paper also includes numerical simulation results that validate the dynamic model.
Influence of tumor promoter on binding and release of fibronectin added to human lung fibroblasts

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) did not alter the binding and release kinetics of externally added 125I-labeled plasma fibronectin to human lung fibroblasts in culture. Cell layer-bound plasma fibronectin was found to be chased into the medium at the same rate in tumor-promoter-treated as in non-treated cells. Unlabeled fibronectin accumulated to a much higher degree in the medium when tumor promoter was present. We conclude that TPA does not interfere with the fibronectin receptor on substrate-attached fibroblasts, but may influence intracellular fibronectin before it is bound to the extracellular matrix.
Transcriptional and Biochemical Analysis of Starch Metabolism in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

Pyrococcus furiosus utilizes starch and its degradation products, such as maltose, as primary carbon sources, but the pathways by which these α-glucans are processed have yet to be defined. For example, its genome contains genes proposed to encode five amylolytic enzymes (including a cyclodextrin glucanotransferase [CGTase] and amylopullulanase), as well as two transporters for maltose and maltodextrins (Mal-I and Mal-II), and a range of intracellular enzymes have been purified that reportedly metabolize maltodextrins and maltose. However, precisely which of these enzymes are involved in starch processing is not clear. In this study, starch metabolism in P. furiosus was examined by biochemical analyses in conjunction with global transcriptional response data for cells grown on a variety of glucans. In addition, DNA sequencing led to the correction of two key errors in the genome sequence, and these change the predicted properties of amylopullulanase (now designated PF1935*) and CGTase (PF0478*). Based on all of these data, a pathway is proposed that is specific for starch utilization that involves one transporter (Mal-II [PF1933 to PF1939]) and only three enzymes, amylopullulanase (PF1935*), 4-α-glucanotransferase (PF0272), and maltodextrin phosphorylase (PF1535). Their expression is upregulated on starch, and together they generate glucose and glucose-1-phosphate, which then feed into the novel glycolytic pathway of this organism. In addition, the results indicate that several hypothetical proteins encoded by three gene clusters are also involved in the transport and processing of α-glucan substrates by P. furiosus.
Excess βCTF, not Aβ: The culprit in Alzheimer-related endocytic dysfunction

The article by Jiang et al. (1) in this issue of PNAS goes a good way toward explaining early consequences of elevated expression of β-amyloid precursor protein (βAPP) and its β-secretase-cleaved carboxyl-terminal fragment (βCTF) in the endocytic dysfunction present early on in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Down’s syndrome (DS or trisomy 21). The authors pose a straightforward question: is duplication of the βAPP gene in DS sufficient to precipitate endocytic dysfunction? Using an elegantly simple approach in fibroblasts from individuals with trisomy 21 (3N), the authors show that either suppressing the expression of the extra βAPP gene by shRNA or decreasing the production of βCTF by inhibiting the βAPP β-secretase, BACE-1, reverses the dramatic pathologic changes in endocytic morphology (endosome enlargement) and function (accelerated uptake) noted in trisomy 21 or in βAPP overexpressing 2N fibroblasts. Their finding that overexpression of a mutated form of βAPP lacking the BACE-1 cleavage site in 2N fibroblasts did not produce the endocytic dysfunction showed conclusively that the mediating factor in the βAPP-related induction of endocytic dysfunction is βCTF. However, just to be sure that the endocytic anomalies necessitated only βCTF overexpression, they also showed that similar endocytic dysfunction is elicited when β amyloid (Aβ) production is reduced and βAPP and βCTF production is increased by γ-secretase inhibition in 2N cells. Findings such as these signify an important change, perhaps a sea change, in our understanding of the potential pathogenic role of overexpressing βAPP, relative to that of Aβ, at least in the arena of early endocytic dysfunction and its downstream consequences in AD and DS. Although Aβ continues to be the principal focus of investigations into both the causes and consequences of AD, these and other findings are beginning to highlight the fundamental importance of Aβ-independent pathogenic roles of βAPP and its various proteolytic products in AD.
RATEWeb: Reputation Assessment for Trust Establishment among Web services

We introduce RATEWeb, a framework for establishing trust in service-oriented environments. RATEWeb supports a cooperative model in which Web services share their experiences of the service providers with their peers through feedback ratings. The different ratings are aggregated to derive a service provider's reputation. This in turn is used to evaluate trust. The overall goal of RATEWeb is to facilitate trust-based selection and composition of Web services. We propose a set of decentralized techniques that aim at accurately aggregating the submitted ratings for reputation assessment. We conduct experiments to assess the fairness and accuracy of the proposed techniques.
Extrinsic signatures embedding and detection for information hiding and secure printing in electrophotography

Printer identification based on printed documents can provide forensic information to protect copyright and verify authenticity. In addition to intrinsic features (intrinsic signatures) of the printer, modulating the printing process to embed specific features (extrinsic signatures) will further extend the encoding capacity and accuracy. One of the key issues with embedding extrinsic signature is the information should not be detectable by the human observer, but needs to be detectable by a suitable detection algorithm. In this paper, we discuss the methods used to develop the amplitude threshold and frequency constraints for embedding extrinsic signature in electrophotography by modulating laser intensity.
Investigation of the self-heating effect on hot-carrier characteristics for packaged high voltage devices

HVNMOS device degradation due to AC/DC hot carrier injection (HCI) stress between package level (PL) and wafer level (WL) is characterized and their relationship to the power generation is quantified. It is observed that I dlin degradation in PL is worse compared to WL during DC HCI stress due to excessive self-heating (SH) in PL compared to WL. It is also validated that SH mechanism is the dominant factor for I dlin degradation compared to HCI impact ionization during packaged HVNMOS HCI stress. A new reliability characterization methodology for HVNMOS is also proposed, which eliminates the PL SH effect and boost up the product safe-operating-area (SOA) capability.
Prospective validation of a new model for evaluating emergency medical services systems by in-field observation of specific time intervals in prehospital care

Study objective: To develop and validate a new time interval model for evaluating operational and patient care issues in emergency medical service (EMS) systems. Design/setting/type of participant: Prospective analysis of 300 EMS responses among 20 advanced life support agencies throughout an entire state by direct, in-field observation. Results: Mean times (minutes) were response, 6.8; patient access, 1.0; initial assessment, 3.3; scene treatment, 4.4; patient removal, 5.5; transport, 11.7; delivery, 3.5; and recovery, 22.9. The largest component of the on-scene interval was patient removal. Scene treatment accounted for only 31.0% of the on-scene interval, whereas accessing and removing patients took nearly half of the on-scene interval (45.8%). Operational problems (eg, communi-cations, equipment, uncooperative patient) increased patient removal (6.4 versus 4.5; P = .004), recovery (25.4 versus 20.2; P = .03), and out-of-service (43.0 versus 30.1; P = .007) intervals. Rural agencies had longer response (9.9 versus 6.4; P = .014), transport (21.9 versus 10.3; P P = .049) intervals than nonrural. The total on-scene interval was longer if an IV line was attempted at the scene (17.2 versus 12.2; P P Conclusion: A new model reported and studied prospectively is useful as an evaluative research tool for EMS systems and is broadly applicable to many settings in a demographically diverse state. This model can provide accurate information to system researchers, medical directors, and administrators for altering and improving EMS systems.
Optimal controllers are fragile

Optimal controllers are structurally unstable. The instability is intrinsic because of constrained optimization. This kind of instability is sometimes identified with "fragility" in the control literature. The fragility is related to hidden degeneracies in the polynomials and matrices of the optimized systems, and may detected by looking for certain catastrophe fingerprints.
Diurnal vertical migration: Adaptive significance and timing. Part 1. Selective advantage: A metabolic model1

The diurnal vertical migrations of herbivores usually result in a major decrease in their cxposurc to food, a sacrifice widely considered warranted because visually orienting predators make daylight hours unsafe for grazers to feed near the surface. A new alternative to that hypothesis is proposed which emphasizes the photosynthetic rather than the visual significance of the day-night cycle. Among the critical assumptions for this model are: that photosynthetic rate is great enough for algal biomass to increase appreciably from dawn to dusk; that the metabolic ncods of grazers can be reduced by resting during nonfeeding hours in cooler waters at depth; and that the grazing rate of herbivores, following an cxtendcd interval of nonfeeding, is initially greater than steady state rate and then declines in a matter of a few hours. Calculations based on these assumptions demonstrate that nocturnal feeding by a grazer might be able to provide a greater net energy gain for growth and reproduction than continuous feeding. An unexpected prediction of this approach is that if maximizing net energetic gain is of greater selective importance than avoidance of visually orienting predators, grazers ought to migrate upward and begin feeding well before sunset, rather than after as the predation hypothesis presumes. The exact timing of the postulated feeding optimum depends on assumed values of several parameters, but most of the calculated advantage seems attainable by an onset of grazing l-2 h before sunset. This prediction provides a simple first test of the general hypothesis.
Information theory in the brain.

Shannon CE: A mathematical theory of communication.Bell System Tech J 1948, 27:379-423;623-656. (Reprinted in Claude Elwood Shannon: Collected Papers. Edited by Sloane NJA and Wyner AD. New York: IEEE Press; 1993. Also available at http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/ms/what/shannonday/paper.html)Rieke FM, Warland DK, de Ruyter van Steveninck R, Bialek W: Spikes: Exploring the neural code. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press; 1997Cover TM, Thomas JA: Elements of Information Theory. New York: Wiley; 1991.
Large-Scale Circulation Features Associated with Decadal Variations of Tropical Cyclone Activity over the Central North Pacific

Abstract Tropical cyclone frequency in the central North Pacific (CNP) from 1966 to 2000 has exhibited decadal-scale variability. A statistical changepoint analysis reveals objectively that the shifts occur in 1982 and 1995, with fewer cyclones during the 1966–81 and 1995–2000 epochs and more during the 1982–94 epoch. A bootstrap resampling method is then applied to determine the frequency distribution of the mean annual cyclones for the 1966–81 and 1982–94 epochs, as well as to infer the confidence intervals of the observed mean and variance of cyclones for each epoch. Large-scale environmental conditions conducive to cyclone incidences during the peak hurricane season (July–September) for the inactive (1966–81) and active (1982–94) epochs are investigated. A nonparametric Mann–Whitney test is used to investigate whether the differences in location between the two epochs are significant. In contrast to the first epoch, warmer sea surface temperatures, lower sea level pressure, stronger low-level anomalou...
Calcium Waves Propagate through Radial Glial Cells and Modulate Proliferation in the Developing Neocortex

The majority of neurons in the adult neocortex are produced embryonically during a brief but intense period of neuronal proliferation. The radial glial cell, a transient embryonic cell type known for its crucial role in neuronal migration, has recently been shown to function as a neuronal progenitor cell and appears to produce most cortical pyramidal neurons. Radial glial cell modulation could thus affect neuron production, neuronal migration, and overall cortical architecture; however, signaling mechanisms among radial glia have not been studied directly. We demonstrate here that calcium waves propagate through radial glial cells in the proliferative cortical ventricular zone (VZ). Radial glial calcium waves occur spontaneously and require connexin hemichannels, P2Y1 ATP receptors, and intracellular IP3-mediated calcium release. Furthermore, we show that wave disruption decreases VZ proliferation during the peak of embryonic neurogenesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate a radial glial signaling mechanism that may regulate cortical neuronal production.
Auxin-regulated gene expression and embryogenic competence in callus cultures of sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.

High levels of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 10 µM) and sucrose (3%) are required for both the induction and maintenance of callus for somatic embryogenesis in sweetpotato. Newly inducted embryogenic callus lines in sweetpotato cv. White Star produce competent embryos that convert readily into plantlets. With age, these embryogenic callus lines produce a greater proportion of incompetent embryos with poor conversion potential. One hypothesis for this change is that auxin- and/or sugar-responsiveness may be altered with aging. A comparison of two older embryogenic lines (K592 and M892) to two new lines (K1194 and K195) addressed the relationship between extent of embryo conversion and relative abundance of mRNAs hybridizing with heterologous auxin- or sugar-responsive gene probes. The respective cDNAs utilized were the auxin-responsive pJCW1 and pJCW2 and the sugar-responsive Ivr2 and Sh1. Embryos from new callus lines formed more shoots, roots, and viable plantlets than embryos from older callus lines. In addition, new callus lines had greater relative levels of mRNAs hybridizing to auxin-responsive cDNAs. These sweetpotato mRNAs were themselves found to be 2,4-D-responsive in dosage analyses. In contrast, differences between young and old cultures were not evident for mRNAs hybridized to sugar-regulated genes. Our results support the suggestion that desensitization of auxin-responsiveness is a central feature of reduced embryogenic competence in callus lines following prolonged exposure to 2,4-D and elevated sucrose levels.
Epistemic utility estimation with valuational convexity

We address the problem of parameter estimation using Levi's (1980) epistemological framework of rational decision making; the resulting estimators accurately reflect the decision agent's knowledge, willingness to risk error, and values. In this paper, previous results are extended to include valuational convexity, yielding estimators that address conflicted values. >
The Mitchell order below rank-to-rank

We show that Mitchell order on downward closed extenders below rank-to-rank type is wellfounded. 1
Coronary angiography: is it time to reassess?

The introduction of selective coronary angiography by Mason Sones in 1958 stands as a milestone in clinical cardiology. The procedure continues as a cornerstone in the evaluation of the coronary arteries and is indicated not only to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) but also to assess its severity. These data are then integrated with other clinical information to help guide treatment decisions. Traditionally, assessment of coronary lesion severity has been accomplished by a visual estimate obtained from simple inspection of the angiogram. Although this method of assigning CAD diagnosis, and more specifically attempting to quantify its severity, has long been recognized to have important limitations, 1 simple visual estimation remains the most commonly used form of lesion evaluation and is taken by many operators to be their reference standard. Article see p 1793 It is important to understand that among the many factors contributing to limit coronary blood flow (eg, diastolic pressure time, microvascular resistance), the minimal luminal cross-sectional area available for flow is critically important. At rest, blood flow remains unchanged until the cross-sectional area reduction is very severe (ie, >80% stenosis) and increases resistance (Figure 1). Maximal blood flow, however, becomes impaired when the reduction in cross-sectional area approximates 50%, and this became the definition of significant CAD. This reduction in area also operates over the length of the lesion, so lumen area reduction actually represents only 1 factor in a complex geometry within a lesion that is difficult to measure in the clinical setting. For this reason, and because experimental models centered on the idealized focal stenosis, clinicians substituted an approximation of the most severeappearing obstruction. However, CAD patients frequently have long or multiple stenoses in the same coronary artery. Our laboratory and others have shown that compared with a single focal stenosis, multiple consecutive stenoses and an increase in stenosis length result in a greater reduction in maximal flow. 2–6 Because the area reduction over the length of the complex lesion and multiple lesions was difficult to measure precisely even with multiple views, clinicians defaulted to estimating the maximal percent diameter narrowing in the worst view. Additionally, considerable variability occurs in the relation between myocardial flow and percent diameter stenosis, 7 suggesting that other factors (eg, microvascular dysfunction) also operate. Nevertheless, percent diameter stenosis is most commonly used to define the presence of obstructive CAD.
The Relationship Between Leader Motivating Language and Self-Efficacy: A Partial Least Squares Model Analysis

Leadership language and its effects on employee affect and outcomes have experienced significant advances in research progress and practice in recent years. Communication researchers have explored ...
Real-time spot size measurement for pulsed high-energy radiographic machines

The focal spot size of an X-ray source is a critical parameter which degrades resolution in a flash radiograph. For best results, a small round focal spot is required. Therefore, a fast and accurate measurement of the spot size is highly desirable to facilitate machine tuning. This paper describes two systems developed for Los Alamos National Laboratory's Pulsed High-Energy Radiographic Machine Emitting X-rays (PHERMEX) facility. The first uses a CCD camera combined with high-brightness fluors, while the second utilizes phosphor storage screens. Other techniques typically record only the line spread function on radiographic film, while systems in this paper measure the more general two-dimensional point-spread function and associated modulation transfer function in real time for shot-to-shot comparison. >
Preferential nucleosome assembly at DNA triplet repeats from the myotonic dystrophy gene

The expansion of CTG repeats in DNA occurs in or near genes involved in several human diseases, including myotonic dystrophy and Huntington's disease. Nucleosomes, the basic structural element of chromosomes, consist of 146 base pairs of DNA coiled about an octamer of histone proteins and mediate general transcriptional repression. Electron microscopy was used to examine in vitro the nucleosome assembly of DNA containing repeating CTG triplets. The efficiency of nucleosome formation increased with expanded triplet blocks, suggesting that such blocks may repress transcription through the creation of stable nucleosomes.
Codes in the Neurons: How is Information Represented in Brain Tissue?

Since the nervous system is above all an information receiving, processing, generating, and transmitting system, the question how it encodes and represents information is a first order one. The evidence shows there is not a single code but multiple forms of representation, none digital but various forms of analog, including pulse coded analog representation. The title question becomes multiplexed because of parallel codes and compounded due to sequential encodings, decodings and reencodings after integrating other inputs or in-built proclivities. There are those who reject the terminology of codes, representation, and recognition but I find it relevant and heuristic, the only shorthand way to ask many meaningful questions. Obviously terms such as encoding do not imply the conscious intentionality of a human operator but only the change in some aspect of neural activity that is felt by the next neuron and carries the information about time and intensity of whatever aspect of the stimulus, input or state change the encoder senses. The concept applies not only to sensory but to all neurons.
Neurocognitive Aging and the Hippocampus across Species

There is extensive evidence that aging is associated with impairments in episodic memory. Many of these changes have been ascribed to neurobiological alterations to the hippocampal network and its input pathways. A cross-species consensus is beginning to emerge suggesting that subtle synaptic and functional changes within this network may underlie the majority of age-related memory impairments. In this review we survey convergent data from animal and human studies that have contributed significantly to our understanding of the brain–behavior relationships in this network, particularly in the aging brain. We utilize a cognitive as well as a neurobiological perspective and synthesize data across approaches and species to reach a more detailed understanding of age-related alterations in hippocampal memory function.
SURFACE AREA OF VERMICULITE WITH NITROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE AS ADSORBATES

Surface-area studies were made on several homoionic vermiculites with both nitrogen and carbon dioxide as adsorbates. These studies show that only very slight penetration occurs between individual vermiculite platelets. This is in contrast to an earlier investigation of montmorillonite where it was found that the degree of penetration between layers is quite high, particularly for carbon dioxide, and is governed by the size and charge of the interlayer cation. The inability of these adsorbates to penetrate substantially between vermiculite platelets is due primarily to this mineral’s high surface-charge density.