cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physics of photon-flux measurements with silicon photodiodes

A model of the quantum efficiency of a planar silicon photodiode that is useful in connection with high-accuracy optical-radiation measurements is developed. The model is based mostly on macroscopic (phenomenological) optical and electronic properties of the device that must be determined from experiments on the device, but the connection with the microscopic physical properties (band structure) of silicon is made. The predictions of this model differ significantly from recent experimental results for the variation of the internal quantum efficiency with angle for a silicon photodiode as reported by Durnin et al. [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.71, 115 ( 1981)]. A repetition of these measurements is described. The results do not agree with those reported by Durnin et al. but do agree well with the predictions of the quantum-efficiency model.
Some chemical aspects of human brain development. II. Phosphoglyceride fatty acids.

Extract: The fatty acids of total phosphoglycerides (TPG), ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG), and choline phosphoglycerides (CPG) were obtained by mild alkaline transmethylation from lipid extracts of whole cerebrum and then analyzed by gas chromatography. A complete brain hemisphere from each of the 34 newborn infants reported previously was homogenized and its lipids extracted according to the procedure specified in that report. As the gestational age of the children went up, a statistically significant increase of the n-3/n-6 ratio and, especially, of the 22:4(n-6)/22:5(n-6) index was observed. Other ratios, such as the n-6/n-9 and the 18:0/18:1(n-9), were also studied in the fatty acid patterns of EPG and CPG. Both of them showed significant increases with the gestational age of the infants. The [22:4(n-6) + 22:5(n-6)]/20:4(n-6) index, an indicator of the elongation process of arachidonic acid, on the other hand, did not show appreciable changes with maturation in TPG during this period of life. When ethanolamine and choline phosphoglycerides were analyzed separately, however, the elongation of arachidonic acid did rise with the gestational age in the former whereas it decreased in the latter. Speculation: As intrauterine maturation of the human brain progresses, changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acid patterns, contrary to those observed in undernourished animals, take place. Among these changes, the increase of the n-3 family fatty acids and the decrease of the 22:5(n-6), reported in humans during the entire life span, can already be found in such early stages of life as selected for this study and within so narrow a range of gestational ages.
Florida ADs and Homologous Reproduction

Kanter’s (Men and women of the corporation, Basic Books, New York, 1977) proposition that those in control within organizations sustain their dominance through homologous reproduction was first applied to sport by [Knoppers, Quest 39(1):9–22, 1987]. Applying the construct to interscholastic athletics in Ohio (Stangl and Kane, Sociol Sport J 8:47–60, 1991) and in Texas (Lovett and Lowry, J Sport Manage 8:27–35, 1994) researchers were able to provide a theoretical foundation to support the anecdotal “good old boys network” which prevailed in high school athletics. This study conducted in Florida determined that while sport remained a male dominated institution, homologous reproduction did not appear to be the factor sustaining the current organizational structure within interscholastic athletic departments.
Electronic structures and superconductivity of endohedrally doped C 28 solids from first principles

We present ab initio calculations of the crystalline phases of ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$: hyperdiamond and hyperlonsdaleite, in their pristine and endohedrally doped forms. These are hard materials with strong covalent bonds between the ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ molecules, and yet their electronic properties have remarkable similarities to the weakly bonded ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ molecular solids previously investigated [Phys. Rev. B 70, 140504(R) (2004)]. Our calculations show that they exhibit very narrow bands near the Fermi energy with an electron-phonon coupling that is well described by a molecular model and is larger than in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. Our study focuses on ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ solids endohedrally doped with Zr, a group-IVB tetravalent atom. Solid $\mathrm{Zr}@{\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ is a small-gap insulator with Jahn-Teller distortions. Since the two structures considered are degenerate in energy, the actual material is expected to have disorder affecting the states at the Fermi energy and leading to a nonvanishing density of states. We conclude that the small density of states at the Fermi energy for $\mathrm{Zr}@{\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ will lead to a superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ lower than that found in ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$; however, our results suggest that a higher ${T}_{c}$ may be obtained using group-IIIB trivalent atoms.
Isolation and characterization of aminopterin-resistant cell lines in maize.

Aminopterin-resistant cell lines of maize were isolated by two different procedures of callus selection and by plating suspension cultures on drugcontaining medium after mutagen treatment. Efficiencies of different methods of variant selection were compared. Four aminopterin-resistant cell lines were shown to be 10–40 times more resistant than the parental cell line, and they were also resistant to another folate analog, methotrexate. The results suggest that alterations in at least three different cell properties could be responsible for resistance; 1) increased dihydrofolate reductase activity, 2) altered aminopterin sensitivity of dihydrofolate reductase, and 3) reduced drug uptake. One of the resistant cell lines showed more than one alteration, but its resistance proved to be unstable. The results suggest that stable changes which may or may not be of genetic origin and also unstable physiological changes or a combination of both could lead to aminopterin resistance in maize cell cultures.
Closed unitary and similarity orbits of normal operators in purely infinite C⁎-algebras

Abstract We will investigate the norm closure of the unitary and similarity orbits of normal operators in unital, simple, purely infinite C ⁎ -algebras. A simple proof to the classification of when two normal operators are approximately unitarily equivalent in said algebras with trivial K 1 -group will be given using previously known techniques. Using these techniques some upper and lower bounds for the distance between unitary orbits of normal operators will be obtained. In addition, a complete characterization of when one normal operator is in the closed similarity orbit of another normal operator will be given for unital, simple, purely infinite C ⁎ -algebras and type III factors with separable predual.
Centrally induced pressor responses to intravenous and intraventricular physostigmine evoked via different pathways.

A pressor response was obtained in the rat following both intravenous (i.v.) and intraventricular (i.vent.) administration of physostigmine. In both instances this response was mediated via central muscarinic mechanisms. The peripheral pathways differed, however, in that adrenalectomy blocked completely the response to i.vent. injection of physostigmine while it potentiated the response to i.v. administration of this agent.
The Sociogenesis of Evil

This unusual and important book is the culmination of Philip Zimbardo's eminent career as a psychological researcher, teacher, author of excellent textbooks, and proponent of justice. Zimbardo came...
Content of iridoid glycosides in different parts of Castilleja integra

Abstract The flowers, bracts and leaves of 16 individual Castilleja integra plants were quantitatively analysed for their iridoid glycoside content. Catalpol and macfadienoside were found in all plant parts. Shanzhiside, methyl shanzhiside, 8-epiloganic acid and gardoside were concentrated mainly in the leaves, while adoxosidic acid and adoxoside were mainly or exclusively concentrated in the bracts and flowers. A trace component was shown to be 6-β-hydroxyadoxosidic acid, a previously undescribed iridoid. There was a high degree of variability in iridoid content and patterns among individual plants as well as plant parts.
Frequency-domain design of feedback systems for specified insensitivity of time-domain response to parameter variation

Frequency-domain design of feedback systems for prescribed insensitivity of response to parameter variation has relied, in the past, on trial-and-error methods of translating sensitivity specifications from time domain to frequency domain. A rational method for such translation is introduced, which enables time-domain specifications to be achieved by known methods of frequency-domain design.
The single-channel dose-response relation is consistently steep for rod cyclic nucleotide-gated channels: implications for the interpretation of macroscopic dose-response relations.

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels contain four subunits, each with a C-terminal binding site for cGMP or cAMP. The dose−response relation for activation is usually fit with the Hill equation, I/Imax = [cGMP]n/([cGMP]n + K1/2n), where I/Imax is the fraction of maximal current, K1/2 is the concentration of cGMP that gives a half-maximal current, and n is the Hill coefficient, taken as the minimum number of ligands required for significant activation. The dose−response relations in multichannel patches are often fit with Hill coefficients of ≤2.0, even though other lines of evidence indicate that these channels contain four binding sites and that the binding of three or four ligands is required for significant opening. We have measured dose−response relations for a large number of single cyclic nucleotide-gated channels composed of the bovine rod α subunit. We find that the single-channel Hill coefficient is consistently higher than 2.5, with an average of 3.0 ± 0.37 over 16 patches. In both multichannel and ...
Hohmann-Hohmann and Hohmann-Phasing Cooperative Rendezvous Maneuvers

We consider the problem of cooperative rendezvous between two satellites in circular orbits, given a fixed time for the rendezvous to be completed, and assuming a circular rendezvous orbit. We investigate two types of cooperative maneuvers for which analytical solutions can be obtained. One is the case of two Hohmann transfers, henceforth referred to as HHCM, while the other, henceforth referred to as HPCM, is the case of a Hohmann transfer and a phasing maneuver. For the latter case we derive conditions on the phasing angle that make a HPCM rendezvous cheaper than a cooperative rendezvous on an orbit that is different than either the original orbits of the two participating satellites. It is shown that minimizing the fuel expenditure is equivalent to minimizing a weighted sum of the ΔVs of the two orbital transfers, the weights being determined by the mass and engine characteristics of the satellites. Our results show that, if the time of rendezvous allows for a Hohmann transfer between the orbits of the satellites, the optimal rendezvous is either a noncooperative Hohmann transfer or a Hohmann-phasing cooperative maneuver. In both of these cases, the maneuver costs are determined analytically. A numerical example verifies these observations. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of this study for Peer-to-Peer (P2P) refueling of satellites residing in two different circular orbits.
Measurements on photoelectrons from a magnesium cathode in a microwave electron gun

Abstract The performance of a magnesium cathode in a one-and-half cell photocathode microwave gun was measured at the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF). The frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG laser (266 nm) was used to stimulate the photoelectron emission. For a normal incident laser pulse, the quantum efficiency of the magnesium at 10 −7 Torr was measured to be 5 × 10 −4 , which is more than 20 times the value for copper under similar conditions. After more than 5000 h operation, and despite some optical damage on the cathode surface, no decrease in the quantum efficiency of the magnesium cathode has been observed. The Schottky effect of photoelectron emission was also studied. No electron saturation effect was observed for a train of laser pulses. The photoelectron beam bunch length was measured to be 11 ps FWHM using a microwave kicker cavity, in agreement with a streak camera measurement of the laser pulse length. The measured rms normalized emittance is 2.5 mm mrad for a bunch charge of 80 pC, and rms radius of the laser spot 0.2 mm, in agreement with a simple analytical model predictions.
Raman and NMR studies of aged LiFePO4 cathode

The carbon coated LiFePO4 nanoparticles are used in advanced lithium-ion batteries due to low cost, high energy and power density. In this paper Raman spectroscopy is used to analyze the degradation of carbon coating around these nanoparticles in several commercial cells aged with different C-rate. Magic angle spinning 7Li Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to characterize these nanoparticles for the presence of Li. In Raman spectroscopy data, structural change in the carbon leading to low electrical conductivity is observed for the cells aged at higher C-rate. In NMR spectroscopy data, isotropic 7Li peak is observed in an unaged cell, while the similar peak is absent in the aged cells.
Study of particle erosion damage in Haynes Stellite 6B I: Scanning electron microscopy of eroded surfaces

Abstract The erosion behavior of metals and alloys by solid particles entrained in relatively slow moving gases is of current interest as a result of ongoing efforts in coal conversion and the consequent production of dust-laden gases. Haynes Stellite 6B represents a typical alloy used for erosive wear resistance in such situations and also provides an appropriate alloy for the study of the mechanisms of erosion because it comprises essentially large brittle carbide phases in a ductile matrix. A scanning electron microscope study of the surface of Stellite 6B after erosion by alumina particles is described, and the types of erosion damage incurred by the ductile metal matrix and the brittle carbides are characterized. The only mechanism of material loss of the ductile metal for which positive evidence was found was cutting, with the possibility that fracture on a very fine scale may also be involved. The mechanism of material removal from the carbides appeared to be by surface crack interlinkage. Under the conditions studied, corners of the eroding alumina particles were found to break off and to adhere to the alloy or carbide surface; at the highest impact velocity studied an extensive layer of embedded alumina fragments was built up on the alloy surface and probably modified its erosion behavior.
Synthetic surfaces as artificial antigen presenting cells in the study of T cell receptor triggering and immunological synapse formation

T cell activation occurs when T cell receptors engage peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules displayed on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs). Clustering of TCRs and other receptors in physical patterns at the T-APC interface forms a structure known as an immunological synapse (IS). Studies of the IS are challenging due to the cell-cell contact context of the governing interactions. Model surfaces as synthetic APCs have thus been developed, where the type, quantity, and physical arrangement of ligands displayed to T cells are precisely controlled. These model systems have provided important insights into the structure and function of the IS.
NON-BIRATIONAL CALABI–YAU THREEFOLDS THAT ARE DERIVED EQUIVALENT

We argue that the existence of genus one fibrations with multisections of high degree on certain Calabi–Yau threefolds implies the existence of pairs of such varieties that are not birational, but are derived equivalent. It also (likely) implies the existence of non-birational counterexamples to the Torelli problem for Calabi–Yau threefolds.
Topical vitamin C in skin care.

New studies identify ultraviolet A (UVA) (320 to 400 nm) radiation as a key culprit in photoaging and aggressive skin cancers. Unfortunately, UVA protection is not available in all sunscreens, and when such protection is available, the screening agents do not offer complete protection. Under current Food and Drug Administration regulations, a sunscreen can be labeled “broad-spectrum” if it protects skin from any UVA radiation—no matter how small the amount. UVA is more than 30 times more present in sunlight than ultraviolet B (UVB) (290 to 320 nm). Furthermore, in comparison with UVB, UVA is more evenly present throughout the year. Moreover, it can pass through glass—including home, office, and car windows. UVB is virtually completely absorbed in the top 0.1 mm of skin; UVA can penetrate into deeper layers and through skin. UVA is especially dangerous because it is more effective than UVB at generating reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species are a family of small, oxygen-based molecules that either contain an unpaired electron or are capable of forming one. Reactive oxygen species are generated by not only ultraviolet radiation but also other environmental insults (including smoke, pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, heat, and cold). Duke University has patented a stable, concentrated solution of l-ascorbic acid that delivers higher doses of vitamin C into skin than can be achieved by diet. New studies show that topical vitamin (L-ascorbic acid) is an excellent antioxidant for UVA and UVB (290 to 320 nm) protection, making it a useful adjunct to (but not replacement for) sunscreens.1 Vitamin C is one of the body's primary protectants from reactive oxygen damage, but it is depleted during ultraviolet injury. Vitamin C serves as the major aqueous phase antioxidant …
Spirooxazine photochromism : picosecond time-resolved Raman and absorption spectroscopy

Abstract Photochromatic reactions in three spirooxazine compounds based on the formation of merocyanine isomers are examined by picosecond time-resolved resonance Raman and absorption spectroscopies. Each spirooxazine is excited with 287 nm dye laser pulses (35 ps fwhm) while resonance Raman scattering from the merocyanine isomer(s) formed by ring opening is generated with 575 nm laser excitation into the resultant delocalized, π-electron absorption system. Vibrational resonance Raman spectra of the merocyanine isomer(s) recorded over the 50 ps-1.5 ns interval do not change, indicating that both ring opening to form a stable merocyanine isomer or distribution of isomers is complete within 50 ps and that this isomer(s) distribution formed remains unchanged for at least 1.5 ns.
Analog model of diffusion in bays and estuaries

Abstract Modelling the diffusion of chemicals through bays and estuaries from local sources is of increasing importance. An electrical analog model is described that can incorporate the geometry of the system studied and yield fluxes and concentration contours. For purposes of illustration, the model is applied to two problems. The first is a geometrical simple model whose known analytic solution provides a verification of the method, while the second is that of the effluents of a copper smelter proposed for the marshlands of Galveston Bay.
DACIDR: deterministic annealed clustering with interpolative dimension reduction using a large collection of 16S rRNA sequences

The recent advance in next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques has enabled the direct analysis of the genetic information within a whole microbial community, bypassing the culturing individual microbial species in the lab. One can profile the marker genes of 16S rRNA encoded in the sample through the amplification of highly variable regions in the genes and sequencing of them by using Roche/454 sequencers to generate half to a few millions of 16S rRNA fragments of about 400 base pairs. The main computational challenge of analyzing such data is to group these sequences into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Common clustering algorithms (such as hierarchical clustering) require quadratic space and time complexity that makes them not suitable for large datasets with millions of sequences. An alternative is to use greedy heuristic clustering methods (such as CD-HIT and UCLUST); although these enable fast sequence analyzing, the hard-cutoff similarity threshold set for them and the random starting seeds can result in reduced accuracy and overestimation (too many clusters). In this paper, we propose DACIDR: a parallel sequence clustering and visualization pipeline, which can address the overestimation problem along with space and time complexity issues as well as giving robust result. The pipeline starts with a parallel pairwise sequence alignment analysis followed by a deterministic annealing method for both clustering and dimension reduction. No explicit similarity threshold is needed with the process of clustering. Experiments with our system also proved the quadratic time and space complexity issue could be solved with a novel heuristic method called Sample Sequence Partition Tree (SSP-Tree), which allowed us to interpolate millions of sequences with sub-quadratic time and linear space requirement. Furthermore, SSP-Tree can enhance the speed of fine-tuning on the existing result, which made it possible to recursive clustering to achieve accurate local results. Our experiments showed that DACIDR produced a more reliable result than two popular greedy heuristic clustering methods.
Effect of Active-site Mutation at Asn67 on the Proton Transfer Mechanism of Human Carbonic Anhydrase II

The rate-limiting proton transfer (PT) event in the site-specific mutant N67L of human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) has been examined by kinetic, X-ray, and simulation approaches. The X-ray crystallography studies, which were previously reported, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicate that the proton shuttling residue, His64, predominantly resides in the outward orientation with a significant disruption of the ordered water in the active site for the dehydration pathway. While disorder is seen in the active-site water, water cluster analysis indicates that the N67L mutant may form water clusters similar to those seen in the wild-type (WT). For the hydration pathway of the enzyme, the active site water cluster analysis reveals an inability of the N67L mutant to stabilize water clusters when His64 is in the inward orientation, thereby favoring PT when His64 is in the outward orientation. The preference of the N67L mutant to carry out the PT when His64 is in the outward orientation for both the h...
Hospitalists in the United States--mission accomplished or work in progress?

Eight years ago in the Journal, a colleague and I described a new breed of physician — the “hospitalist” — whose primary role was to care for hospitalized patients, returning them to the care of their regular physicians at hospital discharge.1 Since that time, the number of hospitalists in the United States has grown from a few hundred to approximately 8000, with projected growth to 20,000 (about the number of cardiologists in this country). With hospitalists at most major U.S. teaching hospitals,2 students and residents (in both internal medicine and, increasingly, pediatrics) now receive much of their inpatient training . . .
Giardia sp. Cysts and Infectious Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in the Feces of Migratory Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)

Fecal droppings of migratory Canada geese, Branta canadensis, collected from nine sites near the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland), were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia spp. Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts were found in feces at seven of nine sites, and Giardia cysts were found at all nine sites. The oocysts from three sites were infectious for mice and molecularly identified as the zoonotic genotype of Cryptosporidium parvum. Waterfowl can disseminate infectious C. parvum oocysts in the environment.
Impact of hexazinone on invertebrates after application to forested watersheds

The impact of the herbicide, hexazinone, was assessed on aquatic macrophytes, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate communities within forested watersheds in the Piedmont region of Georgia. Four replicate watersheds received hexazinone on April 23, 1979, and were subsequently monitored for eight months. Residue levels in terrestrial invertebrates were a maximum of two orders of magnitude greater than comparable levels (0.01 to 0.18 ppm) found in forest floor material. Aquatic organisms in a second order perennial stream were exposed to intermittent concentrations of hexazinone (6 to 44 ppb). Hexazinone and its metabolites were generally not detected (<0.1 ppm) in aquatic invertebrates and macrophytes. No major alterations in species composition or diversity were detected in the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. Terrestrial microarthropod samples collected near the end of the study period revealed no major community changes.
A study on the feasibility of low probability of intercept sonar

We explore the feasibility of low probability of intercept for sonar signals. Using a noise-like active sonar signal, the transmitter (platform) employs a matched filter for echo detection while the target is assumed to use an energy detector. Decision statistic distributions are developed at both the platform and target. These distributions allow efficient Monte Carlo simulation of detection performance and comparison with a previous work's assumption of Gaussian decision statistics. We then explore the detection advantage the platform can achieve by evasive on-off keying and by optimization of its transmitted power. We identify a favorable (evasive) operating region for the platform in the (low power, small range) region of the (range, power) plane. This suggests that the platform should start detection (and range-finding) using a low-power probing signal, increasing power until a reliable detection rate is first achieved while ensuring the target's detection rate does not exceed a specified level.
Mars, Materials, and Three Morality Plays: Materials Flows and Environmental Policy

Summary Although industrial ecology represents a captivating metaphor and rich repertoire of analytical tools, its impact on environmental policy has been marginal at best. This article examines the insights provided by the studies of three common materials in the US. economy-lead, arsenic, and silver-and the abilrty of such studies to illuminate some larger and looming challenges for future environmental policy. Three specific challenges are explored: the flow of materials across national borders, the increasing embodiment of emissions in products, and the dangers of unchallenged assumptions about the drivers of material flows. The article argues that industrial ecology can inform public policy but that it is time for the practitioners of industrial ecology, an applied science, to apply it in the often messy world of environmental policymaking.
Image denoising using a tight frame

We present a general mathematical theory for lifting frames that allows us to modify existing filters to construct new ones that form Parseval frames. We apply our theory to design non-separable Parseval frames from separable (tensor) products of a piecewise linear spline tight frame. These new frame systems incorporate the weighted average operator and the Sobel operator in directions that are integer multiples of 45/spl deg/. A new image denoising algorithm is then proposed tailored to the specific properties of these new frame filters. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithm on a diverse set of images with very encouraging results.
Reducing the Institutional Waiting Lists for the Mentally Retarded

Twenty-nine families who had children on the admission waiting list of a Washington State Institution for the retarded were studied. These parents and their retarded children had very little knowledge of possible outpatient services and had received little, if any, ongoing supportive primary care. Most parents were seeking institutionalization for their child to obtain relief for themselves and their family. Admission to the institution generally was not timed to meet either the needs of the individual or his family. Expansion of community services for the retarded can be important in reducing the number of candidates for admission to state institutions for the retarded.
Functional equations in adaptive processes and random transmission

By imbedding a complex physical process under consideration within an appropriate class of processes and expressing the functional relationships among the members of the class, it is frequently possible to obtain insights into the structure of the original process which would not be feasible through consideration of that process alone. Not only may analytical expressions be obtained, but frequently computational tools are forged which make possible the exploitation of modern digital computing machines. By way of illustration, this paper is devoted to a discussion of recent applications o f the functional equation techniques of dynamic programming and invariant imbedding to the study of some problems arising in the theory of adaptive control processes and that of transmission through random media. Still other applications which have been made in modulation theory, communication theory, and network analysis are briefly sketched.
Nonextensive information-theoretic measure for image edge detection

We propose a nonextensive information-theoretic measure called Jensen-Tsallis divergence, which may be defined between any arbitrary number of probability distributions, and we analyze its main theoretical properties. Using the theory of majorization, we also derive its upper bounds performance. To gain further insight into the robustness and the application of the Jensen-Tsallis divergence measure in imaging, we provide some numerical experiments to show the power of this entopic measure in image edge detection.
Implementation of the simultaneous perturbation algorithm for stochastic optimization

The need for solving multivariate optimization problems is pervasive in engineering and the physical and social sciences. The simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm has recently attracted considerable attention for challenging optimization problems where it is difficult or impossible to directly obtain a gradient of the objective function with respect to the parameters being optimized. SPSA is based on an easily implemented and highly efficient gradient approximation that relies on measurements of the objective function, not on measurements of the gradient of the objective function. The gradient approximation is based on only two function measurements (regardless of the dimension of the gradient vector). This contrasts with standard finite-difference approaches, which require a number of function measurements proportional to the dimension of the gradient vector. This paper presents a simple step-by-step guide to implementation of SPSA in generic optimization problems and offers some practical suggestions for choosing certain algorithm coefficients.
Socio-Economic Development and Political Democracy in Japanese Prefectures

This research note attempts to test the relationship between levels of socio-economic development and variation in political democracy with data gathered in Japanese prefectures. The operational measures of socio-economic development are the levels of urban-industrialism and social overhead capital, which are derived from the results of factor analysis of fifteen socio-economic indicators. Three measures of political democracy are obtained by factor-analyzing political indicators: they are the degrees of political competition, political participation, and representation equality. The analysis of the data reveals weak relationships between the two measures of socio-economic development and the three measures of political democracy. This finding challenges the validity of some generalizations regarding economic-political linkages previously reported in many cross-national studies. In the context of within-nation comparisons, this study suggests the need for a re-evaluation of the relationship between socio-economic development and political democracy.
The Quest for Better Questionnaires

The development of questionnaires is a neglected enterprise in epidemiology. It has recently been proposed that a prestigious health authority such as the World Health Organization establish a committee to tackle issues of questionnaire quality, moving eventually toward standardized instruments. However, standardization may not be the best way to invigorate this enterprise. As an alternative, the author suggests that the first step in improving questionnaires would be to make them more accessible. Ideally, questionnaires should be as easily scrutinized as a study's methods or results. To this end, the author suggests that when a research paper is published, the entire questionnaire be made available on the worldwide web. Electronic access to questionnaires could stimulate a new era of awareness about the importance of questionnaire design.
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Dichotomy: Identification of IFN-α Producing Cells as a Phenotypically and Functionally Distinct Subset

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) produce large amounts of type I IFN in response to invading pathogens, but can also suppress immune responses and promote tolerance. In this study, we show that in mice, these functions are attributable to two distinct pDC subsets, one of which gives rise to the other. CD9 pos Siglec-H low pDC secrete IFN-α when stimulated with TLR agonists, induce CTLs, and promote protective antitumor immunity. By contrast, CD9 neg Siglec-H high pDC secrete negligible amounts of IFN-α, induce Foxp3 + CD4 + T cells, and fail to promote antitumor immunity. Although newly formed pDC in the bone marrow are CD9 pos and are capable of producing IFN-α, after these cells traffic to peripheral tissues, they lose CD9 expression and the ability to produce IFN-α. We propose that newly generated pDC mobilized from the bone marrow, rather than tissue-resident pDC, are the major source of IFN-α in infected hosts.
A symbol-by-symbol multiuser detector with joint amplitude and delay estimation

A multiuser detector is developed for code-division multiple access applications, in which the delays and amplitudes of the incoming waveforms are estimated recursively. The overall algorithm is an approximation to the symbol-by-symbol detector of K. Abend and B. Fritchman (1970), in which the likelihoods are computed using extended Kalman filter (EKF) innovations. The EKF provides, in addition to the likelihoods, joint estimates of the signal delays and amplitudes. The resulting algorithm is quite complex, due to the large number of possible composite symbols corresponding to the multiple users. However, it is shown that the likelihood computation and EKF updates can be expressed in terms of a set of cross-correlation functions, which need only be computed for a subset of the possible symbols. Thus, the algorithm may be practical for certain narrowband applications using programmable DSP device implementations. >
12-lead ST-segment monitoring vs single-lead maximum ST-segment monitoring for detecting ongoing ischemia in patients with unstable coronary syndromes

BACKGROUND 12-lead ECG monitoring of the ST segment is more sensitive than patients' symptoms for detecting ischemia after thrombolytic therapy or catheter-based interventions, but it is unclear whether monitoring of the single lead showing maximum ST deviation would be as efficacious. OBJECTIVE To determine whether monitoring all 12 ECG leads for changes in the ST segment is necessary to detect ongoing ischemia in patients with unstable coronary syndromes. METHODS Continuous 12-lead ST segment monitoring was performed in 422 patients from the onset of myocardial infarction or during balloon inflation in catheter-based interventions until the patient's discharge from the cardiac care unit. Computer-assisted techniques were used to determine (1) which lead showed the maximum ST deviation at the onset of myocardial infarction or during balloon inflation and (2) what proportion of later ischemic events were associated with ST deviation in this lead. RESULTS The lead with the maximum ST deviation could be determined in 312 patients (74%). The remaining 110 (26%) had non-Q wave infarction without ST deviation or no ST changes during balloon inflation. During 18,394 hours of 12-lead ST monitoring, 118 (28%) of the 312 patients had a total of 463 ischemic events, 80% of which were silent. Of 377 ischemic events in which a maximum ST lead was detected, 159 (42%) did not show ST deviation in this lead (sensitivity, 58%; 95% CI, 53%-63%). Routine monitoring of leads V1 and II showed ST deviation in only 152 of the 463 events (sensitivity, 33%; 95% CI, 29%-37%). CONCLUSIONS Monitoring of all 12 ECG leads for changes in the ST segment is necessary to detect ongoing ischemia in patients with unstable coronary syndromes.
Effects of (Multi)branching of Dipolar Chromophores on Photophysical Properties and Two-Photon Absorption

To investigate the effect of branching on linear and nonlinear optical properties, a specific series of chromophores, epitome of (multi)branched dipoles, has been thoroughly explored by a combined theoretical and experimental approach. Excited-state structure calculations based on quantum-chemical techniques (time-dependent density functional theory) as well as a Frenkel exciton model nicely complement experimental photoluminescence and one- and two-photon absorption findings and contribute to their interpretation. This allowed us to get a deep insight into the nature of fundamental excited-state dynamics and the nonlinear optical (NLO) response involved. Both experiment and theory reveal that a multidimensional intramolecular charge transfer takes place from the donating moiety to the periphery of the branched molecules upon excitation, while fluorescence stems from an excited state localized on one of the dipolar branches. Branching is also observed to lead to cooperative enhancement of two-photon absorption (TPA) while maintaining high fluorescence quantum yield, thanks to localization of the emitting state. The comparison between results obtained in the Frenkel exciton scheme and ab initio results suggests the coherent coupling between branches as one of the possible mechanisms for the observed enhancement. New strategies for the rational design of NLO molecular assemblies are thus inferred on the basis of the acquired insights.
Equation of state of MgGeO3 perovskite to 65 GPa: comparison with the post-perovskite phase

The equation of state of MgGeO3 perovskite was determined between 25 and 66 GPa using synchrotron X-ray diffraction with the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. The data were fit to a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state and yielded a zero-pressure volume (V 0) of 182.2 ± 0.3 A3 and bulk modulus (K 0) of 229 ± 3 GPa, with the pressure derivative (K′0 = (∂K 0/∂P) T ) fixed at 3.7. Differential stresses were evaluated using lattice strain theory and found to be typically less than about 1.5 GPa. Theoretical calculations were also carried out using density functional theory from 0 to 205 GPa. The equation of state parameters from theory (V 0 = 180.2 A3, K 0 = 221.3 GPa, and K′0 = 3.90) are in agreement with experiment, although theoretically calculated volumes are systematically lower than experiment. The properties of the perovskite phase were compared to MgGeO3 post-perovskite phase near the observed phase transition pressure (∼65 GPa). Across the transition, the density increased by 2.0(0.7)%. This is in excellent agreement with the theoretically determined density change of 1.9%; however both values are larger than those for the (Mg,Fe)SiO3 phase transition. The bulk sound velocity change across the transition is small and is likely to be negative [−0.5(1.6)% from experiment and −1.2% from theory]. These results are similar to previous findings for the (Mg,Fe)SiO3 system. A linearized Birch–Murnaghan equation of state fit to each axis yielded zero-pressure compressibilities of 0.0022, 0.0009, and 0.0016 GPa−1 for the a, b, and c axis, respectively. Magnesium germanate appears to be a good analog system for studying the properties of the perovskite and post-perovskite phases in silicates.
3D Reconstruction of Confocal Image Data

The main advantage of the confocal microscope is often said to be the ability to produce serial optical sections of fluorescent samples, ultimately for the purpose of reconstructing microscopic objects in three dimensions (Carlsson and Aslund 1987). There are many ways, and reasons, to reconstruct confocal image data. As an example, consider the sample of embryonic mouse heart shown in Fig. 10.1 reconstructed using a variety of three-dimensional (3D) techniques. This chapter will introduce these methods and discuss topics such as (a) why one might want to undertake this task, (b) some definitions of the representation of 3D space using images, (c) the different types of 3D representations that can be made, and (d) the necessary steps to make useful reconstructions. Along the way, the limitations and potential pitfalls that arise will be discussed.
Improving the performance of classifiers in high-dimensional remote sensing applications: an adaptive resampling strategy for error-prone exemplars (ARESEPE)

In the past, "active learning" strategies have been proposed for improving the convergence and accuracy of statistical classifiers. However, many of these approaches have large storage requirements or unnecessarily large computational burdens and, therefore, have been impractical for the large-scale databases typically found in remote sensing, especially hyperspectral applications. In this paper, we develop a practical on-line approach with only modest storage requirements. The new approach improves the convergence rate associated with the optimization of adaptive classifiers, especially in high-dimensional remote sensing data. We demonstrate the new approach using PROBE2 hyperspectral imagery and find convergence time improvements of two orders of magnitude in the optimization of land-cover classifiers.
Gap Junctions Mediate Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Bystander Killing in Astrocytes

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into the CNS is an early event after infection, resulting in neurological dysfunction in a significant number of individuals. As people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) live longer, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is increasing, despite antiretroviral therapy. The mechanisms that mediate CNS dysfunction are still not completely understood, and include inflammation, viral presence, and/or replication. In this report, we characterize a novel role of gap junctions in transmitting and thereby amplifying toxic signals originating from HIV-infected astrocytes that trigger cell death in uninfected astrocytes. HIV-infected astrocytes were resistant to apoptosis; however, uninfected astrocytes forming gap junctions with infected astrocytes were apoptotic. Gap junction blockers abolished apoptosis in uninfected astrocytes, supporting the role of these channels in amplifying cell death. Our findings describe a novel mechanism of toxicity within the brain, triggered by low numbers of HIV-infected astrocytes and amplified by gap junctions, contributing to the pathogenesis of NeuroAIDS.
Postganglionic sympathetic neurons express endothelin

Endothelin (ET) is a peptide originally identified as an endothelial-derived vasoconstrictor. It is now recognized that ET is produced by and acts on many other tissues including the brain and spinal cord, where it is believed to modulate neurotransmission. The present studies demonstrate that ET is synthesized by and secreted from postganglionic sympathetic neurons. With the use of Northern analysis, ET-1 mRNA was detected in cultures of sympathetic superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons isolated from 3- to 5-day old rat pups. ET-1 and ET-3 peptides were also detected in cultured SCG neurons using immunohistochemistry. ET-1 (50 pg/106 cells) and ET-3 (173 pg/106 cells) were detected by radioimmunoassay of media conditioned by cultured SCG. ET-1 (77 pg/mg protein) and ET-3 (30 pg/mg protein) were also detected by radioimmunoassay of extracts of adult SCG.
P83 – 2742: Clinical characteristics of MLD patients admitted to Hacettepe University in one-year period

Objective Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficieny of arylsulfatase A (ARSA), leading to accumulation of sulfatide in myelinating cells and resulting progressive central and peripheral demyelination. Late-infantile, juvenile and adult forms have been distinguished. Clinical presentation shows great variations according to the age of onset. We report seven MLD cases with clinical and radiologic characteristics and we also share unusual presentations of two of them. Methods We collected clinical, radiological and laboratory findings of patients with MLD diagnosed in our center between 2014 and 2015, retrospectively. Results The age at onset of symptoms ranged between 18 months and 6 years. The median age at MLD diagnosis was 5 years (2–8.5 years). Four patients were late-infantile, three were juvenile form of MLD. Three patients had positive family history. Common symptoms in the late-infantile group were loss of developmental milestones, regression of motor skills, difficulty in swallowing. One patient suffered from seizures. Unusual presentation with peripheral neuropathy was observed in a patient. In the juvenile-onset group patients presented with cognitive decline, behavioral problems and gait disturbance. Gallbladder disease was detected in two patients. One of them was referred to our center due to gallbladder polyps without any neurological symptoms. Two patients were ambulatory in admission. All of the patients had low ARSA level and two of them had genetic evaluation for MLD. The brain magnetic resonance imaging results showed typical white matter alterations of MLD except the asymptomatic one. Conclusion Presenting symptoms and clinical course of MLD show remarkable variability among patients. In one-year period, we have seen a wide range of clinical presentations and, we have also experienced unusual clinical findings of MLD.
Influence of the subfornical organ on meal-associated drinking in rats

A lesion of the subfornical organ (SFO) may disrupt drinking after a meal of dry chow as it does drinking after intragastric administration of hypertonic saline. Food and water intakes of SFO-lesio...
Mitochondrial Protein PGAM5 Regulates Mitophagic Protection against Cell Necroptosis

Necroptosis as a molecular program, rather than simply incidental cell death, was established by elucidating the roles of receptor interacting protein (RIP) kinases 1 and 3, along with their downstream partner, mixed lineage kinase-like domain protein (MLKL). Previous studies suggested that phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5), a mitochondrial protein that associates with RIP1/RIP3/MLKL complex, promotes necroptosis. We have generated mice deficient in the pgam5 gene and surprisingly found PGAM5-deficiency exacerbated rather than reduced necroptosis in response to multiple in vitro and in vivo necroptotic stimuli, including ischemic reperfusion injury (I/R) in the heart and brain. Electron microscopy, biochemical, and confocal analysis revealed that PGAM5 is indispensable for the process of PINK1 dependent mitophagy which antagonizes necroptosis. The loss of PGAM5/PINK1 mediated mitophagy causes the accumulation of abnormal mitochondria, leading to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that worsen necroptosis. Our results revise the former proposal that PGAM5 acts downstream of RIP1/RIP3 to mediate necroptosis. Instead, PGAM5 protects cells from necroptosis by independently promoting mitophagy. PGAM5 promotion of mitophagy may represent a therapeutic target for stroke, myocardial infarction and other diseases caused by oxidative damage and necroptosis.