cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability Analysis and Grid Disturbance Rejection for a 60-kW SiC-Based Filterless Grid-Connected PV Inverter

With increased switching frequency and multilevel topology, it is possible for a wide-bandgap-device-based grid-connected converter to achieve filterless function and utilize the grid impedance for its switching harmonic attenuation. In this paper, a filterless grid-connected SiC inverter is designed and demonstrated. Stability has been analyzed with a focus on grid disturbance rejection. The analysis shows that the conventional control method with instantaneous grid voltage feedforward (IGVF) will significantly limit the bandwidth or stability margin of a filterless grid-connected inverter, thus make the inverter sensitive to grid disturbance. Two grid voltage feedforward control methods, which require little additional computation resources, are proposed to suppress the grid voltage disturbance. The closed form equations for control parameters are derived. The effects of the proposed feedforward methods are also compared with that of conventional IGVF. Finally, the grid-connected experimental results of a 60-kW SiC-based 5-level photovoltaic inverter are provided to verify and compare the proposed control methods.
Risks of Releasing Wild-Type and Genetically Engineered Biocontrol Organisms into the Ecosystem

Many subjects in science become highly controversial, particularly when research findings are politicized, impinge on strongly held philosophical ideas, or challenge personal beliefs. The ecosystem is such a topic; it seems that many hold strong options about what is “best” for the ecosystem and are willing to put forth theories by critical studies. With these considerations in mind, a discourse on the risks of using wild-type and genetically engineered biological control agents (bcas) in various environments is destined to be controversial. Fortunately, much of the fear and emotional rhetoric about releasing wild-type or genetically altered organisms into the ecosystem has dissipated with time and the observation that these organisms have caused no problems in the laboratory or the environment. Nevertheless, many of the regulations and procedural steps that affect experimentation with both innocuous and genetically altered organisms seriously obstruct the efficient and effective administering of research projects. These and a steadily increasing conglomeration of regulations are causing a major shift of resources from “bench science” to administration and service personnel concerned with the processing of paper-work. Any analysis of the conduct of research in United States universities over the last 20 years would find that administrative costs and the sizes of offices have increased dramatically and that scientists have tended to become managers spending less time in their laboratories. The question is -can society afford the very high costs associated with the many regulations that impact on all aspects of science?
Studying Language Acquisition Through the Prism of Isomorphism

This chapter reviews the growing literature in the acquisition of semantics focused on the way children interpret sentences containing quantified NPs and negation. Much of this work grows out of an observation that preschoolers, unlike adults, display a strong preference for the interpretation of such sentences that corresponds to the surface syntactic position of the quantificational elements involved. This is what has been called the Observation of Isomorphism (OI). The chapter makes the case that OI is best and most productively understood as a research program. The notion of isomorphism can be used as a prism to illuminate much broader issues in domains such as language acquisition, linguistic theory, learnability theory, experimental methodology, and the development of sentence processing and pragmatic abilities.
Clinical and serological responses following plasmapheresis in bullous pemphigoid: two case reports and a review of the literature.

Plasmapheresis has been proven to be an effective treatment for a variety of conditions, especially those in which circulating antibodies are known or thought to be involved in pathogenesis. The current American Society For Apheresis (ASFA) guidelines1 make recommendations on 120 specific indications encompassing a total of 68 distinct disease processes. Among the autoimmune blistering disorders of the skin, pemphigus vulgaris is the sole entity included and plasmapheresis is considered a category IV indication (disorders in which published evidence demonstrates or suggests apheresis to be ineffective or harmful). In pemphigus vulgaris auto-antibodies are directed against the adhesion molecule desmoglein2, whereas in a related entity known as bullous pemphigoid (BP) auto-antibodies are targeted against the hemidesmosome components BP1803 and BP2304. Although no formal recommendation exists for BP, plasmapheresis has been deployed successfully as adjunctive therapy5–8. In describing our own institution’s recent experience in treating BP we add to the growing evidence supporting the use of plasmapheresis under appropriate conditions. We also include an examination of serial BP180 and BP230 titres measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) during plasmapheresis therapy.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data Analysis with Information-Theoretic Approaches

An information-theoretic approach is presented for functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) analysis to detect neural activations. Two divergence measures are employed to estimate the difference between two data distributions, obtained by segmenting the voxel time series based on the experimental protocol time-line. In order to validate the new technique activation signals were acquired from a specially constructed dynamic fMRI phantom placed in the scanner, instead of computer simulated signals. The data analysis shows that the divergence measure is more robust in quantifying the difference between two distributions than the methods that utilize only the first and second order statistics. More importantly, the divergence measure is a method for calculating the brain activation map that makes no assumptions about the data distribution (e.g., Gaussian distribution). Results are also shown based on data of visual task study of subjects.
Interactive 3D Display of Medical Images

3D display has the potential for increasing the information from medical images that can be used for diagnosis or treatment. It can be accomplished both by displays which present reflections from computed surfaces and by translucent, projective displays. Taking into account both types of display, this paper will (1) discuss the strengths and weaknesses of 3D display and indicate areas of medical imaging where it seems that these strengths can be capitalized upon. (2) survey the kinds of preprocessing necessary to prepare an image for 3D display from a series of 2D grey-scale slice images. (3) present types of interaction and display features that are important as part of 3D display, in particular for projective, translucent 3D display. (4) summarize the features of system software at UNC that supports the required interaction and display on a particular projective 3D display, a varifocal mirror system designed as an add-on to a color raster graphics system [Fuchs, Pizer, et al, 1982a,b].
Yat, Uptown, and Cajun French Accents in English

New Orleans accents are sometimes treated as one accent. This study offers several options regarding New Orleans accents to actors, dialect teachers, directors, designers, and coaches for class, st...
Absence of singular continuous spectrum for perturbed discrete Schrödinger operators

Abstract We show that the spectral measure of discrete Schrodinger operators ( H u ) ( n ) = u ( n + 1 ) + u ( n − 1 ) + V ( n ) u ( n ) does not have singular continuous component if the potential V ( n ) = O ( n − 1 ) .
A cash flow model of an integrated industrial CCS-EOR project in a petrochemical corridor: A case study in Louisiana

Abstract Petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants are major CO2 sources, however, they are also significant capital and employment assets that are unlikely to be replaced in the near term. As a result, nations and states that are interested in reducing the carbon intensity of their economies will need to find ways to reduce the emissions of their existing industrial capacity. Industrial carbon capture provides one potential mechanism for reducing the carbon intensity of existing industrial facilities, however, an economically feasible capture system requires that the captured CO2 be integrated into a system of transport and storage with income generated either through tax credits, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), or both. Here, we present a cash-flow model of an integrated system with industrial capture, pipeline transport, and EOR, and we parameterize the model with data from Louisiana. Given a $50/bbl oil price, an integrated capture, transport and EOR system that uses ethylene oxide production, ammonia production, or natural gas processing as sources is predicted to have a net present value of about $500 million; hydrogen-based capture has a cash flow of −$214 given the same assumptions. Further, we find that the recent 45Q Tax Credit expansion has a positive impact on the cash flow of the system but does not change the overall profitability of the systems under the specified assumptions such that without the tax credits natural gas processing, ammonia production and ethylene oxide production-based capture systems remain cost-effective, while hydrogen-based capture remains unprofitable with or without the tax credit.
Impact of vaginal brachytherapy on survival in stage I endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

Objective To evaluate trends in use of radiation therapy and its impact on overall survival in low- and high-grade stage I endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Methods Patients with stage I endometrial cancer who underwent hysterectomy from 2004 to 2013 were identified through the National Cancer Database and classified as: stage IA G1/2, stage IA G3, stage IB G1/2, and stage IB G3. Trends in use of vaginal brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy were assessed. Overall survival was measured from surgery and estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The effect of radiation therapy on overall survival was assessed within each stage/grade group using Cox proportional hazards analysis in propensity-matched treatment groups. Results A total of 132 393 patients met inclusion criteria, and 81% of patients had stage IA and 19% had stage IB endometrial cancer. Adjuvant therapy was administered in 18% of patients: 52% received vaginal brachytherapy, 30% external beam radiation therapy, and 18% chemotherapy ±radiation therapy. External beam radiation therapy use decreased from 9% in 2004 to 4% in 2012, while vaginal brachytherapy use increased from 8% to 14%. Stage IA G1/2 patients did not benefit from either external beam radiation therapy or vaginal brachytherapy, while administration of vaginal brachytherapy improved overall survival in stage IB G1/2 compared with no treatment (p Conclusions The delivery of adjuvant radiation therapy in patients with stage IA G1/2 endometrial carcinoma is not associated with improvement in overall survival. Patients with stage IB G1/2 and G3 as well as stage IA G3 are shown to benefit from improved overall survival when adjuvant radiation therapy is administered. These findings demonstrate potential opportunities to reduce both overtreatment and undertreatment in stage I endometrial cancer patients.
Coated Micro-Particle Simulations with 6 LiF/ZnS(Ag) and 10 B/ZnS(Ag) for Improved Neutron Detection Efficiency

978-1-7281-4164-0 /19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEECoated micro-particle scintillation detectors are a promising technology to improve the neutron detection by enhancing both the charged particle energy deposition in the scintillator and the optical photon propagation inside the active detection medium. The incentive is to maximize the energy deposition in the scintillator by coating the neutron converter (such as6LiF or 10B) and to maximize the light transport efficiency by making the relatively opaque scintillator (ZnS(Ag)) as thin as possible. In this work, coated micro-particles were modeled as concentric spheres. Single-particle simulations were performed to find the optimal radius of the neutron converters and optimal thickness of the scintillator. Multi-particle simulations were also performed to determine the optimal pitch (particle-to-particle distance) and the optimal detector thickness (the number of particle layers). 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) detectors are shown to perform better than 10B/ZnS(Ag) detectors in terms of neutron detection by allowing more mass of neutron converters in the active volume. However, it is also shown in the results that the 10B-based coated micro-particle detectors would be more efficient per unit mass of the neutron converter. The results obtained in this work are being used in the manufacturing processes aimed at producing initial samples of coated micro-particle detectors.
Mean-Field Theory for C 70

Orientational ordering transitions in C70 are studied by constructing a Landau free energy in terms of order parameters describing long-range orientational order. This theory predicts that the transition from the orientationally disordered state into a partially ordered state, where the long axes of the molecules are parallel to one another, is discontinuous with an elastic distortion. Order parameters describing the lower temperature transition, where spinning about the long axis becomes hindered, are also discussed.
The concurrence of multiple sclerosis and glioblastoma.

Abstract Introduction Glioblastoma rarely coincides with multiple sclerosis. Although registries have reported a higher proportion of brain tumors—most of which are glial—these events appear to be underreported. The relative contribution of JC virus (an oncogenic virus) and disease modifying therapies that may facilitate JC virus neurotropism and tumor-specific immune evasion remain unknown. Case report We present the case of a 64-year-old woman who developed a primary glioblastoma eight years after diagnosis of multiple sclerosis while on dimethyl fumarate. Conclusion Systematic reporting may help answer whether JC virus seropositivity and certain disease modifying therapies confer higher risk for glioblastoma in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Comparing Dynamic and Static Time-Area Closures for Bycatch Mitigation: A Management Strategy Evaluation of a Swordfish Fishery

Time-area closures are a valuable tool for mitigating fisheries bycatch. There is increasing recognition that dynamic closures, which have boundaries that vary across space and time, can be more effective than static closures at protecting mobile species in dynamic environments. We created a management strategy evaluation to compare static and dynamic closures in a simulated fishery based on the California drift gillnet swordfish fishery, with closures aimed at reducing bycatch of leatherback turtles. We tested eight operating models that varied swordfish and leatherback distributions, and within each evaluated the performance of three static and five dynamic closure strategies. We repeated this under 20% and 50% simulated observer coverage to alter the data available for closure creation. We found that static closures can be effective for reducing bycatch of species with more geographically-associated distributions, but to avoid redistributing bycatch the static areas closed should be based on potential (not just observed) bycatch. Only dynamic closures were effective at reducing bycatch for more dynamic leatherback distributions, and they generally reduced bycatch risk more than they reduced target catch. Dynamic closures were less likely to redistribute fishing into rarely fished areas, by leaving open pockets of lower risk habitat, but these closures were often fragmented which would create practical challenges for fishers and managers and require a mobile fleet. Given our simulation’s catch rates, 20% observer coverage was sufficient to create useful closures and increasing coverage to 50% added only minor improvement in closure performance. Even strict static or dynamic closures reduced leatherback bycatch by only 30-50% per season, because the simulated leatherback distributions were broad and open areas contained considerable bycatch risk. Perfect knowledge of the leatherback distribution provided an additional 5-15% bycatch reduction over a dynamic closure with realistic predictive accuracy. This moderate level of bycatch reduction highlights the limitations of redistributing fishing effort to reduce bycatch of broadly distributed and rarely encountered species, and indicates that, for these species, spatial management may work best when used with other bycatch mitigation approaches. We recommend future research explores methods for considering model uncertainty in the spatial and temporal resolution of dynamic closures.
P115 Updating Website Workflows to Efficiently Meet Changing User Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective Assess whether changes implemented to an Extension website increased website traffic and met user needs. Use of Theory or Research Social distancing, quarantining, and staying at home due to COVID-19 had significant impacts on media consumption (Nielson Insights, 2020). According to the Pew Research Center, about 53% of US adults reported the internet was essential for them during the pandemic, with another 34% saying it was important (Vogels et al, 2020). Target Audience General public and multiplier groups (eg, educators, health professionals, media). Program Description The website team coordinated new, updated, and curated content for consumers and health professionals around timely food, nutrition and health information related to the pandemic. Evaluation Methods Google Analytics was used to assess website statistics. A web feedback form was added to new articles. Social media was used to promote/market content. Results Google Analytics (2019 vs 2020) showed increases in: pageviews (2.4 vs 3 million), site users (1.6 vs 2 million), and sessions (1.8 vs 2.4 million). There were positive increases in percent change for website traffic: direct traffic (36%); organic search (29%); and social media (53%). Specifically, positive increases in percent change for Facebook (112%) and Twitter (90%). Over 2,500 web feedback form responses were included in the analysis. Respondents said information was helpful to them (89%) and shared information with over 157,800 people (eg, friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, students, parents, clients, and seniors). Approximately 90% of responses were unique. Themes from open-ended comments included: helping keep families safe (food safety); recipes and activities for families at home with children; and food resource management tips. Conclusion Curating and creating content relevant to COVID-19 and promoting on social media increased website traffic. Using a standard web feedback form provided information about what content was useful to users. Templates and organizational structures helped state and county level Extension, support staff, and college students easily add content that was reviewed.
Systemic Impact: Results

In this chapter, the results of four models for exploring systemic impact are first examined. Following a presentation of the results of each of the four models, the implications or these findings will be discussed.
International corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance - The moderating effect of international environmental hostility

Abstract Globalization of the world economy has encouraged U.S. companies to leverage their resources and skills by expanding into existing or new foreign markets. U.S. companies have also acquired new capabilities by locating important functional activities overseas, and joining with foreign partners in new markets through alliances and joint ventures. These opportunities, however, are tempered by the constraints imposed by the competitive forces that exist in international environments. Aggressive government intervention, technological changes, and fierce local rivalries all contribute to hostile international environments for U.S. firms' global expansion. Success in global business operations requires resourcefulness and entrepreneurial risk taking. The activities of U.S. companies in foreign markets, therefore, provide a unique opportunity to examine the effects of international corporate entrepreneurship (ICE) efforts on company performance. ICE is defined as the sum of a company's efforts aimed at innovation, proactiveness, and risk taking. These efforts offer an important means of revitalizing and renewing established companies and improving their performance. Few studies have empirically examined the effects of ICE activities on companies' financial performance. This study used data from 98 U.S. companies to: (1) determine the impact of ICE efforts on firm performance, and (2) explore the moderating effect that the perceived hostility of the international environment has on the relationship between ICE and company performance. The results showed that ICE was positively associated with a firm's overall profitability and growth as well as its foreign profitability and growth. Those firms that aggressively pursued ICE in international environments with higher levels of hostility had higher return on assets (ROA) but did not achieve significantly higher levels of growth. However, as hostility in the international environment continued to intensify, ROA rose and then fell as companies increased their ICE activities. Thus, there was a point of diminishing returns to a company's aggressive pursuit of ICE under excessive environmental hostility. The results highlight both the rewards and risks of pursuing ICE. Companies benefit from ICE activities by achieving higher overall performance as well as foreign profits and growth in revenue. However, the aggressive pursuit of ICE does not always guarantee superior performance. Our results show that the payoff from ICE is moderated by executives' perceptions of the hostility of their firm's international business environment. Our findings highlight the importance of ICE for organizational success, both overall and in foreign markets. Yet, the results compellingly suggest that there are upper limits to the potential gains a firm achieves from its aggressive pursuit of ICE when the international environment in which it competes is hostile.
The Message Is in the Translation

It has been well established that cells control the activities of proteins by regulating their degradation. Now it seems cells also control protein activity by regulating when and where mRNAs encoding cellular proteins are translated. In their Perspective, Richter and Theurkauf examine how regulation of the translation of cyclin B and hunchback mRNAs controls cell proliferation and pattern formation in the developing fly embryo.
LGBT Youth in America's Schools by Jason Cianciotto and Sean Cahill

It has been long recognized that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are targets for school violence. However, there has not been a comprehensive text that describes the problem an...
Searching Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) for information on genetic loci involved in human disease.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a non-sequence-based information resource that can be of tremendous use to genomics researchers, physicians, and patients. OMIM is the electronic version of the catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. It provides concise textual information from the literature on most human conditions having a genetic basis, as well as pictures illustrating the condition or disorder (where appropriate) and full citation information. This unit gives an overview of the OMIM database, the layout of the records, and the information that is available within each entry.
Oligomerization of FtsZ converts the FtsZ tail motif (conserved carboxy-terminal peptide) into a multivalent ligand with high avidity for partners ZipA and SlmA.

Summary A short conserved motif located at the carboxy terminus of FtsZ, referred to here as the CCTP (conserved carboxy-terminal peptide), is required for the interaction of FtsZ with many of its partners. In Escherichia coli interaction of FtsZ with its membrane anchors, ZipA and FtsA, as well as the spatial regulators of Z-ring formation, MinC and SlmA, requires the CCTP. ZipA interacts with FtsZ with high affinity and interacts with the CCTP with low affinity, but the reason for this difference is not clear. In this study, we show that this difference is due to the oligomerization of FtsZ converting the CCTP to a multivalent ligand that binds multiple ZipAs bound to a surface with high avidity. Artificial dimerization of the CCTP is sufficient to increase the affinity for ZipA in vitro. Similar principles apply to the interaction of FtsZ with SlmA. Although done in vitro, these results have implications for the recruitment of FtsZ to the membrane in vivo, the interaction of FtsZ with spatial regulators and the reconstitution of FtsZ systems in vitro.
ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Educators program

Intersect with research, methods, and techniques in every aspect of education at every level. Educators and learners present research, summarize projects, and debate approaches in papers, panels, forums, and quicktakes.
Characterization of MIMO channels for spatial multiplexing systems

Future wireless systems will employ multiple antennas at both transmitter and receiver to take advantage of large capacity gains. Two competing spatial modulation techniques for such systems are multiplexing, for high spectrum efficiency; and diversity, for high reliability. In this paper we show that the Demmel (1988) condition number of a MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) channel characterizes its suitability for multiplexed transmission, over diversity transmission, based on a minimum Euclidean distance comparison. We examine the probability of obtaining channels suitable for multiplexing as a function of constellation, rate, and number of antennas, for i.i.d. flat-fading Rayleigh matrix channels.
Ambient Intelligence for Scientific Discovery: foundations, Theories, and Systems

Many difficult scientific discovery tasks can only be solved in interactive ways, by combining intelligent computing techniques with intuitive and adaptive user interfaces. It is inevitable to use human intelligence in scientific discovery systems: human eyes can capture complex patterns and relationships, along with detecting the exceptional cases in a data set; the human brain can easily manipulate perceptions to make decisions. Ambient intelligence is about this kind of ubiquitous and autonomous human interaction with information. Scientific discovery is a process of creative perception and communication, dealing with questions like: how do we significantly reduce information while maintaining meaning, or how do we extract patterns from massive data and growing data resources. Originating from the SIGCHI Workshop on Ambient Intelligence for Scientific Discovery, this state-of-the-art survey is organized in three parts: new paradigms in scientific discovery, ambient cognition, and ambient intelligence systems. Many chapters share common features such as interaction, vision, language, and biomedicine
Tissue culture cell assays used to analyze Listeria monocytogenes.

This unit describes tissue culture cell assays for analysis of the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to cause intracellular infection. It includes methods for evaluating the organism's ability to invade its host, to escape the primary vacuole formed upon invasion of host cells, to multiply within the cytosol of its host, and to spread from cell to cell without exiting the intracellular milieu. Each step can be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Keywords: invasion; escape from vacuole; intracellular growth; cell-to-cell spread; Listeria
Changes in fertility expectations and preferences between 1962 and 1977: Their relation to final parity

Changing fertility expectations and preferences from 1962 to 1977 are compared with final parity in a longitudinal study. Results are strongly affected by initial parity in 1962. Final parity, 27 percent below expectations for those initially childless, illustrates the effect for couples free to change expectations downward of declining fertility preferences. Changes in expectations early in marriage had a significant long-term effect on final parity, as did early differences between wife’s expectations and husband’s preferences. Unplanned births increased final parity significantly. Religion, education, and income had no systematic relation to the discrepancy between initial expectations and final parity.
Original Contribution: The gamma model-A new neural model for temporal processing

In this paper we develop the gamma neural model, a new neural net architecture for processing of temporal patterns. Time varying patterns are normally segmented into a sequence of static patterns that are successively presented to a neural net. In the approach presented here segmentation is avoided. Only current signal values are presented to the neural net, which adapts its own internal memory to store the past. Thus, in the gamma neural net, an adaptive short term mechanism obviates a priori signal segmentation. We evaluate the relation between the gamma net and competing dynamic neural models. Interestingly, the gamma model brings many popular dynamic net architectures, such as the time-delay-neural-net and the concentration-in-time-neural-net, into a unifying framework. In fact, the gamma memory structure appears as general as a temporal convolution memory structure with arbitrary time varying weight kernel w(t). Yet, the gamma model remains mathematically equivalent to the additive (Grossberg) model with constant weights. We present a back propagation procedure to adapt the weights in a particular feedforward structure, the focused gamma net.
Turbulent developing convective heat transfer in a tube for fluids near the critical point

Abstract Numerical simulation is performed to study turbulent convective heat transfer to fluids near the critical point in the entrance region of a vertical tube. This modeling includes the effects of large thermodynamic and transport property variations of the fluid. The effect of proximity to the critical point is also considered as well as the buoyancy force in the vertical tube. Due to the property variation effects and buoyancy force in the tube, there is slow approach to fully developed conditions. The effects of large property variations are considered with a modified mixing length model including density fluctuation. Predictions from the mixing length model are in good agreement with experimental data from the literature and other analyses. The results show a little higher value in turbulent diffusivity than the standard mixing length model. The buoyancy force in the vertical tube depends on fluid temperature and pressure. The buoyancy force parameters increase as the pressure approaches critical pressure due to the steep density gradient with temperature which affects the characteristics of fluid flow and heat transfer in the developing region. The distributions of heat transfer coefficient and friction factor along the tube are quite different from those of the constant property case.
Severe tactual memory deficits in monkeys after combined removal of the amygdala and hippocampus

Monkeys with bilateral removals of both the amygdaloid complex and hippocampal formation were far more severely impaired on a tactual memory task than were monkeys with removal of either structure alone. These data parallel earlier findings on visual memory in monkeys and suggest that: (i) the memory deficit following combined ablations of the amygdala and hippocampus is multimodal; and (ii) the global anterograde amnesia observed in patients with medial temporal-lobe damage is also due to combined damage to these two structures.
Phase compensated electromagnetic delay lines for wire chamber readout

Abstract In this paper a phase-compensated distributed parameter electromagnetic delay line suitable for the readout of the positions of ionizing tracks in multi-wire proportional chambers is described. Delay lines with delays of 40 to 200 ns/cm having a rectangular cross section have been designed. The rectangular cross section enables them to be capacitatively coupled to the wire chamber simply by clamping them on the wire chamber external leads. The coupling coefficients between the chamber and delay line are approximately 3 to 10%. The electronic readout accuracy is better than ±0.1 mm due to the delay line.
The normal role of Activated Protein C in maintaining homeostasis and its relevance to critical illness

Thrombin is a multifunctional protein, with procoagulant, inflammatory and anticoagulant effects. Binding of thrombin to thrombomodulin results in activation of Protein C and initiation of the Activated Protein C anticoagulant pathway, a process that is augmented by the endothelial cell Protein C receptor (EPCR). Activated Protein C has demonstrated antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and profibrinolytic properties. Its antithrombotic activity is particularly important in the microcirculation, and Protein C deficiency is associated with microvascular thrombosis. Activated Protein C has also been shown to modulate inflammation. When the level of thrombomodulin or Protein C is reduced in sepsis there is a vicious cycle of coagulation and inflammation, with potentially lethal consequences. In vitro studies and animal models have shown that Activated Protein C blunts the inflammatory and coagulant response to sepsis through a variety of mechanisms.
Precise anorectal sphincter dilatation--its role in the therapy of anal fissures.

For the past 20 years, internal anal sphincterotomy has generally been considered to be the standard operation for an anal fissure. We sought an alternative form of treatment because of the wound complications inherent in this operation. Anal dilatation, precisely performed with a Parks' retractor opened to 4.8 cm or with a 40mm rectosigmoid balloon, has been found to cure successfully the fissure in 93 percent and 94 percent, respectively, of each group and to be associated with fewer complications.
The cuticle and epidermal cells of Dero obtusa (family naididae)

Electron microscope observations of the epidermis of the oligochaete Dero obtusa show that the epidermal cells are the source of one or more components of the cuticle. An outer mucous coat is secreted by the cells through long processes that penetrate the cuticle and eventually degenerate into sites of attachment for the mucous filaments. A fibrous portion of the cuticle is composed primarily of large collagen fibers that are formed by the aggregation of numerous smaller filaments. Evidence is presented that the epidermal cells are the source of these filaments.
Partial coherence in coupled photonic crystal vertical cavity laser arrays

A classical, stochastic, coupled-oscillator model for the emergence of partial coherence in arrays of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers is presented. The spectra of the uncoupled lasers determine the second order coherence properties of the coupled system. Predictions of the resultant radiation and interference patterns are verified experimentally.
Evolution of Qualitative Research Methodology: Looking Beyond Defense to Possibilities

The authors discuss where qualitative research may be headed in the light of where it has been, situating their conversation in the current political context.
Defect thiospinels: a new class of reversible cathode material

Abstract The defect thiospinel Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 was prepared by low-temperature oxidative extraction of copper from Cu[Ti 2 ]S 4 . Up to two equivalents of lithium can be inserted into Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 reversibly with fast electrochemical kinetics at room temperature; the defect thiospinel is, therefore, a highly promising alternative to layered TiS 2 as a cathode material for lithium secondary batteries. Samples of Cu 1− x [Ti 2 ]S 4 (0⩽ x ⩽ 0.93) and Li x Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 (0 x 65 Cu and 7 Li solid-state NMR, neutron powder diffraction, and electrochemical measurements. Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 is a semimetal with the residual copper located on the normal spinel A-cation sites. The lithium in Li x Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 is located only in the 16c octahedral sites of the spinel framework at all lithium compositions. The open-circuit voltage of Li x Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 versus lithium metal is nearly identical to that of layered Li x TiS 2 over the whole lithium-composition range. The chemical diffusion constant of lithium in Li x Cu 0.07 [Ti 2 ]S 4 (0.5 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.5) was found to be 1 × 10 −9 cm 2 s −1 , which is comparable with that in layered Li x TiS 2 .
Effects of ceftriaxone on ethanol intake: a possible role for xCT and GLT-1 isoforms modulation of glutamate levels in P rats

Evidence suggests that glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) and cystine/glutamate exchanger transporter (xCT) are critical in maintaining glutamate homeostasis. We have recently demonstrated that ceftriaxone treatment induced upregulation of GLT1 levels and attenuated ethanol intake; however, less is known about the involvement of xCT on ethanol intake. In this study, we investigated the effects of ceftriaxone on the levels of xCT in both continuous and relapse-like ethanol drinking, as well as GLT-1 isoforms, and glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) in relapse-like ethanol intake. P rats received free choice of 15 and 30 % ethanol and water for 5 weeks and then deprived of ethanol for 2 weeks. Rats were treated with ceftriaxone (100 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline during the last 5 days of the 2-week deprivation period. After deprivation period, P rats were re-exposed to free choice of 15 and 30 % ethanol and water for nine consecutive days. A second group of P rats was given continuous ethanol access for 5 weeks, then ceftriaxone (100 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline throughout the week 6. Ceftriaxone significantly attenuated relapse-like ethanol intake. Importantly, this effect of ceftriaxone was associated in part with upregulation of the levels of GLT-1a and GLT-1b isoforms and xCT in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). There were no significant differences in GLAST expression among all groups. We also found that ceftriaxone treatment increased xCT levels in both PFC and NAc in continuous ethanol intake. These findings suggest that xCT and GLT-1 isoforms might be target proteins for the treatment of alcohol dependence.
The dynamic shape of ceria nanoparticles

Abstract Ceria with other oxides constitutes an important class of catalysts that can exchange oxygen rapidly under variable reducing or oxidizing conditions. Surfaces play a crucial role in many of the catalytic applications of cerium-based oxides. The bond breaking and formation between cerium and oxygen lead to the surface layer reconstruction of the nanoparticles, accompanied by shape changes. Here we show by direct atomic imaging of the dynamic surface rearrangement of cerium ions on ceria nanoparticles during in situ observation in an atomic resolution transmission electron microscope.
Bioenergetics of diapause and quiescence in aquatic animals

Abstract With one exception, all major animal phyla contain species that possess dormant states, a feature that affords tolerance to extreme environmental conditions. Diapause is an obligate, developmentally-programmed form of dormancy that precedes the onset of environmental insult. Calorimetric and respirometric studies reveal that a major metabolic depression accompanies entry into diapause in vertebrates and invertebrates. Under fully aerobic conditions, embryos of the annual fish Austrofundulus limnaeus depress metabolism by approximately 90% over a period of several days as they enter diapause. This metabolic shift is achieved without alteration in ATP:ADP ratio. Breakage of diapause involves a lengthened photoperiod and is accompanied by a 200-fold increase in metabolic rate. Similarly, gemmules of the freshwater sponge Eunapius fragilis display developmental arrest and exhibit low heat dissipation and respiration when in diapause. Upon diapause breakage, germination occurs within 48–72 h. Across this period metabolic rate increases 12-fold, while adenylate status is unchanged; constant adenylates are also noted during diapause in embryos of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana. In contrast to diapause, quiescence is a form of dormancy that is a direct response to environmental stress. During anoxia-induced quiescence in A. franciscana embryos, heat dissipation rate drops below 0.2% of the aerobic value within hours of anoxic exposure, and ATP declines by 80% or more during this period. Transcription and translation are markedly depressed in the nucleo-cytoplasmic compartment and within the mitochondrion, and these represent two events in a suite of energy-saving measures. Coordinated depression of catabolic and anabolic processes is a hallmark feature of both diapause and quiescence. However, the adenylate energy status and time interval required for achieving metabolic depression are markedly different between the two conditions.
Graph Formations of Partial-Order Multiple-Sequence Alignments Using Nanoscale, Microscale, and Multiscale Reconfigurable Meshes

In this paper, we show how to form partial-order multiple-sequence alignment graphs on two types of reconfigurable mesh architectures. The first reconfigurable mesh is a standard microscale that uses electrical interconnects, while the second type of reconfigurable mesh can be implemented at a nanoscale level and employs spin waves for interconnectivity. We consider graph formations for two cases. In one case, the number of distinct variables in the data sequences is constant. In the other case, it can be as much as O(N). We show that given O(N) aligned sequences of length L, we can combine the sequences to form a graph in O(1) time, using either architecture if there is a constant number of distinct variables in the sequence. Otherwise, it will take O(1) time if we use the spin-wave model and O(N) time if we use the standard very large scale integration version.
Genetic testing for Niemann-Pick Type C disease

Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder that is characterized biochemically by sequestration of unesterified cholesterol and glycolipids in endosomal and/or lysosomal vesicles with consequent delay in cholesterol esterification. Clinical manifestations include progressive neurodegeneration, variable hepatosplenomegaly and vertical supranuclear gaze palsy. Death often occurs during childhood or early adulthood. NPC is a panethnic disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150,000. In approximately 95% of families the disease is linked to the NPC-1 gene at 18q11. This gene, isolated in 1997, contains 25 exons encoded by 3.9kb cDNA. Using multiplex PCR and CSGE to screen for mutations in NPC-1, we have tested genomic DNA from 53 unrelated affected individuals. Putative mutations were identified on 64 of 108 (59%) disease alleles and included 38 different DNA alterations located throughout the gene. Types of mutations included: missense (27), nonsense (1), frameshift (5), in-frame deletion (2) and splice site mutation (3). Recurrent mutations were 11061T (allele frequency 19/108, 18%), P237S (allele frequency 4/108, 3.7%), and dell271 (allele frequency 2/108, 1.9%). In addition to the putative mutations, 6 polymorphisms were identified. The finding of a high degree of mutation heterogeneity with many missense alterations creates difficulties for the clinical application of mutation testing in NPC. Although we can determine if missense alterations are in proposed functional domains or at sites conserved across species, we cannot be certain of the pathogenicity of such alterations. DNA alterations identified in affected patients can be used as linkage markers to determine carrier status of at risk relatives. However, the diagnosis in the affected individual must be confirmed by biochemical testing, and must include complementation analysis to establish that the defect is in NPC-1. Mutation analysis for individuals from the general population (e.g. partners of NPC carriers) is likely to result in significant dilemmas in interpretation of results. Funded by a grant from the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation.
Use of scanning probe microscopies to study transport in semiconductor heterostructures

The use of scanning probe microscopies--such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy (BEEM) to study carrier transport through semiconductor heterostructures--is reviewed. The ability of BEEM to probe buried structures below the surface can be exploited to study heterostructure band-offsets and resonant tunneling through quantum structures. It will be shown that BEEM can serve as a powerful probe of the spectroscopy of such structures. The implications of such studies for research on quantum dots and the characterization of new optoelectronic materials will be discussed.
Hemodynamic effects of angiotensin during surgical anesthesia.

Abstract The effects of a 10 to 20-minute infusion of angiotensin II on the cardiac output and arterial pressure were studied in 10 patients anesthetized with halothane-ether. Cardiac output did not fall significantly and peripheral resistance rose less than it did before anesthesia. In 2 seriously hypotensive patients, angiotensin markedly increased the cardiac output, and in 4 of 5 patients given the infusion for 20 minutes, cardiac output, but not peripheral resistance, was higher at 20 than at 10 minutes. These observations suggest that when hypotension accompanies halothane anesthesia, angiotensin has a beneficial hemodynamic effect when used, as it was here, in low dosage for short periods of time.
Molecular genetic characterization of lymphoma: application to cytology diagnosis.

Mature B- and T-cell lymphomas are increasingly being associated with specific genetic alterations; characterization of these changes can sometimes be crucial to both diagnosis and prognosis. Molecular testing encompasses florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, as well as classical cytogenetics. FISH and PCR-based assays can be performed on cytology material without the need for advanced planning for testing with fresh tissue. As many lymphoproliferations are amenable to fine needle aspiration diagnosis, it is important for the cytopathologist to be aware of what testing is feasible in these (sometimes limited) specimens. Here, we review pertinent genetic changes in mature B- and T-cell lymphomas with a focus on those that may be encountered more commonly in cytology specimens. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012;40:542–555. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.